Jump to content

It's a Canadian Game

Blogger
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    170

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    2

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by It's a Canadian Game

  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
    It’s been a pretty busy past couple weeks for the Calgary Flames, the organization said hello to their new President of Hockey Operations, Brian Burke and goodbye to long-time goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff. With these two big changes to the club we could see some drastic changes coming for the Flames and after coming off their worst season in over a decade this past season, this should come as good news to Flames fans.
    With the departure of the franchise all-time leader in wins, filling the gap in net left by Kiprusoff will be very interesting. Last season in just 48 games the Flames used 4 different goalies and while Kiprusoff actually had the worst stats of the four tenders, recording a 3.44 goals against average and an 0.888 save percentage. The three other goalies that saw ice time for the Flames last year all saw numbers that ranged around 3.00 goals against average and a high 0.800 save percentage, both not acceptable for a starting goalie in the NHL. So, who takes the reigns this year?
    Going into training camp it seems that the position could be wide open to any goaltender that can impress Bob Hartley and the coaching staff. One name that could make a splash is Finn Kari Ramo. Ramo had a brief stint with the Tampa Bay Lightning between 2006 and 2009 and after failing to live up to the organization’s standards, Ramo left to play in the KHL.
    While playing for Avangard Omsk of the KHL the past two seasons, Ramo put up a save percentage of 0.925% in 2012 and 0.929% this past season. Ramo has also kept his goals against average under 2.00 the past two seasons. If Ramo can bring this same level of play back with him from Europe there is no reason why he couldn’t be the man to take the lead in Calgary.
    The other tender in the organization that is likely to be given the opportunity to prove he is starting goalie material is Joey MacDonald. MacDonald is coming into his second season with the Flames organization and after serving as a back-up with the Flames last year he is hoping that the departure of Kiprusoff means he will get the chance to finally play the bulk of the games this season.
    MacDonald played in 21 games last season going 8-9-1 while putting up a 2.87 goals against average and a 0.902 save percentage. Though these numbers aren’t spectacular, for a team that isn’t very deep with goaltending they aren’t terrible either. There is no doubt that if MacDonald gets the starting position these numbers will have to improve. However, at 33 years of age MacDonald is the veteran goalie on the team and he may finally get the chance to prove his worth to both the organization and the rest of the league.
    As for other changes that could come to the Flames, those could come from the new man in charge, Brian Burke. With Burke now in position as the team’s new President of Hockey Operations this means General Manager Jay Feaster will report to Burke. However, if Burke really wants to make a splash in Calgary and turn this team around relieving Feaster of his duties as GM might be the best thing he can do for the team.
    Feaster has been at the helm of the organization since 2011. After Darryl Sutter was fired Feaster, Sutter’s assistant at the time, took over. Since he has been given the job of General Manager, Feaster has both failed to bring in big names to help the organization while also trading away key players without a good return.
    The first of these trades being the trade that saw Dion Phaneuf, Keith Aulie, and Fredrik Sjostrom go to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Nicklas Hagman, Matt Stajan, Jamal Mayers, and Ian White. Phaneuf has since been named captain of the Maple Leafs and has become arguably the team’s best defenseman, while the only piece left of the trade in Calgary is Matt Stajan. Stajan is coming off a season that saw him record just 5 goals and 23 points in 43 games for the Flames, to put things into perspective.
    The other big trade that Feaster has seemed to have lost on is the recent Jarome Iginla trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Feaster dealt the franchise’s all-time scorer to the Pens in exchange for prospects Ben Hanowski, Kenneth Agostino, and the Pens first round draft pick that turned out to be Morgan Klimchuk. Now although these players have yet to hit their mark and in some cases even make it into the lineup of an NHL game, it already seems like the Flames failed to receive equal value for the trade.
    The Penguins are a stacked team who have arguably the biggest abundance of talented roster players, which is why it seems shocking that Feaster would not have looked to receive a roster ready player as part of the deal. He could have added a player that could have helped the team immediately, especially knowing that removing Iginla from the lineup would create a massive hole in the team’s roster.
    Besides making questionable trades, Feaster has also been known to bring players back who have already served with the team (both on his own and while serving with Darryl Sutter). Feaster has brought back Oli Jokinen (now with the Winnipeg Jets), Alex Tanguay (now with the Colorado Avalanche), and Mike Cammalleri, players that never really panned out with the organization, but were brought back regardless. These players are all players that seem to have already played their best years in the NHL and bringing them back served very little to the organization.
    Burke needs to sit down with Feaster and discuss the direction in which the team should be heading and suggest in better ways to do that and if Feaster can’t make a change in how he makes transactions then maybe Burke should find someone else who can.
    In all, this should be a very interesting season for the Calgary Flames. It will be a season that will rely heavily on players trying to fill in the gaps of some of the franchise’s great players and management trying to find the best players to do so.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  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
    The Vancouver Canucks will be relieved to return to Rogers Arena on Saturday when they take on the New York Rangers. This comes after dropping their last three contests against three of their Canadian counterparts.
    The Canucks will be returning from a seven-game road trip where after winning three of the first four games, the team dropped the latter three to Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal.
    The Nucks were sitting very comfortable towards the top of the Western Conference just over a week ago and since dropping their last three games now find themselves fifth in the west.
    The team finished last season with the third worst record in the west, under head coach John Tortorella, but have since looked to rebound with Willie Desjardins at the helm. However, despite what has been a great bounce-back it is important to be aware of just how this team has gotten where they are.
    During their impressive 18-9-2 run, half of the team’s wins have come against teams who currently sit outside of a playoff position. What is also very important to take into account is the fact that four of the team’s w’s have come at the hands of the NHL’s basement dwelling, Edmonton Oilers.
    Now there is two ways to look at that, one if the Oilers really are as bad as they seem to be, then there should be no reason for them to lose to Alberta’s under-achievers. On the other hand, Vancouver has defeated the Oilers by scores of 5-4 in a shootout, 2-0, 3-2, and 5-4. That means they have only scored four more goals than the Oilers during the season series. If Edmonton were to have been able to get a couple better goaltending performances or an extra bounce to maybe split the series, the Canucks would find themselves sitting 10th in the West today.
    What also seems to be a curious case with Vancouver has been the play of starting goaltender Ryan Miller. Miller took the starting position, signing with the Canucks during the off-season after Luongo was shipped out during last season’s trade deadline.
    And although Miller currently has the third most wins among all goalies this season, with 16, he also has the 37th best save percentage at .905 and the 25th ranked goals against average with a sub-par 2.57.
    It seems this season that the Vancouver goaltending has either flourished when the team has been playing well or has been brutal when the team has been behind the eight-ball. In the 11 loses this season, including overtime and shootout, the team’s GAA has been a dismal 4.54. Meanwhile in the 18 wins this season the team’s GAA has been great sitting at a 1.67.
    Whether that means the team has played well in front of their goalies in these games, who knows, but what is certain is that when Vancouver loses they like to do it big.
    Taking a look at the advanced side of things, the Canucks also have the fifth worst PDO (save percentage + shooting percentage) at 5-on-5 this season, sitting at 98.4, while also holding the 18th ranked Corsi-for percentage at 50.3%.
    The Canucks ended their recent road trip with three games in four nights so it is fair to say that towards the end they may have been feeling a little fatigued. In fact both Sedins only had two assists a piece in the team’s last four games away from home.
    I wrote a piece yesterday suggesting that this season the San Jose Sharks weren’t quite the team they were last year. However, when I look at Vancouver I would argue the Canucks also aren’t the same, but they are definitely trending upwards.
    They had a rough go away from home, but when you consider where the team sat at the end of last season there is no question Vancouver has improved. They still sit in a playoff spot and will have had three days off when they take to the ice Saturday night. It’s just important to understand that the team who rose to the top of the Western Conference standings may have got off on the wrong floor.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
    Photo courtesy of Paul Chiasson/ THE CANADIAN PRESS
  8. It's a Canadian Game
    Saturday night Leaf fans saw the boys in blue and white pull off a very impressive comeback win in the battle of Ontario in their tilt against the Ottawa Senators. What the fans may also have seen is a glimpse as to how the team may look for a very large portion of the season. This may have been the game that saw Jonathan Bernier steal the net from James Reimer.
    On Saturday night Reimer got the start in net against the Senators having had quite a track record against their Ontario rivals where he had put up an impressive 8-1-1 record in his previous contests against the Sens. Unfortunately for Reimer, after giving up 4 goals on 21 shots (including the final two coming within a span of just 15 seconds of one another) Jonathan Bernier saw his first action at the Air Canada Centre.
    To say that this change in goal was the turning point in the game would be a complete understatement. The Maple Leafs were able to tie the game at 4 at the 2:52 mark of the third period and from there Bernier kicked out every puck that came his way. The Leafs would take the game in a shootout with goals by Leafs’ Raymond and Bozak, while Bernier turned away shots by Milan Michalek and Jason Spezza.
    The first two games of the season saw Reimer and Bernier split the decisions and after both tenders were named first star in their respected games it seemed as though the controversy about who might be the Leafs starting goalie this season was just getting started. However, after the events that took place on Saturday it seems as though Leafs nation might be singing a different tune.
    After Bernier made a miraculous glove save the crowd could be heard chanting “Bernier! Bernier! Bernier!” making it quite clear who their faith was now in. Many more of these type of saves followed during the game including a sprawling pad save on Sens Captain Jason Spezza with just over a minute left to play in the game. This save in particular was one that stopped what looked to be a sure goal and helped to send the game to overtime.
    To start the season it was made clear by management that starts would be shared amongst both goalies until one faulted or one seemed to rise above the other. Going by the schedule laid out it was already expected that Bernier would be starting Tuesday night when the Colorado Avalanche come to town. After the performance that Bernier put up on Saturday stopping all 15 shots he faced, it seems even more clear that Bernier will get the start and one must think that if he puts up another great performance that it will be hard for Carlyle to pull the hot net-minder from the net.
    Through Bernier’s first game and the action he saw Saturday he has amassed an astounding 0.974% save percentage and 0.64 goals against average, allowing just one goal against on 47 shots. Bernier has also proved his value in shootouts going perfect Saturday while also stopping Flyer’s forward Wayne Simmonds on a penalty shot last Wednesday. Historically this has been a part of the game that Reimer has never been very strong at.
    Despite just giving up 4 goals in the contest it seemed, especially after one puck went by him, that Reimer got flustered and lost his composure. Reimer has had a tendency to scramble for pucks often leaving him out of position and in desperation to make a save (as was seen on Jared Cowen’s second period goal). Bernier on the other hand has looked to be much more calm and composed in the net and because of this always seems to be in the right position and ready to face his shooters. Something that maybe Reimer needs to look at in his game if he wants to steal the net back.
    It is obviously too early to assume that Bernier has stolen the starting role completely from Reimer especially after just one game in which Reimer slipped up. However, it is hard to look past the great play of Bernier. Reimer will likely see another opportunity for him to claim the position that prior to this season had his name on it. In saying that if Reimer doesn’t step up his play it looks as though Bernier may achieve exactly what he came to do in Toronto. Leaf fans there might be a new sheriff in town.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  9. 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.
  10. 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
  11. It's a Canadian Game
    On Monday Hockey Canada announced the invitees to its World Junior Camp for the upcoming 2014 World Junior Hockey Championships. After finishing a disappointing fourth place last year, Hockey Canada is taking a different approach to this year’s camp. Unlike in year’s previous where Canada would invite upwards of 40 players to camp and then make cuts accordingly, this year a roster of only 25 players was invited with the hopes of only making a few cuts and leaving more time for the team to gel and work out systems.
    Hockey Canada announced that 15 forwards, 8 defencemen, and 2 goalies had been invited to the camp that will take place in Toronto from December 12th-15th. The team looks to be very strong this year, but take that with a grain of salt as last year’s team that finished fourth was seen by many to be a stacked squad after NHLers Ryan Nuggent-Hopkins and Jonathan Huberdeau were named to the squad.
    However, this year’s crop is incredibly talented and there is no doubting that and in fact this may be one of the first year’s in a while where the projected top overall picks in next year’s NHL draft will get a serious look. Kootenay Ice’s Sam Reinhart and Barrie Colts’ Aaron Ekblad, who are both believed to challenge for the top spot in next year’s draft could play very pivotal roles on this year’s team. Both were important pieces of Canada’s under 18 tournament that won gold this past year.
    Reinhart has captained Canada’s under-18 team the past two seasons so despite being one of the younger players on the squad, will be one of the leaders going forward. Reinhart has put up 45 points through his first 28 games this season and will be looked to bring his offense and hockey smarts to the world stage once again.
    Ekblad who captains the Barrie Colts, was a huge part of the team that brought home the gold at the under- 18 tournament is the youngest defenceman on Canada’s roster. However, don’t expect his young age to get in the way of him playing important minutes for the team. Ekblad joined the Colts in the OHL as a 15 year old after being awarded exceptional status. Ekblad was instrumental at quarterbacking Canada’s powerplay and could be looked to help do the same with this year’s team.
    Besides these two, another member of that same under- 18 team and someone many people will be excited to see, is 16 year old phenom Connor McDavid. McDavid like Ekblad was also granted exceptional status into the OHL last season and has already put up 45 points through 27 games this season. McDavid is already slated to be the next Sidney Crosby or even better depending on who you ask, and will be expected to bring his dynamic offensive skills back on to international ice.
    On top of these great offensive talents, the player who will likely provide Canada with the strongest offensive punch is returning player Jonathan Drouin. Drouin was one of the more offensive players on Canada last year on a team despite the firepower, lacked the ability to finish at key times. The No. 3 overall pick in last year’s NHL draft and Memorial Cup winner is currently lighting it up again for the Halifax Mooseheads, tallying 46 points through his first 19 games this year. Drouin can be expected to play on Canada’s first line and see a lot of time on the team’s powerplay.
    Besides the vast talent mentioned above, the team will also include Bo Horvat, the Canucks first round pick from the London Knights who was picked by Vancouver after they traded away goaltender Corey Schneider for New Jersey’s pick. Philadelphia Flyer’s first round pick Scott Laughton scored an invite after being snubbed last year. Jets draft pick Nic Petan of the Portland Winterhawks, who since the beginning of last season has put up more points than any other Canadian player, and Anthony Mantha who since the start of last year has put up more goals than other junior in Canada will both dawn the red and white.
    Like last year, this year Canada will also be fortunate enough to have a player with NHL experience on the squad. The Minnesota Wild agreed to loan defenceman Matt Dumba to Canada. Dumba has been in and out of the lineup this season for the wild and because of this the Wild felt there was no reason why they couldn’t let him join the team.
    Charles Hudon will be another face that the Hockey Canada will be happy to finally see in red and white this year. Last year Hudon suffered a devastating double fracture in his back during one of Canada’s tune up games and because of the injury was unavailable for the entire tournament. This year Hudon has 32 points in 29 games for the Chicoutimi Sagueneens of the QMJHL.
    However, despite having only named 25 players there will still need to be a couple of cuts made to the team to get the down to size, likely two-three forwards and one defenceman. This cut will be easier on the defensive side of things, at least for the beginning of the tournament due to the case of Griffin Reinhart.
    The elder brother of Sam Reinhart, will still have to serve three more games as part of a suspension that Griffin received last year for a highstick he delivered in a game against the USA. This means that Griffin will miss the first three games against Germany, Czech Republic, and Slovakia, but will be able to return in the team’s fourth game against the reigning champions USA. Luckily the team’s coaches will have three games to see who they want to sit upon Griffin’s return to the roster.
    Meanwhile in goal it is a little uncertain to this point who exactly will carry the reigns, but as Canada has usually elected to do, both goalies will likely see playing time during the first couple games of the tournament. Jake Patterson returns for Canada after being the team’s third string last year, despite arguably being the best goaltender in Canada’s camp last year. Patterson has put up some shaky numbers this season with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit including a 3.56 goals against average. However, Hockey Canada believes that he can still be a solid contender between the pipes. Canada will also have Canadiens second rounder Zach Fucale of the Halifax Mooseheads. This season Fucale has put up a 2.62 goals against average and 0.897 save percentage in 23 games.
    Here is the entire list of those invited to this year’s camp:
    Forwards
    Josh Anderson, London Knights (OHL)
    Jonathan Drouin, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
    Frédérik Gauthier, Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL)
    Félix Girard, Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
    Bo Horvat, London Knights (OHL)
    Charles Hudon, Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL)
    Scott Laughton, Oshawa Generals (OHL)
    Curtis Lazar, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
    Taylor Leier, Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
    Anthony Mantha, Val-d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL)
    Connor McDavid, Erie Otters (OHL)
    Nic Petan, Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
    Sam Reinhart, Kootenay Ice (WHL)
    Kerby Rychel, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
    Hunter Shinkaruk, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
    Defence
    Chris Bigras, Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
    Matt Dumba, Minnesota Wild (NHL) / Red Deer Rebels (WHL)
    Aaron Ekblad, Barrie Colts (OHL)
    Josh Morrissey, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
    Adam Pelech, Erie Otters (WHL)
    Derrick Pouliot, Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
    Griffin Reinhart, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
    Damon Severson, Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
    Goalies
    Zach Fucale, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL
    Jake Paterson, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
    Team Canada will kick off the tournament on Boxing Day when they take on the Germans. Canada has not brought home gold from the championship since 2009, but hopefully with a new approach to their camp and yet another roster chalked full of talent they will be able to get back on top of the junior hockey world.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  12. 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
  13. It's a Canadian Game
    The Dallas Stars made it into the playoffs last season by the skin of their teeth, edging out the Phoenix Coyotes by a single ‘w’.
    Being the eight seed in the West the Stars were paired up against the number-one seed Anaheim Ducks and though they made the series interesting, they ultimately fell to the Ducks in six games.
    So heading into the 2014-15 season, Dallas looked to improve on last season by bolstering their secondary scoring by being one of the most active teams during the summer’s free agent frenzy locking up former Ottawa Senators Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky.
    However, 24 games into the season and they have moved in the standings, but in the wrong direction, finding themselves now tied for second last spot in the Western Conference ahead of just the Edmonton Oilers.
    So far this season Hemsky has just seven points through 24 games, and five of those points have come in the last six games. Hemsky even had a stretch where after recording an assist in the first game of the season, went 14 straight pointless.
    Spezza on the other hand has 20 points in 25 games, which is pretty good, but that has been greatly due to the fact that after a slow start Spezza was moved up to the top-line with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. Spezza also has been seeing more ice-time than Hemsky including more time on the power play.
    The inability to give the team some second-hand scoring comes somewhat of a surprise as during the final quarter of last season Hemsky was brought in at the deadline to play with Spezza and the two seemed to make magic. The two combined for 36 points in the Sens final 20 games of the season.
    In an attempt to try and get Hemsky going head coach Lindy Ruff has started to play Hemsky on the top-line wit Benn and Seguin, who currently leads the NHL in goals with 18, in an attempt to break him out of his offensive slump.
    However, Hemsky hasn’t stuck with the top-line and his ability to produce is likely why. Now Hemsky isn’t the only under-achieving Star, in fact behind Seguin’s 18 and Benn’s eight, five players have five goals and the numbers slide from there.
    Entering their game against Toronto Tuesday, Dallas was 10th in the NHL in goals for this season with 69 goals, but that number can be skewed since Seguin has scored a league-high 26% of his team’s goals. In fact if you were to take away Seguin’s 18 goals Dallas would find themselves 27th in the league. Benn and Seguin currently make up 38% of Dallas’ goals this season.
    Another problem that could be holding the Stars back is the lack of production from their veteran players. Shaun Horcoff, Eric Cole, and Vernon Fiddler. Each have all had years to forget and given their ages, they might be some of their last.
    The age of three combine for 106 years and this season the three have tallied a total of 23 points in 71 games. The Stars recently traded away veteran defenseman Sergei Gonchar to the Montreal Canadiens for tough guy Travis Moen. The 40-year-old had recorded one assist in three games this year after missing a large portion of the season with an ankle injury.
    Last season Gonchar had his lowest points per game average of his career, not including his season in 1994-95 where he only played 31 games. So maybe the Stars need to be out with the old and in with the new.
    What also hurts the Stars is the fact that sophomore winger, and former first round pick, Valeri Nichushkin has only seen four games this season and looks like he may miss the rest of the season after having hip surgery. Nichushkin put up a respectable 34 points in his first year in the league last season and even found a spot on Russia’s roster at the Sochi Olympics.
    The team’s lack of secondary scoring doesn’t help when following a 5-3 loss to the Maple Leafs, have the worst goals against per game in the NHL at 3.52
    Though things don't seem to be in Dallas’ favour so far it’s early and though secondary scoring has hurt the team, last season Alex Goligoski who finished third on the team in scoring with 42 points, was still 37 points off Jamie Benn for second in team scoring. Maybe Benn and Seguin are the saving grace for the Stars.
    Follow me on Twitter: @Craig_Hagerman
    Photo Courtesy of Ronald Martinez/Getty Images North America
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. It's a Canadian Game
    With the World Junior Championships about to get underway in Ufa, Russia one NHL team seeing some of its future stars in action is the Edmonton Oilers. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for Team Canada and Nail Yakupov for Team Russia are both suiting up for their respective teams and captaining them as well. In recent years the Oilers have had a large representation at the tournament. The likes of Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Sam Gagner, and Magnus Paajarvi have all represented their fellow countries, all outstanding and talented forwards.
    Drafting highly-touted forwards the past few years seems to have been the drafting strategy of the Oilers. Although these forwards all pack an incredible offensive punch are the Oilers starting to overstock on forwards? This past draft, Edmonton entered having the number one pick for the second year in a row. After having selected Nugent-Hopkins the year prior many analysts questioned whether Edmonton should look to pick up the top skater in the draft (Yakupov) or fill other positional needs such as a highly skilled defenseman or a goaltender. Edmonton finished the 2011-2012 season 23rd in goals against, with only the Ottawa Senators being the only team behind them to make the playoffs. So, help on defensive positions may be what Edmonton needs most. In 2012 of the top 10 players selected 8 were defensemen, meaning the opportunity for Edmonton to pick up a highly skilled defenseman was there.
    Besides the young blood Edmonton has in its system, they also have some other key forwards as well. Edmonton’s forwards include: Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Sam Gagner, Nail Yakupov, Magnus Paajarvi, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Ales Hemsky, Ryan Smyth, Shaun Horcoff, and more. Of all Edmonton’s forwards, Hemsky and now Yakupov, are the only natural right wingers, the rest being either centremen or left wingers. Now this group of forwards is no doubt a very solid group. Each of the young forwards in time will be all-stars in the league, but how will the team fair defensively? A typical NHL lineup consists of 2 scoring lines, an energy line (a mix of fast and physical players), and a fourth line (typically made up of checking forwards). With players of this caliber of skill it makes no sense to either have players change their game or to omit an essential part to any team or trying to balance the ice-time that each will demand.
    On top of this once the entry level contracts of each of the young forwards expires there is no question that each player will demand a hefty paycheck, something that the Edmonton’s salary cap will not be able to accommodate. So, in the end some of these names are going to have to be traded elsewhere or see time in the minors.
    Edmonton does have defensemen Ryan Whitney, prospect Colton Teubert (who is a former first round draft pick and also suited up for Canada at the World Junior Championship in 2009-2010), and now Justin Shultz (who is tied for tops in AHL in scoring, with teammate Jordan Eberle, as a 22 year-old in his first professional season). Will these three be enough to hold the weight of the Oilers' defense?
    The question of whether to draft the best player available or to address the needs of the roster has been a puzzle general managers have toiled with every draft season. It seems in the past Edmonton has been drafting the best available skaters, which may not have been the best strategy, but only time will tell.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  17. 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
  18. It's a Canadian Game
    The NHL preseason wrapped up on Sunday night and with that hockey fans and players alike now wait for the official opening to the regular season this Tuesday. After a shortened season brought on by the lockout teams will be happy to get a full 82 games season in and a fresh start. One team that will really be hoping to have a fresh start is the Florida Panthers and with some interesting offseason transactions the Panthers may surprise.
    No doubt the most intriguing signing the Panthers have made is in goal with the signing of former Boston Bruin and Vezina Trophy winner, Tim Thomas. Thomas returns to the NHL after taking the entire last season off for ‘personal reasons’. Thomas joined the team on a professional tryout basis and after impressing the coaching staff signed a contract with the team.
    The Panthers were obviously very determined to sign a high calibre goalie after they sent tryout offers to not only Thomas, but also to Jose Theodore and Ilya Bryzgalov. Last season Jacob Markstrom played the bulk of the games for the Panthers playing in 23 games and posting an 8-14-1 record. However, after compiling just a 0.901 save percentage and a 3.22 goals against average, it is clear that the organization does not feel that the young Swedish netminder is ready to handle starting goalie responsibilities just yet.
    Another interesting signing for the Panthers was that of former 40 goals scorer, Brad Boyes. Ever since hitting his peak in St. Louis in 07-08, Boyes has never been able to eclipse the 40 goal plateau again. However, while with the Islander last season Boyes put up a respectable 35 points for the Isles good enough for third on the team behind only John Tavares and Matt Moulsn. So, with a fresh start and a bigger role as a veteran on a growing team, Boyes could be a very valuable asset.
    The most recent transaction that Florida has made heading into the regular season was signing veteran defenseman Ryan Whitney. After putting up 17 points in 34 games for the Oilers last season Whitney joined the St. Louis Blues this training camp on a professional tryout. After being cut by the team Saturday, Florida wasted no time signing Whitney to a one year $900,000 deal.
    Whitney brings a lot of playoff experience with both the Anaheim Ducks and the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he was even fortunate enough to hoist the Stanley Cup in 2009. Whitney knows what it takes to win and though he is on the back end of his career, by accepting a professional tryout he had made it clear that he still has a passion to play.
    Besides bringing in veteran players to the lineup, the Panthers will also look for big contributions from their young guns as well. Johnathan Huberdeau finished last season with 14 goals and 31 points finishing second on the team in scoring behind Thomas Fleischmann. So, looking ahead Huberdeau would like to improve on his Calder Trophy-winning season and prove to the team that though he is young he can be counted on to lead the team offensively.
    Next to Huberdeau is 2012 first round draft pick, Aleksander Barkov. Barkov was one of the most intriguing names in this year’s draft as many scouts believed that of all the skaters in the draft he was the most ‘NHL ready’ player. In fact some scouts even had Barkov ranked as high as number one in the draft, which makes it no surprise he was chosen ahead of Tampa Bay Lightning’s Jonathan Drouin and Nashville defenseman Seth Jones , who was believed to go second overall (where Barkov was ultimately selected).
    Besides these names the Panthers have a solid core with the likes of Kris Versteeg, Thomas Fleischmann, Thomas Kopecky, and Brian Campbell. Last season was pretty dismal for the Panthers, with just a few shining moments to look back on. However, management has proved that they are serious about bringing a winner to Florida. Many people may not have a lot of hope for the Panthers after last season, but this is a team that may turn a lot of heads this season.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  19. It's a Canadian Game
    Over the past week we have the seen the likes of Ian White and now, Kris Versteeg voice their displeasure not just with the lockout, but also with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. White and Versteeg have both stated that they believe that the NHL has gone down hill with Bettman at the helm. So, this has brought up the question, when the lockout finally comes to an end will we see the end to the Bettman era?
    Since Bettman first took the reigns of the NHL back in 1993 the NHL has seen the players get locked out 3 times the second most of any professional sports league next to the NBA. The NHL has seen lockouts in the 1994-95 season (which saw a reduced season of 48 games), in 2004-05 which saw a cancellation to the entire season, and now this season (which as of Thursday has seen the cancellation of the first 68 days of the season).
    Kris Versteeg this past Monday on TSN's radio show stated that Bettman has been a cancer to the game and that means he must go.
    "You do try to look at the best case scenarios moving forward once the CBA does get done and you gotta look for the cancers and you gotta cut out the cancer."
    Versteeg continues, "I think when you look at Bill Daly and Gary Bettman, they have been polluting the game for far too long"
    Versteeg's comments came just days after Detroit Red Wings defenseman Ian White voiced his opinion about Bettman, being a little more blunt about the Commissioner stating, "I personally think he's an idiot"
    White, continued saying, "since, he's come in he's done nothing, but damage the game."
    Versteeg also believes that those who have suffered while Bettman has been in charge are the fans. "The fans have been left with too many bad tastes in their mouths for too many year and I think when this is all said and done it will be a good time to finally make that happen."
    It is no secret that Bettman is not liked by fans of the game. Bettman is regularly booed at games by fans. Some die-hard Bettman haters have even started websites voicing their displeasure with the Commissioner and the hopes of his firing. These sites incude www.firebettman.com and www.garybettmansucks.com, which have brought fans together to talk about... well I'm sure you get the picture. What may also infuriate fans and players alike is the fact that over the past eight years Bettman's salary has more than doubled to over $7,500,000; money paid to him by the NHL.
    The hate for Bettman has even gone so far as people suggesting that he no longer hand out the Stanley Cup or the Prince of Wales Trophy (awarded to the winner of the Eastern Conference) and the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl (awarded to the winner of the Western Conference) because fans tend to boo Bettman instead of recognizing the winners who deserve the celebration.
    In all it seems that Bettman is obviously not a well liked man and being in the driver seat of the NHL lockout is not helping his popularity. Although, many hope that Bettman will be replaced following a resolution to the lockout, until then those not pleased with his actions will have to continue to live with this so-called "cancer" until it can be removed.
    For more information check out TSN's article:
    http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=409856
    Follow me on Twitter: @Craig_Hagerman
  20. It's a Canadian Game
    This past Monday saw the induction of another 4 of the greatest players to ever play the game into the Hockey Hall of Fame. The Hall saw the likes of Mats Sundin, Joe Sakic, Adam Oates, and Pavel Bure take their spot among the game's greats. Now with that in mind lets take a look at some of the players who may get their call come next year.


    Brendan Shanahan (HFD/DET/NJ/STL/NYR)




    Brendan Shanahan was a dominate force on the ice and in his prime was one of the most dangerous goal scorers in the league. Shanahan ranks 11th on the all-time goals list with 656 to his name. He ranks 25th on the all time points list and racked up 100+ penalty minutes in 17 seasons. Shanahan played over 1,500 games in the NHL and on top of that had the chance to represent his country on several occasions including capturing gold as a member of Team Canada during the 2002 Olympics.


    Rob Blake (LAK/COL/SJ)





    Rob Blake was one of the game's most complete defensemen. Blake could do it all, he could put the puck in the net or he could put players through the boards. Blake captained the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks and finally hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2001 with the Colorado Avalanche. Blake finished his career with 777 points in 1,270 career games, finding the back of the net 240 times. Blake took part in 6 NHL all-star games, won gold with Canada in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, and was fortunate enough to win the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman in 1997-98.


    Chris Chelios (MON/CHI/DET/ATL)




    Chris Chelios was another one of the game's great defensemen in his prime. Chelios played both a physical and offensive game finishing his career with 185 goals and 948 points. Chelios played in 11 all-star games and ranks 12th all-time in penalty minutes with 2,891. Chelios will also go down having played 1,651 games (5th all-time) and for 26 seasons tying a record set by Gordie Howe. His 1,651 games is also the most by a defenseman. Chelios captained the Blackhawks from 1995-1999 and won 3 Norris Trophies and 3 Stanley Cups along the way.


    Eric Lindros (PHI/NYR/TOR/DAL)




    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ed5VhR18hC8/TB7hz2b93UI/AAAAAAAAAX0/XmqI9EDHn7A/s1600/article_10827_2.jpg
    Eric Lindros burst into the league as by far the one of the greatest and most talented players to play in the NHL. He had size, physicality, and soft hands. Lindros was expected to finish his career among the greats, and although he put up impressive numbers ultimately lingering injuries plagued Lindros' career. Lindros suffered from several concussions during his career, his most severe coming from a devastating hit from Scott Stevens. Lindros would finish his career with 865 points in 760 games and a MVP title in 1994-95. Lindros could have put up much higher numbers in his career had injuries not plagued him, but he was still talented enough to be seen as one of the league's greats.


    Curtis Joseph (STL/EDM/TOR/DET/CAL/PHO)




    http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2fd6baeAw1qeev66o1_400.jpg
    Curtis Joseph or "Cujo" as the fans called him was one of the top goalies of his time. Although Joseph never lead the league in major categories he was always among the best in the league, being consistent throughout his career. Joseph ranks 4th all-time in wins and 5th all-time in games played. Cujo was part of the 2002 Olympic hockey team that won gold despite only playing in one game. Joseph was a 3-time all-star and was the recipient of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 1999-2000 for his leadership and his on and off ice contributions to his community. Joseph is tied for 22nd on the all-time shutouts list with 51 and should definetlly be a consideration for the Hall.


    Alexander Mogilny (BUF/VAN/NJ/TOR)



    http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/trophies/winners/LBT2003.jpg
    Alexander Mogilny may be on the list because he is my favourite player, but he has also put up the numbers to make it to the Hall. Mogilny finished his career with 1,032 points in 990 games. He scored 437 goals, with his most impressive year coming in 1992-1993 when he scored 76 goals and 127 points in 77 games. Mogilny won the Lady Byng Trophy in 2002-2003 as the league's most gentlemanly player while also playing at a skilled level of play. He is tied for the NHL record for the fastest goal to start a game, scoring just 5 seconds in to a game. In 2000 Mogilny was a member of the Stanley Cup winning New Jersey Devils. Mogilny will also be remembered for his part in the 1996 World Championship when Russia despite a dominating performance lost in the semi-finals. It will be remembered because Mogilny was part of, what many believed to be the greatest forward line ever assembled, playing on a line with Pavel Bure and Sergei Federov.
    All 6 of these players have achieved a lot throughout their careers and may one day be immortalized in the Hall of Fame. Who do you think will make the class of 2013?
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  21. 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
  22. 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
  23. It's a Canadian Game
    It seems only TSN hockey analyst Aaron Ward expected the kind of start the Calgary Flames seem to be on this season. With 33 points through their first 23 games, the Flames are just one point behind for first in the West.
    Their red-hot start is a far cry from last season when the Flames finished 13th in the West in front of only their Alberta counterparts, the Edmonton Oilers.
    Though much of this season’s success can be attributed to the career year of captain Marc Giordano (who was just named NHL’s first star of November), much can also be accredited to 30-year-old Jiri Hudler.
    The 5-foot-10 center is currently in his third season with Calgary and is on pace for a career high season. The Olomouc, Czech Republic native has 11 goals and 23 points in the team’s first 24 games of the season and on pace for 37 goals and 77 points.
    Though these would be career numbers for Hudler, the fact is he has seen an increase in his offensive production ever since he came to Calgary. During his time with Detroit, who drafted him in 2002, 58th overall in the second round, between 2003 and 2012 Hudler played 409 games as a Red Wing recording 87 goals and 214 points. That comes out as a points per game of 0.52.
    Meanwhile in his three seasons with the Flames Hudler has amassed 38 goals and 104 points in 141 games, a points per game of 0.73. This points per game change with the Flames means that in a full 82 game season Hudler is putting up an average of 18 more points with the Flames than he did with the Red Wings.
    Another big reason for Hudler’s improved offense is because of the role he has been thrusted into in Calgary. The Czech is enjoying a career high in ice-time this season averaging 17:55 a night, while his highest average during his time with Detroit was 15:40 in 2011-12.
    Hudler has also seen a career high shooting percentage, finding the back of the net on 28.2 per cent of his shots. And he has also has recorded 78.3 per cent of his points (nine goals and 18 points)this season while at even strength. While Hudler has also had a knack for scoring clutch goals for his team, with three of his goals being markers that have tied the game.
    Of course it is always important to note that it is still very early on in the season and paces usually tend to drop off at some point. However, what is clear is that Hudler has seem to have found a home in Calgary and if the Flames do happen to make it to the post-season you can bet that Hudler will definitely be a big reason for it, and someone the team will look upon to lead the way.
    Follow me on Twitter: @Craig_Hagerman.
    Photo Courtesy of Gerry Thomas/NHL via Getty Images
  24. It's a Canadian Game
    It was another familiar and unfortunate site for Buffalo last Wednesday night, not just because the Sabres lost again for the 9th time this season (now at 10), but because another dirty hit was committed. In their 5-2 loss to the Boston Bruins Sabres goon (to put it nicely) John Scott delivered a vicious elbow to the head of Bruins star Loui Eriksson on a delayed hit. So once again Scott has the hockey world up in arms after another dirty play.
    John Scott's hit on Loui Eriksson
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojoCAhhOxGs
    However, it seems that now the talk of the incident is less about vicious hits in the game, but more about having vicious players such as Scott in the game at all. Scott has been coined the term “goon” and rightfully so. Many believe that hockey has no place for people whose sole purpose to take the ice every night is to hurt and attempt to injure other player, while contributing very little to their team in terms of offense.
    Throughout Scott’s career he has played in 187 games and recorded just one goal and 4 assists. This year in 7 games Scott has no points, has averaged just 4.57 minutes of ice time while averaging just under 3 minutes per game in the penalty box. That means Scott only tends to play about 2 more minutes on the ice then he does in the penalty box.
    Besides his lack of contribution at the NHL level, Scott’s stats have been similar everywhere he has played. In the AHL he has played 173 games putting up just six goals and 13 points and in the WCHA he played 126 games recording 7 goals and 18 points. It is obvious to see that Scott did not make it to the NHL because of his numbers.
    Now many might claim that he is just doing what fourth line players are paid to do, be physical, stick up for their stars, and get their team energized with a good fight. This is all true, but Scott tends to do this in a very dirty fashion. Many fourth line players will fight other fourth line players and stick up for their stars when they are in trouble. This is not what Scott has done.
    In a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the pre-season (likely one of the more famous pre-season games of all-time) Scott jumped superstar Phil Kessel which then resulted in a line brawl that even saw goaltenders Jonathan Bernier and Ryan Miller square off.
    Scott jumped Kessel, in what seemed to be a retaliatory offense, after Maple Leafs tough guy Jamie Devane fought with Sabres Corey Tropp. However, in the case of Tropp, he bit off a little more than he could chew. Tropp being 6’0 decided to take on Devane who towers at 6’5. To make matters worse Devane is a player who has been known to be a good fighter. So, when Tropp was knocked out by a punch by Devane, as tragic and dangerous as it was, it wasn’t Devane’s fault so looking for retaliation should not have been his first thought.
    Scott though was not pleased with this and to settle the score he decided to take vengeance on the Leafs star, instead of the person who actually had knocked out Tropp. In fact just before Scott jumped Kessel as they lined up to one another on the faceoff circle, Scott told Kessel he was going to jump him.
    Unfortunately, this has been a pattern with Scott. In both his most recent altercations he has targeted star players, not other fourth line players like himself. This goes to show that he trying to injure stars to give his team an edge the best way he can, since goal scoring for him is out of the question.
    Many may argue Scott is no different than other fourth line players and goons such as Colton Orr, George Parros, Chris Neil, Matt Cooke, etc. but the fact is that these players do either one or two things that Scott does not. First off most of them can provide a few more points for their team, Chris Neil has averaged about 25 points a season and even put up 16 goals in 2005-06 while Matt Cooke when healthy and in the lineup has been able to put up a solid 40 points and is currently second in scoring on Minnesota with 8 points in 12 games.
    The other thing many of these other fourth line players tend to do is fight and play physical while also being clean. To be an enforcer does not mean one has to play dirty. Guys such as Colton Orr and George Parros fight a lot and are looked upon to be physical but these players tend to fight the enforcers of other teams. They refrain from going after big stars and when they fight or play physical they do it cleanly. These players don’t look to hit for the head or throw vicious elbows to injure others, they simply do what they can to stand up for their teammates and provide energy and a boost to their team.
    As the NHL still works to come up with an appropriate suspension for Scott following the Eriksson hit the one thing that Scott might have going for him is the fact that he doesn’t have any prior suspensions and this will be his first offense. Though, if Scott’s style of play and his past show anything it might be that this won’t be the last time he faces discipline. Maybe the league should stop Scott once and for all.
    Follow me on Twitter: @Craig_Hagerman
  25. 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
×
×
  • Create New...