Ok... so what did I miss?

Yeah, I wish

No, I wasn't lying on a beach somewhere while buxom young lasses catered to my every desire.

I HATE missing Hab games. Maybe it's because I'm cheap and cant stand the thought of having paid for RDS, then not being able to avail it of its services for the night. But at least missing last night's game was for a good cause, considering that I spent the evening helping to raise money for a Christmas charity.

And apparently, I wasn't the only one in a charitable mood last night. The Devils gave to the Habs until it hurt, to the tune of two goals before the game was two minutes old. I guess that $100 million doesn't buy what it used to. When was the last time that you saw a goalie pulled from a game before they were done singing the national anthems?

The Habs scored their 5th and final goal ten minutes into the third, then pretty much coasted for the rest of the game, only giving up one goal while distributing ice time and basically trying not to get anyone hurt. That still didn't keep Hal Gill from taking a shot off the melon in the last minute of the game, but all indications were that he was able to shake it off after he made his way to the bench.

And speaking of benches (today, I am the King of Segues) I wonder how comfortable PK Subban was while sitting on one watching last night's game from the press box. Some were surprised to see their top defensive prospect sit, but hey, the Habs were playing an undermanned Devils team, so it was the perfect opportunity to send a message to PK that he's got to be a little more judicious with his playmaking, especially with the game on the line as it was with the Oilers.

Next for the Habs, it's a rare Saturday matinee at the Bell Centre as they entertain the always-dangerous San Jose Sharks. And great, I'll be working and have to miss that game, too. 

My only prediction for the game: no Sharks teammates will accept a ride to the rink from Dany Heatley.

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NHL to OK personal endorsement jersey patches

In a somewhat surprising move, the NHL seems set to allow product-placement advertising on player's jerseys.

Endorsement patches will be limited to 2.25 by 3.25 inches in size, and must be placed on the left breast of the jersey, just below the shoulder line. In circumstances where a player already wears a captain or assistant letter in that location, the sponsorship logo will be allowed to be sewn on the right breast.

What's interesting about the deal is that the sponsorships will be player specific. Just as a player can be endorsed off-ice by an advertising partner, NHL athletes will now be allowed to bring those sponsorships into game action.

Worried about high salaries forcing some players out of the NHL, the NHLPA has been looking into creative ways for members to supplement their income while still allowing their contracts to work in a salary cap era where many teams often spend to the cap limit.

"I think that this is a great idea," said Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas, the first player that will wear a patch on his jersey during regular league play. "My agent has been working on a deal with KFC for a while now, and we think that this partnership is a great fit. They get the extra exposure for their brand, and in addition to a boatload of cash I get a lifetime supply of Double Downs. With the recent shrinking of the goalie equipment, I need every advantage I can get. In fact, I've been pounding them back since August in the hopes of getting the jump on my competition. So far, other than a mild tingling in my left arm it seems to have worked well."

(story continued below)





Bruin goalie Tim Thomas showing off his new KFC sponsorship patch



However, some opponents to the idea cite the runaway logo-ing of the uniforms of other leagues as a reason to keep the patches off of NHL jerseys. "It could be a slippery slope. Where would it stop?" asks a Jason Moore, who runs a web site dedicated to the history of NHL jerseys. "Since before the NHL was even around, the uniforms have been advertising free, save for the manufacturer logo. What's next? Mark Recchi pimping Viagara? Or a Summer's Eve logo on Chris Pronger's jersey?"

"We didn't want to go completely down the road of soccer or those NASCAR rednecks and have our players look like skating billboards," said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. "We'll leave that for the rink boards and those wannabe European leagues. We think that this strikes a nice balance."

With the Thomas deal opening the door for similar sponsorships, it's expected that jersey patches will soon be worn by some of the biggest players in the game as their endorsement partners jump on board with the idea of advertising on game jerseys.

Soon to be outfitted include Alex Ovechkin (Colgate), Sidney Crosby (Pampers), Daniel and Henrik Sedin (2 for 1 Pizza), Dion Phaneuf (Calloway) and Dany Heatley (SCI Funeral Homes Inc).

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