FanHouse Brett Hull

In September, former NBA superstar Michael Jordan raised more than a few eyebrows. The speech he gave at his Hall of Fame induction quickly turned into a vengeful gong show in which His Airness blasted virtually anyone who he even perceived to be guilty of a slight.

Monday night, the Hockey Hall of Fame welcomed its class of 2009. The ceremony's very first acceptance speech was given by former St. Louis Blue, Dallas Star, and Detroit Red Wing Brett Hull. It was a stirring example of how to give a Hall of Fame speech.

In 1984, a kid with a famous name and loads of potential in his game showed up on the campus of the University of Minnesota Duluth. The Calgary Flames had drafted the kid, but they knew he wasn't ready to play.

After two years at UMD, Brett Hull -- son of the great Bobby Hull -- was ready to tear up the NHL. Boy, did he ever do that.

Turns out Hull was quite the impact player at every level he ever played at. He finished his career as the only player to ever score 50 goals in college hockey, the minors, and the NHL.

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The NHL's Hall of Fame class of 2009 features a reunion of the Detroit Red Wings' 2001-02 Stanley Cup Championship team, and the completion of the best father-son duo in the history of the league. On Tuesday afternoon, Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille and Brian Leetch were announced as the newest members of hockey's most exclusive club.

New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello was also elected as a builder.

Not really any surprises here, as they make up one of the best quintets to ever enter Toronto.

The idea of co-general managers is not one we're likely to see often in pro sports. These days, even major league sports executives can be so ego-driven that it's impossible to share any kind of credit or properly delegate authority between two people.

The Dallas Stars tried co-general managers for close to two seasons, but have decided to make a change. The team named former player Joe Nieuwendyk (pictured left of Mike Modano at a Stars reunion in 2007) its new general manager at a news conference Monday.

With the NHL playoffs just around the corner, FanHouse takes a look at some of the lesser-known teams that qualified. Thursday's installment: the Columbus Blue Jackets

On Saturday, October 7, 2000, the Columbus Blue Jackets played their first ever regular season game. It was a 5-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, and the team would know nothing but losing for the next eight seasons. No playoffs. No winning seasons. Nothing. They have been, simply, the most anonymous, unknown team in the NHL.

On Wednesday, all of that changed as the Blue Jackets, for the first time in franchise history, qualified for the postseason thanks to a 4-3 shootout win over, coincidentally, the Chicago Blackhawks, their very first regular season opponent. So, who are these guys, and what can we expect from them in the playoffs and beyond? Here are five key players, the head coach, and everything else there is to love about this once unknown franchise.

Caveat emptor. I'm sure Dallas Stars owner Tom Hicks was aware of the phrase prior to his signing of Sean Avery this past summer, and if he wasn't, he most certainly is now.

Avery, the NHL's super-pest, never seemed to fit in the Stars locker room after signing a four-year, $15.5 million deal, clashing with veterans and failing to produce much of anything on the ice in his brief, 23-game tenure in Dallas. Then came December 2, 2008, when the Stars visited Dion Phaneuf and the Calgary Flames.

As the NHL All-Star Break continues, keep up with FanHouse's coverage of hockey's unofficial midway point.

Some say there's no point to even salvaging this disaster, and Bruce Ciskie and Earl Sleek will debate that point later. For now, my colleague Eric McErlain and I will assume that the game isn't going away, and discuss what's wrong and how to fix it.

When the Dallas Stars host Phoenix on Tuesday night, forward Sean Avery will be eligible to return from his six-game suspension for making some off-color comments about former girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert, and her current squeeze, Dion Phaneuf of the Calgary Flames. It was quite the story for a while, and the Stars have decided they no longer want anything to do with it, or their big offseason acquisition, as they announced today that Avery will not be returning to the team.

TSN has the story, including comments from Stars co-general manager, Brett Hull:

"Sean needs to focus on his own well-being while the Stars hockey team must focus on playing hockey and competing for a playoff spot," said Stars Co-General Manager Brett Hull. "Everyone understands that Sean will not return to the Dallas Stars. We all need to move forward."

So this was the straw that finally broke the camel's back for Avery -- a sex joke. A stupid one, of course. And one that you might be more likely to hear in a high school cafeteria, but a sex joke nonetheless.

The US Hockey Hall of Fame (yes, one does exist) is going to be inducting a very strong group of players this year: Brett Hull, Brian Leetch, Mike Richter, and ... Cammi Granato?

Yes, the USHHOF inducted its first ever female into its ranks, with the formal inductions to take place on October 10th. Quite a feat for a women's hockey player to be joining the likes of Hull and Leetch.

"The Class of 2008 is one of the most accomplished groups that's ever been inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame," said Ron DeGregorio, president of USA Hockey. "It is indeed with great pleasure that we welcome them to the group of hockey immortals in our country."

I can already hear the poo-pooing of uncomfortable alpha-male jocks who think inducting Granato is purely a bunch of political correctness. To them, I say "Suck it up!"

I certainly have no problem with including Granato with the other boys, especially since the IIHF did the same back in May, and the fact she's already won a Lester Patrick Trophy for her contributions to hockey in the US of A.

Granato is right behind Hayley Wickenheiser in terms of impact, skill, and promotion of women's hockey in the world, and deserves recognition for her efforts to promote and grow the game.

Now, I can just imagine the arguments she'll have with husband Ray Ferraro over household chores.

Ray: Honey, I don't want to do the dishes again!
Cammi: Yeah, well I don't see YOU in the Hall of Fame, do I? Get scrubbin!
Ray: *fumes*

Every day from Monday to Saturday, The Ice Sheet will take a look at the biggest stories in the league that happened on the ice and elsewhere the night before.

Sports fans in Buffalo have been kicked in the balls far too many times (No Goal! Wide Right!), so losing is nothing new and unusual to the people in that wintry city.

That said, the Buffalo Sabres' current problems must be enough to give more than a few Buffalonians a monster case of heartburn. With last night's 2-1 loss to the downstate New York Rangers, the Sabres have now lost TEN games in a row, and are falling from playoff contention with each passing day.

The Sabres are 0-5-5 in their last 10 games. They haven't won since Dec. 22 in Philadelphia and, in fact, are the only team in the NHL without a win in the 2008 calendar year.

"We didn't make a lot of good plays," coach Lindy Ruff said. "We didn't make good decisions and Al [Kotalik] pounded the puck right into Betts every time. I can't yell, 'Don't shoot it,' but you have to bury your head and move it around those guys. We didn't and that was a disappointing part of the game."

Perhaps Lindy and assistant James Patrick ought to lace 'em up and give directions from the ice. At this point, the Sabres need some creative ideas if they are to put a W in the win column some time this calendar year.