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It's a Canadian Game

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  1. It's a Canadian Game
    This week has been full of optimism from everyone still following the on-going battle to see a resolution to the NHL lockout. The lockout that has now claimed the first month of the season. This week the NHLPA and the NHL met four times and for the first time in weeks it seems that for once both sides were actually negotiating rather than giving each other ultimatums.
    However, after the negotiations that lasted nearly 20 hours, through Tuesday-Thursday ,showed much promise the meeting that lasted 4.5 hours on Friday has put a damper on what looked to have been an impending solution to the lockout. The biggest issue that seems to be keeping both sides from coming up with a deal is the proposed "make whole" aspect. "Make whole" is what the players have been arguing for since the beginning of negotiations, it outlines the belief that players should have the contracts that they are currently signed to honoured in full.
    The NHL is hoping to put caps on both how much players can make a year and also a cap of 5 years as the max length players can be signed to under one contract. So, with these new rules being pushed by the NHL, the NHL has suggested it would like to avoid paying the players the money that have already been signed to. The NHL also wants to fix the ways some players have structured their contracts lately. In the past few years we have seen the likes of Ilya Kovalchuck and Shea Weber to name a few, structure their contracts in a way where contracts exceed 10 years and see players get paid large amounts in the beginning of the contract and then lower amounts towards the end. These contracts have not been taken kindly by the NHL and the owners because they realize that in many of these cases the players will not play the entire duration of the contract, but will still continue to be paid.
    The negotiations this week were looking very promising, TSN's James Duthie even tweeted Wednesday night saying someone who had been in the room during the talks said "there's potential". These thoughts have since gone down hill.
    Another source of controversy that came out of the meetings this week was the accusation that NHLPA director Donald Fehr had been withholding information from the players, such as proposals that NHL had made. This has been since been dismissed by both Fehr and several players.
    All in all this week was a positive to many as at least both sides continue to negotiate and try to hammer out a deal, but until then fans will wait anxiously with the hopes that a deal is a lot closer than it was a week ago.
    For an in-depth look at the meetings and the concept of "make whole" check out TSN insider Pierre Lebrun's view on this week's meetings.
    http://watch.tsn.ca/...3633#clip803633
    Follow me on Twitter@Craig_Hagerman
  2. It's a Canadian Game
    The newest class of inductees into the Hockey Hall of Fame was announced Monday.
    This November the likes of Dominik Hasek, Peter Foresberg, Rob Blake, Mike Modano, Pat Burns, and Bill McCreary will become the newest members to be enshrined in the hall.
    With this year’s class named, questions about who was left off this year’s card begin to swirl. The most popular name that had been receiving a lot of consideration in the days leading up to Monday’s announcement was ‘the Big E’ Eric Lindros.
    However, once again Lindros was not fortunate enough to have his name added among the game’s great which now makes it five years now that Lindros has been left off the ballad since he became eligible to be inducted.
    Now although Lindros’ name seems to be the name people bring up when they talk about Hall of Fame snubs, another name that has also been snubbed by the hall and deserves some serious consideration is Russian great Alexander Mogilny.
    Like Lindros, Mogilny has been eligible to be inducted into the hall since 2009. Now although Mogilny may not have put up the most points by any Russian and may not be on a lot of people’s radar to get into the hall, there is no question that what he did on the ice and for the game was nothing short of great. The original ‘Alexander the Great’ deserves to be remembered for what he did for the sport.
    The Russian sniper finished his NHL career having racked up 473 goals and 1,032 points in 990 games. On top of that Mogilny is a member of the very rare Triple Gold club after winning the Stanley Cup in 2000, the World Championship in 1989, and Olympic Gold in 1988.
    However, what Mogilny might be known most for is the path he carved for Russian players. Mogilny was the first player to ever defect from the Soviet Union. In doing this Mogilny became the first Russian born player to lead the league in goals, when he tied Teemu Selanne with 76 in 1992-93, and became the first Russian to captain a NHL team.
    On top of winning Olympic gold, Mogilny also won World Junior gold in 1989 when he played on what some call the greatest line the tournament has ever seen. During the 1989 championship, Mogilny played on a line with fellow Russian greats Sergei Federov and Pavel Bure.
    In fact Federov believed it was Mogilny who was more skilled player on that line.
    “Alex, I think, was the strongest. He has the most agility, the quickest release and the best shot, the leader of our line,” said Federov.
    Mats Sundin once referred to him as the most talented player he had ever played with and Pat Quinn, his former coach and now chairman of the Hall of Fame, once described Mogilny as “having good size and wonderful skating ability, he can play any kind of game.”
    Mogilny is also a six-time all-star, winner of the Lady Byng Trophy in 2003, and was inducted into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame in 2011. Mogilny would have won the Rocket Richard Trophy in 92-93 had the award existed at the time and above all was a threat on the ice every time he played.
    Mogilny had the respect of his peers and was among some of the greats during his time in the league. He led the way on the scoreboard and led the way for Russian players in the NHL. There are many great players still waiting to have their name one day immortalized among the best and ‘Alexander the Great’ deserves to one day be among them.
    Follow me on Twitter: @Craig_Hagerman
  3. It's a Canadian Game
    The Maple Leafs have won six of their last seven games and look to be firing on all cylinders. While the Maple Leafs have jumped back up into a respective fifth place in the Eastern conference their AHL counterparts find themselves atop their division. This is due in large part to the great play of TJ Brennan.
    One of the biggest reasons for the Marlies success has been the great play of defenceman T.J. Brennan. Brennan finds himself fifth in the league in scoring and number one amongst defencemen with 40 points in 39 games. So with 40 points in 39 games one must think a call up to the Leafs could be in order.
    Brennan was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres 31st overall in the second round in 2007. However, he spent most of his time with the Rochester Americans and played just 21 games with the Sabres between 2011-2013 recording just two goals. Halfway through last season he was moved to Florida where he played 19 games and put up two goals and nine points. Yet back in the American Hockey League Brennan racked up 35 points in 36 games with the Americans.
    Brennan may not have hit his stride at the NHL level yet, but he has proven that at the AHL level he has tremendous offensive upside. Brennan has only seen 40 games in the NHL and has recorded 11 points which if you consider him as a rookie, since he hasn’t seen a full season is not too bad.
    The problem that might stop Brennan from seeing time with the Leafs in the near future is the fact that they seem to have a plethora of young offensive defencemen. With the likes of Morgan Reilly and Jake Gardiner as well as Dion Phaneuf and Cody Franson he is likely not going to see time unless the Leafs suffer a few injuries down the line.
    Randy Carlyle and the Leafs have been looking to add physicality to their back end and for a team who doesn’t have too many players that fit that criteria, bringing in a defenceman whose biggest strength is offence, means the odds might be against Brennan. Just this month the Maple Leafs sent veteran defenceman John-Michael Liles to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for fellow defenceman Tim Gleason. This trade was made to help bring a more defensive presence to the Leafs’ back end.
    However, what might give Brennan a glimmer of hope is the fact that come next year Toronto will be faced with 10 free agents and with just $20 million dollars to sign them. Among these 10 free agents will be unrestricted free agents Paul Ranger and Mark Fraser and restricted free agents Cody Franson and Jake Gardiner.
    Gardiner is in the last year of his contract and currently makes $875,000 and will likely be looking for a pay increase, while Franson is making $2,000,000 and after a lengthy contract dispute last year will likely also be looking for a raise.
    Brennan on the other hand will also be a restricted free agent, but after only making $600,000 this season he may be a player that the Leafs could sign for a bargain and if he could bring his same offensive skill to the Leafs could be a great fit.
    Brennan will likely be named to the AHL All-Star Game to be held on the February 11th-12th weekend and so far looks to be a shoe in as the AHL’s top defenceman. He may not see time with the big club this season, but depending on the health of the Leafs’ blue line and how this off-season goes for Dave Nonis, Brennan may still have a bright future in the NHL.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  4. It's a Canadian Game
    The holiday season is upon us and it seems that Director of Player Safety Brenda Shanahan has been in the giving spirit, suspensions that is. Throughout the month of December Shanahan has handed out 9 suspensions. So with all these suspensions in the past few weeks a question has been looming in the NHL, is the NHL giving out too many suspensions or have their means been justified?
    The NHL has seen 9 suspensions with a total of 38 games given for the infractions this month. Of the 9 suspensions dished out by the NHL, 7 of the suspensions have come to what the NHL had deemed to be dangerous hits, whether they be hits to the head, boarding calls, or hits from behind.
    What these suspensions suggest is that the NHL is finally cracking down on dangerous hits in an attempt to rid of hits than cause serious injuries to players including concussions. Over the past few years the NHL has taken a real step forward in trying to make the game safer for the players by trying to remove dangerous plays.
    It seems the crackdown on these dangerous plays has come as new knowledge and information on the devastating effects of concussions and head injuries in the sport has started to come out. In May 2011 New York Ranger enforcer Derek Boogard died of an accidental drug and alcohol overdose. The enforcer’s death came while Boogard was recovering from a concussion. Boogard was later found to have been suffering from a condition referred to as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a condition common in those who have suffered multiple concussions.
    Boogard’s case is just one example of the things the NHL wants to prevent. So, in doing this a reduction in headshots has become one of the league’s top priorities. The NHL has handed out 3 suspensions this month for head shots, 7 in total this season and even 2 during the preseason. The NHL has made it clear with these suspensions that these types of hits will no longer be tolerated.
    One other way the NHL has shown that it is trying to crackdown on dangerous play is through the harshness of the suspensions being handed out. 9 suspensions have been handed out this month and of those 9, 6 of them have been for either 3 games or less. What this suggests is that the hits that the NHL have been suspending players for haven’t been career ending or necessary malicious or hits with intent to injure another player, but rather that they are hits that have been deemed “dangerous”.
    What this does is simply let players know that if they make contact with a players head or catch the player in a vulnerable position they will be penalized beyond just a minor or major penalty. However, they might not get a long term suspension if the intent to injure is not there. In the end this should make players more cautious about how they hit and help them to take better control of their bodies.
    Just this past month a group of former NHL players filed a lawsuit against the NHL claiming that their safety was never fully taken into account and that they are owed a settlement because of this. The lawsuit likely comes after a group of former players had recently filed a similar lawsuit against the NFL and won.
    Many other critics have also claimed that the NHL has been suspending hits that in the past would never have been considered suspendable. This is true, but as mentioned above it is obviously for a good reason and for the health and safety of the players. The NHL has made it clear that they have no intentions to remove hitting from hockey, but rather that they want the hitting in the game to be safe.
    Shanahan has been a very busy body this month and has handed out a lot of suspensions, but these suspensions seem to be justified and should be looked at with optimism. These suspensions don’t suggest that the game is too dirty or that it will become less physical. What these suspensions have done is help players to realize that safety comes first and dangerous play that may put a player’s safety in jeopardy will no longer be tolerated.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  5. It's a Canadian Game
    It has been a very busy last week and a half with many more NHLers flocking to Europe to find somewhere to play some hockey. In this past week alone Danny Briere, Claude Giroux, Joe Pavelski, Gabriel Landeskog, Andrei Markov, Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Jamie Benn, and Matt Duchene have all packed their bags and headed to Europe. Now with news coming from sports outlets such as ESPN and recently Sportsnet that they will now be broadcasting some KHL games this season this may give a little hope for true hockey fans to see their favourite stars in action.
    However, what this influx of players heading overseas still, even after more than 20 days since the lockout was announced, means is there's a sign that a resolution to the lockout is no closer than when the lockout began. Last weekend the NHLPA and the NHL were at the table trying to hammer out a deal that would bring an end to the lockout, but like the other meetings between the two sides, nothing was accomplished and it seems that a deal may be a lot further away than most NHL fans would hope.
    During the negotiations the players have been meeting along with Don Fehr (NHLPA Executive Direcctor) to be more informed about the lockout situation, however many players have still continued to head to Europe. Does this mean that the players are aware there is no deal in sight? That's what it is starting to look like. Would players continue to sign contracts and commit to playing for other teams if they knew that an agreement to end the NHL lockout was just around the corner? That seems highly unlikely.
    Both the NHL and NHLPA have continued to meet privately in Toronto this weekend, but until one side or the other brings something new to the table don't expect any significant news. Fans looking to catch some hockey action in the mean time can catch KHL games on ESPN. The next game will air on Sunday October 13th at 9 am when Dynamo Moscow (featuring Alex Ovechkin) takes on Sibir HD.
    Follow me on Twitter : @Craig_Hagerman
  6. It's a Canadian Game
    The NHL has been notorious for what has been dooped as the “sophomore slump.” Players who light up the league in their first season in the most skilled league in the World, only to fail to live up to the same levels of success they had during their first year.
    The latest example of this phenomenon is Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche. The 19-year-old took home the Calder Trophy last season after leading all rookies with 63 points. However, this season, like the rest of his Avs teammates, he is having a disappointing go having put up just 20 points in 32 games, which at that pace would see a dip of 12 points this season for a total of 51.
    However, while MacKinnon seems to be struggling to perform at the same level he did last season, there have been a collection of sophomore players who are trending in the opposite direction. Instead of slumping in year two, they have elevated their play to a new level and are quickly becoming important parts of their NHL clubs.
    Sean Monahan
    The sixth-overall pick in 2013 put up an impressive 22 goals in his rookie campaign and added another 12 assists on a Calgary Flames team that did just slightly better than their Alberta counterparts, the Oilers. This year the team rushed out to a start that not many predicted prior to opening day. However, since then the Flames have cooled off, but Monahan still looks to eclipse the impressive numbers he amassed last season. Through the first 35 games the 20-year-old has 11 goals and 21 points and is on pace to hit the 25 goal mark and 49 points. It’s not a huge number, but is a 44% increase on last year’s point total and is on pace for the second most goals on the team behind Jiri Hudler.
    Brock Nelson
    Nelson broke into the league last season with the New York Islanders and put up 26 points in 72 games. Fast-forward to this season and the former 2010 first-round pick is becoming one of the go-to-guys for the Islanders. Through his team’s first 33 games he has helped his team find a spot among the top of the Eastern Conference with his 14 goals and 27 points. His ice-time has risen over 2:30 to where it was last year and Nelson has been making every last minute count. Nelson is on pace for 67 points just two points behind the paces of both John Tavares and Kyle Okposo for top spot on the team.
    Tyler Johnson
    The Tampa Bay Lightning haven’t seemed to really skip a beat since the departure of long-time Bolt, Martin St. Louis last season. A big part of the reason is because of the play of Tyler Johnson. The 24-year-old has helped his team become among the elites in the East. Johnson had a very impressive rookie season finishing second in voting behind MacKinnon. He tied the Avs centre with 24 goals last year including five shorthanded. He put up a very impressive 50 points playing in all 82 games.
    This season though he’s on pace to shatter those totals, he currently has 10 goals and 34 points in 34 games, on pace for 81, after missing one game earlier this season. He is also second in the NHL with a plus-20. But what might be most shocking is that the Spokane, WA native was never drafted, but rather signed by the Lightning in 2011 as a free agent.
    Nikita Kucherov
    The Lightning are quickly becoming the new Detroit Red Wings, finding a way to be successful at the hands of their own homegrown talent and Nikita Kucherov is another example of that. The 21-year-old Russian was drafted by the Bolts in the second round 58th overall in 2011 and is third in team scoring behind Steven Stamkos and Johnson. The right winger has 13 goals and 30 points in 35 games after putting up just 18 points in 52 games in his rookie season. The 5-foot-11, 171 pounder had 24 points in 17 games in the AHL last season earning a call up from the team and he now seems to have earned a permanent spot with the big club.
    Sami Vatanen
    It took some time for Sami Vatanen to finally get a shot with the Anaheim Ducks after being drafted in the fourth round 106th overall in 2009, but the 23-year-old now looks like a steal of a pick. After playing 48 games with the Ducks and registering 21 points, the Finish blueliner made the team out of training camp and is quickly making a name for himself. In the team’s first 35 games, the right-hander has nine goals and 24 points, trailing only Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler. He is on pace for 56 points, 20 more points that Cam Fowler had last season, leading all Duck defenders.
    A player is expected to learn a lot and develop during his first season in the NHL. But entering year-two, rarely are players expected to become the most valuable pieces of their teams, but the few players above are quickly doing so. These players have not only avoided the “sophomore slump,” but rather have been part of a “sophomore sizzle.”
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
    Photo Courtesy of Jeff Gross/Getty Images
  7. It's a Canadian Game
    Wayne Gretzky named him to his All-Time All-Star team and he is the highest scoring defenseman to ever dawn the Montreal Canadiens jersey, yes Larry Robinson has had quite the career.
    The Great Defender: My Hockey Odyssey with Kevin Shea takes readers through the life of the Hall of Fame defenseman from his days as a kid growing up on a small farm outside Ottawa. Robinsons recalls his upbringing through junior hockey, to his all-star career in the NHL, wearing the maple leafs for Team Canada, to life after the game.
    Robinson was lucky enough to win the Stanley Cup six times as a player and three more times as a coach. He is among the league’s greatest defenders to ever lace them up, something that he has never quite been able to grasp. Something he reflects upon when he recalls the Canadiens 75th anniversary season where he was named to the Habs All-Time Dream Time.
    “When I look on it now, I was there with Aurele Jolait and Dickie Moore and Maurice Richard and Jean Beliveau and Doug Harvey and Jacques Plante. Those are frigging icons! I was thinking, ‘What’s this little farm boy doing up with all these guys?’ It was amazing.”
    What is made very clear in the book is just how respected and down to earth Robinson was during his career. He never took anything for granted, he had a blue-collar work ethic (which he picked up growing up on the farm), and he was a natural leader. He wasn’t afraid to get his team pumped with a big speech or even a dance around the dressing room in nothing, but his jockstrap.
    “(‘Flashdance: What a Feeling’ by Irene Cara) came on… To break the tension, I started dancing to the song with nothing on but my jockstrap. I went flying from one end of the room to the other, doing my best Jennifer Beals impression… it was a thing that I did just to loosen everybody up – and then we went out and won the game.”
    The, now associate coach with the San Jose Sharks, after all has been said and done is a family-man at heart. He has been attached to his wife Jeanette since he was a teenager and he now takes pride and makes it an opportunity to spend time with his family, including grandchildren. Robinson has won many Cups and a Norris Trophy, but his family has been his biggest prize.
    “Jeanette has been my rock. She Still is. We’ve been blessed with two wonderful children, Jeffrey and Rachelle. They may be the greatest gifts of all… they have blessed us with three wonderful grandchildren, whom we adore.”
    Robinson had his number 19 raised to the rafters in 2007, he made the playoffs in each of his 20 seasons in the NHL, and holds the all-time record for plus minus with a plus-793 (a record that may never be beat). He was one of the greats and his book lets readers now just what it is like to grow up a fan-favourite for arguably the most historic franchise the NHL has ever known.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
    Photo Courtesy of Amazon.
  8. It's a Canadian Game
    The Dallas Stars have lost five of their last seven games and understandably there hasn’t been much for the under-achieving team to be happy about this season.
    However, reminiscing about their days in junior and having the opportunity to represent their country at the IIHF World Junior Championship as teenagers does give players John Klingberg and Ales Hemsky something to smile about.
    “I got the opportunity to play in Buffalo and Calgary,” says Klingberg, referring to his time wearing the Sweden jersey in 2011 and 2012. “It’s a big thing over there it helps with the routines and stuff too.”
    During his two tournaments the 22-year-old rookie for the Stars recorded five points in 12 games. The 2011 team finished fourth in Buffalo, but the 2012 had much greater success, which would make it no surprise that it was his time in Calgary that highlighted his World Junior career.
    “Obviously when we won the gold,” says Klingberg, simply.
    Though this winter will mark three years since the 6-foot-1 blueliner, put on the blue and gold jersey, Klingberg admits that he still tries to make time to watch the tournament when he can.
    “Yeah of course, last year was in Sweden and I was playing, so I was trying to watch all the games when I wasn’t playing,” says Klingberg. “It’s growing in Sweden, it’s probably one of the biggest sports events of the year there. Of course I try to keep up with it.”
    He also admits that during his earlier career he has found that many players around the league still talk about the tournament and admits he has come to expect some trash talking from his teammates.
    “Yeah probably a little a bit,” says Klingberg, about whether guys will be giving each other the business. “I talk to a lot of the young guys about it and guys on other teams about it, obviously it's a big thing in Canada and in the USA for two weeks.”
    Unlike Klingberg, who has played just a dozen games in the NHL, Hemsky has played a dozen seasons, but to the first-round pick in 2001, he also feels the tournament is something really memorable.
    “It was very special for a young guy like me or anybody else,” says Hemsky. “It’s special to represent your country and just to build your career.”
    Hemsky suited up for the Czech Republic at the 2002 installment of the tournament, and though he and his fellow countrymen finished seventh, the fact that the tournament was played in his hometown of Pardubice made it that more special for the 31-year-old.
    “It was nice, I think I was 18 or 19 and my first World Juniors was in the Czech Republic and was in my home city,” says Hemsky. “So it was pretty cool spending time with my family and just playing in front of them.”
    Hemsky didn’t disappoint playing in front of his loved ones, finishing tied for second in the tournament in scoring with three goals and nine points in seven games.
    The Stars right winger, like Klingberg, admits that the tournament still gets a lot of attention from NHLers, which of course has a lot to do with the fact that he has played his entire career, before signing with Dallas this off-season, in Canada.
    “I’ve played in Canada for a long time and World Juniors is huge here, everybody watches it on TV all the time,” say Hemsky. “So with the guys in the room, we have a lot of young guys, a lot of guys that played at it. They’re still young so they’re really into it, we all watch it.”
    However, the one downfall Hemsky has had with playing in Canada and with the teammates watching and teasing each other is, Canada historically has done so well at the tournament.
    “Yeah, the Czech’s didn’t really have good teams, but I think they’re getting better,” says Hemsky. “I can’t even fight with anyone, Canada always wins. It’s a big country; they make a lot of players and they always have a special team so, it’s hard to beat them.”
    As the Boxing Day kick-off to the tournament approaches, countries have started to name their camp rosters and so the hype once again is starting to build for the special time of the year. And though fans of the tournament might get excited, Hemsky sums up perfectly why the tournament means so much to the players lucky enough to participate.
    “It was the first big tournament where you put that jersey on, your country’s jersey,“ says Hemsky. “That’s why it was so special.”
    Follow me on Twitter: @Craig_Hagerman
    Photo Courtesy of Bruce Bennet/Getty Images North America
  9. It's a Canadian Game
    If you search the league leaders on NHL.com among goaltending stats, his name might not even come up, but the best goalie in the NHL this season may very well be Martin Jones.
    The Los Angeles Kings back-up has only found the net seven times this season, but best believe he could very well get more starts the way his season is going.
    Jones might not appear among some of the league leaders in stats simply for the fact he doesn’t have many starts, but when he has had the chance to suit up, he has been a wall. In seven appearances this season Jones has a record of 3-2-1, which is alright, but he has a save percentage of 0.947% and a goals against average of 1.42.
    How good are those numbers? Well his 0.947% save percentage would tie him with Winnipeg’s Michael Hutchinson for first overall in the NHL while his goals against average is better than any tender in the league. The NHL takes into account Hutchinson’s numbers among leaders though he has only played one more game than Jones. So, one more start and Jones may become the man to beat.
    Jones also has two shutouts and oh yes, they are in his last two games. He currently has a shutout streak of 146:01. What’s more amazing, for a goalie in just his second season, as a back-up go figure, is that that isn’t even his longest shutout streak. Last season Jones played a stretch of 163:12 without giving up a goal.
    Following his shutout Thursday night in a 4-0 routing of the Arizona Coyotes, Jones tied Hall of Fame tender Tony Esposito as the third fastest goalie to record six shutouts.
    The North Vancouver, BC native broke into the NHL last season backing-up Jonathan Quick and was as durable as one can be as a number two. In 19 games he went 12-6-0 with numbers of 0.934% and a 1.81 GAA with four shutouts.
    The 24-year-old was never drafted, but rather joined the Kings organization after being signed as a free agent in October of 2008. The move seems like a stroke of genius now.
    Looking back at his career, it’s actually difficult to find a season where Jones hasn’t put up miraculous numbers. His worst year of junior was his first season with the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League, which for his first season is understandable. The thing is though; his numbers aren’t even bad. He had a 3.03 GAA and a 0.884% save percentage, which are both respectable numbers for junior netminders. These came as he recorded of 9-4-3 record, so he was still winning.
    In 2008-09, the season he was signed by LA, he put up an astounding record of 45-5-4-7. He finished four years of junior hockey with a record of 108-28-9-16 a winning percentage of .601. In 2009-10 Jones went 36-11-1-8, he was named to Canada’s World Junior team, winning silver, he was a first team WHL all-star, he was named the WHL’s top goaltender during the regular season, he earned the WHL MVP, was named to the CHL Memorial Cup All-Star Team, and took home the Hap Emms Trophy as the Memorial Cup’s most outstanding goaltender.
    Last season, before becoming the team’s back-up, Jones started the season the Kings’ AHL affiliate the Manchester Monarchs playing 22 games going 16-3-3-2 with 0.928% save percentage and a 2.13 GAA. It was this performance that likely gave the Kings the confidence to trade away, then back-up, Ben Scrivens to Edmonton even with Scrivens posted a 0.931% save percentage and 1.97 GAA.
    This summer should be a very interesting time for the 6-foot-4 tender. He is in his last year of his contract that is paying him just $550,000 and with his outstanding numbers should be able to receive a nice raise. The Kings will already have over $60 million of their cap distributed among 14 players and will need to still find a way to sign restricted free agents Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson, who will deserve a pay increase. All this while also dealing with unrestricted free agents Jarret Stoll and Justin Williams.
    So, there is a chance that Jones might have to go elsewhere. And if Jones wants to become a number one in the league, that might just be the best thing for him, just ask Jonathan Bernier. Quick is under contract until 2023, so unless a devastating injury arises, staying in LA means minimal playing time.
    Jones has been a winner at every level he has played and put up unbelievable numbers along the way. He might one day be one of the premier goalies in the league, not bad for someone who as of Friday could not be found among NHL.com’s goaltending leaders.
    Follow me on Twitter: @Craig_Hagerman
    Photo Courtesy of Mark Blinch/ The Canadian Press
  10. It's a Canadian Game
    The New Jersey Devils haven’t made the playoffs since the 2011-12 when they fell to the Los Angeles King in six games and there seems to be a simple reason for that.
    The Devils have been absent from the post-season the last two seasons and why is that, it could simply be because they no longer have star left winger Zach Parise. It’s hard to put so much on one player and of course one player doesn’t make a team, but you have to at least consider the numbers.
    Here is a list of the years when Parise played and how the Devils finished in the standings (The first number is how they finished in the NHL, the second is how they finished in the Eastern Conference:
    Year-----------------Place in the League------------Place in the Eastern Conference
    2006-07----------------------7th --------------------------------------------2nd
    2007-08 ----------------------6th --------------------------------------------4th
    2008-09 ----------------------5th --------------------------------------------3rd
    2009-10 ----------------------6th --------------------------------------------2nd
    2010-11 ----------------------23rd -------------------------------------------11th
    2011-12 -----------------------9th --------------------------------------------6th
    Since the 2011-12 season the Devils have finished 10th and 12th in the Eastern Conference without the Minneapolis, MN native.
    The success the team had with Parise in the lineup is kind of incredible, never finishing lower than sixth in the eastern conference. “Yea, but what about in 2010-11?”
    Well this is what makes the argument even more concrete; during the 2010-11 season Parise was limited to just 13 games after suffering a devastating knee injury. In that year Martin Brodeur also missed 13 games of the season with an injury, but in doing so Johan Hedberg filled in and he ultimately finished the season with a higher winning percentage, goals against average, and save percentage with half the amount of starts as Brodeur, who still started 59 times. So, once again the loss of Parise seems like the key factor.
    What has also plagued the Devils the last few years is that they have had one of the worst shootout records in the league. This season they are 1-4 in the skills competition, last season the Devils didn’t win a single shootout, and the year prior to that the team had a shootout winning percentage of 22 per cent.
    Once again, you can’t put that all on the shoulders of the 5-foot-11, 197 pounder, can you? Well Parise is currently tied for the most shootout goals since the shootout was introduced back in the 2004-05 season.
    Parise has taken the second most shootouts all-time only one behind Alex Ovechkin and Minnesota teammate Mikko Koivu with 85 attempts.
    The Devils all-time have the seventh most shootout wins and are tied for first with the most games in which they’ve gone to a shootout with 109. The Devils have a career winning percentage of 52 per cent.
    Since Parise has left, the Devils have a 3-24 record in the shootout, a winning percent of just 11.1 per cent. Prior to Parise leaving, the Devils were 45-25 in the post-overtime shenanigans (dating back to 2006-07, Parise’s first year with the Devils), a winning percentage of 64 per cent.
    In fact Parise actually has much worse shootout numbers since he left for the Wild. In three years with the Wild he has gone 8-for-22, a success rate of 36 per cent, while with the Devils he went 29-for-43, capitalizing on 67 per cent of his attempts.
    Then straight up Parise had 410 points in 502 games with New Jersey good enough for a very respectable 0.81 points per game. During his seven years with the team that drafted him in the first round in 2003, he recorded 51 powerplay goals was a plus-57, and the former team captain. He was twice named the team MVP and during his time also amassed 37 game-winning goals, speaking to just how important he was with the team.
    What really stings is knowing last year New Jersey missed the playoffs by just five points, giving up 13 points in the shootout while in 2012-13 they missed out by seven points; points that could have been attained if they had gone perfect in the shootout.
    Parise was always a big part of the Devils during his seven seasons with the team, but as the Devils sit 12th in the East one really starts to see just how important he really was.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  11. It's a Canadian Game
    The NHL is season is just under a quarter of the way through and already many first year players have taken on important roles with their respected NHL clubs.
    With that being said let’s take a look at some players who could be Calder Trophy Nominees come season’s end.
    Filip Forsberg, C - Nashville Predators- Drafted 11th overall in 2012 by Washington
    The 20 year-old Forsberg is off to a scorching start and if he keeps the pace he is on, he will without question, walk away with the Calder Trophy. Forsberg is currently tied for eighth in the league in scoring with 20 points in 17 games with the Preds. The native of Ostervala, Sweden is also leading the league in plus-minus with a +19 rating.
    After suiting up for five games following his trade to Nashville at the 2013 trade deadline, Forsberg played in 13 games last season before being sent down to the Milwaukee Admirals for. There he put up 34 points in 47 games as a 19-year-old rookie. It now seems like patience has certainly been a virtue for Forsberg.
    The Predators as of Monday find themselves tied for third place in the Western Conference and Forsberg is a big reason for that. The 6-foot-one, 186 pound, centre leads the Predators in all offensive categories and is on pace for 95 points. One can only assume the Washington Capitals wish they were as patient with Forsberg as Nashville has been.
    Aaron Ekblad, D – Florida Panthers- Drafted First overall in 2014 by Florida
    In just his first year with Florida, last season’s first overall pick in the draft, is already becoming the go-to-guy on the Panther’s blueline. Leading all rookie defensemen with 10 points and just a point behind Jussie Jokinen on the Panthers for tops in scoring, Ekblad is already showing he was the right pick at number one.
    Ekblad entered the OHL in 2011-12 with the Barrie Colts as a 15-year-old after being granted “exceptional player” status. Last season he was named the OHL’s defenseman of the year after recording 23 goals and 53 points in 58 games.
    The 18-year-old Ekblad has helped the Panthers get off to an impressive start to the 2014-15 season, posting a record of 6-4-5, for second last in the Atlantic Division. And though that may not sound good, the Panthers have played just 15 games, four fewer than some teams in their division and after defeating the Anaheim Ducks candidly 6-2 Sunday, there seems to be no reason why they can’t climb up the standings.
    The Windsor, On native is fourth on the Panthers in ice time averaging just under 22 minutes a game. Ekblad is eligible to suit up for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships this December, but it seems very unlikely that Florida will want to part with 6-foot-4 blueliner.
    Tanner Pearson, LW – Los Angeles Kings- Drafted 30th overall in 2012 by Los Angeles
    After becoming a real valuable part of the King’s second Stanley Cup run in three years in 2013-14, Pearson has returned with Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli to form the ‘That 70s Line’ and the line has been the Kings’ saving grace so far this season.
    The trio has combined for 43 points through 18 games, carrying the offensive load for the Kings. Pearson has seven goals on the season, good enough for second amongst rookies, to go along with three helpers and an impressive +11 rating.
    Ten points through 18 games may not seem that astonishing, but that is because Pearson has cooled off some since his hot start to the season. However, that is less to do with just Pearson, but the entire Kings team.
    L.A. is 3-4-3 in their last 10 games, while Pearson has just one assist in his last five games. There’s no need to worry just yet, the Kings have had a knack for slow starts to the season in recent years and have always managed to rally when it really matters. So, with a full roster firing on all cylinders you can expect Pearson’s production to pick up.
    Pearson put up 12 points in 24 games in last year’s post season and is quickly becoming an important part of the Kings’ offense and if him and the rest of his teammates can return to their Cup-winning form, his numbers could put him in consideration for rookie of the year.
    Honourable Mentions:
    Here a few other names that could also be in the running come seasons end:
    Johnny Gauderau, LW, CGY, (3-9-12)
    Andre Burakovsky, LW, WSH, (3-9-12)
    Jonathan Drouin, LW, TB, (1-7-8)
    It is still very early and things can always and almost always do change (last year my early prediction for rookie of the year was Tomas Hertl), but these are the players who are wasting no time this season proving they will one day be stars in this league.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
    Photo Credit: Scott Iskowitz/Getty Images
  12. It's a Canadian Game
    Tomas Plekanec scored his second goal of the game with just 40 seconds left in regulation to lift the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 over the Toronto Maple Leafs in the season opener Wednesday.
    Plekanec was the recipient of a lucky bounce that saw his winning goal deflect off the skate of Leafs rookie defenceman Stuart Percy and past Jonathan Bernier.
    The goal was a heartbreaker to Leafs fans affter Morgan Reilly tied the game with 2:19 left in the third on a fluky goal that got through Carey Price.
    Plekanec led the way for the Canadiens with his first two goals of the season while Alex Emelin and P.A. Parenteau finished the night with two helpers a piece.
    The Maple Leafs found themselves in a hole early on in the game when Max Pacioretty cut through the Leafs blueliners and snuck a wrist shot under the catching arm of Bernier. The goal came on the Habs first shot of the game.
    The buds would battle back to tie it after Nazem Kadri deflected the Brandon Kozun wrist shot over the catching-glove of Carey Price. The assist was the first career NHL point for Kozun, who cracked the opening day lineup after having a stellar training camp. The goal came with a little controversy as Kozun appeared to be offside on the play.
    With 40 seconds left to go in the period the Maple Leafs capitalized on the power play on an impressive effort by Stuart Percy. Percy dumped the puck into the corner and was able to beat the Canadiens defenders to the puck before centering it to a wide-open Tyler Bozak who slipped the puck between the legs of Price to give the Leafs a 2-1 lead heading into the second. The assist was also Percy’s first NHL point.
    However, the Leafs would see their lead disappear in the second after Plekanec was able to split the Leafs ‘d’ for a breakaway and slide a backhand under the pads of Bernier.
    The game would remain tied until midway through the third. After the Leafs were caught running around in their own end, the puck came out to former Norris Trophy winner P.K. Subban, who fired a wrist-shot blocker-side on Bernier.
    Price made 24 saves on 27 shots for the win while Bernier turned away 28 of the 32 shots he faced in a losing effort.
    Despite some impressive debuts from their rookies the Maple Leafs seemed to fall into old habits for much of the game Wednesday. The Leafs struggled to get the puck out of their own end on many occasions and at times it seemed like a daunting task just to get the puck to centre ice.
    Both Randy Carlyle and newly acquired defenceman Stephan Robidas believe the buds got away from their game plan midway through the second period and it showed.
    Despite leading the team in ice time Wednesday playing 23:31, it seemed like the Leafs plan to relieve Dion Phaneuf of some of his defensive responsibilities was in effect. The Leafs brought in Robidas and Roman Polak in an attempt to stabilize the back end while also giving more responsibilities to youngsters Reilly and Jake Gardiner. Phaneuf finished the night with one assist and a -1 rating.
    The Leafs will be back in action Saturday night when they welcome Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Air Canada Centre. While the Canadiens now head to Washington to face Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals tonight.
    Photo Credit: Canadian Press/ Frank Gunn
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  13. It's a Canadian Game
    The Toronto Maple Leafs and Cody Franson avoided what would have been another arbitration meeting between the two Monday.
    The meeting was avoided when just hours before it was scheduled to occur, both sides agreed to a one year $3.3 million dollar deal.
    Just days before the deal was made, a report surfaced that both sides were as much as $2.2 million dollars apart. Franson was reportedly looking for a deal in the area of $4.2 million dollars while the Maple Leafs were offering around $2 million. In the end both sides agreed to a number almost straight down the middle.
    Now although the deal is done, rumours still suggest that the Maple Leafs may be looking to trade the 26 year-old defenceman. Back on July 1st news broke that the Leafs were hoping to strike a deal with the Montreal Canadiens with the hopes of acquiring defenceman Josh Gorges. In the end the deal fell through after Gorges refused to accept a trade to Toronto. Going the other way for Gorges in the deal would have been Franson.
    So, obviously it is no secret that the Leafs have been looking to trade the defenceman, but if he stays is that so bad either?
    Last season Franson lead the Leafs blueline with 33 points and was second in the NHL in hits with 282. So, Franson does have the ability to play both sides of the puck. He also lead the Maple Leafs in points with 29 in the lockout shortened season in 2013. However, Franson also had the second worst plus minus on the Maple Leafs this season with a -20 this season.
    In the last two seasons combined, Franson ranks 19th amongst defencemen in points meaning he is definitely got that going for him.
    In fact had the Leafs been able to hold on to beat the Bruins in game seven back in 2013, Franson might be looked as somewhat of a Toronto hero. After coughing up the first goal in game seven, it was Franson who scored the next two goals for Toronto to give them a 2-1 lead, what could have been.
    The biggest problem that seems to surround Franson is his speed and his defensive game. The dman stands at 6’5 so of course speed is not his strong suit. When it comes to playing defensively, well the entire Toronto team suffered from a poor defensive system, so if a new system is implemented in Toronto this season these numbers could be corrected.
    In fact if you look back to the previous season, for a large part of it Franson was among the league leaders in plus minus and his defence partner at the time, Mark Fraser, finished sixth overall in that category.
    It seems as though once again the Maple Leafs will give Franson the chance to prove that he does deserve a raise or give him the chance to spark some interest among other teams so the Leafs can deal him. Either way, despite agreeing to his third one-year deal with the buds, it looks as though things will have to proceed as normal with Franson.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  14. It's a Canadian Game
    The 2014 NHL Entry Draft kicks off Friday night in Philadelphia and along with the excitement surrounding the new crop of young stars, comes the excitement of wheeling and dealing that is likely to occur in the coming weeks.
    Among the teams that early on look as though could be busy this off-season is the Chicago Blackhawks. It seems kind of interesting that the Hawks would want to make many moves after coming just a goal a way from punching their ticket to their second Stanley Cup finals in two years.
    This past week growing rumours about the future of Ottawa Senators star centre Jason Spezza started to heat up and according to many sources it seems as though the Blackhawks are among the teams that are showing the most desire for the 31 year old.
    The Hawks are looking to shake some things up, and since Bryan Murray and the Senators are hoping to get a similar type of return for Spezza that they gave up to acquire Bobby Ryan (a roster player, a prospect, and a high draft pick) it seems as though the Hawks would be forced to shake things up.
    In saying this Murray has made it clear that he would be interested in a one-for-one deal, obviously meaning that a high-end top six forward would be coming back the other way, something the Hawks have in abundance.
    Though obviously names such as Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane would not be on that list; and well get to that later. Names such as Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa could enter that discussion, Sharp especially.
    Despite having a fantastic regular season (leading Chicago in scoring with 34 goals and 78 points) Sharp failed to show up for the Hawks in the playoffs, recording just five goals in 19 games, and could give reason for the Hawks to ship him.
    Also for Chicago a deal for Spezza that includes Sharp would free up $900,000 in cap space as Sharp is currently making $5.9 million while Spezza is under contract for $5 million. For Chicago that ability to free up some salary is huge as TSN Insider Bob McKenzie reported this week that negotiations between Toews and Kane on signing contract extensions have begun.
    The two superstars apparently gave Chicago their initial asking prices to sign with the club; they will become unrestricted free agents following the 2014-15 season. According to early reports both players are looking to make in the ballpark of $12 million dollars a year, figures that would make them amongst the highest paid players in the league.
    Bob McKenzie @TSNBobMcKenzie · 23h
    It's believed Kane-Toews initial ask of CHI on extension is around $12M/yr each. They'll end up lower but still could be $10M+ AAV players.
    If Chicago is serious in signing the two, which they obviously will be, they will need to free up some cap space, while still filling out their roster. As it stand now, according to capgeek.com the Hawks would have just six of their current forwards, three defensemen, and just Corey Crawford under contract for the 2015-16 season, while having allocated just over $50 million on just these players.
    So, of course the Hawks would have to be selective in how they go about signing and filling out their roster. Young players such as Marcus Kruger and Brandon Saad will likely both demand pay increases as they continue to develop so Chicago management will have to decide where to find those extra dollars. Other rumours have suggested that the cap could rise to as high as $75 million in the coming years which would come as a huge relief to the Hawks moving forward.
    In other Chicago news as free agency approaches, TSN and ESPN Insider Pierre LeBrun has reported that the Hawks are also among a number of teams who have shown interest in soon-to-be free agent Paul Stastny.
    Pierre LeBrun @Real_ESPNLeBrun · 19h
    Winnipeg Jets, Chicago Blackhawks among many teams to have reached out to Stastny camp, latest in Rumblings blog: http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/31597/rumblings-kesler-watch-stastny-market …
    The 28 year-old Stastny is coming off a season where he put up a very respectable 60 points in 71 games. What makes this deal again all the more interesting for Chicago is the fact that Stastny’s agent, Matt Keator, made it clear this week that his client is not looking to make any less than he made last season, which was a hefty $6.6 million.
    So, once again the issue will be how exactly will the Hawks make room to accommodate Stastny’s contract if they are as serious about signing him as they appear to be.
    Despite coming so close to playing for their second consecutive Stanley Cup it seems as though the Hawks are looking to vamp up their squad. Though most eyes will be on the draft stage this week, it should also be an interesting next few days in the boardroom as well.
    Follow me on Twitter: @Craig_Hagerman
  15. It's a Canadian Game
    On Wednesday March 20th, the NHL held meetings in Toronto to discuss among many things the lack of goals in the NHL this year. The number one reason many believe this problem exists is because of the size of both goaltender’s equipment and the size of the nets.
    The NHL is contemplating either reducing the size of goaltender’s equipment or to increase the size of the NHL nets. Goal scoring has always been viewed as an issue in hockey as it seems the NHL believes more goal scoring will please the fans. However, Mississauga Steelheads defenseman Jacob Graves believes from what he has seen playing in the OHL, the size of goaltender’s pads and nets is not a problem.
    “I feel the nets are fine the way they are.” Jacobs adds, “The goals are still coming so there is no need to change anything really, I don't find there’s a lack of goals,” says Graves.
    If changes were to come in the form of either reduced equipment size or bigger nets, not only would the changes impact goaltenders and the way they approach the game, but also for defensemen as well. Graves believes that with the more advantages and benefits given to goal scorers more reliance on solid defensive play will be placed on defencemen.
    “As a defencemen, if the nets were bigger I feel that we would have to get our bodies in the shooting lane more often and block more shots for our goalies,” says Graves.
    This is not the first time the NHL has looked to put restrictions on the size of goaltender’s equipment. In fact over the last ten years the NHL has made restrictions to goaltender’s padding on several occasions. In 2003-2004 the NHL reduced the height of the pads to 37 inches and put restrictions on goaltender’s gloves, with a fine of $25,000 following any goaltender found breaking these rules.
    In 2008-2009 the NHL reduced the width of pads, putting a cap at 11 inches. The move was seen as a way to create more openings for five-hole goals.
    Making adjustments to the game to allow more goals seems like it will be more easily met with an enlarging of the nets. As the rulebook states now, goaltender’s equipment measurements are determined on the size of the goaltenders themselves to make sure that every tender has an equal playing advantage. Meaning making changes to the size of equipment will not come so easy.

    NHL Pad Measurement Restrictions
    Recently, Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock has expressed his support for bigger nets. Babcock believes that when it comes to goaltenders currently playing when compared to the goalies of the past, goaltenders now are much bigger. Babcock argues that when it comes to the game now, goalies getting bigger means the nets are inadvertently getting smaller.
    “If the goalies [are] getting bigger then the net is getting smaller.” Babcock adds, “By refusing to change you are changing. Purists would say you can't do it because you're changing the game but by not changing you are changing the game,” says Babcock. (Quote from ESPN interview)
    For now the meeting held Wednesday was only scheduled for one day and other topics such as hybrid icing, video review, and the bargaining agreement were on the agenda with the goaltending issue only being a very small part of the discussion. So, for now it might not be until after this season before we hear about any changes that might impact the game for hockey’s goaltenders.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  16. It's a Canadian Game
    “If it aint broke don’t fix it.” Unfortunately, this is not a tune people were singing about the National Hockey League back in 1998.
    Among those people were Jeff Z. Klein and Karl-Eric Reif, the authors of the influential book the Death of Hockey.
    In their book the authors clearly layout problems that they have noticed with hockey, problems that have plagued the NHL from standing among the other elite sports in the world. They touch on things such as the league’s overexpansion, the lack of control towards violent play, the removal of classic arenas, and more. While pointing out the flaws, the authors also suggest ways in which NHL could make adjustments to help bring the game back to the competitive nature that made it so great in the past.
    The Death of Hockey is a monumental piece to sports history because it really helps to see where the game has come after almost 16 years and helps to provide a historical context to the game that millions still have a burning passion for.
    So, how bad was the game at this time really? Well as Klein, now a sports reporter for the New York Times, put it, the game was in such turmoil that after the book was written both him and Reif stopped covering the sport for a bit.
    “Karl and I we both gave up on hockey a couple years after,” says Klein. “Karl still hasn’t started watching again, he’s still out of it.”
    While writing their book the two hockey fans also discovered that nearly twenty years prior a book of the same name had been produced on similar grounds to theirs.
    “We picked that title of that book, unaware that two Canadian authors back in 1968-69 had written a book with the same title,” says Klein. “Their big argument was that the game had expanded too quickly, with six new cities all in the US and they were undermining senior hockey. So this idea had come up before.”
    One of the biggest problems with the NHL 16 years ago was the belief that the game had gotten away from its rich history and that the league had forgotten to embrace its roots. However, Klein believes that this is where the NHL has made vast improvements, especially in the last six years and Klein believes that the Winter Classic and the outdoor games have played a large part in that.
    “That was the real turning point and I remember the first one in Buffalo and the snow and Penguins white and blue jerseys it was perfect,” says Klein. “I remember all the people around me were not hockey fans, but they were all like ‘wow look at that’ and that moment, that was a turning point.”
    Klein likes where the game is now and what the league has done though he still believes that the length of the average season remains too long.
    “I think the season is still too long and with so many teams it’s sometimes too hard to keep track,” says Klein. “That’s the biggest problem and then the playoffs go on forever.”
    The Death of Hockey will really help readers and hockey fans to greatly appreciate the game for what is now by learning about the state that it was once in. As for Klein, he believes the game has finally strung the right tune with a lot of people as he says, “I’m awfully glad that we’re no longer having to deal with these stupid questions about what does hockey have to do.”
  17. It's a Canadian Game
    Much of the hockey world is still in shock with the recent and very sudden firing of Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager Brian Burke. Burke took the job back in November of 2008 and after failing to get the Toronto Maple Leafs into the playoffs, the newly appointed owners of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Bell and Rogers decided that they had enough with Burke and made the decision to fire him.
    Now many reasons for the firing have been suggested including some belief that Burke was no longer interested in acquiring Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo, but the reason that has been stated is that the owners were not pleased with Burke’s “style”, but what is his style? What type of style did Brian Burke have that just didn’t sit well with ownership? Well let’s take a look.
    Brian Burke has run all his teams in a very similar fashion, which means that he brings certain personal rules and guidelines to the front office that he stays true to. Unfortunately for Burke it is these rules that may also have been part of the reason for not just his firing, but also for the lack of success in Leaf Nation. One of the biggest downfalls for Burke is that he has tried to mirror creating his teams the same way he did when he was the GM of Anaheim and won a cup with the organization in 2007. Burke has tried to bring in the same coaching staff (Randy Carlyle) believing that the same pieces that worked in the past have got to work again. He has tried to bring in as many players from the winning Ducks team that he can feeling, once again, that what has worked once before has got to work again. Names such as Mike Brown, Joffrey Lupul, and J.S. Giguere have all been brought to Toronto and besides the breakout year that Lupul had this past season, both Giguere and Brown have not contributed much to the Maple Leafs organization.
    Another rule that Burke stands firm on is refusing to go after players who have lengthy contracts. Burke has believed that towards the end of the terms of these contracts the players tend to simply milk money out of the organization. Now although, this may be true should he not also look at how these, usually superstar calibre, players can bring an immediate lift and spark to a team that needs one. One recent example of Burke failing to do so was when it became apparent last year that the Columbus Blue Jackets were shopping Jeff Carter. Carter is one of the strongest power forwards in the game and Burke refused to go after him because of his lengthy contract. Eventually, Carter would get shipped to Los Angeles, where Carter was a huge factor in the Kings winning the Stanley Cup.
    Burke has also been afraid to spend the big bucks during free agency losing out on players such as Rick Nash and Brad Richards, despite having the cap room to do so. Burke has also failed during free-agency season, believing that trying to get in on the frenzy during the first few hours or even days of the free-agency period is not necessary, despite that being the time when all the other teams are doing there hardest to ink the high-end players as soon as possible. In fact Burke was in Afghanistan last July 1st (the opening of free agency).
    Burke has also acted in a similar fashion when it comes to the trade deadline. Burke has always believed that teams aren’t going to make themselves that much better during the trade deadline and that moves are best to be made before the deadline hits. However, again most of the teams do their work during the last few hours of the deadline, working as hard as they can to add the pieces that can help make a good team great.
    Other odd personal rules that Burke has implemented to his teams are when he hires a new coach he allows that coach to bring in an assistant of their choice. Now although this does seem like an effective way of running a coaching staff, what this sometimes means is that talented and knowledgeable assistant coaches, that might know the team better, lose their job as well. Burke however, has received some praise for another one of his personal beliefs and that is the notion of putting a trade-freeze between the 24th and 26th of December. Burke likes his players to enjoy the Christmas season with their family and not have them worry about whether or not they might be moved at the time. Now although this seems like a grand gesture, you have to think if the opportunity is given to make a deal that could drastically improve the team you have to think that he must jump on that opportunity and make that deal. You can be a liked person, but at the end of the day you are running a business and sometimes you need to do whatever it takes to bring home Lord Stanley.
    At the end of the day Burke has always had a reputation as a personality like no other. He has always been known as a player’s GM, having the players’ best interest at hand, but it seems that many of his personal rules and guidelines have got in the way of success in Toronto and ultimately that is why Burke was shown the door last Wednesday.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  18. It's a Canadian Game
    Tuesday was the day that a lot of Canadians had marked on their calendars as it marked the announcement of the roster that will hit the ice to defend gold at the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. Steve Yzerman and the selection committee made the announcement just before 11:00am and Yzerman and the rest believe this is the team that gives Canada the best chance to win gold.
    Most hockey fans have been making up their own roster of who they would take, but here is the roster that will take the ice in Sochi:
    Goaltenders: Roberto Luongo, Carey Price, Mike Smith
    Defense: Jay Bouwmeester, Drew Doughty, Dan Humuis, Duncan Keith, Alex Pietrangelo, P.K. Subban, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Shea Weber
    Forwards: Jamie Benn, Patrice Bergeron, Jeff Carter, Sidney Crosby, Matt Duchene, Ryan Getzlaf, Chris Kunitz, Patrick Marleau, Rick Nash, Corey Perry, Patrick Sharp, Steven Stamkos, John Tavares, Jonathan Toews
    Of course when a country with the overwhelming abundance of talent such as Canada is forced to put together a roster of just 25 players there are bound to be omissions and additions that many will question and argue against and this team is no exception.
    In goal there is seems to be no surprises with Luongo, Price, and Smith however in other spots on the ice there are a few interesting choices that were made.
    The most notable omissions to the team this time around include Tampa Bay’s Martin St. Louis, Philadelphia Captain Claude Giroux, San Jose’s Logan Couture, Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang and James Neal and Chicago’s Brent Seabrook. Meanwhile some notable admissions were Pittsburgh’s Chris Kunitz, Los Angeles’ Jeff Carter, and San Jose’s Patrick Marleau.
    For team Canada it is hard to justify some players over others as the numbers of player having great seasons this year is so large. One of the most controversial additions is Chris Kunitz. Kunitz is having a great year having put up 23 goals and 47 points in 44 games so far. However it seems that the biggest reason for Kunitz being named to the team is because of the chemistry that he has had with Sidney Crosby. So the one looming question following Kunitz is, is he there simply just to compliment Sidney Crosby?
    For the mean time it looks like that is the case though you can’t ignore that he has more than a point per game this year. However, one other question to consider when looking at Kunitz is if Crosby were to be injured and unable to take the ice in Sochi, would Kunitz be able to gel well enough with another centreman and vice versa? Team Canada obviously thinks so and let’s hope that they are right.
    As for Carter, Carter has been one of the better shooters the past few years and is a proven finisher a great asset for any team. This season he has 26 points and 15 goals in 33 games. This means Carter is scoring almost once every two games and last year averaged what would have been over 50 goals in a full season.
    Marleau is a unique pick in the sense that he wasn’t a name that garnered a lot of attention yet almost seems like a no brainer to be on the team. He has been fairly consistent his entire career and also been a great leader. Though Marleau’s numbers dipped a little last season putting up just 31 points in 48 games, this year he has put up 41 points in 43 games and seems to back at it. Marleau was also part of the team that won gold in Vancouver and will bring a veteran presence to the team as well as the ability to play in all situations for Canada.
    One of the more notable omissions was Claude Giroux, in Giroux’s case it seems that his slow start may have been what plagued him the most. Giroux started off the season not recording his first goal past the 10 game mark, due in part to both his play and the poor play of the rest of the Flyers. Giroux has substantially picked up his play since and how has 38 points in 42 games, but it seems like this hot streak may have come too late for Giroux and may have caused him his spot. Former Olympians Eric Staal, Joe Thornton, and Brent Seabrook were also snubbed of spots on the team as well.
    A lot of controversy arose last week after Team USA announced that Ottawa forward Bobby Ryan did not make the roster that will represent the States in Sochi, but it seems that for Canada opinions about who should and who shouldn’t have made the team have been even more intense.
    However, arguments aside the team has been announced and bearing a few injuries to the team, this will be the team that will look to defend gold for Canada. A case could be made for or against almost every player named to the team and some people may just do that. Many may not agree with who all made the team, but one thing is for sure, there is no shortage of talent on this roster of 25 of Canada’s best.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  19. It's a Canadian Game
    With seven games now under their belt it seems like there might be no stopping the San Jose Sharks, but is this year’s team a real contender or is history likely to repeat itself.
    The Sharks have started off the season a league best 7-0-0, a franchise record, but although this may be the best start the Sharks have had don’t hold your breath just yet. The Sharks have been no stranger to strong seasons or even post-season play, but as history as shown, it is once they make the playoffs that things start to unravel.
    In the past five seasons the Sharks have never made an appearance in the Stanley Cup final. They have been eliminated in the first round twice in the last five years in 2009 and 2012. They were eliminated in the second round in 2008 and eliminated in the conference final in 2010 and 2011. All these disappointing post seasons followed regular seasons where they finished atop the Pacific division every year minus last season where they finished second in their division.
    However, this season the Sharks are off to a roaring start and much of the team’s success can be attributed to the stellar play of Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Anti Niemi.
    Marleau started off the season tying a record that has not been equaled since 1917-1918. Marleau started the season recording two goals in each of the first four games of the season. He is currently the league leader in goals having lit the lamp nine times in the first seven games and totaling 14 points.
    Thornton has also been the recipient of Marleau’s hot start. Thornton has amassed 14 points in the first seven games including 11 assists with most following a Marleau tally. If Thornton should keep up this pace he would finish the season with 75 assists and 96 points.
    Pavelski, like Marleau and Thornton, is also off to a thunderous start recording 12 points in seven games. Pavelski will eclipse the highest totals of his career in a shortened season if he can keep up his pace.
    What this line has also really helped to deliver is one of the hottest powerplay units in the league. San Jose has the 5th best powerplay, running at a 30.8% success rate and scoring 12 times. The trio alone has recorded 8 of those goals and has also been responsible for 4 game-winning goals.
    Besides being an offensive powerhouse the Sharks have also been very responsible in their own end of the ice due in large by the solid play of goaltender Anti Niemi. Niemi has put up a goals against average of 1.95 and has a save percentage of 0.933 both of which are among the league leaders in those categories.
    So, with a team that has been able to be nearly perfect in both ends of the rink thus far it would seem that the Sharks are an early favourite to win the cup. Unfortunately for the Sharks if they want to live up to this early hype they are going to have to prove that this time around they are not just a team that can have a strong regular season, but that they can also bring their stellar play to the playoffs.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  20. It's a Canadian Game
    Ever since Monday the talk around the league has been the devastating injury to Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Steven Stamkos. Monday in their matinee game against the Boston Bruins Stamkos crashed heavily into his own net and in doing so broke his right tibia.
    The Stamkos injury means that he will be out of commission indefinitely. Now despite just being out of the Lightning lineup for the foreseeable future the injury also could mean that Stamkos’ participation for team Canada at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi could be in jeopardy, a big blow to Canada’s offense.
    Besides Stamkos and his injury there may also be some other players who were expected to make it that may have played themselves off the team with their poor starts to the season. Two names that immediately come to mind are Flyer’s captain Claude Giroux and Hurricanes’’ captain Eric Staal.
    When team Canada held their orientation camp in the summer these two were penciled in by many to already have a spot on the roster. However, through the first 18 games Giroux has just one goal and 10 points and has the second worst plus/minus rating on the Flyers with an unimpressive -8. Meanwhile Staal’s numbers are similar, having only amassed 9 points and a team worst -9 in Carolina’s first 18 games.
    TSN insider Darren Dreger reports that Team Canada management still feels very strong about Giroux and believes he can be a very important part to the team, but with his terrible start this season it’s hard to think he deserves a spot over players who have excelled this year.
    Another name that could be on the bubble is Rangers’ Rick Nash. Nash is coming off a concussion that has kept him out of the lineup since the Rangers’ third game of the season. Now Nash started practicing with the team this week and is expected to be in the lineup very soon, but if Nash’s injury prevents him from competing at 100% his spot on the team may be up in the air as well.
    Luckily for Canada there have been others who have started the season with stellar performances and if given the chance may very well be able to provide the void left by injuries and under performers.
    With his team off to an incredible 14-3 start and having put up 19 points in those games, Matt Duchene is a name that would be very hard for the team to overlook. He like Stamkos is a centre, but if he makes the team may be looked upon to play the wing due to a plethora of talented centres at Canada’s disposal.
    Duchene could prove to be a very valuable piece as he can play all situations, has incredible speed, and through 17 games this year has yet to take a single penalty meaning he plays a very smart game.
    Another name that should get some consideration despite failing to receive an invitation to the team’s orientation camp is Dallas Stars’ left winger Jamie Benn. Benn has 16 points in the Stars’ first 18 games. This is good enough for second on the Stars behind Tyler Seguin. Benn is also a +6 which also leads the team.
    Benn is a big body who can play physical, can dominate offensively, and like Duchene can be very versatile. Benn could be a great replacement for big bodies such as Nash or Staal. In fact TSN’s Darren Dreger ran through an updated guess of who he thought the roster might include this past Tuesday, including Jamie Benn.
    With their hot start a number of San Jose Sharks may also get a strong look as well. Logan Couture, Patrick Marleau, and Joe Thornton have all put up substantial numbers this season and could push for a roster spots as well. Thornton has 19 points in 18 games, while both Couture and Maleau have 18. The Sharks trio also have a combined +17 rating and 8 powerplay goals between them.
    Thornton and Marleau would also bring a great veteran presence to the team as both were part of the 2010 squad that won gold in Vancouver. The two were also part of the team’s most consistent offensive lines along with former Shark Dany Heatley.
    Team Canada’s Management staff met in Toronto to strongly discuss the core of their roster on Tuesday. Ideas of what names exactly were discussed are unsure, but one can assume the players above were part of these discussions among others. So, as we inch closer and closer to January when the roster will be named, once can only assume that these names will be discussed a lot more thoroughly.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  21. It's a Canadian Game
    We are now into the third week of the season and already some teams have already been turning heads and make splashes around the league. The San Jose Sharks have come flying out of the gate having gone 6-0-0 to start the season and taking over the number one spot in the NHL Power Rankings. In Colorado the Avalanche are off to a 6-0-0 start with their new bench boss Patrick Roy at the helm. Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames, despite the overwhelming doubt heading into this season, have put up a very solid 3-1-2 record, not losing their first game in regulation until game 6.
    Now there are many different factors that can be attributed to the early success of these three teams, but one thing that each has greatly benefited from is the play from some of their rookies. So, in saying this let’s take a look at some of the rookies from these squads and see what they have done to help give their teams an early edge.
    In San Jose one man has stolen the show and arguably set the hockey world ablaze and that is 19 year old Czech sensation Tomas Hertl. Hertl, San Jose’s first round pick in 2012 (17th overall) has quickly made a name for himself. Through his first six games he has amassed an incredible 7 goals and 9 points. Hertl’s 7 goals to date are the most in the NHL.
    Hertl’s greatest accomplishment was easily his performance against the New York Rangers when he put up 4 goals including his highlight reel fourth goal where he was able to put his stick between his legs and go top shelf on Martin Biron. Hertl has quickly become a fan favourite amongst Sharks fans and already has defensemen around the league keeping a close eye. Although Hertl did garner a lot of criticism for what some believe to be “showboating” on his fourth goal against the Rangers, the fact of the matter is this kid has tremendous skill and a nose for the net and is in no doubt a big reason for the Sharks red hot start.
    Hertl's Fourth Goal Against the New York Rangers
    http://youtu.be/yMw4nksG7UQ
    In Colorado the Avalanche are off to a perfect 6-0-0 and though a lot of this success can be attributed to the new systems brought in by new head coach Patrick Roy and the unbelievable play of goaltender Semyon Varlamov another is the exceptional play of 2013 first overall draft pick Nathan MacKinnon.
    It’s hard to be surprised when the number one overall draft pick puts up big numbers, but in MacKinnon’s case there was a lot of
    skepticism as to where he would be taken in the draft this spring. It was until his stellar play in the Memorial Cup for the eventual winners the Halifax Mooseheads that MacKinnon put a stamp on that number one spot. However, going into this season after the draft the hype around MacKinnon seemed to die down.
    Well MacKinnon has been in the lineup for the Avs in every game so far this year and in 6 games MacKinnon has put up 7 points including 6 assists, good enough for most on the team. What may be more impressive than the numbers MacKinnon has put up is the way he has composed himself on the ice. MacKinnon, as he did in junior, looks to be one of the fastest players on the ice. For an 18 year old rookie to come into the NHL in his first season and not look out of place just goes to show how truly skilled this young man is. There may have been a lot of skepticism as to who this year’s numbers one draft pick should have been, but so far MacKinnon is proving the Avalanche made the right choice.
    Last year the Calgary Flames saw their worst finish in over a decade and with franchise cornerstones Jarome Iginla and Miika Kiprusoff now out of the picture many, myself included, gave very little hope for the Flames to make the postseason. However, after six games and a solid 8 points in the standings the Flames have shown they still have a bit of fight in them.
    One player who has had a real spark for the Flames has been rookie Sean Monahan. Monahan who was the Flames first round pick in 2013 has started his first NHL season with 5 points in his first 6 games for the Flames. In fact Monahan recorded a point in each of his first 5 games in the league, the first player to do this since Jonathan Toews did it back in 2005.
    Though Monahan is in just his first season in the NHL he may be relied on to provide a large portion of the offense this season for the Flames. Coming into the season the Flames highest point producers were Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak who each only put up a mediocre 32 points in 48 games. The Flames clearly lack what many would consider a top 3 forward and with this absent from their lineup it will be up to players such as Monahan to pick up the slack.
    Monahan proved in junior with the Ottawa 67’s who finished last season with a 16-46 record that even on a struggling team he can still put up a lot of points and provide offense. Despite his team’s terrible record Monahan still recorded 78 points in 58 games. So, for Monahan it seems that Calgary might be a familiar setting for the skilled forward.
    Follow me on Twitter: @Craig_Hagerman
  22. It's a Canadian Game
    It was a big day for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday as they took on the Montreal Canadiens in the first game of the 2013-2014 season, coming out with a 4-3 victory in front of a full house at the Bell Centre. However, earlier in the day the Leafs were making other news when they announced that superstar winger Phil Kessel had signed an 8 year extension with the buds.
    Kessel and Leafs management agreed to an 8 year $64 million deal that will kick in next season. Speculation on an extension had been in the air almost since the end of last season, but serious talks about signing the extension only just kicked in to gear this past week. The speculation grew after Kessel had made it very clear to the Leafs management that he was not willing to negotiate and work on a deal during the season.
    What this meant for the Leafs was either get the deal done before the season starts or wait until the end of the season and risk Kessel testing free agency. Luckily, Nonis spoke with Kessel this past week, after his slashing incident against Buffalo, where Kessel made it clear to Nonis that he would prefer to remain a Toronto Maple Leaf. From here it was pretty easy for Nonis to get a deal done, that will now see Kessel play, what could be the rest of his career, in Toronto.
    Even on the eve before the signing, when speculation that the deal was in the works, many questioned the value of Phil Kessel with most critics believing that a price tag of $7-8 million was too much for the sniper. Most claims suggest that his defensive game was still lacking and that he was a very one-dimensional player. So, let’s take a closer look at Phil Kessel.
    It is no secret that Kessel’s biggest strength and asset to the Toronto Maple Leafs is scoring goals. Over the past three seasons in the NHL, Kessel has amassed a very respectable 89 goals. These 89 goals are the third in the NHL during this three year span behind only Steven Stamkos, Alex Ovechkin, and Corey Perry (all former Rocket Richard Trophy Winners). So, obviously he is among the best goal scorers in the game.
    Kessel finished the shortened season last year with 20 goals and finishing 8th in the league with 52 points in 48 games. Had last year been a full 82 game season, Kessel would have been on track to eclipse the best point total of his career.
    One other strength that Kessel has that he showed Leafs fans this past spring was that when it comes playoff time, he steps up his game. In the seven game heartbreaking series against the Boston Bruins Kessel put up 6 points in 7 games including a goal in the infamous game 7. This was pretty impressive for a player who had a history of never being able to produce against his former team during the regular season.
    However, this wasn’t anything new to Kessel as even while he was with the Bruins he was more than a point per game producer in the playoffs. While with the Bruins Kessel put up an impressive 15 points in 15 games between 2007-2009.
    Finally, there is Kessel’s defensive game. Now it is very clear that defense isn’t Kessel’s greatest asset, but under the reigns of head coach Randy Carlyle there has been improvement to this part of his game. In fact Kessel's plus minus has improved in each of his last two seasons.
    In the end it might be the man who gave him the hefty contract who summed it up best at Tuesday afternoon’s press conference. “… His contract is likely in the top 10 highest in the league, but over the past few years he has been in the top 10 in goals and points…”
    Yes, Kessel’s contract is the highest in Maple Leafs history, but Kessel has proved that he is the offensive backbone to this hockey club and he has constantly put up high numbers since coming over from Boston. He may come with a high price tag, but you have to spend good to get good and the Maple Leafs understand this. Suffice to say if the Leafs failed to sign their franchise player come next season, Dave Nonis and company would have a very hard time finding someone to replace the offense left by Kessel.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  23. It's a Canadian Game
    Just days after announcing the signing of winger Mason Raymond, the Maple Leafs finally came to terms with restricted free agent defenseman Cody Franson on Thursday. The contract is a one year $2 million dollar deal which seems to have come somewhere in the middle from what both Franson and Nonis had been looking for.
    Throughout the contract stalemate, it was made public that Nonis and the Leafs management were very adamant about signing Franson to a multi-year due to the fact that in this upcoming off-season Phil Kessel, Dion Phaneuf, Dave Bolland, Nikolai Kulemin, Jake Gardiner, and now Franson will see their contracts expire. So, the Leafs were hoping they could take one of these names off the list of contracts to negotiate next season.
    However, for Franson he understood the cap had dropped $6 million dollars this year, that it would be going up next year, and that the Leafs were up against the cap. So, Franson believed that it was in his best interest to sign a one year deal to prove his worth and then look to sign a contract next season for a pay increase. In the end the Leafs gave in to Franson’s request for a one year deal, but made sure that the dollar amount was exactly where they wanted it, a compromise that both parties believe to be fair.
    So, with Franson now signed for the 2014 season there are a few things that are going to have to happen in the next week before the season opens October 1st. First, Franson will want to get his feet wet in pre-season action as the only on ice workouts he has had lately have been at practices with the Ryerson Rams. It is believed that Franson will play in the Leafs remaining two pre-season games Friday and Saturday both against the Red Wings.
    The second thing that is going to need to happen is figure out which defensemen will make the final roster and who will be sent down. It is expected that Dion Phaneuf and Carl Gunnarsson will stick together, Franson will rejoin his partner Mark Fraser, and that Jake Gardiner will be paired up with either Paul Ranger, John-Michael Liles, or rookie hopeful Morgan Reilly. As it stands it seems as though Reilly will likely be the odd man out and sent back to his junior team in Moose Jaw. In saying that, Carlyle mentioned Thursday that the Leafs may look to keep the youngster around for the first 10 games of the season before doing so. So, that final spot could still be wide open.
    Finally and likely the biggest and most important thing the Maple Leafs are going to have to try and do in the next couple weeks is make some cap space. With the signing of Franson the Leafs are now roughly $1 million dollars over the salary cap. In order to make room it is expected that the Leafs will put injured tough guy Frazer McLaren on the injured reserve meaning that McLaren would have to miss at least 10 games, but in the process the Leafs would be able to dump some salary.
    The other thing it is expected the Leafs will do is start the season with an 18 man roster rather than 23 to also allow them to play under the cap. Both these moves however, are only short term so it looks as though the Leafs are going to have to move bodies in order to make space. The move that likely makes the most sense for the team is moving defenseman John- Michael Liles.
    Liles, who is also pushing for a roster spot would likely fit outside of the Leaf’s top six and with a cap hit of just under $4 million dollars, moving his contract seems like the most viable option for the team.
    For now it seems like the Leafs will be able to get away with playing with their cap problems to at least start the season, but moves will need to be made. Regardless of what needs to happen it is clear that the organization is very thrilled to have their most offensive producing defenseman back in a Maple Leafs uniform.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  24. It's a Canadian Game
    The 2013 IIHF World Hockey Championship wrapped up a couple weeks ago in Sweden and Finland with this year’s winner being the host Sweden team. This year the tournament had its fair share of interesting story lines from the amazing place of the Switzerland team to France pulling off one of the biggest upsets in the tournament’s history. So, with the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games just around the corner there might be some early signs of what’s to come in Russia when the world’s elite will play for gold.
    Canada once again came up short in the quarterfinals, losing to host Sweden 3-2 in a shootout. The early exit however, has become somewhat of a ritual for the Canucks over the past four tournaments. The Canadians have not captured a tournament win since 2007 when they defeated Finland 2-1 in the gold medal game.
    However, this year the biggest blunder by one of the stronger teams in the world came at the hands of the Russians. A very strong Russian team that included superstars such as Alex Semin, Alex Radulov, Ilya Kovalchuck, and Ilya Bryzgalov lost a shocker to France 2-1.
    France has never been a force in World Championship play, in fact their strongest finish in the tournaments history was 6th place. A finish they have never been able to meet since they achieved this back in 1930. To also put the loss into perspective, France did not qualify for the upcoming Olympic Games.
    However, the biggest story of the tournament was the stellar play of Switzerland. Switzerland finished the round robin with 20 points, good enough to be the top team from either pool. The Swiss defeated the Czech Republic, moving on to the semifinals where they will met the USA. In their semi-final match against the Americans, Swiss played another dominate game and took the contest 3-0, sending them to the finals for the first time in team history.
    The Swiss historically have never fared much in the tournament except for playing somewhat of a spoiler to other nations. The Swiss’ only other significant achievement came back in 2010 when they defeated Canada 2-1 for the first time in the tournament’s existence.
    The Swiss during the tournament defeated both the Czech Republic and Sweden (the eventual tournament champs), both of who will be in the same pool as the Swiss during the Olympics, which could be a good sign for the Swiss moving forward.
    However, it is important to know that the teams that are taking part in the World Championships right now will be greatly improved come the Olympics with the additions of many more NHL players who will join their fellow countries. Though, the approval of NHLers being allowed to compete in next year’s games has yet to be determined.
    So, heading into the 2014 Olympic Games it will be very interesting to see if more shocking upsets and Cinderella stories will be made. Could we be starting to see an emergence of new hockey powers in the world? For now only time will tell.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
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