Blues and Thrash News-N-Notes.

And everyone thought I was dead! No! It's just summer vacation, no Blues and Thrashers hockey, and a healthy dose of both playing Spore (crack) and The Sims 3 (whatever's worse than crack - meth?). Honestly, stuff has happened for both of the teams, and I've been lax in saying anything about it.

Blues wise, GM John Davidson, former broadcaster for the NY Rangers (and Blues goaltender) is this year's winner of the Foster Hewett Memorial Award for Excellence in Broadcasting, which means chalk up another HOF announcer in St. Louis - not necessarily *for* StL, but really damn close. Congrats, JD! Outstanding broadcaster and an outstanding president.

Speaking of Blues front officie people, Dave Checketts and his ownership group are thinking about buying the Rams. While being a selfish Blues fan and being a worry wart, I wonder what this would do to the daily runnings of the team. And then I think about how well the Blues are run, and then how horrible the Rams have done the past several years... and despite the fact that I could care less about pro football, well... I want this to happen. If the Rams leave St. Louis, that's the 2nd franchise that's gone kaput. We'd probably never get another NFL team.

Hullie is no longer co-GM in Dallas, but he's still the Ambassador of Fun, so ROCK ON. Please bring him back to NBC. Someone. Anyone?

Aaaaaaaaand Thrashers news: Nikulin isn't coming over. Insert shocked gasp... here. But, in Don Waddell's best fleecing of recent memory, Anssi Salmela (who we got for a "going back to Sweden because the Ikea in ATL isn't as good" Havelid) is rumored to have re-upped with us for a 1 way, 2 year extension. Puck moving, offensive defenseman... really? In John Anderson's system? Thank you. The GM is finally doing stuff to go with the coach. Of course, we don't have a coach now who is a succubus for young talent.

That's all I have seen recently, but the Draft Party for the Thrashers is on the 26th at Jillian's in Duluth. Bogosian's making a stop-by, and there will be AIR CONDITIONING this year. Please, come on through and say hi! We take what we can get over the summer, I know.

Not too much longer and there's prospect camp...