Henderson facing toughest battle: Part I
PERRY LEFKO Sportsnet.ca Sept.6 2011
In 1972, Paul Henderson scored a goal to defeat the Soviet Union and etch his name in the hockey history books. However, these days Henderson is facing a different kind of opponent: a silent one.
Thirty-nine years after scoring that series-winning goal for Team Canada, Henderson is trying to defeat cancer. In November 2009, he was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia -- for which there is no known cure -- and it has advanced to Stage 4, the highest stage. He is fighting the disease with the help of an orthomolecular nutritionist, who has him on a strict diet that consists of chicken, fish, vegetables and fruit. It eliminates sugar, which cancer feeds off, along with dairy products, pork, bread and pasta.
Henderson is also on a strict daily fitness regimen that involves lifting weights and cardiovascular work. He purchased a $5,000 treadmill that uses vibrations. He also bought a dry sauna that his nutritionist recommended. It is powered by electricity and uses infrared lights and is designed to sweat out toxins.
"We're trying to beat cancer from the inside," the 68-year-old husband, father and grandfather told sportsnet.ca.
In advance of Team Canada's annual reunion, held Sept. 6-7 in Toronto, ON, and the historic goal scored on Sept. 28, 1972, Henderson spent some time with sportsnet.ca at his home talking about a variety of subjects, which will run in two installments.
SN: It's been almost two years since you were diagnosed with cancer. What is the status of your health?
PH: The blood work is a little worse and the tumour is a little bigger, but I'm still working out like crazy and maintaining my diet and exercise and that kind of stuff, so we're monitoring the situation. My biggest struggle is trying to keep my weight on. I'm down to 175. I like to stay around 180. I was 184 for 40 years. I've never been over 185. I carry that weight pretty good. Eating is one of my better gifts, but that's one of the things (battling) cancer. As long as I don't lose another 10 pounds, I'll probably be okay for a little while. It's a day to day thing. That's the way I live life. I take today. If tomorrow shows up, we'll take a shot at tomorrow.
SN: So that is your mindset?
PH: I've never once ever felt sorry for myself. The wonderful thing about cancer is you can differentiate the trivial from the important very quickly. At 68, it's pretty important that you're able to do that. I've tried to help other people go through tough times, encouraging people not to fear, that's something I used to do a lot of. Over the years, I've taught myself take today and live it the best you can.
SN: You talked about your legacy; haven't you already created a legacy with your hockey career, specifically what happened in the '72 series and helping others?
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PH: You continue to make (your legacy). Every day you have choices and I want to finish well. I've always started off that way. Nobody knows (when they're going to die). I could take a heart attack tomorrow. Something else could take me out. I really believe it's doing the best you can today and enjoying it -- enjoying your wife, your family, your grand kids. For a lot of years I didn't spend enough time with them. Like a lot of people you're trying to be successful. Now I've lived long enough to know that's important.
SN: Do you get excited this time of the year because of the reunion and the recollection of the series?
PH: You look forward to getting together with the guys obviously. There's usually things that happen. It's just the guys; we talk about the kids, their families, that kind of stuff. Some guys are still involved in hockey, like Dale Tallon (general manager of the Florida Panthers). Some people have some health issues. We're just a bunch of guys that have a lot of respect for one another. We went to war; it's nice catching up.
The thing about it is: people (who watched the series) don't let it go away. It doesn't matter where I am or what I'm doing, people still want to come up and talk about it and tell me where they were and what they were doing and it's amazing how many Canadians say to me, "You should be in the Hall of Fame." It's always in front of me because people bring it up all the time. It doesn't matter where I am, what I'm doing. But it's also satisfying, too. Now seeing my grandchildren come along and play hockey, I get pretty excited about it. There always seems to be neat things happening, different things.
SN: There have been some suggestions that maybe after the 40-year anniversary it will be time to stop rehashing the series with the team, that maybe it's time to move on?
PH: Everybody's got different opinions, so we'll see. Maybe we'll do a golf tournament, maybe we won't. We'll talk to the guys. If there's a reason to get together, maybe we will, maybe we won't. But I think they're talking about doing something big for the 40th, so we'll see what happens.
Part II of the Paul Henderson interview with sportsnet.ca will run Wednesday. Check back to read its conclusion.
Revisited: 25 ugliest jerseys in professional hockey history
The modern era of professional hockey expansion has produced some - but not all - of the ugliest uniforms ever seen in professional sports. The following are the 25 worst offenders, courtesy of Bleacher Report.
April 7, 2011
http:// www .calgaryherald.com /sports/Revisited+ugliest+jerseys+professional+hockey+history/5358394/story.html
Gallery: World's ugliest sport uniforms? University of Maryland's new threads mocked on Twitter
Odds are if you were a sports fan on Twitter Monday night you heard about the University of Maryland's garish football uniforms worn during their opening game against the Miami Hurricanes.
September 5, 2011
http:// www. calgaryherald.com /Gallery+World+ugliest+sport+uniforms+University+Maryland+threads+mocked/5358388/story.html
'Fear is a wonderful motivator'
PERRY LEFKO sportsnet.ca Sept. 7 2011
Proof of Paul Henderson's enduring fame from his role of scoring the game-winning goal that clinched the series for Team Canada against the Soviets in the '72 Summit Series is the traveling exhibit called the Henderson Homecoming Jersey Tour.
It is the result of a Toronto businessman, Mitch Goldhar, who paid more than $1.2 million US at an auction in June of 2010 for the sweater because he thought it deserved to be in Canada and for Canadians to enjoy it as a piece of history.
Goldhar, who owns the Smartcentres retail outlet, was only 11 years of age in 1972, but the Summit Series had such a profound effect on his life as a Canadian and someone who loved sports that he felt it important to repatriate the jersey. Following the '72 series, Henderson gave the sweater to Toronto Maple Leafs trainer Joe Sgro, who subsequently sold it. The sweater passed through several hands, but it was at the U.S. auction that its importance became relevant to Canada.
Several companies went public with the intention of buying the jersey, and it became a story unto itself. What Henderson didn't know at the time was that Goldhar, whom he didn't know, planned to buy the jersey and make it the cornerstone of a free exhibit that would travel throughout Canada so people could relive those glory days.
In the second installment of a two-part interview with sportsnet.ca, Henderson talks about the auction to buy the sweater, the travelling with it and other memorabilia, the goal in the final game that changed his life forever, living in Canada and a comment he made a few years ago about the slash of teammate Bobby Clarke that broke a Soviet player's ankle in the series.
SN: What was your impression of what happened at the auction, because there had been talk that someone or some store would buy it? I know you had talked to Vancouver businessman Jim Pattison, who wanted to buy it and involve you in some way with it after the purchase. So, what happened?
PH: I was at home doing a crossword puzzle. I wasn't even watching it online. My nine-year-old grandson and my wife were on the phone (talking about the bids). I did talk to Jim Pattison that night and I was really disappointed that he didn't get it because he said they were going to use it and involve me and eventually it would end up in Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. But like everything else in life, you never know and it's probably turned out just as well that Mitch got it. He's put this trailer together and it's fabulous. It wasn't my idea. This was a Canadian doing it. It was an iconic moment and (he felt) people needed to be educated about this. So I had nothing to do with it. He asked me if I would come and make some appearances, so I said sure. I'm going to do 16 or 17 appearances and some other players from the team will go out and interact with people.
SN: What was the impression you had when the tour started in your hometown?
PH: We just had a ball, my wife (Eleanor) and I. People come out and go through the trailer. It's incredible what's in there. Here's the kid from Lucknow, ON, who grew up poor as a churchmouse with probably less than a 1,000 and there were probably 500 there. It's pretty satisfying.
SN: Why do you think the goal was so important that almost 40 years later it is still a big deal?
PH: I would say we were probably never more Canadian as Canadians right across the country. It's something Canadians really took pride in. There's no downside to this series. We won. We proved that we could come back and win, so it was a win for the NHL, it was a win for hockey and certainly it's been a win for Paul Henderson and his family.
Somebody comes up and says, 'Man, Paul, I was in Grade 4 and I remember going crazy.' Well, how can you be blasé about that kind of stuff? So, there's no downside. That's the thing I love about it. Obviously it's awful encouraging when people come up and tell you, 'Man, that was such a great time.' It's mind-boggling. No one in a 100 years would have thought this goal would still be (as important) at this time. It's been very positive for me. It's fabulous. In terms of scoring the goal, yes it's wonderful and they (describe it) as the greatest sports moment of the last century. That blows you away.
SN: They talk about Canadian heart; did that play a role in Team Canada winning?
PH: We were so consumed in it. I said to my wife at the time, 'If we don't win this series we're going to be known as losers the rest of our lives.' Fear is a wonderful motivator sometimes. Fear of failure, I think, drove as much as anything. We had pride in ourselves.
SN: There was a comment you made a few years ago that you were disgusted with the slash by Bobby Clarke that broke Valeri Kharlamov's ankle. The comment created quite a controversy and Clarke wasn't happy when he heard about it and made some remarks about you. What was behind all that?
PH: This is what the press does to you. They take things out of context and just cause grief. This is an example of that. Somebody will say something and they just blow it up and make it a big thing. In that situation, I was talking about my grandson and playing hockey and the '72 series came up in the conversation. I thought it was fabulous. We wanted to win and everything was justified. I saw nothing wrong with it in '72, none of us did. You get a little older and you look back and you're a little more mature and you think, 'Man, if you can't beat them straight up, what difference is whacking the guy in the hallway than going out there and taking him out?" I said it in regards to now that I've got grandchildren, your perspective changes.
I finally got a hold of Bobby and I explained to him what happened and Bobby and I are fine today. But people still say, "You and Bobby Clarke hate each other." Bobby and I have dealt with it. It's all gone, but the press still brings it back up.
SN: You've had a chance to relive the series untold times and the game-winning goals in the final three games, why you?
PH: It never dawned on my mind that I might score the winning goal. Something within me -- and it's hard to explain today -- I just felt I had to get on the ice. We had to win this game. It still amazes me. It really, really does.
Ovechkin ready to take step forward
September 6, 2011 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARLINGTON, Va. -- The most important date on Alex Ovechkin's off-season calendar didn't come during his trips to Turkey, St. Tropez or Monaco, or on the days he was resting with friends and family at home in Moscow.
It was July 23, when he started a new workout regimen.
Coming off his worst statistical season as a pro -- career lows of 32 goals and 85 points -- Ovechkin is changing his approach yet again.
"I think right now I'm in better shape than I was last year -- and year before," the two-time NHL MVP said Tuesday.
Capitals owner Ted Leonsis was even more to the point.
"He tried something different last year. He wanted to work his way into shape so that he was peaking during the playoffs," Leonsis said. "He's trying something different this year. The results will speak for themselves at the end of the season, but he looks great. And he's in great spirits, and when your captain and best player, highest-paid player, is confident and in shape, I think that sets the tone."
The tone Ovechkin set in 2010-11 was hardly to be emulated. He fought a nagging injury for months and finally had to take off a week in March. In April and May, the Capitals were a post-season wreck again, getting swept by Tampa Bay in the second round amid questions as to whether the talented superstar had the leadership skills necessary to command a locker room. Such disappointment has become a yearly ritual for Washington, which has four straight Southeast Division titles but has won only two playoff series during that span.
"I think, of course, last year and year before it was something new for me, being the captain," Ovechkin said. "Last year was a good year for me to learn what I have to do. ... Right now I think everybody knows what we have to do, and I have to show, and I have to say, 'C'mon guys, we have to do this and that.' I have to show them. And, you know, I'm the one, the leader of the team. And outside the rink I'm the same person. But inside the rink, we are different."
To that end, the fun-loving Ovechkin expects the Capitals have a more serious mindset this season -- but not too serious.
"You have to be serious some days. You have to be serious when you work out, but you can't be serious all the time," Ovechkin said. "I think when we said you have to be serious, it means like you have to be ready for every game. And it doesn't matter what position you are, if you're first or second or eighth, you have to be ready for everything.
"Because you can see when we go to the playoffs and we play against Tampa, sometimes it felt like, 'OK, now it's going to be easy for us to beat them,' and it was not that kind of serious. Everything can happen. But seriousness means, like, serious 60 minutes, every game."
Ovechkin is also setting an example by arriving early for training camp -- it doesn't start until Sept. 16. He wouldn't go into details about his workout program, saying it's a "secret" he wants no one to steal. The reason for his news conference Tuesday was to announce an endorsement deal with Bauer, which he hopes will result in fewer broken sticks.
"Great to see Alex back and smiling, healthy and looking happy, and very, very confident in his new equipment," Leonsis said. "I think that's half the battle. It's like a golfer with new clubs. He's been trying his hardest to break his stick, and so far they seem to be indestructible, and that makes us all smile."
Quebec City’s dream of an arena a step closer
SEAN GORDON - Montreal Globe and Mail Sept. 06, 2011
There are pending lawsuits, there is political opposition, but still Quebec City Mayor Régis Labeaume makes inexorable progress toward breaking ground on a new NHL-ready arena for the city.
The latest development: the municipal and regional councils have approved the arena management contract and leases inked last week after secret last-minute haggling between Mr. Labeaume, city hall lawyers and the Quebecor media conglomerate.
When a draft agreement was reached last spring, Quebecor chief executive Pierre Karl Péladeau set Sept. 7 as the deadline to conclude the final pact – it is now in hand, subject to the National Assembly passing a controversial private member’s bill that insulates the arrangement from a legal challenge.
It’s expected the legislation will be passed this fall.
Clearly elated at making the complex 25-year lease agreement official, Mr. Labeaume said at a Quebec City news conference on Tuesday that “the dream is coming true … it was like jamming a square into a circle, but we reached all our objectives.”
The $400-million arena project is not without its critics, but Mr. Labeaume claimed the final contract is even more beneficial for taxpayers than the agreement-in-principle the parties hammered out last March.
It contains a provision that allows the city to scrutinize Quebecor’s financial receipts as they pertain to the building, and some beefed-up clauses to keep a future NHL team in the building for the duration of the lease.
“If Quebecor, and this is a hypothesis I don’t believe in, were to obtain a National Hockey League team and sell it or move it in 10 years, they will still have to pay rent for 15 years. And that’s important to retain the club. It’s an incentive not to leave,” Mr. Labeaume said. Quebecor also won a concession in the final negotiations: If the company is unsuccessful in obtaining an NHL franchise, it will pay a lower price for the naming rights – which could top out around $64-million – to the proposed 18,000-seat building,.
The lease also builds different rent schedules into the agreement, one if there is a hockey franchise, and another, lower rate scale if Quebecor doesn’t manage to attract a team.
Over the life of the deal, the media conglomerate will pay between $110-million and $200-million in rent, profit-sharing and naming rights.
In return, Quebecor will have exclusive rights to stage concert events and hockey, and to make its own arrangements for ancillary revenues like concessions and beer sales. The city reserves the right to cancel the arena project, which is to be financed jointly by the city and the province, should a detailed cost study make the price tag prohibitive.
Just because the contracts have been signed and ratified doesn’t mean everyone is pleased with Mr. Labeaume.
A trio of independent city councillors voted against the contract, and two angry suburban mayors denounced the secrecy surrounding the deal – although they hold a minority of seats on the regional council and couldn’t block its adoption.
There is opposition on other fronts, as well, so it’s no sure thing that the project will be completed by the projected September 2015 opening date.
Former city manager Denis de Belleval is spearheading a lawsuit that seeks to quash the deal because it allegedly violates provincial law and city tendering regulations.
“All of this looks like a firm contract, but in fact it is as soft as Jell-O,” Mr. De Belleval told The Canadian Press.
Leaders of men
RYAN DIXON SPORTSNET STAFF September 9, 2011
Ex-NHLer Marty McSorley opens up on what should go into the decison to name a team captain.
By all accounts, the St. Louis Blues made a fine choice on Friday when they tabbed David Backes to take the team captaincy that's been vacant since Eric Brewer was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in February.
Marty McSorley, however, recalls a much more dubious letter assignment.
When the former NHLer and Hockeycentral analyst was sent to the L.A. Kings from Edmonton with Wayne Gretzky in 1988, Dave Taylor was wearing the 'C' for Tinseltown's team and he retained that status, while 'The Great One' wore an 'A'.
The other assistant designation floated around the team, according to McSorley, on less-than-credible reasoning from coach Robbie Ftorek.
"He put velcro on everybody's shoulder and he was rotating the 'A' around like it was flavour of the month," McSorley recalled. "That was like he was treating us like kids. We know who our leaders are; don't reward somebody because they went and got you coffee."
In case you missed the King-sized point, McSorley believes the decision to stitch a letter on somebody's jersey requires a lot more consideration than who's sitting closest to trainer's needle and thread. Even the issue of who decides on the leaders is a critical one; will it come from above or will the players vote amongst themselves?
"If a coach picks the captain and the assistants, is he doing it so things he wants repeated in the locker room get repeated?" McSorley said. "The players sniff that out."
Another misstep teams need to be mindful of is giving a young guy a letter before he's due. In a lot of instances, especially with the ultra-prepared, well-rounded young athletes coming into the league now, players are ready to assume that leadership role early on. But when clubs stick a letter on a green guy with the hopes it instills something new instead of endorsing an existing trait, it has the potential to ruffle feathers.
"With some of the veterans, that doesn't necessarily fit very well," McSorley said.
McSorley noted players need a captain they can trust, a guy they know, when things are rough, has the quiet authority to slip into the coach's office, close the door behind him and express the players' point of view.
"A captain who's basically appointed to be a coach's repeater or a mimicker doesn't necessarily have all that in mind," McSorley said.
Near the end of his career, when he was with the Sharks, McSorley said he came into contact with the kind of bench boss who just seems unwilling to allow players the autonomy he believes they need to occasionally sort issues out amongst themselves.
"When I was in San Jose with Darryl Sutter, he left all the doors open in the coach's room and locker room so he could hear every word in the locker room," he said. "You've brought leaders into the locker room; let them be leaders. And if you don't have that leadership in the locker room, you better go get some."
Bringing it home to Backes, the Blues obviously believe the feisty American has the stones to say what needs to be said, whether that's to coach Davis Payne on behalf of the players or, just as significantly, to his teammates when Payne throws the ball in his court.
"You've got to allow leadership in the locker room, first and foremost," McSorley said. "There's times a real good coach will say, 'You guys have got to figure this out.' Throw it to them, give them the responsibility; these are good young men. These guys will figure it out and that's part of the whole growing process."
Against all odds
Mike Brophy Sportsnet.ca September 10, 2011
Even if a hockey player goes undrafted, that's no reason to give up on an NHL career.
For a major junior or college hockey player with aspirations of playing in the NHL to be passed over in the draft is an absolutely crushing experience.
For an instant those players think it is the end of the line - the dream is over.
The fact is for most that is true. But not for all of them.
NHL history is riddled with players that were not drafted, but went on to enjoy amazing NHL careers. In 2010 just one player was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame: Dino Ciccarelli. The Sarnia, Ont., native was never drafted yet he went on to score 606 goals and 1,200 points in 1,232 NHL games. Not bad, eh?
How about Martin St. Louis? He was never drafted despite putting up big numbers at the University of Vermont and yet he was the 2004 Hart Trophy winner as the NHL's most valuable player. Two teams (Ottawa and Calgary) gave up on him before he blossomed in Tampa Bay, but St. Louis never gave up on the dream.
"I was pretty naïve about the whole thing," St. Louis said. "I was young and I really thought they would keep whoever was playing the best. I thought I had a great camp, but I didn't get a contract. I was a roster filler, but I didn't know it at the time. If you are an undrafted and signed player, they will take a look at you. If you are an undrafted and unsigned player, I don't think you get the same chance. My hopes (back then) were to play in the NHL, but knowing what I know now, wow, the odds aren't good."
Mitchell Heard knows the pain of being passed over in the draft. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound centre scored 20 goals and 50 points in 66 games with Plymouth of the Ontario Hockey League last season, but when the 30 NHL team gathered in Minnesota for a couple of days to tend to the future, it was as though Heard's hockey career was history. There were 211 players picked and Heard was not one of them.
But unlike many others, he was extended an olive branch by the Toronto Maple Leafs. They invited the Bowmanville, Ont., native to their July prospects camp and with this unexpected gift, the kid did enough to impress the Leafs brass to invite him to their rookie camp in neighboring Oshawa.
Will Heard make the Maple Leafs this season? Not a chance. That doesn't matter. A door was opened for him and he intends to do everything in his power to take advantage of his golden - er, blue and white - opportunity.
"There's really no pressure on me," Heard said Saturday morning following Toronto's pre-game skate. The Maple Leafs rookies are in a four-day tournament against freshmen from the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators and Chicago Blackhawks.
"I'm just here to do my best and hopefully make an impression on the big man upstairs."
That would be Brian Burke; not God.
"I don't plan on doing anything different from what I normally do," the baby-faced Heard continued. "I'm big on faceoffs so I'll try to win as many as I can."
Heard's numbers were decent, but not overwhelming last season. Still, Maple Leaf scouts liked his tenacity. He plays with grit something that is very important in the eyes of the big man upstairs. It was Heard's aggressiveness that inspired the Leafs to invite him to their rookie camp. A year ago 6-foot-4, 208 pound defenceman Andrew Crescenzi of the Kitchener Rangers attended the Leafs rookie camp under similar circumstances as Heard, having been passed over in the draft, but played well enough to earn a contract. It can happen.
"Heard is in a similar position," said Jim Hughes, Toronto's director of player development. "He's got the same chance. He'll be watched; he'll be evaluated. If we sign him, then it's almost like our organization got an extra draft pick."
The odds of making it to the NHL as an undrafted player aren't great. For many that have the good fortune to be invited to a training camp, it will be the highlight of their careers. It doesn't have to be the end of the road, though.
Among those currently playing in the NHL, Sean Avery, Niklas Backstrom, Jason Blake, Dan Boyle, Mathieu Darche, Mark Giordano, Mike Green, Andy McDonald and Toronto's Tyler Bozak, among many others, made it to 'the show' as walk-ons. Many retired players did it too. Curtis Joseph, who had a wonderful NHL career in net, was not drafted. Neither was Joey Mullen who won three Stanley Cups.
For that matter, Wayne Gretzky was not drafted into the NHL, but that was a different set of circumstances. He played in the WHA at 17 years old and was a member of the Edmonton Oilers when they, along with three other teams, joined the rival NHL.
One of my favourites was Doug Evans who made the Peterborough Petes as a walk-on and became their all-time leading scorer. He wasn't drafted into the NHL, but at just 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, scored 48 goals and 135 points with 502 penalty minutes in 355 games with St. Louis, Winnipeg and Philadelphia.
St. Louis beat all the odds. First of all he was never drafted. On top of that, he's small and we all know how NHL teams feel about those guys. St. Louis attended to training camp with the Ottawa Senators (boy, did they miss the boat!) after his university career ended and had great expectations.
Now the veteran has some advice for the likes of Heard and other undrafted players attending NHL training camps.
"Don't lose your confidence," he said. "For me, I felt I played along side of first round, second round, third round picks... whatever. Those guys were supposed to be better than me, but I didn't feel they were. Don't let your confidence go down because somebody was drafted and you weren't. Teams make mistakes. Some guys flourish early and they aren't in the league anymore. Some guys flourish later. I always had the attitude of, 'Screw you. I'm going to keep on banging on your door until you let me in.'"
Coming from a guy who has won the Hart Trophy, the Stanley Cup, the NHL scoring championship and an Olympic gold medal, those are solid words of advice.
Marlies coach Dallas Eakins, who will coach in the NHL one day soon, was a 10th round pick of the Washington Capitals (208th overall) in 1985 and was a long shot to make it to the NHL. Like St. Louis, he persisted and was lucky enough to play 120 games with the Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers and Islanders, and Calgary Flames.
Eakins acknowledged the fact some undrafted players really are roster fillers at rookie camp, but insisted that doesn't necessarily mean it's the end of the road. He said Heard was the most impressive player at the prospects camp in July and that's why he's still with the Leafs in September.
"Mitchell has a low panic level and he really thinks the game well," Eakins said. "He's a well rounded player; somebody who can play on the power play, the penalty kill and a regular shift.
"Besides, how short-sighted would we be as an organization if an undrafted player came to our camp, out-played our draft picks and yet we let him go? We'd never get better if we did that."
Heard was thrilled to hear Eakins evaluation of his play, but cautioned, "It's a confidence builder, for sure, but you can't let it go to your head. You still have top go out and do something to earn a contract."
That is the kind of attitude you'd think Brian Burke is looking for.
Report: Devils in financial trouble
QMI Agency, Sept 11 2011
The Devils are facing financial hardships entering the 2011-12 season, according to a report. (Veronica Henri/QMI Agency)
The New Jersey Devils have missed its Sept. 1 loan payment and could be forced into bankruptcy, according to a report.
The New York Post is reporting that the three-time Stanley Cup champions' financial hardships could also affect the Prudential Center, their home arena in Newark. Team-owned Devils Arena Entertainment operates the $375-million building and guarantees the Devils' loans and is in danger of also going bankrupt.
Principal owner Jeff Vanderbeek and co-owner Ray Chambers are on the outs, the paper says, which complicates matters. Chambers, through his Brick City Hockey unit, has been trying to sell his non-controlling stake in the franchise for a year. Both own 47% of the franchise.
Also, Vanderbeek's relationship with his lenders has deteriorated to the point that the team has told them to get lost.
"You have a bank group that wants nothing to do with Vanderbeek," said the source.
The team is on the hook for roughly $100 million while the Devils Arena Entertainment owes $180 million, the source said.
Welcome back, Mac
Mark Spector Sportsnet.ca September 12, 2011
Despite an ongoing battle with cancer, Craig MacTavish is back behind the bench .
PENTICTON - It's all about staying on the move for Craig MacTavish these days.
Biking, swimming, and running through a pair of triathlons this summer, and now hustling down a coaching track he was beginning to wonder if he would ever be allowed to run on again.
And, most importantly, distancing himself from the cancer.
"Like many, many other people who are living with cancer, I've got it, and everyone has a different timetable," MacTavish said here in Penticton, where - as the head coach of the American Hockey League's Chicago Wolves, Vancouver's top farm club - he is behind the bench of the Canucks rookies.
His "timetable" is unknown, as any cancer survivor knows. But it's in his rearview mirror now, and when you talk to this old centreman you get the feeling that he aims to just keep winning his draws and letting the rest of the game take care of itself.
MacTavish is 53 years old, tanned and muscular after a summer in the Okanagan, and looking anything like a cancer survivor. He is 14 lbs below his playing weight but looks strong, having trained for a half- and full-triathlon this summer.
"I feel good. I've always felt good. I guess, who ever is guaranteed tomorrow?" he reasoned. "I feel good. My prognosis is good…
"I've got it so far in the back of my mind, I couldn't even tell you exactly what I have (laughing). That might be a lie. It's been a couple of years now, and I feel great. So, what are you going to do?"
He was the last player ever to play in the NHL without a helmet, and of course, Canucks fans will remember MacTavish as the Rangers centre who took the last faceoff back in '94, winning that draw with 1.6 ticks left on the clock that sealed the Cup victory for New York.
Now, some will look at him as the guy in position to replace Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault, should the Canucks falter.
It's an inference MacTavish doesn't like very much.
"The goal for me is to really enjoy my year this year. You probably don't believe that; you probably think I'm more ambitious than that. But, I'm really not," he said. "I'm not looking forward to the next move. I'm just going to enjoy the year."
News of MacTavish's health battle slowly made its way through the hockey world, and who knows if the cancer's questions marks hurt his chances in a string of job interviews with Dallas, Minnesota and Winnipeg, among others. But after eight years as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers, he had a rude welcome back to the coaching fraternity Sunday night in a one-sided 7-2 loss to the Oilers rookies.
"It was about 30 minutes before I felt like my pants were down again," he laughed. "There's lots of heartache in this business, as we know. Tonight … was a welcome back."
The loss is meaningless in the big picture. Just being back - in health and in the game - is the main thing here.
"I was anxious to get back, (and) I was a little surprised I wasn't given the chance to get right back in at the NHL level. But, … sometimes you've got to take a step backwards to go forward," he said.
A decade ago the coaching carousel would have spun a veteran coach like MacTavish into his next NHL job within a few months. Now? Well, times have changed.
"The young guys like Dan Bylsma did such a tremendous job when he went on an interim basis into Pittsburgh. The perception out there is that these young guys are connecting at a higher level than the older, more experienced coaches.
"Ownership (says), 'Why can't we get the next Dan Bylsma. Or Guy Boucher?' The experience part of it has been deflated a little bit. Older guys haven't been the no-brainers they were."
Between job interviews, MacTavish went to Queens University and completed his Masters of Business Administration. He scouted NCAA colleges last season for the Edmonton Oilers, and also took his medicine as a TV analyst, a move he wasn't ecstatic about, even though he was very good on camera.
"I really wasn't too enthused about (the analyst job), but it really forced me to stay in touch with the game at a level that I'm not sure I that I would have done had I not been forced to prepare for a lot of those nights," MacTavish admitted.
He faked it well, but after 11 seasons behind NHL benches as an assistant and head coach - and another 1,286 regular season and playoff NHL games - MacTavish's heart wasn't really in it.
"At the end of the day I like to be on the inside, rather than on the outside like a lot of you (media) folks," he said. "I like to be in the trenches."
Honourable mention
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS September 12, 2011
BOLTON, Mass. -- Boston Bruins forward Marc Savard will get his name on the Stanley Cup after all.
General manager Peter Chiarelli said Monday at the team's charity golf tournament that Savard's name will be inscribed on the trophy with his teammates.
Savard played in only 25 games last season because of post-concussion syndrome.
He missed the entire playoffs as the Bruins won their first Stanley Cup since 1972.
Campbell: Have an extra few hundred million bucks?
The Ilya Kovalchuk contract has helped put the Devils in financial trouble.
Ken Campbell, The Hockey News, 2011-09-12
So you’re a fan of the New Jersey Devils. You remember the days when John McMullen owned the team and treated all the players like he was their grandfather. You recall the times when Lou Lamoriello had unfettered control to run the franchise as he saw fit. You watched your team make wise decision after wise decision and you enjoyed the Stanley Cup parades every few years in the parking lot of an arena built on a swamp.
Then you wake up this morning to learn that, according to the New York Post, the club, now owned by Jeff Vanderbeek, might be pushed into bankruptcy (The Devils issued a statement Monday afternoon refuting the report). This is the same guy who reportedly engineered the signing of Ilya Kovalchuk to an outrageous and irresponsible contract.
The Devils have never been a glamorous team. You don’t need The Hockey News to tell you that. Just ask anyone who has watched them play over the years. But one thing you could never argue about was their success in building an organization and putting a winning team on the ice. They’ve never drawn particularly well, even during the glory years, and they’ve never exactly been flush with money.
But it has never been this bad. Despite having a brand new arena in downtown Newark, the Devils ranked 25th in attendance last season. Then there was the news that emerged today that the owners missed their Sept. 1 loan payment, which gives its lenders a chance to put the team into bankruptcy. Not only that, these guys apparently owe more on the team and the Prudential Center than they are actually worth at the moment.
It’s no secret that the Devils owners, principal stakeholder Vanderbeek and non-controlling co-owner Ray Chambers, aren’t on the same wavelength. Chambers’ 47-percent share in the team has been for sale for well over a year and the asking price has gone down from $250 million to $200 million.
The Devils are hardly the only team in financial straits these days. In a scenario that has basically become business as usual for NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, any one of about eight teams could be purchased by anyone willing to withstand the massive losses that come with them. The Phoenix Coyotes’ situation has been well documented, while ownership groups in Florida and Columbus would love to be able to sell. The Carolina Hurricanes have been looking for additional investors and are coming up empty.
Then there are the St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars. There was a time when the Stars were looking for somewhere in the neighborhood of $300 million and now they’ll be lucky to get $180 million. The Blues, meanwhile, have a desperate seller and at the end of the day, if they get sold, it will be for something in the Tampa Bay Lightning range of $110 million.
You could certainly argue selling a franchise has never been more difficult than it is right now. Even the mighty Toronto Maple Leafs have yet to find a buyer for their sports empire, for which they want more than (use the Dr. Evil voice and put your baby finger up to your lips) $1 billion.
So if you have a few hundred million dollars and you don’t mind the thought of losing untold millions more, you too could join the annual croquet game at the Breakers Resort. Just take your pick.
Devils say they are close to refinancing, deny report they are facing bankruptcy
The Canadian Press, 2011-09-12
NEWARK, N.J. - The minority owners of the New Jersey Devils are finalizing a deal to sell their interest in the NHL team and give managing partner Jeff Vanderbeek some new partners.
The Devils disclosed the potential sale by Brick City LLC in a statement on Monday in which they said a report in the New York Post that the team was facing bankruptcy was inaccurate.
Brick City LLC is the legal name for the Devils share owned by Ray Chambers and Mike Gilfillan, his son-in-law.
Quoting a source, The Post said team missed its Sept. 1 loan payment, giving its lenders a breakaway chance to push the team into bankruptcy. The newspaper also said the team had a bad relationships with its banks.
"The notions that the Devils are facing bankruptcy or that 'the Devils have told their banks to get lost' are patently untrue," the team said in its statement. "The Devils value their relationship with their banks and are confident a refinancing will be completed shortly.
"As stated previously, ownership is close to finalizing an agreement that would lead to a buyout of Brick City's share of the company."
The Devils also disclosed that new season ticket sales are up 130 per cent over last year and last week's sale of single-game tickets were up 260 per cent compared with a year ago.
Team president and general manager Lou Lamoriello refused to discuss the organization's financial situation.
Devils veterans will report for training camp on Saturday.
Vanderbeek and his partners have been at odds since earlier this year, with Vanderbeek noting they have different visions for the franchise.
Brick City exercised its contractual rights under its partnership agreement with Vanderbeek to cause a sale of the entire team and arena rights to the Prudential Center, subject to certain terms and conditions.
It hired Moag&Co., a Baltimore-based investment bank, to assist in its attempt to sell its share of the team.
Vanderbeek, however, was adamant that he would keep his part of the team.
Stars to be sold in bankruptcy
TOM HALS, REUTERS, Sept 13 2011
The Dallas Stars could be sold quickly after filing for bankruptcy later this week. (REUTERS/Alex Gallardo)
The Dallas Stars plans to file for bankruptcy this week with a proposal for a quick sale to a Canadian businessman for about $230 million, according to sources close to the talks.
The proposed sale to Tom Gaglardi, whose Vancouver-based investment firm owns Moxie's Restaurants and Sandman Hotels, Inns & Suites, will be subject to higher bids.
However, other interested buyers for the team, which has been on the block for more than two years, are considered unlikely, and the team could be out of bankruptcy in less than 60 days, the sources said.
Gaglardi is expected to have the support of the National Hockey League and he will keep the team in Dallas, the sources said.
Gaglardi did not immediately return a request for comment.
The team declined to comment except to say that it was "currently working closely with the National Hockey League and the team's creditors toward getting a new owner for the hockey club. We are hopeful to have a new owner in place soon," according to a statement.
The league also declined to comment.
Paperwork was being finalized on Monday with a filing expected as soon as Wednesday, two sources told Reuters.
Hicks Sports Group, led by Texas billionaire Tom Hicks, owns the Stars. The group defaulted on $525 million in debt in 2009, which led to the bankruptcy of its other key sports holding, the Texas Rangers baseball team.
The Rangers were sold last year in a bankruptcy auction to a group that included Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan for $593 million.
A spokeswoman for Tom Hicks declined to comment.
"With the Stars, I don't think you'll see a bidding war," said Michael Cramer, who was president of the Stars holding company from 1998 to 2004. He said so long as the deal is considered fair by creditors, he doubted there would be any challenge to the proposed sale to Gaglardi.
Creditors have until Tuesday to vote, although they are expected to approve the plan.
If no other bids emerge, the team's lenders would suffer a loss, the two sources said. Gaglardi is assuming the team's unsecured liabilities, such money owed to suppliers and obligations for deferred pay, the sources said.
Hicks bought the Stars in 1995 and added the Rangers in 1998.
Under his ownership, both teams enjoyed initial success, with the Stars winning the Stanley Cup championship in 1999.
But an economic recession and financial crisis left Hicks unable to support the teams.
In recent years, the Phoenix Coyotes hockey team and Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball teams have also declared bankruptcy.
The New York Post reported on Monday that the New Jersey Devils hockey team may also seek bankruptcy.
Hockey has been harder hit than other sports. Not getting as much of its revenue from television deals as baseball and football, it suffers more when attendance rates fluctuate.
"You're just not dealing with a great number of consumers for hockey," said Cramer, who is currently the director of the sports and media program at the University of Texas in Austin. "It's not like baseball and it's not like football and neither of them have been immune from this (slow economy). So hockey is just further down the food chain,"
Don Cherry's 1st coach turns 90: Cherry says he learned a lot as a player and a coach from former mentor Murray Henderson
Tim Wharnsby, CBC Sports, September 12, 2011
The Boston Bruins summer of celebration is far from over. They still have a championship banner to hang next month and there is little doubt that when training camp opens later this week, plenty of stories will be traded from their title run last spring.
The Bruins were front and centre again at a North York restaurant on Monday. But instead of celebrating a Stanley Cup, more than 100 friends, family and former NHLers assembled for lunch to toast ex-Bruins defenceman Murray Henderson, who turned 90 on Sept. 5.
"A lot of people have asked me how it feels to be 90," Henderson said, sitting beside a cake decorated in Bruins black and gold. "Well, I feel pretty good. I move around little slower. But I don't feel that much different than I did a few years ago."
Henderson remarked the secret to his longevity has been to keep himself active.
"I like to stay on the go and keep busy, even if it's as simple as puttering around the house for the day," he said.
Dozens of former NHLers gather at this eatery the first non-holiday Monday of every month to trade stories and get updates on how former teammates and opponents have been coping. There wasn't a vacant chair for this special lunch.
"Hello, Dick. Thanks for coming," Henderson said, recognizing former Toronto Maple Leaf Dick Duff, who came over to wish Henderson well.
Henderson is still sharp. As Duff, Jim Morrison, Bob Nevin and other hockey friends came to bestow their personal best wishes to Henderson, the 90-year-old recognized them all.
The second most popular guy in the room was Hockey Night in Canada's Don Cherry. Henderson was Cherry's first coach with the 1954-55 Hershey Bears of the AHL.
"He was a player-coach, and the problem was he was a better player than any of the players we had," Cherry said. "He was a good coach and a good guy, just as he is now."
Henderson, who was named to the AHL all-star team in Cherry's first season, left an impression on Cherry. When it was his turn to step behind the bench 17 seasons later, Cherry felt it was best to be a players' coach.
"I could see how good he was with the players and that helped me," Cherry said. "All the players liked him. You don't have to be a bad guy with the players. We played hard for him and wanted to win for him because he was such a good guy. He taught me a lot."
Having played eight seasons with the Bruins before becoming the head coach in Hershey, Henderson felt that Cherry had enough talent to play in the NHL. But because he entered his rookie pro season coming off a summer in which he broke his ankle playing baseball, Cherry was "pigeon-holed as an American Leaguer."
"Don has been a good friend for a long time," Henderson said. "It was so nice for him to take the time to be here."
Another surprise attendee was Henderson's friend 88-year-old Jim McGovern. The two spent time together in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Henderson patrolled the British Columbia coastline for RCAF before he received an early discharge because his father passed away late in 1944. Because World War II had depleted NHL rosters, the Bruins came calling a few months later on advice from scout Harold (Baldy) Cotton, who received a tip from Henderson's uncle, Charlie Conacher. Henderson's mother, Catherine, was the eldest of 10 Conacher children.
"It seems so long since I played and retired from my working days after hockey," said Henderson, who watches the occasional game on television but doesn't follow the NHL that closely. "I went into the liquor and wine business after hockey for 35-40 years, but I've been retired a long time now."
Former Bruins scout Bob Tindall was the master of ceremonies for Henderson's party. Among the many gifts presented and congratulatory letters read, Henderson was presented with a replica Bruins sweater with his No. 8 from his days in Boston that was accompanied along with a message from another famous No. 8 in Bruins history, Cam Neely.
Devils have time to get financial house in order
David Shoalts, Globe and Mail, September 13, 2011
The New Jersey Devils are in serious financial trouble and may be in default on a large loan payment but they are not about to slide into bankruptcy and a bank repossession. At least not until next June at the earliest.
Thanks to something called a “stand-still”, the Devils’ lenders cannot make a move on co-owners Jeff Vanderbeek, Ray Chambers, Mike Gilfillan and Peter Simon until a minimum of 180 days passes after they missed payment on a $100-million (all currency U.S.) loan on Sept. 1. And if the 180 days end during the NHL season, as they would in this case, then the banks are bound to “stand still” until the day after the last game of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Every loan to an NHL franchise has a stand-still agreement in the consent letter between the team, the banks and the league. It is there at the insistence of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who is understandably averse to seeing one of his teams pushed into bankruptcy by an unhappy lender in the middle of a hockey season.
The consent letter forces the banks to wait a minimum of 180 days after they declare a team in default on its loan before moving to take over the team and place it into bankruptcy. Not only does this spare the NHL some embarrassment during the season, it gives the team owner and Bettman time to find new financing and work out an agreement with the lenders.
A team itself can declare bankruptcy during the season, as the Phoenix Coyotes did a few years ago, but that was part of a failed strategy to sell the team and move it.
When a team misses a loan payment it does not mean the banks automatically declare it in default. Technically, any time a payment is missed the loan is in default but that is a problem only if the banks say so. What usually happens, and appears to be happening with Vanderbeek and the Devils, is a negotiation for an extension while new money is sought for the team.
The New York Post, which reported the loan default on Monday, said on Tuesday that Vanderbeek plans to buy the shares held by Chambers and his son-in-law, Gilfillan. This would give Vanderbeek 94 per cent of the franchise.
A banking source is dubious about this, simply because he does not think Vanderbeek has the necessary financial resources. Then again, the banker is also highly skeptical Chambers and Gilfillan can get the $160-million (all currency U.S.) they are said to be demanding.
However, at the very least a move to refinance the loan, which is held through CIT, is in the works. Banks typically do not make a move on a team if they know more money is coming.
At this point, Chambers and Gilfillan, control 47 per cent of the Devils and their operating company, Devils Arena Entertainment, through a company called Brick City LLC. They have been trying to sell their stake for almost a year.
Vanderbeek also has 47 per cent of the franchise while Simon has 6 per cent.
In addition to the $100-million owed to CIT, Devils Arena Entertainment owes another $180-million, so things are far from rosy in Newark.
Vanderbeek and the Devils say they are not about to fall into bankruptcy and they already negotiated an extension on the $100-million payment. After that, things get murky.
If Vanderbeek is buying out Brick City, he could be getting the additional 47 per cent for little, if any, cash if he agrees to assume all of the bank debt. That gets Chambers and Gilfillan off the hook, which might be enough for them to walk away with nothing since it’s assumed Chambers was the one covering the Devils’ annual losses.
Then the question is who would take the chance of lending Vanderbeek enough money to pull this off.
Vanderbeek could not be immediately reached for comment.
Still doing what he loves
Gary Ahuja, Langley Times, September 12, 2011
Like most kids growing up, Tim Preston dreamed of playing in the NHL.
Preston went through the ranks of the Langley Minor Hockey Association and at age 16, he left home to join the Western Hockey League’s Seattle Thunderbirds; and finished his junior career with the Saskatoon Blades.
The left-winger showed enough that the Buffalo Sabres; chose him in the third round of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.
Preston attended a couple of training camps with the Sabres, but never stuck.
But when the time came to make a decision to pursue that goal further, Preston chose family.
After just a few professional games with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers in 2002, at the age of 21, he hung up his skates.
“For me, it was easy (to walk away),” he said.
“The reason I left was I wanted to create more of a family environment for (my son), more of a home structure.
“Playing (in the minors) is not always ideal for trying to raise a family.
“I kind of felt I wanted to put some roots down and start a business and the next chapter in my life.”
With a young son, Carson, Preston knew he needed to take care of his family.
Wanting to stay involved in the sport he loves, Preston began by coaching his son’s teams with Langley Minor Hockey and then started working with the association on its player development.
Enjoying that, he formed Impact Hockey Development, which focuses on player development on and off the ice. He runs the business with another local former junior hockey player, Tyler Chambers.
Preston does the on-ice training, while Chambers focuses on the off-ice development portion of the program.
They have a training facility at Newlands for dryland training, both during the season, and off-season.
And while Preston may miss playing at a high level, he fills that competitive void through helping others.
“I get fulfillment through working with the young players now,” he explained.
“My focus is on trying to help a young player achieve his goals.”
Working with players ranging in age from youth to pro, Preston’s work apparently caught the eye of the Vancouver Canucks.
They contacted him in the spring and he spent the summer working with the NHL team’s prospects.
He also did some informal workouts with the Canuck veterans, who were skating earlier this month at UBC in preparation for their upcoming training camp.
“It was a great experience and I loved it,” Preston said.
“I am totally happy to have had that opportunity.”
Preston, now 30, is also still in the coaching ranks, both as an assistant with the junior B Aldergrove Kodiaks, as well as with 10-year-old Carson’s atom team in the Langley Minor Hockey Association.
Most of his free time is spent at the hockey rink, which can be tough with young kids. He also has a daughter, Peyton, who is almost one.
“I feel fortunate that my work life is still my passion and I am able to stay really involved with hockey,” he said
Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Byfuglien passed breathalyzer, in town for camp
By: Gary Lawless
Posted: 09/13/2011 12:44 PM | Last Modified: 09/13/2011 2:25 PM | Updates
A police report, expected to be released in the next 48 hours will state Winnipeg Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien passed a breathalyzer test administered by Hennepin County Sheriff’s department police officers.
Byfuglien submitted to a breathalyzer test but refused to provide a urine sample when asked, according his lawyer Mitch Robinson.
Byfuglien was arrested on suspicion of boating while impaired and refusing a test.
"The sheriff’s patrol officer, based on observations of Dustin, asked Dustin to take a preliminary breath test. The results of the preliminary breath test are not admissible in court and can only be used to substantiate further investigation. Dustin was cooperative and provided a sample of his breath and it came back at .03. That’s about a beer and a half in his system," said Robinson. "The legal limit in Minnesota is .08. So he’s well under the legal limit."
Robinson said Byfuglien was then placed under arrest and taken downtown.
"For whatever reason the officer felt he needed further chemical tests from Dustin. So he took Dustin into custody, placed him under arrest and transported him to the sheriff’s department and then asked him to take a urine test," said Robinson. "In Minnesota, it’s a crime to refuse to take a test when lawfully requested by a police officer to do so. Dustin had received bad advice and the advice he had previously received was to never take a test. That’s bad advice. He refused to take the test. If he would have taken a blood or urine test he could have definitely proved he was not under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance. Once he refuses, that’s it, the officer fills out the paper work. You’ve refused and that’s in itself a crime. They don’t have to prove Dustin was intoxicated, they don’t have to prove he even had anything to drink. All they have to show is he was lawfully requested to take a test and he refused. So that’s what we’re dealing with now."
Byfuglien was originally stopped for operating his boat without navigational lights according to Robinson.
"It was around 8:15 which is when the sun sets around here at that time of year," said Robinson. "Was he technically operating his boat without lights after dark? I don’t know that yet."
Minneapolis criminal defence attorney Jeffrey Schiek told the Free Press on Tuesday there is limited grey area in refusal cases.
"If he refuses to give blood or urine, that’s the refusal part of the charge and it’s very difficult to defend a refusal because you have to establish extreme circumstances for a person to refuse. I’ll offer an extreme case but if somebody had a heart attack or something that would qualify as a reason to refuse," said Schiek, a partner at Bloomington based Villaume and Schiek
Steve Tallen, a Lake Minnetonka Conservation district attorney, gave his legal blessing Monday for the case to proceed. A spokesman in his office told the Free Press the file has now been put back in the hands of the Hennepin County sheriff’s office to formally lay the charge. That will likely be completed within the next month.
Byfuglien, 26, was first arrested Aug. 31 for "probable cause" and spent three hours in custody before he was released. Tallen received the file after the Labour Day long weekend and has been reviewing the evidence compiled by police to determine if there were sufficient grounds to bring the case to court. He had the option of dismissing the case or recommending it go forward, which he has now done.
"I’ve seen some of the different reports, but we really haven’t heard anything," said Jets’ GM Kevin Cheveldayoff at the Young Stars tournament in Penticton. "It’s a legal matter and those things take care of themselves."
The Jets are expecting Byfuglien to be at the opening of main training camp on Saturday at MTS Centre. In fact, Byfuglien was in Winnipeg on Monday looking for a place to live.
"We’ve had dialogue with himself and his agent but, again, all our dialogue has been essentially about the season and the on-ice stuff," Cheveldayoff said. "The off-ice stuff I really can’t comment on."
Byfuglien is an all-star who led all NHL defencemen last year in goals and helped guide the Chicago Blackhawks to the 2010 Stanley Cup before being traded to the Atlanta Thrashers in late June 2010.
-- with files from Ed Tait and Mike McIntyre
gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca
The Evolution of a Trade: Jeff Carter to Columbus
http://flyersfocus.wordpress.com/2011/09/12/the-evolution-of-a-trade-jeff-carter-to-columbus/
ED Note: A legitimate point was raised through feedback to the original piece that Elliotte Friedman is unclear whether he was referring to the 2010 playoff run, or the 2011 playoff run. As a result of this uncertainty, the Friedman section has been removed.
On June 23, 2011, the final domino toppled over in a long line of discussion, debate, and outright haggling. Jeff Carter was dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets for promising winger Jakub Voracek, and 1st and 3rd Round Picks in the then-upcoming 2011 NHL Draft.
This transaction was not the result of an impulsive sell-athon initiated by Philadelphia Flyers GM Paul Holmgren, regardless of the fact that captain Mike Richards was moved in another trade on the very same day. No, this trade surely was the product of long hours of negotiating between Holmgren and his Columbus counterpart, general manager Scott Howson.
In the pre-internet world, such a move would simply be accepted and analyzed by the mainstream media, with only a passing mention given to the processes that had led to the trade itself. Beat writers and league insiders are often privy to trade rumors months in advance of a potential move, but without on-the-record sources, responsible journalists keep the information to themselves, using the rumors as deep background for their stories, and occasionally dropping veiled hints into their columns.
But today, fans are not limited to their local newspapers in order to learn about their team. As a result, attentive observers of teams can put together more complete narratives of the inner workings of their favorite organizations by compiling various reports from different reporters, from cities all across the country.
Of course, it’s not as simple as searching “Jeff Carter trade rumors” on Google. Context, extensive research, and educated guesses are all necessary to present a viable narrative.
The origins of the Jeff Carter trade, in particular, can be traced back as far as the 2010 offseason, simply through intelligent usage of search engines and the use of logic. The Carter trade proves to be a perfect case study as to how a fan can become an retrospective insider without ever stepping foot into the locker room.
Origins of the Deal
Jeff Carter had long been a (arguably unwarranted) target of Philadelphia Flyers fans’ wrath. More reactionary fans championed a trade due to his propensity to miss the net on a regular basis, a perceived aversion to physical play, and supposed inability to perform in the clutch. Other fans noted that Carter’s high cap hit and the multitude of centers on the Flyers’ roster made him an ideal trade candidate, especially with players such as Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk in eventual need of contract extensions.
The Columbus Blue Jackets, on the other hand, had no such concerns.
On October 24, 2010, blog Flyers Faithful posted regarding a TSN documentary on the Edmonton Oilers. The made-for-TV special, called “Oil Change,” was a behind-the-scenes look at the Oilers’ 2010 draft strategy and offseason rebuilding efforts. But what caught the eyes and ears of those at the Philadelphia-based blog was a brief mention of the Flyers during the documentary. Apparently, Philadelphia had been engaged in talks with Columbus for the 4th overall pick in the 2010 draft, later used by the Blue Jackets to take center Ryan Johansen.
A scene at the entry draft was shown between Oilers General Manager Steven Tambellini and owner Daryl Katz discussing Columbus General Manager Scott Howson and the 4th overall pick. In this scene the Flyers get mentioned.
The scene is as follows:
Tambellini was meeting with Katz at the entry draft. Katz mentions Kevin (Lowe) was talking to Scott (Howson) and was wondering if there was something there (in regards to a trade). Tambellini mentions that yeah he was talking about the 4th pick. Katz asks what he (Howson) wants for it. Tambellini mentions well from Philly he was talking about moving the 4th pick if *name censored* was made available. Katz then responds ” so he is going to give up the pick and take on 5 and a half million?” Tambellini questions “yeah, Scotty is going to do that?” Katz then says give me a break and we move on to the next scene.
In their post, Flyers Faithful posited that the unnamed player could have been former Flyers forward Simon Gagne, who was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning later in the 2010 offseason for Matt Walker and a 4th round pick in a salary dump. Writer “penaltykiller” came to this conclusion due to two main factors. First, the simple fact that Gagne was dealt was proof that the forward had been dangled to some degree by the Flyers, making it likely that his name had come up in trade talks prior to the Lightning trade. Second, Gagne’s $5.25 million cap hit for 2010-11 came very close to the mystery player’s $5.5 million salary, as mentioned by Oilers owner Daryl Katz.
However, let’s take a step back. At the time, Gagne was a 30 year old, concussion-prone forward on the last year of a contract that would never be considered a bargain. The likelihood that Columbus would have been willing to deal the 4th overall pick in the entire draft for such a player, even as part of a larger package, seems remote.
On the other hand, Jeff Carter would have been an appropriate return.
Consider the facts. Carter was moved to Columbus for the 7th overall pick in the 2011 draft, in addition to Jakub Voracek and a 3rd round pick. If Carter was the unnamed player of 2010, an offer of the 4th overall pick would be a reasonable starting point for a fair value package, to which additional picks and young talent could be added in later negotiations.
But the most convincing evidence that Carter was the unnamed player comes in the form of his 2010-11 base salary.
Flyers Faithful was correct in their piece when to state that “there is no one on the Flyers with a “5 and a half million” cap hit.” However, while no Flyer on the roster had a $5.5 million cap hit, one did have a base salary of $5.5 million. That Flyer? None other than Jeff Carter.
It makes sense that the Edmonton GM and owner would be skeptical that a smaller market squad like Columbus would be willing to take on a $5.5 million salary. For small market teams, salary means as much as, if not more than, overall cap hit. Therefore, it is logical that Tambellini and Katz would speak in terms of base salary rather than cap hit when discussing a Carter-to-Columbus rumor.
According to the documentary, the Flyers balked at a Carter-for-4th overall pick deal. But the two sides were officially talking about the forward. And talks would become more serious later.
Flyers Get Serious
In a move that would ostensibly squash all trade rumors, Jeff Carter was signed to an 11-year, $58 million contract extension on November 13, 2010. The goal-scoring forward would now be a protected member of the Flyers’ core for years to come.
But only two months later, Carter was back on the market.
Following the announcement of the finalized trade in June, The Columbus Dispatch reported that talks had begun in January. The Flyers had been interested in acquiring Jakub Voracek, and the Blue Jackets continued to have interest in Carter. In addition, these early January talks involving Jeff Carter were confirmed to FlyersFocus by a source with knowledge of the situation.
In February, rumors of trade talks between Philadelphia and Columbus begun to leak. Delaware County Times Flyers beat writer Anthony SanFilippo reported on February 13, 2011 that discussions had progressed to a such point that former Flyer R.J. Umberger had been consulted regarding his opinion on the players involved.
SB Nation Philly and Broad Street Hockey writer Geoff Detwelier weighed in on the trade rumor on the 13th, as well. Detweiler theorized that the player that Columbus had attempted to acquire was defenseman Braydon Coburn, considering the fact that Umberger and Coburn had been teammates for over a full season, and Columbus had a need for a talented young d-man.
It remains possible that Coburn’s name was brought up in the talks. However, considering the evidence, it seems more likely that Umberger was mostly asked about Jeff Carter.
Why? The circumstantial evidence has shown so far that Carter had been the main target for the Columbus front office. In addition, Umberger and Carter spent more time together as teammates than Umberger and Coburn. Carter had played on the 2004-05 Philadelphia Phantoms Calder Cup Championship team along with Umberger, and the two spent three full seasons together on the Flyers, from 2005-2008.
In addition, the two have long been friends. Therefore, it seems likely that the Blue Jackets would ask Umberger his opinion of Carter’s talent, personality, and work ethic.
Trade Finalized
On June 9, 2011, Columbus Dispatch reporter Aaron Portzline broke the story that the Blue Jackets had targeted Jeff Carter as a top offseason trade possibility.
Within two weeks, Carter was no longer a Flyer.
The initial trade offer appears to have been Jakub Voracek and the 7th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft. But with Paul Holmgren actively shopping Carter to other NHL squads, Columbus GM Scott Howson sweetened the offer, according to the Dispatch.
At 11:15 p.m. Wednesday, Howson and Holmgren chatted and agreed to talk again in the morning. When they spoke around 11 a.m. yesterday, Howson said the deal solidified, and Holmgren mulled it over.
An hour later, worried that Holmgren was talking to other GMs – he certainly was – Howson offered the third-round pick, and the deal was done.
A deal a year in the making was now complete.
Conclusion
The Jeff Carter was the product of consistent negotiations between the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets. Talks regarding Carter had occurred as early as the 2010 NHL Draft, and may have originated even earlier.
Fans do not have a bird’s eye view of the hours of work that general managers and other members of a team’s front office spend to come to an agreement on a blockbuster trade. But in the internet age, experienced observers can put together a surprisingly clear picture of the negotiating process, through research and retrospective analysis.
We may not be GMs. But trades like the Jeff Carter can allow the fans some insight into the thought processes of those general managers, and the difficulties that go along with such a job.
Another week, another ownership crisis
David Shoalts, Globe and Mail, Sept. 13, 2011
Life never changes for Gary Bettman and the NHL. Just when the commissioner has one fire (the Dallas Stars) almost under control, another one (the New Jersey Devils) erupts.
Either Wednesday or Thursday, according to an investment banking source, the Stars will file for bankruptcy in a Delaware court, which will pave the way for Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi to buy the team for an estimated $230-million (U.S.).
Officially, Gaglardi’s offer is considered a stalking-horse bid by the bankruptcy court, one designed to attract higher bids, but those close to the deal do not expect a competing bid from any of the local groups who have been kicking the tires on the team for almost two years.
If the Stars’ creditors approve the plan and Mark Cuban, the owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, does not make a surprise bid, Gaglardi will achieve his dream of being an NHL owner. He will get the Stars and 50 per cent of the American Airlines Center. (Cuban owns the other 50 per cent of the arena, which is why some insiders think he might make a bid through the courts.)
Gaglardi could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Another franchise sale may be close at hand, according to Robert Caporale, chairman of Game Plan LLC. Caporale is the investment banker in charge of selling the St. Louis Blues, and he is hopeful a deal will be ready for the approval of the NHL board of governors by the end of the month.
Caporale declined to identify the prospective buyer, but the most recent contenders were Chicago businessman Matthew Hulsizer and Blues minority owner Tom Stillman.
A new NHL crisis emerged this week, when it became known the Devils missed a payment Sept. 1 on a $100-million loan with CIT Investment Banking Services.
By Tuesday, the Devils made it known that co-owner Jeff Vanderbeek plans to buy out fellow owners Ray Chambers and his son-in-law, Mike Gilfillan, as part of a refinancing plan. The team also said it received an extension on the bank loan.
Chambers and Gilfillan own 47 per cent of the Devils and their operating company, Devils Arena Entertainment, through a company called Brick City LLC. They have been trying to sell their stake for almost a year. Vanderbeek also has 47 per cent of the team, while Peter Simon owns 6 per cent.
While Chambers was said to be seeking $160-million for the Brick City shares, a banking source was skeptical anyone would be willing to pay that much. The source was also dubious about Vanderbeek’s chances of being able to finance a purchase of Brick City’s share.
It is possible Vanderbeek could get the additional 47 per cent for little, if any, cash if he agrees to assume all of the bank debt. In addition to the $100-million loan, Devils Arena Entertainment has another loan for almost $180-million, which means the team’s total debt could be more than the franchise value.
But if Chambers and Gilfillan are no longer responsible for the bank debt, it might be enough for them to walk away with nothing, since it’s assumed Chambers is the one covering the Devils’ annual losses.
If so the question is who would take the chance of lending Vanderbeek enough money to pull this off. Vanderbeek could not be reached Tuesday for comment.
In any event, the Devils will not be pushed into bankruptcy during the coming NHL season because of a “stand-still” clause in their lending agreement.
The consent letter forces the banks to wait a minimum of 180 days after they declare a team in default on its loan before moving to take over the team and place it into bankruptcy. If the 180 days end during the NHL season, as they would in this case, the banks are bound to “stand still” until the day after the last game of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Not only does this spare the NHL embarrassment during the season, it gives the team owner and league commissioner time to find new financing and work out an agreement with the lenders.
Meanwhile, a report out of Phoenix said talks with former San Jose Sharks executive Greg Jamison about buying the Coyotes are progressing, but it could not be confirmed.
Well worth it - The Stanley Cup is the final piece of hardware to McVie’s puzzle.
Mark Spector, Sportsnet.ca, September 15, 2011
PENTICTON - At 75-years-old, Tommy McVie knew he'd had a pretty good run. He's sipped from enough Cups in his day - a Turner Cup, a Calder Cup, a Patrick Cup in the old Western Hockey League and the last Avco Cup when he coached the Winnipeg Jets.
The Stanley Cup? Hey, it has only been 55 years in pro hockey. You can't do everything.
"I thought time was running out, that it would never happen," said McVie in his gravel voice, a dead ringer for that radio bit "The Champ."
"As a player I didn't get there to win; as a coach I didn't get there to win. I've been with the Bruins a long time, off and on since 1973 … I thought my chances of being part of a Stanley Cup weren't going to be there.
"But I just kept hangin' around, and it happened."
Hangin' around doesn't begin to describe the man who, at 76-years-old now, just might be the eldest continuously working scout in NHL press boxes today. He is, as scout Lorne Davis and so many were before him, a walking piece of NHL lore. He's a chapter or two of The Book of Hockey, standing right up there in the corner of the rink here in Penticton.
McVie broke in with the Toledo Mercurys back in 1956, then two years later began a 14-year run in the old Western Hockey League, playing for teams like the Portland Buckaroos and the Seattle Totems, meeting people like Connie (Mad Dog) Madigan, his best friend even today.
He can't wait to remind you that Madigan, at 38-years-old, was the oldest rookie in NHL history when he suited up for the St. Louis Blues back in 1972.
"Connie, he don't talk too much, you know?" McVie says. Of course, McVie did the talking that day, convincing the Blues GM Lynn Patrick to fly Madigan into St. Louis, rather than the farm team in Salt Lake City.
It was one more trip to the NHL than McVie ever got as a player, though he coached seven years in the show. The stories though, they're always saucier when they come from teams with names like the Dayton Gems or the Johnstown Jets.
There, in Johnstown, McVie was the original Reggie Dunlop, player-coach back in 1972-73. Madigan had a role in the movie Slap Shot, as Ross (Mad Dog) Madigan.
"I come down there as an old pro, a player-coach. Not very good at the time, but you had to coach and play to even get a job in those days," he remembers. "It was a butcher's league, a tough league. I tried to convince them that I wanted to stay in hockey, 'cause that's all I knew.
"All the kids in my hometown (Trail, B.C.) got their Dad's job, but I didn't want to go work in the smelter, in the foundry. I left there with a pair of skates in one hand, a lacrosse stick in the other, and I've never had a real job."
On 55 years in the game he says: "People say it's dedication. I say, 'Too lazy to get a real job.'"
Somehow he always came back to Portland, where he lives today.
"I got fired so many times I always had somewhere to go back to, collect my things, and head off to the next job."
And over the many years, McVie has become a fixture there. His day with the Stanley Cup this summer was, well, more than a half-century in the making.
"When the gentleman in the white gloves came to me, handed me the Stanley Cup, it was mine for 12 hours. It was the most wonderful day of my life," he said.
The Cup has a certain allure. Big Stanley with a local legend is even more popular. He carted that Cup around Portland to huge crowds, all afternoon long.
"They said, the last four hours, take it home and spend it with your family. But when I drove up to my house, I couldn't find a parking spot. Guess I didn't realize I had 100 people in my family."
It's fall now, and McVie is back where he should be, inside a hockey rink, scouting for the team he loves, the Bruins.
"There is a certain way the Boston Bruins play; there is a certain way the people of Boston want them to play," he explains. "When I'm out scouting players, and come back to our meetings, I just say, 'He's not a Bruin. Can't do it,' right in front of GM Peter Chiarelli and Bruins president Cam Neely.
"Now, Cam Neely was a Bruin. Terry O'Reilly was a Bruin. Don Marcotte was a Bruin," he said. "You've got to be a Flyer to be a Flyer? You've got to be a Bruin to play for the Bruins."
THN.com Top 10: NHLers with bizarre birthplaces
Adam Proteau, The Hockey News, 2011-09-14
By and large, elite hockey players have come from Canada, the United States, Russia and a handful of European countries. However, more than a few NHL players came into the world in the most unlikely of locations.
For this week’s THN.com Top 10, we rank the NHLers with the most exotic birthplaces:
10. Olie Kolzig, Johannesburg, South Africa.
The longtime Capitals goalie was born to German parents in South Africa’s largest city, but spent his formative years in Canada. Johannesburg claims to be the lightning capital of the world - and the Lightning was the final team Kolzig played a game for.
9. Ed Beers, Zwaag, Netherlands.
Beers was a standout scorer for the Flames in the early 1980s and was born in this town in North Holland founded in the 13th century.
8. Rod Langway, Taipei, Taiwan.
The sole Hockey Hall of Famer on this list, Langway remains the only NHLer ever born in the Republic of China. His father was a U.S. serviceman stationed in Taiwan at the time of his birth, but he grew up in Massachussetts.
7. Paul MacLean, Grostenquin, France.
Like Langway, MacLean’s father was a military man, but instead for Canada. MacLean was born at an air force base before moving at age two to his eventual home in Antigonish, N.S.
6. Robyn Regehr, Recife, Brazil; and Richie Regehr, Bandung, Indonesia.
The Regehr Bros. were born to Mennonite missionary parents. Robyn lived in Brazil for his first three years before relocating to Indonesia, where Richie was born. The family moved back to Canada four years later.
5. Rumun Ndur, Zaria, Nigeria.
The former NHL enforcer last played in hockey’s top league for Atlanta in 1999-2000, but has since skated in various North American minor pro leagues and U.K. league games. He was born in Africa, but grew up in Ontario.
4. Chris Nielsen, Moshi, Tanzania.
Nielsen, who played 52 NHL games for Columbus from 2000 to 2002, was born to Canadian diplomat parents in the East African nation. Moshi is located near the bottom of Mt. Kilimanjaro and now hosts a marathon every February.
3. Rick Chartraw, Caracas, Venezuela.
The veteran Canadiens defenseman was born in South America when his dad worked there as an engineer. That he wound up in Montreal was in one sense very appropriate, since Caracas once was known for its red-tiled roofs.
2. Craig Adams, Seria, Brunei.
The current Penguins center was born in this nation on the Island of Borneo in Southeast Asia while his father was on business with Shell Oil. Seria is a key cog in the oil and gas industry in Brunei and was one of the main hot spots in a rebellion against the British Army in late 1962.
1. Ed Hatoum, Beirut, Lebanon.
Hatoum was born in Lebanon’s capital in 1947 and emigrated with his family to Ottawa 10 years later. He played 47 NHL games for Detroit and Vancouver before spending the majority of his career in the minor leagues.
30 Thoughts: Jets return, The unsigned 6 & hockey's tragic summer
Elliotte Friedman, CBC Sports, September 13, 2011
Going to keep it pretty simple to open the season. No huge preamble. Right into the first 30 Thoughts of 2011-12.
1. There've been a few stories about how hard it is for Jets players to find housing in Winnipeg. One of the problems, I think, is that some landlords may be attempting a little price gouging.
2. What do the Unsigned Six have in common? (That's Drew Doughty, Zach Bogosian, Luke Schenn, Brad Marchand, Kyle Turris and Josh Bailey.) They are all negotiating their second contracts. The huge deals for players of this age will be a target in the upcoming negotiations. So the agents, in particular, look at this as the last shot under a system they like.
doughty-drew-250-get-110502.jpg
3. Some hockey folks are wondering if Doughty wants out of Los Angeles. It's been reported that he wants a shorter deal. (Dean Lombardi confirmed that a nine-year, $61.2 million offer was rejected two months ago.) Although Doughty's best friend (Wayne Simmonds) was traded in the Mike Richards deal, a few people who know him well say a desire to leave is not a factor.
4. The strangest case is Turris. Not on the same page? How about not in the same universe. He and Bailey are the players who can least afford to have their training camps interrupted. Turris should strongly consider a one-year deal if things don't move, then prove Phoenix wrong next season. Don't think the Coyotes are going to budge.
5. Patrice Bergeron, asked if he's seen the Bruins' Stanley Cup rings: "No. They're being kept a surprise." He added he "can't wait" to see the banner raised.
6. Curious to see if Ryan Kesler's lengthy absence (could be mid-November) means Alain Vigneault allows the Sedins - especially Henrik, the centre - to play more of a defensive role. Both ask to kill penalties, but combined for the enormous total of 15 seconds of short-handed play per game. Vigneault also started them more in the offensive zone than any linemates in the NHL, according to the Behind the Net website (half of which I actually understand).
7. The Devils denied a New York Post report that they are risking lenders to "push the team into bankruptcy," but, the truth, according to one source, was the word "refinancing" in the team's media release. While missing a loan payment is not cause for celebration, it's not uncommon when both sides are aware a restructuring is necessary. Whatever the case, the team clearly has some financial questions.
8. Very interesting observation from one Eastern Conference coach about the Pittsburgh Penguins: "What they went through last year [season-ending injuries to Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin] is going to make them even better. All of those guys suddenly realized they were still a legitimate contender without those two players. Their confidence will be very high." The Penguins finished with 106 points before losing in seven to Tampa in the first round. Threw that theory at Dan Bylsma, and he's a believer.
9. Of all the players who passed through the NHL/NHLPA media tour last week, the most striking conversation came with John Tavares. At 18, he was very uncomfortable in interview settings and clearly didn't enjoy the experience. (That's not a criticism as much as recognition that we forget how early these guys must deal with the spotlight.) But Tavares, who turns 21 next week, is a changed man. He's grown into a poised and confident speaker. Doug Weight and Matt Moulson really helped, but, ultimately, it's Tavares who deserves the credit.
10. Tavares, by the way, made some adjustments to his game during the summer. He was coy about it, allowing only that he's worked on his skating stride and his shot. (He did admit he will be shooting from different spots in the offensive zone.) It's the same point in Crosby's career that number 87 addressed his own shot, with extremely beneficial results.
11. Another player who changed his stride: Zach Parise, who did some work with a speed skating instructor. Instead of returning his foot directly back to the standing position after each step, he will bring it around in kind of a circle. (Of course, a written blog is not the best place to describe this.) Parise says he feels much more comfortable and it should help after the knee injury, too.
12. Finally, there's Jason Spezza. For the second consecutive summer, he worked with Andy O'Brien, who is Crosby's fitness guru. O'Brien worked with Spezza on staying lower while skating. "I had a tendency to straighten up a bit," he said. The Senator added his back feels better than it has in a couple of years. Ottawa needs him to have a great season.
13. Pavel Datsyuk, asked last Thursday when he started skating, smiled sheepishly and said, "Only a few days ago." Mentioned to him that several other players said they waited longer than normal, too. He smiled. "Tell that to (Mike) Babcock."
14. Nobody keeps a closer eye on Datsyuk than Logan Couture. "I watch all of his games [that I can]," the Shark centre said. "I look at everything he does. How he controls the puck on the forehand, how he controls it on the backhand, how competitive he is, how he uses his body to protect the puck. I think he's the best player in the league and I want to learn from him." Couture also watches Crosby closely, but going head-to-head with Datsyuk four times a year is something that really drives him.
15. Jonathan Toews, asked if he re-watched any of the Vancouver series: "Just the games we won."
16. Asked Patrick Kane about Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. He was interested in the comparisons between the two because he's watched the Oilers' top pick and "I see the similarity." Kane was talking more about puck skills than size, because he says Nugent-Hopkins will fill out to be much larger than he. When it comes to getting hit by the NHL's big boys, Kane says the rookie "shouldn't think about it. I never did."
17. Tim Thomas never lacks motivation, but admits a season where he won the Vezina, the Conn Smythe and the Stanley Cup tested his hunger for the future. What helped? Reading a book by a boxer. "He said that the worst day of his life was the day after he won the world title" because he'd accomplished his goals and there was nothing else to look forward to. So, Thomas has set his target at winning all three - again.
18. So, who was the boxer? Thomas, laughing: "I don't remember."
19. Aside from Brad Richards, the Rangers targeted Mike Rupp, a great locker-room presence with a 2003 Cup ring. On June 18, Rupp tweeted that he got his "favourite chocolates" for Father's Day. (They are called "Ohio Buckeyes." Rupp is from Cleveland.) New York staffers noticed that, and, made certain their July 1 free-agent pitch included some. It's a small thing, but a big thing. Nice little move.
20. As Sheldon Souray returns to the NHL, he's with a team that's been interested in him for awhile. Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk said he wanted to add Souray sooner than he did (July 1), but couldn't afford to before Edmonton bought out the defenceman's previous contract.
21. Hearing the Sabres are going to be very impressed with their new surroundings. The organization spent $8 million upgrading things.
22. Buffalo owner Terry Pegula is also putting together quite the facility at Penn State. Included in the new arena will be a very steep section right behind the visitor's net for the first and third periods. It will be very intimidating.
23. Also hearing that veterans who skated with Mike Zibanejad raved about him. Zibanejad said he knew Ottawa was interested because Bryan Murray invited him to visit right before the draft. He said the Senators also did that with Ryan Strome and Sean Couturier. (Strome was gone before Ottawa picked.) Apparently, (and this is me talking, not Zibanejad) Murray tried to snare a second high pick to grab Jonathan Huberdeau, but couldn't.
24. Alexander Semin took a beating from former teammates this summer, but it will be interesting to see how Bruce Boudreau handles him during the season. On the right side, the Capitals' coach has Semin, Troy Brouwer, Joel Ward and Mike Knuble. Semin must realize that, for the first time, Boudreau has several significant options to threaten him with. How will that affect "The Other Alex?"
25. New Minnesota coach Mike Yeo made a special trip to Finland to meet with his captain, Mikko Koivu.
26. Very curious to see how long Florida takes to cut down its training camp roster. That's a team with no need for extra bodies. After such radical surgery, the Panthers must get players used to each other in a hurry.
27. Last year, we spent a game day with Mike Babcock as the Red Wings hosted the Canucks. During the afternoon, Brad McCrimmon walked through the coaches' office after his mid-day nap. He looked like, well, he looked like he just woke up. Our camera was off at the time, and as he walked by, fellow assistant Paul MacLean started laughing and said, "You guys missed the shot of the day right there." What a resume for McCrimmon: defence partner of a young Lidstrom, a young Pronger, a young Gary Suter.
28. At the 2004 World Cup of hockey, Slovakia was losing an elimination game to Russia. As the second period ended, Pavol Demitra was our quickie interview guest, and he was furious at the way the team was playing. He went into the room and some crazy yelling began. A Slovak journalist started laughing, so I asked what was going on. He said that Demitra and Zdeno Chara were swearing at their teammates, demanding a better effort for their country. Really admired his passion. That's what we'd expect of Canadian players.
29. Igor Korolev was a Maple Leaf when Alexei Yashin held out in Ottawa. They shared the same agent, Mark Gandler, so a few reporters started asking about the whole situation and what kind of guy Gandler is. Korolev rarely showed much emotion to the media, but he loved this line of questioning. When it was over, he walked over to Dmitri Yushkevich (another Gandler client) to tell him. The two started laughing. We asked Yushkevich about it, and he told us Korolev loved how everyone thought Gandler was the devil. Korolev played one more season in Toronto, and every time he was scrummed, he had this little smile. Always thought it had to do with that Yashin/Gandler conversation.
30. We've had to tell too many of these stories too soon. Can only hope the Boogaards, the Rypiens, the Belaks, the families affected by the Yaroslavl crash and all their friends are finally feeling some comfort. And, as the summer ends, hopefully, happier times begin.
Giants assistant Glen Hanlon finds happiness teaching hockey to kids
Ex-Canuck goalie, pro coach thrilled to help grow the Giants and spend more time with family
By Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun, September 14, 2011
METRO VANCOUVER — Less than a month into his dramatic career change, Glen Hanlon has discovered the biggest difference between coaching men at the professional level and coaching teenagers making $40 a week in the Western Hockey League.
Believe it or not, it’s passing the puck.
“Passing skills,” explained Hanlon, the Vancouver Giants new assistant coach. “I mean, they can stand still and make a pass but being able to receive a pass and give a pass at full speed, the completion rate through your whole group, top to bottom, is not as high as a team of professionals. The skating speed of the players is actually not that much different, it’s the ability to make and receive a pass.”
Hanlon, 54, has never coached kids before. He began with the Canucks as a goalie consultant after finishing his playing career in 1991. He then moved through the ranks as a Canuck assistant, an American Hockey League head coach in the Washington Capitals’ system, head coach of the Caps, followed by head coaching stints in Finland, Belarus and Slovakia.
He was living a vagabond life and moving his family around until his son Jackson, now nine, refused another move to Slovakia. So Jackson and Hanlon’s wife Keri remained behind in their Point Roberts home last year while Hanlon commuted to and from Slovakia throughout the season. It didn’t go well.
After the Slovakians fired him in the spring, Hanlon pledged to become a better father (his words) and took the Giants’ job to stay closer to home.
“When I wasn’t around, it was painful,” Hanlon said at the Giants’ training facility in Ladner. “When you start going away for two months at a time, the dynamic of your family relationship changes. This is the first time Jackson is going to the same school two years in a row. We have dinner together every night. It’s been a really, really great situation for us.”
Meanwhile on the ice, Hanlon is also discovering what he calls the “purest form” of coaching. Junior players are far from a finished product so there is a lot of teaching happening and, even better, a lot of listening.
“Players’ acceptance in doing the things we do here wouldn’t be accepted at the NHL level,” Hanlon noted. “You’re really taking the players and instilling work ethic and battle skills and individual development and this is where a lot of the intangibles are built in. My experience is if the NHL did what we do here, they would be so much better prepared. So that’s another big change.”
And there are others. Like being compelled to play someone who’s under a lucrative long-term contract despite the fact another player is out-performing him.
“At the NHL level, there are so many discussions on ‘well, if you tell this player that, is it going to be OK?’ ” Hanlon said. “Here you can do what’s right and there are no ‘ifs, ands or buts.’ It’s about who plays to make your team better. You make those decisions and you structure your practices for that and, to me, it’s been a lot of fun — and refreshing. It’s the way it should be.”
Stars agree to sell team to Vancouver businessman
The Associated Press, Sept 15, 2011
The Dallas Stars signed an agreement to sell the team to Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi and filed a prepackaged bankruptcy plan Thursday to help facilitate the transaction.
The deal is subject to a court-approved auction and NHL approval.
In a release, the Stars said the prepackaged Chapter 11 plan has support of the NHL and the team's lenders, who voted to accept it before filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware in Wilmington.
NHL Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the filing Thursday culminated "months of co-operative effort" by the league, the team and its lenders, and the operators of the American Airlines Center, the team's home arena.
"It represents an extremely positive step toward what we expect will be an orderly transition to new ownership for the Dallas Stars," Daly said.
A court hearing is scheduled for Monday, when the Stars are expected to present customary motions for court approval.
"It represents an extremely positive step toward what we expect will be an orderly transition to new ownership for the Dallas Stars"—NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly
The Texas Rangers, who were also once owned by Tom Hicks, went through a similar process before that sale was completed last year to a group headed by Nolan Ryan two months before they went to their first World Series.
A big difference between the two plans is that creditors opposed the prepackaged deal filed by the Rangers.
The Rangers' sale was stalled for months by creditors' concerns over Hicks' financially strapped ownership group. The team was eventually put up for a court auction, in which Ryan's group outbid Jim Crane and Mark Cuban and finally got the team nine months after entering into exclusive negotiations with Hicks.
The Stars said their prepackaged plan was the result of negotiations involving input from the league and the team's senior secured lenders.
Because the plan has already garnered substantial support from lenders, the Stars expect to expeditiously move through the legal process. They hope for a hearing in 60 to 75 days to confirm the plan and proposed sale, allowing the team to exit bankruptcy and complete the sale of the franchise by the end of November.
"This is a significant step toward completing the transition in ownership," Stars president Tony Tavares said. "We are pleased that our lenders have shown substantial support for the plan and the sale process, but the Dallas Stars are focused on one thing: hockey."
The Stars open training camp on Friday.
Ten storylines for NHL training camps
Tim Wharnsby, CBC Sports, September 15, 2011
Training camps open around the NHL on Friday with medicals and on-ice sessions on Saturday. Here are some storylines to contemplate as the chase for the 2011-12 Stanley Cup begins.
1. All eyes will be on how Sidney Crosby and his participation in the Pittsburgh Penguins' training camp. He revealed last week he was 90 per cent recovered from his nine-month battle with a concussion, and he was on the ice with teammates for a 90-minute informal skate earlier this week. We've already witnessed the retirements of Paul Kariya and Dave Scatchard from head injuries this summer. Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said Marc Savard won't play this season. How will players like David Perron (St. Louis), Matthew Lombardi (Toronto), Peter Mueller (Colorado), Bryce Salvador (New Jersey), Max Pacioretty (Montreal) and Nathan Horton (Boston) perform this fall after their concussions? The Penguins will have a healthy Evgeni Malkin back from his knee troubles and, along with Pacioretty, the Canadiens will see the return of injured defencemen Andrei Markov and Josh Gorges.
2. How long with this contract squabble between defenceman Drew Doughty and the Los Angeles Kings last? In three seasons, he has been a force on the Kings blue-line. He's won Olympic gold with Canada and was a Norris Trophy finalist in 2009-10. He has been durable, having only missed six games and has put up impressive offensive numbers with 33 goals and 126 points in 239 games. Yet, the Kings refuse to pay him more than teammate Anze Kopitar's $6.8-million US salary and they want Doughty long-term. The player wants $7-million-plus. The standoff appears likely to drag on.
3. Dale Tallon was the busiest of the 30 NHL GMs this past summer. He stripped the Florida Panthers roster and then added enough salaries to make sure his club was above the $48-million payroll floor. Almost half (10) of the Panthers roster - Sean Bergenheim, Matt Bradley, Brian Campbell, Tomas Fleischmann, Marcel Goc, Ed Jovanovski, Tomas Kopecky, Jose Theodore, Scottie Upshall and Kris Versteeg - will be made up of players brought in from other NHL teams. Some of this group won a Stanley Cup together on the Chicago Blackhawks, but can a team with so many new faces build enough chemistry in a swift manner to contend for a playoff spot? The Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs are the only clubs who have yet to make the NHL post-season since the 2004-05 lockout.
4. Philadelphia Flyers GM Paul Holmgren, who is recovering from an off-season bicycle accident, didn't bring in 10 new players, but he sure shook up the team's foundation. Out went captain Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Ville Leino, Daniel Carcillo, Darroll Powe, Brian Boucher and Sean O'Donnell. In have come Ilya Bryzgalov, Sean Courturier, Jaromir Jagr, Andreas Lilja, Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds, Maxime Talbot and Jakub Voracek. Holmgren took a huge risk in rebuilding a club that was only a year removed from the Stanley Cup final, but he will have a healthy Chris Pronger back from injury. The 36-year-old standout was limited to 50 regular games and three playoff outings last season.
5. The Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins set in motion an intriguing scenario when they inked free-agent Benoit Pouliot to a one-year, $1.1-million contract on July 1. The hulking 6-foot-3, 200-pound left wing didn't endear himself to hockey fans in Beantown in the first round of the 2011 playoffs, when with the rival Montreal, he took a run at Bruins defenceman Johnny Boychuk in Game 3. The dangerous bodycheck attempt into the end boards prompted Bruins television play-by-play man Jack Edwards to lash out and called Pouliot one of the "biggest disappointments in NHL history." Pouliot, a fourth overall selection in 2005 by the Minnesota Wild, also smacked a non-fighter in Boston's David Krejci with a right hand in a scrap during a wild penalty-filled game between the Bruins and Canadiens last February. Pouliot has made up with Krejci, but what sort of conversation will take place between Edwards and Pouliot?
6. When there is a new coach in town, there usually is plenty of interest to see how the players respond. Six non-playoff teams made coaching changes this summer. The Dallas Stars brought in Glen Gulutzan from their minor-league affiliate. The Winnipeg Jets ownership group made a similar move with Claude Noel as did the Minnesota Wild with Mike Yeo. Florida hired hot coaching prospect Kevin Dineen from the Portland Pirates of the AHL. The Ottawa Senators lured assistant coach Paul MacLean away from the Detroit Red Wings. Peter DeBoer, 43, gets a shot to run the New Jersey Devils after three frustrating seasons in Florida. The last coach to win a Stanley Cup championship in his first year with a new team from start-to-finish was Pat Burns with the Devils in 2002-03.
7. So how will the Vancouver Canucks respond after their disappointing seventh-game loss at home to the Bruins in the final? The Canucks will be without injured second-line centre Ryan Kesler (hip surgery) and his linemate Mason Raymond (back surgery) for at least a month, and likely longer. They also lost free-agent defenceman Christian Ehrhoff to the Buffalo Sabres. The Kesler and Raymond injuries provide an opportunity for youngsters Cody Hodgson and Jordan Schroeder to impress GM Mike Gillis and head coach Alain Vigneault. The Canucks embark on a task of becoming the second team since the lockout to lose in the final only to rebound and win the Stanley Cup 12 months later. The 2008-09 Penguins are the only team to accomplish the feat in a decade.
8. Manitoba is excited about the return of the Jets, but just how good they will be is another matter. The former Atlanta Thrashers were 22-16-7 on Jan. 10 last season and in seventh spot in the Eastern Conference. They floundered with a 12-20-5 finish and didn't make the playoffs. The Jets still don't have much depth up front. There also is the legal and weight problems of defenceman Dustin Byfuglien. A year ago, Byfuglien reported to Thrashers' training camp at 269 pounds and checked out after the season at 288. When he was arrested for suspicion of boating while intoxicated in Minnesota last week, a Minneapolis-based all sports radio station reported that the police report said Byfuglien tipped the scales at 286 pounds.
9. A new season brings a new crop of rookies to watch. Last fall, we watched Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Magnus Paajarvi strut their stuff with the Edmonton Oilers and later in the season Jeff Petry was promoted and looked comfortable on the blue-line. This training camp will bring a new wave of youngsters for the Oilers in forwards Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Curtis Hamilton and Tyler Pitlik, as well as defenceman Colten Teubert. It also will be interesting to see where veterans Ryan Smyth and Cam Barker fit in.
10. Can either DeBoer or Carolina Hurricanes head coach Paul Maurice keep the Windsor Spitfires streak going? Joel Quenneville (Spitfires 1975-78) steered the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup in 2009-10. Last spring, Spitfires alum Claude Julien (1978-81) turned the trick with the Bruins. Maurice (1984-88) and DeBoer (1985-89) were teammates in Windsor for three seasons in the 1980s, but they will busy themselves simply with returning their respective teams back to the playoffs.
http://www.tampabay.com/sports/hockey/lightning/tampa-bay-lightning-has-no-fighting-policy-in-training-camp/1191986
BRANDON — There was a time, Vinny Lecavalier said, that training-camp locker rooms were more like staging areas for Friday Night Fights.
Players, he said, literally would decide before going on the ice which teammate they would fight — not because of some feud but because they wanted to impress the coaches with their pugilistic skills and, perhaps, win a roster spot.
"It was hostile," the Lightning captain Friday said of his early years in the league. "Guys wanted to show what they could do. Coaches were looking at players, 'Okay, he can fight.' "
It is a scene coach Guy Boucher wants no part of, so much so he is prohibiting his players from fighting in training camp scrimmages today and Sunday at the Ice Sports Forum.
"We're telling them we don't want fights," he said. "If it does happen, it has to be something drastic, like a major cheap shot and the guys don't want to take it."
Other than that, the gloves stay on. The reason? Simple.
"They all have our logo," Boucher said. "They're all part of the Lightning."
Injuries, too, are a concern. It takes only one misguided punch off a helmet to break a hand.
The culture of the game also has changed. Fighting no longer is integral. Tampa Bay played last season without an enforcer.
More to the point, Boucher said, "we're looking to create a family atmosphere where guys work hard and respect each other. We don't want to get into an extermination camp. We want to get into a training camp."
The last major brawls in Lightning camp probably were in 2008, when Zenon Konopka, in the year's first scrimmage, fought Evgeny Artyukhin and Matt Smaby. Adam Hall also fought Radek Smolenak.
Hall said he believes that was part of an atmosphere fostered by then-coach Barry Melrose:
"Barry liked a more physical kind of camp. He just liked that style of play."
Said wing Ryan Malone: "He threw a puck out there, and we tried to run each other around."
But Konopka, now with the Senators, said he simply was following the old script in which the new guy tries to get noticed.
"A lot of times there are players who are not on the map, never mind penciled in. They're not even on the radar," he said by phone from Ottawa. "So it's pretty important to let those guys have an opportunity to show everything they can bring to the lineup."
Konopka said he understands any team's no-fighting edict, though with a caveat:
"It's really important, if you're not going to have fighting, you'd better make sure that anyone who has any kind of chance to make the team gets in an exhibition (game) or two."
The way Boucher sees it, anyone with a chance to make the team deserves to show his skill in a game situation without having to look over his shoulder. A scrimmage provides that.
"We want the young guys to feel comfortable being who they are and not having to be somebody else and show something they're not," Boucher said.
Players can hit. But as Boucher added, "There are plenty of people to fight outside our team."
On Doughty, Turris & leverage, plus 30 Thoughts
Elliotte Friedman, CBC Sports, September 19, 2011
It's all about leverage.
Sometimes you wield it; sometimes you eat it. The key is knowing which one you have to do.
Drew Doughty and the Phoenix Coyotes wield it. Kyle Turris and the Los Angeles Kings won't like it, but they're going to have to eat it. It's not about who's right and who's wrong, it's about sitting back and thinking realistically.
Right now, Los Angeles must realize its "take less for the team" sales pitch is not working. GM Dean Lombardi, a former agent, showed his frustration on Friday, threatening to decrease any offer to Doughty for every day the defenceman remains absent.
I certainly can understand why he's so upset; this is a huge season for the Kings and Doughty is critical. (It's also a reminder of why Lombardi is arguably the best quote in the NHL and would be an all-time great as a TV analyst should he ever decide to be one.)
The Los Angeles Times reported Sunday that Bobby Ryan stepped away from Don Meehan to sign his contract with Anaheim last season. No doubt, the Kings are going to try that, assuming they haven't already. But, if it doesn't work, Lombardi's the one who's going to have to bend. If you polled 29 other GMs on whether they'd rather have Doughty or Anze Kopitar, the majority are going to take Doughty. "He's their best player," said several.
There's a lot bubbling under the surface here. Meehan, who represents Doughty, also did Kopitar's first NHL contract. The forward switched agents before his $48 million US megadeal in 2008, which is undoubtedly another factor in all of this. It's also why Kings loyalists are referring to Doughty as "a pawn."
Whatever the case, the most important thing to do is think clearly.
Lombardi must avoid history. In 2002, Meehan clients Evgeni Nabokov and Brad Stuart missed the start of camp in contract disputes with Lombardi's former team, the San Jose Sharks.
A couple of different sources said that situation "ripped the team apart." They finished last in the Pacific Division, leading to the firings of both Lombardi and head coach Darryl Sutter. It's like "The Ring 2." Does Hollywood really want to see this sequel?
If the Kings can't get Doughty to change his stance (and soon), the team must adjust its approach. (Again, word around the league is LA will not trade him.) By offering longer-term deals, Los Angeles is trying to buy some of his unrestricted free agency. Doughty would likely make more than $6.8 mil as a UFA, and the Kings have to recognize that. If Lombardi finds this unacceptable, he should shorten the term.
It's far from perfect, but it's better than what exists now.
Phoenix centre Turris, meanwhile, very nicely and politely declined comment when asked to chat over the weekend. But, he doesn't have Doughty's firepower, with Coyotes GM Don Maloney rising to Lombardi-like levels by saying, Turris "can stay at home and watch Oprah."
(Maloney may be the one person in North America who didn't realize Oprah ended her show last season. Maybe he's a Jerry Springer guy.)
It's unfortunate Turris declined to speak, because I would like to hear his side of the story. There are plenty of rumours he wants to be traded. (I saw him last December and he said he was happy. Maybe something changed. One thing I do know: there aren't many players who hate playing for Dave Tippett. Guys really like him.)
Turris is a scary player to trade. Just because he hasn't yet reached his potential doesn't mean he won't. He's only 22. Teams live in fear of dealing someone who can develop into a star somewhere else, which is why Maloney probably won't do it without extracting a heavy price.
But Turris can't expect an extremely budget-conscious team like Phoenix to open the vault based on potential. Josh Bailey probably didn't like the two-year, $2.1 million deal he got with the Islanders. But, like Turris, he didn't have leverage.
Take a short deal, Kyle. You can't afford to miss time. Then, if you develop the way you can, you'll do the wielding, not the eating.
30 THOUGHTS
1. Through no fault of his own, Kopitar's been tossed into the middle of an inferno. How he handles this may be the single biggest determining factor in the Kings' season. If he's angry, it could seriously damage the team. He seems like a good guy from my (limited) dealings with him, but would any of us appreciate being exposed in this way?
2. So let me get this straight: Parents are arguing about who is going to pay for baseline tests in minor hockey. How much does the test cost? $25. How much are these same parents spending on their kids' sticks?
3. Last week, the BC Sports Hall of Fame inducts Trevor Linden, Olympic snowboard champion Maelle Ricker and local members of the 2010 Gold Medal men's hockey team. Who gets the most tepid response? Roberto Luongo. Riding your goalie before the season even starts is a guaranteed recipe for failure.
4. Canucks fans may want Cory Schneider, but what if he gets hurt or doesn't play well? If you want the best possible chance at returning to the Stanley Cup Final, support Luongo, whether you like it or not. Some people, no matter how hard they try, can't block out the negative reaction. Luongo is one of them.
5. If Tom Gagliardi successfully purchases the Stars in bankruptcy court, a couple of executives have a question: how much will the owners "put on the board" the first time Dallas and Vancouver play one another?
6. The whole Dustin Byfuglien poundage controversy is another example of why no one should put any credence into height/weight listings in any sport. Back when I covered basketball, one coach told me that players always exaggerated height by one or two inches (kind of like online dating, eh ladies?). Meanwhile, Oliver Miller had it in his contract he be listed no higher than 285. Just because Byfuglien's NHL.com bio says 265 doesn't mean he actually weighed that
7. The Jets contacted Teemu Selanne about a return engagement, but they had competition. Sounds like some serious contenders were trying to poach him from Anaheim as recently as mid-August. But Selanne made it clear: Ducks or nobody.
8. Zach Bogosian came to terms before camp, but word now is he'd decided there was no way he was going to sit out. Apparently, the team made it very clear that whatever problems he had with the coaches in Atlanta would be irrelevant in Winnipeg. New city, fresh slate.
9. Both Andrei Markov and Josh Gorges are guys who really care about the Canadiens. Don't understand why the team would give Markov three years and risk losing Gorges next summer as a UFA with both coming off major knee injuries. Especially now that Markov's return is uncertain, the strategy seems even stranger.
10. One doctor said to me that it's a good sign Sidney Crosby is starting to do more interviews. That indicates how much he's improving. The doctor said that, when you're not close and repeatedly are asked how you're doing, the stress really gets to you and can actually hurt your recovery. We shouldn't get ahead of ourselves here, because we still have no idea when he'll be back, but I thought that was encouraging.
11. Crosby has a lot of good neighbours in Nova Scotia (with the exception of Bruce Rainnie.) I was at a golf tournament in Halifax this summer when a few people told me they lived near the Penguins captain. I was being polite, not really fishing for anything when I asked, "Have you seen him around?" and they totally clammed up. It was as if everyone in Cole Harbour took a blood vow of secrecy.
12. Was waiting with Martin St. Louis before our scheduled interview at the NHL junket in New York earlier this month. Holding an empty bottle of water, he pointed at a garbage can about 20 feet away. "If I get this in, I don't have to do the interview, ok?" he said. Should've known never to bet against him. He still did the interview, though.
13. St. Louis on Tampa's very positive 2010-11 season: "That's last year. No longer matters."
14. Don't understand why anyone would think John Tavares made a mistake signing a six-year extension with the Islanders. Clearly, he loves it there. Clearly, it's been good for him on and off the ice. The team is tied to Long Island until 2015. If it doesn't work out, he can pick his next NHL home when he's 27. What's so bad about that?
15. GMs didn't have many complaints with Tyler Myers getting $38 million. "He had 48 points two years ago and 37 in what was supposedly a down year for him [last season]," one said. "You figure he'll get better and in arbitration, that's what those guys get." However, these same GMs would like to see Buffalo stop cutting $10 million cheques for signing bonuses.
16. Myers, by the way, spent a lot of time this summer working on his shot. He had Alexei Zhitnik's "no accuracy" disease.
17. Lots of debate about what the Sabres will do to get down to the cap. (They are $3.6 million over.) Darcy Regier says he's confident he'll be able to make a move. With some GMs, that means there's already something done pending what happens in the preseason. In a league where depth is arguably the most valuable commodity, there's no sense in making a deal unless you absolutely have to. Remember Vancouver? There were endless debates over who would be moved to make room for Sami Salo. By the time he got back, three other defencemen were hurt. Worse comes to worse, I don't see Terry Pegula getting overly upset about eating a contract or two.
18. Buffalo doesn't really have room for surplus defencemen, but Chris Butler (part of the Robyn Regehr package to Calgary) had a few Eastern Conference fans among opponents. A couple coaches said the Sabres will miss him.
19. One longer-shot prospect who impressed at Traverse City? Dallas's Brenden Dillon. Undrafted, the Stars signed him as a free agent during the summer. Don't know if he's NHL-ready yet, but he's going to get there.
20. Word on Bryan McCabe was that he didn't want to go far from Florida, where his family is very happy. Atlanta moving really cut down his options. Its been reported the Canucks, Blues and Islanders are interested, but does he want to go?
21. Toronto fans don't remember McCabe fondly but, there's one thing he did I'll always remember. The year after the lockout, Ottawa manhandled Toronto three straight times by a combined 23-2. The first of those games was an 8-0 slaughter where the Leafs were down 3-0 after one. Leaf after Leaf walked by, not wanting to discuss it. McCabe stopped and did. When I thanked him after the game, he said, "I've got a letter on my jersey. I've got to answer for that."
22. Cam Ward started 74 games for the Hurricanes last season. Normally, in a year like that, the backup faces the dregs of the NHL. Not this time. The eight teams Ward didn't start against included six playoff teams: the Kings, Flyers, Penguins, Lightning, Blackhawks and Capitals. Paul Maurice clearly saved Ward for games he felt he had a better chance of winning. Guessing he will have more confidence in Brian Boucher for some of those nights.
23. Wade Redden wasn't invited to the main Rangers training camp, but word is he's trying to keep positive and believe things will work out for the best. There was hope that maybe one of the teams needing to get to the floor (Florida, for example) might go after him, but that didn't materialize.
24. You'll remember that following the completion of the last CBA, there was a one-time amnesty to buy out contracts without penalty. (Detroit did it with Derian Hatcher.) That will likely be Redden's best chance to get back, allowing another team to sign him to a new deal.
25. Very curious to see how much Brendan Smith pushes for a roster spot in Detroit over the next two weeks. With many other teams, he'd already be a lock. Smith said Nicklas Lidstrom had a special message for him when he was around during playoff time last year: "There's no rush. When you're ready, you'll be here."
26. At the NHLPA Rookie event a few weeks ago, had a funny exchange with Senator prospect David Rundblad. Mentioned to him that, as things went off the rails in Ottawa last season, one of the things fans looked forward to was prospects like him playing this season. He wanted zero part of that conversation.
27. Junior teammates of Avalanche prospect Gabriel Landeskog joked that it was almost impossible to make him angry. He laughed at that. "So what does make you angry?" He smiled and said, "Losing."
28. A week ago, there were some serious questions raised about the New Jersey Devils' finances. The belief is the minority owners who wanted to sell their shares was asking too much. Now, the story to watch for is if a lower price will find a new buyer or those owners simply pay Jeff Vanderbeek to take full control.
29. Posted the link yesterday on twitter about Earl Cook, the incredibly inspiring Red Wings fan who died on the weekend. Last year, I was at a morning skate for a game Earl also attended. Turned to my left, and while Mike Babcock was scrumming with the media, Cook was wearing Chris Osgood's glove and blocker, pretending to make saves on the floor. I had to leave the room I was laughing so hard. Invest the time in the story, it's a great piece of work
30. Even if it's just exhibition hockey, it's about time we dropped the puck.
Brian Burke-Ron Wilson's prank war
Ryan Kennedy, The Hockey News, 2011-09-16
In THN’s latest cover story, I examined the rise of American influence on the NHL and the mentorship that has resulted in more U.S. minds in positions of power. The Toronto Maple Leafs were a great example, with GM Brian Burke and coach Ron Wilson learning valuable lessons from New Jersey Devils GM Lou Lamoriello when he coached the pair at Providence College back in the 1970s.
Because they didn’t fit with the tone of the story I had to leave out some hilarious stories about the decades-long prank war Burke and Wilson have waged against each other. So without further ado…
“I hate practical jokes,” Burke said. “As soon as Ronnie found that out, it’s been non-stop ever since.”
Wilson sees things a bit differently.
“I always feel like I’m the one getting the pranks pulled on me,” he said.
See who you believe.
The first great story in the friendly rivalry harkens back to those Providence College days. The Friars were playing a tournament over the Christmas holidays, so the whole team stayed in the same dorm at school. Providence is a Catholic school and though Burke is part of that denomination, Wilson is not. Burke led a contingent to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve and while he was gone, Wilson broke into his room and changed the alarm clock.
To Burke’s credit, he was only five minutes late for practice the next morning, but late is late. Lamoriello’s punishment was for Burke to have an extra on-ice workout at 4 a.m. – under the coach’s personal supervision.
“We thought it would be a one-day punishment,” Wilson said. “But it ended up lasting six or seven days.”
When the Friars did two-a-days, Burke would be on the ice three times – the third always coming at four in the morning.
“He didn’t know it was me who changed his clock,” Wilson said. “But he should have known.”
Wilson waited until the two were out of college before he eventually fessed up.
Perhaps with that in mind, Burke got some pretty good revenge when he hired Wilson to coach with the Vancouver Canucks organization under Pat Quinn. Providence College had an alumni game coming up one year and Burke convinced Wilson that Quinn would have no problem with the former star defenseman returning to his alma mater to play, even though it was during the NHL season.
Wilson started working out and training for the game and even bought his plane ticket before Burke revealed that no, Quinn did not say he could fly across the country to play in an old-timers game.
Even when the two were on opposing teams the prank war continued. Burke was still in Vancouver when Wilson took the head coaching job in San Jose, so when the Sharks came to town, Wilson asked to meet up with his old buddy.
As soon as Wilson came into Burke’s office, he asked his former college roommate if he had any coffee. Burke quickly obliged, ducking out down the hall to grab some for his pal.
“I don’t know why I would ever leave Ronnie alone in my office for two minutes,” Burke said.
After the two chatted, Wilson excused himself and Burke quickly realized his dress shoes had about a one-inch layer of shampoo in them. Old habits die hard with lifelong friends.
By Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune reporter
9:31 p.m. CDT, September 18, 2011
Patrick Kane heard a familiar refrain during the offseason.
Friends, family and his own voice in the back of his head told the Blackhawks winger it's time to raise his game another notch.
"It's kind of crazy to think I'm still 22 and going into my fifth season," Kane said. "Time has been flying by. I think it's about that time I really take the next step to the elite level.
"It seems like everyone's kind of been saying that to me this summer. 'All right, you've done well your first four years, now let's really take that step to the next level and become one of the best players in the league.'"
Kane has amassed 103 goals and 200 assists in the first 317 games of his career, and at nearly a point-per-game is already in the upper echelon of NHL forwards.
For him, that's not enough.
"I've kind of been around that same pace the last two, three, maybe even four years," said Kane, who had 27 goals and 46 assists in 73 games last season. "It would be nice to take that next step and really kind of put myself up in the best two, three, four or five offensive players in the league."
Surgery on July 19 to repair a scaphoid fracture in his left wrist limited Kane's preparation for the season, but the injury is nearly healed and already flashes of what could be are beginning to show.
After feeling like he didn't get enough ice time in two practices on the opening day of training camp, Kane spoke to his doctor Sunday morning and received permission to participate in a scrimmage. The winger promptly scored two goals and added an assist and was the best player on the ice — all while wearing a splint on his wrist to prevent further injury.
While still a young man who likes to have his fun, one thing appears pretty evident as the Hawks get set to embark on a quest for their second Stanley Cup championship in three seasons: Kane is growing up.
"I'm a little bit more focused and I'm taking strides to be the best player I can," Kane said. "I'm still not there yet, but hopefully I will be."
His coach is one of the people who sees a difference in Kane.
"He's evolved," Joel Quenneville said. "He's growing like a young man should. Every year he gets stronger as a player and he gets more mature as an individual."
It's that maturity that Kane hopes will lead to him being more consistent game in and game out.
"There were times last year when I had good stretches and good runs," Kane said. "(But) I think the year before I probably controlled games a little bit more and had the puck on my stick a little bit more. I don't want to have the ups and downs that I've had pretty much throughout my four years. You want to be consistent throughout the year."
General manager Stan Bowman, who showed his faith in Kane when he signed him to a five-year, $31.5 million contract extension in 2009, believes bigger things are on the horizon.
"We've seen how he can control a game and he's done that many times," Bowman said. "When he says he wants to get to the next level, it would be to just be dominant in every game. If he puts his mind to it, I would bet he's going to achieve that."
For Kane, the formula for reaching new heights boils down to one simple question: "Why not focus in and try to be the best you can?"
Ranger's Prospect Chris Kreider; What Would Bill Gates Do?
Joseph Browne, Bleacherreport.com, September 6, 2011
Heading into the 2011-'12 NHL season, the New York Rangers have, on paper, a roster that is sufficiently talented, hard-working and disciplined to compete consistently with the best teams.
Offseason acquisitions and the development/arrival of some of the team's in-house talent have positioned the team well. While they are not among the elite teams in the league, they will again, compete consistently. This has as much to do with the character of the team, their collective work-ethic and the relentless nature of their coach, John Tortorella, as it does with how fast they can skate and how hard they can shoot the puck.
When teams win championships, of course, it's the result of varying degrees of talent and character combined. Without question, though, every organization seeks talent first and hopes that the intangible qualities like character and work ethic are there as well. The New York Rangers, for several years now, have drafted some high-ceiling, high-character-type prospects and they've also made some nice trades to bring more of the same to the organization. Of these prospects, none is awaited with more anticipation than the 6' 2", lightning-fast winger Chris Kreider.
Kreider can skate with anyone and he's also that rare player that can create from the wing. His skills, actually, translate long term to the center position, although it remains to be seen where he is ultimately deployed. He would be poised to begin his professional career in just over a month from today if not for one nagging reality; Chris Kreider, you see, has not signed a contract with the New York Rangers.
As reported by Jim Cerney on Blueshirts United just this past week, Kreider has clearly reaffirmed his intention to finish his education at Boston College.
"You want to focus on professional hockey when that time comes," said Kreider. "I know my decision (to stay in school) was heavily scrutinized from the outside, but it's been hammered into me how important my education is and now is the time to take care of that. I don't want (finishing school) hanging over my head once I turn pro. I just want to focus on hockey at that point."
This is all really great stuff, postcard material, really, to promote the sublime experience and meaningful achievement that a college education represents. If you listen closely, you’ll likely be able to hear educators and university administrators all over academia leaping for joy right about now.
After all, without such glowing recommendations it would be that much more difficult for them to keep selling the idea that it's necessary to extend to four years what could be accomplished in two. That, though, is another discussion for another time.
Today, we'll be concentrating on Kreider's decision to stay in school and, quite possibly, find himself in jeopardy of looking from the outside on an NHL career needlessly derailed by injury. While there is no guarantee that a player can avoid injury at any level of play, regardless of the sport, signing a contract and having several million bonus dollars in the bank is a guarantee against having to wonder what might have been.
It's nice to want the degree that a formal education results in, but someone should have told Kreider by now that a degree in America is primarily designed to position one's self to earn more money over a career. For the sake of discussion, though, let's say that Kreider's decision to stay in school is based on some innate desire he has to amass knowledge and not on the more pedestrian motivation of securing his degree.
If that were the case, wouldn’t it follow logically that he would be enlightened enough to understand that you can always gather knowledge and expand your education? Read a book, browse the internet, go to the library, regardless of which option you choose you will always have access to information and knowledge.
Additionally, with several millions dollars in the bank, still supposing that the pursuit of supreme knowledge is what's truly driving Kreider's decision, could Kreider not continue his education during the offseason? We are in 2011, after all, and anyone with a computer and wireless connection can take a course from the beach if they wanted to. Heck, with several million in the bank Kreider could even hire a small army of tutors to follow him around wherever he goes.
Is this all a bit harsh? Is this viewpoint all a bit too cynical? Does it seem as if we're picking on a young kid who many would feel is making an admirable choice? Perhaps, but that is not the intent here. I’m sure Chris Kreider and his family believe his decision is the best decision he can make, and there is more than likely nothing else to it.
The intent, rather, is to attempt to counteract the endless drone from the vast majority of observers of sport, who for years have self-righteously bemoaned the decisions by young athletes to leave school early, pounding the "stay in school" mantra into our collective heads as if they’re on the payroll of the NCAA. The hypocrisy is so thick that it's almost a living, breathing thing.
Kreider, he of the Boston College Eagles hockey team as opposed to the New York Rangers hockey team, may not be the prime example of a young athlete who should take every penny thrown at them while sprinting for the hills. By all accounts he comes from a stable background and, with a degree, he would more than likely do just fine in the world should his hockey career not flourish.
What of the athlete that cannot claim such a background, though? Should he pursue a degree and forego the opportunity for what essentially amounts to multi-generational security? Should he delay payment for his skills, all while his family continues to suffer financially and/or remain in an environment that threatens their very lives?
For every sports journalist who has ever suggested to any athlete, whether in print or conversation, that they should choose school over signing a contract, here's a simple question: if while in college you were approached by a major newspaper or sports magazine and offered a full-time staff writer's position, at an extraordinary rate of pay, would you have dutifully returned to class the following semester? If the answer to that question is anything but no, you're lying.
More to the point, when is the last time anyone has come across an article suggesting to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg or Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates that they should have stayed in school? These men are considered pioneers, brave firebrands who pursued their dreams, and they ironically had no guarantees of financial windfall when they decided to leave school.
In the end, the hope is that Chris Kreider truly gets it all, the education, the signing bonus and the great NHL career. The pursuit and ultimate acquisition of a rewarding and prosperous life is the essence of being American, really, and in times when that pursuit is as difficult as it is for many Americans we should all embrace the success stories as evidence that we're all still capable of such heights.
Going forward, though, let's look reality in the eye. Let's just recognize that there is a limited market out there for world-class talent, and very limited windows of opportunity for young athletes to attain the brass ring, so to speak.
A degree can be truly a wonderful thing, no doubt, and it truly can be the key to greater things in life. For certain people with certain skills, though, there are times when the pursuit of a degree can be put on hold. Chris Kreider is one of those certain people with those certain skills; let's hope his arrival in New York is merely delayed and not permanently postponed.
Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."