Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn. Cheap Avalanche Jerseys .ca. Hi Kerry, Love reading your column and loved watching your analysis on the TSN broadcasts!And were now in Round 2! Bruins! Canadiens! We know all about the great games of the past from the players, the broadcasters and the writers. How many games have you officiated between these two teams and what memories do you have from them?Kenneth Wilder,Montreal Kenneth: I worked far too many games between these two great Original Six Adams Division rivals during my 30 year NHL career to even count. What I will never forget is the intense energy that was created both on the ice and in the stands whenever these two teams met. The Bruin teams that general manager Harry Sinden assembled always had some scary dudes in the lineup to deal with over the years. The Big Bad Bruins were best known for playing a tough, intimidating, yet hard-working style that often made it a challenge for any referee to keep things under control. Players such as Wayne Cashman, Terry OReilly, Stan Jonathan or Jay Miller, just to mention a few, could usually be counted upon to make my life interesting. Star players like Raymond Bourque, Rick Nifty Middleton, and power forwards Al Secord and Cam Neely balanced the Bruins attack. I saw Jean Ratelle at the end of his career as a Boston Bruin and recall that Mr. Ratelle was one of the finest gentlemen I ever dealt with on the ice. Montreal tended to prefer a speed and finesse game led by the grace and skill of Guy Lafleur but they had their share of top notch muckers, grinders and checkers as well. Bob Gainey, Guy Carbonneau, Brian Skrudland, Mike Keane, Ryan Walter, Kirk Muller were all examples of Hab players that played a 200 foot game that was instilled by a long list of Hab coaches. Some of the best fights I witnessed involved John Kordic of the Habs. Mario Tremblay was a guy that played the game the right way and could really fight as well. I would be remiss if I didnt mention my new bestie Chris Nilan who I always had to keep a sharp eye on when he played for both the Canadiens and the Bruins! One of the most bizarre lines of defense I ever heard from a player in a league hearing came from Nuckles after I assessed the Canadiens tough guy a match penalty for knocking Nifty Middletons teeth out with a butt-end (Nucks still insists it was his glove). The incident took place in a game in the Bruins end zone, well away from the play and as the puck was moving up ice. Fortunately I snapped my head back toward Nilan in the perfect moment to catch the strike on Middleton. At the subsequent hearing held in the NHL boardroom in Montreal I got the cold icy stare from Nuckles when he arrived with team general manager Serge Savard. League disciplinarian, V.P. Brian ONeill, read my game report and the asked Chris if he had anything to say on his behalf. In a thick Boston accent Nucks said, "Yah, I got something to say for myself; Kerry Fraser picks on me and gives me more penalties than any other referee in the league. Whenever Im on the ice hes always watching me. Just to prove my point, if he had of been watching what he should have been (the puck and play going up ice) he wouldnt have seen me butt-end Middleton in the mouth!" Serge Savard practically spit his coffee all over the board room table following Nilans unusual line of defense. Brian ONeill suspended Chris for eight games, which at the time was substantial (Catch Nuckles on his terrific show on TSN Radio Montreal. Chris picks on me now as a frequent guest on his radio show). As we approach Game 1 tonight of the 34th such playoff series between the Bruins and the Canadiens, I will share two personal experiences. The first involves the classy superstar and HHOF member Raymond Bourque. After the national anthem and prior to the opening puck drop, Bourque approached me quietly and advised me to be sure to move away from the dot at center ice quickly if his center ice man won the faceoff cleanly back to him. If that were to happen, Bourque said he was going to pound the puck at the Montreal net to try and catch Patrick Roy off guard. Sure enough, the puck was drawn back cleanly to Raymond. The Bruin wound up for a slapper with his head up but noticed that I got caught up in the wingers behind me and was unable to clear the spot. Instead of blasting the puck, Bourque froze his pose in the back swing. My life practically passed before my eyes but the deliberate pregnant pause allowed me to back away before Raymond pounded the puck through the very spot that I had been standing a moment earlier. Game on as Roy made the save. The other involves a fan that was either drunk, out of control, or most likely both. In a very tough game I had just assessed a penalty and was standing in the referee crease during a commercial timeout and as the players stood at their respective bench. An empty 26 ounce Seagrams whiskey bottle flew out of the upper level of the Forum and landed at center ice. The bottle hit the ice flat, didnt break and began to spin as it moved in my direction. The bottle then struck the dasher kick plate beside my skate and amazingly still did not break. I picked the empty bottle of 5 Star off the ice and handed it to the penalty timekeeper. Even though these incidents occurred in different games from different playoff seasons, I had two narrow misses; one from a Raymond Bourque slap shot while the other was a flying whiskey bottle. Ray demonstrated the class I always experienced from the Bs superstar. The only positive thing I can say about the classless fan is that at least he drained the contents of the bottle prior to throwing it! I expect an emotional, tough series between these two old Adams Division rivals. Avalanche Jerseys 2020 . It was the first game back in Columbus for Rangers star Rick Nash, the Blue Jackets franchise leader in goals, assists and games. He was given a standing ovation during a video tribute in the first period, but was booed loud and long after a second-period, two-handed shove up high on Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. Colorado Avalanche Gear . Ribery terrorized the Schalke defence throughout and put the home side ahead in the 36th minute when he chipped the goalkeeper before stroking the ball into the empty net. The French winger struck again after the interval, combining with Thomas Mueller on the left before firing a deflected shot beyond the helpless Timo Hildebrand in the 55th, as Bayern bounced back from Wednesdays 1-0 loss at FC Basel in the Champions League. https://www.cheapavalanche.com/ . Some teams got significantly better, some teams divested themselves of talent and some teams had quiet afternoons, keeping the status quo.SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Russell Wilson has enjoyed spending time with the Texas Rangers. Yet the Seattle Seahawks are never far from the young quarterbacks mind. While Wilson sat in the Texas Rangers dugout Monday, fans yelling "Seahawks" filled the spring training stadium. "I couldnt expect anything less," Wilson said. "The 12th man fans were unbelievable today. Theyre everywhere. The 12th man fans are out in the outfield, theyre on third-base line, first-base line, chanting Seahawks the whole way. Hopefully the Dallas fans didnt get too mad." Wilson threw for 3,357 yards and 26 touchdowns and helped the Seattle Seahawks rout the Denver Broncos 43-8 in the Super Bowl last month. He also happens to be a pretty good baseball player, drafted three times and hitting .229 with a .350 on-base percentage in 93 games in 2010-11 in the low minors in the Colorado Rockies system. But hes had instant success in the NFL. "You never say never," Wilson said. "Ive always had the dream of playing two sports. If somehow it was a miracle that it could work out, Id consider it. At the same time, my focus is winning the championship with the Seattle Seahawks and hope to be playing for a long time. "For me, it only being my second year, yeah I won a Super Bowl and all that, but thats not enough for me. It really isnt. My goal is to be one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game, if not the best. Ive got a long ways to go. I make sure I get up earlier than Tom Brady and Drew Brees and theyre on the East Coast." The Rangers picked Wilson for $12,000 in the Rule 5 minor league draft in December. He was in the Rangers camp Monday, took ground balls in morning drills and broought the Rangers lineup to the umpires before the game, but did not play in the 6-5 loss to Cleveland. Colorado Avalanche Shirts. "How much did I want to play an inning?" Wilson said. "How much did I want to play the whole game is the question." He spoke at a Rangers dinner on Sunday night for sponsors, suite holders and players and addressed the minor leaguers Monday night. He said he would leave Tuesday for Seattle and "turn my focus back to football." So what is most difficult, hitting a curveball or being hit by a 300-pound defensive end? "Hitting a curveball," Wilson said. "The ball is so small. It looks like a pea." Wilson worked on throws and pivots at second base in a group with young infielders Jurickson Profar, Luis Sardinas and Rougned Odor. "He surprised me for not being out on the baseball field for a while," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "I might have burned his legs up a little bit, but he made it through all the drills and did a fantastic job. Hes got tremendous aptitude. Thats why he is who he is. You give him something and he knows how to apply it." Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus said Wilson is athletic enough to make it in baseball. "Hes got pretty good hands," Andrus said. "Ive got to see him hit so I can answer that, but so far what I saw today it was pretty impressive." The Surprise Stadium shops selling official Major League gear, predominantly displayed Wilsons Rangers No. 3 jersey. The one on Wilsons back, however, will not be sold. "The uniform, man, Im definitely hanging this up," Wilson said. "Im gonna get a few of these and put them up around the house." ' ' '