The WHL's Hottest Panel Show!
Anna Kournikova:	"Welcome to a special edition of Big Hitz! Today we're broadcasting from The Smackdown Centre in Oakville, home of the 2004 WHL All-Star weekend. Tony Gallagr (who covers the Vancouver Voodoo) will be today's guest, along with regulars Jim Rome (Icedogs), Mike Woods (Dropkicks) and Michael Landsberg (Bulls)." "Lets get things going here... This season has finally seen the WHL throw its iron-fist down on some of its owners inactivity, and as a result both the Oceanics and Saints have changed ownership. Critics say this new method of helping to evaluate the performances of GMs works great - so my question is do you guys think the WHL should introduce some sort of ownership committe to help in the GM reviewing process?"
Tony Gallagr:	"I don't think this would be a great idea. It's not up to the General Manager's to monitor the activities of it's own membership. That is commissioner Hebert's job. That said, I do think Mr. Hebert needs to continue to look at ways to increase GM involvement."
Michael Landsberg:	"Things are fine the way they are. The league doesn't need to invest any more time or money into another review process when there's already adequate measures in place. I don't know how many times it's been said, but the fact remains that unless those Board of Directors hurry the hell up, activity cannot be accurately measured."
Mike Woods:	"A committee?, perhaps... I guess you can't force GMs to make trades and send out press releases when there is little to report. Again I think things will pick up once the league's members know once and for all what kind of effect this salary cap will have on any given team."
Jim Rome:	"I think it's a good idea to screen owners before they take over. The league has had owners take over teams in this league and they haven't done a single thing. By having a screening process the league can make sure that we take only the best candidate."
Anna Kournikova:	"With this talk of committees and reviews, my next question deals with the latest blockbuster deals completed over the past two weeks; more specifically, what were your guys' first impressions upon hearing about the Voodoo/Islanders deal and then the Bulls/Icedogs deal?"
Michael Landsberg:	"When the deal got leaked to the media I couldn't believe the Islanders would give up so much without getting one more asset in the deal. I mean we all knew the Hossa deal was going to aggravate some people when Vancouver's GM stated even he was surprised at the amount of talent coming back his way... But for this season the Islanders walk away with one of the best snipers in the league. Now they just need to replace Hossa's linemates and they'll have a line that can take them on that Cup run - Nobody honestly thinks Hossa alone is enough to do it, do they? (*smiles*)" "As for the Bulls/'Dogs deal... WOW... I never thought I'd see Zhamnov dealt, this guy is one of the best, but to see MacInnis dealt with him absolutely blew me away. Fans in Oakville seem to realize that it was better to get some sort of return for their vets now, but man will those guys make the Icedogs competitive come playoff time... appears everyone's a winner."
Mike Woods:	"Both are obvious salary dumps in anticipation of the cap being implemented. It's smart of the Bulls to try to maximize their returns before they lose guys like Zhamnov and MacInnis, and the return on Hossa was very nice. On the other hand the Isles get a bonafide superstar and the Icedogs' Cup run becomes legit with one trade confirmation." "Anyone who doesn't like those deals needs to give their heads a shake. You always try to get the highest return on a player no matter what the circumstance."
Jim Rome:	"Well I think the Islanders/Voodoo trade was not that bad. Really the Islanders got one of the best young scorers in the game. A guy that can single handedly win games for his team. They gave up a lot of potential but potential doesn't always pan out. I'd take Hossa anyday over the guys that the Voodoo got back in return. As for the Bulls/Icedogs deal I think it's a very solid deal for both sides. The Bulls would have likely been way over any salary cap and would need to get rid of talent. This deal lets them unload some salary to get closer to a cap. The Icedogs gave up a lot of potential however as I just said potential doesn't always pan out. The Icedogs said from day one this year they were serious about making a playoff run and by acquiring Zhamnov and MacInnis the Icedogs improved their club big time. They are now a team that I wouldn't want to face in any playoff series, they have grit skill and alot of depth."
Tony Gallagr:	"I agree with Mike here. In the case of the Oakville/Winnipeg trade, the Bulls were simply moving older players, who will get very high salaries, while it still made sense from a hockey standpoint. The arms race between Oakville and Vancouver is essentially over, and both teams realize that by stepping down a bit they will both be better off. The Vancouver/Victoria trade was different in the sense that Vancouver wasn't looking to move Marian. They want to scale things down, for sure, but they really have been looking to move Paul Kariya. Problem is, Kariya is just flat out, too darn good, and too big a piece of the puzzle in Vancouver. Hossa, meanwhile was doing very little for the Voodoo, and when the Isles came a knockin, Vancouver named the price and the Islanders met it. However, anyone that thinks Vancouver got too much in return needs to give their head a shake. What has Chistov done? Sure Marc-Andre Fleury is going to be great, but that's no sure thing, and really the Isles will be a mid pack at worst team in 2 years, leaving Vancouver with a midlevel, at best, first round pick."
[COMMERCIAL BREAK] - Mastercard 'Cost of dinner reservations, $30 - Price of total orders, $65 - Total tip left for waiter, $10 - Finding out your blind date is Jes Golbez, priceless. "There's some things money can't buy, for everything else there's Mastercard" - Proud supporter of the 2004 WHL All-Star game.
Anna Kournikova:	"Alright, now that we've reached the mid-point this year, who do you guys vote for as MVP, best rookie, and best coach?"
Mike Woods:	"Naslund, Sakic, Cujo and Heatley have to be considered but if you were to ask Lee Fogolin he'd say Roman Cechmanek. His numbers aren't great but he wins hockey games... Rookie-wise Staal has been great and so has Ryan Suter - If I was to vote today I'd give the nod to Staal just because the team he plays for blows big time."
Jim Rome:	"Well my MVP so far this year is Dany Heatley. The Dropkicks have been playing great hockey and Dany is a huge reason why. The only other player I'd consider for the award is Teemu Selanne but I don't think that a player should win MVP if he didn't lead his team to the playoffs. However Teemu is in a different situation he could be the MVP at the end of the year. My rookie of the year is Eric Staal. Sure it's all about the numbers and Ryan Suter is leading rookies in scoring but Eric is playing on a very poor team and has been by far the best player all year for his club. If you put Staal on the same team as Suter, Staal would have huge numbers. One day Staal is gonna be one of the best in the league if he can keep on doing what he's doing. The best coach right now is a toss up between Craig Stumpf of the Vipers and Perry Pearn of the SmokeEaters. Both guys have done a great job with their clubs so far."
Tony Gallagr:	"No question, it has to be Markus Naslund. This guy has been the go to guy in Vancouver this season, and is the best player in the league. Rookie of the year has to be Eric Staal. What he is doing in Boston is simply amazing. Coach of the year, early on I would have said Perry Pearn in Trail, but I think that Pat Burns, has gotten the most out of his team to this point in the season."
Michael Landsberg:	"Well unlike Woodsy, I've gotta give the Calder nod to Ryan Suter. These things are supposed to be based solely on the numbers, not the logo on their sweaters - too bad we can't say that about this year's Wales roster though... Aaaanyhow, I'd have to award co-MVP's to Naslund and Cujo at this point, because Cujo playing in every game thus far will hurt his play in the second half - Seems as though the Stallions and Taipans may be using similar tactics... Best coach goes to Pat Burns by one point over Jacques Martin. Seriously. (*laughs*)
Anna Kournikova:	"So what team or teams would you label as the biggest under-achievers thus far?, as well as the biggest over-achievers at this point in the year?"
Jim Rome:	"The biggest underachiever this year is the Edmonton Vikings. Personally I think this team should be in the playoffs. The biggest over achievers this year is the South China Sea Taipans. I say this because they've had some piss-poor management decisions made. With the team they've iced this year they should have zero wins. For them to have 8 wins is a huge over achievement. The ownership is a joke and the tactics that they have used up 'till now is just embarassing. If I was a player in that organization I'd be doing my best to get dealt out of town."
Tony Gallagr:	"The perennial underachievers are the Edmonton Vikings. This team just can't seem to ever get the ship on the right course. I would say that Trail might be the biggest overachievers, although they seem to be falling back to earth now."
Michael Landsberg:	"For underachievers I'm going to have to go with the Enforcers, Vikings and Taipans... All, for one reason or another, packed in the first half of the season, and the second half doesn't look much better. As for overachievers, well, you can't talk about that without mentioning the Islanders and SmokeEaters - first half."
Mike Woods:	"Underachievers? The Lunatics, Oceanics (thanks to poor management) and the Krushers. The fans in Chicago wish Bill Wirtz would buy the team, it's that bad. I'd say the Vikings but that's just a sad, sad team. I mean who trades away the Norris winner a year after he wins. I would hate to see a fantasy football team managed by Lee McEwen... It would probably have five or six QB's on the bench. But I digress... The Vipers and Islanders are the only real surprises for me. The fact that Tommy Salo is playing, well, is miraculous and I can't say enough about the contributions to Third World Aid that Hensch owner Jay Tameling has made. What a gem. His girlfriend is wicked good at telling jokes, too."
Anna Kournikova:	"Before we get into discussing girlfriend's again, lets take a look at Chris Kordyback's comments this week [clip is shown]... Ok, so earlier this week Dropkicks GM Chris Kordyback made comments about his team being the true power in the Campbell Conference, what are your guy's thoughts on these remarks? - And remember Tony, Burke's not here to threaten you. (*smiles*)"
Michael Landsberg:	"Come on... we all know how good of friends those two are... and plus, Kordyback's just tellin' it like it is. (*laughs*)"
Mike Woods:	"Well I think Kordyback's words were taken out of context by the media. By "true power in the Campbell" I'm sure he just meant that the Voodoo were has-beens and that trading Hossa was the biggest mistake made in this league since Commissioner Hebert allowed David Easton to move his team onto a f-cking boat. I mean let's face it... Brodeur has let-in soft goal after soft goal, and the team is an overrated joke. That's all."
Jim Rome:	"Real power in the West. Well Woods, you claim his comments were taken out of context, but I think he's right, they are the real power in the west. Remember at the start of the season I said the 'Kicks would win it all this year and everyone thought I was crazy. Well I'm sticking with my pick, these guys are gonna win it all and they are proving that they are the real power in the western conference without a doubt."
Tony Gallagr:	"Kordyback's comment's are like a dream for an opposing coach. Who needs to motivate a team with Kordyback shooting his mouth off like that. On top of that, it takes a lot more than one good season to be a powerhouse. It will be real interesting come the end of the year, and I for one would love to see these two teams matchup in the playoffs."
Anna Kournikova:	"Before we head to our last commercial break, I wanted to get your guys thoughts on this weeks announcement that Rob Sypes would be returning as owner of the Saints, along with new face Mike Rhodes taking over the Oceanics?"
Mike Woods:	"Not much until the details of the cap are known. I've never spoken to Mike, but what I've heard about Rob is that he runs things very cautiously. No major trades for the hell of it. In other words he's the anti-Lemoine."
Jim Rome:	"Well I don't know much about Mike Rhodes so I won't comment about him. I just hope that he get things straigtened out in Miami, that should be a playoff team. As for Rob Sypes I'm happy to see him back. He left the league earlier to make a statement about how things were being run. He's a solid owner and I think he will really be able to improve the Saints."
Tony Gallagr:	"I think he should have to take his old team back. He whines and moans about there not being a cap, and takes his puck and goes home. Now he wants back in, and he gets one of the best teams in the league? Are you kidding me? Where is the justice in that? As for Mr. Rhodes, lets just hope he is active. Unlike some GM's, making offers on Boxing Day and then nary a response since."
Michael Landsberg:	"When Rob left it had a lot to do with his frustration of trying to rebuild a horrible team in a league that didn't control the elites from throwing their money around. Hence him losing hope in a team in the WHL of old. As for Mike Rhodes, he's definitely got a playoff callibre team to work with, so lets hope his fresh ideas help the team improve in the second half... I've only heard good things about him so lets hope he's active... I do think both owners are looking at relocating to new arenas next year though, which is unfortunate for the fans in Miami and Seattle."
[COMMERCIAL BREAK] - Nike 'Naslund and Kovalchuk break through the arena boards in a crazy game of keep-away... it seems as though nobody can stop them as they make their way down the street... suddenly both mens jaws drop in awe... [camera scans over] revealing the Swedish women's soccer team doing a photo-shoot' "Nike. Just do it!"
Anna Kournikova:	"Welcome back... there's just five minutes left in the show... so lets get to it, we've all seen the rosters and coaches selected for this year's All-Star festivities, what are some of the things you like and dislike?"
Jim Rome:	"Well the All-Star event has been a joke for a couple years now and this year is no different. How Brian Howe can possible select Ray Whitney to the All-Star team is just beyond me. Whitney is a good player but he hasn't even played one single game in the WHL this year. I believe that this is a WHL All-Star event so that is just a joke. For Christ sakes, anybody that has played in even 1 game this year is more deserving of playing in the All-Star event. Another thing is how did Alexei Zhamnov not make the All-Star team? The guy is 4th in the WHL scoring! I don't know what FAT Burns was drinkin or smokin when he made his selections but this has to be the second biggest disgrace in league history next to the tactics used by the Taipans this year. To be honest with you I won't be watching this All-Star event, the only time I'll watch is the game the Dwayne Roloson plays if Burns actually plays him. Other then that the most exciting thing that will happen this weekend is the Ultimate Fighting Challenge. I've heard rumors that there is going to be a first round match up between Howe and Easton I can't wait. Howe will kick his ass, remeber Howe went to the semi finals one year - but that was with the big mullet."
Tony Gallagr:	"The Wales team is a joke. Burns' selections, clearly show what a homer he is. The West looks pretty good. Hard to argue with any of the picks made there. Some may have thought Yashin could be in there, but with Heatley out, the Dropkicks certainly deserve to have Thornton playing in the big game."
Michael Landsberg:	"The starting lineup's always been a fan vote - which is great - but the remainder of the spots are supposed to be given to the most deserving players based on their performances at the half way marker... the fact that David Aebischer, and more ridiculousy Ray Whitney and Eric Lindros made these squads is embarrassing. Aebischer's numbers are decent, but Tommy Salo is more deserving. Lindros also has decent numbers, but when the Icedogs' Alexei Zhamnov sits 4th in league scoring and can't make the team - there's definitely something wrong. I mean even Bulls' Modano and Weight have more points then both Sakic and Lindros!, and somehow neither of them make the team?! Certainly bad publicity for Burns this year with the event being held in Oakville, not too mention the fact that so many Zhamnov fans will be in the arena... I mean Whitney hasn't even played a game this year, and he takes a spot on this squad?!... Whether these selections were made simply to stir sh*t up or not, they are wrong, and even the Commissioner has stated that he does not condone these selections. Here's hoping the Wales are still able to defend last year's win now, or else Mr. "eeeexcellent" Burns will have a lot of explaining to do."
Mike Woods:
Anna Kournikova:	"Thanks to Jim Rome, Mike Woods, Michael Landsberg, and Tony Gallagr; you guys were 'grrrrreat!'. I'm Anna Kournikova, and this was another episode of Big Hitz!"