ESPN

Hockey has had two unfortunate incidents recently involving racist and homophobic behavior. The Flyers' Wayne Simmonds had a banana thrown at him during a game on Sunday, and now, he's being accused of calling Sean Avery a homophobic slur. Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke thinks the league should take action against Simmonds if he said what he's accused of saying, but what's your take?

Vote: Can sports be an instrument for social change?

• "I wonder if the NHL is going to adopt a sensitivity training course for its players now. I know they want to have a clean image as the other sports are doing but why stop at just using one group? This is getting out of hand of what can or cannot be said anymore." -- SN commenter jaybird55395

How should Wayne Simmonds be punished for his alleged homophobic slur against Sean Avery?

•  
  17%
  Suspension
•  
  20%
  Large fine
•  
  27%
  Small fine
•  
  36%
  No fine

(Total votes: 4,169)

We can understand if you don't want to take the time to grade your tech-support help on the other end of the telephone, but when we're talking about the dollars and emotion you've invested in sports, we think it's worth the effort. It's time for ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings, in which SportsNation grades organizations on everything from ticket prices and stadium experience to the talent on the field, court or rink. Which team will end up on top this year? It depends on what you say.

Take part in the 2011 MLB survey
2010 MLB Ultimate Standings
1. Los Angeles Angels (Overall: No. 3)
2. Tampa Bay Rays (Overall: No. 6)
3. Colorado Rockies (Overall: No. 13)
4. Minnesota Twins (Overall: No. 14)
5. Atlanta Braves (Overall: No. 15)

Take part in the 2011 NFL survey
2010 NFL Ultimate Standings
1. New Orleans Saints (Overall: No. 1)
2. Indianapolis Colts (Overall: No. 4)
3. Green Bay Packers (Overall: No. 9)
4. Arizona Cardinals (Overall: No. 19)
5. Baltimore Ravens (Overall: No. 20)

Take part in the 2011 NBA survey
2010 NBA Ultimate Standings
1. Orlando Magic (Overall: No. 2)
2. San Antonio Spurs (Overall: No. 7)
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (Overall: No. 10)
4. Dallas Mavericks (Overall: No. 24)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder (Overall: No. 25)

Take part in the 2011 NHL survey
2010 NHL Ultimate Standings
1. Pittsburgh Penguins (Overall: No. 5)
2. Detroit Red Wings (Overall: No. 8)
3. Washington Capitals (Overall: No. 11)
4. San Jose Sharks (Overall: No. 12)
5. Chicago Blackhawks (Overall: No. 16)

1. Which Philadelphia team is most likely to win a title?

These are good days in Philadelphia. You might even be to walk around in a Santa suit without taking snowball fire. And why not? The Phillies added Cliff Lee. The Eagles are flying high with Michael Vick. And the Flyers ended the Penguins' winning streak and claimed the NHL's best record in doing so. Best title bet? NHL Power Rankings

• "'Flyers are incredibly deep on both at both fwd & D. Only issue was goaltending and well its been pretty solid so far." -- SN commenter gally155

• Vote: Which goalie would you rather have between the pipes?
• Rank 'Em: Who are the Conn Smythe favorites?
• More from ESPN.com: Flyers have too many wins to be Cinderella.

Anyone who resides in Chicago knows not to mess with goats. Or curses. And especially goats that might carry curses. Jonathan Toews may be only 22 years old, and he may be a Winnipeg native, but he clearly knows there is way too much negative sports history in the Windy City to start spitting (teeth) in karma's face.

After beating the Sharks in the Western Conference finals, Toews, who doubles as captain of the Blackhawks, wouldn't touch the Clarence Campbell Bowl, honoring a hockey superstition that players shouldn't touch any trophy that doesn't carry Lord Stanley's name. But after polishing off the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference finals, Flyers captain Mike Richards showed no such caution in snatching the Prince of Wales Trophy (which, by the way, the Duchess of York can get you a really good deal on).

The experts can talk about which team's defense is best or whether or not Michael Leighton can keep standing on his head in goal for the Flyers. We say go ahead and give Toews the Conn Smythe Trophy already. Just don't expect him to hold it.

bobby (miss)

who will have a better career towes or kane

Scott Burnside

bobby; That's sort of like the Betty and Veronica question (not that I'm comparing Patrick Kane to Betty. Or Veronica.) I think of Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg in their prime in terms of two dynamic players who had distinct personalities and skill sets. Sakic and Toews are similar in terms of their leadership and all-around games while Kane may be the more dynamic and produce more points. If they can keep them both it's a pretty good debate for a team to have. Full transcript

TK (Chicago)

Is Toews the best player in the NHL right now? I get Crosby and Ovi are great offensive threats, but Toews can play 5on5, PP, PK, assist, score goals, block shots. There isn't anything he can't do where you can't say the same for Crosby and Ovi.

ESPN Chicago's Jesse Rogers

Tough one to answer. Sid can do all those things too. He and Ovi have more natural talent. If you lined them up, most GM's would take Sid, I believe, but Toews is rite there. What a stud to have as your captain and he's only 22. Full transcript

• Vote: Will the NHL playoffs or Olympics define Sidney Crosby's year?
• Rank 'Em: Are the Canadiens one of the most illustrious franchises in pro sports?
• Talk about the NHL playoffs: Barry Melrose, 3:30 ET | Matthew Barnaby, 4 ET
• More from ESPN.com: Scott Burnside on a no-show from the Penguins.

The Montreal Canadiens just did something unprecedented in the history of the modern NHL playoffs (all right, so that only goes back to when the current format was adopted in 1994). The last team to make the playoffs this season, Les Habitants made an amazing run through the defending Stanley Cup champions and the current holders of the Presidents Trophy, not to mention perhaps the three best players in the sport in Alex Ovechkin, Sideny Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, en route to the Eastern Conference finals. Even Penguins fans could offer only praise.

• "Welp, how many cliches can I throw at you? About as many shots Jaroslav Halak stopped for the Canadians in this series. For the Canadians it was the same script just a different team.
  "The Habs played great hockey in their first to rounds of these playoffs. Incredibly sound fundamentally. Not only Halak, but defensively as well. It seemed they were always in great defensive position. Not allowing the Pens to have to many odd man rushes. Defensemen not getting caught up ice. The forwards were always in the right position on a relentless forecheck. And the Habs were patient, very patient. making thier scoring chances count!" -- Read SportsNation blogger Justin6812's full post.

It's a feat to last a lifetime. ... Or 48 hours, depending on what the Philadelphia Flyers do in Boston when the pucks drops Friday in Game 7 against the Bruins. As stunning as the Canadiens run is, would it be more surprising than the Flyers completing a comeback from a 3-0 deficit against the Bruins?

Gerry (San Francisco, CA)

Pierre, how great will it be for the NHL to have a Boston vs Montreal Eastern Conference Final, considering the rivalry they have?

Pierre LeBrun

That would be terrific given all the history.... An Original Six clash for the Eastern title? Beauty. Full transcript | LeBrun's blog

It's just like the census, only this one is fun and doesn't come in the mail. And nobody from FOX News or MSNBC will yell at you about it. It's time for ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings, in which SportsNation grades organizations on everything from ticket prices and stadium experience to the talent on the field, court or rink. Which team will end up on top this year? It depends on what you say.

Take part in the 2010 MLB survey
2009 MLB Ultimate Standings
1. Los Angeles Angels (Overall: No. 1)
2. Milwaukee Brewers (Overall: No. 7)
3. Tampa Bay Rays (Overall: No. 16)
4. Minnesota Twins (Overall: No. 23)
5. Philadelphia Phillies (Overall: No. 24)

Take part in the 2010 NFL survey
2009 NFL Ultimate Standings
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (Overall: No. 3)
2. Green Bay Packers (Overall: No. 13)
3. Indianapolis Colts (Overall: No. 14)
4. Tennessee Titans (Overall: No. 15)
5. New England Patriots (Overall: No. 19)

Take part in the 2010 NBA survey
2009 NBA Ultimate Standings
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (Overall: No. 5)
2. San Antonio Spurs (Overall: No. 9)
3. New Orleans Hornets (Overall: No. 12)
4. Houston Rockets (Overall: No. 17)
5. Orlando Magic (Overall: No. 18)

Take part in the 2010 NHL survey
2009 NHL Ultimate Standings
1. Carolina Hurricanes (Overall: No. 2)
2. Detroit Red Wings (Overall: No. 4)
3. Washington Capitals (Overall: No. 6)
4. Pittsburgh Penguins (Overall: No. 8)
5. St. Louis Blues (Overall: No. 10)

• Vote: Pick the Hart, Vezina, Norris, Calder and Jack Adams winners.
• Vote: Pick the division, conference and Stanley Cup winners.
• Your Power Rankings: Do the Penguins open the season No. 1?

Believe it or not, the start of the NHL regular season is just about a week away. No, seriously, we're not kidding. We know the leaves haven't turned and summer doesn't actually end until today, but what the heck, it's been, what, at least three or four weeks since the Penguins won the Stanley Cup, right?

Then again, maybe that short offseason helps keep the NHL fresh in SportsNation's mind. A year ago, voters correctly predicted the Red Wings to win the Western Conference and made the Penguins their second choice, behind the Red Wings, to win it all.

Blackhawks star Patrick Kane and ESPN.com writer Scott Burnside stopped by chat Monday to help SportsNation get its ice legs before jetting off to Europe (Burnside to Stockholm for the Red Wings and Blues and Kane to Helsinki for the Blackhawks and Panthers).

Jason (Ellicott City, MD)

You are only rated an 86 in NHL. What is up with that?

Patrick Kane

I think an 86 is pretty good to be honest with you. I think the highest are Crosby and 94 and Ovechkin at 92. I thought I'd be better than Teows, but I am still on the cover. I got him by that. Full transcript

AJ (Champaign, Ill.)

How do the Blackhawks avoid a lull in their performance after they return from Finland?

Scott Burnside

AJ; Good question. The European experiment has been decidedly mixed in terms of how it affects teams. All four coaches who went last year got fired although the Pens did end up winning a Cup. I think the 'Hawks' youth and the nice steady hand of head coach Joel Quenneville will keep them from going off the rails when they get back from Finland. Full transcript

The NHL offseason lasts about as long as it takes the teams that played for the Stanley Cup to get home and do their laundry for training camp (although after eight months of hockey, it takes a few rinses), so we've got to move quickly. Free agency, Hall of Fame, NHL draft; let's show some hustle here, people.

The new Hockey Hall of Fame class includes Steve Yzerman, Luc Robitaille, Brian Leetch and Brett Hull. It doesn't include Alexander Mogilny or Dave Andreychuk.

Early results suggest SportsNation thinks Andreychuk will eventually find his way to Toronto, as will Mogilny, the high-scoring Russian who rocked on the NHL '94 on Sega.

Meanwhile, teams will soon be able to lure future Hall of Famers -- or Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, if you're the Rangers -- when free agency gets underway July 1.

• Are two Sedins better than one? Rank the best free agents.