A couple months ago I got approached by Paul Swaney, the owner of a bourgeoning blog known as Stadium Journey.  (Hint: There’s a link towards the bottom of the page if you haven’t noticed it yet.)  Mr. Swaney asked me to write an article for him reviewing our very own Xcel Energy Center, and I gladly obliged.

So I’m here to ask you guys a favor.  If you haven’t already checked out my article, please do so.  But please, don’t just go to check out my review.  90% of you who visit Wild Nation have been to the X.  You know how great the experience is and you certainly don’t need me to tell you.

Sure.  Check out my article.  Re-affirm what you already know.  But please, don’t stop there.  This is an unbelievably cool site.  From MLB Stadiums, to NFL Stadiums, even to NCAA Arenas, they cover it all.  They even have a little something called the Lucky 13, where you get to pick the winners of 13 important games around the world of sports in hopes of winning the cash prize that they offer.

This might not be the first site to offer all of these options, but I think you’ll agree that it is certainly the best so please, do what you can to go check out a friend of Wild Nation’s and Hockey Primetime’s and check out the Stadium Journey.  It’s well worth the few minutes out of your day that it’ll take to check out!

I’m hoping to have a gameday preview up for everyone this afternoon, but it all depends on my day job.  In the meantime, here are some links to keep you tided over. 

• I took a stab at the Power Rankings this week at Hockey Primetime.  A lot of the credit for the polish goes to our editor extraordinaire, JP Hoornstra.  That said, I’m a tad sad that my Swingers reference got removed.
• A little more shameless self-promotion, then I swear I’m done.  Here’s an article I posted on the Bleacher Report about the Wild’s struggles at keeping the puck out of their own net this season.
• We here at Wild Nation love us some Bourne’s Blog – in a completely non-creepy, platonic way, of course.  Check out his take on Alex Burrows, Conan’s late night struggles and so on and so forth.
• And what would I be if I didn’t also pimp my girl Ms. C’s blog (ok, that sounded vaguely wrong…Sorry Ms. C!).  Check out her blog on her drop-in game on Tuesday.
• Moving away from the Wild/Aeros/Fun category for a moment, here’s an informative little piece by Adrian Dater on the Versus website.  I say informative because I honestly didn’t know that Jonathan Quick was a rookie.  What?  He’s not?  Well, I guess there’s always next year then.
• The incomparable Elliotte Friedman takes a look at two controversies in the NHL starting to boil over.  As a hockey fan, my take on the Burrows/Auger thing is that, if it’s true, it’s a disservice to the game.  As a Wild fan, though, my take on the whole thing is: “Good.  The little @#!$ had it coming to him.”
• The only thing that this look at American Olympic selectee David Backes is missing is the Bud Light “Real American Heros” guy singing in the background.
• Say all you want about high scoring games, but there isn’t much that makes a hockey fan just stop and say “Wow!” like a combined 96-save, 1-0 shootout victory.  Just check out the highlights, if you don’t believe me.
• WHA??!?  It appears that hockey blog luminary James Mirtle is moving on to bigger and better things.  Ok.  Maybe not bigger and better, but it looks like he’ll now be blogging and writing at the Globe and Mail.
• Mr. Plank has a good look at the Sharks’ secondary scoring at Fear the Fin, including a name for their top line.  HTML.  Slightly geeky, but cool nonetheless.
• My how I love Spector.  Especially with blog titles like “Shooting Down Dumb Trade Rumors – January 2010.”  Yes.  We like that very much.
• And finally, to end on a Wild note, Brian Stensaas’s article about a newly confident Guillaume Latendresse.  Seriously folks.  Go out and buy a Star Trib at least once this week.  75 cents to make sure that solid hockey writers like Stencils and Russo get to stick around in Minnesota.

That’s all from me for now.  Schedule permitting, I’m hoping to have my analysis of some top defensemen free agents up sometime this week.  Also, you’ve still got time to send in your questions for the mailbag, which will be answered early next week. 

Until then, enjoy the link feast!

Wild Links

• Deuce by Definition has a short piece on a prospective Wild cash grab third jersey.
• Hockey Wilderness has a little something on the signing of Kyle Brodziak.
• Penguins Insider has a little more about the signings of Smith and Lannon.  Meanwhile, Puck Daddy links to an old blog about Mr. Smith acting out his Old School fantasies.

Other Hockey News

• In other Puck Daddy news, a good article by Dmitry Chesnokov about the on-going battle between the NHL and KHL.
• Red and Black Hockey offers their thoughts on the ‘Canes re-signing Ruutu.
• Click Here to listen to an interview on NHL Home Ice with NHLPA Director Paul Kelly.  Topics include Restricted Free Agents and the pre-olympic camp snafu.
• The Chicago Blackhawks’ Marian Hossa will undergo shoulder surgery, according to a team press release.  Somewhere, a Pens fan is rejoicing.
• Mirtle has a look at Sergei Federov’s current financial situation.  No word yet as to whether a Kournikova tax was imposed all those years ago.
• And, as always, Justin Bourne has an insightful look at the signing of Martin Biron and the impact it has on Sound goalie Nathan Lawson.

Wild Links

• Russo is reporting that the Wild have signed a couple minor leaguers.  Nathan Smith and Ryan Lannon.  If, like me, you have absolutely no idea who these players are, click on the links and check them out.
• The 3rd Intermission is reporting that the Aeros will sign Brandon Buck.  Not to devalue the AHL at all…But you know it’s the middle of the summer when you get excited about signings like this.
• More from T3I, as Ms. Conduct has a look at the current Aeros roster.
• And finally…The Wild have officially launched their own web browser — Boom.  So you can pretty much the comment made a few links earlier and apply it here as well.

Other Links

• Our friend Justin Bourne has a new blog up at The Hockey News about the summer grind.  As always, good stuff.
• Martin Biron has signed a one-year, $1.4M deal with the New York Islanders.  Three proven NHL starters on their roster?  Things are looking up on the Island.
• Interesting stuff from Ansar Khan.  Apparently Hossa had his injury before signing in Detroit.
• A pretty cool look at power skating by Scott Cruikshank.
• Five for Fighting has a player profile on Brendan Morrow up.
• The always insightful Mirtle has an interesting story up about the KHL wooing players away from the NHL.
• Cycle Like the Sedins is re-drafting the league.  Ovie to the Flames?  Lundqvist to the Bolts?  Cats and dogs, living together in perfect harmony?  Mass hysteria!
• And finally, a myHockeyBuzz blog.  Martin Biron v. Patrick Lalime?  Interesting stuff.

• The Minnesota State High School hockey tournament starts tomorrow.  Follow the Puck has the brackets for you.  The Class A bracket can be found here and the Class AA bracket can be found here.  Also, for a complete preview of the state tournament, check out MN Hockey Hub’s State Playoff Headquarters.
• Puck Daddy has a look at “Stickgate 2009.”  Apparently a skinny stick blade is a dangerous, dangerous thing.  *Insert That’s What She Said joke here.*
• A sad day in the NHL.  Gary Roberts officially announces his retirement.
• NHL.com has a good look at the standings “If the playoffs started today.”  Is it just me or does the Eastern conference match ups for the first round look much, much more compelling than the Western conference match ups?
• Let the speculation begin.  Brent Sutter may leave the Devils after this season?  It would be a sad day for New Jersey, as Sutter has turned them into one of the more exciting franchises in the league to watch.
• The Star-Tribune has a couple good hits on the Wild.  First, Mike Russo spotlights the team’s inconsistent play.  Then, Jacques Lemaire says the Wild didn’t miss suspended enforcer, Derek Boogaard, much.  Ouch.
• A great indictment of the current NHL point system by Kevin in Pennsylvania on Hitting the Post. 
• The Hockey News has whittled the best masks in the NHL down to two.  Really?  Vesa Toskala and Miikka Kiprusoff?  I guess given the competition, it’s not too bad…
• Speaking of the Hockey News, Spector has a nice look at the trades that didn’t happen on D-Day.
• From 5hole.com, probably the best Sean Avery-based sign ever made.
• Jeff Paterson has an interesting look at the playoff picture in the West.  Meanwhile, James Mirtle adds his two cents on the issue.
• Per Kent Youngblood of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune; Marian Gaborik will join the Wild on their upcoming trip to Colorado.

That’s all for now.  Enjoy and make sure you check back for my thoughts on the San Jose/Minnesota tilt tonight!

• The Red Wings should be getting a shot in the arm soon (as if they need it).  Homer is back for the Wings and Marian Hossa should be returning soon.
• Wild Road Tripper has a good look at the Wild’s victory last night over the Anaheim Ducks at Hitting the Post.
• Speaking of the Wild, Hockey Wilderness has a nice e-mail exchange between a disenfranchised former season ticket holder and Wild owner Craig Leipold.  Kudos to Mr. Leipold for standing up for himself and for the team.  I don’t necessarily know that I agree with the author’s sentiment about Mr. Leipold’s take on the team; after all, there really were no moves for the team to make at the deadline this season.
• An absolutely fantastic piece by James Mirtle at From the Rink on hockey in Nashville.
• Sounds like Devils coach Brent Sutter wasn’t happy with losing to the Isles 7-3.  I can’t really think of a larger embarrassment for an NHL team, can you?
• An old post, but a good one nonetheless.  A good list of hockey people using Twitter.  I wonder if they’re going to add “Brian Burke”?
• Patrick Roy is backing Martin Brodeur?  Really?  If I were Marty, I’d be careful of any loose doors lying around.
• It’s a bad time for the Panthers to be dealing with injuries to key players.
• An interesting look at stats since the all star break.  Steve Ott has more than 20 points?  Couldn’t have called that one.
• Matchsticks and Gasoline is circling the wagons around Curtis McElhinney.  I agree.  Cut the kid a break.  I can’t imagine backing up Kipper is an easy job by any means.
• And finally, because the playoffs are just around the corner, the guide to grading the playoff beard.

Enjoy!

• Mike Russo proves to me once again why I love Owen Nolan and loathe Marian Gaborik. And he also has proof that Brent Burns can’t bowl.
• Nick in New York thinks that Doug Risebrough’s window is closing as the Wild GM.
• If you haven’t already heard, Niclas Havelid is a Devil.
• Great news if you’re a Sabres fan.  Tomas Vanek plans to play tomorrow night.
• James Mirtle has a nice look at the playoff picture.
• To absolutely no one’s surprise, Sean Avery has been claimed by the Rangers.
• Great news for Wild fans.  The team has signed Niklas Backstrom to a four year extension.
• Mark Recchi is quite optimistic about being traded.  Does he just have a U-Haul permenantly assigned to him?
• Both Milan Hejduk and Ryan Smyth say they haven’t been asked to waive their NTCs.
• Aaron Portzline has some rumblings and grumblings about the trade deadline for the Blue Jackets.