The Unknown Poster

yeah one line I caught was the Cons being third place in "some polls". Thats an interesting spin on recent polls showing at worst a statistical three way tie and at best a Cons lead. Perspective is everything I guess.

yeah thats a good point. I liked his size and experience and thought he might be one of those "veteran" presents type guys on the Moose. But if the idea of Moose are strictly developing future Jets, then no.

Then they should sign the deal while the timing is right!

After one game, lets predict the roster (I'd say opening night roster but that could see guys on 9 game trials and Im trying to predict the roster for the bulk of the season): Ladd-Lowry-Little Stafford-Scheif-Wheeler Perreault-Burmi-Ehlers Thorburn-Copp-Armia ***Lemieux gets 9 games or so Enstrom-Myers Stuart-Trouba Chiarot-Buff Petan, Morrissey, Raffl, Halischuk, Pardy, Postma on the Moose. Postma could be trade bait. Im biased because I've been saying that for two years. But with 9 D, something has to give. I assume they want insurance in case of a Buff trade but they could always get a D back and I tend to think if you're top 4 are Enstrom, Myers, Trouba and Stuart/Chiarot you can find a bottom 2 pretty easily.

Im sure I saw it mentioned that they were already deep in negotiations and an agreement was likely forthcoming shortly. Its a good thing for everyone. I dont necessarily agree that the First Nations should get dibs but if it means the area is developed properly, increases "tax" revenue to the city and allows for the widening of Kenaston, I say get on with it.

Are you for real? I sure hope not.Income splitting seems like a common sense thing to me. And if those that can afford it choose to have one parent (doesnt have to be the woman) stay home full or part time to raise children, I see no problem with that...thats a good thing. I think anything that might encourage or enable a parent (either one) to stay at home with the kids is good policy. We need more parent control over their own children. I just vehemently disagree with this thinking....so we're going to have to agree to disagree. You disagree with more parent control over their children? I see it as an issue like this. If two parents cant afford to have one stay home, they will probably complain. "What about me?" But to me, the idea of "household" income for married couples is a no-brainer. Im common-law and I hate the distinction. But the government tells me Im married whether I like it or not. I just think the idea of a combined income is reasonable and makes sense in keeping with how most couples generally behave (ie. they dont make a big distinction between each other's income). And I think most people would agree that children being raised by their parents as opposed to spending most of their time in day-care is a good thing. I have no issue with parents who both work. Its needed in many cases. But surely we agree that a child having at least one parent around 100% of the time is the ideal.

Yeah I guess there;s a slight obstruction for the stairs going down and that one guys head. Otherwise its similar to how it was before. Im not sure I'd be too bothered. Im sure everyone will whine about it a few weeks and then forget about it. Just found it funny how Darren was taking the "everyone is telling me this..." thing. He's a great follow on twitter if you pretend its a parody account. Reading some more about the obstructed views it seems more that they used more poles than needed. Perhaps they can clean that up a bit. Worse case scenario, those first three rows or so get discounted as "obstructed view".

Well at least he got his big WrestleMania win...oh wait. Well at least he got to put over a great young talent at WrestleMania...oh wait.

Freep: If you needed evidence the Conservative Party is worried about the federal election campaign, you got it this week in Manitoba. Making a rare second stop in Manitoba, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper stunned observers on Tuesday by announcing a Tory government would, if re-elected, negotiate a settlement with First Nations to develop the former Kapyong Barracks land in southwest Winnipeg. The former Kapyong Barracks sits on 100 acres of prime real estate along Kenaston Boulevard in Tuxedo. PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES The former Kapyong Barracks sits on 100 acres of prime real estate along Kenaston Boulevard in Tuxedo. Photo Store National Defence abandoned the Kapyong site nearly 14 years ago, moving military personnel to Shilo, near Brandon. A group of First Nations from southern Manitoba immediately expressed interest in acquiring the land with Treaty Land Entitlement monies. Federal legislation allows First Nations to get a first shot at acquiring surplus federal lands. However, since the First Nations stepped forward to make a claim on the Kapyong lands, the Conservative government has used every political and legal tool at its disposal to keep the land in limbo. Harper’s announcement is the equivalent of a blink, a gesture that reveals just how concerned the Conservatives are about the way things are shaping up in the election campaign. The consensus going into this election was that to win, all Harper had to do was campaign on pledges and policies that resonated with the core of his support. The Tory core has long been considered to be slightly larger, and profoundly more committed, than the core of support for the NDP and Liberals. With the opposition parties at risk of splitting the centre-left vote, Conservatives believed there was virtually no chance they could lose the election. However, a series of campaign missteps have threatened to weaken the foundation of the once-dominant Tory base. The most impactful of these has been the very ugly, very public trial of Tory Sen. Mike Duffy on fraud and bribery charges. The trial provided a daily gutting of the innermost workings of the Prime Minister’s Office, the details of which dominated news in the first month of the election campaign. The testimony revealed a government rife with partisan manipulation. The exhibition of all that dirty laundry coincided with a very modest, but very significant, decline in support for the Tories nationally. The politics of the Kapyong decision, as expressed by Harper, is extremely complex for the Conservatives. There is little doubt that all of the foot-dragging and legal wrangling that Ottawa engineered on this file was a direct reflection of the distaste Tories had for the idea of First Nations owning some of the toniest real estate in Winnipeg. Land that was located smack-dab in the middle of a Tory-held riding -- Winnipeg South Centre. Doing everything they could to frustrate the First Nations trying to acquire the Kapyong lands was, to put it bluntly, a real winner for the Conservative base. Tory insiders have long confirmed that regardless of the right and wrong of the issue, the Conservative base does not like the idea of "urban reserves" being developed in non-aboriginal communities. It mattered little to the core of the Tory base that there are successful First Nation urban reserves all over Western Canada that demonstrate the net benefit they can be to local economies. Or, that the First Nations interested in the Kapyong lands have indicated that they are looking to establish high-value, high-yield real estate developments, exactly what any private owner would seek. Although their tactics may have infuriated First Nations and core supporters of other parties, it was an effective dog whistle for the Tory base, many of whom had ugly and ill-informed images of VLT lounges and gas bars dancing in their heads. All that makes Harper’s decision to relent on Kapyong very intriguing. This is not going to be popular with hardcore Tory voters but the strategy behind Harper’s decision seems fairly simple: use this change in position to appeal to some soft Conservative supporters who either don’t care who owns and develops Kapyong, or who think urban reserves are not all that scary. With some national polls showing the Conservatives slipping into third place, Harper is now forced to wager that he can compromise on core policies enough to retain his hardcore base and win back some soft support. The simple fact is that there are no longer enough hardline conservatives left to propel the Tories to power. However, Harper is running the risk that these gestures, coming very late in a very long campaign, will fail to win back soft support. Even worse, that core supporters – voters who would not vote NDP or Liberal under any circumstances – will look at moves like this and decide not to vote at all on October 19. No matter how you look at it, this is a desperate play late in a campaign that has not gone according to plan. So desperate, in fact, that Harper is now going to his base and asking them to compromise on issues and policies that strike deep at the heart of what they hold dear. There are instances in politics where desperation can produce results. Most time, however, it’s a last-gasp strategy for a politician who has suddenly realized the jig is up. dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca

Winnipegger Kenny Omega regained the IWGP (New Japan) World Junior Heavyweight Championship earlier today in Japan. For those unfamiliar with New Japan or this title, New Japan is the second biggest promotion in the world and are to Japan what WWE is to America. The championship is very respected and has been held by such notables as Owen Hart, Chris Benoit, Jushin Liger, Ultimo Dragon, Mistico, Finn Balor etc. Coincidentally, you can see the new champion LIVE in Winnipeg Saturday Oct 3rd at Doubles Bar where he will face his former mentor Mentallo (formerly of CMLL, DDT Japan etc). Any discussion of the best wrestlers to come out of Winnipeg must include Omega in the debate. Tremendous accomplishment.

Are you for real? I sure hope not. Income splitting seems like a common sense thing to me. And if those that can afford it choose to have one parent (doesnt have to be the woman) stay home full or part time to raise children, I see no problem with that...thats a good thing.

Wheeler was barely noticeable? He and Scheif were buzzing everytime they were on the ice, I thought. I heard there is an attempt to get #LogeGate trending as some people complained about the obstructed views. Although the one comparison pic I saw didnt indicate much of a difference between this year and last. But Darren Ford, King of the Jets was trying to get it going on twitter.

You think his skill is too far below them? I wonder of Stafford and Ehlers could switch at some point...

Kapyong Barracks court decision won't be appealed, says Stephen Harper 'We're not that far away from a settlement agreement on Kapyong,' says First Nation leader ***made this announcement in Winnipeg. Should clear the way to finally settle this and get on with Kenaston widening.

Raffl was ok. He's a big body certainly. It's still early but I wouldn't be surprised if he's offered a spot with the Moose. I go back to Ehlers, Burmi, Perreault never played together before. One of those guys is a rookie. Another just came back after two years. To me the sky's the limit and if they showed this skill and puck possession in game one imagine how they will be by game two.

Yeah but you can't take all the risk out. Unless they want to go back to taped shows and use stuntmen. They've cut a lot of moves out for minimal risk. At seth level he should be able to throw knees without breaking a mans face. But stiff shots will always happen in a business where you have to make everything look real.

Thoughts on the game? I was somewhat multi tasking but what I saw: - the new top nine might work out. I thought both top lines generated chances and controlled play - noticed Lemieux and Armia more than Copp. I think both played well. I was somewhat surprise by how calm Armia seemed and had a few flashes of talent. - ehlers has speed to burn. He has a great shot too and shot plenty but it's weird I come away thinking he could shoot more. That whole line is really really skilled though and gritty enough even with a lack of size to be successful. Three guys with zero experience plying together. A little time and chemistry and they could be deadly. - Scheif looks very good. - Pavs was great. Helle was great. Certainly Helle looked the part of an NHL goalie but his time and work load was limited. - 3on3 is ridiculous and when games count is going to give me a heart attack. It's very exciting and very entertaining but it's not pro hockey. I don't like it. But I reserve the right to grow to love it. - new scoreboard and other improvements look great. The new ribbon board and LED signs really stand out on TV.

Lawless is the stupidest sports writer in Winnipeg. I won't read his crap and if he is ever on TV I mute it. Your loss

The Avalanche announced on Tuesday that defenseman Erik Johnson has signed a seven-year contract extension that will take him through the 2022-23 season. The deal reportedly is worth $42 million for a salary cap hit of $6 million. Johnson, 27, was under contract through this season with a cap hit of $3.75 million. He could have been an unrestricted free agent after the season. ***how does this influence Buff

It was a knee but he didn't throw any knees the last two shows. Lol The buckle bomb is generally safe but by that point in the night Seth was exhausted and having trouble holding sting aloft. And sting hasnt wrestled much. When you work every night your body gets used to bumping. But when you don't it feels worse. But the sting injury was just one of those things. Guys of all ages get hurt. We'll see if the buckle bomb is kept out of seth's moveset

@CTVAnchor: NB Premier says NDP has not discussed $15/day daycare with him, doesn't know where claim of NB's support comes from. @CTVAtlantic #canpoli

Slightly faster. though the hours-long discussion about the correct nickname of Maurice rendered the time savings moot.

In the random news section, all Mac's stores will be re-branded as Circle K. When I was a kid, Mac's was the "cool" alternative to 7-11. So this is a sad day. Hopefully they keep their Cherry Dr Pepper Froster though (and the extra wide straws). Those rock.

Good grief. There should be an intelligence test to run for office.

Peter Tessier: The Jets face the Wild tonight for their first pre-season game of the training camp season. The part of tonight’s game that is of interest is the line combinations and as of now we will finally see what Paul Maurice wants to look at. At least we can begin to speculate on what he is looking at. Stafford Scheifele Wheeler Perreault Burmistrov Ehlers Lemieux Copp Armia Thorburn Petan Raffl Enstrom Byfuglien Stuart Trouba Morrissey Kitchton Pavelec The quick takeaway from this line up is Maurice wants so see his younger, less-known players in a line up that resembles what might be seen in the regular season. While it seems odd to put Petan, a skilled playmaking centre on a line with Thorburn, he is playing with Raffl who is a big, skilled winger that has come over from the Swiss league and is the brother of Michael Raffl from the Flyers. Ehlers, Lemieux, Copp, Armia Morrissey, Kichton, Petan and Raffl are all getting the first pro look tonight, and to a lesser extent Burmistrov too as he makes his return to the NHL. It’s a balanced roster of verteran presence with a youthful injection of prospects which according to all indication and analysis this past summer is what Jets fans can expect to see but not quite to this degree. The above-mentioned players are fighting for spots, with established vets and among themselves. As it’s been said in this space before it will be hard for Morrissey to crack the roster and probably less likely for Kichton but viewing their games is important. Maurice and Chevy need to know who is ready to be called up when injuries inevitably hit the team and it always seems to start with defence. The line that is the most intriguing among the forwards is the Perreault Burmistrov Ehlers line as it represents what could be a very realistic line come the regular season, but that mostly depends on the play of Ehlers. Perreault and Burmistrov are ‘possession darlings’ and drive the play through their puck control and handling. Perreault is a tenacious fore-checker and Burmistrov, if Jets fans recall, was the same on the PK when he was paired with Kane. Both of these players have more than a north-south game could be the magic elixr to feed the future ‘scoring-winger’ Ehlers. As with former Jet, Evander Kane, Burmistrov could play a pivotal role with setting up and doing the so-called ‘spade work’ before Ehlers gets the reward. That reward is scoring opportunities and shots and Ehlers has to match the tenacity of his line mates if he expects opportunities to appear. The other line that should be of interest is Lemieux-Copp-Armia. Brendan Lemieux has come to camp and raised some eye-brows from fans who have seen him thus far. He comes with a reputation of hard play and having former NHLer Claude Lemieux as a father probably only exaggerates what people see and expect. But what about Armia? He played a bit with the IceCaps last season but had little impact with 2 goals and 8 assists in 21 games. In fairness to the player, no one had much impact on the Ice Caps last year aside from Conner Hellebyuck. Andrew Copp is another player to watch and seemingly the heir apparent to the 4th line centre position held by former Jet stalwart Jim Slater. Is it likely that this trio stays as a line? Probably not this season but it’s not too far-fetched to think that Maurice sees something that would make him think about the future. As mentioned above this is about seeing players in the bigger setting and how they play and knowing where these three sit is going to be important. There is less intrigue in the defence pairings as it’s a pretty much WSYWYG situation, what you see is what you get. Icing two veteran pairs and letting Morrissey and Kichton go together gives Maurice the comparison view of who is a better call-up if necessary, but that is assuming neither starts in Winnipeg which I think is a safe assumption. While Stafford Scheifele and Wheeler take top line duties tonight it will be the lines below who are the ones to watch as the Jets host the Wild to open their NHL pre-season schedule. ****Whats the thought on Raffl?? Intriguing guy. Big body, experienced...