Hey folks! I purposely waited for today to do the blog to tell you that... no, I was not traded. But, today is the trade deadline in the NHL and guys who have been in the rumors may be on edge until 3:00 pm., which is the end of the time when deals can be made. Then everyone can give a big sigh of relief or for some guys maybe some disappointment. Some players don't want to to go and some guys may hope for a new address. All in all, it makes for a tense morning...
As you can imagine, players have become pretty creative in the prank category on this annual day. Things like, telling a guy the coach wants to see him in the office, or calling his phone when he gets home or leaving him a message to call his agent. Believe me, I've seen them all, and it can be very unnerving during the day when your name has come up in the rumors. Nowadays, of course, texting or leaving a message on a guys cell phone is the easiest way to play a joke...
Other aggravating problems? Last year at the deadline, I was rumored to go to a few different teams, and an hour past the 3:00pm, there was still rumblings of deals being made. Then, I get a call from a radio personality from Vancouver informing me I have been traded to the Canucks. Wanting a reaction, I had to tell him that I needed to talk to the proper people before I could comment on any news. Sure enough, after a few missed calls and a conversation with my agent, it was official. But, the flip side of this is how things can go awry very quickly. One player, watching the trade updates on TV, saw his name come up on a deal to another team. Having the same agent, we discussed what was happening. Later in the day, I found out that the players excitement about getting moved ended in disappointment, when he found out, along with the team who was trying to acquire him, that the deal was acted upon to late and was nullified. These types of technicalities do not happen often but do occur when deals heat up all at once, and the league office gets bogged down with paper work...
Why does all this happen? Teams are looking for that missing piece to get them over the hump and make a Cup run. Some teams may have a spot vacated by an injury, that a certain trade may fill. Often, players get traded for the rest of the season, then in the summer, sign back with the team that traded them in the first place. This accomplishes two things: one, the traded player gets an opportunity to win a Cup coming from a team most likely out of contention. And two, the team trading will get something in return for the future. The other scenario that happens often is a team that is out of the playoff race may try to unload players in the last season of their deal to get something in return when that player may not resign...
Getting traded does not always work out the way you hope it will. The three times I was dealt at the deadline were all good deals for me, but only once did I make it to the playoffs. I was traded to Boston and Vancouver, both very talented teams, and we lost out on last day of the season. In St. Louis, a team with less talent than the other two, we made a late season 12- 4 run and clinched a spot with an emotional win in Nashville on the second to last day of the season. Everything fell into place for me in St. Louis and my play landed me a two year deal back in St. Louis when my chances were going to be limited for a multi-year contract that summer. Sometimes a trade becomes a blessing in disguise...
So, if you are a fan, and like to keep up with the days happenings, tune into TSN out of Canada, with all days coverage of the wheeling and dealing. Who is going to pull the blockbuster and who may get the steal of the day? It never plays out until the playoffs start...
Speaking of the playoffs, we have crept back into the hunt, and have picked up points in 8 of our last 9 games. And still we find ourselves looking in from the outside. Nothing ever comes easy, but when you accomplish the goal of a playoff spot as a team, it really feels good. A collective sense of accomplishment. Then the real season starts! And that is what we are striving for... As always, with just less apprehension on deadline day, Weino

As I sit here watching the Bruins and the Flyers, two of my former teams, I can't help but think back to those times. Nothing but great memories. But, I loved every moment of my career so far. The games, the cities, the people, the friendships. Each place was special. One thing about being the senior guy in the room, always questions about this and that of things that happened along the way.
So, we are getting ready for the game in Philly, and I run into a former player of the Flyers from the glory years and now part of the organization. We started talking about the state of the game, the Flyers and players of this era. He left me with a great thought, which went something like this: "Don't leave the game with any regrets." As he explained, when it's over, make sure you haven't cheated yourself of anything or regret something you may have done. The more I let this advice sink in, I realized he had said something very special. He was referring to a player on the Phantoms who had challenged a coach during practice, instead of taking it up in closed quarters. Well the team had none of this and the player was suspended indefinitely. To back up his point, this player probably regretted his actions and now is in a predicament. Morale of the story, appreciate what you have and where you are because it may end when you least expect it. And most of all, leave with no regrets...
Steve Rex, a member of the Pirates front office, and a former member of the Flyers staff, made arrangements for our team to attend a game and have dinner in a sky box. It felt strange watching a game in Philly since the only vantage point I have ever had there was from the ice...
A typical Philly welcome during our game as a fan yelled out for me to hang 'em up and I was washed up. What else would you expect in Philly?... I did see some old friends at the game. A few of the kids old classmates were not far from the bench, and I caught up with some other friends after the game... Enjoyed a great meal with our old neighbors, the Jeromes, down in South Philly at a local spot. They were like family to us...
I received an article about a player named Mike Keane. A former NHLer, 3 time Stanley Cup winner and one time captain of the Montreal Canadiens, he is now a member of the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. Mike is a resident of Winnepeg, where the Moose play. He was approached last year by the owner of the team when he had not gotten many offers from the NHL. "Why not," he thought. What a great opportunity for a home town guy. Still has the desire to play and has alot to offer his young teammates. With the chance of a team looking for some experience down the stretch, Keane has enjoyed remaining in the fray and all the little things about the game. He had a chance to get into coaching, but the allure of playing the game was enough to make up his mind. What a great idea. Why didn't I think of that? Better late than never...
Good luck to Tim Brent, the latest call-up... Big week for us, as we head down the stretch.How could I forget the thrill of the stretch runs of years past. Like a trip down memory lane, here we go!... Weino

After a disheartening loss in Hershey, in a game that was territorally onesided in our favor, we boarded the bus for Wilkes- Barre. With back to back tilts on the weekend, against two of the top teams in the league, the mood was glum. It definitely wasn't the way we wanted to start the trip. The next day we got some good and bad news. The good news was for Ryan Shannon, he was on his way to Dallas to rejoin the Ducks. The bad news was we had lost one of our top players going into a game against a team with one of the best home records in the league.
When situations arise, and players are staring adversity in the face, the strangest events can unfold. How can a team play a game like the one in Hershey, then put a 60 minute effort together like we did against Wilkes-Barre? That is what makes sports so exciting. Any team, any night can do the unexpected. We took a 2-0 lead into the last minute and came .6 seconds from a shutout. It was especially sweet for Sebastion Caron, in front of family and former fans. It would have been nice to get the shutout but we were elated to get a win.
So, as we got into the room to savor the victory, it occured to me that in a matter of a half hour or so, we would be on the road again, for a six hour trek to Norfolk. We pulled into Norfolk at about 5:30 am. Some guys found a way to sleep when they got in. Me, my body has the alarm set for 6:00 am everyday, so I went down for some breakfast. I was looking forward to the afternoon nap.
Walking into the arena at Norfolk, I had to chuckle a little , as I recalled the movie "Slapshot", and the arenas featured in the movie. As time has passed, more new arenas are popping up in the league. This is not one of them. Norfolk has a longstanding hockey tradition, primarily in the East Coast league.
The building has the feel of the "Slapshot" era and the fans tend to be quite colorful, to say the least. Like a mini Madison Square Garden, and yes, it is probably just as old and grimy. For me, though, just another arena to add to the list of places I've played, as I make my way through the league for a second time.
So, best powerplay in the league, best overall record, who would give us a chance? Only the guys in our room. And after a first period of of lackluster play, we could have doubted ourselves. Again, though, don't ever underestimate the underdog. We got a shot in the arm with the arrival of Hartigan from Anaheim, who has played with Joe Motzko for years, and the chemistry started to return as the game went on. So did our spirit and the tables tilted in our favor as we finished off an improbable sweep of a tough weekend.
If you ever get a chance to swing through Norfolk, take the time and experience one of the cleanest cities you will ever see... Did you know Pirates medical trainer was once employed by Hampton Roads of the ECHL, who played in the same building as the Admirals, and attended an alumni game preceding ours on Saturday... We will have our annual Rookie dinner this week, a tradition that has been done for at least 20 years, since I started. A much better way to initiate the rookies into the ranks than the old way of the fraternity style hazing that went on. These dinners are another good way for guys to get together. One thing is for sure, it is one moment of your career that you never forget. I really hope that all these guys get to experience a rookie dinner in the NHL as well. Mine was in Minneapolis,along with John Morris and Janne Ojanen, we treated the guys to dinner the night before our game against the former North Stars...
Two games left in the trip, and four points out of a playoff spot. We still have some work ahead of us to get back into the race and a few more big wins are just the medicine for some road weary guys. See you Sunday, Weino

Every point in the season, there comes the time for the road trip. It doesn't matter what team it is, there always seems to be a point in the schedule when the team hits the road for an extended period. The reason? A circus, or a trade show or some activity that requires the team be out of the building. Everywhere I've been, same thing. So, now it's our turn, and what a trip this is. Hershey, PA, to Wilkes-Barre-Scranton, to Norfolk, to Philadelphia and back to Portland after the game. My longest trip in some years. 19 to be exact. By bus, that is. My longest trip back then was Utica, to Hershey, to Newmarket, Ontario, and back to Utica for a Sunday afternoon game. How in the world could we have done it back then! Well, they are still doing it today, er, we are, I mean. I have been spoiled with the travel in the NHL and the plane rides. But, things have changed for the better. Instead of the regular old bus, we are taking a sleeper bus with bunks and satellite TV! The Pirates came through for the players with this vehicle to make the trip easier on the guys. And, no the weren't just feeling bad for and old 40 year old...
Like I said, it had been years since I had been on the bus, 1989, and during the lockout a couple years ago, I played in Austria, a bus league. Some of the games were 4 hours. It was a shock to the system, mostly the legs to ride that long and get off the bus and play. Sometimes the legs came late and it wasn't until the second period that they arrived. That has been the biggest adjustment this past couple of weeks. Never knowing when the legs are going to have the jump or not...
Over the years, the art of traveling by bus has evolved. Before I get into the science of road tripping, I need to explain a few things. If you have been on a bus, like a Greyhound, you know that there are quite a few rows, but with a team the rows are taken up quickly. You see, like most athletes, one bus seat is kind of cramped for one 6'+ 200 pound guy. So, it is usually a row for each guy, plus coaches and trainers and well, you do the math and it fills up quite quickly. Rookies get the short end of the stick here, and sometimes must double up. Imagine guys this size, cramming two to a row, for four hours and then getting off and playing game three of a weekend. I promise you it is much easier at 23 years old than 40. I've done both. So this is why the sleeper is such an advantage for the team...
Oh yeah, to get back to my thought, I have seen many ways of making the travel easier without the luxury of a sleeper. In the old days, guys small enough would climb into the luggage rack. That would make more room for guys to lay across seats. As players got more ingenious, more and more guys would bring rolled up foam pads for the floor and pillows and blankets. In Austria, this was the preferred arrangement. One guy would even crawl into a luggage area next to the bathroom, and actually had his own little cubicle. The only thing was it was like the temperature of the bottom luggage area, so he would bundle himself up in many layers and crawl into his cave. Most guys just laid on the floor in between the seats and curled up with their blanket and pillow. The times I would lay or sit in every position imaginable to try and make a bus seat feel comfortable. Those were the days. We are lucky that our trips are relatively short, and again why this special bus is so valuable this trip...
I have been very fortunate to have played in the NHL for the time I did, but the two seasons I played in the American League made my promotion that much more meaningful. I appreciate where I came from and never took for granted the charter flights we fly on every trip after 9-11. And so, yes, I still dispise bus trips, and I still will even with this bus. But, having been there, I feel this could be the trip we need to come together as a team. As we travel together, eat together, and spend almost every moment together this trip, winning together on the road has a way of bringing a team closer. As we make the stretch run now, the timing couldn't be better. In the spirit of that long braided country singer Willie, " I just can't wait to get on the road again..." Weino