Happy fucking free agent day!

HOLY SHIT.

What a crazy day. Sad day, frustrating day, interesting day.

Captain Jason Smith (GATOR!) and Joffrey "Dreamy eyes" Lupul traded to the Flyers for Joni Pitkanen, Geoff Sanderson, and a 3rd round draft pick in 2009.
I don't know if I like this trade or not yet. Gator was our captain, Lupul was a bust in his 1st year with the Oilers, along with half the team, but Lowe has been rumored to be after Pitkanen for awhile, and hopefully he turns out to the great puck rushing, offensive defenseman the Oilers have been lacking since CFP bailed. Let's just pray that Lupul doesn't score 48 goals with the Flyers this season hey?

The question out of this trade is, who will be the next Oilers captain? One Ethan Moreau perhaps? Ethan's injury this past season no doubtfully hurt the Oilers, and he's been an alternate captain for quite a few seasons. Steve Staios? He was a captain in Atlanta one season, and wore an A while Moreau was out. Horcoff? He acquired Smyth's A after he was traded. Horcoff may not be the right candidate to be a captain of this team though. Possibly Jarret Stoll? He was a captain in junior with the Kootenay Ice and during his time at World Junior tourneys. He may very well be a future captain of this team (provided he doesn't get traded or sign elsewhere when he has UFA status) but he may still be al bit young for the captain role. My money is on Moreau, with Horcoff and Staios wearing the A's. Providing none of them get traded before the 2007/08 season starts.

Ryan Smyth signed a 5 year deal with one of the Oilers Northwest Division foes, the once mighty Colorado Avalanche. Great, now we're going to see a tonne of "OILERS FANS" buying Smyth Avalanche jerseys. The thought it making me sick to my stomach. Or maybe the sick feeling is coming from working a 15 hr day after working a 12 hr day and not eating properly either day.
I bet all your suckers that bought Smyth Islanders jerseys are feeling a little foolish. But I own an Oilers Lupul jersey (it was on sale for Christ's sake) so I know quite a bit about looking foolish.
I feel bad for Roloson, all Smyth's whacking and hacking he's going to have to put up with for in EIGHT GAMES next season.

My beloved Petr Sykora signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. I'm so depressed at this news. One year in the copper'n'blue was not nearly long enough for Petr and all his hotness; I mean talent. Hemsky's probably crying himself to sleep as we speak. I know I will be soon, clutching my Petr Sykora game used autographed stick to relive the magic he created with Ales.
But Hemsky may have a new line mate to send sweet passes to; Michael Nylander is reported to have signed with the Oilers. After the Rangers landed Gomez and Drury, Nylander is the odd man out. This report is not 100% confirmed yet.

The Oilers defense keeps on getting interesting; ole Dicky Transtrom is coming back, after one season in Sweden. Pretty much seals Shaggy's fate, as I doubt he will be resigned by the Oil.

Denis Grebeshkov (who?!!?!? The guy from the Bergeron trade, that's who) also signed a one year deal with the Oilers. It is yet to be determined if he will play with the Oilers next season though. If not, he'll probably go back to Russia, since he doesn't see himself as a AHL player.

Day one is in the books. Lowe was pretty active, along with many other GM's. Let's see what day two brings! More surprises and head shaking "WUT?!" moments to be had I'm sure; not just on the Oilers part.

With the departure of Lupul, maybe my beloved Raffi won't be traded after all. (Knock on wood.)


I'm too lazy to post all the links to the stories, but TSN.ca and the Oilers website have all the details you need. Or whichever major sports website you prefer.

Well FUCK.

Ahem.

Now that I got that out of my system, (see previous post), Lowe says he is not bitter.
He is also impressed with the Oilers prospects that are/were in Edmonton this week.
Dick Tarnstrom may be coming back (is our defense really that sad and pathetic? I guess so, if old Dicky boy is returning. I suppose he isn't any worse than Tjarnqvist.)
Petr Sykora is still on the Oilers radar, but only after Lowe fails in UFA signings and/or a monster trade at the draft.
Raffi, as I have figured, may be a goner too.

Petr Sykora carries a hot stick.

Hockey stick that is, you pervs.
I don't know about his other 'stick'; we'll leave that up to his wife.



Anyhoo, I bought this game-used auto'd stick on May 5th at the Oilers locker room sale.
Half price it was. $149.99 instead of 299.99. Deal and a half cuz Petr is an UFA in July and may (not) be coming back to the Oilers. The Hemsky stick was only discounted $50, $249.99 down from $299.99, so Sykora it was! I was actually going for a Jarret Stoll stick, but season ticket holders were allowed in before the 10 am start time, and I arrived at about 10:30, so most of the sticks were gone by then. Interesting that Stoll and Sykora both use blue Easton Stealth sticks though.




The first thing I noticed about Sykora's stick is that he cuts the toe off the blade, making it flat instead of rounded. Not being a hockey player myself, ( I can't skate backwards to save my life) I don't know if this is common practice or not. Sykora does like to spend a lot of time working on his sticks though.



It has a nice hand-crafted curve to it as well.



Maybe he used my stick to score a goal, who knows?
If not, at least his autograph is pretty.


Just in case you are an amateur and wanted to use this stick. Think again.

MEMO TO LOWE: Please re-sign Petr. He actually likes it here! K, thanks. Love, Lady_Byng.

Petr Sykora would like to remain an Oiler.

I would like him to remain an Oiler too.

I'm sure quite a lot more fans would like him back next season as well.

Admitly, he hasn't had the best season (but neither has most of the team) so PRETTY PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Kevin can you re-sign Sykora??!?!!

By gosh, he actually likes Edmonton!
Unlike some departed Oilers (cough*PECA*cough.)


Plus, we need to keep the hottness factor of the team up.
Am I right ladies, or am I right?!

Auotgraphs, autographs, and more autographs! And Moreau loves me <3

Yes, I am now a post-game autograph creeper; errr, seeker.


After the Oilers-Flames game on Saturday night, which the Oilers lost 4-2, pretty much killing any small hope of making the playoffs we had left, my girls and I decided to hang out outside of the Rex to see if we could score some autos. There were a few guys out there already, probably not as many ppl that usually hang out out there most of the time, but who knows? Was our first time being creepers.

1st came Staios and Lupul. Nice guys.
Next came Pisani, but he was with his wife and babies, so we didn't bother him.
Horcoff said he had to get home, so whatever.
Roloson didn't even acknowledge us. Sure, he had a shitty game and let in two terrible goals, but at least say "sorry guys I gotta get home" like Horcoff did, ya big JERK.

Greene, Smid, and Winchester all came out one by one, all of them came and signed for us.

We thought we saw Markkanen come out, but his head was down so far we couldn't tell.

Later we thought we saw Jacques, but like Jussi, he had his head so far down it was hard to see his face.

The next crew out was Stortini, Pouliot, and Syvret. My eagle eye picked out Stortini right away.
"STORTINIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!"
Super awesome guys, I love the rookies, they haven't become jerks yet, haha.
Of course I proceeded to embarass myself by yelling out
"Omg Stortini I love you! You are my new favorite!"
Geesh.
Good thing I wasn't drunk, cuz if I was, I'm sure the railing and fence would not have kept me from going after him, lol.

After some time with no one coming out, we decided to head home before we missed the last bus home. Good times.
Stortini, Pouliot, and Syvert just out of the picture.

My autographed hat.
Staios, Lupul, Winchester, Pouliot, Stortini, Syvret, Smid, and Greene.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------


After our fun and somewhat chilly night of hanging out at the Rex after the Oilers-Flames game Saturday night creeping for some autographs, we went to WEM for the official Oilers autograph session on Sunday.
I was hoping and praying for one, because all the one or two player auto sessions they were having all over the city was making me think maybe the team session wasn't going to happen.

But alas it did, and my beloved Moreau was there, despite his shoulder injury.
Moreau was my main target, all the rest of the autos I managed to get where icing on the cake. Moreau delievered, and boy did I end up with alot of icing!

Got to the mall shortly before 11 am, ppl were already lined up. ( the players weren't arriving until 1 pm.) Crazy I tell ya. The mall officially opens at 11 am on Sundays, but I don't think the main doors are ever locked.
I had printed out a copy of the map of where the players were stationed from the Oilers website before hand. When I got to WEM, there were map cards available, so I grabbed one of those. Much easier to hang onto that than two sheets of paper.

So anyways, went down to the deep-sea adventure to where Moreau and Reasoner where stationed. The line was about 14 ppl deep already. Much to my dismay, the line-up was on the bridge that goes across the water. (I have a fear of heights and a fear of drowning.) It wasn't as bad as I thought it was, and it was worth it in the end.
Took up my space in line and chatted with the ppl standing in line around me while also texting Dani and Sal who where in different line-ups.
Some of my friends drove in from Wetaskiwin, I let them cut into the line with me when they eventually got there.
No one behind us bitched, so it was all good.

Finally it was time to start, and I couldn't wait to get my Moreau jersey signed.
Reasoner was up first, I got him to sign my white Oilers jersey.
I had thought of bringing either a card or a photo of all the players that I wanted to get autos from, but it was becoming too much a hassle to decide with players I would even be able to get to, so I settled on the white jersey to get signed by everyone else besides Moreau.
Like I said earlier, icing on the cake for any autos I got beyond Ethan's.

I wasn't even that nervous, not like when I met Raffi and Stoll at an auto session they did at United Cycle in April 2004.

I said "hi" to Moreau and we had a little convo.
Ethan "how are you?"
Me "Pretty good, how are you?"
Ethan "I'm good."
Me "How's your shoulder coming along?"
Ethan "It's getting better."
Me "Any chance you will play any more games this season?"
Ethan "I was aiming for the last 2 weeks, but now I don't know ........"
(cuz the Oilers aren't going to make the playoffs, so there's not much point for Ethan to play and possibly re-injure it right?)
Me "Yeah, I see your point."
Ethan " would you like me to personalize your jersey?"
(The whole time we were talking [which really wasn't that long, ha] he looked at me instead of signing while he was talking)
Me "SURE!!"
Ethan "What's your name?"
Me "Pam, P-A-M."
So he signs my jersey, TO PAM, ALL THE BEST!
Me" Thanks Ethan!"
Ethan "You're Welcome."



I even had my picture taken by the Oilers website (the back of me anyways) when Moreau was talking to me. Sweet.

From there, my Wetaskiwin friends wanted Hemsky's auto and I wanted Staios auto for my white jersey, so we parted ways.
Hemsky was hurt (his shoulder AGAIN) in the game on Saturday, so he wasn't signing anything cuz his arm was in a sling. She called me and asked where Horcoff was stationed. After I got thru the Staios-Jacques line I met her at the Horcoff-Winchester line.

I didn't want any autos on the crest of my jersey, just around it, but the girl at the Jacques table just took it from me "do you have your item ready to be signed?!" and put it down on the table before I could ask him to not sign on the crest.
"Me "Please don't sign on the crrrres.............t!" (as JFJ started to sign on the crest.)
He stops mid signature and looks up at me "Sorry!"
Me "It's ok, you didn't know; go ahead and finish." (I was cursing the girl in my head. Bitch).
JFJ "Sorry once again"
Me "it's ok, I'm just pricky about where I want the signatures on my jersey. Thanks Jacques."
Then over to Staios sitting beside him, "Don't sign on the crest please!" As I held onto the jersey and placed it in front of him myself.
I thanked him and away I went, in a rush to get over to Horcoff and Winchester. Forgetting to take pics of Staios and JFJ.
Damn that JFJ is one cute mofo.

Cut into the Horcoff line with my friends and talked to the girl standing in line with us. She said she met Lupul at a bar once and was a total jerk. To be expected I guess, some players aren't nice outside of meet-and-greets with the fans.

Winchester is not really one of my favorite players, he's not even really a good player, but damn is he cute. I'm not saying I'm going to become a Winchester fan now that he's way better looking in person than in pics, but as a (single) female you can't but help and notice that some of the players are pretty good looking. He has a cute boy-ish smile. Forgot to take pics of him and Horcoff as well (Horc's two different colored eyes make him endearing; he's not so ugly as he looks in photos either) cuz the hour and a half was coming to an end and I wanted to try to hit the Sykora-Stortini line. I had acquired Stortini's auto the night before after the game, but he's my newest favorite, and who doesn't love Sykora?!!?!?

The line was still redonkiliously long, so there was a chance I might not get their autos before the time was up.
The usher ppl controlling the line kept on coming back and telling us that, but thankfully I did end up getting thru. Not before I got out of the line-up and tried to take some pics of them 1st. I kept on watching to see if the girls I was chatting with in the line where getting any closer, and alas they did as the line started to move faster as the time was winding down. I quickly snuck back into the line, saying "you girls remember I was in the line with you right?"
"Of course, we'll just say we were holding your place cuz you went to the bathroom; if they ask."
It pays to talk to strangers sometimes.
The ushers didn't even notice, so it was all good.

In total I got 8 Oilers signatures, got my Moreau jersey signed, talked to some cool ppl in the line-ups which made the day go faster. Pretty successful I say.

Met up with Dani and Sal afterwards. We went to BP's and discussed our day with each other before they headed home and I went to work.

What a fun Oilers filled weekend, despite the fact that they lost on Saturday and don't really have much of a chance to make the playoffs.

I still love my Oilers and hope to see most of them back next season.
Espeically my Chopper (Moreau) and Stortini.

Sigs starting at the "O" on the OILERS logo: Reasoner, Staios, JFJ (on the crest ), Sykora, Horc, B-rad, and Stortini.

All the player's cards I collected. Misplaced the Horcoff one though.