Kane: Kesler's a good guy
Patrick Kane thinks Ryan Kesler is a good guy.
What in the name of Dino Ciccarelli is going on?
So much for old-time hockey, eh? You wouldn’t have heard Denis Savard call Ciccarelli a good guy 25 years ago when the Hawks-North Stars rivalry was at its peak on the hatred scale.
But things change and today there just isn’t the same level of dislike among teams in the NHL. The players all make a lot of money, they share agents and are union brothers.
Kane got to know the Canucks’ Kesler over the last few weeks as teammates on the U.S. Olympic hockey team, seeing the other side of the guy who called Andrew Ladd a coward after they fought in the last Hawks-Vancouver game on Jan. 23.
Kesler hadn’t forgotten the hit he took from Ladd in last spring’s playoffs that left him with a broken nose.
“He’s a good guy,” Kane said following Friday’s morning skate. “All hockey guys are like that off the ice. It seems like we all get along off the ice, but on the ice it’s just another rivalry and a different story.
“I’m sure it will be the same way playing against him as it was before. That’s the way you play hockey. Me and (Jonathan) Toews were chirping at each other on the ice when we played Canada. I sat next to (Kesler) in the locker room. I know him a bit now and he seems like an all right guy. At the same time we’re enemies now, we’re on different teams and I probably don’t have to see him now for another four years.”
Ladd was focusing more on playing the Canucks Friday night than dealing with Kesler.
“I’m not really worried about him,” Ladd said. “We haven’t been playing well for the last little while and this is a good chance for us to get back on track.”
Cristobal Huet gets the start in goal for the Hawks while John Madden and Brent Sopel return from sitting out Wednesday’s win over Edmonton.
I really do. The olympics didn't hurt that affection of course but this guy is the typical cliche' statement as regards to you love him if he's on your team and hate him if he's not. There will always be a place for these guys. The number 1 that comes to mind is of course AJ Pierszynki, and I'm pretty sure that's worked out beautifully for the White Sox.
Everyday that Detroit struggles to make the playoffs is a day that makes me happy. Wouldn't it be a beautiful thing to see the Hawks knock them out of the playoffs on April 11th?
He made these comments as is the proper educate when you just played together for 3 weeks but Ive heard/read other things (as per my Avery like attitude comment a few days ago)
Ill still pass on a guy who would take his comments to the media without provocation (burrows included) which is Avery like!
I prefer to cheer (vent my wrath) against him!
Imagine Dick Butkus saying the same thing about one of the Green Bay Packers in 1966?
What is this world coming to?
...would look good in the Indianhead. He's a good player but let's hope he is a non-factor tonight.
Should be a great couple of games here and a real tough stretch into next week as well.
I am not sure if the hawks/wings game can top the last time they played on NBC (in Detroit), but let's hope so.
Taking 4 pts would be huge here. Put some more room between the hawks and canucks and of course, stepping on Detroit's playoff chances is always nice.