Nolan stays home; Burns leaves practice sick; Tori Spelling’s in my hotel
Posted on February 26th, 2009 – 7:01 PMBy Michael Russo
You heard me. I was six feet from Tori Spelling in the lobby today. She was with a bunch of other Hollywood types that I recognized but couldn’t put face to name. I’ve done some reporting since, and her husband is one of the guys I saw, Dean McDermott. I was also just a few feet from Paul Sorvino. They’re filming Santa Baby 2 in Calgary, so lots of actors here, which explains why I wasn’t upgraded to a suite, ha.
OK, coming to you from ice-cold, frigid, icy Calgary, where at least it’s not snowing. Owen Nolan did not make the trip to Calgary with a broken toe. As I mentioned yesterday, he tried skating but was clearly struggling. He thought he’d make the trip though, but he didn’t.
Officially, the Wild says he can join the team in the middle of the road trip, but coach Jacques Lemaire said he doubted it. Last season, Eric Belanger had a broken toe and came back two weeks sooner from his monthlong prognosis and did join the Wild on a trip when it was in Edmonton.
Brent Burns left practice sick today. He’s listed as probable, but if he has what Colton Gillies had the other day in Chicago, good luck. If that’s the case, maybe Kurtis Foster, the only other extra defenseman, makes his debut. Although, Lemaire went on in length today about how he thinks it will be some time before Foster returns and how he doesn’t think he’s ready.
Bad timing for the Wild to be playing in Calgary, a place it rarely wins. The Flames are 6-0-2 in their past eight. Also, Jarome Iginla, who’s scoreless in his past three games against the Wild, is always motivated to face Minnesota. The all-time leading scorer against the Wild is two goals from 400 and three points from passing Theo Fleury as Calgary’s all-time leading scorer.
Told these facts, Lemaire literally flinched.
What else? You should have seen Derek Boogaard wearing a power blue sweater in practice. He could have only looked worse in pink. As he joked, trainer Tony DaCosta is mad at him.
Fifty excited Wild season-ticket holders were on my flight this morning here to Alberta. So if the Wild actually wins for only the second time in Calgary since I’ve been covering the team, you know who brought the luck.
The Wild is having a team dinner tonight at a local steak house. My invitation was lost in the mail.
The trades are starting to move now in the NHL. Steve Begin to Dallas, oh, and the big one being Ryan Whitney to Anaheim for Chris Kunitz and a prospect.
Guaranteed: Chris Pronger will be moved now by the Ducks. It’s just a matter of whether it happens before the March 4 deadline or this summer.
Lastly, here’s the Calgary Sun’s Randy Sportak working on his power poll clearly unaware of the fact there’s such a thing as gravity.
OK, that’s it for now. Have a good night, and stay safe back there in snowy Minnesota.
78 Responses to "Nolan stays home; Burns leaves practice sick; Tori Spelling’s in my hotel"
Tori Spelling was saying “sweet, I’m in the same hotel as Michael Russo. Life is now perfect!”
Was Tori showing the guests to their rooms or was she working as a greeter?
i don’t know but she sure rode my motor boat!
There was a Santa Baby 1? God.
Glad I have an Aeros game tomorrow to avoid having to watch the slaughter.
The wild should be able to forfeit games just to move on to the next one. Why put these players through these games and risk season ticket non-renewals.
Could just dress the season ticket holders instead, special treat.
and risk season ticket non-renewals.
good line!
[…] Russo’s Rants – […]
Tori Spelling?
That’s a celebrity?
Maybe for Celebrity Death Match.
What? Donnie Trump didn’t even want her for Celebrity Apprentice?
Didn’t she fight Fred Savage in an episode of Celebrity Boxing?
Another night, another loss in the making at the ‘Dome…unless the Flames come out like the Wild did in their last home game, in which case we may have a chance…but then again, they are playing the Wild, so Iggy won’t let them.
Hey, Fred Savage is a cousin of mine. Damn good job in Wonder Years. Tori Spelling is a bimbo.
Russo, earlier it seemed like the Wild really were staying out of the deadline madness.
However, recently, Olli Jokinen is rumored to be in play. Any chance the Wild make a move for him. He’s price might be more affordable this year, and we could still use he’s scoring ability down the stretch.
This is the first time I’ve ever even thought this, but Lemaire’s a complete idiot if he doesn’t give Foster a chance soon. Say whatever you want to about “conditioning”, but dude’s coming off of 6 games, 6 points, 6 wins. Do you think his confidence has ever been higher from a hockey standpoint? I think he’s 2-3 solid shifts from acclimating to the NHL speed. It’s like a riding a bike, it takes some time to get the quirks down, but the basics never change.
Is it realistic to get OJ for a #2 Choice?
JL is not anything resembling an idiot in my opinion whether he uses Foster right now or not.
Fosters adrenalin will only carry him so far.
So we started the night tied with three other teams at 65 points. The other three teams all played, and between the three of them they scored exactly one goal.
I’m hoping we eclipse that total tonight, but I’m not optimistic that we will. What it DOES say, however, is that the teams we are bunched up with are not teams we should be afraid of.
Is there anyone left who wouldn’t trade PMB for OJ?
Last year, I would have been against trading up in age. But after watching PMB develop another year, I am convinced that he has now reached his peak as a player. He will always be a tiny guy who plays smaller, chasing the perfect pass over the perfect shot.
If we could get OJ for PMB and a pick, I would make the move. Of course, this means that DR will likely use the trade deadline to swap Fritsche for Filip Kuba’s less talented brother’s former teammate, or someone else we could have had for a puck bag and a pair of Levis. He will then proceed to herald the move as the final piece the team needed for the playoff push, ignoring the fact that NO ONE ON THIS TEAM CAN SCORE.
I wouldnt, get little PMB a pure scorer he becomes a greater asset than OJ will ever be. until then little PMB’s hands are tied. We need a rental player to actually have a chance at the cup. Anything happening will most likely come from the East if anything at all. We have good enough defense to let any goalie play, and if sending a goalie away is what it takes to get a star and keep gaborik till the end so be it. Either way we are in dire need of gabby and another top 6 foward, preferably a first liner to have a shot. Will this be the year DR actually picks up a player besides Chris Simon at the deadline, probably not and ill be surprised if something does happen.
ryan whitney to anaheim, crap.. don’t know if thats good for my fantasy team.. erk.. :/
Anybody have a McKeen’s subscription who could send me the contents of this article here?
My gmail is msconduct10
In a league where half the teams make the playoffs, doesn’t anyone find it strange that a great, great player like OJ has less playoff experience than James Sheppard?
Now that is funny stuff Green* 
The whole point of getting O. Jokinen would be to play him with Bouchard. So trading Bouchard (w/no-trade clause) for Jokinen makes little sense. Those two would look great together. Add a healthy Nolan, and we got ourselves a second line that can score.
That said, I don’t want us to bring in Jokinen if it means we are trading Sheppard. That kid is going to be a beast in a few years.
I have been a Jokinen the Greater proponent since the get go but I have to say, look at the results from the Florida Panthers now vs. when Olli was on the team. Plus, if the Wild acquired him I think Belanger would have to go as I am not sure it now makes sense to take Shep out of the top 3 lines.
“He (Boogaard) could have only looked worse in pink.”
Ask him about the Ice Gators special Valentine’s Day sweater he once wore. I have the pic saved on my PC (that I found on the web somewhere) but can’t seem to find your email address.
The jersey is shades of pink and red with hearts all over it.
I hate when teams put stupid looking jerseys on their players. As if there aren’t enough indignities in minor league hockey. At least don’t make them dress up like @ssclowns.
Ha! Just found out that my goalie coach named his son after Owen Nolan. How cool is that?
Ms.C, have you seen the McDonalds uniforms? http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2XQHVISaWkQ/SY0UsHO5GoI/AAAAAAAAAXI/a_wfcw69b_Y/s400/ept_sports_nhl_experts-220681639-1233964235.jpg
Jokinen: Ghost, Moneybags and Gaborik + a pick?
Sid and DR discus the Wild’s successful youth movement here - http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/40399007.html?page=1&c=y - 100 Russoville $s to anyone that can provide a reference to Wild management trumpeting Cal before the season. And no, Sid and Smug never mention the words “Benoit Pouliot” or “4th overall pick” when talking about the Wild’s young talent.
Yeah, Goody, makes me wanna cry. I’m already dreading whatever crap they’re gonna put on my boy here for St. Patrick’s Day. Last year’s were just awful.
6GS, the only Cal talk I saw this summer was how they want more offense from him in Houston and that in a year or so, they’d expect him to be pushing for a spot. 
Yep - I ment “trumpeting Cal” in terms of making and contributing to the Wild this season. If noted Cal expert ms.conduct didn’t see it then it never happened. Meanwhile, I guess for DR Benny no longer exists.
If noted Cal expert ms.conduct didn’t see it then it never happened.
That was pretty much my point as well.
Honestly, I think Benny is tradeable at this point. He knows what he needs to do and I think a change of scenery would help him out.
I agree on Pouliot, but is he worth anything?
I think you put him as part of a package. If I’m a selling team, I might look at Harding and Pouliot and think that’s not a bad deal for building for the future. And if they’re sending us a center, Pouly could take over that spot and basically audition for a spot next season through the end of the year.
MsC, That’s true, and Pouliot is RFA at the end of the season.
Say, I had a awful thought earlier. It seems that the annual case of the flu where every player gets it hasn’t run through the Wild locker room yet…
I’m hoping I’m misremembering.
I don’t think the Wild themselves trumpeted Cal or Gillies but he was probably one of the final 3 (Cal, Gillies, Pouliot) to make it on the team from the outset. And, if he didn’t make the team, he would be the first call up for fowards.
Goody: That flu bug happened in December. The team had to get individual rooms for the players in Columbus to prevent it from spreading.
Jokinen’s value has dropped quite a bit from last year’s deadline.
Scandella + Pouliot + Belanger is what I’d offer. Phoenix isn’t going to like that at first, but they might not get more elsewhere. We probably wouldn’t get Jokinen for that, but it’s worth a shot.
Pouliot might take off under the Great One.
We have a much less talented team from last year. I would hope we don’t trade away the future for a silly rental and impossible playoff push. Everyone here just needs to pray to the hockey gods that Gaby skates like a mad man on March 3 and we get a good return for him.
OJ is signed at $5.3 million through next year so he would not be a pure rental. Otherwise I agree with your comments Lucky - besides, if DR traded for a rental above the Chris Simon level I think most of Russoville would be stunned into silence
This team is not Olli Jokinen away from winning a round or more in the playoffs. Take our lumps this season, run DR through the public wringer all summer and do it all again next September.
Nick, I agree, however trade Gaborik and some other(s) or pick(s) for Jokinen now when maybe DR and the GM of the Coyotes might be under some pressure to make a move and then have Jokinen for next year?
Coyotes are 6 pts out of the playoffs. Jokinen has 41 pts.; 0.13 goals per game off of last year’s pace.
He obviously wasn’t the player to catapult them to a cup win so they may as well trade him.
I still contend that Pouly needs to go to Pittsburgh. I KNOW Mario will light a fire under him as he’s his idol and that’s where he wanted to go in the first place. He’d fit well on the baby Pens, too, from what I’ve seen of them.
Agree with you Nick… Frankly, I have yet to see what the big deal about OJ is. He’s talk about like he’s a game changer of Gaborik proportions and he’s certainly nothing like that.
“a game changer of Gaborik proportions”?
Does that mean he would have to sit out the majority of the season with a hang nail?
Sportsnet.ca was reporting that DR was on some radio show and he said that Gaborik has a medical review on Sunday, March 1st. Now, I am not sure if this is just a final checkup of his surgery or if this is THE PHYSICAL that he needs to pass to be able to practice with the team. Previously, the physical was on March 3rd.
Having said that re: Gaborik and the Wild, nothing really changes.
OJ is overrated. My dream is Keep gabby. Trade backstrom to the east for a superstar like a Spezza. Then we have a shot.
He’s talk about like he’s a game changer of Gaborik proportions and he’s certainly nothing like that.
In a battle of groins, OJ .. oh never mind
well gabby has no more groin problems after his recent surgery. It shored up his other leg the same exact surgery so he should be good to go. I also have heard that Phil Kessel has become expendable. Perhaps we get him.
Think Cal will have to fight tonight? I think I do.
As much as keeping Gaby might make sense, Russo has reported for some time that the bridge between #10 and Smug and TooL is burned. Plus, Gaby has been giving hints that he wants out since last year’s All Star Game - why would he change his mind now?
Tampa is actually lowering ticket prices, in part because “the team performance was not what we hoped.”
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=268944
I recognize that it’s a vastly different hockey market, but can you imagine that happening here? There are now 4,000 seats in Tampa for which a SEASON ticket only costs $239.
And what does the players union think of this? After all, lower ticket prices mean a smaller revenue pie and downward pressure on the cap.
i believe he stays for the rest of the season, because im absolutely sure when he gets back on the ice he is going to put up big numbers and then he’ll leave in the offseason. I would love to keep him, because hes going to be injury free after this surgery. Same exact surgery on his other leg and hes had azero problems with that one so
Same exact surgery on his other leg and hes had azero problems with that one so
He played what - 4 games on the good leg?
SGS: He gave no hint that he wants out since ASG. If you read both papers’ coverage of that incident, you would know that he was pressed for an answer. That was the only incident since his last contract talk. You got to show me more than one article — and not recycled from that one article either.
Now, he definitely wants out. Before the start of the season, I gave him the benefit of the doubt but didn’t think DR could re-sign him without showing him the money after DR’s disappointing FA moves.
The pain wasn’t in his good side as the surgery was done on his other hip.
exactly sunshine, which basically means he’ll have two good hips now and nothing will be able to stop him. He is our team and he is a point machine, you see when he scores a goal we are unstoppable in games. I hope to God he stays, we need him.
My primary sources as to why I wanted the Wild to trade Gaby at the draft becuase he was going to bolt regardless of the Wild’s contract size were:
1. Gaby interview before the ASG with Sid after the two newspaper articles - Gaby made the comments stronger in that interview with the Palpatine of Sports.
2. This:
Speaking of Gaborik, if you read today’s story, you know his contract situation is an issue. And as I tried to convey in the story, this is an issue for now.
Read Gaborik’s quotes. Words weren’t put into his mouth. There’s no doubt he’s at least considering that maybe in two years he’d test the market. Well, if the Wild indeed wants Gaborik long-term, it’s incumbent on the Wild to talk to him this summer and gauge his interest in staying here.
If he continues to say he may want to go somewhere else, how do you let him play next year on the last year of his contract? It would be beyond risky.
…
And speaking of Hossa, to me, Gaborik’s quotes on Hossa in my story today says it all. They’re close friends. They speak all the time. Pavol Demitra is one of Hossa’s best friends. They speak all the time.
Why would Hossa apparently have no interest and such a negative opinion of Minnesota?
http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/wildblog/2008/01/27/sunday-hello-from-all-star-weekend/
Koivu is a great player but nobody opens the ice up and makes it easier on other players to score like a superstar like gabby. Makes the whole team way better.
Chris in CA, To make a real run for the Cup you have to have a hot goalie ala Roli and Edmonton a couple of years ago. I could imagine Backs doing that but just not sure Hards is ready yet for that. One great game is not a season or even a few Cup series. Long term I hope Hards is there but he’s likely not there yet.
An just to be clear, mashed potato groins and all, I think the Wild would be much better off if they could keep Gaby but I didn’t think it was going to happen last year and I think there is zero chance now - Smug and TooL have their work cut for them this summer, good thing they have already warmed up the youth talking points
Boston Herald rumor is Pronger for Kessel.
Backs is an amazing goalie but offense wins in hockey obviously, because the best defense in the league doesnt win anything without offense. Hards is eventually going to be our number 1 so why beat around the bush, trade backs for a superstar to play with gabby and gabby will stay. Id rather have harding in net with a healthy signed gabby and another signed superstar on the ice than Backs anyday.
wood…
Just how many Cup series is it that Backstrom has won?
Harding is the goalie of the future, and the future is now.
Not so obvious. You need to score but you also need to keep the puck out of the net. Hot goalies are critical to a Cup run. Think Roli, think Giguere. Sure we need more offense and I would love to see Gaby stay but it ain’t gonna happen. Meanwhile trading a top goalie to put your hopes on a promising but largely untested goalie can be a big mistake.
im glad somebody sees my point. Sign Harding to a huge long term deal now while he wont want a lot of money and trade Backs for a scorer
We haven’t yet, nor do we now, have the team but don’t forget Backs is playing his best hockey at the moment. Hmm, how many has OJ won for that matter. Asking that is simply too facile.
we dont need a hot goalie, we have a hot defense
we dont want OJ he is the most overrated player in hockey
A hot goalie is needed for a cup run but you aren’t getting past the first round without scoring goals.
This team needs more goal scorers and losing Gaby doesn’t move us in the right direction.
is 44 saves on the Chicago Blackhawks not enough for you? Harding has proved himself this year. He has a lower GAA than Backs even though its way less games still, he has all the makings of MARTY BRODEUR…lighting quick glove, controls rebounds well, he is going to be a superstar. Yeah gabby will stay till the end of the season at the least so get a top tier scorer and make asolid playoff run and convince him to stay. Its our only hope.
I thought Obi Wan Kenobi was our only hope
SGS: That all stems from the same article. Sorry, try again. As I stated earlier, he was pressed for an answer. And, I actually listened to Gaborik’s interview with Sid during the ASG weekend. I remember him saying he’s focused on this team and getting into the playoffs. He wasn’t thinking about contracts yet and we’ll see what happens.
One game does not a season make. And, wins more than GAA is the test. Hards may be the real deal but we don’t know yet.
I still wouldn’t trade Harding just yet. I think he’s really talented.
- sunshine - if he was pressed for an answer, why didn’t he take the easy way out and make more positive comments about staying with the Wild? And what about the bad mouthing of the Wild to Hossa?
- Sid is way too old to be Obi Wan
Food.
