I wasn't aware that the NHLPA members had their private website, http://www.nhlpasource.com, where they convened and discussed deals (of course, it makes sense seeing as how half their membership is in another continent...). This probably is illegal, but what are the chances of someone, say, phoning the "helpdesk" (1-800-363-4625 ext 2384) and pretending to be a drunk player to get the username or password?

No doubt, some of you will remember the incident during the 2004 playoffs when a Toronto radio station managed to disturb Jason Spezza's beauty sleep by doing the same thing to the hotel.

Wouldn't you just love to see what your favourite players really think of the new proposals? And if it's anything like a typical fan's hockey forum, wouldn't you really like to see who's literate and who's not?

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I feel sorry for the reporters who've been posted to cover this latest, breaking-est, most "relevant" yet "meeting." If all the reporters are as clueless as Howard Berger, they're probably all still sitting in a hotel room somewhere in New York City, with no idea where the actual meeting is. (How many 5-star hotels can there be in Manhattan?)

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Did you know that if you type in Spezza in Google, your first listing isn't even ESPN's profile -- it's some weird band named Spezza Rotto, who claims to be a mix of "21st century opera and dada concepts"? On the other hand, when I type in Chara, all I get is Japanese.

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The New Jersey Devils have almost moved out of their swamp hell-hole in the middle of the NJ Turnpike to a (slightly) more respectable location in downtown Newark. Newark. Pfoohey! New Jersey is still New Jersey until it's ... not ...

Newark, N.J. Devils players are going to love the real-estate opportunities for this hot, new hip neighbourhood.