Carty

It is a serious issue, and it was irritating when Nenshi was so blunt about saying that CalgaryNext was dead...

We're just watching Nenshi drag his heels on the creosote cleanup, and the idea of CalgaryNext go up in a puff of smoke...

They should all take a hit on this... It's for a green cause...

A joint effort involving the city, provincial and federal governments would still be best...

Depends what kind of advice he is given... Instead of go through the usual government channels, maybe he should just ask one of his buds...

That would make too much sense for the Liberal government to even consider it... It's a pipe dream...

They both had stretches where the played very well... They both also had epic meltdowns... Oddly enough, they both balanced out at a .910 SV% for the regular season this time around, 2.55 GAA for Elliott, and 2.59 GAA for Johnson... and that can only be described as mediocre at best... A big part of the problem with how they arrived at their numbers this season was in the inconsistency of performance, highs where they both played shut the door hockey, and other games where both barn doors opened wide... A huge red flag was that the bad games seemed to come in bunches too often, not just having an off game and then getting back into the zone... That is true, considering they both have had a couple of lousy seasons previously...

Bishop was my first choice of attainable goalies last summer, and still is... Unless a reasonable trade opens up for one of the few that are even better, it's a good option... One of those two things has to happen because there is currently no goalie connected to the Flames that can be relied upon as a true starter... Darling is also a pending UFA, but just isn't a bright blip on my radar... For a backup, unless Elliott was playing hurt and we didn't hear about it, I can't see him coming back after his collapse in the last couple of games... Not saying that his first choice would be as a backup, but after his slow start to the season and then the way it ended, his value just dropped and so did the odds of him getting a contract as a starter... Either way, with a .880 SV% in the playoffs and being 32 years old, I just don't see it happening... I wouldn't do it... Johnson as a backup on a lower contract is a maybe... But again, he had a pretty epic meltdown after a good run as well... I would look for an upgrade elsewhere... Other possibilities, sure, they might cut bait and go fish in a couple of other spots for two goalies again... As much as I am not a big Marc-Andre Fleury fan, if they could get him for a very reasonable trade I would rather do that than bring either of Elliott or Johnson back... Maybe someone else better than Fleury comes available in a trade that wouldn't open a new hole, only time will tell... Hard to say at this point who might end up being a potential acquisition for a backup... But after the way both goalies had catastrophic collapses this season, they will need to minimize the risk of that happening again... Not saying it will happen, but it wouldn't surprise me if the Flames have a really close look at potentially using Gillies in the backup role next season...

Looks like Rittich has been called up and Gillies is back with the Heat... https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/flames-recall-david-rittich-from-stockton/c-288561052

With Johnson out for at least a couple of games with a lower body injury, Gillies has been called up... https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/flames-recall-jon-gillies-from-stockton/c-288462026 Hopefully it's something relatively minor and Johnson heals up soon... Had to happen on the first shot of the game too, poor guy has had a string of bad luck after a pretty amazing run...

The NDP would rather spend the money hiring a company from Ontario to come and screw in light bulbs and shower heads in peoples houses in Alberta... I don't understand why they would hire out to have that done anyway, when the NDP could have actually done something useful for a change and go out and screw themselves instead of spending their time tying to figure out how to waste more of our tax money...

Sorry, couldn't help myself... Spent too many years as an engineer in the oil patch, so when you mentioned it I was compelled to figure it out...

A tank with a circumference of 24' that was 8' tall would hold 10380 litres... To leak 200 million litres that would be like draining a full tank 19268 times... A larger 24' diameter 8' tall tank would hold 102500 litres... To leak 200 million litres that would be like draining a full tank that size 1951 times... It would have been cheaper to weld up the tank or buy a new one than to bleed out the creosote all over the ground... It makes you wonder what they were thinking... Of course the environmental damage is the true concern, and will cost a lot more to clean up the damage than the value of the creosote...

Word is that 'King' Nenshi is really a penguins fan, and just doesn't want the Flames to have a new arena...

Nenshi also seems to have forgotten that there is a council that gets to vote and he is not a dictator that can call the shots... To come out and declare that the idea of Calgary Next is dead was pompous and short sighted... He did not handle the situation very well... For a mayor that wants to make an Olympic bid that will require new facilties, he could stand to learn a few things about diplomacy... Have to wonder how long he will leave the creosote to cause even more damage over time... His intentions seem to be to sweep it under the carpet and leave it for the next mayor to deal with... The sooner the land is reclaimed for whatever purpose it ends up being used for, the sooner the city starts generating revenue from it to help offset the clean up costs.. If he expects help from the province and the feds, he should have been lobbying for it a long time ago... The longer it is left, the further the toxic hazard spreads and the more it will cost to clean it up...

Don't get too excited... The arena may only get used by the Flames a few times, and then they might find out that it is not up to the standards they are looking for... Then the arena might end up getting traded to another city...

Feaster is back?...

I'd say you won this one, but it might be a tie with Deeds... Maybe I should bow out of this one...

Well... He did give up his ties to the Whalers, Canucks, Ducks and Leafs...

He sure did... Here is the good luck shirt that I often wear for games lately... If you look close, under HD it says "MOOSE ON THE LOOSE"... Got it at Kanes in Kelowna (a few years back before Gasoline Alley bought them out) when I needed a filter for my bike while on vacation...

Especially when we consider that he had much smaller pads, and the fact that Vernon was 5'9" and 167 lbs, he was an incredible goaltender and we were very lucky to have him on the Flames... When I look at the pic that Deeds posted it sure seems like there is a whole lot of net exposed, but he was definitely one of the best in the league at stopping the puck... Vernon was something special...

Basic summary : http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/how-the-edmonton-arena-deal-was-done More detail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/edmonton-city-council-approves-deal-to-build-new-nhl-arena/article7662188/ and: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-city-council-passes-new-arena-deal-1.1307767