JediDefender.com Forums
Community => JD Sports Forum! => Topic started by: Jeff on June 25, 2013, 01:24 PM
-
With the compressed schedule and draft coming up this weekend already, I have to fast-track the creation of this one...
Draft coming up this week. I know Brent and I both love us some NHL draft-watching, anyone else?
Will be a bit of a bummer not having a first rounder this year (so far), but I'm expecting the next few days to be filled with a ton of trades and buy-outs as teams get ready for the draft and the huge dip in the salary cap for next year.
-
Rumours abound about the Jets trying to trade up. Or down. Maybe. I don't know, but Chevy better dang well do something this year aside from the waiver wire. We can confidently say we know what we have in our team now and it happens to be the Atlanta Thrashers. Go figure. Blow it up Chevy.
Had to laugh at Bryz getting bought out. Maybe he's thinking he can find a park in Winnipeg now that he's got 23 mill in his pocket.
I do agree though, next several days should be really interesting. Here's hoping we can sign our guys for some bargain deals and pick up some of the buy-out castoffs at reasonable dollar amounts. And maybe a Clutterbuck. :P
-
Pens are working a lot harder to sign Cooke and Dupuis than Letang, which isn't a surprise because he's a tougher sign and has more time than the other two, in which to get a deal done if they're gonna.
Frankly, I think Letang's days are done here. He'll want too much. He's a Staal waiting to happen I'm afraid. I like him when he's paired with a good shut-down guy. Niskanen was NOT that guy. ::)
-
Jesse...how has Paul Martin played for the Pens? Little known fact (which I've repeated many times) I used to babysit Paul when I and he were kids...it is cool that I was able to teach him everything I know about Hockey and he took that tutelage and went on to the pros.
-
I was 100% for dumping him after last year, but this year he was widely regarded as our best defenseman. Amazing how a guy can turn around like that. He was great going North, but was responsible defensively all year and throughout the playoffs. Really showed he can QB a powerplay.
A lot of people think he'll mentor Simon Despres as a D-Man since Letang's most likely leaving and kind of replaced Gonchar, though like I said Martin was pretty solid all year whereas Letang was up and down, and his stats were largely padded with assists because of who he was playing with.
So yeah, I've totally reversed (especially if Letang's gone) and like Martin and how he fits into the blue line now. They need someone like him to help with the younger players I assume will be coming up next year.
-
Looks like the buyouts are heading into high gear today -
PHI - Briere, Bryzgalov
MON - Kaberle
TB - Lecavalier
Not surprised about Philly since those have been long rumored, but I feel bad for TB/Lecavalier. That has to be a hard move to dump your captain like that simply because of the $$ situation. Will be interested to see where he ends up...
I was 100% for dumping him after last year, but this year he was widely regarded as our best defenseman.
Never doubt a Minnesotan D-man, Jesse. I would have thought Alex Goligoski would have taught you that. ;)
-
Loved go go and if anything him gone makes me think they're gonna try hard to keep Letang I just don't think he'll do the hometown discount and I (personally) feel Cooke n Dupuis r more important signs...
-
Rumours around Letang getting an offer somewhere in the ballpark of 8 million per? Aside from the fact that's an absurd overpayment, who the hell else are the Pens going to actual put on the ice?
-
No way I'd believe that.... They're also in negotiation with duper n Cooke before 5th... Adams hasn't even been spoken to. I can't believe 8 at all. He's be well beyond any dman in league I think?
-
Yeah I thought it more than a little insane for that pay scale. I'm just kind of surprised at how much the Pens have thrown out of late. Obviously you want to pay Crosby and Malkin but then you better be hoping for some real good performances from lower end guys.
In other news it's looking like the gauntlet has been thrown in the Phoenix saga. A decision needs to be made by July 2nd. In spite of the massive rumours surrounding Seattle I'd place my money on Quebec City simply because they're in a position so similar to what Winnipeg was in...almost. Their arena is a lot closer (corruption in the government and construction industries notwithstanding) and I think their ownership group is more tangible. I think Seattle is a few years away yet and will get the expansion franchise.
On the other hand it would be better for scheduling if it was Seattle and really, how much worse than Phoenix could it be initially? Plus you can probably get the $170M out of Seattle and then hose Quebec City for well over $200M for an expansion franchise. Plus moving out of a U.S. market to another U.S. market would fit the little weasel's ideals much better.
But neither location is as well prepared as Winnipeg was.
-
I still think the Coyotes go to Seattle because QC and Toronto 2.0 will be more willing to pony up 250+ mil for the expansion fees than Seattle. :P
Then, in a few years when you're ready for expansion, you'll see...
- Colorado heads West to the Pacific group
- Toronto 2.0 and one of DET/TB get dropped into central division
- QC gets dropped into Division C to take the place of DET/TB
That way, with Toronto 2 in the West, they can dream of an all Toronto Cup final (or the much less likely all FL cup final with TB in the west and FLA in the east :P)
-
TB - Lecavalier
I'm beyond disappointed to see this happen.
I don't know much about the negotiations... what kind of nonsense is it that the new CBA reduced the salary cap but doesn't allow teams to restructure deals they made based on the old salary cap?
Or do I have my facts wrong?
-
I was 100% for dumping him after last year, but this year he was widely regarded as our best defenseman.
Never doubt a Minnesotan D-man, Jesse. I would have thought Alex Goligoski would have taught you that. ;)
Especially one I babysat
-
TB - Lecavalier
I'm beyond disappointed to see this happen.
I don't know much about the negotiations... what kind of nonsense is it that the new CBA reduced the salary cap but doesn't allow teams to restructure deals they made based on the old salary cap?
Or do I have my facts wrong?
I don't think there's a team out there that didn't know the salary cap was going down under the new CBA. It had been rumoured for years and realistically if your team signs a player to a stupid contract (paying a guythat much for that long a term when he's in his thirties is pretty stupid).
Restructuring a deal under the new cap would mean the player would make less money. Is that legal? When you sign a contract aren't you legally, never mind the sub-rules imposed by the NHL itself, obligated to meet the expectations of that contract? Both the player and the organization?
If the player stops playing before the terms of the contract are up (i.e. retires) then he is or is not paid, depending on how the contract is worded, but the team is still charged an amount towards the cap. The league did this to prevent teams from creating all sorts of stupid ass backloaded contracts which simply circumvent the salary cap. Were this not in place, teams like Philadelphia (no brains) or Toronto (bottomless pockets) could simply backload all the contracts they want and be a gazillion miles over the cap. How would that be fair to the other teams in the league that can't afford to do that? It's not and realistically you'd do immense damage to the league. I think you could expect the league to contract to about ten teams or less if you let them go freewheeling for salaries that are backloaded, maybe more.
That's not to say that Vinny will be out of TB for long: he'll sign a one year deal somewhere and then re-sign for a lesser amount to end his career with the Lightning. He's said as much. So he gets paid out the buyout amount plus he'll resign for probably $4+ million somewhere for a year while his family stays in TB. Then he'll re-sign a more realistic contract with TB to end his career there.
Now explain to me why I should feel remotely bad about this. Lecavalier is getting paid out two thirds of the 37 million dollars owed to him. He'll sign for about $4 mill more with someone, then will sign with TB again for a more realistic term.
Here's the math:
Payout 2013: 32.667 million
Probably 2013-14 salary: 4 million
Re-sign with Lightning for three more years with Lightning: 3 years, likely around $3 milliion per year average salary, total 9 million.
Wah! Poor Vinny.
Wah! Poor Tampa Bay.
Vinny's up in money but plays one less year at the front end for the Lightning, still playing out his twilight years there and actually has to play a few less years (4 vs. 7) but ends up about $8 million ahead.
I think I can miss my family for a year for that kind of coin.
Tampa Bay on the other hand is out $32+ million dollars for signing a player to an idiotic contract in the first place. At the same time they free up $7 million dollars in cap space allowing them to sign other players while Vinny is off playing in Toronto/Florida/Philly. They also get a year to look at their roster and plan for his return with a cap hit of only about $3 million dollars.
So tell me what the negative effect overall of the new CBA was on the Lightning and Lecavalier?
-
All reports here r pens offering bout 7 n Letang countering 7.5 but wants no move which I can't see happening and seems to be bigger sticking point than money. :/
I stick with the thought they'll trade him. I wouldn't be shocked if its at the draft tho they don't have to. I'd rather see him go west tho than stay in the east. I'm not happy but I knew someone was bound to go. I just hope they lock down Duper and Cooke at this point.
-
Restructuring a deal under the new cap would mean the player would make less money. Is that legal? When you sign a contract aren't you legally, never mind the sub-rules imposed by the NHL itself, obligated to meet the expectations of that contract? Both the player and the organization?
Well, not in the NFL. If a player would rather take less to stay instead of being cut, they're always free to re-negotiate if both parties want to.
If the player stops playing before the terms of the contract are up (i.e. retires) then he is or is not paid, depending on how the contract is worded, but the team is still charged an amount towards the cap. The league did this to prevent teams from creating all sorts of stupid ass backloaded contracts which simply circumvent the salary cap. Were this not in place, teams like Philadelphia (no brains) or Toronto (bottomless pockets) could simply backload all the contracts they want and be a gazillion miles over the cap. How would that be fair to the other teams in the league that can't afford to do that? It's not and realistically you'd do immense damage to the league. I think you could expect the league to contract to about ten teams or less if you let them go freewheeling for salaries that are backloaded, maybe more.
In the NFL teams back-load deals all the time. Eventually they pay the price. Maybe they can load up for a year or two, but they they're quickly forced to cut players - and players won't take backloaded deals without guaranteed money in signing bonuses that are still assigned to the relevant year's salary cap if a player is cut or retires. Clearly it's different in the NHL, but it's easy to prevent teams from being able to circumvent the cap for long.
In any event, thanks for the explanation, I'm not familiar with how the CBA and cap work in hockey like I am with football.
Still bummed to see Vinny headed elsewhere. I don't think it's really a given that he'll be back... if someone throws a few years at him for more money than he thinks he'd get taking a short deal...
-
All reports here r pens offering bout 7 n Letang countering 7.5 but wants no move which I can't see happening and seems to be bigger sticking point than money. :/
Does Letang have a brother in the NHL he wants to go play with instead, a la Staal last year? :P
-
Still bummed to see Vinny headed elsewhere. I don't think it's really a given that he'll be back... if someone throws a few years at him for more money than he thinks he'd get taking a short deal...
Don't have a direct link for you, but Lecavalier said directly that he would be back. He'll only go for a year because he has to under league rules, but his family (wife/kids) are settled in the Tampa Bay area and that's where he'll stay. You could of course be right though.
The NFL is a dramatically different beast than the NHL. The football revenues from television alone dwarf the entire NHL, never mind merchandise, gate, etc.
And you accurately point out the NFL player can opt to restructure the salary as opposed to being cut. In the NHL you cannot outright cut a player and then not pay him as you can in the NFL*. All salaries are guaranteed, unless there are performance bonuses but I believe those are not allowed in the NHL, at least not formally as a part of the structure of the salary as it is counted towards the salary cap. Any signing bonuses, plus salaries over the length of the contract, are added together and divided by the length of the contract to give you the "cap hit" against the salary cap. So front loading, back loading, all count against a team's cap to try and provide some degree of parity, lest the Toronto Maple Leafs become perennial cup winners simply because they have nearly unlimited revenues. I daresay it would be worse than the Yankees/Red Sox by a substantial margin.
The * in there is what Lecavalier in TB, Bryzgalov in Philly and others have experienced is a compliance buy out that is allowed under the new CBA of the NHL to get rid of those idiotic deals. Teams are only allowed two over the length of the CBA so Philly for example has used both of theirs. Players in a sense do get hosed, as they are only paid 2/3 of the total salary owed to them on the contract. But they are allowed to immediately sign another deal with any other team. So as in the case of Lecavalier he's likely ending up ahead of the game. But even if they never play again in North America, a guy like Bryzgalov ends up with $20+ million in his pocket, immediately, and then trundles off to the KHL to play for $5 million tax free. :o Such hardship they endure if they are a compliance buyout. It's nothing like the NFL where you're an aging running back that gets cut and has no more money coming in.
It may be easy to prevent teams from circumventing the cap in the NFL, I think it's a far better run organization and has the ability to buoy up teams where necessary from alternate sources of revenue. The NHL simply can't do that and there are general managers/owners that are clearly a little nuts and think buying a championship will work, where in the NHL it never really has (Messier's cup in NYC?). There is also massive disparity that isn't offset by television broadcasting right. Phoenix Coyotes? New York Islanders? Or perhaps Winnipeg/Quebec City/Hartford circa 1995?
I still think the Coyotes go to Seattle because QC and Toronto 2.0 will be more willing to pony up 250+ mil for the expansion fees than Seattle. :P
Then, in a few years when you're ready for expansion, you'll see...
- Colorado heads West to the Pacific group
- Toronto 2.0 and one of DET/TB get dropped into central division
- QC gets dropped into Division C to take the place of DET/TB
That way, with Toronto 2 in the West, they can dream of an all Toronto Cup final (or the much less likely all FL cup final with TB in the west and FLA in the east :P)
Likely the case with Seattle, we'll find out soon enough I think. As for the expansion, I think you're likely correct for the most part. I think TB maybe goes west, but I don't think Toronto 2.0 goes west, the big market teams they want to see in that new facility will be on the east coast, and given what they'll likely pay for that expansions team ($0.5B), they'll get what they want. I think the league sits unbalanced and Detroit remains in the east though I'd love to see them come back west.
-
We're staying in the hotel where most of the scouts are. Kind of cool.
-
Does Letang have a brother in the NHL he wants to go play with instead, a la Staal last year? :P
Haha not that I know of. Word is ur wild r in the running as are leafs and Preds. That's whats going around here anyway. I figure hell go at the draft. My iPhone posting here looks like ****. Sorry. :(
-
Well, so far not as big a fire sale as it was after 2010, but the Hawks have started to off-load players. Bolland and Frolik were traded for draft picks. Bolland didn't really do much for them this year (other than the Cup winner) due to injury, but he was definitely a core guy that will be missed. Always played with an edge and had a knack for getting under opposing players' skin. Frolik will definitely be missed on the PK. He and Kreuger were two of the reasons for their great percentage throughout the year.
On a good note, they were able to re-sign Bickell to a 4-year deal. Glad to see that both sides were able to compromise to keep him in Chicago.
-
Rumors are insane at this point... I think every team is interested in Letang and the Pens are insanely going to try to give him what he wants except the no-trade. Blah. It puts them and Dupuis too far apart, and Cooke's not looking good either. I felt both were more important than Letang was individually. I'm not happy.
I love Letang for what he brings but I thought he had a dismal defensive playoff, and he doesn't seem to be outgrowing those habits. He's young and can improve, but like Fleury, how long do you let that go? I dunno. They don't have winger depth to bring up IMO and replace Dupuis and Cooke, and I read they think Jokinen can replace one of them... How? He plays like neither, and is a center. I'm not a fan of moving guys out of their positions to fill voids you create yourself.
-
Woah, Lecavalier is going to Philly for 5 years (http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=676228&navid=DL|NHL|home)? I sure didn't see that coming. Like others have said, it's weird to see him leaving Tampa.
-
Letang... butload of money, sticking with Pens, blah blah blah.
No clue now on Dupuis or Cooke (or Adams for that matter, who's also underrated). Sucks because I'd say at best one of them is all we could keep. Duper is who they're focused on now. Cooke, god I'd hate seeing him go. Dude practically WAS our PK. Adams was a big PK guy too, and had a solid playoff with Cooke. :( I hate this time of year.
Spoke very much too soon on Dupuis... Signed him as I typed that I think.
Now, Cooke, please?
TK for the 2nd rounder to move up in the draft was a stroke of genius, by the way. The guy was a dismal performer in the regular season, turned it on some in the playoffs and finally played like he gave a ****, but too little too late. I was ecstatic with the move since we were SOL on picks early on after picking up Iggy. :-\
-
Here's hoping we can sign our guys for some bargain deals and pick up some of the buy-out castoffs at reasonable dollar amounts. And maybe a Clutterbuck. :P
Well, you didn't get a Clutterbuck but you did end up with one slightly used former Shark/Wild. Hope you get more consistency out of him than we did. Enjoy 3-4 goals in four games and then nothing for another 12-15. :P
Cooke, god I'd hate seeing him go. Dude practically WAS our PK...
...Now, Cooke, please?
:-X Sorry Jesse. (not really).
So far we're:
- minus Bouchard, Cullen, Clutterbuck, Setoguchi, and Gilbert
- plus Neiderreiter, Cooke, and Ballard
Not exactly setting the world on fire, but we didn't really have the cap room to do much more. Cooke will be an upgrade over Clutter in a couple nice ways (PK, goals). Ballard is a cheaper Gilbert (3rd d). Bouchard will be missed but hasn't been relevant in a couple years. We'll miss Cullen I think most of all. We'll need a young guy (Coyle/Granlund) to step into that 2nd line center role but neither can replace his veteran voice.
-
Signing Backstrom was the key to the off-season as they would have been screwed without him
-
Don't have a direct link for you, but Lecavalier said directly that he would be back. He'll only go for a year because he has to under league rules, but his family (wife/kids) are settled in the Tampa Bay area and that's where he'll stay. You could of course be right though.
Easy come, easy go... Maybe Philly will decide to cut him 20% of the way into his shiny new deal. Of all the teams to go to... the city Tampa fans generally despise the most. Ouch.
-
Cooke hurts but to see the Pens sign Scuderi Dupuis, Adams, extend Letang, move up in the draft to 2nd round for Kennedy who wasn't even being tendered an offer... I can't bitch. Cooke is an awesome guy tho and does all kinda charity work. He gets a horrible rap from other teams. Slightly earned but he also has turned his game totally and he will basically single handedly run your pk. He was one of my favorites.
He told local media he's stayin in Pitt. His family wants to and he said the fans here supported him and treated him good when others called for his head on a pike. I loved the guy and he's gonna be missed.
Iginla we hardly knew ya. Some are mad they didn't really even try (not sure how they could have)... Not me. Nice guy. Getting older though and I'm a little shocked he went to Boston under last seasons circumstances.
-
Don't have a direct link for you, but Lecavalier said directly that he would be back. He'll only go for a year because he has to under league rules, but his family (wife/kids) are settled in the Tampa Bay area and that's where he'll stay. You could of course be right though.
Easy come, easy go... Maybe Philly will decide to cut him 20% of the way into his shiny new deal. Of all the teams to go to... the city Tampa fans generally despise the most. Ouch.
Wish I could find that quote. Clearly indications are that Lecavalier talks one thing, does another. The Philly contract surprised me in the sense that I really was expecting a single year deal. $4.5 million for 5 years with a no movement clause.
Hmm. Bought out for $23+ million and another $22.5 for the next five years. Yep, $45.5 million is pretty darn hard to take what with uprooting the kids and moving to Philly. Crocodile tears.
Well, you didn't get a Clutterbuck but you did end up with one slightly used former Shark/Wild. Hope you get more consistency out of him than we did. Enjoy 3-4 goals in four games and then nothing for another 12-15. :P
Yeah, can I get a do-over on that one? Not so thrilled with free agency this year, that's for sure. We're going to have a very hard time competing for the next couple of years. Setoguchi is fine as a player but we're still lacking a true 2nd line center so even if he plays above expectations with Kane, who's the center? Jokinen? Not effin likely. I might be able to skate faster than him if he's like he was last year.
Then losing Burmistrov to the KHL? Stoopid Russian. Ah well, we hold his NHL rights for another six years. Good thing we signed Frolik.
-
Love Kovalchuk walking out on the last 12yrs/$77mil of his contract for a reported 5yrs/$50mil back hom in Russia.
Between Burmistrov, Kuznetsov, and Kovalchuk, Russians are going to take a beating again this summer from all those hockey guys looking for summer filler stories. I hope Jesse is ready for all the "will Malkin retire and bolt for the KHL now too" stories. ::)
Plus I wonder if the Devils will find a loophole that lets them get their #1 pick back since Kovalchuk only stayed three years... otherwise, he cost them $23mil, a #1 pick, and $250k against the cap until 2025 for just 3 years of service. :P
-
If Malkin's story is true, he won't... He played the KHL and hated every second in it. He's really notoriously quiet here, and is relatively left alone because Crosby takes all the heat/questions and the local reporters know Malkin likes to be basically left alone to his own devices.
Supposedly that was a big reason he wanted to stay here and worked out something to do so that wasn't as much as he could've made going anywhere else. Anyway though, he was, I guess, hounded in the KHL by media and it really bugged him. I hope that remains true.
That's what I have read anyway... take it for what it is. I'm hopeful he doesn't decide to pull a move like that. I think it was pretty BS on Kovalchuk's part. He always seemed like he had no heart anyway, IMO. Maybe he just really was missing his home/family though? Who knows. I know Malkin did but his mother/father come here and stay with him frequently. They're kind of local celebs and sit with season ticket holders they've become close to or something... His mother's Borscht recipe has become a kind of local thing at some restaurants too. It's goofy. :-\
Ultimately you never know what these guys are thinking though, and tax free in Russia's awful tempting for those guys... You'd think they'd want to play where the real competition is though, and it's not there. Maybe I put too much stock in the whole, "I want to compete at the highest level and win at the highest level" thing I figure athletes have ingrained in them. Maybe just wishful thinking. It's really disappointing though, to see quality players leave over basically money and maybe a tinge of homesickness?
I tend to ignore national media except some Canadian news... I prefer local guys, and I doubt they beat this topic to death, but I'll let you know if it comes up again and again... One local show/group I kinda like, I bet it does. :P One A-Hole I can't stand on the radio station here that carries Pens games, Mark Madden, I bet brings this subject up... a lot... but I don't listen to him much. He's a huge jagoff.
-
It's really disappointing though, to see quality players leave over basically money and maybe a tinge of homesickness?
They've gotten the (re)call from Putin. ;)
-
In Burmistrov's case there was a conflict as well with our current coach.
I suspect he was only offered a two year deal, similar to what Bogosian got two years ago. Basically a show us what you got type of contract - decent money, short term. I'm sure in the case of Burmistrov he looked at his situation and figured if he was going to get that type of contract with a coach he didn't like, he might as well go to the K, develop there and make more money doing it while hoping that Noel is gone when he comes back in a year or two, which might well be true. Claude Noel was only extended for a single year, so that doesn't really bode well. My expectation is we don't make the playoffs this year again and Noel is gone, so it may be safe for Burmi then. He does need to develop and grow up maturity wise though.
As for the Devils, they can have their pick back as long as Kovalchuk does not return and play for them in the future. At least that's my opinion. No sympathy for the devil(s) otherwise, you sign the contract as a GM you deserve what happens.
-
Read an interesting article about Malkin's experiences over there... the intimidation that happens and stuff. He actually brought his brother over here with his parents like he does every year before the playoffs, and did it because threats had been made in the past to his family for not signing with the KHL.
He brought them over so he could negotiate his extension they got done in a quick 5 days... local reporter says that was very deliberate on both party's parts, and so was bringing his bro over for the visit this year. Crazy ****.
-
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/999343_468577639904642_1615972999_n.jpg)
-
Lmao
-
LOL at Jesse's team being in the "Metropolitan" division. (http://jedidefender.com/jsmentek/rotfl.gif)
They got the West names right (Pacific/Central), but the East? How do they use the "Atlantic" division name for the group with no former Atlantic division teams in it (and only 2 of the 8 teams actually on the Atlantic :P)?
-
We're classy. :)
-
What an ... odd .... schedule. I don't know why, but I was expecting three and three with central teams. Obviously didn't think it through too well.
I'm going to miss the East.
-
Metropolitan? What a stupid name.
-
Bah!
Gretzky's trade to L.A. 25 years ago still creating ripple effect (http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/hockey/calgary-flames/Gretzkys+trade+years+still+creating+ripple/8764222/story.html)
(http://www.hockeyinsideout.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/gretzkyweb-343x250.jpg)
Double bah!
-
Took a while longer than usual (thanks Glendale ::)), but finally got my confrmation for my season tix package renewal last week.
Once again, my dad and I are thinking of a Road Trip to the Great White North... maybe this year we'll actually do it. :P
-
Once again, my dad and I are thinking of a Road Trip to the Great White North... maybe this year we'll actually do it. :P
I thought we had a good thing going Jeff... :'(
Maybe next year, we can make Brent drive down here to Minny to pick me up, then the two of us can stop in WI and pick you up on the way to Chicago for a game. :D
Count me in! You guys tell me the game and I'll handle the tickets.
-
Y'know, I just did that drive about two weeks ago. Came home straight from Madison so add a little time to get to/back from Chicago. In winter? Not so sure anymore. Pretty long drive really.
Took a while longer than usual (thanks Glendale ::)), but finally got my confrmation for my season tix package renewal last week.
Once again, my dad and I are thinking of a Road Trip to the Great White North... maybe this year we'll actually do it. :P
Yeesh, we got billed for this year's season tickets before last season was over. Final payment of three is processed on Friday of this week.
Three Wild games up here this year plus a pre-season as well. Odds are I'll be at one of them.