After Hull left, Roenick took over as the unofficial mouth of the NHL. I’m not talkin’ ambassadors; I’m talking opinionated guys who ruffle a few feathers and tell it like it is. Now that Roenick’s on his way out, who can take the mantle and become the NHL’s answer to Shaq?

Don’t say Sean Avery. He’s too mean-spirited and all about shock value, so I don’t like his hockey odds of taking over the role. Martin Biron? He’s mouthy enough, but he doesn’t have an audience. Who cares about Biron? Jason Spezza’s chatty but a bit too benign.

So who? Well, I don’t know if I have a winner yet, but a few names have potential. Maxime Talbot is a colorful character in Pittsburgh and is very respected. Two blueliners in Toronto also have potential – Mike Komisarek and Luke Schenn – but they still have a ways to go before they’re as colorful as Roenick or Hull.

Maybe we simply haven’t met the new Mouth of the NHL yet. Time will tell