Monday, February 28, 2011

Trade Deadline Day, Hour Two

9 am - 10 am (6 -7 am PST)

And into hour two we go, TSN kicking off the festivities with the Dave Hodge "The Reporters" panel, where each outlines the teams they believe currently are the top five in the NHL as we head into the home stretch panel, rejoice Vancouver fans, the panel seems fond of your chances this year.

The CBC enters into the deadline drama this hour, putting the Hockey Night in Canada stamp on their trade coverage over the Bold digital channel. No doubt hoping that they can lure some of the audience away from the traditional deadline day giants of TSN and Sportsnet, that is providing anyone can actually find Bold on their cable or satellite receivers (for Shaw Direct viewers it's 512, you're welcome)

A quick click over to The Score, would apparently relieve us of the burden of juggling four networks at once, The Score it seems is so far taking a pass on the non stop coverage, continuing on with their normal daily routine of the highlight wheel through these early hours of deadline day.

TSN reviews the trades that took place prior to the deadline day sign on, if nothing else it helps to keep their minds fresh we guess.

At 9:20 (6:20 PT) in a strange sense of symmetry all three deadline shows go to commercial, click, click, click, click, oh good Sportsnet is back.

Ottawa fans should have turned away from the screen, Sportsnet reviews the drama of the Dany Heatley  debacle, highlighting the soap opera nature of his final days in a Sens uniform and the moment when all seems to have gone off the rails for the Senators.

Ah the memories, surely Sens fans have suffered enough this year without the history lesson, as though to offer up a ray of hope, Sportsnet floats the concept that the Sens may be talking with the Edmonton Oilers in a quest to obtain Ales Hemsky, Jason Spezza probably has lit some candles in the hope that Bryan Murray might find someone who can receive a pass and maybe return one from time to time.

At 9:30 (6:30 am PT) TSN's Reporters are talking about the Leafs, exploring their potential options today, with Michael Farber, Steve Simmons and Eric Duhatschek joining Dave Hodge to examine whether the Leafs can or want to make the playoffs and how that might impact on their deadline day decisions.

Over at Sportsnet they continue on with their "how did you learn you were traded feature", while the gang from Hockey Night in Canada continue to offer up their thoughts on Bold, reviewing the chatter of a potential deal between Toronto and Florida, as well as a vigorous discussion on the merits of signing restricted free agent Clarke MacArthur to a new Leaf contract.

By 9:44 (6:44 PT) the talk has turned to Richards to the Rangers! The first destination of the day for the Stars Brad Richards, apparently coveted by Broadway and it would seem a favourite of head coach John Tortorella.  If the Stars are to make a deadline day splash, trading with New York probably gets them the most ink and volume of digital bits of the day.

Hockey Night in Canada on Bold is engaged in a rather intense discussion on the plans of the Edmonton Oilers and if they want to move such players as Hemsky and Penner.

TSN is focused on Ottawa at the moment, and the race they currently are engaged in. The race of course being one with the Edmonton Oilers to the bottom of the NHL standings and the first pick overall of the draft later this spring.

Sportnset wraps up hour number two discussing what the Flames might be looking to do at the deadline, suggesting that they won't be particularly busy as the clock ticks down towards the end of the trading period.


Second hour transaction summary-- 0 transactions announced this hour

No comments: