Besides a great atmosphere, kids having fun, concessions at a price rarely seen, and free parking for all, the Caniac Carnival and Red & White Scrimmage was a great event.  I would guess that many regulars on CC were on a mission to analyze the new team and to determine if the 2011-12 Canes will take the next step and emerge as a playoff team.  I had a few observations (not profound). See them after the jump.

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This is an interesting article written by Jeff Schultz of the AJC in Atlanta regarding the Thrashers imminent move and the impact of winning and posturing for winning have had in ATL: a city about to lose their 2nd NHL franchise. Raleigh and Atlanta are very different as is the contrast between histories of the two Southern hockey franchises.  However, there has been some hearty discussion surrounding the business side of the Hurricanes and how winning impacts the product on the ice.  Check it out.....

http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2011/05/24/cowardly-bettman-ignoring-evidence-of-thrashers-fans/?cxntfid=blogs_jeff_schultz_blog

Former NHL All-Star Nabokov released by Russian club SKA

Published December 13, 2010

| Reuters  MOSCOW (Reuters) - SKA St Petersburg have released former NHL All-Star goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, the Continental Hockey League (KHL) club said Monday.

"The contract has been annulled by mutual consent because of family reasons," the club said on its website (http://www.hc-ska.ru) without giving any details.

Nabokov, 35, has had a disappointing first season in the KHL after signing a four-year contract with the big-spending Russian club, backed by energy giant Gazprom, in July.

He has won only eight of the 22 league games, giving up more than three goals per game. In his last game against lowly Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod Sunday he gave up three goals in less than nine minutes before being pulled out in the first period.

Nabokov decided to return to Russia this year after playing 10 seasons with the San Jose Sharks after the National Hockey League (NHL) club did not offer him a new contract.

The Russian earned $6 million last season in the final year of his five-year deal with the Sharks.

(Reporting by Gennady Fyodorov; editing by Justin Palmer)

A quote from a tireless hiker I once knew: "It's like hitting yourself in the head with a hammer. It feels much better when you stop."

A quote from Mark Richt on Monday: "We’re going to keep banging away until that happens for us. I just hope everybody supports these guys through it all.”

Both quotes seem painful and kind of futile.  One last quote you all know:

"The definition of insanity is........."

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