Yesterday was the birthday of Hershey Bears’ radio star John Walton, and I sent him this merry message on Facebook: “How’d you like the gift we sent you from D.C. today — a BIG bag of knuckles from the Plains? Have fun with those.”
The plan apparently is to have Joe Finley skate the Bears’ final week of regular season practice and play, once they return from their present road trip. I get a necktie and nice bottle of cologne from mom on my birthday, and JW gets a tower of mayhem FedEx’d to Chocolatetown.
Some guys have all the luck.
Little Baby Penguins waddling in over the springtime Hershey blueline . . . meeting Mr. Finley’s consciousness-ending shoulders and elbows.
Mother, you who gave birth to my mullet-hating ways, hold me. And get me to Giant Center in a week’s time. I will sleep in an amusement park roller coaster seat til Mean Joe’s done skating for the spring.
I telephoned a cherished puckhead friend late yesterday afternoon, solicitous of his evening beer selection in acknowledgement of the news that come September, there will be reasonable hope for an exhibition game between Washington and Pittsburgh, played wherever, featuring our Terminator and their Whiner.
Perhaps of my readers I assume too much fluency with Finley’s ferocious ways. Behold this clip of Jason Voorhees Finley breaking the arm of Chicago Blackhawks’ first-round pick Jack Skille a couple of seasons back:
As with virtually every collegian transitioning to professional hockey, Finley will need some apprenticing on the farm. In their 70-plus seasons in the American League the Hershey Bears have offered reliably fun entertainment for families, even ones with small children. But what now? Will the Bears of 2009-10 carry an NC-17 rating?
Imagine, too, the promotional opportunities for the Capitals in the years ahead — first and foremost, Halloween game nights. On other nights I’m imagining scores of Charlestown Chiefs sweaters bearing Finley nameplates. May it be a short American League apprenticeship indeed.
“I get all tingly when I think about his likely major penalties totals in the ‘A’ next year,” my puckhead chum told me over the phone yesterday.
Indeed, it is a weekend for tingling giddiness. The Hershey Bears should host regular blood drives at Giant Center on game weekends next season, as so much opponent plasma will be spilled on the ice then. Consider that for the last four seasons Malevolent Joe has been shackled and restrained by college hockey’s zero tolerance for fighting and other retributory roles. But with yesterday’s signing with the Caps he has been paroled.
“. . . a UW official confirmed that Finley allegedly used his stick to smack Bucky Badger in the leg when the two passed one another on the runway to the dressing rooms Saturday night.”
10 Comments
You are an f’n idiot having to bring up hits from 2 years ago to try and make your story look even remotely interesting. Finley won’t make the NHL ranks for at least 2 years.
seriously
seriously
I don’t know if he’s Irish, but this could be his theme, at least the Intro
youtube warning:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp23qKDHqZ4&feature=related
This is a lot like when Gordon Bombay brought Fulton Reed onto the Mighty Ducks, Finley seems that feared. At the same time, I don’t want to see him turn the Caps into a club of D-bags like the Flyers.
My knee-jerk reaction was along the lines of Tyler’s. IMO, Caps hockey is finesse hockey, not goon hockey.
Then I did a little research: Finley appeared in 43 games for UND, but registered just three assists. He did…finish the season at +18 defensively and racked up 96 penalty minutes…In the month of December, Finley fractured his arm during a game and even played a few more shifts before finally coming out of the contest. He then went on to miss only two games after the injury.
I shudder to think we finally have a defensive defenseman! If he’s used as a scalpel, and not as an atom bomb…yeah, I could like this guy. Let’s see how he does.
I think it’s probably a little early to be heralding this guy as the next Chris Pronger. Maybe in a few years, but he hasn’t played one second of professional hockey yet.
And I hate the Penguins as much as the next guy, but wishing injuries, even on on a bitter rival, is never cool. This is, after all, just a game.
You forget: On OFB every Cap draftee is the next Pronger!
Yet another good looking prospect, but this one just might be able to help/replace Brash with some policing in the future. It’s good to have some edge in the system, he and Stephan D.R bring it!
May the 2005 draft class be salvaged with Finley’s emergence.
If I saw Finley dispense punishment to #87 in the manner you envision, I might lose my mind.
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