What’s Up With That: Around The NHL

Lot’s of crazy and head scratching things go on in the NHL on a daily basis.  The purpose of this post is to bring you a handful of those items, that after you hear about them you probably say:  “What Up With That” just like the Saturday Night Live skit with Kenan Thompson.  Not sure how this segment evolves going forward, but when you’re team doesn’t play for four nights, you need to get creative.  Or maybe I’m just bored.

Here we go:

* Mikhail Grabovski signs a five year deal.  Whoa! Five years for a total package of $27.5 million per season for the speedy Toronto forward who, until his two goals this past Saturday night hadn’t scored a goal since January 31st.  That’s 14 games.  Plus wasn’t he on the trading block at the deadline as well?  I am sure Phil Kessel is saying “What’s Up With That”?

* Florida’s own Krys Barch and Winnipeg’s Chris Thorburn are guys that are known for using their hands for punching, and not scoring.  But on Sunday night Barch on a surprise breakaway opportunity against the Ottawa Senators.  Not to be outdone,  Monday night Thorburn scored this goal against the Buffalo Sabres.  Fans watching these two games were left saying “What Up With That”?

* Brian Burke hangs up during a radio interview.  The ever “to the point” and blunt speaking Brian Burke was being interviewed Tuesday by News Talk 1010 and was a bit “touchy” with the questioning, especially the final one.  Here’s the breakdown from the National Post:

Q: One last question for you, Brian Burke, changing coaches is always an option, but a lot of people on a panel I was hosting this weekend said it was time for the general manager to be changed.
Burke: “Well, I haven’t heard that. And I don’t know what panel you were hosting. That’s up to ownership. I wish you’d told me before you asked me to do this interview that that was going to be your last question, a nice little cheap shot before you get off the air.”

Q: I’m giving you a chance to answer it.
Burke: “Well, that’s up to ownership, when the GM gets changed. But I wish you’d told me that off the air before, you were going to take a little swing on the way out. But I guess that’s what people in your line of work do.”

Q: Well, Brian Burke, I’m not taking a swing. The possibility of a general manager being changed when a team isn’t performing well is always there. So I’m asking you if you feel like you’re close to the door.
Burke: “No, I don’t. And I think it’s in ignorant question, and a gutless one, too.”

[A click on the other end of the line. Burke hangs up]    

I’d bet the guys in the radio booth were looking at each other saying: “What’s up with that”?

* Finally, The Kiss Cam.  Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, who are obviously happily married give a lesson in how to perform.  While this moment needed no acting on their part, watch how the two embrace once they realize that they’re on the fabled Kiss Cam at the Kings game on Saturday night.  A lesson to be learned after watching the others in this video leaves me asking the couple immediately after “What’s up with that”?

Hope you enjoyed this new feature, which may or may not return.

Thanks for reading.  We welcome your comments and opinions.

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