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It's a Canadian Game

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  1. It's a Canadian Game
    This past Thursday was supposed to mark the start to the 2012-2013 season, but of course thanks to the lockout we wait until a deal is reached. Now in the past few weeks some players have voiced their optimism of a new deal coming together before the entire season is wiped out, while others continue to believe there is no deal in sight. So, why is this?
    Sidney Crosby this week was one of the few players who made it clear that he thinks the entire season won't be lost. Crosby stated, "I can't see it getting to that point, I really can't. It hasn't even crossed my mind to be honest with you. I think, if anything, my thoughts are more just about whether the NHL has a date in mind (for the season to start) and just when they're actually going to start negotiating." Crosby believes that the fact that both sides have been meeting together and that negotiations are taking place means that they are getting somewhere.
    Wayne Gretzky is another who has voiced his optimism that a new deal will be made before the season's projected end. Gretzky believes that the real timeline to get a deal done is the Winter Classic. The Winter Classic this year is scheduled to be between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings on New Year's Day.
    http://youtu.be/RNrBJE_xtoA
    Wayne Gretzky interview about the lockout
    The Winter Classic has been pointed out as a date of interest partially because of the huge profits the game brings and with this year's scheduled to be the biggest so far the NHL would be stupid to let this opportunity slip them by. The game between the Leafs and Wings is scheduled at Michigan Stadium where the record for the most people at a hockey game was set in 2010. The plan for this game is to try and break the record of over 104,000 people by hoping to get close to 115,000 fans in the stands and with a wait list for tickets already in effect that doesn't seem to be a problem. Tickets for the game have been priced between $79 and $279 so NHL is looking to make anywhere between $9,000,000 and 33,000,000 on ticket sales alone.

    A preview of HBO: 24/7 from 2011 featuring the Flyers and Rangers
    Now although, both sides have been meeting including two more meetings this past Wednesday and Thursday, it seems that, like we've heard so many times since the lockout began, both sides are no closer to a deal than when the lockout began. This week neither the NHL nor the NHLPA brought any new proposals to the table, solidifying the belief that no solution to the lockout is close.
    Now for those hoping to stick by Crosby's comments, take them with a grain of rice because it was Crosby who said during the summer that the fans need not worry about an NHL lockout coming into affect.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  2. It's a Canadian Game
    We are now into the third week of the season and already some teams have already been turning heads and make splashes around the league. The San Jose Sharks have come flying out of the gate having gone 6-0-0 to start the season and taking over the number one spot in the NHL Power Rankings. In Colorado the Avalanche are off to a 6-0-0 start with their new bench boss Patrick Roy at the helm. Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames, despite the overwhelming doubt heading into this season, have put up a very solid 3-1-2 record, not losing their first game in regulation until game 6.
    Now there are many different factors that can be attributed to the early success of these three teams, but one thing that each has greatly benefited from is the play from some of their rookies. So, in saying this let’s take a look at some of the rookies from these squads and see what they have done to help give their teams an early edge.
    In San Jose one man has stolen the show and arguably set the hockey world ablaze and that is 19 year old Czech sensation Tomas Hertl. Hertl, San Jose’s first round pick in 2012 (17th overall) has quickly made a name for himself. Through his first six games he has amassed an incredible 7 goals and 9 points. Hertl’s 7 goals to date are the most in the NHL.
    Hertl’s greatest accomplishment was easily his performance against the New York Rangers when he put up 4 goals including his highlight reel fourth goal where he was able to put his stick between his legs and go top shelf on Martin Biron. Hertl has quickly become a fan favourite amongst Sharks fans and already has defensemen around the league keeping a close eye. Although Hertl did garner a lot of criticism for what some believe to be “showboating” on his fourth goal against the Rangers, the fact of the matter is this kid has tremendous skill and a nose for the net and is in no doubt a big reason for the Sharks red hot start.
    Hertl's Fourth Goal Against the New York Rangers
    http://youtu.be/yMw4nksG7UQ
    In Colorado the Avalanche are off to a perfect 6-0-0 and though a lot of this success can be attributed to the new systems brought in by new head coach Patrick Roy and the unbelievable play of goaltender Semyon Varlamov another is the exceptional play of 2013 first overall draft pick Nathan MacKinnon.
    It’s hard to be surprised when the number one overall draft pick puts up big numbers, but in MacKinnon’s case there was a lot of
    skepticism as to where he would be taken in the draft this spring. It was until his stellar play in the Memorial Cup for the eventual winners the Halifax Mooseheads that MacKinnon put a stamp on that number one spot. However, going into this season after the draft the hype around MacKinnon seemed to die down.
    Well MacKinnon has been in the lineup for the Avs in every game so far this year and in 6 games MacKinnon has put up 7 points including 6 assists, good enough for most on the team. What may be more impressive than the numbers MacKinnon has put up is the way he has composed himself on the ice. MacKinnon, as he did in junior, looks to be one of the fastest players on the ice. For an 18 year old rookie to come into the NHL in his first season and not look out of place just goes to show how truly skilled this young man is. There may have been a lot of skepticism as to who this year’s numbers one draft pick should have been, but so far MacKinnon is proving the Avalanche made the right choice.
    Last year the Calgary Flames saw their worst finish in over a decade and with franchise cornerstones Jarome Iginla and Miika Kiprusoff now out of the picture many, myself included, gave very little hope for the Flames to make the postseason. However, after six games and a solid 8 points in the standings the Flames have shown they still have a bit of fight in them.
    One player who has had a real spark for the Flames has been rookie Sean Monahan. Monahan who was the Flames first round pick in 2013 has started his first NHL season with 5 points in his first 6 games for the Flames. In fact Monahan recorded a point in each of his first 5 games in the league, the first player to do this since Jonathan Toews did it back in 2005.
    Though Monahan is in just his first season in the NHL he may be relied on to provide a large portion of the offense this season for the Flames. Coming into the season the Flames highest point producers were Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak who each only put up a mediocre 32 points in 48 games. The Flames clearly lack what many would consider a top 3 forward and with this absent from their lineup it will be up to players such as Monahan to pick up the slack.
    Monahan proved in junior with the Ottawa 67’s who finished last season with a 16-46 record that even on a struggling team he can still put up a lot of points and provide offense. Despite his team’s terrible record Monahan still recorded 78 points in 58 games. So, for Monahan it seems that Calgary might be a familiar setting for the skilled forward.
    Follow me on Twitter: @Craig_Hagerman
  3. It's a Canadian Game
    The newest class of inductees into the Hockey Hall of Fame was announced Monday.
    This November the likes of Dominik Hasek, Peter Foresberg, Rob Blake, Mike Modano, Pat Burns, and Bill McCreary will become the newest members to be enshrined in the hall.
    With this year’s class named, questions about who was left off this year’s card begin to swirl. The most popular name that had been receiving a lot of consideration in the days leading up to Monday’s announcement was ‘the Big E’ Eric Lindros.
    However, once again Lindros was not fortunate enough to have his name added among the game’s great which now makes it five years now that Lindros has been left off the ballad since he became eligible to be inducted.
    Now although Lindros’ name seems to be the name people bring up when they talk about Hall of Fame snubs, another name that has also been snubbed by the hall and deserves some serious consideration is Russian great Alexander Mogilny.
    Like Lindros, Mogilny has been eligible to be inducted into the hall since 2009. Now although Mogilny may not have put up the most points by any Russian and may not be on a lot of people’s radar to get into the hall, there is no question that what he did on the ice and for the game was nothing short of great. The original ‘Alexander the Great’ deserves to be remembered for what he did for the sport.
    The Russian sniper finished his NHL career having racked up 473 goals and 1,032 points in 990 games. On top of that Mogilny is a member of the very rare Triple Gold club after winning the Stanley Cup in 2000, the World Championship in 1989, and Olympic Gold in 1988.
    However, what Mogilny might be known most for is the path he carved for Russian players. Mogilny was the first player to ever defect from the Soviet Union. In doing this Mogilny became the first Russian born player to lead the league in goals, when he tied Teemu Selanne with 76 in 1992-93, and became the first Russian to captain a NHL team.
    On top of winning Olympic gold, Mogilny also won World Junior gold in 1989 when he played on what some call the greatest line the tournament has ever seen. During the 1989 championship, Mogilny played on a line with fellow Russian greats Sergei Federov and Pavel Bure.
    In fact Federov believed it was Mogilny who was more skilled player on that line.
    “Alex, I think, was the strongest. He has the most agility, the quickest release and the best shot, the leader of our line,” said Federov.
    Mats Sundin once referred to him as the most talented player he had ever played with and Pat Quinn, his former coach and now chairman of the Hall of Fame, once described Mogilny as “having good size and wonderful skating ability, he can play any kind of game.”
    Mogilny is also a six-time all-star, winner of the Lady Byng Trophy in 2003, and was inducted into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame in 2011. Mogilny would have won the Rocket Richard Trophy in 92-93 had the award existed at the time and above all was a threat on the ice every time he played.
    Mogilny had the respect of his peers and was among some of the greats during his time in the league. He led the way on the scoreboard and led the way for Russian players in the NHL. There are many great players still waiting to have their name one day immortalized among the best and ‘Alexander the Great’ deserves to one day be among them.
    Follow me on Twitter: @Craig_Hagerman
  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
    It seems that this year has been the first year that talk about removing fighting from hockey has really resonated with people. In years previous it seems that the vast majority of hockey fans had been in favour of allowing fisticuffs in the game, but many are now singing another tune.
    Ever since opening night this season when Montreal Canadiens’ tough guy George Parros took a freak fall when fighting Toronto Maple Leafs’ Colton Orr, smashed his head on the ice and ultimately leaving the veteran enforcer concussed, the debate on fighting in the NHL has gathered steam. Now whether the NHL is heading down that way is hard to tell, but with head shots being looked at and punished more severely than ever before it’s certain that the NHL is trying to limit player injuries. So, with that in mind it would make sense to think fighting could be next.
    George Parros Injury in Fight With Colton Orr

    When asked on their opinions about fighting in the game it seems that there have become three different stances on the issue. There are those who are absolutely for it, those who are completely opposed to fighting, and those who feel that fighting could be acceptable if various parameters were put in place. Many believe if things such as stricter penalties for fighting or allowing players to fight as long as the fights are not premeditated could be acceptable.
    Now for me I would lean more towards the side of keeping fighting and at the most I would maybe make some harsher penalties for fighting. I feel one solution could be to implement the rule that I grew up playing with in minor hockey. This rule was simply that if you fought you were out for the remainder of the game unless the fight was late in the third period in which then a 1 game suspension would be assessed. This rule makes it so that players can fight, but they have to choose their battles and make sure that the fight is worth it.
    Those who are opposed to fighting simply see it as an unnecessary part to the game and one that causes injuries. However, the fact is that all players playing the game know the risk going into fighting and know that injuries can happen, but when playing a sport that allows hitting and is strongly encouraged for physical play injuries are going to happen with or without fighting. In fact in both 2011 and in 2012 NHL players were polled on whether they wanted to keep fighting in the game and an overwhelmingly 98% of the 318 players polled said yes. So, if the players are all for it and understand the risks why not?
    For those in favour of fighting another belief is the thought that fighting in hockey sells tickets. This could not be more false. I don’t believe there is a hockey fan out there who can truthfully say that they watch hockey for fighting and fighting only. Fans go to games to cheer on their teams and to see them win, fighting is extra. It is a part of the game that many fans might enjoy, but fighting is not what sells tickets.
    In the end to me the biggest reason why fighting should remain in the NHL is to keep players safe, prevent devastating injuries, and reduce the amount of suspensions. This may seem like a crazy idea, but I stand by it and this is why.
    A lot of fights in the NHL occur after a player on one team is threatened by another player on another team, either by a hit or something more dirty such as a vicious elbow or slash. In these instances fighting is usually seen as a way to dissolve the issue by intervening with the player who is threatening the opposing player. In most cases after a fight people seem to settle and the issue is resolved.
    Now, in an NHL where there is no fighting I think chaos could ensue. For instance if someone throws a dirty hit or tries to go after Phil Kessel and Colton Orr is not allowed to come to his aid to help protect Kessel and settle the issue by going one on one with whoever went after him what will happen? Do you think the Maple Leafs are going to continue to let someone rough up their star player? Not at all, instead they are going to take matters into their own hands, likely by throwing a lot of hits at the player in question. However, if that doesn’t solve the problem the most likely way to stop this person will be to injure them, maybe a slash, maybe a dirty hit such as a head shot, etc. In the end what ends up happening, a player is put at risk of a much more severe injury when a simple fight may have alleviated the pressure while also removing fear from your star player allowing them to do what they do best.
    Essentially I believe that without fighting, players will find another way to stick up for their players and if fighting isn’t an option then dirty hits and other overly physical play will be the answer and I feel that will cause many more injuries than fighting will. Most players believe the biggest injuries occur in a flash with the quick speed of the game. Hockey is a physical game and removing fighting will not change that.
    As far as premeditated fights go the combatants are usually heavy weights who are waiting to square off against one another. However, I feel that they can also be the perfect grounds to step up for a player such as in the scenario described above. I also believe that premeditated fights can be safer than spare of the moment fights. In premeditated fights both fighters usually have the time to get ready and square off evenly with each other unlike in spare of the moment fights where players can be jumped from others following a devastating hit or so on. It is here players can be blindsided and severely hurt from unseen punches.
    Some hockey fans might argue that a team that fills its fourth line with more talented forwards who can contribute offensively rather than enforcers and grinders can make a team much better, but it is not that easy. For one, in the new NHL the salary cap makes it pretty hard for a team to sign 12 offensively touted forwards. Two, a good team needs to be able to play good defensively and physically in their own end and in the opposition’s end of the ice as well, something that these physical type of players can provide. Third, if a team is hoping to have a fourth offensive line, that fourth line is going to need to be given more ice time in order to be successful, is it in a team’s best interest to cut the ice time of their top two scoring lines to make room for an underachieving fourth line? Fourth, enforcers allow for stars to play their game without the fear that some goon is going to come after them. Instead enforcers and fighting help to establish a code that harm our best players and their will be consequences.
    Fighting is a very controversial issue and everyone can expect to hear a lot more about the debate on the matter as the season continues and so forth. Are my suggestions to the problem perfect, not likely, but at the end of the day accidents happen in such a physical game and we must come to accept that instead of looking to change it. Injuries happen, but as Canadiens’ defenseman Josh Gorges stated following the injury to George Parros, “I see more players get hurt from hits, collisions, from pucks, than I do from fights… I don’t think saying because a player got hurt in a fight that now we have to talk about taking fighting away. And I bet that if you ask George (Parros), he’ll be the first to agree with me on that one too.”
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  6. It's a Canadian Game
    So far the NHL has cancelled games up until October 24th so most of the season could still be played out and games that have already been cancelled could still be tacked on to the end of the season, barring a deal is finally reached. However, assuming this doesn't come to light, certain players may be more impacted than others.
    One name that comes to mind is all-star goaltender and future hall-of-famer Martin Brodeur. At the end of last season rumours swirled all over that Brodeur may be playing in his last season, believing retirement was imminent at the end of the season. Marty went on to sign a 2 year deal at the end of the season, but if he has to sit around and wait to play in his final seasons in the NHL is it maybe in his best interest to retire now?
    This is just one example of a group of NHLers that may go unnoticed when talks about who is impacted the most by the NHL lockout circulate. In 2004 this same phenomenon happened with another one of the game's greats. Brett Hull signed a contract for the beginning of the 04-05 season with the Phoenix Coyotes, a team that was looking to finally prove themselves as a contender. Now the season prior was the NHL lockout and the season prior to that Hull put up a respectable 25 goals and 68 points in 81 games. Great numbers for someone his age.
    So, Hull headed into the 04-05 season after a lockout with new rules and a much faster game. After only 5 games and recording just 1 assist Brett Hull announced his retirement from the game believing he could no longer keep up with new pace and speed of the game. Hull would finish he career with 1,391 points, good enough for 22nd all time. However, he finished just 35 points away from moving up to 15th all-time a feet that would have been very achievable had there have been no lockout during the 03-04 season.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrkTs4Ub8zI&feature=player_embedded
    A look at back some of Brett Hull's greatest moments.
    It seems that some NHLers may now be put into the same position as Hull and may lose out on that one last season. Besides Brodeur, this season also heard much speculation that Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson may be playing in his last season in the NHL. This made the all-star game in Ottawa this past season just that more emotional for the league and the city of Ottawa. However, Alfredsson decided the end of the season that he was not ready to hang up the skates just yet and that he would be back for another campaign. However, with the NHL lockout now in place have we seen Alfredsson's last game in a Senators' uniform?
    Next to Brodeur and Alfredsson, other players that may have to contemplate retirement this year or the next couple years are Teemu Selanne, Dwayne Roloson, Jaromir Jagr, and Jason Arnott to name a few. Lets just hope that once again we don't see the NHL ruin the chance for some of the games greats to hit those memorable milestones.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  7. It's a Canadian Game
    The San Jose Sharks defeated the Edmonton Oilers in demanding fashion 5-2 Tuesday and the team currently is sitting in a playoff spot, so everything is going swimmingly for the team right? Not exactly.
    Despite earning a spot in the post-season dance so far, the Sharks find themselves in eighth place in the Western Conference, a far cry from their fourth place finish last season, all this having played more games than any other team in the conference.
    So despite holding a spot with 33 points and being just a win away from hopping the Winnipeg Jets and tying the Calgary Flames, each of those teams have a game-in-hand on the Sharks. What is even more concerning is the Los Angeles Kings who are just one point behind them, have two games in-hand and the Minnesota Wild who are three points behind them, have four games in-hand, including a tilt Thursday against the Sharks. So a slide down the western conference standings could be on the horizon.
    Looking quickly at this year’s team it seems kind of odd that they find themselves where they are, as there doesn’t seem to be any obvious reasons for the drop in the standings. San Jose currently has the 13th best goals per game average at 2.8 and the 12th goals against per game at 2.57, and though neither are very impressive, neither is terrible either.
    However, when you consider last season the team had the sixth highest goals per game at 2.92 and the fifth best goals against per game at 2.35 it all starts to make sense.
    The team’s power play has been much more successful this year, firing on a 24.2 per cent success rate, good enough for third in the NHL. This is an improvement from their 20th ranked power play last season. However, their penalty kill has dropped from sixth in the league last season to 12th this year.
    The biggest area though where the Sharks are seeing a lack of success is in the possession game, that’s right advanced stats lovers. Last season the Sharks had the third best Corsi-for percentage and the fifth best Fenwick-for percentage both firing at 53.7%. Whereas this season, San Jose’s Corsi-for has dropped to 10th to 52 per cent while their Fenwick-for has dropped to 16th and 50.8%.
    The team’s shooting percentage is sitting at almost an identical position to where it did last year, in the 18th spot at 7.47%. However, this is greatly due to a big 5-2 win against the last place Edmonton Oilers Tuesday night where they scored five goals on 24 shots. The offensive outburst shot the Sharks up the list six spots in that category overnight.
    Advanced stats aside, making the playoffs plain and simple comes down to winning hockey games and what could be very telling about the this season for the Sharks is who the team has lost to. San Jose has lost five games to teams that looking now could be in the Connor McDavid/Jack Eichel sweepstakes in just over six months time. They have dropped two games to the Columbus Blue Jackets who sit 27th in the league standings, one to the 26th seeded Arizona Coyotes, two at the hands of the 28th Buffalo Sabres, and last Sunday a 2-1 decision to the last place Oilers.
    The Sharks do not seem to be the same team since their historic elimination from the playoffs last season to the Kings. After taking a 3-0 stranglehold in the series, the team dropped four straight. Management stripped veteran Joe Thornton of the team’s captaincy during the off-season and have been suiting up with four alternates instead. Meanwhile rumors since last season have swirled about the security of head coach Todd McLellan’s job.
    It isn’t time just yet to call the team a disaster as they are still in the mix and could very well turn it around, but for a team who has finished atop the Western Conference consistently in the past, this season’s team looks as though they could be in a fragile state of regression.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
    Photo Courtesy of EZRA SHAW/Getty Images/AFP
  8. 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
  9. 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
  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
    It was a big day for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday as they took on the Montreal Canadiens in the first game of the 2013-2014 season, coming out with a 4-3 victory in front of a full house at the Bell Centre. However, earlier in the day the Leafs were making other news when they announced that superstar winger Phil Kessel had signed an 8 year extension with the buds.
    Kessel and Leafs management agreed to an 8 year $64 million deal that will kick in next season. Speculation on an extension had been in the air almost since the end of last season, but serious talks about signing the extension only just kicked in to gear this past week. The speculation grew after Kessel had made it very clear to the Leafs management that he was not willing to negotiate and work on a deal during the season.
    What this meant for the Leafs was either get the deal done before the season starts or wait until the end of the season and risk Kessel testing free agency. Luckily, Nonis spoke with Kessel this past week, after his slashing incident against Buffalo, where Kessel made it clear to Nonis that he would prefer to remain a Toronto Maple Leaf. From here it was pretty easy for Nonis to get a deal done, that will now see Kessel play, what could be the rest of his career, in Toronto.
    Even on the eve before the signing, when speculation that the deal was in the works, many questioned the value of Phil Kessel with most critics believing that a price tag of $7-8 million was too much for the sniper. Most claims suggest that his defensive game was still lacking and that he was a very one-dimensional player. So, let’s take a closer look at Phil Kessel.
    It is no secret that Kessel’s biggest strength and asset to the Toronto Maple Leafs is scoring goals. Over the past three seasons in the NHL, Kessel has amassed a very respectable 89 goals. These 89 goals are the third in the NHL during this three year span behind only Steven Stamkos, Alex Ovechkin, and Corey Perry (all former Rocket Richard Trophy Winners). So, obviously he is among the best goal scorers in the game.
    Kessel finished the shortened season last year with 20 goals and finishing 8th in the league with 52 points in 48 games. Had last year been a full 82 game season, Kessel would have been on track to eclipse the best point total of his career.
    One other strength that Kessel has that he showed Leafs fans this past spring was that when it comes playoff time, he steps up his game. In the seven game heartbreaking series against the Boston Bruins Kessel put up 6 points in 7 games including a goal in the infamous game 7. This was pretty impressive for a player who had a history of never being able to produce against his former team during the regular season.
    However, this wasn’t anything new to Kessel as even while he was with the Bruins he was more than a point per game producer in the playoffs. While with the Bruins Kessel put up an impressive 15 points in 15 games between 2007-2009.
    Finally, there is Kessel’s defensive game. Now it is very clear that defense isn’t Kessel’s greatest asset, but under the reigns of head coach Randy Carlyle there has been improvement to this part of his game. In fact Kessel's plus minus has improved in each of his last two seasons.
    In the end it might be the man who gave him the hefty contract who summed it up best at Tuesday afternoon’s press conference. “… His contract is likely in the top 10 highest in the league, but over the past few years he has been in the top 10 in goals and points…”
    Yes, Kessel’s contract is the highest in Maple Leafs history, but Kessel has proved that he is the offensive backbone to this hockey club and he has constantly put up high numbers since coming over from Boston. He may come with a high price tag, but you have to spend good to get good and the Maple Leafs understand this. Suffice to say if the Leafs failed to sign their franchise player come next season, Dave Nonis and company would have a very hard time finding someone to replace the offense left by Kessel.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  12. It's a Canadian Game
    Heading into next season there is a lot of things to be excited about. For one we will see a full 82 game schedule, we will see a new realignment and new playoff structure, and we will also a lot of teams that have had a face-lift. However, as Michael Jackson proved, getting a face-lift doesn't mean you’re going to look better. One example of this, this upcoming season will be the New Jersey Devils.
    Now for the Devils this face-lift is a couple years in the making. Ever since they fell to the L.A. Kings in the 2012 Stanley Cup finals they have lost big pieces of their team and unfortunately for them it doesn't look like they have been able to fill in these gaps. During the 2012 off-season the Devils lost captain and superstar Zach Parise to the Minnesota Wild and now this off-season with the abrupt loss of Russian sniper Ilya Kovalchuck the Devils are without their two top point producers from the 2012 season.
    The Devils have now also lost David Clarkson to free agency as he signed with the Maple Leafs, so the question is who will pick up the slack. The Devils did make some noise bringing in veteran and future Hall of Famer Jaromir Jagr, but Jagr has already made it public that this will likely be his last season in the NHL. So, will he have enough gas in the tank to fill the hole left by Kovalchuck?
    The Devils also brought in tough guy Ryan Clowe, likely in an effort to bring a player in who shared a similar style of play to that of Clarkson, while also adding Michael Ryder. Ryder came off as season where he put up great numbers at the beginning of the season playing in Dallas, but fell apart after being traded back to Montreal in exchange for Eric Cole.
    These names are all huge question marks and anything could go. Jagr, like Ryder, was putting up great numbers in Dallas, but after coming over to Boston seemed to disappear. Despite making it to the Cup Final with the Bruins, Jagr’s contributions were not a big reason for the team’s success. Jagr is in no doubt one of the most talented and offensively gifted players to ever play the game, but is at the end of his career so his level of production is not anything like it was in the past. To expect anything upwards of 50 points from the Czech winger might be a tall order for the 41 year old.
    However, although these signings do help the Devils the fact of the matter is that they do not replace what they lost. Kovalchuck is a former Rocket Richard winner and 50 goal scorer, something that Clowe and Ryder cannot provide. Then there is David Clarkson, who put up higher numbers than both Ryder and Clowe this past season as well.
    The Devils did bring back Patrick Elias, Danius Zubrus, and their best defenseman, Marek Zidlicky. The problem again is that Elias and Zubrus are on the back end of their careers and their best years are likely behind them so big things are likely not going to come from these two. Elias did lead the Devils with 36 points in 48 games last season which isn't awful, but it was only good enough for 45th most in the league. If the Devils want to achieve great success they are going to need someone to compete for league high numbers as after the few names mentioned above the Devils production falls drastically.
    The Devils biggest move however was probably the acquisition of goaltender Cory Schneider, which on the Devil’s end was a great pick up. This deal was a steal for the Devils, especially considering they only gave up their 1st round pick in this past draft (who turned out to be Bo Horvat). The thing is that goaltending was never the Devil’s problem as Brodeur, despite not putting up incredible stats, has been a rock for the team and Johan Hedberg has been arguably the best backup goalie in the league. The move to acquire Schneider was one obviously looking into the future, as it has become quite clear that Brodeur’s years in the NHL are coming to an end. Even with that said, unless Brodeur plays monumentally bad or gets hurt don’t expect the future Hall of Famer to spend his final years sitting on the bench, he’ll still be the teams go to guy between the pipes.
    The Devils do have some prospects that are starting to emerge such as Adam Henrique, Adam Larsson, and Ryan Carter. However, these young guns are still maturing and likely aren't ready to take the team by the reigns just yet.
    The Devils could very well surprise and make a push for a playoff position this year, but when it comes down to it, the team is stocked full of players who seem to be either past their prime or haven’t hit it yet which could be a huge problem for them. So, unless players such as Jagr, Elias, Clowe, and Ryder can bring back their glory days and the likes of Henrique and Larsson can show that they are ready to take their game to the next step the Devils might be in for a long season.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  13. It's a Canadian Game
    Although it may still be about 6 months until the winter Olympics get under way in Sochi, Russia, speculation about who will be suiting up for team Canada this time has already began as Team Canada wrapped up its orientation camp Wednesday.
    Looking forward it is already clear that Canada will have to make sure that they do not make the same mistake they made in 2006 in Turin, Italy. Canada made a mistake when they tried to replicate the same team that had won during the previous games in Salt Lake City. That means that Canada and fans alike, should expect a number of changes to the roster if they hope to be successful.
    Looking at the roster that captured gold in 2010 in Vancouver, it seems there are already some names that are obvious additions and subtractions to the squad. In terms of additions the obvious names that stick out are Steven Stamkos, Claude Giroux, and John Tavares all of whom have grown drastically in the last four years and have become superstars of their respected NHL clubs.
    In terms of subtractions from the squad names such as Scott Neidermayer and Chris Pronger are obvious since they are no longer playing in the NHL. However, names such as Dany Heatley and Brendon Morrow can also likely be added to this list because of their drop in production to their teams in the last couple years.
    Now despite these obvious admissions and subtractions there are likely other changes that will be made to the team. So, here are a few more possible roster moves that could be made heading to 2014. After coming off a Norris Trophy season Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban has to be garnering much more speculation than he was prior to this season. Subban seems to have matured more as a hockey player since playing under new habs bench boss Michelle Therien and this maturity may be the thing that lands him a spot on the team, as his skill is unquestionable.
    Pittsburgh dman Kris Letang is another name that might be an obvious addition to Canada’s back end especially with the omissions of Pronger and Neidermayer. Letang has become one of the most dynamite offensive dman in the league and would be a great asset to the Canadian powerplay.
    Another Penguin that could garner some talk is James Neal his solid play the last few seasons along with his solid playoff numbers might be proof that he can perform under very high pressure situations. Plus having some chemistry with Sidney Crosby couldn’t hurt his chances either.
    Oilers young guns Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle could both be possible additions up front as both have started to become leaders on a still very young Edmonton team. One name that is likely to not get much attention, but that I feel still should at least be in the back of the minds of those putting the roster together is Kings’ forward Jeff Carter. Though Carter only mustarded up 33 points in 48 games this season, which still isn’t terrible, 26 of those 33 points were goals. This means that Carter is a proven marksman, he can finish plays and his big frame and speed can make him hard to handle in the offensive zone.
    On the goaltending front Luongo is likely still going to hold the starting job. Martin Brodeur has turned down a spot on the team and Marc-Andre Fleury’s recent failure to perform in the playoffs when his team has needed him most has left the two other positions opened. So with that in mind the door seems wide open for almost any tender to come in and take the job. It seems that Habs Carey Price could be one of the more likely names to get a shot. After coming off a Stanley Cup win and a solid playoff performance, Corey Crawford’s name has now come up. Mike Smith is the other name being mentioned for the third string position, now that he has become a wall in Phoenix. Essentially, in the end it will likely be a fight for the second and third string positions as Luongo will likely hold the reigns.
    In the meantime there are also a bunch of names that might either have to play themselves back on to the team or on to it. A quick list of these players include: Brent Seabrook, Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Dan Boyle, Matt Duchene, Milan Lucic, Jeff Skinner, Alex Petierangelo, Mike Richards, and even possibly Jarome Iginla (who did not receive an invite to the orientation camp).
    For this group it seems that age is a big factor. It will be a question if the older players will be able to keep and stay competitive playing against the best players in the world and if some of the younger players will be able to handle the pressure and experience needed. Luckily all the names above have had international experience so all could be very viable options.
    One other thing I feel that Steve Yzerman and the team selection committee need to be weary about is the fact that these players will likely be able to play out of position if needed. It has been made clear that Canada has an abundance of very talented centreman. Crosby, Tavares, Toews, Getzlaf, Giroux, and Bergeron can all play the centre position, but with only four centre spots, I feel these six names are too valuable to be left off the team. Some of these players may have to play on the wing and I think it is important for Team Canada to realize this and understand that these players are among the best in the world and should be able to adapt.
    TSN recently placed Pittsburgh Penguin forward on the left side alongside Sidney Crosby as they felt Crosby would need someone he was familiar with on his wing. Crosby is the most talented player in the world and will be able to play with any winger he steps on the ice with. So, with that in mind I don’t think Kunitz will make the team.
    So to wrap it up here is my final roster for team Canada heading into the 2014 games, which I’m sure I will make changes to as next year starts and the Olympics grow closer. Also take into consideration that I am not necessarily making lines, these are essentially the names that I feel give Canada the best chance at repeating as Olympic Champions.
    Forwards:
    Nash Crosby Stamkos
    Getzlaf Toews Perry
    Tavares Giroux E. Staal
    St. Louis Bergeron Richards
    Ex. Neal, Carter
    Defense:
    Doughty Weber
    Keith Letang
    Subban Petierangelo
    Ex. Seabrook
    Goaltenders:
    Luongo Price Crawford
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. It's a Canadian Game
    On Sunday August 11th Nazem Kadri hosted his first ever charity golf tournament just outside his hometown of London, ON. Of course with the media all over the event, questions about his current contract negotiations with Dave Nonis and company arose. With just weeks until training camp opens up and teams get ready for the 2013-14 season, Kadri remains a restricted free agent and it seems that the two sides may not be as close as he would like.
    Just weeks ago Kadri made it public that he was not worried about how the negotiations were going and seemed very confident that a deal would get done. However, it seems that these same calm feelings may be starting to fade.
    The Leafs have just over $4 million in cap space left to sign both Kadri and Cody Franson, two players that were very key to the Leafs improved season that saw them make the playoffs for the first time since 2004. Kadri finished second in team scoring behind only Phil Kessel, while Franson lead all Maple Leaf blue-liners in points with 29. Franson's 29 points were one better than captain Dion Phaneuf's 28 points.
    During the 2013 season Kadri made $1.7 million while Franson brought in $1.2 million. It is clear that both players are due for a raise and unfortunately that is what is making negotiations so hard for both the players and the Maple Leafs' management.
    However, it is already believed that in the seasons following the 2013-14 season the cap will once again rise, which Kadri says he already understands. Now if both players are serious about staying put in Toronto and about receiving a raise then I believe there could be one way to make everyone happy.
    I believe that the Leafs could offer both players one year deals which include a slight raise from last year and then once the cap increases both players can look at receiving the pay increases they feel they deserve from the Leafs organization. This way the players would still get increases from last year, but would still be under the $4 million dollar mark.
    This is not a perfect way to solve the problem and it actually would have to have both players working together as well as with management to make it happen. If both players would not agree to this then the idea would crumble, but if they could agree it might be the best way to appease everyone for the time being.
    Kadri is coming off his first complete season (hard to say since it was a shortened season) and the same can be said about Franson as he played under a coach in Carlyle who kept him in the lineup. So does this mean that we should take this shortened season in a smaller light than a complete 82 game season? These are things likely all be talked about behind closed doors among the players and Nonis. This would also work out best for both sides as it would see both players play a full 82 game season and give management to see how the players can produce in a full season where they will also play against the entire league and not just their own conference.
    Kadri will also benefit this upcoming season as with the buyout this off-season of Mikhail Grabovski, Kadri will likely take over as the second line centreman, likely between Lupul and newly acquired Clarkson. This is a trio that could press for first line minutes and points, something that could drive up Kadri's price tag in the following years.
    Another key piece of the puzzle that will soon come into affect, if it hasn't already, is the contract of Phil Kessel. It has become quite clear that the Maple Leafs need to work on signing Kessel to a long-term contract extension and seeing as though Kessel has been one of the most productive goal scorers in the NHL in the past few years he will also be in demand for a pay increase. So, paying too much for Kadri and Franson is something management will not want to do if it puts Kessel's services in jeopardy.
    Kadri and Franson are both highly talented, important, and still young players that the Leafs would love to have back, but if they can't find a way to play within the money the Leafs have, either one or both players might lose their spot with the organization.
    So for now negotiations will continue, but if this summer has told us anything it might be that someone, whether it be management or the players, is going to have to give in, but with just $4 million in cap space there is only so much that management can do.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. It's a Canadian Game
    The Maple Leafs have won six of their last seven games and look to be firing on all cylinders. While the Maple Leafs have jumped back up into a respective fifth place in the Eastern conference their AHL counterparts find themselves atop their division. This is due in large part to the great play of TJ Brennan.
    One of the biggest reasons for the Marlies success has been the great play of defenceman T.J. Brennan. Brennan finds himself fifth in the league in scoring and number one amongst defencemen with 40 points in 39 games. So with 40 points in 39 games one must think a call up to the Leafs could be in order.
    Brennan was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres 31st overall in the second round in 2007. However, he spent most of his time with the Rochester Americans and played just 21 games with the Sabres between 2011-2013 recording just two goals. Halfway through last season he was moved to Florida where he played 19 games and put up two goals and nine points. Yet back in the American Hockey League Brennan racked up 35 points in 36 games with the Americans.
    Brennan may not have hit his stride at the NHL level yet, but he has proven that at the AHL level he has tremendous offensive upside. Brennan has only seen 40 games in the NHL and has recorded 11 points which if you consider him as a rookie, since he hasn’t seen a full season is not too bad.
    The problem that might stop Brennan from seeing time with the Leafs in the near future is the fact that they seem to have a plethora of young offensive defencemen. With the likes of Morgan Reilly and Jake Gardiner as well as Dion Phaneuf and Cody Franson he is likely not going to see time unless the Leafs suffer a few injuries down the line.
    Randy Carlyle and the Leafs have been looking to add physicality to their back end and for a team who doesn’t have too many players that fit that criteria, bringing in a defenceman whose biggest strength is offence, means the odds might be against Brennan. Just this month the Maple Leafs sent veteran defenceman John-Michael Liles to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for fellow defenceman Tim Gleason. This trade was made to help bring a more defensive presence to the Leafs’ back end.
    However, what might give Brennan a glimmer of hope is the fact that come next year Toronto will be faced with 10 free agents and with just $20 million dollars to sign them. Among these 10 free agents will be unrestricted free agents Paul Ranger and Mark Fraser and restricted free agents Cody Franson and Jake Gardiner.
    Gardiner is in the last year of his contract and currently makes $875,000 and will likely be looking for a pay increase, while Franson is making $2,000,000 and after a lengthy contract dispute last year will likely also be looking for a raise.
    Brennan on the other hand will also be a restricted free agent, but after only making $600,000 this season he may be a player that the Leafs could sign for a bargain and if he could bring his same offensive skill to the Leafs could be a great fit.
    Brennan will likely be named to the AHL All-Star Game to be held on the February 11th-12th weekend and so far looks to be a shoe in as the AHL’s top defenceman. He may not see time with the big club this season, but depending on the health of the Leafs’ blue line and how this off-season goes for Dave Nonis, Brennan may still have a bright future in the NHL.
    Follow me on Twitter @Craig_Hagerman
  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
    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
  24. 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
  25. 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
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