Campbell: Father's life provides Mika Zibanejad with perspective
Mehrdad Zibanejad's decision to leave Iran created a more secure life for son Mika, who was drafted by the Senators in June.

Ken Campbell The Hockey News 2011-08-02


Standing in the lobby of a hotel in downtown Minneapolis the day after his son was picked in the first round of the NHL draft by the Ottawa Senators, Mehrdad Zibanejad seemed rather oblivious to it all. He obviously hasn’t read the hockey parent manual that says this should be seen as a crowning achievement, one that should be celebrated as the greatest day his family has ever seen.

In reality, he knows his son, Mika, hasn’t accomplished anything yet. Yes, he was chosen sixth overall, a remarkable accomplishment in itself, but not one that should be the center of his universe. In fact, instead of following his son to the Senators’ rookie camp a week later, he was planning a trip with his wife to Puerto Rico. “Yesterday we enjoyed it, but that was yesterday and today we go back to business and take care of the plan for the future,” Mehrdad said. “Mika’s life is not my life. It’s not something I’m thinking about all the time.”

Regardless of what Mika Zibanejad does on the ice during his NHL career, he’ll probably never be thrown in jail. Chances are he won’t ever go to war or leave his country to avoid persecution and to seek basic freedom. Mehrdad has done all of those things, which is perhaps why he has the kind of perspective he does.

These days, Mehrdad Zibanejad is a 50-year-old IT engineer with the Swedish government and the father of two Swedish hockey players. But more than three decades ago, he was living in his native Iran when the Iranian Revolution resulted in the Shah being overthrown and replaced with the Ayatollah Khomeini. Soon after, Khomeini became Supreme Leader of Iran, giving him the highest political ranking and religious authority for life.

Radical Islam was not something with which Mehrdad agreed and he was once jailed for writing a magazine article on existentialism. Mehrdad and Mika are Christians, but it was a lack of religious freedom that Mehrdad was protesting. “With existentialism you can go your own way,” Mehrdad said. “I believe in God, I read the Bible, I believe everything they write in the Bible, but God gave me some choice also. But in Iran you have no choice. They tell you what you should think and what you should do and I can’t accept it. God gave you freedom.”

That made it all the more difficult for him to fight in the Iran-Iraq war, which broke out in 1980. Mehrdad had to serve his two-year mandatory military service and faced either jail or war. “I had no choice,” he said, “they would put me in jail or maybe kill me, or I am going there and fighting for nothing, for something I don’t agree with.”

He served largely in administration, but said he engaged in battle when there was an offensive. Did he ever kill anyone? “I don’t know, I didn’t see anyone,” he said. “ Maybe, maybe not.”

After earning a passport by fulfilling his military obligations, Mehrdad left Iran in December, 1983 and landed in Sweden, where he met his Finnish-born wife Ritva. Mehrdad is reticent to talk about his experiences or his feelings about them, largely out of concern for Mika. “There are some people, maybe living in the USA or North America, who are fanatic Muslims and I don’t want them to contact him,” Mehrdad said.

For now, Mika Zibanejad is a highly touted prospect with a bright future. He shot up the rankings this past season and impressed scouts with his performance with Djurgarden of the Swedish Elite League. Senators GM Bryan Murray has already inked him to an entry level deal, meaning Zibanejad can take part in training camp in the fall. If Zibanejad isn’t yet ready to play in the NHL, he will likely return to Djurgarden to continue his development.

Much has been made of the Senators gaping hole in the No. 2 spot down the middle behind Jason Spezza. But Murray isn’t naive enough to think the Senators filled it when they selected an unproven 18-year-old. Zibanejad has NHL size and skill, but lacks NHL experience. “I don’t think he can do that,” Murray said. “I’m hoping we’re going to give him a chance to be looked at, but we don’t expect him to carry that ball.”


This feature orginally appeared in the August, 2011 issue of The Hockey News.

Ken Campbell, author of the book Habs Heroes, is a senior writer for The Hockey News and a regular contributor to THN.com with his column.

NHL set to experiment with rule changes

By LANCE HORNBY, QMI Agency, Aug 2, 2011


TORONTO - Think of referees gabbing via helmet radios, hand passes in the offensive zone, the death of the trapezoid and repeat shootout contestants in overtime.

Yes, it’s time for the National Hockey League to put white mice on skates and turn the rink into a 200 by 85 foot experimental lab, with the noble intent of streamlining the game and boosting offence.

The league’s second research and development camp, to be held at the MasterCard Centre in Etobicoke Aug. 17-18, seeks to continue the flow re-created after the 2005 lockout. Many of the camp’s more far-fetched ideas won’t go further than this study phase, involving two teams of 2012 draft eligible players, coaches Dan Bylsma and Dave Tippett and an audience of league brass and media.

The concept of three primary faceoff dots instead of nine and red-meshed nets didn’t survive this year, but some holdover experiments, such as hybrid icing, shallow nets and gradually reducing overtime manpower from 4-on-4 to 2-on-2 will be getting a second look.

Here’s a look at some of the rule tweaks to be evaluated during the camp:

Referees with head-sets

Would be useful for staying in touch during hectic action as it moves up ice. Ideally, both refs would make sure to be in the best possible position to judge goals or call penalties, as the official who is the furthest away often makes what can be a controversial minor call. They could also relay the linesmen’s comments or stay in touch when one ref is with the timekeeper and the other at the team benches.

No line changes after an offsides

Currently in effect only for a team that ices the puck, this would have the dual effect of discouraging offsides and trapping tired players, leading to scoring chances.

Only on-the-fly line changes permitted

Coaches won’t like their matchups being messed with, but this would restrict stop-time changes only when goals are scored or manpower situations arise.

Faceoff changes

In the continuing effort to stamp out delays caused by encroaching centres and wingers, misbehaving centres will have to move back a foot, while another variation will allow the other team to pick the next man to take the draw. Faceoffs will be restricted to the five circles, erasing the neutral zone dots. One linesman will be designated for almost all faceoffs to create consistency.

Hand passes permitted

North Americans who played baseball will have an advantage here. Just don’t close your hand on the puck.

Trapezoid out, red line in

Two “roll-back” experiments. Goalies can once again roam to their heart’s content to play the puck, but be warned, they will be penalized for freezing a puck without at least one skate in the crease. They will likely be considered fair game for forecheckers if they get too adventurous when stick-handling.

With the red line active again, two-line passes will be restricted in the hope more players get touches in the neutral zone.

Bearhug rule

A Brian Burke initiative, this allows players to wrap up an opponent going into the boards to lessen impact and avoid a holding call.

Jaden Schwartz finds refuge in hockey


EDMONTON— The Canadian Press - Donna Spencer Wednesday, Aug. 03, 2011


Jaden Schwartz views the world through a different lens than many other hockey players his age.

In conversation, Schwartz seems older than his 19 years. Watching his sister Mandi succumb to cancer earlier this year changed his perspective on his life.

Hockey is important to him, as it was to Mandi. Schwartz fractured his ankle in the second game of world junior hockey championship in Buffalo, N.Y., this year and watched from the sidelines as the Canadian team collapsed in the third period of the gold-medal game and lost to Russia.

That stung, but Mandi was fighting for her life at home in Wilcox, Sask., while he was at the tournament.

“Obviously me getting hurt, that's nothing compared to what she went through,” Schwartz said. “Obviously the loss is tough for everybody and it's a learning experience, but when you see Mandi go through that, it puts things in perspective and you know what's most important in life.

“It really changes you in a different way.”

Mandi, who played for the Yale Bulldogs women's hockey team, died April 3 of leukemia at the age of 23.

Schwartz, brother Rylan — a teammate at Colorado College — and parents Rick and Carol are working through their grief this summer.

“It's obviously been tough,” Schwartz said. “Without family and friends, I don't know if it's possible to get through something like that. I can't even start to explain how much it means to us.

“Mandi helped us a lot too, knowing how strong she was and how she supported us. I know she wouldn't want us to be sad all the time and down. She'd want us to keep on trucking. Her favourite motto was 'struggle and emerge' and that's what we're trying to do.”

Schwartz is one of 47 players, born in 1992 or 1993, attending the Canadian junior team's summer camp in Edmonton this week.

They're practising and scrimmaging at Rexall Place under the watchful eyes of head coach Don Hay and assistants George Burnett and Ryan Huska. The six-day camp ends with an intra-squad game Saturday in Edmonton and another Sunday in Fort McMurray.

Schwartz was the 14th overall pick in the 2010 NHL draft by the St. Louis Blues. He's one of seven veterans from the junior team eligible to play for Canada a second time at the 2012 tournament in Edmonton and Calgary starting Dec. 26.

The 5-foot-10, 184-pound forward was on Canada's top line in Buffalo before a Czech player collided with him in the first period. Schwartz kept playing and scored a power-play goal before the pain in his ankle forced him to the bench permanently.

His tournament cut short and a sister gravely ill, if Schwartz felt black clouds enveloping him, he didn't show it. Portland Winter Hawks forward Ryan Johansen was Schwartz's roommate during the tournament.

“Me and Jaden were probably the closest friends on the team and having to go through that with him, he really carried himself well through that tournament,” Johansen said. “He didn't talk about it too much and just kind of stayed positive. He was always trying to be happy.”

Schwartz is strong on the puck in all areas of the ice and his hockey instincts make him a constant scoring threat. He led all NCAA rookies in points per game last season at 1.57. Canada sorely missed his talents in the championship game in Buffalo.

His maturity and experience make Schwartz a solid candidate for captain or assistant captain should he represent his country again.

“I feel very lucky to get another shot,” Schwartz said. “I've been looking forward to this for a long time now, ever since last year's tournament ended.”

He continues to carry a chain that Mandi gave him as a Christmas present. Hockey is helping him heal in a myriad of ways, one of which is remembering how much his sister loved to play the game.

“Hockey is our family's life. It was everything to her,” Schwartz said. “Every time I step on the ice or go for a workout, it's just kind of a way to get things off your mind and do something you love to do. She was the same way.

“Any chance she got, she went for a workout and even skated when she could. It definitely helped a lot during the hard times.”

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Colleges being forced to play shorthanded

By Fluto Shinzawa Boston,com August 7, 2011


This summer, the number is nine. It’s down from 13 the previous summer. In 2009, it was 17.

But when the number stands for kids who treat their NCAA letters of intent and verbal commitments with the importance of ATM receipts, nine remains too high.

“Maybe it’s the way I was raised,’’ said Paul Kelly, executive director of College Hockey, Inc. “I’m a believer that when you make a commitment, you stand by it and honor it. It is disappointing to me. It’s disappointing to coaches. When kids make a commitment, particularly when that commitment takes a more formal form in a letter of intent to attend that school, then you break that commitment, frankly, if I’m an NHL GM, it might cause me some concern - that a player I drafted can so easily walk away from a commitment he made.’’

Traditionally, and for the foreseeable future, major junior is the route most often taken to the NHL. Of the 20 Bruins who played in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, 16 starred in the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, or Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the three leagues that operate under the Canadian Hockey League umbrella. Three played juniors in Europe. Just one chose college.

That said, those four seasons at the University of Vermont served Tim Thomas well.

There is no right or wrong way to graduate to the NHL. Proponents of major junior and college have their respective arguments as to why their approaches are preferable.

An OHL player will have a game-heavy schedule that mimics what he’ll experience in the NHL. A Hockey East player will enjoy a well-rounded atmosphere - attending classes, meeting people outside of the rink, a rich social life - that will help him transition to adulthood.

So those on either side have nothing to carp about when a kid says yes to one and no to the other. But what’s irking Kelly, coaches, and the NCAA is when a player commits to college hockey, then pushes the reset button and bolts for a junior team.

While that player, his family, and his new club move on, his former college coach suddenly has a hole on his roster. Late in the game, at that.

“You have these kids continually lobbied, influenced, and romanced,’’ Kelly said. “Not only directly by the coaches and staff, but by the players under direction of coaches and staff. When they leave in late July, it leaves the college in an incredible bind. When Michigan loses a goaltender at the end of July, less than six weeks before the start of the school year, they either go with what they have, or they reach out for another goaltender. That’s usually a goalie off a USHL team. Now that leaves that team in a bind. There’s a trickle-down effect.’’

This summer, there have been three high-profile de-commitments. J.T. Miller, the No. 15 overall pick in the 2011 draft by the Rangers, would have been a freshman at North Dakota this fall. Last month, Miller signed with Plymouth of the OHL.

Phoenix drafted Connor Murphy with the No. 20 pick in June. Murphy, a native of Dublin, Ohio, had committed to Miami University. Last month, Murphy opted for Sarnia of the OHL.

John Gibson, the second goalie picked in the draft (Anaheim), would have been a freshman at Michigan this fall. Late last month, Gibson signed with Kitchener of the OHL.

Gibson was the second goalie Michigan lost in the last two years. Jack Campbell would have been a freshman in 2010. Instead, Campbell signed with Windsor of the OHL.

There isn’t an overriding reason why future collegians are opting out of the classroom. It could be academics. It might be heat from NHL personnel who believe junior is the preferred route over college. Money could also be a factor.

“As much as the CHL denies it, there are still instances where money is being paid to the family to lure kids away and de-commit from colleges,’’ Kelly said. “It’s off the books, under the table, whatever you want to call it. If your dad is a fisherman, an out-of-work machinist, or a farmer, and a CHL program comes along and offers you $300,000 in cash, it’s tough for these families not to accept that type of proposal.’’

One solution might be a first-year grace period. For example, a collegian would be off limits from NHL or CHL contact for his freshman year. If he believes that college isn’t for him after one year, then he’d be free to consider other options.

The main issue, however, is age. For most 16-year-olds, the hardest decision they make is between M&Ms or Sour Patch Kids at the movie theater. When you have to make life-changing choices so early, there will certainly be ripple effects.

Kids change their minds all the time. But when you say no to a person when you’ve already said yes, there are significant consequences.

What rules will the NHL test at its R&D camp?

James Mirtle - Toronto - Globe and Mail Blog - Tuesday, August 9, 2011


Led by Brendan Shanahan, the NHL's senior vice president of player safety and hockey operations, the league will be holding its second annual research and development camp next week in Toronto to test out a few tweaks on the game.

There's a great big long list of what they'll be looking at, but below I've listed a few of the more interesting items with thoughts on what these changes may mean.

First, here's what Shanahan had to say on the camp, which will run some of the top junior players through scrimmates using the different rules under the watchful eye of a lot of NHL GMs.

“Last year’s camp was immensely popular with the players who attended and we learned a lot of things,” he said. “We feel that some ideas don’t need to be tested again and others need more testing.

“From the outset, we conceived of the camp with the belief that our game has never been better. And we wanted to collect information and data and learn about our game at one of its highest moments, so that, if a trend we didn’t like started to develop, we already had years of information to better prepare us for making any adjustment we need.

"It’s staying on top of the game and, at the same time, preserving the integrity of hockey.”

Eight of the more interesting rule tweaks to be tested

1. Changes only permitted on-the-fly - This would eliminate all line changes after whistles save for the end of a period, after a goal is scored or a penalty is called. It's a pretty novel idea, one designed to limit line matching and have more tired players on the ice, but it would likely detract from the game given so many players would be taking faceoffs and immediately changing.

2. No line change for team committing an offside - Two rules make going offside a far bigger offence, with this one equating going offside to icing the puck in terms of the "no change" penalty that comes with it. This takes aim at cutting some of the whistles out of games and forcing players to enter the zone on-side more often.

3. After offside, face-off goes back to offending team's end - This tweak goes one step further, moving the play all the way back into a team's defensive zone if they go offside while trying to enter the offensive zone. There are some advanced statistics out there that suggest having more faceoffs in your own end can be a big disadvantage, so this would obviously add to that.

4. No icing permitted while shorthanded - This has been discussed at length in recent years as a way to make power plays more of an advantage. Players killing penalties would have to chip the puck out or skate out of the zone rather than simply hammer it the length of the ice.

5. Overtime variation (four minutes of 4-on-4 followed by three minutes of 3-on-3) - This would expand the extra frame by another two minutes with the goal of settling more games without a shootout. Some leagues, like the BCHL, already have 3-on-3 portions to their overtimes and almost every single game is decided before a tie because of it. For those that hate the shootout, here's one way to wipe most of them out of the game.

6. All penalties to be served in their entirety - Another tweak that would make power plays a far bigger advantage. The average power play was roughly 1:30 long last season, often ending when a goal was scored, but another 30 seconds on each man advantage could potentially increase the power play goals scored in the league by another 20 or 30 per cent. (Given what took place in the first year after the lockout with so many penalty calls, that isn't always a good thing.)

7. Verification line (additional line behind the goal line) - The yellow line shown here is what they're talking about and it'd be set exactly a puck length away from the goal line. If a puck touches the verification line, it would be ruled a goal, giving hockey ops another tool to evaluate whether or not pucks crossed the line.

8. In-net camera: a mounted camera with view focused on the goal line to help verify goals - Hard to believe they haven't added something like this already with all the new technology that's out there. There are still too many calls made where officials simply don't have enough camera angles.

Others new rules on the agenda

- No-touch icing
- Face-off variations (penalty line for center committing an infraction; all face-offs in circles; same linesman drops puck for all face-offs)
- Shootout variation (5-man shootout precedes sudden-death format)
- Shallow-back nets
- Face-off variations (both centers must come set on whistle; all face-offs in circles; same linesman drops puck for all face-offs)
- Delayed penalty variation (offending team must exit zone in possession of puck to stop play)
- Strict enforcement of goaltenders covering puck outside crease (Rule 63.2)
- Remove trapezoid
- Allow hand passes in all zones
- Overtime variation (switch ends)
- Shootout variation (5-man shootout with repeat players if tied after 5 shooters)
- Thin-netting nets
- ‘Hybrid’ icing
- Offside variation (offending team can’t change and face-off in its end zone)
- Face-off variations (player encroaching can’t replace thrown-out center, all face-offs in circles; same linesman drops puck for all face-offs)
- Bear-hug rule
- Overtime variation (switch ends for four minutes of 4-on-4, followed by three minutes of 3-on-3)
- Shootout variation (3-man shoot out with repeat shooters if tied after 3 shooters)

- All-Star Skills competition (fastest skater, breakaway challenge, accuracy shooting, skills relay challenge, hardest shot, elimination shootout)

- On-ice officials communication using ref-to-ref wireless
- Overhead camera to assist hockey operations reviews of various initiatives (verification line/goal netting/in-net camera)
- Robotic camera to test camera angles for coverage closer to ice
- Video replay application review
- Curved glass protection options at players bench areas

Report: New Coyotes ownership candidate could want an 'out clause'

James Mirtle Globe and Mail Blog Friday, August 12, 2011

There's a sliver of news out there on the Phoenix Coyotes' ownership front, and in mid-August, that's enough to cause a little bit of interest in NHL circles.

The Phoenix Business Journal reported yesterday afternoon that "there is a serious bid by a new Canadian-led ownership group to buy the hockey franchise."

Few details are available, other than the fact there is again talk that there "could be a seven-year out clause that would allow the new owners to sell and/or move the team out of Arizona if market conditions do not improve."

Given all that's gone on in Glendale the past two-plus years since the team went into bankruptcy in May, 2009, one would think some sort of "out" is a given.

The other tidbit of info in the report is that the new group would be willing to put up $100-million of the purchase price, which would seem to be a much better deal for the city than what Matthew Hulsizer had been offering before backing out to pursue the St. Louis Blues.

Optimism is in short supply when it comes to the Coyotes these days, as after losing $37-million last season and having Glendale put up another $25-million to keep the team there another year, mayor Elaine Scruggs has said publicly she doesn't "have a lot of confidence" the team will be staying beyond 2011-12.

"I have never supported having the team leave," Scruggs told NBC 12 News in July. "However now I believe that the only realistic thing to do, for all of us, is to take a look at what would like be like with no team in the arena.

"In many ways the city of Glendale has no control over our future. We have some but we don't have final control. The decision is with the NHL, the other, I think it is 29 other owners, who they want to be an owner of the team."

What's going to be interesting here over the coming weeks is if the identity of that Canadian bidder comes out, as if they want an out clause, presumably they have an idea of where they'd like to go. With Winnipeg getting its team back already, there are only two realistic options on that front, with Quebec City and Southern Ontario potential destinations in this country.

In the U.S.? Your guess is as good as mine, as there really don't seem to be any untapped markets that would guarantee success or where there are owners lining up to get a team.

Greg Wyshynski has a few more thoughts on the situation today. (BELOW)
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Fri Aug 12 11:16am EDT
Escaping the Phoenix Coyotes: New owners and the out clause

By Greg Wyshynski


On Aug. 12, 2008, Jerry Moyes was the owner of the Phoenix Coyotes, bleeding money and scheming behind the scenes for a way out. On Aug. 12, 2009, Jim Balsillie, Jerry Reinsdorf and Ice Edge Holdings were bidding for the Coyotes, now mired in bankruptcy court. On Aug. 12, 2010, the NHL owned the Coyotes, Ice Edge was moving on from the bidding and a "mystery buyer" was weeks away from revelation.

On Aug. 12, 2011, the NHL still owns the Coyotes. Last year's "mystery buyer," Matthew Hulsizer, threw up his arms at local politics and turned his attention to the St. Louis Blues. And now this year's "mystery buyers" are waiting for their turn in this three-year embarrassment for the National Hockey League.

According to the Phoenix Business Journal, a source told the "Roc and Manuch" sports radio show on KDUS-AM 1060 in Phoenix that there is a "serious bid" by a Canadian-led ownership group to buy the team. (More of that strong, local ownership Bettman always advocates.)

From the Journal:

The "Roc and Manuch" show reported today that the bid involves a minority owner involved with another National Hockey League franchise, and there could be a seven-year out clause that would allow the new owners to sell and/or move the team out of Arizona if market conditions do not improve.

The official familiar with the Coyotes situation said the unnamed Canadian group has plenty of cash to make the deal. That same source said the group could put up $100 million, with $40 million to $50 million coming from the city of Glendale via bonds. The NHL could give approval to the deal in the coming days, according to KDUS.

Operative phrase: Out Clause.

The out clause has been included in other bids for the Coyotes. (Besides Balsillie, who obviously would have backed up the U-Hauls the moment he purchased the team.)

Via the Associated Press, looking back at the Reinsdorf bid in 2009:

In the fifth year, Reinsdorf's group, known as Glendale Hockey, could give 180-days notice that it intends to sell the team. Glendale would have that 180 days to find a buyer who would keep the team in Arizona, with Reinsdorf guaranteed a minimum purchase price of US$103 million.

Ice Edge seeks no such "out clause" but would establish a ticket surcharge that could vary between Coyotes games and other events at Jobing.com Arena, a popular venue for major concerts such as the recent Paul McCartney appearance. The financial district would terminate after 10 years, with whatever money is left in it going to the city. Within five years, Ice Edge would enter into talks with Glendale to buy the arena.

Hulsizer also had what amounts to an "out clause" in his deal, but one that had less to do with market conditions and more with political turmoil. From Sports Business Daily in Dec. 2010, when the Glendale City Council approved $197 million in funding to keep the Coyotes in Glendale under Hulsizer:

Council member Joyce Clark cast one of the dissenting votes, and her main concern "centered on part of the agreement that would allow Hulsizer to terminate the arena lease before then if the city failed to meet its financial obligations to the team or faced a lawsuit that invalidated part or all of the deal."

Hulsizer in that case "would still be allowed to keep the money that the city provided through the deal." Hulsizer "told the council he was willing to allow 120 days for negotiation with the city if such a default or lawsuit judgment were to occur."

Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs after the meeting added that the NHL "had told Glendale it would not allow the team to move, even if there was a lawsuit judgment, for seven years."

So with this new bid for the team, we're still looking at the seven-year itch. One bidder in three years was willing to commit to the region: Ice Edge. And that might have just been to differentiate their bid from Reinsdorf's cut-and-run clause. No one is bidding for the Phoenix Coyotes again without an escape hatch. Ain't gonna happen.

According to the NHL's actions, they shouldn't need one, of course, because the market can work under the right conditions.

The company line for the NHL when Moyes put the team in bankruptcy was that he had just subverted an ongoing process between the League and Glendale to create more favorable market conditions for the franchise. Part of that equation was finding new ownership; the other part was extracting more money from the city and from the revenue streams around the arena.

The process nearly played out with Hulsizer until it became apparent that entities like the Goldwater Institute weren't going to allow the city to throw taxpayer money at the Coyotes without a hell of a fight.

The new bid, according to the Business Journal, asks for significantly less from the city than Hulsizer's did. But the devil's in the details.

Witness the situation with the Nashville Predators from a few years back, via the Arizona Republic:

After 2010, if average paid attendance drops below 14,000 per game and cumulative losses reach $20 million, the team could opt out of its lease. The team would have to pay Nashville an early-termination fee that ranges between $10 million and $25 million, depending on the year.

So will the market get seven years to make this work, and then have specific triggers in the deal to allow for relocation? Could relocation happen sooner for the new owners?

The NHL has come this far, danced with so many partners and fought so many battles that it's inconceivable they're going to let the Coyotes move. Bettman doesn't like to lose, and any scenario in which the Coyotes leave is a defeat, plain and simple.

Meanwhile, all the fans are doing is increasing the season-ticket base dramatically while the wait for this nonsense to reach its conclusion.

Cubs hoping for some Gretzky magic

Postmedia News August 12, 2011


CHICAGO — His dad had more than his share of great games in Chicago.

And now Trevor Gretzky is hoping he’ll be able to do the same one day — only in a different sport.

The Trevor Gretzky era in professional baseball officially began on Friday, with the Chicago Cubs announcing they had signed the 18-year-old son of former hockey great Wayne Gretzky. The deal is reportedly worth $375,000 US.

The younger Gretzky, who can play the outfield and first base, was selected by the Cubs in the seventh round of the 2011 first-year player draft, after he hit .393 with 10 doubles, four triples and a home run in his senior year at Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, California.

“The Cubs are thrilled to welcome Trevor Gretzky to the organization,” general manager Jim Hendry said. “It was a pleasure working with the Gretzky family on this contract and we are excited by Trevor’s decision to begin his pro baseball career with the Cubs.”

Gretzky could be assigned to one of Chicago’s minor-league teams or head to the team’s minor-league complex in Mesa, Arizona.

FORMER CAPITAL BRADLEY: SEMIN 'JUST DOESN'T CARE'

TSN.CA STAFF Aug 17, 2011


Florida Panthers forward Matt Bradley, who spent six seasons with the Washington Capitals before this offseason, had a few choice words for his former team and teammates earlier this week.

Speaking on Ottawa's TEAM 1200 Radio, Bradley said there were a few players that didn't show up in the playoffs and that the locker room may have been a bit too laid back.

"I think our locker room was maybe a little bit too nonchalant, and guys weren't disciplined the way they should have been," Bradely told TEAM 1200. "Those two things are big things. It wasn't that guys were going out the night before a game, but not being ready to practice or missing practice with questionable injuries and not being focused."

Bradley went on to cite Alexander Semin's lack of output in the post-season as part of the reason for the Capitals' failures the past few seasons, saying he has the potential to be the best player in the league but hasn't performed when it mattered.

"I don't mind saying Alexander Semin's name because he's one guy who has so much talent, he could easily be the best player in the league, and for whatever reason just doesn't care," Bradley said. "When you've got a guy like that you need him to be your best player, or one of your best players, and when he doesn't show up, you almost get the sense that he wants to be back in Russia. That's tough to win when you've got a guy like that who's supposed to be your best player not being your best player. Or one of your best players."

Bradley was also critical of star players getting ice time in the playoffs despite struggling.

"There were a lot of guys who played well that didn't probably play as much as they needed to, but I love Bruce (Boudreau) and Bruce is a great coach and he was in a very tough position there, because in Washington our top guys are definitely the stars and the guys that people want to see on the ice, so I totally understand," Bradley said. "That just doesn't happen on our team, it happens on a lot of teams.

"When you're paying your top guys a lot of money and those guys carry you through the whole season, and if one of them isn't going, it's very hard not to play them, and I understand that that's tough. But I think in the end, if you want to win, sometimes you have to sit some of those guys down and maybe send a message and try to get them going."

Asked if Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin was all in for winning a Stanley Cup, Bradley had nothing bad to say.

"I never worry about Ovi," he said. "He's an all-in guy. He's young; he makes his mistakes the same as anyone would. I often try to put myself in his position. And you've got to remember, he's 25 years old, he's got a guaranteed $120 million, he's on top of the world, and he still for the most part makes the right decisions.

"Ovi has some growing up to do as far as taking care of himself and things like that, but as far as his want to win, he really does just want to win the games, and he doesn't care if he scores or not. That isn't an act. He's a great guy, great player. I'd never say anything bad about him."

Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau spoke on TSN 1050 Wednesday and initially declined comment on Bradley's remarks, but answered when pressed on what Ovechkin's response may be.

"He's in Siberia. He may not get [word of] it. I don't know," Boudreau told TSN 1050 of Bradley's comments. "By the time training camp comes around, I think it'll die."

As for Semin, Boudreau agreed with Bradley's talent assessment.

"He's a great player. I always think he's going to have a 50-goal year, before (the season) starts. He's just so talented," he said.

The Capitals finished first in the Southeast Division the past four seasons, winning the Presidents' Trophy in 2009-10, but failed to advance to the Conference final and only got past the first round twice.

Testing, testing

Sportsnet.ca John Shannon August 18, 2011


The NHL's research and development camp allows the league to try some new things, but rule changes take time.

It's funny how things evolve. And I truly think the NHL is onto something, as far as this research and development camp goes. Not as much for the attempt at tweaking the game, or the lines on the ice, but rather the creation of the unofficial opening of the NHL season.

League executives were there, so were at least half of the general managers and a pretty good swath of media. Heck, there was even a former owner-turned-proud-parent in the group. All thirsting for a dose of the game.

And while there were those who would say most of the managers were there to watch the 2012 draft prospects who were scrimmaging, there were a couple of tangible changes to the playing surface that might help the game.

At either end of the benches, new curved glass will find its way into the 30 rinks. Gone will be the 90-degree glass and stanchion that is dangerous for the players. Feel free to call it the "Pacioretty Curve." Still to be determined is whether the glass will be considered part of the playing surface or out of play if it is hit by an errant puck. Bet on the latter.

There were some interesting changes around the goal. This is where senior VP of hockey operations Mike Murphy has long lobbied for the addition of a "Verification Line" (directly behind the goal line exactly one puck width apart). Day One of the camp, the line did receive a great deal of praise. It is a logical, simple, visual way to see if the puck is across the goal line. If it touches the verification line, it has to be in. It wouldn't surprise me to see it used even as early as this season.

As well, the hockey operations group has adapted some of the goal's netting from above to allow for a much clearer look at pucks across the goal line for video review.

By the way, with no managers' meetings planned between now and the start of the season, if the NHL felt strongly enough, they would put it to the GMs and the owners via conference call in September. Changing the playing environment is much easier than actually changing the rules of the game.

As far as rule changes, it was difficult to see just how much difference they could make. In the first scrimmage, everyone was waiting for that first power play, where the defending team wouldn't be able to ice the puck (a rule change that in my mind could slow the game down).

But alas the power play only lasted 26 seconds before the team with the man advantage took a penalty. On the second power play, a pretty shorthanded goal made everyone forget about the rule change and marvel at the skills of a 17 year old!

The 3-on-3 overtime didn't make an impact, neither did a few of the other small tweaks like allowing hand passes in all zones and the removal of the trapezoid. The examinations of those changes will have to have a much larger sample size. As in previous times, it would make the most sense to take advantage of the AHL game to see the long-term impact of these rules.

I talked to AHL president David Andrews about just that. Would he, in fact, be willing to make his league the "guinea pig" league?

The ever-diplomatic Andrews said, "We have not been asked to test anything, but if we were asked our standard approach is to consider any request that does not impact the integrity of our competition, or the seamless transition of players between our league and the NHL. Generally if the GMs are strongly in favour of a test, that would also influence us."

So, I can only think that the camp does serve a purpose.

Yes, beyond being the unofficial start of the season. But the purpose is certainly not to find a short-term fix for the game. Hockey is a game of actions and reactions. For every rule change, there will be on-ice actions/reactions that can only compound some issues.

Just ask Colin Campbell what happen to the game after the rule changes (or enforcement) of 2005. The power plays increased in the short term and the speed in the game increased, which allowed for more violent hits. And is it even possible to connect to dots to the issue of concussions today.

Rule changes take time, not in two days, but in hundreds of games. And while the camp does a good job at introducing some adaptations, it just too darn difficult to see if they work in these controlled scrimmages. It's not wrong to do them, just don't expect too much.

And it's just nice to be talking hockey again.

By the way, a couple of notes:

-- So who was the aforementioned former owner? Tampa Bay's Oren Koules, whose son Miles was one of the prospects. It put a smile on a few faces to see he and Gary Bettman share an embrace.

-- The prospects' uniforms had the initials "EJ" stitched into the left shoulder, in honour of the late E.J. McGuire, the VP of Central Scouting who passed away earlier this year and was a driving source of the two previous R&D camps.

NHL looks to inject more power into power play

JAMES MIRTLE - Globe and Mail - Aug. 17, 2011

More goals.

Fewer shootouts.

That seemed to be the underlying theme of Day 1 at the NHL’s research and development camp on Wednesday as two teams of top junior prospects were put through an array of new rules in the course of two games under the watchful eye of commissioner Gary Bettman and friends.

While most of those taking part were reluctant to classify the exercise as a search for more goals, the rule “rationales” given to media had “will potentially lead to more offence” next to many of the tweaks being tested.

Several involved making power plays even more valuable, with penalized players serving the full two minutes and penalty killers called for icing the puck.

“To me the goaltending is so good and the penalty killers are so strong, I think it’s time there’s a little more advantage for the power play,” said Phoenix Coyotes coach Dave Tippett, who is behind one of the benches for the camp.

“It creates more opportunities. I think the players are so good these days, there’s fewer and fewer mistakes. So you have to find places where they can use their skill even when a mistake isn’t made.”

NHL vice-president Brendan Shanahan, who is running the camp in its second year, said that since he first entered the league as a player in the late 1980s, power plays have become less and less a factor and he likes the idea of increasing that advantage.

“The shift in the advantage has certainly gone to coaching and the penalty kill,” Shanahan said. “When you start thinking about the fact we give an advantage to the PK in that they’re allowed to ice the puck, you start to wonder why, because they’ve broken a rule and gotten a penalty, now we’re going to let them break this other rule?”

Goal scoring, meanwhile, has dropped roughly two goals a game since Shanahan was a rookie, although there remains a divide among those who run the game about what, if anything, should be done about the trend.

“We’ve been talking about goal scoring for 15 years, haven’t we?” Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman said. “We changed the game dramatically coming out of the lockout and I think we saw a bit of a blip in scoring, but the reason was we saw so many 5-on-3 power plays.

“I don’t have a big concern that we need to increase scoring. I think the game’s exciting. Goaltenders are better, they’re bigger and their equipment is bigger. That’s the biggest reason in my opinion.”

That issue, however, won’t be addressed at the camp. While they’re using shallower nets with more cameras, thinner mesh, a verification line and a Plexiglass top, testing larger goals (or smaller goalies) isn’t on the league’s radar even in an experimental camp setting like this.

(This despite the fact NHL goaltenders now average 6 foot 2 and 200 pounds – an increase of three inches and 15 pounds in the past 20 years – in a trend that has led to many teams considering only tall netminders as prospects.)

The longstanding taboo on altering the net size leaves Shanahan with less drastic changes to consider, including one on Wednesday in which players played four minutes of 4-on-4 overtime and then three minutes of 3-on-3 overtime.

The rationale for the rule?

“It is believed that the extra ice created by 3-on-3 will lead to more scoring chances and overtime goals.”

Yzerman said he supported playing more than the current five minutes of overtime, something that would reduce the impact of shootouts, which have become a regular target for GMs since their introduction in 2005.

Several lamented the fact that more than 12 per cent of NHL games were decided by the shootout last season. Meanwhile, leagues that have adopted some 3-on-3 in overtime, like the British Columbia Hockey League, have seen dramatically more games ended in the extra frame.

Of all the rules being tested this week, that alteration to overtime may well be the most influential one with a hope of being implemented, perhaps as soon as 2012-13, when the league also gets a new collective agreement and realigns to accommodate the Winnipeg Jets.

League employee that he is, however, Shanahan wouldn’t go so far as to declare war on the shootout.

“We’re not de-emphasizing the shootout,” he said, cracking a smile. “We’re enhancing overtime.”

Who has the best hands in the NHL?

The Hockey News Jamie McLennan 2011-08-29

Hello everyone. I’m very excited to be back writing for The Hockey News. When I was wrapping up my career, I had a blog with tales about playing hockey in Japan with my good pal and very leather-skinned friend, Tyson Nash.

Since then, I retired, worked for the Calgary Flames organization for three years (which I loved every minute of) and transitioned to the media side by working for TSN on their various TV and radio shows.

One thing I have always loved is the game of hockey. I knew what I was as a player, am very proud of it and was extremely fortunate to have played pro for so many years. Not only was I lucky enough to have played with some of the best goalies of all-time in Grant Fuhr, Ron Hextall, Roberto Luongo and Miikka Kiprusoff, but also with some of the best players of all-time: Chris Pronger, Brett Hull, Pierre Turgeon, Wendel Clark, Al MacInnis, Mark Messier, Joe Nieuwendyk and Jarome Iginla (yes, it pains me to say it, because I like taking shots at Iggy, but he is), plus many amazing players in between.

I’ve been blessed: Hockey has brought me incredible lifelong friendships and experiences I will cherish forever.

OK, enough of the trip down memory lane. I will touch on those stories throughout my columns as I get questions and settle in. I was uncertain on where I wanted to start, but I will share a tiny story and build from there.

In my last few years in the NHL I got to watch a lot of hockey backing up Roberto Luongo and Miikka Kiprusoff, but on one particular night I was put in against Detroit.

Pavel Datsyuk was coming down the ice on his off wing and I was outside my crease in what I thought was a good position. I had read the rush and examined what his options were coming over the blueline: he basically had a 2-on-2 play with Henrik Zetterberg (also a scary player to face), but from what I could see, both my D-men were in good position to handle the play. Their gap was great, their stick positioning was perfect to take the pass away and it should have been a nothing play.

Well, obviously Datsyuk had other ideas, because as he got over the blueline, he faked to drive wide, cut hard to the top of the circle, moved laterally as fast as he was going forward, put the puck through the D-man’s stick, faked a pass to a streaking Zetterberg and, in full stride, snapped a ridiculous shot short side shelf that I was way too late to get.

Now, as a goalie, the moment a goal goes in you try to assess what you could have done better, why you didn’t prevent it and how to get better for next time. Obviously, getting beat on a short side glove shot is a no-no in Goaltending 101, but when watching the replay on the JumboTron – and then again later on video – yes, there were a few technical errors on my part. That was when I witnessed how amazing Datsyuk’s hands are. Some things stick out in a goalie’s mind over his career and that goal will be ingrained in my mind for quite some time.

This leads me to my list ranking the best hands in the NHL. There are so many guys to choose from, but that’s the beauty of opinion from experience.

1. Pavel Datsyuk

A game-changer who makes everyone around him better. He has the vision to see plays two and three steps ahead of everyone.

2. Joe Thornton

Has hands of butter for a large man. He’s an elite passer with vision and tremendous strength on the puck.

3. Daniel and Henrik Sedin

I could never tell the difference between these two anyway and it doesn’t matter – they both have the puck on a string and make goalies look terrible. Plus, I think they’re telepathic: I’ve never witnessed them talking to each other on the ice, but they always seem to find the blade.

4. Martin St-Louis

Just ask Steven Stamkos how good St-Louis’ hands are. Everything about Marty is done at full speed; great anticipation and vision.

5. Corey Perry

Has such a long reach and uses his size and strength to maneuver around the net. He has a tricky release with deceptive speed.

Honorable Mentions: Patrick Kane, Daniel Briere, Claude Giroux, Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby.

That’s it for this week, thanks for reading.

FORMER CAPITAL STECKEL BACKS BRADLEY'S COMMENTS ABOUT SEMIN

TSN.ca Staff 8/31/2011



Matt Bradley's recent critique of Alexander Semin and his previous employer is being backed by another former Capital.

New Jersey Devils forward David Steckel, who spent the majority of last season with the Capitals before being traded in February, defended the comments of his former teammate.

Speaking to the Washington media, the 29-year-old did not dispute Bradley's statements, which described a lack of effort from Semin and a lack of discipline from the team on the ice and in the playoffs.

"It's not like he went out and told lies," Steckel told reporters. "(He) didn't really say anything bad about anybody. He just stated what he felt."

Bradley, who signed with the Florida Panthers after six seasons in Washington, caused a stir with comments that he made in an interview with the Team 1200 radio station in Ottawa.

Among the targets of Bradley's words were Semin's effort level and the team's lack of discipline.

"I don't mind saying Alexander Semin's name because he's one guy who has so much talent, he could easily be the best player in the league, and for whatever reason just doesn't care," said Bradley at the time. "When you've got a guy like that you need him to be your best player, or one of your best players, and when he doesn't show up, you almost get the sense that he wants to be back in Russia."

Steckel believes that Bradley's experience in the league gives him the right to speak his mind on the topic.

"First reaction was like, 'Brads, what did you do?'" said Steckel. "Then I read the transcript and, I mean, it's Brads. It's not like he's somebody breaking into the league telling things that nobody knows about already. He's an elder statesman in the league; he's been around and he's in a different organization now."

Bradley wasn't all negative when he spoke about his former squad. He also shared some praise for the team's superstar, Alexander Ovechkin.

"I never worry about Ovi," said Bradley. "He's an all-in guy. He's young; he makes his mistakes the same as anyone would. I often try to put myself in his position. And you've got to remember, he's 25 years old, he's got a guaranteed $120 million, he's on top of the world, and he still for the most part makes the right decisions.

While not willing to respond himself, Steckel once again agreed with Bradley's assessment of the situation

HOCKEY CANADA AND ITS 13 BRANCHES COMMIT TO SIX PRIORITIES OF FOCUS FOR 2011-12 SEASON

August 26, 2011 NR.107


MONTREAL, Que. – Following a planning session last July in Penticton, B.C., Hockey Canada’s officers committed to six priorities of focus for the 2011-12 season. Today, following a board of directors meeting in Montreal, Hockey Canada’s board of directors and its 13 branches have committed to the same priorities.

“This is a great day for Hockey Canada,” said Michael Bruni, chairman of the Hockey Canada Board of Directors. “Hockey Canada’s officers, its board of directors and its 13 branches are moving forward together, making changes we feel will be beneficial for the growth of our game. We have an opportunity to change the game, to make sure hockey in Canada stays strong for years to come. These priorities are a credit to the courage and leadership of Hockey Canada’s officers, board of directors and 13 branches.”

HOCKEY CANADA OFFICERS’ SIX PRIORITIES OF FOCUS FOR 2011-12

To spirit the attitude and create mechanisms in player movement to facilitate flexibility within the game reflecting the needs of the modern player and family.

To service sport schools and create a positive and flexible infrastructure that meets the needs of this Hockey Canada customer.

To address and create the opportunity for flexible seasons, allowing players and families to participate in both hockey and other activities comfortably.

To recognize and enhance exciting non-contact streams and to encourage and spirit more non-contact streams as a viable and credible participatory program.

To encourage and embark upon relationships and partnerships with entrepreneurs/private hockey programs and work together to provide the best development programs for the player.

To proactively work with Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), recognizing it as a critical part of a vision of the Canadian student/athlete alternative, with particular focus on female hockey.

ROD STEWART SON LIAM TO BE GB HOCKEY ACE

Daily Star (UK) - June 19, 2011

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Gregg Drinnan writes, "F Liam Stewart, the son of actress Rachel Hunter and rocker Rod Stewart, is in camp with the Spokane Chiefs. Right here is a story on Liam that appeared in the Daily Star in June."
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ROD STEWART'S teenage son Liam is being lined up to play for Great Britain.

And he’s already carved out a reputation as an exciting young talent after top-scoring last season for the Los Angeles Junior Kings Under-16s ice hockey side.

Now his mum, ex-model Rachel Hunter, has been in touch with the GB camp in the hope that Liam can get the go-ahead to play for the Lions in the future.

Even though he was born in London and has a British passport, he’s not eligible to wear the red, white and blue in the World Championships because he’s never played in this country.

His case is now being taken up and will be on the agenda of the world governing body, the International Ice Hockey Federation, at their autumn congress this September.

They will be asked to make a ­special exemption for the forward, 17, ­because of his family ­circumstances which meant he has been brought up in America.

Liam has lived with his mum since she split from rock legend Rod in 1999 when he was only four years old.

His football-loving rocker dad was a talented young footballer and signed as an apprentice for Brentford in 1961, a decade before he had his first No.1 hit with ­Maggie May.

Rod, who also had a hit with The First Cut Is The Deepest, set up a trust fund for Liam as part of the settlement after divorcing Rachel in 2006.

They’ve both regularly been in the stands at Liam’s matches.

Last season, his second with the Kings, he scored 24 goals and had 13 assists, which saw him drafted by US Hockey League side Lincoln Stars.

But he may not ice for the Nebraska team and was missing from last week’s try-out camp.

Six-footer Liam has had plenty of advice on how to make the big time – his mother’s former live-in lover Jarret Stoll has spent the last nine seasons in the NHL, three of them with the LA Kings.

Andy French, general secretary of Ice Hockey UK, said: “Rachel contacted us to say Liam would like to play for GB and since then I’ve been preparing a case for the IIHF.

“I’m optimistic we’ll get the right answer and he can play for the GB Under-18s.”

Jamie McLennan: Top wacky-fan experiences

Jamie McLennan The Hockey News 2011-09-05


Welcome back everyone. Thanks for the responses to the first article - that’s the beauty of opinion, everyone has one and there were some great points raised. Every time I go to write something a flood of ideas come rushing in and I want to share so much with people who love hockey as much as I do. I want to tell some funny and weird stories here today.

I have always loved fan interaction…to a respectful point. I don’t care if someone disagrees with me on an opinion or something I have said or done, but whether I choose to engage them is also my choice and right as a player, coach, analyst and whatever I have been lucky enough to work at. But here are some of the things I have seen over the years that cross some form of weird/scary line.

One night I started a game in Vancouver while I was playing with St. Louis in the mid- to late-’90s. We always seemed to do Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver as a trip because of travel scheduling. So I got the start in Vancouver and from what I remember things were going pretty well. We had a lead and I had a shutout going in the third period (which was rare for me, 13 in my career).

The faceoff was in our end to my left. I was naturally in my crouch, ready for the puck drop, when I see a man jump onto the ice and run directly towards me. Now, because everyone was facing the circle and ready for the drop of the puck, no one had noticed this guy in full stride running directly towards me. I kept thinking, ‘This guy is going to attack me, what should I do? Should I skate at him and attack him first? Should I defend myself and give him my best Steven Segal defense technique?’ I had no idea what was in store and it was scary, so I just started to yell.

The linesman and everyone on the ice turned and looked at me making a scene on the ice. I yelled “hey, hey, hey, look, look, look” and pointed at this guy who was bombing toward me on the ice. Before he could get to the top of the circle the opposing defenseman, Enrico Ciccone, hooked him with his stick and corralled him. The refs took over from there and escorted this obviously very drunk and foolish man off the ice.

After the situation had been handled, everyone on the ice looked at each other and started laughing. The linesman blew the whistle and we got set for the play, but not before the ref leaned over to me and asked ‘should I give Ciccone a penalty for hooking?’ We both locked eyes and started laughing.

This was for sure one of the stranger moments I experienced in my career and I remember reading the next day that it was a college kid who did it as a dare. He was charged with some sort of silliness, but it was a very good topic for the boys to laugh about on the plane after the game.

This was my top strange/weird moment that I witnessed in my career - never a dull moment when it comes to very passionate fans.

Some other moments I’ve witnessed:

Playing against Utica in the minors in the early 1990s, I was sitting on the bench and a fan and I started to chirp each other because he was not happy with our team. He started calling me a benchwarmer (which was true through most of my career, but not in those days when I really was the starter) and I commented on how I didn’t think a comb-over hairdo hid the fact he was going to be bald by the time the game was over. I suggested a wig and he stood up, opened his coat and flashed a gun. I said, without hesitation, ‘sir, you have won this exchange, enjoy the game.’ Luckily the period ended and I got the hell out of there.

There have been lots of funny things over the years that have made me laugh or shake my head at and say “now I’ve seen it all.”

Like the time the goal judge was smoking during the game, ashtray on the boards, when the team I was playing for in Japan was playing a rival team in China. Or when a naked guy jumped over the glass in Calgary and knocked himself out.

A fan threw a puck onto the ice one time when a player was on a breakaway. The goalie and the player on the breakaway did not know what to do.

And, finally, a guy once tricked our public relations person into thinking he was the anthem singer that night then proceeded to sing a completely different song and run off with the microphone when security tried to get him off the ice.

I want to say events like these happen in every sport, but I just don’t think they do. Or maybe on some weird level I believe hockey fans to be not only the best, but the funniest and most entertaining of all sports.

Enjoy and see you next week. And don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @jamiemclennan29.


Born in Edmonton, Jamie McLennan is a former NHL goaltender currently working as an analyst for TSN. Nicknamed 'Noodles,' McLennan was drafted by the Islanders in 1991. He played 254 NHL games with the Flames, Rangers, Panthers, Wild, Blues and Isles, compiling a 80-109-33 record. He will be writing for THN.com throughout the season.