Exhibit A:
Listen to that crowd and tell me that the NHL would attract more American fans with LESS fighting. 'Nuff said.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Random thoughts going into 2010-2011 season
With the 2010-2011 NHL season officially underway today, it is time for hockey fanatics to start pouring their hearts, souls and waking minutes back into this glorious sport.
In honour of the start of a new season, I've created a list of ten things that I believe will be interesting story lines to follow as the season progresses. Note: I skipped over the obvious ones (Stanley Cup favourites, Art Ross Race, etc.) and focused instead on some lesser-known, but possibly more-intriguing, outcomes.
1) Will Carey Price survive Montreal?
I'm going to go out on a major limb here and say that Alex Auld will be the #1 goalie in Montreal by the end of the season, and not Carey Price. Don't get me wrong, Price is an incredibly talented goaltender, but I don't think he will survive the pressure cooker that he's trapped in. The rabid Habs fans and media were intense enough to boo Patrick Roy out of the city, even after Roy won them two Stanley Cups and two Conn Smythes, and the same, almost inhuman expectations are enough to kill any young, talented goaltender. Auld is by no means a great goalie, but he's hit 30 wins before and will fight long and hard for any good fortune in his journeyman career.
2) How will Dion Phaneuf fare as Leafs captain?
Speaking of hockey pressure cookers, Toronto can often times be just as bad. Now the burden of the team's horrible misfortunes fall squarely on the shoulders of the team's newest captain, Phaneuf. Though Phaneuf possesses enough raw talent to make him a prototypical NHL defencemen, questions have arisen in the past about his work ethic and hockey sense. Many Calgary fans were glad to see Phaneuf, who was voted as the NHL's most overrated player last year by his peers, leaving town. A bad season from him could quickly see his status turn as welcome new captain to yet another scapegoat.
3) Goaltending duel in Los Angeles
When was the last time that the Los Angeles Kings had an elite netminder before Jonathan Quick grabbed them 39 wins last season? I can't remember either (and Kelly Hrudey doesn't count). Now the Kings might have two quality stoppers with Jonathan bernier's ascension from the AHL, where he exploded last year and won honours of AHL goalie of the year. Quick won't want to relinquish ice time, but the Kings won't want to let Bernier rot on the bench, so the ensuing battle between the two for the starter position could result in the best one-two goaltending punch that the NHL's seen in more than a decade.
4) Rookie Race too tight to predict
Has there ever been a Calder class that looked as good as this ones does? Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Magnus Paajarvi, Marcus Johansson, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Jeff Skinner, Alexander Burmistrov, Logan Couture, Derek Stepan, Johnathan Bernier, Cam Fowler, PK Subban, Brayden Schenn, Nick Leddy...and that's just the short list. All talented, all highly-touted, all very possible recipients of the Calder Trophy at the end of the season.
5) Will the real Mike Leighton please stand up?
Just months removed from being written off as a journeyman, waiver wire pickup, the Philadelphia Flyers found themselves possessing a diamond in the rough when Leighton guided them to the Stanley Cup Finals. But can he do it again? Did he magically change over the course of a half season from a career backup into a playoff hero, or was he the benefactor of a tight Flyers defensive core that was too tough for most teams to crack? The answer will come this season, as Leighton's been given the starting role. His performance will also be pushed by the rise of rookie netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, another promising rookie.
6) Can former greats play their way out of the AHL?
It has to be tough to be Wade Redden and Sheldon Souray right now. Just three years ago both men were among the NHL's elite defencemen, and were paid accordingly. Now, due to poor play and pricey cap hits, the two find themselves playing in the AHL to start the season. Let's be honest: both these guys, despite their recent failings, are still NHL-level defencemen, and would easily crack almost any NHL roster if the price tag was more affordable. Teams will undoubtedly fall upon injury woes at some point in the season, and strong minor league showings could prove to be the perfect gamble for teams with enough cap room to afford them.
7) Will Big Buff find his niche?
In the playoffs, he's one of the hardest players in the league to contain. In the regular season...ehh, not so much. Dustin Byfuglien gained fame for being a power forward unlike any other that the NHL's ever seen, but has never maintained consistency throughout the regular season (though, much of that has to do with splitting time between D and forward). Now in Atlanta, Big Buff will be counted on more consistently to play the big games that he's known for in the playoffs. Can he heed the call?
8) Can Tavares pull a Stamkos?
As a rookie, Steven Stamkos (drafted 1st overall in 2008) had a lower point total than Alexander Daigle did in his rookie year. Yeah, shocking, right? Stamkos, playing with the elite Martin St. Louis as his linemate, was a scoring machine last year, netting 51 tallies, tying Sidney Crosby for the league's lead. If he avoided the sophomore slump with such a vengeance, can John Tavares (1st overall, 2009) follow suit? His first season with the Islanders was far from spectacular, but his team desperately needs him to prove why he was selected in such a prestigious spot. He has the talent to do so, but will be mostly on his own with a team in as rough shape as the Isles.
9) Who will be the bounce back player of the year?
In the cap crunch NHL of today, players are in a harder spot than ever to stay in the league, especially when considering how quickly young new superstars are being developed. Mike Comrie, Jose Theodore, Patrick O'Sullivan, Jeff Finger and other formerly highly regarded players have found themselves in tough spots this offseason, unwanted and now playing for their careers, many of which on bargain bin salaries. Will any of them be able to play their way back to the trusted roles that they once held?
10) And the darkhorse team of the year will be...
...the Los Angeles Kings, if you ask my opinion. I already mentioned their goaltending, but this team has scoring (Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Ryan Smythe, etc), defense (Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson, etc.) and a rich stable of rookies (already mentioned Schenn, but also Thomas Hickey, Andrei Loktionov, etc.) that could play their way onto the team in impressive fashion. The Penguins and Blackhawks are picture-perfect examples of rebuilding through smart drafting and prospect development, and the Kings have followed suit to a tee. This may not be their year to win it all, but it will be their year to demonstrate themselves as one of the league's elite.
In honour of the start of a new season, I've created a list of ten things that I believe will be interesting story lines to follow as the season progresses. Note: I skipped over the obvious ones (Stanley Cup favourites, Art Ross Race, etc.) and focused instead on some lesser-known, but possibly more-intriguing, outcomes.
1) Will Carey Price survive Montreal?
I'm going to go out on a major limb here and say that Alex Auld will be the #1 goalie in Montreal by the end of the season, and not Carey Price. Don't get me wrong, Price is an incredibly talented goaltender, but I don't think he will survive the pressure cooker that he's trapped in. The rabid Habs fans and media were intense enough to boo Patrick Roy out of the city, even after Roy won them two Stanley Cups and two Conn Smythes, and the same, almost inhuman expectations are enough to kill any young, talented goaltender. Auld is by no means a great goalie, but he's hit 30 wins before and will fight long and hard for any good fortune in his journeyman career.
2) How will Dion Phaneuf fare as Leafs captain?
Speaking of hockey pressure cookers, Toronto can often times be just as bad. Now the burden of the team's horrible misfortunes fall squarely on the shoulders of the team's newest captain, Phaneuf. Though Phaneuf possesses enough raw talent to make him a prototypical NHL defencemen, questions have arisen in the past about his work ethic and hockey sense. Many Calgary fans were glad to see Phaneuf, who was voted as the NHL's most overrated player last year by his peers, leaving town. A bad season from him could quickly see his status turn as welcome new captain to yet another scapegoat.
3) Goaltending duel in Los Angeles
When was the last time that the Los Angeles Kings had an elite netminder before Jonathan Quick grabbed them 39 wins last season? I can't remember either (and Kelly Hrudey doesn't count). Now the Kings might have two quality stoppers with Jonathan bernier's ascension from the AHL, where he exploded last year and won honours of AHL goalie of the year. Quick won't want to relinquish ice time, but the Kings won't want to let Bernier rot on the bench, so the ensuing battle between the two for the starter position could result in the best one-two goaltending punch that the NHL's seen in more than a decade.
4) Rookie Race too tight to predict
Has there ever been a Calder class that looked as good as this ones does? Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Magnus Paajarvi, Marcus Johansson, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Jeff Skinner, Alexander Burmistrov, Logan Couture, Derek Stepan, Johnathan Bernier, Cam Fowler, PK Subban, Brayden Schenn, Nick Leddy...and that's just the short list. All talented, all highly-touted, all very possible recipients of the Calder Trophy at the end of the season.
5) Will the real Mike Leighton please stand up?
Just months removed from being written off as a journeyman, waiver wire pickup, the Philadelphia Flyers found themselves possessing a diamond in the rough when Leighton guided them to the Stanley Cup Finals. But can he do it again? Did he magically change over the course of a half season from a career backup into a playoff hero, or was he the benefactor of a tight Flyers defensive core that was too tough for most teams to crack? The answer will come this season, as Leighton's been given the starting role. His performance will also be pushed by the rise of rookie netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, another promising rookie.
6) Can former greats play their way out of the AHL?
It has to be tough to be Wade Redden and Sheldon Souray right now. Just three years ago both men were among the NHL's elite defencemen, and were paid accordingly. Now, due to poor play and pricey cap hits, the two find themselves playing in the AHL to start the season. Let's be honest: both these guys, despite their recent failings, are still NHL-level defencemen, and would easily crack almost any NHL roster if the price tag was more affordable. Teams will undoubtedly fall upon injury woes at some point in the season, and strong minor league showings could prove to be the perfect gamble for teams with enough cap room to afford them.
7) Will Big Buff find his niche?
In the playoffs, he's one of the hardest players in the league to contain. In the regular season...ehh, not so much. Dustin Byfuglien gained fame for being a power forward unlike any other that the NHL's ever seen, but has never maintained consistency throughout the regular season (though, much of that has to do with splitting time between D and forward). Now in Atlanta, Big Buff will be counted on more consistently to play the big games that he's known for in the playoffs. Can he heed the call?
8) Can Tavares pull a Stamkos?
As a rookie, Steven Stamkos (drafted 1st overall in 2008) had a lower point total than Alexander Daigle did in his rookie year. Yeah, shocking, right? Stamkos, playing with the elite Martin St. Louis as his linemate, was a scoring machine last year, netting 51 tallies, tying Sidney Crosby for the league's lead. If he avoided the sophomore slump with such a vengeance, can John Tavares (1st overall, 2009) follow suit? His first season with the Islanders was far from spectacular, but his team desperately needs him to prove why he was selected in such a prestigious spot. He has the talent to do so, but will be mostly on his own with a team in as rough shape as the Isles.
9) Who will be the bounce back player of the year?
In the cap crunch NHL of today, players are in a harder spot than ever to stay in the league, especially when considering how quickly young new superstars are being developed. Mike Comrie, Jose Theodore, Patrick O'Sullivan, Jeff Finger and other formerly highly regarded players have found themselves in tough spots this offseason, unwanted and now playing for their careers, many of which on bargain bin salaries. Will any of them be able to play their way back to the trusted roles that they once held?
10) And the darkhorse team of the year will be...
...the Los Angeles Kings, if you ask my opinion. I already mentioned their goaltending, but this team has scoring (Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Ryan Smythe, etc), defense (Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson, etc.) and a rich stable of rookies (already mentioned Schenn, but also Thomas Hickey, Andrei Loktionov, etc.) that could play their way onto the team in impressive fashion. The Penguins and Blackhawks are picture-perfect examples of rebuilding through smart drafting and prospect development, and the Kings have followed suit to a tee. This may not be their year to win it all, but it will be their year to demonstrate themselves as one of the league's elite.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Drafting can be key to success of franchise
Making the right choice on draft day not only effects a team in the following seasons, but it could also deeply affect the entire franchise.
One need not look any further than the 1983 NHL entry draft for proof.
Considered by many as one of the deepest and most talented drafts in NHL history, it also served as a strong blow to the foundation of two franchise that ultimately collapsed: the Minnesota North Stars and the Hartford Whalers, who drafted first and second overall, respectively.
The North Stars selected Brian Lawton first overall that spring, one of the most memorable draft busts in NHL history. Lawton was counted upon to lead the Minnesota franchise to glory, but never delivered, being traded after five frustrating seasons and bouncing around the NHL for the better part of a decade, before finally fading away.
Sylvain Turgeon, the Whalers’ pick, actually started off his career with three successful seasons, but was eventually hampered by injuries and fan pressure before being traded away. He spent a handful of respectable, though not spectacular, seasons in New Jersey, Montreal and Ottawa before taking his skills over to European leagues.
These regrettable selections were only made worse by looking at the two players drafted immediately afterwards: Pat Lafontaine at third, and a little someone called Steve Yzerman at fourth.
Lafontaine, one of the most explosive offensive threats of his time, came into the New York Islanders franchise right as their late ‘70s - early ‘80s dynasty was beginning to sink, and almost single-handedly kept them afloat through many dark years in the late ‘80s. One of the best American-born players to ever lace up the skates, Lafontaine was the type of player that you could build an entire team around.
As for Yzerman, well, what really needs to be said? Three Stanley Cups, one Olympic Gold Medal, numerous All-Star game appearances and 1755 career points (all of them in a Detroit Red Wings uniform). No other player personifies the Wings’ nearly century-old organization better than goold ol’ Stevie Y. He truly was the definition of a franchise player.
Unbeknownst to the North Stars and the Whalers at the time, their ultimately regrettable draft choices played a major role in the downfall of their franchises.
Both teams lumbered through the mid ‘80s in a sense of mediocrity, never finding the success needed for a deep playoff drive. Their poor performances, topped off with tough monetary issues, left both teams to seek relocation in the mid ‘90s.
But would drafting differently have helped either franchise? It’s amazing that the effect that one superstar player can have.
Look at the Pittsburgh Penguins: here was a team on the verge of complete collapse, on numerous occasions, before heading into the 1983-1984 season. Many sources indicate that the team purposely bombed the latter half of that playing year in order to move up in the draft. The plan worked, and they drafted Mario Lemieux first overall. Lemieux’s dynamic play single-handedly brought the franchise up from the ashes, bringing in fans and media attention that ultimately turned into more and more sponsorship money. By the time the team won back-to-back Cups in 1991 and 1992 the thought of the team going under was not on anyone’s radar.
On the other hand, the Quebec Nordiques, despite being led by young phenoms such as Joe Sakic, Owen Nolan and Peter Forsberg, weren’t able to avoid the same fate as the Whalers and North Stars, moving to Colorado in 1995.
Maybe having a superstar player isn’t always enough to keep a franchise alive, but it certainly helps. And having if Hartford and Minnesota had players like Yzerman or Lafontaine leading them to victory each year it’s hard to imagine them folding like they did.
With the 2010 NHL draft only weeks away all the talk is on Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin, and which player will get drafted first overall by the Edmonton Oilers. Who knows; maybe one day, twenty years down the road, that draft decision could be the key factor in the survival or death of that franchise as well. Only time will tell.
One need not look any further than the 1983 NHL entry draft for proof.
Considered by many as one of the deepest and most talented drafts in NHL history, it also served as a strong blow to the foundation of two franchise that ultimately collapsed: the Minnesota North Stars and the Hartford Whalers, who drafted first and second overall, respectively.
The North Stars selected Brian Lawton first overall that spring, one of the most memorable draft busts in NHL history. Lawton was counted upon to lead the Minnesota franchise to glory, but never delivered, being traded after five frustrating seasons and bouncing around the NHL for the better part of a decade, before finally fading away.
Sylvain Turgeon, the Whalers’ pick, actually started off his career with three successful seasons, but was eventually hampered by injuries and fan pressure before being traded away. He spent a handful of respectable, though not spectacular, seasons in New Jersey, Montreal and Ottawa before taking his skills over to European leagues.
These regrettable selections were only made worse by looking at the two players drafted immediately afterwards: Pat Lafontaine at third, and a little someone called Steve Yzerman at fourth.
Lafontaine, one of the most explosive offensive threats of his time, came into the New York Islanders franchise right as their late ‘70s - early ‘80s dynasty was beginning to sink, and almost single-handedly kept them afloat through many dark years in the late ‘80s. One of the best American-born players to ever lace up the skates, Lafontaine was the type of player that you could build an entire team around.
As for Yzerman, well, what really needs to be said? Three Stanley Cups, one Olympic Gold Medal, numerous All-Star game appearances and 1755 career points (all of them in a Detroit Red Wings uniform). No other player personifies the Wings’ nearly century-old organization better than goold ol’ Stevie Y. He truly was the definition of a franchise player.
Unbeknownst to the North Stars and the Whalers at the time, their ultimately regrettable draft choices played a major role in the downfall of their franchises.
Both teams lumbered through the mid ‘80s in a sense of mediocrity, never finding the success needed for a deep playoff drive. Their poor performances, topped off with tough monetary issues, left both teams to seek relocation in the mid ‘90s.
But would drafting differently have helped either franchise? It’s amazing that the effect that one superstar player can have.
Look at the Pittsburgh Penguins: here was a team on the verge of complete collapse, on numerous occasions, before heading into the 1983-1984 season. Many sources indicate that the team purposely bombed the latter half of that playing year in order to move up in the draft. The plan worked, and they drafted Mario Lemieux first overall. Lemieux’s dynamic play single-handedly brought the franchise up from the ashes, bringing in fans and media attention that ultimately turned into more and more sponsorship money. By the time the team won back-to-back Cups in 1991 and 1992 the thought of the team going under was not on anyone’s radar.
On the other hand, the Quebec Nordiques, despite being led by young phenoms such as Joe Sakic, Owen Nolan and Peter Forsberg, weren’t able to avoid the same fate as the Whalers and North Stars, moving to Colorado in 1995.
Maybe having a superstar player isn’t always enough to keep a franchise alive, but it certainly helps. And having if Hartford and Minnesota had players like Yzerman or Lafontaine leading them to victory each year it’s hard to imagine them folding like they did.
With the 2010 NHL draft only weeks away all the talk is on Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin, and which player will get drafted first overall by the Edmonton Oilers. Who knows; maybe one day, twenty years down the road, that draft decision could be the key factor in the survival or death of that franchise as well. Only time will tell.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Violence in hockey controversy ignoring those that are most affected
The date is May 17, 1993, and it’s Game 1 of the Campbell Conference finals between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings. With the Leafs ahead 4-1 in the dying minutes, victory all but assured, Toronto superstar Doug Gilmour cuts across the offensive blueline only to get levelled by a devastating elbow to the head from Kings pugilist Marty McSorley, an obvious attempt to injure.
Wendel Clark, Gilmour’s linemate, Leafs captain and one of the toughest players in the NHL at the time, doesn’t hesitate after seeing the collision. Instinctively, he jumps to Gilmour’s aid by dropping his gloves, instead warming his fists with McSorley’s face. The fight creates a deafening roar of approval from the 15,746 fans at the sold out Maple Leaf Gardens.
It was a moment that Sean McIndoe, a hockey blogger for The New York Times, said “managed to perfectly capture everything that Wendel Clark meant to a team, a city, and generation of fans” because he “looked across the ice at a fallen teammate and did exactly what a captain should do.”
When Clark was interviewed after the game, he responded as if it were business as usual.
“He (McSorley) got a five-minute elbowing penalty and it was our best player,” he said. “We don’t need to have that late in the game. It was just something that we had to do, stick up for our guy.”
Clark, who had grown up watching the NHL during its most physical, bloody years, was no stranger to the unwritten code of the game: it’s a dirty sport, but there is still honour. If you try to hurt our best player, you better keep your head up because someone is coming for you.
However, little did Clark know that he was soon to become nothing but a relic of the hockey world that he was once a part of.
Fast-forward to 2010 and a game between the Anaheim Ducks and the Chicago Blackhawks. Hawks defenseman Brent Seabrook just caught star Ducks forward Corey Perry with a forearm to the head. Seconds later Ducks defender James Wisniewski, seeing the hit transpire, skates with the force of a freight train towards Seabrook and crunches him along the boards with a solid body check.
Wisniewski, like Clark, was following the unwritten code of the game by defending his fallen teammate. Where the situation differs, however, is that while both McSorley and Clark avoided punishment for their actions in 1993, Wisniewski was slammed with an eight-game suspension for his hit and completely lambasted by the sports media.
The times, they are a-changin’.
The NHL has been boiling in a media stew recently, as the topic of hockey violence – specifically, headshots – has gained notoriety.
Six separate suspensions were handed out since the start of March, with other incidents, such as the Matt Cooke hit that concussed Marc Savard, gaining much discussion but no reprimand.
The issue gained so much attention that the NHL passed a new rule on March 25, giving league disciplinarian Colin Campbell power to hand out suspensions for blindside hits to the head.
The decision was passed with much support from the sports media, except for some, like James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail, who think the league hasn’t gone far enough yet.
“If the NHL truly wants to eliminate these plays, the hammer has to come down harder and with more consistency,” he said.
While the rule itself is by no means a bad thing, the sports media’s portrayal of the situation has been nothing but an embarrassment.
Mirtle, along with other prominent hockey writers (and, of course, other sports writers who usually turn a blind eye to the sport of hockey unless a violent scandal is abound), have been very vocal with their “Oh, the horror!” media act, wondering why the sport of hockey has become so violent lately.
Clearly, the NHL is trying to send a message, but nobody seems to understand why the players aren’t listening and keep doing suspension-worthy actions.
Maybe it’s time for everyone involved to take a closer look.
It’s obvious that those shaking their finger at hockey violence haven’t been familiar with the sport for very long, as the sport has been violent since its inception. Punches, elbows, slashes, hooks and other stick infractions have all been a part of the game for more than a century, so why all the surprise and lament at them happening now?
Coincidentally enough, the game has been getting a lot less violent over the last couple decades, which can be seen from fewer and fewer penalties being called each year. The NHL averaged a total of 1,137 penalty minutes per team in 1999-2000, whereas the average, at the time of this writing, is only 985 per team. Although each team has a handful of games remaining, this season’s totals won’t come close to those from 10 years ago.
The penalty minute average from the 1989-1990 season, exactly 20 years ago, was a staggering 2016 per team.
Amidst all the media fervour over violence and headshots recently, what has gone under the radar is the fact that the number of concussions in hockey has actually been going down for years. According to a study published by the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences in 2008, there has been a downward trend in the number of hockey-related concussions since 1997.
As can be plainly seen, the sport is a lot tamer than it was, thanks to past actions by the league to reduce violence. But how much more can the sport bend under the weight of added rules?
When the NHL came back from the 2004-05 lockout, it boasted new rules that made the sport of hockey faster and more wide-open than ever before. Likewise, as the league has gained new levels of profit and worldwide media attention the competition to make it to the pros has never been higher. Combine that drive with scientific advances lending to athletic development and you have NHLers that are bigger, stronger and faster than ever before.
This means that, not only are players nowadays better hitters, they also have a lot more freedom to hit at high speeds, creating a more dangerous sheet of ice than ever before.
The NHL has made it no secret over the past decade that it is trying to expand its fan base to possible new markets across all reaches of North America, and has been battling hockey’s violent reputation every step along the way. Instead of allowing violence to continue to give the league a proverbial black eye, the NHL has been trying to change the sport to make it appear more family-friendly, in order to attract new viewers.
But what does this new generation of players think about how the sport is today compared to how it was in the past?
Like Clark before them, Wisniewski and his fellow NHLers were raised on the sport’s unwritten code. They’re aware that as long as hitting is part of the game of hockey, so too will be dirty hits. Nobody that makes it to as high of a level as the NHL could possibly be unaware of hockey’s violent tendencies.
Likewise, they know that nobody is forcing them to play. They play knowing full well that they’re going to be elbowed, hacked and punched each season; those that don’t want to endure such hardships choose to sign in leagues elsewhere.
During the hurricane of negative press in the past month few players have actually come out and voiced their opinions on the issue. If players were in favour of toning down the sport, wouldn’t more of them be vocal about it? As for those opposed, well, can you blame them for piping down? It wouldn’t look good on any player to actually come out and defend the violence in the sport.
Players’ actions, however, speak louder than words. Despite how the league is trying to change the game, players are still playing it like they always have, like when they were growing up and watching how their idols played in the good ol’ days.
The recent suspensions, despite all the unavoidable media controversy, only go to show that many players want to keep the sport the same and not get hounded for it. Yet still, the NHL remains stubbornly steadfast in their crackdown mentality, regardless of what most players likely want.
Scott Arniel, a former player and now coach of the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, was brave enough to voice his opinion and defend Wisniewski in his actions, saying that the Duck defenseman acted “the way things used to be done. Eye for an eye, and you got after people right away.”
He also said that “players are trying to get their last shots in before the rules change.”
Maybe it’s time for the league and media to stop trying to get the players to listen to them. Maybe it’s time for the league and the media to stop and listen to what the players have to say.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Olympic Break NHL Analysis: Part 1
With the best hockey players in the world headed to Vancouver to represent their respective countries at the Winter Olympiad, the NHL is now put on a temporary hiatus until the games end.
Each team only has around 20 games left until the end of the season, meaning that this break will prove incredibly important for those teams in the playoff race: resting time for some teams near the top, re-evaluation and mental preparation time for those that are on the outside of a playoff spot and looking in.
With such a crucial time coming up after the break, I’m going to take a look at the current standings in each conference and give some analysis/predictions about what the near future has in store for each.
For now, here’s the East:
1) Washington Capitals: Already sitting at the top of the league, this break will benefit the Caps probably more than any other team. Semyon Varlamov, the most talented goalie the Caps have, missed a large portion of the season with an injury, but will be given plenty of rest over the break and should be back to 100% when the NHL resumes. Meanwhile, Ovechkin, Semin, and Backstrom will be out dominating the Olympics and, should their respective national teams (Russia and Sweden) find success, might come back riding a lot of momentum. The Caps will continue their hot streak right into winning the President’s Trophy, and most likely a place in the Conference Finals.
2) New Jersey Devils: Ilya Kovalchuk hasn’t quite meshed with his new team thus far, and will have to put any chemistry building on hold for another two weeks. The Devils are still going strong, once again led by Marty Brodeur, and will likely win their division, but everything in the postseason will rely on whether or not Kovy can give the Devils the scoring depth that they need to make a big playoff push. If he or the team’s forgettable defensive core falters, then the Devils might be on the receiving end of another first round upset.
3) Ottawa Senators: At the start of the season, nobody expected the Sens to be an apparent playoff lock, let alone leading their division, but here they are, a slim point ahead of Buffalo atop the Northeast. The team has shown amazing heart (*cough* MIKE FISHER *cough*), but how long can they keep overachieving for? Adding Matt Cullen is a big step in the right direction, but unless they add at least another piece before the deadline they won’t be making too big of a run at the Cup.
4) Pittsburgh Penguins: Two years ago it was Marian Hossa; last year it was Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz. Who will the mighty Pens add at this year’s trade deadline to bolster their scoring capabilities? Rumours are circulating around Ray Whitney, but the only thing that’s certain now is that the Pens need to add a scoring winger, AGAIN, to play with Sidney Crosby. Either way, with the experience that the young (and always improving) Pens have after back-to-back finals appearances they’ll once again be a top contender. Is there a Dynasty in the making…?
5) Buffalo Sabres: Always the bridesmaid, but never the bride. Aside from San Jose, there’s no team that continually succeeds in the regular season but falters in the playoffs like the Sabres do. They’re having another great year thus far, but the team’s faithful are screaming for a finals berth. Lindy Ruff’s time as head coach is on the verge of running out if the team doesn’t go far enough. Unless they make a big splash at the trade deadline they likely won’t get that far, although this team is just as feisty as any other in the East and could potentially pull some surprises.
6) Philadelphia Flyers: A popular prediction for a Cup winner before the season even started, the Flyers haven’t nearly lived up to expectations (but really, is Ray Emery still a #1 goalie in this league anyways?), spending most of the season below the bottom 8. They’ve gone on a tear recently, thanks to finally accepting the defensive mentality of new head coach Peter Laviolette, and look like the same fearful Flyers from the preseason. They could easily melt down again down the stretch or in the first round, but they’re a damn tough team, and if they can get to the second round they’ll likely carry that momentum a lot further. Another Pens/Flyers conference final would be explosive.
7) Boston Bruins: The B’s are easily the most confusing team in the league right now. Despite winning the President’s Trophy last year, Boston has suffered a full collapse this year. They sit in a playoff spot by a mere two points, but that’ll be a tough spot to hold. Something just doesn’t feel right for the Bruins this year: is it Thomas slacking with his new contract? The injury to Savard? Over-confidence? Whatever it is, if it strikes again soon then the team will succumb to all the pressure, missing the playoffs. But hey, at least they have either Taylor Hall of Tyler Seguin to look forward to…
8) Montreal Canadians: You can’t just throw a bunch of paint at a canvas and hope that it will turn into a great painting. Montreal tried to do that in the offseason, adding expensive players (like Scott Gomez) who clearly aren’t good fits for the team. Nobody really knows what will happen to the team next. Unless all of their big players can play to their contracts and they find some miracles cures for all their injury woes, the Habs’ playoff fate will come down to the last couple games of the season; it could go either way from there.
9) Tampa Bay Lightning: Much like the Habs, the Bolts have a roster of pieces that simply don’t fit together properly: you can see it in the lacklustre play of Vincent Lecavalier. A major deadline turnover could give the team some spark going forward, but their management has made it clear that they’re quite content with the aforementioned big pieces, wherever they can put them. Barring a miracle from Steven Stamkos, Marty St. Louis and some passable goaltending, the Bolts will keep grinding the same old gears and miss their playoff chance yet again.
10) New York Rangers: These guys are easily my dark horse for this season. They haven’t always played like a playoff team, but something about them is starting to click. Olli Jokinen in Calgary was a failed experiment, but he’s making a concentrated effort to redeem himself in New York. Marian Gaborik (finally unleashed from his defensive chains) and Henrik Lundqvist (2006 Olympic Gold medallist for Sweden) will play sensationally in the Olympics, and their spark will carry over to the NHL and drive the rest of the team. Call it a hunch if you will, but them making it to the second round or further wouldn’t surprise me one bit.
11) Atlanta Thrashers: The Thrashers are only two points out of a playoff spot, but their postseason dreams ended when they traded Kovalchuk to New Jersey. It was even more evident when Kari Lehtonen, seemingly the goalie of the franchise, was moved to Dallas for a prospect and a pick. GM Don Waddell doesn’t seem to think that the team can find any playoff success this year, and that vibe resonates throughout the entire locker room. A strong push after the break isn’t completely out of the question, but it sure would be a surprise.
12) Florida Panthers: Really, who’s surprised by this? The Cats have never been a true playoff threat, even when they made the Cup finals in 1996. The team’s too thin; talent’s too sparse. Recently, their management even went so far to make a formal apology to their fans for being so futile for so long. Ouch. Drastic, foundation-shaking changes were promised, so expect to see anyone or everyone involved at the trade deadline.
13) New York Islanders: They tried hard; they really did. For a while, they were even sitting in 6th in the Conference. But in the end, the Isles are still the same old Isles. They’re progressively getting better through their youth, and Dwayne Roloson must be taking CheliRoids to play this well at such an old age, but a playoff spot would have been nothing short of a miracle. Don’t be surprised if some depth veterans, namely Martin Biron, find new homes at the deadline.
14) Carolina Hurricanes: The ‘Canes are currently riding a 5-game winning streak, putting them at currently at 55 points…still 9 points out of a playoff spot. No winning streak could have fixed their abysmal start to the season at the bottom of the league. Nick Wallin and Cullen gone with Whitney likely to follow, but don’t expect much more beyond that. The Canes really aren’t as bad as their position suggests. They’ll suck it up, draft high this year, and come back a lot stronger in 2011 (and following their up and down trend since the lockout, likely make it to the Cup finals again!)
/D-Wreck
Friday, January 29, 2010
NHL and the Olympics: A Premier Partnership
Recently Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, made an announcement urging the NHL to keep things status quo with regards to NHL players being in the Winter Olympiad that occurs every four years. Up until 1998 the NHL refused to let its players participate in the games, but now the league is starting to reconsider stopping the NHL season for weeks at a time as the players go off to represent their countries. Rogge, however, wants to keep the NHL players there.
No shit. Apparently, Rogge has a lot more sense than the NHL's Board Of Governers (it's no secret that Gary Bettman is a money-grubbing, selfish, egotistical asshat that only cares about the depth of his pockets and not how the sport of hockey actually does...but that's another story altogether.)
The Olympics were created to showcase the a country's best athletes on an international stage, competing against the best that other countries have to offer. They're pretty epic events considering they are the pinnacle of human athleticism.
Prior to 1998, however, hockey at the Winter Olympics was an absolute joke. The Games are meant to showcase the BEST athletes from each country for all the sports, so to trap NHLers in the league and prevent them from competing undermines that whole purpose.
In the 1994 Olympics Team Canada had no Gretzky, no Lemeiux, no Messier, no Coffey, no Bourque...instead they had David friggin' Harlock. Don't be surprised if you don't know who Daivd Harlock is; nobody does, and that's the point
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey_at_the_1994_Winter_Olympics
Click on that link and count on one hand the number of players on the Canadian roster that you even RECOGNIZE by name. And those are supposed to be the "best" that Canada has to offer? Not even close.
It's a real shame, because I can guarantee that players were disappointed that they couldn't be there. What greater accomplishment could an athlete achieve in their lives than to participate in the Olympics? Listening to players (those who made their teams and those who didn't) speak over the past couple of months about the upcoming Olympics has shown without a doubt that they are very passionate about being there. Those who were selected feel an immense sense of honor and national pride, and the games haven't even started yet! Sadly, this opportunity was denied to many legendary NHL players in the past because of the NHL's old rules.
And now those in control of the NHL want to take away that opportunity once again.
On one hand, I can see where the NHL is coming from. They're selling a product, and they lose money when their players ship out to the Olympics because the season has to be put on hold. There's also the potential for injuries and whatnot. Yeah, I get it. But how can you deny the positive end effects that the Olympics has on hockey? The sport of hockey reached it's ultimate pinnacle after Canada won Gold against the USA in 2002. The competition, the passion, the triumph, the loss...that single game did more for the NHL than any advertising/marketing that the league has ever done for itself. Joe Sakic became a Canadian legend after the 2002 games, and I can darn well guarantee that sales of Sakic jerseys went through the roof after that.
In the boring, defensive, pre-lockout years people were beginning to stop caring about hockey...the 2002 Olympics changed that, and put in major demand for the NHL's major overhaul that happened just a few years later.
The players that play in the Olympics never come back the same, either. There's scantly a source of experience and leadership that a player could gain from anywhere that's comparable to that of the Olympics. Ask players and they'll tell you that the Olympics are well beyond the importance of even the Stanley Cup finals.
Alexander Ovechkin, that wonderfully crazy phenom, has been outspoken lately that he's going to play in the Olympics in his native Russia in 2014, whether the NHL wants him there or not. Good for him. More players need to take this stance and be outspoken about it. The players want to be there, the IOC wants them to be there, and the fans want their favorite NHL stars to be there...it's only those in the NHL's front office, those that only care about the league's profitability and not the sport or athletes, that are making this so difficult.
Hopefully the upcoming hockey Olympics (which, I predict, are going to unite the entire country in ways never before seen through sport...if you think Salt Lake in 2002 had that effect, it's on home soil for Canadians now, so you ain't seen nothin' yet) can show Bettman and the others just how important the Games are for the sport of hockey and it's players. And what's good for the sport and the players will ultimately be good for the league, which is by far the least important variable in this equation.
/rant
No shit. Apparently, Rogge has a lot more sense than the NHL's Board Of Governers (it's no secret that Gary Bettman is a money-grubbing, selfish, egotistical asshat that only cares about the depth of his pockets and not how the sport of hockey actually does...but that's another story altogether.)
The Olympics were created to showcase the a country's best athletes on an international stage, competing against the best that other countries have to offer. They're pretty epic events considering they are the pinnacle of human athleticism.
Prior to 1998, however, hockey at the Winter Olympics was an absolute joke. The Games are meant to showcase the BEST athletes from each country for all the sports, so to trap NHLers in the league and prevent them from competing undermines that whole purpose.
In the 1994 Olympics Team Canada had no Gretzky, no Lemeiux, no Messier, no Coffey, no Bourque...instead they had David friggin' Harlock. Don't be surprised if you don't know who Daivd Harlock is; nobody does, and that's the point
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey_at_the_1994_Winter_Olympics
Click on that link and count on one hand the number of players on the Canadian roster that you even RECOGNIZE by name. And those are supposed to be the "best" that Canada has to offer? Not even close.
It's a real shame, because I can guarantee that players were disappointed that they couldn't be there. What greater accomplishment could an athlete achieve in their lives than to participate in the Olympics? Listening to players (those who made their teams and those who didn't) speak over the past couple of months about the upcoming Olympics has shown without a doubt that they are very passionate about being there. Those who were selected feel an immense sense of honor and national pride, and the games haven't even started yet! Sadly, this opportunity was denied to many legendary NHL players in the past because of the NHL's old rules.
And now those in control of the NHL want to take away that opportunity once again.
On one hand, I can see where the NHL is coming from. They're selling a product, and they lose money when their players ship out to the Olympics because the season has to be put on hold. There's also the potential for injuries and whatnot. Yeah, I get it. But how can you deny the positive end effects that the Olympics has on hockey? The sport of hockey reached it's ultimate pinnacle after Canada won Gold against the USA in 2002. The competition, the passion, the triumph, the loss...that single game did more for the NHL than any advertising/marketing that the league has ever done for itself. Joe Sakic became a Canadian legend after the 2002 games, and I can darn well guarantee that sales of Sakic jerseys went through the roof after that.
In the boring, defensive, pre-lockout years people were beginning to stop caring about hockey...the 2002 Olympics changed that, and put in major demand for the NHL's major overhaul that happened just a few years later.
The players that play in the Olympics never come back the same, either. There's scantly a source of experience and leadership that a player could gain from anywhere that's comparable to that of the Olympics. Ask players and they'll tell you that the Olympics are well beyond the importance of even the Stanley Cup finals.
Alexander Ovechkin, that wonderfully crazy phenom, has been outspoken lately that he's going to play in the Olympics in his native Russia in 2014, whether the NHL wants him there or not. Good for him. More players need to take this stance and be outspoken about it. The players want to be there, the IOC wants them to be there, and the fans want their favorite NHL stars to be there...it's only those in the NHL's front office, those that only care about the league's profitability and not the sport or athletes, that are making this so difficult.
Hopefully the upcoming hockey Olympics (which, I predict, are going to unite the entire country in ways never before seen through sport...if you think Salt Lake in 2002 had that effect, it's on home soil for Canadians now, so you ain't seen nothin' yet) can show Bettman and the others just how important the Games are for the sport of hockey and it's players. And what's good for the sport and the players will ultimately be good for the league, which is by far the least important variable in this equation.
/rant
Monday, November 9, 2009
My Team Canada Olympic Roster: Forwards
Recently, Hockey Canada announced that the final 23-man roster for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver would be announced on New Year's Eve. An announcement about a announcement...right.
Anyways, in the spirit of the upcoming Olympics (I can't show my spirit by getting those awesome red mittens...sold out everywhere I look. Dang) I'm compiling my roster position by position, starting right now with the forwards.
NOTE: This is still a very, very early draft. There is still a month and a half to go before the real rosters are announced and a lot can change in that time. I'll likely do another roster or two as the event draws closer.
So, without further ado, here is Derek's 2010 Canadian Olympic Forward Roster:
Forwards:
Line 1:
RW: Sidney Crosby
-There really is no question here that Sid the Not-Quite-A-Kid-Anymore Crosby is the best Canadian hockey player in the game today, hands down. His playoff success over the past couple of years has shown that he can handle the high-pressure games, and there is no superstar out there that can match his competitiveness. Easy choice for the top line.
C: Joe Thornton
-Believe me, putting Joe Thornton on the top line of this team scares me as much as it scares you. Thornton is one of the most dominant puck controllers to ever lace up a pair of skates, but his playoff disappearances are a major cause for worry. Despite being the 2006 NHL MVP Thornton has never found playoff success...hell, he's always underachieved at the times where he needed to play his best hockey. He might crumble again under the scrutiny of his country's collective eye, but Thornton is simply too good to not have on the top line. All one can do is hope that his skills can finally carry over to a bigger stage.
LW: Dany Heatley
-Despite having his name dragged through the mud during the offseason because of the Edmonton-Ottawa trade-veto fiasco, Dany Heatley is still one of the best goal-scorers that this country has to offer. His critics will forget his primadonna antics as soon as he starts scoring in the Olympics which, playing with two passers like Crosby and his current linemate Thornton, he should have no trouble doing.
Overall:
-I know people will think I'm crazy for not putting Crosby at his natural position at center, but I have a good reason for doing that. Canada has a LOT of talented centers to put on this roster, but how many would continue their strong play if you put them at the wing? Thornton couldn't do it, Getzlaf couldn't do it, etc...but Crosby is so good that he'll succeed no matter where you put him. You won't even notice he's playing an off position. Heatley and Jumbo Joe already make one of the best 1-2 punches in the league so it makes sense to keep them together, and with Crosby on the same line he'll push both of them to overcome the skeletons in their closets and perform at the top of their skill levels.
Line 2:
RW: Jarome Iginla
-There isn't much to say about Iggy that hasn't been said before. He's a Heart and Soul type of player that is extremely versatile. He'll score big goals and really show his physical side in the heat of the moment. He won Olympic Gold in 2002, but was also on the disastrous 2006 team that failed to medal. Knowing Iginla and his leadership abilities, he'll be extremely motivated to ensure that this team doesn't repeat what happened in 2006.
C: Brad Richards
-This pick is a bit out there. Richards is coming off of his worst season ever, thanks in large part to two major injuries, but he's bounced back incredibly this year as he currently sits 10th in NHL scoring, showing the same play that was the reason why he was also picked for the 2006 team. Oh, and did I mention his 2004 Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP? His playoff numbers (NHL and QMJHL) are enough for him to make my team.
LW: Rick Nash
-One of the best goal-scorers in the sport right now, and he does it all by himself on the Columbus Blue Jackets. Big and fast, the former Richard Trophy-winner has the ability to beat any defender that is stuck with the task of shutting him down. Put him with a playmaking center and watch out.
Overall:
-I like to call this squad the "2006 Redemption Line" as each player was on the 2006 Olympic team that failed to medal. They all underachieved that year, but are far too skilled and determined to let it happen again. Richards should have no trouble setting up two snipers like Nash and Iggy. A trio like this would have a lot to prove and all the tools to make it happen, so they constitute my 2nd line.
Line 3:
RW: Shane Doan
-Doan is no stranger to Team Canada, considering that he's played in like 47 World Championships (Poor Phoenix never seems to make the playoffs) and was the captain on a handful of them. Not the flashiest player out there, but plays with strong consistency and loves to don the Red and White.
C: Mike Richards
-Can you tell that Richards plays on the same team, the Philadelphia Flyers, that the legendary Bobby Clarke played for? Or that Clarke is still the Senior Vice President of the team? The similarities between the two players are uncanny, and if you can remember what Clarke did for Canada in the 1972 Summit Series you can expect something similar out of Richards at the Olympics. Richards was also captain of the Canadian team that won gold at the 2005 World Junior Championships, so he has winning experience at the international stage. Some say he was robbed of the Selke trophy last season as the league's best defensive forward, in which he came runner-up in voting.
LW: Brenden Morrow
-There is a good reason why former Dallas GM Doug Armstrong stripped Mike Modano of the team's captaincy and gave it to Brenden Morrow, and it doesn't have to do with Modano. Armstrong saw something in Morrow that more and more people have seen emerge the last few seasons: his unyielding passion for the sport of hockey. Morrow plays an in-your-face, physical game that drives opponents nuts, but he does it while still putting up strong offensive numbers. His playoff performances are also something to behold, as Morrow was the key reason why Dallas upset the Ducks and Sharks in 2008 before falling to the eventual-champion Wings in six games.
Overall:
-Although these guys can all put up points, they would make an ideal checking line. All three can play a physical, defensive game with a ton of passion, and against smaller European teams on North American ice they should have no trouble completing the shutdown role, while still chipping in goals here or there. Would be a lock to be the hardest working line in the tournament, game in, game out.
Line 4:
RW: Corey Perry:
-This pick is a bit of a gamble. There are other players out there that currently have more talent and experience than Perry, but this guy has been improving at a steady rate and I expect that to continue. He's won a WJC and the Stanley Cup so he's no stranger to winning in high-pressure situations. His size is another major factor. Against the smaller European teams a fiesty winger like Perry should be able to dominate, especially playing on a line with...
C: Ryan Getzlaf
-How deep does your team already have to be to have a guy like Getzy playing on the 4th line? He's shown over the past couple of seasons that he is a major force to be reckoned with, especially after his 91-point showing last season. A great passer with a physical mean streak, Getzy should have no trouble being yet another physically dominant Canadian forward.
LW: Jeff Carter
-Jeff Carter can score goals. Boy, can he score goals. He scored 46 goals last season, one of the highest totals in the league. Carter is also tied for the record for most combined goals in the WJC tournament with 12, in only two competitions (one of which was gold, naturally). He's normally a center, but has played wing before and should have no trouble doing the same in the Olympics.
Overall:
-On most other teams, this 4th line would be good enough to be the top line. Combining a 60-assist center with 40 and 30 goal scorers is a big threat, but add on the fact that these three guys know each other well (Perry and Getzlaf have been linemates in Anaheim for a few years now, they were all members of the 2005 WJC Gold medal winning Canadian team, and they were all drafted in 2003) and this is a line that could easily find itself playing top line minutes after a couple successful games.
Extra Skater: Jordan Staal
-There hasn't been a hocky family since the Sutters that screams "Canada" like the Staal family. Eric is having a terrible season thus far and Mark and Jared are still a couple of years away, but Jordan is primed and ready for a situation like the Olympics. One of the best checking forwards in the game has recently added a Stanley Cup to his repertoire and you can tell that he's hungry for more success. Hell, he's always hungry for victory: this guy seems to never slow down on his intense work ethic. My Canadian forward group may be short a pure defensive forward or two, but since Staal is one of the best of those in the game right now I pick him to round out my 13-man roster.
And that, folks, is what the Canadian Men's roster would look like in the upcoming Olympics if I had my say. There are a couple of big names out there that I'm sure people will question the absence of, but all-in-all this is the most well-rounded forward roster, in my opinion, that anyone could realistically set out on paper, and one that Im sure would be nothing short of magical if it actually came to fruition. Here's hoping that Stevey-Y is reading this right now!
Stay tuned for my defense and goaltender rosters in the next couple of days!
-Derek "D-Wreck" Neumeier
Anyways, in the spirit of the upcoming Olympics (I can't show my spirit by getting those awesome red mittens...sold out everywhere I look. Dang) I'm compiling my roster position by position, starting right now with the forwards.
NOTE: This is still a very, very early draft. There is still a month and a half to go before the real rosters are announced and a lot can change in that time. I'll likely do another roster or two as the event draws closer.
So, without further ado, here is Derek's 2010 Canadian Olympic Forward Roster:
Forwards:
Line 1:
RW: Sidney Crosby
-There really is no question here that Sid the Not-Quite-A-Kid-Anymore Crosby is the best Canadian hockey player in the game today, hands down. His playoff success over the past couple of years has shown that he can handle the high-pressure games, and there is no superstar out there that can match his competitiveness. Easy choice for the top line.
C: Joe Thornton
-Believe me, putting Joe Thornton on the top line of this team scares me as much as it scares you. Thornton is one of the most dominant puck controllers to ever lace up a pair of skates, but his playoff disappearances are a major cause for worry. Despite being the 2006 NHL MVP Thornton has never found playoff success...hell, he's always underachieved at the times where he needed to play his best hockey. He might crumble again under the scrutiny of his country's collective eye, but Thornton is simply too good to not have on the top line. All one can do is hope that his skills can finally carry over to a bigger stage.
LW: Dany Heatley
-Despite having his name dragged through the mud during the offseason because of the Edmonton-Ottawa trade-veto fiasco, Dany Heatley is still one of the best goal-scorers that this country has to offer. His critics will forget his primadonna antics as soon as he starts scoring in the Olympics which, playing with two passers like Crosby and his current linemate Thornton, he should have no trouble doing.
Overall:
-I know people will think I'm crazy for not putting Crosby at his natural position at center, but I have a good reason for doing that. Canada has a LOT of talented centers to put on this roster, but how many would continue their strong play if you put them at the wing? Thornton couldn't do it, Getzlaf couldn't do it, etc...but Crosby is so good that he'll succeed no matter where you put him. You won't even notice he's playing an off position. Heatley and Jumbo Joe already make one of the best 1-2 punches in the league so it makes sense to keep them together, and with Crosby on the same line he'll push both of them to overcome the skeletons in their closets and perform at the top of their skill levels.
Line 2:
RW: Jarome Iginla
-There isn't much to say about Iggy that hasn't been said before. He's a Heart and Soul type of player that is extremely versatile. He'll score big goals and really show his physical side in the heat of the moment. He won Olympic Gold in 2002, but was also on the disastrous 2006 team that failed to medal. Knowing Iginla and his leadership abilities, he'll be extremely motivated to ensure that this team doesn't repeat what happened in 2006.
C: Brad Richards
-This pick is a bit out there. Richards is coming off of his worst season ever, thanks in large part to two major injuries, but he's bounced back incredibly this year as he currently sits 10th in NHL scoring, showing the same play that was the reason why he was also picked for the 2006 team. Oh, and did I mention his 2004 Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP? His playoff numbers (NHL and QMJHL) are enough for him to make my team.
LW: Rick Nash
-One of the best goal-scorers in the sport right now, and he does it all by himself on the Columbus Blue Jackets. Big and fast, the former Richard Trophy-winner has the ability to beat any defender that is stuck with the task of shutting him down. Put him with a playmaking center and watch out.
Overall:
-I like to call this squad the "2006 Redemption Line" as each player was on the 2006 Olympic team that failed to medal. They all underachieved that year, but are far too skilled and determined to let it happen again. Richards should have no trouble setting up two snipers like Nash and Iggy. A trio like this would have a lot to prove and all the tools to make it happen, so they constitute my 2nd line.
Line 3:
RW: Shane Doan
-Doan is no stranger to Team Canada, considering that he's played in like 47 World Championships (Poor Phoenix never seems to make the playoffs) and was the captain on a handful of them. Not the flashiest player out there, but plays with strong consistency and loves to don the Red and White.
C: Mike Richards
-Can you tell that Richards plays on the same team, the Philadelphia Flyers, that the legendary Bobby Clarke played for? Or that Clarke is still the Senior Vice President of the team? The similarities between the two players are uncanny, and if you can remember what Clarke did for Canada in the 1972 Summit Series you can expect something similar out of Richards at the Olympics. Richards was also captain of the Canadian team that won gold at the 2005 World Junior Championships, so he has winning experience at the international stage. Some say he was robbed of the Selke trophy last season as the league's best defensive forward, in which he came runner-up in voting.
LW: Brenden Morrow
-There is a good reason why former Dallas GM Doug Armstrong stripped Mike Modano of the team's captaincy and gave it to Brenden Morrow, and it doesn't have to do with Modano. Armstrong saw something in Morrow that more and more people have seen emerge the last few seasons: his unyielding passion for the sport of hockey. Morrow plays an in-your-face, physical game that drives opponents nuts, but he does it while still putting up strong offensive numbers. His playoff performances are also something to behold, as Morrow was the key reason why Dallas upset the Ducks and Sharks in 2008 before falling to the eventual-champion Wings in six games.
Overall:
-Although these guys can all put up points, they would make an ideal checking line. All three can play a physical, defensive game with a ton of passion, and against smaller European teams on North American ice they should have no trouble completing the shutdown role, while still chipping in goals here or there. Would be a lock to be the hardest working line in the tournament, game in, game out.
Line 4:
RW: Corey Perry:
-This pick is a bit of a gamble. There are other players out there that currently have more talent and experience than Perry, but this guy has been improving at a steady rate and I expect that to continue. He's won a WJC and the Stanley Cup so he's no stranger to winning in high-pressure situations. His size is another major factor. Against the smaller European teams a fiesty winger like Perry should be able to dominate, especially playing on a line with...
C: Ryan Getzlaf
-How deep does your team already have to be to have a guy like Getzy playing on the 4th line? He's shown over the past couple of seasons that he is a major force to be reckoned with, especially after his 91-point showing last season. A great passer with a physical mean streak, Getzy should have no trouble being yet another physically dominant Canadian forward.
LW: Jeff Carter
-Jeff Carter can score goals. Boy, can he score goals. He scored 46 goals last season, one of the highest totals in the league. Carter is also tied for the record for most combined goals in the WJC tournament with 12, in only two competitions (one of which was gold, naturally). He's normally a center, but has played wing before and should have no trouble doing the same in the Olympics.
Overall:
-On most other teams, this 4th line would be good enough to be the top line. Combining a 60-assist center with 40 and 30 goal scorers is a big threat, but add on the fact that these three guys know each other well (Perry and Getzlaf have been linemates in Anaheim for a few years now, they were all members of the 2005 WJC Gold medal winning Canadian team, and they were all drafted in 2003) and this is a line that could easily find itself playing top line minutes after a couple successful games.
Extra Skater: Jordan Staal
-There hasn't been a hocky family since the Sutters that screams "Canada" like the Staal family. Eric is having a terrible season thus far and Mark and Jared are still a couple of years away, but Jordan is primed and ready for a situation like the Olympics. One of the best checking forwards in the game has recently added a Stanley Cup to his repertoire and you can tell that he's hungry for more success. Hell, he's always hungry for victory: this guy seems to never slow down on his intense work ethic. My Canadian forward group may be short a pure defensive forward or two, but since Staal is one of the best of those in the game right now I pick him to round out my 13-man roster.
And that, folks, is what the Canadian Men's roster would look like in the upcoming Olympics if I had my say. There are a couple of big names out there that I'm sure people will question the absence of, but all-in-all this is the most well-rounded forward roster, in my opinion, that anyone could realistically set out on paper, and one that Im sure would be nothing short of magical if it actually came to fruition. Here's hoping that Stevey-Y is reading this right now!
Stay tuned for my defense and goaltender rosters in the next couple of days!
-Derek "D-Wreck" Neumeier
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