The National Hockey League has made a grave error in commemorating some of the past Stanley Cup winning teams in an effort to showcase its hardware.

Perusing the homepage of our league on the day the playoff matchups were finalized for the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs, I noticed the background effects displayed some of the recent Cup winners' names etched out as if on the Cup itself.  The history buff I am, I began to inspect the names and metally recall some of the great matchups between the Avalanche and Wings, Hurricanes' Cup, and the Lightning claiming the prize. 

Surely, I had seen wrong.  Could I have forgotten that Sean Hill was a member of the Wings?  That did not make sense anyhow, as Brett Hull's last name would get in the way.  That was when my senses kicked in, it really said what I hoped it had not.  Brett Hill was listed.  Well, that left me a little disappointed. 

I then read a bit more on the site, enthused with the draft rankings and playoff matchups.  I spotted another.  Please no.  We hear a lot about the goaltending coaching and instruction by Francois Allaire.  Allaire, a member of the Anaheim training staff for the Ducks' championship, is listed as Francias Allaire.  That is not even a simple typo.  There are others, such as Ulle Nieminen and Dave Ried, key characters in Colorado's most recent Cup-run.

15 April 2009

Robin Keith Thompson