January 5th, 2010

2010.01.05 Canadiens at Capitals

Canadiens at Capitals

The Winner of the 2009 Off Wing Stanley Cup Challenge ...

... Is Peter Hoven, who correctly selected the Pittsburgh Penguins. Peter has requested that the $50 donation be made to Hockey Fights Cancer. Thanks to everyone for participating.

Over at FanHouse ...

... You can read my recap of last night's 4-0 Caps win over New York.

One day can make a very big difference. As per usual, I'll be twittering hockey-related news all day long: @emcerlain.

Recent Capitals Content

Just in case you might have missed it, here's my post-mortem of Game Two of the Caps-Rangers series from FanHouse. More recent thoughts heading into Game Three tonight can be found here.

And this morning over at The Sporting Blog, I took a look at the historical record for NHL playoff teams down 0-2 in the first round.

The prognosis: Not good, but not hopeless either. And be sure to catch my Twitter feed: @emcerlain.

Game One: Caps vs. Rangers

Ok everyone, I know it's been a while since I've been a regular here at Off Wing, but that's going to change now that we're about to start the Stanley Cup Playoffs. For starters, I'm going to be live blogging tonight's game over at FanHouse starting at 7:00 p.m. Click here for that link.

Also, thanks to the fact that I'm really pressed for time these days, I'm going to shift a lot of what I write and think about over to my Twitter feed and my Facebook page. I'm finding both a heck of a lot easier to use than MT.

Also, keep your eyes peeled on these pages in the coming weeks. We've already re-designed OffWing Photo, and the mother ship is next.

That's all for now. See you tonight at 7:00 p.m. over at FanHouse.

The 2009 Off Wing Stanley Cup Challenge

So, who do you think will win the Cup? If you give me the right answer, you'll win bragging rights and a whole lot more.

The rules are fairly simple, and here's how it works:

Send me your pick to win the Stanley Cup by email (emcerlain-at-hotmail-dotcom). I'll list every entry I receive in the left hand margin, like so. And if you have a blog, I'll embed a link to it in your entry:

Chris McMurtry: Ottawa

As teams get eliminated, I'll indicate their departure with a strikethrough over incorrect entries. For example:

Chris McMurtry: Ottawa

That continues until we get to a winner sometime toward the end of June. Since we'll probably have a number of folks who have picked the Stanley Cup Champion, I'll conduct a random drawing from the winning entries to determine a Grand Prize Winner. After consultation with the winner, I'll make a $50 donation in honor of the Grand Prize Winner to the charity of their choice.

And best of all, if you win, you'll be immortalized on the left nav bar along with previous winners Gregg Simon, Josh Crockett, Kartikeya Sinha and James Mirtle.

Easy enough? One last detail -- just get me your entry to me by e-mail by 5:30 p.m. U.S. EDT on April 15, 2009, the opening night of the playoffs.

Now get to it, get you pick in, and you may be able to do some good.

Midwest Regional; Northeastern vs. Cornell

The early game in the Midwest starts at 4pm in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Northeastern

Northeastern doesn't put up huge numbers. They win close games, from 2-1 squeakers to 4-3 goalfests. Offensively, however, they only have 3 guys with more than 10 goals, and 6 guys with over 20 points. Fortunately they have Brad Thiessen between the pipes, a junior who has played every game for the Huskies. He boasts a 2.09 GAA and a save percentage of .932.

The issue here is that Northeastern has had trouble this season with the better teams. All their losses, with the exception of 3 losses to UMass, have been against ranked teams. Their toughest opponent has been BU (they've gone 0-2-2 against them this season). Inside College Hockey has what Northeastern needs to win.

They looked gassed in the Hockey East playoffs, especially during their semifinal defeat to Lowell, when they lost a 2-0 lead and fell in overtime. The Huskies have been a confident bunch for the majority of the season, but they�ve got to show they believe they�re the better team when they take the ice in the national tournament.

If the Huskies can play with that confidence and toughness, they will be a difficult team to beat.

Cornell

Cornell wins with defense. As Hoover Street Rag notes;

It's defense that's gotten the Big Red to where they are. Cornell is the #4 team in terms of scoring defense, only giving up 2.00 goals per night. Goalie Ben Scrivens is stopping 93.3% of the shots he's seeing, and his GAA is down at 1.77.

They have only scored 88 goals on the season, but because they let up so few, their +0.59 goal differential is actually pretty good. They only have 5 guys on the team that have scored more than 5 goals this season, and only 8 guys in double digits for points.

The Big Red have to be cautious of their defense and the play of Scrivens in this tournament. Several goalies already, most notably Princeton's Zane Kalemba and Minnesota Duluth's Alex Stalock, have seen their GAAs increase in some high scoring games. While Air Force's Andrew Volkening shut out Michigan and Vermont's Rob Midore allowed only 1 tally to Yale, it's not a guarantee that some of these outstanding goalies stay true to form in the tournament. Scrivens is 3rd in the nation in GAA, 4th in SV%, and 2nd in shutouts. But as Inside College Hockey puts it, "Goaltender Ben Scrivens has spectacular numbers, but was far better in the fall than he was in the second half of the season." Cornell will need a strong game by their defensemen and good backchecking by the forwards to help ensure Scrivens has a solid game.

Prediction

All the numbers point to a close, low-scoring game that could go either way. But so far in this tournament numbers have meant nothing. Strong defensive teams have let up big goals, high-scoring teams have been held in check, and upsets are the norm. Northeastern has the better record in a better conference, and their top scorers are spread across their lines, making it harder to shut them all down. Despite Cornell's best efforts, Northeastern will pull out a close one.

Northeast Regional; Boston University vs. Ohio State

Boston gets to stay close to home as the puck drops in Manchester at 5:30pm.

Boston University

I really like Boston University in this tournament. For starters, they're the top seed in the tournament. They've won the Big East regular season title, the Beanpot championship, and the Big East championship. They have only 6 losses all season, and only 2 since the New Year. They're also from Boston, which I have to like. And when I had a chance to see them this season, I was really impressed with the play of senior defenseman Matt Gilroy. He's a guy I want to see go far in this tournament.

The Terriers are just a solid team all around. They have 11 guys with over 20 points, and 6 guys with 10 or more goals. BU has put up 158 goals total, good for tops in the nation. As Inside College Hockey puts it, "BU's top six forwards essentially give the Terriers two No. 1 lines." Colin Wilson, a projected first round pick in the upcoming draft, paces the Terriers with 50 points. Gilroy leads all blueliners with 32 points. And somehow he is the only defenseman on BU that has yet to be drafted. Something tells me that will change come Draft Day.

Between the pipes Kieran Millan has been phenomenal. Only a freshman, he has a 1.84 GAA and a .923 save percentage. He has only let in 56 goals, with the Terriers letting in 80 total. And he has only lost 2 games all season. With his 25 wins that's a .923 win percentage. That's unheard of.

We can talk about numbers and stats all day long, but the bottom line is that BU has a deep set of strong forwards, a crazy-good defensive corps, and a freshman phenom between the pipes. Anything less than a national championship for Jack Parker's squad will be unacceptable.

Ohio State

Ohio State was the last team to make it into the tournament with an at-large bid. Playing in the tough CCHA, they score a lot of goals, but they also let in more than they should. However, while the backup netminders come into the tournament with rough numbers, starter Dustin Carlson boasts a respectable 2.40 GAA and a save percentage of .920.

The issue with the Buckeyes is their youth. Hoover Street Rag breaks it down.

The key theme with the Buckeyes this year is youth. Just five upperclassmen populate the roster of the scarlet and gray, and while senior Corey Elkins lead the team in scoring, he is the only upperclassman among the Buckeyes' top ten in scoring. This is a team that will be very dangerous next season, but what will they do when they have arrived a year early for the tournament. The Buckeyes tournament run rests largely on a thirteen game unbeaten streak in the middle of the season, with a slightly sub-.500 record in their final 19 games, including a rough pair of shutouts up in Alaska during the CCHA quarterfinals. The question will be whether these young Bucks can find their mid-season form and give the Terriers more than they might expect out of the last at-large team.

Remember the movie For Love of the Game, when Kevin Costner is an inning away from pitching a perfect game? And in the bottom of the 9th young Ken Strout is sent in to pinch hit. And announcer Vin Scully points out that it's the perfect move, as Strout is so young that he probably doesn't understand the significance of the moment. While the tournament is no perfect game, the youth on the Ohio State team may not realize just how ridiculous an idea it is for them to run the table. Although with two top seeds falling already, it might not be that crazy an idea anymore. While it's only an outside shot, it's still a shot that Ohio State can beat BU.

Prediction

After all the craziness that went on Friday, I can no longer be certain of what will happen. But I have Boston University going all the way, so I have to take them here. They're just so good all-around that it's tough to go against them. If Ohio State were to come away with the win, I wouldn't be surprised, but I just don't think they'll be able to do it.

West Regional; Minn-Duluth vs. Princeton

In the West Regional nightcap Friday, UMD takes on Princeton at 9pm in Minneapolis.

Minnesota-Duluth

The Hoover Street Rag lays the story of how UMD made it this far.

Finishing seventh in the WCHA in the regular season, the Bulldogs (named after the 148th Fighter Wing stationed in Duluth) swept fourth place team Colorado College (in Colorado Springs), then beat Minnesota in the 4 v 5 game in the Twin Cities, then North Dakota, and then Denver to assure themselves a spot in the tournament with an automatic bid. In doing this, the Bulldogs became the first WCHA team to win three straight games to take the conference tournament title (in 34 previous tries), largely due to the lockdown defense of goalie Alex Stalock and the Bulldog blueliners, allowing just three goals in that span, and posting back to back shutouts in the WCHA semis and finals.

MacGregor Sharp and Justin Fontaine lead the Bulldogs with 47 points apiece, and Alex Stalock has used his playoff hot streak to drop his GAA to 2.10 and raise his SV% to .926. And if there was ever a time for Stalock and the Bulldogs to get hot, they picked the right one. After finishing the regular season with 2 ties and 3 losses in their last 5 games, they turned it on in the playoffs and ran away with the WCHA championship. Along with their goaltending, the Bulldog's powerplay will help them advance in the tournament.

UMD continues to pace the WCHA and is third nationally in overall power play efficiency with a 21.7 percent mark...Senior tri-captain Josh Meyers, UMD�s top scoring defenseman in 2008-09, certainly has taken full advantage of the man advantage this season. The 2008-09 team tri-captain has collected all but five of his career-high 28 points -- including each of his 10 goals -- on the power play this season. Meyers� 23 power play points places him fourth among his WCHA brethren while his 10 overall goals are the second most accumulated by any league blueliner.

Keeping pucks out and putting a lot in is a good recipe for success. Hopefully Minnesota Duluth can ride their success at least to the Frozen Four.

Princeton

Princeton is a defensive team. They've scored 95 goals on the season and have given up a paltry 69 tallies. Hoover Street sums it up nicely.

Their top five scorers are all upperclassmen and the average age of the team is a downright elderly 22 years, 5 months. Dan Bartlett is their leading goal-scorer with 16, while Brett Wilson leads the team in assists with 15 and is second in penalty minutes with 44. As you might guess based on that, Princeton is the least-penalized team in all of men's D-I hockey, taking only 10.6 minutes per game. You might also guess that, with goal totals like that, Princeton is winning with defense, and you'd be right. Kalemba is the #2 goalie in the country by save percentage, just .005 behind Alaska's Chad Johnson (and .001 in front of Notre Dame's Jordan Pearce and Mercyhurst's Ryan Zapolski). This puts Princeton at fifth and Kalemba at 3rd in scoring defense.

Princeton has wins this season over ranked teams like Yale, Northeastern, Cornell, and St. Lawrence. Looking at their stats it's easy to consider them a pushover, but they can compete with the best of them, and have as much of a shot at running the West Regional table as any of the other 3 teams.

Prediction

This will clearly be a defensive struggle. Both teams have stellar goaltending and a defense-first mindset. But the Bulldogs took the WCHA title in the Twin Cities, and it is back there they go for Regionals. The Twin Cities have been good to UMD so far, and I'll expect that to continue, even if it will be in a low-scoring game.

West Regional: Denver vs. Miami (OH)

Friday at 5:30 Denver takes on Miami at the Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis.

Denver

Denver comes into the West Regional as the 1 seed and the 3rd seed overall. The last time they came into the tournament as a number 1 seed, in 2005, they won their second national championship in a row.

Denver will have a tough road to the championship. They've lost Tyler Ruegsegger to a knee injury, and J.P. Testwuide is questionable with a lower body injury. Ruegsegger is the 6th leading scorer for Denver, and led the Pioneers with 12 powerplay goals on the season. The loss of Testwuide on the blueline will make things harder for goalie Marc Cheverie. Cheverie has put up stellar numbers this season (2.30 GAA and .923 SV%) and is one of the key reasons the Pioneers have done so well.

I was fortunate enough to be in Denver for the Wells Fargo Denver Cup, where Denver played both Holy Cross and Boston University. While Denver was missing Tyler Bozak, it shouldn't have been enough to merit the poor play I saw. It took overtime and a shootout for Denver to get by Holy Cross, who finished 7th in Atlantic Hockey. They then got handled 4-1 in the championship game by BU, who was without star defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. Denver had 6 powerplays and another partial one, but was unable to score.

On the plus side Denver has been on a tear, going 11-5-3 since the loss to BU. With Ruegsegger out the Pioneers still have 9 players with over 20 points on the season. They will be hurting with Ruegsegger out, as well as Testwuide (for now), and Bozak playing in his first game back. This could improve as the tournament goes on, but I just don't think that they'll have enough to go all the way. Cheverie will only be able to take Denver so far.

Miami (OH)

Miami brings 9 guys with over 20 points on the season. They've also had freshman goalies Connor Knapp and Cody Reichard have split time in net, with both posting quality numbers. The problem with Miami has always been their consistency; they're a streaky team. A midseason 8-game winning streak was followed by a 5-game losing streak. A couple games later they started a 5 game win streak. Miami then finished off the season 2-4-1, including their CCHA tournament series loss against Northern Michigan. And this was a team they outshot 47-7 in a game in February. They have never done well in the NCAA playoffs, and this won't be the year they turn things around.

Prediction

Denver will work Tyler Bozak into the game slowly, and they will put up the bigger number in a high scoring game. Both goalies will see their 2+ GAAs go up after tomorrow's game. Denver will advance and face Minnesota-Duluth in a WCHA rematch.

NCAA East Regionals; Yale vs. Vermont

Friday night at 6:30 2nd seeded Yale takes on 3rd seeded Vermont on ESPNU.

Yale

Yale is led by senior goalie Alec Richards, who has posted a 1.97 GAA and .926 SV% on the season. They also have Mark Arcolbello and Broc Little leading the offense with 35 points each. They don't put up as many points as other teams, but Inside College Hockey breaks down how they'll be able to move on.

Yale capitalizes on seemingly every opportunity. One lapse, one giveaway, one breakdown and the Bulldogs will attack the net, so opponents need to be ready to play at a high level for all 60 minutes. Senior goalie Alec Richards hasn't been spectacular, but if he and a young defense corps hang in, that's all Yale needs with plenty of dangerous options up front. They'll be a tough out.

The Bulldog's defense and goaltending will have the pressure on as they go through the tournament. All-ECAC blueliner Thomas Dignard has been out since January, so his absence may hurt the 'dogs. While they did win the ECAC championship without him, the ECAC for the most part doesn't have the quality of teams the other big conferences do. Yale's only real competition was Cornell, Princeton, and St. Lawrence, and the Bulldogs went 5-2-1 against those teams this season, including the ECAC playoffs.

You also have to look at Alec Richards' stats for conference and non-conference play. His numbers in conference are a SV% of .936 and a GAA of 1.72 over 17 games. Now consider that through 24 games overall his numbers are .926 and 1.97. That means that his SV% non-conference is around .900, and his GAA is more than 2.50.

Vermont

The Catamounts finished the regular season tied with New Hampshire for 3rd place in Hockey East. They are led by junior power forward Viktor Stalberg, a Sweden native whose NHL rights are held by Toronto. Freshman goalie Rob Midore has gotten the majority of the starts this season, and posts a GAA of 2.36 and a save percentage of .911. Dan Lawson is Vermont's top all-around defenseman, has 6 goals, 9 assists, and a plus 14 rating.

Like Yale Vermont doesn't put in a lot of goals, but they also don't allow many either. They have been shaky defensively recently, and that could be their undoing.

Vermont has given up 18 goals in its last four games (1-3-0) � it gave up 18 goals in the nine games prior to that stretch. Granted, the Catamounts� last two games were against a UMass Lowell squad that had their number this season, but that�s of little value at this time of year. UVM�s blue liners have had issues against aggressive forechecks, and they�ve been known to cough up the puck in their zone, leading to easy scoring chances - a bad combination against Yale.

Midore needs to rebound from a rough showing at the Hockey East playoffs if Vermont wants to advance. Stalberg needs to have a big game on offense. It's simply too much to ask for a single forward and a freshman netminder to carry them all the way, and it may not even be enough to get them past Yale.

Prediction

Neither one of these teams puts up big numbers. Yale, however, has the better and more steady defense and goaltending. They take advantage of opportunities and will really pressure Vermont into making mistakes. Barring an outstanding game by Midore, Yale should pull out a close win.

NCAA East Regionals; Michigan vs. Air Force

Friday kicks off the East Regional in Bridgeport, CT with top seed Michigan taking on Air Force at 3pm.

Michigan

Michigan come in as the top seed in the East and the third seed overall in the tourney. They boast a 29-11 record and are the only team in the East Regional to go all season without a tie. Looking at the stats for Michigan on the season, the thing that jumps out the most is their defense. Netminders Bryan Hogan and Billy Sauer have combined to post a GAA below 2 and a save percentage above .915%. And this was with defenseman Mark Mitera playing only 7 games all season due to a torn ACL. He was a first round pick (19 overall) by Anaheim in 2006. He wasn't a factor in the CCHA playoffs, and was a -2 in their championship loss to Notre Dame, so his play in the playoffs could have a big impact on how Michigan does overall.

Their offense will come mainly from forwards Aaron Palushaj and Louie Caporusso, who have posted 50 and 49 points on the season, respectively. No other Wolverine has notched more than 31. But should these two be held in check, there won't be any need to worry. Inside College Hockey points out what Michigan will need to advance to the big game;

How They'll Advance: A key to Michigan�s second half success has been secondary scoring from all kinds of unlikely sources. While the Wolverines did lose the league playoff title, they took a two-goal lead over the Fighting Irish with goals from freshmen Luke Glendening and David Wohlberg, neither of whom was particularly heralded coming into this season. If teams lock down on Palushaj and Caporusso, it�s those freshmen and wily veterans like Tim Miller and Travis Turnbull that will give opponents a headache.

One thing to point out is that Michigan is prone to giving up more goals in the later parts of a game. Breaking it down, they've allowed only 17 goals in first periods, but have allowed 31 in the 2nd and 34 in the 3rd. If they want any chance of winning the national championship, they have to play a full 60 minutes of shutdown hockey. Their offense is inconsistent in their output, so it is the stability of the defense that they must ride to the title. They'll have a tough first-round matchup with Air Force due to Andrew Volkening's abilities between the pipes, but they should be able to advance at least out of the East Region.

Air Force

Air Force has spent their season on the shoulders of two men, Andrew Volkening and Jacques Lamoureux. Volkening has played every game in net and finished the season with a 2.04 GAA and a .916 SV%, posting a 27-10-2 record. Lamoureux has 32 goals, well beyond Matt Fairchild, who is second on the team with 17.

While Atlantic Hockey champions will almost always come into the tourney as a 4-seed, they are not to be taken lightly. It was only 3 seasons ago that Holy Cross upset 1-seed and top-ranked Minnesota in the first round, the first 4 seed to do so. Since then Air Force has dominated Hockey East, and is the only team in the field to have won 3 straight conference championships, albeit in maybe the softest conference.

In their past two appearances Air Force has gone into the third period with the lead, only to lose by a goal each time. Two years ago Minnesota scored 3 goals in the final 8 minutes for a 4-3 win, and last year Miami (OH) tied things at 2 in the third, and scored the winner less than 5 minutes into OT. In each of these games Air Force came into the third with the lead, but instead of continuing to play their game they crept back into a protect-the-lead mindset, and both times it has cost them. While they have only a thin chance of winning their regional, they have an opportunity for a first-round upset here, but only if they don't drop back and allow Michigan to keep firing away late in the game.

Prediction

Michigan's deep offense and strong defense against Air Force's top line doesn't allow Air Force to enter the third with the lead, and kills any chance they have of an upset. This will be a grind-out sort of game that Michigan takes by a goal, maybe two.

Scalpers, Beer, and Sidney Crosby

Last week was spring break, and like any self-respectable college kid I made the trip down to Florida for the week. A couple of my friends are from Pittsburgh, so we decided to see them play the Florida Panthers in Sunrise. The fact that there were 10 dollar student tickets and free parking only sealed the deal. We got to the arena a few minutes late, and quickly realized that we had greatly underestimated the drawing power of the Panthers. The parking lot was packed, and there were still people pulling in. We were afraid we wouldn't be able to get tickets, so we scalped a set off a guy for roughly 15 bucks a ticket.

As we walked in we found out there were still 10 dollar tickets left, so we were a little annnoyed. But after the first period we moved down to some open seats 10 rows from the glass, and by the end of the game we were sitting in the second row behind the Florida net. The Penguins controlled the game, but it was amazing to see all the Panthers jerseys in the crowd and how loud the place got for Panther goals. All in all it was a good game.

After the game we hung out in the parking lot, drinking a couple beers, waiting for the traffic to die down. Then as we went to leave we saw a dozen or so fans waiting by the staff and players gate. with nothing else to do, we decided to park, hang around, and try to see if we could meet a couple players. Well after hanging around and talking to the other people there for a little while, Pens players starting heading out of the arena to their bus. Thanks to the cries of a ten year old wanting autographs, Hal Gill and Mike Zigomanis came over to the gate.

Several minutes later both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin came over to sign autographs. My Pittsburgh friends were ecstatic. I don't even like the Pens and still thought it was pretty cool of them to come over and sign autographs.

While they were there a guy that works for the Panthers wanted a photo of him and Sid for his son. I used someone's camera to take the picture, and the guy with the Panthers thought the camera was ours. So we were talking and he gave us four club seat tickets to Saturday night's game against St. Louis.

So in the end 17 bucks each got us parking, a good game, a chance to see Crosby and Malkin, free tickets to another game, and a great story to come back to school with. If they weren't in the same division, league even, I might almost decide to become a Panthers fan. The game was pretty good, the atmosphere was great, and you could tell the people there were really into the game. There were 19,000 people at the game, and the energy in the building was way more than I expected out of a Florida hockey game.

So if you ever find yourself in the Ft. Lauderdale area with some free time on your hands, head over to the BankAtlantic Centre and catch a game. You never know what could happen.

Panthers Win Against A Flat Washington Team, 6-2

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 1: Brooks Laich of the Washington Capitals jumps over the sticks of Florida Panther defensemen during a NHL hockey game on March 1, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing Photo)

Unfortunately for the sell-out crowd the Caps fell to the Panthers, 6-2. Stop by OffWing Photo for the story, a slideshow and more photos from Sunday's action.

www.flickr.com Off Wing Opinion's 2009.03.01 Washington Capitals vs. Florida Panthers, Allen Clark/OffWingPhoto.com photoset

Catholic University Wins Mason-Dixon Championship

It has been an up and down season for the Catholic University hockey team, but luckily it finished on a high note as CUA took home the Mason-Dixon Collegiate Hockey League championship over the weekend. I am fortunate enough to play on the Catholic U. hockey team, and can say taking home that trophy was one of the greatest feelings I've ever had.

After finishing first in the South Division, the Cardinals received a first-round bye, and had to wait and see whether they would be playing Gettysburg College or Dickinson College in the semi-finals. After a 4-2 win, Gettysburg advanced to face Catholic U.

After an early 1-0 lead turned into a 5-1 hole a period into the game, Catholic refused to pack it in and ground their way back into the game. They put two on the board in the 2nd, and fought back to a 5-5 tie with 5 minutes to go in the 3rd. With a minute and a half to go Kevin Harding blocked a shot from the point and turned it into a breakaway and burying what turned out to be the game winner. After pulling their goalie and pressing for the equalizer, Gettysburg came up just short, and Catholic advanced to the championship game.

Sunday morning saw Catholic go up against top-seed and league heavyweight Alvernia. In their only meeting of the season, Alvernia took advantage of an unprepared Catholic team, jumping out to a 5-0 lead and running off with an 8-1 win. In the championship Catholic didn't make the same mistake twice, putting in the first 2 goals, which held in the 2-1 win. Both teams played solid defense, and freshman Mike Ferrucci was stellar between the pipes for Catholic. It was a wild finish as Alvernia pulled their goalie and pressured CUA for the final minute and a half, but were unable to tie the game.

This is the first league championship for Catholic University, who will return next season with their lineup mostly intact.

Caps Send Penguins Packing, 5-2

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 22: Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals celebrates following his goal against Marc-Andre Fleury of the Pittsburgh Penguins during a NHL hockey game on February 22, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing Photo)

Today's match-up between the Capitals and Penguins was NBC's feature game and another sell-out crowd was on hand to watch as the Caps upended the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins, 5-2.

Stop by OffWing Photo for the story, a slideshow and more photos from this afternoon's action.

www.flickr.com Off Wing Opinion's 2009.02.22 Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, Allen Clark/OffWingPhoto.com photoset

Verizon Center's Bad Ice Could Influence Frozen Four

From College Hockey News;

The Division I Men's Hockey Committee will have a conference call Thursday to discuss ice conditions at Washington D.C.'s Verizon Center, location of this year's Frozen Four. This comes following a Washington Post article that discussed numerous complaints that players from the Washington Capitals have made about the ice surface.

No one wants a national championship to be affected by a bad bounce or two on less than acceptable ice conditions. And should the Caps make it all the way, there may be a second championship contested on the Verizon's ice. So the Verizon should probably get this ice thing taken care of by April, because there are going to be some big games being played this spring.

Green's Scoring Continues In Win Over Panthers

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 7: Sergei Fedorov and Nicklas Backstrom of the Washington Capitals try to score against goalie Tomas Vokoun of the Florida Panthers during a NHL hockey game on February 7, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing Photo)

A sell-out crowd was on hand to watch Mike Green kick it into high gear, scoring two goals tonight against the visiting Florida Panthers. The Caps skated to a 3-1 win over the Panthers.

Stop by OffWing Photo for the story and more photos from tonight's action.

www.flickr.com Off Wing Opinion's 2009.02.07 Washington Capitals vs. Florida Panthers , Allen Clark/OffWingPhoto.com photoset

Heartbreaker As Caps Take A Loss At Home Against LA Kings

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 5: Michal Handzus of the Los Angeles Kings scores against goalie Jose Theodore of the Washington Capitals during a NHL hockey game on February 5, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing Photo)

Head on over to OffWing Photo for more photos and news on the win.

www.flickr.com Off Wing Opinion's 2009.02.05 Washington Capitals vs. Los Angeles Kings, Allen Clark/OffWingPhoto.com photoset

Ovechkin Scores Hat Trick In Win Against Ottawa Senators

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 1: Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals scores in the first period against goalie Brian Elliot of the Ottawa Senators during a NHL hockey game on February 1, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing)

Head on over to OffWing Photo for more photos and news on the win.

www.flickr.com Off Wing Opinion's 2009.02.01 Washington Capitals vs. Ottawa Senators, Allen Clark/OffWingPhoto.com photoset

Caps Winning Streak Now At Six

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 3: Goalie Jose Theodore of the Washington Capitals makes a save against the New York Rangers during a NHL hockey game on January 3, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWingPhoto.com)

The Washington Capitals gave coach Bruce Boudreau a 2-1 victory over the visiting NY Rangers. The good times just keep on rollin for the Washington Capitals as their winning streak stretched to six, and 11 out of the last 12 games. This also keeps coach Buoudreau a perfect 5-0 against the Rangers.

For more photos of game action visit OffWing Photo.

www.flickr.com Off Wing Opinion's 2009.01.03 Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers, Allen Clark/OffWing Photo photoset

Caps Pick Up Another Win At Home

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 1: Mike Green of the Washington Capitals scores a second period goal against goalie Mike Smith of the Tampa Bay Lightning during a NHL hockey game on January 1, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWingPhoto.com)

It was tough to pick out a single story line from tonight's game between the Washington Capitals and the Tampa Bay Lightning. There are so many to chose from:

• The very scary injury to Tampa Bay's Jame Heward that stopped play as he was taken off the ice on a stretcher and will stay overnight in a DC hospital.
• Coach Boudreau's 100th game coaching in the NHL.
• Mike Green played his 200th career NHL game.
• The Capitals are now 16-1-1 when playing home in the Verizon Center, the best home record in the Eastern Conference. They have outscored opponents 71-37 and have eight sellouts (four in a row) at home.

The Tampa Bay Lightning stopped by the Verizon Center today for the second time this year. And once again went home with a loss. The Caps have not lost to the Lightning since Nov. 16, 2007 and their seven game-winning streak is their current longest such streak against any team in the NHL. Tampa Bay is one of two Eastern Conference teams that Coach Bruce Boudreau has never lost to.

Next up for Coach Bruce Boudreau and his Capitals this coming Saturday are the New York Rangers which is the other Eastern Conference team the he has never lost to.

For more photos of game action visit OffWing Photo.

www.flickr.com Off Wing Opinion's 2009.01.01 Washington Capitals vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, Allen Clark/OffWing Photo photoset

Caps Over Sabres, 3-2

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 26: Alex Oveckin of the Washington Capitals shoots a third period goal against goalie Patrick Lalime of the Bufalo Sabres during a NHL hockey game on December 26, 2008 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Pete Silver/OffWingPhoto.com)

The Caps went on a scoring spree going up three to one and then held off Buffalo to gain the win. Alex Ovechkin scored what would become the game winning score by slicing and dicing the defense.

"It was a pretty cool goal," admitted Alex Ovechkin afterwards. "It happens sometimes … I just made some moves. Puck was probably neutral, so I won the battle. I was tired and I just fell, and I shoot. It was in, so that's pretty cool. It was a great goal and I'm glad it happened to me."

Caps Break Open Big Win Over Senators, 5-1

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 12: Goalie Brent Johnson of the Washington Capitals stops an attempted goal by Jason Spezza of the Ottawa Senators during a NHL hockey game on December 12, 2008 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing)

Visit our Flickr gallery for more pictures from the game.

www.flickr.com Off Wing Opinion's 2008.12.12 Washington Capitals vs. Ottawa Senators, Allen Clark/OffWingPhoto.com photoset

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 12: Alexander Semin celebrates with teammate Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals following his goal against Alex Auld of the Ottawa Senators during a NHL hockey game on December 12, 2008 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing)

Photos From Caps vs. Panthers

Bryan Helmer and Tomas Fleischmann of the Washington Capitals fight for control of the puck with Brett McClean and other players of the Florida Panthers.

Tomas Fleischmann scores Washington's third goal late in the final period.

www.flickr.com Off Wing Opinion's 2008.12.02 Washington Capitals vs. Florida Panthers, Bill Ingalls/OffWingPhoto.com photoset

Caps Shutout Montreal Canadiens, 3-0

This was huge. The Caps while digging deep into their bench shut out the Canadiens tonight to remain unbeaten at home this season. The Caps have lost only once at home in ten games, and never in regulation. Caps scoring came from Tomas Fleischmann, Alex Ovechkin, and David Steckel.

Montreal Coach Guy Carbonneau had this to say about the Caps play, "We knew they had injuries or something like that. Having that kind of record at home is not a fluke. They came to work and we didn't. We didn't respond."

Washington's goalie Jose Theodore was outstanding in the net. Stopping 28 shots on goal, playing tough throughout the game as Montreal threw everything they had at him.

For more photographs from the game visit, OffWing Photo.

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 28: Goalie Jose Theodore of the Washington Capitals makes a save against the Montreal Canadiens during a NHL hockey game on November 28, 2008 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWingPhoto.com)

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 28: Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals scores on goalie Jaroslav Halak of the Montreal Canadiens during a NHL hockey game on November 28, 2008 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWingPhoto.com)

www.flickr.com Off Wing Opinion's 2008.11.28 Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens, Allen Clark/OffWingPhoto.com photoset

Washington Caps Stuff Atlanta Thrashers

With the help of the hot hands of Ovechkin, Kozlov, and Fehr the Caps beat the visiting Atlanta Thrashers, 5-3. Ovechkin scored a hat trick while Kozlov and Fehr each scored once.

Four Players were called up from Hershey. Alex had this to say about their play, "The played well tonight and we did a great job too. We have a very big future with young guys. We have experience and we see guys like Alzner, Bourque, Mink and Lep come onto the team and they fill their role."

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 26: Fans of the Washington Capitals toss their hats onto the ice following Alex Ovechkin's Hat Trick against the Atlanta Thrashers during a NHL hockey game on November 26, 2008 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWingPhoto.com)

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 26: Alex Ovechkin and Sami Lepisto of the Washington Capitals celebrate following an Ovechkin goal in the first period against the Atlanta Thrashers during a NHL hockey game on November 26, 2008 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWingPhoto.com)

Click on any of the following images to be taken to more photos from the game in our flickr gallery. Or visit OffWing Photo for full photo coverage.

www.flickr.com Off Wing Opinion's 2008.11.26 Washington Capitals vs. Atlanta Thrashers, Allen Clark/OffWing Photo photoset

Pond Hockey, the Next Best Thing to, Well, Pond Hockey

Last night I made the cross-city trek to The Avalon Theater to see On Frozen Blog's screening of Pond Hockey, the documentary about the first-ever U.S. National Pond Hockey Championships and the decline of pond hockey in North America.

The movie was great, and offered some candid thoughts from NHLers past and present, as well as those who never made it pro, but still love the game. I loved watching "Bug" Booston fly across the ice, having never played high school or college hockey, but still showing up many of the other guys on the ice.

There were two other moments in the film that really connected with me. The first was when Jack Falla was sitting beside his backyard rink, the Bacon Street Omni, and said simply, "I've never been unhappy at the rink." I don't think anyone could argue with that statement. When you're skating on that open ice, with the wind in your hair and your skates crunching into the ice, all is perfect with the world. There is no other feeling like it, and it certainly can't be felt inside an indoor rink.

The other was when Jeff Sorem, a Minnesota native widely regarded as one of the best pond hockey players around, said that his idol was Neal Broten. Then later in the film Broten says, sitting with a frozen pond in the background, that he just wishes he could be eight years old again, for just a couple days. Hockey has become so structured that I think we all just wish sometimes that we could go back to when it was a game of simple and uninhibited fun.

Pond Hockey makes every person who sees it long for a move back to the simplicity outdoor skating; the way so many people have learned to love the game. That feeling needs to be brought back to today's kids, so they can learn to love the game as their parents did so many years ago.

Ribiero Scores, Sabourin Saves

The title explains it all. See for yourself.

(thanks to Fanhouse for the video)

Boudreau On Ovechkin's Absence

Click here for Washington Caps head coach Bruce Boudreau talk about Alex Ovechkin leaving the team to be with his ailing grandfather. For more from FanHouse, click here.

Milan Lucic is Dirty

Nice to see our friends at On Frozen Blog showing one of my Bruins some love...

...because you clearly don't want to be on his bad side.

Pettinger On the Move Again; People Barely Notice

Former Caps forward Matt Pettinger has been claimed on re-entry waivers by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Pettinger was sent to Vancouver's AHL affiliate in Manitoba to start the season, and he was claimed by Tampa Bay when Vancouver tried to call him back up. But Ben Kuzma tells Canucks fans not to worry.

Quite frankly, Pettinger never carved out a niche with the club after being acquired in a trade with the Washington Capitals for Matt Cooke on Feb. 26.

The Canucks are also overstocked with veterans in the minors and Krog and Michael Grabner are better recall options who don't need to clear waivers.

And as much as Pettinger might have been a fit on the third line, he was easily supplanted by the younger and cheaper Jannik Hansen, who has meshed well with Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows.

The more than half million dollars the Canucks have to pay of Pettinger's salary is a drop in the pail, keeping them nearly 9 million dollars under the salary cap. So while Caps fans didn't get a chance to see Pettinger back at the Verizon when the Canucks came to town, there is a good chance he'll be back with a bolt on his chest.

Photo Highlights From Caps vs. NJ Devils

For more pictures from the game visit out flickr gallery by clicking on any of the images.

www.flickr.com Off Wing Opinion's 2008.10.18 Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils photoset

Friday Night Capitals Miscellany

For starters, Thursday night was a comeback fan's dream. Not only did my Red Sox manage to come back from a 7-0 deficit in the 7th inning to win 8-7, the Capitals stormed back from a 3-0 hole to beat the dreaded Penguins 4-3 at the Mellon.

We can learn a few things from Thursday night's game, all of which can be summed up by Japers' Rink:

The offense is still clicking (especially at five-on-five, where all four Caps goals were scored); the penalty kill is still sucking (allowing all three of Pittsburgh's goals in six chances); Alex Semin is still scoring; and the goalies are still crappy early (Jose Theodore now has a 7.00 first period GAA).

The Caps clearly need to work on both aspects of their special teams. While yes a couple of their goals allowed were "fluky", it doesn't mean it's okay for them to be allowed. Maybe the Caps need to take the Alexes off the ice and put on someone who's a little more defense-oriented. If the injuries on offense continue, I wouldn't mind seeing a Quintin Laing call-up. He knows how to lay out the body.

The Caps continue to dominate 5-on-5, but why aren't the putting a few powerplay goals away? With Ovechkin, Semin, Fedorov, Green, and Backstrom on the PP, the Caps have one of the scariest powerplay units in the league. They just need to take that potential on paper and translate it to the ice.

Penguins coach Michel Therrien didn't react too favorably to the loss.

"We lost the game because we stopped working in the third period. It's pretty simple. We didn't follow the plan in the third. We played on our heels. We were losing battles.

"We are not paying the price to score goals."

This may be the difference that catapults the Caps deep into the postseason this year. They are willing to pay the price it takes to put the puck in the net. The grinders are scoring, the snipers are putting them away, and they are digging away in front of the net to score, as was evidenced by Tomas Fleischmann's goal to open up the Caps' scoring Thursday night.

Also, the Caps have responded to their injury issues by recalling Bears forward Chris Bourque. Bourque had a great showing in training camp and the preseason, but was squeezed out of the Caps roster due to sheer numbers. But his preseason work hasn't gone unnoticed, and he will be the first Bear of the season to get his chance to make an impact with the big club. He played in 4 games for the Caps last season, so he'll be looking to make a lasting impression this time around, maybe even enough to stick around for awhile. Heck, Quintin Laing stuck around for 39 games last season. Here's hoping Bourque has that kind of similar success.

In reference to their injuries, the Caps don't expect Tom Poti (groin)or Viktor Kozlov (knee) to play. Brashear (hand) is "iffy".

And lastly, all Caps fans can take comfort in the fact that they have some of the cheapest beer in the league and pay less than the league average for tickets.

Tickets are $8 less than the average $49.66 ticket price for teams in the National Hockey League...A 16-ounce beer is $4.50, while the same-size brew averages $6.06 across other venues.

Puck Daddy points out that it's the 2nd cheapest beer per ounce in the leauge. So there's no better place to take in some entertaining hockey and get a good buzz on then the Washington Capitals home games.

Kozlov Out; Defense Uncertain for Capitals

Well the big news after the Caps game against the Canucks is that Viktor Kozlov will be out about two weeks after being injured in the game. From Tarik at Caps Insider;

Kozlov appeared to injure his left knee when he was hit along the boards by Rob Davison in the second period of last night's 5-1 win over Vancouver.

"We suspect it will be a couple of weeks," McPhee said. "But we'll know more in a couple of days."

Looks like this could be one of the problems Coach Boudreau foresaw when he decided to go with 14 forwards and 6 defensemen. For now it looks like Fehr will make his season debut in the lineup, while it is uncertain if Fedorov will remain on the blueline when the Caps head to Pittsburgh. Corey Masisak notes that Fed's position isn't clear yet.

No real updates on Sergei Fedorov's position for Thursday night. He practiced at forward today, but Boudreau said it was because they were short up front. Fedorov seemed OK with playing either position, which has been his stance all along.

Over at Japers' Rink there is more insight into having Feds on the blueline.

Whether or not Sergei Fedorov's move to the blueline is permanent or semi-permanent, one thing is clear - he was awesome back there, and raised partner Milan Jurcina's game considerably (though he did take two penalties). The obvious manifestations of that latter point was Jurcina's goal, four shots on goal and plus-two rating. A little less obvious was Juice's huge +20 Corsi rating for the game.

So perhaps Jurcina's got his groove back thanks to Fedorov. And perhaps the Caps gave up the fewest shots on goal in a game in team history thanks to Fedorov. And perhaps he's actually worth $4 million for the year.

Feds was making over 6 million last season, so with the pay cut you know he's all about putting the team first this season and winning. He doesn't care where he plays, so if he can help break Juice out of his shell, why not leave him back there.

Going back to the game against Vancouver, you can't find much fault in anything the Caps did. Sure Jurcina had a pair of penalties, and Ovechkin didn't have a point. But they held the Canucks to 10 shots all game, and they managed to net 5 goals, including Nylander's penalty shot where both Roberto Luongo and his pads ended up on opposite sides of the net.

The last two games have seen the Caps rebound from their season-opening loss in which both Theodore and Johnson played poorly. The Caps are averaging over 4 goals a game and the goalies are starting to settle down, with Johnson yielding just one goal last night. A big factor has been an increase in secondary scoring for the Caps. After last season opposing teams are doing all they can to shut down Ovechkin, so it will be on the second, third, and even fourth lines to contribute more heavily. As OFB's pucksandbooks notes,

The Capitals may have the most dangerous second line in hockey. Also, the third. Scoring this season should often come in waves, and there will be nights like Monday when the first line is well checked (Willie Mitchell�s work on Ovi Monday night was reminiscent of Kimmo Timonen�s shutdown success in last spring�s playoffs) but serious damage is done behind it.

This will also be a season of thinking outside the box. We've seen both Alexes on the penalty kill. We've seen Fedorov on the blue line. We've seen Jurcina score his first goal in over a year. We've seen the Caps win their last two games not only with heavy scoring but with shutdown defense.

I have a feeling there are still a few surprises coming our way this season, and it will require this approach by Boudreau and the Caps in order for them to make a run to the top this season.

Caps Get Big Win Over Vancouver, 5-1

Everybody was smiling tonight as the Washington Capitals beat the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 5-1. They also held Vancouver to only ten shots on goal, a franchise record.

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 13: Brooks Laich and Michael Nylander celebrate following one the Washington Capitals celebrates five goals during a NHL hockey game with the Vancouver Canucks on October 13, 2008 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWingPhoto.com)


WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 13: Mike Green of the Washington Capitals celebrates following his goal in the first period during a NHL hockey game with the Vancouver Canucks on October 13, 2008 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWingPhoto.com)

www.flickr.com Off Wing Opinion's 2008.10.13 Washington Capitals vs. Vancouver Canucks, Allen Clark/OffWing Photo photoset

Opening Night in Washington; Capitals vs. Blackhawks

For tonight's season home opener we'll be trying something different. I'll be live-blogging the game using CoverItLive.com's live-blog program. It will kick off at 7 sharp, so be sure to stop by and let us know what you think of the game as it happens.

Both the Caps and Hawks come into tonight 0-1, with Washington losing their season opener to Atlanta last night 7-4, and Chicago dropping their season opener to the Rangers.

Tonight is a game steeped in storylines. For starters it will be an immediate return for goalie Cristobal Huet. After spurning an offer from the Caps and signing with Chicago, he returns to the Verizon for the first time. And Caps fans haven't waited long in booing him, as he heard it every time he stepped between the pipes in warmups. The last time a former Caps goalie played against the Caps, he let in 5 goals in less than 2 periods of play. So let's hope Huet turns into another Bill Ranford.

Tonight's game also includes nine players drafted in the first round of the last five drafts. The Caps have such young stars as Ovechkin, Green, Semin, Schultz, and Backstrom, while the Hawks lineup includes Kane, Toews, and Skille.

Also, Sergei Fedorov needs one more goal to tie Alexander Mogilny for most goals by a Russian-born player. It will certainly make for a great moment for a first goal of the season, although something tells me his second will be a little more special.

And last but certainly not least the Caps will have to wait a few extra minutes before faceoff, as they will be raising their 2007-2008 Southeast Division championship banner.

A big change was seen in the Caps tonight as they dominated the third period, scoring two goals to pull out the 4-2 win. Last night they were the ones who were dominated, giving up 3 goals in a 7-4 loss. Said Ovechkin, "we know we can come back and it doesn't matter what score. Last night it was 3-0 and tonight it was 2-0...It shows we never give up. What happened last night...we didn't play well in the third period. Everybody was nervous...but today we played well. We showed our character."

Theodore acknowledged his rocky start for the second straight night, noting that "I knew that if I only allowed two goals...we'd score some huge goals. Sometimes as a goalie you feel good, but you still get really bad goals, and that's what happened. I thought I felt good, but then obviously the first goal I shouldn't have allowed...The important thing is to bounce back." He admitted he was pretty upset with himself after yesterday's game and even took part in the optional skate this morning in order to fine tune some things. In the end Jose felt that "in the end we played with a lot of confidence...If I could keep it at two we could come back, and that's what happened."

When asked about his team's tendency to come back, Coach Boudreau admitted that he doesn't want to have to do it all season. "We certainly hope we don't have to do that for 80 more games. But they're a resilient group and they came back and everyone battled back and picked up the slack." He also noted that having an intimidating fourth line helps the team across the board. "When you get that line scoring a goal that's an added bonus. They leaned on people and they know how to play without the puck which is so terribly important."

Tonight the Caps showed that they still have what it takes to make a great season. After last night a lot of people were nervous, but the way the Capitals closed out the game dispelled a lot of those notions. Everyone admitted they came out a bit shaky, Theodore most of all, but in the end they regrouped, attacked, and came out with 2 points. They have tomorrow free before taking on Vancouver on Monday, but hopefully they hold on to that determination and grit they showed in the last two periods. Even Ovechkin admitted his first goal wasn't pretty, and you can't say that Laich's or Bradley's goals were that pretty either. It may not be the "sexy" team Boudreau said they were, but a win is a win. As long as they get them, it doesn't matter how they play.

Flyers Lose to Phantoms...No, I'm Not Kidding

No, it's not a joke. Or a typo. The Flyers decided to end their preseason with a game against their AHL affiliate, the Phantoms, at the Spectrum. And they lost.

I'm not even going to recap the game. The final alone is enough. I just want to know what you do after that. Do you trade teams? Stick the Flyers in the AHL, and promote the Phantoms? Do you just trade all the players?

All I know is that the Flyers open up against the Rangers in a few days. And I'm pretty sure the Rangers are just a little bit better than the Phantoms. So unless the Phantoms are going to step in and play the Rangers for them, the Flyers better get their act together.

So for now I'm just going to imagine all the Flyers fans who will open up their newspapers and wonder why their morning paper looks kinda funny.

Europe May Have to Wait for Ovechkin, Caps

After a second straight year of opening the NHL season in Europe, it can be nearly assured that it will become an annual visit for the league. With players like Crosby, Alfredsson, Kopitar, Pronger, Drury, and Lecavalier displaying their talents in London, Prague, and Stockholm, you have to wonder who will be next to jump the pond.

While many, especially those in Russia, would want to see Ovechkin overseas to start next season, it doesn't look to be in the works. From Ted Leonsis;

Hockey is truly a global game and playing in Europe to kick off our season is a big and great idea. For the Washington Capitals, we are rebuilding our fan base and using our new world-class Kettler Capitals Iceplex (two-year old practice facility) is an important pillar to our overall plan to become a great franchise.

Our fans come out to support our team. The practice facility is located very close to our Hershey affiliate and we need to continue to build out our plan of leveraging Kettler Capitals Iceplex, our AHL franchise, and the rebuild of our roster to try and win a Stanley Cup.

Hence, I don't foresee us traveling to Europe to play in the short term, but I do see us doing so at some point to support our league's marketing efforts as we continue to become everyone's second favorite team.

In his conversation with ESPN's Pierre LeBrun, Leonsis talks up the Caps' new practice digs, while basically saying the team won't make any big trips until the league tells them to.

You can't really blame Leonsis for not offering his team up to the league. The Kettler Capitals IcePlex has to be one of the nicest practice facilities in the league. It is a public twin rink that also houses Caps offices and their own private locker room.

The Caps are also a heavily youth-oriented team. With the importance they place on rookie camp and training camp, they don't have the luxury of being able to take a week off of training camp and head to Europe. They need all the time they can to give their prospects a taste of the big league, and let them know what to expect.

So while Leonsis wouldn't mind sending his team abroad and widening the fan base, he won't be making any moves until the league tells him otherwise.

Brian Rafalski, Meet Your Worst Nightmare

Tuesday night Carey Price showed he is already in mid-season form, robbing Rafalski from behind his back. Just watch:

There's really no words to explain it. Price just spins around and bats it out of mid-air.

That hand-eye thing is pretty important for goalies, huh.

College Hockey at the Verizon...No, Not the Frozen Four

Early Sunday night the Capitals will be playing the Boston Bruins at the Verizon in their final preseason game before heading down to Atlanta for their opener. But for some people that won't be the main reason they'll be at the Phone Booth.

After the Caps wrap up their preseason the Catholic University Cardinals will be taking on the American University Eagles. While several Catholic players have skated on NHL rinks prior to Sunday's contest, they acknowledge that it's an experience every time.

Last spring Catholic dropped a hard-fought game to George Washington at the Verizon, so they're hungry to get a win in front of their fans.

"Last season I think we came into the game a little less focused than we should have been," said captain Ryan Gebler. "It was a novelty for us at the time, and we were so excited to be there and playing in front of so many fans that by the time we really got our heads in the game we were already down and spent the whole game fighting from behind. This year we're all business. And playing American only builds up the intensity."

That intensity comes from a close rivalry that exists between the two teams. After splitting games in the regular season last year, Catholic was able to slip by American in the first round of the Mason-Dixon Collegiate Hockey League playoffs. After tying the game at 5 to force overtime, Catholic put a quick end to things by scoring 11 seconds into OT. After a the face-off Gebler got the puck at center ice, and rifled a shot high and just to the left of the net. As the players watched the shot, winger Mike Cullen streaked into the zone and poked the puck just inside the near post past the American goalie for the win.

"It was a great feeling, winning that game," noted winger Zak McGinniss. "It was such a back-and-forth game, and the way we won just made it that much more exciting. Before I knew it the game was over and we were jumping the boards to celebrate."

Needless to say, American has been working to improve their team for this season. Both teams practice at the Ft. Dupont Ice Rink, and routinely cross paths around practice time. While everything is civil at Ft. Dupont, you have the feeling that things at the Verizon Center will become pretty heated.

Throw in rowdy college fans from both schools, and it's a recipe for some great hockey.

So if you're at the Verizon on Sunday for some Caps action, be sure to stick around for some intense and exciting college hockey immediately afterwards.

The Hersheypark Arena Aura

Earlier I read pucksandbooks' article on his trip to the old Hersheypark Arena to watch a Bears practice.

Pucks waxed poetic on the state of the rink, and reflected on the intimate atmosphere it provided.

As I slowly read the article all I could think of was my trip down there for the Mason-Dixon Collegiate Hockey League playoffs. Last season Catholic University made the playoffs, and headed up to Hershey to face American in the first round.

I knew the rink was old, but nothing prepared me for what I saw. The first thing you notice is the contrast of old and new. To get to the old Arena, you have to circle the new Giant Arena. The old rink also sits about a hundred yards from the edge of Hershey's Chocolate World, a modern building that leads you into the park. After that Hersheypark Arena looks old and worn, but to hockey lovers it's quaint and full of history.

To reach the locker rooms we had to enter the main doors, and walk to a back stairwell to reach the underbelly of the arena. There is no real concourse, simply a narrow walkway halfway up the stands, with individual nooks underneath the upper seating that contain restrooms and concessions stands. In one such nook there was a narrow stairwell so tight and turning that your hockey bag banged off the wall on your left and railing on your right the whole way down.

Downstairs held several locker rooms and skate rental counter. The locker rooms were worn but spacious, and provided ample room to horse around and prepare. Another door in the locker room opened to the walkway that leads to the ice next to the bench. When we arrived there was a public skate going on, so we threw on our skates and had a little fun before our game. Nothing makes you feel more like a kid than when you're zooming around the ice during a public skate, weaving in and out of other skaters, and mock threatening to knock each other over.

Halfway through the game the puck was tied up near one of the faceoff circles in the American zone. Playing defense, I pinched in and somehow snuck a backhand past the netminder for the goal. It was my second goal of the season, and I was ecstatic. To be able to have that feeling in such a cool place was beyond compare.

The next morning we were smoked in the semifinals by Alvernia, and were sent packing. But it was without question one of the coolest two days of hockey I've ever had. They held an AHL All-Star game there, the Bears won Calder Cups there. And there I was sitting in locker rooms that were once occupied by guys no playing in the NHL. It was a neat feeling.

Sure there were maybe 30-40 people watching our games, and the rink echoed it's emptiness. But there was just something about looking up above the upper-most seats behind each net and checking the progress of the game on the decades-old scoreboards. There's a warmth you feel with the old wooden seats and the faded paint. Pucks is so right in saying the steeped seating and old feel made it seem that much more intimate.

Overall the weekend was an experience. Nothing beats fighting for a championship in a storied old building like that. The hours-long trip there, the anticipation, the victory and defeat. It all adds up to create something that will never be forgotten. Even the picture of Osala giving that young boy a stick makes me smile.

Why? Because seven months ago it was me that was walking down that runway.

Lidstrom Breaks Nose

Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom took a puck to the face during last night's game against the Montreal Canadiens. He suffered a broken nose and is expected to miss about 3 games. From TSN;

"He's got a broken nose, but everything's fine," Babcock told the Free Press. "I mean, he got hit in the head with a puck, and so he's not feeling good today - he didn't even come to the rink today; he'll be back here tomorrow and then he'll be rolling in no time."

It's only the preseason, and Lidstrom is a veteran, so he's not missing anything new. He'll have a week or two off from games to let things heal, and he'll be back and ready for the end of the preseason and the start of the season.

Capitals Wrap Up Last Full Day of Camp With Scrimmage

There was a lot to do today as the Caps rookie prospects went through several drills before getting down to the fun stuff: a scrimmage.

At the end of one drill Neuvirth started to skate away from the net and took a slapshot off the back of his leg. He hit the ice and was down for a minute, but otherwise looks ok. He has a plain white helmet, but I'm intrigued by the Hershey-colored pads. Hopefully that means something.

It's only 15 minutes until the actual scrimmage, and the rookies are running what might as well be a scrimmage already. Technically it's a drill being run at one end of the ice, but it is definitely a game situation drill of 5-on-5 in the zone. There are occasional whistles and the rotation of players, but these guys are going all out and fighting for the puck all over the zone. It looks like the focus is working the puck in the corners and along the boards.

The rookies are in the locker rooms as the Zam is doing a thorough resurfacing of the ice. So with a fresh sheet, a trio of refs, and the guys back on the ice, it's scrimmage time.

After the first period of play a few things stood out to me. Viktor Dogvan has the skills to be an impact defenseman in a year or so. He made a couple small mistakes but showed some good moves and solid positioning. On the other hand, his partner, Sean Collins, just doesn't look like he can hack it with the big boys. He's also the oldest player at rookie camp, as he turns 25 in October. Also, Josh Godfrey hasn't impressed me as much as I thought he would. He's had a few turnovers in front of his own net and hasn't shown much offensively. And man is Oskar Osala is a big guy. At 6'4" he's tallest only behind Eric Mestery, who stands 6'5".

Boudreau Puts Potential Capitals Through Their Paces

It wasn't a whole lot of fun for the Caps prospects earlier today, as Coach Boudreau ran them ragged on their first day of Rookie Camp. Tarik likened it to the scene in "Miracle" where Kurt Russell works his team after a game until they drop.

It wasn't meant as a punishment, though. Boudreau did it for a couple of reasons. First, he wanted to see who was in shape and who wasn't. (Karl Alzner, John Carlson passed Boudreau's test easily, while Mathieu Perreault, Anton Gustafsson and Dmitry Kugryshev, well, they were among the ones who wound up on their backs.) Secondly, Boudreau wanted to make sure that when the grueling skate was over, each of the prospects had a clear understanding of what it takes to make it in the Big Leagues.

Tim Leone of The Patriot-News likened it to Bear Bryant working out the Junction Boys when he coached Texas A&M.

Caps head coach Bruce Boudreau, playing the role of Bear Bryant in his Texas A&M incarnation, put 26 players through a vigorous two-hour workout capped by a draining 15-minute conditioning skate that dropped Dmitry Kugryshev to his knees, put Anton Gustafsson on his back, and made Mathieu Perreault so woozy he nearly fainted.

Boudreau also said that;

The rest of the week won't be nearly as hard, but we had to have a barometer of who is where and what stage they were ready," Caps coach Bruce Boudreau said. "We wanted to make the young guys understand there is NHL shape, there is junior shape, [and] there is AHL shape. This is stuff I had to go through as a player. I didn't understand. If we can make them understand at 19 or 20, then for some of them with their next camp, especially the first-year guys, it is 'I know what I've got to do this summer.'

Rookie Camp gives a lot of guys a taste of what it's like to play in the NHL even though they won't see any action for a year or two. First-round pick Anton Gustafsson will spent at least 2 more seasons is Sweden, and Dmitry Kugryshev will be playing the the QMJHL this year. But when they come back for their next training camps, they'll know exactly what is expected of them. As Boudreau said, they'll know how much work they have to do in the off-season and the level they have to play at to make it in the NHL.

On the other hand, the only thing the rookies need to remember is that in comparison, the rest of camp will be easy. Or at least it will seem easy after what they had to go through today.

Cardiff Devils Lend a Hockey Hand to Basingstoke Bison

After dealing with the less than kosher dealings of owners like Anaheim's Henry Samueli and Nashville's William "Boots" Del Biaggio III, it's always nice to hear stories like this one out of Britain:

The Cardiff Devils are proud to have provided substantial, immediate five figure cash injection that will enable the Basingstoke Bison to compete in the BMI Baby Elite League next season.

Cardiff Devils owner Matt Burge commented: �I am delighted to be able to help Basingstoke out in this way. We need to look at the bigger picture and the impact of no Bison team in the Elite League would have been severe; it would have not only been terrible news for Bison fans, but the league as a whole.�

Following the collapse of Zoom airlines, the possibility of no Elite League ice hockey in Basingstoke had become very real. As part of their sponsorship deal with the Bison, Zoom had been scheduled to fly the new team to the UK; an obligation they could not fulfil following their collapse. However, fans can now look forward to a ten-team league with Basingstoke an integral part of that next season.

Burge continued; �At Cardiff, we have felt the repercussions from the collapse of Zoom, but Basingstoke suffered severely. They now have the foundations in place to build a sustainable future, which is so vital to clubs throughout British ice hockey. However, the goodwill stops at the plexi; we�ll be looking forward to smashing the Bison all over the ice when we play them.�

Bison owner Tomas Enerston said; �The Cardiff Devils have demonstrated the true spirit of our great game. Their incredible support is a huge contribution, not just to Basingstoke, but the whole league. It also ensures that top level ice hockey will remain in the South of England. We will be forever grateful�

�The Devils new owner Matt Burge has shown he recognises the importance of a strong Elite League to the game as a whole in the UK, by helping us during this tough time. The Devils are our local rivals, but also our great friends and I am very much looking forward to our two clubs continuing both our rivalry and friendship this season� said Enerston.

The Devils are also offering Bison fans a 4 game flex ticket for each of their games against the Devils at the Cardiff Bay arena. Bison fans can attend all four games for just �40 as part of the Devils� 4 for �40 offer.

Such generosity is unrivaled, and is just another example of why hockey communities include the most close-knit and nicest people around.

The Bigger Picture For British Ice Hockey

With traditional hockey countries like the US and Canada, Sweden, Russia, and the Czech Republic having national and international hockey leagues, other nations and their leagues tend to get overlooked.

One such example is the Elite Ice Hockey League in Great Britain. What was once the British Hockey League turned into the Ice Hockey Superleague before becoming the EIHL. It is a ten-team league with members in every area of Britain except for one important one: London. Says Ian Winwood of The Guardian;

London essentially has two kinds of journalist - the one who believes the city is the centre of the world, and the one who believes the city is the world. Given this, securing national coverage for a game between the Basingstoke Bison and the Hull Stingrays is a tough draw. Securing a team in London would be a smart move for the Elite League. Not because London is the UK's key 'media market' (although it is) and not because London is the UK's most significant city (although it is). The reason London should have a team is because it might just take hold.

The average age of Premier League attendees is now 40-something, meaning that a whole generation of people are being priced out of the stadiums near which they live. Most of these people will not develop a taste for hockey. But you don't need most of them, just four or five thousand. Build a small arena...and sell the game, cheap, to young people. It might work. It did for me.

It's clear that even across the pond hockey can capture the attention of a kid and draw them to the game for life. Ian Winwood has taken his passion to the NHL, covering the Flyers, Rangers, and Capitals. Just goes to show, NHL fans can come from anywhere. Winwood finishes his article with a simple request.

So let me ask this favour: if you get the chance to attend one of this season's Elite League games then please do so. It's not much more expensive than the pictures and you might come home with a souvenir puck, or someone's front tooth. Not only that, but you will be supporting something that is local to you in more ways than geography. Try it once, you never know. I'm not going to say that the experience will change your life, but it certainly changed mine.

You can tell that the Elite League is working to build interest in hockey and a sense of community. A league rule is that no more than 10 players can be international, which forces teams to recruit from junior teams and build a pipeline of homegrown players.

Hopefully the Elite League will expand, preferably into London, and the league will continue to grow and thrive.

Several Capitals Brush Up On Their Skills Before Training Camp

Some of the players are holding an informal practice at Kettler today. Chris Clark, Boyd Gordon, Brent Johnson, Jose Theodore, Shaone Morrisonn, Donald Brashear, Matt Bradley, and a couple other guys. There's 9 skaters plus both goalies, so I know I'm missing someone. And at least one of them is not from the Caps. I asked Paul, and apparently he's the hockey pro here at Kettler, or something along those lines.

After some down the wing shooting drills and two-on-ones, the skaters broke up into 3 teams of 3 and are running an informal 3-on-3 scrimmage, rotating through the teams. The far net has been brought up to the far blueline, so they're not playing the full length. They've been out for about an hour or so, and there has been a decent amount of hanging and some quality open shots. Both netminders are getting a workout.

What has stood out to me the most this morning is the release of Chris Clark. Several times he has taken a pass and the puck isn't on his stick a half-second before he rips it into the net. Everyone had a penalty shot on each goalie to end the scrimmage session, and against Theodore Clark pulled the puck across his body backhand to forehand and sent a wrister past Theodore before he could even react. It's just so quick.

With that said the remaining guys are down to suicides and other skating drills, so I'm going to call it a day.

And remember, we're less than 2 weeks away from the start of Training Camp.

Bourque Coming To Camp Hungry

With nearly every forward position spoken for coming into training camp, there is a shortlist of guys who will fill the last couple spots, and yet another list of guys who will be the first to be called up from Hershey in the event of an injury. Even knowing that he'll most likely be in the call-up list, Chris Bourque will be coming into camp prepared to do whatever he can to grab one of those Caps opening night roster spots.

"To win a job I've got to go in and play well right off the bat," Bourque acknowledged. "I have to keep my work ethic up, finish my checks, be responsible defensively, maybe score a goal or two in the (exhibition) games and get some points.

"Basically, I know I've got to go there and take someone's spot."

This will be a crucial season for Bourque. He has already spent the past 3 seasons in Hershey, and has increased his point totals each season, finishing second on the team in scoring last season. He has the potential to be a big contributor at the NHL level. Now it will be up to him to earn his time.

"There's been a lot of grinding and blood, sweat and tears, but I feel really good now," said the former Cushing Academy and Boston University star. "My legs have never been like this. I feel fresh out on the ice, and my wind is great. I feel really good about where I'm at."

Bourque has been working hard over the summer to improve his speed and jump. He's prepared to do whatever it takes to earn himself a spot. This is certainly going to be an interesting Training Camp for Chris Bourque.

Number 11 No Longer Available

No longer will anyone be able to don the #11 sweater for the Caps, as the team will retire Mike Gartner's jersey on December 28th. From the Caps website;

Gartner, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame who ranks second in Capitals history in goals (397), assists (392) and points (789), will become the fourth player in Capitals history to have his number retired...He holds the Capitals record for most consecutive games with a point (17, twice) and consecutive games with a goal (9) and shares the club record for most shorthanded goals in a season (6)...Gartner played 1,432 career games with five teams in his career, recording 708 goals (sixth in NHL history) and 627 assists for 1,335 points. Inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001, Gartner holds the NHL record for the most 30-goal seasons (17) and shares the record for most consecutive 30-goal seasons (15). He played in seven NHL All-Star Games and three times won the NHL�s fastest skater competition at the NHL All-Star Game.

This will be the first time a Caps jersey has been retired without the player being the last to wear it. This has been nearly two decades of waiting for Gartner, with #11 being worn by players such as Bob Carpenter and Jeff Halpern after Gartner's departure.

As Caps owner Ted Leonsis puts it;

Capitals fans have fond memories of Mike Gartner flying down the right wing and scoring goals at the Capital Centre,� said Capitals chairman and majority owner Ted Leonsis. �This is a fitting tribute to one of the elite offensive players in the history of the game who was a crucial member of the first Capitals playoff teams.

It's always good add another piece of visible history to the rafters of the Verizon Center. While it doesn't change anything that Gartner did, I'm sure it will make more than a few kids in the crowd as their dads "Who is that?". And then they'll hear a story about one of the greatest goalscorers in league and Capitals history.

The Nerdiest Hockey Post Ever

I love hockey. And I love to see how stuff is made. Combine the two, and you get a select few episodes of Discovery Channel's How It's Made that focus on hockey equipment. And in honor of Labor Day The Peerless has embedded videos that show how to make hockey pucks, composite sticks, goalie masks, and hockey skates. If only he had the clip on building Zambonis, I'd be in heaven. And if you're like me and can't get enough of How It's Made, here's a clip on how to set up a rink.

So next time you strap on your skates, hit the ice, take your stick and unleash a slapper on net, think about all it took to get you there.

Ottawa Helps Tampa Make Big Move

With the Ottawa Senators unable to reach a deal with defenseman Andrej Meszaros, they have cut a deal that sends him to Tampa Bay for defensemen Filip Kuba and Alexandre Picard, and a first round draft pick.

Word was that the Bolts were prepping an offer sheet for Meszaros that went way beyond what the Sens were willing to offer him. If the Lightning had signed him away, they would have had to give Ottawa a first, second, and third round draft picks as compensation. Unfortunately they gave their third round pick to Pittsburgh for Ryan Malone.

In order to get Meszaros Tampa had to work out a deal. So instead of parting with 2nd and 3rd round picks in addition to the 1st rounder, the Bolts sent Kuba and Picard north, who can be considered worth 2nd and 3rd round picks, respectively.

The Senators did what they had to do here, but it still seems like they lost out in the deal. If they had allowed him to sign away, they gained 3 draft picks. In this deal they get a first round pick, a 31 year old defenseman in Kuba with good if not average numbers, and a young blueliner in Picard with good potential but not much in terms of experience.

Ottawa has lost much of its blueliners in the off-season, with only Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov remaining from last season. The Sens just don't have the time to get new picks and let them develop. They need immediate impact, and will have a good incoming balance in the veteran leadership of Kuba and the raw skills of Picard.

Under the circumstances both teams will be getting more talent, whether its overall or in the skills of an individual player. The move helps Ottawa bolster its blueline, and fits into the Bolts' plan to ice a solid team this season.

Ottawa could have done better, but for the situation its a solid deal.

Capitals Latest to Offer "Variable Pricing"

According to Greg over at Puck Daddy, the Caps have become the latest team to add variable pricing to their schedule. In addition to no group discounts for the select games,

season-ticket holders can no longer purchase additional tickets for friends at their discounted rate for select Capitals home games: Like the season-opener against the Chicago Blackhawks, and contests against the New York Rangers (Nov. 8 and Jan. 3), Detroit Red Wings (Jan. 31) and the two visits from Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins (Feb. 22 and March 8).

Individual tickets for those games will increase by an average of $15 above their usual cost.

At least these price hikes are only in place for 6 games. But it still hurts the average fan, if only for 6 games. With so many transplanted Rangers and Pens fans that live here, what's the incentive to see any other Caps games if they are getting ripped off to see their own team play. I have friends at school that only manage to make it to a game or two a year, usually to see their home teams play, which just so happens to be the Pens and Rangers. If they have to fork over an extra $15 for one game, it makes it that much harder to justify seeing another Caps game.

Greg also notes that;

Nate Ewell, director of media relations, told me today that this variable pricing is in keeping with the Capitals' long-standing tradition of trying to fill their building with more home than away fans.

"That's something that's important to the franchise and to our season-ticket holders," he said. "And Caps fans can still buy those tickets with savings - season-ticket holders get them at their usual rate and fans can buy mini-plans as small as six games that include substantial savings."

Now how about the fans that can't get a six game plan?

I suggest a different idea to allow more home fans than away. Keep the price increase for all tickets purchased online, but allow for a discount if the tickets are bought at the box office. And if they really want to get tough, make sure the tickets at the box office are bought within a week or two of the game, so out-of-towners can't buy tickets well in advance while in the District, and come back later for the game. This allows local fans to save by buying tickets at Kettler, while away fans will have to pay the $15 price increase on Ticketmaster.

Variable pricing is a bad idea. If we have to pay extra for what are anticipated to be more exciting games, shouldn't we get to pay less for games against lesser opponents like Toronto or Nashville. At least cut the 6-game packages into 2 or 3 game packages. Don't charge extra, but make someone that buys a premier game have to buy a ticket to a game that the Caps will have trouble selling tickets for.

Calling on the need to have more home fans than away fans is a poor excuse for variable pricing. There will probably be more Flyers fans in DC this season than Hawks and Wings fans combined. If you're going to pry extra money out of the fans, then at least step up and give a real reason for why. The Caps can at least say they need to bring in more money to pay more in salary. I'd at least understand.

Whatever the reason, no paying customer is going to be a fan of variable pricing.

Just Give it to Him Already

In an MVN Outsider list of the Franchise players for each team, Jonathan Ragus has Peter Bondra tabbed as the Face of the Franchise for the Caps. But his explanation doesn't explain a heck of a whole lot.

Watch your back Peter because there is a slick, fast, amazing Russian by the name of Alexander Ovechkin who is going to steal this title from you, if he hasn�t already.

There are a few guys that you think about when you think Capitals. Mike Vogel thinks of Dale Hunter. Many people think of recently departed goalie Olaf Kolzig. Bondra, Gustafsson, and Langway pop into mind as well. But if you're simply going to tell a guy that he'll be overthrown shortly, you might as well just get it over with now. While Ovechkin isn't a sentimental favorite, he has done much to reinvigorate the District with a passion for hockey. He is also already arguably the best player in Caps history, if not stat-wise then skill-wise.

So with all due respect to Peter Bondra, Alex Ovechkin is the face of the franchise. Plain and simple.

Another Writer Tabs the Caps for Tops in the Southeast

The Caps come into this season with high expectations from fans, experts, and the organization itself. Add Jared Book from MVN's Outsider to the growing list of people expecting big things. He has the Caps repeating as Southeast champs, this time by a wider margin. They "have the talent to finish 3rd based on points, not just because they win their division." I don't know if I'd go that far, but they certainly have the potential to crack the 5-spot on points alone.

It will be really interesting to see how the Caps perform with a whole season of Boudreau behind the bench. Can they keep up the pace they had under him last season for a full schedule? Or do they go through a few slumps and finish in roughly the same spot they did last season? Bottom line is they will take the division either way and earn the 3 seed in the East.

And about that Ovechkin guy, this is what Book has to say:

Alexander Ovechkin is my favourite player in the National Hockey League. Not for his eccentric personality or his fantastic array of skill, but because he isn�t just a scorer. He stands up for himself, he stands up for his teammates and plays with an edge that we�re starting to see from this new wave of Russians and Europeans coming to the NHL...No matter what you do, you will not stop him, and that�s why him doing most of the scoring on this Washington team doesn�t concern me. You can do anything you want to him, and short of taking off his skates or locking him in the dressing room, he will get his points. There aren�t many players you can say that about in the league.

Heck, even a broken nose doesn't stop the guy.

This season's roster brings together the solid blend of talented youngsters, poised veterans, and skilled role players required to help carry the team deep into the playoffs. Now it's up to them to fulfill expectations.

Hats Off to Our Photographers

Tic Tac Toe did their own little Caps hockey blogger awards the other day. There were some interesting titles and award winning blogs, several of whom I am familiar with and a couple that were new to me.

Over the course of the awards Off Wing managed to put in an appearance. Thanks to our excellent staff of photographers Off Wing took top prize in the photography category. Or as TTT puts it, "The Scarlet Johanson Award -- For Visual Aesthetics"

Winner: OffWing nails this badboy, and deservedly so. I'm always stunned by at least a few of their shots, press pass or not.

Allen, Ellen, and Kate have worked hard over the years to provide topflight images of a variety of events. They've covered DC United, Washington Capitals, the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, Michigan hockey, and numerous other events.

Looking at their work it's easy to see why they provide some of the best sports photography, for blog purposes or otherwise, in the DC area.

The Search for a Hockey Book

One of the earliest things that interested me in hockey was a book I used to get from my elementary school library. If I remember right, it was simply titled "Stanley Cup Stories". If you looked at the library card in the back of the book I was responsible for nearly all its use.

The problem is, I can't seem to find it. My old school no longer has it, most likely due to my losing it at some point a decade or so ago. I've searched online and in old book stores, and have a few leads, but so far I have come up empty handed. If anyone out there knows of the book I am talking about, and knows more about it, or even where a copy can be found, please feel free to point me in the right direction.

The only things I can recall is that the book was hardcover and brown, with the title in black on the lower right corner of the cover. Two chapters I remember included the story of the 1924 Canadiens fixing their car and leaving the Cup on the side of the road and the 1928 Cup finals when Rangers goalie Lorne Chabot was hurt and coach Lester Patrick suited up and played the rest of the game.

It was a great book that I couldn't get enough of as a kid. I'd like to be able to go through that book again, I just need some help in finding it.

Another Way to be the Most Valuable Player

"...which NHL players are worth the most in a one-for-one swap?"

As most will agree, Scott Cullen thinks it's Ovie.

The guidelines of the exercise was such:

1. Contract - It's better to have a long-term deal, if the price is right for the production, because the team knows that they have that asset for a definite period of time. The cap hit of the contract is obviously important as well. After all, getting a player to provide similar production to another player at a fraction of the price provides significant value to the franchise.

On the other hand, players that are closing in on free agency aren't as valuable because they may only provide a season's worth of value.

2. Age - A young player has potential that, while it may not be realized yet, is undeniably worth something on the trade market. It's how guys like Steven Stamkos and Kyle Turris made this list.

At the other end of the spectrum, as a player gets older, his impact tends to diminish, naturally decreasing trade value.

Ovechkin is the best player in the league at the young age of 23. He also has a guaranteed a contract until 2021. Any GM would kill to have him on their team.

And with that Ovechkin finds yet another way to win MVP honors.

Room for Everybody

In all the scrutiny over the surprise retirement announcement of Stefan Legein there was a hidden gem in an article by The Hockey News' Adam Proteau.

The other intriguing angle to this story is the way in which the news was broken: by a Blue Jackets blogger who received an anonymous tip and forwarded it on to intrepid Columbus Dispatch reporter (and THN correspondent) Aaron Portzline, who confirmed the news with team officials.

There�s still a sizeable chasm between the hockey media establishment and bloggers, but I�m guessing that gap will shrink in the coming years. As long as both sides are on the same page in terms of accuracy and accountability, there�s room for everybody.

Indeed, at a time when the NHL has trouble selling itself to traditional media, nobody in the hockey business should be especially picky as to who piques fans� interest in all aspects of the game.

While Proteau speaks the truth, it is nothing new for some of us. Capitals owner Ted Leonsis learned long ago that bloggers were going to become an integral part of sports reporting. For several years bloggers have been welcome in the Capitals press box to cover games and practices. The New York Islanders have set up a special section that allows bloggers to enjoy certain games and go into the locker room after and report on the game.

It's nice to see more and more people recognizing the benefits of bloggers and their ability to coexist with mainstream media. And Proteau is absolutely right, it's all about accuracy and accountability. Bloggers conduct themselves with the same professionalism as MSM reporters. Many sports reporters even have their own blogs. Go into the Capitals locker room post-game on any given night and you would be hard-pressed to tell who is a blogger and who is an MSM reporter.

The divide between bloggers and MSM reporters is rapidly shrinking, and the black and white is turning into shades of gray. And that's not at all a bad thing.

Stefan Legein Retires...at 19

Stefan Legein is a little-known prospect in the Columbus Blue Jackets system. I'll even admit I've never heard of him, except for the mock interview he did with John Tavares. Well apparently he has had enough of hockey, according to several sources. Both Puck Daddy and Eric picked up on a post by Columbus Dispatch reporter Aaron Portzline. According to Aaron, he received an e-mail from Jackets blogger Bethany Porter at Bethany's Hockey Rants. It was actually forwarded, as she received the anonymous e-mail with the initial news that Legein was done.

Now this was initially to be taken two different ways.

First, Stefan is really done. He has lost his desire to play, and he's simply had enough. It's a tough thing to wrap your head around, but is completely understandable. The kids that are destined for the NHL have most likely been playing non-stop since they were around 6. They go to camps and selects tryouts and join travel teams. It's fine when you love the game, but I can see how some kids could tire of it.

Secondly, you can see Legein as a big jokester. As Puck Daddy puts it, "we knew him best as the guy with an athletic tape mustache interviewing John Tavares." As Eric notes;

There may be other reasons to hedge our bets. The blog Two-Line Pass chimed in with some helpful reminders about just what sort of kid Legein really is:

Legein is famous for his pranks. Sportsnet ran a story stating he once tricked a rookie into thinking he had been traded, is known for putting shaving cream under the door handles of teammates' cars, and the CBC has called him "Team Canada's original prankster."

...TLP makes some interesting points: The original report did come from an anonymous tipster, and you'd figure that a 19-year old kid would have consulted his parents before making such a life-changing decision. Then again, the team's general manager confirmed the report, something you'd think he wouldn't do lightly. If this is a prank as TLP has considered, I can't imagine the team, his parents or his agent will be terribly happy with him.

Following events as they have unfolded suggests that Legein may very well be done. According to Portzline, Legein's parents are saying he hasn't quit anything yet, while his agent is saying otherwise.

This will certainly be an interesting story to follow as it continues to unfold, as it most certainly will. In a relatively light summer news-wise for hockey, Legein's situation will be closely scrutinized and reported on. It is unfortunate, as he will undoubtedly have to deal with that added scrutiny for such an important personal decision. As THN's Adam Proteau puts it;

Who among us hasn�t had doubts in our late teens (or for that matter, well beyond that age) about our direction in life? Legein�s biggest problem is he has been in a line of work that receives so much publicity and adulation most casual observers assume he should be down on his hands and knees in gratitude for the opportunities he�s been afforded.

That attitude has some degree of validity. At the same time, though, nobody knows what led this kid to his decision.

So until we find out the whole story, the real story, let's step back and give the kid room to breathe, and to think.

Steckel Gets Another Year

After a solid first year in the league, the Caps have rewarded center Dave Steckel with a one-year contract extension. This will keep Steckel in a Caps uniform through the '09-'10 season.

Steckel was the top face-off winner for the Caps last season, and ranked 7th in the league. The Caps came into last season with questions in the face-off circle. Backstrom and Steckel were untested, and Kozlov and Laich aren't known for their face-off prowess. Nylander was just below 50% when his season was ended by injury. Along with Boyd Gordon, Steckel was a pleasant surprise for the Caps this season at the dot.

Dave Steckel will be making a half million dollars this coming season, which is a bargain considering his production last season. He was a plus 1 with 12 points on the season, which is pretty good for a defensive-minded player. He was able to hold his own in the defensive end while contributing offensively. His role diminished late in the season as the Caps picked up Sergei Fedorov, bringing their number of active centers to 6.

With a deep list of centers coming into camp this year for the Caps, it will be interesting to see how Steckel does and where he ends up. He has always played well for coach Boudreau, so it would seem the safe bet is on him sticking with the Caps starting lineup for most if not the whole season.

Fears Put to Rest

With his post the other day concerning his good fortune in acquiring Frozen Four tickets, On Frozen Blog's pucksandbooks unknowingly caused me a couple days of anxiety.

You see, I too had applied for a set of tickets to the Frozen Four. But I double checked my e-mail, and no confirmation was there. Nothing.

And then at the tail end of a phone conversation with my father, I got the good word. "Oh by the way, we got those Frozen Four tickets." What was an off-hand remark for him, I was through the roof.

Last year he went out to Denver to see the Frozen Four, so it will be nice to have him come down to my neck of the woods for some hockey. The regionals are almost always held in Worcester, and my father and I would go down to get a glimpse of the players we didn't get a chance to see.

Since I haven't been able to catch any college hockey playoffs the past few years, this will be a treat for the both of us. Ever since I found out the Frozen Four was being held in DC this coming season, I have been dying to go. The best teams in college hockey playing for the championship in my own backyard. It's a can't miss.

And now that I know I have my tickets, I'll be able to sleep easy.

Choose Your Dream Team

The other day our good friend Sean Leahy at Puck Daddy gave us his roster for an all-time hockey dream team. Says Sean;

Listening to Toronto's FAN590 this week inspired me to write this post. On the show Hockey Central with host Doug Farraway, he brought up a contest the station was doing about naming your dream hockey squad. Consisting of four forward lines, three defensive pairings and two goaltenders, this dream team could be made up from any players from any era.

What at first glance seems like a simple enough question is actually quite the thinker. There are just so many ways to go. Do you take current stars like Ovechkin, Crosby, Lidstrom, and Broduer, or do you go old school, taking guys like Joe Malone, Frank Mahovlich, and Sid Abel? Do you take all Hall of Famers, or do you mix things up? Can you take players based on specific moments, like Jim Craig at Lake Placid, or do you take into account his lackluster pro career and skip over him?

Leahy is encouraging all to submit their rosters, and it will be interesting to see how serious, and outlandish, people can get. There will be the numerous inclusions of Gretzky and Lemieux, and Orr and Roy (yes I've included them on my team), but it will be a treat to see how people fill out the rest of their rosters.

The choices are endless, and I have a feeling you'll be able to tell a lot about a person by who they pick? Do they follow the pack and take the easy picks, or do they go off the charts and put together an intriguing team? Will they take legendary greats from the early years of hockey, or will they stick with guys they know for a fact are scary good?

Well without further adieu, I present my own Hockey Dream Team.

First Line: Wayne Gretzky, Joe Sakic, Mario Lemieux

Yes they are all centers, but for my top line I'd like to think I have a little leeway. This is a pure scoring line, with Gretzky and Lemieux surrounded one of the least selfish and classiest players in the NHL in Joe Sakic. Who wouldn't want to see Burnaby Joe dishing the puck all over the ice to the two greatest goal scorers hockey has ever seen? Everyone will have The Great One and Super Mario somewhere on their teams, but it's Sakic that would provide the leadership and class to drive this team.

Second Line: Alex Ovechkin, Phil Esposito, Gordie Howe

This is my heart and soul line. Ovechkin plays every shift like it's his last, and will without question finish his career as the best left winger ever to play the game. Espo was a great playmaker and finisher, and was a hero in Boston. Who else at the time could inspire a bumper sticker that read "Jesus saves, Espo scores on the rebound." He also holds the record for most shots on goal in a season with 550. Throw in Mr. Hockey, and you've got possibly the best crash-the-net line anywhere. Whoever is in net will be seeing so much rubber his head will be spinning.

Third Line: Valery Kharlamov, Frank "One-Eye" McGee, Maurice "Rocket" Richard

This is my skill line. The natural talent found here is unmatched. Kharlamov lead the most feared hockey team in the world for nearly 20 years. He was a hero in the Soviet Union, and was so devastating in the 1972 Summit Series that Bobby Clarke broke his ankle to slow him down. Frank McGee still holds the record for most goals in a Stanley Cup game with 14. Said Frank Patrick; "He was even better than they say he was. He had everything - speed, stickhandling, scoring ability and was a punishing checker. He was strongly built but beautifully proportioned and he had an almost animal rhythm." And of course Rocket Richard was so loved and revered he could have taken over Canada if he really wanted to. As Sean put it, "Richard ... well, he caused a riot after nailing a linesman." He also knew how to score goals...lots of 'em.

Fourth Line: Ted Lindsay, Jean Beliveau, Bernie "Boom-Boom" Geoffrion

This is the tough guy line. "Terrible Ted" was both a scoring champion and a physical player. And you've got to respect anyone that has a lifelong fued with Conn Smythe. As for Beliveau, he was a class act who just so happens to have his name on the Stanley Cup a record 17 times (10 as a player, 7 as an executive). And I'm shamelessly piggybacking on Greg when I throw in Boom-Boom Geoffrion, mostly due to the fact that he originated the slap shot, which lends its name to the famous movie, which is possibly Hollywood's single greatest contribution to mankind. Bernie also was famous for playing through bad injuries, breaking his nose several times and getting hundreds of stitches over his career.

Defense, First Pair: Bobby Orr, Nicklas Lidstrom

Much like Shaone Morrisonn was Mike Green's safety blanket this season, Lidstrom would be the safeguard for the ever-rushing Orr. While Orr would cruise the offensive zone, Lidstrom could glide up to the offensive blueline, waiting for the feed to either unleash a shot or work the puck around, quarterbacking the play from up top. They very well may be the two best defensemen ever, so they are deserving of each other as the top pairing.

Defense, Second Pair: Lionel Conacher, Doug Harvey

Conacher was such a stellar all-around athlete that he was named Canada's top male athlete of the half-century in 1950. Nicknamed "The Big Train" he was an imposing player, standing 6'2", 195 lbs. before skates. He played in a time before the Norris Trophy was awarded to the top defenseman in the NHL, or else he would certainly have one to his name. Harvey, on the other hand, has several Norris Trophies, 7 to be exact. He knew how to get the job done.

Defense, Third Pair: Ray Bourque, Chris Pronger

I'm showing a little home team pride with my choice of Ray Bourque. He holds records for most points by a defenseman and most goals. He spent nearly his entire career with the Bruins, leaving for the last year and a half to win a Cup, his only one, with Colorado. His class will offset the nastiness found with Chris Pronger. Pronger holds the last defensive spot for being a heavy hitter who also happens to be insane. He is a fan of the bodycheck and heavy slapshot, but doesn't mind resorting to stomping or clobbering someone in the head with his stick. He is so unbalanced that opposing teams will think twice before messing with anyone on the team.

Goalie, Starting: Patrick Roy

No one matches Roy's credentials. He was a Vezina winner, Conn Smythe winner, and is the winningest goalie in NHL history. His early success as a Cup and Conn Smythe winner in his rookie season, which he didn't even start in net. He was a great netminder in crucial games, and Roy wasn't afraid to mix things up, fighting both Chris Osgood and Mike Vernon. He was a sort of wild child, but there's no one you'd rather have in net to get a big win.

Goalie, Backup: Vladislav Tretiak

Tretiak paired with Kharlamov to be the other half of the feared duo on the Soviet Olympic teams. He won multiple gold medals, and it is widely regarded that he would have most likely had a 3rd if coach Viktor Tikhonov had left him in goal for the remainder of the Miracle on Ice game. Part of his success came from the mystery surrounding the Soviet team. Not many teams beat the Soviets, and Tretiak was considered to be nearly unbeatable between the pipes. The mystery only adds to his allure.

So there you have it, my personal Dream Team. Feel free to let us know who you would pick. Remember, we all know that you'll put Gretzky and Lemieux in there; we're interested to see who else you put in. So take your time and think, it's certainly not an easy process. We'll be here waiting...

Replacing Barry Melrose

Puck Daddy brought this to my attention earlier, and now that I've recovered from the laughing-induced sore ribs, I feel compelled to share it with you. So here are ESPN's options to replace Barry Melrose. (For the whole thing go to The Money Shot)

Reg Dunlop

If you've seen the movie, which I shouldn't even have to ask anyway, you know that Reg is a marketing genius that knows how to get people talking about hockey.
Potential catchphrase - (After a questionable hit against the boards by a goon) "Oh you cheap son of a bitch. Are you crazy? Those guys are retards!"

Reggie would bring hockey broadcasting back to the good old days, when organ players were hit with pucks and Hanson brothers would roam the stands beating up anyone they thought had thrown something at them. Heck, have him team up with Mike Millbury and you're pretty much there.

Matt Stairs

I remember some baseball game from a few years back where Stairs was mic'ed in the dugout and he asked who was winning some random hockey game. It was hilarious. I think he's a Canuck, too, so that helps.

Well he's certainly not doing anything noteworthy for the Toronto BlueJays. Might as well call it a career and cover a real man's sport.

Judge Walter Burns

The Judge has developed so many great players out in rural Alaska, the man clearly knows his hockey like he knows the law. But I worry that he would talk too much about the open ice game as opposed to the NHL-sized rinks.

On the plus side, he played two-way hockey in college. He knows his stuff, and shows the right kind of disregard for refs.

Gordon Bombay

The man knows the game from his beginnings in the Minnesota Junior League up to his meteoric rise through the coaching ranks. I'm a tad concerned that his ego will get in the way of quality broadcasting. Cake eater!

You can't go wrong with the Minnesota Miracle Man.

Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell)

I thought that Russell was very good in this role actually. With Melrose's mullet leaving the company, ESPN could use some new, great hair in the hockey seat. And everyone loves the Brooks-ian "Lego hair".

He also knows how to give one hell of an inspirational speech. And you can't argue with a gold medal winning coach.

Darren McCord (Jean-Claude Van Damme in Sudden Death)

McCord may not know much about the sport, but he's a beloved figure for stopping that terrorist attack in game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. That alone makes him a Canadian Icon...like Dave Coulier!

Everyone in Pittsburgh would automatically tune in for every game. As an added bonus for Caps fans, he's really good at kicking the crap out of IceBerg, the Pens mascot.

Elisha Cuthbert

Not only does Elisha blog about hockey during the NHL playoffs, she will also sleep with anyone that has skates or a stick or has a bag of ice.

Also, she's really hot. And Canadian. And did we mention hot?

Tim "Little Hockey" Meadows

All around the world, Meadows is known as "Little Hockey". Allow me to paste the transcript since I can't find the video on YouTube (this was done during the strike in '94 and was part of a Weekend Update):

Tim Meadows: Thank you. Thank you. The baseball strike I can deal with. But when it comes to hockey, nobody, and I mean nobody, is a bigger fan than me. In fact, around here, my nickname is "Little Hockey." ... Watch this. [waves to someone off screen] Hey, guys!

Off Screen Guys: Hey, Little Hockey!

Tim Meadows: See? ... [increasingly upset] What am I supposed to now that there is no hockey? Watch basketball? No. I'm sorry, it's not gonna happen. ... But forget about me. What about African-American kids all over the country? ... They need their heroes. If an African-American kid can't look up to a Mario Lemieux or Mark Messier or Mario Roberge or a Guy Carbonneau or ... or Patrick Roy ... who can he look up to? ... I swear to God, there are only a few things that get to Tim Meadows: racism, sexism and no hockey! ... So, come on, you owners and players, I need my hockey. Like I need air or water or food or clothing or whatever. You don't want to make me mad! Because when I get mad, I get stomach pains. Back to you, Norm.

Who doesn't want to hear that Ladies Man voice giving them their hockey commentary. And what guy wouldn't want a man who can give them their hockey while still being able to "provide all the right responses to your romantic queries"?

Well there you have it, the top potential replacements for Barry Melrose. The Money Shot went with Tim "Little Hockey" Meadows for their top choice. I personally would go with Reg Dunlop. Cause nothing beats old time hockey.

Sabathia a Class Act

In an age where players get fed up with their teams, and vice versa, and stars spurn their current teammates for more money elsewhere, C.C. Sabathia made it clear that he didn't leave Cleveland simply for greener pastures.

According to YahooSports;

The left-hander, traded from the Indians to the Brewers for four prospects on July 7, took out a large ad Wednesday in the sports section of Cleveland�s daily newspaper, The Plain Dealer�a $12,870 thank you to the community, the team and its fans.

�Thank you for 10 great years � You�ve touched our lives with your kindness, love and generosity. We are forever grateful! It�s been a privilege and an honor!� read the ad, signed by CC, his wife Amber and the Sabathia family.

Sabathia acknowledged the ad earlier today, saying;

"The day I got traded, my wife and I started thinking about some of the people we needed to thank," said Sabathia, whose trade from Cleveland to Milwaukee was made official when he passed a physical on July 7. "It seemed like something in the paper was the way to do it, and it started as a little half-page. Then it grew to a whole page.

"It was worth it. I had been there 10 years, and I felt like I should say thanks to some people."

It's a rare and appreciated thing when a player recognizes the people that made their time in a certain city so meaningful. Earlier I noted the departure of Manny Ramirez from Boston. While being a stellar ballplayer he will be remembered for his negative antics and the bad vibes he brought to the team, especially of late. In a time where that isn't all that common, it's refreshing to see a player take the time and care to thank those that contributed to his success.

C.C. Sabathia will always be remembered with respect and affection in Cleveland, and his act will only further the respect for him in Milwaukee.

It's been pointed out that Sabathia is a free agent at the end of this season. As many NHL fans know, being traded to a contender and then returning to your old team is not uncommon. Loaning players has been an NHL staple of trade deadlines for years.

So who knows, maybe C.C. will be back in an Indians uniform in the near future.

The Capitals as America's Team

While the Dallas Cowboys are America's Team in football, is there a possibility that the Washington Capitals can become America's Team in hockey, if only for a day? The boys over at On Frozen Blog seem to think so.

On Sunday, February 22, 2009, the Capitals matinee-host the Pittsburgh Penguins at Verizon Center. That day will commemorate the 29th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice, the greatest day in the history of hockey and the greatest day in the history of sports. Summertime question for you: what do you think of the idea of the Caps doing something radically different with their sweaters that day � like, say, wearing re-issues of the Lake Placid heroes� sweaters? Before you dismiss the idea out of hand, let�s first have a little chat among patriots about the matter.

First, let�s acknowledge the Caps� unique qualifications for potentially pursuing such a scheme. In representing the nation�s capital, Washington�s hockey team is different from 29 others in the NHL. They aren�t a generic animal of prey (Panther, Bruin) or an abstract circumstance of nature (Lightning, Hurricane, Avalanche, Star); they are named as a signifier, of something nationally unifying and laudatory. Millions of Americans each year flock to Washington to experience what our city represents. In return I say a sports team named for the entirety of that experience can well represent one of this nation�s finest moments. If ever there were a pro hockey team compelled to don the �80 Miracle look for a commemorative occasion, it ought to be Washington�s Red, White and Blue Capitals.

Now while it sounds like a grand idea, I'd have to disagree. Yes the league needs to observe the date, and do something special. It was arguably the biggest moment in hockey history, and deserves to be recognized and commemorated by the greatest hockey league in the world. But to have one team don the retro USA jerseys for a game is taking the nostalgia too far.

Earlier this week On Frozen Blog designed a third jersey for the Caps that is similar in color and style to the "Miracle on Ice" jerseys worn by Team USA. Now they have noticed the similarity and decided it should mean the Caps can wear the vintage USA jerseys for a day. I go the other way, and say the Caps should wear that third jersey on February 22 in honor of USA's victory over the USSR. It's close enough, and could be even closer with a few tweaks, but retains the Caps logo, making it distinctly theirs.

While the Caps are the closest thing to America's team in the NHL, they are also led by a Russian superstar. There are nearly as many Russians (4) as Americans (6) on the team. So who are we to make those Russian players wear the uniforms of players that defeated their national heroes nearly 30 years ago?

It's a good idea, and very patriotic. Clearly their hearts are in the right place, but in the end it doesn't seem like the right thing to do. The only connection they have is that Dave Christian spent 6 seasons with the Caps.

Yes the Capitals play in Washington, and wear the red, white, and blue. But that's as close as they'll get to the Miracle on Ice.

Lowe, Burke Fued May Be Finished

The heated GM rivalry between Edmonton's Kevin Lowe and Anaheim's Brian Burke may be a thing of the past. Earlier today Lowe was replaced as the Oiler's GM by Steve Tambellini. However, Lowe will remain in the organization, moving up to become Rexall sport's President of Hockey Operations.

Lowe will no longer hold the same position, but he will maintain a heavy hand in the decision-making processes of the Oilers. It will be interesting to see how involved he gets come the trade deadline and during the restricted and unrestricted free agency periods next season. Will he be a heavy influence on Tambellini, or will he back off and allow Tambellini to do his thing? Will he make sure things stay interesting with Burke and the Anaheim organization, or will he let things take their natural course?

In the end it's congratulations for Lowe on his promotion, and we'll have to wait and see what happens for the Oilers as the season rolls along.

#1 Pick Stamkos Signs in Tampa

It's finally official, as Steve Stamkos has signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning. It's the standard deal for a rookie, giving him $875,000 a year for the next three years.

But a number one pick deserves more than the rookie standard. Stamkos' contract includes performance incentives that could total $8.55 million over the three years. Said Stamkos about being the top pick;

�The draft is all great, but when you come to training camp it�s a clean slate,� Stamkos said. �I have to earn that respect from the teammates to be part of the team. For me, I�m going to work hard the rest of the summer. I have to be in the best shape of my life and prove to everyone why I was the first pick.�

Stamkos also has an advantage the last few tops picks haven't had: he won't be counted on to save a franchise. In 2004 it was Ovie who was looked up to save the Capitals. A year later it was Sid the Kid who was tasked with turning around the Pittsburgh franchise. Last year Patrick Kane was the savior of Chicago. But while Tampa Bay is certainly in a rebuilding stage, Stamkos is by no means being looked upon to deliver the Bolts back to glory. Tampa has brought in a slew of new talent, and has retained its explosive offensive tandem of Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis.

Stamkos will almost certainly gain a spot on the Lightning roster, but there is no weight on his shoulders to carry the team. He will be able to elevate his game to the NHL level on his own terms, and will be able to look to guys like Lecavalier for guidance.

Stamkos can be seen as this year's Nicklas Backstrom. Nicklas joined the Caps this past season in the middle of the pivot depth chart, and quickly climbed his way up to the #1 center position. But while he maintained such an important position, he did not have to do it himself. He had the world's best left winger in Alex Ovechkin to feed the puck to, and he had the veteran guidance of Michael Nylander and Sergei Fedorov, among others.

In much the same way Stamkos will be able to learn from those around him and mature at his own pace.

No doubt he will be a big contributor for Tampa Bay as his rookie season rolls along.

Bruins Bite the Bullet; To Buy Out Murray

For the past few years Glen Murray has been that borderline scorer that seems to always produce, but never quite as much as people would hope for.

After a career year of 44 goals and 92 points in the 2002-2003 season, Murray's production has slowly declined. Since then he has produced 60, 53, 45, and 30 points each season.

Unfortunately for the Boston Bruins organization, while his production has fallen, his contract has not. For the past few seasons he has been making 4.15 million a year, with this season being the last in his current contract.

With his declining production in mind, the Bruins have decided to take the action of buying out Murray's contract. He was put on waivers earlier, and no team claimed him. With his performance dwindling and his body still taking up roster space, Boston didn't really have much of a choice.

Murray is the definition of overpaid. He was stellar in a contract year, and then got worse as the years went by. He could perform at the top of his game this season and not get a bigger contract.

He will catch on with another team in need of a second or third line sniper on the wing. But for now it seems like he'll be getting a big chunk of money to simply walk away.

Not a bad way to wait for a new job.

Phoenix Rewards Brawler Carcillo With New Contract

It looks like one of my favorite new players will be spending some more time in the league. The Phoenix Coyotes have signed Daniel Carcillo to a 2-year deal. This past season was Daniel Carcillo's first in the league. Due to injury he was limited to 57 games, but was still able to rack up a league-leading 324 PIMs, nearly 100 minutes more than Jared Boll, who came in 2nd in the category.

While being a rumbler on the ice, Carcillo also managed to net 13 goals to go along with 11 assists. His +1 tied for 6th on the Coyotes, and his 24 points were 10th on the team.

While not a big scorer, Carcillo is a fairly strong all around skater. He can put up points as well as his fists.

Jes Golbez has an article on Fanhouse about Phoenix's new foray into toughness. With all their new additions, he notes that;

The Coyotes probably want [Carcillo] to concentrate more on scoring, given that he put up a respectable 24 points in his rookie campaign.

Last season I picked up Danny boy to help my PIMs category. Each goal and assist was an added bonus. This season look for him to cut down on his dirty work and pick up on his scoring. With a new direction in Phoenix coming this season, it will be interesting to see just how well Carcillo does.

Over At The Sporting News ...

I take yet another look at the brewing conflict between the NHL and the KHL, and why the NHL ought to make a deal with them sooner rather than later.

Over At The Sporting News ...

I take a look at the latest news surrounding the Kontinental Hockey League and all of the associated headaches for the folks at NHL HQ.

Pictures From Camp: Capitals Development Camp

It was great attending the the Capital's development camp this week. If you were there you will understand the tremendous energy and excitement for the team and upcoming season.

From my vantage point across the ice from the stands I can confirm what everyone in the stands could feel, they were PACKED and there wasn't an empty spot along the glass!

We have a bunch of pictures from Thursday and Saturday that we will be posting as we get through all of them. We now have our first group online, a few are here and the others will be posted to our complete development camp photographic coverage on our Flickr site.

As always, if you are a blogger and would like to use our photographs please contact us.

www.flickr.com Off Wing Opinion's 2008 Washington Capitals Development Camp (Allen Clark/OffWingPhoto.com) photoset

Live Blogging Caps Development Camp

Just a friendly reminder: I'll be out at Caps Development Camp tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. along with John Keely and OffWing chief photographer Allen Clark. Be sure to stop by to see our live coverage of the scrimmage:

Hope to see you then as I get my first look at Karl Alzner and Oskar Osala, the two guys seem to be impressing the most thus far.

Ovechkin On Theodore

Dmitry Chesnokov just passed me another quick translation from Sovetsky Sport. In this snippet, Pavel Lysenkov asked Alex Ovechkin what he thought about Washington's signing of free agent goalie Jose Theodore:

PL: What do you think about Theodore’s arrival in Washington?

AO: “We needed a good goaltender because we were losing Huet. And our management made a though out move. I have only played once against Theodore in my career. It was last season. We played Colorado at home and won 2:1. Although, I didn’t score.

It is a shame that Huet didn’t stay [with Washington]. He was a great goaltender. But our future now lies with Theodore, and I am sure he won’t let us down.”

Click here for the article in the original Russian.

Hossa Skips Out on Pittsburgh, Runs Off with Detroit

Like a high school guy dumping his latest girlfriend for the prom queen, Marian Hossa has fled Pittsburgh and run right into the waiting arms of the Detroit Red Wings.

Over at FanHouse Pat Lackey is reporting that Hossa turned down a 7-year, $50 million dollar deal with the Pens. He instead chose a 1-year, $7.4 million dollar offer with the Wings, which is a pretty good fit. As Lackey points out;

He's a great two-way player and this one year deal lets them shoot for a repeat in 2009, then leave plenty of cap room to deal with Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen, who will be UFAs after next year. In purely hockey terms, it's a great move for Hossa and Detroit.

Hossa is setting himself up nicely with this deal. He did take a pay cut to play with a contender, and he'll be surrounded by great players. With Detroit's offense and overall team play, Hossa is in a great position to put up big numbers. He'll have a chance to win the Cup. And with his deal being only one year, he'll enter free agency again with an even higher stock.

Now that is the ideal outcome for Hossa. If all goes well he could sign a huge contract next year for even more money. But there's always the chance he gets hurt or his production and play slips. Then he'll be left hanging with no one to blame, except maybe his agent.

The Stars Align for Sean Avery

After much speculation as to where Avery would land next season, the Dallas Stars have brought him into the fold for the next 4 years.

For 15.5 million bucks the Stars get arguably the nastiest, and most versatile, player in the league. In the last two seasons Avery has 19 powerplay points and is a +7. Add in 328 penalty minutes to bring his career NHL total to 1,067, and you have a player that can do it all. He can bring attitude and the ability to get under the skin of even the classiest of players, and can still get things done offensively.

Nearly $4 million a year seems pretty steep for Avery's services, but if you think about the impact he'll have in Dallas it seems to be a pretty good deal. He'll bring that nastiness to a division that includes the Anaheim Ducks, possibly the most physical team in the league. He joins a division that includes league PIM leader Daniel Carcillo, Jody Shelley, and George Parros. Now the Stars have Steve Ott, and I'm sure Avery isn't expected to do a heavy deal of fighting. But he'll also be in a conference that includes offensive threats like Joe Thornton, Ryan Getzlaf, Shane Doan, and Anze Kopitar. Avery will be responsible for driving them so crazy that they forget their job is to score goals.

And who knows, maybe he'll bring a little style to Dallas.

Kolzig Lands In Tampa Bay

...here's hoping he comes back and shuts out the Capitals.

But just once...

Caps Hope Theodore Can Fill Huet's Pads

I spent yesterday at work, being fed text messages from my hockey buddy about what was going on with the free agent frenzy. Work became so busy I lost track of my messaging, and returned to a double-barrel shot of news: "Caps get Theodore" and "Huet goes to Chicago."

I was stunned. By all accounts the Caps were fairly close to re-signing Huet, and it sounded like he wanted to stay in DC. But no, he bolted for the big bucks and extra years in Chicago.

Huet was the reason the Caps made the playoffs last year. There's no way around it. He came into the District and finished the season 11-2 with a 1.63 goals against average and a .936 save percentage. Unfortunately, in addition to endearing him to the city, that kind of performance gave him additional leverage in any dealings.

I was a fan of Huet. He was a stellar goalie for the short time he was here (not so much against Philly) and handled himself quite well in the locker room with reporters. He was quiet but confident, and more often than not would be found deflecting praise to his teammates.

With that in mind I was dubious as to why the Caps would fail to offer him more money, especially since it was less than what Olie made last year (5.635 mil instead of 7). But fortunately I stumbled across some wisdom put forth by our friend Japers' Rink as well as The Red Skate.

I'll be honest, I didn't exactly follow the Avalance last season past knowing they brought back some old favorites and made the playoffs. Fortunately Red Skate let us in on a little secret: Theodore was just as good as Huet down the stretch last season.

For those upset that Huet isn�t between the pipes for the home team at Verizon this fall, justify your belief that it is more likely that Huet will carry his dominant play from March of last season into this coming season than it is likely that Th�odore (12-4-1 with two shutouts, a 2.27 GAA, and a .917 SV% in his final 18 starts) will do, essentially, the same. They seem exceedingly comparable netminders, and are of similar age as well.

Looking at the numbers Huet wasn't exactly head and shoulders above Theodore. His GAA was far lower in his last 13 games than in Jose's last 18, but hey, wins are wins, and they were pretty damn close.

Plus, Theodore has a few more accomplishments to his name that Huet can't match. As Japers' points out,

Jose Theodore has played in more than 52 games in a single season before (five times) and has won a playoff series (four times, in fact). Jose Theodore has won a Hart Trophy and a Vezina Trophy. Jose Theodore has scored a goal, failed a drug test, and probably nailed Paris Hilton.

So there you have it. Theodore is better, and apparently way cooler. Now he does have his hot and cold streaks, but with the way the Caps offense is geared, as long as he doesn't let in a million goals he should be alright.

Huet was a star for the short time he was here, but now it's time to get the spotlight ready for another stellar goalie.

Over at FanHouse ...

We're in the middle of the Free Agent Frenzy -- quick, somebody trademark that!

The NHL Free Agent Frenzy at This Hour

Evgeni Malkin Expected to Agree to Extension Soon

NHL Free Agency Live Chat

Oh, and we seem to no longer have a definite site for the 2009 NHL Winter Classic.

Stop by all day long, agents are undoubtedly looking over the big contracts as I type.

Green Staying in DC

After weeks of nervous waiting, the news is out that the Washington Capitals have come to terms with Mike Green on a new contract that will keep him in DC for the next 4 years.

The deal pays Green $5.25 million a year for a cool 21 mil. Green was able to capitalize on a terrific final year of his entry-level deal that saw him lead all NHL defenseman with 18 goals and put up 56 points.

Green has emerged as the top defenseman for the Caps, manning the powerplay and starting up the rush, even carrying the puck all the way into the zone before unleashing a wicked slapshot. With 4 more years in the district we can expect many more moments of Green-induced fan frenzy in the Phone Booth.

Now with all this money, I wonder if he'll be springing for a new pad anytime soon?

Teams Adjusting Rosters Before Free Agency Deadline

With the free agent deadline looming, several teams have been working with their rosters in preparation of gaining or losing new players.

Kings-Oilers

The Kings sent defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky to Edmonton for center Jarret Stoll and defenseman Matt Greene. Visnovsky's numbers have declined the past 2 seasons, but he is still a solid puck-mover on the blueline. Edmonton gets his 5-year, 28 million dollar contract in the process. LA gets Stoll, who is looking for a fresh start after posting a -23 rating last season. He will be a restricted free agent, so the Kings need get get him under contract. Greene is looking for a breakout season of his own, as he missed over half of last season with injuries, finishing with a -3 rating in 46 games, which brings his career plus/minus rating to -31.

While they have to deal with his hefty contract, the Oilers leave this trade with the best player. Unfortunately it gives Edmonton a lot of puck-movers on the blueline, so it will be interesting to see where that goes. LA gets a pair of youngsters with the potential to be a #2 center and a top-4 defenseman.

Stars

Dallas has extended the contract of young forward Loui Eriksson by two more years to the tune of 3.2 million. In the final year of his contract Eriksson had career highs with 14 goals and 17 assists. Dallas hopes he can match or exceed those totals in the next 2 years.

Flyers

The Flyers have brought forward Jeff Carter back under contract. TSN is reporting a 3-year deal worth 15 million. They are also reporting that former Cap Steve Eminger has signed a one-year deal.

Ducks - Maple Leafs - Thrashers - Blue Jackets

All of these guys are shedding unwanted salaries, with several players being bought out and/or hitting waivers. Anaheim has bought out the final year of Todd Bertuzzi's contract for 2.6 million, and he has already cleared waivers.

Toronto is in the process of buying out goalie Andrew Raycroft's final year for 2.2 million after buying out Darcy Tucker earlier this week.

Atlanta has cut loose veteran Alexei Zhitnik after a disappointing season. After trading away Braydon Coburn to Philly for Zhitnik, Coburn has thrived while Zhitnik has disappointed. With Alexei gone, hopefully Thrashers GM Don Waddell can put the awful trade behind him.

Columbus has also parted with a veteran, as Duvie Westcott has be bought out after a poor season of his own. Over parts of 6 seasons he has posted 56 points in 201 games, and has a career -43 rating for the Jackets. He has cleared waivers and is now a free agent.

Tampa Bay Wants You!...and Ryan Malone, and Gary Roberts, and Brian Rolston

Another day, another deal to get Tampa Bay the rights to somebody.

Saturday it was the deal that gave Tampa the rights to Penguins Gary Roberts and Ryan Malone. With a dozen unrestricted free agents to handle, the Pens couldn't afford to re-sign Malone, and probably wouldn't have re-signed Roberts. So with the deal they get a 4th round pick from Tampa, which turns into a 3rd rounder if Malone actually signs with the Bolts. And word is they are working on finalizing a 7-year deal worth over 31 mil. So that 3rd rounder is looking pretty good.

And today, it's Minnesota that has aided in the Tampa rebuilding effort. Late last night they traded the rights to Brian Rolston to the Bolts for a 3rd round pick in 2010. Now here it gets tricky, as that pick becomes a 4th rounder in 2009 if Ryan Malone signs in Tampa, which looks likely. And if they both sign, the pick goes back to the 3rd round, and will be in either 2009 or 2010, depending on what the Wild want.

If all these pieces fall into place the Lightning will be a formidable team come next season. And if so, it will take a lot of pressure off Steve Stamkos. Where Patrick Kane had to carry most of the Blackhawks last season, Stamkos has Lecavalier, Boyle, Prospal, and presumably Malone, Roberts, and Rolston to show him the way.

So as our friend Greg Wyshynski says, who will be the next to drink the Koules-Aid?

Update:

Malone and Roberts are officially Bolts. From TSN;

Malone has agreed to a seven year, $31.5 million contract, while Roberts agreed to terms on a one year contract that pays him a base salary of $1.25 million plus $10,000 for every game that he plays in the 2008-09 NHL regular season. So if Roberts were to play in all 82 games, he would earn $820,000 in bonuses, which could make his total income for the season $2.07 million.

That gives Tampa Bay the added scoring and veteran leadership that could lead them deep into the playoffs this coming season.

AHL Testing New Penalty Rule

Greg Wyshynski over at Puck Daddy has revealed the AHL's latest rule test.

Not only is the AHL the triple-A league for hockey, so to speak, but it is also used as a testing ground for new rules. It tried out the 4-on-4 overtimes, penalty shots, altered goal crease, no-play zone behind the net for goalies, and touch-up offsides all originated in the AHL before the NHL decided to adopt them.

Next season's rule change? One-minute overtime minors. As Greg points out,

A two-minute minor penalty can literally leave a team shorthanded for 40 percent of overtime when the same call would eat up about 3 percent of regulation.

This has been a change years in the making. Overtime penalties have been a tricky thing, as has the referee's job of calling them. Many have accused refs, sometimes rightly so, that they put away the whistle in overtime. Officials don't want to turn a momentary transgression into a penalty that will take up nearly half the overtime session. And when they do call them, the complaint is that they're supposed to let the guys play in overtime. Once OT rolls around the referee really can't win.

This new rule helps everyone. Referees don't feel restricted in calling penalties, and if a team is penalized, they have their time in the box cut in half. And while that's still 20% of the overtime, it's a lot better than 40%.

The only problem, and there always seems to be a problem, is that this rule includes penalties that carry over from regulation to overtime. Say a guy is trying to prevent a goal with a minute to go, and blatantly slashes the puck carrier, earning him 2 minutes. Well if that game goes into OT, his penalty time in OT gets cut from a minute to 30 seconds. As Greg points out, it has the opportunity to allow players to take penalties late in the game that they wouldn't otherwise take, knowing they wouldn't have to serve the full time. The rule is meant to even things out in overtime, not to be abused in regulation.

It's a good rule that needs a little bit of tweaking to really be effective. But that's why we have the AHL to test it out. If it goes wrong, the NHL doesn't even have to apply it. But odds are if it goes well enough they will, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

I have a feeling we'll be seeing some more intriguing ends of regulation and some more boring overtimes. And knowing how the league lusts after fan excitement, that final factor could kill the rule dead, whether the players like it or not.

Worst Kept Secret in the NHL True; Melrose to Tampa Bay

That's right, the rumors are true. Barry Melrose has been named the new head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning. And apparently if Lecavalier, Stamkos, and the other Lightning players butt heads with him, it won't be his fault. Says Barry;

Most people love playing for me. The guys who don�t love playing for me usually don�t want being on your team anyway.

It will be interesting to see what happens next season. If anyone ends up in Melrose's doghouse, whose fault will it be? After 13 years without being behind the bench, how will he do? They won't be making a run for the Cup, but it will certainly be an interesting season in Tampa Bay.

2008 NHL Entry Draft Live Blog

Yes, I'll be putting in an appearance tonight. Nothing fancy, just a chance to talk with old friends as we watch the first round of the NHL Draft. So just click on the link for the jump starting at 6:45 p.m. and we'll be talking about hockey's future.

Draft Chat with James Mirtle

My friend James Mirtle will be hosting a live chat on the NHL Draft later today at 1:00 p.m. U.S. EDT. Please check it out. I'll be stopping by as well for a few minutes.

New Bench Bosses for Florida, San Jose, Ottawa

Some of the many NHL head coaching positions were filled this week as the Sharks, Panthers, and Senators picked new coaches today.

The worst of the three teams last season, the Panthers finished with a 38-35-9 record, good for 85 points and 3rd place in the Southeast Division. Last year's coach Jacques Martin remains as the Panthers' GM, and has chosen Peter DeBoer as his successor. DeBoar has spent the last several seasons as the coach of the OHL's Kitchener Rangers. In his 7 seasons there he has led his Rangers to a pair of OHL Championships and a Memorial Cup Championship as the best junior team out of the three members leagues of the Canadian Hockey League. They won the OHL last season and hosted the Memorial Cup, finishing 3rd. Says Martin of DeBoar;

�I think he brings some intensity. He brings some discipline. I believe he runs a good bench. He believes in the depth of the team. When you look at his team and his record � it�s really outstanding.�

The Ottawa Senators went the same route as the Panthers, pulling their new coach out of the OHL's ranks. Craig Hartsburg has spent the last 4 seasons coaching the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, but also has several seasons of NHL coaching experience. He has a career NHL coaching record of 184-190-69 with both Anaheim and Chicago. After firing coach John Paddock in February, Sens GM Bryan Murray finished the season behind the bench. The Sens sneaked into the playoffs as a 7-seed and were swept in the first round by Pittsburgh. This was after leading the Eastern Conference through much of the early season. Ottawa has a solid team that underachieved this season. Hartsburg knows what he has to do, saying;

�To me, it�s not about being fixed. It�s about me coming in with a program and getting the players to buy into it."

San Jose went with the championship pedigree, bringing in Detroit Red Wings assistant Todd McLellan to lead the Sharks next season. McLellan worked with coach Mike Babcock the past 3 seasons, and was an integral part of their Stanley Cup championship this season. He also spent several years coaching the AHL's Houston Aeros, and led them to a Calder Cup Championship in 2003. McLellan has a simple plan for next season:

It's a matter of getting over the hump. There are some real parallels between the Wings and the Sharks.

The idea of getting over the hump isn't anything new for San Jose. That problem is what cost coach Ron Wilson his job. Realizing the problem and fixing it are two different things, so it will be interesting to see how McLellan handles the Sharks next season.

All these men bring experience and a winning attitude to their new teams. Their predecessors were unable to deliver the end result each team desired, so big things are expected from them.

In San Jose and Ottawa McLellan and Hartsburg already have solid teams in place. They just need to tweak different aspects of their teams the right way in order to do more than the coaches before them. In Florida DeBoer has to take a mediocre team and instill a winning attitude in them with the hopes of returning to the playoffs for the first time in 8 years.

No man has an easy job, and expectations will be high. Now it's just up to them to meet them.

Ovechkin, Boudreau Clean Up; Backstrom Misses Out

The Caps nearly had the sweep fans were looking for as Alex Ovechkin won the Hart Trophy as league MVP and the Lester B. Pearson Award for best player voted on by the players. He added to his Rocket Richard Trophy for most goals this season, and the Art Ross Trophy for most points.

Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau took home the Jack Adams Award as the top coach in the NHL this season. He replaced coach Glen Hanlon on Thanksgiving Day and proceeded to lead his club to a 37-17-7 and an improbable playoff spot that was captured with a win in their last regular season game.

Just missing out was Caps rookie Nicklas Backstrom, who had a stellar first season, notching 69 points and a rookie-leading 55 assists this season. While many considered his second-half improvement crucial to the Caps' playoff run, he still missed the award by 206 points. Backstrom was also a +13 to Kane's -5 rating, and helped put his team in the playoffs. Any other year Backstrom would have been a shoe-in. But Kane's solid play on a sub-par team no doubt endeared him to the voters, giving him the trophy and distinction of being this year's NHL rookie of the year.

FanHouse Live Chat at 1:00 p.m.

My friend James Mirtle is going to be hosting a live chat at FanHouse in a few minutes on tonight's NHL Awards. Please stop by and participate.

Winner Of The Off Wing Stanley Cup Challenge

Congratulations to James Mirtle, winner of the 2008 Off Wing Stanley Cup Challenge. We had a number of folks who correctly selected the Red Wings as the winner of the Stanley Cup, and James' name was randomly selected from the list. As soon as James gets back to me, I'll be making a $50 donation to the charity of his choice.

Because we had a tie, we also had to perform a random drawing for our second prize -- a free lunch on Off Wing. The winner there was longtime Off Wing supporter John Graham, owner of Two Sheds Music.

Congratulations to both our winners, and thanks for participating.

Fleury's Replacement in Pittsburgh?

Hey, you never know.

Fleury, Penguins Start Off On Wrong Foot, er, Skate

I didn't get a chance to watch all of Game 1 of the Cup finals, so it was much to my surprise and amusement when I saw a quick clip of Marc-Andre Fleury taking a spill to lead the Pens onto the ice for warm-ups.

Tough way for the kids to start their first NHL championship series. Even the Detroit fans on the ice were laughing.

For a team built around an explosive offense, two consecutive shutouts is unacceptable. While they are a young team in uncharted waters, you would still expect something out of a team boasting arguably the scariest powerplay in the league and stars such as Hossa, Crosby, Malkin, and Fleury. They came into the series with a 12-2 postseason record, and return home with their loss column doubled.

But if you had to pick any team to face off against that vaunted attack, it would have to be the Detroit Red Wings. They are a veteran team all around, but that veteran emphasis can be found from the blue line back. They have what might be the oldest goaltending duo in finals history in Osgood and Hasek, and have a rugged defense anchored by veteran Chris Chelios, perennial Norris winner Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, and Brad Stuart. Add Niklas Kronwall and Brett Lebda, and you might have the deepest defensive lineup in the league. Throw in some solid two-way play by their forwards, and Detroit could sweep the series without allowing a goal.

Now Pittsburgh was supposed to beef up their already solid defense with the addition of Hal Gill, but they have been pretty porous so far. They're going to have to step up and give Marc-Andre Fleury a little help, especially considering the rough start he's had. Usually the Penguins can overcome that with their high scoring offense, but they've gone more than two straight games without scoring a goal. Hopefully home ice will give them a chance to right things.

After all, you're never in trouble until you lose at home.

Capital Punishment; Russian Style

"There can be only one"

That is the theme of this afternoon's IIHF World Championship final between Canada and Russia. Both come into the title game undefeated in the tournament, both looking for one more win and the gold medal.

While Canada is led by Rick Nash, Ryan Getzlaf, and Dany Heatley has dazzled for Canada, no line this tournament has been scarier than Russia's top line of Sergei Fedorov, Alex Ovechkin, and Alex Semin, dubbed the "Capital Punishment Line".

Sergei and the Alexes each have ten points and are each a plus-9 going into the championship game. Canada's top line has more points, but the combination of skill and experience shared by the Caps Russian contingent can't be matched.

When asked how they would stop Canada's top line, Russian coach Slava Bykov wasn't fazed, saying, "�They have to think about how to stop our lines, too."

With the top two lines in the tournmament going head to head, it looks like both defenses will have their hands full, as will both netminders.

If anything, it will make for an exciting championship game.

Nonis No More in Vancouver

After three years in which his team failed to make the postseason twice, Canucks GM Dave Nonis has been let go. From chairman Francesco Aquilini;

"We want to thank Dave for the many contributions he has made helping to build our organization during his tenure. However, I think this important change in leadership is critical to the future of the team and the direction we need to take. It's not acceptable to our fans or to us as owners that our team isn't in the playoffs."

To be fair it's tough to repeat a 105-point performance when your defense misses 174-man games to injury. I also agree with Nonis' explanation as to why he made only a minor move at the trade deadline.

"If there is a deal that makes sense for our hockey team and will make us better, regardless of who it is, we would do it," Nonis told reporters in February. "But if it's a deal that would decimate our reserve list, take all of our top prospects and require players off our team along with those picks and prospects, I think it's highly unlikely we would do that for any rental player."

The Canucks have an aging set of leaders. Captain Markus Naslund is 34, alternate captain Trevor Linden is 38, and alternate captain Brendan Morrison is 32. All are set to be unrestricted free agents next season. They also have looming resignings to take care of, namely the Sedin twins and Mattias Ohlund after next season. So while it may have hurt for the Canucks to miss the playoffs this year, it makes sense for the Canucks to hold onto their young picks in order to keep building the team.

Dave Nonis had no choice but to take the heat, but he didn't do as bad a job as they are making it seem like he has.

The 2008 Off Wing Stanley Cup Challenge

So, who do you think will win the Cup? If you give me the right answer, you'll win bragging rights and a whole lot more.

The rules are fairly simple, and here's how it works:

Send me your pick to win the Stanley Cup by email (emcerlain-at-hotmail-dotcom). I'll list every entry I receive in the left hand margin, like so. And if you have a blog, I'll embed a link to it in your entry:

Chris McMurtry: Ottawa

As teams get eliminated, I'll indicate their departure with a strikethrough over incorrect entries. For example:

Chris McMurtry: Ottawa

That continues until we get to a winner sometime toward the end of June. Since we'll probably have a number of folks who have picked the Stanley Cup Champion, I'll conduct a random drawing from the winning entries to determine a Grand Prize Winner. After consultation with the winner, I'll make a $50 donation in honor of the Grand Prize Winner to the charity of their choice.

And best of all, if you win, you'll be immortalized on the left nav bar along with previous winners Gregg Simon, Josh Crockett and Kartikeya Sinha.

Easy enough? One last detail -- just get me your entry to me by e-mail by 5:30 p.m. U.S. EDT on April 9, 2008, the opening night of the playoffs.

Now get to it, get you pick in, and you may be able to do some good.

Top Ten Reasons You Know Tampa's the Worst (Hockey) Team in the East

Ten: Team Plus/Minus for the Capitals in the game.

Nine: Caps that registered at least a point in tonight's game.

Eight: Skaters left on the Tampa bench at the end of the game.

Seven: Minor penalties taken by Tampa Bay.

Six: Powerplay face-offs for Tampa Bay. They only won 1.

Five: Shots Ovechkin had against Ramo. Ramo only stopped 3 of them.

Four: Tampa players thrown out of the game with less than 30 seconds to play.

Three: Tampa skaters on the ice at the end of the game.

Two: Tampa skaters in the box at the end of the game.

One: Beatdown of Tampa's Junior Lessard by Matt Bradley.

Ready for this? Hottest Hockey Wives and Girlfriends

You gotta love Google's Alerts...Google helped dredge this one from the depths of the web.

We didn't write this but we sure enjoyed it, of course we read it for the articles.

Alright off with you now...on your way to the Hottest Hockey Wives and Girlfriends.

Quite a Name

While checking out the box score of the Atlanta-Tampa game, an interesting name popped out at me: Jordan Lavallee-Smotherman.

I wonder how that last name looked on the back of his jersey.

You're Never Too Old to Play Hockey

On Frozen Blog has a great post on the GeriHatricks� Annual Senior Hockey Tournament in Laurel. It's an over-50 tournament which brings in teams from all over. One team was the Central Mass Rusty Blades.

My dad has skated a few tournaments with the Rusty Blades, and it is always a good time. With the games full of old timers they tend to be a little slow, but that doesn't matter. The feeling of friendship and brotherhood only grows stronger with age. When I'm home I skate with my dad and other guys his age for fun, and it's the most fun I have skating. They play competitively, but there's always fun to it. If I trying beating my dad down the wing, and he can't stop me, he'll hook me or hold me, but it's all in fun, so it's alright.

While an old-timers tournament may not sound like fun, those are some of the best guys to ever play hockey with. Everyone starts as friends, skates hard, heads back to the locker room as friends, and then share a few beers as they change. For any guy looking for a sport to play into his retirement years, hockey is that game.

Michigan vs. Clarkson

First Period: MI 1, CL 0

Flashes of gold everywhere. That's the only way to describe what is going on so far in this game. Michigan scored on a wraparound where Clarkson goalie Leggio bit on a fake, and his attempted kick-save left him helpless as Michigan's Palushaj looped behind the net and slipped the puck across the line on the other side. Both teams have been playing well, with neither team really holding advantage. Michigan seems to be a little bit better hockey, so I expect them to come out hard in the 2nd.

Miami (OH) vs. Air Force

First Period: Miami 1, AF 0

After one period Miami has a slim 1-0 lead. But despite the close score, Miami has been in control of the game. My dad and younger sister are actually at the game back in Worcester, and my sister noted that "I hope [Air Force skaters] fly planes better than they play hockey." Miami is the more physical team, and are crashing on the boards and battling for loose pucks. Miami is even dominating the faceoff circle.

This game is Miami's to lose. They only way Air Force can win is if they get a couple lucky bounces and net a few lucky goals and sneak away with the win. They have to find a balance between risky attacks and lockdown defense. They have to push in order to get 2 goals, but they also can't give up any more. It will be interesting to see how Air Force comes out in the 2nd period.

Second Period: Miami 1, AF 2

Volkening starts out the period in style by making an NHL-caliber top play save. On the penalty kill the rebound bounces back door to a Miami forward, and as he shoots on the wide open net Air Force goalie Volkening sprawls across and throws out his stick, deflecting the shot. I'll try and link to video of it as soon as I can find it.

Air Force rebounds from their penalty kill to move into the Miami end and bang in a rebound to tie things at 1. Air Force is going to have to play gritty hockey and knock in some ugly goals tonight.

And they seem to agree, as they bang in another hardworking goal. After a few ugly shots, the rebound is collected and an Air Force forward slips the puck five-hole for the lead.

The whole period has been surreal for Air Force. Volkening has made some huge saves, Air Force has banged in some gritty goals, and they kept Miami off the board in the 2nd. Now it's Miami's turn to regroup during the break and come out strong. They're playing their game, they just have to finish their chances. While Volkening is playing well, he is by no means unstoppable, and the RedHawks need to exploit that. It's time to get ready for a dogfight in the third.

Third Period: Miami 2, AF 2

You'd be hard pressed in that period to tell who was the #1 seed and who was the #4. It was Miami who needed the ugly goal to tie, as Camper collected a deflected shot next to the net and buried it for a goal. Volkening had no chance to stop the shot. Air Force backed down a little trying to protect the lead, but it was their too many men penalty that caused the Miami goal. With both teams back on even footing, the OT will be a nail-biter. Miami has the momentum and skill, but Air Force will not give up without a fight. Normally I'd say that Miami's big, physical skill guys will finish this came, but Air Force has played tough tonight, so it really is anyone's game.

Overtime: Miami 3, AF 2

Someone forgot to tell Air Force that they were supposed to roll over in overtime. They fought all the way until Miami's game winner, and certainly gave their all. They were clearly outmatched but still managed several strong scoring chances in the extra session. Both goalies played extremely well, stopping some point-blank shots. But in the end Miami's Justin Mercier made a nice move down the wing and cut back in, beating Volkening for the winner.

Live Blogging the NCAA Hockey Playoffs

For the rest of the weekend I will be liveblogging the NCAA D1 hockey playoffs. I will be blogging any games which are on ESPNU, which as of now is the Miami (OH) vs. Air Force game and then the East Regional final between Michigan and Clarkson at 7:30.

I will be updating summaries after each period of each game, so be sure to check back often for updates.

Late Night Rantings on Hart, Ovechkin, Crosby

After what seems like forever of listening to who should be awarded the Hart this season, it boils down to 2 camps. Either it matters if your team makes the playoffs or not, and therefore Ovechkin can't win if the Caps don't make it. Or playoffs don't matter, and Ovie should be a unanimous pick.

Barry Melrose is in the playoffs decide things camp, and he made a statement that confused me.

"Anybody can play on a bad team, anybody can put up big numbers on a bad team. It's putting them up on a good team, it's putting them up in the playoff time."

For starters, the Hart is chosen for regular season efforts. The Conn Smythe is for work in the playoffs. And shouldn't it be the other way around? Anyone can put up big numbers on a good team, but not everyone can do so on a bad team? I'd imagine it'd be easier to do well when your team doesn't stink.

And yeah, if the Caps miss the playoffs, Ovie wouldn't have mattered, because they would have missed the playoffs either way. But come on, imagine how far back they'd be without him. He is scoring over 27% of the teams goals so far this season. No other 60-plus goal scorer in NHL history has been responsible for more than 20%. Ovechkin is the heart and soul of this team.

And if we're going strictly by how important a player is to his team, does that mean Sidney Crosby should never win the Hart Trophy again? Because it's clear that his team can do just as well, make that even better, when he's not playing. So just how important to his team is he?

When it's all said and done Ovie should walk away as league MVP no matter what. But to be safe, how 'bout we just have the Caps make the playoffs. And if that happens and he still doesn't win, I want to see a Johnny Drama-style verbal lashing of whoever didn't vote for him.

All in the Family

For the past couple days I've been hearing and reading about the fight involving Patrick Roy's son in juniors. Patrick Roy owns and coaches the team, and was said to have encouraged his son before the fight. And if you watch the video, it isn't so much a fight as a one-sided beatdown. Before I wasn't sure if it was actually that bad, or it was just being blown up because it involved Patrick Roy. Well, it turns out it was really that bad.

I don't know what either Roy was thinking. Yes they were losing big in the playoffs, but there's never room for that kind of stuff in hockey. It clearly looks like the elder Roy knew what was about to happen and gave a sort of "fine, go ahead" gesture to his son. A seven game suspension for Jonathan and a five-gamer for Patrick isn't enough. Well, 5 may be alright for the Roy behind the bench. But his son deserves more than 7 games. What he did was inexcusable, and 15-20 games would be more deserving.

Nicklas Who?

According to Yahoo Sports, this is what Nicklas Backstrom looks like:

Something doesn't seem right.

Someone's Optimistic

From the AP, on Wild defenseman Kurtis Foster...

Minnesota Wild defenseman Kurtis Foster is recovering in California after having surgery to repair a broken left leg...He had to be carried off the ice on a stretcher and his season is likely over.

i'd say more than likely. Anyone who comes back that quick, even if it was in the Cup finals, is either a miracle healer or plain dumb, or both.

Vesa Toskala's YouTube Moment

Poor guy. If this guy never wins a Stanley Cup, here's the video they'll be showing the day they put him in the ground:

Awards Season

Mike Brophy kicks off an argument today about what exactly constitutes an outstanding or most valuable player. His story today breaks down who he feels could vie for the Hart Trophy, and why. But it seems like he is a little misguided in his ideas, and people have noticed. On Frozen Blog mentions his lack of direction in choosing candidates.

'With a few weeks to go, the Hart Trophy is still wide open from my perspective. So wide open, in fact, Daniel Alfredsson might sneak into the pack with a strong finish.'

Alfie definitely is valuable to his team, but this suggestion goes against his logic for the other candidates (except for Brodeur and possibly Iginla). Ottawa is a team who went through much of the season in the number one spot in the conference, but they�re now in a bit of a decline. Yet, according to Brophy�s logic, because the Sens are going to the playoffs, a player like Alfredsson would be a good candidate.

And according to Japers' Rink, Brophy forgot Ovie entirely in his first list of candidates. He even includes Vinny Lecavalier on his early list. While Vinny has had a remarkable season, he has St. Louis, and at least had Richards to spread things out. Even Vaclav Prospal was contributing before going to Philly. And Tampa Bay still sits in the bottom of the East.

With these ideas in mind The Peerless breaks down what exactly the Hart Trophy and Pearson Award mean.

The Hart is for the player "judged to be the most valuable to his team." The Pearson is for the "most outstanding player.

Is being the most valuable or most outstanding about numbers, or contributions to the team? Is it about a goalie backstopping a team with more defensive holes than swiss cheese? Is it a scorer who single-handedly prevents his team from tallying the least goals in the league? Or is it a third line checker who shuts down opposing stars night after night? I'm not even sure exactly what constitutes the most valuable or outstanding. But I know that it's more than stats. It's how well your team plays with you. It's how you affect your linemates' play. When it's all said and done people should sit back and say man, that guy plays heart and soul, and helps his team more than anyone else. Now who do you think fits that bill?

Pronger Slapped With 8 Games

After initially getting away without punishment, the league took a second look at the Chris Pronger stomp on Ryan Kesler's leg and hit Prongs with an 8 game suspension. The video evidence clearly showed that Pronger intentionally stomped on the leg of Ryan Kesler when he was down on the ice. After seeing then-Islander Chris Simon get slapped with a 30-game suspension for stomping the boot of Pittsburgh's Jarkko Ruutu, it is hard to see why Pronger only got 8 games.

Some can say that Simon was punished so severely in part for his past history. But Pronger has been suspended numerous times, including twice in the playoffs last year. On the NHL page at TSN.ca 80% of voters felt that the suspension wasn't long enough. Over at Polemic Hockey Rick takes a look at the suspension and notes that it's all about what people think Prongs was trying to do.

8 games for Pronger may seem like a lot if you credit that he was just trying to get loose, and very light if you think it was intentional.

It's a tough call for the NHL to make, but it seems like with his past Pronger should have gotten a few more games, maybe 15. But when the league ends up with such contrasting suspensions for nearly the same infraction, it just looks bad. And with the Ducks seemingly out of the race for the Pacific lead, and nearly a lock for the 4-5 series, missing Pronger for 8 games isn't a big deal. The NHL and Colin Campbell need to take a hard look at how they handled this and see how they can get it right in the future.

Sen's Paddock Sent to Pasture

With Ottawa in a tailspin they fired head coach John Paddock,and are having GM Bryan Murray step back behind the bench for the remainder of the season.

The Sens have lost 6 of their last 8 and 14 of their last 21, and have slipped to #2 in the East after holding the top spot for most of the season. Whether it's the same type of problem facing Detroit, or something completely different, Ottawa needs to start playing like they want to win. They pack scoring forwards named Spezza, Heatley, and Alfredsson, and their firepower can be matched really by only Pittsburgh or Detroit.

Murray led them to the finals last year. Can he improve on it this season? Last season Lou Lamoriello fired Devils coach Claude Julien with 3 games to go in the season. He stepped behind the bench and New Jersey didn't even make it to the Conference finals, losing to Ottawa in the semis. Will Murray have more time to change things and make the run? He did coach most of these guys last season. I don't think he'll ever be considered as crazy as Lamoriello, but I'm still not sure he should have pulled the plug on Paddock so quickly.

A Cool Million and Four Cars

That's what Darwin Head could win if he scores a few empty netters during the 1st intermission of the Colorado-Vancouver game in Vancouver.

During the first intermission, Head and two friends - avid hockey player and cousin Lance Badger, and die-hard Canucks fan Randy Bout - will head to centre ice, where they will each have 15 seconds to shoot 10 pucks at an open net (30 pucks in total). Depending on the number of total goals scored as a group, prizes will be awarded as follows:

- 5 goals - Head wins a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
- 10 goals - Head, Badger and Bout win a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
- 15 goals - Head, Badger, Bout and one in-arena fan attending the game at General Motors Place all win a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, for a total of four cars given away

Immediately following the group shots at centre ice, Head will move back to the far blue line where he will have 24 seconds to shoot 20 pucks into an open net. If Head scores 15 or more goals within the allotted time, he will win $1 million in a one-time payout.

Sounds relatively easy. Although I'm not sure if they'll be getting an ice cut beforehand. Also, Head will have Hall of Famer Bobby Orr on his side, as Head and his friends will get a one-hour practice session with the Bruins great on Wednesday afternoon.

I don't know, but it seems like Head and his friends could all be leaving in new cars, one of which may have a big check in the backseat, a la Happy Gilmore.

Trade Day Breakdown

The deals today certainly clarified what teams considered themselves out of the hunt and what ones are poised for a run at the Cup. Here are some of the bigger buyers and sellers from today.

Sellers

* The Kings sent goalie J.S. Aubin to Anaheim for a 7th round pick and Brad Stuart to Detroit for 2nd and 4th round picks.

* Toronto sends Wade Belak to Florida for a 5th round pick. Hall Gill goes to Pittsburgh for 2nd and 5th rounders. Finally, Chad Kilger follows Belak to Florida for a 3rd round pick.

* The Islanders send Marc-Andre Bergeron to the Ducks for a 3rd round pick. They also send the troubled Chris Simon to Minnesota for a 6th round pick.

* Columbus sends Adam Foote to Colorado for a 1st round pick and a conditional 1st rounder if he re-signs. They also send Sergei Fedorov to Washington for prospect Ted Ruth.

* Atlanta sends Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis to the Pens for a 1st round pick, prospect Angelo Esposito, Colby Armstrong, and Erik Christensen. They also sent Alex Giroux back to the Caps for Joe Motzko.

Buyers

* The Caps acquire Sergei Fedorov from Columbus for Ruth. They also send underproducing Matt Pettinger to Vancouver for Matt Cooke. And finally they sent a 2nd round pick to Montreal for goalie Cristobal Huet. Also, they swap Motzko for Giroux with Atlanta.

* Pittsburgh sends a bunch of young guys and picks to Toronto and Atlanta for Hal Gill, Marian Hossa, and Pascal Dupuis.

* Colorado signs Peter Forsberg, sends a pick to Columbus for Adam Foote, and sends Karlis Skrastins and a 3rd round pick to Florida for defenseman Ruslan Salei.

* Anaheim gets J.S. Aubin to back up J.S. Giguire from LA for a 7th round pick. They also get Bergeron from the Islanders for a 3rd round pick.

* San Jose acquires Brian Campbell and a 7th rounder and sends Steve Bernier and a 1st rounder to Buffalo.

Other Big Deals

* Dallas gets Brad Richards and Johan Holmqvist from Tampa Bay. They send backup goalie Mike Smith, Jussi Jokinen, Jeff Halpern, and a 4th rd. pick to Tampa Bay.

* New York sends Marcel Hossa and Al Montoya to Phoenix for Fredrik Sjostrom, David Leneveu, and Josh Gratton.

Some Thoughts

* The Caps have done a solid job of addressing their problems in net and the 2nd line center positions. Cooke also helps give the Caps another forechecker up front.

* Toronto got rid of a few guys in return for some picks. They did what they could with Sundin refusing to move. The picks will help them build for the future.

* The Pens are serious about a Cup for a 2nd year in a row. They've snagged the top sniper on the market and a solid blueliner. They've mortgaged much of their future, but with their big names -Crosby, Fluery, Malkin, and others- young themselves, they should be fine.

* Columbus sent their veteran UFAs to Colorado and Washington in return for a 1st rounder and a solid defensive prospect. They know they're out, so they're working towards their future.

* Anaheim had a repeat of last year, doing minimum work while still solidifying their lineup. Maybe the key to victory is minor changes.

NY Times Slap Shot Interview

A couple of days back, I got a note from Jeffrey Z. Klein of the New York Times asking me to fill out a hockey blogger questionnaire. I was happy to oblige, and my contribution appeared late yesterday afternoon over at Slap Shots along with entries from other Southeast Division bloggers. Please check it out.

Forsberg back in Colorado

Just days after his agent said he probably wouldn't be returning, ESPN is reporting that Peter Forsberg has signed with the Colorado Avalanche.

"We're proud to announce to our fans that Peter Forsberg has decided to come back and play with our franchise where he's enjoyed so much success early in his career," Avalanche general manager Francois Giguere said in a statement. "His addition should complement our roster and will bring our team to an even higher competitive level."

It seems like a good idea, as the Avs are low on scoring and have their big names either out or just returning from injury. Forsberg is a point per game guy that could really boost the scoring for Colorado.

Friday Night at Clyde's

Instead of reviewing the rough Caps games from last weekend, Japers' Rink took the time to remind everyone about the fundraiser being put on for the Wilson High hockey team.

The long and the short of it is that Wilson is D.C.'s only public high school with a varsity hockey team and following the loss of their coach last winter to pneumonia, the program is on the verge of being dissolved (more details can be found over at OFB).

In an effort to help out a little bit, a group of bloggers (led by OFB) is hosting a fundraiser this coming Friday night at Clyde's of Gallery Place. For $10 a head, you can help out a great cause AND have a good shot at some great prizes (including items signed by Caps and Hershey Bears players).

So if you're looking for something to do Friday night, come out to Clyde's. In the upstairs room there will be those prizes, as well as the game against New Jersey on the tvs. There will be bloggers, fans, and other hockey folk from around the area, so I encourage everyone who can to show up and show their support.

How Two Men Can Make a Team

15-15-4. That was the Ducks' record nearly halfway into the season. As defending Cup champions they were mired near the bottom of the playoff picture.

That all changed when Scott Niedermayer returned. Since then the Ducks are 19-8-3. With several Western defenseman pulling out of the All-Star game, Niedermayer was chosen even though he had only played 20 games or so this season. As of now he has 14 points in 30 games.

The Ducks are also bolstered by the return of Teemu Selanne, who has 5 points in 8 games. Anaheim has won 7 of 8 since Selanne's return. He has filled a role as a 2nd line forward, and is producing as expected.

From the AP;

Now with Niedermayer and the return this week of heart-and-soul forward Teemu Selanne, who also said no to retirement after thinking long and hard about it, the Ducks could be setting themselves up for another run at the Cup.

That was written a few weeks ago, and that "could be" has turned into "will". Anaheim has jumped all the way up to 4th in the West, and are only 4 points behind Dallas for the Pacific lead. True the Ducks have a bunch of guys putting up great numbers; Getzlaf, Perry, Kunitz, Pronger, and Schneider. But Niedermayer and Selanne are guys that bump a team up another level. They give all they have every game, and it's been evident in the Ducks play since they've been back. You could tell at the beginning of the season the grind was getting to the Ducks, and they seemed lost. But the two veterans returning have righted the ship and positioned them for a possible repeat.

These two men have breathed life into this team, and have injected it with an energy that they hope will carry all the way to the Cup finals.

Never Say Die

A friend of mine on the Catholic hockey team mentioned last week that high school rivalries and pride never dies. So imagine how I felt when I checked telegram.com, my hometown paper's website, and saw this headline; "Lopes personally lifts Guardians".

With one game left in the regular season the St. Peter-Marian Guardians needed to win to make the playoffs. The only problem was, they were down 2 goals in the 3rd, and spent over half the period shorthanded, thanks to some untimely penalties. Here's what happened;

Junior center Matt Lopes scored a natural hat trick in a span of less than seven minutes in the final period, all short-handed, including the tying goal with 53 seconds left and the winning goal with 17 seconds left, to lift the host Guardians into the postseason with a wild comeback victory at the Hart Center.

St. Peter-Marian pulled within a goal when Lopes scored at 8:07, Sean Gaffney assisting.

With time running out on their season and five penalties in the period keeping the Guardians short-handed, SPM pulled goalie Ryan Griffin with almost four minutes left. They finally broke through for the tying goal at 14:07, with Lopes corralling the rebound of a Steve Reese shot and beating Franklin goalie Corey Clarmont to even the score at 3-3.

The Guardians (9-9-2) continued to attack with Sean Dextradeur, who had given his team the early lead with a goal at 2:24 of the first period, finding Colin Mulvey for a shot that Clarmont saved but did not cover. Lopes dove for the rebound and poked the puck into the net.

A shorthanded natural hat trick, including 2 goals in the final minute of play. And that's after pulling the goalie for the final 4 minutes of the game. How much do you think those kids wanted to win that game? And how high do you think they were riding after they won?

I try to follow my SPM Guardians as much as I can, in nearly every sport. I wrote last year how they defeated rival St. John's in their final game to prevent the Pioneers from reaching the playoffs. SPM didn't make the playoffs either, but it was just as good a feeling as sending our rivals home early too. This season the boys were playing for themselves, and fought as hard as they could to play another game. So it's with a deep sense of pride that I say congratulations to the SPM hockey team on staging a comeback to rival Montreal's win over the Rangers, and good luck in the Massachusetts Division 1 playoffs.

Much Ado About Nothing

After months of waiting and speculation, it looks like Peter Forsberg won't be helping anyone to the Cup this year. From Yahoo Sports;

His agent, Don Baizley, told teams Forsberg did not have enough confidence in the strength of his surgically repaired right foot to play this season.

"He's been hopeful that he would get the level of confidence that he needed, but he can't," Baizley said by phone. "I don't know how close or how far away he feels. He was hopeful up until this weekend that he would be able to do it."

The frontrunners for Forsberg always seemed to be the Flyers, and it looks like they'll now have to curb their downward spiral without him. Says Sherry of Scarlet Ice;

I give Forsberg credit for being honest about the fact that he doesn't feel like he's healthy enough to return although it makes the "Where will he go?" talk over the last couple of months all for naught.

It is refreshing to see a star sit back and accept that he isn't able to perform at his highest level. He has gained respect by sitting out the rest of the season than if he came back and was at less than 100% for the remainder of the year. Heres hoping he comes back to full health, and has the chance to come back and play for someone next year.

Detroit Trips Up in the Central

I imagine Detroit is cursing whoever made the NHL schedule back-heavy with divisional games. After Tuesday's loss to Nashville they are 7-8-2 against their Central Division rivals. Compare that to 34-5-3 against the rest of the league.

Is there an explanation for what is going on here? It's not like the Red Wings are playing horribly against the Central. One game under .500 isn't that bad for a normal team. But when you're busy destroying the rest of the league on a nightly basis, it's not good.

The good thing for Detroit is that it looks like Nashville will be the only other team from the Central to make the postseason. The problem is, they are hovering around the 7 or 8 seed in the West. What happens if they pull 8, and face Detroit in the opening round? Is it another early exit for the Wings, or do they step up in crunch time and send the Preds to the golf links?

Having lost four straight and with Daniel Cleary and Niklas Kronwall out for awhile, you have to wonder how the Red Wings will respond. Normally I'd say the team slides into a funk, maybe playing .500 hockey for a while, but pulling things together at the end. But Detroit isn't a normal team this season. They are head and shoulders above the rest of the league, have the lowest goals-against in the league, and trail only Ottawa in goals for(199 to 194).

Greg Wyshynski likens Detroit's situation to that of Hilary Clinton.

I imagine being the Detroit Red Wings is a bit like being Hillary Clinton a year ago: It's hard to remain hungry and aggressive when you're so far ahead of the field and the mainstream media is penning valentines about your inevitability. And then, in a blink, you've got a conference full of Obamas nipping at your skates, ready to take you down when the games really begin.

Well the Red Wings are being nipped at as we speak, and may not be as high and mighty as we think they are come the end of the season. 14 of their last 15 games, including their last 11, are against Central rivals. And the other game is against Dallas, who is the 2nd hottest team in the league right now. So they will have a tough finish to their season if they can't figure out how to win against the teams they see the most. And if they spend the last month and a half fighting to figure out how to win, they will be spent come playoff time. New England fans saw how the Patriots just burned themselves out come the Super Bowl. It's not a stretch of the imagination to believe the Red Wings might do something similar.

Bottom line is, if they want to go the whole way, they have to figure out how to make it through their Division, and hope that they don't see Nashville or any other Central team in the postseason.

A Coaching Genius

Some great NHL Network commercials.

Thanks to On Frozen Blog for the heads up.

Catholic U vs. George Washington U After the Caps

After the Caps-'Canes game tonight the Catholic University ice hockey team (including yours truly) will face off against the George Washington hockey team at the Verizon Center. The game will be played immediately after the Capitals game, and I encourage everyone who has the chance to stay and watch as much of the game as they can. GW has sold about 200 student tickets, while we at Catholic have sold over 400 tickets to students, family, and friends. We have helped give the Caps what appears to be a sellout for their game tonight, which, if I'm not mistaken, may be their first sellout of the season. For our game all fans are welcome to get up and move down to seats closer to the ice.

In the last meeting between GW and Catholic the Colonials came away with a 2-goal win, but Catholic has been playing strong hockey of late and is hungry for a win at the VC. It should be a good game, and, again, I encourage all who can to stick around for awhile.

And if you need any more prodding, there will be 3 15-minute periods with no ice cuts, so there will still be plenty of time to wander the bars and streets of DC afterwards.

The NHL's Top Plays

Not even being in the NHL didn't stop Robby Schremp from snagging the Top Play of the Week for the NHL. Even when he messes up a breakaway trick shot he not only makes it look good, but scores too. I found a nice compilation video of his goals when he played for the London Knights of the OHL. All I can say is I can't imagine drafting a defenseman or goalie from that league.

ESPN did a great job of pulling together a nice mix of plays on this list. I thought Parros dropping Cote might have been the best one, but maybe it's just because I'm not a fan of the Flyers this season.

Ovechkin's 4 goals took the #4 spot, although I think any of the first 3 could have made it on their own. Add in the stitches and broken shnoz and it could have been #1.

Hedberg, Holmqvist, and Thomas were in there with some stellar saves, and it was nice to see not only great goals, but great passes that led to goals. While we may not get a whole lot of hockey on Sportscenter anymore, the NHL page on Espn.com doesn't disappoint.

Keeping Hockey Alive in the District

From pucksandbooks over at OFB;

On Tuesday a Washington Post staffer emailed me the link to Jeff Nelson�s wonderful profile of the Wilson High School hockey program, which started and took root in recent years under Head Coach Paul McKenzie. McKenzie succumbed to pneumonia last year, and in his absence the Wilson program is struggling to remain solvent and intact. If you haven�t read the piece, you really should. From the moment I finished it late Tuesday afternoon it got inside me and banged around inside my head and heart. At first I couldn�t quite figure out why � I had no personal connection with McKenzie or his players, none either with the school.

Agitated but unsure exactly why, but sure I�d been made aware of a story necessitating action, I emailed Ted Leonsis. At the time I had no idea that he was away at Sundance. In my email I said, �It�s the District�s first public high school hockey team. We can�t let it fail.� By �we� I meant Washingtonians.

In my email to Leonsis I told him that this story was a call to action for the region�s hockey lovers � most particularly, the team�s bloggers. Often we rally around a hot story and offer our respective takes in alternating hues of humor, wry reflection, and cleverness, but in this instance, my gut told me that we needed to rally around a cause. I also knew that if we in the blogging community were to try and do something of substance for Wilson�s program, we�d need the Caps� help.

...I sent my email and ran out to grab some dinner. I was home less than 30 minutes later and had waiting for me his reply: �We�re on it,� the owner wrote. Approximately 50 seconds later, I had email from Kurt Kehl, who heads up the Caps� communications team. �Just let me know what I can do to help,� he wrote.

Both the post and the article are definitely worth checking out, and I encourage everyone to continue to follow this story, and help us help others. Pucksandbooks' title says it all, "Washingtonians Helping Out Washington Hockey Players."

All-Star Rosters Finalized

With several players out of the All-Star game due to injuries or family reasons, the NHL has released the finalized, at least for now, All-Star rosters.

For the East, Marc Savard replaces Dany Heatley. Evgeni Malkin steps in for Sidney Crosby, and Tim Thomas will be between the pipes in place of Martin Brodeur.

For the West, Corey Perry replaces Paul Statsny, Mike Ribiero takes Henrik Zetterberg's spot, and Scott Neidermayer will play for Sergei Zubov.

That means that the Devils and Avalanche won't have anyone representing them in the All-Star game. With the additions, the Ducks take the lead in the West with 4 All-Stars, while Boston is tops in the East with 3 Bruins in the big game.

On The Ice In Brockton

I pulled the above image from a Flickr set of color photos taken by the U.S Government during the Great Depression and World War II. Those kids are on a frozen pond somewhere in Brockton, Mass. in December 1940.

The ice looks a little thin if you ask me.

Thanks to Instapundit for the pointer.

Q & A With Ryan Gebler

Off Wing Opinion is all about the NHL, with a little AHL and college or international hockey thrown in from time to time. And while the big focus of college hockey is DI, many students play at lower levels, one of them being D3 club. So tonight I've decided to sit down with my close friend and Catholic University Ice Hockey Assistant Captain Ryan Gebler, and ask him a few questions about how he came to be a hockey player, and how his season is going so far this year.

So Ryan, when did you start playing hockey?
I started playing street hockey with my older brother and his friends when I was about 6. I was on the younger side of the kids in the neighborhood, so the easiest way to fit in was to play hockey. I was lucky though, I didn't have to play goalie too much.

You're from Pittsburgh. How was it growing up in that kind of hockey atmosphere?

I wouldn't have been anything if it wasn't for Mario Lemieux. When I played deck hockey I was always number 66. I remember going to the games and watching him play. It was great having such an amazing player in my backyard. And when Crosby came, it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. He was my age. Most people know exactly where they were when JKF was shot, but I remember exactly where I was when Mario announced he was coming out of retirement.

You mentioned that you and Sidney are the same age. How would you compare yourself to him on the ice?

Obviously he's my idol, and the more I watch him the more I try to model my game after him. He uses his legs behind the net and is strong in the corner. He also uses his feet well to kick the puck to his stick or make other plays. And his vision on the ice is second to none. And yeah, I've tried some of his fancy moves more than once.

So how does it feel playing D3 club level collegiate hockey while guys younger than you are skating in the NHL?

I try not to think about it like that, because I try to take things seriously. Hockey for them is their life, and while I love hockey, it's not my life. I'm content with where I am, and I love my friends, and what I do, and where my life is at. And just because it's D3 club doesn't mean there's not talent. I've seen better players here than I did when I played on Pennsylvania amateur teams. Some kids there were drafted or went to D I or juniors. It's no NHL, but we take our hockey seriously.

What are some of the highlights of playing D3 club hockey?

My teammates are awesome. I've made some great friends. I love the college rivalries too. I like playing for my school, being able to pull on the CUA jersey and hit the ice. It's competitive hockey with a great bunch of teammates who might as well be family, but at the same time I don't have to give every waking hour to it.

You sound like a close-knit team. How do you guys get along both on and off the ice?

It starts at the top with coach. Coach Manning might as well be one of the guys. He's not that much older than us, and he treats us as friends, instead of keeping his distance. And the older guys really make the new guys feel welcome. I felt comfortable from my first practice.

And what about your linemates?

We have great chemistry. I center a good pair of guys, Phil Morroni and Rob Ryan. Phil's the Joe Thornton to my Evgeni Malkin, always there with a solid pass. He may not be too flashy, but he is where he needs to be all the time, and is a great all-around player. And Rob just hits everything that moves. He gives his all every shift and does a great job of creating turnovers and opportunities for us to score. He's everywhere at once and does a great job of giving me and Phil room to work.

So you're the goalscorer on the line?

I've never been the big goalscorer, but this season I've really picked up my game. I lead the league in goals at the moment, but that's all due to my linemates and coach. He lets me play my own style, and our line just meshes, and we're lucky enough to score a lot. The best part is that we've been getting it done against really good teams. We really seem to step it up, and I always feel like our line can get that critical goal whenever the team needs one. And I told my mom and dad I'd say hi, so hi, haha.

What about the rest of the team?

We have possibly the best 2nd and 3rd lines in the league. Our 2nd line has co-captains Will Donahue and Greg Kavazanjian who bring the energy and senior leadership to the team. They're always there to get us going again if we start to let up. Along with sniper Mike Cullen they make a dangerous offensive trio. And our third line of Zak McGinniss, Kyle Iobbi, and Billy Titus give us the depth we never really had last season. Iobbi is one of the biggest impact freshman we have this season, and he's really stepped up his game this semester.

And how about your blueliners?

Defense is a very deep position for us. Freshmen Steve Sandora and Pat Redding have stepped up big, and compliment each other nicely. Jimmy Sinnott and newcomer Phil Tapia fit nicely, with Tapia more of a puckhandler and Jimmy the big hitter. Our other pairing is Matt Patella and Kevin Amato, who combine to be our biggest and most veteran pair. They may lack top-end speed, but they make up for it with calm under pressure and strong communication. And we have a deep bench of players ready to step in if any one of them should get injured. That also goes for the forwards, as we have several guys, most noteably Greg Cancro, Tommy Bowles, and TJ Garrigan, who could step into even the first line if need be.

So enough about the players, how is the season going so far?

A lot better than I expected. Last year we were middle-of-the-pack, and we had trouble with the better teams. This season those same teams are afraid to play us. This past weekend was rough, with us losing to two nationally ranked teams. Both were one-goal losses, with one coming in overtime. But they know we hit, have goalscorers and playmakers, and they know we don't pack things in when we're down. We come to play every game all-out.

Any chance of playoffs this year?

We've already made the playoffs, and there's an outside shot at a first-round bye. We have two more games before the playoffs, and I don't plan on coming home early. My parents will be coming down to Hershey to see us in the postseason, and I don't want us to disappoint.

Any last thoughts about the team?

I think this is the year that we put Catholic hockey on the map. We're the strongest we've been in years according to coach and the upperclassmen, and we're definitely better than last year. We've become a force in the league this year, and I expect nothing but improvement the next few years.

50 Years to the Day

...Willie O'Ree became the first black player in the NHL. For a look into how it happened, and what Willie thinks of it, check out Ross McKeon's column at Yahoo Sports.

Nash's Early Entry for Goal of the Year

Warning: You might want to put on some sort of chin-strap, or make sure you are over a soft surface, because your jaw will hit the floor. There's no way around it. This goal is that good. See for yourself.

I'm not sure if the defense knows quite what happened yet. Nash just went through and undressed them before cutting around Tellqvist and snapping the puck into the open net. Take into account it was a tie game, and Nash scored with 22 seconds to go, and that play is the definition of a clutch goalscorer.

Questions In Carolina

And GM Jim Rutherford is asking some tough ones. I take a look, over at FanHouse.

Rough Stuff for Ottawa Ref

Out of the Ottawa Sun;

Police are investigating after a young linesman received a broken jaw while trying to break up a scrap during a minor hockey game at the Winchester arena Monday night.

Kyle Dearing, 21, said he was trying to stop a scuffle between two major-midget teams representing North Dundas and North Glengarry-Stormont.

"I was blindsided," Dearing said yesterday.

He remembers breaking up a melee between two players when one of them "swung at me twice."

Another official told him a player jumped off the bench and knocked him to the ice.

And apparently this was the second such altercation involving a hockey official in Ottawa in a week. It always blows my mind when senseless stuff like this takes place. Hockey is a sport of controlled violence, with checking and hitting conducted within the confines of the rules. Even fighting is allowed, albeit again in a controlled environment. But as a player, or even someone who isn't, it's crucial to be able to know when to get control of yourself at the appropriate time. Several months ago I wrote about a hockey brawl in eastern Canada, where part of the brawl involved a team representative striking at a linesman. There's just things you don't do, and hitting an official is one of them. And the ref was only a 21 year old kid. It will be interesting to see what happens to the player when the league comes down with a ruling.

Worst Jerseys Ever?

The Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL wore some pretty interesting jerseys for Saturday's game, honoring the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers with a nice powder blue and yellow ensemble.

From Milwaukeehockey.com;

On January 12, 2008, the American Hockey League's Milwaukee Admirals wore a special jersey honoring the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers in a game against the Rockford (IL) IceHogs.

The jerseys were auctioned off with proceeds going to charity. Each season, Milwaukee wears two or three special jerseys for charity. Previous themed jerseys include St. Patrick's Day, Admirals throwbacks, Christmas, Hawaiian, patriotic, Bob Uecker plaid, and tie dye.

This got me to thinking. What exactly did those other horrid-sounding jerseys look like? Well let's see.

I didn't know pirate skeletons moonlighted as leprechauns.

Another good reason why Hawaii and ice don't go together.

There are no words. Just blinded eyes.

Well there you have it. The Norfolk Admirals have had possibly the worst jerseys in hockey history. If you have any other less-than-spectacular-looking jersey photos lying around, feel free to comment.

(All photos are from Milwaukeehockey.com)

Best of the Brawls

After seeing what might be the craziest brawl of all time during a game between Russian Superleague teams Kazan Ak Bars and Chelyabinsk Traktor, I pulled up what I think might be the wildest NHL brawl in recent years.

From Alex Ovetjkin;

Senators vs. Flyers, March 5, 2004.

The article, translated in part by the NY Times, noted that;

But [Traktor coach Andrei Nazarov] also said something that made sense: the NHL rule imposing automatic longterm suspensions for clearing the benches, and even longer suspensions for doing so in the last minute of play, would have prevented the absurdities in Kazan.

It's a valid point, and one wonders how long until the Superliga follows suit with their own rules regarding this type of thing. It was sadly amusing watching the refs signal the players to remain by their benches, then just standing there, unable to prevent the rest of the players from rushing into the fight.

Also, some runners up for the best NHL brawl:
Sabres vs. Senators, February 2, 2007
Red Wings vs. Avalance, March 26, 1997
Rangers vs. Kings, playoffs, 1981
Winnipeg Jets vs. Calgary Flames

Washington Capitals v. Philadelphia Flyers (Period 1)

Photo by Ellen Blanchard

Also be sure to check out more pictures from tonight's game on our flickr page and also our Photoshelter account

Photo by Ellen Blanchard

Photo by Ellen Blanchard

Eastern All-Star Roster

Eastern Conference All-Stars by the numbers:

Goalies GP W L OT GA SA GAA SV%

* Martin Brodeur 38 23 13 2 80 999 2.11 .920
* Rick DiPietro 37 16 14 5 90 1,018 2.52 .912
* Thomas Vokoun 39 19 17 2 99 1,205 2.65 .918

Defense GP G A P +/- PIM

* Andrei Markov 43 11 19 30 -2 28
* Zdeno Chara 43 6 20 26 4 73
* Brian Campbell 42 4 24 28 3 2
* Sergei Gonchar 39 7 27 34 2 40
* Tomas Kaberle 44 6 21 27 -1 14
* Kimmo Timonen 39 5 15 20 -2 24

Forwards GP G A P +/- PIM

* Sidney Crosby 43 18 41 59 11 35
* Vincent Lecavalier 44 28 35 63 4 50
* Daniel Alfredsson 41 26 30 56 16 12
* Scott Gomez 44 10 30 46 2 18
* Dany Heatley 42 25 30 55 31 44
* Marian Hossa 42 16 22 38 -9 22
* Ilya Kovalchuk 45 36 25 61 -7 23
* Alex Ovechkin 43 32 20 52 6 22
* Mike Richards 41 19 28 47 12 43
* Jason Spezza 36 15 37 52 21 24
* Eric Staal 46 23 18 41 -4 22
* Martin St. Louis 44 17 34 51 2 14

The NHL hockey operations department did a good job of picking this year's Eastern Conference roster. They managed to pick strong players from every team while still balancing out positions.

But it would have been nice to see Mike Green make it into the game in place of Kimmo Timonen. Green has more goals, penalty minutes, and points, and has been crucial to the turnaround of the Caps.

Much Ado About Alex Ovechkin

13 years and $124 million to keep the best goal scorer in the league here in Washington. And I remember being astonished when Jaromir Jagr signed a 7-year, $77 million deal. Absolutely unreal.

I've been tracking this today at FanHouse. Click here for the first report, and here for the second.

Not Everybody Loves Sidney

Count Boston's Andrew Ference out as a member of the Sidney Crosby Fan Club.

Luongo to Skip All-Star Game

According to the AP, Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo will skip the All-Star game to spend time with his pregnant wife. He will also miss their first game after the break as well, then rejoin them for a two-game swing through Florida. He was chosen by fans to start for the West, meaning Columbus' Pascal Leclaire will step into the starting spot. But the best line to come out of the article was this;

Luongo received 263,221 votes to edge Columbus' Pascal Leclaire (180,381).

Somehow I think getting over 80 thousand more votes than the runner-up would have earned Luongo something like "eclipsed" or "cruised by." Maybe "edged" made Leclaire feel better.

Update: With the West All-Star roster announced today, Pascal Leclaire won't be going, and West coach Mike Babcock will have to choose a starter out of Chris Osgood, Evgeni Nabokov, and Manny Legace.

Flyers Up To Their Old Tricks

That's Topic A over at this morning's Ice Sheet.

Can Anyone Stop Detroit?

I look at some of the numbers at The Sporting News.

Ovie Gets No Respect In Dallas

Dallas Morning News hockey beat writer Mike Heika thinks Nicklas Backstrom has an outside shot at winning the Calder Trophy. But he's got an odd way of saying it:

The Chicago duo of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews might fight all season for this award. Then again, maybe Washington's Nicklas Backstrom might continue to feed Ilya Kovalchuk and snatch it away from both. Bottom line, this is one of the best rookie races in years. Atlanta defenseman Tobias Enstrom and St. Louis defenseman Erik Johnson are dark horses, and you even have to toss in Dallas' Matt Niskanen. The preseason guess here was Backstrom, so we're sticking with that pick.

I guess those Russkies all look alike out West.

Verizon Hockey Commercial

The other great hockey commercial that was showed during the Winter Classic game was from Verizon. It showed a man cheering on his newborn baby in the hospital nursery.

I can't imagine any time where pounding on the nursery glass would be acceptable. But man is it funny in the commercial.

Ryan Miller Amp Commercial

This is the Amp Energy Commercial featuring goalies Ryan Miller of the Sabres and Jean-Sebastien Aubin of the Kings. It was shown during the Winter Classic game on New Years.

It is an amusing take on the subject of goalie reaction time, and is nicely done. Kudos to Amp for making a quality hockey commercial. It would be nice to see it on the major networks though.

Looking Back At The Winter Classic

That was one of the topics of my Wednesday column over at the Sporting News, along with a mini-review of Ice Kings, a great little documentary about Rhode Island high school ice hockey.

And don't forget, you can always find my latest contributions to FanHouse by clicking here. For my Sporting News archive, click here.

Boudreau Checks In On the Bears

While I've been home here in the MA, I've gone to a few Worcester Sharks AHL games with friends, and have seen some great hockey. Well tonight the Hershey Bears were in town, and lost to the Sharks 3-1. They played well, with special teams breaking even. They gave up a powerplay goal, but Chris Bourque also scored a shorthanded goal. He also made a nice 1-on-1 move around the defender before being tripped up, drawing a penalty on Worcester.

Davis Parley was called up from from the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays and made his first AHL start of the season, giving up 3 fairly soft goals before being pulled in the second period. Daren Machesney was sent in, and stopped all 19 shots he faced.

After the game, as I was walking out, I ran into Coach Boudreau and several other members of the Capitals organization. The Capitals are in town to play the Bruins tomorrow night, and Coach Boudreau stopped by Worcester to see his Bears. He's off to Boston tonight, and best of luck to both him and the players tomorrow night.

NHL Winter Classic; Pens vs. Sabres

The Pens are in their throwback powder blue jerseys, while the Sabres have their old crossed-swords and buffalo crest jerseys. The snow is falling, and the players are all bundled up.

Well apparently Eric had the same idea, and is live-blogging the game over at the AOL NHL Fanhouse.

First Period: PIT 1, BUF 0

* The Penguins jump to a 1-0 lead just 21 seconds into the game. You could see the puck slow up on the snowy ice between Sabres defenders, and Crosby collected the puck and came in before Colby Armstrong knocked in the rebound.

* There's no netting around the rink today, so pucks going over the glass will travel awhile before they stop.

* Adam Mair dumps Brooks Orpik in the corner, with Orpiks landing hard on his shoulder and tumbles backwards.

* Just under 5 minutes in Buffalo takes a hooking penalty.

* After killing their penalty, Buffalo takes another one, again for hooking.

* Amp Energy had a great commercial with Ryan Miller and Jean-Sebastien Aubin having a Yo Mamma joke contest, and when Aubin fails to respond quick enough, he gets buzzed out, since a goalie only has .5 seconds to react. Check it out.

* Apparently the operations guys were clearing snow during commercials, and now they are using the 2 Zambonis to clear the entire surface of snow. They're not pumping fresh water, just clearing the snow.

* They just showed a closeup of Sidney Crosby before he lined up for the faceoff, and his usually stoic gaze seems to have a hint of unhappiness. I'm guessing he's a little cold right now.

* Play has stopped, and it looks like a chunk of ice may have come out. They operations guys are packing snow on the ice and using CO2 spray that I can only assume helps freeze everything together. The stop has given the cameras time to pan both the crowd and the benches. There's a stark difference between the rowdy crowd and some of the players, who look miserable and cold on the bench.

* Colby Armstrong clips Miller, who goes down hard in the crease. Armstrong is rewarded with 2 minutes for goalie interference.

* Both teams have clanked shots off the iron a few times already. There could easily be a few more goals.

* The ice crew was back out working on that same patch as before.

* There was a funny story mentioned about how Erik Christensen's father would steal snow off their neighbors lawns in the dark of night when Erik was a kid, so he could improve on the rink in their yard.

* The NBC Intermission Report will include a segment on Slapshot's famous Ogie Oglethorpe. I can't wait. Update: It turns out Ogie was based on Bill "Goldie" Goldthorpe of the Syracuse Blazers, for whom Bob Costas was the announcer in the mid-70s.

Second Period: PIT 1, BUF 1

* While the Pens came out strong in the first period, the beginning of the second is all Buffalo. They're cycling well and keeping the puck in the Pittsburgh zone.

* All that pressure pays off when Brian Campbell takes a cross-ice pass and wrists a top-corner shot to tie things at 1-1.

* Campbell railroads Malone in the corner, dropping Malone to the ice.

* 10 minutes in, neither team seems to be setting up offensively over the last 5 minutes or so. It's mostly up-and-down action.

* Ty Conklin nearly plays the puck outside of the goalie zone behind the net. As the puck was going through the area, he reached to control it, but pulled back his stick before he touched it just outside the zone.

* The Zambonis just cleared the ice again. There was a great shot of the end of the Pittsburgh bench, showing an umbrella over the equipment and a towel draped over the extra sticks, trying to keep everything dry.

* Derek Roy whacks the puck out of midair, and it hits the crossbar and goes out of play.

* With about 6 minutes to go Pittsburgh hasn't registered a shot on goal in the period, while Buffalo has around 15 shots.

* At the end of the period, the Pens have 2 shots according to Doc Emerick. I saw one shot that looked like it might have been on net, but I'm not sure where the second one came from. Either way, Pittsburgh can't win if they can only muster a shot or two a period. I imagine that will be a point of note for Coach Therrien between periods.

Update: According to Bob Costas, neither of the shots Pittsburgh was credited with actually hit the net, so I'm going to consider that as 0 shots in the period.

* During intermission they showed the clip of Mike Millbury going into the stands, taking off a guys shoe, and beating him with it while he was a Bruin. Possibly the greatest hockey clip ever.

Third Period: PIT 1, BUF 1

* Both goalies have made it through the first five minutes without giving up a goal. The ice is losing its sheen, so it will be harder for the players to get off good shots.

* Mair jabs Conklin in the pads at the whistle, and some Penguins take offense.

* Crosby's juggling puck move was just replayed for what must be the 57th time already. We know he's amazing. So how about someone or something different?

* I think that was the first time I've ever seen the puck get stuck in the photographer's camera cutout in the glass.

* Gretzky sent Darren Pang a text message saying he loves the retro jerseys. Good to know.

* NBC just did a promo for the Seahawks-Redskins game, and viewers were treated to John Madden's "great players in a great football game" line. Check him out on Letterman.

* At the 10 minute mark the teams switched ends, and the Zambonis cleared the ice.

* For all the ice repairs and snow falling, the ice has looked pretty good the last few minutes. Both teams have been moving the puck well and it's not bouncing too badly.

* I keep mistaking Gonchar for a porcelain doll when he's on the bench, because of his rosy cheeks and deep red-blue lips from the cold.

* Crosby goes down and looks to the ref for a penalty. No such luck, and we have 5 minutes to go.

* Eric asked earlier at the Fanhouse what would happen if the game went past NBC's window at 4. Well it's 4:03 and we've still got hockey on. I swear to God if they cut away to show "The Music of Seal on Ice" I'm going down to Rockafeller Center and killing whoever runs the programming.

* Just over a minute to go, and we're still at 1-1. And we've just gotten the thousandth reference of comparing this to playing pond hockey as kids, and how the players are like kids today.

* Armstrong gets a hooking penalty as the third period expires. It looked like Pominville mostly fell on his own, so it's a tough penalty to call.

* Buffalo can take control of the game with a 4-on-3 powerplay on fresh ice to start overtime.

Overtime:

* Another great hockey commercial, this time a dad cheering on his newborn baby by banging on the window of the nursery and yelling.

* Doc Emerick is looking for a weather update. Let me guess, snowy and windy. The only thing that has changed all game is the direction of both.

* The powerplay has been a shooting gallery so far. And again there's a quick whistle, a loose puck, some late banging, then some pushing and shoving. Both teams want to win this one badly.

* SHOOTOUT!!!

* Kotalik scores for Buffalo. Christensen skates into the net and doesn't score.

* Connolly rips one that Conklin stops. Letang dekes and roofs a backhander over Miller.

* Afinoganov is stuffed on a deke try. Crosby slips one in for the win.

* The NHL couldn't have asked for a better ending, with the goldenboy Sidney Crosby sneaking in the game winning shootout goal.

Live Blogging The NHL Winter Classic

I'm going to be over at FanHouse today live blogging the NHL Winter Classic. Be sure to stop by, and if you're live blogging the game too, drop me a line at emcerlain-at-hotmail.com, or Emacwriter at AOL IM.

Ovie and Backstrom on Inside the NHL

I flipped on the NHL Network, and Alex is being asked a few interesting questions. Since his mom played basketball and his dad played soccer, he was asked how he got into hockey. "I had a dream...to play in the NHL." He also mentioned that he never really played hockey outdoors; he only skated outdoors for fun "with the pretty girls."

Nicklas Backstrom was interviewed as well. He was asked about the English he's had to learn, and he admitted some of the things he's learned in the locker room can't be said on tv. And when asked for his thoughts on his game being compared to that of Peter Forsberg, he said that "I don't really care...I just want to play my game."

They were both short, informal interviews full of light-hearted questions, and it was nice to see the league giving the Caps some coverage. Ovechkin was expected, but Backstrom was a nice bonus.

Ovechkin Isn't Going Anywhere

My latest over at the Sporting News.

Crosby Reaches Another Milestone

Nearly midway into the second period of the Bruins-Penguins game Sidney Crosby received his first ever NHL major penalty. B's defenseman Andrew Ference was hanging on him into the B's corner, and after Crosby got rid of the puck there was some shoving. It turned into a fight, but not much of one. Crosby's visored helmet never came off, so his head wasn't in too much danger. They went down after throwing only a couple decent punches each, and it was over pretty quick.

Ference ended up getting an additional two minutes for roughing, which I'm not sure I understand; but maybe that's just cause I'm a Bruins fan.

Coupled with his two assists and one goal, Sid the Kid gets his first Gordie Howe hat trick less than halfway into the game.

UPDATE: Click here for the video.

Will The Real Chris Simon Please Stand Up?

My thoughts on the longest suspension in NHL history, here.

Escape From Vegas

It's the end of the year, and I've been doing my level best to burn all of my extra vacation as possible. One way I did it was to spend last weekend in Las Vegas. I write about that, among other things, at this morning's Ice Sheet over at FanHouse.

Caps vs. Sabres: Period 1

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 14: Alex Ovechkin celebrates with team member Alexander Semin of the Washington Capitals following his first period goal against the Buffalo Sabres during a NHL hockey game on December 14, 2007 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing)

See more photos from the game by visiting our Photoshelter gallery or our Flickr gallery.

Take A Ride On "The Rocket"

Click here for my movie review of The Rocket: The Legend of Maurice Richard -- coming to selected cities and DVD soon.

While I Was Gone

It's been a quiet two weeks here as many of you may have noticed. Eric has resurfaced with some great writeups, and I will be back to my roundups and other pieces of note in a few days. Last papers and finals are being taken care of, and one of the first things Eric told me on taking this job was that I shouldn't worry about it when I needed to focus on my work. But anyways, I have a few minutes free today, so I figure I'd chime in on a few things I've noticed the past few days.

* I can't remember the last time new goalies have been so important. Phoenix wins 4 straight to start off with Bryz, and Boston has 2 in a row with Auld, including a 44 save effort against Buffalo. And in Detroit backup Chris Osgood has been phenomenal; his stellar play keeping the Dominator mostly on the bench. Even Dallas' Mike Smith is outplaying Marty Turco.

* Where did all the high-scoring games come from? Last night Philly gets an 8-2 win, Colorado beats St. Louis 9-5 the other night, Buffalo gets 7 against San Jose Saturday after giving up 8 to LA last Thursday. I've seen higher combined totals, but single-team numbers this high this often is surprising.

* We all knew Detroit was good, but this good? They've quietly been putting together a league-best 46 points, the only team so far to crack 40. They're currently on pace to break 120 points, which shouldn't be much of a surprise, considering they're the only team to break 120 points since the inception of the Presidents' Trophy for best record. Two years ago they finished with 124 points, and even hit 131 in the '95-'96 season.

* NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and league disciplinarian Colin Campbell held a conference call with Flyers GM Paul Holmgren on Monday. It's about time. I don't mind a physical style of hockey, hell, I picked Anaheim to win it all last year because I thought their hard-hitting style would get it done. But when you have 5 guys suspended 30 games into the season, and are accounting for such a large percentage of league suspensions, something needs to be done. It's not as if the entire league is running wild, just the Flyers. I'm not saying don't play your game, I just think they need to play physical hockey within reason, and with some class.

* The goaltender category on the All-Star ballot is the screwiest thing I've ever seen. The East has Ray Emery, Cristobal Huet, and Olaf Kolzig. I mean I love Olie, but Tim Thomas, who sits right above him in the wins category, has a better save percentage (2.14-2.79) and a better GAA (.936-.900). In the West, the Dominator is the only goalie I'd really replace, and it'd be with his backup, Chris Osgood. I know there's a limit to how many players a team can put in, and generally everyone sends in the same couple guys every year, and that goes for all players. Jonathan Cheechoo is on the ballot again, even though he has only 9 points. I understand the selection is done early in the season, but I don't understand why it can't be put off for a couple weeks or so and give the season time to unfold, and give players the opportunity to make the All-Star game based on stats, not name.

Where In The World Has Eric Been?

Not anywhere in particular. I've just been so busy that I haven't had all that much time to tend to things here at Off Wing. To catch up, here's some of my writing from elsewhere that I've been keeping up with:

FanHouse:
The Ice Sheet: Avalanche!
Boyes Has His Eyes On Hurley
The NHL to Vegas: 300 Million Reasons Why

Sporting News:
Bertuzzi's Testimony Puts NHL on Trial
NHL is Way Overdue on Punishing Flyers' Violence
Hallelujah! The unbalanced schedule has been smote
Hockey bashing always in season

Finally, I've also got a massive backlog of video I've only recently begun to dig into. Here's a clip from back on November 26, where Washington Caps defenseman Tom Poti complains about the quality of the ice at Verizon Center:

Caps Thump Atlanta Thrashers, 6-3

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 8: Alexander Semin of the Washington Capitals comes up with the assist against against Kari Lehtonen of the Atlanta Thrashers during a NHL hockey game with the on December 8, 2007 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing)

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 8: Mike Green of the Washington Capitals goes controls the puck during a NHL hockey game with the Atlanta Thrashers on December 8, 2007 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing)

See more photos from the game by visiting our Photoshelter gallery or our Flickr gallery.

If you are a blogger and would like to use our photographs please contact us.

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 8: Viktor Kozlov of the Washington Capitals goes after a puck during a NHL hockey game with the Atlanta Thrashers on December 8, 2007 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing)

ee more photos from the game by visiting our Photoshelter gallery or our Flickr gallery.

DC Police and Catholic U. Hockey

As you can tell, there was a great turnout by both teams, and everyone had a good time.

CUA Defeats Police, 7-6; Everyone Wins

Saturday afternoon Ft. Dupont Ice Rink hosted a charity hockey game between Catholic University and the DC Police Hockey team. The game benefited the Sgt. Roddy Burke Foundation. From last year's game:

Sgt. Burke, an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, died in March 2006 while pursuing a stolen vehicle in the Colombia Heights neighborhood where he lived and worked.

He was just 39 years old. Some of Roddy�s friends have come together to organize a fitting tribute. Working together with his alma mater, the Catholic University of America (CUA), they�ve established the Sgt. Roddy Burke Memorial Scholarship Fund. The scholarship will be awarded annually on the basis of need to any one of the following pools of eligible incoming CUA students:

� A graduate of any public or private high school in Washington DC;
� The child of an active/retired/deceased member of any uniformed police force that serves the District of Columbia; or
� A high school graduate from Suffolk County, New York (Sgt. Burke�s home town)

Last year, for the inaugural game, the DC Police played the Secret Service. Since Sgt. Burke was an alumnus of Catholic U., the CUA hockey team was asked to take part of this year's game. It was a great decision.

There was a good crowd for the noon game, which turned out to be the best game I've been a part of in a while. The police scored 9 seconds into the game, and pressured us (I'm a defenseman for Catholic) almost the entire first period, because we weren't used to their non-checking, positional style of hockey. After two periods of back and forth hockey, the Police led, 5-3.

The third period turned around for us, and a couple great goals turned into a 6-5 lead for Catholic with less than 2 minutes to go. And then, with 10 seconds to go, the Police knuckle-pucked a shot from the point just inside the near post to tie the game, 6-6. Less than a minute into overtime, Catholic scored to win, 7-6.

After the game, a few of us Catholic players went over to Duffy's Irish Restaurant and Pub, which was a great host, for some food and drinks and football. It was great to hang out with some of the cops we just played, as well as family and friends of Roddy Burke, including Eric. Some of the guys were from around Boston, so we talked about the Pats and Sox, while hockey was a common topic for all. Everyone there bonded over their mutual love of hockey, and their respect of Sgt. Burke.

After playing each other for the first time, and seeing how much everyone enjoyed it, there's already been talk of next year's game.

Anyone looking to make a donation to the Sgt. Roddy Burke Memorial Scholarship Fund can send a check to the following address:

Ed Welch
Catholic University
Office of University Development LCI 106
620 Michigan Avenue, NE
Washington, D.C. 20064

Over At The Sporting News ...

I take a look at yet another change in the NHL schedule.

Friday's Blogging Roundup

With the Caps in Raleigh tonight, there are the usual pre-game writeups, but we'll get to those later. First, the news that hockey fans have been waiting ages for: the NHL schedule has been changed for next season. According to TSN, "The NHL has approved a scheduling format that will have each team play 24 divisional games, 40 in-conference matchups, 15 games against non-conference teams and three wild card games against out of conference teams." So each team will see every other at least once a season. Unfortunately, it also means that as a fan, you'll only see non-conference team at your home team's arena every other year. Not quite the change people have been looking for, but it's a start. The other day, Ross McKeon at YahooSports proposed a good idea. Steal the schedule format of the NBA. Both the NHL and the NBA have the same divisional and conference setup with the same number of teams, and play the same number of games. As Ross says, "If that league was good enough from which to pilfer the current commissioner, Gary Bettman, then feel free to take its scheduling format, too." Sounds good to me.

JP at Japers' Rink has an interesting take on why the Caps need to get back into a division with its old rivals, and it's a reason league officials might actually listen to: money.

I'm talking about lost ticket revenues. In a minute, you'll see what I mean. Let's take a look at the Caps' average home attendance against the teams in their current division since the lockout:

1. Carolina - 15,091 (and it's probably worth noting that two of the ten 'Canes games were home openers)
2. Atlanta - 13,181
3. Florida - 12,836
4. Tampa Bay - 12,192

Now for the average home attendances against their former division rivals over the same time period:

1. Pittsburgh - 16,800
2. Philadelphia - 15,517
3. N.Y. Rangers - 15,278
4. New Jersey - 13,847
5. N.Y. Islanders - 12,282

See what I'm getting at? There are three teams in the Atlantic Division that are bigger draws at Verizon Center than any Southeast Division team and, other than Carolina (whose fans actually do travel pretty well when the mules aren't otherwise in use plowing the tobacco fields), there's not a single team in the Southeast that outdraws any of the Atlantic teams at the VC other than the Isles. Bottom line: the Caps' average attendance for home games against Atlantic Division teams since the lockout is 14,761. Against Southeast Division teams? 13,329.

It's a reasonable argument, but you have to think, it's a possibility that attendance is low for divisional games because fans have like a thousand chances - okay, more like 4 each - to see southeast teams a season. They only have a couple chances to see those Atlantic teams, so more fans will show up per game. I don't know, it's just a thought.

In preparation for tonight's game, JP also educates readers about the 2 girls, 1 cup phenomenon. Check out his funny take. And I warn you, do not google the actual original video, unless you want to be severely disturbed. While I'm afraid the warning in itself will lead some to check it out, don't say I didn't warn you.

There's a clip making the rounds on the Intertubes these days that is, in all likelihood, more vile than anything you've ever imagined, much less seen. It's called "Two Girls, One Cup" and it's so repulsive that people's reactions to seeing it for the first time is considered entertainment unto itself.

It's a great take on a horrific and disturbing thing.

Now, finally, for the pregames. News from Capitals Insider is that Clark and Gordon are out, and Semin will play hurt. That means Hershey's Quintin Laing has been called up. He'll see time on the third line. Japers' Rink has more on Laing, and what he may bring to tonight's game. The Peerless has brought in his medical consultants to see what exactly is going on with the Caps, and how things can be fixed. Apparently a heavy dose of winning does wonders.

Thursday's Blogging Roundup

First off, we'll start with some more blogger love, this time from Canada. From the folks at OFB;

It was an exciting night up in the press box, as the producers for �Hockey Night In Canada� were interviewing bloggers for an upcoming segment. (CBC�s Elliotte Friedman, who also writes a blog, did the actual questioning.) A View from the Cheap Seats, Off Wing Opinion, Japers� Rink, DC SportsBox, and Abel to Yzerman were all represented. The segment will air at 6:30 EDT on Saturday, Dec. 1 as part of the pre-game show. The producer also assures me that it will be available on the CBC website.

I didn't cover the game last night, so I'm excited to go see what it says.

Now whose idea was it to use this shootout thing to decide ties? The Caps dropped their first shootout of the season, 4-3, in 11 rounds. Last season they went 1-11 in the SO, so let's hope they either learn how to score on a breakaway, or start winning some games before it comes to that. According to Tarik at the Post;

Alex Ovechkin had the game on his stick late in the extra session but fired the puck into Vokoun's glove, which he wears on his right hand. Had that glove been a blocker pad, it might have gone in, Ovechkin said.

Well too bad Vokoun's a lefty. Maybe Ovie should have taken that into account and aimed for the stick side. It might have sounded like a reasonable thing to say in Alex's head, but out loud it just makes you want to close your eyes and shake your head, hoping you didn't actually just hear that. Japers' Rink puts it a little more nicely. "If Tomas Vokoun catches with his left hand, the Caps win that game. Period. He doesn't, and they didn't. Period."

The usual postgames are floating around at On Frozen Blog, Japers' Rink, and The Peerless Prognosticator. Consensus was the goalies played great, and the Caps aren't completely horrible at the shootout, but have moved up to mediocre. The game goes down as another 1 goal loss to Florida. That makes it 3 in a row, and could possibly be 4 after the weekend, unless the Caps decide they want to beat the Cats.

But the most interesting, and amusing, report of the game comes from Bill Houlihan at Abel to Yzerman. According to him, the game ended in "Round 33. Vokoun just stopped the fat dude from section 225 to win it for Florida." Hit the link for the whole game. You won't be disappointed.

Lastly, the Caps have an off day today, with only a handful of guys - Brashear, Fleischmann, Jurcina, Eminger, Pettinger, and Bradley - skating. Lets hope they show up ready in Carolina tomorrow night.

Wednesday's Blogging Roundup

With tonight's game against the streaking Panthers, everyone is getting ready with pregame reports, repeated concerns over VC ice quality, and insight into what's going on with Matt Pettinger this season.

We'll start with Mr. Pettinger. Tarik has a great writeup at the Post, finding out just how Pettinger is feeling having just 2 goals on 47 shots - 5th on the team.

I'm getting my shots and getting my chances," said Pettinger, who scored 10 times in his first 23 games a year ago. "But for whatever reason, the puck is just not going in. I keep asking myself, 'What am I doing differently?

Matt's not the only one this season. As Chris Clark noted, "Other than Alex [Ovechkin], no one is really having a great year...If we're going to win games, we can't rely on just one guy and our goalies."

The Peerless has an interesting explanation on why Pettinger hasn't been producing this season. According to Mr. Nemoy, the answer is alien abduction. Hey, maybe it's not such a crazy idea.

Elsewhere, both The Peerless and Japers' Rink link over to an article by Ted Kulfan at The Detroit News. Apparently Ovie might not go to New York, but Detroit. Will everyone please stop. The Capitals could lose every game left in the season, and Ovie still wouldn't go anywhere. He is the face of the franchise, a huge marketing tool, and, as of right now, basically the only one contributing regularly on the team. The Caps will match whatever offers come out, and Alex will remain a Cap for many years to come.

And where the poor condition of the Verizon's ice surface came up yesterday, On Frozen Blog goes a little deeper into the subject, wondering why, if they can have "the technology exists to carry off an outdoor NHL game contested on a quality surface . . . in Florida . . . in October," why can't they improve the ice inside the VC, which ranks last in the league. I agree with OFB; with all the star power the Caps have been building up, you need a solid ice surface to let them properly display their skills.

Now for the pregames. Southeast Shootout calls for the Caps to return the favor, finally, and edge the Cats. After dropping each game to Florida by a goal, a win would be nice. Japers' notes that, unlike the last 2 games against Florida, these are Boudreau's Caps, so look for a different outcome, namely, a win. Let's hope they're right. The Peerless is even calling out the Caps scoring tonight, and the recipe includes goals from Pettinger, both Alexes, and an empty netter to finish off a 4-2 win. If he gets this right, I'm going to need to have a talk with him on how I'm going to do on my finals in a couple weeks.

Tuesday's Blogging Roundup

A little heads up for today's roundup. Since this is my first roundup of the week, a few links might be to articles from yesterday. If you've seen them, forgive me, and if not, they're here because they're of interest, so check them out.

First and foremost, I offer my heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and teammates of Redskins safety Sean Taylor. Choosing to become a Redskins fan only this season, I knew little of Taylor besides his renown as a stellar and punishing safety. For in-depth looks at Sean Taylor, check out:

Jason La Canfora at Redskins Insider for updates throughout the day
Redskins.com
Yahoo Sports
SI's Dave Zerin
Baltimore Sun

Over at Capitals Insider Tarik shares some great quotes he's gotten already from Bruce "Gabby" Boudreau, including my personal favorite;

I always [say] there's a [thin] line between a rut and a groove. They're both the same things, but they both mean the opposite things. You can be in a rut and nothing's going right, then all of a sudden it turns into a groove.

What a line. If he can put up a good enough record in the next several games, I'd like to see "interim" taken off his job title.

Mike Vogel over at Dump 'n Chase had an interview of his own with Gabby, and it shows some insight into how Bruce wants to run the team.

There are a lot of coaches who wouldn�t change anything when they�ve won a game or two games. Was there a certain point in your career when you came by that philosophy? Because I think it�s rare. I think most coaches, if they win, they don�t make the change.

�I don�t know. Sometimes when you�re coaching in the American League, it�s more being fair. And when you�re a player who was called up an awful lot and sat in the stands an awful lot, I know exactly what the players went through and it wasn�t conducive to winning. Because when you sit in the stands for an awful lot, whether you like it or not, human nature is, �I hope we don�t do well.� And I want everybody to pull for everybody. I want when we come down [after the game] today if we�re lucky enough to win the game, that everybody is all pumped up, not just the 20 who played.�

Maybe a little AHL-style coaching is what these guys need. Make everyone fight every night to prove they belong in the show. Move guys from the lineup to the press box, make them want to kill for that ice time. A hungry player shows up to win, night in and night out.

Over at In the Room Corey has unveiled his inaugural NHL Report, which will come out once a week. As a Bruins fan it's nice to see Bradley's favorite team is Boston, and his favorite player is Cam Neely. Corey's first run at his report looks great, and I only hope that in time it moves from the blog to the paper.

Japers' Rink and On Frozen Blog have some reactions to the Caps loss to Buffalo last night. It was interesting to read from both Japers' and OFB that I'm not the only one who thinks the ice at the Verizon is a little sub-par. Clearly the problem hasn't been addressed since I noted that fact in one of my first games at the Verizon last December.

And of course, people have been taking note of the lovely article The New York Post's Larry Brooks wrote the other day telling Alex Ovechkin, in not so many words, to ditch DC for NYC. The Peerless sums it up best, saying;

Yes, it's our old pal, Larry Brooks, who believes that it is the divine right of the Rangers to acquire any player of note, putting forth the argument without actually saying the words, "NEW - YORK - CITY," that Ovechkin should trade in his Capital red for Broadway blue.

As long as it is taking for a new contract to get done, I'd expect Ovie to stick around for quite a while, especially considering he is the face of the franchise.

Caps Fall To Buffalo, 3-1

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 26: Jochen Hecht and other members of the Buffalo Sabres celebrate following Hecht's goal during a NHL hockey game on November 26, 2007 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing)

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 26: Interim Head Coach Bruce Boudreau of the Washington Capitals during a NHL hockey game with the Buffalo Sabres on November 26, 2007 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing)

See more photos from the game by visiting our Photoshelter gallery.

Also stop by our new sister website OffWing Photo where we focus on photography, especially sports photography.

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 26: Chris Clark of the Washington Capitals and Jaroslav Spacek of the Buffalo Sabres get in a fight during a NHL hockey game on November 26, 2007 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing)

See more photos from the game by visiting our Photoshelter gallery.

Also stop by our new sister website OffWing Photo where we focus on photography, especially sports photography.

Michigan Over Minnesota, 5-1: College Hockey Showcase

My Thanksgiving pilgrimage took me to Michigan. Here I had the opportunity to catch some of action at the 15 Annual College Hockey Showcase, played at Yost Arena of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Tonight No. 2-ranked Michigan skated to a 5-1 win against No. 15-ranked Minnesota. Minnesota handed Michigan it's only lost for the season earlier this year.

ANN ARBOR, MI - NOVEMBER 24: Members of the University of Michigan gather before a game with the University of Minnesota during a hockey game on November 24, 2007 at the Yost Arena of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing)

Michigan came into tonight's game ranked No. 2 and now holds a 12 game winning streak. The last time that Michigan swept the College Hockey Showcase was in 2002.

See more photos from the game by visiting our Photoshelter gallery and our flickr page.

ANN ARBOR, MI - NOVEMBER 24: Kyle Okposa of the University of Michigan face off against Mike Hoeffel of the University of Minnesota during a hockey game on November 24, 2007 at the Yost Arena of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing)

ANN ARBOR, MI - NOVEMBER 24: Kevin Quick of the University of Michigan controls the puck of during a hockey game with the University of Minnesota on November 24, 2007 at the Yost Arena of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing)

ANN ARBOR, MI - NOVEMBER 24: Goalie Billy Sauer of the University of Michigan prevents a goal during a hockey game with the University of Minnesota on November 24, 2007 at the Yost Arena of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing)

Unlike their football counterparts these Big Ten are actually in different conferences, Michigan is part of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), while Minnesota skates in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) conference. The Annual College Hockey Showcase is an opportunity for cross conference play among the Michigan and Michigan State University of the CCHA, and Wisconsin and Minnesota of the WCHA.

ANN ARBOR, MI - NOVEMBER 24: Goalie Jeff Frazee of the University of Michigan prevents a goal during a hockey game with the University of Minnesota on November 24, 2007 at the Yost Arena of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing)

See more photos from the game by visiting our Photoshelter gallery and our flickr page.

Also stop by our new sister website OffWing Photo where we focus on photography, especially sports photography.

Thanksgiving Greetings

I know it's been a while since I've written anything on these pages. It's just that I've been back on Long Island for a couple of days to spend some time with my family -- something I haven't been able to do since last Christmas. I'm headed back to Washington sometime this weekend. Wherever you are, I hope you're enjoying the holiday with family.

In the meantime, I have filed a story for the Sporting News. Earlier this week, in between periods of a Rangers-Islanders game, I heard Stan Fischler mention that if the Islanders couldn't work out a deal for a new arena with Nassau County, then they would have to consider moving to Brooklyn. Click here for my thoughts on that. I've also filed another column on the firing of Caps head coach Glen Hanlon, which should be posted momentarily.

Washington Capitals v. Atlanta Thrashers (Period 1)

Photo by Ellen Blanchard

Also be sure to check out more pictures from tonight's game on our flickr page and also our Photoshelter account

Photo by Ellen Blanchard

Photo by Ellen Blanchard

Photo by Ellen Blanchard

Photo by Ellen Blanchard

Photo by Ellen Blanchard

Monday's Blogging Roundup

Today's big news is the trade of Caps center Brian Sutherby to Anaheim for a 2nd round draft pick. Tarik managed to talk to Suts this afternoon to get his thoughts.

There's a lot of emotions. Right off the hop, you're excited about getting an opportunity to go play, and for a very good team. Then you sit back and think about all the good times you had here, all the guys and good teammates I've played with.

For more on the trade, check out:

A great look back by Mike Vogel at Dump 'n Chase
In The Room
On Frozen Blog
The Peerless Prognosticator
A View From the Cheap Seats

The trade opens up the space needed for taking Semin off the IR for tonight's game against Florida. As usual, the pregames are coming from everywhere, most notably Japers' Rink and The Peerless Prognosticator. Says JP;

Up until this point, it's been perfectly fair to judge each of the aforementioned members of the Caps brass on their job performance, but any such analysis has been somewhat incomplete. Sure, it's a GM's job to put together a team with enough depth to handle some injuries, and it's a coach's job to adjust when players miss time - both men can fairly be judged against those performance standards. But we all know that the "if we were healthy" talk has some measure of merit to it (obviously a significant amount of merit, in fact, to the powers that be), so now that the team is healthy, it's time to see what they - and the suits - can do to try to save this season.

Indeed. With their full compliment of skaters, the Caps need to come out strong tonight, and get this train back on track.

And The Peerless gives us a short Q & A from Dan and Jane in his "Point/Counterpoint" segment.

OK, let�s get to the next issue�Do the Caps need a change in personnel to get them on the right track?

Dan, you don�t change horses in the middle of the stream, you dance with who brung ya, you finish what you start. The Caps no more need a change in personnel than you need another doughnut, you past-faced, doughy, momma�s boy�

Jane, you delirious skag�firing coaches is as old as your 1970�s wardrobe. Teams do it all the time. Look at the Thrashers this year�9-4 since they changed coaches. Look at the Blue Jackets�doing fine with Ken Hitchcock behind the bench � he was a replacement. Look at Red Sullivan�ok, well, that�s a bad example.

Hmmm. Both bring up good points. I say we give Hanlon a while with his full roster before deciding if he's making the most of it.

A lot of emphasis and weight is already being put on Semin's shoulders, as evidenced by the matchup thread for tonight's game at Southeast Shootout. Says CapsChick;

Tonight marks the return of Alexander Semin, who should provide some much-needed spark for a struggling offense...With Semin's return the Caps have three legitimate scoring threats on three different lines. Hopefully that will be enough to kick this team in the butt.

Even Ted Leonsis knows what it's come down to.

We now have to prove everyone wrong; shut out the doomsday naysayers; and just win...starting with some games at home this week.

Everyone knows that things have to change, starting tonight. It's down to the coach and players to get things done.

Jussi Jokinen Lights It Up for the Stars

Last night Jussi Jokinen had the Gretzky touch; everything he touched turned to goal. Jokinen scored 4 goals on 5 shots in just his first 5 minutes of ice time. (see video here)

Sergei Zubov seemed to find him open every time, and a mixture of luck - his second goal - and skill - the first and third - made him the first Star to net three in a game since now-GM Brett Hull.

For a guy who had 3 goals in 17 games coming into tonight, he didn't do half bad.

Friday's Blogging Roundup

With last night's loss to Florida, and tonight's game against Tampa Bay, Caps bloggers have been pumping out postgames and pregames and other tidbits like there's no tomorrow.

We'll start off with the best news, at least for Caps fans, that I've seen so far today. Both Tarik and Corey are reporting that Semin is "close" to returning, according to Coach Hanlon. Semin has been skating on his own at Ballston and could play again as soon as Monday. All I can say is, it's about time. Hopefully he does start Monday, because his play has been missed.

Japers' Rink and The Peerless have their usual postgames up, with JP putting most of the blame for the loss on Tom Poti, and The Peerless wondering how Ovechkin is producing almost 30 percent of the team's goals, considering the offensive additions to the team this season. Maybe noticing he didn't include that in his postgame, JP threw up another post at Japers' Rink detailing the scoring weight that is currently on Ovie's shoulders. It really makes you think. How do you add Nylander, Kozlov, Backstrom, and Poti, and still have Ovie's scoring percentage up from 19.7% last season to 29.3% this one? The rest of the team, especially the names just mentioned, need to step up and play like they know how.

The Caps need to pick up their game in a big way. And The Peerless explains why.

Very difficult?...Here's how difficult. The Caps have 13 points in 18 games. If 92 points is enough to get in, they need 79 points in their remaining 64 games.

That is a 101-point pace over a whole season.

With back to back 70 point seasons the past 2 years, can they really get 79 points in 64 games? There's a lot of people that hope so, but not a lot of people that think so.

Tonight's game against Tampa is a big one for the Caps - although I guess all games now are big ones for them - as Tampa is 7-1-1 at home, and recently pasted the Caps 5-2 at the Phonebooth. The Peerless has his pregame roundup, and is calling for a win. I sure hope he's right.

Over at On Frozen Blog pucksandbooks takes a deep look into the management situation with the Caps. Are the fans overreacting in calling for heads to roll, or are the right in this instance?

New free agents aren�t performing poorly. The defense is much improved, the goaltending super solid and often even better. Alex is playing the best hockey of his career. But accorded the advantage of relaxed schedule and the self-imposed imperative of winning, the best this Caps club could do last night in Sunrise was play well enough to lose to a lousy club. Again.

This is as good as it gets.

With Ted Leonsis claiming that the rebuild was over at the beginning of the season, that should make this a time of winning. And since that's not happening, maybe the rebuild needs to start over; this time off the ice.

Thursday's Blogging Roundup

After 4 days off, the Caps travel to Florida, facing off against the Panthers. That mean's we're back to pre-game writeups, starting with the rantings and ravings of The Peerless Prognosticator. Today's guest, Gary Bettman channeling Robin Williams. There are no words, you have to read it for yourself.

Japers' Rink has their usual pre-game notes and links. Both teams hover near the bottom of the standings, and for both teams, that needs to change....fast.

They say that misery loves company, and while you know precisely how miserable the Caps have been on most nights this fall, you may not have noticed that they're only two points behind the Panthers (with two games in hand) in the Southeast standings. How's that for company?

Both teams need to swing their momentum back to the positive side, and they should come out slugging, looking for that win to get back on track. Anything less and maybe they don't deserve to make the playoffs.

Tarik has a good article in the Post today concerning the injury problems that are preventing the Caps from putting up decent offensive numbers so far this season. Although doing poorly, the players still seem to have faith in Coach Hanlon. "All of us feel guilty that we're at where we're at, because we've got a good coach, a players' coach," Kolzig said. "He's preaching the right message, we're just not delivering." With Poti and Clark back, and just Semin out, it's time to start delivering.

Following that article up, On Frozen Blog has a poll going on how many points the Caps need in their next 10 games to have a respectable position in the standings. The 3 choices are 8 pts, 10 or more, or 12 or more. 6 wins, or 5 and a couple of OT losses out of ten games seems reasonable, and almost necessary at this point. That's why it's no surprise that as I write this over half the voters have gone with at least 12 points. With 8 of the games against Southeast rivals, this is a crucial stretch for the Caps, and they need to get some points and climb back into the hunt in their division. With all these 4 point games coming up, they need to get things done.

And over at Dump 'n Chase Mike Vogel has the inside scoop on the first episode of the new XM Radio's NHL HomeIce show Hockey Confidential. The first guest is Washington's own Olaf Kolzig. I know I'll be calling the old man and suggesting he put his XM to good use. The first airing of Monday at 11 pm might be a little late, but with it being re-aired 6 times next week, I'll be home to hear it with him.

Online, NBA And NHL Are Neck And Neck

One of the more common complaints that NHL fans have made since the lockout has concerned the continued bashing the sport has been suffering at the hands of the MSM when it comes to television ratings.

That's not exactly a shock, because it's something of an easy storyline to sell to and editor and explain to an audience. But I just came across a piece of data that I hope gets wider play.

This morning, Sports Business Daily ran a Web traffic ranking survey of the top sports Web sites (subscription required). While the top finishers weren't terribly surprising -- ESPN and the usual suspects -- something further down the list caught my eye:

Are my eyes playing tricks on me, or is NHL.com just behind NBA.com in terms of popularity? Remember, these are Web stats, so you can't factor out our friends to the North the way you do with television ratings.

Now I'm sure there may be a valid explanation here. After all, the NHL starts its season earlier than the NBA, so season traffic might just surge a little earlier for the NHL. Still, with the way folks talk, you'd think the league ought to be dead and buried.

And here's something else I'm seeing: According to that footnote at the end, the Turner number at about 3.8 million per month is the aggregation of PGATour.com, PGA.com and NASCAR.com. I wonder how the NHL would fare against any of those sites if they were broken out individually.

And don't think I didn't notice the WWE right behind the NHL. Another question that comes to mind -- why no numbers for UFC.com?

Ambassador Hull Is Recalled For A Real Job

I could write a few paragraphs about Brett Hull's sudden promotion in Dallas, but Scott Burnside hits all the right points.

On Jiri Tlusty

He's just a kid with a camera phone. For the proper perspective, visit this post by Mark Cuban.

Wednesday's Blogging Roundup

In yesterday's roundup I included a link to The Peerless about how the Caps have been having trouble scoring so far this season. Well Tarik at the Insider has some news; scoring is down across the league.

And of course Japers' Rink has a great roundup, including stories on Caps goalie prospect Michael Neuvirth's trade to Windsor and Joe Finley's attack on the Wisconsin Badger.

OFB has more on the story of "Mean" Joe Finley. Says pucksandbooks, "He can�t get to D.C. fast enough for me."

So while times may seem hard so far this season, and even if the Caps fail to pull it together the rest of the way, there's hope on the horizon with a well of tough and skilled prospects.

Following the Code

Last week I posted a clip of a fight (above) in a Canadian juniors game in the MJAHL between the Halifax Wolverines and the Summerside Western Capitals that Eric had unearthed earlier. (details here) You see one player chasing another into the bench, leading to a brawl. But what you don't see is what happens before the fight. Normally, I wouldn't have thought any more of it. That is, until I read Ross Bernstein's The Code. In the introduction Bernstein talks about watching commentary on the Donald Brashear -- Marty McSorley incident, when he first discovered "the code."

The code was hockey's sacred covenant, its unwritten rules of engagement that had been handed down from generation to generation. There was, as I learned, a mysterious chain of accountability that dealt with the issues of violence and fighting.

... back then, when there was a fight, I just stood and cheered. I had no idea what had led up to it or why they were even doing it. I think many casual hockey fans would concur. Now, after spending the better part of two years immersing my life in their craft, I have been enlightened. That new knowledge has opened my eyes, and the game is much, much more exciting to watch now.

While I consider myself more than a casual hockey fan, I never gave too much thought as to what led to up to fights. As a player and a fan, I've seen many games from both sides of the glass. As a player, you see all, especially from the bench. Every hook, elbow, or other infraction, whether it gets called or not. But from the stands or television, it's hard to keep track of everything, because your eyes become glued to the puck. It's can be easy to lose track of everything else that is going on out on the ice.

So when a fight breaks out, you just assume the two players were mad at each other. But Bernstein's book brings out so much more, and has enlightened me in much the same way it did him. I'll be honest, if I hadn't read his book before I saw the video, I wouldn't be writing this. I would have seen it, thought, "wow, that was nuts," and moved on. But since I read The Code, my second thought was "what happened before the fight that led to what I just saw?"

Both Josh McKinnon (fled to his bench) and Kirk Forrest (chased Josh) declined an interview, but I was able to speak with Halifax (red + white jerseys) coach Tim Boyce and player Ben Chaisson (player who leaped into the bench).

Coach Boyce filled me in on the background between the two teams.

Sunday night we had played the same team over in their arena in PEI and we were playing that game with about, I think, 14 or 15 skaters, because the night before we had a couple suspensions and injuries, so we were playing with a short bench. Over there, a few of their guys decided to take some liberties with some of our smaller guys, knowing that basically we had a short bench and weren't in a position to get into any fights. They also knew that two of our tougher players (Forrest and Chaisson) weren't in the lineup. And the guy there, McKinnon, basically, the game before that, he came across the ice and delivered an elbow to the face of one of our younger players, Derek Fulton ... one of our better, brighter young players.

McKinnon's hit put Fulton out of the Halifax lineup for at least a month with a concussion, and Coach Boyce told me that Fulton's doctor has suggested that he consider giving up the game. That's tough news for someone who skated in the Canadian Junior Prospects game last year. Also, in the next game, a 20-yr-old on the Halifax team challenged a 20-yr-old on the Summerside team, who declined. That same Summerside 20-yr-old then picked a fight with a 17-yr-old Halifax player.

So that was chapter one in this story. In the previous game, Josh McKinnon elbowed a skill player -- Derek Fulton -- in the face, putting him out of play for an indefinite period of time. And according to the code, McKinnon would have to answer for what he did.

Again, Bernstein:

Hockey's rules of engagement are all about protection, intimidation, and solidarity among teammates. If a player challenges another player over an issue he deems disrespectful, that player must answer the bell or risk the humiliation of being considered a coward. Or, worse yet, if that player refuses to right what was wronged right then and there, he risks having that incident escalate to another level, involving other teammates. Before long the wheels of retaliation are in motion, and someone will have to be held accountable.

Reading that you almost feel like Bernstein knew what was going to happen here. I'll be brief, since everything I'm explaining can be seen on the video clip. Forrest (#7, red + white) drops his gloves and skates towards McKinnon (#6, blue), who immediately flees to the safety of his bench. They begin fighting, and Ben Chaisson comes flying over the boards and into the bench. I asked Ben what he was thinking when he went into the Summerside bench like that.

Kirk starts fighting him at the bench, and all their guys start fighting him, so obviously I'm gonna go in and try to help Kirk, and I was just like, I might as well go on the bench and try to help him; I'll take probably 5 or 6 of them off him and drag them on to me....so I skated from the red line and thought, here goes nothing.

And we all see where things go from there. And when it was all said and done 14 people were suspended, including 5 Summerside skaters and 4 Halifax skaters. For Summerside, Bradley Collicutt (#33), Jon Cameron (#21), Dan Whalen (#5), and Tim MacPhee (#00) can be seen fighting in their bench. Goalie Stefan Dumaresque (#60) fought on the ice. Trainer B. Gallant is seen striking the linesman. Joel Dyment (#22) can't be seen in the video. For Halifax, Ben Chaisson and Kirk Forrest went into the bench and fought. Jeff Marchand (#14) tries to go in and help, and is seen slamming a stick on the ice. T. J. Keeping (#33) is the other goalie in the on-ice fight.

Summerside Western Capitals:

Player Number Name Consequence

5 Dan Whalen 1 game suspension
21 Jon Cameron 2 game suspension
60 Stefan Dumaresque 2 game suspension
22 Joel Dyment 3 game suspension
33 Bradley Collicutt 2 game suspension
00 Tim MacPhee 1 game suspension
Trainer B. Gallant 5 game suspension
Head Coach Scott Bridges * 3 game suspension

* Note: Failure to control players.

Halifax Wolverines:

Player Number Name Consequence

7 Kirk Forrest 20 game suspension
8 Ben Chaisson 20 game suspension
14 Jeff Marchand 2 game suspension
33 T. J. Keeping 2 game suspension
Head Coach Tim Boyce ** 3 game suspension
GM Jack Finlay 20 game suspension
GM Jack Finlay $2000 fine

** Note: Player leaving the penalty box.

Then again, the whole mess on the video could have been avoided. All Josh McKinnon had to do was step up to Kirk Forrest, and their fight would have ended things right then and there. Said Ben; "What should have happened ... is he should have fought Kirk, so what, you're gonna take a punch off the face, it's not gonna kill you. But instead, he ... ran from the situation."

As for Coach Boyce:

As far as I'm concerned, none of it would have started, if those guys hadn't had taken liberties with our players on Sunday, and if Mr. McKinnon had just stood up and fought Kirk. He's able to play tough on Sunday ... when Kirk wasn't in the lineup. As soon as Kirk gets back, he turns around and runs. That's not the way you play the game. If you're a tough guy, you act tough, you play tough all the time, you don't do it when certain guys are in the lineup or not in the lineup ... if he's gonna play the role of the tough guy, you don't do it when you feel like it, you do it all the time, and he clearly didn't do that on Tuesday.

The fight between the Halifax Wolverines and the Summerside Western Capitals is a textbook example of what can happen when the rules of the code aren't followed. While the Halifax team more or less instigated the fight, it's hard to look past the fact that Josh McKinnon failed to follow "the code" by standing up and facing the consequences of his actions.

The Halifax players felt that McKinnon's actions against their skill player, Derek Fulton, was unacceptable, and he must pay for what he did. His fleeing to his own bench drew Kirk Forrest with him, which started the fight, and consequently drew in more Halifax players, most dramatically Ben Chaisson.

While I don't condone what Forrest and Chaisson did, I see where they are coming from. Neither played in the game before, when the whole conflict started. They couldn't do anything in return for what happened to Derek right away. And as the de facto protectors of their teammates they knew that something had to be done at the start of the game they played in. Kirk Forrest should have chased McKinnon to the bench, and let him dive to safety like the coward he was shown to be. But I'm sure emotions were running high, and both Kirk and Ben got caught up in them and went too far. And they were punished with their suspensions. So I guess you could say both Josh and Kirk were responsible for what happened. Josh should have stepped up and faced what was coming to him. When he didn't, Kirk should have waited for another chance, instead of fighting the Summerside bench, which led to the brawl. But when you break it down, Kirk took The Code too far, while Josh didn't follow it at all. So I still believe that Josh was the primary cause of the brawl, while Kirk and Ben follow closely behind.

And by the way, Summerside won in overtime. And Josh McKinnon got the win in net.

Tuesday's Blogging Roundup

Today finds most of us coming off quite a Hockey Hall of Fame induction weekend, which means a handful of excellent posts concerning it. We'll start off with OFB's pucksandbooks, whose summary of the importance of a hockey family is more dead on than any Ray Bourque shot in the accuracy section of the NHL Skills Competition.

Becoming a hockey player is rarely a fleeting, half-hearted venture. Perhaps that�s why this sport is played with so much heart.

Perhaps you are correct. No one beats a hockey parent and their kid in terms of dedication to their sport.

Both Tarik at Capitals Insider and Ted Leonsis link to a great piece of writing on Dave Fay and his nomination for the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award and earned him a plaque in the Hockey Hall of Fame. No description here could ever do him justice, so please jump over to the Corey Masisak's article yourself and read about a man who was dedicated to covering the Caps for 25 years.

Corey also sums up his trip to ScotiaBank Place to see the Caps play the Sens, and just what it's like being in the building.

The Peerless has his daily update on the difference between the where the Caps stand, and how much better they could be. Today's topic: goals.

Japers' Rink caught onto a story concerning a post-game bench-clearing brawl between the US and Russia at the U-17 4-Nations Tournament in Dmitrov, Russia. The video is indeed edited strangely, preventing any sort of comprehension of exactly how everything happened.

And OFB has more news, this time posting how, according to TSN, the NHL Network will show an AHL game of the week every Thursday night for the rest of the season.

Monday's Blogging Roundup

With the Caps off until Thursday, the blogosphere is a little light today. Both Dump 'n Chase's Mike Vogel and The Times' Corey Masisak are up in Toronto for the Hall of Fame inductions. While up there, they got a chance to go see the Oshawa Generals and their star, John Tavares. Says Vogel;

We got to see the highly touted John Tavares and were not disappointed, except for the fact that he was ejected for kneeing early in the third period. He is just a real smart player, a guy with a nose for the net who makes everyone on the ice better when he is out there. He circles the net like a piranha, and sometimes even sets up behind the net without the puck, coming around either side for a quick and sneaky deflection bid. Tavares is not the skater that players like Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby are, but he gets where he needs to go without dificulty. We saw him net the game-tying goal � his league-leading 21st of the season � just seconds after Peterborough opened the scoring with a 5-on-3 goal early in the second. Tavares was given too muh time and space in the slot, and as soon as we saw the puck on his stick, we knew it would find the net. Tavares also nearly netted a 3-on-5 shorthanded strike.

The Peerless Prognosticator has noted what seems to be another hockey team in Philly moving up. After posting 70 points last season, 3rd worst in the the AHL's Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia Phantoms have started this season 13-1-1, good for a league-leading 27 points.

And last but not least, congratulations to Boston native Jeremy Roenick on his 500th career goal. Ross McKeon's article at yahoo sports explains just how it happened, and what Jeremy thinks about it.

Arkansas Bends Under Pressure Of Photo Policy

Drop by OffWing Photo to get the latest news on Arkansas Activities Association's (AAA) rule that they own the copyright to all media (photo, video, audio) taken at state championships and to charge fees ranging from $35-$50 for press credentials to events. This policy as written would also apply to parents and fans taking pictures in the stands.The AAA is the sponsoring organization of championship games for public and private schools in Arkansas.

Check out the latest photos from OffWing photographers by visiting our Photoshelter gallery.

Also stop by our new sister website OffWing Photo where we focus on photography, especially sports photography.

Today At The Sporting News ...

I talk to David Singer, the man behind Hockeyfights.com.

Friday's Blogging Roundup

No, that was not a typo in the paper this morning. The Capitals did in fact beat the Senators 4-1. And it was a convincing win. The puck finally seemed to go their way, and their trademark explosive start actually produced, as they held a 3-0 lead before giving one up right before the end of the 2nd. As always, Japers' Rink has a stellar roundup. An interesting note: the Caps have given up 4 goals on their opponents' first shot this season. Last night was almost #5, if not for a great save by Olie.

Pucksandbooks at OFB has what he thinks of the team after thier win over Ottawa. And it's not especially good. See for yourself. They also have a link to a great Caps ticket deal here. Reduced prices down low, can't say no to that.

Tarik over at Capitals Insider reports that Clark and Semin are out for Saturday night. Clark is almost back, but Semin is a ways off, and Tarik doesn't like what he sees.

Semin did not skate. So, obviously, he won't be playing tomorrow. It's gotten to the point that when you ask when he might play again, all you get is shoulder shrugs. That's concerning.

And last, but certainly not least, The Peerless gives the NHL some thoughts on who they should focus on for their advertising.

As we suggested, Sidney Crosby sits at the top of the heap � talent-wise � in this league. As a hockey fan, I love watching the kid play. But he has the personality, at least for public consumption, of oatmeal that�s been sitting on the kitchen table for a while.

On the other hand, there is Ovechkin, whose improving English, natural effervescence, and timing make him not only quotable, but magnetic. His quotes aren�t the edgy sort that made Brett Hull a favorite of journalists, and he doesn�t seem to be the more �look at me� sort that too often seemed to characterize Jeremy Roenick�s public image. His are more of the entertaining "did he really say that?" variety that leaves folks alternately smiling and scrqatching their head.

Ovechkin is one of a kind. There is the �twinkle in his eye� image that surrounds his game and off-ice antics that stands in stark relief to the cold �eye of the shark� image in Crosby�s game and persona.

Makes sense to me. So why doesn't it makes sense to the NHL?

Thursday's Blogging Roundup

Today the blogs are buzzing over tonight's game between the Capitals and the Senators, wondering if the Caps can stop their slide with an upset victory over the league-leading Sens. It will be interesting to see what the Caps can do.

We'll start off with a rousing pre-game speech by The Peerless Prognosticator. Part of it goes as such;

Now... hockey club is a team. It lives, eats, sleeps, checks as a team. This individuality stuff is a bunch of crap. The bilious bastards who wrote that stuff about individuality for ESPN don�t know anything more about real hockey games than they do about fornicating.

I encourage you to check out the rest. And yes, it's not exactly an original speech, but stirring nonetheless.

Japers' Rink calls for a Sens win, and notes that Ovie's scoring drought may be linked to some off-ice distractions.

Sure, the lack of news regarding an Ovechkin extension is no doubt frustrating to all parties involved - the player, the team and the fans - especially given the benchmark deals already in place for players like Sidney Crosby, Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza, Jarome Iginla and others.

A View from the Cheap Seats has a great 2 minutes with Ray Emery on his wardrobe. I've gotta admit, he does look good in that goalie costume.

Over at Dump n' Chase Mike Vogel throws out a list of the all-time father son combos in the NHL. Chris Bourque and dad Ray, as well as Paul Stastny and father Peter, continue a long line of father son duos that began around the turn of the century with such great names as Patrick, Abel, Conacher, Hull, and Howe, among others. Many of the sons on the list reached similar heights as their fathers, so Caps fans should have their fingers crossed.

Today At The Sporting News ...

I take a look at the Randy Jones-Patrice Bergeron hit.

Wednesday's Blogging Roundup

How do the Caps manage only 2 wins in a month? That is a question with seemingly endless answers. But since we dealt with that yesterday, we will concentrate solely on last night's game. The problem is, no one saw it - anywhere. It was blacked out to everyone.

Japers' Rink has the usual postgame roundup, based largely on, just like everyone else has today, the box score. He's come up with the same conclusions we've had so many times before; the Caps come out strong in the first, fail to get a lead, and limp home the rest of the way.

And again, The Peerless puts it best,

But looking at the numbers, it seemed to be the tale of a bad team against a frustrated one.

Just so we're clear, the bad team won.

If the Caps keep this up they'll be the bad team pretty soon. And the only reason I'm not saying they're bad now, is largely in part to a great post from Corey Masisak at In the Room.

Look back at the team's roster in the last weeks of the season in 2006-07, when the Caps were crashing to the end of another disappointing season, and compare it to the one they have trotted out there the past four or five games before Poti returned. How different are they? The Caps added three veteran free agents and rookies Nicklas Backstrom and David Steckel to last year's post-trade deadline group. So if you take away three top veteran players with injuries, there really is not that much of a difference. They basically traded Alexander Semin and Chris Clark for Michael Nylander and Viktor Kozlov. Without Poti, the defense corps was essentially the same, save for a dramatically improved Mike Green. Backstrom and Steckel have more permanent spots that guys like Jiri Novotny, Kris Beech, Jakub Klepis and Ben Clymer held.

If the Caps didn't add any free agents before the season, and people went into this season with the assumption that the team's improvements would come from adding a couple of rookies and getting a marked improvement from one guy on defense, would those people have expected this team to jump from 70 points to the playoffs? I don't think so.

The man has a point. The Caps are only the good team everyone expects them to be when they ice the entire team. Even with Poti back logging 25 minutes, Semin and Clark are desperately needed.

The Caps are even hard-pressed to find some love outside of the rink. Both Ted's Take and Japers' Rink linked to an article by the Washingtonian about a charity party thrown by the Washington Capitals and the District Trust Charities to benefit the Children�s National Medical Center and its Kids Care Fund. While it's always nice to see players, and anyone else for that matter, taking time to help out a cause, the article may not have been as nice for the Caps as they could have hoped for. Wrote Sean Lishansky;

So what do three NHL players in their early twenties drink on a boys� night out? When asked, Capitals director of community relations Elizabeth Wodatch quickly stepped in, squinched her face as if anxiously awaiting major test results, and said, �Can you write �water�?� Of course, Liz, but only because this was a charitable event.

And the article wrapped up with a possibly 6 out of 20 stars, based on celebrity, posh, food and drink, and exclusivity. A 2 out of 5 for celebrity? Condolences go out to Brooks Laich, Steve Eminger and Mike Green, who apparently just aren't popular enough for the Washingtonian.

Tuesday's Blogging Roundup

Most of the news here concerns the poor showing the Caps had not only last night, but for much of the season. The blame can be put on any number of people or things. Notes pucksandbooks at OFB,

"Donald Brashear�s defenders have their work cut out for them this season. He played limited but accountable minutes for the Caps last season. Not this one. Last Friday night he took a needless and stupid penalty early in the third period that ultimately led to the Flyers� winning goal. Monday night, with his team valiantly taking the play to Carolina in the first half of period two, he earned a well-deserved boot for head-ramming, and the major penalty and resulting Hurricanes� goal ended any little remaining doubt as to the game�s outcome. Often in NHL hockey the difference between winning and losing hinges on the slightest of mistakes at crucial times, and the Caps these days can�t afford the mental errors Brash has regularly made this season."

Over at Ted's Take, the head honcho is seeing the same old thing over and over; "hat was an ugly game last night following a similar pattern. We get out to a good start; take a lot of penalties by being too aggressive; don't score any or many goals; and then we lose."

At Dump n' Chase Mike Vogel has a theory of his own.

The Caps have 196 shots on goal in seven games. Another 106 have been blocked en route and 93 have missed the net altogether. So more intended shots (199) have missed the mark than have gone on goal (196).

The only sport where you can reasonably be expected to miss the net that often is in soccer. And below 50% accuracy in that is even stretching it.

And as always, The Peerless Prognosticator gives us some of his trademark humor by bringing in his "cousins", Cheerless and Fearless, to give us an idea of how the Caps' game tonight in Atlanta will look. And be sure to stay up to date on the Caps playoff hopes with Peerless' "Caps Playoff Threat Advisory." Today: Orange - High (Low meaning we're in, Severe, no chance)

And last but not least, congratulations to the Caps' own Chris Bourque, who will be making his first career NHL start tonight in Atlanta after being called up from Hershey.

Brawling in the MJAHL

This video comes courtesy of Eric's Gratuitous YouTube Embed from the AOL Fanhouse.

It is a fight between members of the Halifax Wolverines (red + white) and the Summerside Western Capitals (blue).

It took me several moments to come up with any sort of response to what I had just seen. What you see at the start of the fight is Halifax's Kirk Forrest chasing Capitals defenseman Josh McKinnon to the Capitals bench, followed by Halifax's Ben Chaisson going airborne into the bench.

Update: I was asked what the trainer for Summerside did. If you look at the video with about 1:15 left, the trainer looks like he is attempting to prevent the linesman from breaking up things on the bench by punching him. The trainer is yelling something, but I can't understand it. So I'm going to guess he got a 5-game suspension for striking an official.

This is what the suspensions look like, courtesy of MJAHL.com.

Summerside Western Capitals:

Player Number Name Consequence

5 Dan Whalen 1 game suspension
21 Jon Cameron 2 game suspension
60 Stefan Dumaresque 2 game suspension
22 Joel Dyment 3 game suspension
33 Bradley Collicutt 2 game suspension
00 Tim MacPhee 1 game suspension
Trainer B. Gallant 5 game suspension
Head Coach Scott Bridges * 3 game suspension

* Note: Failure to control players.

Halifax Wolverines:

Player Number Name Consequence

7 Kirk Forrest 20 game suspension
8 Ben Chaisson 20 game suspension
14 Jeff Marchand 2 game suspension
33 T. J. Keeping 2 game suspension
Head Coach Tim Boyce ** 3 game suspension
GM Jack Finlay 20 game suspension
GM Jack Finlay $2000 fine

** Note: Player leaving the penalty box.

The suspensions seem to indicate that the majority of the fault lies with the Halifax Wolverines. But all we can see in the video is the fight, and nothing else. What you don't see are the 2 line fights that took place seconds before this one. While many players, especially Chaisson and Forrest, went too far, who knows what transpired before the fight.

In the next week or two I will be trying to talk to members of each organization, to see just what took place, and what each side thinks of what happened.

Monday's Blogging Roundup

Today's roundup is one of milestones. First and foremost a congratulations goes out to On Frozen Blog's OrderedChaos, whose wedding countdown clock ran out over the weekend. By all accounts, it was an event never to be forgotten by all in attendance. Next up, Hall of Fame coach Al Arbour returned to the Islanders' bench one more time to coach his 1,500th regular season game with the Islanders. Said Arbour, "I talked a little bit, not a lot. It was nothing spectacular. I bit my tongue a little bit." Jeremy Roenick netted his 499th career goal last night against the Kings. He'll have a couple days to think about #500, as the Sharks host Dallas Wednesday night. And lastly, the Caps signed defenseman Josh Godfrey to a 3-year entry level deal. Currently playing in the OHL, Godfrey was a 2nd round pick for the Caps, and almost certainly will be patrolling the blue line for the Caps in the future.

Another big deal is the staggered debut of the NHL Network. Us Yankees have been waiting a long time for something like this. According to Eric here and at TSN, it's been "Three and a half years since the ESPN empire pulled the plug on NHL2Night and robbed hockey fans in the lower 48 of the only regular outlet for out-of-town NHL highlights anywhere on American television." DC Sports Chick at OFB chimes in as well, and sums it up perfectly; "...who can complain about hours and hours of hockey-centric programming?"

The Globe and Mail is reporting that Peter Forsberg has had a setback in his return to hockey.

Forsberg has been hedging about a possible return to the NHL, until he could test his chronically unstable ankles in competition. Apparently, he didn't pass his own personal test and afterwards apologized to everybody who'd bought tickets for the tournament to see him play. He said he realized he'd "made a fool of himself" and simply acknowledged: "I just can't do it."

Forsberg has been reluctant to discuss his plans for the upcoming season until he gave himself a chance to properly evaluate his ankle, but said Monday: "It doesn't look good. I have to say, I've never been so close to saying my career is over right now." Indications are that before Forsberg makes anything official, he will consult with doctors in North America to see if there's a medical issue that can be overcome with treatment.

Such news will certainly disappoint the several NHL teams who have been keeping an eye on him.

Monday at FanHouse

It's Monday morning, and I'm back on Ice Sheet duty. Check it out.

A Look at the NHL Network

In my second column at the Sporting News, I take a look at the NHL Network's U.S. debut.

If you'd like to subscribe to my pieces at the Sporting News via RSS, copy this address into your feed reader.

An Interview With XM Radio's Jim Gordon

Greg Wyshynski talks with one of the brashest voices on satellite radio.

My Debut At The Sporting News

Beginning today, I'll be contributing twice a week over at the Sporting News. Click here for my first entry.

Jonathan Toews And Soggy Hockey Socks

From yesterday's John Buccigross column where the ESPN anchor posed some questions to the Chicago Blackhawks rookie. Still, Bucci reserved question #1 for himself:

Question from John Buccigross (South Windsor, Conn.): What is your opinion of the new NHL Reebok uniforms?

Answer from Toews: I don't notice anything with the jersey as much as I do with the socks. I'm a heavy sweater out on the ice and my feet are getting really wet in my skates. Other than that, I don't notice anything different than what I've been used to wearing. I'm not too fussy about that kind of thing. I just go out and play.

Meanwhile, Alex Ovechkin is blowing through two pairs of gloves per period just so he can stay dry.

Tuesday's Notes from the Hockey World

Everyone is buzzing about the Capitals' 7-1 pasting of the Leafs last night. Having to do a little skating myself last night, at practice, I was unable to watch the game. But there's a few good roundups floating around.

Japers' Rink awarded every daily award, except for the Calder and the Aiken (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), to a Capitals player. Also, kudos to Karl Alzner, who was named captain of the Calgary Hitmen.

The Peerless Prognosticator holds his own with a list of firsts from last night's game.

It was as dominating a performance the Caps have had in any game since the lockout, marked by a collection of �firsts:�

-- Jeff Schultz� first goal of his NHL career
-- Boyd Gordon�s first goal of the year
-- Boyd Gordon�s first multi-point game of the year
-- Matt Pettinger�s first goal of the year
-- Matt Pettinger�s first multi-point game of the year
-- Matt Bradley�s first goal of the year
-- Matt Bradley�s first shorthanded goal of his career
-- Matt Bradley�s first three-point game of his career
-- Alex Ovechkin�s first two-goal game of the year
-- Brian Sutherby�s first goal of the year
-- Michael Nylander�s first three-point game of the year
-- Viktor Kozlov�s first multi-point game of the year
-- Donald Brashear�s first 10+ minute game of the year
-- First three-special teams goals-game of the year (2 PP, 1 SH)

Of course that is only part of a long post by The Peerless. Get the rest here.

Bondra Calls It a Career

After spending the beginning of this season mulling over his future, Peter Bondra, 17-year NHL veteran, has decided to retire. He leaves as the career goals and points leader for the Capitals, and, at the beginning of the season, was 37th in the NHL all-time in career goals, with 503 (472 w/ Caps), and was 89th all-time in points, with 892 (825 w/ Caps).

Bondra will not leave the hockey world, however, as he will not take on the role of general manager for the Slovak national hockey team.

Thanks to Tarik at Capitals Insider for the heads up.

On TiVo, NHL Center Ice and Disappearing Games

Last week, I picked up on a story that had been percolating for a while on the Web concerning how once NHL Center Ice subscriber in Brooklyn had discovered that since upgrading to a Series 3 TiVo DVR, the device had started to auto-delete games he was recording before they ever finished.

This morning, I got a call from an NHL official who declined to be identified who wanted to address the issue. She told me the following:

* The NHL has no policy restricting the use of NHL Center Ice content on TiVo or any other brand of DVRs and it isn't planning on creating one.

* What's happening now has nothing to do with the NHL. The NHL never requested that its content be copy protected in this way.

* The league is looking into the problem and will be contacting TiVo shortly in order to find a solution.

So there's the official word. I'll keep checking back with the league for updates.

Dan LeBatard, Please Stop Talking

Barry Melrose Rocks picked up on a story from Friday's airing of PTI concerning hockey's attitude towards fighting. LeBatard's question, summed up nicely by Kevin at BMR, is "Why is it that when the NBA fights, there are 15 game suspensions and playoff implications, etc. but when it happens in the NHL it's normalcy?"

Kevin writes a good response, but the most important part of it was the inclusion of a quote from Shaved Ice Hockey Blog; "Clearly you have no idea that there is an unwritten code in hockey that still exists."

I happened to purchase The Code last week, and am about halfway through it. Ross Bernstein does an excellent job of explaining why NHL teams use enforcers, why fights happen, and what unwritten rules players must follow when looking for or getting into a fight. For the most part, fights aren't spontaneous, like they would be in other sports, but are a buildup of other events, where both fighters weren't even involved until their actual fight. The Code looks at fighting before and after the lockout, and there are several responses from current and former players on such topics as "Rookies Challenging the Pecking Order," "Swinging the Momentum," "Protection," and "The Rules of Engagement." It also looks at both the McSorely and Bertuzzi incidents. I'm only halfway through with the book, but it is already proving to be a great read. You won't look at fights the same way again.

Bruins To Ditch Reebok Uniforms

From Stephen Harris in the Boston Herald:

According to sources in the B�s dressing room, Reebok has been unable to correct problems with the new jerseys introduced this season across the NHL and will replace them at the company�s expense with new uniforms made of the old materials.

Players have complained since training camp that the new jerseys, which are supposed to be lighter and allow sweat to evaporate out through the shirts, have instead trapped water inside and gotten heavier. . . .

So much for that idea ...

UPDATE: Some interesting spin here and here.

Zdeno Chara vs. David Koci

You might want to wait until your breakfast is fully digested before watching the footage of the beating Zdeno Chara unleashed on David Koci last night in Boston:

As HockeyFights.com noted, it wasn't that long ago that Koci had his nose bashed in by Wade Belak, so he might want to sit out a couple of rounds in order to heal up.

Caption This Photo

Jes Golbez is at it again. Stop by FanHouse and help him out.

Raffi Torres Fined $2,500 For Hit On David Moss

That's apparently the maximum allowable under the CBA.

In case you've yet to see the hit, here's the only clip I could find:

The Blackhawks Discover Cable Television

Rocky Wirtz, now seemingly fully at the controls of the Chicago Blackhawks following the death of his father last month, has authorized one of the most momentous changes in the history of the franchise as the team will now seek to broadcast their home games on the local Comcast SportsNet affiliate:

"It's important to understand that CSN's current schedule was developed well over a year ago, so fitting the Hawks into that schedule can't be done overnight,'' Wirtz wrote in the memo. "But it can be done, and, while no definitive agreements have been reached, we are convinced that it is the appropriate next step to re-energizing Chicago hockey fans, and creating new fans. We are also working on a long-term strategy for televising additional home games in the future.''

Two words: Thank God. The NHL is a more interesting place now that the Blackhawks seem to have emerged from a long slumber on the ice. Here's hoping that this isn't the last change the front office has in store for the team.

The Many Faces Of Darcy Tucker

Last week over at FanHouse, Jes kicked off our new photo caption feature with a shot of an incredulous Darcy Tucker. Last night, Lowetide took the same picture and had his own fun with it.

Monday's Blogging Roundup

With the Caps off yesterday, team news is light. But the big news in hockey blogging is the departure of On Frozen Blog's EmptyMaybe. Says pucksandbooks this morning;

This morning I�m not prepared to discuss the future of OFB without Empty. Suffice to say we�ll move forward in some iteration, and perhaps manage somehow to carry off a collective set of Knee-Jerks in the months ahead. But we�d necessarily do so in a rough voice.

The Peerless Prognosticator is using the off-day to break down where the Caps rebuilding efforts have them right now. He sums it up nicely, noting that;

What all that suggests, to carry this rebuild idea up another notch, is that the materials have been delivered to the site and are in place...it is now the job of the "foreman" to make sure that the project comes together expeditiously. It's not too late, despite the doom and gloom in the usual places...but it's not too soon for a sense of urgency, either.

So here's hoping the ship is righted in the next week or so.

In the roundup at Japers' Rink it looks like the Kings are listening to offers for winger Alexander Frolov, most likely in return for a goalie. Says JP;

As we clamor for another NHL-caliber right wing, here's a name for you - Alexander Frolov. He's got the right name and nationality, and word is (yeah, I know it's Bruce Garrioch - grain of salt, etc.) he's on the block. The Kings aren't a great trade partner here (they're looking for a goalie), but since we know that every Russian player in the League will be rumored to be traded to the Caps before his career is over, I thought I'd get out in front of this one....

Actually, it might not be such a crazy idea. Kolzig is making 5.45 million this year, and is an unrestricted free agent next year. While they don't have another NHL-starter caliber goalie at the moment, they have several potential star netminders in Simeon Varlamov, Daren Machesney, and Michal Neuvirth. It probably won't ever happen, especially if the Caps get back on track. But it might not be as wild an idea as it sounds.

The Morning Ice Sheet

It's Monday, so I'm on Ice Sheet duty at FanHouse.

The Jonathan Toews Goal

Just in case you missed it:

Friday's Blogging Recap

It seems like everyone is mulling over the Caps 5-2 loss last night. The main downfalls were the lack of a powerplay and the collapse after tying the game at 2-2 with 10 minutes to go.

Says JP at Japers' Rink;

I had a horrible nightmare last night. There I was watching a Caps game and during a five-on-three power play, the Caps sent out an extra-man unit that had Joe Motzko manning one of the points.

Much to my dismay, this wasn't a nightmare from which I could wake up, and the Caps' punchless power play let them down yet again, going 0-for-6 in the 5-2 loss to the Isles (the penalty kill was a woeful 2-for-5, which certainly didn't help either).

Over at the Fanhouse Eric goes over where they stand now, and what have been the reasons behind their 3-3 start.

On Frozen Blog waxes poetic over last night's failings.

But by far the most amusing post of the day comes from Charlie Teljeur at The Hockey News. He reviews the fictional movie franchise NHLPA. It's eerily similar to the real-life NHLPA, but as Charlie notes;

The following is purely fictional and meant for entertainment purposes only. By entertainment, we mean we hope you laugh while reading this, while framing this, or while burning this. Any similarities between this and actual events is strictly coincidental and frankly, dumb luck. Remember to remind your lawyer about the made-up part, OK?

It's a good idea to leave the fun story last, because after going through the recaps of last night, you'll want something to boost your spirits.

Barry Melrose And Alex Ovechkin

Here's an interesting wrinkle: ESPN.com now allows embeds of its highlight packages as well as its talking heads segments with Barry Melrose and E.J. Hradek. Very smart move. Something tells me somebody at the league gave them a call.

Here's the top plays of the week:

UPDATE: Steve Ovadia says he thinks ESPN is covering hockey more often in its magazine:

In the current issue, Bill Keating has a nice piece, not online, about how the NHL is doing OK despite low ratings. I feel like they're trying to get everyone psyched for the return of hockey.

More coverage in the magazine, online video that's the equal of any other sport ESPN covers online, and come to think of it, I couldn't help but notice how ESPN devoted a comparatively huge highlight package of the Sabres-Leafs game a few nights ago. Steve might be on to something.

The Gary Bettman Hit List

Post of the day goes to Barry Melrose Rocks.

A Power Play Clinic

Want to know what it's like to spend 2:20 on the ice with the puck bottled up in your defensive zone and no way out? Then take a look at this sequence from Saturday night in Vancouver, where the Canucks put on a virtual clinic on the power play while the Edmonton Oilers merely tried to hang on:

I can't imagine how gassed those Oilers players were once they got off the ice. Thanks to Stick in Rink for the pointer.

Reviews For The NHL Network

Shakedownsports likes what he sees.

John Keely may never see the light of day again.

David Singer is happy.

The reviews are mixed at The NHL Arena Program.

Then there's that pesky Tapeleg, who winds up asking some uncomfortable questions about the way the league has handled this, such as why we had to wait for the NHL Network to debut in the U.S. before we got our hands on a nightly highlight show.

As for me, the NHL Network is now firmly ensconced on DirecTV's Channel 215 -- and that is some serious prime real estate -- sure as heck better than Versus, which got a little better treatment this season moving down to 603. There's only one problem: It's only available in HD.

Ouch. Looks like I've got some shopping to do.

Inside The Caps Locker Room

Over at The Fourth Period, Greg Wyshynski takes a look at how things are mixing here in D.C.

The Newly Svelte Cam Ward

If you want to know part of the reason behind Carolina's hot start, you might want to take a hard look at Cam Ward's new diet and exercise routine.

A couple of months back, J.P. and I had a discussion about Ward and his upside -- or what appeared at that time to be a lack thereof. I'd have to say that this story explains a lot.

The Morning Ice Sheet

Looking for me this morning? I'm on Ice Sheet duty at FanHouse.

NHL Roundup: Sakic Sacks Jackets With Hat Trick

Off Wing's Man of the Night: Joe Sakic
15th career Hat Trick leads Avs to 5-1 win over Columbus

PHI 3 NYI 1: Smith (G), Biron (29 S). Vasicek (G).
BUF 7 WAS 3: Spacek (2G), Campbell (4A). Nylander (G, A).
OTT 3 NYR 1: Gerber (36 S), Heatley (G). Jagr (G).
PIT 6 TOR 4: Crosby (2G), Talbot (2G). Sundin (G, A).
FLO 6 TBL 4: Jokinen (G, 2A), Horton (G, A). Prospal (2G).
NJD 6 ATL 5: Elias (2G, A), Zajac (G, 2A). Kovalchuk (2G).
CAR 3 MON 1: Stillman (G), Williams (2A). Higgins (G).
CAL 7 NAS 4: Huselius (2G), Iginla (G, A). Dumont (G, A).
CHI 2 DAL 1 (OT): Williams (GWG OT), Lang (G, A). Morrow (G).
COL 5 CLB 1: Sakic (3G), Hejduk (2G, A). Klesla (G).
VAN 4 EDM 1: D. Sedin (2G), H. Sedin (3A). Cogliano (G).
MIN 3 PHO 2: Gaborik (G), Demitra (2A). Carcillo (2G).
BOS 2 SJS 1: Bergeron (G, A), Sturm (2A). Michalek (G).

OFF THE ICE
Vanbiesbrouck, 3 Others Inducted Into HOF, SI.com
Simon Returns To Islanders After Serving 25-Game Ban, CP
Gerber Again Flirting With Greatness, ESPN.com
Winnipeg Sun Mailbag, Winnipeg Sun
Kane Shows 'Hawks He's Able, London Free Press

HOCKEY VIDEO: Everyone's favorite Barry Melrose talks about the Eastern Conference:

RANDOM HOCKEY BLOG GENERATOR
Blueshirt Bulletin
Sens Fan In Toronto
Wild Puck Banter
Andrew's Stars Page
Jamie Fitzpatrick

TONIGHT'S SCHEDULE: (All times ET)
8:00PM DET at LAK FSD, FSW
8:00PM MIN at ANA FSNO, FSPT

AHL SCOREBOARD: (NHL affiliates in parentheses)
Norfolk (TBL) 2 Albany (CAR) 1 (SO)
Milwaukee (NAS) 1 Chicago (ATL) 2 (OT)
Hershey (WAS) 2 Binghamton (OTT) 5
Bridgeport (NYI) 2 Lowell (NJD) 3
Springfield (EDM) 3 Manchester (LAK) 4
Philadelphia (PHI) 3 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (PIT) 2
Portland (ANA) 2 Worcester (SJS) 3
Rockford (CHI) 7 Iowa (DAL) 3
Hamilton (MON) 6 Lake Erie (COL) 1
Grand Rapids (DET) 4 Manitoba (VAN) 3 (OT)
Hartford (NYR) 5 Syracuse (CLB) 3
Peoria (STL) 3 Houston (MIN) 1
Providence (BOS) 4 Rochester (BUF/FLO) 3

NHL Roundup: Hats Off To Kessel, Bruins

Off Wing's Man of the Night: Phil Kessel
Hat Trick and assist doom Kings in 8-6 Boston victory

NYR 3 WAS 1: Jagr (3A), Gomez (G). Ovechkin (G).
CHI 3 DET 2: Lang (G, A), Seabrook (G, A). Zetterberg (G).
STL 4 COL 1: Hinote (2G), Boyes (G). Stasny (G).
CAL 3 DAL 2 (OT): Lombardi (GWG OT- 2G), Iginla (G). Modano (G).
VAN 5 EDM 2: Morrison (G, A), Burrows (G, A). Torres (G).
BOS 8 LAK 6: Kessel (3G, A), Savard (G, 4A). Kopitar (2G).

OFF THE ICE
Balsillie Submits New Plan To Buy Preds, ESPN.com
NHL Violence Suspensions List, SI.com
Beware Of Owners Hyping Values, Forbes
A New Epicenter for the NHL, The Washington Times
New Rules Making NHL More Dangerous?, CBC News

HOCKEY VIDEO: You've seen the Top 10 Playoff OT Goals of the 90s -- now check out the Top 10 Goals of All-Time:

RANDOM HOCKEY BLOG GENERATOR
Boltsmag
Acid Queen
The Puck Stops Here
A Theory Of Ice
Waiting For Stanley

TONIGHT'S SCHEDULE: (All times ET)
7:00PM WAS at BUF CSN, MSG
7:00PM TBL at FLO SUN, FSFL
7:00PM PIT at TOR CBC, FSPI
7:00PM NJD at ATL FSNY, SS
7:00PM NYI at PHI FSNY2, CSP
7:00PM OTT at NYR MSG
7:00PM CAR at MON FSS, RDS
8:00PM CAL at NAS
8:30PM DAL at CHI KDFI
9:00PM CLB at COL FSOH, ALT
10:00PM EDM at VAN CBC
10:00PM MIN at PHO AZTV
10:30PM BOS at SJS NESN, FSBA

AHL SCOREBOARD: (NHL affiliates in parentheses)
Quad City (CAL) 2 Milwaukee (NAS) 4
Peoria (STL) 1 San Antonio (PHO) 2
Syracuse (CLB) 4 Binghamton (OTT) 1
Hartford (NYR) 4 Manchester (LAK) 5 (SO)
Albany (CAR) 0 Philadelphia (PHI) 3
Houston (MIN) 3 Iowa (DAL) 4 (OT)
Norfolk (TBL) 0 Bridgeport (NYI) 2
Rochester (BUF/FLO) 5 Hamilton (MON) 4 (SO)
Portland (ANA) 4 Springfield (EDM) 6
Lake Erie (COL) 2 Toronto (TOR) 6

Two Man Advantage Returns

This time, they report from Islanders training camp:

NHL Roundup: Vokoun Shuts Down Devils

Off Wing's Man of the Night: Tomas Vokoun
29 saves in Panthers' 3-0 shutout win over New Jersey

BUF 6 ATL 0: Campbell (G, 2A), Connolly (G, 2A), Roy (G, A).
CAR 5 OTT 3: Staal (G, 2A), Cole (2A). Spezza (2A).
TOR 8 NYI 1: Stajan (G, 3A), Raycroft (30 S). Fedotenko (G).
FLO 3 NJD 0: Vokoun (29 S), Jokinen (G), Murphy (2A).
PHO 6 NAS 3: Sjostrom (2G), Morris (G, A). Bonk (2G).

OFF THE ICE
Stasny Following Father's Footsteps In More Ways Than One, ESPN.com
NHL Will Wait As Okposo Returns To Minnesota, USCHO
Former Offshore Betting Boss Says Athletes Make Lousy Bettors, CP
Yzerman: NCAA Hockey Vital To Hockey's Presence In America, MLive.com
Time Warner Seeking Room For NHL Network, Business First of Buffalo

HOCKEY VIDEO: The Top 5 Playoff OT Goals of the 90's:

RANDOM HOCKEY BLOG GENERATOR
St. Louis Game Time
Sabre Rattling
Battle Of New York
Hockey's Ladies Of Greatness
End Of The Bench

TONIGHT'S SCHEDULE: (All times ET)
7:00PM WAS at NYR CSN, MSG
7:30PM CHI at DET CSNC, FSD
8:30PM CAL at DAL FPPV, FSSW
8:30PM COL at STL ALT, FSMW
9:00PM VAN at EDM RSW
10:30PM BOS at LAK NESN, FSW

AHL SCOREBOARD: (NHL affiliates in parentheses)
Grand Rapids (DET) 4 Manitoba (VAN) 2

Jesse Boulerice And Ryan Kesler

In case you missed it, here's the video from the Comcast feed of the October 10 Flyers-Canucks game where Jesse Boulerice took down Ryan Kesler:

From the Toronto Star:

"(League officials) have to do something severe enough to scare guys from doing that," said Kesler.

The 23-year-old practised yesterday and expects to play tonight when the Canucks face Edmonton.

He did not receive an X-ray and had no plans to get one.

"I didn't see him coming and he just took my head off," said Kesler. "I think he has a reputation of doing that, so we'll see what happens."

Methinks Mr. Boulerice will be gone for a while, especially given his history. More here. Thanks to Orland Kurtenblog for the pointer.

UPDATE: The decision is in: 25 games.

More On The Rangers vs. The NHL

I know I'm a little late to the game in noting it, but in addition to my friend Skip Oliva, I think it would be wise to keep an eye on Marc Edelman's coverage of the Rangers vs. The NHL case at Sports Law Blog.

Click here and here to catch up.

Caption This Photo

Over at FanHouse, Jes Golbez has kicked off a new feature, and we'd like to invite you to comment.

The Price Of Principle In Minnesota

If you follow college hockey, you know how much of a ruckus has been thrown up by the mere existence of the Fighting Sioux of the University of North Dakota. Plenty of folks will recall how UND, unlike other colleges and universities who were able to reach financial settlements with certain tribes, has been a target of the NCAA in recent years for the use of an Indian or Native American mascot.

Next door at the University of Minnesota, the administration decided to take a stand of its own against the UND mascot:

A University of Minnesota policy discouraging the school�s athletic teams from competing against the University of North Dakota in any sport�

While I might not agree, I can respect the choice the University made in this case. Then again, there was one caveat to the new policy:

� except hockey will stand.

So much for principle. Then again, don't think for a moment that UND is covered in glory either. While some folks might be happy to carry the free speech banner for the school, an item I came across in 2004 left me pretty cold.

Thanks to Captain's Quarters and Shot In The Dark for the pointers.

Frank DeFord Is Wrong On The NHL At The Olympics

... Or so says Lucas Akroyd, who makes an interesting argument.

While I enjoy the Olympic Ice Hockey Tournament -- long-time readers will remember that Off Wing essentially got its start in 2002 recapping games from that tournament -- I've always thought that NHL participation wasn't essential. Instead, I'd be happy to see the same squads that participate in the World Junior Championships play at the Winter Olympics.

While television executives might not be crazy about the idea, I think people would find those kids awfully appealing.

NHL Roundup: Price Wins NHL Debut Over Pens

Off Wing's Man of the Night: Carey Price
26 saves and his first NHL win

MON 3 PIT 2: Markov (G, A), Plekanec (G, A). Recchi (2A).
NYI 2 NYR 1: DiPietro (36 S), Berard (G). Tyutin (G).
OTT 3 ATL 1: Vermette (G), Elliot (28 S). Kovalchuk (G).
CLB 3 PHO 0: Leclaire (32 S), Chimera (G, 2A), Malhorta (G, A).
DET 4 CAL 2: Zetterberg (G), Datsyuk (2A). Huselius (2G).
TBL 2 FLO 1: Gratton (2G), Holmqvist (30 S). Peltonen (G).
MIN 2 EDM 0: Demitra (G, A), Backstrom (21 S), Burns (G).
SJS 2 CHI 1: Michalek (2G), Carle (A). Toews (G).
STL 4 NAS 1: Boyes (2G), Kariya (2A). Tootoo (G).
DAL 5 LAK 1: Hagman (2G), Turco (32 S). Calder (G).
ANA 2 BOS 1: Getzlaf (G, A), Beauchemin (G). Kobasew (G).
PHI 8 VAN 2: Richards (2G, 2A), Briere (G, 2A). Shannon (G).

OFF THE ICE
Former NHL Player Ramage Found Guilty In Fatal Car Crash, AP
For Unbeaten Washington, NHL Playoffs are a Capital Idea, CP
An NHL Chemistry Lesson, Globe and Mail
Wings' Players Keen On NHL In Europe, Windsor Star
NHL Salary Cap Poses Threat To Junior Hockey, Windsor Star

HOCKEY VIDEO: Enjoy the first half of the Top 10 Playoff OT Goals of the 90's (look for the top five in tomorrow's roundup):

RANDOM HOCKEY BLOG GENERATOR
Kukla's Korner
Pucks On Broadway
Carolina On Ice
Faceoff Factor
Barry Melrose Rocks

TONIGHT'S SCHEDULE: (All times ET)
7:00PM ATL at BUF SS, MSG
7:30PM CAR at OTT FSS
7:30PM NYI at TOR FSNY2, RSN
7:30PM NJD at FLO FSNY, FSFL
8:00PM PHO at NAS FSAZ, FSS

No AHL games last night

Brian Berard Scores in Island Return

As my FanHouse colleague Greg Wyshynski foreshadowed last night, Chicago Blackhawks winger Jonathan Toews got his first NHL goal and Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price collected his first NHL win.

But the NHL milestone I was watching for last night came on Long Island, where defenseman Brian Berard, fresh off signing a new contract he earned in training camp with the team, scored the game winning goal for the Islanders in their first meeting with the Rangers this season.

As Mirtle outlined earlier this week, it's been a long way back for Berard, as he struggled to stick in the league in the wake of a gruesome eye injury in 2000 that took him from the sport for a while. Although Berard is certainly closer to the end of his career than the beginning, here's wishing him the best in his latest stint on the Island.

Blog Box Battle

As many of you might have already figured out, I've been spending plenty of time over at FanHouse the past few weeks. My most recent post on the New York Islanders Blog Box seems to have kicked up a lot of dust, including a response from my friend James Mirtle.

As to my response to James, I'll just say this: I'm sure that after having arrived at blogging through the path that he has (Ryerson to the Globe and Mail) that a lot of this argument doesn't seem like a very big deal. But from the perspective of someone who remembers what the neighborhood was like before anybody moved in and came to all this from a very different path, excuse me for thinking that things are just a little more precarious.

In the meantime, my colleagues at FanHouse are having an interesting email exchange over it all that they should be publishing later today. I'll link to that when they post it.

In the meantime, I have "Hockey Blog Overlord" duties to attend to ... ;-)

On The NHL Network In The U.S.

Over the past few days, I was pretty happy to see the news that the league is finally doing what it has to in order to import the NHL Network into the U.S. The question now becomes, just what is a hockey fan going to need to do in order to make sure they get the NHL Network?

That, as it turns out, is another question entirely. As even the NFL has discovered, launching a national cable/satellite network in such a way to get maximum carriage, even when the product includes live NFL games, is often problematic. For the NFL, it has had fights with a number of carriers over where the NFL Network appears in the channel lineup.

From their perspective, they'd like to position the network in such a way that it will allow them to accrue additional revenue, which means positioning it on a premium sports tier. Then again, as others have noted, sports networks that the cable companies own an interest in, like Versus and the Golf Channel, have somehow found their way to the basic tier. The league, on the other hand, often pushes carriers to include the network on the same basic tier that carries ESPN in order to reach the maximum number of households.

Because the NFL is the NFL, this is a fight they can afford to have. The NHL, on the other hand, simply doesn't have that sort of leverage, so off to the premium sports tier they go, which is where you'll find the NHL Network. It's also where you'll usually find NBATV too.

The league knows this is going to limit their exposure, something that the Commissioner hinted at in an interview with the American Business Journals earlier this week:

"It's a little bit in flux because we're doing some innovative things that we think will maximize carriage," Bettman said. "Will we likely be on a pay tier like everything else in the space? Yes. But we are exploring some ways that might be a creative means to expand distribution.

If he's hinting at what I think he's hinting at, I'd have to guess that means that the highlight show the NHL Network produces, NHL On The Fly: Final, will get some sort of alternate distribution channel, perhaps through Versus. As far as I'm concerned, that's the most important part of this deal. Here in the U.S., ever since NHL2Night left the cable universe, we've been cut off from a daily diet of hockey highlights on television, something that can't be good for growing hockey fandom. That show needs to be on, and it needs to be on everywhere and on every platform known to man.

As for me, I've been subscribing to DirecTV's premium sports tier, and I have to admit that it's something of a mixed bag. For me, the main draw has always been Fox Soccer Channel, which delivers matches from the English Premier League. GOLTV is pretty nice too.

As for the rest of the tier, I'll just say that I don't visit all that much. Why is that? For the most part -- with the exception of ESPNU and CSTV -- the rest of the tier is filled with regional sports channels, mostly local Fox Sports outlets. These channels syndicate the same Fox programming, which means there are times when you have the option of watching Beyond The Glory on what seems like 30 channels at the same time. And because these channels carry live games that are offered as part of league-sponsored PPV packages (MLB Extra Innings, NBA League Pass, etc.), there are plenty of times when these channels are simply blacked out.

Put simply, in order to get Fox Soccer Channel, I also had to agree to buy all the rest of the tier for an extra $12 per month. If you're a hockey fan looking for the NHL Network in the U.S., you'll essentially be in the same boat. But while this might not be an ideal situation, I'm having a hard time imagining it could be any other way.

Dissecting The New NHL.com

By now I'm sure you've seen the results of a minor facelift that just took place over at NHL.com. I have to admit that I've only taken a cursory glance over things -- and came away thinking that the minor changes didn't look half bad.

But as it turns out, others have been taking a harder look at things. Longtime reader Dave Smith, sent me his take on how the league displays league standings:

I just checked in on the NHL standings, and the first thing I noticed is that you can't click on the team names to go to the team page, nor on the column headings to sort differently. Then I noticed that as of 4:30 PDT [Monday], the standings aren't even up to date! They have the story about the Caps being 3-0 on the front page, but the standings show Washington with 2 games played. Then I clicked on the link for 2007 Preseason Standings, and was even more appalled to see what appears to be a plain text file.

Are you kidding me? Contrast with the NFL's version.

Or MLB's

Or even the NBA's

I'd have to say that the difference is pretty stark. Heck, even my fantasy football league has the ability to sort columns as Dave describes. Meanwhile, somewhere on the long and winding road, Tapeleg is taking a closer look at the online scoresheets the league produces, and finds a lot of what he liked is suddenly gone.

Glen Hanlon, circa 1990

While perusing the blogsite Get High on Hockey, on the advice of NHL Fanhouse contributor Greg Wyshynski, I came across pictures of the front and back sides of a Pro-Set 1990-'91 Red Wings card featuring none other than current Capitals head coach Glen Hanlon. Bruce at Get High on Hockey has it as one of his top 5 favorite cards of that set, noting "Goalies from the late 80's, early 90's looked so fragile. Hanlon looks like he can barely stand up."

A fun fact noted on the back is that Hanlon gave up Wayne Gretzky's first career NHL goal on October 14, 1979. According to OilersHeritage.com,

"With Oilers goalie Dave Dryden rushing to the players bench for an extra attacker, Gretzky was finding his way towards Canucks goalie Glen Hanlon�s crease. With the puck on his stick, he faked Hanlon with a move and was ready for a shot on his backhand. He whiffed. Fortunately, Hanlon opened his five-hole, and a trickling puck made its way past the goal line."

Poor guy. But who knows, maybe the answers to the trivia questions "What goalie gave up Wayne Gretzky's first career NHL goal?" and "Who coached the 2008 Stanley Cup champions?" might end up being the same person.

The Gretzky Garage Sale

From KNBC-TV:

Retired hockey great Wayne Gretzky and his wife are to hold a sale of personal items to benefit two schools in Westlake Village, the couple announced Monday.

Luxurious home furnishings, recreational items, off-road vehicles, clothing and shoes, and limited-edition jerseys signed by Gretzky will be on offer at Oaks Christian School on Oct. 27 to raise funds for construction of the school's new baseball stadium.

For a closer look at the official invitation (below), click here:

In addition to the estate sale, three days before the Gretzkys will be holding a private wine tasting to introduce his new private label wine.

Thanks to Jason at Sports By Brooks for the heads up. And Jason, that's probably a Jarri Kurri ashtray that you're looking for.

NHL Roundup: Olie Keeps Caps Unbeaten

Off Wing's Man of the Night: Olaf Kolzig
30 saves, 1 GA in 2-1 victory over Islanders

WAS 2 NYI 1: Kolzig (30 S), Kozlov (G). Park (G).
OTT 4 NJD 2: Alfredsson (G, 2A), Heatley (G, A). Parise (G, A).
DET 4 EDM 2: Samuelsson (G, A), Lidstrom (2A). Horcoff (G).

OFF THE ICE
NHL Network Launches In United States, CP
Nashville Group Still Negotiationg to Buy Preds, Pittsbugh Business Times
NHL Considers European Expansion, FOXSports.com
Intimidation's Role In NHL, The Arizona Republic
Oilers Lock Up GM Lowe to Long-Term Deal, CanWest News Service

HOCKEY VIDEO: Enjoy this new promo for NHL Center Ice:

RANDOM HOCKEY BLOG GENERATOR
A View From The Cheap Seats
On The Wings
Mike Chen's Hockey Blog
CasonBlog
Sharkspage

TONIGHT'S SCHEDULE: (All times ET)
7:00PM CAR at TOR VS., RSN

No AHL games last night

NHL Roundup: Chicago's Phenom Clips Wings In Shootout

Off Wing's Man of the Night: Patrick Kane
First overall draft pick scores game-winner in shootout

OTT 2 NYR 0: Gerber (35 S), Alfredsson (G, A), Spezza (A).
NYI 3 BUF 2: Comrie (2G), Guerin (2A). Spacek (G).
NJD 4 FLO 1: Madden (2G), Weekes (32 S). Murphy (G).
WAS 2 CAR 0: Ovechkin (G), Jurcina (G), Kolzig (23 S).
TOR 4 MON 3 (OT): Kaberle (GWG OT), Ponikarovsky (2G). Markov (G).
PIT 5 ANA 4: Sykora (2G, A), Malkin (G, A). Kunitz (2G, A).
TBL 5 ATL 2: Richards (2G), Prospal (2G). Hossa (G).
MIN 3 CLB 2: Belanger (G, A), Rolston (3A). Foote (G).
EDM 5 PHI 3: Sanderson (2G), Horcoff (2A). Briere (G, A).
NAS 5 DAL 1: Legwand (3G), Erat (3A). Barch (G).
CHI 4 DET 3 (SO): Kane (GWG SO, A), Ruutu (G). Rafalski (G, A).
BOS 3 PHO 1: Bergeron (G), Thomas (36 S). Kapanen (G).
VAN 4 CAL 3 (OT): D. Sedin (GWG OT, A), Naslund (G, A). Langkow (2G).
STL 5 LAK 3: Mayers (2G), Kariya (2A). Brown (2G, A).

OFF THE ICE
Controversies Crop Up During Opening Week, CBS Sports
Kiprusoff, Hossa May Be Next to Re-Sign, FOXSports.com
Looking for a Broad Street Revival, ESPN.com
Tending to the 'Tenders, TSN.ca
The Week's Best Quotes From Around the NHL, The London Free Press

HOCKEY VIDEO: Caps goalie Brent Johnson explains the artwork on his mask (Off Wing readers will be reminded of Ilya Bryzgalov's unsuccessful attempt to do this):

RANDOM HOCKEY BLOG GENERATOR
soveryobsessed
Army of Ohio
Devils Daily
Hockey Will Tear Us Apart
Illegal Curve

TONIGHT'S SCHEDULE: (All times ET)
7:00PM SJS at COL FSBA, ALT

AHL SCOREBOARD: (NHL affiliate in parentheses)
Rochester (BUF/FLO) 1 Toronto (TOR) 4
Iowa (DAL) 1 San Antonio (PHO) 7
Worcester (SJS) 4 Springfield (EDM) 2
Bridgeport (NYI) 3 Hartford (NYR) 2
Milwaukee (NAS) 2 Peoria (STL) 4
Syracuse (CLB) 2 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (PIT) 3
Albany (CAR) 3 Binghamton (OTT) 1
Lowell (NJD) 1 Portland (ANA) 4
Rockford (CHI) 1 Quad City (CAL) 5
Grand Rapids (DET) 3 Lake Erie (COL) 2
Chicago (ATL) 4 Houston (MIN) 2
Providence (BOS) 2 Manchester (LAK) 1

Washington Capitals v. Carolina Hurricanes (Period 1)

He Shoots He Scores

Photo by Ellen Blanchard

Also be sure to check out more pictures from tonight's game on our flickr page and also our Photoshelter account

Opening Faceoff

Photo by Ellen Blanchard

Photo by Ellen Blanchard

Photo by Ellen Blanchard

NHL Roundup: Nash, Jackets Start Off On High Note

Off Wing's Man of the Night: Rick Nash
Four-point night in Columbus victory over defending champion Ducks

CLB 4 ANA 0: Nash (2G, 2A), Fedorov (G, A), Hainsey (G, A).
CAR 4 PIT 1: E. Staal (2G), Hamilton (G, 2A). Recchi (G).
NYI 6 BUF 4: Comrie (2G, 2A), Guerin (3A). Spacek (G, A).
WAS 3 ATL 1: Kozlov (G), Johnson (28 S). Little (G).
DAL 4 BOS 1: Morrow (G, A), Niskanen (2A). Bergeron (G).
SJS 3 VAN 1: Roenick (2G), Murray (2A). Morrison (G).

OFF THE ICE
Sweater Showdown: Rating the NHL's New Threads, CBS Sports
Six Rookies To Watch In 2007-08, The Sporting News
Fearless Predictions, ESPN.com
Bettman: All-Star Experience Will Be 'Interactive', CP
Rocky Wirtz Takes Over As Blackhawks Chairman, AP

HOCKEY VIDEO: Ottawa netminder/enforcer Ray Emery's Versus promo:

RANDOM HOCKEY BLOG GENERATOR
Top Shelf
Sens HQ
The Hockey Rabbi
The Blueline
Hockeywood Tonight

TONIGHT'S SCHEDULE: (All times ET)
7:00PM NJD at FLO FSFL
7:00PM CAR at WAS FSS, CSN
7:00PM BUF at NYI MSG, FSNY
7:00PM NYR at OTT CBC, MSG
7:00PM MON at TOR CBC
7:30PM ATL at TBL SS, SUN
7:30PM ANA at PIT FSPT, FSPI
8:00PM DAL at NAS KDFI
8:00PM CLB at MIN FSOH, KSTC
8:00PM PHI at EDM CSP, OPPV
8:30PM DET at CHI FSD
10:00PM BOS at PHO NESN, AZTV
10:00PM VAN at CAL CBC
10:30PM STL at LAK KPLR, FSW

AHL SCOREBOARD: (NHL affiliate in parentheses)
Norfolk (TBL) 3 Philadelphia (PHI) 4
Springfield (EDM) 3 Portland (ANA) 2
Syracuse (CLB) 4 Rochester (BUF/FLO) 6

Between the Pipes, It's the "Whiskey Robber"!

Associated Press sports columnist Jim Litke has a nice piece on a man who was a horrible goalie, but a pretty good felon. Attila Ambrus begged his was into a backup goalie role for the UTE hockey club, while also being the janitor and zamboni driver. He was paid so poorly he slept in a closet in the rink, ate in churches, and worked other odd jobs. But eventually he turned to robberies, which he did pretty successfully. The article is good, but for a detailed story, you can pick up Ballad of the Whiskey Robber by Julian Rubinstein.

Friday's News from Your Friendly Neighborhood Bloggers

After all the predictions the other day that had the Caps squeaking into the 8th, or maybe even 7th, playoff spot, someone comes along and figures them to finish dead last in the Southeast. And that someone is SI.com. What does Ted think of this? "I like it. These kinds of articles are good inspiration for our team."

Everyone is breaking down tonight's game, and with Semin out with his ankle sprain, that made some some interesting shuffling of the lines this morning at practice. For more check out Capitals Insider and Dump and Chase. Also, Japers' Rink has their own detailed breakdown of tonight.

Anyone looking to get into the mental wanderings of a hockey fan at 4:30 in the morning can jump over to On Frozen Blog, where pucksandbooks shares his thoughts after an early morning wakeup.

And by far the funniest piece of writing today, The Peerless Prognosticator has his own PTI-esque interview session concerning tonight's game. One commentor sums it all up by saying, "[It] made me laugh to the point that other people at work are looking at me funny." So check it out, it's worth it.

Quoting Jonesy: The Interview, Part I

I hope everyone has enjoyed the excerpts I've been passing along from Jonesy: Keep Your Head Down & Skate as much as I've had. I always liked his style of play since he broke into the league here in Washington, and I was happy to see him enjoy some success elsewhere before being forced to retire after ten years in the league.

In short, Jones was the kind of player I wanted to root for, which is why it was such a treat to be able to talk to him earlier today about his book, his career in the NHL and the way the league is looking right now.

I caught Jones on the way to the airport to catch a flight from Calgary to Edmonton. After doing the Versus studio show on opening night on Wednesday, Jones headed to Calgary for the Flyers season opener against the Flames. After a Saturday night game in Edmonton, the Flyers head to Vancouver to play the Canucks on Wednesday before returning to Philly for their season opener next Saturday.

As it turns out, writing a book about his career wasn't exactly his idea. The whole project grew out of the fact that an editor at Middle Atlantic Press, the publisher of the book, was a big fan of John Buccigross and his online column at ESPN.com.

In turn, the company contacted Buccigross, who asked him what NHL players he might want to write a book about. Jones was one of the players on the list Buccigross submitted to the publisher, based in New Jersey in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Because Middle Atlantic specializes in regional topics, it turned out that Jones was "a nice fit" he told me.

What came next was 40 hours of taped interviews with Buccigross, though he freely admits he didn't tell everything he knew. "I didn't want any hassles," he says, something that his former teammate, Joe Reekie, hinted at to me earlier in the week at Caps Media Day when he told me that Jones, "left out all the good parts."

Since the book was released last week, Jones says he's gotten, " a lot of nice reactions and emotional responses," especially to an afterword concerning his relationship with a hockey fan he got to know early in his career with the Capitals and the Baltimore Skipjacks: John Poor.

Poor, who was about the same age as Jones, was afflicted with Cystic Fibrosis, a disease that would eventually take his life. Poor was buried wearing a Keith Jones game worn jersey. And when heavy traffic delayed Jones and then-Caps teammate Kevin Kaminski's arrival at the funeral, the family delayed the start so the two players could get there.

"He was such a nice kid, and he never imposed on anybody. All he wanted to do was go to hockey games and then head home with his Dad when it was over."

When I asked Jones what was missing come playoff time with the Capitals all the years he was in Washington, his answer was simple: Goaltending. In particular, it was the fact that as the team went through goaltenders like Don Beaupre, Jim Hrivnak, Byron Dafoe and Jim Carey, while Olie Kolzig, "wasn't at the level he was," when he took the Caps to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1998.

As for Carey, Jones made sure to pass along something he heard Dale Hunter say one time: "I never blocked so many shots in my life as I did to get Jim Carey the Vezina."

As for the circumstances surrounding his departure, Jones conceded that might have had something to do with his problematic relationship with then-Caps head coach Jim Schoenfeld. "That I wasn't a lot better player when I was there drove him nuts," Jones said, something that made for a number of interesting confrontations during team meetings.

"99.9% of the time the problem was me," he said, adding that Schoenfeld contributed a lot toward his development as a player.

Even though he might live in the Philly area now, Jones says it's hard not to think of the Capitals, the team that drafted him and with whom he made his NHL debut, as family. To this day he says the players he stays in closest touch with are from his days with the Capitals: Hunter, Kaminski and Craig Berube.

And it was with the Capitals that he experienced the most memorable night in his career, when he made his NHL debut against Calgary with the Flames, something he couldn't help but be reminded of again having just been inside the visitors locker room in Calgary just the night before.

"Just looking in the mirror and seeing that old Capitals jersey -- which I'm glad they've gone back to," and knowing that he had actually made it to the NHL will always stick with him, he told me.

As for this year's edition of the Capitals, even though the teams in the Southeast Division are tightly packed, he's picking them to come out on top. In particular, he really likes the addition of Michael Nylander, who he thinks the New York Rangers and Jaromir Jagr will miss more than the team understands at this point.

That's it when it comes to the Caps, but Keith had plenty more to say when it came to life with Versus and the state of the NHL today. But that will have to wait for another post.

NHL Roundup: Good Start For Drury In New York

Off Wing's Man of the Night: Chris Drury
Notches three points in Blueshirt debut

NYR 5 FLO 2: Drury (G, 2A), Jagr (2A). Horton (G).
OTT 3 TOR 2: Alfredsson (2G), Heatley (G, A). Sundin (G).
TBL 3 NJD 1: Lecavalier (2G), Prospal (G, A). Gionta (G).
NAS 4 COL 0: Arnott (2G, A), Dumont (G, A), Mason (35 S).
MIN 1 CHI 0: Bouchard (G), Backstrom (27 S), Rolston (A).
EDM 3 SJS 2 (SO): Stoll (GWG SO), Roloson (28 S). Thornton (G, A).
PHI 3 CAL 2: Briere (2G), Gagne (2A). Langkow (2G).
PHO 3 STL 2: Ballard (G), York (G). Tkachuk (G, A).

OFF THE ICE
'Rebuilding' No Longer In Caps' Vocabulary, ESPN.com
Rebuilt Isles Out To Prove That New Faces Are As Good As Old, CP
Oilers-Ducks Feud Is Great For NHL, The Sporting News
Stars Can't Afford Another Disappointing Campaign, ESPN.com
Sabremetrics Comes To Hockey, Montreal Gazette

HOCKEY VIDEO: Another Versus promo, this time featuring Philly's Daniel Briere:

RANDOM HOCKEY BLOG GENERATOR
Hockey Beat
On The Forecheck
Hockey Narrative
Scotty Hockey
Mile High Hockey

TONIGHT'S SCHEDULE: (All times ET)
7:00PM PIT at CAR FSPI, FSS
7:00PM ANA at CLB FSPT, FSOH
7:30PM NYI at BUF FSNY, MSG
7:30PM WAS at ATL SS
8:30PM BOS at DAL NESN, FSSW
10:00PM SJS at VAN

No AHL games last night

Skip Oliva On The MSG vs. NHL Antitrust Suit

Thanks to Skip Oliva, a long-time Off Wing reader and anti-trust expert, I've now got a copy of Madison Square Garden's anti-trust suit against the NHL that the team filed when it refused to hand over control of its Web properties to the league.

Besides giving me a copy of the complaint, Skip also gave me a preliminary take on the suit, the chance that the Rangers might prevail and what the long-term affect may be on anti-trust law:

This is a serious antitrust suit. Jones Day (MSG's law firm) is a heavy hitter in this field, and if this survives the pleadings stage, the Garden stands a good chance of prevailing.

Now for my libertarian take on this. As you know, I've often railed against the consolidation of power by league commissioners. If even half of what the Garden alleges in this complaint is true, then Bettman is the worst kind of bureaucratic manager and he out to be catapulted out of town. But what bothers me is the Garden has made a pure antitrust argument (under federal and state law.) There's no allegation that Bettman or the other clubs violated the NHL's governing documents or otherwise committed breach of contract. So that means MSG voluntarily agreed to abide by certain rules, but when they didn't like the outcome, they went to court claiming a public policy exception. It's hard for me to get on board with that.

I'll write more about this tonight on my blog and next week when I relaunch the Voluntary Trade website. This is a potential landmark case.

Very interesting. In the meantime, I'm going to get to work reading the complaint. Thanks to Skip for providing some especially keen insight.

UPDATE: Click here (PDF) for a copy of the complaint.

NHL Roundup: Puck Drops On '07-'08 Season

Off Wing's Man of the Night: Hockey Fans
Hockey fans rejoice - the NHL season is underway!

MON 3 CAR 2 (OT): Koivu (2G-GWG OT), Markov (2A). Cole (G).
DET 3 ANA 2 (SO): Hudler (GWG SO), Zetterberg (G, A). Bertuzzi (G, A).
OTT 4 TOR 3 (OT): Heatley (2G, A-GWG OT), Vermette (G). Antropov (2G).
COL 4 DAL 3: Stasny (3G), Brunette (3A). Hagman (G, A).

OFF THE ICE
Sens Ink Heatley To Long-Term Deal, NHL.com
Scotiabank Scores With NHL, Globe and Mail
Busy Time For Bettman- Commissioner Dealing With Several Issues, CP
High School Hockey Player Dies After On-Ice Collapse, CP
Scott Wraight's Power Rankings, SI.com

HOCKEY VIDEO: Versus has released a lineup of promos to jumpstart the new season. Check out this one, featuring Carolina's Eric Staal:

RANDOM HOCKEY BLOG GENERATOR
Japer's Rink
Random Reality Thoughts
Joe Washington's Hockey Blog
Hockey Rants
James Mirtle

TONIGHT'S SCHEDULE: (All times ET)
7:00PM FLA at NYR FSFL, MSG
7:00PM TOR at OTT CBC
7:30PM NJD at TBL
8:00PM COL at NAS ALT
8:30PM CHI at MIN KSTC
9:00PM SJS at EDM RSW
10:00PM PHI at CAL CBC
10:00PM STL at PHO FSAZ

AHL SCOREBOARD: (NHL affiliate in parentheses)
Hershey (WAS) 4 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (PIT/EDM) 5

Gary Bettman On Fan 590

The Commissioner went on Fan 590 yesterday with Bob McCown & Stephen Brunt to talk about the state of the league. He talks about the games in London, the Rangers law suit and the situation in Nashville. Click here to listen (MP3).

Opening Hockey's Western Outpost

Here's an interesting idea from Chuqui: Why doesn't the NHL spend some money opening some operatations on the West Coast?

The Maple Leafs Take A Giant Step Backward

Yesterday, David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that "gathering video or audio content in the Maple Leafs dressing room may only be obtained from traditional devices."

As you might have guessed, I think that's a little short-sighted. Over at FanHouse, I explain why.

Quoting Jonesy: "The Call Up"

When we last left our intrepid hero, Keith Jones had just been absolved of blame by Baltimore Skipjacks Head Coach Barry Trotz for being on the ice for seven even-strength goals against Utica for an historic minus 7. With that, Jones retreated to a loft in his Odenton, Maryland apartment one evening to listen to a Caps game from Vancouver, hoping against hope for some event that would get him his call up to the show:

Now before the season, the Capitals traded Dino Ciccarelli for Kevin Miller, Kelly's brother, which incidentally gave us Miller brothers and Hunter brothers. Anyway Ciccarelli was coming off a 38-goal season and another productive playoff series for the Caps. He went on to score 41 goals for the Red Wings the year after Washington traded him. Meanwhile, Kevin Miller had zero goals in his first ten Washington games, and the Capitals were now trying to cut bait and deal him. I, of course, saw this as my opening to get called up.

I continued listening to the game on my Walkman radio. Early in the third period, Kevin Miller took a spearing penalty and was ejected from the game. I said to myself, "OK, here we go. This will put him deeper in the dog house."

Then, moments later, Mark Hunter takes a big hit in Vancouver that sounds bad even on the radio in Maryland. The hit gives Hunter a concussion that not only knocks him out of the lineup, but eventually ends his career. He never played another NHL game.

With about 10 minutes left in the third period, my roommate, Ron Leask, taps me on the shoulder. He thinks I'm listening to a CD or something.

As I'm listening to the game, the phone rings, but I don't hear it. Rob says, "The phone, it's for you. It's [Caps GM David] Poile."

I pick up the phone and Poile says, "Keith, you have a 6:00 a.m. flight to Calgary tomorrow. Get yourself ready. You're coming to the NHL."

I about poop my pants. I've made the show.

With the exception of two conditioning stints in Hershey and Portland, he'd never go back to the minor leagues again.

Wednesday's News from Your Friendly Neighborhood Bloggers

It seems like today is the day for predictions, with several writers and sites throwing out how they think the season will end.

First up is the Washington Post's Tarik El-Bashir, who has Colorado and Calgary moving up big in the West, and the Hurricanes and Caps climbing up the East. He's even got some interesting storylines to watch this year.

The Washington Times also put in their two cents, and have shown similar thoughts, with Colorado sneaking in at 8 in the West, and Tampa Bay way out in the East.

On Frozen Blog has the comings and goings among all 30 teams from the tail end of last season to now, and what it means for each team. Any team that improved itself got a thumbs up, while those that left themselves the same or worse got the dreaded thumbs down. It looks like the Caps got one of the few thumbs up, so they're off to a good start. OrderedChaos also shared some tidbits from the Caps Media Day, such as why the center line is red and white dotted, and who has the only boards with a blue stripe on the bottom.

Japers' Rink is also looking for input on where people will be watching the Caps opening night game. You might want to send them some suggestions.

Thanks ...

... To Sports Business Daily for naming Off Wing #1 in its inaugural listing of top NHL blogs.

Congrats to the rest of the blogs named, all of them run by top notch folk:

1. Off Wing Opinion
2. James Mirtle
3. The Pens Blog
4. The Battle of California
5. Barry Melrose Rocks
6. BfloBlog.com
7. Waiting For Stanley
8. Battle of Alberta
9. Japers' Rink
10. Behind the Jersey

I was really pleased to see my FanHouse colleagues James Mirtle and J.P. place second and ninth.

First, a thank you to the whole Off Wing team: Ellen Blanchard, Allen Clark, Joe Dumas, Kate McGovern and Joe Tasca. Don't forget, Off Wing is a blog, a virtual photo agency, a podcast and a home for online video. It hasn't been a one-man band for a long time, and all my colleagues deserve a hand too.

Once again, thanks to all of my readers who have spread word about Off Wing far and wide. Now well into my seventh year as a blogger, I'm still amazed at all the places this hobby has taken me. Again, thank you.

The Extra Standings Point: A Win-Lose Proposition?

Over at the University of Guelph in Ontario, a professor has been crunching the numbers to confirm what plenty of people might have already suspected -- that while the introduction of the extra standings point in OT has led to more exciting OT periods, it's also led teams to play more conservatively in the second and third periods:

"The rule change has been successful because now there is a goal scored to break the tie in about 50 per cent of overtime games compared with 25 per cent under the old rule," said Weersink.

At the same time, the rule change has created more of an incentive to go into overtime, which means there's less incentive to win during a regular game, he said.

"Some teams on certain nights will play for a tie and then go for it in overtime because they are guaranteed a point if they go into overtime. This has resulted in less aggressive offence during the regular games. Changing the rules has changed the incentives and changed the way the game is played."

Since the rule change, the number of games going into overtime has increased from 20 to 25 per cent and the spread in the score between teams after the second and third period has become narrower, he said.

Color me unsurprised. What we have here is a case where late in the third period, teams now have an incentive to eschew attacking hockey in order to guarantee each team a standings point. With the "co-opetition" segment of the evening out of the way, then teams can get to business fighting over that extra standings point -- one that is now always awarded thanks to the introduction of the shootout before the 2005-06 NHL season.

To rectify the situation, Guelph's Prof. Alfons Weersink proposes adding a wrinkle from international Soccer: Instead of the current system, why not award three points for a win, and only one point for a tie?

On the face of things, that sounds like a reasonable solution, and one that I would favor. In any sport, we should be rewarding athletes and teams who are more talented and are willing to take risks. If you give teams the correct incentive, than you might just unlock the key to the sort of game so many of us claim to be looking for.

EJ Hradek's Players to Watch

I'm sure plenty of you have already seen this already, but I wanted to take a moment to -- GASP -- praise ESPN.com with what they've done with their new video beta. As Joe Dumas discovered a few days back, the WWL now has a feature that allows you to embed their content in your blog -- like this neat little feature from EJ Hradek:

For all the rest of ESPN.com's NHL video library, click here.

Quoting Jonesy: "Minus 7"

Before we jump into today's excerpt, I wanted to pass along some related news. I got a call from the book's publisher, Middle Atlantic Press, and Keith Jones has agreed to a short interview that I'll be conducting later this week. Expect to see something by Friday afternoon.

After Jones failed to make the 1992-93 Washington Capitals out of training camp, it was back to Baltimore and life in the AHL with the Skipjacks where Jones had to eek out an existence on a minor league paycheck. Meanwhile, the big club got off to a slow start and got blasted by injuries. That's when they decided to reach down to Baltimore and bring up a young prospect named Steve Konowalchuk.

Jones was not happy with the decision.

Steve is four years younger than me and was a third round pick. He scored 50 goals for the Portland Winter Hawks in the Western Hockey League when he was twenty years old. I was coming off a season of Junior B at age twenty when I was drafted. I think they saw Steve as the better prospect. But being twenty-four years old at the time I thought I could help the Capitals a little more.

I flipped out over the decision to bring up Kono over me. I go to Barry Trotz and say, "You guys are assholes. You're making a mistake. I should be the guy getting called up!" I was livid. I was so desperate to make it to the NHL, and knowing that I was so close only made it harder.

Stuck skating with the Skipjacks for the time being, Jones seemed to start to obsess over stat lines that might keep him from getting to the NHL. One night when it all boiled over came in a game against Utica where Baltimore trailed late, 9-8. Jones had two power play goals on the night, but he had also been on the ice for six even-strength Utica goals. Now, down one goal late, Baltimore pulled the goalie to get an extra attacker, only to see Utica seemingly score into an empty net as time expired.

Jones could do the math, and he exploded:

I start chasing the referee around the ice saying, "How in the **** can you count that goal? The ****ing buzzer went off before the puck crossed the line!"

The referee is looking at me like I have two heads and four boogers hanging out of my four nostrils. He's like, "Dude, the game is over. What do you care?"

One of the assistants, Paul Gardner, comes over and says, "Jonesy, what are you doing?"

I reply, "That ****ing buzzer went off before the puck crossed the line. That's no goal."

Gardner says, "Why do you care, the game is over!"

I go, "I'm ****ing minus 7!"

Paul Gardner says, "What?"

[...]

"I'm ****ing minus 7!" which, mind you, has to be close to an AHL record."

The next day we're having a meeting, and coach [Barry] Trotz addresses the team. He says, "Guys, there was a guy on our team last night who was a minus 7 on the stats sheet last night against Utica. I'm going to show you guys all of the goals on the video and I want to show you something about hockey."

Barry, of course, is talking about me. He shows all seven goals scored while I was on the ice. He shows the tape, stops, and says, "Jonesy had his man on every goal.

I was in the right position for every goal and I was a minus 7.

Something to think about for those in the audience who might read a little too much into plus/minus. Tomorrow: The call up.

Quoting "Jonesy": Making His Case

With the Caps about to announce the final cuts to their 23-man roster, I thought it might be good to share a tale from Jonesy: Put Your Head Down and Skate, that dealt with the pressure of training camp and making the team.

Though Jones had been called up from Baltimore to skate with the Black Aces during the 1992 NHL Playoffs, he wouldn't attend his first training camp with the Caps at Piney Orchard until the following Summer. Ever since Jones had signed his first contract with the club, he had blown his signing bonus on a new car. He was so broke, he actually had to borrow cash from his sister in order to make it to training camp.

As per usual, Jones didn't spend a whole lot of the offseason working out, and arrived at camp out of shape. How out of shape? I'll let Jones tell this story:

On the first day of training camp I was sitting in the locker room and Michael Pivonka, about to start his seventh year in the NHL, says to me, "Hey kid, can you grab my sticks for me?"

I'm a little taken aback by his request, but then I'm thinking that it must be a rookie thing so I go and grab Pivonka's sticks for him. No big deal.

Well, later on in training camp, once new faces start to get recognized and us white guys don't look all alike, Peter Bondra comes up to me and says, "Hey Jonesy. Remember the time Pivonka told you to get him his sticks?"

I say, "Yeah. What was that all about? I haven't seen any other rookies get any vets their sticks for them."

Bondra replies, "Your body is so bad Pivonka said he thought there was no way you were a player. He thought you were the equipment guy!"

As it turned out, spurred on by his real need to make an NHL salary in order to pay his bills, Jones had an excellent training camp. But while he knew that he had done well, he still didn't know what to think heading into his final meeting with Caps GM David Poile and the scouting staff:

So, training camp was winding down and us guys on the fringe of the roster were stressing over whether we would make the team or be sent down to the minors. Everyone's nerves were frazzled.

Well, it's time for me to hear the verdict handed down by the Washington Capitals. Would I make the team or not? G.M. David Poile calls me into a makeshift room with all of his scouting and administrative staff sitting around a big table at our practice rink.

Mr. Poile says, "Keith, you've had a nice training camp, but we're sending you to Baltimore." In front of this big room of people, I respond, "You're making a big mistake."

And then I let loose on them. "You know I made this team. The players know I made this team. I know I made this team. But I'll go down to the minors. And I'll be back in two weeks to play in the NHL. And you won't regret it when I come back.

The room was silent. This was an out-of-shape, seventh round draft pick talking here.

[...]

Years later, Terry Murray, then the head coach, tells me that following the meeting where I stated my NHL case, David Poile told Murray, "I just met the future captain of the Washington Capitals."

"Really? Who is that?" Murray replied.

And then Poile tells him, "Keith Jones!"

Murray then says, despite having been behind the bench for six of my preseason games, "Keith Jones? Who's he?"

While Jones never became Team Captain, he was right about one thing: It wouldn't be long before he made his NHL debut. More on that, tomorrow.

Brandweek Q&A With NHL VP John Collins

For the first time in a long time, I came away from reading a piece of copy about the NHL's branding and advertising strategy where I actually felt good about what I might see next.

I'm talking about a Q&A that Brandweek conducted with John Collins, the NHL's Senior Vice President for Business and Media. Here's what he had to say about the league's new advertising campaign:

The players are at the core of everything we�re doing, and this crop of up-and-coming stars led by Crosby and Ovechkin will be the focus. There is a heavy, graphic emphasis on the NHL shield. The key is about being authentic. Slowing the game down and celebrating the smaller moments is a real key to some of the things we are trying to do. As a comparison, I started in the NFL at NFL Films, and they have done a phenomenal job of slowing the game down so you see what happens at the line of scrimmage, you can look into the eyes of someone like [former all-pro linebacker] Mike Singletary. It�s getting fans a different view of the sport. The NHL�s greatest strength is speed, and sometimes that is used as its greatest weakness and the game is often accused of being too fast for television. So we took this opportunity to slow the game down. Like the face-off. We�re looking at it in a way that�s never been seen before. We don�t have a huge media budget, so we�re working with our national rights holders in the U.S. and Canada to give us inventory as part of the deal, plus we�ll be on all the regional networks.

How many times have we heard hockey fans complain that the only place that they see NHL advertising is while they're watching hockey games? Only just about every time the NHL rolls out a new campaign, right? Well, now you have your answer as to why the league does that -- they simply don't have the money, and instead rely on getting ad time on league broadcasts to air the spots.

Of course, the other side of that equation is the "why" behind the fact that the NHL has no advertising budget. It's a "why" we covered in this morning's edition of The Ice Sheet -- because the vast majority of NHL revenues are generated at the local level, there simply isn't any way to support the sort of national ad buy everyone would like to see in order to win the league some new fans.

Which leads me to another conclusion: Instead of trying to replicate the best in class functions that we see in other sports, why not seek to work with those best practice functions that lead their respective industries?

What am I talking about? Why shouldn't the NHL outsource a piece of their marketing/advertising function to organizations like NFL Films and MLB Advanced Media? We can already see from the above quote as well as the debut of NHL TV that the league is doing its level best to replicate the success of other major sports. So why not just import that best in breed talent in order to get the job done?

Quoting "Jonesy"

Waiting for me in my mailbox when I got back from the Caps game late on Friday night was something that I'd been looking forward to for some time: A copy of Jonesy: Put Your Head Down and Skate, a memoir of the improbable 10-year NHL career of Keith Jones, now a NHL studio co-host for Versus and a part-time morning radio voice for Philadelphia's WIP.

Why look forward to the memoir of an NHL player who won't get a sniff of the Hockey Hall of Fame? Well, for a couple of reasons. First, I've always liked Jones ever since he broke into the league with the Capitals back during the 1992-93 season. Even then you could tell he was a hard working player that was destined to become a fan favorite.

Later, when he was injured during the 1996 playoffs, I ran into Jones on the concourse of the U.S. Air Arena after a home game. I shouted out to him to get well soon and that we needed him back. He actually took a moment to look up, wave and say thanks. Needless to say it stuck with me. So when he was traded to Colorado early in the 1996-97 season, I was disappointed, even though eventually that trade was one that helped get the Caps to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1998.

The other reason I've been eagerly awaiting the book is that ESPN's John Bucigross co-wrote the book with Jones. Long-time readers know that I've been a fan of Buccigross for some time now, and he's been plugging the book for a while, making time for a number of excerpts from the book over the course of last season.

This morning at FanHouse, I review Jonesy as part of the debut of The Ice Sheet, our new regular NHL morning roundup feature that you'll see there every Monday through Saturday.

Meanwhile, back here at Off Wing, I'll be publishing some interesting short excerpts of the book all week long. For starters, let's go back to the 1992 NHL playoffs, where Jones and a group of other members of the Baltimore Skipjacks, then the team's AHL affiliate, were called up to Washington to be members of the "Black Aces" -- bodies essentially ready to be called in at a moment's notice just in case a member of the team was dropped by an injury.

Back then, Baltimore head coach Barry Trotz was called in to run their practices, which were held at the U.S. Air Arena after the big club practiced. Wanting to leave upper management with a good impression, Trotz did his best to make these practices as grueling as possible, something that didn't sit well with Jones, somebody who didn't exactly take to physical conditioning very well:

[A]ll of that skating was killing me. I hated it. And for some reason, I stopped drinking water while skating during that phase of my life. I have no idea what I was thinking with that liquid strike. I was always trying to lose weight back then or get into better shape, and I thought not drinking water would help. It's unbelievable my organs didn't shut down. I felt awful from all the skating and the lack of water. And I distinctly remember feeling unsure whether or not I could keep up with this grueling regimen. I'm not sure I can keep doing this.

Well, on April 25, 1992, the Capitals beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-2 to go up three games to one in the opening round of the playoffs and I'm pissed. Sure, we're winning, but there's no sign of the skating coming to an end. The longer the Capitals play the longer I'm skating.

So we're flying back to Washington up three games to one and I turn to Steve Konowalchuk and say, "This sucks. These guys are going to win the Stanley Cup. We're going to be bag skating for two more months."

The Penguins decide to make some adjustments for Game 5 and play a little more defensively. Pittsburgh scores the go-ahead goal and I look over at Steve and give him a thumbs up, "Yeah, baby!" I'm rooting for my team to blow a 3-1 series lead because I'm so tired of all the skating. Meanwhile, Konowalchuk looks at me like I'm some kind of asshole.

Oh, I bet he did. Kono was not the kind of player who liked to lose, even if he wasn't on the ice. I can just imagine the sort of look he gave Jones when he heard that.

I don't need to tell Caps fans the rest of the story, as we're all intimately familiar with the multiple collapses at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Needless to say, the hard practices were terminated with the end of the series, and Washington's season.

In tomorrow's excerpt, we'll look at Joney's problematic relationship with ex-Caps head coach Jim Schoenfeld, and how a potential death sentence actually ended up turning into an event that made his career.

Semin Injured? Ok?

The Caps are getting a little bit of a scare tonight, as left wing Alexander Semin has just left the ice with some sort of injury. I don't have too many details as it occurred behind the play, but Semin was knocked to the ice behind the Flyers goal at 9:18 and came off the ice with all his weight on his left skate. More details later.

Photo by Ellen Blanchard

UPDATE: For those who are interested, Daniel Briere just made it 3-1 Flyers. The Caps lone goal came off the stick of Dave Steckel a couple of minutes ago. As for Semin, after a break, he came back out on the ice to test out his right leg, but he's still clearly favoring it. Though he finished out his shift, he's still on the bench and it looks like he wants to continue to play.

LATE UPDATE: We're in the last two minutes of the second period, and Semin is scooting around the ice like nothing happened. No ill effects at all. We'll be asking some questions after the game, but for now, he looks ok.

3RD PERIOD UPDATE: After dropping behind by 5-2, the Caps have stormed back on goals by Pettinger and Kozlov to close the gap to 5-4. But the thing a lot of us here can't help but notice is that Alexander Semin is not on the bench here in the third period. We don't have any other information at this point, so stay tuned.

ANOTHER OVIE GOAL ... And we're tied 5-5.

AND WE'RE FINAL: 7-5 is the final thanks to goals by Fleischmann and Steckel. A wild one for sure. Also, word from the Caps is that Semin is OK, so breathe a sigh of relief. Video later.

Bucci Is Back

Click here for the inaugural column for the 2007-08 season.

Previewing The NHL's Western Conference

Thanks to Will Leitch, who gave me the honor of previewing the NHL season over at Deadspin. Today I look at the Western Conference. I'll have the Eastern Conference preview posted there on Friday.

The NHL And Concussions

As you might imagine, I've been very busy over at FanHouse getting geared up for the start of the NHL season. This weekend proved to be particularly productive on the writing side, culminating with a trio of posts this morning concerning a study that appeared in the Orange County Register over the weekend about concussions and the NHL:

Is the NHL Ignoring a Concussion Problem?
Ten "Memorable" Hits From 2006-07
The Hit That Ended Jeff Beukeboom's Career

The one thing that was missing from the stories written by the Register's Scott M. Reid was video footage of the hits he wrote about. As you'll see from my posts, I did my best to find online footage of as many of the hits he referenced as possible.

I've also been previewing the NHL's Pacific Division. Those posts are below in my predicted order of finish:

NHL Season Preview: San Jose Sharks
NHL Season Preview: Anaheim Ducks
NHL Season Prevew: Dallas Stars
NHL Season Preview: Los Angeles Kings
NHL Season Preview: Phoenix Coyotes

Finally, please take a look at my reluctant defense of the NHL's unbalanced schedule, as well my Ice Bowl roundup post.

More later.

Don't Rob Hockey Players

Here's a story out of the Vancouver suburbs that gave me a huge laugh:

A 42 year old man learned the hard way overnight not to mess with pick up hockey players.

A group of players wrapping up a game at the Richmond Ice Centre about midnight discovered a man going through their hockey bags.

He tried to run off, but wasn't fast enough for these part-time athletes.

When he kept struggling to get out of their grasp, they hog-tied him with hockey tape until police arrived.

When the suspect was searched, all they found on him was a stolen Blackberry and he was released with a warning. Apparently getting hog-tied was enough.

No word on whether they used black or white tape.

The Colored Hockey League

Have you ever heard of the Colored Hockey League? If not, now's the time for a little history lesson. First, here's a clip from ESPN's Jeremy Schapp:

Now here's some incredible vintage footage put together by the authors of Black Ice: The Lost History of the Colored Hockey League of the Martimes, 1895-1925:

We shouldn't be entirely surprised that history like this has been smothered for so long. As the late Arthur Ashe demonstrated in his groundbreaking work, A Hard Road to Glory: A History of the African-American Athlete, it wasn't uncommon for historians of sport to completely ignore the achievements of black athletes and the discrimination they had to overcome just to compete.

For more, see Greg Wyshynski and Jes Golbez. Thanks to Black Educator for the initial inspiration.

New Podcast: This Week In Hockey

While it might be hard to believe, we're really only 12 days away from the start of the NHL regular season when the Ducks play the Kings in London. The Summer has gone awfully fast, but I for one am glad that the start of the season is just around the corner.

And with the 2007-08 hockey season less than two weeks away, it's also time for Off Wing to jump back into the podcasting game. Thanks to my old friend Joe Tasca, I'm happy to announce the debut episode of our new podcast: The Week In Hockey (MP3, click to download).

In our debut episode, which runs about 30 minutes, Joe and I take a quick look around the NHL and see how things are shaping up in both conferences. And in our second segment, Joe puts on his interviewer hat once again to talk to Terry Doyle, the voice behind OHL News and The WHL This Week, about Canadian Juniors.

Our first episode is the culmination of the work Joe has been doing behind the scenes thinking through just what sort of hockey podcast he wanted to run. I'm proud to be a part of it and have it hosted here on Off Wing. I know Joe already has a number of interesting guests lined up in the coming weeks. Something else to look forward to: Joe has made arrangements to go on the road and catch plenty of games in both the OHL and QMJHL this season. You can expect him to return from those trips with plenty of interesting audio.

Of course, a podcast is nothing without listeners, so please send your questions and comments to us at offwingradio-at-hotmail.com. And if there's a guest you'd like us to get on the air, we'll see what we can do to make it happen.

As always, thanks for reading and for listening too.

A Sneak Peek At NHLTV

Barry Melrose Rocks did some poking around and found something interesting:

Feel free to play hunt and find, as there are already a number of videos available. And so far, the quality is top notch.

Is Ray Emery Too Big For Ottawa?

Sorry for disappearing this week. Duties elsewhere -- including FanHouse -- have kept me pretty busy. But not so busy that I can't pass along a link to my latest piece there on the latest news about Ray Emery.

As it turns out, Sway, a Canadian magazine, profiled Emery in its most recent issue:

Standing out certainly doesn�t faze this 6�2� goalie; though lately, he�s learning not to take too much attention away from his team. �I�m different for hockey,� admits Emery, who turns 25 this fall. �If I�m going to a casual dinner, I�m probably going to wear a suit and if I�m going to a black-tie affair, I�m wearing white,� he says, chuckling. It�s actually less about fashion and more about his penchant for fun, he explains. �I definitely don�t take seriously anything that doesn�t need to be taken seriously.�

But Senators fans will be taking Emery seriously this year, and so will many new fans attracted by the �different� things he brings to the sport: even hip-hop�s top dog Snoop appeared on CBC�s Hockey Night in Canada last season, praising Emery and the intensity of the sport. With every mention of this player and his game, a new breed of enthusiasts is forming � one that appreciates the colour he�s bringing to hockey.

I think Emery is a great personality, one of a kind that the league could use a whole lot more of.

For The NHL, A Matter Of Perspective

AOL's Ted Starkey is calling the 2007-08 season a "make or break" one for the NHL:

This year will be a make-or-break season for the league, as after two seasons of trying to repair the damage from the 2004 lockout, the NHL now needs to make positive inroads into raising the sport's profile again. Record-low ratings have left the league with one year to convince NBC to extend its no-fee rights deal at the end of the season to remain on network television. After three years of mostly negative national press, the NHL urgently needs to cast itself in a more positive light to try and regain the sport's standing that was mostly lost in the work stoppage.

Over at Ted's Take, Washington Caps owner Ted Leonsis sees things a little differently:

t isn't all doom and gloom for our league. In fact, I could argue that there is more blue sky in the NHL right now compared to most sports. I am an optimist about the NHL. I deal with facts and numbers. This season, I believe the question is can we still maintain our growth as a league, not whether this is a make-or-break year. End of rant. :-)

It's all very interesting reading. Look for more later today over at FanHouse.

Crosby Gatorade Commercial

Searching youtube.com, I typed in "gatorade commercial". The first video that came up on the list centered around Sidney Crosby and a neighborhood pickup street hockey game.

The commercial has been out since at least April of 2006, but according to Darren Rovell, Crosby's deal is with Gatorade Canada, and will not run in the US. What a shame. It's not half bad.

Alex Ovechkin Hits Live Journal

Through my friend Dmitry Chesnokov, we've received news that Alex Ovechkin has started to blog -- in Russian.

It's interesting that he's chosen to use Live Journal. Of all the blogging engines out there, LJ has the best foothold in Russia, so I guess it only made sense.

In the meantime, everybody fire up Google Translator!

A Memory Of The Poile Era In Washington

How solid a hockey executive was David Poile over the length of his tenure with the Washington Capitals? For those of you who either weren't here or are too young to remember, check out Mike Vogel's piece from Thursday about the circumstances around his hiring.

The one memory I can't help but shake from Poile's time in town was an on-air interview he did at WTEM-980 (yes they did talk hockey back, I can even remember getting on the air in the middle of the day to talk to James Brown about the Hunter-Turgeon incident) with Kevin Kiley and Rich Gilgallon, better known by their radio moniker, "Kiley and the Coach".

The interview, which must have been from 1991 or 1992, was pretty rough on Poile, as the two hosts took turns torturing him over the team's lack of playoff success. In particular, Gilgallon kept looping back to just one issue: Why was it that Poile couldn't obtain that one 50-goal scorer that could put the team over the top?

Ironic, given how things eventually turned out in Washington, don't you think?

In any case, Poile has earned some measure of redemption after his dismissal as Caps GM following the 1996-97 season. First off, just as Poile predecessor Roger Crozier bequeathed a solid organization to Poile, he did the same for his successor, George McPhee.

Arriving in Nashville, Poile has faced much the same situation he faced under Abe Pollin in Washington -- being forced to compete with a limited budget. Yet, he's somehow managed to mold the Predators into a solid club, albeit one that has yet to experience any postseason success.

One wonders if that will be Poile's epitaph. I hope not, as he's a class act that deserves better.

A Matter Of Perspective

J.P. has more or less the most incisive take on Atlanta's signing of ex-Caps D Joel Kwiatkowski.

But as I was reading about "Kiwi" catching on with yet another team -- his fifth in six seasons -- all I could think was how many other AHL defensemen who are on the bubble would kill to be in his skates.

More FanHouse Fun

FanHouse just keeps rolling along. Most recently:

We got the season previews kicked off, where we'll be looking at all 30 teams in the next 30 days before the season opener between the Ducks and the Kings in London during the last week in September. It all starts in alphabetical order, with my look at the defending Stanley Cup Champion Ducks up first.

And speaking of the Ducks, James Mirtle caught wind of Anaheim's George Parros hauling the Cup to his uncle's pig roast in Pennsylvania.

Finally, Jes took a look at the new Canucks jersey -- which, depending on how you look at it, has something for everyone to like and hate.

Meanwhile At FanHouse

Mirtle looks at The NHL's European Bargain Bin ...

Jes Golbez helps Anaheim reclamation project Chris Kunitz count his money ... and

It's the return of Greg Wyshynski, as he looks at the goaltending situation in Toronto and the incredible success at the game being experienced in Anaheim and Pittsburgh.

And Speaking Of FanHouse ...

With Greg Wyshynski still out of town on his honeymoon, I've taken over as our official in-house gossip columnist. That meant I had the singular joy of writing about the Modano-Ford wedding, as well as the Cuthbert-Avery breakup.

You know, just the sort of stories that drove me into sports blogging in the first place. Somewhere, I'm sure there's a job as a copy editor with People in my future.

Then again, I did have my own take on the Buffalo-Pittsburgh game on New Year's Day. Please check it out.

NHL on New Years.....Outdoors

Word is coming from both The Buffalo News and The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that the Penguins and Sabres will open up 2008 with a regular-season game that will be played outdoors in Ralph Wilson Stadium, home to the Buffalo Bills.

Outdoor hockey is relatively new to the NHL, with its only other outdoor matchup held in 2003 between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens. It was held at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium, and was attended by over 57 thousand people. College hockey, on the other hand, has been drawing huge crowds with outdoor hockey for quite some time. Michigan and Michigan State opened the 2001-2002 season with an outdoor game at Michigan State's Spartan Stadium, drawing 74,554 people, the most ever to see a hockey game. And on February 11, 2006, Wisconsin beat Ohio State 4-2 in front of almost 41,000 people at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

It seems like a good move for the NHL to put on another outdoor game, this time utilizing their main attraction, Sidney Crosby. And as college hockey is played in front of generally crazed college students willing to stand the cold for their team, the NHL has chosen two teams with arguably the strongest fans bases, at least out of American teams, who also are no strangers to cold-weather sporting events. (Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills home games anyone?) Couple that with a national broadcast on NBC, and it looks like the NHL can't lose. Unless of course America feels like watching college football bowl games instead.

The Caps And The Uniform Hall Of Shame

Thanks to Uni Watch for listing the home team in a recent history of sports fashion mistakes that didn't stick around long:

1974: The expansion Washington Capitals make their NHL debut wearing white breezers on the road (details here). In addition to looking totally candy-ass, the snow-white shorts also show every single stick and puck mark. After a storm of ridicule, the not-so-pearly whites were replaced by blue shorts.

Too funny.

Don't Poke Chris Chelios

He doesn't want to be on your top friends list either. Then again, neither does Mirtle.

Stop by FanHouse to see what I'm talking about.

The Caps And Peanut Allergies

Peanut allergies are no joke. Just ask Tom Poti. Or Ted Leonsis.

HT: J.P.

Bruins Looking For Help

This time, it's off the ice:

Legends Sales Coordinator - Boston Bruins (Boston, MA)

Your Role: Legends is our season ticket holders private club. Promote and market Legends memberships to prospective clients and check in members during events. Develop, create, and distribute Legends membership collateral pieces and communications to members, maintain client lists, contact information, sales goals, sales figures, ticket sales budget and all other data consistent with optimizing strategic goals and initiatives. Assist with managing sales processes and strategies by developing new ideas and creating new and innovative ways of selling the product, ticket mailings, and collateral for group sales family shows and work with marketing for approvals. Coordinate Legends membership cards and fulfill member benefits and collaborate with clients to investigate customer service issues and with Bruins box office on all ticket related issues.

Bruins didn't pick up much help in the offseason, so you'd think this would be a tough sell. On the flip side, it would be a great way to prove your chops too.

Trevor Linden Gets His Contract

But will it all be peaches and cream in Vancouver? Thoughts at -- you guessed it -- the FanHouse.

Peca To Columbus

The Rangers balk and Michael Peca heads for Ohio. My thoughts at FanHouse.

Kovalev Nearly Pulls A "Jeff Kent"

Details from Pop Jocks.

Looking Back At Dvorak

Lowetide has been putting together all sort of excellent little snippets that I've really been enjoying this week -- the latest being a look into the past at the future of Radek Dvorak:

In 1995, the scouting report on Radek Dvorak went like this: Excellent, fast skater with good balance and acceleration. A natural, gifted scorer with a wide selection of shots. Goes for the net, is cool and clever and effective in his offensive game.

[...]

Excellent hockey sense and very good attitude.

--

Would you say he delivered on that promise?

From the 2006-07 TSN scouting report:

Assets: Is extremely fast on skates and has terrific penalty-killing skills. Can set up his linemates or take the play to the outside with aplomb.

Flaws: Is not an elite goal-scorer. Tends to go into prolonged scoring droughts. More was expected out of him, but his potential may have already tapped out.

I guess the answer would be no.

On The Rbk Edge Jerseys

Out West, my buddy Earl Sleek is bumming about the "Reebokification" of NHL jerseys:

From an Anaheim fan's perspective, I'm getting sick of these re-inventions. Three seasons ago the team wore white Mighty Duck jerseys at home. Two seasons ago they switched to dark-at-home and introduced a 3rd jersey. Last season the team re-designed its team name and logo for a brand-new look, and next season it will convert to Reebok-style fitted jerseys. While I'm sure that each year's sweater development has earned the franchise tons of money, I think the market is shrinking for jerseys with a one-year shelf life.

Be warned, NHL. You may have found a nice trick to scrape together some quick cash, but like expansion fees, I don't think the boost is sustainable. If and when it loses its steam, I really hope you're not planning on making up the revenue on already-high ticket prices.

Here in North America, perhaps we should count our blessings. In Europe, Soccer clubs change uniforms as often as they change sponsors. And still, those fans go back to the sporting goods store every few years and pony up for the new designs. It's nuts if you ask me.

Here in Washington, the change came off more or less perfectly. The word was out for a while about the change back to the classic red, white and blue colors, and the team was able to time it just right with the introduction of the Rbk Edge uniforms. Just another one of the small touches that the Caps always seem to get right.

Starving For Hockey News In North Carolina

Blogging from the Desert Southwest, CasonBlog is getting antsy over the dearth of news coming out of the News And Observer about the Carolina Hurricanes:

Come on N&O Sports Editor, Sherry Johnson, you and your team need to spend some quality time with the Hurricanes. And don't try and blame this poor coverage on ACC Obsession Syndrome. Mike Nifong is long gone and Chapel Hill's run at the college baseball world series is histoire'.

This guy needs to have a beer with the OFB guys.

That Wacky Ilya Bryzgalov

Thanks to James Mirtle for uncovering the unintentionally comedic side of Ilya Bryzgalov over at FanHouse.

This video is too funny not to share. Be sure to wait through J.S. Giguere's segment where he talks about his mask in order to get to Bryzgalov:

And let's not forget this Knob Hockey Classic:

Junior Hockey In Washington?

On Frozen Blog says yes.

Gagne Compares Boston Faithful to Fans in Montreal

If you've been watching the American League East race closely, it's been hard not to notice the tough transition that closer Eric Gagne has endured since arriving in Boston.

Unfortunately after blowing another lead on Friday, Gagne had to walk home to his apartment near Fenway Park. It wasn't a pleasant stroll:

After [Friday's] loss, he quickly dressed in jeans and a T-shirt and a pulled-low cap. He slipped out to the quaint surrounding streets with old fans and new neighbors for the short stroll to his apartment.

During which he was jeered and heckled.

"I kept my head down and kept walking, what else was I going to do?" he said. "I mean, these people really, really love their team."
...
In only the last eight days, he has blown three leads that led to three losses that culminated in a Friday night meltdown resulting in a cascade of boos and one heaved water bottle." I remember fans throwing water bottles back when I watched hockey in Montreal," he said. "That's the best way to describe these fans, they're like the old great Canadien hockey fans."

[...]

"I knew what I was getting into," he said. "I'm just glad the water bottle didn't hit me."

Thanks to Larry Brown at FanHouse for the pointer.

Get Well Soon, John Fontana

Through Battle of New York, I've learned that long-time blogger John Fontana of Bolts Mag is currently recovering from surgery. Please keep him in your thoughts.

The Day Kolzig Was Almost Sent To Boston

You find all sorts of great links when you look through the posts at HF Boards. In particular, I found a reprint of a David Elfin piece from the Washington Times from July 2000 about the brief career of ex-Caps goalie Jim Carey.

What struck me about it was this passage about the 1997 trade that sent Carey, Jason Allison and Anson Carter to Boston in exchange for Adam Oates, Bill Ranford and Rick Tocchet:

"The funny thing about that trade was that when David said he wanted [veteran goalie] Bill Ranford, I said we had to have a goalie back and David asked if I wanted Kolzig or Carey,'' Bruins GM Harry Sinden said. ``Of course, I went for the younger guy who had won the Vezina. Obviously, that wasn't one of my smarter decisions.''

Imagine just how different Caps history would have been if Sinden had made a different choice?

Just How Good Was Paul Coffey?

Check out this post from Lowetide to get an idea.

What To Expect While Playing Hockey In Russia

Yet another NHL player has up and left for Russia, leaving one to wonder, what in the heck will they find once they get there.

Over at FanHouse, I take a look at ex-Coyotes assistant Barry Smith's experience so far as head coach and GM of SKA-St. Petersburg.

The Trouble With Trevor Linden

Last week at FanHouse, Greg Wyshynski took a look at Trevor Linden's situation in Vancouver heading into training in camp. In short, everything is up in the air, as Linden would like to come back for another season while management, well, they might have other ideas.

Tom Benjamin explains:

Why isn't Linden signed? He may not be a very good player any more, but he can still contribute - he did last season - and he does have deep roots in the community and a real relationship with the fans. What's the holdup? I think the Canucks were hoping Linden would retire despite the fact he is still capable of making a contribution. Why? Because while Trevor can still play, he doesn't play well enough to offset the baggage he now brings to the dressing room.

And that baggage is spelled N-H-L-P-A. Read the rest right now.

A Pony Named Vasicek

Could something be going right on Long Island? Over at FanHouse, James Mirtle suspects that there might be.

I think the situation on Long Island can be summed up quite simply: Instability at the top -- I'm talking about Islanders owner Charles Wang -- is forcing GM Garth Snow to have to constantly plan on the fly.

The result: Two straight seasons where Snow has had to fly on the seat of his pants, with no ability to put any sort of long-term plan in place. Granted, Snow deserves some credit for patching the holes the best way he knows how, but eventually his luck is going to run out.

The Tocchet Question

By now, most of you are aware that Rick Tocchet is scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow in a New Jersey court for his participation in an illegal gambling ring. For Tocchet, who would probably like to get back behind the bench in Phoenix with Wayne Gretzky, these are most likely very stressful times.

Over at FanHouse, I write that things aren't looking good for Tocchet to get his old job back given what's happening elsewhere -- including some activity behind the scenes where the league is lobbying Congress in conjunction with the other major sports and the NCAA on Internet gambling:

Sports betting is incompatible with preserving the integrity of American athletics. For many decades, we have actively enforced strong policies against sports betting. And the law on this point is consistent. Federal statutes bar sports betting, especially the 1961 Wire Act and the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. Enforcement of these laws against sports betting was also a significant motive for enacting the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA).

That's from a letter all four leagues and the NCAA sent Congress. If you're Tocchet, it's not a good sign.

After setting up the story, Greg Wyshynski and Jes Golbez do the point/counterpoint dance on whether Tocchet deserves another shot behind the bench. Here G-Dub:

It's been established that the gambling ring Tocchet, James Harney and James A. Ulmer operated did not include wagering on NHL games, and that NHL players are allowed to (legally) bet on anything but hockey in the eyes of the league. But that shouldn't matter, nor should the sentence Tocchet is expected to receive on Friday in a New Jersey court: The NHL needs to suspend this man indefinitely for what he has done, and could have done, to the integrity of the game.

And Jes:

Tocchet will, however, face the possibility of a suspension from the NHL, which would bar him from such employment. Given how NBA ref Tim Donaghy was found to have helped fix games, there is a lot of pressure for the NHL to suspend Tocchet in a bid to save face for the league.

To that, I say 'rubbish'. Let the man work, if the Coyotes want him. Does anyone outside of the media and law enforcement really care about this case? Do you care that Tocchet was organizing some sports betting among some rich folks with money to burn?

An interesting question. Please check it all out.

Islanders Unveil New Jersey

Click here for the details, but here for the pic.

Thanks to Sean Leahy for the pointer.

UPDATE: Islanders Army has some more thoughts.

UPDATE: G-Dub has a nice roundup at FanHouse.

Toronto's Mark Bell Facing Jail Time

Details from the CBC.

More thoughts from Jes Golbez at FanHouse.

Sovetsky Sport Interview With Alex Ovechkin

Photo by Pavel Lysenkov

Once again, we've got another translation of an article from Sovetsky Sport courtesy of our friend Dmitry Chesnokov. Today, we've got some interesting insights from superstar winger Alex Ovechkin.

Washington Forward Alex Ovechkin: Krikunov Wanted to Fine Me
by Pavel Lysenkov

Yesterday SovSport decided to call Alex Ovechkin and caught him in an unusual situation - the Caps star was in a car driving to the wedding of his friend Ilya Nikulin.

MY WEDDING IS NOT FAR AWAY

- I have come back to Moscow already, - Alex says - On Monday I skated with Dynamo reserves. I missed Tuesday's skating session because I had to go to the Canadian Embassy. I was submitting all documents for a year-long Canadian visa. I can't play in the NHL without it. People from the club called me to specifically remind me to obtain the visa. For example, on September 30th we will play Ottawa in a preseason game. Won't it be a shame if I have to miss that game because of problems with my passport? But right now I am on my way to my friend's wedding [Nikulin played with Ovechkin for Dynamo Moscow, but now is an AK Bars player].

Q. What are you bringing as a wedding gift?

A. Actually he pretty much has everything... I had to think hard about the present. In the end I decided to get Ilya and his fiancee Katya a nice set of travel bags and suitcases for them to take them on their trips. I hope the newlyweds will like the present.

Q. When is your wedding?

A. It is interesting that this offseason this is the second wedding I am attending. In April my childhood friend Misha Batanov got married. It was the day after the Kharlamov Trophy 2007 ceremony. Now I am on my way to Ilya's wedding where I am the Best Man again. It looks like my wedding will take place soon! But I don't make predictions. I like everything the way it is now. I am a free man. I look at married people from the sidelines. Right now I am happy for Ilya and Katya. What a wonderful couple! I wish them eternal love and all the best!

MAYBE I WILL BE BACK IN ST PETERSBURG

Q. Let's get back to hockey. Why did you decide to train with Dynamo and not SKA? Right now Viktor Kozlov, Andrei Nikolishin, Sergei Gonchar and Evgeni Malkin are all training with SKA...

A. To be honest I didn't leave the training camp for good. I am only back in Moscow for my friend's wedding. I will be here until Wednesday. But I still need to see what kind of training methods Barry Smith uses. I have completed the basics of the physical training. Now there is only on-ice training left. I can even skate with Dynamo in Novogorsk [Dynamo's training facility], as well as keeping fit at the gym. I don't know yet when I get back to Washington. But I keep my training plan handy just in case I have to go to North America immediately, to continue workouts there. I feel that I am in a great shape coming into this season. When I started skating with Dynamo's reserves I felt like I never left the ice even though I had a three month break.

Q. Did you speak with anyone from the first team [Ovechkin grew up playing for Dynamo]?

A. I visited the team locker room, talked with Sergei Vyshedkevich, said hello to Vladimir Krikunov [Dynamo's coach]. He jokingly told me: "Ovechkin, you must be fined for being late!"

Q. Was he talking about training with "containers"? [long story.... about the containers]

A. No, he meant money. So we talked, joked and laughed. I have kept good relationships with everyone at Dynamo. I got a little sense of nostalgia, when I walked around the training facility [that is] so dear to me. A lot of things changed for the better. For example, the team museum expanded with new items. But the main thing is that the same people are still working there. I was met with lots of kindness and open arms.

Q. Maybe you should come back to the Superleague?

A. I didn't think about that. I have a contract with Washington.

OUR YOUNG PLAYERS ARE NO WORSE THAN CANADIANS

Q. This August another series of games between junior Russian and Canadian teams will take place. Can you give us your prediction?

A. Even though I guessed that Anaheim would win this year's Stanley Cup, I am really bad at predictions... I can say one thing: it will be tough. I wish our guys all the best!

Q. Do you have the feeling that our youth is much worse than their Canadian counterparts lately?

A. Why? We still win international junior tournaments competing with Canada. I don't think one should pay a lot of attention to the 0:5 and 1:6 [losses] in the last two finals of World Junior Championships to Canada. It goes both ways: sometimes they beat us, sometimes we beat them. The Canadians are not better than us.

Q. And if we revived the series between Team Canada and Team Russia, would you participate?

A. I didn't think about that. The NHL preseason schedule could be on the way of such series. Contracts and insurance will have to be taken into account. But on a different side, such games have their prestige. All players who participated in the '72 series are now a part of history.

Q. [Russian Hockey Federation] has yet again won their court case against Mezin. [Andrei Mezin is a goalkeeper for Salavat Yulaef, who is a Russian citizen, but who played for Team Belarus making him ineligible to play for Team Russia. The Russian Hockey Federation passed a ruling that every goaltender ineligible to play for Russia is to be considered a "foreign" player. There is a limit on "foreign" players in the Superleague. Each team would have to pay a big fine to field a "foreign" goaltender. The ruling is meant to prevent foreign goaltenders from coming to Russia and to force teams develop young Russian goaltenders. Mezin, being Russian, sued the Federation claiming his constitutional rights to work in hi home country are being violated] What do you think about the "Goalies' Case?"

A. I don't want to take sides in this situation. Yes, I feel terrible for the guys. I know Vitaliy Eremeev very well [Eremeev's story is identical to Mezin. Eremeev is a Dynamo Moscow best goaltender who has been with the club forever and won two championships with them in 2000 and 2005. Eremeev played for Team Kazakhstan]. He played for Dynamo his whole life. So what that he [also] has a Kazakh passport? I don't think we have a problem with homegrown goalies. They play well at the Worlds. And as for the small number of goaltenders to choose from - we need to improve our [hockey] schools, and have teams trust our young guys more and not buy veteran Canadians. For example, Simeon Varlamov gets to play for Lokomotiv, and he is improving, he is showing his class. Next season, by the way, he will spend in the Superleague and not in Washington.

Rangers And Peca Resume Talks

Details from New York Post.

For more essential perspective, check out The Rodent.

Tibbets In Trouble Again

More from James Mirtle at FanHouse.

Mike Ricci Says Goodbye

Is there any better reason why we all love hockey players than the way Mike Ricci said goodbye?

�I tried to play but wasn�t strong enough,� the native of Toronto said. �It was tough. I tried but just didn�t have the health. I wasn�t ready. I hoped I could still play but couldn�t do it.

Actually, Mike, you're stronger than you could ever know. Thanks for leaving it all on the ice. For more, head over to FanHouse.

HT: Kukla.

Sovetsky Sport Interview With New Cap Viktor Kozlov

Thanks again to a local Russian ex-pat for coming to the rescue and translating an interview with new Caps forward Viktor Kozlov that recently appeared in Sovetsky Sport. It's an entertaining read, and one that confirms much of what we saw in the Anton Babchuk interview that we pointed to last week -- that Russian hockey seems to be in desperate straights these days.

Other items: Kozlov had a front row seat to observe the relationship between New York Islanders head coach Ted Nolan and since departed center Alexei Yashin last season. And after what Kozlov saw, he's coming to Yashin's defense. And be sure not to miss the question on whether or not Russian players feel they are treated fairly in the NHL.

If you'd like to read the piece in the original Russian, click here.

UPDATE: For a look at the whys behind the movement of NHL veterans back to the RSL, click here. Although as Kozlov says beyond the jump, such a move isn't without risks.

New Cap Viktor Kozlov: Pass to Ovechkin and Don't Stand in the Way!

By Pavel Lysenkov

The conversation the SovSport reporter and Viktor Kozlov turned out to be quite interesting - it was not only about Washington, but also why so many Russians can't jump start their careers in the NHL, and why it's worth coming back to Russia if things don't go as planned in North America.

ABOUT PASHA [PAVEL] AND SASHA [ALEX]

Q. Viktor, is your training camp in St Petersburg almost over?

A. We have another week of good training! We are already skating with SKA [Russian Superleague club from St Petersburg]. Barry Smith [former Coyotes assistant coach] is working with SKA now � all of his workouts are very fast paced, just like the NHL. This is a perfect scenario for all players getting ready for the upcoming season.

Q. Do you skate with Ovechkin?

A. No. We skate in two groups. My group includes Malkin, Nikolishin and Gonchar.

Q. But do you and Alex at least discuss how you are going to play this season?

A. I joined the Capitals but I cannot be sure that I will play on the same line with Ovechkin. It is up to the coach.

Q. A lot of Caps� fans see you on the first line with Nylander and Ovechkin.

A. I would be delighted to play on the same line with such great forwards.

Q. But with it also comes great responsibility. A lot of people expect Ovechkin to score at least 60 goals.

A. And what is it to me? Pass the puck to him at the right time and then get out of the way. Then stand on the sideline and watch him score a goal. That will also help your stats � Kozlov is joking and laughing.

Q. You already had something similar in your career in Florida. You were on the first line with Pavel Bure.

A. Yeah, Alex and Pavel are supercharged and explosive players. It was so great to play alongside Bure. All defensemen marked him, and as the center I had a lot of room going forward. I think it will be the same in Washington.

What is the difference between the two? Ovechkin plays more physical. Although I have never really played with him on the same team � I don�t count the Turin Olympics because we only played a few games together. But Bure� I have never seen a player so focused on scoring. When Pavel was one on one with a goaltender, everyone was sure that the puck would hit the back of the net.

Q. Some suggest that if Nicolas Backstrom turns out not to be ready to center the second line, you might be moved there to pair with Alexander Semin. Will it be easy to switch from right wing to center?

A. I had the same experience when I was with the Islanders last year. I will play wherever the team needs me the most. I can even play in goal, if coach Hanlon decides to risk that � Kozlov says with a smile.

Q. When are you coming to Washington?

A. I will be there in the very beginning of September, a couple of weeks before the start of the training camp?

I WAS INVITED TO PLAY IN THE SUPERLEAGUE

Q. Is it true that in the last few years you received a number of offers from the teams in Russia?

A. I have been receiving offers from a few clubs in Russia in the past three years. I don�t think I would lose anything in terms of money. But the talks never reached the money stage. Because I want to play in the NHL.

Q. Why?

A. Because I like it there. I will keep playing in North America as long as I can produce at such level.

Q. Almost all [Russian] NHLers say the same. How is the NHL better?

A. The quality of hockey is better. There is also the financial stability. Here is an example for you. A few years ago Lada [Semin�s former club] cut their payroll in the middle of the season. Twelve players were shown the door and told: "find new teams."

The fact that contracts in the Superleague are not guaranteed scares people away. I have a family. So should I leave everything, go to Russia to some club that would go broke? Where to go then? No NHL club will take you.

Q. But Oleg Tverdovsky made it back to the NHL after playing two years with Avangard [Omsk].

A. He was 29 then. I am 32. I can say it again, no one will wait for me in North America with open arms. A lot of Russian players would play in Russia, in my opinion, if they knew that they wouldn�t have money problems. The rest � such as the size of the rink or accommodation � is not that big of a problem.

Q. But maybe Alexei Yashin is right that he came back to Lokomotiv?

A. I am absolutely sure that Yashin�s career will take off in the Superleague. I remember the way he was treated by the Islanders. I was present at all those scuffles myself. I saw how they treated him when he was playing through the pain with injured knees.

Q. Did Yashin become a hostage of his mega contract?

A. If he was making not seven, but three million dollar a year - no one would expect miracles from him. Moreover, Alexei still provided miracles, when his health permitted him! And everyone was happy with him. But as soon as Yashin got injured, he came under pressure: "Go out there and play." But how is it possible if you can't stand on your own two feet?

Q. Why did the coach bench him in the playoffs?

A. Because he expected a lot of him, but didn't give a lot of minutes. Nevertheless, all blame was placed on Yashin, who was considered the star of the Islanders... It is sad to see what is happening to the Islanders. I don't understand why they strengthened the team last year if all quality players were given away this offseason? Nothing has been gained!

Ryan Smyth came over via trade from Edmonton, but he was allowed to leave for Colorado this summer. They couldn't keep Blake, bought out Yashin's contract, Poti and Hill left... But we were in the play offs, there was bright future ahead of us.

Q. So what happened? The players are running away from the Islanders?

A. A lot of players wanted to stay. Blake, for example, didn't even think about changing teams. But how can it be done when a good contract is not offered? I was promised a small raise over the last contract [Kozlov was making $865,000 while he scored 25+26=51 points in 81 games]. But it did not correspond to my stats at all.

In the end I left for Washington [Kozlov signed a 2 year $5m contract], the club offered me great terms. I like that the team is young and hungry for success. I don't want to make predictions, but I hope that Washington will have a great season.

RUSSIANS ARE OPPRESSED

Q. Why is your contract only for 2 years?

A. I wasn't offered a longer deal. Of course every player wants stability. But our dreams don't always match our means.

Q. Some players want to sign a one year deal to make more money later. Others want a five year deal to secure their future. What's your strategy?

A. The first option may not work because of the salary cap. Let's say you score a lot of points, show what you can do. But what will you do if teams have limited budgets? Look at Danny Markov - they guy played in the semifinal of the Stanley Cup, has great stats. But he is out of work, because he is not making what he deserves. Now think what strategy you'll pick...

Q. CBA is set to expire in four years. Is another lockout waiting to happen? Or the NHLPA is too weak after Bob Goodenow's resignation?

A. NHLPA doesn't have a leader. I think there is some sort of a struggle for power. Insider struggle... What lockout? Two years ago we already lost our fight with the League. That it is. Period.

Q. Can a player's career be ruined in the NHL? You played great at the 2006 Olympics. But you were not even given a chance at New Jersey.

A. This is a one off - it depends on what team you play for. I wasn't lucky. But, I think, it is good that I was dipped in cold water so that I wouldn't see the world so rosy. If I had a long term deal with the Devils, I'd just sit on the bench - who would need me after that?

Q. So it is all untrue when people say that Russian players have been getting oppressed in the NHL?

A. Why [do you say so]? There are clubs where our [Russian] guys are not [treated fairly]. Old time coaches do that, who think that Russians don't give it all on the ice, who think that Russians avoid physical contact, don't want to play in the playoffs... Why pay them [Russians] when you have Canadians right there who skate and grind?

Q. Superseries-2 is going to take place soon between Canadian and Russian junior teams. What is the main reason that Canadian juniors are considered strong favorites?

A. The reason is that junior hockey in Canada is booming. And us - look at the state of our schools... We have coaches, but parents have to buy the gear. A lot of them are factory workers and can't afford to buy gear for their sons.

Hockey is not cheap sport. When we [were young] the government was helping. When the system tumbled we stopped developing quality young players. Who do we have now? Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin. And the Canadians produce ten young stars every year. Hockey is the national sport in Canada.

Q. We can only imagine what will go on in Quebec when the city hosts the 2008 World Championship...

A. It's the same is Brazil hosted the soccer World Championship. If another team [other than Canada] wins gold, it will be a heroic achievement. Canadians will fight for the win.

Bossy Just Happened To Be At The Hall Of Fame?

Another great little story from Melt Your Faceoff.

Everything You Need To Know About Hockey Blogging

Barry Melrose Rocks lays it all out for you. Which reminds me, I've been meaning to link to this post for a while now.

And don't miss out on some more clarifying information from J.P.

Thanks to Mirtle for the pointer.

Dustin Penner's Day With Lord Stanley

Details from Jes Golbez.

New Details On Potential Preds Ownership Group

Apparently the folks who own the Nashville City Paper want a piece of hockey action.

Thanks to thirnktrain for the pointer.

The Sweater

Thanks to Habs Inside/Out for compiling a number of interviews with Roch Carrier, author of The Sweater, a classic short story that should be close to the heart of any real hockey fan.

Don't know The Sweater? No worries, YouTube has it covered:

On Hockey, Soccer, Visas And Immigration Law

An interesting little story from the U.K.'s Daily Mail hit the wires this weekend from Scotland, where a young man's dreams of playing professional hockey seemed to run afoul of U.S. immigration laws:

Olympic hopeful Tristan Harper, 19, has been offered a place with Alpena IceDiggers in Michigan.

But American Embassy staff in London refuse to grant a visa because he is "unable to show strong and binding ties to the United Kingdom".

That is despite Tristan being born in Scotland to Scots parents.

[...]

Tristan is thought to be a victim of tightened immigration rules under the US's war on terror.

He has been penalised because he has not been a UK resident for three years. At 15 he won an ice hockey scholarship in the US, then trained at the prestigious Banff Ice Hockey Academy in Canada and played for top Dutch side Nijmegen.

In 2006 he played for the St Louis Bandits where he was talent-spotted by the IceDiggers.

Tristan has received letters of support from his bank, his accountant, lawyer and the hockey community.

But that cuts no ice with the US Embassy, who say he would be an illegal immigrant in the States.

Seems pretty much like an open and shut story, don't you think? Big U.S. bureaucracy crushes young man's dreams with unfeeling efficiency. Certainly, at first blush, I feel a lot of sympathy for the kid, especially after hearing just what sort of nightmare it is to deal with U.S. immigration from friends of mine who have tried their level best to navigate it.

Then again, when I think about how I've seen U.K./European immigration laws crush the hopes of American athletes who are far more accomplished than young Mr. Harper, I have to wonder if the problem is far more widespread.

What am I talking about? I'm talking about the absurd lengths that many American Soccer players have to go to in order to obtain a work permit to play in the English Premier League -- generally considered to be the top league in the world.

Case in point: Ex-D.C. United player Bobby Convey, who back in 2003, was given an opportunity to play for Tottenham Hotspur of the EPL. Unfortunately, he first had to score that work permit. Robert Wagman explains:

Under the agreement between the FA and the Home Office, to get a work permit a non-resident soccer player has to show he is a player of "international distinction." To quantify this abstraction, the FA and the Home Office agreed on a formula to define international distinction. A player has to have played in two-thirds of his country's "official" - that is FIFA sanctioned - national team matches over the past two years and he has to be coming from a country that ranks in the top 70 of FIFA rankings. Official matches do not include friendly matches or exhibitions.

[...]

The problem comes when a player does not meet the "two-thirds" criteria. Howard did not meet it, nor does Convey. In such a case, the rejection of the initial application is automatic, but the employer has the right to appeal. That is what happened in the Howard case last month and will also happen to Convey's application.

The matter then goes to a six-person "Appeals Team," which operates under no set criteria or standards. It simply must determine via the evidence put before it that a player appealing is one of "international distinction." The panel also has the authority to issue a hardship waiver, which has previously been known to happen in the case of American applicant.

[...]

In Convey's case, he will likely present evidence from United States Soccer Federation officials, including coach Bruce Arena, and probably from MLS, as well as from the FA and from Tottenham. Most believe that will be enough to support his claim of being a player of international distinction.

In the end, it didn't matter, as Convey's appeal was denied and he had to spend another year in MLS before his work permit was approved and he was able to join Reading FC, then in England's First Division.

But Convey isn't the only American to run afoul of the work permit issue. Brad Friedel, the most capped goalkeeper in American history, was denied a work permit three separate times before finally joining Blackburn Rovers in 2000. And if you follow American Soccer to any extent, you know full well that any report of an offer to get a Yank into the EPL isn't complete until the ink is dry on the work permit.

As you might imagine, shutting talents like these out of the EPL are a considerably bigger deal than denying a U.S. visa to a kid who wants to play Junior A hockey in the U.S.

Granted, it doesn't make the decision any less unfair, but one wonders why a newspaper like the Daily Mail couldn't be bothered to fully report a story like this one where the U.K. has such a considerable track record of toying with the future of American athletes? Then again if they did, perhaps it wouldn't have made half as good of a story in the first place.

UPDATE: I just got off the phone with Steve Royster, a visa expert at the State Department. While he couldn't comment on the specifics of the case, he did walk me through some facts that made it pretty clear to me that what's going on here has nothing to do with any post 9-11 red tape, and rather is just part and parcel of the way that things get done when it comes to U.S. immigration law.

In particular, Royster referred me to Section 214 b of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Under 214b, American immigration authorities are required to assume that anyone applying to enter this country intends to immigrate -- unless they can demonstrate that they have a place to return to once the reason for travel to the U.S. has been completed.

In addition, Royster said, the application can also be denied on the basis that the applicant is not qualified for the visa they have applied for. While Royster refused to speculate on this particular case, the implication to me seems quite clear: U.S. authorities may well have determined that Harper is not a bonafide hockey player -- something that sounds an awful lot like the reasoning behind American Soccer players being denied work permits in the U.K.

Some other details that Royster passed along: There may actually be more to the story than Harper has told the Daily Mail. In the article, Harper may very well be quoting from a form letter that he received. It's very well possible that he's been given additional feedback on how he might amend his application in order to get it approved.

So, despite what others might think, there's no post 9-11 reason for what we're seeing. Instead, it's just another day at the office.

Anton Babchuk On The State Of Russian Hockey

Not wanting to sign a two-way contract to stay in North America, Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Anton Babchuk decided to go back to the RSL and play for Avangard Omsk. In an interview with Russian Prospects, Babchuk had some interesting things to say about the differences in training and preparation between Russia and North America and what it means for the future of Russian hockey:

How have you changed as a person and a hockey player during the last 4 years in the NHL?

A. Babchuk: I changed significantly. I gained certain qualities that can only be �earned� in North America. I mean in personal and professional matters. First of all, I learned how to be independent. The independent preparatory process prior to the regular season teaches you responsibility. Only the strong ones stick around, while the weak ones eliminate themselves. They don�t practice twice a day and monitor what the players do. You have to feed yourself there, go to bed on time, and when need, come out to the ice and show the maximum of your ability. With all that, you live freely and spend time with your family and friends.

In Russia, at first all attempts at independence are thwarted. Besides that, every aspect of your life is controlled, so there is nothing that you really see besides the ice palace. Two practices a day, each about an hour and a half. It is worth noting that I got a lot more tire from one 40 minute practice in the NHL than here during the two. So that is how it is.

Maybe it is because of this system, or a lack there of, that we lose to the Canadians at the Junior World Championships?

A. Babchuk: Maybe. The Canadians have a clear idea as to HOW a certain hockey player needs to play. And at every international tournament, it�s enough for them just to get together and that�s it!? You understand, they play correct hockey. They have a number of narrow �specialists� who do their job really well. Someone fights well next to the boards, and someone fights in front of the net. If there is an improviser like Crosby, then only he is allowed to improvise, and no one else. We, on the other hand, usually have a whole team of improvisers, with half of the team needed to be talked into coming. So, as a result we lose. It�s time probably already to start thinking as to what is going wrong�

And what do you think is wrong?

A. Babchuk: Here, the people who play hockey, don�t want to learn, and don�t want to understand new things. The system has gotten old and we are afraid to change it. �Everyone does it this way, and so will I. What if we fail and get fired?� This motivation is clearly understandable, but it is slowing down the development of hockey in our country.

Very interesting reading. Elsewhere, be sure to check out this listing of the top 10 players in the RSL who could help NHL teams compiled by Russian Hockey Digest. Thanks to my FanHouse colleague J.P. for picking up this priceless passage from the profile of Dmitry Bykov:

He should also now be available for negotiations as he recently returned home after being caught amidst an armed conflict between rebels and the local government while vacationing in Sri Lanka with his wife.

Unreal.

An Occassionally Profane Look At The Washington Caps

I've been meaning to point to Melt Your Faceoff -- a hockey spinoff of Deadspin -- and can't put it off any longer now that they've profiled the Caps.

I'm sure I'll be stopping by again soon.

The Northern California Women's Hockey League

I have to admit, with the mercury pushing past 100 in parts of the Washington area today, it's a little hard to think about hockey.

But after reading this passage from the Silicon Valley Moms Blog, everything was right with the world again:

After fifteen years of being a dancer in various performing divisions, competition arenas, and for international travel, I shocked my family and friends by taking up ice-hockey when I went off to college. (I�ve posted a hockey journal on �Kari�s Couch.�) I went to the east coast to experience hockey, but the sport is alive and well here in the Silicon Valley through the Northern California Womens� Hockey League (NCWHL!)

[...]

Every year the NCWHL sponsors �Give Hockey a Try Day.�This year�s event is coming up fast on August 18th at the Belmont Iceland. This is an opportunity for women aged 13+ to experience hockey. No equipment is necessary; it will be provided. Don�t worry if you don�t know how to hold a stick, or would rather duck than actually hit a puck.

I encourage all my female friends in the Bay Area to give it a shot. And for you single ladies: Guys dig chicks who dig pucks.

UPDATE: More news on women's hockey, here.

Caps Renew ECHL Affiliation With Stingrays

Just released from Caps PR:

The Washington Capitals have renewed their affiliation agreement with the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL for the 2007-08 season, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.

�We are excited to have extended our affiliation with South Carolina as the Stingrays prepare to celebrate their 15th season,� McPhee said. �Our prospects have had a terrific experience with the Stingrays, and we look forward to continue working together.�

Six Capitals prospects spent at least some time with South Carolina in 2006-07, the third year of the affiliation, as the Stingrays finished 36-27-4-5. Six players who have played for the Stingrays are currently under contract with Washington: Viktor Dovgan, Daren Machesney, Travis Morin, Sasha Pokulok, Steve Werner and Kyle Wilson.

�Our affiliation and relationship with the Capitals has certainly grown over the last three years,� Stingrays head coach Jared Bednar said. �We hope to continue that success and develop players for the next level.�

Now might be a good time to read a two-part interview Mike Vogel conducted with Stingrays President Darren Abbott. Click here for Part I and here for Part II.

Eklund: The Ethically Challenged Blogger

For what is now the definitive look at Eklund, read Greg Wyshynski's profile over at the FanHouse.

UPDATE: Unsurprisingly, others are picking up the news.

Tarik el-Bashir
Caps Message Board
HF Boards
Kukla's Korner
Raining Oil

More later.

UPDATE: Some interesting leg pulling going on here.

Yet more references:

Peklund
Ice Wizards
Southeast Shootout
James Mirtle
The Buried Lead
J.P.
Christy Hammond
BfloBlog

Tyler Dellow On The Oilers And Dustin Penner

Is the Dustin Penner offer sheet a mistake in more ways than one? Tyler Dellow looks at the possibilities:

From my perspective, Penner is nothing special. Moreover, there�s a lot more uncertainty with him than there is with someone like Scott Hartnell, to whom he keeps getting compared, as Hartnell has a little bit more of a track record. I�m hoping that Brian Burke bails Lowe out here and matches the offer but if I was him, I�d be thinking pretty hard about letting Kevin have him, keeping the money, rolling the dice on that 2008 first round pick and hoping that Dustin Penner goes down in history with Ernie Hicke.

[...]

The Oilers might be better next year with Penner than without, but limiting the exposure to a finish in the real depths of the league has come at the cpst of future possibilities to finish higher. It�s disappointing and, to me, it suggests that Lowe lacks the vision and willingness to do something that�s really difficult - telling the city that the moves aren�t there and that this team is going to suck for a while - to be the right guy to fill this job at the moment. Far from Billy Beane, Lowe�s doing a very passable of Steve Phillips at the moment.

Hat tip to J.P.

Is The NHL Going Back To ESPN?

I examine the possibilities over at the FanHouse.

R.I.P. Ingmar Bergman

Ingmar "W." Bergman remembers the great director in a way only he can.

Hilarious stuff.

U.S. Men's Alpine Team Cross-Trains With Hockey

First Tracks, an online ski magazine, has a really neat piece this morning detailing how the U.S. Men's Alpine Ski Team made ice hockey a part of its regular training regimen at a recent training camp in Park City, Utah:

Head Coach Phil McNichol and his staff, including Speed Head Coach Chris Brigham and Tech Head Coach Sasha Rearick, got together with U.S. Alpine Director Jesse Hunt and decided on the different approach to conditioning. Hunt, who grew up in Vermont, used hockey drills - good for footwork and balance, and good for quickness in addition to boosting aerobic capacity and body awareness in high-speed motion - when he was SL/GS head coach for four years before becoming program director in the spring of 2002.

[...]

But the buzz from the camp dealt with the daily on-ice sessions. Jason Christie, head coach and director of hockey operations for the Utah Grizzlies, a minor league farm team for the New York Islanders, and former National Hockey League player Andre Faust were the coaches. U.S. Ski Team coaches joined the alpine men for the skating and tactics drills.

"The downhill crew always travels with skates when we're in Europe," Sullivan said, "and we play pickup games every week...Canadians, of course, Swedes, some Finns...

"There's a rink at just about every stop on the tour, so some of us have skated, but a lot of the guys hadn't. I was really impressed by the improvement of the guys from the first day to the fourth. Guys' skills, their puck handling, stick handling, all of it - there was 100 percent improvement. They even learned how to pass, learned some of the dynamics of hockey.

"From the coaches' perspective, it was good dryland [training]. It was so exhausting and by the end we were all cooked...

Hockey can do that to you. Be sure to check it out.

Hockey Blogger in the Blogathon

Confessions of a Hockey Fanatic is blogging for the Mario Lemieux Foundation in this year's Blogathon. Please consider a donaton.

Hockey Blogger Talk, Part 3

Once I had said my goodbyes to John and Dmitry, it turned out I had one more surprise in store for the weekend. I'm sure many of you will recall I stopped by a blogger get-together in Columbus on the night of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft where I got to say hello to a number of bloggers including Tapeleg of Jerseys and Hockey Love.

Though Tapeleg is a Colorado native, he and his girlfriend Meg live something of a nomadic existence working on a crew for a touring theater company -- not a place I'd normally think of as a hotbed of hockey fandom. In any case, Tapeleg is only working part time on this stretch of the tour, which left him with an open weekend while the tour was stopped in Charlotte.

So he gave me a call: He was thinking of taking a road trip to D.C. and was wondering if I was going to be around. I said sure, and before you knew it, another hockey blogger landed on my suburban doorstep on Saturday night.

After grabbing some chow and catching the latest iteration of Die Hard -- thanks to Greg Wyshynski for the recommendation -- we hit a local dive to shoot pool for a couple of hours and talk some puck.

On the widescreen above our table was the ESPN coverage of David Beckham's abbreviated American debut against Chelsea in Los Angeles. Though Beckham would play only the final 13 minutes of the second half in a snoozer of a match, the broadcast was predictably all about him, his wife, and their planned conquest of America.

As I'm sure many of you have already read, the debut was something of a fizzle, with the sole highlight coming late in the game when Beckham was taken down sprinting on to the attack.

Predictably, Beckham's tumble to the turf was dissected expertly by the ESPN cameras, as they grabbed a closeup of the midfielder wincing in pain as he paused before rising to his feet. Interestingly enough, somehow that clip was omitted from the SportsCenter highlight reel on the match that would air less than 20 minutes later.

In between the moments of 'Waiting for Becks', Tapeleg and I started talking again about the Hockey Bloggers Group on Facebook and how things ought to shape up from here on in.

Essentially, the latest idea is to keep membership in the organization open to anyone who would like to join, while putting a process in place for bloggers who would like to develop a relationship with a particular team or the league as a whole. For some, that won't mean more than getting some advice on how to establish a relationship with a team. For others, it might go the whole nine yards all the way to applying for some sort of media credential -- be that as a blogger, podcaster or freelance photographer.

In addition, using the guidelines I already developed with the Caps, the group can issue something of a seal of approval that lets a team know that the individual has been vetted, and is somebody they can deal with professionally. To get an idea of what might be required, go back into the Off Wing archives and take another look at the Media Credential Guidelines I published last year.

As I've said before, a lot of this stuff is awfully preliminary, and I 'm anxious to hear what other bloggers and indie media types think about it. Please stop by Facebook and join the group. I really want to hear what you have to say.

By now I'm sure many of you are wondering what the point of these three posts has been, and I don't blame you. Hockey news is thin these days, and I have to admit I've been at something of a loss as to what to do to fill these pages.

So the idea I came up with was this: The next time you get the chance, figure out a way to get together with the folks on your blogroll. I know I've written it before, but it bears repeating: The most rewarding aspect of blogging for me has always been the new friendships it has allowed me to develop.

Get on the phone and grab a beer with a hockey blogger. For now, it might be nothing more than a pleasant evening. But sooner than you might think, it may very well turn into something far more important.

So keep blogging. In the meantime, this brother has got your back.

Previously:

Hockey Blogger Talk, Part 1
Hockey Blogger Talk, Part 2

Do Arenas Aid Downtown Redevelopment?

Depends on who you talk to. As for AntiRust, mark him down as voting no on a new arena for Pittsburgh.

Caps Sign Brooks Laich

It's a one-year, one-way contract for $725,000. For the how and the why behind it all, check out Dump and Chase.

A Weekend In Jail With Eric And Jordan Staal

A bachelor party all gone wrong. Details at the FanHouse.

Hockey Blogger Talk, Part 2

When I got back to Washington midweek, I was happy to find that both Dmitry Chesnokov from Sovetsky Sport, and John Keely, better known as Pucks and Boooks over at On Frozen Blog, were both up for getting together to tie up some loose ends.

On Sunday, we were all guests on the Capital Fanatic podcast, as we went on for about 45 minutes talking about development camp, the team's prospect pipeline and what look to be a number of desperate battles for players to make the squad in training camp.

Finishing up the podcast, it was hard not to come away with the feeling we could have gone on for another 45 minutes or more, which is exactly what we did for a couple of hours on Friday night at a bar downtown. One of the things we talked about was how the Caps might be able to market their Russian and Swedish stars to those local ex-pat communities.

Apparently, there are plenty of Russian ex-pats in the area, and Dmitry seems to think they'd be pretty excited to come out and support countrymen like Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and the newly signed Viktor Kozlov if they were only asked. In cities like New York and Boston, ethnic heritage nights are a staple of the baseball promotional calendar. Maybe it's time for a Russian Heritage Night at Verizon?

At one point, the conversation turned to our favorite hockey moments. Here's a nice clip that Dmitry suggested: An Andrei Markov goal from 1999 when he was with Dynamo Moscow.

Once I said goodbye to Dmitry and John on Friday evening, I thought I was in for a quiet weekend, but it turned out I was wrong.

Hockey Blogger Talk, Part 1

One of the most enjoyable aspects of hockey blogging is getting to know folks all over North America who love hockey as much as I do. But the part of this that's even better is getting to know these folks in person.

Over the past week or so, I was able to get together with a number of great people, and I wanted to share some of the things that we talked about.

At the start of last week, I had to fly to Anaheim to give a pair of presentations about blogging to an industry conference and grab a couple of interviews for my organization's blog.

But in between, I wanted to make sure I had a chance to check in with some local bloggers, which meant I got a chance to meet Earl Sleek from Battle of California and Christy Finn, the Girl With A Puck.

Needless to say, Sleek is as much of a riot in person as he is in print, while Christy is a sweet lady who loves her Ducks something fierce.

Both were still experiencing a serious contact high after watching the Ducks steamroll through the playoffs, reinforcing a notion that I've had for a while now: Seeing your team win it all, even just once, is enough to keep a fan warm through many more seasons than you can know.

Of course, with the team looking at the prospect of losing both Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer, the chances of a repeat in the OC, we agreed, were looking pretty slim. Then again, after adding Brad May and Todd Bertuzzi to the lineup, while the Ducks may not be as dominant as they were in 2006-07, they may be even more entertaining to watch.

One last thought: After talking to Earl and Christy, it was hard not to come away with the feeling that Anaheim might very well be the biggest small town in the NHL. Why? Lets just say I get the feeling that the players come into closer contact with the locals in the OC than anywhere else in the league. To find out more, make sure you read Earl and Christy once training camp starts up again in September.

More, tomorrow.

When The Question Is Why Not Hamilton, The Answer Is Toronto

Today in McLean's, Charlie Gillis and John Intini take a look at Jim Balsillie's failure to purchase the Nashville Predators and move them to Southern Ontario.

Toward the end of the piece, Gillis and Intini trot out what's becoming an old saw in the Canadian press: The anti-Canadian bias at NHL HQ in New York:

Whatever the financial motive, the events have summoned familiar accusations of an anti-Canadian bias at NHL head offices. Richard Rodier, a lawyer who has worked with Balsillie on both the Pittsburgh and Nashville bids, says the league's apparent comfort with a bid that will involve moving the team to Missouri, rather than one that involves moving to Ontario, amounts to an attitude of contempt. "NHL hockey is Canada, and Canada is NHL hockey," Rodier says.

"That's not to say there's no room for U.S. expansion. Or that Sunbelt teams can't enjoy what Canadian people view as the greatest game on earth. But to take the CBC's $100 million a year in broadcast rights, to take money from governments in the form of infrastructure funding and tax breaks, to take money hand over fist and then give us the back of their hand when we offer significantly more money than anyone else for one of their franchises is, I think, insulting to the Canadian people."

If you go back and read the article yourself, there are three words you won't ever read: Toronto Maple Leafs. And when we're talking about the possible relocation of any team to Southern Ontario, those are the three most important words in the English language.

Granted, I didn't always think of it that way, as I'm on record as saying I believed the Predators were as good as packed for Ontario as soon as Balsillie started negotiating with Predators owner Craig Leipold.

But what I didn't consider at the time, and should have taken into account, is that moving a new team to Southern Ontario is a lot like the process of moving a new baseball team to Washington, D.C. -- problematic at best.

For a number of years, Peter Angelos, owner of the Baltimore Orioles, did anything and everything he could to keep baseball out of Washington, a market that he and a number of other Orioles owners considered their own once the Senators picked up and left town after the 1971 season. Eventually, in order to move the Montreal Expos to Washington, the league had to bribe Angelos with a percentage of the Washington's television revenues in order for him to stop fighting the relocation.

And don't doubt for a second that Angelos, one of the most successful trial lawyers in the U.S., would have found ways to drag the process out in the courts, regardless of the merits of the case.

So while I believe Ontario could support a second hockey team in much the same way that the Baltimore-Washington area could support a second baseball team, that doesn't mean that the folks at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment have to like it.

For them, plunking a second team in Ontario would mean having to compete that much harder for television advertising and even ticket sales. It would mean more competition over time for the Leafs TV cable package. And with another hockey option suddenly nearby, the enormous pricing pressure on Maple Leafs tickets that we always hear about would be eased a bit, as folks on the outskirts of Toronto and closer to Kitchener opted for the new team. All of these issues are also in play, albeit to a lesser extent, with the Buffalo Sabres, a franchise that was always drawn a significant percentage of its gate from across the Canadian border.

So here's the deal: If you want another team in Ontario, figure out a way to buy off the Maple Leafs. I'm sure that at some level or another, that must seem incredibly unfair, seeing as how they're the most valuable team in the entire NHL.

Well, it wasn't fair when Angelos got his cut of Washington's television money a couple of years back. And it wasn't fair back in 1976 during the ABA-NBA merger when the relatively penniless New York Nets had to pay off the mighty New York Knicks either.

Fair was never part of the equation. But it was part of the cost of doing business. If Balsillie wants his team, he better make room for a budget line for cash that will head straight for Toronto. Otherwise, he can just forget it. And that would be a real shame, as Balsillie is just the kind of owner the NHL needs more of.

UPDATE: Larry Brooks handled a lot of this in his Sunday column.

The Hockey Look

A few weeks ago I took my younger sister to a Red Sox game at Fenway Park. While walking along Yawkey Way before the game, we saw broadcaster Jerry Remy doing his pre-game show on a platform set at the end of the closed-off street. He was joined by play-by-play man Don Orsillo, as well as two young men wearing Sox jerseys and sporting flowing locks coming out from beneath baseball caps.

My sister asked me who they were, and, not knowing myself, I took an educated guess. "I don't know, but I know that hockey training camps just started, so maybe they're the Bruins' draft picks or somethin'."

30 minutes later, as one of the two young men from the pre-game show strode to the mound to deliver the ceremonial opening pitch, the stadium announcer came on to introduce "The Bruins' top pick, the #8 pick overall in the 2007 draft, Zach Hamill."

While I made an educated guess, it shows that the long, mullet-style hair synonymous with hockey is becoming more widely recognized as such. For several years the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL have been running a Mullet Night as well as the Mullet Hall of Fame. Hopefully hockey can turn that look into some sort of marketable entity, following the lead of the Monarchs, as well as other non-hockey teams that have done so, such as the Chicago White Sox.

But for now, let people rejoice in the beautiful hockey hairdo that is the mullet, also known as the "short-long", "10-90", and most importantly, "hockey hair".

Remembering Dave Fay

Some thoughts of my own, over at the FanHouse.

NeuLion Inks Video Deal With NHL

From Neil Best:

NeuLion, a company that specializes in Internet video and whose CEO is Nancy Li, wife of Islanders owner Charles Wang, has struck a deal with the entire NHL to supply high quality video for team Web sites.

The company started with the Islanders last fall. The Rangers joined in near the end of the season. Now everyone is aboard.

Congrats to Neil on scooping the WSJ, or at least that's what he says.

UPDATE: Maybe not. Thanks to the ever-vigilant Dmitry Chesnokov for the pointer.

Hockey Bloggers And Press Credentials

Over the weekend at the Hockey Blogger Group at Facebook, I kicked off an initiative that I've been working on behind the scenes for a number of months, namely, coming up formalized process to help hockey bloggers get press credentials from NHL clubs.

We've been talking about the issue all weekend long, and it's important that as many folks as possible have their say. If you're not already a member of the Hockey Bloggers Group at Facebook, please join. And please join in the discussion.

One Last Thought On Brent Sutter And The Devils

While I'm sure the Islanders organization has moved on, it had to hurt just a little bit to see Brent Sutter, one of the heroes of the Stanley Cup era, take the job as head coach of the New Jersey Devils.

It was only a year ago, after all, that Islanders owner Charles Wang made a point of recruiting hard to bring Sutter to Long Island. Eventually the job went to NHL exile Ted Nolan. And while it's hard to argue that anyone would have been able to do a better job with the Isles patchwork lineup last season than Nolan did, Sutter would have been a heck of a prize for the organization.

What does it say about the Islanders that a favorite son like Sutter would say no to such an offer?

Red Wings Sign Christy Hammond

Proof positive that hard work does pay off. Congratulations, Christy.

The Crosby Contract, The Ovechkin Reaction

Crosby signs an extension and Ovechkin stakes out his ground. All at the FanHouse.

The Freakhawk Show

Kill Bill Wirtz is had some fun watching the Chicago Blackhawks' Summer Development Camp last week:

Other sites provide hard-hitting analysis of hockey training camps and practices. They will describe how fast a first-round draft pick appeared or if some gritty veteran has a chance to play on the fourth-line. If I wanted to contribute knowledge, I'd have gone to journalism school. Instead, I give you the Freakhawk Show. There will be no discussion of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Jack Skille, or anyone who will be at least a decent NHL player (except Simon Danis-Pepin).

He calls it The Freakhawk Show, and it's clear he had some fun at the expense of others. Be sure to check out all the entries:

Day One
Day Two
Day Three

Support The Expansion Of Fort Dupont Ice Arena

Cheri Manning of DC Police Hockey passed along the following community note:

Dear Friend,

As a supporter of the ice arena, you are probably aware that Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena has been in discussion with the National Park Service about expanding the ice arena to include a second sheet of ice. This expansion would allow us to increase all of our skating activities, particularly the Kids On Ice� program.

We are now operating at capacity and the Kids On Ice� program is full with a waiting list, so the additional sheet of ice is badly needed. The expansion would also include additional rooms for off ice activities, including community meetings, birthday parties, and hockey club meetings; and would provide new locker rooms and additional storage space � all badly needed.

The National Park Service has scheduled two community meetings this week to solicit community opinion about recreational activities in Fort Dupont Park, including the proposed rink expansion.

The meetings will be held:

Wednesday, July 11, 7:00 pm at Fort Dupont Ice Arena
Saturday, July 14, 10:00 am at Fort Dupont Ice Arena

Please attend one of the meetings. It is critical that your voice be heard so the National Park Service understands how broad and strong the community support is for this proposed expansion. The community must show strong support for the expansion before the National Park Service will approve it.

Thank you for all you do to support our activities. We hope you are able to attend one of these community meetings.

Kathy Cox
Executive Director
Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena

For more on the proposed expansion, click here.

Hockey Photo Of The Year

Courtesy of SportsShooter. Go ahead and click, you won't be disappointed. And yes, it's safe for work.

Though I have to say one thing: What's up with that ref jersey?

For more from the man responsible for that shot, Robert J. Meyer, click here for his blog.

Toronto Sun: Bondra Wants Back to Washington

Peter Bondra, photo by Jon Swensen

From George Gross at the Toronto Sun:

Veteran Ukrainian-born Slovak NHLer Peter Bondra said in Slovakia the other day that all reports of him signing with a Russian team were incorrect. He plans to return to the NHL, preferably to Washington.

As much as any sentimental Washington fan might want to see Bondra finish his career in a Caps uniform, I'm having a hard time figurig out where he might fit. At this point, the only spot where Bondra might fit would be on the second line, but bringing him back would probably mean sacrificing ice time for a younger player who could use the development time -- in this case a player like Eric Fehr.

Of course, I haven't even begun to talk about how Bondra's last negotiation with the team coming out of the lockout, one that saw him bolt for Atlanta after he made some noises about wanting to be here, left a bad taste in a lot of mouths around town.

So, as I've said before, good luck Peter. But I'm afraid the Caps may have already moved on, permanently.

Memo To The Edmonton Press: Just Shut Up About Washington

I don't know much about Edmonton outside of what I hear from Colby Cosh. Consequently, I don't shoot my mouth off about what life there must be like, other than the fact that there seem to be a number of swell folks who hail from there.

Which is why reading the following quotes from the Canadian press raised my ire just a tad. First, here's John Short from SLAM:

Finally, I insisted that not every Swede could possibly be an on-ice wizard and the coach agreed, to a point.

He mentioned one non-thinker from his country: Michael Nylander.

The same Nylander who chose to live in Washington, probably the most violent city in North America, and insisted it was his right to take millions less for the privilege.

Next, here's Eric Francis from the Edmonton Sun:

Despite having plenty of cash, draft picks and holes to fill, Lowe was turned away by all of the big name free agents he approached over the last week including Paul Kariya, Slava Kozlov and, most embarrassing of all, former Flames castoff Michael Nylander.

The sordid Nylander case illustrates perfectly just how undesirable Edmonton has become in some people's eyes as his wife rejected his agreed upon deal with the team "like she was being sent to Siberia."

Instead, she insisted he sacrifice several million dollars so they could raise their five kids amidst the gunfire and politics of hockey hotbed Washington - one of America's most violent cities.

I'm not here to debate the obvious, namely that the crime figures in Washington, D.C. proper are a national disgrace. However, I will assure folks that after living here for 22 years, I know something more about the lay of the land than your typical Edmonton-based journalist.

Like any American city, the sort of violence you see in the crime stats isn't exactly spread in even shares around town. Furthermore, that same crime rate isn't reflected elsewhere in the region, especially in the near suburbs in Maryland and Northern Virginia, where I live.

The Caps arena, the Verizon Center, is barely ten years old, and still one of the best in the league. Better yet, the arena, built primarily with private funds, triggered something of a rebirth in its section of town -- just another boomlet in a series of them that have revitalized the city center since I got here in the mid-1980s. Truth be told, it's one of the safest neighborhoods in the city.

Better yet, the team also has a brand new practice facility in Arlington, Virginia, about 15 minutes away by Metro. That's the same Arlington, Virginia that Money rated as the most educated in the U.S.

And right next to Arlington is Fairfax County, until recently the county with the highest per capita income in the U.S. until it was recently surpassed by Loudoun County just to its West.

Areas of both those counties could make a lovely home for a family like the Nylanders, and still provide the newly signed center a reasonable commute to the practice facility and downtown D.C., especially when you factor in the flexibility that many professional athletes enjoy when it comes to their schedules.

And as others have already noted, thanks to Dulles International Airport, Washington is about four hours closer to Stockholm than Edmonton is.

For the most part, these facts aren't too tough to dig up. Unless of course you were just too lazy to bother.

Thanks to Off Wing reader In-Sung Yoo for the tip.

UPDATE: More thoughts from J.P.

The Thomas Vanek Offer Sheet

I'd like to send a personal thank you to Kevin Lowe, GM of the Edmonton Oilers, for tendering a 7-year, $50 million offer sheet to Buffalo Sabres winger Thomas Vanek.

Was it a smart move? Probably not. Was it a desperate move, one born of the need to deflect the attention of the Edmonton hockey press away from a consistent record of failure when it comes to running the franchise? Undoubtedly.

But then again, what Lowe has managed to do is to inject just a little more entertainment into the Summer, helping to extend the excitement of the free agent silly season for at least one more day. Just when we started to plow through the second and third-tier free agents, here comes Kevin Lowe, driving our interest back to one of the best young talents in the game, and getting a whole lot of folks annoyed while doing it.

I know that the vast majority of GMs swear off the RFA route because of the ill will that it might engender with their counterparts. I really wish it was the other way around. As far as I'm considered, all the swearing and gnashing of teeth over a decision like this one makes it all worthwhile.

In the meantime, doesn't Buffalo GM Darcy Reiger have some explaining to do? The way I see it, wouldn't it have been possible to commit the money to re-sign either Briere or Drury with some of the money that Vanek is going to get, and still wind up with four first round draft picks when somebody came after Vanek? Something tells me some fans in Buffalo are probably asking that question about now -- and they ought to be.

Hasek Returns To Detroit

I discuss things over at the NHL Fanhouse.

Isles Sign Guerin And Comrie

Details over at the NHL Fanhouse.

Nylander Deal In Jeopardy?

Details from Colby Cosh, Ken Berard, Tarik el-Bashir and the CBC.

There's plenty there to keep you busy for a while. Once again, Berard does the job by actually picking up the phone, and gets what might be the quote of the year out of the Oilers:

Just received a call back from the Oilers VP of Communications, Allan Watt. When asked to comment on the team's complaint filed to the NHL, Watt responded, "I don't have anything to say to bloggers." I quickly reminded him that we had spoken at length Monday morning. Said Watt,

"Well that was a mistake on my part."

I'm guessing things are now a wee bit tense in Edmonton's front office.

No kidding.

UPDATE: Oh boy, plenty more talk on this. See Tyler Dellow and J.P. for more.

Given some of the history between Washington and the league, I can pretty much guess what the reaction would be if they rescinded the deal.

Where To Next For The Islanders?

I look over the situation on Long Island over at the NHL Fanhouse.

Nylander To Edmonton

Though the first rumors hit the wire a little after Midnight U.S. EDT, we finally have confirmation of Michael Nylander's signing with the Edmonton Oilers.

UPDATE: Props to Ken Berard for picking up the phone and just checking this story out.

Is ESPN Killing The NHL?

Today's sports blogging must-read comes from Jason Chung, a fellow at The Project on Law and Mind Sciences at Harvard University Law School. Blogging at The Situationist, Chung, a native of Quebec, Canada who has written extensively about the intersection of sport and law, takes a hard look at the deleterious effects of the NHL ending its television relationship with ESPN, and how the end of that business relationship has led the "worldwide leader" to purposely reinforce the notion that the league is failing:

The reduced exposure on ESPN can only be harmful to the NHL. By minimizing coverage and highlights, the network is effectively reducing the imprint of the game on Americans’ collective sports consciousness. Worse still, several ESPN writers and commentators have gone out of their way to emphasize the demise of hockey. Le Ann Schreiber recently noted that during the NHL’s regular season, hockey was only mentioned on-air if there happened to be “some egregious brawl” or if it was being “dissed” for its invisibility and irrelevance.

In sharp contrast to the treatment of the NHL, ESPN favorites such as NASCAR face little scrutiny and massive hype. Once a niche sport with limited appeal, NASCAR is ESPN’s new hot property and has found itself to be the chief beneficiary of the network’s downgrading of hockey. Northwest News Group columnist Kevin Kaduk notes that since ESPN’s purchase of NASCAR broadcast rights, the network has been force-feeding the sport to its readers via its various news outlets. Indeed in January 2007, ESPN senior vice president Jed Drake explicitly promised as much. Unlike its coverage of the NHL, ESPN has shown remarkable patience with NASCAR as evidenced by its burying or putting a positive spin on negative NASCAR news such as that of falling TV ratings for the sport.

Later, Chung notes that ESPN's actions are having a deeper and far more corrosive effect on the sport:

Surely, ESPN’s attitude towards hockey influences its audience. Herbert C. Kelman of Harvard University notes that there are three source characteristics necessary to persuade others and change their attitudes: the source’s (1) expertise, (2) trustworthiness, and (3) power. Of course, ESPN scores a hat trick by (1) regularly hosting a series of experts on various sporting subjects, (2) hosting several hard-news sports programs, and (3) attracting sports’ heavy hitters to its airwaves. Thus, ESPN can exert informational and normative social influence on sports fans who, like the rest of us, seek consensus and conformity far more than we realize.

No kidding.  Over the past number of months, we've seen this conformity play out in the press over and over again, as news of the NHL's low television ratings get repeated weeks after the end of the Stanley Cup Finals, in the repetitive columns of Norman Chad or the on-air rantings of ESPN's Tony Kornheiser.

So what's the solution? For one, as others have noted before, it's always a good time to note the downside of ESPN's absolute dominance over televised sports. At the end of the day, what we're talking about above are simply the techniques that ESPN is using to attack the NHL and run it down in the eyes of the American sports fan. Why do that? Because every fan that can be convinced that Versus is too hard to find, or that hockey is the sport of the past -- despite the fact that more Americans are playing the sport today than ever before -- means more sports fans who can be force fed whatever ESPN might be fronting at the time -- be it MLS, Poker, or even the WNBA.

Here's an idea -- why not treat ESPN personalities like Mike Greenburg who run down the sport the same way we ought to treat anybody who has too much power?

Fight the power.  Question authority.  Think for yourself.  Watch hockey.

Thanks to old sports blogging hand Michael McCann for the pointer.

Briere To The Phillies?

Awful Announcing is featuring the following screen shot, which as of 6:30 a.m. U.S. EDT, is still featured on NHL.com:

Certainly worth a chuckle, and AA can't be blamed for having one at the NHL's expense. Then again, is the fault the NHL's alone? I didn't think so, so I fired up Google to see what I could find, and lo and behold over at Sports Illustrated right now:

So how does stuff like this happen? More than likely, both NHL.com and SI.com have some sort of automatic process set up where AP wire copy is prepped and posted online without much human intervention. So when I see the same mistake made at both NHL.com and SI.com, that tells me the original mistake lies not with either of those outfits, but probably with the AP itself and the original copy that went out on the wire yesterday.

Remember, we kid because we love, right?

Kariya To St. Louis

3-year deal, terms undisclosed.

It's Official: Smyth To Colorado

Details at the NHL Fanhouse.

Will the last person on Long Island please turn out the lights?

On The Caps, Tom Poti And Viktor Kozlov

For a number of months now, we've been hearing that the Washington Capitals were going to be active in the offseason, and on the first day of the free agent signing period the Capitals didn't disappoint, signing free agent defenseman Tom Poti and forward Viktor Kozlov away from the New York Islanders.

Overall, the signings fit in quite well with what GM George McPhee has been doing since the Caps emerged from the pre-lockout fire sale -- looking to acquire value while others get caught up in landing a big fish, and overpaying for one.

McPhee did the same last year when he snatched Brian Pothier from the Ottawa Senators, and he did the same today with Poti and Kozlov, two players who enjoyed a renaissance of sorts last year on Long Island.

Poti addressed one glaring need: Getting somebody to quarterback a power play that was 24th in the league last season. As for his all-around work as a defender, Poti has been called out in the past during his stops in Edmonton and with the Rangers, but he seemed to tighten up his game last season on the Island.

As for Kozlov, he could slot in at any number of places with the Caps: As center on the first line with Alex Ovechkin, though he may be more useful as a right wing; or even, as J.P. mentions over at the NHL Fanhouse, as a second line right wing to play with Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin.

In any case, Caps fans ought to be happy, as the team is better now than it was when they woke up on Sunday morning.

Now, are they all the way back, and in contention for a playoff spot?

Not all the way, but every indication is the team isn't done yet. There are still a number of players out there to be had, either via trade or free agency, and McPhee is sitting on top of a lot of assets that could easily be moved.

The skinny here: Hold onto your hats. There's more to come.

Avs Ink Scott Hannan

Details at the NHL Fanhouse.

Caps Ink Kozlov To 2-Year Deal

From TSN -- the Caps have signed veteran forward Viktor Kozlov to a two-year $2.5 million deal. For my thoughts on Kozlov from last week, click here.

And Tarik says they're not done yet.

Caps Looking At Yashin

Via Tarik.

Here's what I wrote last month, and here's J.P.

Smyth To Colorado?

Adrian Dater says maybe. Hat tip to Mirtle.

Briere To Philadelphia

From the Buffalo News:

Daniel Briere informed The Buffalo News in a text message that he has agreed to a contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. Terms are not yet known, but will be reported shortly.

Hat tip to Spector.

From TSN:

The deal will average $6.5 million a season against the salary cap, with the first year paying him $10 million. The contract also features a no movement clause.

Can you feel that balance of power shifting in the East?

Panthers Sign Zednik and McLean

Again, TSN on the case. Zednik is two years at $3.25, McLean is three years at $5.1 million. I don't know much about McLean, other than he had his best season as a goal scorer last season in Colorado (15).

As for Zednik, the book on him is pretty open, he's simply not the same player he was earlier in his career after taking that shot to the head from Kyle McLaren a couple of years back. Last season in Washington, he showed some flashes of his previous form, only to suffer some untimely injuries before his deadline day trade to the Islanders.

Schneider To Anaheim

Here's the first minor "wow" of the UFA signing period: Matt Schneider going to the defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks for two years at $11.25 million. The Ducks already had one of the top power plays in the NHL with Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger, adding Schneider might allow the Ducks to ration the ice time of those two players a bit more carefully.

UPDATE: Here's George James Malik on Schneider's departure from Detroit.

James Mirtle, stranded in the Globe's offices on what's a holiday weekend in Canada, wrote ...

Schneider wasn't considered the prize of the free agent defencemen this off-season, and the bloated price tag here likely means Sheldon Souray is due more than $6-million per season on a long-term deal.

Which leads to another question: If your team isn't going to be in the hunt for one of the front line free agents, does it behoove you to bid up the mid-range talent, rather than let the biggest contracts determine the league's salary structure?

ANOTHER UPDATE: Statement from the Ducks:

�Scott Niedermayer has informed me that he is leaning toward retirement,� said Burke. �Typical of his character and leadership, he made the call this morning in order to allow us to make alternative plans in the event he does not return. Although he has not retired and would be welcomed back, we felt adding another top NHL defenseman was critical to defending our championship. Mathieu Schneider fits into that category and will be a great addition to our team.�

More later.

Poti To Washington

TSN is reporting that the Washington Capitals have signed free agent defenseman Tom Poti away from the New York Islanders. Poti had 6 goals and 38 assists last season, most of those on the power play, and one would have to assume the Caps would insert him on the first team power play

That makes two years in a row that Caps GM George McPhee has targeted a free agent defenseman early in the UFA signing period that wasn't necessarily in the top tier -- in this case swooping in on Poti while the Islanders were obviously distracted with re-signing free agent winger Ryan Smyth.

In the era of the salary cap, it's not just the kind of talent you sign, it's the value you get out of the signing. Further, at $3.5 million per, Poti's salary, while still the second highest on the team, won't serve as an irritant to anyone else on the squad.

UPDATE: Tarik says he's been put on alert to expect another signing today. Stay tuned.

Keeping Track Of The NHL Salary Cap

In a little more than an hour, it looks like nhlscap.com is the place to be.

No ESPY Nomination For Crosby?

The ESPY nominations were announced yesterday (yawn), and while Sidney Crosby was nominated for best hockey player, The Sidney Crosby Show is angry that Sid the Kid was ignored in the Best Male Athlete category:

Just take a wild guess who DIDN'T make the list of nominees for Best Male Athlete... Yeah, I am stunned right now. Can someone out there please tell me how you can win the awards for league MVP and top point scorer of the NHL, be voted the most outstanding player by your peers, and be named the youngest captain in NHL history - all in one season - yet NOT be a consideration for male athlete of the year?!

Because the ESPYs are not about honoring athletic achievement, they're about glorifying and promoting ESPN. There's one way to guarantee that Crosby will get nominated for an ESPY, and that's to start challenging some of Wayne Gretzky's records.

So if/when Crosby gets near 92 goals, 163 assists or 215 points, that's around the time ESPN will show up with an ESPY nomination. It's also around the time I expect ESPN will show up wanting to take the NHL back into its prime time lineup.

No pressure Sid. No pressure.

Washington Capitals Jerseys in Detail

On June 22, 2007, the Washington Capitals unveiled their jersey for the 2007-2008 Season. We were one of the first to show it to you and now we want to give you all the details about the Jerseys.

Photo by Ellen Blanchard

More after the jump.

Also be sure to check out all the pictures of the jersey and pictures from the draft party at our flickr account.

Capitals Jerseys through the Years:

Photo by Ellen Blanchard

Photo by Ellen Blanchard

The Caps new logo has the following meanings:

- The Wordmark draws from the original jerseys "but with a fresh bold new font. The letters lean forward, represening the team's commitment to innovation and forward thinking."

- The three stars represent Maryland, Virginia and DC. The stars also represent the top three players from each game and have been incorporated in other Caps jerseys.

- Like the original jerseys, the "t" represents a hockey stick with a puck at the end.

Photo by Ellen Blanchard

The secondary logo is a eagle with its wings outstretched.

-The eagle "symbolizes strength, power and freedom, and first appeared on the Capitals' uniforms in 1995-1996.

-The wings are raised and form the shape of a "w" representing Washington DC.

-Underneath the eagle is the outline of the Capital dome.

*All descriptions from the Caps Media Information

Slap Shot Turns 30

I ponder the memories over at the NHL Fanhouse.

Life After Hockey

Last November over at NBC Sports, I wrote a column about the Professional Athlete Transition Institute, a project at Quinnipiac University that's designed to help professional athletes, mostly ex-NHL players, move on from the game once their time on the ice is over.

Earlier this month, nine ex-NHLers participated in a PATI-sponsored seminar to help them develop their broadcasting skills, working with ESPN's John Buccigross:

�For many of them it was the first time on camera except for being interviewed when they were players, which is totally different,� said Lisa Burns, associate professor of media studies and lead workshop instructor.

It takes some getting used to even though locker room interviews are a great training ground, Buccigross said.

�You�re not just sitting there after a game relaxed and tired and sweaty. Here in the studio you�re wearing a suit, you�re wearing makeup, you have a tie on. It�s harder to be yourself and you only have 10 seconds to say something smart and funny as opposed to giving a long interview [from which] the reporter will pick out the [sound bite],� he said.

Craig Norwich, of Edina, Minn., who won the NCAA national championship playing for the University of Wisconsin and who still holds some collegiate records, said Buccigross put them at ease. �It could have been intimidating to see a big TV star, but he was great. He provided us with a lot of valuable confidence,� said Norwich, who was a defenseman for the St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets.

After I spoke with PATI's Duncan Fletcher, I couldn't help but come away impressed with the program. The folks involved care about the players and their mission. As far as I'm concerned, the more players who know about the program, the better.

For more on PATI, click here.

Tkachuk Returns To St. Louis

First we get the first round pick Nashville traded to Philly in the Forsberg deal boomerang back for the negotiating rights to Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell, now we have this:

The St. Louis Blues acquired the rights to center Keith Tkachuk from the Atlanta Thrashers on Tuesday along with a conditional fourth-round draft choice in 2008 (which could become a third-round choice in 2009) in exchange for a conditional first-round draft choice in 2008 (previously acquired from Atlanta on Feb. 25).

Like Tom Benjamin, I don't have a problem with deals like these. But what I do have a problem with is not making the quid pro quo clear at the time of the original deal. Even if there was a "future considerations" clause inserted at the time, it would be better than the way this is being presented now.

Bill Simmons Blogs The NHL Draft

If you're going to make fun of the NHL, this is the way to do it.

Thanks to Paul Kukla for the pointer.

UPDATE: OFP is not happy with Simmons.

Caps Media Relations Staff Wins Dillman Award

Over the course of my season in the press box at Verizon Center, there were more than a few moments when I had to rely on the help of the team's media relations staff. Needless to say, I was grateful to be able to rely on folks like Kurt Kehl, Nate Ewell, Paul Rovnak and Julie Petri, all solid professionals who went out of their way to treat me, and every other blogger who came into the press box, just like any other member of the working media.

I'm fortunate to be able to work with them, which is why I was so happy to hear that they'd been given the Dick Dillman Award by the Professional Hockey Writers Association for excellence in media relations. The Caps team is a crack group, and I'm glad to see them get the recognition they deserve.

Congratulations also go to the San Jose Sharks, who won the Dillman in the Western Conference.

NHL Draft Notebook

Greetings from Columbus, site of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. I got into the media hotel last night and had a nice time getting to know some of the local watering holes.

All the buzz right now is happening here in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency here in the Arena District. We had a false alarm about 10 minutes ago concerning the Bruins, as a knot of reporters gathered around Boston GM Peter Chiarelli even though he didn't have much to say.

And word has already leaked out that the Maple Leafs are on the verge of acquiring Vesa Toskala from the San Jose Sharks for the 13th pick.

After grabbing a late lunch here at the hotel, I'll be headed over to the Nationwide Arena to meet some local bloggers at the Bud Light Arena Pub. As I've written before, the most fun I have watching hockey comes when I have the chance to get together with other bloggers, and I'm looking forward to having a chance to meet the folks behind Jerseys and Hockey Love, Army of the Ohio, End of the Bench, and even the Acid Queen herself.

Later on tonight, look for me to be live blogging the draft over at the NHL Fanhouse. In short, it's going to be a busy day. I hope you decide to ride along.

UPDATE: All the skinny on Toskala, who will be making the move to Toronto along with Mark Bell.

UPDATE: Just fought my way inside the arena, where there's something of a crush at the media entrance, where Greg Wyshynski is still waiting. Here's a shot from the fan fest outside the arena:

I'm set up in the 7th row on the media risers and have a pretty good view of the draft floor:

Now I'm off to rub elbows with some of my blogger friends at the Arena Pub. Be back soon with more pics.

UPDATE: I'm a little late to this story, but the selloff continues in Columbus where Tomas Vokoun has been shipped to Florida:

The Predators will receive the Panthers' first-round pick in 2008, a second-round pick in the 2007 draft and a second-round pick they must use either Saturday or in the 2008 draft. Nashville will have at least nine draft picks in this draft.

General manager David Poile said they felt they could make the trade after watching Chris Mason, now 31, develop from a backup to a top goalie this season. They also have Pekka Rinne, a 2004 draft choice.

"With full confidence in Chris and Pekka Rinne, we felt as if we could make this move," Poile said in a statement. "Mason won 24 games for us this past season, starting 21 in a row at one point, and finished with the second-highest save percentage (.925) in the NHL.

One of my friends from On Frozen Blog informs me that Preds owner Craig Leipold doesn't want to sell the team to Jim Balsillie any longer because of his desire to move the team. I wonder who get to him. Click here for details from TSN.

Denver Post Hockey Writer Hates, Hates, Hates ESPN

Details from Jibblescribbits, Dear Lord Stanley and Greg Wyshynski.

Here's the excerpt everyone is talking about:

... hell yes, I'm glad I'm not some ESPN stooge, who might make more money than me, but spends his/her entire day preening around the athletic arena, microphone in hand, makeup case in hand, hair spray in hand, ready to ask an inane, suckup, kiss-butt question to a player that, at the end of the day, at the end of this life, at the end of this universe, HAS ABSOLUTELY NO RESONATING IMPACT ON THE MEMORIES OF ITS VIEWING AUDIENCE, AND ABSOLUTELY NO LASTING IMPACT ON ANYTHING REMOTELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE ART CALLED "JOURNALISM" WHICH YOU FALSELY ATTACH YOURSELVES TO."

Let's just say we've all had days like that. More later.

Happy Anniversary To ...

Jerseys And Hockey Love, which has been in the business for one year.

How many hockey bloggers are there? So many, that I can't keep up with milestones like this anymore.

Why Doesn't Hockey Have Something Like This?

For years now, Real GM has featured a piece of software that allows fans to come up with trades that would fit under the salary cap. Now it turns out that the company that owns the site is taking things to the next level.

Here's Newsday's Jim Baumbach:

As many as 14 general managers this season will be using RealGM.com to come up with trade ideas that fit under the salary cap. But there's a catch. Unlike Layden, these GMs are not using the same program as fans do.

RealGM.com, a popular basketball Web site that was founded in 2000 and has only four full-time employees, actually produces a software program specifically for NBA teams that helps them produce trade ideas. It costs teams about $30,000 per year, and chief operating officer Todd Essman (who grew up in Plainview) said currently nine teams have already signed up for next season. They could land another five.

Essman wouldn't name the teams, citing how sensitive some teams can be when it comes to their front-office machinations. But he said when they first came up with the idea in 2003 and went around the league trying to sell it, the Indiana Pacers and senior vice president David Morway were especially helpful.

How fast would a professional piece of software like this turn into the most popular destination over at NHL.com? I'd kill for something just like it.

Tweaking The Rule Book

We got some minor changes to the rulebook coming out of yesterday's Board of Governors meeting. Gross misconducts have been eliminated, al faceoffs must take place on one of the nine designated dots, and refs can now call a penalty shot if the infraction takes place in the neutral zone, not just the offensive zone.

Nice tweaks all, and learn to live with little adjustments like these in every offseason until the end of time. It's the NFL model of competition, and it works.

And then there's one more change that I really like. From the Canadian Press:

The interference rule was altered so referees can at their discretion assess a major penalty and a game misconduct when an injury results from an act of interference. Previously, only a minor penalty could be assessed for interference.

I'll dub this the "Chris Neil" rule.

If you choose to disrespect the game, the game will disrespect you.

NHL Draft Mad Libs!

Rangerland tells the horrible truth about reviewing your favorite team's performance at the NHL Draft.

In Praise Of Joe Sakic

A tribute to the Colorado captain, over at the NHL Fanhouse.

New Caps Jersey Revealed?

I examine the evidence over at the NHL Fanhouse.

What's Up With The NHL And Google Video?

Long-time reader Bill Lenihan sent me a note about the NHL's relationship with Google Video this morning, which is when I discovered that the NHL landing page for the service has disappeared, and instead resolves to Google Video's home page.

Time to make some phone calls...

Columbus Or Bust!

On another front, I spoke with the NHL yesterday, and they've finally approved my media credentials for the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. I'll be headed to Columbus next Thursday night and staying through Saturday morning. To say the least, I'm excited at the prospect.

As Mirtle hinted earlier this week, there's more to this story, details of which I'll be passing on sometime next week.

As J.P. mentioned a few weeks back, the local hockey bloggers in Columbus are throwing a draft party on Friday afternoon. Stop by End Of The Bench for details. For a detailed draft rundown, check out Army Of The Ohio. Whatever happens, I know I'm planning on going.

Some Notes On The Fanhouse

Just wanted to remind everyone that just because the season has ended doesn't mean that the action will cease at the NHL Fanhouse. Greg, J.P., Tom, Jes and Mirtle are all planning on contributing regularly over there, and considering the NHL has the shortest offseason in professional sports, there won't be long till we're at the cusp of the 2007-08 NHL season.

I also want to point out that the Fanhouse as a whole has just undergone a significant facelift, and I'm very happy with the results. I especially like the mini-mugshots that now adorn each post, though I'm wondering why nobody has figured out where mine came from as of yet.

Here's a proposal: Identify the source of my mini-mug, and you'll get a free one-year subscription to Off Wing...

Kudos to our corporate masters at AOL for doing a heck of a job.

NHL Awards Show Delayed To 11:00 p.m. In U.S.

Dear God, can the NHL do anything right?

That's the question I'm asking, now that I actually took the time to watch the NHL Awards Show. For some reason that I can't ascertain, the show, which according to who you consulted, was set to air beginning at 7:00 or 7:30 p.m. EDT, is being delayed until 11:00 p.m.

What the Hell?

James Mirtle is live blogging the show at the NHL Fanhouse. Go there for real time updates.

UPDATE: Apparently, there's some problem with the satellite feed from Toronto. Be sure to call Versus to complain: (203)406-2500. And no, I won't be staying up late to watch.

FINAL UPDATE: The Globe and Mail has the final details:

A CBC broadcast truck almost caught fire during the network's telecast of the NHL Awards show from the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre in Toronto.

Technical problems resulted, the worst of which affected Versus in the United States. The overheated CBC truck caused transmission difficulties forcing the U.S. cable channel to cancel its live telecast. Instead, it aired a World Combat League show and carried a tape delay of the NHL show at 11 p.m. EDT.

Sometimes bad luck is the only luck you have.

Learn To Love Lady Byng

One of the things I love about hockey and the NHL is the respect the game still has for its history -- something that's reflected in the names of the post season awards it hands out every June.

It doesn't matter what name you hear, every time there are echoes of the early years of the game in North America and a reverence for all of the tradition: Hart, Calder, Norris, Adams, Vezina, Masterson, Pearson and Selke.

But for some reason, there's one trophy that doesn't get its due, and that's the Lady Byng, the trophy awarded annually to the NHL player who best exemplifies sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct with high performance of play. In recent years, the Byng most often gets awarded to a player who piles up a of points, but doesn't spend a lot of time in the penalty box. Unfortunately, that means that many Byng winners are often accused of being soft.

In 2003, eventual winner Alexander Mogilny actually skipped the post season awards show because he didn't think much of the trophy.

But in a league that too often turns the other way when players like Chris Neil and Jordin Tootoo show disrespect for their opponents and the game with a style of play which is meant to not merely disrupt, but to injure, I think the Lady Byng might be more important than ever.

Here's Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock:

"Being the best is something to make fun of?" asked Babcock, after [Pavel] Datsyuk was again named for the award back in May, during the playoffs. "I don't understand that thought process."

[...]

In Babcock's view, many of the players who belittle the Lady Byng are possibly a little jealous of the entire matter.

"It's a fantastic award. It's like the Presidents' Trophy," Babcock said of the award given to the team with the best regular season-record (the Buffalo Sabres edged the Wings out to win it this season). "All the teams that don't win it can make fun of it."

Even better, the Lady Byng, Marie Evelyn Moreton, who donated the award along with her husband, was an actual fan of the original Ottawa Senators. The first time the Byng was awarded wasn't in a ceremony from a podium, but personally from the lady herself when she asked original winner Frank Nighbor if the league would accept the donation of a trophy to be awarded to the most sportsmanlike player. When he said yes, Byng named him the first winner right there and then.

This year the nominees are Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk, Colorado's Joe Sakic and Tampa Bay's Martin St. Louis. My choice: St. Louis, a player nobody could ever accuse of being soft, bringing honor to the game and its history with every shift he skates and doing it without fear in a sport where he will always be physically outmatched by larger opponents.

Lady Byng would be proud. And so should you.

More On The Islanders Blog Box

The New York Islanders Web site has compiled some reactions to their blog box concept, which has been getting, as I noted yesterday, some positive reviews -- though they don't seem too happy with my comments.

No matter. But I'll say again what I said yesterday: While it's always good to see the bloggers get a shot at access, I still don't see why they have to be segregated from the rest of the press.

The Return Of Iron Mike

After what appeared to be a detour to Sweden, it now looks like Mike Keenan is headed back to the NHL to coach the Calgary Flames.

It's a move that makes plenty of sense on a lot of levels, not the least of which is the fact that Calgary GM Darryl Sutter may be the only team executive outside of Brian Burke to have the huevos to deal with Keenan on a regular basis. Then again, it's also a potentially explosive combination as well, which means that it's something of a win-win for the league and its fans.

Lost in all the excitement, however, is the probably dismissal of Calgary head coach Jim Playfair. Sorry, Jim.

My NHL Fanhouse colleague, Greg Wyshynski, has his own thoughts on the move. And be sure to check out Andy Grabia's take too.

Blog In A Box, Pig In A Poke

Congratulations to the New York Islanders for coming up with the "Blog Box" idea and getting a day's worth of free publicity out of it. Here are a couple of thoughts:

* I don't know why anybody would apply for a watered down version of a press pass that only allows guarded access to Islanders players and staff and no access to visiting players at all. Ironically for me, two of the visiting players I talked to this season in Washington were Jason Blake and Richard Park of the Islanders.

I've had complete access for a whole season, along with more than a dozen other bloggers, and we've never experienced any sort of incident here in D.C., so I'm not really sure what anybody is afraid of. In fact, I would have been happy to talk the the Islanders or any other team about my experiences this season, but let's just say my phone hasn't been ringing off the hook.

The Islanders idea is a press pass with training wheels. Then again, if I were in the shoes of Islanders Army or The View From Section 317, I'd give it a shot.

* I couldn't help but see that the team felt the need to throw a bone to the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA). From Islanders VP Chris Botta's interview with Deadspin:

Deadspin:You seem pretty concerned about how the actual hockey press "establishment" would react to this. Have you heard from some of the bigwigs since you announced it?

Botta: We want them to know they're still loved, appreciated, respected, welcomed and needed. That said, sure, I've gotten a few emails from members of the PHWA nominating the Blog Box for this week's Sign That the Apocalypse is Among Us. If they haven't gotten over it by then, they'll see when the season starts that their world hasn't changed.

As far as I'm concerned, the actions of the PHWA aren't terribly encouraging in this area. After all, this is an organization that when it went looking for somebody to talk to about blogging, asked Eklund to address them at this year's All-Star Game.

And though I can't find the link right now, I know that Michael Farber of Sports Illustrated mentioned something snarky about the PHWA and blogging during the Finals. I called SI and got his phone number to interview him about it, but he's yet to return my call.

Whenever I see a reference to the PHWA, I have to stifle a little laugh. After all, we know that in a number of cities that there are plenty of open spaces in the press box as newspapers and other MSM outlets cut back their coverage. In light of those facts, just where do they get off trying to dictate who gets access to the press box?

This would include outlets like the LA Times, a newspaper that cut back on road coverage of the Ducks just as they moved to the cusp of a Stanley Cup. Amazing.

GoogleCurrent Bashes The NHL

Here's what I mean when I write that the NHL has lost complete control of the message about the game. Here's a short that's running on Current TV, the network founded by Al Gore that's driven by user-generated content, bashing the league for its microscopic television ratings:

When you think about it, these guys have some nerve, don't they? While Versus might not be in a lot of homes, it isn't like Current TV has the greatest distribution either. But what really irks me is that this segment is co-sponsored by Google. Which leads me to ask, if Current TV is so concerned about the Internet, why not focus on the reams of user-generated content created by hockey fans around the world?

Wouldn't that have made a more interesting story? You know, despite the fact that the NHL has suffered through historic low television ratings, there are plenty of indications that hockey is alive and well on the Web -- especially outside that video that they end the piece with that we've all seen a million times already.

Why not feature user-generated content like this:

I guess if it doesn't happen on Current TV it doesn't happen.

As far as I'm concerned, all this piece proves is that the folks at Current TV are as lazy as their counterparts in the MSM when it comes to constructing a storyline about the league.

On The Bettman Raise

When it comes to the news earlier today from SBJ on the raises that Gary Bettman and Bill daly earned coming out of the lockout, I can't help but feel a bit disquieted. Because while I can understand why the owners in the NHL were willing to reward them both for their role in winning the labor war with the NHLPA, it's should also be equally clear to those looking at the current situation that in one important sense, they're losing the peace and losing it badly.

I don't need to go back again and link to all of the attacks on the sport we've seen over the past few weeks as news of low television ratings for the Stanley Cup Finals provoked a feeding frenzy where the message was the same whether you were watching or reading the MSM or trolling on the larger sports blogs -- that the NHL and hockey were irrelevant and something to laugh at.

How this has happened to a sport where strength, toughness and heart come at a premium is really a mystery to me. But what I do know is that it's happened on this commissioner's watch, and it's his job to fix it.

UPDATE: Jes Golbez has a take all his own at the NHL Fanhouse.

Blogger Booted From NCAA Baseball Press Box

By now, many of you may already have read the story about how a reporter from the Louisville Courier-Journal was ejected from the press box yesterday when he attempted to live blog an NCAA regional baseball playoff game:

"A Courier-Journal sports reporter had his media credential revoked and was ordered to leave the press box during the NCAA baseball super-regional yesterday because of what the NCAA alleged was a violation of its policies prohibiting live Internet updates from its championship events."

After spending a season in the press box covering the Washington Capitals, and having spent about a quarter of a season in the press box at RFK Stadium covering D.C. United, I think it's safe to say I have something of a unique take on this issue which I wrote about over at the AOL Fanhouse today.

One thing that bothers me about how this story is being reported concerns the angle of "bloggers rights" -- an angle that I'm obviously sympathetic to. Unfortunately, there's a whole lot more going on here than just the rights of one blogger, it also has something to do with a complex web of business relationships that aren't going to be so easy to untangle.

For instance, in a world where everybody has access to an instant publishing platform, what sorts of protections can a broadcast rights holder reasonably expect? While there is some pre-exisiting case law here, I'd be pretty chary to speculate about how it affects the situation we saw yesterday.

So before we go off and condemn the NCAA or any other organization facing these same sort of questions, I think bloggers as a group have a responsibility to do more than just condemn, but rather to explain in a clear and cogent manner exactly what we want to do and how to go about it.

UPDATE: Some late word from long-time reader, Beau Dure:

It took three weeks of back-and-forth on the phone to get permission to do this from the pressbox:

http://members.cox.net/bdure/resume/final.htm

This was in 1997.

You�re right that bloggers/reporters aren�t owed some constitutional right to give play-by-play from the pressbox, though you could also argue that it�s the only way to stay competitive with every non-credentialed blog that can live-blog through a TV set. The trouble is, as you guessed, the NCAA. When it comes to bureaucracies that move slowly and insist they�re doing the right thing, the NCAA is worse than the feds.

Bettman, Daly Earned Huge Raises Out of NHL Lockout

From Sports Business Journal:

NHL owners rewarded Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly coming out of the lockout, giving each of them a roughly $2 million raise for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006, according to the league�s tax return.

Bettman�s salary rose 57 percent from June 2005 to June 2006, topping out at $5.9 million for the first fiscal year following the lockout, which ended in July 2005. The salary includes a $400,000 contribution to his retirement plan.

Coming out of the lockout, Bettman delivered NHL owners the salary-cap and revenue-sharing systems they wanted. Since then, he has overseen two consecutive years of revenue growth, as well as the record-setting, $220 million sale of the Nashville Predators to Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie.

Carolina Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos, a member of the NHL�s executive committee, which submitted Bettman�s salary to the board of governors for approval, said the raise was a reward for the commissioner�s work during hockey�s 2004-05 lockout.

�The owners were so happy with the way he handled the labor situation, because it was a bit like herding cats,� Karmanos said.

Oh, I bet. Thanks to Schuyler Baehman at SBJ for passing along the link.

Selling The NHL To The Print Media

Greg Wyshynski says the league should just bribe them:

Start with paying for media charter flights, and then go 10 steps further and turn the Stanley Cup Finals into an all-out Hollywood-style press junket.

Do you think entertainment reporters seriously want to write about the latest Tim Allen film? Do you think there's an audience clamoring for coverage of the live-action "Underdog: The Movie?" Of course not. But the slickest marketing minds in the business get positive coverage for their products by hopelessly pandering to the media � and sometimes even paying their way.

If I'm the NHL, I'm flying in a few writers � the hockey guy, a features guy and at least one big stud columnist � from every major metropolitan newspaper that isnt covering the Stanley Cup Finals. I'm putting them up in a great hotel, and giving them a tote bag full of food, booze and hockey swag that'll make them the envy of the newsroom. ("Hey, check it out Tony � I have my own Ottawa Senators jersey with 'Wilbon' on the back!")

And speaking of Mr. Kornheiser, I nearly put my foot through the television yesterday during his latest extended anti-hockey rant. If I didn't already substiute PTI for SportsCenter, I would have deleted the show from my TiVo season pass manager.

The Season In Pictures: The Edmonton Oilers

Covered In Oil says it better than anybody could. Poor bastards.

The 2007 Off Wing Stanley Cup Challenge

Congrats to the Anaheim Ducks on winning the 2006-07 Stanley Cup.

And now on to other business, determining the winner of the 2007 Off Wing Stanley Cup Challenge. The four contestants who picked the Ducks as champs back in April are...

Jeffrey Schlesinger
Kartikeya Sinha
Signal2Noise (No worries, I know who you are)
Gregg Simon (2004 Winner)

According to the bylaws, in case of a tie, the winner is determined by random draw. This year, the name was drawn by Tom Luongo.

And the winner is...

... Kartikeya Sinha! Please contact me as soon as possible so we can award the Grand Prize, a $250 donation to the charity of your choice.

Thanks to everyone for playing.

UPDATE: And the chosen charity is Doctors Without Borders. Please check them out.

Also, if you made a pledge to sponsor this year's contest, please forward your payment to me ASAP via PayPal so we can make the donation promptly.

The New NHL Is Real, And Holding On

When you have to choose between what you can see and what you can measure, always stick with the data.

The Forechecker explains the rest.

Just Say No On Alexi Yashin

Earlier today at the NHL Fanhouse, I noted Alexei Yashin's impending departure from Long Island. Now, over at Tarik's place, he's asking a very dangerous question:

Yashin, when motivated, can still be one of the game's best centers. The Caps need a first line center.

So here is the question of the day: Should the Caps get Gandler on the phone (of course, after the agent gets that letter from the Islanders)?

Can we really be talking about seeing the Caps acquire a player who another team will eventually spend more than $17 million just to get him to go away? Are we perhaps looking for some reverse-Jagr mojo, thinking that the karmic wheel will turn, allowing the Caps to get some extra mileage out of a player the rest of the league has already called the most overrated in hockey?

Yashin won't be 34 until November, so he's still got a lot of hockey left in him if he wants to play. It's just that too often over the last five seasons, he's played hockey as if he'd rather be doing something else.

The answer is no.

Recently At The NHL Fanhouse

Some of the recent hockey blogging goodness over at the NHL Fanhouse:

Islanders Send Yashin Packing, Buy Out Contract (That McErlain Guy)
Video of the Day: Five Facts About the Ottawa Senators (Jes Golbez)
You Don't Like Hockey? We Don't Care! (Jes Golbez)
Playing the Blame Game in Toronto (J.P.)
Today's Debriefing: T.O. Can't Save the NHL... (Tom Luongo)
NHL Prospect Dating Game: Karl Alzner (J.P.)
Scott Gomez Set to Enjoy Freedom and Big Bucks (Jes Golbez)
Hockey Nerd Tuesday: A Little Farley, a Little Richter, a Lot of Hockey (Greg Wyshynski)

Be sure to go to the NHL Fanhouse tonight, when James Mirtle stops by to live blog Game Five of the Finals.

Over At NBC Sports ...

... In the aftermath of Chris Pronger's shot to the head of Ottawa's Dean McAmmond, I say it's time to crack down on blows to the head.

Game Four Snapshots

* The officiating was as bad as I've ever seen in an SCF game in the first period. Two dives -- one by Chris Neil and one by Ray Emery -- means that the refs have a lot of explaining to do once once video review time comes around.

* Kudos to Joe DiPenta, Kent Huskins, Sean O'Donnell and Ric Jackman for picking up the slack in the absence of Chris Pronger. They yielded only 10 shots after the first period.

* What in the wide world of sports got into Daniel Alfredsson at the end of the second period when he fired a slap shot at Scott Niedermayer with just seconds remaining before intermission? And then for him to get off without a penalty was just atrocious.

* With so many young players, Andy McDonald, Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, et al., Anaheim is going to be contending for years to come.

* There will be no Game Six in Ottawa.

Ducks-Sens Game 4

While the vets will be blogging the game over at the NHLFanhouse, I've decided to throw in my own 2 cents here on OffWing. I'll start off by saying I can't imagine being a visiting American team at Scotia Bank while the Canadian National Anthem is being sung. The Canadian fans are so vocal, which is different from the states, where fans generally treat it as a more solemn thing.

First Period Ott 1, Ana 0 What a tough way for Anaheim to head into the break, giving up a goal with .3 seconds to go. If the Ducks want to get back in this game they have to stay out of the box and do a better job on the powerplay. They gave up the first 9 shots in the game. This is a visibly weaker team without Pronger, and they need to put on heavy offensive pressure to take that pressure off of their defense.

* Chris Neil knows the entire Ducks team will be after him, and he has drawn 2 penalties in the first 5 minutes. The penalty on Beauchemin did look like a dive by Neil.

* Anaheim needs to do something offensively, anything. They've been making some nice rushes, but the Ottowa D cuts them off before they can set anything up.

* Kent Huskins is clearly having some equipment problems early. He's fallen down a couple times while Ottowa was breaking into the zone. The trainer needs to fix things before Huskins falls and it costs them.

* Corey Perry made an amazing fake pass on the 2-on-1 before ripping a shot off the post, then crashing into Ray Emery.

* Best line so far tonight: "He crushed him like a free beer at a frat party!"

* Diving must be part of the cirriculum in Ottowa. Emery WAS bumped into, but he threw out his arms and legs after the fact for emphasis. I agree with Hull's comment that diving should negate the original penalty and be 2 minutes for the diver. If it's a penalty it's a penalty, but there's no need to dive after the fact.

The debate over the penalties and dives in the first brought up an interesting point that I've always been concerned with. When the goalie leaves his crease, should he still be untouchable? Ray Emery was several feet outside of the crease, cutting off Ryan Getzlaf's way out of the play, giving him no place to go. The boys in the war room in Toronto should instruct whoever will be calling the rest of the series to pay close attention to contact plays and make sure there's no diving. --Just before the start of the 2nd they showed a clip of a Duck skating across Emery, and Emery pushed off with his glove and did another one of his dives. He has been warned, so it will be interesting to see what he does the rest of the game.

Second Period Ott 2, Ana 2 I'm beginning to question whether Ottowa deserves to be where they are right now. Between the dives and Alfredsson's intentional slapper at Neidermayer to end the period, I'm losing all respect for them. No class. But back to the game, Anaheim is playing with more intensity and has taken control of the game. Ottowa drew even, but needs to step up if they want to cut off Anaheim's momentum.

* MacDonald chopped the puck at an open net and hit the post, the second shot off the iron for Anaheim tonight.

* As Ray Ferraro noted, Emery has "cried wolf too many times already", and is drawing no penalties with his antics.

* MacDonald's goal is the result of a good feed from behind the net. Both goals have come off passes from behind the net.

* Andy MacDonald just takes a great pass crossing the blue line and fakes Volchenkov out of the way before sliding the puck under the pads of Emery.

* Anaheim has been carrying most of the offensive momentum, but that could shift after the great sprawling save by Ray Emery.

Third Period Ana 3, Ott 2 Ottowa wasn't able to cut off Anaheim's momentum, and it cost them. I am excited for game 5, as the end of the game displayed the hard-nosed hockey I was hoping for. Although there was a lot of physical play, the cheap stuff was cut out, and there was nothing but good hard hockey. It stayed exciting through the end, with Ottowa pushing to even things up, and sets up what should be an amazing Game 5.

* A lot of back and forth to start off the period. I'm surprised Alfredsson didn't at least get 2 for unsportsmanlike conduct.

* Both goalies have made some sensational saves to keep their teams in it.

* A goofy line change and bounces gives Anaheim a 2-on-2, which somehow turns into a 2-on-1, and a perfect pass by Selanne gives Penner an open net goal.

* Anaheim is sitting back a little to protect their 1 goal lead.

* Play has cleaned up, and we're seeing the tough, gritty hockey we were prepared for.

* Ottowa tries to even things up by pulling Emery, but the Ducks tighten up and Giguere was a wall in preventing another Ottowa goal.

Live Blogging Game Four

J.P. is the MC for the evening over at the NHL Fanhouse. Stop by and become a member of the peanut gallery. I'll be kicking around too.

Recently At The NHL Fanhouse

Some items you might have missed on Sunday at the NHL Fanhouse:

Pronger: No Conn for This Con (Greg Wyshynski)
NHL Prospect Dating Game: Sam Gagner (J.P.)
Guess the Suspension: Chris Pronger (Jes Golbez)
Sabres Add to Blue Line Depth, Let Winger Walk (Tom Luongo)

These guys are doing a great job. I hope you're checking them out regularly.

Great Moments In Internet Broadcasting

Once I was done live-blogging Game Three, I switched over to NBC postgame online show, where Brett Hull was, to be charitable, unprepared:

Brett Hull: What are we doing? What are we doing?

Bill Clement: Internet.

Brett Hull: Yeah, but like what?

Unidentified: Whatever. Whatever.

Bill Clement: What two things do you want to talk about?

Brett Hull: Huh?

Bill Clement: (Incredulous) You just watched a whole freaking game!

Brett Hull: No, I want to know... I can't hear a freaking thing.

Bill Clement: (Trailing off) What do you want to talk about?

Never know what will happen when you're watching.

Some Classic Don Cherry

Don Cherry has to be the most politically incorrect commentator I've ever seen. And it makes for great tv. In anticipation of his work with NBC for the rest of the Cup Finals, here are a couple classic Don Cherry moments.

Poor Ron MacLean, can't be an easy job trying to keep Grapes in check.

Pierre McGuire, Who Died?

Between the 2nd and 3rd sets of the Rafael Nadal and Albert Montanes NBC cut to a short interview of Daniel Alfredsson with Pierre McGuire. It was possibly the worst interview I've ever seen, albeit a short one. For a guy who seems so loud when talking from between the benches, McGuire was so dull and monotonous that I almost wanted to change the channel, or at least mute the tv.

For the past year or so a thread on Digital Home has been discussing McGuire, as well as some other commentators. Things seem evenly split, with an almost 50-50 divide on how good McGuire is. The most interesting post was a response to how some of the commentators stacked up to each other. Moderator JohnnyCanuck felt that;

McGuire: very good Millen: awful JD: decent Neale: decent Garrett: OK Ferraro: excellent Green: good Clement: good Healy: decent, getting better Pang: good Larscheid: unique

Regardless of how the former guys compare, I personally can't wait for tonight's NBC broadcast with Don Cherry. Gotta love a guy who speaks his mind regardless of whether it's politically correct or not.

More Knob Hockey

It's another Knob Hockey crank call, this time victimizing Toronto's Bryan McCabe:

With Ottawa down 2-0 in the series, I'm wondering how the tone of the next batch of spots might turn out. Stay tuned.

A Question From Mark Cuban on Sports Reporting

Here's a question from Mark Cuban that I'll be chewing on for a little while:

I was trying to remember the last time I heard a question from a sports reporter before or after a game or event when i thought to myself "What a great question". Why ?

I'm struggling with this one.

Balsillie Secures Hamilton Arena For NHL Team

From Sportsnet.ca:

The City of Hamilton has re-activated an agreement with Waterloo billionaire Jim Balsillie giving him exclusive rights to bring an NHL team to Copps Coliseum, the Hamilton Spectator reported Thursday.

As part of the deal, the city is also negotiating to give Balsillie the right to run Hamilton Place and the Convention Centre -- if he brings a team to town.

The next step of a long sad march continues...

Elsewhere At The NHL Fanhouse

Be sure to check out the following posts from my NHL Fanhouse friends:

Ron Wilson Passes the Test (Greg Wyshynski)
Stanley Cup Ratings Cold in Canada (Jes Golbez)
Chris Chelios Wins NHL Leadership Award (Jes Golbez)
Hockey Rookies for the Web Generation (Greg Wyshynski)
Game 2: Post Game Blogger Presser (Tom Luongo)

Stop by tomorrow for more.

Stanley Cup Finals Game Two Snapshots

* For the blow-by-blow, check out the live blog I did with Tom Luongo tonight.

* Bryan Murray is being completely out coached. His top line has been shut down, and he doesn't seem to have any answers. I'm watching the postgame presser now, and he doesn't seem all that concerned. Perhaps that's a key for him not to look too down when he walks back into that locker room.

* 21 turnovers for Ottawa, 11 from their top line. That's not bleeding, that's a gushing wound.

* The Ducks never miss a chance to punish somebody. Turn your back to go in deep and chip the puck out, take a hit. Skate up the boards to take a chance on a 50/50 puck, get a shot to the chops. Get in close, get face washed by Pronger. It never stops.

This sort of game takes a toll one hit at a time and incrementally. While the Sens stayed disciplined tonight, I wonder how much longer that can last with the frustration building.

* Tonight's 2nd period might have set the NHL back 15 years. After it was over I had to take a nap that lasted a full minute into the third period, and I was live blogging the game.

* Ray Emery is the only Senator playing worth a damn. He's showing me something. If he ever gets some support, he can steal a game. As for his teammates, they've regressed over two games. All is lost.

Live Blogging Game Two

Stop by the NHL Fanhouse around game time for some live blogging from me and Tom Luongo.

The Ultimate Table Hockey Game

A couple of days back, I dedicated my column at NBC Sports.com to a look at the series of video shorts put together by the Knob Hockey gang.

But after kicking around YouTube this morning, I think I might have found the ultimate expression of the game Richard D'Alessio and the Jokers Hockey Club tried to parody:

The game in question costs an actual $495. Be sure to take a close look at the goalie. Back when I played table/knob hockey, there was no way the goalie had that much freedom of movement.

Think of it as a gift for the hockey fan who has everything. And while I'm sure plenty of folks would love to have their own electric bubble hockey set up, I can't help but love the old school vibe I'm getting this is giving off.

At The NHL Fanhouse

Here's a rundown on what appeared on NHL Fanhouse on the off day between Games One and Two of the Stanley Cup Finals:

What Gary Bettman Really Said About Nashville (Greg Wyshynski)
Teemu Selanne is a Great Friend (Jes Golbez)
Hockey Nerd Tuesday (Greg Wyshynski)
NHL Prospect Dating Game: Angelo Esposito (J.P.)
Schwarzenegger does Hockey Night in Canada (Jes Golbez)

Tomorrow night, Tom Luongo and I will be live blogging Game Two.

Fay Wins Hockey Hall's Ferguson Award

As has been previously noted by Mike Vogel and On Frozen Blog, the Hockey Hall of Fame has announced that Caps beat writer Dave Fay of the Washington Times has been designated as this year's recipient of the Elmer Ferguson Award.

Fay will get the award during a November luncheon that's part of Hall of Fame Induction Weekend from November 9-12, 2007.

Over this past season, I got a chance to rub elbows with Dave, and it's clear just how much the players and the organization respect his work and dedication to the Caps beat. Congratulations to Dave on some well deserved recognition that's been a long time coming.

Hockey Gives Another Ottawa Blogger The Brush Off

Steve Klein at Poynter dives into the blogger press credential issue this morning, telling the story of how my friend Martin Thornell of Hockey Dirt got the big brush off from the Ottawa Senators.

Looks like that's happening a lot lately up in Ottawa.

What's most disappointing about this whole story is how the folks with the Senators seem to be unaware of what's been happening elsewhere in the league, especially here in D.C., where bloggers and MSM types co-exist peacefully in the press box, locker room and postgame press conference. There's no reason why it can't work elsewhere, especially when the blueprint is already in place.

Thanks to Ted Leonsis and J.P. for the pointer, or "poynter" as it were...

Stanley Cup Finals Game One: The Morning After

Earl Sleek took a look at the 5-on-5 ice time in last night's game, and using Vic Ferrari's online application (another incredible innovation of the hockey blogosphere) determined that Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle supplemented the efforts of the best checking line in the game (R. Niedermayer-Pahlsson-Moen) to blunt the best scoring line in the game (Heatley-Spezza-Alfredsson) with a pair of Norris Trophy winners (R. Niedermayer-Pronger).

The result: S. Niedermayer and Pronger play more even-strength minutes together than in any previous playoff round:

This is really a huge change in strategy to introduce in the Stanley Cup Finals, but sure enough, late in a tied game with the Spezza line out, who�s on the ice for the winning goal? The checking line, backed by Niedermayer and Pronger, a.k.a. Project Norris.

Coach Carlyle took a risk shuffling up his defensemen up for the Stanley Cup Finals, and it's something certainly to follow as this series progresses. Initial returns, though, look good.

Before the series began, we had some folks saying that Bryan Murray was the wily veteran head coach that would have an advantage over Carlyle. Looks like that notion got turned on its head.

If you're Murray, how do you respond? It's not like you can break up the best line in hockey now, can you?

One thing that did come to mind while I was reading Earl's post: Unlike Anaheim's last trip to the Finals, there are actually some Ducks blogs following the team, like Ducks Blog, On The Pond, Girl With A Puck and Anaheim Ducks Fan.

In blog years, four years is like a century. Trust me.

Here's James Mirtle on the forwards who just shut down Ottawa at even strength:

Unlike most checking types, this trio can play 20 minutes a night and contribute at both ends, something they've done all postseason so far.

This isn't the first team to try something like this against Ottawa, as New Jersey did their best to get John Madden and Jay Pandolfo onto the ice against the Sens top line in similar fashion. Unfortunately for New Jersey, they didn't have a pair of Norris Trophy winners to supplement that talented checking tandem.

Meanwhile, in Sens Nation, the air is one of concern, and not panic.

Scarlett Ice:

This is the first time that the Senators have trailed in a playoff series this year. If we've seen anything from this team about the adversity they've faced, it's that they're capable of coming back strong. Let's just hope they managed to find that fight in them.

Battle of Ontario:

Relax - they'll hit the stationary bikes, have a look at the tape and come out flying in G2. Anyone else find the ducks celebrating a little heavily considering they were down by a goal for 2/3rds of that game?

Sens Army:

If not for a great glove save by J.S. Giguere, I would still be sitting on the front lawn at City Hall, bathing in the smoke (cigar, cigarette and 'other') of people who want to take every opportunity to light up when in close proximity to others.

Here's Hockey Will Tear Up Apart on Leafs Nation and how they're handling having the Sens in the Finals:

Toronto these days is neurotic. The city isn't sure whether to watch or to ignore; to cry out of bitterness or to cry out of agony; the one thing they can agree on is that somewhere along the line, the Leafs seem to have missed a lesson or something that the Senators now have learned. Their usual bitterness has a tinge of sadness to it.

Funny enough, this came up in conversation for me last week as I was interviewing Richard D'Alessio, the director of the Knob Hockey spots. He was having a pretty good laugh out of all the angst being experienced by the Leafs fan base, and the result was the series of shorts debuting soon of the team's top line crank calling the Leafs on the golf course. Look for it soon, here.

For those of you who missed it last night, check out the NHL Fanhouse Live Blog and my initial reactions from last night.

More later, as reaction pours in.

And Next On SportsCenter...

Linda Cohn teased features on LeBron James, Roger Clemens and Joe Torre, but not a single word about Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals.

If it doesn't happen on ESPN, it just doesn't happen. But you knew that already.

UPDATE: ESPN just mentioned hockey in the latest tease after the Jazz-Spurs playoff game.

Stanley Cup Finals Game One Snapshots

* First, check out the NHL Fan House live blog with J.P. and G-Dub. There's insight, analysis and plenty of humor. Great job, guys.

* For the Ducks, the game was the story of four power plays: The first two where Ottawa cashed in, and then the 5-on-3 in the second period and the 6-on-4 late in the third where the Ducks looked like a completely different team.

If Anaheim can stay out of the box and Sami Pahlsson can resist the urge of trying to use his own stick to flip J.S. Giguere's back to him, Ottawa will be in real trouble 5-on-5.

* Moen-Pahlsson-Niedermayer erased Heatley-Spezza-Alfredsson. Bad news for Ottawa. Start playing with a mean streak and finish some checks. Spezza especially was practically invisible.

* Don't blame Ray Emery or Anton Volchenkov. Emery made a number of third period saves that kept the game tied, while Volchenkov, as J.P. pointed out, blocked 10 shots.

* As great as Anaheim played 5-on-5, they were worthless with the man advantage, going 0-for-4. Ottawa was 2-for-7, and played with confidence and command early on.

* You could see Anaheim has confidence in their game plan, as they didn't look any different 5-on-5 at any point during the game, even when they were down a goal, something we saw a couple of times in previous rounds.

* Both teams played this game in fifth gear from the opening faceoff. There was speed, there was physicality, there was emotion, everything you could possibly want in a hockey game.

* Though I'm not sure these two teams can stand the pounding, please, please, please give us seven games of this sort of hockey.

NHL Stiff Arms Ottawa Blogger

This is not good news: An Ottawa-based blogger/freelancer who has been a regular in the press box all season long has been denied a press pass to cover the Stanley Cup Finals:

Picture it: The NHL -- the high school boy, out of step with the rest of the cliques but desperate to seek validation, hungers for the attention of the most popular girl in school (the American media). She ignores him and regularly mocks him in front of anyone who will listen. Meanwhile, the girl with genuine interest (the Canadian media) might be plain and a bit of an oddball. But she legitimately cares about him, and yet he delivers the cold shoulder. This argument was solidified most recently by the league's incessant kowtowing to NBC during the playoffs -- who infamously demonstrated their gratitude by cutting the Sens-Sabres OT coverage in favour of the Preakness Stakes.

It sounds like original outline for Dawson's Creek -- except our Dawson in this case seems to forget that Joey Potter finally threw in the towel after chasing him for years, and ended up with Pacey Witter in the end...who could be represented by, I dunno... Mixed Martial Arts?

Sounds like as good an explanation as any I've heard. Looks like I better check twice on those Draft credentials I applied for.

Thanks to Neate Sager for the pointer.

At NBC Sports: The Knob Hockey Interview

As promised last week, my interview with one of the minds behind Knob Hockey, Richard D'Alessio, has been posted over at NBC Sports.com.

Here's one of the latest, Chris Pronger's rant against Canada:

I've been promised there's more to come.

Previewing The Finals At The NHL Fanhouse

The gang at the NHL Fanhouse was working overtime this weekend to help preview the Stanley Cup Finals. Here's the lineup:

5 Reasons Why Anaheim Will Skate the Cup (Greg Wyshynski)
5 Reasons Why Ottawa Will Skate the Cup (Tom Luongo)
Like a Rock: Chris Pronger (James Mirtle)
Like a Rock: Daniel Alfredsson (J.P. Press)
Quacking the Praises of Sean O'Donnell (Jes Golbez)
Singing the Praises of Dean McAmmond (That McErlain Guy)

Be sure to stop by the NHL Fanhouse tonight as J.P. G-Dub live blog Game One of the Finals.

Now if you'd excuse me, I've just remembered that this is actually a Holiday here in the States.

Deadspin Stanley Cup Final Pants Party

It's been a busy weekend. For my look at the Stanley Cup Finals, please visit Deadspin.

Because like one of their commenters wrote, "when you think Memorial Day, you think hockey".

EA Sports Says It's Ottawa

EA has run the video game sim, and they say it's Ottawa in 6.

Do We Have A Potential Major League Scenario In Nashville?

Back in Nashville, a lot of folks are concerned about the Predators leaving town. The main hope to keep the team in town rests with a clause in their lease agreement:

Even if the Predators choose to exercise an exit clause in their contract with Metro next month, the team could still be held to its lease here � either by paid attendance averaging 14,000 next season or if Metro makes up the revenue difference if the team falls short of 14,000. Under either of those scenarios, the Predators would stay in Nashville.

Subtracting free tickets, the Predators averaged just under 14,000 last season, leaving them free to exercise this clause in the first place. But the next question becomes this: How much is Nashville willing to pay to keep the Predators in town, especially if Balsillie does his best to poison the well.

As we noted a couple of days ago, Scott Hartnell, Paul Kariya, Scott Nichol and Kimmo Timonen are all critical pieces of the Predators and they are all restricted free agents. If the new owner really wanted to play some hardball, he'd let all those players go and replace them with the best AHL talent money could buy.

The calculus here is simple: It's one thing to step up and fill the gap between 13,500 and 14,000 fans per game. But it's another thing entirely to fill the gap if the attendance floor is 12,000 or even 11,500.

Don't believe me? If the Predators had trouble selling 14,000 tickets a night when they had one of the best records in hockey, what's it going to be like if they plunge in the standings at the prodding of an owner who would like nothing better than to leave town?

Would Balsillie play that dirty? Every indication that I've seen so far would seem to suggest yes. He's already put $45 million more on the table than he did when he wanted to purchase the Penguins. When you're playing with that kind of cash, what's another $10-15 or even $20 million in losses?

In the meantime, he'd probably manage to earn the ire of everyone in middle Tennessee. My guess is that civic pride will take over, and a significant slice of Nashville will be happy to be rid of him and the Predators.

The free agent signing period begins July 1. Be sure to wrap with foil.

Another Great Idea For The NHL To Use

Mark at Andrew's Dallas Stars Page was watching a Memorial Cup game online the other day, and saw a feature that the NHL has got to figure out a way to implement in time for next season:

Towards the end of the 2nd period the referee went to the phone for a review upstairs and you were allowed to hear the discussion. In this case it was no big deal. They were just adjusting the time on the clock. But it would be interesting on a goal review. I am not sure if this something they just started tonight or not, but I haven't seen it any of the Memorial Cup games I have watched so far this year. I just thought that it was a pretty neat addition to the broadcast.

I'll second that emotion. Take that audio and put it on the air next season, Mr. Commissioner.

Are We Not Getting The Whole Story On The Predators?

My buddy, Jon Swensen of Sharkspage, writes in about his own take on the sale of the Nashville Predators:

Eric, it is tough to hear about Nashville. They were probably one of the easiest NHL teams to work with.

I actually tried to talk to Leipold a couple of weeks after all of the bad news broke, I think in early March. They told me he was not talking with the media, but there were a lot of positive things about Nashville that were not being reported.

And I have to give Leipold credit, he answered a lot of the pointed questions asked by blogger Jason Kirk during the lockout. I talked to a lot of the media before the Sharks-Nashville series, and a lot of them did not even think that Nashville would sell out their playoff games.

They did, which none of them bothered to report, and the Nashville pre-game tv host told me ratings were very high in the Nashville market. That does not mean any of the problems are any less worse, but a lot of positive news was pushed to the wayside so some people could pile on.

Unfortunately, piling on, along with following the crowd, is simply the nature of this business sometimes.

Coming Soon: The Knob Hockey Interview

I just got off the phone with David Uk and Richard Dalessio, two of the brain behind the creation of one of the greatest viral hockey videos of all-time: Knob Hockey. Click here for the latest.

Look for some new stuff later today, including Daniel Alfredsson crank calling Mats Sundin on the golf course.

This is great stuff. Stay tuned.

Leipold's Goodbye Note to Nashville

The Nashville Post, the publication that originally broke the news that Craig Leipold had completed an agreement to sell the Nashville Predators to RIM founder Jim Balsillie, has gotten hold of the letter that Leipold sent to season ticket holders, suite owners and sponsors explaining the "why" behind the sale.

It makes interesting reading:

Unfortunately, the success on the ice has not translated to success for me as business owner. Here are just a few facts as to why:

� The Nashville Predators tallied up 216 points in the last two seasons, fifth most in the NHL, yet because of below-average attendance, the team will still have a real cash loss of $27 million during that time. Additionally, that loss is despite receiving the most money in the league from revenue sharing. Over the last five years, the team has lost over $60 million.

� We�ve invested heavily in sales and marketing efforts, spending over $50 million in 10 years, most of that with locally-based businesses.

� Our average regular season attendance this past season was 13,589, up from the year before, but still 2,000 below the NHL average. A low turnout, combined with a low ticket price results in a poor financial situation.

� The new NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement with revenue sharing is not a cure-all. Each local market must still support its local team. In addition, this attendance does not qualify us for our full revenue sharing allocation under the collective bargaining agreement.

� While individual fan support has always been strong, we�ve worked aggressively to increase our local business support since Season Four. We�ve tried a variety of approaches with minimal success. Our records show today that corporate support for the Nashville Predators makes up about 35% of our season ticket base. The average in other markets is around 60%. During our first two years, approximately 4,000 businesses owned season tickets. Today, only 1,800 businesses have season tickets.

A couple of weeks back over at the NHL Fanhouse, a local Nashville blogger gently chided me for concluding that things weren't going well in Nashville based on local press reports, albeit nothing that I thought couldn't be cured without a deep playoff run.

But when the man who owns the franchise turns around and sells the team to a billionaire who is actively looking to import an NHL franchise to his hometown, I guess there's little sense in arguing the point anymore.

We should remember that Leipold was one of the owners who actually helped negotiate the terms of the current CBA. On the face of it, it might seem odd that an owner who helped create the league's new economic order would be the first to jump ship after the resolution of the lockout.

Then again, we ought to remember that for most owners, the game isn't so much about year-to-year operations as it is about franchise valuation.

In essence, this sale sets the floor for the valuation of an NHL franchise. Last November, Forbes pegged the current value of the team at $134 million. If the $220 million sale price quoted by TSN is accurate, that represents an $86 million premium on the Forbes estimate.

Even better, compare that to the last pre-lockout sale of the Anaheim Ducks, which netted Disney only $75 million when Henry Samueli purchased the team in 2005.

The bad news, of course, is for the fans in Nashville who have spent their money and screamed themselves hoarse cheering for this team. All I can say is that I'm sorry. You're not the first, and in the estimate of some, you won't be the last to have your hearts torn out.

Preds Sold To RIM Founder

From the Nashville Post:

The Nashville Predators are being sold.

NashvillePost.com has learned that Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of Research In Motion (makers of the Blackberry electronic communication device) is purchasing the Predators from Wisconsin businessman Craig Leipold. Leipold has owned the club since it first took to the ice in 1998.

The sale of the Predators, Nashville's first major league sporting franchise, was apparently discussed today in New York at a meeting of the National Hockey League's Board of Governors. It is believed as of now that the team will remain in Nashville for the forseeable future.

According to NashvillePost.com sources, a press conference has been scheduled for tomorrow to announce the sale of the team. At the time of publication of this article, officials from Predators could not be reached for comment.

Looks like Leipold was serious about not wanting to lose any more money. And of course, Balsillie wouldn't be putting up that kind of money unless he was sure he could move this team wherever he wanted -- including Ontario.

More later.

UPDATE: Here's a question that was in John Buccigross' mailbag earlier today.

Assuming Peter Forsberg does not play next season, the Predators are potentially going to lose a bunch of their top players. What do you see happening with these four regulars?

Scott Hartnell
Paul Kariya
Scott Nichol
Kimmo Timonen

It's terrible to think that a team with the third-best record in the NHL is potentially going to crumple. Everyone seems to think that Hartnell is gone to Edmonton and Timonen to Philadelphia to join his brother. Chris Mason and Marek Zidlicky are being thrown around as possible trade bait. Thoughts? Comments? Trade proposals?

Will Balsillie keep the team together and competitive, even if the fans in Nashville may stop coming if they know the team is leaving town? Interesting times...

Closed-Circuit Television During The Playoffs?

With all the commotion of NBC dumping out of Game Five of the the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday, it's important to remember that it's always been tough for hockey fans in the U.S. when it comes to watching their favorite teams on television.

Case in point: I'm watching archival footage of Game Six of the 1979 Stanley Cup Semifinals series between the Rangers and Islanders, a game that was played at Madison Square Garden on May 8, 1979, courtesy of MSG Vault.

In the midst of the broadcast, Rangers play-by-play voice Jim Gordon noted that a number of fans were watching the game inside the MSG complex at the Felt Forum on closed-circuit television. When he asked Rangers color man Bill Chadwick -- yes, that Bill Chadwick -- to say hello to everyone watching, he also made a point to say hello to everyone watching at Roosevelt Raceway on Long Island.

For this series, all of the Rangers home games were carried on MSG Network on cable. Unfortunately, back in the day, cable penetration wasn't anywhere near 100% in the country, even in the metro New York area. So if you didn't have cable, you were out of luck -- unless of course you wanted to schlep into Manhattan or out to Nassau County to watch on closed circuit.

So when we complain about situations like Saturday, and it's understandable why people do, try not to forget that it used to be a whole lot worse. Thanks to Newsday's Neil Best for the heads-up.

Off Wing Stanley Cup Challenge Update

With Detroit eliminated, we're down to the final two, and I wanted to take a moment to honor the folks in the Off Wing Stanley Cup Challenge who remain in our pool:

Ottawa:

Martin Thornell
Luc Comeau
George Guillemette
Ken Berard

Anaheim:

Jeffrey Schlesinger
Kartikeya Sinha
Signal2Noise
Gregg Simon (2004 Winner)

Please note, that while Joe Dumas and I picked Anaheim, we're ineligible for the grand prize due to blog affiliation.

Now we have to wait six days for Game One of the Finals. Somehow that doesn't seem right.

Ted Leonsis On The NBC Hockey Preakness Dump

Dan Steinberg of D.C. Sports Bog asked Caps owner Ted Leonsis about Saturday's debacle:

Leonsis is less resigned. He has a meeting in New York with the NHL's digital media folks this week, and the preempting will be among the issues discussed.

"The league already gets it, I just want to speed up the agenda," he told me today. "I do understand the [NBC] decision. But it also shows what I've been advocating. Why be the number four sport on television, or the number five sport? Let's innovate and drive our agenda on the broadband internet. We have the most wired community. With broadband and video, I should have been able to watch that game live when they left instead of trying to find Versus."

I asked whether he had expressed that opinion to the league offices.

"Very strongly," he said.

Here's hoping New York is listening. A lot of folks are waiting on an answer.

Knob Hockey With Chris Chelios

One of the great joys of the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs was discovering the series of Knob Hockey video spots.

Thanks to my NHL Fanhouse colleague Jes Golbez, I've discovered that the feature has returned for 2007. Here's Chris Chelios with some locker room inspiration:

For the rest of the archive, click here.

Over At NBC Sports...

...I take a look at Ottawa's series win over Buffalo, and ask why folks misread the tea leaves on who would win the series.

Though I've still got a few columns left in me this season, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank my editor, Brian Schiazza of NBC Sports.com, for inviting me to write for the network's Web site this season. Normally I would have waited for the end of the season to thank Brian, but Friday is his last day at NBC before he'll leave to join the NHL.

Congratulations to Brian and good luck.

At The Backstrom Press Conference

Just a note to let everybody know that I'll be at Kettler today for the press conference introducing Nicklas Backstrom to the Washington hockey press. Look for something on that this afternoon.

UPDATE: Some pics from the presser. Backstrom was a little overwhelmed at times -- what kid wouldn't be in a situation like this one -- but pretty happy to be there. As time wore on, he got more comfortable with the media and even shared a couple of laughs.

Photo by Eric McErlain

Backstrom and GM George McPhee with the grip and grin.

Photo by Eric McErlain

The classic jersey picture.

Photo by Eric McErlain

Lindsay Czarniak gets some face time with Washington's newest Swede.

Back with more soon.

UPDATE: The dog and pony show segment of the press conference:

For more coverage, check out Greg Wyshynski at the Fanhouse, OFB, DC Sports Bog and Tarik's Place.

NBC Dumps Out Of Hockey For The Preakness

Like a lot of American hockey fans, I was watching Saturday's deciding Game Five of the Eastern Conference Final between the Sabres and Senators when NBC dropped their coverage of the game after it went into OT and kicked it over to Versus in favor of their scheduled coverage of the Preakness Stakes.

As it would turn out, I was away from the television when the network announced the shift when the game went to OT, so I spent a minute or two watching the coverage from Pimlico before guessing that the hockey had been dumped to Versus. It wasn't much of a problem for me, but plenty of other folks are very angry.

James Mirtle:

An utter embarrassment, more so for NBC than the league. The only reason yesterday's game was broadcast in the afternoon was for American television interests, and when those interests are as obviously subsidiary to all others on the network, it really makes you question just why the game had been pushed into the afternoon (or morning, for those in the Pacific time zone) at all.

The good thing is that high-profile viewers like Daryl Reaugh were among those shafted by the move, and here's hoping NBC decides to drop its playoff coverage next season due to the resultant bad press.

One problem, as stated earlier on Saturday by Tom Benjamin, was that plenty of fans in Canada -- especially Western Canada -- weren't happy with seeing Hockey Night In Canada transformed into Hockey Afternoon In Canada. And lest you think the outrage was limited to fans in Canada like Neate Seager -- a man who is sniffing a whif of conspiracy -- check out some of the comments over at Inside The Panthers at the Palm Beach Post.

Just another reminder that hockey, even playoff hockey, just doesn't move the meter much South of the border. Something tells me this isn't the last indignity the league will be suffering over the next few years.

UPDATE: More bewilderment and anger, here, here and here.

ANOTHER UPDATE: More righteous indignation from Keith Russell.

And yet more anger at Hockey Nation and Gorilla Crouch.

Here's one that's going to be ringing in our ears for a while from The Everyday Economist:

The economist in me realizes that the glory days of hockey ratings in the United States appear to be gone, but the fan in me says that if you are going to commit to a game, commit to a game. The playoffs are when casual fans such as myself watch the games. If NBC isn�t going to show the end of a series-ending game, why should I � or anyone else � bother to watch?

Please also check out takes from my friends Michael David Smith, Greg Wyshynski and Lyle Richardson.

LATE MONDAY UPDATE: Boy, if anything, I've underestimated the amount of anger that's out there. Here more from Deadspin, Army of the Ohio, Joe Ovies and Beau Dure.

At the Nicklas Backstrom, I overheard one conversation where somebody suggested that in addition to moving the coverage to Versus, the league should have been ready to make a stream of the OT available to anyone who wanted it at NHL.com. Not a bad idea, eh?

Another thing I thought of: I'm an unabashed fan of Amazon Unbox, where I've been downloading classic NHL games with abandon lately. With an eye toward turning lemons into lemonade, why not make video of the OT only available to Amazon Unbox subscribers for free?

It's a peace offering and a marketing opportunity all in one.

I bring it up only because we know that hundreds of thousands of viewers now time shift their television viewing -- including sports fans. If you had set your TiVo to record the game plus one hour buffer, you would have been out of luck as your DVR wouldn't have followed the OT to Versus. Those folks deserve a peace offering as well.

More reaction: Signal2Noise and Sports Media Watch.

Thanks to long-time reader Gregg Simon for passing along the official response he got back from the NHL:

Gregg -

We were fully aware of NBC's programming commitments to its traditional coverage of the Preakness following Game 5 between the Sabres and Senators, and the challenges overtime could present for viewers and our network partners. However, our decision to schedule with NBC was done to provide as much of the game broadcast as possible to the greatest number of viewers. NBC protected the game in Buffalo and alerted viewers both verbally and graphically that overtime would be shown on Versus. They also directed viewers to NHL.com to find the specific channel in their area. The necessary steps to transfer viewers to Versus were taken, however we regret that some fans did miss the overtime coverage.

NHL TV

Make of it what you will.

FINAL UPDATE: It's hateration nation out there when it comes to how fans feel about the NHL: CasonBlog, CSTB, Remote Control, The Wayne Fontes Experience, SportsColumn Blog and Hockey Hearsay.

On The Caps Logo

A Michael Farber column on the tradition not stepping on the team logo embroidered on the locker room carpet has generated some interesting reactions that we ought to pay attention to locally.

Tarik has made it clear that he doesn't like it. James Mirtle told the story about his late season trip to Washington and his own experience in the Caps locker room:

When I was in the Capitals dressing room for their final game of the season, the 'don't touch the carpet' rule was in full effect, and anyone seen treading on the giant logo in the centre of the room caught an earful from an ornery Brent Johnson.

I don't know if it was a new rule for the team, or if there were just a lot of first-timers in the room (such as myself), but let's just say the backup was doing a lot of barking.

The best part was, when owner Ted Leonsis strolled into the dressing room to do a few post-game interviews, he stood right in the centre of the logo, and the media throng joined him.

Now that was actually a funny moment that I couldn't help but notice, especially since Milan Jurcina had dinged me for stepping on the logo -- albeit politely -- only a few minutes before. If anything, what I remember best about the moment was that Jurcina actually addressed me as "Sir".

Now that hurt.

What you need to realize is just how crowded the room was that day. The Sabres were in town. They had just clinched the President's Trophy and were traveling with a press gaggle that was a little larger than usual. And given that it was the last chance to catch the Caps before they all left until next September, there was slightly larger contingent of local press too.

Add it all up, and there wasn't a whole lot of room to move in there that day. So when it came time to crowd around players for interviews, there just wasn't a whole lot of room to move and get your job done -- which was when Jurcina felt moved to talk to me.

More On The NBA, The NHL And Justice On The Playing Field

Following up on yesterday's post concerning the suspensions in the Suns-Spurs NBA playoff series, I've got a few reactions I want to pass along, first, from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban:

First, let me go on the record as saying that in the event that a vote comes up to change the rules about suspensions for players leaving the bench, I will vote against changing it.

Why ? Because its incredibly simple to educate players about the rule. Its a rule they fully understand and they understand the consequences of violating the rule. That makes the NBA stronger because it removes uncertainty. Can it result in a game(s) being impacted , yes. However, that impact results from an action a player knew violated the rules and was a mistake. There is no uncertainty about it. All they had to do was not leave the bench.

I actually think that more rules need to be iron clad like the "don't leave the bench rule". Whenever we can remove discretion in enforcement from the NBA the game is better for it.

Which, of course, is the exact opposite conclusion that Matt Fenwick drew over at BOA when it came to the NHL's disciplinary process. I think it's safe to say that Matt, whatever he might think about the way Colin Campbell does his job believes that the discretion he wields in his role is a good thing for the sport, and promotes fairness and justice in the judgements the league hands down when doling out supplemental discipline.

However, others who I respect don't feel that way. After reading my post on how I believed Stern reached his decision, Caps Nut asked a very reasonable question:

[W]hy doesn't this apply to the NHL? How are videos of stick swingings and brawling on the ice zipping around the world a boon to the NHL?

Why indeed. In retrospect, I probably should have named my post differently, perhaps slugging it as an explanation rather than as a defense. Rather than just tapping out my own response, I think the Bill Simmons Page 2 piece I linked to yesterday sheds a lot of light on how I feel about the different approaches inside the NBA and the NHL:

Once upon a time, these guys had a code of honor. They played hard, respected the game, defended their teammates, and if anyone stepped out of line, there was always someone that would take care of them -- whether it was another player, a referee, a coach or whatever. When fights or altercations happened, they were considered natural side effects of a physical sport. When two players talked smack, it was considered a good thing, a sign that the game was heating up, that we were potentially headed for a more competitive place.

Case in point: March 26, 1997*, Red Wings vs. Avalanche, probably the most exciting regular season game in recent NHL memory. There were heroes and villians, drama, rivalry and a late season game that mattered. It was the NHL's perfect storm:

Here's a question to ask -- March 26, 1997, good or bad for the NHL?

Again, Simmons:

So don't blame the NBA higher-ups for the way they interpreted that stupid, idiotic, foolish, moronic, brainless, unintelligent, foolhardy, imprudent, thoughtless, obtuse and thickheaded rule. Blame them for having the rule itself. Blame them for allowing the league to morph into something that doesn't quite resemble basketball anymore. Blame them for a league in which basketball players aren't totally allowed to think and act like basketball players and teammates aren't totally allowed to think and act like teammates.

If David Stern ran the NHL, we would have never had a night like March 26, 1997. And I think the NHL would have been the poorer for it.

Here's another way to look at it: In an attempt to protect the NBA's revenue streams, Stern has locked down on the league's players so tightly that he's actually changed the nature of the game in a way that had denuded the core of its entertainment value.

Ironically, what Simmons is really saying here is that in attempting to protect the league as a whole, Stern is actually killing off part of what made it so popular in the first place. Safe to say, I think there's merit in that argument.
________________________________________________
*If Darren McCarty was still a Red Wing, would Chris Pronger have made a different decision on Tomas Holmstrom the other night?

Adam Sandler On The Price Is Right

For all you Happy Gilmore fans out there:

The next time you watch the movie, be sure to watch for cameos from Joe Sakic and Vincent Lecavalier.

A Note Of Thanks...

To Joe Ovies of 850/620 AM in Raleigh for having me on as a guest last night to talk about the NHL Conference Finals.

With my commuting the way it is -- bus to Metro -- I don't get to listen to much sports radio anymore. But for some reason, all the folks I meet from the business: Joe, Craig Heist and Jonathan Warner from WTOP, and Frank Hanrahan from WTEM, are all uniformly good people who are fun to work with.

Caps Get Backstrom In The Fold

Word leaked out yesterday that the Caps have come to terms with 2006 first round draft pick Nicklas Backstrom on a three-year deal. Apparently he'll be in town on Monday where the Caps will introduce their newest player to the local media.

The signing does bring up a point that many local observers of the team have made time and time again -- that once you start to add a talented player or two, the Caps start to look a whole lot different.

You can pencil in Backstrom as your second line center next season, one would assume with Alexander Semin on his left wing, with a variety of other players (Fehr, Fleischman?) taking position over on the right wing. On your third line, it's easy to see Boyd Gordon in the middle, flanked by Matt Pettinger and captain Chris Clark -- a line that once it gets a chance to play together, might very well be as good as the Halpern, Konowalchuk, Dhalen line that powered the Caps to a pair of back-to-back division titles.

As for the team's fourth line, toss in Donald Brashear, and any combination of Brian Sutherby, Brooks Laich and a cast of thousands to fill a line that may very well not see that much ice time come next season.

Of course, it's up top where things are starting to look a little bare, where Alex Ovechkin is all alone without a center or a right wing to keep him company. I'm sure this situation is occupying George McPhee's thoughts more or less round the clock these days, and I'm eager to see how he pieces together this part of the puzzle.

Incremental improvement my friends, that's what we ought to be expecting. And that's what we're likely to get. Stay tuned, something tells me Draft Day 2007 may very well be more exciting than in previous years.

A Brief Defense Of David Stern

Over at Battle of Alberta -- was it only a year ago that I was there seemingly every day of the week -- Matt Fenwick has a very thought-provoking post on why he believes that the NHL's system of supplementary discipline is superior to the NBA's.

In the main, Matt is entirely correct. He notes that while plenty of folks might take issue with Colin Campbell's decisions...

I think Colin Campbell could be better at his job, but I wouldn't want it myself, and don't envy him. If there's two things I hope readers take away, these are them:

1. It is just and proper that NHL supplementary discipline is evaluated case-by-case and takes everything into account: the act, the injury (if any), the situation. While the NHL VP's best judgement seems crappy sometimes, the alternatives are worse.

2. Next time you're reacting to a light suspension for a dangerous hit, and are tempted to say, "It shouldn't matter that the guy wasn't injured", ask yourself if you honestly believe that (say) paralyzing someone isn't grounds for more severe punishment.

Which leads us to NBA Commissioner David Stern, who handed out a pair of one game suspensions to Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw of the Phoenix Suns because they left the bench in the wake of a body check that Robert Horry laid on Steve Nash during Game Four of the NBA Playoff series between the Suns and the San Antonio Spurs. Horry, nothing more than a role player who can still hit an open three at this point in his career, will sit for two games.

This isn't the first time Stern has laid down the law like this, as I can remember feeling a lot of the same righteous indignation 10 years ago when he suspended seemingly half of the New York Knicks during a similar playoff incident involving the Miami Heat.

But if Stern seems inflexible, hewing so closely to the letter of the law that it seems the concept of justice in this case has been bent like a pretzel, it's only because justice for the players isn't an end in itself when it comes to the NBA.

What is paramount, however, is the best interest of the league as a whole. Don't forget, Stern has been around the game for a very long while, and can easily recall the bad old days of rampant drug public drug abuse and on-court violence -- factors that combined to exile the NBA Finals to late night tape delay on CBS until as late as 1981.

Stern knows what that world looks like, knows what the NBA has become, and he's not going to let it go one step backward. My guess is that in his mind, administering some rough and unforgiving justice to players who merely dare to leave the bench will make it that much more less likely that a bench clearing brawl of the type that nearly killed Rudy Tomjanovich in 1977 will ever happen again.

So yes, the decision is unfair to Stoudemire, Diaw and their teammates. It's unfair to the Suns, their fans, and every fan of the game of basketball who was hoping to be able to watch an exciting and competitive series. But whether or not the Spurs go on to win the series, the NBA will go on being the massive international cash machine that it is, and this incident will go down in history as nothing more than another footnote in Stern's tenure, justice be damned.

One thing Stern knows for sure: Any video zipping around the world of a group of predominantly African-American men brawling on a basketball court will be judged harshly and unjustly by the league's sponsors.

So, in a way, Stern is committing a minor injustice today in order to avoid seeing the league's sponsors and advertisers inflict a greater injustice upon the NBA and all of its players tomorrow.

When you look at it that way, it's a little easier to see why Stern is probably sleeping easy tonight.

Thanks to J.P. for the pointer to Matt's BOA post.

John Cusack Abandons The Blackhawks

Video and all the other details at the NHL Fanhouse.

On The Pronger Suspension

Text, two video clips and a complete photo gallery are up at the NHL Fanhouse.

Wirtz or Eagleson; Who's Worse?

This was one of the many questions posed by Eric in his Intern Test. After a few good minutes of thinking, my vote goes for Eagleson.

Bill Wirtz is possibly the worst owner in sports, this there's no denying. But after a few years of bad ownership, 'Hawks fans began to understand what to expect; their team would suck. But there is always hope. Teams with low payrolls can always surprise you, and if not, you would have expected a poor result. The bottom line is, as bad as poor ownership is, you know what you're in for. People have even erected WirtzSucks.com to explain how horrible Wirtz is.

Alan Eagleson, on the other hand, went behind the backs of his clients and stole from them, straight up. He was found guilty of fraud and embezzling, and has been disbarred as a lawyer, removed from the Order of Canada, and resigned from the Hall of Fame before he could be booted out. He colluded with the management of several teams to keep down salaries. He purposely neglected to tell Bobby Orr that the Bruins offered him an 18 percent stake in the team to stay with them, and told him Chicago had offered him the best deal.

It all comes down to the degree of hurt that each man inflicted. Wirtz may be hated, but the only things he hurt were the pride and spirit of Blackhawks fans. While that is unexcusable, it isn't the end of the world. Eagleson, on the other hand, hurt many players financially. He skimmed money from players pension funds. What would upset you more, that your team was being underutilized by its owner, or that someone was stealing the retirement money of hundreds of people? I think it says something that Eagleson was run out of the Hall by Bobby Orr, Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe, Johnny Bucyk, Ted Lindsay, Henri Richard, Brad Park and other prominent players.

When you look at the bottom line, fans know that Wirtz will hurt their pride as fans, while Eagleson robbed from his players and the league without their knowledge. That makes Eagleson a far worse criminal.

The Off Wing Opinion Intern Test

It's intern season here in Washington, D.C., and like so many other locally-based organizations, Off Wing was inundated with applications for our Summer editorial intern program. Having graduated our first pair of interns (Joe Dumas and Kate McGovern) for the 2006-07 academic year, word of the Off Wing program spread across the Web drawing inquiries from as far away as Northern Finland.

Unfortunately, with only one slot available, I needed to create a device to help me separate the wheat from the chaff, and select the one intern who could make the biggest impact at Off Wing while experiencing the most professional growth.

That device is below: The Off Wing Hockey Blogging Intern Test. 15 minutes were given to answer as many, or as few, of the following questions in the time allotted.

With the exception of one question, the quiz was administered pre-ARPANET style, without the use of computers or wireless devices.

My hope is that like our guidelines to help teams choose which bloggers to work with, this test will have wider application outside of Off Wing.

Questions after the jump.

General Hockey Knowledge

Why is Don Cherry called Grapes?

What came first, Monday Night Football or Hockey Night in Canada?

If you visited the Stanley Cup's hometown, where would you be?

In what year was O Canada adopted as that nation's official national anthem?

When did the NHL first put names on the back of player jerseys and why?

What piece of ethnic weaponry is used to describe a tactic to foil a defensive trap like the left wing lock?

Complete the analogy: Willi Plett is to the Atlanta Flames as ____________ is to the Minnesota North Stars.

On December 26 1979, a group of Boston Bruins players climbed into the Madison Square Garden crowd after one fan took Stan Jonathan's stick. Confronting one fan, Bruins defenseman Mike Milbury took a shoe from one fan and began beating him with it. What kind of shoe was it?

Puck Bunnies

Carol Alt, Willa Ford, Rachel Hunter, Janet Jones, Elisha Cuthbert -- List these names in the correct chronological order according to their relationships with NHL players and specify players by name.

List these same women in ascending order of attractiveness.

Which of the following women was not romantically linked with Wayne Grezky: Janet Jones, Vicki Moss or Margaret Trudeau?

The phone rings, it's Christy Brinkley. She wants to go to the Islanders game. Do you say yes, or are you totally weirded out by the whole, "old enough to be my Mom" thing?

Cale Hulse and Gina Lee Nolin. Explain.

Yes or No

Ice girls?

Expand the NHL to Las Vegas?

Lou Lamoriello: Good for hockey?

This or That

Sarah Polley or Sarah-Michelle Geller?

Rachel McAdams or Rachel Leigh-Cook?

Karl Malden or Kurt Russell?

Face painting: Nuisance or menace?

IIHF World Championships: Serious or sideshow?

Borje Salming (0 Cups) or Steffan Persson (4 Cups)?

Blogging

You want to link to another blog without helping its Google ranking. What do you do? Please provide an example of the HTML used to implement your solution.

Discuss how widespread implementation of this solution could destroy the hockey blogging community in the manner of the "Tragedy of the Commons".

Hockey blogging can be split into two eras, pre-lockout and post-lockout. Name the three most significant post-lockout hockey blogs and why they qualify.

Which has the greatest power to influence discussion among hockey fans: Message boards, blogs, TSN, ESPN or CBC?

Name the most important non-MSM online hockey publication from the pre-blog era.

Misc. Culture

What's my favorite beer?

The television characters David Aceveda (The Shield) and Tommy Carcetti (The Wire) are thinly veiled portrayals of which two actual politicians?

Which fictional character portrayed on The Shield is more morally reprehensible, Vic Mackey or Shane Vendrell?

What was Chicago actor Jeremy Piven's most triumphant television role?

Is Stacy's mom a hockey fan?

Short Answers

Imagine you're in the world depicted in Scanners, the 1981 sci-fi thriller directed by David Cronenberg. You're on Air Canada flight 455 between Buffalo and Vancouver and you're sitting in between Bill Clement and Brian Engblom. Who is the evil scanner?

It is the start of the 2006-07 NHL season and you are the general manager of a hypothetical expansion team. Using the data at nhlnumbers.com and working with a salary cap of $41.5 million, construct your roster.

Say you're a hotshot 19-year old winger coming out of the OHL and ready to make your debut in the show. You know you could score 50 goals with the right guy watching your back. Off all the enforcers of all time, who do you choose?

Imagine that you're Jim Peplinski and you've just won the Stanley Cup with the 1989 Calgary Flames. Do you kiss Lanny McDonald?

Say there's only one spot on the ballot for the Hockey Hall of Fame, and the two nominees are Luc Robataille and Mike Gartner. Who gets in?

You're the head of marketing for a hypothetical NHL franchise, and you need to hire a team to work your television broadcasts. Among all professionals currently working today at the NHL level, give me your play-by-play, color, on-ice reporter and studio host.

You and your friends get to the bar on Saturday evening around 18:30 p.m. EST. How many Labatts do you drink before Satellite Hot Stove airs in between periods of Game Two of the CBC doubleheader?

You've just completed a hard day at work in Midtown Manhattan and walk to the Madison Avenue Subway stop to get to your home at the end of the line in Queens. The F Train pulls into the station. Do you get on?

March 26, 1997: Explain.

Essay Questions

Who is more evil, Bill Wirtz or Alan Eagleson? Elaborate.

Explain the origin of the three stars of the game.

Before Paul Henderson scored for Canada in 1972, Bobby Clarke violently slashed Valery Kharlamov, essentially ending his role in the Summit Series. Justified or not?

It's June 2008 and you're an attorney representing Rick Tocchet at his reinstatement hearing before NHL disciplinary czar Colin Campbell. What are your top three points in favor of reinstatement outside of "Wayne Gretzky is my best friend"?

Which international hockey tournament has the format that is best able to determine the most superior team?

Who is the more tragic figure, Derek Sanderson or Gord Kluzak? Discuss.

Multiple Choice

Not Swedish:

A. Bobby Nystrom
B. Niklas Backstrom
C. Nicklas Backstrom

When asked to complete a similar questionnaire by U.S. Olympic Head Coach Herb Brooks, Boston University goaltender Jim Craig did the following:

A. Completed the questionnaire in less than an hour.
B. Was the last member of the team to finish it.
C. Worked to answer the questions with the help of Asst. Coach Craig Patrick.
D. Confronted Brooks angrily and refused to complete the test.

I hope you enjoyed taking the test as much as I enjoyed creating it. Applications for the 2007-08 academic year will be accepted after July 1, 2007.

Old School Hockey Video

Over at the NHL Fanhouse, I take a look at the 1968-70 St. Louis Blues, a team that made the Stanley Cup Finals for three straight season, but failed to win a single game once they got there.

In Praise Of Todd Bertuzzi

Yes, I wrote those words, over at the NHL Fanhouse.

Sabres Fans Beseech A Higher Power

Down 3-0, some Sabres fans are placing their faith in a higher power. Text and image passed along via e-mail from a Buffalo native:

Our goalie who art in the net, hallowed be thy game. Thy slapshots come, thy will be done, on ice as it is in the arena. Give us this period, shots on goal, and forgive us our penalties as we crosscheck those who shoot against us.

Lead us not into the off-season but deliver us to the finals.
For thine is the Stanley Cup, the respect and the glory forever and ever.

I have to admit, Ryan Miller has the hair, doesn't he?

Some Sabres Fans Refuse To Give Up

Like one toddler that we featured today over at the NHL Fanhouse.

Today Over At NBC Sports ...

... I make the case that other teams should follow the lead of the Buffalo Sabres, and play O Canada alongside The Star Spangled Banner before each and every NHL game -- regardless of which teams are playing on the ice.

Today At The NHL Fanhouse...

I take a look at Shane Doan's revenge, and look at how William Shatner has snagged some face time with Lord Stanley.

The Wisdom Of Stan Kasten

Over at RFK Stadium, the Washington Nationals are in the midst of what threatens to become one of the most disastrous seasons in baseball history. After just 34 games, the Nats are 9-25, and on a pace to lose 119 games, just one off the Major League record of 120 losses set by the New York Mets in 1962.

Over in today's Washington Post, Tom Boswell is wondering whether or not the rebuilding program initiated by team president Stan Kasten -- one that saw the team's payroll slashed to just $36 million this season -- is going to be worth the trouble.

In talking to Boswell, Kasten uncorked a line that Washington Caps fans ought to take to heart:

"I know you don't understand the concept that 'Money once spent is gone forever,' " Kasten said, "but it is true, nonetheless. If you waste millions now then you don't have it later when it can help win a pennant."

Just keep that in mind when the NHL free agent season begins on July 1 in case the goody basket doesn't fill up quite like you might have hoped.

Think of it this way: A couple of years back in the quest for respectability, the Columbus Blue Jackets signed free agent defenseman Adam Foote away from the Colorado Avalanche with a three-year $4.6 million contract. And while Foote might have acquitted himself as well as could reasonably be expected over this period, the results for the rest of the squad simply haven't been there.

Think Columbus, which finally ditched GM Doug McLean a few weeks ago is going to make the playoffs next season, the last of Foote's contract? Think again. And that's $13.8 million that the team won't be able to spend once it's in the position to make the playoffs, sometime around 2011 at the earliest.

So if, God forbid, the Caps pass on somebody on your wish list, keep Kasten's warning in mind, as the time may come when that penny saved may just save a season yet to be.

Why The NHL Playoffs Rule

Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times lists his ten reasons why he'd rather watch the NHL playoffs instead of the NBA:

Bulls star Scottie Pippen once missed most of an NBA playoff game because of a headache. Kwame Brown of the Wizards sat out a postseason game because of a stomach virus. Compare that to the Lightning's Ruslan Fedotenko, above, who has no recollection of playing in Game 7 of the 2004 Stanley Cup final because of a concussion suffered earlier in the series. Oh yeah, Fedotenko scored both goals in Tampa Bay's 2-1 victory.

Terrifying, but true.

Happy Birthday...

...To the Battle of California.

Hard Times In Hockeytown

The concern over the empty seats at Joe Louis continues. Here's my friend, Paul Kukla:

Well, this morning I took a quick look at the Wings ticket situation for game 1. I could have purchased a block of 16 tickets in the upper bowl, row 24 at $99 a piece or a block of 20 standing room only tickets for $108 a pop.

Can you imagine if the opposing team was a little closer than Anaheim? The Joe would have a well represented presence from the visiting team.

In 1998, fans here in Washington saw entire sections of the MCI Center draped in red and white during Games Three and Four of the Stanley Cup Finals. It is a sight I will not ever forget. In fact, thanks to that experience, I took a vow to never watch a game ever at Joe Louis, as I already had experienced what it was like first hand.

All kidding aside, the biggest reason we're seeing empty seats in Detroit during the playoffs is the economic hard times in that region. The American auto industry is just getting plastered, and the effects across the region are rather profound. I was on the phone with my old podcasting partner Rob Visconti last week, and he joked that one of the few growth areas left for lawyers in Detroit these days was divorce actions.

Over At NBC Sports...

This week's topics at Winging It are the greatness of Chris Drury and handicapping the Conn Smythe race.

What, No Violence In The NFL?

Looks like Michael Wilbon missed John Feinstein's column today:

The NBA playoffs have six full weeks and three rounds of competition remaining, but the brightest stars in a star-driven sport have already been eliminated.

[...]

In any other American professional sport, this wouldn't necessarily matter. Major League Baseball sells its history. The NFL, as we learned during the infamous replacement games, can sell its teams' jerseys wrapped around anything and anybody. The NHL, no matter how loud the denial, sells violence.

Far be it from me, a guy who regularly posts fight videos, to deny that violence is part of the NHL value proposition. Then again, I'm wondering how anyone could write that line with a straight face just a few words removed from mention of the NFL, a league that showcases violence quite like no other.

What's the difference? Last I looked, there isn't an endless line of players permanently debilitated thanks to a career as a hockey player.

Don't believe me? What about Mike Webster, Andre Waters and Darryl Stingley?

Indeed, violence helps sell the NHL. But if violence is part and parcel of what hockey fans buy every night at the arena, it's equally true that the NFL cloaks its addiction to violence like no other sport in the land.

So bang on hockey and its bare knuckled fisticuffs if you must, but if you do, take a moment to realize that few fights in the history of the sport are anywhere near as damaging and the tremendous pounding endured by the men in the NFL.

Is It All Over For Ron Wilson In San Jose?

That's the question that I ask today over at the NHL Fanhouse.

On The Ovechkin Hit

Over at the NHL Fanhouse, we've got a spirited discussion going over the hit that Alex Ovechkin laid on Switzerland's Valentin Wirz at the 2007 IIHF World Championships.

First, Jes Golbez called Ovechkin a "head hunter" and now J.P. is rising to Alex's defense.

For those of you who have yet to see it, take a gander for yourself:

My thoughts: 1) I can see why a penalty was called during an international competition like this one; 2) It would never be a penalty in the NHL; and 3) That'll teach Wirz to skate with his head down.

Feinstein On The Stanley Cup Playoffs

Late last night, a column by all-world sportswriter John Feinstein appeared on washingtonpost.com in praise of the Stanley Cup Playoffs:

What's really too bad about people not watching the hockey playoffs is that they are missing truly great theater. Because hockey flies under the radar most of the time, it is easy to forget just how dramatic playoff hockey can be.

[...]

Hockey fans are rabid like no other sports fans. They bleed for their teams and feel an attachment to them like no other sports fans; perhaps because they understand that there are fewer of them, perhaps because hockey players remain the most accessible professional athletes we have. Hockey fans feel as if they know their heroes.

Wow. I can't remember the last time I read an actual column on the sport that was so positive about the game and its prospects.

Kudos to the Post for giving it some space. But here's a question for Sports Editor Emilio Garcia Ruiz: Why couldn't the paper make any room for a column like this, especially from a writer with the reputation of Feinstein's, in the print edition?

The Latest From Moscow

Be sure to keep an eye out on Vogel, Rucki and Keely for the latest from the 2007 IIHF World Championships:

The thought of Keely wandering the streets of Moscow alone have "international incident" written all over it. I can't imagine what he might have found...

Kevin Roy, Whiz Kid

Kevin Roy, a 13-year-old kid from Canada, is shown putting on some crazy moves in a high school skills competition in Maine.

Most of us have seen these moves before, it's the fact that this kid is only 13 that makes them amazing. Keep an eye on this kid, he could be something special.

Sundin Puts Goalie Out of Work

A commercial by Nike, this shows the debilitating career effect Mats Sundin has on a poor Canadiens goalie. This is why it's bad to have a weak stick hand.

Poor goalie.

Here's to.....

From "The Hockey Club" facebook group, possibly the best "Here's to..." I've ever seen.

Here's to... the stars in the show and the guys going to the show the boys in the juniors ...living the dream and the die hards ...lighting up the beer leagues.

Here's to...
the snipers, the playmakers
the grinders, the fighters
the power forwards, the blue chip d-men
the bottle fillers the men in the pipes
the men on the bench
...and the boys in the box.

Here's to...
sniping ginos, chizzling apples
throwing sauce, undressing tendies
banging home rebounds
making big glove saves
... and burying OT winners.
dirty dangles, sick toe drags
backhand toe drags, spin-o-ramas
bar and ins, top cheese, One-Tees
snappers and clappers, big-time celly's,
poke-checks, pad-stacks, big hits
hip-checks, train tracks
and toe-to-toe tillies

Here's to...
long bus trips, the early morning practices
the bag-skates, the battles in the corners,
the bad dental, the sweet flow
the playoff beards, the tears, the laughs
the team shakers..
the beauties wheeling hot broads
...and the gongers wheeling swampers.

Here's to...
the wins, losses, and ties,
the end-to-end overtimes,
the gruelling training camps,
the pre-season exies,
the regular season battles
the playoff wars
... and raising cup.
And...

Here's to anyone who knows what all this means...
hockey's unreal. It�s my life.

Heres to faceoffs, goals, assists, overtime, livin' on the road, cold rinks, breakaways, 5 am practices, broken sticks, broken bones, broken hearts, bloody faces, missing teeth, countless hours of practice, killin stupid forwards that cut across, big hits, team meetings, black eyes, $500 skates, partyin with the boys, pick-ups, let-downs, pakin bombs, snipin top shelf, road trips, insane coaches, wheelin broads, fights, comraderies, locker boxin, the word "fuck", addin "sy" or "y" to everyones first or last name, adrenaline, miracles, and most of all - the greatest, fastest game in the world....HOCKEY

And that's why hockey is indeed the greatest game in the world.

The Not-So-Beatiful Game

A few weeks ago I posted a video and commentary of the highlights from Manchester United's 3-2 First Leg win over Chelsea in the Champions League Cup. Soon after it was commented on by TwoMinutesforBlogging, who said;

I liken a good soccer game to a Florida Panthers/Detriot Redwings game. Very little action. Very little physical contact. And lots of players falling down trying to draw penalties; thus destroying the integrity of their names and the sport they play.

At the time I thought it was a little much, cynical even. But watching the Sharks-Red Wings game today, I am starting to get an idea of what he means. And frankly, it's a little disappointing.

Just over 5 minutes into the 3rd, with the Sharks pressing the the Detroit zone, forward Mike Grier was stationed in front of Hasek, trying to give him as much trouble as possible. He was just outside the crease, with his back brushing up against Hasek as Hasek moved out to the edge of the crease. Then the incredible happened; Hasek pushed Grier, fell over backwards, and drew a penalty on Grier for goalie interference.

I'll admit that I'm rooting for San Jose in this series, and it is entirely possible that Detroit has been shortchanged by the refs at some point. But the timing of Grier's penalty, coupled with a great camera angle replay, make it stand out the most in this game. At the time Detroit was up 3-1, then they scored on the ensuing power-play to make it 4-1. 3-1 is doable, but 4-1 is tough. The penalty shouldn't have happened, and that last goal shouldn't have been so easy for Detroit. That penalty might just have been the turning point in the series, giving Detroit an insurmountable lead and killing what little hope San Jose had left.

The Most Cost-Effective Players In The NHL

The folks over at Canadian Business Online have been doing some number crunching, and they've published a list of players ranked by their cost-effectiveness:

Ah, the salary cap. The great equalizer in the NHL. No more can teams buy their way to the top. Not that some teams were able to do that anyway (Hello, Toronto Maple Leafs and your 40 years of futility). But today's NHL team is just as much a function of salaries as it is players. Each team had roughly $44 million (all figures in $US) to spend in 2006. Some, such as the Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks, spent it unwisely. Others, especially the Penguins, Anaheim Ducks and Buffalo Sabres, were penny-pinching marvels.

Consider that the Penguins spent about $37 million to earn 105 points. That's $351,603 per point, making it the most cost-effective team in the NHL. (It should be pointed out that the salary figures contained on our charts reflect the current value of all player contracts on a team, not the actual amount paid under the cap, nor do they include performance bonuses.) At the other end of the spectrum, the Flyers spent $723,815 for each of its 56 points. The best-spending Canadian team was the Ottawa Senators at $430,201 a point, followed by the Vancouver Canucks, Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, Leafs and Edmonton Oilers.

The charts are broken down by forwards, defense, goalies and overall.

Here's a notion: It's hard to say that your decisions are "cost-effective" if your team doesn't manage to make the playoffs. Then again, if your aim is to win just often enough to keep your rabid fan base interested in the team, perhaps we need to think about things a little differently.

For an explanation of the study's methodology, click here. One thing that made me smile: The study relied heavily on the stats publsihed by nhlnumbers.com, an open source that I've come to rely on over the past season.

Bloggers On A Rocket To Russia

If all goes according to plan in the next hour, two of the crew from over at On Frozen Blog will be boarding a plane out of JFK bound for Moscow. Their mission: Bring their blogging skills to bear on covering the 2007 IIHF World Championships.

The bloggers that the rest of the world knows as OrderedChaos and pucksandbooks are the two lucky winners of Washington Caps owner Ted Leonsis' latest blog lottery. For the next two weeks, our buddies are going to get an opportunity few U.S.-based hockey writers could ever dream of -- a chance to cover a real live international competition from one of the most exciting cities in the world. And they'll do it as guests of the team.

Also headed to Russia today are two Caps employees: reporter Mike Vogel and tech wiz Sean "Spike" Parker.

This story has been banging around the Caps blogosphere for a couple of weeks now, but in deference to my friends, I thought it was prudent to keep quiet until they were just about wheels up. From what I hear, we ought to have some more details from the Caps momentarily.

Here's what I feel comfortable passing along right now: I was on the phone with an excited and nervous P&B last night, and what he filled me in on was a real credit to both the Caps and the league.

More later this afternoon.

UPDATE: Yeah, looks like they're pulling out all the stops:

Exciting stuff.

Defy You

Great video that played before a W-B Penguins home elimination playoff game. If this wouldn't get you pumped up, I don't know what would.

"Think Desperation, Not Elimination"
Nice mantra, although they lost 7-2, so I guess it didn't work.

And this was done in 2004, so if you notice a few faces, don't be surprised. A big part of that playoff team was Ryan Whitney, Colby Armstrong, Michel Oullet, Kris Beech, and Brooks Orpik.

Calder & Stanley Cups to Split Again

It's been over a decade since both an NHL team and its AHL affiliate have won league championships in the same year. In '95 the New Jersey Devils and the Albany River Rats won the Stanley Cup and the Calder Cup, respectively. It doesn't look like its happening this year, as almost every team with an NHL parent still in the hunt was knocked out in the first round, while every AHL team that moved on saw its NHL parent knocked out. Vancouver and Manitoba are the only duo left, but the Canucks are on the verge of elimination.

But there's still a lot of teams left whose NHL parents didn't make the postseason. So you Kings, Bruins, Capitals, Oilers, Stars, Thrashers, Canadians, and Penguins (and probably Canucks) fans don't worry. Your organization might come home with a championship after all.
Here's the second round matchups:

Eastern Conference
Atlantic Final
Manchester vs. Providence

East Final
Hershey vs. Wilkes-Barre

Western Conference
North Final
Hamilton vs. Manitoba

West Final
Chicago vs. Iowa

Over At NBC Sports

I answer an email from an angry Flames fan about a previous column.

An Open Letter From A Canucks Fan Stuck In Orange County

Jeffrey Z. writes:

The Canucks/Ducks game is being broadcast tonight locally in Southern California on FSN West. But they are carrying the Angels game, which is scheduled to end at 8pm. The Ducks/Canucks start at 7:30.

I spoke to Jennifer Johnson, director of communications at FSNW. She said they would be "Double boxing" the game, which I understood as going back and forth between the games whenever something exciting was happening. I hope that the balance will be to show the hockey, and flip back to baseball when there's a score or men on base, but I'm not optimistic.

The game is also on Versus, but is being blacked out. She told me that the blackout is entirely up to the league.

It seems to me that the obvious solution is to lift the blackout until the Angels game ends. Can you think of anyone at the NHL or with the Ducks that I or you could talk to?

Talk about having a bevy of bad options. I know the league reads Off Wing from time to time, so let's hope they pay attention to instances like this one where an actual hockey fan residing in Orange County -- yes, they do exist -- is getting shut out from seeing a playoff game.

I know a lot of people like to point fingers at Versus, but in this case, I don't think that they're to blame. Instead, look to FSNW.

In other markets when I've seen a conflict like this one, the local cable carrier will make arrangements to clear space on another channel in order to provide coverage. It happens in New York all the time, and it happens here in Washington with the Caps and the Wizards.

My guess is that FSNW is trying to get off cheap and hoping that the Angels game ends early so they wouldn't have to pay to clear an extra channel. If you want to complain, they're the folks you should be complaining to.

NHL Inks Two New Media Deals

Lots of very interesting new media news coming out of the NHL today. First, there's a new relationship with a YouTube clone called Voxant:

The National Hockey League (NHL) announced today that it has teamed with Voxant, the Viral Syndication Network (VSN), to distribute video clips of game highlights, bloopers, noteworthy moments and other news to thousands of websites and blogs through TheNewsRoom (www.thenewsroom.com). The clips, available beginning today, may be obtained for free and are accompanied by advertising, which provides revenue to content owners and sites where content is published.

NHL content available through TheNewsRoom includes:

* Weekly �Best Of� highlights featuring the best goals, hits and saves of the week
* Humorous videos or moments, out-takes, and bloopers
* Highlight packs from individual games
* Additional news content

VSN�s proprietary viral mashing� technology allows copyright-protected content to be �mashed� from TheNewsRoom and legally embedded on websites and blogs, where it then can be redistributed to an infinite number of additional sites in a true viral distribution model. It also employs a tracking system and dashboard that record where the content has traveled on the Web and how often it is viewed, in addition to providing the ability to block content from appearing on inappropriate sites.

Neat. Here's an example of their embedding.

For those of you who might be wondering, that's a big hunk of code. Please click and play all you like. If you're concerned about video quality, here's the same clip from YouTube:

Next, the league also announced a deal with Joost:

The National Hockey League (NHL) will offer free hockey programming to consumers on the Joost distribution platform beginning at the start of the 2007 Stanley Cup Final. The announcement was made today by Joost�, the world�s first broadcast-quality Internet television service. Under the agreement, the NHL will provide full-game replays on a delay and highlights from this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs, combined with a rich selection of vintage games from the NHL archives.

[...]

Currently available in expanded beta, Joost combines the best of TV and the best of the Internet by offering viewers a unique, TV-like experience enhanced with the choice, control and flexibility of Web 2.0. Joost can be accessed with a broadband Internet connection and offers broadcast-quality content to viewers for free.

Thanks to Matt Saler, I've been playing with Joost for about a week now on my Mac Book, and the video quality is impressive.

Without studying things too closely, any deal that puts hockey content in front of more folks is good for the fans and good for the league. Here's hoping we keep seeing more of it.

Crazy Goal

This goal was scored by Miloslav Horava of the MODO Hockey club in Sweden. A one in a million goal.

After seeing Karel Rachunek's goal disallowed for its "kicking motion" the other day, I started to wonder: would this goal be disallowed? Probably not. Either way, it's pretty cool.

Transexual Sportswriter Tops NHL Playoffs In Blog Popularity

Through Kukla's Korner, I discovered Sports Media Challenge's Sports Blog Index. Here's what folks were talking about last week according to the North Carolina-based consulting firm:

NFL Draft 43%
NBA Playoffs 25%
A-Rod 10%
Mike Penner, LA Sports Writer 9%
NHL Playoffs and Curt Schilling�s Bloody Sock 7%

That's right, the entire NHL playoffs created less buzz last week than LA Times sportswriter Mike Penner's revelation that he was going on vacation and that he'd be coming back as a woman.

I wanted to find out more, so I got on the horn to the folks at Sports Media Challenge, who were very gracious in giving me some of their time. I'm waiting on a PDF from them, so expect an update later in the day that includes a recap of my discussion with them.

The View From Your Playoff Seat

Kudos to J.P. and K.B. from Japers' Rink for coming up with the best blog feature from this year's playoff: The View From Your Playoff Seat.

I won't post any of the photos here, as J.P.'s readers have done all the heavy lifting to make this work. Click here for the latest pic, here for the gallery, and here for all the pics in a slideshow.

NHL Playoff Roundup: Rozsival's 2-OT Blast Gives Rangers Some Hope

Off Wing's Man Of The Night: Michael Rozsival
Goal in 2-OT gives Blueshirts a 2-1 win over Buffalo

NYR 2 BUF 1 (2OT): Rozsival (GWG OT), Lundqvist (38 S). Miller (44 S).
ANA 3 VAN 2: Perry (G, A), Giguere (24 S). Naslund (G).

Series Outlooks
(1)BUF vs. (6)NYR: Buffalo leads 2-1
(2)ANA vs. (3)VAN: Anaheim leads 2-1

OFF THE ICE
All-Star Game Returns To Sunday Afternoons, Globe and Mail
NHL Must Sell Players To Public, Kansas City Star
List Of 2007 Free Agents, About.com
Cheap Shots Give NHL A Black Eye, Denver Post
With 2nd Pick, Flyers Will Just Wait And Watch, Philadelphia Inquirer

HOCKEY VIDEO: A nice piece on the Miracle On Ice in 1980:

RANDOM HOCKEY BLOG GENERATOR
Hockey Fights
Scarlett Ice
Skate 2 Stick
Bruins Nation
Calgary Flames Legends

TONIGHT'S SCHEDULE: (All times ET)
7:00PM NJD at OTT VS., CBC (Series tied 1-1)
10:00PM DET at SJS VS., TSN (Series tied 1-1)

AHL PLAYOFF SCOREBOARD: (NHL affiliates in parentheses)
Norfolk (CHI) 2 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (PIT/EDM) 3
Providence (BOS) 5 Hartford (NYR) 4
Grand Rapids (DET/EDM) 1 Manitoba (VAN) 2

NHL Playoff Roundup: Datsyuk Takes Bite Out Of Sharks' Series Lead

Off Wing's Man Of The Night: Pavel Datsyuk
Goal and assist help Wings tie series at one game apiece

Series Outlooks
(1)DET vs. (5)SJS: Series tied 1-1
(2)NJD vs. (4)OTT: Series tied 1-1

DET 3 SJS 2: Datsyuk (G, A), Cleary (G). Thornton (G, A).
NJD 3 OTT 2 (2OT): Langenbrunner (GWG OT), Brodeur (43 S). Heatley (G, A).

OFF THE ICE
Some Players' Stock On Rise Before NHL Draft, INS Sports
Ruff Fined By NHL For Outburst, CP
Seeking Balance In Debate About New NHL Arena, Edmonton Journal
What To Do About Nothing, SI.com
Weight Knows A Winner When He Sees It, ESPN.com

HOCKEY VIDEO: Some nice memories for Pens fans:

RANDOM HOCKEY BLOG GENERATOR
Red and Black Hockey
On Frozen Blog
In Lou We Trust
Home Ice
HLOG

TONIGHT'S SCHEDULE: (All times ET)
2:00PM BUF at NYR NBC, TSN (BUF leads 2-0)
8:00PM ANA at VAN VS., CBC (Series tied 1-1)

AHL PLAYOFF SCOREBOARD: (NHL affiliates in parentheses)
Manchester (LAK) 3 Worcester (SJS) 2 (OT)
Providence (BOS) 5 Hartford (NYR) 2
Rochester (BUF/FLO) 2 Hamilton (MON/EDM) 6
Omaha (CAL) 2 Iowa (DAL/EDM) 5

Larger Meaning In The Post-Playoff Series Handshake

Over at ESPN.com, Terry Frei is taking a look at a number of players who have been skipping out on the traditional post-playoff series handshake that the league has become famous for:

Do it if you want to do it. It remains understood that if you do take part, you're not surrendering or gloating, you're paying homage to tradition. All you have to do is turn on the television, look online or read the paper the next morning to understand that, in the grand scheme of things, this isn't all that important.

Don't do it if you don't want to. No recriminations. No criticism. You're not being a "bad loser" or spitting into the Stanley Cup if you don't.

We live in a world of scrutiny and opportunistic sensitivity. I'd hate it if the handshake tradition becomes infected by it.

Frei is righter than he knows with that sentence I put into boldface. These days, tragedy produces more than an imperative to comfort the afflicted, it also presents an opportunity to afflict political enemies, setting up a system where those who have spent a lifetime purveying racial hucksterism get to sit in judgment of those who have spent a lifetime reveling in racial humor.

You have to laugh in order to keep from crying.

1980 U.S. Olympic Team vs. Team Canada '72

Watching all of this old time hockey over the past few days has really got the gears turning inside my head. When you realize just how close so many of these great games were, you begin to understand just how different hockey history might have looked with just one more random bounce.

What if the refs called Nystrom offside? What if they missed the call against the Bruins at the Forum in 1979? What if, what if, what if?

It's an interesting and fun game, and I want to play some more.

What if...

...The U.S. Olympic Team from 1980 at Lake Placid could play one game against Team Canada '72?

Both teams represent the apex in their respective nations' relationship with the sport. On the world stage hockey defines Canada, and when Team Canada looked like it would falter during the Challenge Series, the nation's psyche took a tremendous blow. And with a win in the last game and the series, the nation breathed an incredible sigh of relief.

As for Lake Placid, it's safe to say that there were never that many hockey fans living in the USA before, and there haven't been anywhere near as many any time since. At a time when national morale was in the gutter, those boys put an electric charge into an entire nation that lasted for decades.

So who would win?

Sure, Team Canada was filled with professionals, many at the peak of their careers. But never forget, the Russians mugged those guys in Game One of the Challenge Series at The Forum in Montreal. And they got mugged because they were out of shape and didn't take the Russians seriously. Something tells me that Herb Brooks and those kids from New England and the Midwest could pull off another upset.

Then again, I could be wrong. Feel free to tell me why, or why not.

The Beautiful Game

Watching yesterday's soccer match between Manchester United and AC Milan, I was reminded why soccer, football to the rest of the world, is the world's game. After taking a 1-0 lead on a scramble in front of the AC Milan net, Man. U gave up 2 goals in a row to Milan, with star forward Kaka getting both of Milan's goals. After some great saves on both ends, Wayne Rooney nets 2 for Man. U, the last one coming with no time left in the match.

While it can be considered boring, with long, uneventful stretches, soccer is a game with moments of brilliance. Just when you think nothing can happen, someone comes up with a sweet pass, a nice move, a perfect shot, or all of those at once. Both of Kaka's goals, as well as Rooney's game winner, were the epitome of brilliance. Amazing passes led to even more amazing goals. And Kaka's second tally just made the entire Man. U defense look silly. It was an amazing game, and the next leg can only get better.

The Amazon Unbox NHL Time Machine

I can't say enough about being able to watch these classic NHL games on Amazon Unbox. Last night I watched Game Five of the 1984 Patrick Division Semifinal between the Rangers and the Islanders, a nail biter that went to OT before the Isles won 3-2.

For those of you who remember the game being better in those days, you're both right and wrong. One thing is for sure, there seemed to be more room on the ice, and the flow of the game was far superior to the clutch and grab era of the mid-1990s.

Then again, not only are the players smaller, they're not nearly as fast as they are today. Hockey players today are really incredible athletes who take fitness seriously year round, and man does it show, especially in comparison to players of a previous era.

Speaking of smaller, any current NHL goalie who complains about restricting the size of their equipment ought to be ashamed. Compared to the netminders of today, Billy Smith and Glen Hanlon looked nearly naked on the ice. But again, compared to the players of today, they both looked awfully clumsy, and nowhere near as quick.

After finishing with the Islanders and Rangers, I fired up Game Seven of the 1979 Semifinal between the Bruins and the Canadiens. It was a real kick to see folks like Mike Milbury, Jacques Lemaire, Brian Engblom and Bob Gainey in uniform and nearly 30 years younger.

There are so many little details that you forget. How is it that I was born in an era when most players went without helmets, yet became an adult at a time when some people call for mandatory visors? On the shift I'm watching now, seven of the ten skaters on the ice are helmet-less. It's amazing.

BTW -- the lyrics to O' Canada were different then too, and better. I grew up with listening to one verse in French and another in English, and that's the way I prefer it. I just wish they'd put "rights and liberty" back into the song.

It's funny how you can deceive yourself when you get absorbed in these games. For a couple of moments, I actually thought the Islanders still had a chance to win five straight Cups, or that we were on the cusp of seeing the Bruins and the Rangers in the Finals in 1979.

But then, just a moment later, you realize your watching the end of an era, the last few weeks of the great New York and Montreal dynasties.

You see Ken Dryden make a save, and then you tell yourself that the Hall of Famer only has five games left in a Montreal uniform before it's all over. It's sad and thrilling all at the same time.

This is great. Message to the NHL: Get more games, including classic regular season matchups -- like March 26, 1997 -- up and available as soon as possible.

Over At NBC Sports

I share some thoughts about Saturday's ugliness in Detroit.

On Amazon Unbox And The NHL

Following up from yesterday's post, I ordered four classic NHL games via Amazon Unbox, and only two of them downloaded. I think it may be because my TiVo was near capacity, but who knows at this point.

The video quality is about as good as you could expect from game footage better than two decades old, but it's still exciting to watch it all over again. I can't say enough how great this is.

Another quibble: As somebody who has followed the Washington Caps for some time, I'm more than a little disappointed that two of the greatest games in the history of that franchise: Game Seven of the 1988 series with the Philadelphia Flyers and Game Six of the 1998 Eastern Conference Final against Buffalo. I hope both games enter the Unbox archive very soon.

In the meantime, I'll be downloading. And here's another idea: Why can't Comcast replicate this same service on its cable systems using its vaunted "on demand" technology? It should be pretty easy, shouldn't it?

Save Until I Delete

Was just going through my "Now Playing" list on the TiVo, and realized it was time to say goodbye to a memory from 2006: Watching Rod Brind'Amour of the Carolina Hurricanes be presented with the Stanley Cup.

Amazing to think that both the 'Canes and the Oilers are golfing right now.

Time for some new memories.

Click.

Some Thoughts From the First Round

Well for starters, I'm seriously considering moving out to the West Coast. Out of 4 series in the East, I correctly predicted just 1, and that was the relatively easy call of Buffalo over the Islanders. I had Atlanta in 7, they couldn't even win one. Pittsburgh making the Conference Finals, couldn't get past Ottawa. And Tampa Bay beating out New Jersey, they couldn't hold their lead. Fortunately I have Buffalo to win the East, so that can still happen. Out west, on the other hand, I was money. I picked all 4 series correctly, although Dallas gave me quite a scare.

* Atlanta was by far the biggest disappointment of the first round. While they play in possibly the weakest division in the league, they still posted solid regular-season numbers and had potent scorers in Ilya Kovalchuk, Slava Kozlov, and Marian Hossa, among others. Possibly the biggest predictor of how they'd fare came in the April 9th issue of Sports Illustrated, where Keith's ugly 3-11 postseason series record was brought to light. While a series win might have been a lot to ask, at least one win wasn't. Such a letdown.

* With the exception of Game 1's 5-4 Vancouver OT win, the Dallas-Vancouver series was the low-scoring affair everyone thought it would be. Luongo earned the series win, but you have to feel bad for Turco, who posted 3 shutouts yet was still unable to get 4 wins.

* The New York Islanders couldn't catch a break. First Chris Simon received a 25-game suspension for his two-handed slash to the chin of Ryan Hollweg. Then, potential defenseman Todd Simpson had a suspension from the German Ice Hockey League upheld in the NHL, preventing him from playing for the Islanders this postseason. And most recently, Sean Hill was suspended 20 games for violating the league's drug policy. Add to that goalie Rick DiPietro's injury problems and Alexei Yashin's playoff disappearing act, and its no wonder the Islanders didn't have a chance.

* Quick series winners can sometimes be put on the back burner of peoples' minds, which could make San Jose and Anaheim surprises of sorts in the second round. With the extra rest, look for them to come out flying.

* Through its first two rounds of the playoffs, Buffalo won't have to leave the state. In fact, their trips will seem pretty familiar. After taking down the Islanders, they will go right back down the Thruway to face off against the Rangers. The winner of this matchup will win the unofficial (and just made up by me) Empire State Cup as the best team in New York.

Caps To Unveil New Uniform At June 22 Draft Party

From the Caps:

ARLINGTON, Va. � The Washington Capitals will unveil their new uniforms at a special Draft Day Party on Friday, June 22, held at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va. The event will be held in conjunction with the live broadcast on Versus of the first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, which takes place that evening in Columbus, Ohio.

The new uniforms will mark a return to a red, white and blue color scheme � the colors the Capitals wore from their first season in 1974-75 through 1994-95. The Capitals are the first team in the NHL to announce their plans to unveil their new uniforms, which are produced by Reebok and feature the Rbk EDGE Uniform System technology that was introduced at the 2007 NHL All-Star Game in Dallas. The Capitals are the first team planning to have their new uniforms on hand at the NHL Entry Draft.

And here I was planning on actually going to the draft in Columbus. Might have to think twice about that now.

NHL Teams Up With Amazon Unbox

More good news from our friends at NHL HQ: An alliance with Amazon to provide full-length games from the league's archives through the Amazon Unbox service. From the press release:

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE TO OFFER FULL-LENGTH PLAYOFF, REGULAR SEASON, AND CLASSIC GAMES THROUGH AMAZON UNBOX�

Full-Length Regular And Post-Season Games Now Available

SEATTLE and NEW YORK CITY (April 23, 2007) � Just in time for the NHL playoffs, hockey fans can now watch full-length games whenever and wherever they want through the Amazon Unbox (http://unbox.amazon.com) digital video download service. The National Hockey League (NHL) and Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced that hockey fans can download full-length regular-season, post-season and classic games through Amazon Unbox.

Amazon Unbox will offer three or more of the most exciting NHL games each week during the regular season and playoffs, as well as classic NHL games. The first set of games from the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs are now live and available through Amazon Unbox. Games are available for download as soon as 48 hours after the final buzzer for just $2.99. Dozens of classic games from the NHL�s rich history also are available, including the 1994 Stanley Cup Final in which the New York Rangers defeated the Vancouver Canucks, the 1993 Western Conference Final game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings featuring Wayne Gretzky, and the 1997 Stanley Cup Final in which the Detroit Red Wings topped the Philadelphia Flyers.

Click here for the main page on Amazon.

What's really cool about this is if you have a Series 2 TiVo, you can download the video directly to your TiVo box and watch the game on your television set as God intended.

For me and other TiVo users, this makes all the difference in the world. Paying $2.99 to watch an old game on a postage stamp-sized screen on my laptop seems like an extravagance. But paying $2.99 to watch that same game on my television set seems like a bargain. Bravo NHL and bravo TiVo for another great idea.

POSTSCRIPT: I've got some quibbles. We need more details on the individual videos available. Just slugging a video with Quebec Nordiques at Montreal Canadiens 1985, isn't enough. Tell me which game in the series it is, and why the game is important. Give me the exact date. As hockey fanatic, I know why these games are important, but in order to make more sales, or just remind those who have forgotten over the years, we need more details.

Still, this is a minor quibble. I'm off to order my first video right now, and have it ready to watch later tonight.

UPDATE: Woo-hoo! I went a little nuts and bought four. At $2.99, the price can't be beat!

NHL Playoff Roundup: Devils Breathe Sigh Of Relief, Oust Lightning

Off Wing's Man Of The Night: Brian Gionta
Two goals help give Devils 3-2 victory, eliminating Tampa Bay

NJD 3 TBL 2: Gionta (2G), Elias (3A). Richards (2G).
DET 2 CAL 1 (2OT): Franzen (GWG OT), Hasek (20 S). Kiprusoff (53 S).

OFF THE ICE
Crosby Played With Broken Foot In Final Weeks Of Season, AHN
Beauchemin, Ducks Deserve Their Rest, AP
First-Round Cheers and Jeers, FOXSports.com
Severed Program Launched NHL Star, Boston Globe
Why So Few Hockey Greats From Metro?, The Daily News

HOCKEY VIDEO: With their series-winning victory last night, the Wings' hopes for another Cup remain alive:

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Ranger Pundit
Silver Bullet
Bring Back Potvin
Bolts Blog
Scarlett Ice

TONIGHT'S SCHEDULE: (All times ET)
9:00PM DAL at VAN VS., CBC (Series tied 3-3)

AHL PLAYOFF SCOREBOARD: (NHL affiliates in parentheses)
Milwaukee (NAS/EDM) 1 Chicago (ATL) 4
Hershey (WAS) 6 Albany (CAR/COL) 5
Rochester (BUF/FLO) 4 Hamilton (MON/EDM) 5 (2OT)

A Glimpse into Jamie McLennan's Past

As everyone by now knows, Flames backup goalie Jamie McLennan has been suspended 5 games for his slash to the midsection of Johan Franzen. But what many people don't know is that McLennan has been masterminding this kind of evil since his days in Florida.

After backing up/serving Luongo for a season, then doing the same thing for Kiprusoff in a much colder Calgary, no wonder he was in such a bad mood. Just make sure not to let him get behind the wheel of a Zamboni anytime soon.

Ovechkin Snags Kharlamov for Second Straight Year

While it might have been a frustrating year in Washington for Alex Ovechkin, 46 goals is nothing to sneeze at, which is probably why Sovetsky Sport awarded him the Kharlamov Trophy for the second season in a row.

The Kharlamov, named after Russian hockey great Valery Kharlamov, is awarded to the top Russian player in the NHL as determined by a vote of all of the league's Russian players. Evgeni Malkin and Pavel Datsyuk finished second and third, respectively.

My buddy from Sovetsky Sport, Dmitry Chesnokov sent along a note about the awards ceremony along with some pics:

Alex arrived in Moscow on April 11th and on April 13th Sovetsky Sport held an award ceremony at the Imperia Casino in Moscow. The award is called Kharlamov Trophy after Valery Kharlamov, one of the best Soviet hockey players whose untimely death in a car accident shocked the country and brought to an unfortunate end his brilliant career. The award was presented by Boris Kharlamov (Valery's father) and Alexader Kharlamov (Valery's son).

A few dozen journalists were also in attendance and the event was televised on three Russian channels.

"This is such an honor for me," Ovechkin said. "Being named the best by my partners is the best assessment of what I do on the ice. Thank you very much once again, guys."

A clip of Ovechkin's goals, hits and other highlights was shown including Alex's goal against Atlanta in OT - Ovechkin said it was his best goal this season.

After that Oleg Kuznetsov, head of Apple IMC Russia took the stage. "Alex, thanks to Sovetsky Sport we are closely following your NHL career. And we read the story about you breaking your new iPod in frustration after one of the games. To fill this void Apple would like to present you with a brand new exclusive iPod with video capabilities. You can download your best songs and videos again."

Ovechkin knew what the surprise was about after hearing the name Apple. After receiving the new iPod he said: "Thank you! This is an awesome present! It will be very useful because I am also a locker room DJ. I will keep bringing Russian music to my parters in Washington."

Thanks to Dmitry for passing along the pics and all the details.

Wirtz May Sell Blackhawks

Dare the fans in Chicago hope it's true? I examine the possibilities at the NHL Fanhouse.

Turco vs. Luongo: Don't Miss Another Game

It's the best goalie showdown in recent memory. More over at the NHL Fanhouse.

At Home With The Ovechkins

After watching the video Joe Dumas posted yesterday of Alex Ovechkin's empty Arlington home, Sovetsky Sport reporter Dmitry Chesnokov sent along a note and a photo:

Dmitry (at left with Ovechkin and his parents) writes: "I saw your posting of Ovechkin's pad. It is furnished now. Although they still can't find any chandeliers that they like."

Neat. I guess Alex doesn't wear his Crocs at home.

NHL Playoff Roundup: Wings Haven't Put Out Flames Just Yet

Off Wing's Man Of The Night: Daymond Langkow
Two goals give Flames 3-2 win, keeping hopes alive against Wings

OTT 3 PIT 0: Kelly (G, A), Vermette (G, A), Emery (20 S).
CAL 3 DET 2: Langkow (2G), Kiprusoff (33 S). Bertuzzi (G, A).
DAL 1 VAN 0 (OT): Morrow (GWG OT), Turco (21 S). Luongo (29 S).
ANA 4 MIN 1: Pronger (G, A), Pahlsson (2A). Gaborik (G).

Series Outlooks
(4)OTT vs. (5)PIT: Ottawa wins series 4-1
(1)DET vs. (8)CAL: Series tied 2-2
(3)VAN vs. (6)DAL: Vancouver leads 3-2
(2)ANA vs. (7)MIN: Anaheim wins series 4-1

OFF THE ICE
Top Prospect Johnson Jumping To NHL, AP
New Blue Jackets President Is Named, Columbus Dispatch
NHL Backs Calls That Doomed Isles, Newsday
NHL's Ratings Still In Deep Freeze, Marketplace
NHL Setup Costs Wings' Fans Sleep, Monroenews.com

HOCKEY VIDEO: It's the first playoff edition of the Plays of the Week:

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Abel To Yzerman
Goon Blog
The Feeder
Islanders Army
Puck Update

TONIGHT'S SCHEDULE: (All times ET)
7:00PM TBL at NJD CBC, RDS (Series tied 2-2)
7:00PM NYI at BUF VS., TSN (BUF leads 3-1)
9:00PM SJS at NAS VS., TSN (SJS leads 3-1)

AHL PLAYOFF SCOREBOARD: (NHL affiliates in parentheses)
Division Semifinals
Albany (CAR/COL) 3 Hershey (WAS) 2 (OT)
Hamilton (MON/EDM) 2 Rochester (BUF/FLO) 0
Grand Rapids (DET/EDM) 0 Manitoba (VAN) 1

You Have 24 Hours To Win The Stanley Cup

Nice photoshop job.

Brad May, Derek Boogard and Jacques Lemaire

No it isn't a bad bar joke, but it has a lot to do with the end of last night's playoff game in Minnesota. Click here and here for details.

Louts On Long Island

There are lousy fans everywhere, but one visiting Sabres fan caught three Islanders fans on video crossing the line in a heinous manner.

I was born and raised on the Island, but sometimes I just don't get it.

In Chicago, Is He "Wirtz" All The Trouble?

After years of fans carping about Chicago Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz, the fractured relationship between town and team got A1 treatment in today's edition of the Wall Street Journal. For more thoughts from me, head over to the NHL Fanhouse.

Converting The ACC

Ever wonder what it takes to convert an arena from NHL hockey to NBA basketball? Over at the NHL Fanhouse, I posted a time-lapse video of the process at the Air Canada Centre.

The Forechecker Awards

Over at the NHL Fanhouse, I take a look at a set of postseason awards that won't get enough attention as far as I'm concerned. They're handed out by our friend The Forechecker, and let's just say I've found them both funny and informative.

NHL Playoff Roundup: Nylander, Rangers Continue To Destroy Thrashers

Off Wing's Man Of The Night: Michael Nylander
Hat trick and assist give Rangers a huge 7-0 victory, improving their series lead to 3-0

OTT 2 PIT 1: Spezza (G), Emery (23 S). Staal (G).
NYR 7 ATL 0: Nylander (3G, A), Callahan (2G), Malik (G, A).
VAN 2 DAL 1: Linden (G), Pyatt (2A). Sydor (G).
MIN 4 ANA 1: Rolston (G, A), Demitra (2A). Pronger (G).
CAL 3 DET 2: Iginla (G), Kiprusoff (28 S). Draper (2G).

Series Outlooks
(4)OTT vs. (5)PIT: Ottawa leads 3-1
(3)ATL vs. (6)NYR: New York leads 3-0
(3)VAN vs. (6)DAL: Vancouver leads 3-1
(2)ANA vs. (7)MIN: Anaheim leads 3-1
(1)DET vs. (8)CAL: Detroit leads 2-1

OFF THE ICE
Former NHL Forward Duchesne Dead At 44, CP
Lightning Early Surprise Of NHL Playoffs, CP
NHL Ratings Are All Over The Ice, New York Times
NHL: Right Calls Made In Controversial Isles-Sabres Game 3, Newsday
AOL Clicks To Score With NHL Content, Media in Canada

HOCKEY VIDEO: The Stanley Cup continues its popularity tour as it pays a visit to the CMT Awards in Nashville:

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45th Parallel
Rangerland.net
Bet On The Dog
San Jose Sharks Blog
Jes Golbez

TONIGHT'S SCHEDULE: (All times ET)
7:00PM NJD at TBL CBC, RDS (TBL leads 2-1)
7:00PM ATL at NYR TSN (NYR leads 3-0)
7:30PM BUF at NYI VS., TSN (BUF leads 2-1)
10:00PM NAS at SJS VS., TSN (SJS leads 2-1)

No AHL games last night

Some Things I Think About The Playoffs So Far

* Before the playoffs began, I thought the Sabres would dispose of the Islanders in much the same way a cobra takes care of its prey -- quickly and efficiently. But now, it's looking like Buffalo has changed tactics and now they're looking more like an anaconda. Without any quick strike weapons of their own, it looks like that's all it will take to eliminate the Islanders, though the Sabres have looked awfully ordinary at times. All of a sudden, a potential meeting in the next round against the Rangers and players like Ryan Hollweg, Jed Ortmeyer and Sean Avery is looking very dangerous for Buffalo.

* As my friend Jes noted over at the NHL Fan House earlier today, hockey loadstone Alexei Yashin has pulled his usual postseason disappearing act, and has now been demoted to the Islanders' fourth line by head coach Ted Nolan.

Early this season, Nolan made a big deal out of reaching out to Yashin, and he actually seemed to respond. Truth be told, his numbers during the regular season (18G, 32A, +6) were pretty good for a guy who missed 24 games due to injury. Then again, I have to wonder whether or not this might be Yashin's true last chance on the Island.

* Whenever I think Ottawa is primed for a knockout punch, they bounce back. I still like them to take out Pittsburgh.

* Greg Wyshynski might be annoyed by the spat between Barry Trotz and Ron Wilson, but I think it's the most entertaining exchange I've seen since Mark Crawford started cracking wise about the steel plate in Scotty Bowman's head.

* J.P. Dumont has five goals in three playoff games, making him just another happy member of Mad Mike's Forsaken Draft Pick Club. Other members include Bryan McCabe, Todd Bertuzzi, Zdeno Chara, Eric Brewer, Tim Connolly and Roberto Luongo.

Another Prediction From The Caps Press Box

With all the news about Alexander Semin getting booted off the Russian National Team, I remembered that I had another video prediction to send your way from my friend Dmitry Chesnokov of Sovetsky Sport.

Since Dmitry helped me out all season long translating Russian to English, I thought it was only fair that he get to make his prediction in Russian: