VIDEO: P.K. Subban advertises his [censored] on ESPN

Warning from Ed. The following article, submitted by Poor Len Canayen, our National Sports Editor, is all about race, sex, and hockey -- the ultimate WWW trifecta. 

Tank youse, Hed! In my first post this morning, I mentioned former NHL player P.K. Subban, now the star DEI hire on ESPN's hockey telecasts, on which he appears as the "colour(ed) commentator". He is obviously loathed by Mark Messier, a real former NHL star, and Steve Levy, the moderator of the panel. 

Why so? Consider this clip from a recent studio show. After a clip showed player Jack Eichel cutting his stick with a saw, P.K. made what he considered a joke, which his colleagues and a lot of viewers found offensive. Listen up. 

 

Yes, really. "I'm not a carpenter, but I do carry around a hammer." Steve Levy say "Yes, you do! So I've heard," and Mark Messier just look into the camera.

This caused a hyuge reaction on social media and in the news. Some fans are even saying it was "inappropriate" for the professional black guy to refer on TV to an ancient trope, which I'm sure our readers don't need to have spelled out.

Here's one comment. "Bye bye subban!!!! I might not be a carpenter but I carry a hammer???? On the air?? Any other man would be taken off the air. Everyone knows what he was referring to."

Yes. Yes, we do know. Many white guys believe that it's the "hammer" that attracts white girls, like Lindsey Vonn here, to black men. I'm sure P.K.'s money has nothing to do with Ms Vonn's eagerness to become half of a  poster for bi-racial coupline. For more on this see "Innocent question about racism in TV commercials" WWW 13/5/25. 

Although some people found Mr Subban's little jape funny, others thought it was wrong for him to advertise his... errr... words fail me, on TV. We're waiting now see if ESPN will do anything about it. [No way. Walt. Lifetime pct .988.] If he's called on the carpet, P.K. is expected to plead the Costanza defence: "Was that wrong? If anybody had told me that was frowned upon..."

There's an old saying that one hears sometimes when Mr Subban's name comes up in conversation. "Some folks is black. Some folks is niggers." If he wants to be counted among the former, P.K. should take lessons from David Amber, who has worked for years on hockey telecasts, for both ESPN and TSN/Hockey Night in Canada, without ever mentioning his "hammer".

Footnote: Ms Vonn/Mrs Subban -- we're not sure which she prefers -- was an Olympic skier, which obviously qualifies her for a seat on the advisory board of "women-led" Athena Capital, as annoounced today.

Biracial families (?)

 A reader who believes strongly in racial equity/equality -- "We're all the same under the skin" -- takes me to task for daring to suggest that many white women are desperate (for whatever reason) to hook up with black men, and for suggesting that biracial relationships are less to likely to succeed than those in which both parties share race and culture.

Those who know me will know that I am not prejudiced against people of other races, or against biracial/bicultural relationships. Everything depends on the people, and their motivation for being together.

On the first point, I will say that not all white women who get involved with black men are plain-looking and fat, desperate for a little (or a lot) of love. Ed. has found pictures of two white girls who could have gotten guys of any race, had they so wished. Which begs the question of why they chose these celebrity partners.

In the photo above you see the very white and very blonde Lindsey Vonn, who married hockey hot dog P.K. Subban, about whom Poor Len Canayen had many kind things to say in the daze when he (P.K.) played for the Montréal Canadiens. P.K. is no longer with les Glorieux, and Lindsey is no longer with him. They had no children.

This very white, very blonde lady is Sara Jeihooni, who (according to Ed.) was for three years the main squeeze of the famous rap artiste R. Kelly (no relation to Walt Kelly, creator of Pogo and inspiration to YVT). Turns out Mr Kelly had a number of other squeezes, some of whom were well under age, so he and Ms Jeihooni parted ways, again without bringing any mulatto children into the world.

"So what?", I hear you ask. So nothing. Lots of white-white and black-black couplese break up too. Make of it what you will. 

FOOTNOTE: To the reader who took me to task for what he called the "racist" [of course. Ed.] implications of my previous post about black and biracial families headed by single mothers, I reply with a quote from The Age of American Reason (Vintage Books, 2018) by Susan Jacoby, a very progressive American atheist and secularist. In the Chapter headed "Junk Thought", she writes:

Nationwide, more than half of African-American boys drop out of high school -- a statistic with deeply rooted social causes.... [N]one of the commentators focuses on genetics or the supposedly different learning styles of girls and boys. Instead, they examine a street culture that glorifies violence as proof of manhood and denigrates learning, as well as the absence of a father in so many poor African-American homes.

UPDATED: Thoughts on the death of Kobe Bryant

So, farewell then, Kobe Bryant. News of your death in a helicopter crash has pushed the Wuhan corona virus down to second place in both the USA and China. Jack Nicholson thought you were great, but you were really the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time). You once scored 81 points in a game against the Toronto Raptors. And you inspired P.K. Subban to be the "transcendant defenceman" that Dave Stubbs thinks he is. [Isn't that another sport? Ed.]

Between now and Groundhog Day, Walt expects to hear "Amazing Grace" sung (badly) many many times. But you won't hear it. Rest in peace.

UPDATE ADDED 28/1/20. The Washington Post has suspended typist Felicia Sonmez for tweeting the link to "Kobe Bryant opens up about how rape charges changed him", originally posted on the NBC Sports website, 16/7/12. De mortuis nil nisi bonum, eh, WaPo?

Poor Len Canayen: P.K. has left the building

Poor Len Canayen here, waiting to read what Brendan Kelly, alleged sports jock with the Montreal Gazette, has to say about today's news that "transcendant defenceman" P.K. Subban has been traded by the Nashville Predators to the New Jersey Devils for a bag of pucks and other considerations.

OK, it was actually Dave Stubbs who coined the "transcendant defenceman" phrase, not long before leaving the Gazoo for parts unknown, but it was Kelly who called the Montréal Canadiens' Marc Bergevin crazy and several other nasty things for trading the Giant Skating Ego to Nashville just three seasons ago.

Ever since, Kelly has ranted and whined that the Habs got the worst of the deal, that Shea Weber was washed up (especially when Weber missed the first half of this past season) and that Subban is still the best D-man in the business. After all, Stubbs and Kelly both said, didn't P.K. win the Norris Trophy in 2012-13. Yeah, but that was a short, 42-game season because of a Bettman lockout (more to come?), in which Subban had 11 goals and 27 assists, with a plus-minus of +12. This year he played in 63 games this past season due to a back injury, posting career-low 9-22-31 totals with a +5. Nashville saw he's going downhill and gave him a little shove.

This makes the second time in three years, then, that the "transcendant defenceman" has been deemed surplus to requirements by two of the better teams in the NHL. Now he's with one of the worst. Here's what New Jersey gave up to get him: defencemen Steven Santini (split his season between the Preds and their AHL farm team), Jeremy Davies (played for Northeastern University), a second-round pick at this year's NHL Draft and another second-round pick next year. And NJ has to pick up the remaining three years of Subban's 8-year, $72-million contract. Nashville's not eating any of it.

Said Preds GM David Poile, "We appreciate P.K.'s contribution to the Predators and the Nashville community over the past three seasons, which have seen our organization have unprecedented success. We had to make a business decision. With an aim at strengthening our forward corps this off-season, and the continued strength of our defensive group, we felt it was necessary to clear up salary cap space this way." And don't let the dressing-room door hit you in the ass on your way out.

Further reading: "Poor Len Canayen explains Habs' Subban for Weber trade", WWW 29/6/16. Three years and week later, who was right? Messrs Stubbs and Kelly or moi? As Nelson Muntz would say, "HAha!"

Further viewing: If you think I'm the only one who's down on Subban (so to speak), check out yesterday's video from The Hockey Guy, starting at 3:55. THG is kind of soft-spoken, but he's making the same point. If you subscribe to THG's channel, which I recommend, tell him Poor Len Canayen sent ya!

Poor Len writes: If I were Marc Bergevin...

Poor Len Canayen here. Ed. wanted an excuse to run this beautiful photo again, so has invited me to talk about what's likely to happen with/to our beloved Montréal Canadiens, now that the so-called all-star game is over and we can get on with real hockey.

It is often said that the position of the teams at the all-star break pretty much spells out where they'll finished when the regular season winds up in early April. That's good news for fans of le bleu, blanc et rouge, because the Habs, to the suprise of everyone including themselves, are in third place in the NHL's Atlantic Division, just one point behind the Toronto Maple Laffs.

Even if the positions are reversed, that would mean Toronto vs Montréal in the first round of the playoffs, something which hasn't happened since 1979. You couldn't ask for a better rivalry than that, although Montréal vs Boston would be pretty close.

The prospect of a playoff run has to change Habs' GM Marc Bergevin's plans for changes to the roster. Before the season started, when everyone was counting the Habs out before the first whistle blew, the conventional wisdom was that M Bergevin would stand pat with the team he'd assembled over the summer, and be neither a buyer nor a seller at the end-of-February trade deadline. The GM himself said he didn't see any need to pick up a "rental" to give the team a boost at playoff time. I'm guessing he is having second thoughts now, so here's my suggestion for a blockbuster trade that could keep les Glorieux from bowing out in the first round.

What I'd do... if I were Marc Bergevin... which I'm not, I know... is... wait for it... get on the phone to Chuck Fletcher, who was hired in December to manage one of the worst teams in the NHL... namely... wait for it... the Philadelphia Flyers. My feelings about Philthydelphia and its alleged sports teams are about the same as those of Bill Burr, but the Flyers have 5 -- count `em, 5 -- assets that could help the Habs, and vice versa. So I'm talking straight-up trade... or pick any 2, 3 or 4 from each list.

Philadelphia Flyers -- Scoring punch comes from 2 solid centres, Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux, and 2 good right-wingers, Jakub Voracek and Wayne Simmonds. (I should mention that Simmonds is black, and I say that to put paid to all the flak I've been taking for my repeated shots at P.K. Subban, who I'm still glad is gone.) And Habs still only have 3 experienced defencemen, so how about picking up Radko Goudas. He's the type who puts the fear on his opponents (as well as his teammates, sometimes) and Montréal needs that.

Montréal Canadiens -- Sorry I couldn't find a left-winger on Philly to trade with the Habs, who have a surplus. The real trade bait is Jonathan Drouin, who was supposed to be the next superstar who would single-handedly lift the team out of the cellar. Didn't happen last year. As for this, I see flashes of brilliance but I also see inconsistency, and I'd trade Drouin for someone who's going to show up for every game. The other two left-wingers, Artturi Lehkonen and Charles Hudon, are, sorry to say it, choke artists. Hudon tries hard, but has a problem with his hand-eye coordination or timing or something. Lehkonen just doesn't seem to care. They've both had ample opportunity to prove their worth, but have failed.

The other two players on my time-to-go list are defencemen: Karl Alzner and David Schlemko. Last I heard, Schlemko got waived through the league and is presently toiling with the AHL Laval Rocket. There's a reason why no-one picked him up. The reason, in the case of Alzner, was the size of his huge contract, one of Bergie's poorer moves. He's not a bad D-man, but just can't play the style that coach Claude Julien wants. The emphasis now is on speed and the ability to move the puck. Alzner is only a bit faster than Hal Gill (who I really liked, by the way) and seems content to stop skating when he gets to the opponent's blue line, which used to be fine, but that was then.

There you have it, fans, 5 players from each team who could be the subject of trade discussions in this off week. I know I haven't factored in age, contract terms, upcoming free agencies and so on. That's the stuff general managers think about, and I am merely a humble fan. Selah.

Canadiens: Poor Len knows the score... unfortunately...

Walt has been a bit preoccupied this last week, what with Zimbabwe undergoing a revolution of sorts, Canadians bracing for still more "refugees" and Moore stories about politicians doing what men have always done. Can you imagine? Anyway, for a break from all that, let's give Poor Len Canayen the floor so he can demuddify the situation with his beloved Montréal Canadiens. Ed.

Tank you, Ed. Having watched last night's game between the Habs and the Nashville Predators, right to the bitter end -- and I chose that word deliberately -- I think this is a good time to make a prediction. Unclear the future is, but through the ice fog I see... 2018 NHL playoffs not including la Sainte Flannelle. Now I'll tell you why.

But first, a word about the Nashville Predators. Last night was my first time this year to see the Preds in action, and I was curious to see how P.K. Subban (now in his second year with the team) and Alexei Emelin (acquired indirectly through last June's expansion draft) would get along together, and how they would perform against their old teammates. Subban was his usual showboaty self. His turnover led to the first Montéal goal, but a furious rush into the Habs' zone set up the second Nashville goal, which looked like being the winner until 19:05 of the third period. Subban also tried to pick a fight with the littlest Hab (Brendan Gallagher) and distributed half a dozen checks. Emelin had four solid hits, but all on the boards, not the devastating open-ice checks for which he was famous in Montréal. I wish he still wore the bleu-blanc-et-rouge.

Not that the Habs' defence was that bad last night. In spite of the absence of their star defenceman, Shea Weber -- who came to us in trade for Subban, and a good thing too! -- they did a pretty fair job, for a crew of limited talent, in keeping the opposition from having clear shots at Anton Niemi. Credit must be given to Jeff Petry, who's had a mediocre season who far, but stepped up nicely yesterday, making some impressive defensive plays and doing what he could, when he could to start breakouts. On that score, though, he's no Andrei Markov, another Russian ex-Hab who is sorely missed.

Niemi is the fourth (4th!) goaltender to pay more than one game for the Canadiens. Carey Price is on the injury list and, frankly, hasn't played all that well right from the start of the season. There are rumours, which I hope are untrue, about troubles in his domestic life which he would certainly have trouble forgetting while on the ice. Backup goalie Al Montoya is also injured. Charlie Lindgren was brought up from the Laval Rocket of the AHL, and for the first three or four games looked like being a latter-day Ken Dryden who could backstop the team at least into a payoff birth. After his last two outings though, he will likely return to Laval this weekend, shell-shocked.

Niemi played well in last night's game, staying calm in the net (unlike Lindgren) and making some good saves. He allowed only two goals regulation time and overtime, and was only beaten on the third shot of the shoot-out, leaving Nashville with a 3-2 win. The Canadiens salvaged a point only in the last minute of regulation time, on a goal by Joe Morrow (D). The Habs' first goal came on a shot from just inside the blueline by Jordie Benn (D). And that, there, tells you all you need to know about the team's future.

The problem is that the Canadiens' offence is inoffensive. They can't score. In spite of taking a reasonable number of shots, they can't find the back of the net, and are averaging somewhere in the vicinity of two goals per game. Stanley Cups aren't won like that. IMHO there's not enough offensive zone time, and too much passing when they do have control of the puck in the opposition's end. In particular, I would like to see Jonathan Drouin shoot more. The reason he doesn't may be that he's being forced to play centre, instead of sniping from the right wing. Captain Max Pacioretty seems lethargic, or perhaps the right word is "unengaged". Some are starting to compare him to Phil Kessel, when the latter was with the Toronto Maple Laffs -- good for 30 goals but not showing a whole lot of leadership on the ice.

Last night's Montréal lineup included Jakob De La Rose and Charles Hudon, who -- I've said it before and will say it again -- are B-team guys, fine in the AHL but not talented enough for the Big Team. Alex Galchenyuk tried hard, which is not something he always does. Perhaps he's heard that he's for the chop if any team who wants him can be found. Gritty Andrew Shaw tried hard too, as always, but has the problem of being a "heat score", drawing the negative attention of the refugees (the guys in stripes) at least once in every game. Brendan Gallagher, my favourite forward so far this season, took a lot of physical punishment, as usual, and at least had the satisfaction of having got in the way of the Preds' goalie on the Benn goal. But still, not one of the players named in this paragraph scored.

That's all ye know and all ye need to know. Changes in the roster there will be, but doubtful, the future is.

P.K. Subban and "the politics of the old South"

A soi-disant "journalist" by the name of Joe O'Conner is liberal, progressive, anti-racist, yada yada yada. Naturally he approves of the destruction, in New Orleans and other American cities, of monuments to heroes of the Glorious War of the Secession such as Robert E. Lee. And Nathan Bedford Forrest. Especially Nathan Bedford Forrest, the finest cavalry general on either side of the Civil War and staunch defender of Southern rights during and after the conflict.

There are several statues of General Forrest dotted around the South, especially in his native Tennessee. Some of them are quite handsome, some, errr, not so much. Like this one in Nashville, sculpted by Jack Kershaw, professional lawyer and amateur artist, which sits on 3.5 acres of privately owned land just off the I-65.

Mr O'Connor (who Walt suspects of being a Canuck, thus having none of his white skin in the American racial conflict) would like to see this and all those other "racist" statues torn down. For reasons unknown, the normally sensible National Post decided to give him a platform for his SJW rant. But (they must have said), you need some kind of Canadian hook for the piece. What could be more natural, then, than to put some words in the mouth of Pernell Karl Subban, a Canadian hockey player who toils -- allegedly playing defence -- for the Nashville Predators. Mr Subban is black. As the Showboat himself told ESPN, "I know I'm black. Everybody knows I'm black."

Turned out P.K. didn't have anything to say about the Forrest statue, or at least didn't give a quote to Mr O'Connor for "P.K. Subban faces off against the politics of the Old South still on display in Tennessee", National Post, 9/6/17. So for a tie-in, the "writer" could do no better than this: "'I don’t want to be defined as a black hockey player.' [That's from the ESPN quote.] It is an admirable wish. What makes it especially compelling, in the Nashville context...here is Subban, a Canadian, a child of Caribbean immigrants from a diverse city (Toronto) bedazzling Predators fans and potentially winning a Stanley Cup in an arena that is about a 20-minute drive from one of the most vile Confederate monuments in the great state of Tennessee."

To which a Post reader by the name of Jason Williams comments: "We define him as a black hockey player, because he has similar mannerisms and personality traits of other black athletes. Showboating, image-conscious, self-aggrandizing, etc are negative traits what we as a sporting culture are accustomed to seeing in majority-black leagues like the NFL and NBA. This isn't to say he isn't a good PERSON - but the fundamental truth is that his ACTIONS are stereotypically negative ones, associated with black athletes... Which stands out VERY distinctly in what you might as well call a white league."

Which is what Walt's old friend Poor Len Canayen said way back in February of 2014 in "Is P.K. Subban a 'nigger'?"

Tomorrow night the Nashville Predators will be at home to the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6 of the National Hockey League (G. Bettman, prop.) Stanley Cup finals. The Penguins lead the series 3 games to 2, so if the Predators lose tomorrow night, they're out. If the Predators should win, and can by some miracle manage to win Game 7, Wednesday night in Pittsburgh (if necessary), Walt think it would be fitting to attach Lord Stanley's silverware to one of General Forrest's outstretched arms. I don't think P.K. Subban would mind.

Poor Len sets the table for the NHL Stanley Cup finals

Poor Len here here, with a few words before catching up on my sleep after Game 7 of the NHL Eastern Conference finals. I won't pretend it was a great hockey game, and the result seemed to me inevitable. After 85 minutes of play, Pittsburgh Penguins edged the Ottawa Senators 3-2.

A big tip of the toque goes to Sens beleaguered goalie Craig Anderson, who kept his team in there. Finally, though, Ottawa had the same problem that beset the Montréal Canadiens. It takes more than a great goalie and an all-star defenceman to win a championship. You have to have guaranteed goal-scorers up front. Pittsburgh has 3, and Ottawa... not so many.

Time now to review my picks (as adjusted) for the Stanley Cup finals, which begin this coming Monday night. I had the Eastern Conference pretty much figured out, although I thought (hoped?) the conference final would pit les Glorieux against the Penguins. The upside of being slightly wrong on that was that I didn't need my crying towel last night, and didn't lose any money. In fact I made a couple of bucks from Canucks dreaming of a big upset following their team's Game 6 win.

As for the Western Conference, the Nashville Predators continue to astound and confound me. I thought the Anaheim (Formerly Mighty) Ducks had a nicely balanced team and should have been able to get by the Preds. I underestimated Pekka Rinne, who is a contender for MVP in the playoffs and must be rated right up there -- perhaps above -- all-star goalies Carey Price, Hendrik Lundqvist and Braden Holtby, all of whom are now on the golf course or practising for the rodeo (Carey! Carey! Carey!) or whatever they do in the off season.

Nashville too has a nicely balanced team, and play as such, in spite of the efforts of one egotistical player (hello, P.K. Subban!) to glorify himself. (Memo to P.K.: Nothing wrong with blessing yourself before a game, if you're Catholic, but you don't kneel on the ice in front of your bench to do it. Nor do you tear off your sweater to reveal your black body after your team wins. Those showoff stunts are for soccer players.) I watched most of the Preds vs Ducks games, waiting for Mr Ego or someone else to make some horrible gaffe. No-one did. Congratulations to coach Peter Laviolette on great work getting these guys to play as a team.

Will the Predators' (and Rinne's) hot streak continue through the Stanley Cup finals? Will Penguins' Phil Kessel be wrapped in a wet sheet and taken to the funny farm before the series ends? Will P.K. Subban "lose an edge" and cough up the puck for a Pittsburgh goal? Can almost-rookie goalie Matt Murray stand the heat for six or seven games? If not, will Marc-André Fleury be mentally ready to get back between the pipes? Should be an entertaining series. I stand by my earlier prediction: Pittsburgh in 6... or maybe 7. Lifetime pct (still) .973.

Hockey fans! Nashville Predators @ Montréal Canadiens, TONIGHT!

Poor Len Canayen here with a heads-up for hockey fans in general and fans of the Montréal Canadiens and/or Pernell Karl Subban in particular. Tonight, for the first time since The Trade that shook Canada's most exciting city, the Nashville Predators and their "transcendant defenceman" (Subban, according to Dave Stubbs, late of the Gazoo) will confront Les Glorieux at the Bell Centre. Starting time is 1930 EST.

Because the two teams are in different conferences, they meet each other but rarely. When the Canadiens were in Nashville last fall, Subban was out of the lineup due to an unspecified injury. So tonight will be the first time for him to play against his old teammates, including the real defenceman, Shea Weber, who the Habs got in return and who has been playing some of his best hockey ever with the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge.

When the Canadiens visited Nashville, Predators fans gave Weber a warm welcome -- not being sarcastic -- including a video tribute showing highlights of his time with the Preds. Montréal boasts the classiest (and most knowledgeable) fans anywhere, so we can expect nothing less than a reciprocal Gloria tonight.

After the praise and bonhomie, the game will begin. The talk at the time of The Trade (and for months before) was that a lot of Subban's teammates disliked him intensely, not least for his habit of tanking up on black coffee and letting fly copious farts in the room and on the ice. There may be one or two (or more) of them who would like to get even with the NHL's blackest player for upstaging them or otherwise exacerbating last year's team's many problems. Should be an entertaining game to watch. I'll make the popcorn.

Habs shocker! Therrien out, Julien in

Cazart! Should have seen it coming. I (Poor Len) was watching the Montréal Canadiens get blanked by the Boston Bruins on Sunday night, and thought to myself, "Are these guys trying to get [Michel] Therrien fired?"

Well of course they were! Looking back with the benefit of hindsight, it appears to me that the team was hammering the final nail into the coffin that they began building the night Therrien yanked Carey Price after a couple of soft goals, and get the Stare Seen Across Canada. Et maintenant, pour Michelle, c'est terminé.

The lack of cordial relations between Michel Therrien and some of his players has been the subject of discussion before, notably last year when Habs GM Marc Bergevin was forced to choose between the coach and the "transcendant defenceman" (Dave Stubbs' phrase -- where's Dave now?), and, predictably, chose Therrien. Subban didn't have a lot of friends in the room.

With Price, and (to a lesser extent) Max Pacioretty, it's a different story. Both are genuine team leaders on the ice and in the dressing room, one by virtue of the "C" on his chest, the other by being, on many nights, the best player on the ice. As Price goes, so goes the team. And after an amazing start in October and November, Price... and the Habs... have been going steadily downhill. Price is untouchable, and rightly so, so... adieu Michel!

The funny thing is that this same thing happened before, in 2003. Therrien had coached le CH for three or so mediocre years, so he was given the boot and Julien brought in to replace him. Three years later, then-GM Bob Gainey gave the other boot to Julien and went in behind the bench himself, not that it did any good. I hope we're not going to go through this every 14 years!

As for Michel Therrien, my guess (since I missed this week's shocker) is that he'll wind up with the Las Vegas Golden Knights, due to join the NHL next year as Gary Bitchman's craze for promoting hockey in the desert continues unabated. All the talk last week, when Julien was fired, was that he'd be a perfect fit for Vegas. Since Julien and Therrien have the same physique, the same temperament and are both French-Canadians, Therrien should do just fine in Sin City. American fans won't even be able to tell the difference. Lifetime pct .986.

À lire: "Les défis de Claude Julien", de Mathias Brunet, La Presse, 15/2/17.

À voir (to see!): This week's edition of the HI/O show, with Montreal Gazette sportswriter Pat Hickey, and two former CH bruisers: Knucks Nilan and Georges Laraque. [That guy -- Laraque -- is HUGE! Too bad he wasn't really mean. Ed.]

VIDEO: Poor Len introduces a hockey show Habs fans should watch

Poor Len Canayen here. With SuperBowl coming up, it's time to talk hockey! High time too, because, since the beginning of the NHL season, Ed. hasn't allowed me any space at all -- zero -- to talk about how right I was that the Montréal Canadiens would be a vastly improved team this year, thanks to Marc Bergevin's genius trade to Nashville of P.K. Subban in return for which the Habs got one of the two best defencemen in the league -- Shea Weber.

I content myself with saying that I was right, and Dave Stubbs and all the other flaks for the "transcendant defenceman" (Stubbsy's phrase) were wrong. The Predators are having a mediocre season. Les Glorieux started off like gangbusters, causing some -- OK, me -- to wonder if they were going to finish the season with under 10 losses out of 82 games, like the 1976-77 club which still ranks as the Best. Hockey. Team. Ever.

First in their division, first in their conference, first overall in the NHL. Then came the 10-0 debacle in Columbus and we fans readjusted our expectations. The Habs had a very good record through October and on into November. Then came the injuries. I need both hands to count the number of regular players who were out of the lineup in December and January. Suffice it to say that at times it seemed there were more members of the St. John's farm team on the ice than members of the Big Club. Thank the hockey gods that Carey Price remained healthy, although arguably not at the top of his game.

In spite of the injuries and a pretty tough schedule in January, the Canadiens remain at the top of their division, and by the end of the month should be assured of a berth in the playoffs. The regulars are returning, one by one, with only Brendan Gallagher not able to answer the bell for tomorrow's afternoon game against OV and the Washington Capitals. Moreover, the Habs have added a good, experienced defenceman, Nikita Nesterov, acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning. He scored his first goal as a Canadien in last night's rather shabby 3-1 loss to Philthydelphia.

Nesterov and the other Russians -- Montréal is beginning to look like the old Red Army squad -- are the subject of this week's discussion Hockey Inside/Out, a weekly quarter-hour of hockey chatted produced by the Montreal Gazette. It's a good little show that all Habs fans ought to watch, if only to enjoy "Knucks" Nilan's Montréal accent. Do all Canadians talk like that? Check this out...



Note from Ed.: This is not a promo piece for Poor Len. He is not one of the panelists on the show.

Poor Len: 2016-17 Habs are the real deal -- real BIG deal!

Poor Len here, feeling the glow from the Montréal Canadiens' best start to the NHL season since... well... last year, but let's not get into that. This year's team -- and I emphasize the word "team" -- is so different from last year's as to not bear comparison. New players, new culture, and no distractions in the dressing room or on the ice. Adds up to 7 wins and 1 shootout loss in their first 8 games, good for first place in the NHL Eastern Conference and in the league overall!

Here's a great picture (scraped from the Gazette) from last night's 3-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. After a tight first period, the match was very entertaining, with good chances at both ends of the ice, fine goaltending from TB's Big Ben Bishop and even finer from Habs' Carey Price. I'm happy to see him fully recovered from last year's injury and already at the top of his came. Kudos too to Al Montoya, a veteran backstop who's taken some of the load of Price's shoulders. Each has allowed a stingy 6 goals in 4 games, with Montoya's GAA 1.47 and Price's 1.51. It's going to be hard for other teams to beat goaltending like that!

This year's edition of la Sainte Flannelle can score too -- all of them! The usual suspects -- Max Pacioretty, Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk -- are in form. Wee Brendan has had 28 shots in 8 games, 4 of which found the back of the net. With 3 assists that gives him 7 points. Some of last year's support players have come alive too. Torrey Mitchell has had 4 goals, with Paul Byron, David Desharnais and Phillip Danault potting 2 each. But the best news has come from new guys Alexander Radulov, Artturi Lehkonen and Andrew Shaw, all making solid contributions.

I've reserved the last paragraph for the defence. As the season got under way, many (but not I!) wondered if last June's blockbuster trade -- P.K. Subban to Nashville Predators for Shea Weber -- would prove to be GM Marc Bergevin's undoing or the Best Deal Ever Made. Much to the chagrin of Dr. C.K. and Dave Stubbs, Shea Weber has so excelled on both defence and offence that Habs fans have already forgotten Stubbsy's "transcendant defenceman". Weber is solid on defence, and the key man on the team's much-improved power play. He also leads the team in scoring, with 3 goals and 6 assists. With Andrei Markov, Alexei Emelin (who actually scored a goal) and Jeff Petry, the Canadiens now have a defensive corps that the goalies and forwards can count on.

All in all, 2016-17 looks like being a very good season. Better not to start planning the Stanley Cup parade down Rue Ste-Catherine just yet, but I've already got my bets down on the Habs not just making the playoffs, but winning the Atlantic Conference. Anyone who disagrees may send a cheque c/o Walt.

Click here to read complete statistics on the Canadiens website.

Worth reading: Guy Lafleur speaks out on why Habs traded Subban, from the Montreal Gazette 29/10/16. (My sentiments exactly!)

Why did "Dr. C.K." pay $20,000 for this ad?

Poor Len Canayen here with the first of occasional comments on what's happening in the National Hockey League, and the progress of the Montréal Canadiens.

Canada's favourite team opened the 2016-17 season in Buffalo last night, beating the Sabres 4-1. The new-look Habs played nicely as a team, absent the showboating shenanigans of P.K. Subban, traded to the Nashville Predators (as predicted here, ahem ahem) at the end of June. For P.K., Montréal got a great all-round defenceman, Shea Weber, who contributed an assist plus solid checking to last night's victory. I understand Subban got an empty-net goal the other night in Nashville, but, IMHO, the Habs got the better of the trade.

Some Canadiens fans disagree. Just before the last pre-season game at the Bell Centre, one could hear a few of them attempting to get a "P.K.! P.K.!" chant going, but it petered out when the puck dropped, and the disgruntled fans -- Anglos, no doubt -- were silenced by a first-rate performance by Weber as les Glorieux whupped the Toronto Maple Laffs 6-1.

But there are still a few die-hards. One of them, a chap who styles himself "Dr. CK" took out a full-page ad in yesterday's Montreal Gazette to say that the trade has changed the way the "lifelong fan" feels about the team. "Now, I feel anger, disappointment and embarrassment over the treatment of P.K. Subban by team management: the same sentiments that many felt after the Patrick Roy trade," sez the good doctor.

Then comes the praise-singing. "You are an amazing and influential role model for my children," the ad goes on, "and I am going to miss not having you as a Montreal Canadien."

When I read that and the rest of the anti-French drivel -- "Dr. CK" says (in English) he cannot support Habs general manager Marc Bergevin and coach Michel Therrien, and that going to Habs games would be a vote of confidence in their leadership -- I began to wonder about the true identity of the advertiser. Who could "Dr. CK" really be?

The general tone of the loose and omnipotent rubric reminded me of the many articles written by one-time Gazoo sports scribe Dave Stubbs, the one who called P.K. Subban a "transcendant defenceman". See "Poor Len Canayen explains Habs' Subban for Weber trade", WWW 29/6/16. I had described Stubbsy previously as chief cheerleader for Subban, and wondered (in fact if not in print) if Mr Stubbs was getting backhanders from P.K.'s agent to write so effusively about He Who Must Not Be Criticized.

Turns out the author of the ad -- which cost C$20,000 ($15,200 in real money) by the way -- wasn't Dave Stubbs, but one, Dr. Charles Kowalski. Interviewed by CBC News, the man behind the ad said it wasn't just about losing Subban. ​"I think the loss of P.K. Subban from Montreal, the bigger issue than hockey is the loss of his presence in the city of Montreal and his cause of raising money for the Children's Hospital," he said. "This is more important than the game of hockey."

Replying for la Sainte Flannelle, Donald Beauchamp told CBC News, "We have very passionate fans, and everyone is entitled to their opinion." Indeed. Poor Len is one of those passionate fans -- could you tell? -- and my opinion is that the Canadiens are a much better team this year. If Dr. Kowalski thinks so highly of P.K., perhaps he could follow his idol to Nashville. And one more thing, Doctor. Your $20,000 would have made a nice contribution to the hospital, instead of being wasted on this tripe!

Footnote: Yes, I am aware that Dave Stubbs no longer works for the Gazoo. I'm sure his departure from the sports desk in the middle of the season had nothing whatever to do with his adulation of the "transcendant defenceman".

Poor Len Canayen explains Habs' Subban for Weber trade

Last April 6th, in "Re P.K. Subban - Told ya so!", Walt's very close friend, Poor Len Canayen, wrote "Unless something startling happens between now and the end of September, I'll be back then..." Well, as reported here (first!) earlier this afternoon, something startling has happened, so it's with pleasure that I turn the keyboard over to Poor Len.

Shed a tear (he writes) for Dave Stubbs, formerly the Montreal Gazette's cheerleader-in-chief for P.K. Subban, now scribbling for nhl.com. Who will Stubbsy worship now that his hero has been traded by the Montréal Canadiens to (gasp!) the Predators of Nashville?

Mr Stubbs thought that the sun, moon and stars shone out of the arse of the "transcendant" defenceman. The Canadiens management and coaching staff felt otherwise, as did many of his teammates. But the club's owners (Geoff Molson, prop.) loved him... when business was good. When the team missed the playoffs and fingers started to be pointed, minds were changed, and permission was given to GM Marc Bergevin to do what had to be done "for the good of the team". Which is exactly what I'd been advocating for the last two years.

P.K. Subban is a talented hockey player, when he manages to not fall down. But it takes more than talent to be a true star and an inspiration to your teammates. You need good judgment, maturity and, dare I say it, a modicum of humility. Those are the qualities which, combined with hockey skills, made Jean Béliveau, Gordie Howe, and Wayne Gretsky all-time greats. Those are the qualities which, sadly for him, Mr Subban lacks. To him, the game was all about P.K., and the cheerleaders at the Gazoo must take some of the blame for feeding P.K.'s ego, which long since became too big for the dressing room. That was why he had to go... for the good of the team.

Now P.K. has gone to Nashville, where he should feel right at home. Southern hospitality, you know. He will get an especially warm welcome from Nashville's finest if he appears on Main Street dressed as in the picture at right. Oh, they'll love him there, that's for sure.

In return for Subban, the Habs got the Predators' captain, Shea Weber, an all-star defenceman who is older, bigger and wiser than the One whose critics were labelled as incorrigible racists. Weber is not only more experienced, but more reliable on defence. Yet he scored 20 goals and 31 assists in 78 games with the Predators last season, compared with Subban's 6 goals and 45 assists in 68 games for the Canadiens.

In a statement this afternoon, Marc Begevin said, "Nous venons d'effectuer une importante transaction qui, j'en suis convaincu, fera du Canadien une meilleure équipe. Ce fut également l'une des décisions les plus difficiles que j'ai eu à prendre comme dirigeant du Canadien de Montréal. Nous venons d'obtenir, en Shea Weber, un défenseur de premier plan dans la LNH, un leader exceptionnel et un joueur qui, selon nous, améliorera notre brigade défensive et notre jeu de puissance pendant plusieurs saisons. Shea Weber a dominé tous les défenseurs de la LNH la saison dernière avec 14 buts en avantage numérique. C'est un défenseur complet, avec un gabarit imposant qui possède un puissant tir frappé."

For those who don't understand French -- wen you come on top da countree you gotta speak da langue, eh -- the key part is the first sentence: "...an important transaction which, I'm convinced, will make the Canadiens a better team." Ainsi soit-il.

BREAKING NEWS SHOCK! P.K. SUBBAN TRADED TO NASHVILLE

Poor Len Canayen has just telephoned from somewhere near the Bell Centre to report that the Montréal Canadiens are about to ink a deal to send alleged star defenceman P.K. Subban to the Nashville Predators. This is more than a rumour, Poor Len swears, and the deal's going to be done by close of business tomorrow, the last day before Subban's no-trade clause kicks in. Details to follow as soon as Poor Len finishes his drink. Stay tuned. And don't forget: you read it on WWW first!

Guy Lafleur speaks his mind about P.K. Subban

Poor Len Canayen here. Walt has asked me to take a "work break" from my summer vacation to say something about the possibility that my beloved Montréal Canadiens might get rid of my less beloved P.K.Subban before his no-trade clause kicks in at the end of June. (See "Snoop Dog vs P.K. Subban... next year???" WWW 4/6/16.)

Not a word, not even a rumour has emanated from le Centre Bell following stories in Canada's Postmedia that the Edmonton Oilers were putting together a package with which to tempt Habs' GM Marc Bergevin. My own speculation is rooted less in inside knowledge than in wishful thinking.

But there's one positive to be taken from the Canadiens" dismal season. At least people -- even diehards like the cheerleaders at the Montreal Gazette -- are now willing to concede that something has to be done with the alleged defence star. Either trade him or find a way to make him put the team ahead of his own self. See "Parsing the Montréal Canadiens end-of-season press conference" WWW 14/4/16.

Some suggestions along the latter lines were made by one of the last of the legendary Flying Frenchmen, Guy Lafleur, who cast a few pearls on his way through le Centre Bell yesterday to the annual Prix d'excellence Guy-Lafleur. Richard Labbé, writing in La Presse, summed up M Lafleur's advice to his former team as follows:

Si le Canadien veut se remettre à gagner, il doit ajouter du punch offensif, et peut-être aussi demander à P.K. Subban de baisser un peu le ton.
My stylish translation: If the Canadiens want to regain their winning ways, they have to add some offensive punch, and maybe also ask P.K. Subban to tone it down a bit.

What follows is my version of the words attributed by M Labbé to M Lafleur. I hope neither of them will mind. If you want to read the version originale, click here.

These things take time. I'm certain that the Canadiens organization realizes that it's necessary to make changes to arrive at the quality of play we're seeing at the moment [in the Stanley Cup finals]. It's necessary to be patient, and not make changes just for the fun of it. We've heard the recent rumours. Is P.K. going to be traded? He's a very talented player, but no-one knows the answer.

A flamboyant guy like that, in our time, I think he would have been taken a hit with a stick behind his head! He would have been put back in his place quick enough!

Every player has his way of getting himself up for a game. P.K.'s the same. But me, I don't know. It seems that in his place I'd have found another way without annoying the others....

I was with Yvan Cournoyer in the corridor of the Bell Centre before a match, just before the warmup. P.K. was there, talking really loudly, hyperactive. I thought he needed some Ritalin! And Yvan looked at me and said, "Lucky he didn't play in our time. He wouldn't have hard the nerve." But he's like that.

He likes the glamour and playing to the crowd. He's made like that. But for me, it's not that which is important. What's important is to get into top shape before the September training camp.

Will P.K. Subban still be in Montréal when the Canadiens' training camp opens in the fall? Will he learn to control himself and remember that he's only one guy out of two dozen? Will he stop being himself? Tune in tomorrow when we hear Marc Bergevin say [We're out of space. Ed.]

Snoop Dog vs P.K. Subban... next year ???

Poor Len Canayen is having a longer-than-hoped-for summer vacation. But he's keeping his eye on all things Canadien (as in Canada's Team) and noticed a small announcement buried deep inside La Presse.

Seems like the Habs' alleged defenceman, P.K. Subban, knows that knowledgeable hockey types have seen through his act, and has decided to try his luck on the basketball court -- basketball being a game more suited to folks like him. As a warm-up, his PR people organized a friendly match between him and Snoop Dog [Who dat? Ed.], which was to have been held a week from today as part of the "Juste pour rire" ("Just for laughs") festival.

Note the tense there -- "was to have been held". The squib seen by Poor Len announced that the duel has been postponed until... wait for it... the summer of 2017. The official reason given is so that they could stage the event in the Bell Centre, and get bigger names, thus bigger crowds. As well, 2017 will be the 35th anniversary of "Juste pour rire" and the 375th anniversary of Montréal. Makes sense, eh.

Poor Len discounts the notion that the postponement has something to do with the uncertainty of Subban's future with la Sainte Flannelle. Less than four weeks remain until the no-trade clause in his contract kicks in. Stay tuned.

VIDEO: Former Hab says "guys just get sick" of P.K. Subban

Ed. here (in Walt's absence). This is a follow-up to Poor Len Canayen's last post for the season (?): "Parsing the Montréal Canadiens end-of-season press conference". Seems like Poor Len is not the only one with doubts as to whether alleged defence star P.K. Subban will be (or should be) back in the Habs lineup next fall. In the season finale of the Montreal Gazette's Hockey Inside/Out feature, the panelists -- Stu Cowan, Chris Nilan, Jack Todd and Andie Bennett -- read between the lines delivered by Marc Bergevin and Michel Therrien.

Does Marc Bergevin's job as Habs GM depend on how Michel Therrien handles the team next year? What about the dysfunctional relationship between Therrien and Subban? Is He Who Must Not Be Criticized really a problem in the room? Could he be dealt to another team before his no-trade clause kicks in on July 1st? And would life be easier for captain Max Pacioretty — and would he be a better player — if he didn’t have to wear the "C"? Listen to what the panel has to say.

Parsing the Montréal Canadiens end-of-season press conference

Walt here. Last Wednesday, at the end of "Re P.K. Subban - Told ya so!", Poor Len Canayen said he wouldn't be back on WWW unless something spectacular happened in the off-season. Yesterday Canadiens General Manager did the customary end-of-season presser, flanked by the club's President Geoff Molson and coach Michel Therrien. Nothing spectacular happened so it's up to me to give Habs fans a quick update.

In what the Gazoo called "full damage control mode", M Bergevin said he had great confidence in the coaching staff -- including those directing the AHL farm team -- and everybody would be back, except for... wait for it... Craig Ramsay, brought in last year as "power play consultant". Mr. Ramsay happens to be the only anglophone on the staff, but that had nothing to do with his being let go.

When it came to the players, M Bergevin said his job was to improve the team. Right. When asked if P.K. Subban was on the market, M Bergevin said no, he was not, but stopped short of calling The One Who Must Not Be Criticized "untouchable". Here, in English, is what he said. "Wayne Gretzky was traded [at the height of his career]. Am I trying to move P.K. Subban? No. Am I trying to move Carey Price? No. Am I trying to move Max Pacioretty? No. Is my job to make this team better? Yes. To move any of these guys, including P.K., it would have to be something very special. And as a hockey man, I have to look at my options. But is that reality? Probably not. But if I don’t look at all my options, I’m not doing my job as a general manager." Clear enough?

Mr. Subban is two years into an eight-year, C$72-million (= US$55 million) contract and has a no-trade clause that kicks in on July 1st. How much time and persuasion will it take M Bergevin to talk some other team -- the Maple Laffs perhaps or the Edmonton Spoilers -- into making room on their payroll for that huge salary, and room in their dressing-room for that huge ego? The mind boggles. But for M Bergevin, that's clearly the task at hand.

À lire: "P.K. Subban sous la loupe", Guillaume Lefrançois, La Presse.

Re P.K. Subban - Told ya so!

Poor Len here. On April Fool's Day I predicted that P.K.Subban, the Montréal Canadiens so-called defenceman, would not be seen in a game again this season. Some doubters accused me of making an April Fool joke. At least one suggested that the wish was father to the thought. [You're saying it wasn't? Ed.] Well, today Habs management announced officially that Subban will not return. Neither will Carey Price, the best goalie in the world. See "Price et Subban ne seront pas de retour cette saison", by Guillaume Lefrançois.

Told ya so! Lifetime pct 1.000!

The big question now, regarding Subban, is what the team has in mind for him for next year. I wouldn't be surprised if Marc Bergevin is on the phone, even as I write, talking trade with, ohhh, the Edmonton Oilers. (Just sayin'.) Perhaps M Bergevin is even offering to eat part of P.K.'s ridiculously expensive contract, if some other team will just get him out of the Canadiens room.

Following last night's embarrassing loss to the Florida Panthers, I made a little list of the players I'd keep, if I were M Bergevin. All others, including Subban, should be on the table, so to speak.

Goaltenders: Price, Condon, Lindgren. Condon isn't as bad as last night's game would suggest. He just needs more help from the other 18 guys.

Defence: Markov (if he doesn't wish to retire), Emelin, Petry, Barberio, Pateryn. Recent defensive lapses have been more the fault of the call-ups from the Icecaps, and they can't be blamed too much, in the circs.

Forwards: Pacioretty (will wear the "C" more easily without Subban pretending it shoulda been him), Gallagher, Galchenyuk, Eller, Flynn, Carr... errr... that's it, and that right there is the problem. I'll be sorry to see Plekanec go, but you can't expect to keep your job if you don't score at least once per month. At least three Icecaps players who were called up to give them a chance showed they belong with... the Icecaps!

I'm not going to put my awesome record on the line for any of this. I'm just saying what I'd do if I were Marc Bergevin (and if Geoff Molson would let me). Unless something startling happens between now and the end of September, I'll be back then to compare my list of keepers with what M Bergevin did over the summer.