Wow, today was wild.  In case you live under a puck, there were two major trades today in the N.H.L.  First, the Oilers gave Taylor Hall to the Devils for Adam Larsson in what many are calling the most lopsided player swap in the history of the league.  Remind me to never deal with Ray Shero, ever, ever, ever.  Excited for the Devils, they're getting one of the best left wingers in the game and their back end is still pretty solid.  Gonna be fun to see Hall reunited with Adam Henrique.

And this wasn't even the biggest deal of the day.

The Canadians dumped P.K. Subban to the Predators for Shea Weber.  I say 'dumped' because they obviously wanted to get rid of P.K. the person, not the player.  Why else would you trade a league top 3 defenseman for another super star defenseman who is on the bottom half of the top 10 D-men in the league?  The swap is, at it's base, a flip of 2 super star athletes.  I love Weber but Subban is just better overall.  The fans are going to love him in Nashville.  Just another head scratcher.

What else is on the horizon this off season?

Oh yeah, in other news, Stamkos took a smaller deal to stay in Tampa Bay was the least surprising deal of the day.  Because of taxes, he'll probably make the same as if he took a bigger deal somewhere else but you've got to think that part of it really is that Stammer wants to finish business in Tampa and bring those fans a Cup.  Love that guy.

Yesterday, we lost another Legend, Mr. Hockey himself, Gordie Howe.  He lived 88 years and did a lot of damage in that time.  Gordie was a beast of a player.  He could play the game any way you wanted to play it and still beat you.  Everyone else has listed off his amazing stats and achievements but to me that was all made possible by his ability to adapt.  He could do it all:  shoot, pass, defend, hit, fight, and lead.  Howe was ambidextrous, shooting from the left or right side.  Why put a curve on your stick when you can do that?  Goalies and defenders never knew what to think.  The Man played with no cartilage in his knees for 32 years!!!  

He was a warrior and a gentleman.  This Guy knew he was the best player and he still knew humility.  Wayne Gretzky grew up idolizing him and people say that the greatest thing Howe taught Gretzky during their relationship was humility.  Gretz himself, says that Howe is the greatest hockey player of all time.  How can you argue with they guy who most people believe to be the greatest?

Grit, determination and the will to win.  This is what I think of, when I think of Mr. Hockey.  To me, those three things are at the very heart of hockey, so it's not to far fetched to say that Howe is hockey, not just Mr. Hockey, but hockey itself.

Any way you call it, we're gonna miss you Gordie, rest easy.  Thanks for everything!

Sometimes it's hard watching the Finals when you don't have a horse in the race.  I'm not sure who to root for here.  As a Kings fan, I feel obligated to be anti-Guppies but then again, it'd be nice to see Jonesy win a Cup as a starter.  It's hard to cheer on the Penguins, since I'll have to listen to Pierre go on and on about how great Syd the Kid is, which he is, but dang dude, shut up already.

One thing is for sure, it's going to be a fast Final.  Hopefully, it gets physical and nasty, with the just the right amount of talent and animosity.  So, good luck to both teams and their fans!

Leave us a comment as to who you want to win and why.

The term 'living the dream' means a lot of different things in a lot of different circles.  In the hockey world, it means different things at different stages of your career.  When you're young, it means chasing that dream of making the N.H.L.  Oh, that's the ultimate dream; and you live it until you realize it's over.  Once it's over, 'Living the Dream' becomes the simple act of being able to continue playing at the highest level possible, whether that means playing the elite league at the local barn or playing the over 50 league on Wednesday night.  And part of living that dream is making enough money to be able to afford to keep playing.  Yeah, hockey is expensive.  'Living the Dream' continues on for the rest of your life, just being able to play the game you love with your brother's on ice.

'Living the Dream' also encompasses all the things you get to do as a hockey player and a fan.  There are moments throughout your life where you get to experience things that not everyone in your shoes will get to experience.  Sometimes, it might be getting to meet an idol, like Wayne Gretzky or Martin Brodeur.  It could be the time you were in the building when your team won Game 7  to win the Stanley Cup.  It could be that moment you walk into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto and become overtaken with nostalgia.  It could be that moment when your best friend, you know the one that dangles you silly, gets drafted to the Show.  A lot of the time, it's getting to play with a former N.H.L. player.  Everyone returns to their old barn.  And most of us welcome them back home with trash talking and face washes.  Unless you don't know the guy; then you sit in silence and think about what this dude meant to you, your life.

For me, that day was today.
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