IT'S BACK, BABY!!!

Ah, yeah!! NHL hockey is back!

The lockout ended officially today when the league Board of Governors unanimously accepted the new collective bargaining agreement. The players association accepted it yesterday with an 87% yes vote.

The most exciting event of today was the draft lottery. Since there was no season last year and every team will be shaken up and rife with uncertainty this upcoming year, it was decided that every team in the league would get a crack at receiving the #1 overall pick. Some teams, however, were given a slightly better chance than others based on past seasons' performances. The entire draft order, 1 through 30, was determined in this manner.

It also just so happens that the top prospect in 20 years, 17 year old Sidney Crosby, is eligible this year. The fact that all the teams had a chance to draft a player that has the potential to single-handedly change the game made the lottery especially exciting.

My Red Wings wound up getting the #19 pick in the draft, which is a lot better than they normally get. Usually they pick lower than #25, or more commonly, have traded their first round pick away and don't draft until the second or third round. It would have been nice to get Crosby, but that was a long shot.

It turns out the team that did get the #1 overall pick, and undoubtedly Crosby, is the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the past three years, the Pens have selected #1 overall, #2 overall, and now #1 overall again! They're going to be a much improved team starting this year, as the new CBA really works in their favor, along with all their high draft picks. Hopefully ME doesn't gloat too much!! ;-) I'm actually really happy for the Pens; they were on the verge of either moving to a different city or folding altogether, and now they are forming the basis of what might turn out to be a real success story.

Anyhow, things around the league will be developing rapidly in the coming weeks. Contract buyouts start tomorrow, the actual draft is a week from tomorrow, and free agency begins August 1. There are a ton of free agents this year, and it will be a real zoo as players switch teams and fill up rosters slots and cap room. It will be fun to watch.