This is me in Whonnock, British Columbia at age 3. I have just thrown a giant football at my Dad, and they are about to put a cowboy hat on me (you can see, even at an early age, I was devoted to fashion). In many ways, I have lived a life of pure joy. I acknowledge that I am not the most serious human you will come across, but I have figured out some things. It is better to go through life with the feeling that good is all around you, joy is to be valued, and love, in all forms, is the sweetest emotion under heaven.
Things you love sometimes slip away, but you go on loving them anyway. It’s coming up on two years since I lost Jo-Anne, and the pain comes less often but remains intense upon arrival. If I could build a door to keep that feeling out, I’d empty by bank account today in order to get it done. However, I accept that pain as a reminder of how intensely we loved each other, how deep our bond became.
I love the fall. I can go for longer walks, and that means more time to think and make sense of my little world. You know, I’ve changed a lot in these two years. I can cook much better now, I have so many chores I don’t know when the work ends and the rest begins in a day. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by my capacity to accept what my life is now, and I am completely blown away by my children’s ability to adapt and to find happiness through great pain.
I love the cool air, when you can see your breath and the fall sweater gives you warmth on a chilly morning. I love taking Ziggy for walks these days, she is older now (13 next month) and we don’t go as far as we did in the past. She loves it though, dogs have the terrain scoped out with scents and deposits and my girl needs to know the news so we stop quite a bit.
I love the anticipation of a hockey season. I don’t share the impatience for Stanley most of you feel, I have always enjoyed the build more. I will be happy for younger Oilers fans when the team finally wins Stanley No. 6, but have reached a point in my life where winning or losing doesn’t have the impact it did in 1984. It’s the journey I find compelling.
I think it’s because these old eyes have seen so many men toil for this club who deserved a championship. Fernando Pisani, Ryan Smyth, Shawn Horcoff and many others thrilled the crowd, delivered their best, and have my enduring respect because of it. How can I place those men, and their teams, in a different light than the team that won five Stanley Cups? The 2006 team lost Game 7 in 2006. They damn near tied that game in the third period. Luck. Luck good and bad is the author of so many things that are at very least unfair.
I have arrived at the same conclusion about last year’s team. Whatever may come, this year and the ones to follow, I regard the 2023-24 Edmonton Oilers as a brilliant hockey club, one worthy of elaborate and pleasing verbal. So close. So close and yet so far. As the years roll by, for me, it’s the experience and memory of these moments that makes me feel alive, win or lose.
My girl Jo-Anne walking out of the Tastee-Freeze in Red Deer with that Cheshire cat smile on her face; the many hours we spent on the beach in Cancun; the Christmas mornings with the kids; watching these two young children of mine blossom as human beings and finding their way; a puppy who is still thrilled to see me even though she can’t see or hear well; being able to walk by a photo of Jo-Anne and smile instead of cry, or maybe both at the same time. Sitting in this old chair with the dog at my feet, growling if I even twitch. Finding baseball again after all of these years, and finding it both different and the same in equal (and delightful) measure. Finding someone again after all of these years, and finding it both different and the same in equal (and delightful) measure.
For me, spring became the fall. I am here through grace. I am so delighted to have hope and anticipation and to care for people and things this deep into a life experience. I don’t know what will happen this winter, but will be present in the moment. I care, I love, I remember. I am so happy to be here. Now.
A busy day on the Lowdown, we get started at noon on Sports 1440. Guests will include Daniel Nugent-Bowman at The Athletic with special guest Rose Namajunas in the noon hour. I’m at Lowetide on twitter, in the comments section here and on the Sports 1440 text line at 1.833.401.1440 directly.
Thank you, LT! I soaked in every word. We love you and are blessed to be able to have insight into your hockey mind and your life experiences/wisdom.
Ie “spring became fall…”
Beautiful prose my good man. Take a bow. Thanks for a lovely energy at start of plain ol’ wednesday. Most importantly:
Thanks for reminder that there’s a lot more to any “plain ol” day, if you are doing things the right way.
Small marvel and simple charm. I’ve long said the main fueling stations on route that pursues happiness are never forgetting to recognize small marvels and simple charms.
Matty saying another PTO will be announced at 830…..
Harley signed for less than Broberg.
Armstrong is a genius.
Armstrong is going to pay just like Lowe did nobody he’s going to trust doing business with a shady operator.
Camp starts tomorrow – I believe physicals and testing.
Bowman speaks at 10:30.
Do we think we’ll get any clarity on the plan with Kane or not yet?
I expect an announcement of what will be done but I am not sure we will ever hear the real reason for the delay.
Info on what will be done would be the important info.
Of course, I’d like to have information on why its being done now but, at the end of the day, that information is inconsequential to the path forward.
Other than it might offer a clue as to the relationship between the team and Kane.
But, yeah, the important news would be how the injury will affect this season.
Fair enough.
Personally, I don’t think there is any issue with the relationship – there hasn’t been anything concrete with respect to disagreement on process, just speculation based on delay (as far as I know).
Some interesting comments from Kane here or there (including him announcing the injury on the eve of the playoffs) but that’s just Evander being Evander (to me at least).
I’ll be interest to hear if anything is said by Bowman today at his 10:30.
This is a good post. Many folks want there to be an issue with Evander Kane cause it will validate their long running unease with Evander Kane.
Speaking for myself I have no long running unease with Kane. I do find it unusual that a professional athlete would delay a procedure that hampered him through most of the season and I find it unusual that management has taken no steps to clarify what Jackson meant when he referred to hip problems.
I can’t be the only one who thinks communication has been less than usual.
“In the Autumn I gathered all my
sorrows and buried them in my
garden.
And when April returned and
Spring came to wed the Earth,
there grew in my garden beautiful
flowers unlike all other flowers.
And my neighbors came to behold
them, and they all said to me:
“When Autumn comes again,
at seeding time, will you not
give us of the seeds of these
flowers that we may have them
in our gardens?”
-Khalil Gibran
Harley for 2 years?
I though smart GMs tie up their young stars for long term????
Yeah, that narrative has been bullshit since it first appeared here.
Re-building teams with lots of cap room are tying up their young stars long term where possible would be more accurate. Contending teams already spending to the cap do bridge deals to stay competitive as long into their window as they can.
Sometimes it costs the team. Sometimes it costs the player.
Anybody who thinks there is one right decision in all circumstances obviously hasn’t ever had to run a business.
Dallas doing things in 1 day that we were told good teams never do.
-signing old vets to retirement contracts
-not locking in their young talent long term
Hilarious.
On good teams lock their talent in early day Thomas Harley signs for 2 years 4 mil per
oh boy!
This means Harley is going to start thinking about all of the millions he will be missing out on these two years which means he will demand a crazy high and long term contract.
Kings re-sign Kaliyev to a one year deal.
A trade request remains active.
https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2024/09/kings-arthur-kaliyev-in-agreement-on-one-year-deal.html
I thought good teams were locking up their young talent long term and early?
If Hiller doesn’t run him with boat anchors and gives him a shot with skill there might be a way to rebuild some value before the deadline.
PLD was his most common linemate last season.
I said no boat anchors.. PLD is a 3rd liner at best and worse than that when he’s being a whiner. Fiala and Byfield would be a massive improvement.
Brad Holland out as AGM.
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/oilers-assistant-general-manager-brad-holland-mutually-agree-to-part-ways/
Him and his Dad will quietly end up in the Red Wing organization rather quickly.
— Like virtually all Oil management departures forever this will be the highest role yet another key management person in Oilers gets.
— The official press release by JJ was as perfunctory as one can get “we wish him well in the future”.
I stumbled upon this old newscast from 2000 when the Oilers traded for Anson Carter, and three things stood out to me.
A young Gene Principe
How the Oilers used to hold practices at WEM
And good old A-Channel
Credit: Walker Powder via YouTube – Woz
(click for video)
https://x.com/oilersnation/status/1836084016849846539?s=61
See, this is why you do have value, you find and post amazing nuggets like this, and, yes, you do offer an outside perspective that is important in the big picture, i just wish so hard that you could get out of your own way in being so intentionally biased sometimes. Please, for all of us, do better. 🤗🤗🤗
Would you be surprised I hired Gene Principe to his first job in television ?
No, I would not be surprised, you clearly have value and clearly have a really cool history and so much to add to the big picture, which is why I find it so frustrating when you continually just be so pervasively horrible with many of your takes, i…we appreciate outside opinions that might not align with our thoughts, yes please, but when you over and over again just keep posting things for seemingly no other reason but to incite negativity, it gets tired, especially….ESPECIALLY, because I b know you can do better.
It’s kinda funny then how often you say you dislike Gene.
Pricey contract for Lindell in Dallas. Especially for a guy who had an outlier of a year at 29, who can’t really crack par against the Upper Middles and has been a consistent drag on his partner over the years.
Getting smaller up front and slower on the backend. Not a recipe for success. More pressure placed on Oettinger.
Dallas all in on the skill train but size is melting away. Doesn’t bode well for deep Springs. Similar to Blake a few years back I think we’re slowly watching Nill hamper his teams future success.
Que HH to defend the signing because Lindell is:
-a Norris talent
-a large body at 6’7 and 250 lbs
-will defy the aging curve and is getting better with age, in fact
-good teams like Dallas are locking their good players up long term
-something something Darnell Nurse
-Dallas will have the most well rounded D until 2030 now
-paying $5.25 million to a 36 year old D will be chump change as the cap goes up but this only benefits every other team but the Oilers for some reason
HDGF % last 5 seasons.
50.94
54.17
51.61
58.18
52.46
Seems to be doing just fine.
Took a small pay cut on a 5 year deal as Dallas gets out ahead of the curve as the salary cap jumps significantly.
$5.25 million for second paring D will be a screaming bargain in very short order and the contract is front loaded with zero bonus money in the final two seasons along with a modified NTC in those seasons making it an easy trade or buyout should that be required.
Sure beats paying $9.25 million for a second pairing D.
If you were arguing with yourself you would say Dallas extending Lindell was unnecessary because Dallas’ scouting and prospect system has so much depth and budding Norris/Calder candidates that the cap could have been saved and used elsewhere. Father time is undefeated and Lindell will be 36 by the time contract ends. Dallas could have easily replaced Lindell next year with younger, cheaper and game talent.
Call it the Oettinger effect.
https://puckiq.com/players/8476902?player=8476902&season=all&group_by=player_season_team
What cherry picked meaningless metric is this?
Lindell’s SF% has been worse than team in each of the past 6 seasons.
His GF% has been worse 5 of the 6. His xGF% also worse 5 of 6.
I was thinking the same thing – I mean has this character ever used “HDGF%” before? As cherry-picked for an anti-Oilers (i.e., in this case, pro-rival) narrative as can be).
https://x.com/domluszczyszyn/status/1836092647406211114?s=61
Age is a concern, but $5.25M feels like a fair price for Esa Lindell — still one of the game’s better defensive defensemen.
Meanwhile for Nurse.
https://puckiq.com/players/8477498
— Wow thanks for this
— The photo of 3 year old LT and the things we remember at that age hit home. Our youngest of 4 turns 3 in October.
— One of the joys of having a lot of kids is that by the time the 4th rolls around there is nothing to worry about in the sense that we know that all the kids grow and develop.
— I’m much more aware of the rights of passage and stages of development: knowing it’s our last to go through them : crawling walking potty change independence etc. it makes the transitions from one stage to them next more poignant and cherished.
— As for the Oilers : this blog was around pre-kids and wife when I moved back from London and had been a great constant. I’m glad for it and all the wonderful posts (and the posters that have come and gone and those who have been here as long or longer than when I first discovered it)
GOILERS – even though I care waaaaay less than 15 years ago!!!
Love ya bud.
Thanks for being such a reliable and delightful part of my life.
Beautiful post. You are an inspiration to us all of how to keep things in proper perspective. Thank you.
As a lifelong Oilers fan and lover of great prose, I’m damn grateful to have finally stumbled upon this blog but a few years ago. Another lovely post LT, thanks for all you do.
In truth LT, it is us, your readers here, that are delighted and have anticipation for your daily thoughts. We care for you, we love you, and we’re so happy to be part of your journey.
Live in the moment, be happy, and walk on my friend.
There is an old Gahan Wilson cartoon I first saw some 50 odd years ago that this morning’s post brought back to mind.
It is a simple one panel ink drawing of an old man sitting on a park bench leaning on a cane feeding the pigeons.
The caption.
“Inside of every old man there is a young boy wondering; what the f*ck happened.”
It struck me then and has stayed with me these many years that when that question inevitably pops up from time to time that the answer be crowded with memories of the good things.
That gratitude rather than bitterness dominate the ruminations.
That life retains a capacity for simple joys rather than become a burden as it seems to become for far too many.
Thank you for your words this morning.
The 80’s I remember like yesterday. It was almost like our right to win Stanley. When the hockey gods looked down on the birthday boy and decided to break up the 5 in a row in 86 I was devastated. But then rode that team for a few more years of success. Then I realized it wasn’t our right to win and I cherished those years so many years later. Then the magnificent run in 06 that ended in heartbreak. I still see MacT on tv the next day when he said he will never get over the loss. Although last years loss was disappointing it wasn’t devastating to me.Maybe I’m just older and wiser. I was disappointed for the youth though that pour there soul into this team and have never witnessed Stanley being handed to the Captain. Hopefully this is the year for you.
Absolutely. I would love the younger fans to see the fruition of having such greatness. It usually happens for players like Connor, not guaranteed though
It’s hard to imagine any scenario Connor doesn’t get a couple. All the generational players have multiple. And I do hope they do as my daughter is one who has never saw them win. It would be epic
There’s no talk of cup or bust there’s jobs up for grabs even if it means learning on the job. Last year they almost did it with will power yet they never seemed like a well oiled machine. Jackson has done it 4 lines will keep coming at you with a threat to score. This year it will be a juggernaut meshed team. Last year I thought they could win if thinks broke right this year I know they’ll win same feeling as the mid eighties. Leon is going to go off and silence all the critics. Skinner learned what it takes mentally and will be up for the challenge come playoffs.
That’s a heck of a post LT. I’m so glad to hear that your feeling good and share similar feelings about the build.
Not quite time to make bold predictions yet but we’re getting close.
A screw it, I cannot wait to see if McD can chase down Bossy. I hope the NHL treats this feat with the praise it deserves. I know they won’t but they should.
I think this is going to be a very fun season. Absent injuries this forward group is so deep you wonder how many they can rack up, how lopsided so many of the contests will be.
Its going to be a fun year.
Now back to hockey. The ’06 team gave us a great run, and I was deeply disappointed, it took years for it to fade down
It’s different now because they have the best player in the league, who is better than best players usually are, in other words an all time player. It is such an advantage, it would be a great shame to not get there. It is different than if say Leon was their best player, but he’s not
It may not happen, perhaps these managers own goal themselves like the others have and don’t give Connor what he needs. But I sure hope not
I am anticipating the season, watching what happens with the PK and on defense. I am most curious to see if Knoblauch’s style comes through more with a training camp and a full season to work with the players.
I too am hoping we see a step in KK’s direction. Also to see if the new D are going to move the puck better and faster. His style is more offense oriented than we’ve seen in a while, and there are more horses for it
Agreed. I don’t think putting the puck in the net will be an issue for the Oil in 24-25 (three scoring lines!?!) but the questions are all around D. Is Emberson the new Kulak (plays better than advertised)? Or do the Oil go and get a Ristolainen to bolster 27s play? I don’t think any of the PTOs out there move the needle at all.
I’m would expect Risto (who I wanted them to draft, oops) and Darnell would be awful together, because they both aren’t consistent defensively. But they would move the puck
As long as the new guys can move the puck quicker I think KK’s system will bring another level. Also from things I’ve read the new D are more active at the D blue line hopefully leading to more quick transitions and less getting hemmed in and D zone time
The essence of life. Very well written LT
Compelling words LT. Appreciate you sharing that perspective with all of us.
Good Lord, and this is a Hockey blog? (And a whiskey, cooking and frankly, some very niche topics, blog)
Wonderful post, unexpected on a Tuesday morning, but very welcome.
You have a knack of extracting the real meaning and very best from some dire situations. I know that may not be a salve for you, but it is for others. This is a great gift, so please take comfort from the fact you provide it for others.
The smell of the dead leaves and the dirty ground (thanks Jack) is in the air. The nights and the beer are getting darker, only to be illuminated by the bright lights of Rogers on HNIC.
Amazing post, LT.
*edit spelling*
We tell our students every year as things change and they lose friends to moves, or to graduating from school that it is hard, but to be happy that happened, not (just) sad that it is over (thank you Dr Seuss for that wisdom).
Great post LT. Thank you.
Beautiful words, LT.
All the best to you, and glad to see you writing about happiness and love.