I can’t understand how so many people defend hits to the head as a part of the game of hockey. I’ve heard enough boneheaded arguments over the past couple of days that I feel I need to take a moment to refute the worst of them.

First is the argument that hits to the head can’t be talked about until fighting is eliminated from the NHL. Why is that necessary? Yes, fighting is just repeated hits to the head, but it’s also two players that have agreed to this. Marc Savard, the owner of a brand new grade two concussion, didn’t agree to get hit in the head. Had he dropped the gloves and been given a concussion, then this wouldn’t even be an issue with most hockey fans.

The other argument talks about how there cannot be a rule instituted outlawing all hits to the head because limiting checking like that will be the beginning of the end of hitting in hockey. If this were the case, wouldn’t every illegal piece of the game just disappear? Penalties for high sticking hasn’t eliminated that infraction, has it?

There’s no reason to that any hit to the head in hockey should be considered an acceptable risk. Concussions and other head injuries are far too easy to give another player with a shoulder to the head. If the league outlaws hits to the head, players will adapt like they have to every other rule change. This shouldn’t be a discussion about the end of hitting or the end of fighting, it should be a discussion about the end of hospital visits.

Ruslan Salei has played six games this season, and is out indefinitely once again thanks to a torso injury. To his credit, he’s tied with 7 other players in points, including Peter Budaj and David Koci.

The Avalanche had a 199-game hat trick drought broken against St. Louis on Saturday thanks to Chris Stewart (on a penalty shot no less!). The last Avalanche hat trick was also against the Blues, all the way back in December of 2007.

Speaking of Chris Stewart, he’s not only leading the team in goals (24), but the NHL has named him the First Star of the week for leading the league in scoring with nine points.

Both Wolski and Mueller are getting press, and both are definitely proving effective for their new teams, but the Phoenix media clearly has the rosier pair of spectacles on. No matter who really “won” this trade, it’s pretty evident that both players got their wake up call.

The annual Kroenke gala event is coming up. So if you want to rub elbows with some of the Pepsi Center’s favorite athletes, learn how to tie a tie and drop a chunk of change right here.

Nothing gets Peter Budaj keyed up for a game quite like… Genesis?

Paul Stastny showed some love to his alma mater during the DU/CC rivalry game by showing off his silver medal to a sold out crowd at Magness on Friday night. The Pioneers did him one better and earned some gold the very next night.

There are two ways for fans to watch almost every game that happens in the NHL:  through cable and satellite TV with Center Ice and through online streaming with GameCenter.  I’ve been using both of them for the past month or so to try and figure out which is the best bang for your buck. Here’s my findings.

NHL Center Ice (Comcast, Denver)

Pros:

• No setup beyond calling your service provider and getting it activated. I can just plop down on my couch and turn on the game of my choice.
• Mosaic Channel gives a quick glimpse of the action going on across multiple channels
• Paired with a DVR, I can record any game I’d like.
• Replays of most games the same night.
• Feeds of both home and away games, though not on every game.

Cons:

• Comcast doesn’t offer Center Ice in HD where I live. Not one single game. This is absolutely unacceptable, especially in a large city like Denver. For areas that do have HD, not every game is offered.
• The quality of standard def feeds vary wildly. Some look very nice, but most look fuzzy or blocky.
• I have to be at home to watch. Comcast doesn’t offer any way to stream or transfer feeds.

NHL GameCenter (http://gamecenter.nhl.com)

Pros:

• Portability! I can watch a game wherever I want (except for Europe and the Middle East). Local blackout restrictions apply, but the nice thing about that is that I can watch the Avs game in any other city as long as I have a computer with a broadband connection.
• A large list of features including DVR, Real-time stats, Instant highlights, chat, player profiles, photo galleries, and play by play.
• HD video! This is a new feature this year thanks to a new plugin that also can automatically change the video quality if it notices issues.
• Archives of full games after 48 hours, which have no blackout restrictions.
• Ability to watch up to 4 games at once.

Cons:

• Watching a game requires the usual startup process that comes with any computer, which is much more time consuming than just turning on a TV.
• Unless you setup your computer to run on your HDTV, the screen size is much smaller your typical living room experience.
• You’d better have a broadband connection. Oh, and don’t even try watching a game over wifi if you want decent video quality.
• No option for a 1-day pass during the regular season. This is a feature that was available during last year’s playoffs, but should be available all season for those of us who have the occasional out-of-town trip.
• The NHL auto-renews your credit card at the start of each new season if you don’t call a number and tell them to stop.

The cost of each service is about the same, and the price prorates throughout the season, so that side of the equation doesn’t really factor into my decision.

Even though Center Ice has the advantage of very simple setup and a straightforward experience, the sheer list of features and Center Ice’s varying level of quality and coverage makes GameCenter the clear winner. Being a browser based service, GameCenter gives almost unlimited access to games. I can watch at work, I can watch in an airport, and with most newer computers featuring HDMI output, creating a pleasing Hi-Def experience through an HDTV isn’t a huge feat.

I would fully recommend this service for any fan that doesn’t have access to their favorite team, or in my case, any fan that wants even more access to the rest of the NHL. With the technology that’s out there today, there’s no reason to put up with the limitations of Center Ice.

Two deals were made by the Avs at the deadline, and they’re big for completely different reasons. Wolski, a stats machine, but constantly in Sacco’s doghouse, leaves for Phoenix and Stephane Yelle returns to Colorado after the better part of a decade.

The trading of Wolski should act as a wakeup call to the rest of the team. It’s just the latest move that Sacco will not put up with players that don’t fit into his style of hockey. Why bring in Peter Mueller of the Coyotes, though? He can be seen as the Wolski of Phoenix; a player with a huge amount of potential that doesn’t fit with the system he’s in. Each team is taking a risk, though the Avalanche clearly have more to lose. Wolski has 47 points on the season so far, while Mueller has only 18.

Mueller showed a pretty good spark in his first game with the team last night, scoring a goal and showing good stickhandling ability. He’s a shooter too, so hopefully that translates to more pucks in the net on the PP. Wolski’s first game with Phoenix is tonight against the Avalanche, so he’ll have something to prove to his former team (as is always the case with trades). I expect a big night for Wojtek, but I’m much more interested in how he does against the Ducks on Saturday.

Let’s not forget about that little bit of nostalgia the Avs have brought back to the team. Stephane Yelle, an Avs Alumni in his own right, won’t be honored with a poster. Instead, he gets a jersey and a spot on the bench. The 35 year old veteran has spent seven seasons away from the Avs after going to Calgary in ’02. He spent a year in Boston and was most recently in Carolina. He’s hovered in the 20 point range that entire time, except for this year. Currently at 7 points on the season, this is less a numbers pick up and more likely a leadership pick up for Colorado. Yes, Foote is there, but Sakic left some big shoes to fill and Yelle can only help when it comes to providing some veteran presence to locker room. His first game with the team should be tonight against Phoenix.

For some further reading, Adrian Dater’s All Things Avs blog has a good postgame look at the unlikely win against the Ducks, complete with video and more analysis on the Mueller trade.

Fellow Twitter user @inhyung is visiting Denver tonight to watch her beloved Red Wings take on my beloved Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center. Instead of trading the usual barbs that fans from each camp are wont to do, she’s come up with a much better idea for how to celebrate the outcome of the game.

We’ve laid down the following rules for a friendly wager that will benefit the local children’s hospitals in Michigan and Colorado:

For each goal the Red Wings score, I’ll be donating $5 dollars to the Herm to Hockeytown effort that directly benefits the Children’s Hospital of Michigan’s Child Life Program Fund.

For each goal the Avalanche score, @inhyung will be donating $5 to The Children’s Hospital Foundation here in Denver.

If the Red Wings win, I’ll double my contribution. If the Avalanche win, @inhyung will double hers.

It should be a fun wager that adds some real substance to the trash talk. I invite you to also take the time to join us in our wager and donate as well. GO AVS!

You can read the musings of @inhyung at The Red Machine.

UPDATE: @shellieshel, another Avs fan has thrown her hat into the ring as well, so that’s a double contribution and possible quadruple contribution to H2H!

UPDATE 2: With the Red Wings winning 3-2, @shellieshell, @sandyhens, and I will each donate $30 to H2H.

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Redundant is an understatement when it comes to describing the ad blocks on the NHL Network. Instead of just sitting there, why not utilize this time between the actual programming to have some fun with your friends. I present to you…

Drinking is for Everyone! – The NHL Network Drinking Game

1. ASPCA or any other animal rescue ad – last person to bark like a dog has to drink.

2. Any repeat ad during the same program – DRINK

3. Any ad for a product with a $19.95 price tag – DRINK

4. “Hockey is for Everyone” ad – CHUG. When drink is finished, yell “Drinking is for Everyone!” just like Henrik Lundqvist.

These should be enough to keep you pretty busy, but I’d love to hear any additions you may have. Just drop them in the comments. Remember, if you’re going to drink, do so responsibly and don’t be stupid.