Not since the O.J. Simpson debacle has a pair of gloves caused such a ruckus.
If ol' Johnnie Cochran was on the right side of the grass today, he'd have another chance to utter a catch phrase for an entire new generation after what transpired in Montreal Thursday.
Remember "if the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit?"
Only difference, of course, is that even Johnnie might have a tough time reaching for a word that rhymes with "morons."
Turns out the press in Montreal nearly wet the bed Thursday when a pair of blue and red gloves bearing Hossa's name were delivered to the Bell Centre, leading a few ink-stained geniuses to conclude that Marian Hossa was en route to La Belle Province.
If they were waiting for Hossa, they missed him. One just left. His name was Marcel, Marian's brother, and he plays for the Rangers who, coincidentally, also wear red and blue AND played in Montreal a few nights back.
So much for Jofa-gate. Nice scoop, boys.
Good thing there wasn't an extra jock hanging from a hook in the dressing room, otherwise television sets all over Montreal would have tuned in to breaking news of Jiri Tlusty being traded to the Canadiens. Oops. Never mind. Tlusty has a habit of, uh, not wearing a jock.
Welcome, my friends, to the stupid season.
And get used to it. The gong show will only get wackier as we get closer and closer to Tuesday at three bells.
So far, Mats Sundin has been rumored to land in every city west of Toronto, even with his no-trade clause. Olli Jokinen is headed to so many locales he may just head to the airport and wait for a call telling him which plane to board. Speculation swirled when Valtteri Filppula announced he had been traded on his Facebook page (now that could turn out to be a classic spoof). Players miss a pre-game warmup with the flu and an APB is put out.
And that is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to outlandish rumors and proposals.
Just sit back and enjoy the approaching deadline.
The ride is just beginning.