OpenHockeyDB

2008-09-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

Hey. I was meaning to post a bit earlier in the day, but DAMN things got rolling quick.

Started out with our goalie eval at 8:30 am. Then went into our first RED vs WHITE game at 10:30. We had a great turn-out from the fans already which is really encouraging.

Red dominated the first half (the game is split into two 25 min periods) thanks to a pretty quick first line, but White came back in the second. It picked up physically, gloves hit the ice, it's hockey.

Coach Chris Firriolo is leading the youth clinic right now with some of the boys and we're looking forward to our next game at 6:00 pm.

Guys I really like are Jesse Felton and Chris Holmes. They had great chemistry working on the first line for Red throughout the game. I'd love to post more, but I've gotta get back to work.

Thanks to everybody who has come out.

Congressman Anthony Weiner suits up for the Aces....Kind of.

2008-09-05T12:17:00.000-07:00

Representative Anthony D. Weiner (D – Brooklyn and Queens) and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz announced today. The “Brooklyn Aces”, a single ‘A’ level team in the Eastern Professional Hockey League (EPHL), will start their season in November.

Full Article here Congressman Weiner showed he wasn't all talk when he suited up in his Aces jersey at Chelsea Piers later on

Gotta admit, the jersey looks damn good.

Brooklyn Aces. New Team, New League, New Challenges.

2008-09-05T10:43:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the Brooklyn Aces Try-Out Camp! The Aces are part of the new Eastern Professional Hockey League (EPHL).
I've signed on as the equipment manager for what should be an amazing inaugural season.

Our league is starting with five teams:
Brooklyn Aces
Copper City Chiefs (Rome, NY)
Danbury Mad Hatters.
New Hampshire Freeze (Exeter)
New Jersey Rockhoppers (West Orange)

In a 50 game schedule we're going to be seeing an awful lot of each other so I'm pretty sure the rivalries are going to be fierce. I'll be updating here throughout the season to give you a behind the scenes view of life with the Aces.

Today we've got our first Try-Out Camp. Players born and bred in Brooklyn are here as well as guys from Slovakia, Russia, and Australia. Right now we've got our off-ice testing followed by player meetings and on-ice workouts.

Tomorrow we are open to the public from 10:30am-1:45 pm. Fans will be able to watch one of our two games as well as be part of the Aces Youth Clinic.

Stay tuned for more!

Update: Glenn Anderson Interview

2008-08-06T16:32:00.001-07:00

On July 25th I was able to interview 2008 Hockey Hall Of Fame Inductee Glenn Anderson in New York. A video segment of it should be up on HockeyBarn.com as it gets closer to the induction ceremony. I talked to Glenn about his time in Edmonton, his six Stanley Cup rings, and his famous 'stache among many other things.

Hopefully I will have some portions of the interview in text up soon.

Keep checking back!

Introducing the worst team name in hockey

2008-07-10T11:35:00.000-07:00

The Iowa Chops of the AHL!!

The Chops will be the Ducks affiliate beginning this year. The only saving grace is they are no longer the Mighty Ducks. Imagine being on the Chops then getting called up to the Mighty Ducks. For once a guy might beg to be sent down. "Please coach, I suck. I was a minus-5 last night. Send me to Bakersfield. Let me be a Condor!"

Apparently an Iowa Chop is a specific pork chop which is 1.25 inches thick. Yes, it's rich history goes all the way back to 1976!
So, the best name the good folks in Des Moines could come up with is a 32 year old slice of pig that has nothing to do with hockey? I find it hard to believe that the good people of Iowa have produced nothing else in their 162-year statehood to puff out their chests over.. At least they're not the "Chopzzz".

I understand the agricultural significance and I believe it should be emphasized, this is just a pretty atrocious name. Maybe it will grow on us, but it's starting out on an odd foot.

While they held back and did not put skates on a pig, or put a hockey stick in a pig's mouth, the logo is pretty horrific.

It looks like the Arkansas Razorback logo

Mated with the Carolina Panthers logo

with a few chromosomes from Spider-Pig

And and out popped this:

Yes, that is the actual logo and not something I photoshopped as a joke. They plan to wear this logo on the ice in public...I'm ordering a set of jerseys as soon as possible.

New Torspo Surge 150 Gloves

2008-07-08T07:44:00.000-07:00

Just came in yesterday.

We just got the Surge 150s in. Full nylon seems pretty heavy-duty. Not too broken in right out of the bag, I've been working them in over the past half hour and they seem to soften up, but I'm wondering how they feel after a while of real use. The base layer of the palm is pretty soft (similar to the Vapor XVI) and I'm not sure how well it will hold up. The reinforced grip zone makes an odd crease where the thumb meets the palm. It digs in a little, but it may work itself out.

The lining gives me the impression that it might absorb a lot of sweat and get heavier as a game progressed.

As for sizing, they come in 12.5, 13.5, 14.5. I wear a 13" Vapor XXX and was most comfortable in the 13.5" Surge 150.

Jagr Signs In Russia - 2 Years, $7 million per season

2008-07-04T08:34:00.001-07:00

Jaromir Jagr has left the continent! Russian media is reporting that the future Hall Of Famer has signed a $35m contract with Avangard Omsk. The signing comes a day after the New York Rangers landed Canucks winger Markus Naslund using much of the cash they were saving for Jagr. Negotiations between the two clubs had been cagey and in the past few days it became evident that Jagr would not be back with the Blue Shirts.

Jagr had played with Omsk during the lockout and some say it was during his time with the Siberian club that he regained his passion for the game.

Omsk will be a part of the new Continental League (KHL) next year, which has been searching for marquee names to poach from the NHL. Jagr was a prime target as he is a superstar that still has the ability to play with the best. Signing the former Ranger helps lend the league credibility.

So should the NHL be worried yet? No, I don't think so. The KHL is still not a viable option for most NHL stars. The NHL may not be very happy with the New York Rangers for completely mishandling Jagr's situation however.

New NikeBauer 9500 Helmet Pics

2008-07-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

Just got some shots of the new helmet and cage from Nike Bauer. Great looking bucket if you ask me!

Russians Threatening Suspension for Youngsters Who Come to NA

2008-07-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

The New Cold War is getting a bit chillier.

It is being reported that the Russian Ice Hockey Federation is threatening a 4-year suspension from national squads for players who leave their homeland.

While I understand the frustration the Russians may be feeling as they see player after player leave for the NHL, but if true these threats carry a stench of old-school Communist protocol.

If the Russian Federation wants to keep their young stars at home they need to show patience. The formation of the new Continental Hockey League (KHL) could be the foundation for a true rival to the NHL, but so far they are just throwing money at players and hoping they will come. Other important facets like equipment and medical staffs
that are far behind their counterparts in North America, horrific travel, lack of international television distribution and smaller arenas only add to the main concern which is that the most competitive players in the world are still playing in the NHL.

It may take just one name, a star with gas in the tank, to take the bait to add more legitimacy
to the new league. Until the smaller details get taken care of, it will be hard to lure the better players there or keep the promising younger talent home.

FA Day 1: Winners and Losers and all else.

2008-07-01T18:33:00.001-07:00

As Day 1 of Free Agent Season is comes to a close OpenHockeyDB takes a look at the winners and loser so far.

Big Winners:
Chicago:
Who they signed: D Brian Campbell (8 years worth $56.8 million), G Christobal Huet (undisclosed)
In Campbell, Chicago picks up one of the best puck movers from the back in the game. Are they overpaying for Campbell? By the time Campbell is in the fourth year of that deal the 'Hawks will be selling out their season tickets, hitting the post-season, and the salary cap will be somewhere around $245 million.
Huet, a rising young goalie will replace Nikolai Khabibulin between the pipes and looks to be in line with Chicago's rebuilding concept.

Lesser Winners:
New York Islanders:
Who they signed: D Mark Streit (5 years worth $20.5m)
The Islanders are getting one of the NHL's most underrated defenseman at a pretty reasonable price. They didn't sign huge, and it may not be enough to get them into the post-season, but it was still a smart pick-up.

Big Losers:
Toronto:
Who they signed: D Jeff Finger (4 years @ $3.5m per season), G Curtis Joseph (1 year @ $1.5m), LW Niklas Hagman (4 years @ $3m per season)
When the Toronto Maple Leafs announced they had signed Jeff Finger the Leaf faithful bellowed a large collective "WHO?!" When it was announced they would pay him $3.5 million a season for four years the number of gun sales in Canada went through the roof. JEFF FINGER IS MAKING $3.5 MILLION A YEAR!! If that doesn't give the average Joe hope then nothing does.
Thankfully, after using their new handguns, many Leafs fans were spared the news that Toronto had signed Curtis Joseph. That would be 41-year old Curtis Joseph. Toronto's front office capped the day off by overpaying Niklas Hagman by a million dollars. I dare say the Leafs will be begging for the return of Jason Blake in about five months.

Hit and Miss:
New Jersey:
Hit: LW Brian Rolston (4 years worth $20.25m) Jay Pandolfo (3 years worth $7.5m) David Clarkson (2 years $1.675m)
Miss: C Bobby Holik (1 year @ $2.5m) D Bryce Salvador (4 years worth $11.9m)
Hey guys! We're getting the band back together!! Devils GM Lou Lamoriello is bringing back the 1995 Devils! So dust off those Micron Air 90s and Cooper Technoflex gloves and Easton Aluminum sticks! Did he lose Neal Broten's number?
Seriously, the Rolston signing brings in an unbelievable special teams player who still has a ton of gas in the tank. Rolson is coming off three straight 30-goal seasons under defensive czar (and former Devils bench boss) Jacques Lemaire. He will fit well into Sutter's system and the Devils locker room.
Re-signing Pandolfo brings back one of the best shut-down players in the game. Injured most of the season, Pandolfo actually showed a bit of offense in the early part of the year. That he was slowed by injuries may have saved the Devils a ton of cash or a teary goodbye Pando.
The Devils declined their option on versatile winger Sergei Brylin who was a part of all three of New Jerseys Stanley Cup wins as well as their 2001 Cup run. The rationale was to give younger players a chance to prove their worth. So, the Devils signed The fact that Holik gives his all every night may be outweighed by the fact that he publicly admonishes teammates anytime one of them does not abide by his standards. A great defensive forward, Holik may be useful as a fourth liner which is really the only spot for him. Fortunately, he has agreed to play on the fourth line all year. If he does a 180 at any point this could be an ugly $2.5m cap-hit. I've also been told that Holik, a friend of Patrik Elias, may be able to help light a fire under the stalled forward.
As for Bryce Salvador, they have him for $2.9 a year and Colin White for $3m a year. One wonders why they don't just spend $6m on an actual proven #1 defenseman.
Salvador's agent said basically, "We didn't get a no trade clause but the team can't move him. Either he's a steal at $2.9 a year and they won't want to trade him or he will be God-Awful and no team in their right mind will take him!". Well, there's always Toronto.

Under the Radar Moves:
Pittsburgh:
Who they signed: W Pascal Dupuis (3 years @ $1.4m per season)
Dupuis was one of the Pens best players in the post-season this year a year after being one of the few Thrashers to show up against the Rangers in 2007. A tireless penalty killer, Dupuis uses his speed to create chances and is capable of being an effective checker or playing with more skilled players. With all of Pittsburgh's high-end talent Dupuis may prove to be one of the role players that helps the team reach the next level.

What remains:
Where will Sundin and Jagr wind up?
Mats Sundin
Rumored destinations: Vancouver, Detroit, NY Rangers, Montreal
Concrete: Vancouver offered Sundin 2 years at $10 per season. Ok, now pick your spleen off the floor and put it back. $10m a season is a hell of a lot, but it might be enough for a healthy and focused Canuck squad to be a serious Cup contender again. It may also entice UFA and team captain Markus Naslund to stay (if they can get a deal) and light a fire under him. The possibility of Sedin-Sundin-Sedin is alliteration heaven. Now that Detroit has locked up Hossa for 1-year $7.4m, they may not be able to afford Sundin.

Jaromir Jagr
Rumored: NY Rangers Pittsburgh, Russia
Concrete: Omsk offered, will Jagr accept? One rumor had Jagr making a return to Pittsburgh. Crosby and Jagr could be an interesting combination. Dynamite on the ice? Well, wasn't the Gomez-Jagr combo suppose to tear up the league as well? Jagr might also want to bring some cookies for Sid after his harsh words during the playoffs.

NY Post: Shanahan to the Devils?

2008-07-01T06:42:00.000-07:00

The NYPost's Larry Brooks is reporting that NY Rangers winger Brendan Shanahan may sign across the Hudson with the NJ Devils.

Brooks writes:

Rather, The Post has been told to expect the 39-year-old winger to go home again - home to New Jersey to complete the circle of his first-ballot worthy Hall of Fame career that commenced with the Devils New Jersey Devils in 1987-88.

Usually I take anything Larry Brooks writes with a shaker of salt so I'm wasn't getting my hopes up too high. I think Brooks has a good eye for the game, but is not as reliable when it comes to the business side of hockey.

To verify, I just spoke to a friend close to Shanahan and he told me only that Brendan's intentions were to stay in NY and he had not ruled out NJ as an option.

While there's no indication Shanahan has been leaving unsolicited voice mails on Lou's cell, it is a promising sign that a once sour relationship can be rectified.

I'd love to see Shanny return to the Devils. He's coming off a year that was ruined by injury and the failure to treat them properly. Now healed, Shanahan can still be a contributor on the ice as well as a mentor. Hey, just look what he did with Sean Avery. Imagine how he can help younger guys on this side of the River Sanity.

The guys already done so much for the organization (see: Scott Stevens) it would be wonderful to see him come back and show once again that he still has some gas left in the tank.

UPDATE: Debunked

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/rangers/2008/07/sather-rangers-making-waves-du.html

Shanahan:

“The Devils weren’t one of the teams that contacted my agent today. I guess people just figured that I’d want to go there because I wouldn’t want to move my family. But I want to play for the Rangers.”

One wonders where Larry Brooks finds his sources.

Free Agent Season is Finally Here!!

2008-07-01T05:59:00.000-07:00

July first marks the first day of Free Agent Season!

Some of the big names out there this year include Mats Sundin, Jaromir Jagr, Marian Hossa, Brian Campbell, Jose Theodore, Brad Stuart, Rob Blake, Pavol Demitra, Brian Rolston, Sean Avery, Brendan Shanahan, Brendan Morrisson, Markus Naslund, Darcy Tucker.

NY Post: Jagr Offered $35m To Play In Russia

2008-06-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

The Larry Brooks of the NY Post is reporting that Jagr has been formally offered a 3-year deal for a whopping $35 million (after taxes). Jagr has stated all along that his intention is to play at least the coming season in MSG, but one wonders if $11.6m a year is enough for Jagr to change his mind. Negotiations between Jagr's camp and the Rangers from office have been slow at best.

The offer is nothing out of the blue as it has been rumored for a few months that Jagr could play in Russia once his contract expires. A name like Jagr's is exactly what Russia's new Continental Hockey League is praying for. One of the greatest talents in history with gas left in the tank. It would mark the first big defection from the NHL. Up till now players leaving for Russia had been veterans unable to find NHL contracts or younger Russians unable or unwilling to learn the North American game and/or culture.

Right now the Rangers need to make a big push to show Jagr he is a top priority if they haven't already. If he's not, they need to decide what direction the team is moving in.

Goal of the Day - Steven Stamkos

2008-06-26T09:58:00.001-07:00

Steven Stamkos shows a little bit of the skill that made him the #1 pick this year

2008 NHL Draft Review: Tampa Bay Lightning

2008-06-21T16:24:00.002-07:00

Ok, so we've gone through the NY metropolitan area teams. I'm going to do the remaining 27 teams in order of their first selection. So, first up is the Tampa Bay Lightning who were granted the right to select consensus #1 pick Steven Stamkos. If Stamkos was the only name they called this entire draft then they still would have been one of the big winners. Luckily for new owners Oren Koulis and Len Barrie, they had six other picks.

Steven Stamkos - 1st overall (1st round) Center. Sarnia Sting (OHL)
No shocker here. Amy Winehouse does a better job of hiding addiction than the Lightning did of hiding their intentions of selecting Stamkos. And with good reason. They would have been out of their minds (and GM Jay Feaster out of a job) had they not taken the center who has been compared favorably to Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman. Saying Stamkos can pass is like saying Jimmy Page can play guitar. He also showed a scoring touch, notching 11 goals in Sarnia's breif post-season. Having 1997 #1 draft pick Vincent Lecavalier in Tampa with him is probably one of the best scenario's Stamkos can step into. With Jeff Halpern being lost until at least November, count on Stamkos to be a fixture in Tampa from the get-go.

James Wright - 117th overall (4th round) Center. Vancouver Giants (WHL)
Stamkos is the guy who will get a lot of attention in the future, whereas Wright might be the kind of guy who does a lot of little things well with little accolades. He's a big kid who wins battles in the corner. He may prove to be a steal for the Bolts as his draft year suffered from a bout with mono.

Dustin Tokarski - 122nd overall (5th round) Goalie. Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
Was named MVP of the Memorial Cup for the Chiefs after sharing duties with Kevin Armstrong through the season. He may have a breakout campaign next year and make life seem unfair to the rest of the WHL in general as he should be between the pipes for the Chiefs full-time.

Kyle De Coste - 147th overall (5th round) Right Wing. Brampton Batallian (OHL)
De Coste could be a valuable checking or energy line winger for the Lighting if he makes it to the show. Heart and sould guy never stops moving or looking for an opportunity to help his team.

Luke Witkowski - 160th overall (6th round) Defenseman. Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets (USHL)
Witkowski suffers from Kasparaitis disease: He will take himself out of position to make the big hit more often than is advisable. He may be the guy teams have to answer to if they take liberties with Stamkos at some point.

Mattias Sointu - 182nd overall (7th round) Right Wing. Ilves (Finland Jr)
Can you say Eero Somervuori? Well, not at first, but who can unless you're Finnish? Sointu's small frame unleashes a cannon. Does not lack skill, but size and consistency are big issues.

David Carle - 203rd overall (7th round) Defenseman. Shattuck St. Mary's (Minnesota HS)
There were only eight players picked after Carle this year. Tampa is really hoping none of them turn out to be all-stars.

2008 NHL Draft Review: New York Islanders

2008-06-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

The Islanders had at least two selections in each of rounds 2-6 of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, but they may be remembered more for whose name they didn't call than for whose name they did.

Josh Bailey - 9th overall (1st round) Center. Windsor Spitfires
With the #1 European and WJC stand-out Nikita Filatov still on the board, the Isles traded down four spots to take Bailey, who GM Garth Snow maintains the Isles had pegged all along. The most telling trait Bailey possesses is the ability to make his teammates better players (scary to think how good Kyle Okposo could be in this case) Bailey is a tireless worker, a play-maker and will be a great asset on the Isles man-advantage in the future. His on-ice intelligence allows him to read the play in all situations. This allowed him to be one of Windsor's most effective penalty killers as well.

Bailey may be a great player, but it seems the Isles fan-base had already ordered their Filatov jerseys. Drafting the flashy Russian may have made more sense for the franchise struggling to sell tickets. Hopefully in the future, Bailey can prove the critics wrong, but one wonders if he'll put any extra bodies in Uniondale.

Corey Trivino - 36th overall (2nd round) Center. Stouffville Spirit (OPJHL)
I'll be blunt: At first glance Corey Trivino looks like a 12 year-old. The Etobicoke, Ontario native looks more like the kid hawking popcorn at the Nassau Coliseum than somebody who will be on the ice. On the ice is a different story. Trivino has never been cut from an international camp. Trivino dominated the OPJHL playoffs, proving to be a clutch scorer for the Spirit. Like Bailey, he is a pass-first center. At 6'1", 170lbs Trivino will need to add muscle to his slight frame.

Aaron Ness - 40th overall (2nd round) Defenseman. Rouseau High (Minnesota HS)
Ness, who has drawn comparisons to Phil Housley and Brian Leetch was crowned "Mr. Hockey" as Minnesota's top high school player this year. A few years ago Ness may not have been drafted at all let alone in the 2nd round of a deep draft due to his size (5'10, 157lbs) . His accomplishments on the ice (1st in scoring among defenseman, 10th overall, member of the USA U-18 squad) may be not be as impressive as his dedication off the ice. Ness took eight classes on campus and three more on-line in order to graduate early and attend the University of Minnesota in the Fall of 2008.

Travis Hamonic - 53rd overall (2nd round) Defenseman. Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
Hamonic needs to figure out if he's a physical defenseman with an offensive flair or an offensive defenseman with a physical edge. He shows signs of being capable in either capacity, but gets caught trying to do too much.

David Toews - 66th overall (3rd round) Center. Shattuck St. Mary's (Minnesota HS)
Toews is not a younger carbon copy of his brother, Chicago center Jonathon Toews. David is a solid player in his own right, but was not blessed with the gratuitous amount of hockey manna that his older brother was (but who the hell is?!) Any expectation that he will be should be negated from the start. But Toews wasn't drafted purely riding on his last name either. He's a good skater with an quick shot and soft hands. His keen hockey sense makes him a smart penalty killer and defensive center.

Jyri Niemi - 72nd overall (3rd round) Defenseman. Saskatoon Blades (WHL)
This kid looks like a meaner version of Ivan Drago. As hard as Drago hit Rocky Balboa, Niemi's shot hits the back of the net. His 96 mph shot wowed the crowd at the Top Prospects Game. For a rookie defenseman learning the North American game, he also hit the net often, finding the back of the cage 14 times. A few more years with Saskatoon should round out his defensive game and give him more experience as a PP quarterback.

Kirill Petrov - 73rd overall (3rd round) Right Wing. Ak Bars Kazan (Russia-RSL)
The Isles passed up one skilled Russian in the first, but they made sure they didn't let another get away. This pick may prove to be the steal of the '08 draft. Petrov is a big, powerful winger who plays well in the corners as well as finding open ice for himself and his line-mates. Petrov has made his desire to come to the NHL very clear and the Isles will be waiting at JFK as soon as he books his flight.

Matt Donovan - 96th overall (4th round) Center. Cedar Rapids Rough Riders (USHL)
Swift skating defenseman from Edmond, Oklahoma displays excellent lateral mobility which he uses well in the defensive zone as well as leading the break-out. A smart simple defenseman.

David Ullstrom - 102nd overall (4th round) Center. HV71 (Sweden-Jr)
Ullstrom will be a big body up front in a few years once his 6'3" frame fills out. Mostly used at center, Ullstrom has seen time on the wing as well. He can play physical and has a good set of hands, but is not terribly defensively adept and does not utilize his line-mates as well as he will need to in order to make it to Long Island.

David Poulin - 126th overall (5th round) Goalie. Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL)
There's only a decade and change left in the "Rick DiPietro Back-Up Plan". I kid, I kid. He's a butterfly goalie with good rebound control that has won games for Victoriaville this year on his own. Big and athletic like, he is very technical and plays the game by the book. Some have questioned his dedication to conditioning though.

Matthew Martin - 148th overall (5th round) Left Wing. Sarnia Sting (OHL)
Winger with good size will mix it up and drop the gloves.

Jared Spurgeon - 156th overall (6th round) Defenseman. Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
The 5'8" Spurgeon put up 43 points in 69 regular season games for the Memorial Cup champs, playing a good two-way game. Anyone lacking Spurgeon's size needs a ton of guts to play in the WHL and Spurgeon has it. He willingly takes the body and gets into the fracas when the opportunity arises.

Justin DiBenidetto - 175th overall (6th round) Center. Sarnia Sting (OHL)
The smallish center put up 93 points for Sarnia this year as a 20 year old improving 30 points from the previous season.

2008 NHL Draft Review: New York Rangers

2008-06-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

Michael Del Zotto - 20th overall (1st round) - Defenseman. Oshawa Generals (OHL)
The Rangers got a slider again. A year after grabbing Russian wiz-kid Alexei Cherepanov another player that many thought would be gone well before the #20 slot fell into the Rangers' lap. Del Zotto was once touted as a can't miss top-10 pick. While he had a slow-start to the season, his fall may be more aptly contributed to the rise of the like of Doughty, Bogosian, Schenn, and others. Del Zotto is an offensive defenseman and there's no two-ways about it. As good as he is offensively, he may be worse defensively. At times, he gets caught watching the play rather than initiating it. In the future he looks to be a power play quarterback. While it doesn't plug an organizational need (Bobby Sanguinetti is a similar player) the Rangers brass most likely went for the best player available.

Derek Stepan - 52nd overall (2nd round) - Center. Shattuck St. Mary's (Minnesota HS)
The area where Stepan excels is his creativity with the puck. Stepan became more defensively responsible this past year, becoming a top penalty killer for Shattuck. The biggest knock on him right now is he needs to get bigger, but he'll be given ample time to do so as he will attend the University of Wisconsin next year and should remain there for at least two years before making the jump to the AHL or NHL.

Evgeny Grachev - 75th overall (3rd round) - Center. Yaroslav (Russia-3)
Big power forward needs to improve on his skating in order to be effective at higher levels. His stick skills and accurate shot would be better served if his lateral movement was better.

Tomas Kundratek - 90th overall (3rd round) - Defenseman. Trincec (Czech Republic)
He's a guy who doesn't do anything especially amazingly, but doesn't do anything terribly either. Plays his best when he plays simple.

Dale Weise - 111th overall (4th round) Right Wing. Swift Current Broncos (WHL)
Overager had 29 goals for the Broncos this year and followed it up with 13 points in 12 play-off games. Weise is a gritty winger with leadership capabilities.

Chris Doyle - 141st overall (5th round) Center. PEI Rocket (QMJHL)
Point-per-game player in the QMJHL, Doyle's skating may hurt him in the future. He displays a good arsenal of passing and shooting skills, but he is not a great mover.

Mitch Gaulton - 171st overall (6th round) Defenseman. Erie Otters (OHL)
Selected 6th overall in the 2006 OHL draft, Gaulton hasn't lived up to his belling since then. But, Gaulton can get the puck out of the zone effectively and has a howitzer. He has a physical side as well and would be better suited as a stay at home defenseman unless he can show better judgment when joining the rush.

Hearbreaking/heartwarming story from the Draft

2008-06-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

David Carle, younger brother of San Jose defenseman Matt Carle, and 2008 NHL Draft prospect was diagnosed with a heart condition that leaves him at risk for sudden heart failure by the Mayo clinic. The discovery comes just a day before he was slated to be selected in the NHL Entry Draft.

While my heart crumbles for this kid, he seems to have a solid head on his shoulders.

"It's really not the end of the world,'' Carle said by phone Friday from Faribault, Minn., where he is visiting friends. "I'm really quite fortunate they were able to find it.

"I've still got a long life ahead of me. I have a lot to look forward to and a lot of opportunities ahead of me.''

In light of the news, Carle decided to end his hockey career at the age of 18 (I greatly respect both Carle and teh University of Denver for honoring his scholarship).

So, one would assume that's it for Carle. What team would take a kid who has publically declared he will no longer play hockey?

Enter new Lighting co-owner Oren Koulis.
The Lightning used their last pick of the draft to take Carle, who had been pegged anywhere between the late first and third rounds.

General manager Jay Feaster said prospective new owner Oren Koules knows the family and the diagnosis might not be as severe as first believed. Besides Koules said, "The kid worked his whole life to be drafted in the NHL, and I don't see a reason he shouldn't be."

Best of luck to David.

UPDATE - The original article has been edited. The first sentence quoted has been removed. It looks as though Tampa's selection was done purely out of kindness. Unbelievably generous move by the Lightning organization.

NHL Draft: NJD Round-up, Devils select Tedenby

2008-06-21T08:37:00.001-07:00

I was hoping for the Devils to select Indiana (USHL) defenseman John Carlson, aka the Baby Dinosaur (so-called after he smashed the side of his fist down upon the melon of a fallen opponent in a fight a few years back). Alas, the Devils passed up on the puck hulking puck-mover, moving down three spots to the 24th pick to select diminutive Swedish winger Mattias Tedenby. I'm not upset, he was the second name that popped into my mind when asked who I wanted.

The kid from HV71 (yes, that's the team's name) has skills. He can flat out fly and provides some offensive flair to an organization that needs it. That said, he's small. Gionta small. He's listed at 5'10" 176 lbs, but I'm not so sure. He was about eye-to-eye with Devils GM Lou Lamoriello once he got up to the podium and about half as wide. Tedenby will definitely need to bulk up as it looked as though the geriatric Lamoriello may have been able to dismember the kid if he chose to do so. But in today's NHL, smaller players can flourish.

Bottom line is Tedenby is a kid with blinding speed, solid stick skills, but needs to bulk up to get to the NHL. He's at least a few years away from the big show.

Other selections
Brandon Burlon - 52nd pick (2nd round). Defenseman St. Michael's Buzzers (OPJHL)
Burlon is a beast. At only 6'0", 190lbs he finished among the top of the pack in most of the categories at the Draft Combine. While Burlon has power he uses it more for locomotion than for destruction. Not overly physical, Burlon is a very smooth skating defenseman. Is able to join the rush, but is not a pure offensive defenseman. One thing they lost when passing up on Carlson was a booming shot from the point, something Burlon possesses as well. He could turn into a solid 2nd pairing defenseman for the Devils, but will not in NJ for at least two or three years as he needs to fill out physically as well as test himself against better competition.

Patrice Cormier - 54th pick (2nd round). Center Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL)
Cormier is a gritty, hard working, drive-to-the net center. Is it really a surprise the Devils picked him? He's not a stranger to dropping the gloves either. Scouts had limited exposure to this once highly-touted kid from New Brunswick as he was side-lined with injuries keeping him out of some of the more pivotal showcases. He may turn into one of the more valuable selections of the draft and a real steal for the Devils.

Adam Henrique - 82nd pick (3rd round) Center. Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
A teammate of Burlon's for gold-medal winning Team Ontario at the 2007 Canada Games, Henrique is another hard-working pivot who projects as a spark plug at the NHL level. A great face-off man. Oddly enough, was invited to Canada's under-18 camp when fellow Devils draft pick Patrice Cormier was unable to attend.

Matt Delahy - 102nd pick (4th round) Defenseman. Regina Pats (WHL)
A reliable stay at home defender really didn't show up on the radar until this year. Was given increasing amounts of ice-time by Regina and responded well to the added pressure.

Kory Nagy - 142nd pick (5th round) Center - Oshawa Generals (OHL)
The Devils are trying to fill the void down the middle in years to come. Nagy comes a bit off the board, not ranked by most of the scouting services and he is very similar to Henrique and both players seem to be the a hopeful replacement for John Madden. Like Henrique, Nagy is a strong face-off man who is a capable shut-down center. He's not going to be an offensive juggernaut ever. Nagy only managed 17 points in 57 regular season games. But guess what? He had 9 points in 15 playoff games.

David Wohlberg - 172nd pick (6th round) Center. USDP U-18
A physical two-way center will attend the University of Michigan in the fall. Had 22 points in 45 games for the US program.

Harry Young - 202nd pick (7th round) Defenseman. Winsdor Spitfires (OHL)
Devils take their second Spitfire of the day. This time they selected the 6'4", 200 pounder to help solidify their defensive core. Windsor head coach has spoke glowingly about Youn citing him as possibly the most improved player in all of the OHL this past season. His defensive responsibility has made him an effective penalty killer for the Spitfires. He has also been writing an off-season journal for WindsorSpitfires.com.

Jean-Sebastian Berube - 205th pick (7th round) Left Wing. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)
The big winger had 118 PM and 24 points in 64 games for the Huskies. He doesn't turn 18 until July 20th.

Look for a team-by-team report throughout the coming weeks starting with the Devils divisional rivals the Isles and Rangers.

Pens: Malkin played Final while legally dead.

2008-06-08T19:07:00.001-07:00

Pittsburgh - Every year the playoffs dole out rash after rash of horrific injury and this years post-season was no different. Today the Pittsburgh Penguins revealed that star forward Evgeni Malkin had played five games of the playoffs while legally dead and possibly partially a zombie. The Penguins had previously listed Malkin as day-to-day with "general body failure".
"I knew something was wrong the morning of Game 1 against Detroit." Malkin said through teammate/translator Sergei Gonchar. "My back was stiff and I felt a strange craving for human flesh. Also, I had no pulse".
The Penguins training staff originally cautioned Malkin about playing that night. "They were worried about me tearing something. Not a muscle or tendon, but an actual extremity. I was decaying pretty badly." While there was no blood coursing through the young Russian's veins, he showed heart. "It's the finals. It's what I dreamed about the entire season. Well, until the night before when my nightmares were consumed with encounters with Lord Satan, Prince of the Netherworld and God Almighty bargaining for my eternal soul."
Upon hearing about his opponents condition Red Wings forward Kris Draper was candid, "I thought it had to be something serious. He's a tough kid. I hit him in Game 2 and I think one of his vertebrae snapped, but he barely flinched. He just moaned, 'braaaains'. I thought it was odd, but that's what McCarty is always like. Go fig."
Malkin was brought back to life thanks to a fortuitous accident involving faulty wiring near the Penguins locker room at Mellon Arena. "7,000 volts pretty much de-Zombified me." Malkin said. Malkin is expected to make a full recovery.

Rumor: Chicago willing to give Sean Avery $4m/year

2008-06-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

I've heard a rumor from somebody within the Rangers organization that the Blackhawks is willing to offer Sean Avery around $4m if he is does not re-sign with the Blue Shirts. The rumor came from a very respectable source, which is the only reason I'm even bothering with this (did I just sound like Eklund?).

In my opinion, there are many teams that could harbor the unique talents Sean Avery brings to the table. Chicago, however, is not on that list. In fact, they aren't even on the same pad of paper.
A young team on the rise is about roundest hole for the square peg that is Avery. What would it accomplish to bring him into that locker room? The reason Avery works in New York is there are guys like Brendan Shanahan who can sit him down and keep him in line. Three Stanley Cups and 600 goals carries with it a load of respect. Then there's Jagr on the bench as well. Add Sather in the front office and you've got guys who know how to win. Who has that in Chicago? Denis Savard? A brilliant player, but a coach very much still in the early phases of his career. GM Dale Tallon is in a similar situation. Bottom line is there is no elder statesman in the Hawks locker room to keep Avery from going overboard.

Unless Jonathon Toews can turn into Steve Yzerman come September, Avery would run roughshod.

EDIT: In talking with a friend he mentioned how much I hate Avery. I'd just like to add that Avery could be a great addition on the ice to any team. I've said before that he is one of the most versatile forwards in the NHL. He'll fight, he can skate, good shot, accurate passer, good sense. 1st line winger, 2nd line center, 3rd line checker, a guy who will drop the gloves. He'll do it all.

My issue is with his personality and whether it is a good fit for a young team, the Kind of team he was jettisoned from in LA.

Hey Geno, step up!

2008-06-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

Who is that man wearing #71 for the Pittsburgh Penguins over the past week? It certainly doesn't look like current Hart Trophy finalist Evgeni Malkin. There has been a list of reasons why Malkin has underperformed in the Stanley Cup Finals so far. He's tired, he's nervous, is he injured? His passes have been erratic, his stickhandling sloppy, his mental game cloudy. He's making rookie mistakes, miscues that should have been beaten out of habit in juniors for pete's-sake. If the no-look drop-pass didn't work the first five times, why would it work the sixth, Geno?Sometimes he's most noticeable in scrums after the whistle. While it's always good to see some fire, the Pens need Malkin to use that heat to light the lamp.

Malkin needs to find away to get over whatever is ailing him and get back to his MVP form. The Pens squeaked by Detroit to force a final game at the Igloo and if they want to come out with their best shot at Game 7, #71 has got to be as ubiquitous as he was in the earlier rounds.

There is little doubt Malkin can be a good playoff performer. He's shown that against the Senators, Rangers, and Flyers. But in order to join the ranks of the elite, Malkin has to wake-up and push past the obstacles in his way right now and find a way to lit himself up. He's got the gears all the greats before him have had, he just needs to find out how they fit together and get the machine running.

John Carlson to play with London next year.

2008-05-29T13:25:00.001-07:00

I just talked to a source close to John Carlson who told me that Carlson, previously committed to UMASS has decided to play in the OHL next year. Carlson, a big puck moving defenseman with an NHL calibre shot is vitrual lock to be selected in the 1st round of June's NHL Entry Draft. He spent last year with Indiana of the USHL after being a member of the New Jersey Rockets, the same junior organization that gave the OHL Bobby Sanguinetti and David Kolomatis.

Interview with David Kolimatis (Owen Sound - OHL)

2008-05-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

Recently I sat down with Owen Sound defenseman David Kolomatis and talked about his time in the league, being an OHL All-Star and what it takes to be the captain.

DB: You had a great year in Owen Sound, doubling your point total. How do you feel about the parts of your game that aren't reflected in the stats?
David Kolomatis: A lot of the behind the scenes stuff happened this year. The captaincy was awarded half-way through the season to me and anytime your coaching staff and your players feel that you are a leader on the team it's obviously a huge honor. It's also a lot of responsibility that maybe a lot of people don't see. In difficult times and what-not get put onto you. You have to deal with harder interviews and make sure everybody is accountable it all comes back on your shoulders.

DB: Was it sort of bittersweet in the way that you were awarded the captaincy losing the guys you did? (Team captain Scott Treguna and leader Wayne Simmonds were traded mid-season to Kitchener and Sault Ste. Marie, respectively)
DK: Yeah, they were great players that we had and even though Simmer [Simmonds] didn't wear a letter he was obviously a leader in the locker room. Tregunna, to try and step in and fill his shoes was a huge responsibility, but it was something I was willing to take a hold of and I wanted to give it a shot.

DB: What kind of leader would you say you are?
DK: I try and lead by example with my play in practice, my play in games is just a no-nonsense and hopefully guys hopped on board.

DB: You came up with a few guys, Bobby Ryan and Bobby Sanguinetti and there's a bit of a New Jersey connection there.
DK: I'd say that was just good scouting on the part of [former Owen Sound GM] Mike Futa. He was awarded the head scouting position with the LA Kings. He did a great job with me. He was great, sticking with me through the whole process even though I didn't commit to camp right away. With the New Jersey connection [Ryan and Sanguinetti] would give me a call here and there telling me what was going on and how they were feeling, how much fun they were having up there. It made me want to give it a shot.

DB: Was it an easier transition to the OHL having Bobby on the team?
DK: Oh yeah, I mean he was the star player so to have a connection there that we grew up in teh same state and both being Americans on the same team was really helpful.

DB: What's the feeling of being an American in the CHL, in the OHL?
DK: Most people's expectations are if you've ever seen Youngblood, then that's what happens. (Laughs) It's far from that. There were no difficulties because I was American.

DB: What was different for you in your second year in the OHL?
DK: You can't use that excuse, "Oh, you're young, you're still learning". You know what it's like ref-wise, what the calls are going to be. You can't use that as an excuse. People are looking at me to make a difference in games and that's what I've got to do.

DB: You were selected to the OHL All-Star Game, what was that like?
DK: The whole overall experience of the All-Star Game, playing on the same team as [consensus #1 prospect for 2008 NHL draft] Steven Stamkos, playing against [#1 prospect for 2009 John] Tavares, these are huge names you're going to be more accustomed to hearing as they get drafted. It was an awesome experience and it turned out that I played alright so I can't complain.

DB: You mentioned Stamkos and Tavares, you were the guy this year as well as next year who sees the big minutes against those guys, the oppositions top guns. Has that changed your game at all?
DK: It's made me more defensive minded. I know I can't be all over the place when these guys are on the ice. They are a force you have to deal with. It's tough not getting into the offensive zone every shift because I like to think of myself as a good skating, offensive defenseman. Playing against those guys slows the game down and makes you think a lot harder.

DB: What players have you tried to model your game on?
DK: I guess the smaller defenseman like [Red Wing's Brian] Rafalski. He's a great passer, puck mover and that's what matters at the next level. Being able to make that first pass crisp on the tape and get out of the zone. As long as I keep playing defense it's not that much fun to play defense 'cause I'd rather play offense. So get it out of the zone as quick as possible, solid passes.

DB: Which opponents have impressed you?
DK: I can tell you the hardest I've ever been hit was by James Neal who is in the Dallas Stars organization now. He caught me with my head down and he finishes his checks. He's a hard worker, he does his job out there and he knows his role. He plays his game to-a-T.

Skill-wise, probably Marc Staal. He was unbelievable for Sudbury. He could take over a game with his play. It was nice to see him get a spot with the Rangers this year.

DB: How did the team react losing Tregunna and Simmonds?
DK: I think a lot of kids were happy they were getting more ice-time, but they didn't realize what a key-role those Tregunna and Simmonds played. Penalty kill, power play situations. I mean, the power play had been a given that when we went out there we were going to score goals. I think it was tough for some of the younger kids to adjust to upping their ice-time and pressure situations they were not usually thrown into.

DB: What expectations do you have of yourself going into your third year in the OHL, your first full year as captain?
DK: I definitely have to work on my leadership as a whole. Coming in half-way through the year was difficult because everybody looked up to Tregunna. He was an overager and he commanded respect. I just have to work on getting better every day.

My plus/minus, -25. It doesn't matter what team you're on, that's not acceptable.

DB: What are you doing to improve this summer?
DK: I'm in the gym as much as possible putting on some more muscle. Skating-wise I'm with [Kolomatis's former coach] Danny O'Brien as much as he can fit me in. Danny demands the best out of you and that's it.

DB: What was your summer routine when you were younger?
DK: I went to Danny's camp [O'Brien's Total Stickhandling in New Jersey] but that's about it. I would usually hang up the skates in the summer time. As I got older you can't do that anymore. Too many guys are working out and getting into shape. You've gotta keep up with them.

DB: You're running a camp with Danny this summer.
DK: I was once one of those little kids who went to the games waited after for autographs, so it's nice to be able to be on the other side.

DB: You're not known as a brawler, I think a lot of people were surprised to see a five minute major next to your name in two straight games.
DK: Well, it certainly wasn't a pump-up situation for the team. I got caught hitting a guy from behind and he turned out to be one of the tougher guys in the league so he didn't take too kindly to it and we went at it. But, it's part of the game and if it helps the team out, even better.

DB: Sounds like Owen Sound is building for the future.
DK: Definitely. New coaching staff, new general manager, they have one-year under their belt and people are going to have expectations for them so they can't use the excuse "It's our first year" just like the players can't. Expectations are going to be higher, it should be a solid training camp and a good year.

Versus to Revive the FoxTrack?

2008-05-12T08:59:00.000-07:00

USA Today is reporting that Versus is looking into developing a puck tracking system for the 2009-2010 season. The term "puck tracking" automatically brings up memories of Fox's mid 90s experiment the FoxTrax. Fox Trax followed the puck with chips embedded inside the puck. Throughout the broadcast the puck glowed and grew a comet-like tail when shot. Fox's aim was true, but the FoxTrax was seen by many traditionalists as a gross perversion of protocol. Hopefully Versus is smart enough to forget about blazing blue trails in their pursuit to ensnare the larger audience.

This news got me thinking about what the NHL needs to do to attract new viewers?

1. Cement ties with a major network. Versus has done a great job thus far. I'm not going to argue with two games a week, but I'm willing to bet Versus is not on most people's favorite channel list. How many viewers popped on the former Outdoor Network to catch the end of the Bassmasters Invitational only to stick around for the Nashville/Columbus game? NBC has been giving us a game (or two) of the week but it is clear that the NHL is not a top priority. There's more discussion of Milo Ventimiglia's tattoos than the NHL in NBC board meetings. Go ahead, check NBC.com. Not one mention of the NHL. With back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday there is not even an ad on NBCSports.com. The NHL needs to find a way to convince NBC to cater to them more or find a new home. Each option is easier said than done, but still both essential and possible.

2. Better marketing. Much like Rick DiPietro's judgment the overall marketing of hockey is getting better. Not great yet, but better. Hockey ad campaigns have not been on the cutting edge. Anybody remember "HEY! You're Joe Thornon."? Not exactly sleek and sexy. There have been great ads such as Nike's Kovalchuk vs. Naslund street war. The only problem was it was not shown in the US. So, cities in 24 out of 30 NHL cities did not see that ad. Crosby and Ovechkin give the NHL immense star power that should be capitalized on. Newer ads give us hope that the NHL and it's sponsors are putting thought and effort into their marketing.

3. HDTV When people ask about the difficulty of watching hockey on television the usual response is, "You really need to see a game live to get into it!" One game may do make a life-long fan, but one game may also bankrupt you. In a time when the economy is in a "slow-down" many people don't have $40 to spend on a sport they don't follow. The obvious answer would be to lower ticket prices. Good luck there. Thankfully, viable alternative to being at the arena may still be sitting on your couch. HDTV clear the crease for the new fan. Crisper picture gives the novice viewer an easier chance to follow the puck. Wider views bring more of the playing surface into view and Essentially, HDTV offers the next best thing to seeing a game live and with all broadcasts legal required to be digital by January 2009 HDTVs may become more prevalent in households.

4. Find the Middle Ground. In the past, nationally broadcast games have dumbed-down the game to the point where they assume every viewer needs to be informed that yes,the game is played on ice! Conversely, regional coverage has a tendency to talk over the heads of prospective fans. There has to be a middle ground that satisfies (or at least appeases) both sectors. If you feel the need to explain what a puck is then you better be telling the fan who has followed the Red Wings since Gordie Howe's rookie season a thing or two about vulcanized rubber that he did not already know.

Face-Off: News and Notes for May 7th, 2008

2008-05-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

NHL:
And it begins!!
Eastern Conference Finals begin in Detroit at 7:30 pm (Versus in the US).
I'm calling Detroit in six.

Toronto, on the heels of firing coach Paul Maurice have talked to recently-axed Canucks GM Dave Nonis as well as Sharks GM Doug Wilson. The big question: Why the hell would Doug Wilson leave San Jose?

Florida signs 2007 first rounder Keaton Ellerby.

Swedish star Fabian Brunnstrom is now a Dallas Star!
The 23 year old forward had 37 points in 54 games for Farjestads BK Karlstad in the Swedish Elite League (SEL) this year. Brunnstrom was compared to Senators captain and fellow Swede Daniel Alfredsson by The Hockey News earlier this year.

Sabres sign Boston College Lilliputian forward Nate Gerbe and German forward Felix Schutz

IIHF World Championships
In the two later games Norway defeated Germany and Finland beat Slovakia.

Swedish defenseman Nicklas Wallin was suspended for two games for his hit on Swiss forward Roman Wick in Sweden's 5-3 loss yesterday.

The Preliminary round is over with the Qualifying round beginning today and the Relegation round starting tomorrow. Slovenia, Italy, Slovakia, and Latvia are headed towards relegation this year.
Today's games:
Sweden vs Denmark, Canada vs. Norway, Switzerland vs. Czech Republic, USA vs Germany.

IIHF World Champ. - Switzerland stuns Sweden!

2008-05-07T12:20:00.001-07:00

The Swiss have added another notch into Sweden's list of international disappointments in a 4-2 win today in Quebec City. It's not only amazing that the Swiss have beaten the number one ranked Swedish team, but also that the Swiss have gone unbeaten 3-0 and won Group A.

The Swiss, who entered the tournament ranked eighth in the IIHF World Rankings played a stifling defensive game that stymied the talented Swedish squad. Sweden did not help their own cause spending much of the second half of the third period on the penalty kill down two goals.

Patric Hornqvist gave Tre Kronor hope, scoring shorthanded with less than a minute left in regulation to put them within one. An empty netter by the Swiss dashed Sweden's comeback hopes.

Sweden met with success in 2006 winning both Olympic and World Championship gold, but failed to medal last year. They were upset in the 2002 Olympic medal round by Belarus after being the heavy pre-tournament favorite.
The Swiss have one silver and eight bronze medals in World Championship history, their last trip to the podium coming in 1953 winning bronze.

Face-Off: news and Notes for May 7th

2008-05-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

NHL News
Toronto Maple Leafs fire head coach Paul Maurice

World Championship
According to DEB-Online.de the Team Germany used a non-eligible player in it's 4-2 victory over Slovakia.

"Most likely Team Germany's win over Team Slovakia will be changed into a 5:0 victory for Team Slovakia as the German Hockey Federation (DEB) recognized today that Canadian born German defender Jason Holland played in the 1996 IIHF WJC tournament for Team Canada and thus he isn''t eligible to play for Team Germany without having played 4 full seasons in German leagues. As Holland has only played 3 full campaigns with Ingolstadt of the German elite league (DEL) the win is almost certainly gone."

UPDATE: Germany's win will stand. Jason Holland has been suspended.

The Legend of Strazzabosco

2008-05-07T07:12:00.001-07:00

Michele Strazzabosco is known far and wide for his unequaled work ethic, blistering slap-shot, bone shattering hits, and for his ability to skirt the time-space continuum and play for six teams in six different cities on the same night (according to Yahoo Sports).

"The Strazz" as he is known is a defenseman for the Italian national team currently competing at the 2008 IIHF World Championship in Canada. A ten year veteran of the Italian league and a participant in the 2006 Olympics, The Strazz was given a shot at the NHL in 2006, a tryout with the Buffalo Sabres.

While Strazzabosco's play impressed the Sabres brass, they were concerned with press reports (Yahoo) of him also playing for Carolina, Boston, Toronto, New Jersey, and Minnesota...On the same night.

"I like what he brings to the table, but after reading these reports I have to wonder if he's giving the Sabres 100% let alone 110%." said Sabres GM Darcy Regier.

"The Strazz was a force of nature. One shift you'd receive a perfect breakout pass from him up the middle and the next he'd be scoring in a city 600 miles east." added former pre-season teammate Daniel Briere. "And that hair!"

Strazzabosco's philandering took him back to his native Italy where he continues to baffle physicists.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today's games:
Sweden vs. Switzerland, Finland vs. Slovakia, France vs. Belarus, Norway vs. Germany

2008 NHL Draft Order

2008-05-07T06:58:00.000-07:00

The NHL Draft will be held in Ottawa June 20-21. Here's the order of selection for the first round followed by a explanation of selection criteria.

1. Tampa Bay Lightning
2. Los Angeles Kings
3. Atlanta Thrashers
4. St. Louis Blues
5. New York Islanders
6. Columbus Blue Jackets
7. Toronto Maple Leafs
8. Phoenix Coyotes
9. Nashville Predators (from Florida)
10. Vancouver Canucks
11. Chicago Blackhawks
12. Anaheim Ducks (from Edmonton)
13. Buffalo Sabres
14. Carolina Hurricanes
15. Nashville Predators
16. Boston Bruins
17. Calgary Flames
18. Ottawa Senators
19. Columbus Blue Jackets (from Colorado)
20. New York Rangers
21. New Jersey Devils
22. Edmonton Oilers (from Anaheim)
23. Washington Capitals
24. Minnesota Wild
25. Montreal Canadiens
26. Buffalo Sabres (from San Jose)
27. Clubs eliminated from Conference Finals in inverse order of points.
28. Clubs eliminated from Conference Finals in inverse order of points.
29. Stanley Cup runner-up.
30. Stanley Cup winner.

First-Round Order of Selection Criteria

Picks 1-14: Results of 2008 NHL Draft Drawing held April 7
Picks 15-22: Clubs eliminated in first two rounds of the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs who did not win their division during the regular season, in inverse order of points
Picks 23-26: Clubs eliminated in the first two rounds of the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs who won their division during the regular season, in inverse order of points
Picks 27 and 28: Clubs eliminated in the Conference Finals, in inverse order of points
Pick 29: Stanley Cup Final runner-up
Pick 30: Stanley Cup champion

Summary of Transferred Picks (1-26)

Pick 9 (Florida to Nashville): Nashville traded G Tomas Vokoun to Florida for Detroit's 2nd-round pick in the 2007 Entry Draft (pick 58, previously acquired) and Florida's 1st- and 2nd-round picks in 2008 (June 22, 2007).

Pick 12 (Edmonton to Anaheim): Edmonton transferred its 1st-, 2nd- and 3rd-round picks in the 2008 Entry Draft to Anaheim for the signing of Restricted Free Agent LW Dustin Penner (July 3, 2007).

Pick 19 (Colorado to Columbus): Columbus traded D Adam Foote to Colorado for Colorado's 1st-round pick in the 2008 Entry Draft and a conditional pick in 2009 (Feb. 26, 2008).

Pick 22 (Anaheim to Edmonton): Edmonton traded D Chris Pronger to Anaheim for RW Joffrey Lupul, D Ladislav Smid, Anaheim’s 1st-round pick in the 2007 Entry Draft, and 1st- and 2nd-round picks in 2008 (July 3, 2006).

Pick 26 (San Jose to Buffalo): Buffalo traded D Brian Campbell and its 7th-round pick in the 2008 Entry Draft to San Jose for RW Steve Bernier and its 1st-round pick in 2008 (Feb. 26, 2008).

Source: NHL.com

2008 IIHF World Championship: Canada beats US 5-4 and More

2008-05-06T15:11:00.001-07:00

Dany Heatley scored his second goal of the daywith 46.3 seconds left in the third period to break a 4-4 tie as Canada beat the US. Heatley's first goal came when he put the Canadians up 2-0 with eleven seconds in the first.

The US found themselves in a 3-0 hole less than a minute into the second period before responding with goals by Zach Parise and Patrick O'Sullivan . Derek Roy's goal three minutes into the third gave the Canadians a short lived 4-2 lead before back-t0-back power play goals from Dustin Brown and Jason Pominville allowed the Americans to equalize the game.

Heatley's goal was assisted by line-mates Ryan Getzlaf and Rick Nash giving the trio 22 points in three games. Healey leads all scorers with 6 goals and 4 assists.

Canada took the ice in throw-back jerseys honoring the 1977 Summit Series.

The USA lost captain Jeff Halpern for the remainder of the tournament after he tore his ACL. The New York Rangers rookie Brandon Dubinsky will replace Halpern.

Czech Republic 7
Italy 2

More throwback jerseys. Italy actually led 2-1 in the first period. Alas, Strazzabosco was a minus-5 for Italia.

Latvia 3
Slovenia 0

Anze Kopitar is held off the board for the first time. Edgar Marsalksis had 37 saves in goal for Latvia.

Russia 4 Denmark 1

Don Cherry to ESPN

2008-05-06T11:50:00.001-07:00

A little while ago I called this...Ok, I was joking, but still. I was Spot on!!

GlobeSports.com reports that Don Cherry will join ESPN's broadcast team for the remainder of the NHL Playoffs.

"I guess they like my jackets," the Hockey Night in Canada personality said yesterday.

Well, it's either the jackets or the occasional border-line bigotry. You be the judge.

Fashion: Advantage Cherry
Hair: Advantage Melrose

As much crap as Cherry gets for his outlandish and sometimes insensitive comments he knows the game. When he sticks to the action on the ice and abandons his political agendas he adds an astute mind to the broadcast.

Bad News: Sher-Wood files in financial trouble

2008-05-06T08:39:00.000-07:00

The maker of Sher-Wood hockey sticks and other equipment has filed a proposal to its creditors under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, it was announced Monday.

The rest of the article can be seen here.

Goal of the Day - Evgeni Malkin 2006 World Championships

2008-05-06T08:33:00.001-07:00

At the 2006 World Championship, Malkin shows his anticipation and incredible reach scoring this superman goal against Kazakhstan.

Conn Smythe anyone?

Face-Off: News and Notes for May 6th, 2008

2008-05-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

Still recovering from my vacation to North Kakalaki (Apparently that's slang for Carolina. I'm such a Yankee). 1200+ miles in four days plus two bus rides between NY and Philly are taking a toll.

NHL
Sean Avery expected to make full recovery
http://www.nypost.com/seven/05062008/sports/rangers/i_thought_i_was_done_109656.htm

IIHF 2008 World Championships
Yesterdays results
Finland - 3
Norway - 2 OT
Norwegians impress by pushing Finns into extra frame.

Sweden - 9
France - 0
To quote Thom Yorke, "No Surprises"

Germany - 4
Slovakia - 2
Germans upset Slovaks.

Switzerland - 2
Belarus - 1

Todays games:
CANADA vs USA!!! 3 pm. See it on TSN.ca
Czech Rep. vs Italy
Russia vs. Denmark
Latvia vs. Slovenia (Go Anze!)

New Threads for the World Championships

2008-05-05T06:49:00.000-07:00

Here's a look at some of the new jerseys from the IIHF World Championships:

Face-Off: news and Notes for May 5th

2008-05-05T06:19:00.000-07:00

NHL Playoffs:
Conference Finals are set.
Yesterday's results:
Eastern Conference
Rangers 2 - Penguins 3 OT
Marian Hossa's OT goal puts second seeded Pens past Rangers in 5 games.
Pittsburgh will face Philadelphia (sixth seed) in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Western Conference
Sharks 1 - Stars 2 4OT
Brendan Morrow's goal nine minutes into the fourth overtime lifted fifth seeded Dallas Stars past the second seeded San Jose Sharks in five games. It was the eighth longest game in NHL history and the third longest in Stars' franchise history. Go fig.
Dallas will face the top seeded Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference final. Game 1 will be on Thursday in Detroit.

Full Conference Final schedule here:
http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=362488

IIHF World Championship
Yesterday's Results:
USA 5
Slovenia 1
Phil Kessel's hat-trick powered the way for the US. Slovenia's lone goal was scored by (drum roll) LA King's young superstar Anze Kopitar.

Canada 7
Latvia 0
Canada's top line of Dany Heatley, Rick Nash, and Ryan Getzlaf are putting on a show for their Canadian fans putting up three goals and eight points between them. Pascal Leclaire made 30 stops for the shutout.

Russia 5
Czech Rep 4 OT
Alexei Morozov scored the OT winner for Russia who lost goalie Alexei Eremenko to a torn ACL.

Denmark 6
Italy 2
Not even Michele Strazzabosco could save italy from the Danes.

Today's games: Switzerland vs. Belarus, Finland vs. Norway, Sweden vs. France, Germany vs. Slovakia.

Face-Off: News and Notes for May 4th

2008-05-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

NHL Playoffs:
Flyers knock off Canadiens in 5 games
http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?service=page&page=Recap&gameNumber=215&season=20072008&gameType=3

Sean Avery out of ICU
http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=236660&lid=sublink01&lpos=headlines_nhl

Games tonight:
Rangers at Penguins Game 5. Pens lead series 3-1. 7:00 pm EDT
Sharks at Stars Game 6. Stars lead series 3-2. 9:00 pm EDT
Both games will be shown on Versus in the US and TSN in Canada.

World Championships
Sweden 6
Belarus 5
Two words: Tommy Salo

Finland 5
Germany 1

Switzerland 4
France 1

Slovakia 5
Norway 1

Today's games: Czech Republic vs. Russia, Canada vs. Latvia, Denmark vs. Italy, USA vs. Slovenia

Goal of the Day - Stephane Matteau - 1994 OT vs the Devils

2008-05-03T08:02:00.001-07:00

Seeing as how my assumptions have been horribly off I'm going to use a bit of reverse psychology here. Rangers have a good chance to surprise the Pens again tonight, this time at the Igloo in Pittsburgh. Hehe.

Stephane Matteau's OT goal in Game 7 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals sent the Rangers on their way to their first Stanley Cup in FIFTY-FOUR YEARS!!

By the way, it went of Slava Fetisov's stick, but I guess Howie Rose thought "MATTEAU MATTEAU!! STEPHANE MATTEAU!" sounded a whole lot better than "FETISOV! FETISOV!! VYACHESLAV FETISOV'S STICK!!"

It's 13 years later....I'm not bitter.

IIHF World Championships Began in Halifax and Quebec City.

2008-05-03T07:53:00.000-07:00

Canada 5
Slovenia 1
Ottawa's Dany Heately's two goals put him past Marcel Dionne for the leading Canadian goal-scorer in international competition. Slovenia's goal came off the stick of LA King's star Anze Kopitar. Surprise.

USA 4
Latvia 0
Chicago's Calder finalist wunderkind Pat Kane had a goal and two assists as the US blanked Latvia. The Stars and Stripes also got goals from youngsters Zach Parise of the New Jersey Devils and the Kings' Dustin Brown and Patrick O'Sullivan.

Other results: Russia crushed Italy 5-1, the Czech Repulblic downed Denmark 5-2.
Games today: Sweden vs. Belarus, Finland vs. Germany, Switzerland vs. France, and Slovakia vs. Norway.

Face-off: Why did I not point out that the Devils were on the brink of elimination?

2008-05-03T07:36:00.000-07:00

OpenHockeyDB: The Rangers will most likely be eliminated
That night - Rangers 3 - Penguins 0

OpenHockeyDB: Stars will eliminate the Sharks tonight
Last night: Sharks 3 - Stars 2 OT

I apologize to Marty, Zach, Lou, the entire NJ Devils organization and their fans for my shortsightedness. I'm a real jack-ass.

DAILY ROUND-UP

SJ beats Dallas: Win second straight facing elimination, series at 3-2
http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=236622&lid=headline&lpos=secStory_nhl

Carey Price back in net for the Habs tonight in Game 5
http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=362368&page=NewsPage&service=page
DB Note: Carey Price will be great. Maybe not tonight, but someday in the NHL this kid will be astounding. He's played with marked inconsistency so far, but rookie mistakes can be catastrophic when they are committed by the man in net.

Even so, the Habs failure in this series so far cannot be blamed on their netminders, but on skaters and the fact that their NHL regular season best power-play has gone into hiding. If the Canadiens can get their man-advantage going again this series will look completely different.

Goal of the Day - Bret Hull, 1999 Stanley Cup winner

2008-05-02T10:33:00.001-07:00

I find this goal fitting for today as the Stars have another chance to eliminate the Sharks tonight.

Also, it's a reminder that horrible officiating is nothing new to the NHL Play-Offs.

Face-off: News and notes for May 2nd

2008-05-02T10:08:00.001-07:00

Franzen's Hat-trick leads Wings over Avalanche, Avs buried in 4 game sweep.
Jagr, Lundqvist dominate in 3-0 win over Pens. Stave off elimination.
http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=362298&page=NewsPage&service=page

Avery still in ICU, may leave today
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/rangers/2008/05/01/2008-05-01_sean_avery_may_leave_icu_friday-2.html

Adams Award (Best Coach): Boudreau, Carbonneau, and Babcock finalists
http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=362163&page=NewsPage&service=page

Pearson Award (MVP as Voted by the players): Malkin, Iginla and Ovechkin finalists.
http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=362248&page=NewsPage&service=page

I'm on a tiny vacation in North Carolina so will not be updating as much intil I get back to NYC on Monday. Enjoy the weekend y'all.

Goal of the Day - Jaromir Jagr, '92 Cup Finals: Is #68 playing in his last NHL game tonight?

2008-05-01T05:27:00.001-07:00

In Game 3 of the Rangers/Penguins series Jaromir Jagr showed glimpses of the unequivocal talent that brought him to prominence. While it is no secret that Jagr has lost a step, he is still capable of being the best player on the ice even when in the company of Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby.

This goal scored against the Chicago Blackhawks (sorry Mike) in the 1992 Stanley Cup finals wasn't just another pretty goal by the then-20 year old Czech. It was a sign of a star bursting through the hockey universe. With superstar Mario Lemieux side-lined, Jagr dismantled the Hawks and silenced Chi-town helping the Pens capture their second straight Stanley Cup.

If Jagr's former team sweeps the Rangers tonight it may very well be the last time Jaromir Jagr skates as a member of an NHL team. Jagr's contract stipulated an extension would be put in place if he amassed 84 points in the regular season or won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Jagr has failed to meet the first requirement and the possibility of him meeting the second is linked with the Rangers' post-season lifeline. In all likelyhood, Jagr's expires at around 10 pm tonight after which the only certainty is uncertainty.

It is widely publicized that Jagr wishes to finish his career in Europe. First in Russia where he was reborn playing for Avangard Omsk and then possibly for his hometown Kladno in the Czech Republic.

Recently there was rumblings that Dynamo Moscow offered Jagr $12 million US to play in Russia next season. While I doubt that Jagr will play for a Russian squad other than Omsk, I have no doubt that he will be able to garner a paycheck of such proportions. And with the maximum Russian income tax being half of what is mandated in the US, that salary looks even better. It is also a salary the New York Rangers cannot match due to the NHL's stringent salary cap structure.

Only time will tell whether Jagr opens next season in Prague as a member of the Rangers, in North America once again vying for the Stanley Cup, or in Russia helping to build the new Continental League. Either way, Jagr has put on displays of tremendous amounts skill and power that are rarely seen in a game that is not lacking in either category.
Those that have seen him play can say they have seen one of the greatest in history.

Karl Alzner named Best D-man, MVP of WHL

2008-04-30T17:42:00.000-07:00

There's bit of news to soothe the broken hearts of Capitals' fans. Karl Alzner, their first pick in last year's draft (fifth overall) was named the winner of the WHL's Four Broncos Memorial Trophy (MVP) and the Bill Hunter Trophy (top defenseman). The 6'2" 200 lb Alzner put up seven goals and 29 assists for 36 points playing for the Calgary Hitmen.

Alzner will join a Caps defensive stable that also boasts breakout offensive defenseman Mike Green, and former first rounders Jeff Schultz and Shaone Morrisonn as well as Milan Jurcina and Sami Lepisto.

The Capitals blue-line future looks promising, which makes their potent offense, led by soon-to-be Hart Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin, wonder-rookie Nicklas Backstrom, and slippery Russian Alex Semin (the Other Alex) even more dangerous.

Add in Christobal Huet and one has to believe that Washington should go much further than the first round next year.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brayden Schenn of the Brandon Wheat Kings took home the Jim Piggott Trophy as the WHL's rookie of the year. Schenn, who is projected to go very high in the 2009 NHL Draft notched 71 points in 66 games, and was an impressive +22. Schenn's brother Luke, a defenseman for the Kelowna Rockets should be selected early in this June's draft.

Goal of the Day - Pavel Datsyuk Shootout vs. Nashville

2008-04-30T11:02:00.001-07:00

The man is bow-legged and pigeon-toed. Stand up and put your legs into this position.

That's how he can pull this move off and we can't.

Datsyuk is one of the games most dangerous offensive weapons. He's also one of the most stingy defensive forwards. And he never takes penalties. And in 1998 there were 170 players taken before him.

Damn you Ken Holland!

New Age for the NHL

2008-04-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

In Tip Off: How the 1984 NBA Draft Changed Basketball Forever, NY Daily News columnist Filip Bondy shows how a league that couldn't pay a network to broadcast their games went on to be biggest draw around. The 1984 NBA draft gave the league future Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton. Oh, and some guy named Jordan too. This infusion of young talent shaped the game for years to come. Bondy explores how they impacted basketball and also how it could have been much different had the Portland Trail Blazers selected Jordan instead of Sam Bowie.

A league having problems drawing network ratings with a new crop of insanely talented youngsters....Sounds vaguely familial to my modern ears.

The NHL right now is filled to the brim with fetal star-power. The past two years have cemented the hype that preceded Ovechkin (22) and Crosby (20). Together these two make up a marketing juggernaut. Crosby is reserved and soft-spoken. Ovechkin, impulsive and outgoing. Their play on the ice displays raw talent, creativity, passion, and athletic prowess that attracts fans who might not know a puck from a paper clip, but they are certain they just saw something remarkable.

The 2008 NHL awards show is sand-blasted with young names: Evgeni Malkin (21) is a finalist for the Hart Trophy, Dion Phaneuf (23) a finalist for the Norris Trophy, Henrik Lundqvist (26) for the Vezina, and this year's Calder Trophy is one of the most contested in years as a half-dozen rookies were all worthy of the prize.

2007-2008 was a break out year from Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown of the LA Kings, Paul Stastny of the Colorado Avalanche, Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks and Mike Richards of Flyers. Add in kids like Rick Nash, Zach Parise, Milan Michalek, and many more and it's easy to forget that Eric Staal almost has 300 NHL points and he's not even 24.

The NHL right now is a loaded gun. They just need marketers who can hit a moving target from 1,000 yards.

Sean Avery rushed to hospital

2008-04-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

Rangers forward Sean Avery was rushed to the hospital early Wednesday and a CT scan revealed a lacerated spleen.

One early reportz stated that, "unconscious and not breathing, [Avery] was rushed to a Manhattan hospital Wednesday morning in cardiac arrest". This account turned out to be erroneous and there is little information about Avery's condition prior to being taken to the hospital.

Avery's mother told the Toronto Sun that her son injured her spleen in the first period colliding with a Pittsburgh defenseman.

Avery has battled for the Rangers in every way possible (and in many ways inconceivable) in the past few weeks. He has (for the most part) kept his mouth shut and focused on the game played on the ice.

While I have voiced my displeasure concerning Avery's antics in the past, he has shown himself to be a warrior and you have to feel for players who suffer injuries like this in the post-season.

Best of luck to Sean in his recovery.

The loss is troubling for the Rangers more so after they lost post-season marvel, center Chris Drury during game 3 after injuring his ribs.

Tampa starts Stamkos media blitz - www.SeenStamkos.com

2008-04-29T13:56:00.000-07:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning, owners of the first pick in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft have launched www.seenstamkos.com, a website dedicated to consensus #1 prospect, Steven Stamkos.

I can't remember another example a franchise has launched a marketing campaign for a player they have yet to obtain rights to. Either way, this tells me two things:

1. Tampa is not trading the first pick.
2. The Lightning think Stamkos may be able to step into the line-up next year.

The last time the Lightning had the first overall pick was 1998 when they selected current superstar Vincent Lecavalier. Then-Lightning owner Art Williams made one of the all-time sports blunders and referred to Lecavalier as "the Michael Jordan of hockey"....No pressure.

While Williams is no longer the owner, one wonders if Tampa has not learned from their past mistakes.

Marketing blitz or no, Stamkos will be able to join Tampa Bay in much the same way as Crosby came to Pittsburgh, with somebody there who has been in his shoes. With Lecavalier, St. Louis
and Dan Boyle as established faces of the organization Stamkos's development should not be as rushed as Lecavalier's was.

By all accounts Stamkos, a skilled play-maker, will be a star in the NHL some day.

Play of the Day: Hart to Hart (Finalist)

2008-04-29T12:03:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite plays from the 2007-2008 NHL season.

Explosive, astounding, entertaining. I'm not sure what impressed me more, the fact that Malkin basically shrugged of a blind-side hit from the 220 lb Ovechkin or that Ovechkin lost sight of Malkin for a mere split-second while airborn and retains all composure as he absorbs an incredible impact that could have winded most NHLers.

Ahh, what could have been. Leave it to Tom Poti to ruin my dreams.

Hart Trophy Finalists Announced!

2008-04-29T11:49:00.000-07:00

The NHL has announced the finalists for the Hart Trophy (MVP or "Player most valuable to his team" depending on which definition you go by) and the nominees are:

Jarome Iginla - RW, Calgary Flames
Evgeni Malkin - C, Pittsburgh Penguins
Alexander Ovechkin - LW, Washington Capitals

One interesting omission is Devils' goalie Martin Brodeur. As a Devils fan this bothers me, but only slightly. The first two names are merely formalities as Ovechkin is the hands down favorite. This was his year, nobody was wrestling the flame-shaped trophy from Ovechkin's cold Russian hands.

If Brodeur wasn't in net for the Devils they would have finally gotten a good draft pick (last top-10 pick: 1996 - Lance Ward....sigh), but with Ovechkin's domination it really doesn't matter who the other two names are. Malkin and Iginla are also more than worthy finalists.

Goal of the Day - Brad Richards March 15, 2008, shorthanded.

2008-04-28T12:33:00.001-07:00

When the Dallas Stars picked up the best player at the trade deadline by pulling Tampa Bay center Brad Richards out of an assured extended golf season.

A brilliant move by co-GMs Brett Hull and Les Jackson to add a Conn Smythe winner to a team that is a lock for the post-season every year. Dallas also gave up very little in exchange (Jussi Jokinen, Jeff Halpern, and Mike Smith for Richards and Johan Holmqvist)

Richards is a great playmaker who, while not a pure goal-scorer does possess a lethal shot.

Richards busted out with four points (one goal, three assists) in last nights 5-2 win over San Jose.

By the end of the third round Richards should be vying for the points lead before Dallas bows out after falling to the Wings in six.

Goal of the Day - Darern McCarty (Versus Promo)

2008-04-27T19:55:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately this is the best quality footage of this goal I could find.

Not a bad voice over except they fail to mention that McCarty's name is on the Stanley Cup not once, not twice, but three times. A testament to how important it is to get the right mix of players on the ice and in the locker room.

McCarty has a good shot at his fourth ring as he is back with the Wings this year.

Barry Melrose leaving ESPN? Whaaa?

2008-04-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

Apparently Hockey Night In Canada reported that ESPN hockey analyst Barry Melrose might be leaving the network to become the next GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

I really don't see much truth to this rumor, but musing on the topic half asleep I asked myself, who would replace Barry Melrose? Here are some options to fill in next to John "Do You Get How Much I Love Music and How Many Famous People I Know Yet" Buccigross.

Don Cherry: Grapes is a broadcasting legend. I doubt in a million years he would ever leave HNIC. NBC tried to bring him down south and it failed miserably. It's hard to appeal to Canadian pride when your audience is void of Canadians.

Neil Smith: Former GM of the Rangers and Islanders (for 40 days, but still). Currently resides in NYC and works in broadcasting for Versus. Built a winner in 1994. Has said that living in New York allows him to be close to his son. Working in Bristol, Connecticut wouldn't change much.

Bill Clement: Former NHLer has two Cup rings from his time in Philadelphia. Clement has an extensive broadcasting background working for Versus, NBC, and ESPN. Hosts a Flyer's radio show on WBCB 1490 AM in Pennsylvania.

Jeremy Roenick: Wasn't he only signing with the Sharks to get his 500th goal? What the hell is he doing scoring in the post-season like it's 1993? Ok, JR might have a bit left in the tank, but if he calls it quits (again!), he's going to the mic. He's already shown he can be an interesting, provocative presence as he is never one to mince words on the ice or off it. Gregarious and intelligent, Roenick has cut his teeth with TSN during previous post-season coverage.

Steal Someone From TSN: Let's see how YOU like it, TSN!
When TSN took Darren Dreger from rival Canadian network Roger's Sportsnet they entered a dirty game. It's payback time.
Ok, by "Someone" I might be misleading. I really meant, "STEAL BOB McKENZIE!" I know it's his home and he loves it, but Canada, you've had Bobby Mac for too long! Stop being so damn selfish. He's one of the most connected men in all of hockey, the ultimate insider. His knowledge of the game covers every aspect from Joe Thornton's Raisin Bran to Gordie Howe's dentures.

Count von Count: One! Two! Three! Four! Five! Six!.....SIX!! Six skaters on the ice for the Canucks! TOO MANY SKATERS!!!

Shakira: You want ratings? This woman could be talking about the pros and cons of outside-in skate lacing and it's effect on pre-season game-day meals and guys would watch.

Wait a minute! This is ESPN! If Melrose leaves that gives them an extra three to five minutes a week they can devote to the 15th round of the NFL draft! The suspense is chilling! Who will be the 11th best offensive lineman this year?

Seriously, if Melrose does leave (and if he does I doubt it's to become GM of the Lightning), I wouldn't be surprised to see Clement, Darren Pang, or Ray Ferraro take over.

Sean Avery is a damn good hockey player!

2008-04-26T23:05:00.000-07:00

Often times after seeing a movie I will turn to my girlfriend, my fists clenched in rage, my teeth tight and say, "I hate that actor so much!" She knows the routine and rewards my stupidity, "He must be doing his job. He was the villain."

Sean Avery is doing his job: He is the perfect villain. And he's also a damn good hockey player.

As a Devils fan who bleeds red and black (the black part worries me), it pains me to admit how good Sean Avery is. While I don't think they are getting an extra bronze plate ready for him at the Hall of Fame, I think his skill and hockey sense are extremely underrated.

Avery is like the slime from Ghostbusters II. He feeds on negative energy. Knowing this, at the beginning of the Devils series I said, "Please, just ignore Avery! The more attention you pay to him, the better he plays eventually becoming a subterranean river of ooze beneath Manhattan! Listen, I say!!!"

But how do you ignore a guy who constantly runs your franchise goalie, scores in every game, and seems impervious to any amount of gratuitous beatings you give him? You can't! Not since Claude Lemieux and Esa Tikkanen has the NHL seen such a pest, and I mean that in the most complimentary of terms.

Avery's impact is so severe he has incited a change in the NHL Rule Book DURING THE PLAYOFFS! Call it classless, call it bush-league, call it brilliant, it was noticed. During most games that is one thing Avery is, noticeable.

When Avery came to New York it was hailed by most as the worst trade-deadline deal of the year. Avery had basically been run out of both Detroit and LA so why in the world would Glen Sather deal for him? Well, he hits, fights, disturbs, scores, passes, skates well (one of the few forwards that can skate with Scott Gomez). Need a fourth line banger? Avery can do that. A second line scorer? Avery can do that. Penalty kill, power play? Avery. First line winger? Avery. Agitator? See new interpretation of NHL Rule 75 (The Sean Avery Rule). What's not to like?

Oh right, he can supposedly be a complete jerk and prima donna. That? Possibly. But when has being a prima donna stopped NY fans from embracing players? We're talking about a franchise who traded for Jagr and Bure and signed Lindros and Messier. All incredible players, two locks for the Hall, two very likelys, but also accused prima donnas.

Avery's persona fits into three NHL cities: LA, Miami, and NY. One only needs to Google "Avery Intern Vogue" to see ample proof.

NY fans love prima donnas alright...As long as they win! And the bottom line is the Rags have won with Avery a lot more than they have when he's injured.

Avery came to the Rangers and did something immediately that changed the Rangers. He shot the puck. No looking for Jagr every second of the PP, put the puck on net. Since then he has irritated like sand down the crack at every opportunity and become one of the Rangers most valuable assets. There I said it.

So what is the difference between the Sean Avery derided in Detroit and LA and the Sean Avery worshiped at MSG? Maybe Rangers brass and well respected veterans *cough-Shanny-cough* sat Sean down and laid it bare. "Look kid, we think you can play and we think you can be an effective agitator for us, but you need to know the where the line is and tip-toe on the right side of it. Do that and you'll have a great time. Fail to do so and you will be sent to Hartford. Not to the Wolf Pack, just to Hartford. Maybe Danbury."

Has Avery crossed the line? Maybe, but he has also gained enough trust and friends as well as adoring fans with his play that it appears to be forgiven.

So, I've said it: Sean Avery is a damn good hockey player.

But, is he good for the NHL? More on that later.

Goal of the Day: Jordan Staal Shortanded

2008-04-26T21:45:00.001-07:00

The talk surrounding Rangers/Pens series has mostly been about Crosby, Malkin, Jagr, and Avery and all with good reason. Two of the brightest stars in years, one of the greatest of all-time, and a super-pest that dominated the last series. Lost in the shuffle are Marian Hossa and Jordan Staal.

Hossa is a still a world class talent and a game-breaker at both ends of the ice. He is explosive in the neutral zone, possesses incredible hands and a lethal shot as well as extraordinary defensive skills.

Staal suffered from a huge sophomore slump this year scoring 17 less goals, 16 less points than 06-07. His +/- dropped almost 20 points as well. However, I think he might come out of this series with a few points.

It's always the season to help those in need.

2008-04-25T18:33:00.000-07:00

There is a young man in the hard-working town of Pittsburgh that needs your help. 20 year old Sidney Crosby needs your facial hair to have a simple playoff beard. Something many of us take for granted. The embarrassing pain young Sidney has felt over the past Springs is indescribable. Taking to the ice with a whispy skeeze-stache and spatterings of darkened peach-fuzz, Crosby is comforted by little less than ten full strands.

His teammates see his suffering more than anybody. "Sad. You see him score the goal, but you know he's crying inside." says close friend Evgeni Malkin. "One day he came in with pipe cleaners adhered to his face with spirit gum. We all tried not to notice, but eventually Gary [Roberts] had enough and took him aside. He's been watching a lot of Lifetime." said defenseman Ryan Whitney.

There are those of us who have so much. Please, dig a little deeper. Give a little more.

He may be able to win an Art Ross, a Hart Trophy, and quite possibly be the youngest Stanley Cup captain in history, but in so many ways he is in need of our help.

Donations can be made at WhiskersForSid.com

Goal of the Day: Evgeni Malkin - Shades of Mario

2008-04-25T18:22:00.001-07:00

Even a Devils fan has to appreciate the way Geno schools Marty.

Busy - new equipment

2008-04-25T17:25:00.000-07:00

It has been an very busy week. New Nike Bauer products are out, well most of them. Here's a rundown and some pics (Just the gloves for now.)

One95 skates: They are the bee's darndest knees! They fit deeper than their predecessor, the One90, and are a tad wider (I can wear a 6D with little discomfort, I am usually a EE in Nike Bauer). I have a few good friends wearing them so far and they are nuts about them. The new "Alive" material is extremely effective in molding the skate to your foot. Problems with the tedon guard seem to be addressed as well.

One75 skates: Very similar to the One90s.

Vapor XXXX /Vapor XXX Pro gloves: If La-Z-Boy made a recliner for your hand, this would be it. The difference between these two gloves is pretty similar to the differences between the Vapor XXX and Vapor XX. The XXXX has a nylon skin with a soft nash palm. XXXX has a synthetic leather/nylon skin with a segmented palm with damper zone as well as an adjustable cuff. Very good padding on the side. The XXXX has a Nike Grip on the top of the palm padding inside the glove. I'm not sure how I feel about that yet.
Note that these fit a bit more snug than the previous Vapor line. I wear a 13" Vapor XXX, but if I was getting XXXXs I would most likely buy a 14"

Vapor XXXX shoulder pads: Possibly more mobile than my Sher-Wood 5030 classics!! Very strong construction in the stitching and straps and the velcro appears durable. Adjustable front width is a great addition that is lacking in most top end shoulder pads. While the spinal protection seems similar to the One90, the chest protection is not as thick. Adjustable biceps.

Vapor XXXX pants: Nothing too new here. Really similar to the XXXLite pants, which are pretty bad ass.

Vapor XXXX shin pads: Well constructed. Improved straps as the One90s had nylon straps that were insufficient for chunky calves like mine. Thin cut.

We should be receiving the Vapor XXXX elbow pads next week 9500 helmets on 6/15.

Brodeur and Avery: A Love Story

2008-04-18T20:51:00.000-07:00

I'm halfway back to enjoying watching hockey again. The Devils/Rangers series had my energy split between unadulterated love for the Devils and ferocious, consuming hatred of the Rangers. Now that my Devils are done for the season, I can focus solely on using my mind bullets to telepathically sink the boys in Blue.

This also means a hiatus to the on again, off again romance we have seen between Devils' goalie Marty Brodeur and Rangers' forward Sean Avery. The honeymoon ended when, during the traditional post-series hand shake the two skated past each other without so much as kissing fingertips, or offering a parting glance. Avery did however call Brodeur, "Fatso" in a post-game interview.

Avery's comments in the post game interview cast him no better light than Brodeur. But, this is what I have come to expect from Avery not just by the nature of his role, but because of his past behavior.
Having said that, Brodeur's achievements come with expectations that he hold himself to a higher standard.

The whole point of the Hand Shake is to show that what happens on the ice stays on the ice. A show of good sportsmanship. Tonight, Marty did not participate. I find it unfortunate that he did not as I would like to look back at him as a gracious loser. If he's not, he's not. Call it classless if you want since that seems to be the all encompassing buzzword.

Other notes:

John Madden gets stoned by Lundqvist on 3rd Period penalty shot. For the love of JEEBUS! Do the Devils even use scouting reports? Hint for Rangers' second round opponent, SHOOT HIGH!!

30 Rock: NBC pimps the NHL

2008-04-17T23:22:00.000-07:00

For anybody that watched 30 Rock tonight (if you missed it, the episode "Subway Hero" should be up shortly here: http://www.hulu.com/30-rock), there were craaaazy hockey references.
For a show that has rarely mentioned hockey it was rather odd to have the Stanley Cup appear out of nowhere.

What possible reason could this be? Oh right, THE NHL ON NBC!!!! It worked though as 30 Rock is notorious for not hiding it's commercial sponsors and the way NBC worms endorsements into its programming.

Some of the plot-lines could be used as metaphors:

Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) as the new hip face of the Republican party: Is the NHL trying to woo fans who have no desire or reason to be interested in hockey?

An old entertainer shows the good ole' days weren't as good as we thought...just ole: Do we glorify hockey's past?

Main character gets back together with pedophile ex: Yeah, I'm not touching that.

Welcome!

2008-04-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

Ahoy!

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