Here's a link to the article (the typos never made it through to the print copy, thank God):
http://spectrum.buffalo.edu/article.php?id=35500
And here's the full Q&A (five pages on Microsoft Word):
http://spectrum.buffalo.edu/article.php?id=35490
Some highlights from the Q&A:
TS: What do you think the Sabres will do with Brian Campbell?
BM: I think they'll trade him. I don't think they can sign him, or they'd have him signed by now. I think they can't risk losing him for nothing like [former Sabres co-captains Daniel] Briere and [Chris] Drury and even if they're in the playoff hunt I think you'll see Brian Campbell traded. They have to. You can't lose an asset like Brian Campbell for nothing. And you saw that happened last year. They weren't able to sign Drury and Briere and they lose both of those great players for nothing. [Sabres General Manager] Darcy [Regier] can't let that happen again.
TS: Will the Sabres make the playoffs if they trade Campbell?
BM: I think they should. I think the Sabres are one of the best eight teams in the East. With Ryan Miller in net, he looks like he's got his game going. They've got a lot of talent. Unfortunately, a lot of that talent hasn't scored much this year. There's been a lot of guys slumping for the Buffalo Sabres. Connolly, Afinogenov, Kotalik...Vanek, although Vanek's starting to score now, he had 40 some goals last year. He's going to be lucky to get 30 this year. I think they're one of the best eight teams in the east.
TS: Are the New York Rangers a trade away or do they have so many problems they're going to have to go with what they've got?
BM: The Rangers really have a lot of issues. When your most talented player isn't playing very well, like [Rangers captain Jaromir] Jagr, last time I looked he was like 30th in scoring, [or maybe] 40th...I think he has 49 points or something. For a guy making that much money, it's just not enough. [Scott] Gomez and Drury have not been great. They've been OK. But they've got a lot of issues and a lot of decisions to make. They'll make the playoffs because they are so talented. I think it might be like last year where they might lose in one round, but they're not that good of a team right now.
TS: Why isn't anyone talking about the Montreal Canadiens?
BM: I like Montreal. I think right now they're the best team in the East. I like this team a lot. They're one of the fastest teams in the NHL, [and] they've had one of the best special teams all year long. Goaltending with [Carey] Price and [Christobal] Huet is as good as anybody. This is a very good hockey team, very fast, very skilled and yet still pretty good defensively. Montreal is for real. To me, right now, they're the best team in the East.
TS: Do you think Toronto's Mats Sundin will get traded?
BM: I think he should. I think that if Toronto doesn't trade him that shows why Toronto's terrible. They can always re-sign him like St. Louis did with [Keith] Tkachuk [last year], but they've got to get something for him. The thing with Toronto is that they have no young players. You look at Washington - great young players. L.A. - great young players. Chicago - great young players. Toronto has missed the playoffs three years in a row and they don't have any young stars. They don't have any Patrick Kanes or Jonathan Toews [of the Blackhwaks], players like that. So, move Sundin. You'll get a lot for him. He's probably the premier player out there now. Trade him, get draft picks and prospects for him and then re-sign him if you want next season.
TS: With the surge of hockey bloggers, especially now in the press boxes of teams like the Islanders, what's your take on that kind of journalism?
BM: The Internet's great for everything but there still needs to be truth in journalism. The more people that talk about hockey the better, but I see in other area where you can just write whatever you want on the Internet. And I don't think that's right. I think there has to be fact. I think there has to be truth. I think there has to be accountability. I don't think it's good that you can anonymously put anything up there to be read. I still think there has to be accountability. If you can back it up, that's good. That's what journalism is. But I'm afraid there's a lot of stuff being written that has no basis of fact. And I don't think that's good for our sport. But I'm all for hockey fans talking about hockey on the Internet. I think that's great.
TS: What's your favorite part about broadcasting?
BM: I love watching the game. I'm still a hockey fan. I love everything but I just love watching hockey. I'm a sports fan. I love watching all sports but still when I sit down I love watching the game. I think that's still the greatest thing about our sport is our game and I still love watching it.
TS: Barry, final question, what's the secret behind your hair?
BM: Good genes. My father and grandfather both had a full head of hair so hopefully I've been blessed with that also.
Yes, I went there with the mullet.
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