GM Readies A Plan To Compensate Crossover Owners

Salem... Been there a couple of times in the mid 1980s.  Have family in Boston.  Hence another easy reason as to why I defected from being a Habs fan to being a Bruins fans.    Salem... I remember visiting the witches houses and the cemetery and all that.  It wasnt as touristy then as it is now. Both of my kids went to Boston and Salem a couple of years ago with their respective school trips and when I saw their pictures, I never recalled the touristy shops and all that.   Anyway, I was never that big of a Halloween guy until I visited Salem my very first time in 1985.  I distinctly and fondly  remember taking an interest in Ichabod Crane  and the headless horseman after that trip...   

Good morning!!! I used to be a Canadiens fan.  They broke my heart in 1984. They treated Guy Lafleur like shyte and  forced a decision on him to retire hastily.  He didnt see himself playing anymore  if he wasnt wearing a Habs jersey.  but it was the way they treated him PUBLICLY that made him to quit hockey. Just like they did with their other superstars of the then past. Maurice Richard was also treated like shyte when he retired from playing but became a coach for the Habs. Before my time but was still a legend in my eyes as he was and STILL is for many Montrealers.  And the Habs continued on with treating their stars like crap with the likes of Patrick Roy and Guy Charbonneau but I was long past a Habs fan then.   But I digress.  They also were a hypocritical hockey club.  Sayin' they better than the rest of toughness of the rest of the league. Because they play and win with pure talent. And even as a young fan, I knew that was hogwash. So...between the Habs organization treating my favorite  player Guy Lafleur like shyte and watching a very dirty team at that time with an elbows up player (in real legit hockey terms) Craig Ludwig and Chris Chelios and goons Chris Nilan and John Kordic I said...screw the Habs and went on to liking the Bruins. Why Boston? Because: 1. They had a Montreal born hero playing for them. Raymond Bourque.    French Canadian and I liked the fact that Ray was French and from Montreal I could cling on to and cheer for. 2. They eventually got Cam Neely. A power forward that played hard, hit hard but was clean. No goonery.   3. I like rock em' sock em' hockey.  It IS the Canadian way.   Canada plays this way. Canada invented the game after all.  And THIS is the way Canada plays hockey. Rough and tough with a side of skill.  The Bruins play this way. They hit cleanly. Boston Bruins hockey is NOT goonery. Even in the Big Bad Bruins hey day of the 1970s, the Bruins were NEVER dirty. The Flyers on the other hand were.   The Habs had grit and were tough also. The Habs do NOT win 6 Stanley Cups from 1970-1979 including 4 in a row from 1976-1979 and have the best team ever lace up when the Big bad Bruins and the Broad Street Bullies are a thing WITHOUT being a tough team themselves. The difference is though that they had just a TAD more skill than the other 2.  But it helps when Montreal had the EXCLUSIVE  rights to draft Quebec players.  That right ended for the 1970 year I think, but the other teams were not quite ready to scout Quebec born players yet. So that advantage was still an advantage that Montreal had.   4. Because the Bruins play Canada hockey, the Bruins had a Montreal star playing for them, it was a natural fit for me to skip camp. 5. NOW in 2025 though... Trump has made me LOATHE the usa and in turn HATE EVERYTHING american. INCLUDING the Boston Bruins.  But...there is a small thing with that.  I still like the Bruins. Just as I ALWAYS had a small affinity with the Habs. I never really stopped liking the Habs. I HATED the Habs, but was proud of my city and its rich hockey history which in turn made me still like the Habs a little all of these years me saying I hated them.   The Habs are no longer that hypocritical team acting all snug and all and they had  as many goons as everybody else playing a dirty part of the game. The Habs are FINALLY the team they always said they were. A skill first team.  So that is a bonus for me to being loyal to my home town team again.  And the Habs are not a push over either. They got toughness and are no longer ignoring the fact that they too, have tough players and those players are necessary to win...  So... I think the roles have reversed. I am now a full Habs loving fanatic. And the Bruins now play a very small role in my heart.   David Pastrnak scoled his 400th goal in the NHL.   Chara in the HOF. Patrice Bergeron next year in the HOF.  My favorite player at his retirement from the game 2 years ago or so.  Brad Marchand when he retires is next for HOF.   #33 will be retired this January.  #37 soon enough. Probably in January of 2027.  #63 eventually.    Now though, I cheer for the Habs Demidov. A russian rookie superstar in the making.  Probably the face of the NHL in the years to come.  Suzuki too.  Caulfield and Lane Hutson. 2 *ahem* americans that are going to be superstars in their own right. Especially Hutson. A very good offensive defenseman.  He will be top 3 defensemen in the league in the near future.   The Habs right now are exciting to watch.  And only better things are going to happen as another Russian phenom is going to join the Habs this spring. Demidov's friend.  And if Demidov will not be the league franchise player, this dude will be.  Great time to be a Habs fan again. And all thanks to idiot47.   Thank you for making me love my city, my country even more than I do Donald.   

Interesting that a couple top people at Tesla quit this week, the manager or lead engineer for the Cybertruck and one of the other appliances left.  

Harvard Museum of art, fantastic example of its era.  Salem was a fantastic city to visit a few weeks ago, love the architecture.  On the sad side of things, economy is tanking and not working for a lot of people.   

Back at the truck after a night ride... Parked at a local fast food place when I was getting a coffee to go... A turned vessel, about 6 inches high. Gave to a co worker, she was happy with it.