Simmons: Burke's loyalty has limits
Steve Simmons ,Toronto Sun, December 31, 2011
All of us should be fortunate enough to have a boss like Brian Burke one day.
Someone to fervently defend you, even when your work is just adequate.
Someone to believe in you publicly, support you under almost all conditions.
Someone to overpay you, prop you up, guarantee your future.
The kind of boss Ron Wilson has with the Maple Leafs.
From the inside, Burke’s qualities are admirable, honorable and laudable. He wants you to fight for him, not against him. From the outside, though, a different story entirely.
While he believes in Wilson as coach and has chosen to extend his contract under dubious circumstances, nothing in the real world for the Leafs has actually changed.
Wilson will continue to coach the team so long as he makes the playoffs this season. If he doesn’t make the playoffs, he gets shown the door. The only difference now is, if he gets ousted because the team misses the playoffs, he leaves the way many heads of large corporations leave — with a healthy going-away present, a hockey version of the golden parachute.
Burke is loyal.
He isn’t stupid.
No matter what he says for attribution, he can’t bring back a coach who misses the playoffs four years straight. If, in the end, it happens to go that way.
THIS AND THAT
Not a fan of oldtimers hockey but it was fascinating to see how many Stanley Cup members from the Philadelphia Flyers’ 1975 championship team were in uniform Saturday. It’s 37 years ago and Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber, Reg Leach, Bernie Parent and the Watson brothers (and there were more) looking pretty impressive in orange and black ... When I was a kid, I went to Haliburton Hockey Haven, almost entirely because Johnny Bower was in the brochure. Boy were we disappointed when we got to camp and Bower was nowhere to be found and this minor-leaguer named Parent was the goalie instructor ... Lost in all the James Reimer fretting: He leads the NHL all-star voting for goaltenders and may end up in the all-star game, even as he’s struggling through this difficult season ... People were wondering how Clarke and Eric Lindros would get along this weekend in Philadelphia. But I was wondering how Lindros and former Flyers captain Eric Desjardins got on. They weren’t exactly fans of each other in their days playing together ... The five games to begin January are paramount for the Leafs. Four of them are against teams they are either ahead of in the Eastern Conference standings or tied with. They can’t afford to be losing points to Tampa Bay, Winnipeg or Buffalo at this time.
HEAR AND THERE
On Monday, the ubiquitous Versus becomes no more, replaced by the more appropriately named NBC Sports Network. But before leaving Versus, this is worth repeating. I heard Jeremy Roenick the other night calling the Florida Panthers “stacked from top to bottom.” And beside him on the panel, Mike Keenan, just giggled knowingly ... What a score by former St. Mike’s Majors coach Mike Futa the other night, holding the winning ticket of the 50-50 draw from the world junior game in Edmonton. The haul was more than the annual salary of most NHL scouts, which is what Futa does for the Los Angeles Kings ... Stan Bowman needs a goalie. If he gets one, the Chicago Blackhawks can win the Stanley Cup. But they can’t win with Ray Emery and Corey Crawford in net ... One of Tim Hunter and Woody Acton were essentially let go by the Maple Leafs because of the team’s horrendous penalty-killing numbers. Wonder how they feel now, considering the numbers are 5% worse this season. For the record, this is how bad the Leafs penalty killing has been under Wilson: No team since these statistics have been kept has gone through a period (in this case, four seasons) of such shorthanded incompetence ... This is how out of control junior hockey is getting: There is a three-hour trade deadline show on OHL television coming up. Don’t know what’s worse, having the show or the fact adults are allowed to trade teenagers and nobody objects to it.
SCENE AND HEARD
There are those who want to disregard the world junior hockey championships as little more than Canadian chest thumping, and I appreciate that view, but all you needed to watch was a minute of Petr Mrazek in goal for the Czech Republic to be hooked on the emotion these kids bring to the annual event. When a player we don’t know about, playing for a country we don’t care about, can foster this kind of feeling, you come to understand the power of the event ... Went to dinner Friday night. Waiter complained about the Blue Jays. Guy at next table complained about the Jays. Old friend walked in and complained about Wilson’s contract extension before getting to the Jays. I’ve been out of the country for two weeks but haven’t seen this kind of anti-Jays sentiment since J.P. Ricciardi and his ego ran the club ... And in this winter of almosts, looks like the Jays almost wound up with pitcher Matt Garza ... Why I love and hate fantasy football, sometimes at the very same time. And here’s why: Last Sunday, Mark Sanchez played terribly in the Jets loss to the New York Giants. Except he ran for a touchdown, and threw a TD pass in between making awful decisions. Which made him a huge QB in fantasyland, the opposite in reality.
AND ANOTHER THING
The fine South Florida basketball writer, Ira Winderman, described the Raptors as “internationally irrelevant” in his NBA season preview piece. And I was right there with him until I’ve watched the first few games. I figured this team for something around 12-54 for the 66-game season. And while their record may not be much better than that, there is already a pride in play under new coach Dwane Casey that wasn’t necessarily evident in lost years gone by. Friday in Dallas was the perfect Raptor game for this season: They played well and lost ... An Argo fan, trying not to make light of the fire that destroyed their training facilities, offered up this response: He hoped the previous playbook burned in the fire ... Still can’t believe the Argos have Ricky Ray. It won’t necessarily sell tickets but it should beef up interest ... I knew it was time to turn the television off when I was in the middle of something called the Pinstripe Bowl. The Rose Bowl, the Cotton, the Orange, I’ll watch. The Pinstripe means I’ve officially overdosed on football I don’t care about ... Happy New Year to Leo Cahill and hoping for many more ... And a happy birthday to Jimmy (Mouth of the South) Hart (68), Bill Bradley (71), Phillippe Dupuis (27), Paul Bissonnette (27), Jeff Carter (27), Bobby Holik (41) and Father Guidi Sarducci (69) ... And hey, whatever became of Marty Murray?
HOLLOW THOUSAND FOR JOHNSON
With a mere 14 yards rushing on Sunday, Chris Johnson will hit the 1,000-yard mark, thus making that number forever irrelevant.
Johnson has had a dismal season after holding out with the Tennessee Titans, eventually signing in September for six years and $56 million in salary.
But should he hit the 1,000-yard mark, he will actually earn an additional $300,000 in bonus money for the feat of insignificance. Already 13 rushers in the NFL this season have hit the 1,000-yard mark.
By the end of this final weekend, that number could be 16. It could have been 20 had Fred Jackson, Adrian Peterson, Matt Forte and DeMarco Murray not been hurt.
So the next time you hear that someone has rushed for 1,000 yards, put it in context. It’s not a very important milestone anymore.
Not when a guy having a dreadful season is doing it.
CLIPPERS HAVE THE NEW JORDAN
Something I never had to do before this season: Stay up late to watch the Los Angeles Clippers games.
But I find myself compelled to watch the Clippers in the early season, not necessarily because they have talent, not necessarily because of Chris Paul or Blake Griffin.
But more because of powerhouse centre, DeAndre Jordan, who is bound to do something every game you’ve never seen before. Jordan may not be a big scorer or a well-known player (he was a second-round draft pick in 2008) but athletically, for a 7-footer, he makes huge blocks and dynamic dunks and seems to fit the stars around him perfectly.
Check him out. You may like what you see.
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN IN 2011
Joe Frazier, Harmon Killebrew, Al Davis, Cookie Gilchrist (left with the Argos), Dick Williams, Royal Copeland, Wade Belak, John Mackey, Duke Snider, Earl McRae, Prince Hal Patterson, Johnny Wilson, Randy (Macho Man) Savage, Seve Ballesteros, Brad McCrimmon, Dan Wheldon, Richard Harris, Roy Hartsfield, E.J. McGuire, Harley Hotchkiss, Rick Martin, Doug Sellars, Paul Splittorff, Mel Queen, Derek Boogaard, Bubba Smith, Igor Korolev, Rick Rypien, Henry Cooper, Donald Crump, Lee Roy Selmon, Mike Flanagan, Vasily Alekseyev, Joe Bodolai, James Worrall, Socrates, the soccer player.
Americans get first glimpse of Canada’s greatest hockey moment
BRUCE DOWBIGGIN, Globe and Mail, Jan. 01, 2012
At times such as the Winter Classic Monday, it appears as if there are two NHLs. The league on display in Philadelphia is a product of the NHL head office in New York, a hybrid mix of NBC promotion and pandering to U.S. sensibilities in the hope of gaining a more significant TV toehold in the United States. The other NHL is the rump Canadian league defined by Hockey Night in Canada, more religion than a hockey league. A given in the national fabric.
The two solitudes represent very separate notions of the game and run parallel during the regular season before colliding in the Stanley Cup final. For Americans, hockey equals a game; for Canadians, it’s a cult. U.S. sensibilities are not welcome in the Canadian iteration of the league; Canadian teams need not apply for HBO’s 24/7 series or the Winter Classic.
Or so it often seems. But Monday, the cultures collide on the newly christened NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus) in the form of a documentary on the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union. While the iconic series has been relived in various forms in Canada, this 40th anniversary year provides the first serious look at the series for a U.S. audience.
Produced by Ross Greenburg, the man behind the heralded 24/7 series, Cold War On Ice: Summit Series 1972 delves once more into the sociopolitical nature of the series won (spoiler alert) by Canada in eight games. Americans are intimately connected with the 1980 “Do you believe in miracles?” U.S. triumph over the Soviet Union in Lake Placid. But Cold War On Ice will show that long before Mike Eruzione & Co. vanquished the Soviets, a Canadian team had climbed that mountain eight years earlier.
NBC was unable to provide an advance screener of the series, but the PR bumph makes it clear that Phil Esposito will be front and centre with his own version of events. “They stole our beer,” he moans. “We had to drink vodka. Homemade vodka. You ever taste homemade vodka? Go into your garage and get turpentine and drink it. Holy cripe it is bad.” Others interviewed include Paul Henderson, Bobby Clarke, Vladislav Tretiak and Alexander Yakushev.
With the Winter Classic as a lead-in, Cold War On Ice should garner a sizable audience to a story engraved in the conscience of every Canadian (some of who actively rooted for the Soviets). Now it remains for Hockey Night to produce a documentary about the Americans’ 1980 Olympic triumph and they’ll be even.
Pressure points
Speaking of 24/7, did the episode last Wednesday show Philadelphia Flyers coach Peter Laviolette applying pressure on his star Claude Giroux to return quickly from a concussion? In the clip Giroux seems clearly conflicted about whether he’s ready to return. Laviolette reassures him that he looks great and stresses the team needs him back. It’s the NHL injury dilemma in a nutshell: a player clearly apprehensive about aggravating an injury and a coach under pressure to end a losing skid.
Hockey Night in Canada’s Hot Stove panel picked up on the clip last Saturday. Mike Milbury, the only panelist to have played and coached in the NHL, wrote it off to Laviolette’s straightforward nature, adding, “It does set up the kind of the difficulty in this day and age with all the concussions and the severity of concussions the problems players face and the sensitivity that coaches have to have to that.”
The episode might have become bigger had Giroux been reinjured, à la Sidney Crosby. But Giroux’s four points in his first game back stilled that issue for now.
By the way, there was no mention on Hockey Night of Milbury’s recent legal scare, resolved in his favour.
Sad news
In a major loss for Canadian sports broadcasting, former head of CBC Sports production Doug Sellars died New Year’s Eve as a result of a heart attack suffered while playing (what else?) recreational hockey. Within two years of joining CBC Sports, Sellars produced a Grey Cup game and went on to oversee all CBC Sports properties, including several Olympics and two Commonwealth Games.
A multiple Gemini Award winner, Sellars moved on to Fox Sports, where he worked his way up to executive vice-president at Fox Sports Media Group. John Shannon, who ran Hockey Night during Sellars’ tenure, tweeted Saturday, “Sellars was the consummate pro. Since moving to Fox, Doug was a great advocate for the NHL. Doug didn’t just makes stars, HE was a Star!” We second that emotion.
Road trips
So you want to work in sports broadcasting? TSN’s Chris Cuthbert (@CCtsn) sums up the life in a tweet. “After 106 Starwood nights, 160,000 air miles, and 175 nites on the road its homeward bound to end the yr. No more games in 2011.”
Fortney: Former NHLers relive their World Junior days
Valerie Fortney, Calgary Herald, January 1, 2012
CALGARY — Frank Caprice and Mike Moller haven’t seen one another in eons. You wouldn’t know that on Sunday morning, though, as they’re thick as thieves with the teasing banter and inside jokes.
“It’s amazing to me how all these years later, the conversation picks up like no time has passed,” says the 49-year-old Moller, who today lives in Red Deer and works in the insurance industry.
The pair chalks it up to the inimitable bond that forms among young hockey players who make it on to Team Canada for the World Juniors championship, the 2012 version of a 38-year-old event that is being played out this week in Calgary.
“You’re put together with a bunch of other young guys, and you very quickly have to learn to put the team first,” says Caprice, a native of Hamilton, Ont., who played goal for Team Canada in 1982. “You really become an instant family, some of whom you may never see again in your life.”
On this crisp but sunny start to 2012, Moller, Caprice, and close to 20 other World Juniors Team Canada alumni are having a ball taking a walk — and the odd skate — down memory lane.
On Saturday night, most rang in the new year with dinner before heading to the exciting Sweden-Russia preliminary game at the Saddledome.
On Sunday morning, they’re down at Olympic Plaza for the City of Calgary’s Hockey in Calgary celebration, flipping pancakes for the public, playing ball and ice hockey and looking back with fondness and reverie over their World Juniors experiences of yesteryear.
“There was no media, no TSN and not many fans in the stands,” says Caprice, now 49, with a laugh of his moment of World Juniors glory.
“They didn’t even have someone to sing the national anthem for us at the medal ceremonies,” adds Moller, a Calgary native who later played with the Buffalo Sabres and Edmonton Oilers, the latter gig bringing him two Stanley Cup rings.
Still, it’s an experience both say was one of the highlights of their respective hockey careers.
“We were the first Team Canada pulled together as an all-star team,” says Moller. “Before, it was a club team and the naysayers said you can’t just put a team together and expect them to win — but we proved them wrong.”
The other career highlight?
“Definitely today,” says Caprice. “We are having a blast, being with our former teammates. We’re going to enjoy reminiscing together and taking in some great hockey games.”
Among their fellow Team Canada alumni milling about Olympic Plaza, that’s pretty much the collective sentiment.
“For me, hockey wasn’t a great experience,” Sheldon Kennedy, a former Calgary Flame who in 1988 helped lead Team Canada to gold in Russia, tells me.
Kennedy is best known internationally for coming forward several years ago as a victim of abuse by former coach Graham James and his outspoken advocacy of the rights of abuse victims.
“My World Juniors experience was a highlight, though, and reconnecting with all these great guys is going to be another one.”
It’s great to see Kennedy in a lighter mode on this day, as he pretends he’s going to tell me a 1988 story about teammate Dan Currie, which elicits gales of laughter from fellow alumni and a “don’t you dare” look from Currie.
In characteristic Kennedy style, he also offers up some meaningful words about this day and the international event that is on our city’s doorstep all week.
“Having a celebration like this helps to get the message across that hockey, and any other sport, has to be fun. At the end of the day, it’s just a game.”
That’s the kind of message Chris Armstrong says he’d like to send out to all the young players who will be on the ice this week.
“You’re going to have an incredible experience and forge bonds that will last forever,” says the 36-year-old Armstrong, a 1994 Team Canada alumni who went on to play for six different NHL teams.
His former teammate Brent Tully, who played a few seasons in the AHL as well as in Europe, adds, “just get out there and play your best hockey, but most important, enjoy yourself.”
The young Team Finland players, watching the middle-aged former hockey greats skate around the ice and play ball hockey on the steps of Calgary’s City Hall building, might not be able to understand exactly what is being said by these loud and boisterous old-timers. But the message is loud and clear on this glorious first day of 2012, as their hockey elders unabashedly return to a most cherished part of their collective history.
When I say to Kennedy that the Team Canada alumni gathered here are acting like a bunch of kids, he answers unapologetically: “What do you mean, acting like a bunch of kids? We are a bunch of kids!”
Czechs, Slovaks surprise quarter-finalists at World Juniors
ERIC DUHATSCHEK, Globe and Mail, Jan. 01, 2012
Soon after the Soviet Union came apart as a political entity in the early 1990s, there was concern that crumbling infrastructure, failing attendance and the overall volatility of the new emerging society would deal a death blow to Russia’s hockey programs. Didn’t happen. As recently as two years ago, a trio of Russian players were all finalists for the NHL’s most valuable player award. The projected top pick in the entry draft this year is Nail Yakupov, and Russia had a goalie, Andrei Vasilevski, that stopped the first 100 shots he faced in the world junior tournament until faltering late Saturday night in a stirring game against Sweden.
Sweden, you’ll remember, was also going through a fallow period of its own, post-Sedins, and for years went without a medal at the world junior and senior championships.
Inexplicably, the real casualties of the new hockey order were the Czech Republic and Slovakia, who split up in 1993. After a nice little run following the breakup – Olympic gold for the Czechs in 1998, an unexpected world championship for Slovakia in 2002 – the countries have fallen on harder times of late, with seemingly no Jaromir Jagrs or Zdeno Charas in the pipeline.
But in this most unpredictable of world junior championships, both were showing signs of life again. Neither was favoured to qualify for playoff action and yet here they are, the Slovaks having edged the Swiss for the No. 3 seed in Pool A and the Czechs knocking the Americans into the relegation round by getting the No. 3 seed in Pool B.
Both will be underdogs again Monday, as the playoff round begins, with the Czechs facing historic rival Russia in one game, while Slovakia has drawn the Finns in the other. Russia is playing Monday because of an epic collapse Saturday in its final game of the preliminary round, in which they blew a 3-0, two-period lead and ultimately lost to Sweden 4-3 in overtime. If the Russians win over the Czechs, they will meet Canada in the semi-final round Tuesday in a rematch of the 2011 tournament final.
But Czech goaltender Petr Mrazek, who plays his junior hockey for the Ottawa 67s in the Ontario Hockey League, is not about to concede anything, not after the way his team has performed in this tournament.
“They have a strong team, but if we play disciplined and don’t take many penalties or stupid penalties, if we play like a team – and hard – then we can win,” said Mrazek, who will likely need to the difference maker for his club. “I think the Russians and Czechs, both teams could go to the semi-finals.”
Jiri Fischer, a former NHLer and one of the Czech Republic’s assistant coaches, concedes that while the Czechs continue to prosper at the senior men’s levels internationally, “In the younger groups, we have a lot of work to do.
“There is a difference in the mindset of parents, and how they raised their kids,” Fischer continued. “[Costs] can certainly be one of the excuses, but I’m not a fan of excuses. It always comes down to motivation and holding kids accountable and showing them how to work, first with the parents and then the coaches.”
Slovakia’s continuing presence in the tournament is even more unlikely than the Czechs’, requiring as it did a massive third-period comeback against the Swiss last Saturday. That was then followed immediately by Sweden’s inspired comeback against Russia, proving once again that, in junior hockey, at this level, where the passions run so high, momentum changes can come with dizzying and unexpected frequency.
Latvia and Denmark were out of their league at the tournament this time around, but after that, it was a wild ride throughout the preliminary round.
Who knows? The way things have gone, there may be more upsets along the way.
“We knew we had strong team,” said Slovakian right winger Tomas Jurco, who played with Canadian Justin Huberdeau on the Memorial Cup champion Saint John Sea Dogs last season. “We haven’t gone to the quarter-finals the last couple of years and we don’t know if the next generation is going to make it, so we tried really hard and we were very happy we did it.”
The winner of the Slovakian-Finnish game meets Sweden in the other semi-final, also Tuesday.
Slovakia’s task against Finland seems more manageable than the long odds the Czechs face against Russia, as the two former Cold War rivals will be playing a game that Fischer says will resonate for reasons other than history.
“I’m 31. When we were 17, playing in the U-17 tournament, we talked about it in the locker room and we didn’t know what it meant back then – and this is 14 years ago. What was happening after ’68 [when the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia], there was definitely a big rivalry, but it really was part of the Communist era. I was nine years old when the Communist regime was over.
“The guys right now? The rivalry is because the Russians have been very good and because we haven’t had enough success against them in the last few years. That’s where the rivalry stands. I don’t think there are any political issues any more.”
WHL Christmas Schedule Questions?
Gregg Drinnan, TAKING NOTE, Jan 2 2012
Prince George head coach Dean Clark met up with Gerard Hayes, one of the WHL’s officiating supervisors, moments after the Cougars had dropped a 5-0 decision to the host Kamloops Blazers on Sunday night.
“That’s embarrassing . . . that’s embarrassing,” Clark told Hayes.
Clark was referring to the officiating. He may as well have been referring to the entertainment value of the game.
The time has come for the WHL to take a serious look at its schedule in the latter half of December and into January.
This season, the WHL played games through Dec. 18 and then broke for Christmas, returning with games on Dec. 27.
The WHL boasts of having 34 of its players competing at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge. And in another news release it tells us that there are 18 more of its players in the World Junior Championship.
That means the WHL’s 22 teams are missing 52 of their better players. And that doesn’t include any players who are out with injuries.
With 22 teams, the WHL’s talent pool is thin enough — some would say it’s thinner than the gruel Tiny Tim would get for breakfast — that none of its teams has the depth to withstand losing players to these Christmas assignments without it having a real impact.
On Sunday in Kamloops, for example, the two teams were missing seven players who are competing in the WJC and/or WHC. Four others were out with injuries.
While the Blazers are second in the 10-team Western Conference, the Cougars are scrambling to get into the playoffs. Down five players, they just didn’t have the depth to compete with the Blazers.
The result was a game that was anything but entertaining. As entertainment, it was . . . well, it wasn’t. (Oh, we should tell you that the same two teams get to do it again Friday and Saturday in Prince George. Hopefully, help will have arrived by then.)
Despite missing all those players, of course, the WHL and its teams aren’t about to give the fans a break by cutting ticket prices.
So why not change the schedule?
Why not play games through Dec. 22 or Dec. 23 and then break until early in the new year?
Why not allow players to go home and spend some real quality Christmas time with their families, instead of having to travel on Boxing Day (Dec. 26) in order to play games on Dec. 27?
Why not extend the break right into the new year? The WHC and WJC wrap up on Jan. 4 and Jan. 5, so why not give the teams and their fans a break and return on Jan. 6 or 7?
This season, the WHL schedule was dark for eight days. Why not play through Dec. 23, bring players back Jan. 2 for a couple days of practice and then resume the schedule? Why not take two weeks off instead of eight days?
Fortney: Aspiring pros get to test skills at Fan Zone
Valerie Fortney, Calgary Herald January 2, 2012
CALGARY — He has big dreams of one day playing defence for an NHL team.
For now, though, Mahmoud Abougouche must contend with playing “everything” on his Crowfoot Eagles Novice hockey league.
“It’s OK, I can wait,” says the eight-year-old of his dues-paying years as a minor league player.
One thing the aspiring pro didn’t have to wait for was a chance to see some of the future stars of the NHL play great hockey at the Saddledome on Monday morning.
“I tried to buy tickets through the lottery system,” says his dad, Jim Abougouche, who’s just watched the Switzerland-Sweden relegation game with his son and his teammates.
“It’s so great that tickets were made available to us. I really wanted Mahmoud to have the full experience of World Juniors hockey, especially since it’s in our town.”
Judging by the number of hockey jersey-wearing tykes in and around the Saddledome, it’s clear that our city’s younger set is getting a good dose of World Juniors hockey fever.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many hockey fans gobbling down ice cream, cotton candy and snow cones before the noon hour.
I’ve also never seen so many hockey fans crying publicly, save for our loss to Tampa Bay in the 2004 Stanley Cup final.
The odd spectator may be having a meltdown in the concourse, but their parents are smiling over the fact that while the relegation games may be unwanted tickets for some, they’re treasure for the families of little ones.
“My brother bought ours online,” says Dallas Paterson, whose stuffed toy-toting three-year-old, Jillian, is attending the first hockey game of her life. “We are just having a fun, family day, and it’s pretty great hockey.”
Sitting in the middle of a lower-bowl row flanked by serious-looking, black suited hockey scouts, Randy Taylor’s thrilled at the chance to attend a game “of such high-calibre hockey” with his son Spence, five.
“Friends of mine bought packages, and gave us their tickets for this game,” says Taylor. “I can’t tell you how cool it is for Spence to come to the Saddledome and have the full, sensory hockey experience. I think people forget what a big deal it is for a kid to come to this place.”
I’m impressed with the efforts of Hockey Canada and other organizations to make a portion of the more than 500,000 World Juniors tickets available to our province’s hockey-mad kids (if you have tickets you can’t use, you can donate them via the website hockeycanada.ca/2012juniors).
It’s also good to know that there’s something even for those who completely miss out on the ticket rush.
It’s called the World Junior Fan Zone, in the Big Four Building on the Stampede grounds.
In this space that is filled with post-game hockey fans, kids and the young at heart can play a variety of interactive and simulated hockey games.
A beer garden is available for harried moms and dads, while a giant projection screen lets visitors watch the game a stone’s throw from the Saddledome.
“It’s kind of an indoor tailgate party,” Orest Iwanylo, the Stampede’s facilities marketing manager, says as he gives me a tour of the family-friendly venue that will be open throughout the tournament (check hockeycanada.ca for times).
“Admission is free, so the most it’ll cost is the price of an LRT ride to get down to the Stampede grounds.”
In addition to the games, there is a Hockey Hall of Fame exhibit and a selection of famed hockey trophies on display.
“On Wednesday the Stanley Cup will be here,” says Iwanylo. “We heard the Fan Zone was very popular in Edmonton, so we expect to be pretty busy here over the next three days.”
So far, the offerings at the Stampede grounds are getting a thumbs-up from those in attendance.
“I think it’s great that kids are getting to be a part of the World Juniors, as they should be,” says Jim Abougouche as he watches his son shoot pucks in a game that records his speed.
“Mahmoud and his buddies had a blast at the game.”
Isn’t that how it should be when those great hockey players at the World Juniors are just kids themselves?
How TSN Killed The WJCs
Joe Pelletier's Greatest Hockey Legends.com, December 31, 2011
I used to love the World Junior championships. But in recent years my interest has waned significantly
Why? That is a question I have been asking myself a lot this week, and I am no closer to a definitive answer.
Maybe it's that we always win. Or at least we are always in the gold medal game. Is there enough competition to make this tournament truly worthy of all the hype Canadians heap upon it?
The one country that will always compete - and I predict will soon dominate the world juniors - is the United States. The era of the United States dominating hockey is soon upon us. Maybe there's some part of me that does not want to get all caught up in this Canadian celebration because I know all good things come to an end.
Maybe it's that we always host it now. I always enjoyed those ancient locations in the Czech Republic or Switzerland or Russia. Hosting it in Canada or in United States border towns ensures huge dollars, and I get that, but I long for the days of early morning games in Prague or Moscow or Stockholm.
In all honesty, I really think it's the over-the-top nationalism that TSN forces upon us. I love Canada and Canadian hockey more than anybody, but it's just a little too uncomfortable for me. It's a little better now that the excessive Pierre McGuire has departed, but Gord Miller is not a whole lot better.
For me, the descent all started after the 2005 championship. With the NHL lockout in full swing, Canada dominated with a full roster that included Sidney Crosby. You would think in a year with no NHL hockey I would have been ecstatic (you know, like the rest of the country) for such high quality hockey, but somehow I was turned off. I really think it was how overly excited Pierre McGuire was with the whole "Double Dion" thing. I was so turned off that I have never really made the World Juniors a priority in my life ever since. Prior to 2005 that was an unthinkable.
Okay so I can't really blame Pierre McGuire. But for some reason my World Juniors interest has waned and I don't know why. Make no mistake. I will be watching Saturday's much anticipated New Year's Eve showdown with the United States. But will I follow the Canadian kids beyond that? There's no guarantee of that. I missed Jordan Eberle's amazing heroics in 2009. I missed Jonathan Toews' shootout hat trick in 2007. I bought the commemorative DVD featuring those games and other classics, but I haven't watched that either.
Will I see the 2012 gold medal game? Maybe. Or maybe I'll go for a snowshoe instead.
Hockey's Believe It Or Not
Joe Pelletier, Jan 02, 2012
On January 15th, 1983, a very strange occurrence happened in NHL history.
A blizzard prevented referee Ron Fournier and linesman Dan Marouelli from arriving in time for a game between the New York Islanders and Hartford Whalers.
To deal with the situation linesman Ron Foyt was named as the game's referee, while scratched players Garry Howatt of the Islanders and Mickey Volcan of the Whalers served as linesmen!
Fournier and Marouelli arrived in time to start the second period of play.
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This is a pretty good web site and I suggest you check it out! Lots of interesting hockey stories... enjoy!
http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/
Campbell: Five issues for 2012
Ken Campbell, The Hockey News, 2012-01-02
With all the 2011 retrospectives now mercifully out of the way, it’s time to move on to previewing the hockey world for 2012. There is no shortage of hot-button issues that will need to be resolved over the next 12 months. Here are five of them:
1.The collective bargaining agreement.
As much as most fans loathe it, much of 2012 will be dominated by a battle between millionaires and billionaires over the roughly $3 billion in revenue the NHL now creates. Surely both sides couldn’t be reckless enough to allow that all to fall by the wayside for the second time in less than a decade, could they?
The league has maintained the current system only needs to be “tweaked,” but you can be sure its definition of a tweak will be much more dramatic than what the players have in mind, or at least it should be. What the system actually requires, if the CBA is to meet its stated objectives from the owners’ standpoint, is a complete overhaul and that’s not likely to happen if the league wants to keep playing.
The reality of the situation is the current CBA has not improved the lot of the small-market franchises one iota and has done absolutely nothing to encourage parity on the ice. The salary cap, more specifically the floor and not the ceiling, has created far more problems than it has solved. And the owners and GMs will once again have to be saved from themselves by tightening up the system to a) limit the lengths of contracts; b) prevent teams from front-loading deals; or c) both.
PREDICTION: The dark horse prediction is neither side will file to terminate the CBA 120 days prior to Sept. 15, which would allow it to roll over for another year. The more likely one is the two sides will somehow come to an agreement at the last hour, which will include a significant rollback with players getting less than 50 percent of revenue, but continued Olympic participation. However, even though the owners will talk tough, this agreement will still not fully satisfy their needs and the bellyaching will continue.
2.Concussions.
The biggest on-ice story of 2011 will continue to dominate the landscape in 2012. With greater awareness and more sensitivity to concussions, the numbers will continue to climb, but there is still a long way to go, as evidenced by Colby Armstrong of the Toronto Maple Leafs attempting to hide his concussion-like symptoms and the HBO 24/7 segment when Philadelphia Flyers coach Peter Laviolette appeared to be pressuring Claude Giroux to return from his concussion.
PREDICTION: Unless and until the NHL institutes a stiff penalty for all head shots regardless of intent, the injury lists will continue to be filled with players who have concussions, upper body injuries, head injuries or concussion-like symptoms. And the league has no appetite to do that.
3. Whither the Coyotes?
?The NHL has already publicly stated it will no longer prop up a money-losing proposition and the City of Glendale has made it clear it will no longer stroke checks to cut the Coyotes losses. The only option that would favor the Coyotes would be to find an owner willing to absorb the massive losses it requires for the team to stay in Phoenix. Not happening.
PREDICTION: Like the Atlanta Thrashers last year, the Coyotes are gone. Where they’re headed, nobody knows. Another darkhorse prediction: Toronto finally gets the second NHL team it deserves and it will be placed in the suburb of Markham, where a 20,000-seat rink is in the planning stages. The team will play out of Hamilton for the two years it takes to build the rink.
4. Play great, win, repeat.
?For the first time since the lockout, we’ve reached the halfway point of the schedule with the defending Stanley Cup champion playing like a Stanley Cup champion. After a terrible start, the Boston Bruins have been the best team in the NHL and look poised to take a run at becoming the first team to repeat since the 1997 and ’98 Detroit Red Wings.
PREDICTION: The Bruins will win the Eastern Conference, but will lose in the Stanley Cup final to either the Chicago Blackhawks or Vancouver Canucks.
5. Who has Hart?
?There have been few seasons when the race for the Hart Trophy has been this wide open this late in the season. And the race for the other individual awards should be just as interesting.
PREDICTION(S): Don’t discount a second-half run by Alex Ovechkin, who looks like he’s starting to heat up, but it likely won’t be enough to usurp Henrik and Daniel Sedin, who will become the first brother combination in league history to finish 1-2 in NHL scoring. Lord knows how voters will decide which one wins the Hart. The one thing preventing one of them from winning would be that voters split the vote, letting someone else sneak through.
The Lady Byng Trophy will be won by a defenseman for the first time since Red Kelly in 1953-54 when Jared Spurgeon of the Minnesota Wild takes the trophy for most gentlemanly player.
The Rocket Richard will go to Steven Stamkos, who will be the only 50-goal scorer in the NHL this season.
The Vezina will go to Tim Thomas of the Bruins, who will continue to defy time and the limitations of advanced age.
Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators will continue to put up his impressive offensive numbers to win his first Norris Trophy.
RUPP SCORES TWO, RANGERS RALLY PAST FLYERS IN WINTER CLASSIC
AP, Jan 2 2012
PHILADELPHIA -- Alone in the cold, it was up to Henrik Lundqvist to preserve a Winter Classic comeback.
His signature moment came with 19.6 seconds left after New York defenceman Ryan McDonagh was whistled for covering the puck in the crease. Flyers centre Danny Briere streaked down the ice -- a replica of the Liberty Bell and bundled-up fans behind his back -- trying to send this one into overtime.
Lundqvist dropped to his knees on top of a chilly baseball field and stoned Briere with his pads when the centre tried to sneak it through his legs.
This made-for-TV showcase had found its brightest star.
Lundqvist stopped 34 shots, Brad Richards scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and the New York Rangers rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in the Winter Classic on Monday at Citizens Bank Park.
"I was just trying to be patient and do my thing," Lundqvist said. "He's a sneaky guy, and there was a lot of pressure on me."
More pressure than any other regular-season games in January. While this game meant two points in the standings, like the four other NHL games set for Monday night, it received the kind of hype normally reserved for the Stanley Cup final. NBC televised the game and HBO had 12 camera crews filming the on-ice and behind-the-scenes action for its "24/7" series.
Rangers coach John Tortorella wondered if the officials wanted their own time in the spotlight to build the drama.
"They called a penalty shot which I still don't understand," he said. "I'm not sure if NBC got together with the refs to turn this into an overtime game. I thought the game was reffed horrible.
"I just thought tonight, in that third period, it was disgusting."
Mike Rupp scored twice as New York won for the third time this season against Philadelphia.
Playing on a rink that stretched from first base to third base, the Rangers made the league's fifth Classic event a memorable one to stay atop the Eastern Conference standings.
The NHL surrounded the rink with Christmas trees, firewood, fake snow, and even trash-can fires. But there was nothing artificial in the elements with snow flurries late in the second period and near-freezing temperatures, forcing 46,967 fans to layer in jerseys for the big event.
All that was missing was one of the breakout stars of HBO's NHL show.
Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, who signed a nine-year, US$51-million contract in June, saw a recent slump send him to the bench. Sergei Bobrovsky, instead, took the call from coach Peter Laviolette and failed to hold the early lead built in front of a decidedly orange-and-black crowd.
The Flyers ended the game without Jaromir Jagr, their star forward who played only a minute in the second period before leaving the game for good. The 39-year-old Jagr, a former Ranger, said after the game he injured his left leg and expected to return soon.
Even with Jagr out, his presence was noted.
Rupp's first goal late in the second came with a salute toward the Flyers' bench -- the same move Jagr makes for the home crowd after one of his goals. Rupp smiled as his teammates mobbed him along the boards and the crowd booed his attempt at showing up Jagr.
"I was happy I had the goal," Rupp said, "and that's kind of where I'll leave it."
Jagr never really had a chance to respond and the Flyers hope whatever is ailing their third-leading scorer won't keep him out long.
Rupp, who scored the winning goal for New Jersey in Game 7 of the 2003 Stanley Cup finals against Anaheim, delivered another clutch goal on the big stage when his wrister from the circle shot under Bobrovsky's right arm and tied the game at 2-2.
Richards, the summer's top free agent who is in his first season with New York, wasted no time scoring the winner, knocking in a rebound 3:20 later to put the Rangers up 3-2. It was his 14th of the season.
Lundqvist outplayed Bobrovsky, stopping 12 shots in the first. He finished with 34 saves, none bigger than the one on Briere, who believed he could send the game into the extra session.
"All I was thinking is this game is going to overtime," he said. "Unfortunately, he made the save. I tried to surprise him with a quick shot, but he made the save.
"He's one of the best in shootouts."
Lundqvist, like Tortorella, questioned if the need to manufacture drama played a role in calling the late penalty shot.
"Maybe that's really the only reason he called it," he said. "It would have been tough for them to tie it on that."
With some fans paying more than a $1,000 a seat on the secondary market, the stadium was full to the end. Though, most of them went home unhappy.
Rookie Brayden Schenn and Claude Giroux scored to give the Flyers the early lead, as it appeared that the home team would finally win its first game against New York this year.
Schenn, a prized rookie sent over from Los Angeles in the Mike Richards deal over the summer, scored his first career goal midway through the second period, setting off the Liberty Bell in right field normally reserved for Phillies home runs.
Giroux showed a national audience how he's blossomed into an MVP candidate with a backhander 1:55 later for his 18th goal and a 2-0 lead. But the Flyers couldn't beat Lundqvist again.
That didn't stop the diehards, though, from being entertained by hometown band, The Roots, and national anthem singer Patti LaBelle.
The trash-can fires gave the game a "Rocky" feel and the pitchers' mound and home plate area were left exposed. It was 5 degrees when the opening faceoff dropped just after 3 p.m., and temperatures dipped the next three hours. The start time was pushed back two hours to protect the rink from the sun.
"It was something special," Jagr said. "I wish everyone in the NHL can get a chance to play in that game."
New York received a dose of good news long before the final horn. Defenceman Marc Staal made his return to the lineup after a season-long absence from a concussion.
Staal, who turns 25 in January, has been out all season with the effects of a concussion sustained in February when he was hit by his brother, Eric, a forward for the Carolina Hurricanes. He has been skating this month and was cleared for light contact.
Notes: The NHL used 20,000 gallons of water for the rink. ... The Flyers played in their second Winter Classic in two years and have lost both. ... The road team is 4-0-1 in the Winter Classic. ... Commissioner Gary Bettman held a post-game press conference and reiterated that he had no idea where the Classic will be held next year.
Yzerman in uncharted losing territory
STEVE SIMMONS, QMI Agency, Jan 2 2012
TORONTO - The honeymoon is over for Steve Yzerman in Tampa Bay. Now comes the hard part.
Reality finds his Lightning in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, currently out of the playoffs, no longer everyone’s favourite hockey success story.
“We’re not shocked by where we are,” Yzerman said in a telephone call from Calgary. “I’m not caught off guard by this. We’re not surprised at all. We knew this wasn’t going to be easy. I think going in to the year, we knew this would be a challenge for everybody, our coaching staff, our players, the whole organization.”
And all that said, this is brand new territory for Yzerman, the hockey executive. Losing isn’t something he knows or will accept. His first year in Tampa turned out to be something close to pure magic. Almost everything he did and the team did worked out. The year before that, he was the general manager of Team Canada at the Vancouver Olympics. All they did was win gold. And before that, he was a Ken Holland-Jimmy Devellano management trainee with the hugely successful Detroit franchise.
The truth on Yzerman: He’s lived a blessed existence in hockey, most of that due to his own accomplishments. The last time any team he was associated with missed the playoffs was 1990, that was 22 seasons ago. He made the playoffs in his final 15 years with the Red Wings, in 20 of his 22 playing seasons in Detroit, and won Stanley Cups as both team captain and a member of management. These are not, if you’re paying attention, Toronto-like numbers.
And now he’s trying to build a winning model in Tampa Bay, with a payroll not far from the Stanley Cup champion, Boston Bruins, and in spite of having young stars Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman, he has the second oldest cumulative roster in hockey.
Part of the age bump comes from his current backup goaltender, Dwayne Roloson, who, frankly, looks washed up at the age of 42. Roloson, a career Maple Leafs’ killer, was a significant part of the Tampa run to the playoffs last season and a huge part of the Lightning’s playoff success in getting to the Eastern Conference finals. But suddenly, Roly the Goalie, doesn’t look so spry, his won-loss record has been poor and his goals against average and save percentage are among the worst in hockey.
When asked about his goaltending, Yzerman paused, then said: “Mathieu Garon has been good. Our team’s won three games in a row. I think we’re headed in the right direction.”
The somewhat hot 12th-place Lightning play the rather cool Maple Leafs on Tuesday night in yet another mid-season game of significance. The Lightning trail the Leafs by four points, with a game in hand. As the Leafs have proven in recent years, the last place you want to find yourself in the second half of the standings is with points to make up and too many teams to climb over.
“We’ve been good lately,” said Yzerman, “probably going back to just before Christmas. We’ve won three games in a row. We need to keep it going.
“The way I look at the Eastern Conference, there’s Boston, the deepest team in the Conference, and the Rangers are having a great year, and that team plays with real structure and Philadelphia, despite the big injuries, is hanging in there. And after that, everybody is virtually the same. That’s going to make for a really tight second half.
“We just beat Montreal, playing without (Andrei) Markov, Carolina, playing without (Jeff) Skinner, and Philadelphia without (Chris) Pronger. That’s the league right now. Every time we play someone they’re missing somebody important. We’re playing without (Victor) Hedman (concussion) and we don’t know when he’ll be back. Last year, we got fortunate playing Pittsburgh in the playoffs without Sidney Crosby and (Evgeny) Malkin. That was a big break for us.”
The break lately has been the dominance of Stamkos, the Unionville kid in his fourth NHL season.
“He’s taken his entire game to a new level,” said Yzerman. “You see how much he wants it, how hard he’s worked on the ice and off. He’s asserting himself on the game. When he does that, he’s a very dangerous player.”
Just like a young Steve Yzerman. With a different bag of tricks.
A passion for the pure sport of junior hockey
James Bradshaw and Dawn Walton, Globe and Mail, Jan. 02, 2012
The appetite for World Junior hockey action has grown even more insatiable with the elimination rounds under way and Canada’s first do-or-die test looming Tuesday night.
Overall ticket sales in host cities Edmonton and Calgary could approach 600,000 by the time the tournament wraps on Jan. 5. Fans have been so fervent that 10,000 of them turned up at 11 a.m. on Monday to watch Switzerland edge Denmark in a relegation game. Some have even helped clean up Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome after arena staff and volunteers struggled with the short turnaround between games.
“Tell me, what is that?” said tournament co-chair Jim Peplinski. “It’s about all of the good things that come from [seeing] a sport performed properly. That translates into picking friggin’ garbage up.”
To Mr. Peplinski, the infectious enthusiasm suggests Canadians have embraced the tournament not only as an exercise in national pride, but as a purer expression of high-level hockey played by athletes with a measure of innocence still intact.
Canada’s coming showdown against the winner of Russia and the Czech Republic, who faced off in Monday’s late quarterfinal, already has anticipation nearing its boiling point in Calgary. The Canadian players would relish a shot at avenging last year’s gold-medal-game collapse against the Russians, who have impressed again this year. And while the Canadian squad thumped the Czechs 5-0 in the preliminary round, the Czechs proved they can raise their game in beating the U.S. two days later.
TSN built the fan phenomenon in Canada, which has developed a unique fixation on the junior tournament. The sports network has combined smart marketing with passionate broadcasters – most notably Gord Miller and Pierre McGuire – to help create a contagion for this junior brand of hockey that now lives up to the network’s hype.
“What they’ve brought to Canada and the world is the pureness of this sport – it’s about getting up when you fall down, hard work, character; it’s about learning how to win and learning how to lose,” Mr. Peplinski said.
That isn’t to say the interest isn’t generating major dollars for TSN, the tournament organizers and the host cities. Estimates suggest the tournament will pump at least $80-million into the provincial economy.
Even the 50-50 draw, a staple at hockey arenas across the country, is proving increasingly popular, especially with the proceeds going to furnish underprivileged children with gear and the chance to play minor hockey. At Canada’s New Year’s Eve victory over the U.S., the lucky winner’s half of the pot totalled $146,140, and by New Year’s Day, Hockey Canada had raked in $1.43-million in 50-50 sales, well on track to set a tournament record.
Jeremy Vander Maaten won one of the tournament’s earlier 50-50 draws, but he could be counted among the most feverish fans even before he pocketed the $21,000 prize. The 35-year-old warehouseman from Okotoks, Alta., took a week off work and forked out more than $3,000 for tickets to every game in Calgary – including the gold-medal match. A Team Canada fan with an uncommon soft spot for Russia, he outfitted his family in jerseys and accessories and has taken his daughters – aged five, seven and 10 – to various games.
His grandfather, Herbert Cross, who turns 87 next week, was his seatmate to watch Finland best Slovakia, and Mr. Vander Maaten is so taken with the experience he would travel abroad to do it again.
“I’m an avid, rabid fan,” he said. “It’s a showcase of the up-and-coming talent.”
That’s the lure for Calgary teacher Lisa Walpole, who has tickets with friends for every game in the city and prefers the tournament to NHL hockey. “It’s a whole different game,” she said. “It’s fun to watch kids who aren’t being paid to play.”
Mr. Peplinski unabashedly wants to see Canada win gold, but regardless he is convinced Canadians have discovered something enduring in the World Junior experience that will keep them coming back.
“[Fans] see themselves on the outdoor rink,” he said. “And when you give them that conduit to have those emotions percolate, and remember, ‘Yeah, I was there with my grandfather,’ that just ties it all together.”
Johnson: Persistent Slovaks finally bounced from tourney: Ill-timed penalty seals fate
George Johnson, Calgary Herald, January 2, 2012
EDMONTON - Harder to kill than an unsubstantiated rumour. Or a vampire at night. Or a particularly crafty New York City tenement cockroach.
All tournament long, they kept bouncing back like one of those blow-up vinyl floor kiddies’ punching bags. Knock ’em down and ... Boiiiiiing!
Right back at ya.
In the autopsy analysis, though, Slovak stick wilted under Finnish slick.
A deluge of penalties put them down yet one more time. And, at last, kept them there.
“Obviously we felt like we played really good this tournament,” said Slovak sparkplug Tomas Jurko, an 8-5 quarter-final defeat ending the improbable run. “Like I said in lots of interviews, we felt like we had a great team and we felt we could do more in this tournament. One game didn’t go well for us.
“It hard to take.
“But we lost. That’s the way it is.”
The moment that officially sealed the Slovaks’ fate occurred 11:19 into the third period. They had whittled Finland’s lead to 6-4 on an early goal from Martin Daloga, when standout forward Matus Chovan was tagged for one of those was-he-turning-before-contact five-minute major boarding penalties, Miro Aaltonen the unfortunate victim mashed into the boards.
Once more Ernest Bokros’s boys tried valiantly to rally, but power-play lightning strikes by Joonas Donski and Teemu Pulkkinen during the five-minute sentence sealed their fate.
“It MIGHT be two minutes,” sighed Jurko. “I’m not saying it wasn’t a penalty. But five minutes at that time of the game ... it’s kind of hard for us. I don’t want to comment on the referee, it’s his job.
“For us, though, it was really huge. It slowed us down. We were coming back. You never know? We might score four goals in four minutes like we did (Saturday) night.
“I felt if we’re (playing) even, we’re the better team.”
While not skirting the issue, Chovan was pleading innocence.
“I didn’t mean to do it,” he said, using teammate Adam Janosic as his translator. “When I went to do it, the guy just turned around. It was a big call. I take full responsibility for it.
“But it shouldn’t be five minutes, for sure.”
“Definitely, it was the turning point,” claimed Bokros, also via interpreter. “Interesting that eight penalties were called by one referee.
“I don’t want to comment on that (boarding) call. When I see the video, I will react. Interesting that when we were down by one goal, we’d get a penalty. When there was a difference of three goals, no penalties called.”
As much as that one incident cost the Slovaks dearly, a second-period meltdown was every bit as responsible for their undoing, the Finns scoring a staggering four times in a 6:12 span.
Mikael Granlund had the first two of the blitz. Markus Granlund snared the third, slipping a shot through Simboch’s wickets, the grateful beneficiary of a dazzling solo dash from his brother. Leftovers never tasted so yummy.
The carnage ended with Alexander Bartsov driving wide down the boards, holding off his opposite number 16, Matej Bene, before cutting in hard to the net. Martin Marincin’s half-hearted little tug certainly wasn’t going to be enough to put Bartsov off stride and he finished the job, long-side. A beauty.
From 2-2 to 6-2, in the time it takes to boil an egg. That’s on you, boys.
Still, the feeling of being cheated resonated around the Slovak camp in the aftermath.
“It’s hard to say,” said Janosik, a bit more diplomatically. “If the guy’s turning to the boards, it’s a split-second, and you’ve still got to finish your check.
“But it was a little stupid from our team, because seriously, we’re a group of guys who battled hard all game. We’ve got to be smarter. At 6-4, the game was close and we were still getting penalties.
“I don’t know ... it’s hard to talk about right now.”
In the days ahead, what they accomplished here, and not the tainted way they believe they were forced to exit, will be what the feel-good Slovaks take away with them, wherever they might finish.
“We’re proud. All tournament, we kept being knocked down and kept getting up,” said Jurko.
Until, as so often happens with these hard-to-kill underdogs, they finally ran out of bounce-back Boiiiiiing!
Team Canada readies for world junior rematch with Russia
ERIC DUHATSCHEK, Globe and Mail, Jan. 02, 2012
Upward of three million people will be watching Canada’s world junior semi-final against Russia, but arguably, no one will have a greater rooting interest than Jacques Bealieu, coach of the OHL’s Sarnia Sting. Beaulieu’s son, Nathan, plays for Canada, last year’s finalists, while his star pupil, Nail Yakupov, just happens to be with Russia, the defending champions.
But let there be no mistake here about who Beaulieu wants to win. It’s Canada – and he even has something riding on the outcome. Just before Yakupov left for the world junior tournament, the Russian prodigy and Beaulieu made a friendly wager just in case Canada and Russian happened to cross paths during the event.
Should Canada emerge victorious, Yakupov will be obliged to wear a red-and-white Canadian sweater for a full week of practice back in Sarnia. Should it go the other way, then it’ll be Beaulieu wearing a Russian jersey that he says Yakupov will be obliged to supply – if it comes to that.
Beaulieu says he made the proposal to Yakupov, the highly regarded prospect who is favoured to go first overall in the NHL’s next entry draft, before a practice a few weeks back.
“We were skating alongside each other and I said to him, ‘Go Canada Go.’ And then I told him to keep his head up against Canada,” said Beaulieu, with a laugh. “That’s how it started.”
Russia qualified for the semi-finals with a 2-1 overtime victory over the Czech Republic on Monday night, setting the stage for the much-anticipated rematch of last year’s tournament final, won by the Russians in dramatic come-from-behind fashion.
Yakupov is much watched by NHL scouts, but his performance here is a reminder that no matter what a player’s pedigree or upside may be, the world under-20 championship is a tournament for 19-year-olds. Evgeny Kuznetsov, the team captain and the player who managed a nine-point night against Latvia in the preliminary round, is far and away Russia’s best player.
NHL scouts are in the business of extrapolating what someone’s raw talent is two years down the road, which is why Yakupov is so fascinating. But in terms of devising a game plan to win Tuesday’s game and move on to play for the gold medal, Canada needs to find a way of neutralizing Kuznetsov, the Quebec Remparts’ Mikhail Grigorenko, and all the rest. Kuznetsov already plays in the KHL and as a Washington Capitals’ draft choice, could be in the NHL, playing alongside Alex Ovechkin as early as next year.
But Yakupov? Even as Canada seeks revenge for last year’s jarring loss, Yakupov’s NHL rights are up for grabs, which is why there is so much fascination over this, his first tentative steps on the big stage.
Beaulieu is a fan – except maybe Tuesday night – and notes that during his days on Dale Hunter’s staff in London, he’s coached players from Rick Nash to Corey Perry. Yakupov, he believes, is special in the same way Nash and Perry are special.
“He’s dynamic on the ice. His skating is incredible. His edges are really good. His hockey sense is good. The only thing that’s going to stop Nail from playing in the National Hockey League next year is if he doesn’t pay attention to details on defence,” Beaulieu said.
“But he’s very enthusiastic; he’s got a good sense of humour; and his teammates love him.”
For his part, Yakupov says he’s happy to be part of the Russian squad, playing with his “buddies” again. As for the draft, that is something he doesn’t like to talk about it. Sensibly, he makes the point that the draft is in June, the world juniors are now, so the draft can wait. And in fact, after Russia’s opener, in which he described his own play as “terrible,” he noted that if the scouts had based their assessment on that game, “I would be in the sixth round.”
The test Tuesday night, from a Canadian perspective, will be to neutralize the scoring talents of all the Russian players. Thus far in the tournament, Canada’s goaltending has been solid; the scoring balanced; and the discipline more or less intact. Jonathan Huberdeau is showing no ill effects from the ankle injury that cost him a month of the QJMHL season and even the loss of Devante Smith-Pelly early on hasn’t set them back as much as one might have thought, with others – notably Boone Jenner – stepping up to provide a physical presence. As long as the flu bug that waylaid coaches Don Hay and Scott Walker on Monday stays out of the dressing room, they are as ready as they can be for the semis.
Canada held its final practice Monday morning, without knowing who exactly would be on its dance card. The plan was for the ailing coaching staff to attend the Russia-Czech game, but leave halfway through, so they could be at the hotel to meet with the Canadian players once it was over. The players, meanwhile, were to watch the game on television, and once an opponent had been determined, they would get a quick primer on them from the coaching staff.
Beaulieu will be watching too, from Sarnia, to see if his son Nathan gets a chance to stop Yakupov in a match-up that many thought would be the tournament final. It didn’t happen, so this is the next best thing, and Canada’s players are ready.
“All of our focus is going to be put towards one game,” assessed forward Brendan Gallagher. “We’re not going to worry about anything except that. All we have to do is go out and win one hockey game and then we’ll worry about the next one after that.”
Canada’s junior team pumped for Calgary semi-final
ERIC DUHATSCHEK, Globe and Mail, Jan. 02, 2012
They have cheered for the Swiss, marvelled at the Russians and were treated to a barn burner of a game this past Saturday, when Sweden secured the top spot in Pool A with a brilliant come-from-behind overtime victory in the final match of the world junior round robin.
What Calgary fans haven’t seen yet is an appearance by Canada, the home team, which played its preliminary-round games up the road in Edmonton. All that changes Tuesday night in the tournament’s semi-finals here, when Canada faces the winner of the Russia-Czech Republic quarter-final game Monday and has a chance to advance to the gold-medal game for the 11th year in a row.
And as much as the players enjoyed their welcome in Edmonton, defenceman Brandon Gormley said they are looking forward to the venue change.
“It’s going to be great here,” predicted Gormley, the linchpin of Canada’s seven-man defence corps. “The fans haven’t seen us yet here in a real game. We’re looking forward to having them cheer us on.”
Gormley’s history makes him a particularly interesting subject for all the die-hard Calgary fans who remember how he was chosen 13th overall in the 2010 entry draft by the Phoenix Coyotes with a pick acquired from the Flames in an ill-fated deal that brought Olli Jokinen to town for the first time in March of 2009. The Jokinen trade, which cost the Flames the services of Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust and that first-round pick, was universally panned. Calgary eventually cut its losses and shipped Jokinen to the New York Rangers less than a year later for Ales Kotalik and Chris Higgins. Jokinen eventually returned to the Flames as a free agent and is playing much better the second time around.
However, for an NHL team such as the Flames, who desperately need an infusion of young, high-end talent, the thought that Gormley has the potential to play 15 quiet, effective NHL seasons for a different organization might be a bit galling.
But at this stage of the proceedings, with little margin for error, all that is put aside. Gormley is wearing the home colours and he and his defence partners will ultimately make or break Canada’s chances to win a gold medal.
Nothing about team defence is ever sexy. None of the seven defenceman has previously played in the tournament and two, Scott Harrington and Nathan Beaulieu, were injured in Canada’s 3-2 win over the United States last Saturday – Harrington on a hit from J.T. Miller, Beaulieu when he took a puck in the face. Both are expected to play Tuesday.
Canada coach Don Hay has described Gormley as the “glue” that keeps the defence together. The 19-year-old is from Murray River, PEI, and his primary hockey-playing influence is Brad Richards, who hails from nearby Murray Harbour.
Richards left home at 14 to play at the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Wilcox, Sask. A dozen years later, Gormley followed in his footsteps, attending the school at the same time as Jaden Schwartz, Canada’s captain. Jordan Eberle, a former world junior hero, is also an alumnus of Notre Dame, where the value and importance of playing for Canada internationally is ingrained at an early age.
Hay believes that this deep into the tournament, after the players have been together for more than three weeks, it should have become less a collection of individuals and more of a team. Gormley sees the value in that, too.
“I think the boys have done a really good job of that,” he said, “and that’s how it’s got to be. You’ve gotta play for each other.”
As for how close he came to joining the Flames, Gormley knows the history, and is happy enough to be a Coyotes prospect.
“I’ve been down to Phoenix for two camps, for playoffs last year and for two summer camps,” Gormley said. “Calgary would be a great place to play as well. Any Canadian city would be a lot of fun, especially for a Canadian boy. But I’m happy where I am in Phoenix. They’ve got a great team there. Hopefully, I can crack that lineup soon.”
Russia dumps Czech Republic in OT at world juniors
LAURENCE HEINEN, The Canadian Press, Jan. 02, 2012
Grigori Zheldakov scored at 1:30 of overtime to lead Russia to a nail-biting 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in quarter-final action at the world junior men's hockey championship Monday.
Zheldakov took a pass from Nikita Kucherov and blasted a slap shot past Czech goalie Petr Mrazek to earn the Russians a berth in Tuesday night's semifinal against rival Canada at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Danil Apalkov scored in regulation for Russia, while goalie Andrei Vasilevski made 38 saves to record the victory.
Jakub Culek scored in the first period for the Czech Republic, which will play Slovakia in the fifth-place game on Wednesday.
In the other quarter-final, Finland defeated Slovakia 8-5 and will face Sweden in the other semi.
In relegation-round action, Switzerland edged Denmark 4-3 in overtime.
Mrazek, who plays for the Ontario Hockey League's Ottawa 67's, stopped 43 of 45 shots he faced in the Czech net and received a standing ovation from the crowd of 16,581 fans.
After starting the tournament with three straight wins — 3-0 over Switzerland, 3-1 over Slovakia and 14-0 over Latvia — Russia gave up a three-goal lead and lost 4-3 in overtime to Sweden on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Czech Republic started off with a 7-0 win over Denmark before losing 5-0 to Canada. The Czechs then stunned the United States with a 5-2 win before suffering a 4-0 loss to Finland in its final preliminary-round game.
The Russians outshot the Czechs 16-5 in the first period but couldn't find a way to beat Mrazek.
Kuznetsov had the best chance to score on a breakaway but he missed a wide open net from close range after making a nice backhand-to-forehand move.
The Czechs battled back early in the second and carried the majority of the play. Vasilevski made a shoulder save to turn aside a shot by Culek before stopping a shot off the stick of Lukas Sedlak with his blocker.
Persistence paid off for the Czechs at 7:16 of the middle frame when Culek tapped in a great cross-crease feed from Tomas Hertl.
Daniel Krejci nearly put the Czechs up by two goals when he deked his way from the slot to the front of the net before Vasilevski stuck out his left pad to turn aside his backhand shot.
Russia then tied up the game at 1-1 when Apalkov fired a long-range snap shot past Mrazek.
Late in the second period, Apalkov and Yaroslav Kosov broke into the Czech zone on a two-on-one. From his left wing, Apalkov passed over to Kosov, who fired a quick shot on net that Mrazek stopped with his left pad.
After making the highlight-reel save, Mrazek got back up on his skates and lifted up his glove hand in celebration to the delight of the fans.
Mrazek received some help from Vojtech Mozik early in the third period when the Czech defenceman alertly cleared a loose puck in the crease out of harm's way before any Russian forwards could get to it.
At the 12 minute mark of the third, Mrazek made a great glove grab on a shot from the slot off the stick of Kosov.
Then, with two minutes left in regulation, Mrazek stopped a heavy wrist shot from the slot by Kosov. Not to be outdone, Vasilevski made a nice glove save to thwart a scoring attempt by Czech forward Tomas Filippi.
With 46.8 seconds left in the third, the Czechs were awarded a power play when Kucherov was sent to the penalty box for high sticking. After the Czechs failed to capitalize, Kucherov made them pay by setting up Zheldakov for the game-winning goal in overtime.
Finland 8 Slovakia 5
Mikael and Markus Granlund used their offensive skills to lead Finland out of the quarter-finals at the IIHF world junior hockey championship.
If they hope to beat Sweden in the semifinals, the brothers agreed the Finns have to play better in both zones.
“We need to play better defensively,” said Mikael Granlund, who had a goal and three assists in the win over Slovakia. “Five goals is too much.”
Markus Granlund, who scored twice and had an assist, echoed his older brother.
“Sweden has a very good team,” said the 18-year-old forward, a second-round pick of the Calgary Flames in the 2011 NHL draft. “I think we have (to play) defence better and play harder and skate more.”
If he and his teammates can shore up some of their problems on defence, Mikael Granlund predicted that the Finns have what it takes to beat Sweden and advance to Thursday's final.
“We'll try to play as good as we can and we have a chance,” said the first round pick of the Minnesota Wild. “It's a big rivalry. It's going to be a great game. We have a chance to go to the final, so it's fun.”
Teemu Pulkkinen had a goal and an assist for Finland, while Joel Armia, Roope Hamalainen, Alexsander Barkov and Joonas Donskoi also scored.
Barkov, aged 16 years four months, is the youngest player ever to score in tournament history, beating Canada's Sidney Crosby by 21 days.
Richard Mraz had a goal and two assists while Matus Chovan and Marko Dano each had a goal and an assist for Slovakia. Marek Tverdon and Martin Daloga also scored.
Slovakian coach Ernest Bokros said he's proud his team qualified for the medal round.
“The Slovak team reached the goals that they set before the tournament,” Bokros said through an interpreter. “Basically (playing) for fifth and sixth place is kind of like a medal for Slovakia.”
Sami Aittokallio made 24 saves for Finland, while Juraj Simboch stopped 30 shots for Slovakia.
World Junior Hockey 2012/ Cole: Scrappy Russians will make trouble for Team Canada
Grigori Zheldakov’s goal 1:30 into overtime lifts Russia over Czech Republic 2-1
Cam Cole, Vancouver Sun, January 2, 2012
CALGARY - Buckle up, Canada. These guys are good.
The Russian national junior team was pushed to overtime for the second straight game Monday night, but with a berth in tonight’s semifinal against Team Canada on the line, found a way to survive.
Grigori Zheldakov’s goal 1:30 into overtime, after Russia had killed off 74 seconds of 4-on-3 penalty time to start the extra period, solved the riddle that was the Czechs’ sensational goalie Peter Mrazek, and kept alive the defending IIHF world junior champions’ chance to repeat.
After an ill-advised Czech power-play pass into the high slot was intercepted by Nikita Kucherov as he re-entered the play from the penalty box, the Russians charged into the Czech end of the ice, and - with defenceman Daniel Krejci lying face down on the ice below the goal line, evidently hoping for a penalty call - Kucherov fed Zheldakov for a slapshot that found its way past a couple of diving Czech defenders and Mrazek’s blocker.
“It was a difficult game, so I tried to bring all the emotion and the power that I had left into that shot,” said Zheldakov, “so I felt that this emotion from the win will help us tomorrow against Canada.
“I think it’s the best goal of my career so far.”
“We’re pretty excited and we want to beat Canada tomorrow,” said Nail Yakupov, the flashy Russian forward of the OHL's Sarnia Sting who's projected as the top pick in this year's NHL entry draft.
The question is, after two overtimes in a row, and going against a Canadian team working on two days’ rest, will the Russians have enough left in the tank to rise again?
“I have a different opinion,” said Zheldakov. “I think that such close games, and overtimes, will help to improve our game and hope that it will help us tomorrow against Canada fight for every centimetre of ice.”
Mrazek was playing at the lower end of a severely-tilted ice surface in the first period, when the Russians skated circles around his teammates and fired 16 shots at the Czech net.
But the 19-year-old Ottawa 67s goalie, a fifth-round pick of (it figures) the Detroit Red Wings a year ago, was routinely superb, somehow keeping his team on even terms while denying gold-plated chances by Pavel Kulikov, Sergei Barbashev (on a breakaway), Nikita Gusev, Yevgeni Kuznetsov ... well, pretty much everybody in Russian red.
The best chance, though, went begging when the impressive Kuznetsov, the lone holdover from last year’s world championship team, took a 100-foot mid-air pass in stride while going backwards at the Czech blueline and broke in alone, completely deking Mrazek only to fire a forehand shot wide, incredibly, from two feet away.
The rest of the Czechs decided to play, too, in the second, and were outshooting the Russians 9-0 when Jakub Culek broke the scoreless tie with their 10th shot of the period, converting a neat setup by Tomas Hertl.
Mrazek finally gave one up just after the game’s midpoint, a 45-foot snapshot by Danil Apalkov, using a defenceman as a screen, that found its way under the goalie’s blocker arm.
But he redeemed himself with two wonderful left-pad saves in the final four minutes, the first on Apalkov and the second, an eye-popper near the end of the period on Yaroslav Kosov, after which the ever-demonstrative Mrazek seemed to give the Russians an “up yours” gesture with his glove hand.
After that, though, Russia’s goalie, Andrei Vasilevski, matched him save for amazing save, and was the overwhelming reason the Russians - though they outshot the Czechs 45-39 -- even got to overtime.
“I have no words for it,” said Hertl, crushed by the defeat. “We had so many chances, and a power play in overtime, and we didn’t shoot, and we didn’t score, and so we didn’t win. Yes, [Vasilevski] was good, but we didn’t shoot. I just have no words for how it feels.”
Zheldakov had no problem finding a few.
Asked to assess the cocky Mrazek’s performance, the man of the moment said: “He made many, many good saves. But in the end, he proved that he was human.”
When a zebra is a cop:
Kiel Murchison is a Vancouver cop by day, linesman by night
ANDREW PODNIEKS, IIHF.COM, 01-01-12
EDMONTON – The excellent crew of on-ice officials in Edmonton have had a pretty smooth ride so far at the U20. No major controversy has erupted on ice, no brawls or seismic event to call test their abilities to the max. But if anything untoward ever happened, one guy who could step in and keep the peace is linesman Kiel (pronounced Kyle) Murchison.
Murchsion is a seasoned veteran on the line, but he is also a seasoned veteran of the Vancouver Police Department. He leads a dual life in part because he is passionate about both jobs, and in part because his love for hockey needs to be augmented by his need for a reasonable paycheque. “No one makes a living as an official in the Western Hockey League,” he deadpanned, no insult intended. “That’s just how it is.”
“I played Junior B hockey in Coquitlan until I was 16 or 17,” Murchison said, starting at the beginning. “I was a left winger. I had to stop playing because I had had too many concussions. I just took too many hits, came back too soon. The situation compounded. There wasn’t as much knowledge about concussions then. I got bumped in the head, felt okay, went back and played. Got hit, not as hard, and it got worse and worse.”
This is a story all too common but all too unfamiliar. While the average hockey fan knows about concussions to Sidney Crosby and the dozens of NHLers whose careers are imperiled by head hits, rarely do fans read about the teens whose careers are finished before they’ve begun.
“I didn’t know what to do,” Murchison continued. “Hockey was pretty much my life. I wanted to stay in the game. I talked to the referee in chief of British Columbia, Peter Zerbinos, and he helped me along and got me into the Western league. I was only 18, but I had been reffing since I was 12. When I started playing more competitively, at 13 or 14, I quit. When I got back into it, I made a progression to lining. I always seemed to be in the corners or in the mix, where the hot spots are, so it seemed like a natural progression for me to become a linesman.”
Murchison has been working as a linesman for eight years and has steadily gained a reputation as being world class. He has not only been a linesman in the WHL for nearly a decade, during which time he participated in one Memorial Cup tournament, he has started working in the AHL as well. And, in 2011, he was nominated by Hockey Canada to participate in the IIHF World Championship in Slovakia. Not only did he get into eight games, he was part of the historic all-Canadian crew that worked the gold medal game. “Brent Reiber, Chris Carlson and Darcy Burchell, and I worked that game,” he remembers with pride.
Flip the coin and see the other side of Murchison. “I always wanted to be a cop,” he said matter-of-factly, as though nothing could be as obvious. “My grandfather was a Mountie, and so was my dad. He was an auxiliary member. I went to school, took Criminology, and then got lucky. I was hired when I was 22. I’ve been with the VPD for four years now.
This double life co-exists in part because of Murchison’s love and devotion to both jobs – and also a fortuitous schedule. “It works out well with hockey,” he explained, “because I work four on, four off. So, I work four shifts, get four days off. That allows me to work hockey on my days off. I also have an understanding wife, so she supports me in this.”
Murchison is a patrol officer, so he’s in a car, working downtown Vancouver. He’ll never forget the night of June 15, 2011, the night of game seven of the Stanley Cup finals, when Vancouverites took to the streets in thousands, rioting, burning cars, and smashing windows. “I was there,” he said. “It was pretty crazy. Hopefully this will never happen again in my lifetime. It was a terrible couple of hours, that’s for sure.”
Murchison has youth and energy on his side, but is it possible to keep his hectic dual life going for the forseeable future? “It definitely depends on the family situation,” he acknowledged. “I’d like to keep going as long as I can. But I’m going at a pretty breakneck pace right now.”
Like any player, Murchison appreciates the privilege of “playing for your country,” as it were. “I’d love to do more international games. Now that I’ve done some, it’s such an honour to be selected to work these tournaments. It’s a great experience and I love being here.”
Given his youth, his experience, and his abilities, Murchison is also on a path to the NHL. “I’d love to be there,” he admitted. “If I ever got the opportunity to work up top, it would be a dream job. All I can do is work hard. If they like me, they’ll hire me, I guess. There are not a lot of jobs on top. You kind of have to be at the top of your game, and there has to be a job for you. Just wait and see.”
Considering what he’s already accomplished at age 26--and his ancillary skills as a VPD patrol officer--it’s more likely a question of when, not if, we’ll see Murchison in the NHL and other IIHF events. Both jobs require grace under pressure, and Murchison has that in spades.
Las Vegas Coyotes a longshot + 30 Thoughts
By Elliotte Friedman, CBC Sports, January 3, 2012
Okay, let's make this very clear: the NHL's choice is to keep the Coyotes in Phoenix. That's what the league wants.
Two different league governors say that at the December board meeting in Pebble Beach, Calif., they were told the chances are "50-50" the team stays put.
But as of Sunday, the NHL has the legal right to begin negotiating with other cities.
Does it plan to do that? "Not in the short term," said one source.
If it becomes necessary to look elsewhere, the problem is that there is no Winnipeg scenario in 2012. When the Thrashers collapsed, the Manitoba capital was 100 per cent prepared with excellent ownership, a ready-to-go arena and a rabid fan base. None of this year's potential suitors can brag they possess all those things.
There are four cities on the league's radar.
Las Vegas is a total longshot, although I've heard from several people that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman would love to go there. (Me too, although I'd demand a higher per diem). Kansas City has a beautiful building and strong support from the St. Louis Blues. But there are questions about ownership and the fan base (with apologies to long-time local supporter Paul McGannon, who will undoubtedly unleash a torrent of emails detailing otherwise).
That leaves Quebec City and Seattle.
Look, if it's one or the other, Quebec City, obviously, makes more sense. But step back for a second and imagine you run the NHL. Ask yourself this question: "If we do need to relocate the Coyotes, how are we going to make the most money?"
Answer:
A. Move the Coyotes to Quebec City
B. Move the Coyotes to Seattle, eventually expand to Quebec City
C. Move the Coyotes to Seattle, eventually expand to Quebec City AND that rink being built just outside Toronto
D. I was told there would be no math
Moving the Thrashers to Winnipeg carried a $170-million US price tag -- $110 million for the franchise and a $60 million relocation fee. For the sake of argument, let's assume the Coyotes will cost the same. So if you answer "A" -- $170 million is your figure.
Scenario "B" results in more cash because two payments are made. And you'd have to think that if Quebec City gets an expansion team, the fee will be higher than the purchase price of the Coyotes, especially if the NHL can create some kind of bidding war for the right to own the team there.
Then, there's scenario "C". What does Seattle relocation + Quebec City expansion + Toronto expansion equal? A billion dollars. And that might be conservative.
Now you understand why Seattle is a possibility. And it all comes down to the arena.
Three years ago, the NBA left Washington for Oklahoma. League commissioner David Stern didn't handle that one very well and was roasted (if you have the time and the inclination, Sonicsgate is an impressive documentary detailing what happened). It is believed Stern would like to return and erase this unpleasant memory.
Key Arena, where the SuperSonics played prior to their demise, was the major area of conflict. Ownership and the NBA felt it was outdated. But they could not come to an agreement with the city for a new facility. There is cautious optimism this can now be resolved (For more details, check out this Seattle Times story).
Those of you who are familiar with Key know that it is inhospitable for the NHL. The footprint is too small, featuring the same issues the Coyotes faced before the beautiful Glendale arena was built. They played at America West Arena, home of the NBA's Phoenix Suns, and there were many obstructed seats.
Don Levin, owner of the American Hockey League's Chicago Wolves, wants this franchise. And the NHL likes him.
It makes sense for a basketball and a hockey team to share an arena. However, word is that talks between Levin and the potential NBA ownership group about a facility partnership recently fell apart.
Can it be repaired? "These things are off and on and then on, etc. Hard to say if it is dead forever," said one source.
Using Seattle for relocation, if necessary, keeps the new conference setup as proposed with 16 teams in the West and 14 in the East. That means easier travel for Western teams and keeps Quebec/Toronto open for expansion.
That's why Seattle's a contender.
(The above section is written with apologies to Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett, who hates when the team's future becomes a distraction)
30 THOUGHTS
1. The NHL will be adding a new HD camera to all of its nets. It will record the goal-line area, another weapon in the fight against disputed scores. It's been tested over the last little while, with the NHL Winter Classic being its first "official" game. The picture looks sharp. Hopefully, it helps.
2. Heard from multiple sources that the NHL/NHLPA's battle over the $25 million the City of Glendale pays to help run the Coyotes will be settled without arbitration. Neither side wants to risk losing this case. It's taking time while the lawyers duel over language.
3. There are a lot of people who have complimentary things to say about Krys Barch. Barch will have a hearing today about the alleged slur directed at PK Subban. The belief is he's going to argue his words were misinterpreted. That's important because several sources indicate linesman Darren Gibbs is adamant about what he heard.
4. You guys love trade talk, so here's some: If you've got defencemen to trade, you are in position A. NHL general managers may sell their children for blue-line depth. One defenceman who appears to be available and will command interest is Carolina's Tim Gleason. "He's a good player," said one GM. Gleason is a UFA-to-be.
5. Another defenceman with trade potential is Anaheim's Lubomir Visnovsky. Hasn't been great (injuries not helping), but his talent is well-recognized. He's also attractive for another reason: His cap hit is $5.6 million in 2012-13, but the actual salary is $3 million. Teams love that. There are a couple of issues, however. First, Visnovsky has a no-move contract clause until July 1. Second, the Ducks say they aren't certain they're ready to completely give up on the season.
6. One GM who says he won't be moving defenders is Scott Howson of Columbus, who is on record as saying he's open for business, but indicated Saturday that he isn't interested in giving up those players. "Defencemen are very hard to find," he said. That includes John Moore, who a few other teams really like.
7. Forwards? That's a different story. Howson maintains, though, he will not deal Rick Nash or Ryan Johansen. And other GMs say that, privately, he's consistent about this stance.
8. Is Tampa Bay's Brett Connolly being discussed at some level? There is some dispute as to whether or not he actually is available. As GM Steve Yzerman tries to improve the Lightning, teams are asking for his young players in return. So if he's going to be able to do it, he's going to have to give up something -- and GMs and scouts are watching Connolly closely at the world juniors.
9. One of my university professors had a saying: "When you're successful, you can be eccentric. When you're not, you can't." That's where we are with Philadelphia's Ilya Bryzgalov. If he had stopped after joking that not starting the Winter Classic was "good news" for the Flyers, everyone would have laughed and moved on. But he kept going, then tweeted a photo of the thermos he was going to bring. He's right that there are much bigger issues in the universe than struggles between the pipes. But when Philly's 79-year-old owner is paying him $51 million to deliver one more Stanley Cup, the organization doesn't care about the European debt crisis.
10. New York head coach John Tortorella can be very tough, but it's clear the Rangers respond to him. Why? Several players say it's because they respect the fact he treats every player the same, no matter where they fit in the lineup. One added that if you have a couple of bad shifts in a row, he makes it clear you may not get many more.
11. That reminds me of Harry Neale, who said Scotty Bowman was the best at getting his team to play hard "because players knew if they didn't start the game well, he wouldn't use them."
12. Another thing Tortorella does well is leave the room to the players. He's pretty careful about letting Ryan Callahan, Dan Girardi, Brad Richards and the returning Marc Staal handle those issues.
13. Mike Rupp between periods on his [Jaromir] Jagr salute: "Oh that's his? I did that since I was a kid" (winks). On Sunday, Rupp, who has a fantastic sense of humour, was asking reporters about Jagr doing it in Pittsburgh last week. Rupp might be the first Ranger to get a standing ovation in Steeltown.
14. For Edmonton, it should be more important for the young players to be developing properly and learning the right attitudes than worrying about playoff position (Honestly, look at that conference and tell me they are ready). On Monday, Ladislav Smid and Shawn Horcoff led the team to a heckuva win in Chicago after Tom Gilbert went down. The key thing is the young players recognizing that.
15. That said, watching Ales Hemsky bail out of an icing race with 20 seconds left was awful. The Oilers can't allow that to continue, especially guys trying everything to play through pain like Ryan Whitney.
16. Was a lot of fun to chat with Ed Snider for Monday's Inside Hockey. The Flyers owner is a fascinating man. For all the controversy over the years about pushing injured bodies into the lineup, no organization does a better job of taking care of retired players/employees than Philadelphia. If, God forbid, a family goes through something worse (Barry Ashbee, Pelle Lindbergh, Dmitri Tertyshny, Bruce Gamble), he really steps up, although he doesn't like talking about it.
17. Keith Jones (knee) and Keith Primeau (concussion) said that minutes after doctors told them their careers were over, they received a phone call from Snider. He thanked them for their effort and promised they would never have to worry about their futures. Primeau said Snider still asks him if he's making a good living.
18. Everyone in the organization calls him "Mr. Snider." He'll generally respond, "Call me Ed." The regular response is, "OK, Mr. Snider."
19. As proud as he is of the Broad Street Bullies, I heard he didn't like the 1987 pre-game playoff brawl with the Montreal Canadiens. "Why would you ask me that?" he said when I brought it up. But he admitted he wasn't thrilled.
20. One of the problems with Toronto's penalty kill is illustrated in this goal from Saturday's loss in Winnipeg. You cannot allow that Kyle Wellwood pass to get through. Their insistence in defencemen having two hands on the stick really opens passing lanes.
21. Our cameraman wanted to get a shot of James Reimer walking into the MTS Centre for that game, his first NHL start in his home province of Manitoba. Big night. Camera was ready to go at 3 p.m. local time but never saw Reimer. Why? He was already there. A goalie showing up four hours before the warmup? That's very unusual.
22. Montreal talked about a five-year extension with Josh Gorges during the summer, but couldn't get it done. One of the reasons? The offer wasn't as high as the $3.9 million the two sides finally agreed to just after Christmas. In the end, the Canadiens realized that if they needed to replace Gorges through free agency, it was probably going to cost at least that much. And you may not know the replacement as well as you know Gorges.
23. One of Randy Cunneyworth's coaching philosophies: "I don't think any player should try to beat an opponent one-on-one unless it's to get a scoring chance." Will be interesting to see how Subban deals with that idea.
24. The morning of Cunneyworth's first coaching win (in Ottawa), Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty was saying, "Someone needs to step up." Then, he paused and smiled. "Maybe it will be me," he added. That night, Pacioretty fought Brian Lee, his first fight since his injury. Clearly, he'd decided it was time for drastic action.
25. Get the feeling Ottawa recognizes it won't see the best from Kyle Turris until next season. Missing two months is "like getting on the treadmill on Level 1 when everyone else is at Level 7," Senators head coach Paul MacLean said.
26. Was interesting to hear Turris admit on Inside Hockey that the strategy of asking Phoenix for a huge contract was one he'd do over if he could. It clouded the issue of wanting a fresh start, making him look money-hungry.
27. Saw a hilarious exchange at an Ottawa practice between Daniel Alfredsson and Erik Karlsson. They were yelling at each other in Swedish about the rules of keepaway. Karlsson was pushing the puck between Alfredsson's legs, but the captain replied it didn't matter because the whole purpose is to keep possession. In return, Alfredsson fired the puck down into a corner so Karlsson had to chase it.
28. Alfredsson said Alex Kovalev was the best he ever faced in keepaway, but "the Sedins are really good, too." Before Detroit fans begin to mobilize, he says he's never tried it against Red Wings marvel Pavel Datsyuk.
29. Future NHL Winter Classic scenarios: It's widely believed Detroit will be next year's host. (Curious to see if Toronto is the opponent. Lots of politics surround that decision). The Capitals were promised a home event after playing in Pittsburgh last year and are in position to follow Detroit. In 2015, Yankee Stadium frees up and, even though the NHL has looked at other New York-area locations, the Yankees want the NHL and the league wants it there. Consider these cities the American favourites.
30. I know the NHL Winter Classic is a made-for-TV event, overly hokey and too Northeast-centric for a lot of people's tastes. I've been to every one on both sides of the border and wonder as each approaches if this is the one I'm finally going to get sick of. It never happens, though. The real strength is in being there. The fans create great atmosphere and the players love it. The 82-game season gets monotonous and this is a bolt of energy for them.
Canada eyes hockey revenge against Russia (and other dramas)
David Shoalts, Globe and Mail, Jan. 03, 2012
The game everyone was hoping for will not be for all the marbles, but Canada still gets its chance for revenge on Russia.
When the two rivals meet Tuesday night in the second semi-final of the world junior hockey championship (TSN’s coverage starts at 8:30 p.m. Eastern), the Canadians will be looking to avenge last year’s embarrassment. That one saw the Russians score five goals in the third period to wipe out a Canadian lead and take home the gold medal, albeit with a little unpleasantness at the Buffalo airport early the next morning when a few too many of the winning lads and their traveling party failed to interrupt their victory party with enough sleep to render them sober enough to fly. Airline authorities were not amused and the team got the boot from its flight.
There is no shortage of analysis of what should be a crackling good game. The Globe and Mail’s Eric Duhatschek looks at the dilemma facing junior coach Jacques Beaulieu .
Well, it isn’t really a dilemma, since Beaulieu really wants his son Nathan and the rest of the Canadians to win. But things will be interesting at Sarnia Sting practices next week either way, considering Beaulieu’s wager with his star player on the Sting, Nail Yakupov, who plays for the Russians.
Cam Cole has a look at Monday night’s goaltending duel between the Russians and the Czechs that decided Tuesday’s semi-final. And so does the Edmonton Sun’s Terry Jones.
Meanwhile, our Allan Maki takes a look at the other semi-final (TSN, 5 p.m. Eastern), which features two other bitter hockey rivals, Sweden and Finland.
Elsewhere in the hockey world...
There is no shortage of gloom, doom and panic, which is just how we like it.
Let’s start in Montreal, where a day without panic concerning the Canadiens has yet to dawn. The latest contretemps, which is actually a continuation of last month’s contretemps has a wonderfully Canadian twist: an apology.
Yes, Habs general manager Pierre Gauthier, known as The Ghost for his infrequent appearances in front of the bilingual monsters of the media, issued an apology Monday for his faux pas of promoting Randy Cunneyworth to head coach despite the fact his French is as good as that of the average graduate from an Etobicoke, Ont., high school. An apology. How Canadian.
In the meantime, Red Fisher, who’s been covering the Habs since Rocket Richard was making Quebec high school girls swoon, shows what Hab fans should really be upset about with this deconstruction of the Ghost’s reign of error.
And what’s a day in the NHL without New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella going off? He went into a nice little rant following the annual Winter Classic that might have come from one of those Twitter nut bars who thinks the NHL conspires all season to have the Rangers and the Los Angeles Kings meet in the Stanley Cup final. Well, it should make for a great final episode of 24/7.
Burris deal is of questionable benefit
This might have made a good story five years ago, that quarterback Henry Burris was traded from the Calgary Stampeders to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The Globe’s indefatigable Allan Maki has the story.
However, at 36 years of age, the benefits Burris will bring to the Ticats are somewhat dubious.
Also dubious...
Stanford kicker Jordan Williamson missed two field goals, one late in the fourth quarter and the other in overtime that allowed No. 3 Oklahoma State to beat No. 4 Stanford in overtime in the Fiesta Bowl. That ended all sorts of drama in a battle between quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Brandon Weeden and the Orange County Register’s Mark Whicker has a good look at it here.
This sets up a great debate going into next Monday’s BCS championship – should Oklahoma State be considered the best team in U.S. college football if No. 2 Alabama knocks off No. 1 LSU in the championship game? Brett McMurphy considers the question here on CBSSports.com
World Junior profits could double expectations
Jenna McMurray ,Calgary Sun, January 02, 2012
Hosting what is expected to be the biggest and best world junior championship to date will benefit hockey players in Alberta and across Canada.
Hockey Canada reports the Calgary-and-Edmonton-hosted tournament could see profits between $18 million and $20 million, more than double the $7 million that was originally guaranteed.
When the event was presented to Hockey Canada three years ago, it was pitched as the largest and most successful world juniors event to date, said the organization’s chief operating operator, Scott Smith.
“We’re very pleased that we’re tracking to be able to do that,” said Smith, adding not only is the financial success extremely encouraging, but the attendance and positive feedback from international teams have made for an all around great tourney so far.
After fees — including a payment to the International Ice Hockey Federation plus subsidies to visiting teams and training camps — half of the event’s profits will go to Hockey Canada and will then be split between three priorities predetermined by the board of directors.
The first is recruitment and retention.
“There’s an opportunity for us to build a deeper relationship with schools across the country,” said Smith, adding there’s hope hockey programs could become a regular part of physical education schooling for kids.
The second is developing Hockey Canada’s registry, a database that allows administrators to coordinate different teams and leagues among other things.
And the third is to move coaching, officiating and safety coordinating programs to an online environment so trainees don’t have to attend lengthy clinics.
“The biggest thing for us is that every dollar generated from this goes back into hockey programs,” said Smith.
Thirty-five percent of the profits will go to the Canadian Hockey League, which will use the cash for scholarship programs and education initiatives.
The remaining 15% will be split between Hockey Alberta and Hockey Canada’s 12 other branches across the country.
Hockey Alberta is expected to keep between 5 to 10% of the money, said general manager Rob Litwinski.
The organization also has three priorities for its share of the cash.
It will also target recruitment and retention, with dollars specifically supporting an application grant-based program called Every Kid, Every Community, which funds unique programs that help build the game of hockey in Alberta.
The second initiative is to develop programs at each of Hockey Alberta’s six regional centres, including its newly-opened Calgary base.
And lastly, some cash will go toward the vision of building a provincial training centre in Red Deer, said Litwinski.
“We’re obviously very excited for the opportunity to take action on many of these,” he said.
“What we’re witnessing in this province is fantastic.”
The world juniors championship wraps up in Calgary Thursday.
Canada’s furious rally falls short against Russia in world junior semis
Eric Duhatschek, Globe and Mail, Jan. 03, 2012
Revenge, they say, is a dish best served cold – and if that is truly the case, then Canada will get a chance to exact its revenge on Russia in 12 months time, when the Russians take a rare turn at playing host for the 2013 world junior championship in Ufa, where temperatures can really drop in January.
Unhappily, Canada was seeking its pound of flesh far sooner – this year, right now – and, oh boy, what a night and what a way to come up just a fraction short. After losing the gold-medal game to Russia last year with an epic third-period collapse, and falling behind 6-1 Tuesday night, the Canadians almost came up with their own epic comeback, before ultimately falling 6-5 to the Russians in a heartbreaker of a semi-final at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
For anyone wondering what makes the world junior tournament so compelling, this game was exhibits A to Z. It had everything and proved once again that tournament play is just different than league play – or traditional North American playoff action.
Every game after the round robin is a seventh game, a win-or-go-home scenario that can fuel such an extraordinary adrenalin rush that everything seems possible. With everything on the line, and the pressure cranked up to levels that they’ve never experienced before, the Canadian players played with a passion that they left nothing on the table, even when the game looked out of hand.
From 6-1 down, they received goals from Brendan Gallagher, Jaden Schwartz, Dougie Hamilton and Brandon Gormley, driving Russia’s starting goalie, 17-year-old sensation Andrei Vasilevski, from the nets. Andrei Makarov came in and, although the Canadians had numerous chances to get the tying goal past him, they couldn’t conjure up one final miracle. In all, Canada fired 56 shots, compared to just 24 for Russia.
It was Canada’s first official tournament appearance in Calgary, after winning its other four games in the tournament in Edmonton, and for the first 49 minutes it was not a performance for the ages. The goaltending, from both starter Scott Wedgewood and relief man Mark Visentin, was just so-so. Defensively, the Canadians broke down early and often, and ultimately, had no early answer for Russia’s dynamic Evgeny Kuznetsov, who had a hat trick by the game’s midpoint and finished with four points.
In the end, Canada’s loss means Russia and Sweden will play for the gold medal Thursday in a rematch of what was the best game in the round robin – a 4-3 thriller, won by Sweden in overtime last Saturday night. The Canadians, anticlimactically, will face Finland, a team they drubbed 8-1 earlier in the tournament, for the unwelcome bronze.
In each of the past 10 years, Canada has played in the gold-medal game, a remarkable stretch of consistency that came to an end against a Russian team whose trademark in recent years had been its fabulous finishes. On this night, however, it was all about its start. Playing for the second time in 24 hours, the Russians should theoretically have had fatigue in their legs, especially in a game played at a frantic pace.
Instead, they took advantage of an early Canadian defensive miscue – a turnover in the offensive zone by Ryan Murray – to convert on a 3-on-1, Kuznetsov stealing the puck in the first place, dishing to Yakupov, and then scoring on a one-timer on the return pass. From there, after a handful of near misses by Canada’s nervous-looking forwards, Russia made the score 2-0 on a power play, a long screened slap shot from the point by defenceman Nikita Nesterov that eluded Wedgewood.
Brett Connolly momentarily restored Canadian hope by scoring on a delayed penalty early in the second, but Kuznetsov responded with back-to-back goals to make the score 4-1. Wedgewood came out after getting creamed in the crease by Alexander Khokhlachev as the fourth goal went in. He gave up four goals on 13 shots. Khokhlachev added salt to the wound by scoring on the second shot against Visentin.
The loss was particularly discouraging for a quartet of players who had to suffer through the finale last year – Quinton Howden, Connolly, Schwartz (who was injured) and Visentin. Visentin didn’t get the start against the Russians, for a variety of reasons, mostly to do with history, and frankly Wedgewood just looked more sure of himself between the pipes in the four preliminary games, where each netminder played twice. It would be unfair to second-guess coach Don Hay for his goaltending choice; internally and externally, the consensus was that Wedgewood was holding the hotter hand and that’s how you pick your goaltenders in these events.
Goaltending has not been Canada’s strong suit at this event for a number of years now, although Vasilevski’s confidence looked shattered at the end, too.
For anyone that turned off their TV sets at 6-1, they missed a fabulous finish and another ratings bonanza for the rights holder, TSN, and is sure to create even more interest in the 2013 event, in which the Canadians will need to travel halfway around the world and play on the larger, international ice surfaces.
For once, they’ll be able to play the underdog card in Russia. That was everybody else’s trump card this time around and may be Canada’s ace in the hole 12 months from now as they seek both redemption ... and revenge.
THE GOAL
In a game where the momentum shifted wildly at times, an early turning point came with the shots 26-11 for Canada early in the second period. A rising wrist shot by Russia’s Evgeni Kuznetsov handcuffed Canadian goaltender Scott Wedgewood and restored their two-goal second-period lead, just as Canada was making its first push back.
THE TURNING POINT
Canada had a 74-second two-man advantage late in the opening period down by two, but couldn’t generate a decent chance - and then lost the opportunity altogether when Dougie Hamilton took a high-sticking minor.
THE COMEBACK
Canada saved the best for last when, trailing 6-1, they rattled off four consecutive goals in the third period, got it to 6-5 and drove starter Andrei Vasilevski from the net. There were multiple close calls in the final seconds, but not escaped the relief man, Andrei Makarov.
‘Pureness of the sport’ comes out in Alberta
Globe and Mail, Jan. 03, 2012
Jim Peplinski knew something special was happening here in the early moments following the Finland-Slovakia quarter-final game last Monday afternoon.
Though the scoreboard had stopped – Finland 8, Slovakia 5 – the real clock was moving on, with the next match between Russia and Czech Republic coming up fast at the Scotiabank Saddledome. And the rink had more crumpled popcorn bags and empty beer glasses than the cleaning staff could handle.
Peplinski was with his own four children – Erin, 24, Matt, 23, Anny, 19, Quinn, 16, and their friend Curt Wettstein, 25 – and he asked them: “Would you mind helping?”
Sure, they said, and began picking up. Soon there were dozens of volunteers helping out the cleaners – including several employees of the Calgary Flames organization.
“Here were these senior executives putting on rubber gloves and lining up for garbage bags to pitch in,” Peplinski says. “You want to tell me that’s not Canada?”
Peplinski, the 51-year-old former captain of the NHL’s Flames, is the face of the Edmonton-Calgary bid for the 2012 world junior hockey championship. Though he represented Canada in the 1988 Olympics, he never did play in the world juniors. “I didn’t get picked.”
Peplinski was a tough-as-nails NHLer, believed by many to be the inventor of the face wash and once a fearsome fighter, though today he believes fighting has no place in the game. He was also once so despised by the Flames’ archrival Edmonton Oilers that he believed it impossible for him to be involved in any enterprise that would involve the more northern of the two Alberta cities.
Following his retirement during the 1989-90 season, he became a broadcaster and then a businessman, opening several vehicle-leasing dealerships, including one in Edmonton that he initially believed was a bad call.
“They tried to kill me for 10 years,” he says of his battles with the Oilers, “and I tried to return the favour.”
He remembers his first business trip to Edmonton and how when he entered a restaurant for a business meeting he could feel every eye on him, hard staring.
“I hear this guy behind me say, ‘Hey Peplinski!’ and I figured, ‘Oh, oh, here we go’ – but the guy just wanted to shake hands. ‘I hated you when we played you,’ the guy says, ‘but I always wished you were on our team.’ I knew from that moment on that I’d be okay there.”
Ken King of the Flames asked Peplinski to come on board as a vice-president of business development and they decided to go after the 2009 world junior tournament, which ended up being awarded to Ottawa. Instead of giving up, they went to Ottawa to learn how to put on such an event – “[Ottawa Senators president] Cyril Leeder was unbelievably helpful” – and won the 2012 tournament.
It is already presumed that this will be the most successful world juniors in history, with revenues projected into the $80-million range. Peplinski says there were no hard promises made. “We said, ‘Look, we do stuff on a handshake out here. We will generate so much out here that no one will touch the financial returns we will guarantee.’” If the price of oil stayed up, he assured the International Ice Hockey Federation and Hockey Canada, “We’ll shoot the lights out.” And it appears they will.
Peplinski says that, for him, the tournament is not about money generated or the size of the 50/50 draw or even which team wins, but “the intangibles” – lessons taken from watching youngsters play for the love of game and country.
“I believe in what you saw in the Sweden-Russia game early on,” he says. “You get up when you fall down. You work out your problems. You stress the importance of team. You learn how to win – but also how to lose.”
No team, he says, showed more grace than the U.S. team, which was booed mercilessly every time its players touched the puck. He met with the onetime tournament favourites following their final match Monday – in which they won their relegation match against Latvia 12-2 – and found them “professional and personable. Everybody’s booing the Americans and yet who is it we turn to in need?”
What the junior tournament demonstrates, he says, is “the pureness of the sport.”
But also the goodness of heart – especially when concerning the Spirit of the West shown by the multitude of volunteers.
“We have geophysicists, doctors, lawyers, taxi drivers, home keepers, clerks, students, you name it,” Peplinski says. “Every one of them giving their time for this event.
“If you said we’re going to need the Calgary Tower down by 6 a.m. tomorrow, they’d find a way to get it done.”
Stars are aligning for Sweden’s newest Forsberg
Eric Duhatschek, Globe and Mail, Jan. 03, 2012
Soon enough, Filip Forsberg will be a household name in hockey circles, if all goes according to plan. Forsberg is here as part of Sweden’s team in the world junior hockey championship, and will be playing for the gold medal Thursday against either Canada or Russia.
As the No. 1-ranked European prospect for the 2012 NHL entry draft, there is extra cachet attached to his presence on a very good – and occasionally very lucky – Swedish team, which tied its game against Finland late and then won in a shootout.
Sweden has all kinds of talent here – from Max Friberg, who seems to score all the big goals, to Sebastien Collberg, the other under-ager on the team, who seems to come through in all the shootouts. But Forsberg is a special talent, a player that coach Roger Ronnberg says is mature beyond his years. If he is, and if he is selected in the top five of the 2012 NHL entry draft, it usually means a quick transition to the NHL.
More than ever, youth is in vogue in these days in professional hockey and Forsberg is just the latest in a long line of newish Swedish prospects – think Gabriel Landeskog, think Erik Karlsson, think Adam Larsson – making an early mark in the professional ranks.
But no, to answer the question that immediately pops into your head, Forsberg is not related to that Forsberg, Peter, the future Hall of Famer who won two Stanley Cups with the Colorado Avalanche, a scoring title and with apologies to Mats Sundin and Markus Naslund, was the dominant Swede of his generation. Peter Forsberg hailed from Modo, Filip is from Leksand. Peter Forsberg was a dynamic all-around player, with an unexpected physical edge to his game. The scouts compare Filip more to fellow Swede Daniel Alfredsson, who in his prime, was a top-flight goal-scorer, and recently made it 400 for his NHL career.
Sweden’s hockey program has undergone a renaissance of sorts these past half-dozen years. During the time the Sedins were coming up, it was them, and nobody else. There was concern that soccer, tennis and other sports were funnelling off the best athletes and that hockey was a lot of people’s second choice.
But in the same way that Russia keeps pumping out players, even if many of them are staying home to play in the KHL, Sweden is becoming a hotbed again – and Swedish players almost always choose the NHL option, making them a far more attractive commodity for teams looking for immediate help. The Sedins are at the top of the scoring charts again; Henrik Lundqvist stars in goal for the New York Rangers and many will argue that Nicklas Lidstrom is one of the greatest defenceman in hockey history. And if one can make a politically incorrect generalization, they are – as a group – among the most low-maintenance players, another quality in high demand.
Ronnberg describes Forsberg as a player with “a unique attitude and character. He can look at himself from the outside, if that is the right way to say it in English. The way he approaches the game is fantastic. He loves to play. It doesn’t matter if we are here in the practice rink or if we’re playing Canada in the Rexall Centre, he’s the same kid. He’s just competing – chasing the puck.”
Since arriving for the world junior tournament, Forsberg has deflected many questions about his famous surname, noting that though they are not related, Peter The Great was his favourite player growing up, and the most influential on his career. Ronnberg sees that, too.
“The most important part of Peter’s game is the way he was competing,” Ronnberg said in an interview. “He was always competing – doing everything it takes to win a hockey game. And Filip is the same, the same character. Then they have differences in the way they play. But it’s a good comparison.”
During Peter Forsberg’s Colorado Avalanche heyday, Filip Forsberg didn’t get much of a chance to watch him play. The games were on too late, most nights. “But national teams, those games I have seen, and I have seen his tributes many times on the YouTube too,” Forsberg said.
Sweden knocked off Canada in exhibition play and soon after it defeated Finland on Tuesday, the possibility of a rematch against the hometown Canadians was floated. The Swedes have spent the week positioning themselves as underdogs and that will not change, no matter who they face in the final.
“The Russians are good and so is Canada, so maybe we are a little bit of an underdog – and I like it that way too.” Forsberg actually said that a few days ago, before the possibility of a game against one or the other became a reality.
Ronnberg saw it the same way: “If we play our best hockey in the right games, sure, we can take it. It’s just coming down to one or two games in the end – and we are really humble about that.”
Mike Rupp: Before I Made It
With Kevin Kennedy, The Hockey News, 2012-01-07
I played in a house league in Cleveland, Ohio until I went to high school. Hockey was growing in Cleveland at the time and it was a lot of fun. I remember that every other year I was the younger age so that season was always tough, but the next season I knew I’d be older and still playing in the same division. I remember every other year would be my year.
I got into hockey because my neighbor was playing and I’d see him outside with a tennis ball and a stick shooting at the garage. Up until that moment, I don’t think I even knew what hockey was. I just started going over there and he’d give me a stick and we’d start playing around and then I told my mom and dad that I wanted to play hockey and so they signed me up for Learn to Skate and it kind of went from there.
I think I was more interested because none of my other friends were doing it and it was something different. I was also able to pick it up pretty quick so that helped as well.
I really started to appreciate hockey when I made the AAA team and we started to travel. I remember we’d go up to Michigan, Buffalo and even Toronto and I thought that was awesome.
We went to a tournament once in Windsor, Ont., and at the time I was one of the better players on my team. But I saw players at that tournament my age who were much better than me. I remember thinking to myself, ‘Oh my gosh, I have a lot to do if I want to make the NHL.’
As a kid, that’s hard to handle because you really want to be the best, so that was a reality check for me and that’s when I started to take hockey more seriously.
When I was in high school I had a great coach named Bob Whidden. He was a goalie in the WHA for the Cleveland Crusaders back in the day. One day he asked me what I wanted to do with hockey. I said I wanted to play in the NHL and he told me if that was true I had to leave Cleveland. I was in Grade 11 and that was a wakeup call for me.
Bob had a connection with Bobby Orr and he flew in to Cleveland to watch one of my high school games. I signed with his agency and went to the Ontario League soon after.
As a kid I played all kinds of sports. I didn’t play hockey all year-round. I played baseball in the summer and basketball at the same time as hockey in the winter. I think playing different sports helped me.
I knew a lot of kids who played 365 days a year and they ended up not enjoying it and burning out. Even today I don’t skate over the summer. I stay fit and I work out, but I try and stay away from the rink for about two months. When training camp comes around I’m hungry to get back on the ice.
I also think that, if you just play hockey, you lose some athleticism that you can gain from playing other sports. It’s easy to become a one-sport robot, so in the summer I play a lot of basketball and throw the football around as well. Some guys in the NHL can’t even kick a soccer ball or dribble a basketball.
I want to be an athlete not just a hockey player.
Kuznetsov still chirping after win
SCOTT FISHER, QMI Agency. Jan 4 2012
CALGARY - A lot of Canadian hockey fans wanted to see Evgeni Kuznetsov eat some crow.
But the brash Russian forward ended up feasting on the Canadians instead.
Kuznetsov has spent the past week poking Canada in the chest, insisting he wanted nothing more than to break the hearts of the host team and its fans.
Then he went out and did it.
The Washington Capitals prospect scored a hat-trick as part of a spectacular four-point performance to help the Russians earn a tense 6-5 win over Canada in Tuesday's semifinal.
He said the semifinal victory was just as satisfying as last year's gold-medal win over the Canucks.
"I can compare," Kuznetsov said, smiling like a butcher's dog.
"Same emotions. We're happy. I'm glad that Canada will not win gold this year."
Kuznetsov has refused to give the Canadian team even the slightest of compliments throughout the tournament.
And he wasn't shy about throwing a little salt on the wounds after Canada's emotional third-period rally fell short.
"I don't (think) Canada is good enough to score so many goals," Kuznetsov said. "I knew that the end of the game would be tough for us. I thought that the fourth and fifth goal would be enough."
When asked if the Russians, with back-to-back wins over Canada at the world juniors, have proven their superiority, he stuck the knife in one last time and gave it a twist.
"We just won and that question has become clear, so we're stronger than Canada."
Russian teammate Nail Yakupov, who is the consensus No.-1 pick for this summer's NHL Entry Draft, was elated with his team's win, which sets up a gold-medal showdown with the Swedes.
"We didn't finish strong," Yakupov said. "But we scored six goals and we beat Canada.
"We win. We're pretty excited. We beat Canada. Russia win. Russia better than Canada."
On this night, they were.
Just barely.
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Grow up, Kuznetsov: Russian junior star has lots of maturing to do
ERIC FRANCIS, QMI Agency, Jan 4 2012
CALGARY - Somewhere in D.C. Alex Ovechkin is smiling.
That gap in his grin is gaping like Team Canada's net seemed to be early Tuesday night in what will go down as one of the most shocking losses in Canadian junior lore.
After a perfect roundrobin, the Canadians were denied a trip to the world junior championship final for the first time since medal-round play was introduced 11 years ago, thanks to a spectacular 6-5 loss to Russia at the Dome.
The Washington Capitals forward, who is only starting to recover from the legendary 7-3 beatdown Canada laid on Russia in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Olympics, had to have been watching his Russian juniors semifinal win with glee.
Fitting then that the man who did most of the damage was 19-year-old Capitals prospect Evgeni Kuznetsov, who will no doubt join Ovechkin in Washington next year to follow in the Gr8 Eight's footsteps.
Not only did the kid drafted 26th overall in 2010 score three times and add an assist in a game that was 5-1 Russia by the end of the second (only to end as a one-goal game, thanks to Canada's heart), he also factored in on some of the shenanigans that made both teams look bad for a time.
As a frustrated Canadian squad began its meltdown late in the second period with a series of penalties and goals against, Russian Ildar Isangulov decided to lash back with a vicious elbow to the face of Boone Jenner.
As the groggy Canadian slowly got up Kuznetsov went over to say something to him.
The contents of the discussion will clearly never be relayed accurately but whether he was rubbing salt in the wound of an injured player or offering sincere condolences, he should have known better.
He had no business being around the fallen player.
Granted, although provoked, Jenner should have known better than to attempt to spear Kuznetsov (and receive a game misconduct for his effort).
As the only returning player from last year's gold medal-winning team, Kuznetsov wears the C on a team it appears at times he wants simply to carry on his back.
After scoring his second goal of the game, Kuznetsov refused to embrace any of his four teammates, instead soaking up the limelight himself while showboating and then making his way over to the Russian bench for high-fives.
After setting up the Russian's fifth goal with a brilliant pass of his own, Kuznetsov was again content to celebrate alone.
For those unfamiliar, Kuznetsov made a name for himself earlier in the tourney when he threatened a tourney record with nine points in a 14-0 win over the Latvians.
They were the only points he scored in the entire tourney until last night.
Yes, he picked a perfect time to show up again and participate.
He's a heck of a talent, but not much of a teammate.
He was the one who selfishly tried to score on the empty net in the final minute by icing the puck and giving Canada another shot at tying the game.
Smart, team players don't do that.
Players trying to pad stats do.
He was also the one who showed little humility while accepting his player-of-the-game award by putting his hands up to his ears to encourage the booing that rained down on him.
Some call it being a character.
Others call it being classless -- the kind of thing a kid who scores nine points on midget players would do.
He's 19 and he has lots of growing up to do.
But that didn't make it any less painful to watch on the juniors' biggest stage last night.
In a Washington organization that also houses Ovechkin and Alex Semin, somehow we think Kuznetsov will fit right in.
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Russian hockey star plays the villain, whips up fans at Saddledome
Yevgeni Kuznetsov one of Russia's weapons, scores hat trick and game star
Chris O'Leary, edmontonjournal.com, January 4, 2012
CALGARY - Russian captain Yevgeni Kuznetsov sent his own little thank-you to Canada on Tuesday night, encouraging the jilted fans at Scotiabank Saddledome to boo him a little more.
His coach thanked the Canadians as well, but took a more polite route.
After the 19-year-old Washington Capitals prospect had sunk Canada’s gold-medal hopes, netting a hat trick as part of his four-point night, he was named Russia’s player of the game. As he skated over to collect his award, the jeers of the heartbroken Canadian faithful rained down on him. Kuznetsov put both hands up to his ears and encouraged the capacity crowd to give him its worst. It obliged him and he smiled, soaking up the villainous role.
Kuznetsov’s four-point night launched him into the tournament lead for scoring, with six goals and seven assists in his team’s six games played.
“I thought he played his best game of the tournament so far,” head coach Valeri Bragin said of Kuznetsov through the team’s translator. “He’s our captain and he should play in games like this. That’s the way he should have played. He’s a very experienced player; he plays for our senior national team.”
As for the thank-you, Bragin said his team’s semi-final win over the host nation was its toughest thus far.
“I think that Canada is the best team in the tournament so far,” the coach said. “I think they had a lack of practice (due to their quarter-final bye) because the rest of us were playing games. That did some damage for Team Canada.”
With his team leading 5-1 after the second period, Bragin said he had anticipated a Canadian comeback.
“I knew that in the third period, Canada would improve their game, so maybe I should have changed my goalie a bit sooner. But I’m happy with the way our guys played.”
Bragin gave the hook to Andrei Vasilevski when Canada scored its fifth goal of the night, making it a one-goal game. Saskatoon Blades netminder Andrei Makarov played the final 5:43 of the game and shut the door on a surging Canadian squad that could taste overtime in the late stages of the game.
“We should have changed the goalie earlier. He’s a young guy,” Bragin explained, pointing to when his team blew a three-goal lead and lost in overtime to the Swedes – who they’ll see in Thursday’s gold-medal game.
“The situation was like it was against Sweden. It was not his mistake. It was an easy goal and I liked the way Makarov played.”
The coach said he would have to begin immediately preparing for that re-match.
Russians get a little home cooking
The Saddledome was loaded up with vocal Canadian fans on Tuesday night, but the support for the home-team wasn’t fully unanimous. Nestled in behind the Russian bench were a handful of supporters who tried to make their team feel at home.
“It’s a wonderful rink with 80,000 guys yelling, ‘Canada! Canada, let’s go!’ said Russian forward Nail Yakupov, who enjoyed a four-assist night in his team’s win.
“I think we have 30, 40 guys, Russian guys from Siberia and they put on the Russian jersey and say, ‘Come on, Russia!’”
THN at the WJC: Russia, Sweden leave semifinal opponents wondering
Ryan Kennedy, The Hockey News, 2012-01-04
For the two teams who fell in the semifinal of the World Junior Championship in Calgary, some very harsh “ifs” loom over their heads. Finland and Canada will play for bronze, while the Russians and Swedes face each other for the second time in the tourney, this time for gold.
Both games featured high drama in very different fashion. In the early tilt, Finland took a physical, counterattacking game to their Nordic rivals and held a lead late until goalie Sami Aittokallio made a poor clearing decision that ended up in the back of his net. Then, with the shootout on the line, captain Mikael Granlund saw the puck come to a sickening stop as he tried to juke Swedish netminder Johan Gustafsson, giving the Tre Kronor the win without even registering a final shot on net.
It was a brutal end for the Finns, who played perfectly in the early going and held the Swedes largely to the perimeter. Defenseman Jani Hakanpaa, a St. Louis Blues pick, was excellent, throwing huge checks and neutralizing Sweden's forwards.
“There was a lot of good energy out there,” Hakanpaa said. “We wanted to show we would battle hard. I'm pretty proud of the guys.”
Getting past the pesky Finns meant being patient for the Swedes.
“It was the key, I think,” said defenseman Oscar Klefbom. “We just worked them down.”
Klefbom, an Edmonton first-rounder, was the best Swede on the day, using his size to his advantage and playing very well with the puck. And even though the Swedes threw nearly 60 shots at Aittokallio, the majority were not difficult stops and they knew it.
“We didn't have guys in front of the net,” said draft eligible winger Sebastian Collberg. “Their goaltender had it easy, I think.”
Sweden's opponent on Thursday will be the Russians, who blasted out of the gates against Canada and held on for a 6-5 victory under the most white-knuckle of circumstances. The Russians surrendered four goals in the third period and Canada's big “what if” is certainly going to revolve around its slow start. While Washington Caps super-prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov and top 2012 candidate Nail Yakupov were flying early and often, Canada's guns fumbled the puck. Great chances for Ryan Strome, Mark Stone and Jonathan Huberdeau all were squandered and it took the excellent play of blueliner Dougie Hamilton (the team's best player on the night) to ignite the comeback in the third period.
“Bad bounces? There's no excuse,” said right winger Brett Connolly. “They scored early and we didn't react. It sucks right now.”
Besides Hamilton, the 'D' corps had a rough night. Ryan Murray, another top 2012 prospect, was victimized on several early Russian goals, while Nathan Beaulieu didn't see another shift after giving up on a rush that eventually became the Russians’ game-winning goal. Needless to say, the Russians were thrilled with the result and proved for a second straight year what cold-blooded aces they can be.
“We were ready 100 percent,” Yakupov said. “Eighty-thousand red and white jerseys (sic.), doesn't matter right now. See you next year. We had 30, 20 guys from Siberia screaming 'Russia!' ”
Russian goaltender Andrei Vasilevski was eventually pulled during Canada's amazing third period, but the 2012 prospect was huge for his team in the first period, stopping numerous Canadian attacks. With a less-than-stellar defense in front of him, the youngster had to be great and he was.
Both Russia and Sweden will have to play more complete games in the final, but at least they don't have the haunting questions their fallen opponents are left to answer.
The Hot List: Impressive juniors
Ryan Kennedy, The Hockey News, 2012-01-03
No one can say it's been a boring tournament so far. The world juniors have featured upsets, nail-biters and still have some huge tilts on the schedule. Here's a look at some of the players – win or lose – who have proven themselves to be ones to watch for the NHL in a couple years.
Tomas Hertl, C – Slavia Prague (Cze.)
Though he couldn't get his team past the mighty Russians, Hertl was a force for the Czechs in the quarterfinal. Using his strength to shield the puck, he played a great possession game and showed excellent playmaking hops on the team's only goal. Through a translator, he came out of the loss with a positive attitude.
“It was a good experience,” he said. “Hockey in Canada is very good. The atmosphere was very good and we want to thank the spectators and the fans who followed us.”
Hertl would be a great addition to a major junior team next season, but he is playing against men in his nation's top league right now and putting up numbers, with nine goals and 15 points in his first 23 games.
“It is a difficult situation to talk about right now with my contract,” Hertl said. “I'll go back home and play for my club until the end of the season and then we'll see.”
Getting that older competition back home has been a boon for Hertl, who didn't look like one of the Czech's younger forwards.
“It's more clever,” he said. “Every situation is not just about speed, like in the (Czech) junior league. You have to solve the situation in a more clever way.”
And Hertl seems like a fast learner. Draft eligible in 2012.
Petr Mrazek, G – Ottawa 67s (OHL)
How can I not mention Mrazek? He nearly beat the Russians with a spectacular 43-save performance and was clearly the Czechs’ emotional leader all tourney long. Big glove saves, getting up and down quickly and never giving up on a play were all part of the 67s netminder's arsenal and the buzz around the past OHL playoff hero was deafening. Drafted 141st overall by Detroit in 2010.
Evgeny Kuznetsov, C – Traktor Chelyabinsk (KHL)
If Mrazek had a Dr. Moriarty Monday night, it was Kuznetsov (or maybe the Russian was Sherlock Holmes, trying to solve the Czech…). Russia's captain was a constant threat, making numerous charges at the Czech net, particularly early in the game. His skill level is undeniable, but the heart Kuznetsov showed was another tick on his checklist of greatness. Drafted 26th overall by Washington in 2010.
Jacob Trouba, D – U.S. NTDP (USHL)
So yeah, the Americans fell apart. But it wasn't all bad news. Trouba established himself as one of the best blueliners on the team, particularly against Canada where he earned U.S. player of the game honors. Big, quick and fearless, Trouba makes good decisions and doesn't mind throwing his weight around. He recently committed to the University of Michigan, though Kitchener has his major junior rights. Draft eligible in 2012.
Andrei Vasilevski, G – Tolpar Ufa (Rus.)
Matching Mrazek save for save in the quarterfinal, Vasilevski showed off a serious glove hand against the Czechs and repelled his opponents numerous times when the Russian defense slipped up. And that happened often. Vasilevski led the tournament with a blistering .969 save percentage heading into his showdown with Canada, while his 1.23 goals-against average was second to the Canucks' Scott Wedgewood, among starters. Draft eligible in 2012.
Marko Dano, RW – Dukla Trencin (Svk.)
A late 1994 birthday, Dano is one of the youngest players in the tournament, but he didn't play like it. Feisty, physical and confident, he threw big hits and made sound plays against the Finns in a quarterfinal loss. With the game getting out of hand, he earned more offensive opportunities, but even before that he was trusted with penalty kill duties and saw power play time as well. In a supporting role, he tallied three points in five games, including a goal against Finland. Draft eligible in 2013.
Ryan Murray, D – Everett Silvertips (WHL)
When both Scott Harrington and Nathan Beaulieu got banged up against the Americans, Murray was one of the Canadian D-men to shoulder the load. His excellent shutdown play has made him quite valuable in the tournament and almost makes you forget that he made his name on skating and two-way skill. Wrap that into a package and it's no surprise he'll be the top blueliner taken this summer. Draft eligible in 2012.
Markus Granlund, C – HIFK (Fin.)
Older brother Mikael gets most of the press, so how about some love for Markus, who brings much of the same skill in a slightly smaller frame? The younger Granlund sniped some sick goals against the Slovaks, connecting with his brother on several opportunities. The hockey sense and scintillating shot make him a winner. Drafted 45th overall by Calgary in 2011.
Joonas Donskoi, LW – Karpat Oulu (Fin.)
Playing the point on Finland's power play, Donskoi unleashed his rocket shot, scoring on one such strike. He's been a point-per-gamer at the world juniors and one of the players Finland will need to contribute if they are to medal. Drafted 99th overall by Florida in 2010.
Nikita Gusev, LW – CSKA (Rus.)
One of the unknowns to many North Americans, Gusev has already left his stamp on the world juniors, pacing the Russians in scoring and playing on a big line with Kuznetsov and Nikita Kucherov. Though undersized at 5-foot-9, 154 pounds, he has played for CSKA's KHL team and its junior MHL squad this season. Passed over twice in the draft, it won't likely happen again. Draft eligible in 2012 (undrafted in 2011).
Canada’s goaltending wasn’t good enough for gold
David Shoalts, Globe and Mail, Jan. 04, 2012
There is nothing like a heartbreaking loss in an international hockey tournament to set off a national debate, so here is a topic that’s been around before – what has happened to the crop of Canadian goaltenders?
While Tuesday night’s 6-5 loss to the Russians at the world junior tournament was a group effort, no one in that group contributed more than the goaltenders. Neither Scott Wedgewood nor, to a lesser extent, Mark Visentin was able to make a good save when the Canadians needed it, making it three years in a row Canada’s goaltending was not good enough for a gold medal.
Last year, Visentin was in goal for the famous meltdown that saw the Russians score five unanswered goals in the championship game. Again, Visentin was not the sole culprit as his defencemen fell apart in front of him, but he was unable to make the game-saving stop when it was necessary.
Wedgewood was the victim of three deflected goals on Tuesday but the third one could have been stopped. By the time he left the game due to an injury, Wedgewood had four goals against on 14 shots.
At the end of the night, the shots were 56-24 for Canada, numbers that do not flatter its goaltenders.
The goaltenders people will talk about by the end of this tournament are Petr Mrazek of the Czech Republic and Russia’s Andrei Vasilevski, even though he was also pulled in the Canada game.
While Canada was involved in 10 consecutive gold-medal games before this year’s world junior, goaltending was an issue in the last three years.
In 2010, Canadian starter Jake Allen had to be pulled after the Americans scored five goals in the gold-medal game, which ended a string of five consecutive championships for Canada.
You have to go back to 2008 to find a Canadian goaltender who is now an NHL regular. Steve Mason of the Columbus Blue Jackets had a great rookie season in the NHL but the only thing keeping him in the league now is the ridiculous contract Jackets general manager Scott Howson gave him based on that single season and the fact Howson has not been able to find a replacement.
Carey Price was the goaltender for Canada when it won the junior gold back in 2007. He is the only candidate under 25 years of age in sight for the role of the country’s next great goaltender.
When you extend the debate to the NHL, it does not get any more encouraging. The Pittsburgh Penguins’ Marc-Andre Fleury, 27, is pretty much the only name to add, although some would consider Cam Ward, 27, of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Martin Brodeur took over from Patrick Roy as Canada’s anchor in goal 10 years ago at the 2002 Winter Olympics when the country’s first gold medal in 50 years was won. But Brodeur always had some competition for the title from athletes like Curtis Joseph and Ed Belfour. Belfour is in The Hockey Hall of Fame, Joseph has a shot at it and Brodeur is a lock when he retires.
Since then, Roberto Luongo became Canada’s goaltender but his inconsistency makes his reign more of a caretaker position than anything. Fleury should be the man through the 2014 Olympics unless Price snatches the job away.
But both goaltenders have yet to prove they are the equal of Brodeur. Admittedly that is a tall order. The big problem is the field is awfully patchy once you get past those two.
A stroll through the NHL statistics does not produce a long list of Canadians from the league’s leading goaltenders. Among the No. 1 goalies for their teams, there is Brian Elliott of the St. Louis Blues and Mike Smith of the Phoenix Coyotes. Few would argue when it is pointed out this season is an aberration compared to both goalies’ body of work.
The best candidate to join the fight to be Canada’s goaltender might be Jonathan Bernier of the Los Angeles Kings. But he’s the backup to an American, Jonathan Quick, and needs a trade or an unlikely Quick collapse to prove it.
Report: Avery could go to Russia
The Sports Xchange, December 31, 2011
Having cleared waivers, Sean Avery was on his way to Hartford, to play for the New York Rangers’ AHL affiliate Hartford, but could soon be headed all the way to Russia, according to ESPNNewYork.com.
Wherever he goes, Avery has made a commitment to “work his tail off,” his agent, Pat Morris, told the website.
After getting waived twice this year by the New York Rangers, Avery could consider the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia, Morris, told the website.
There are teams in the KHL who have interest in Avery, according to the report.
Another potential option is a trade.
Avery had not played for the past nine games when the Rangers waived him Friday.
“This team is getting healthier, so it comes down to a numbers game,” coach John Tortorella told reporters of the move.
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