Tag Archives: Chris Pronger

The 10 Biggest Stories of the Opening Half

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Scott Taylor| 1 Comment

sport 257 The 10 Biggest Stories of the Opening HalfIt’s halftime. Most of the National Hockey League’s 30 teams have played 41 of 82 games and for some of the teams, it’s been quite a ride. For a load of others, of course, it’s been a nightmare.

The Anaheim Ducks were fourth in the West last spring with 99 points. At the midway mark of 2011-12, the Ducks have only 11 wins and 28 points. Last year, the Atlanta Thrashers were in the midst of a downward spiral, set to miss the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. This year, the Thrashers are now the Winnipeg Jets and after a win in their 41st game of the season on Saturday night, they sit in ninth place in the East, just a point below the post-season line.

Still, there was a lot more to the first half of this season’s NHL campaign than just the woes of the Ducks and the euphoria in Winnipeg. In fact, finding the 10 most important issues of the first half was so easy, we had to exclude a few for the first time in four seasons of making this list.

So without further adieu, here’s our First Half Top 10 NHL Issues for 2011-12:

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Teemu

10. The Collapse of the Anaheim Ducks: Last season, with 99 points, the Ducks made the playoffs easily. With stars such as Teemu Selanne, Saku Koivu, Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan and Cam Fowler, the Ducks were expected to challenge for the Stanley Cup. Uh, oh. The Ducks have 12 wins in their first 40 games and general manager Bob Murray told the Los Angeles Times last week that he’s just about ready to blow it up. Murray said Selanne and Koivu were “untouchable,” but everybody else was available. This is a very good team with very good players but something is wrong. Murray fired head coach Randy Carlyle and replaced him with Bruce Boudreau and nothing changed. One suspects that the Ducks will be a completely different team by the trade deadline. Oh yeah, and Teemu won’t be an untouchable by the Feb. 27 trade deadline. He’d look great in a Jets uniform.

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Claude Giroux

9. The Emergence of Claude Giroux: In 2006, Claude Giroux was the No. 1 draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers, 22nd overall. This guy had enjoyed two straight 100-point-plus seasons with the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec League, had wonderful speed, great moves and soft hands and yet it took 21 selections before the Flyers could grab him because so many teams thought that at 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, he was a tad undersized. Before Giroux was taken, Florida took Michael Frolik, Tampa selected Riku Helenius, Anaheim took Mark Mitera and Montreal took David Fischer. Huh? Giroux was playing at the Habs doorstep and that organization didn’t even notice. Last year, Giroux had 25 goals and 51 assists. This year, at the midway point, he has 18 goals and 30 assists, is second in scoring in the NHL and has missed four games with a head injury. Right now, 23-year-old Claude Giroux might be the best young player in the NHL.

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Scott Arniel - gone.

8. Coach Firings: It started when the St. Louis Blues fired Davis Payne on Nov. 5 and replaced him with Ken Hitchcock. Now, nearly one-sixth of the entire league has fired its coach. Washington fired Bruce Boudreau and replaced him with Dale Hunter; Carolina fired Paul Maurice and replaced him with Kirk Muller; Anaheim fired Randy Carlyle and replaced him with Bruce Boudreau; Los Angeles fired Terry Murray and replaced him with Darryl Sutter; Montreal fired Jacques Martin and replaced him with Randy Cunneyworth and on Monday, the Columbus Blue Jackets fired Scott Arniel and replaced him with Todd Richards. St. Louis, Washington and L.A. have benefited from the changes. Not so much for Anaheim, Carolina and Montreal. We’ll wait on Columbus, but that’s an American Hockey League team. I wouldn’t expect a change in fortunes.

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Adam Larsson

7. The Game’s Great Teenagers: On Jan. 31, Tyler Seguin turns 20. Until then he is one of the league’s many outstanding teenaged stars. Seguin has 37 points in 37 games this season and is a plus-32, that’s the best in the entire NHL. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Jeff Skinner (down with a concussion), 18-year-old Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (35 points in 38 games) of the Oilers, 19-year-old Adam Larsson (24 minutes a game as a defenseman) of the Devils, 19-year-old Gabriel Landeskog (plus-10 on a minus team) of the Avalanche and 19-year-old Sean Couturier of the Flyers, are all playing regularly – and well – in the best league in the world.

6. Realignment: The league voted 26-4 to realign the league in 2012-13 from a two-conference, six-division operation in which 16 teams made it to the playoffs, to a four-conference league, separated by time zones. It was brilliant, but it didn’t even get off the ground.

5. The Rejection of Realignment: This was a bigger deal than realignment itself. In an effort to fire a salvo at the owners, the players rejected the league’s new realignment. NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr said it had something to do with travel and fairness (since when did the Agents Association give a crap about fairness?). Seems the players couldn’t get a clear feel about the travel issues, days off, etc. etc and they didn’t like the fact that there were seven teams in two conferences and eight teams in two others and the players thought it would be harder to make the playoffs in the West. Most people involved with the NHL believed that this was simply Fehr’s first shot at the owners in what everyone believes will be a long, ugly battle for a new collective bargaining agreement (the old one expires on Sept. 15, 2012). In fact, many people are convinced there will not be a hockey season in 2012-13.

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Randy Cunneyworth, not the bad guy.

4. The Mess in Montreal: Here is the biggest problem facing the Montreal Canadiens: They don’t win enough games. At the midway point of the season, the Habs are 16-18-7 and in 12th place in the NHL’s Eastern Conference. However, many Quebeckers are not angry at the fact the Habs are a lousy team, but they’re incensed by the less-important fact (at least to a rational individual) that the Canadiens fired Jacques Martin and replaced him with Randy Cunneyworth, a coach from Etobicoke, Ont., who does not speak French. On Saturday night, Quebec Nationalists protested that the Canadiens, “aren’t French enough.”  What really pissed them off was the fact they found out the language of the locker room is English and that the team is made up of eight players from English Canada, five Americans, 10 Europeans (none from France) and only two Quebecois. In a roundabout way, the protesters have a right to be upset. How good and French would Montreal be today if they’d drafted PA Parenteau in 2001; Patrice Bergeron in 2003; Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Marc-Andre Gragnani in 2005; Claude Giroux, Brad Marchand and Mathieu Perrault in 2006; and hadn’t traded away Maxim Lapierre, Guillaume Latendresse and their first-round pick in 2008? Of course, have you noticed that after Giroux and maybe Vincent Lecavalier, there aren’t that many great French-Canadian players anymore? Maybe the problem in Quebec is at the minor hockey level, not the NHL level.

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Opening Night in Winnipeg

3. The Return of the Winnipeg Jets: It was one of the biggest stories in Canadian sport in 2011. On May 31, Mark Chipman and David Thompson announced that they had acquired the Atlanta Thrashers of the NHL and they were going to move the team to Winnipeg. They sold out the season tickets at the MTS Centre – for five years! – in just 17 minutes. Since then they have won 19 of their first 41 games (19-16-5) and remain a legitimate playoff threat. After 16 years without an NHL team, Winnipeg had its beloveds back again and Canada had a seventh franchise. The crowd at MTS Centre is so loud, enthusiastic, fun and intelligent that it has become an international story unto itself. Happy days are here again.

2. Concussions and The Shanahan Justice: This season, Brendan Shanahan took over from Colin Campbell as the NHL’s director of discipline and it’s clear he’s been told to do everything possible to lower the number of concussions being suffered by NHL players. The concussion “epidemic,” is indeed and epidemic, but there is one big problem: Many of the concussions suffered by the game’s top players came as a result of (a) contact with teammates, (b) inadvertent contact based on the speed and size of the players and (c) injuries that were a result of hard plastic equipment that is a dangerous weapon when it’s placed on large, fast hockey players. So far this season, Shanahan has suspended 30 players while another 14 players have been fined. Trouble is, in the big picture, none of this is making a dent in the problem.

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Will We See Him Again?

1. The Loss of Sidney Crosby: So far this year Chris Pronger (who signed a seven-year contract with Philadelphia in 2009) has been lost for the season with a concussion, young superstars Claude Giroux and Jeff Skinner missed time with concussions or concussion-like symptoms and even Ottawa forward Milan Michalek (20 goals already) has missed games due to head trauma. However, the loss of Sidney Crosby — the game’s best player – since last January because of a concussion is what makes this epidemic so tragic. When the face of the game is also the face of the game’s biggest problem, the NHL has trouble.

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Helpless

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Scott Taylor| 1 Comment
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Sidney Crosby

It could have been called “Black Tuesday.”

On Tuesday, Dec. 20, two New York Islanders, goalie Al Montoya and forward David Ullstrom, were taken from the ice with suspected concussions. In Ottawa, Jesse Winchester left the game with head trauma. In Pittsburgh, the home of Sidney Crosby and his fragile cranium, Chicago’s Marcus Kruger left the game with a concussion after a vicious hit from Deryk Engelland.

One night, three games, four concussions.

If there was one story that has consumed the National Hockey League this season, it is the concussion story. Yes, the return of the Jets was wonderful and the death of three players in the off-season was tragic, but the one story that wouldn’t fade away –primarily because of the injury suffered by Sidney Crosby – was the concussion story.

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Shea Weber in happier times

And, not surprisingly, it became as big an issue as ever at the end of 2011. Especially after John-Michael Liles went down on Dec. 22 and Shea Weber suffered a concussion on Dec. 23.

Sadly, there is very little that can be done about it.

Now, naturally, the NHL was concerned the night Montoya, Ullstrom, Winchester and Kruger went down. Already, some of its biggest stars were on the sidelines nursing head injuries – Crosby, Jeff Skinner, Chris Pronger — so of course the league was worried.

Trouble was, there was absolutely nothing the NHL could have done. Engelland was suspended for his hit on Kruger, but Montoya was blasted by Winnipeg’s Evander Kane, who was pushed into the goalie, so it wasn’t Kane’s fault. Kane didn’t even have a discussion with the NHL’s vice-president of discipline, Brendan Shanahan.

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Brendan Shanahan: A Man With an Impossible Job

Fact is, in the vast majority of major head trauma incidents this season, there was absolutely nothing the NHL could have done. Milan Michalek ran into his own teammate. Claude Giroux ran into his own teammate. The list goes on.

Tim Wharnsby, who writes for CBCsports.ca has kept count of this season’s concussions and resulting suspensions. According to Wharnsby, the NHL has lost 457 man-games due to head injuries while players have been suspended a total of 77 games for alleged illegal hits.

And still, players are suffering concussions at an alarming rate.

Here are the problems:

1. The equipment. The players don’t wear padding anymore, they wear body armour. Their equipment is a weapon, or a series of weapons.

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The End of Marc Savard's Career

2. The athletes are too big and too fast. Fifty years ago, players averaged 5-foot-10, 175 pounds. Today, it’s 6-foot-2, 220-pounds. The ice surface is no bigger than t was then. Accidents will happen and the presence of these very big men will make those accidents more devastating.

3. The skates. Today’s hockey skates are a technological masterpiece. They are lighter, the blades are sharper and as a result, these giant players skate faster than ever. When the players run into each other, somebody gets hurt.

4. No red line. Players are flying through the neutral zone at a pace that has never been more frightening. If a player gets hit in the neutral zone now, there is always a chance a stretcher will be required.

5. The ice surface. With larger, faster players, the 200-foot X 85-foot enclosure might be too small. But there is one problem. If you watch a hockey game today, most of the fierce play occurs in a space from 10-feet to 30-feet in front of the net, between the circles. Even if there was a larger ice surface, it’s unlikely players would use the extra space.

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Will he get up this time?

The NHL can continue to pass new rules designed to avoid the inevitable. It can fine and suspend players and pay a full-time disciplinarian to try and “clean-up” the game. But I’m afraid none of it will work.

It’s the nature of the game – a fast, brutal dangerous game. And as long as large, tough, fearless, fast-skating, highly-paid entertainers are asked to do what’s necessary to play in the NHL, there will be serious head injuries.

And there is nothing – nothing – that the league can do about it.

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Lousy Goaltending Equals Great Entertainment

Posted on June 7, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

The Chicago Blackhawks took a 3-2 lead in the Stanley Cup final Sunday night. Antti Niemi outduelled both Michael Leighton and Brian Boucher.

Unfortunately for the Philadelphia Flyers, coach Peter Laviolette couldn’t put both Leighton and Boucher in the net at the same time.

Laviolette pulled Leighton in the second period after the darling of the Eastern Conference final allowed three goals in the 13 shots he faced. Boucher came in a gave up three goals on 14 shots. If the puck was as big as a football, the Flyers might be ahead in this series.

However, it’s not like Niemi has been the second coming of Glenn Hall. He allowed four goals on 27 shots and most NHL coaches would not be happy with a goalie whose series goals against average is now 3.80. His save percentage is below .900. That’s not good.

Of course, that’s what is going to make the next game or two spectacular. When there is a chance — a good chance — that Game 6 will finish 9-8, you can’t help but get fired up to watch. Fans wanted offence and thanks to three marginal goaltenders — and Flyers defenceman Chris Pronger who was a slick minus-5 on Sunday night — they now have offence.

It’s just too bad for the Flyers that ever since Bernie Parent retired, they haven’t had a chance to win a Cup. No goalie, no championship. This year, however, they get to play against Antti Niemi. Before it’s over, he could cough up ol’ Lord Stanley all by himself.

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Why Worry? We Didn’t. Canada Will Win Gold.

Posted on February 25, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Did we not tell you? There was nothing to worry about. This Canadian men’s hockey team at the Games of the 21st Winter Olymooad is about as good as it gets.

It only took a little controlled scrimmage against Germany on Tuesday night to get all the ducks in line.

After what happened on Wednesday night, I just hope our Canadian boys are practicing their podium dance.

For the first time in 50 years, Canada has beaten Russia in an Olympic hockey game. The last time Canada beat Russia in an Olympic hockey game, it was Squaw Valley in 1960. However, for what we got to watch Wednesday night, it was well worth the wait.

Corey Perry scored twice as Team Canada drilled Russia 7-3 in a quarterfinal match that had a lot of Canadians worried. But why? This was a dominating performance by the Canadians who outshot their old rivals 42-28. Canada will now meet Slovakia — that’s right Slovakia — in the semifinal on Friday night. Slovakia managed only 14 shots on goal but still beat defending gold medalist Sweden 4-3 in the late game Wednesday, a game that ended on Thursday morning.

In the other semifinal, the United States will face Finland. The Canada-Slovakia semi goes tomorrow at 8:30 live on 92-CITI-FM.

Well, you know what? If Sidney Crosby, Chris Pronger, Joe Thornton and Scott Niedermayer show up for this Olympic hockey series on Friday, there is no telling what Canada will do to its opposition.

On Wednesday, during that 7-3 win over the Russians, Drew Doughty, Jonathan Toews, Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaff, Shea Weber and Duncan Keith, the younger players on the team, were absolutely outstanding as Canada moved into the semifinal. If the the big, veteran stars show up and play to their potential this weekend, no other team will be close.

When you consider that on Tuesday night, Head Coach Mike Babcock was able to work out his line matchups, get his team some confidence with Roberto Luongo in goal and just allow his boys to go out put up an eight-spot in that game against Germany, it was almost a lock that in 24 hours the Canadians would follow that up with another big win. They’re on a roll now and that roll started on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, as we expected, Canada blew out the Russians and now our country’s best hockey players have a nice, clean skate to the gold. Stop worrying, friends.

Here’s my only prediction: It will be Canada-Finland on Sunday afternoon.

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Canada’s Olympic Hockey Team in Flux. Carter Off to Vancouver.

Posted on February 11, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Team Canada GM Steve Yzerman wants Philadelphia Flyers forward Jeff Carter to fly to Vancouver.

That doesn’t mean there is a guarantee that Carter will suit up for Team Canada in next week’s 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, but it’s beginning to appear as if Ryan Getzlaff’s injured ankle might not allow the big Ducks forward to be 100 per cent for the Games.

Gertzlaf will likely play for the Ducks on Sunday night, the last night of the NHL’s regular schedule until the end of the Olympics. If Getzlaf looks shaky or misses a few shifts because of the injury, it’s likely Team Canada will opt to go with a replacement. In Torino in 2006, the Canadians used Wade Redden and Chris Pronger, even though they were both injured and neither one of them played up to the level necessary to win a medal in an Olympic hockey competition. According to Canadian assistant coach Ken Hitchcock, that situation will not occur in Vancouver.

“Earlier today, I contacted Jeff Carter of the Philadelphia Flyers and advised him that in the event that Ryan Getzlaf is unable to take part in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games due to injury, he will take his spot on the roster,” Yzerman said in a written statement. “I asked him to be ready and be prepared to play in case he has to join us in Vancouver later this week.

“In the meantime, we will give ourselves, Ryan and the Anaheim Ducks as much time this week as necessary to determine if he will be able to play for Canada in Vancouver.”

If Getzlaff doesn’t look good on Sunday night, expect Carter to play.

Remember every Team Canada game at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics will be broadcast live on 92-CITI-FM in Winnipeg. The first game is Tuesday night at 6 p.m. as Canada faces Norway.

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Some more things bouncing around inside my skull…

Posted on August 3, 2009 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

It was quite a week. We watched the Winnipeg Blue Bombers bring in a new quarterback, we headed off to Mankato, Minn., to watch opening day of Minnesota Vikings camp and then headed back to Minneapolis for the Twins-Angels series.

As a result, here are a few more things that went banging around in my brain this past week…

1) Last week, Blue Bombers head coach Mike Kelly was fined $1,000 for verbally abusing the officials in Week 4’s 19-5 loss to Toronto.

The Bombers were so dreadfully awful in that game that I didn’t really notice the officials much, but I will say this: CFL officials are so bad, so rotten, that somebody has to verbally abuse them. Just to keep them awake.

2) It sure didn’t take long for the Bombers to sour on defensive tackle Tyrone Williams and quarterback Richie Wlliams. Even before the team went to Toronto for this past Saturday’s game with the Argos, the two were gone. Released outright.

Wow! There was an awful lot of newspaper space wasted on those two four-week clunkers.

3) Here’s how you beat the Minnesota Twins: Walk Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau every time they come to the plate. Hell, I’ll take my chances with Michael Cuddyer or Jason Kubel.

If you let the “New M&M Boys” hit, they will. They’ll beat you. But if you never face them, they’ll score a couple of runs, but not enough to hurt you. After all, that Twins pitching staff is awful. It’s going to give up 8-12 a game (especially if you’re the Los Angeles Angels) and a couple of Twins runs won’t even dent that.

4) My old friend George Sherrill was traded from the Baltimore Orioles to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday. He didn’t want to go, but he’ll now have a legitimate shot at winning a World Series. Not bad for a guy who spent 2002 and 2003 with the independent Winnipeg Goldeyes.

Asked by the Los Angeles Times after Friday’s game (where he struck out three of the four batters he faced) if he ever saw himself “reaching this point while he was toiling in the independent leagues,” Sherrill said: “I didn’t know what this point was. I just wanted to keep playing. I guess that’s why some girlfriends took off.”

5) There is a great deal of gnashing of teeth these days over “The List.” That’s baseball’s notorious list of people who were voluntarily and anonymously drug tested in 2003. It’s a list with 104 names on it, but only seven names have been leaked.

It’s a list that allows the mob-like mainstream media to continue to attack the game even though the mob-like mainstream media was a big part of the cover-up of steroid us in baseball when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were saving the game in 1998.

Because most members of the mainstream media have no idea what steroids are or what they do, they use the leaks from the list to vilify athletes and attack baseball’s credibility.

It’s unfortunate that commissioner Bud Selig is just a liar. He, of course, claimed that the people who agreed to be tested in 2003 would never see the results of those tests and that tests would never be made public. Now, the results are being leaked out bit by bit, most often to the New York Times, by someone who obviously has an agenda.

For the mainstream media, steroid use by athletes is always big news. For baseball fans, however, it’s meaningless. They really don’t care.

In fact, if I’m paying $100 for a ticket (remember, the mainstream media doesn’t pay for tickets and therefore doesn’t know what we’re paying to watch baseball these days), I want my jocks to be 6-foot-8, 300-pounds and have the ability to hit a baseball to the moon. I don’t care if fat, old Babe Ruth, a man who never hit against an African-American pitcher, has all his records broken, I want to be entertained when I pay exorbitant prices to watch a stinkin’ ball game in August.

6) The Ottawa Sun, home of the hopeful and silly Bruce Garrioch, a really nice guy who seems to go out of his way to create trade rumours that don’t exist — and never have — came up with a doozy this weekend. Even TSN and Rogers Sportsnet picked up on the story without checking out anything.

The latest rumour goes like this (and remember, this is the same Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun who had Vincent Lecavalier going to the Edmonton Oilers, Chris Pronger off to St. Louis, then Chris Pronger off to New Jersey, then Chris Pronger off to Boston, then Chris Pronger off to Toronto, Jay Bouwmeester to Edmonton — sheesh, he loves Edmonton — Scott Niedermayer off to Boston, Evgeni Malkin to the L.A. Kings, Ilya Kovalchuk to Montreal and on and on and on): The San Jose Sharks have offered F Jonathan Cheechoo and D Christian Erhoff to Ottawa in exchange for F Dany Heatley, but the deal won’t take place unless Montreal steps in and sends Mike Cammalleri (the free agent that Bob Gainey just signed) to San Jose to get Patrick Marleau (where did he come from?) and his $6.3 million contract.

The San Jose Mercury News called Sharks GM Doug Wilson. He denied he was interested in making a deal with the Senators. Meanwhile, if Garrioch had checked out the Habs payroll situation, it would become evident to him that the Canadiens couldn’t handle the salary cap hit.

At some point does the mainstream media look at Garrioch and say, “The Sky is Not Falling Today?” Or not? Do they just keep eating this stuff up.

If he was right once…

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Pronger to Philly, Bouwmeester to Calgary. Somebody had a Good Weekend.

Posted on June 27, 2009 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

For the most part, what we expected to happen, happened, at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal.

We expected the New York Islanders to take Swedish defenceman Victor Hedman, if the Isles wanted a guy who could play (well) right now, and John Tavares if they wanted a Canadian junior sniper they could market like Steven Stamkos.

The Isles took Tavares with the No. 1 pick and will now be more sizzle than steak for another year. That’s not to say Tavares won’t eventually lead the Islanders out of the wilderness — a wilderness created by Mike Milbury’s failures — but it won’t happen in 2009-2010 and not like the year after, either.

There were plenty of interesting trades. Chris Pronger, along with forward Ryan Dingle, went from Anaheim to Philadelphia , in exchange for defenceman Luca Sbisa, forward Joffrey Lupul, two first-round picks and a conditional third-round pick in 2010 or 2011. Pronger is 34 and on the downside of a great career.

The Calgary Flames had a great day on Saturday. The Flames acquired the rights to 25-year-old Florida Panthers defenceman Jay Bouwmeester in exchange for defenceman Jordan Leopold and the 67th overall pick that Florida used to select Josh Birkholz. Bouwmeester is still an Olympic-calibre defenceman and he will make Calgary a force in the West.

Later on Saturday, the Flames sent six-year veteran defenceman Jim Vandermeer, 29, who played 45 games in Calgary last year, to Phoenix in exchange for a former Flames draft pick, 25-year-old Brandon Prust. Nice to see the Coyotes getting older and slower.

The made-up trade rumour that had the Boston Bruins sending Phil Kessel and a draft pick to the Leafs for Tomas Kaberle turned out to be aprochryphal. Who makes this crap up?

Sadly, there will be more ridiculous rumours this week with the free agent deadline on Wednesday. Wonder who will be the first to report, ohh I don’t know, Sidney Crosby to Washington for Alex Ovechkin? Please, somebody make that one up.

In the meantime, Teemu Selanne, a 10-time all-star and former Winnipeg Jets rookie of the year, told the Anaheim Ducks that he would be back next season. The 38-year-old Selanne will play his 18th NHL season this coming year. He had 27 goals and 27 assists in 65 games last season. Why is it that the NHL is just better with Teemu Selanne in it?

Finally, congratulations to Winnipeg’s Scott Glennie (eighth overall to Dallas), Winnipeg’s Carter Ashton (No. 29 overall to Tampa), Winnipeg’s Cody Eakin (third round, 85th overall to Washington) and Winkler’s Byron Froese (fourth round, 119th to Chicago), the Manitobans taken in this weekend’s draft.

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The NHL Draft Starts in less than an hour in Montreal: Here’s what we’re looking for…

Posted on June 26, 2009 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Will it be John Tavares of the OHL’s London Knights, Matt Duchene of the OHL’s Brampton Battalion or Victor Hedman of the Swedish Elite League’s Modo? That will be the biggest question on everyone’s mind as this year’s draft gets rolling in Montreal.

The 2009 NHL Entry Draft begins in less than half an hour and here the three things I’m expecting:

1) I just have to think that if the Islanders don’t trade their pick to Toronto, a team that really, really, really would like to draft Tavares, then the Isles will take Hedman simply because they’re an Eastern Conference team that needs to upgrade on defence and is a young guy who has already played against men with Modo in the Swedish Elite League.

However, if the Islanders are more concerned about image than winning next year, they’ll take Tavares and sell him as the next Sid the Kid.

2) Apparently this wild — and very, very stupid –  rumour that the Boston Bruins were going to give up Phil Kessel and a draft pick for Leafs Tomas Kaberle was as dumb as we thought.

Originally “broken” on TSN, we’re now told by the Toronto Sports Network: “It appears the potential trade involving the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs is at the very least on hold and quite possibly dead. It turns out there was apparently major miscommunication between the two teams.”

Really? Perhaps it was a miscommunication by the mainstream media. TSN originally reported it was Kessel for Kaberle and Toronto’s No. 7 pick. Terrible deal for Toronto, but Boston might like it. Then it became Kessel and a draft pick for Kaberle. Only someone smoking something would have thought was a bright move. In the end, it was none of the above. Somebody made this thing up over cognac in the hotel bar.

3) There will be trades. Somebody is going somewhere. After all, last year’s draft produced a frenzy of pretty big deals.

Toronto really wants a top pick (up from No. 7) to get either Tavares or Brandon’s Brayden Schenn and Brian Burke will do what’s necessary to get the people he wants in order to rebuild that mess in T.O.

Ottawa is going to try to move Dany Heatley but Bryan Murray won’t give him away. Murray’s way too smart to take that bait.

Florida will probably move Jay Bouwmeester — or anybody else with a pulse and a contract. After all, Randy Sexton is now the acting GM and if you remember him in Ottawa, you know he’ll try to make some kind of splash — stupid or otherwise.

The San Jose Sharks will move somebody. Expect it to be Jonathan Cheechoo.

Despite not falling for that dumb Toronto offer (or “made-up” Toronto offer), Boston might still try to move the disgruntled Phil Kessel.

And don’t be surprised if Tampa tries to get Tavares and then, if they do, they’ll have Stamkos and Tavares in the fold, so then Lightning GM Brian Lawton will trade Vinny Lecavalier to Montreal.

And finally, don’t be surprised to see Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, J.S. Giguere and a bunch of “older” Calgary Flames change teams tonight.

OK, get out the sodas and chips and let’s go watch some kids get rich.

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Here’s the NHL Trade Deadline Skinny

Posted on March 2, 2009 by Scott Taylor| 1 Comment

The NHL trade deadline is Wednesday, so let’s take a look at the big day on a team-by-team basis. 

Oh yeah, and please remember, our theory on trade deadline day – for the past two decades – has always been the same: Believe whatever rumour you want to believe.

 

ANAHEIM DUCKS: It would appear the Ducks are ready to move veterans Chris Pronger, Scott Niedermayer, Brendan Morrison and Todd Marchant. Don’t be surprised if the Canadiens sniff around at Pronger and Niedermayer.

 

ATLANTA THRASHERS: It’s next year time for the Thrashers. They’re 17 points out of the playoff hunt. And will deal anybody in a uniform for draft picks or young players who will contribute next year. Evidently, Hockey Night in Canada claimed the Flyers have some interest in Kari Lehtonen and we’re told the Thrashers are prepared to give up top prospect James van Riemsdyk. If that’s true (although I’m not sure it is), I’m surprised GM Don Waddell hasn’t already made the deal.

 

BOSTON BRUINS: If the Boston Bruins go after a rental player for the stretch run, don’t be surprised if that rental player is former Winnipeg Jets captain Keith Tkachuk, a native Bostonian now living and playing in St. Louis. The Bruins also have some interest in Chris Pronger, but probably not enough cap room.

 

BUFFALO SABRES: The Sabres are in the hunt for that final playoff spot in the East and they have a player to trade. If they could get a roll of tape for Maxim Afinogenov, they’d move him yesterday. 

 

CALGARY FLAMES: After losing 8-6 to Tampa on Sunday you can bet Mike Keenan is looking for a little inexpensive veteran help — and there is a lot out there. Gary Roberts, Mark Recchi or Jeff Halpern could wind up in Calgary without a lot going the other way.  

 

CAROLINA HURRICANES: Tied with Buffalo for the final playoff spot in the East, the Hurricanes need more scoring. The power-play is weak and the team has only 169 goals on the season, second lowest of all playoff teams. Paul Maurice has this team back in the race, but if they want to take the next step, they need to get younger, better, quicker.

 

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: This is a great young team and GM Dale Tallon has no desire to move anybody. Some say Tallon is looking for a veteran centre, but isn’t everyone?

 

COLORADO AVALANCHE: The Colorado Avalanche will make some moves in an effort to get rid of a collection of veterans who just aren’t worth the aggravation anymore. Jordan Leopold and Ian Laperriere both become free agents on July 1, so they’re on the block. So too are veterans Ryan Smyth, Milan Hejduk, Marek Svatos, Brett Clark, Ruslan Salei and John-Michael Liles. Of course, Smyth (the Habs are interested), Hejduk and Liles all have no-trade clauses so they aren’t likely going anywhere.

 

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS: Jackets GM Scott Howson would like to do something but Howson believes his goaltending can carry the team to a playoff berth and he won’t do anything drastic. 

 

DALLAS STARS: With Brad Richards injured, it’s likely the Stars will go looking for a Top 6 forward. However, Stars co-GM Les Jackson told the Dallas Morning News the team has a tight internal payroll budget and will only make a move if it helps the team right now.

 

DETROIT RED WINGS: GM Kenny Holland has been known to make big moves at the deadline and if something special comes up, he’ll jump at the chance to cut a deal. But he’s not actively trying to do anything significant.  

 

EDMONTON OILERS: The Oil want a Top 6 forward and were seriously involved in the Chris Kunitz talks with Anaheim, but wouldn’t part with defenceman Tom Gilbert. Robert Nilsson and Dustin Penner are said to be available, but if the Oilers don’t get something special in return, GM Kevin Lowe will likely stand pat.

 

FLORIDA PANTHERS: The one guy who looks like the top rental player this spring is Panthers defenceman Jay Bouwmeester. Now, Bouwmeester is only 25, but he becomes a free-agent on July 1 and while Florida GM Jacques Martin says he’s prepared to trade his young defensive star, Martin wants a number of players in a package who will help get him into the playoffs right now.

 

LOS ANGELES KINGS: Although they’re 13th in the West, the young Kings are only six points out of the final playoff spot. L.A. would deal a veteran or two, but don’t expect much to happen here. 

 

MINNESOTA WILD: Rumours, rumours, rumours. Marian Gaborik, Stephen Veilleux, Owen Nolan, Marek Zidlicky… yeah, whatever. The 30-26-5 Wild will do something if it helps the team make a playoff run  right now.

 

MONTREAL CANADIENS: Montreal is still looking around for a Top 4 defenceman so here was the first rumour this year that actually sounded legit: “The Canadiens and the slumping Phoenix Coyotes are talking about a deal that would send 30-year-old defenceman Derek Morris from Phoenix to Montreal in exchange for a couple of young forwards.”

 

NASHVILLE PREDATORS: The Predators are just one point out of the final playoff spot in the West so don’t expect David Poile to do anything significant. 

 

NEW JERSEY DEVILS: Marty Brodeur is back so all is well in Newark. Although the Devils are 41-19-3, Lou Lamoriello could always fire a coach just for fun, but it’s unlikely he’ll make a significant trade – unless, of course, something unexpected and downright miraculous pops up.

 

NEW YORK ISLANDERS: These guys are sellers and it looks like veteran forward Bill Guerin will be the first to go. Clearly, after Guerin sat out Saturday night’s game with Buffalo, it would appear the Islanders have a deal in place to send Guerin to a playoff contender.

 

NEW YORK RANGERS: The Rangers have about a million dollars in cap space available so they’ll be looking to upgrade. Coyotes 30-year-old defenceman Derek Morris is of some interest to Glen Sather and John Tortorella. Although with only 159 goals scored (the lowest among playoff teams in the East), this is a team that desperately needs a sniper or two.

 

OTTAWA SENATORS: After firing Craig Hartsburg and then making the deal for Mike Comrie and Chris Campoli, Senators GM Bryan Murray has made a commitment to getting his team into the playoffs – next year. No player on this team – not even Heatley or Spezza – are untouchable.

 

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS: Philly would like to add a big defenceman at the deadline and they have their sights on Jay Bouwmeester. Atlanta goalie Kari Lehtonen is also, apparently, on Philly’s radar.

 

PHOENIX COYOTES: These guys will be sellers. Hell, if anyone offers, Jerry Moyes will sell the entire franchise. Hell, if a team made an offer for the Zamboni driver, the Coyotes would deal. 

 

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: The Penguins are in the playoff hunt, just one point out of eighth in the East. They dealt Ryan Whitney to Anaheim for Chris Kunitz last week and they’ll no doubt make more moves this week.

 

SAN JOSE SHARKS: The Sharks are 42-10-9, first in the West and three points ahead of defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit with two games in hand. They have the best team in the NHL. GM Doug Wilson won’t do anything that might mess with his team’s chemistry. 

 

ST. LOUIS BLUES: The Blues now have a legitimate shot at a playoff berth and one senses head coach Andy Murray and big boss John Davidson don’t want to do anything that might disturb a team that is now only three points out of eighth place in the West. Pundits say Keith Tkachuk and Jay McKee are on the block, but they’ll only go if Davidson thinks he’s making this year’s team better.

 

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING: Vinny Lecavalier is going nowhere but GM Brian Lawton would love to move some veterans. If your name is Recchi, Roberts, Malik, Halpern, Prospal and Krajicek, you’re on the block.

 

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: Seems everyone around the NHL believes the Toronto Maple Leafs will be sellers. In fact, insiders say every player on the team with the exception of young defenceman Luke Schenn is on the block. But has anyone noticed that the Leafs have won four straight games and are now only seven points out of the final playoff spot in the East?

 

VANCOUVER CANUCKS: GM Mike Gillis is always ready to wheel and deal but right now, he’s more concerned about getting the twins, Henrik and Daniel Sedin, under contract long term than he is in pulling off a blockbuster trade. 

 

WASHINGTON CAPITALS: The Caps want a veteran defenceman. Doesn’t everyone? However, unlike a lot of other teams, the Caps have plenty of cap room and have expressed interest in Phoenix’s Derek Morris, Anaheim’s Chris Pronger and Colorado’s Jordan Leopold.

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Our Selections for Hockey Canada’s “Team Canada 2010″

Posted on February 20, 2009 by Scott Taylor| 1 Comment

OK, so everybody else is doing it, we might just as well weigh in.

 

Although, our 2010 Canadian Olympic team might not look a lot like the others that have been selected in the national media, we’d like to see a little discussion before the next head coach takes his club into the 2010 Olympic hockey tournament in Vancouver.

 

After all, the 2006 team seemed like a done deal a year before the Olympics and we all know how that team finished. We must take the best and brightest  — and the smartest, as well — to Vancouver.

 

So let’s look at a few players who might not have made some of the other lists — just so Canada can get a little younger, faster and mentally tougher.

 

By the way, in deference to the likes of Red Fisher and Pierre McGuire, I’ve only seen 47 NHL games live this season, so rip me accordingly.

 

GOALIES:

 

Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks

Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils

Steve Mason, Columbus Blue Jackets

 

 

DEFENCE

 

Kevin Bieksa, Vancouver Canucks

Dion Phaneuf, Calgary Flames

Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks

Shea Weber, Nashville Predators

Mike Green, Washington Capitals

Brian Campbell, Chicago Blackhawks

Dennis Wideman, Boston Bruins

 

FORWARDS

 

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks

Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames

Rick Nash, Columbus Blue Jackets

Mike Richards, Philadelphia Flyers

Shane Doan, Phoenix Coyotes

Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks

Dany Heatley, Ottawa Senators

Jeff Carter, Philedelphia Flyers

Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks

Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning

Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks

Marc Savard, Boston Bruins

 

I’m a big fan of Martin St. Louis, Jason Spezza, Mike Cammalleri, little Derek Roy and even Winnipeg’s own Travis Zajac, who is having a great year in New Jersey. I also like Dan Boyle, Robyn Regehr, Brent Burns and even the older stars such as Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Sheldon Souray and Rob Blake.

 

But it’s 2010 and 2006 was a huge disappointment. It’s time to go down a new road on defence, stick with Marty Brodeur (maybe the greatest goalie of all time) in net and make sure Jonathan Toews is wearing a C or an A on this hockey team. 

 

Hire someone like Mike Babcock, Barry Trotz or Andy Murray to coach the team and this group should win gold in a walk.

 

 

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