EDI-Flyer

LOL. I never noticed it before consciously but I do agree whole heartedly.

Sometimes it's the only strategy to employ. Saves a lot of blunt trauma to the head from butting the walls...

Remember that wonderful feature I told you about...........It does wonders for your sanity.

Also see my signature rod

Dude, last year--despite a horrible overall year--they were THIRD in the league in PP and FIFTH in the league in PK.

Exactly... The biggest problem the last two years has been there five on five play. The PP bailed them out offensively but was just papering over the cracks. 

Nice article featured on THN.com regarding the relationship between Adam Oates and Alex Ovechkin. 

Oates seems to have some great soft skills which have paid dividends in the shape of Ovi's resurgence. It's an interesting contrast to Dale Hunter's "my way or the highway" approach.

Adam Oates earned Alex Ovechkin's respect right away.

Oates reached out to Ovechkin after getting the job as coach of the Washington Capitals in June 2012, establishing a connection with the star captain that didn't exist under Dale Hunter. He capitalized on that by convincing Ovechkin to move to right wing last season, a switch that paved the way to Ovechkin winning the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player.

But Oates wasn't done cultivating a strong working relationship with his captain. Last summer, he flew to Russia to spend some time away from the rink and in Ovechkin's environment as a thank you for believing in the position change.

"I went there because he did something for the organization, for me and the staff, that he didn't have to do, in my opinion," Oates said Wednesday. "He won the Hart and there was no banquet last year, and I wanted to show him how much it meant to me, personally, and for the club, to go over on his turf to acknowledge it."

Ovechkin owes Oates for helping him reinvigorate his career after becoming somewhat stale and predictable. His goal production was still better than much of the league—32 in 2010-11 and 38 in 2011-12—but he wasn't the game-changing super star who broke into the league and piled up the awards.

Now 28, Ovechkin has 17 goals going into Friday night's game against the Montreal Canadiens. That's tied for top spot with St. Louis Blues forward Alex Steen, who was set to face the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.

Ovechkin wouldn't be in the midst of this career renaissance without Oates' pointers, which continue even as the goal light comes on far more often than it did two years ago.

"I'm not going to violate the trust, and I don't think he will," Oates said. "That doesn't mean that on a day-to-day basis I can't correct him on a game, like talk about things, little things and improve his game. I guess that's where the trust comes in that he trusts that I've got his best interests at heart. But I think he should be over that by now."

Ovechkin seems to be over it and comfortable with his coach and role as a high-scoring right-winger. He appreciates that Oates cares about players' lives beyond hockey.

"He wants to know the guys," Ovechkin said in September. "He don't want to do only training and be at the ice rink and show us video. He want to know everything about us, about me personally. He met my family, as well, last year. It's good. We can talk, not about hockey but different stuff of life."

According to The Washington Post, Oates did some film study with Ovechkin in Moscow over the summer and went out to a restaurant with him and his friends to watch the Russian national soccer team play Northern Ireland. Russia lost, but Ovechkin picked up the bill and the bond between player and coach grew stronger.

That's even with Ovechkin knowing full well that it didn't take flying halfway around the world to be on good terms.

"It doesn't matter if he fly or not, we still have a good relationship," Ovechkin said. "It was nice of him to come see me, what I'm doing out there, see my hometown. He spent one time on the ice with me. It's always good to have that kind of relationship with a coach. I never had it before. It's always exciting, it's always fun."

Oates agreed that it wasn't essential he go to Russia. It wasn't like this was a relationship that needed saving.

"I don't think we needed to get closer," he said. "I really like the guy. We get along great."

That's not to say there wasn't some tough love along the way. When Ovechkin second-guessed the switch to right wing early in the 2013 season, Oates moved him back to the left side but played him with grinders Jay Beagle and Joey Crabb.

Four games later, Ovechkin was back to buying what Oates was selling about being a right-winger and has been there since. He has 40 goals in his past 43 games dating to March and is a legitimate threat to score 50 in a full season.

Some of that is thanks to Ovechkin maturing as a player and a person in his late 20s, but he knows his coach has pushed all the right buttons. Even when Oates joked that the Capitals' successful third line of Jason Chimera, Mikhail Grabovski and Joel Ward were actually the top line, Ovechkin smiled and acknowledged he knows a thing or two about hockey.

 

"You can see when Oatesy makes a decision it's working all the time," Ovechkin said.

Source

Great stuff from Richie, I guess the player bond is strong enough to have survived his trade to LA.

I'm pretty sure that there would have been some stuff in there about ignoring the herd of incompetents that represent the Philly media...

@EDI-Flyer,

 

He's only 160 lbs now.  That's a lot of weight to put on and will take him several years to do it.  If he was a forward, 190 might be enough.  I don't think its enough to play defense without getting pushed around.  I think he needs to be around 210 to remain serviceable.

@AFF, 

The 160lb's referenced was his draft weight, since then he has gained around 7lbs, taking him to 167lb's. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect him to put on 15-20lbs over the next couple of years with good off season training. 

By way of reference Kimo Timonen is listed at 5"11 and 195lb's and he has managed to make a pretty good career of it. Would I like Ghost to be 3" taller and 40lb's heavier? Sure, but would that quite possilbly affect his speed negatively and detract from his overall game.

Nice write up on Shayne Ghostisbehere on NHL.com by Adam Kimelman. Looks like his offensive game has picked up even more than last year. 

Would love to see him put on a few pounds and get to around 185-190lb. IMO that's the weight range he will need to reach in order to have a shot at playing in the NHL on a full time basis. Having said that he still has time, with at least another year and a half of college.

Also good to see him learning the defensive side of things, he needs to learn how to play in his own end a little smarter.

But overall it's a real positive when you get a kid drafted in the 3rd round with a real chance of being on the Flyers team 2-3 years down the line. 

If (and it's a big if) he, Morin and Hagg develop as hoped then the future of the D corps looks in good shape, certainly these are some of the best D prospects we have seen for a while.

Gostisbehere's brilliant season suggests bright future

 

Last season went about as well as possible for Union College defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere.

It started not long after he was picked by the Philadelphia Flyers in the third round of the 2012 NHL Draft (No. 78). He won a gold medal with the United States at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship, and had eight goals and 18 assists in 36 games as Union won a second consecutive ECAC title and advanced to the NCAA East Regional final. Gostisbehere was named to the NCAA East Second All-American Team.

While the history major appreciates where he's been, the junior is focused solely on the present. And that present has looked about as successful as his past.

Through 11 games Gostisbehere has four goals and eight assists. He has an even plus/minus rating but has been a plus or even player in seven of 11 games.

Last season went as well as possible for Union College defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, a Flyers draft pick who has already won gold at the World Junior Championship. (Photo: Daniel Jankowski/Union College)

If Gostisbehere makes it to the next level it will be mostly based on his high-end offensive play; his 12 points are tied for the NCAA lead among defensemen. However, his focus this season is becoming more dependable in the defensive end.

"I felt like a little bit this year I got away from that, trying to do too much offensively," he told NHL.com. "Coach [Rick Bennett] reminded me I am a defenseman and to worry about having a defense-first mentality. You have to pick your spots, and I have to learn when I can and can't jump [into the play]."

Bennett told NHL.com that part of Gostisbehere's game continues to grow, and said the development already has been exponential.

"I think he made a tremendous jump with his learning curve after the first half of his freshman year to his second half of his first year," Bennett said. "It was night and day. He really picked it up and he's carried the second half of his first year on through and every year he's gotten better and better. He's very willing to learn and he just competes so hard in practice and in games. That's why he's developed so much."

Part of that development has come from playing in all situations now, including killing penalties.

"My freshman year I didn't see one lick of PK time, but this year I'm playing a lot of PK, getting a lot of defensive-zone faceoffs," Gostisbehere said. "I like it more. I like playing defense. I like being relied on offensively, defensively, in all parts of the game. It's cool to see the transition from freshman to junior year and see how my defensive game has developed."

Off the ice, Gostisbehere's development has been sped up with his role this season as an alternate captain.

"We felt as a staff that he earned that," Bennett said. "We couldn't be happier for him. I think he leads by example out there. Anyone can say that in games, but he really leads by example in practice. He goes hard and I think all our players feed off that. He's a passionate guy and I think that rubs off on our players as well. Between being wiling and really passionate out there, I think it's a real good combination to be a leader."

Gostisbehere takes the letter on his jersey, and the meaning that goes with it, very seriously.

"It means a lot for my coaches to give me an 'A,'" he said. "Being a younger guy, they trust me to be a leader and I want to show them I'm a leader and I can handle the 'A.'

The other facet of Gostisbehere's game that has developed is his physical strength. He's listed at 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds; while he certainly would like to get stronger, he told NHL.com the goal is to put on a few pounds without having it affect his skating or elusiveness.

"I've packed on a few pounds and didn't lose any more of my speed," Gostisbehere said. "When I have the chance to take the body I can take it, but I'm not going to knock a guy into the second row. Putting weight on is what I needed to do. I feel I've been doing that and I need to keep on doing that."

Bennett said he isn't worried about Gostisbehere handling himself against bigger players.

"We just played a pretty big opponent and that really wasn't an issue," he said. "We've played a few big teams this past season, and the games against the bigger teams he's shown that he's got a very quick stick that really helps him find ways to make it easier on himself in the defensive zone and on the rush. As far as physicality, he's gotten bigger and bigger every year. The next progression is when he maintains weight over the course of a full season; that's a good test for the next level."

When he makes that jump to the next level remains to be seen. Gostisbehere worked extensively with Ian Laperriere, who served as the Flyers' director of player development prior to him becoming an assistant coach and also has spent time with Kjell Samuelsson, who replaced Laperriere.

"[samuelsson said] just keep it up," Gostisbehere said. "He's already seen a couple games. He likes what I do offensively. Just the defensive side, learning when to pick my spots … on the penalty kill where I position my stick, little things like that. But he's real hopeful."

 

 

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=692048&cmpid=nhl-twt

 

@brelic

 

 

Just imagine a Soccer game which is similar to hockey by having a goalie position having penalty kicks after a period of overtime.  

 

....oh wait

 

I don't think you'll find a huge number of football supporters that are enthusiastic about the penalty kicks deciding tournaments either...

I don't know much about soccer, but I thought they could have a draw in league play. Then they have penalty kicks when it's tournament play or when a winner needs to be determined.

Exactly right... 

Personally I'm all for making the shooutout disappear but 3 on 3 just seems a ridiculous way to decide a hockey game IMO. My first preference would be simply to allow tie games with each team getting a point. If you really must have OT then play 5 minutes and remove the loser point. 

I was surprised nobody went after him after he tried to take Backstroms head off. You just don't let that happen, especially to your goalie. Brutal elbow, then lands on him.

100% agree with this. Win, lose, or draw make him understand that he to answer for hits like this. 

Even deliver a solid elbow to his head when he's not expecting it, make him pay the price even if it costs you. I do appreciate that this is not the 70's but what do you think Dave Schultz would have done in a situation like this? He would have destroyed the guy, and I guarantee you he would learn the lesson. Just ask Dale Rolfe.

they're both... fine examples of sports journalism.

Very disappointing story from the the Vancouver Sun. It does sound like a party that went bad and probably wouldn't make the paper if it didn't involve two junior hockey players. However the two guys concerned will have to face the consequences of their actions. Any convictions could potentially cause some serious damage to their careers...

A pair of Vancouver Giants hockey players are facing assault charges, according to court records.

 

Right winger Jackson Houck and defenceman Brett Kulak were charged with assault causing bodily harm in relation to events that took place Aug. 18, according to B.C. court services.

 

Kulak was booked with an additional charge of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm.

 

The charges stem back to a house party in Delta – the same city where the Giants’ practice rink is located - according to a radio report by CKNW.

 

In the week before the alleged offences, Houck had tweeted “Can't wait till next week when I'm back in Ladner with all the fellas at camp! #gmen #giants #missit.”

 

The pair’s first court date was Oct. 16. Kulak is scheduled to return to court Nov. 20 and Houck’s next appearance is slated for Feb. 28.

 

Despite the criminal charges, both men have continued to play for the Giants. Kulak is the team’s leading scorer and Houck is not far behind.

 

Delta police were unable to provide further details about the charges by print deadline.

 

Vancouver Giants owner Ron Toigo released a statement regarding Houck and Kulak:

 

"Due to an incident that took place on August 18 at a Tsawwassen house party, both players will be in court on November 20th to have these matters dealt with.

 

We cannot comment on the charges or the likely outcome at this time, and hopefully this will all be behind us after that court date.

 

What we can say is that our players are held to a higher standard and, for the most part, live up to that.

 

This is the first instance that we have had a player have to go to court and that is unfortunate.

 

Both Jackson and Brett have been, and are, exceptional people.

 

They have been good students, and have put in many hours of community service hours through school visits and the Read to Succeed program, Odd Squad with Chris Graham of the Vancouver Police, and hospital visits with the Giants' Christmas program.

 

Both these players have been, and are, very good citizens and have been good members of our community.

 

It is unfortunate that one negative incident gets the attention instead of all the good things that have been done.

 

They are both prepared to deal with whatever the court decides.

 

Please appreciate and understand that the players and anyone from the Vancouver Giants organization cannot comment on any of these legal matters.

 

Thank You."

 

Kulak and Houck were both on the ice for the Giants’ 5-1 win at home to Prince George on Saturday. Kulak scored twice and Houck added a goal in the win.

 

Kulak, a 19-year-old defenceman drafted 105th overall by the Calgary Flames in 2012, has nine goals and 13 assists through 21 games this season.

 

Houck, an 18-year-old right winger taken 94th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the June draft, has nine goals and six assists in 20 games.

 

 

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Vancouver+Giants+charged+with+assault+updated/9145881/story.html#ixzz2kTL1ND1r

 

From the QMJHL:

http://theqmjhl.ca/article/qmjhl-announces-2012-subway-super-series-roster_151379

The Gatineau Olympiques and Sherbrooke Phoenix organizations, in collaboration with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Canadian Hockey League, today announced the roster of Team QMJHL which will compete against Team Russia in the 2013 SUBWAY® Super Series.

The Olympiques will host the first game of the series on Monday, November 18th at the Robert Guertin Centre, while the Phoenix will host game two at the Palais des Sports Léopold-Drolet on Wednesday, November 20th.  Team Russia then heads west to play two games against Team OHL followed by two games against Team WHL.  All six contests will be televised nationwide on Sportsnet while TVA Sports will broadcast the two contests in QMJHL territory.

Each of the three CHL member leagues assembled a selection committee, working closely with Hockey Canada, to select the players for this year’s series. A total of twenty-three players will participate in the event this year.  The rosters for each individual game will be announced at a later date.  

The 2013 SUBWAY® Super Series is supported by CHL associate sponsors, Bank of Montreal and Old Dutch.

Team QMJHL roster for the 2013 SUBWAY® Super Series:

GOALTENDERS
Auger, Sébastien
Fucale, Zachary

DEFENSEMEN
Vanier, Alexis (BAC)
Fournier, Dillon (ROU)
Graves, Ryan (CHA)
Weegar, MacKenzie (HAL)
Hachè, Justin (CAP)
Morin, Samuel (RIM)
Walcott, Daniel (BLB)

FORWARDS
Mantha, Anthony (VDO)
Hudon, Charles (CHI)
Roy, Marc-Olivier (BLB)
Duclair, Anthony (QUE)
Deluca, Anthony (RIM)
Girard, Félix (BAC)
Gauthier, Frédérik (RIM)
Dauphin, Laurent (CHI)
Drouin, Jonathan (HAL)
Carrier, William (CAP)
Gregoire, Jeremy (BAC)
Audette, Daniel (SHE)
Clapperton, Christopher (BLB)
Poirier, Émile (GAT)

The schedule for the 2013 SUBWAY® Super Series is as follows:

Game 1 – Monday November 18 at Gatineau, QC
Game 2 – Wednesday November 20 at Sherbrooke, QC
Game 3 – Thursday November 21 at Oshawa, ON
Game 4 – Monday November 25 at Sudbury, ON
Game 5 – Wednesday November 27 at Red Deer, AB
Game 6 – Thursday November 28 at Lethbridge, AB

 

Apparently Igor Larionov is heading to Edmonton to discuss how Nail Yakupov is being used... Let the trade rumours commence...

For the record I think it is ridiculous that this is even being mentioned unless it is Larionov's way of trying to take the heat of Yakupov. Even then I think it is counterproductive at best.

Given his struggles defensively it is hardly surprising that his ice time has been cut and he is playing on the 3rd or 4th line.

Despite a strong insistence from Oilers coach Dallas Eakins last week that Nail Yakupov is in no danger of being traded but is just working through some growing pains, the Yakupov soap opera won't die.

 

Yakupov's agent Igor Larionov was on hand for the Hockey Hall of Fame festivities in Toronto on Monday night and ESPN's Craig Custance caught up with the former great to discuss Yakupov. Things could be getting a lot more interesting.

 

 

Craig Custance @CraigCustance

Follow

Igor Larionov says he's got a trip planned to Edmonton to discuss how Nail Yakupov is being used. Pretty unhappy.

11:11 PM - 11 Nov 2013

 

Welp, that doesn't sound too good. Sometimes things can be hashed out and understandings can be reached but any time an agent feels the need to essentially vent to a team about his client's role and is said to be unhappy, it's not a positive sign.

Larionov didn't stop there, though.

 

 

Craig Custance @CraigCustance

Follow

If EDM unhappy with him, Larionov said Yak open to trade: "We're willing to make a move. Any team. That happens and that's part of life."

1:11 AM - 12 Nov 2013

 

With that the ears of 29 general managers across the league perked up to pay attention.

 

Already some are getting worked up but I'd preach caution here. The important part of that tweet is where it says if Edmonton is unhappy. Eakins didn't sound like a guy who was unhappy with Yakupov and his career trajectory. However if Larionov says he and Yakupov are already at the point of considering it, it doesn't bode well.

 

Yakupov gave a reminder on Sunday night why it would probably be very unwise to trade Yakupov away with a bullet of a one-timer on the power play for an Oilers goal. However those have been too infrequent this season as it was just the second goal and fourth point in 17 games.

 

For the time being, the book remains open on the Yakupov buzz; it doesn't help that the Oilers continue to struggle as well.

 

And for anyone unaware of the comments made by the mayor of Montreal...

MONTREAL - Montreal's newly elected mayor, who has a proven knack for getting in the news, has already had his first public spat with the local hockey team.

Denis Coderre, the former federal MP who was elected mayor on Nov. 3, has drawn the ire of some Montreal Canadiens.

During last night's game he tweeted: "Hello? Can we get a one-way ticket to (minor-league) Hamilton for David Desharnais please..."

It was a rather run-of-the-mill remark for a regular hockey fan. Countless numbers of them tweet running commentary on Habs games and many have criticized the play of the struggling forward.

But this one drew a little more attention, coming from the mayor.

The team was pushing back at Coderre on Monday.

Max Pacioretty, a longtime linemate of Desharnais, was particularly fuming and when asked about the remark he unloaded on the mayor.

"I'm very, very upset about that," Pacioretty said.

"What, do you think he's gonna coach our team tomorrow? That's embarrassing...

"To bring down a player — such a great person, such a great player, such a hard worker ... Davey's a true competitor and he's a great player and a great teammate, and that's just so uncalled for... It's only going to make matters worse."

Defenseman Josh Gorges said it's wrong to kick someone when they're down.

And coach Michel Therrien may quietly agree with Coderre's assessment of Desharnais' play, given that he's been handing him less icetime lately.

But he doesn't welcome the remark.

"I really believe this is inappropriate from our mayor," said Therrien, weighing his words carefully.

Coderre's outspokenness and penchant for grabbing the spotlight is a distant cry from the city's last elected mayor — the understated, Harvard-educated Gerald Tremblay, who was eventually felled by a controversy over corruption at city hall.

The first week alone has demonstrated that in abundance.

Since Coderre won the election, he has already had a run-in with the Parti Quebecois provincial government over its religion charter; with the powerful mayor of Quebec City over a perceived slight to him; and now with the Montreal Canadiens.

He also encouraged embattled Toronto mayor Rob Ford last week to switch to "Diet Coke."

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/hockey/Montreals+mayor+angers+Habs+criticizing+player/9151730/story.html#ixzz2kTDPYudT

 

Late to the thread a bit, but here's my 2 cents. 

I have no problem with this trade whatsoever. I like Max as a player but we have a logjam at centre and he can easily be replaced. Think Laughton next season or possibly even Cousins. 

In the mean time we got an offensive upgrade in Downie who can potentially play on the first or second line. 

This was posted by me in a thread in the Avalanche forum and I stand by it:

Posted Oct 12, 2013 - 08:46 PM

 

Downie has always had it in him IMO, he has certainly matured over the last few years. As long as he avoids the dumb suspensions he will be a force for them. I remember one of the scouting reports on him prior to the draft quoting a scout as saying "you win with guys like this on your team, with his grit he belongs in the W(HL)"

 

 

He has certainly matured since his time with the Flyers and even if it should all go wrong he is UFA at the end of the season. I really don't see a huge down side to this trade.

Patrick roy sure has done a hell of a job instilling confidence into that young team.

 

I hate the guy, but so far, his team has impressed.

 

Imagine if years from now, Roy is regarded as one of the great coaches!

I always used to hear these words: hate the sin, not the sinner

Seriously though, I don't have a lot of time for the guy on a personal level but he has done a great job so far. I think his time with the Rempart has given him the tools to understand and motivate a young squad. 

I would love to be able to fast forward a couple of years and see just how this all turns out.

So it's nearly a month into the season and the Av's sit at 9-1 atop the NHL. Not their division. Not their conference. The whole damn NHL.

And they haven't done it in the way most people would have thought, by winning high scoring shootouts. Oh no, not this team. Sure they are averaging 3.2 goals which is a pretty decent rate of production, but the most impressive thing has been the goal tending and the D. 

2 shutouts 10 games into the season. 14 goals against. I 'll say that again: 14 goals against. The only team with better goals against is Boston with 13, having played one game less. 

Think about that for a second. Last year they averaged 3.17 goals. Not goals for, goals against. Granted it is only 10 games into the season but they have reduced GAA by 1.77 per game. 

A big part of that is their commitment to team D. The whole team is playing for one another and there doesn't seem to be any ego problems from "Star Players"

Another huge part has been the stellar play of their goaltenders. Semyon Varlamov is sitting at .948 save % having played 7 games, with a GAA of 1.73. JS Giguere has played only 3 games but has pitched two shutouts. He has a .981 save % and a ridiculous GAA of 0.67.

Bear in mind that both shutouts came on the road against arguably the Eastern Conferences top two teams in Boston and Pittsburgh, neither of whom usually have a shortage of offence.

(By the way, for the Flyers fans reading this, JS Giguere has more shutouts in 3 games than the Flyers managed in 48 last season. And judging by the way this season is going there is a fair chance that those 2 shutouts will be more than the Flyers manage collectively this year but I digress...)

Incidentally don't think I am making light of the contribution that Patrick Roy has made to this team, while he may not have assembled it he has certainly been instrumental in getting them to play well together.

Two weeks ago I said this:

Well, here we are four games into the season and the Aves sit at 4-0, joint top of the West with San Jose. Moreover, whilst they have been more or less as billed on the offensive front, the real surprise so far has come on the blue line. 

 

Thus far they have conceded three goals in those four games, three of which have come against pretty good offensive teams (Toronto, Boston and Anaheim). Indeed they pitched a shutout against Boston last night with Giguere stoning all attempts by Boston. 

 

While I don't think they will remain atop the standings for the rest of the season I think they could well make the play offs if they continue to buy into Patrick Roy's game plan.

 

Any way you cut it they are a very entertaining team to watch and I will certainly be making the effort to watch a fair few of their games.

 

 

Well, six games further on they are still on top of the league, still playing great D and have added a shutout.

I stand by what I said in terms of them remaining in top of the rankings. This is still a young team and I think they will hit a wall at some point. However having barring major injuries I definitely see them as a playoff team, and potentially a threat out of the West. 

I hope they continue to play with the same enjoyment they are showing and I certainly am continuing to watch this fun team.

@flyercanuck, @jammer2

I had heard about the skating, not so much about the work ethic to be honest. I would agree not a top ten pick but at 20 I would say he represents good value as a prospect. IF he can translate his scoring game to the NHL (and there have been plenty of junior stars who couldn't) the Wings could do very well with him.

One thing you can say for the Wings scouting team is that they aren't wrong all that often. One can only assume they haven't seen any insurmountable obstacles with him.

Per the QMJHL:

Anthony Mantha is the CHL player of the week. I really like this kid, late first round pick by Detroit and has one heck of an instinct for goals. Yes it's the Q but his stats are strong by anyone's measurements.

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Detroit Red Wings prospect Anthony Mantha of the Val-d’Or Foreurs is the CHL Player of the Week for the week ending October 13 after recording 10 points in just two games scoring five goals and five assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-7.

 

Mantha exploded offensively recording back-to-back five-point games helping the Foreurs earn a pair of victories last week to extend their winning streak to five straight games.  On Friday night Mantha scored twice and added three assists as first star of a 6-4 win over the Drummondville Voltigeurs, then netted a hat-trick with two assists on Saturday as first star of a 6-5 overtime win over the Sherbrooke Phoenix. 

 

Mantha, a 19-year-old from Longueuil, Quebec, is playing in his third QMJHL season with the Foreurs.  A first round pick of the Red Wings, selected 20^th overall in 2013, Mantha just recently signed an NHL entry-level contract and currently leads the QMJHL in scoring with 16 goals and 12 assists for 28 points in just nine games

 

 

.

Also considered for the award this week was Toronto Maple Leafs prospect and OHL Top Scorer Connor Brown with three goals and four assists for seven points in three games, while Matt Pufahl of the Everett Silvertips scored four goals with two assists for six points in four games last week.

Is it fair to all us junior fans who have been paying to see this guy play to have him yanked off the team, say halfway through the playoffs because Winnipeg decides they want to give him a shot? Is it fair to a junior player who isn't physically ready to play against a bunch of men to get pushed into the AHL because his teams management don't have the patience to let him devlop another year in junior?

I appreciate what you are saying FC, and I say this as someone who enjoyed watching Evander Kane play for the Vancouver giants, BUT:

I am concerned by the lack of consistency. If it is in the interests of CHL players to be returned to their clubs what of those players from US and Euro teams who aren't afforded that same protection? IMO it is not about player development so much as business and brand development for the CHL. And I have no problem with that but lets be honest about it. 

And while I agree that not all players are suited to make the jump to the AHL there are many players whose game would be enhanced by the chance of playing against men in a pro environment. Sean Monohan springs to mind. Calgary have decided to keep him rather than send him back to jr but he may have been better served by going to the AHL.

@yave1964

I fully agree with you. We have now come to a situation where the tail is wagging the dog. I would also say that the inability to place a talented junior in the AHL because of his age is ludicrous. I understand the CHL wants to protect its talent but the drafting club should have a right (along with the player) to decide where would be best for their development. 

Using your example of Jonathan Drouin, can anyone tell me that he is better served by another season in the Q against boys rather than a year in the AHL adjusting to the pro game? I doubt it. 

The crazy thing is that this just applies to the CHL. Come from collegiate hockey? US NDTP? No problem, place them where you want. The interests of the younger players are not being well served here IMO and the NHL should act.

That said the youngsters were the first thrown under the bus by the NHL and NHLPA in the last two CBA's...

It’s difficult to miss Chris Pronger, even when he’s wearing a suit and tie instead of hockey equipment. That’s largely because he’s so big, but he’s also loud and boisterous and draws a crowd. Draft day 2013 was no different. Even though Pronger was behind the barrier separating teams from everyone else, he came to the front of the area to share his thoughts with anyone who would listen and a few who wouldn’t. And like John ‘Bluto’ Blutarsky in Animal House, it’s best to let him keep going when he’s on a roll.

The San Jose Sharks had just selected Swiss-born Western League star Mirco Mueller 18th overall and Pronger was touting his abilities as a soothsayer. “I called that one,” he declared. “When I left the table and (the Sharks) traded up, I said, ‘They’re picking Mueller.’ Doug Wilson takes all the Germans and the Swiss. Just look at his drafts, those are the types of kids he takes.”

It’s good to see Pronger again. It’s even better to see him back to something that, at least on the outside, resembles his former self. Ravaged by post-concussion syndrome and a serious eye injury, Pronger hasn’t been on the ice since Nov. 19, 2011, with the exception of “pushing pucks around” during his sons’ practices. And despite his public proclamations that he still holds out hopes of playing again, it’s widely believed his career is over. He has come a long way from the depressing days filled with despair when he would stumble around his house in the dark, but he’s even further from ever being fit to play in the NHL. A friend who went paddle boarding with him at a former teammates’ wedding said Pronger was sore for days after the experience. Thirteen career surgeries will do that to a guy.

“I’ll say it, Chris is never going to play again,” said Philadelphia Flyers GM Paul Holmgren. “I have no problems saying it.”

Just because Pronger isn’t on the ice, however, doesn’t mean he isn’t intent on staying in the game. In fact, Pronger sat at the Flyers table during the draft because he’d done a fair bit of scouting defensemen last season. He’d pore over game tapes at home, then head out for short periods to watch some of the top prospects in person. He saw Darnell Nurse, who ended up going seventh overall to the Edmonton Oilers, several times. And he really liked Mueller.

Holmgren said the plan has been good for the Flyers and “good therapy” for Pronger as he prepares for life without the game as a player. Whether that means getting involved at the management level is something Pronger will contemplate over the next couple years, presumably while he sits on the long-term injury list and waits for his contract to expire in four years. Last year, he watched Scott Laughton, the Flyers first-round pick in 2012, and was part of the interview process. As much as it helps Pronger, Holmgren said he values his opinions, particularly when it comes to blueliners.

“Chris is one of the smartest guys in hockey I know,” Holmgren said. “He has a real grasp of the game and a real understanding of his position and everybody else’s position on the ice. He’s like Tom Brady as a player. He just knows that much about what’s going on.”

Pronger has long projected as an executive. Few players were more plugged-in and he always seemed to know a lot of gossip going around the league. He was always a student of the game, studying tendencies of players and being able to provide a thorough scouting report on almost every one of his opponents. And though he didn’t directly scout Samuel Morin, the 6-foot-6 defenseman from the Rimouski Oceanic that the Flyers took 11th overall in 2013, he did have a word of advice for the young man.

“I said congratulations and then I told him, ‘Keep your f—ing head up, kid,’ ” Pronger said.

Pronger’s concussion symptoms have abated, but problems remain in his right eye, which was struck by the stick of Mikhail Grabovski on the follow through of a shot in a game about a month before he stopped playing for good. The way Pronger explains it, when most people look at the horizon, then move their head, their eyes don’t move. His eye, however is unable to hold its position.

“Mine flickers, so I get dizzy if I’m moving it too fast because my eye is going like that,” he said. “I work on all that s— in therapy and we’ll see. We’ll see.”

The reality is the best Pronger can hope for is to be able to have a good quality of life post-hockey. Right now he’s in what Holmgren describes as “no man’s land.” That largely has to do with his contract status, which he and the Flyers created when they signed a seven-year deal worth $34.6 million in 2010. At the time, those deals were perfectly legal under the collective bargaining agreement and spreading the amount over seven years – his salary is just $575,000 in each of the final two years of the deal – served to bring the cap hit down to $4.9 million.

But since Pronger turned 35 during the deal, the Flyers have no way out of absorbing the cap hit for the next four seasons. He isn’t going to retire because he’s due $7 million in salary next season and $4 million in 2014-15. If he were to retire, he’d forfeit the money and the Flyers would still be on the hook for the cap hit the next four seasons. They can’t buy him out because the CBA forbids teams from buying out injured players, but the Flyers do get the cap relief by keeping him on the long-term injury list, the same way the Boston Bruins are dealing with Marc Savard.

Over-35 contracts were designed to prevent teams from circumventing the CBA, but it’s almost certain neither Pronger nor Savard – whose $4-million cap hit also runs the next four seasons, though his isn’t a 35-plus deal – will play again.

The league made an exception last season for Scott Gomez and Wade Redden, who weren’t on over-35 contracts but nonetheless were in limbo coming out of the lockout due to their mammoth contracts. Their respective clubs at the time (the Canadiens and Rangers) planned to make them compliance buyouts, but they had to wait until the end of the season in accordance with the new CBA. The NHL stepped in and allowed each team one compliance buyout prior to the start of the season and Montreal and New York quickly bought out Gomez and Redden so they could play in 2012-13. Pronger’s agent, Pat Morris, and Holmgren, would like to see a similar favor extended to Pronger to address his unique situation. According to NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, there are no plans to make an exception.

For Pronger, there are ramifications. If he were to retroactively retire after 2011-12, he’d be eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame in 2015. As it stands, he’ll have to wait until 2020. He also can’t retire to concentrate on his post-career plans because of his contract status. And if he were to retire in two years when his yearly salary goes down dramatically, the Flyers would still be on the hook for his $4.9-million cap hit without the benefit of relief from the long-term injury list. Plus, those close to him opine he’ll still want the $1.2 million from the last two years of the deal. (Friends believe he may still have his communion money.)

It’s a bit of a mess to be sure. In the meantime, Pronger has moved back to his base in St. Louis with his wife and three children and is getting on with his life. That may entail doing some scouting the next four years, but he likely won’t fade away. And that’s a good thing, if only for the one-liners.

As he concluded holding court at the draft, Pronger reflected on the fact that it had been 20 years since he went second overall to the Hartford Whalers. After being selected first by Ottawa at the Colisee in Quebec City in 1993, Alexandre Daigle remarked that nobody remembers who went second.

“Nobody remembers No. 2, boys, nobody remembers No. 2 – all-time quote,” Pronger said. “Guess who ate the s— sandwich on that one?”

 

http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/the-magazine-chris-pronger-still-at-large/

Nice to see an article by Ken Campbell that I don't violently disagree with for a change. Best wishes go out to Chris and his family, sorry he's left the area but you can understand that he wants to be in his family home. 

That's why they gotta fire Homer and fast. He's going to try and salvage his job at any cost.

Preaching to the choir on that one man

Equally though, until "Mr Snider" (sorry, can't quite manage Coatsies grovelling tone) is pushing up the daisies the issue will continue, doesn't matter if you change the puppet when the man with his hand up its arse stays the same...

You can win with a strong D and poor O but you can't really win with a strong O and poor D. Also it's a lot harder to get good D men then it is to find a good forward. So Ekblad without a doubt.

However IMO this is moot as we won't suck quite badly enough to get 1 or 2 overall. We will suck for most of the season and then win the meaningless games leaving us picking 9th or 10th. Oh wait, that's what happened last year too...

After what must have been a challenging summer (the partying reports, the trade, the tweets) Tyler Seguin finally seems to be letting his play do the talking. Four points last last (2G, 2A) and displaying the skills that made Boston draft him. Hopefully he has had a wake up call and is belatedly maturing a little. The change in scenery certainly seems to be helping him, as does playing in a relatively anonymous market.

An interesting article in the Dallas News:

Seguin is an interesting study in several elements of hockey business. Did the Boston Bruins do the right thing by unloading a player who was just 21 and was taken second overall in the 2010 draft? Did Jim Nill give up too much when he surrendered Loui Eriksson and prospect Reilly Smith, Matt Fraser and Joe Morrow for Seguin, Rich Peverley and prospect Ryan Button? Was Seguin’s maturity a problem in Boston? Will the Stars be better equipped to handle any maturity problems now that Seguin is playing outside the hockey-mad northeastern U.S.?

There’s a lot to digest there.

Seguin said he has enjoyed walking through Dallas’ streets with a little anonymity.

“I always thought when I was growing up that I wanted to be recognized for the sport I play, and obviously Boston got a little overwhelming at times,” he said. “Now, I can go and just have a quiet lunch. It’s a nice break. It’s a different scenario and a different atmosphere in Dallas.”

And while that might help his development, he knows the key to his happiness is on the ice. He and Benn had looked only so-so in their first two games together, as each had one assist. But the game they played Friday was effective and fast.

 

Of course, he’s doing that while moving from right wing to center and playing on a new team in a new conference. But with nights like Friday it seems like a good change.

“It’s been awesome,” Seguin said. “It’s definitely a fresh start.”