Farewell to the Fallen

Part of us knew it already. But part of us didn’t want to admit it. Vancouver never had enough to make the playoffs, let alone win a round in it.

But who can blame fans for this false sense of hope?

I mean, if you thought the hot blonde babe with the mini-skirt at your school was a tease, well meet this year’s Vancouver Canucks. 

Thursday night, this low-hearted squad confirmed everyone’s deep speculations and lost a must-win game to the non-playoff bound Edmonton Oilers. All Vancouver had to do was to put together a two-game winning streak for the remaining couple games to continue playing hockey. Apparently, losing six games in the last seven was the preferred route to go.

Getting back to my original point, can you blame fans for having some hope in this somewhat-overachieved team?

Canucks diehards can make excuses all they want – injuries, schedule, blah blah – but there were more ups-and-downs in Vancouver’s play this season than a Paris Hilton sex tape, if you know what I mean. And there’s no better way to describe it then to look at the schedule starting from February 16.

It was the fight-filled good-ol’-days brouhaha matchup with the Oilers where the Canucks won 4-2, uniting the city and drawing praises from even the most passionate naysayers. Vancouver added mustard to that energy by putting together a four-game winning streak, and the reigning North West division champions were on top of the world.

But that was exactly what it was: a streak.

This high reached its climax, and Vancouver lost its next four contests (twice to Colorado, once to Columbus and Chicago). At that point, emergency rooms were overflowing from the number of injuries suffered from people falling off the bandwagon. Joining them was the Canucks’ defensive unit, seriously.

As quickly as the city reached the peak of their celebration, it dropped down to despair, desparation, and disgust. But much like that afore-mentioned hot blonde babe, the Canucks toyed with its admirer’s heart. Yes, Vancouver felt a gust of wind and jumped to a three-game winning streak, followed by, you guessed it, a back-to-back defeat.

Playoff lives were being questioned and it seemed that Vancouver answered the calls, winning another three in a row. But that was it for the uphill climb as the Canucks put the ‘reek’ in ‘streak’, and dropped it’s next four. All hope seemed lost, but wait, Vancouver wanted to give its fans a little boost by putting together a dominating performance against the Calgary Flames last Sunday.

“The dream is alive!” … for one day. It’s like losing $200 at Roulette before the ball finally lands on your number, unfortunately, you only put down $2 worth of chips, giving you a winning that’s all but a miniscule fraction of your orginial loss. You think luck is finally on your side, so you keep going, but the only outcome is defeat until finally you’re out of money.

And that wallet emptied last night, as Vancouver’s crawl to a playoff berth was cut short. There’s one more game left on Saturday but win or lose, the rollercoaster ride is already over. Fan’s hearts have been played with long enough and it’s finally time for a break in the relationship. 

It’s time to say farewell to the team for a while, and maybe a farewell forever to several members of this year’s squad. We can cry, we can bitch, we can call our friends and complain all we want, but every Vancouver fan knows one thing: We will be back next season to have our hearts played with once again.

We’re all suckers that way.

Dust Off After Deadline

Just days after the trade deadline, the dust is starting to settle. The hectic – yet sort of disappointing – Feb. 26 resulted in some big names being dealt, but more importantly, several rumoured players not moving.

Olli Jokinen, Michael Ryder, Bryan McCabe, were just a few stars among those staying with their original squads as several general managers could not pull the trigger. When all was said and done, there were winners and there were losers. The Sports Corner takes a look at these teams.

Deadline Winners:

The Western Conference - It’s a broad choice but this side of the NHL really stole some star talents from the East. San Jose made a major splash by picking up Brian Campbell from the Buffalo Sabres, while the Dallas Stars won the Brad Richards’ sweepstakes. Both of these playoff teams jacked up their squads for the playoffs. Also, the league’s best team, Detroit, made their back end scarier with the addition of Brad Stuart, just imagine what the blueline will look like after Lidstrom, Chelios, Rafalski and Kronwall come back from injuries. 

Whichever team comes out of the East will be up against a very challenging opponent in the Stanley Cup finals because every contender in the West right now looks poised to claim the top prize. Early to say, but this Conference will probably repeat as champions. 

Colorado Avalanche - The day before the deadline headlined the Avalanche’s biggest move by signing UFA Peter Forsberg, bringing him back to the team where he won two Stanley Cups. This acquisition bolsters a threatening offensive unit, which is already seeing the return of Sakic, Smyth and Statsny. Colorado also got a gift handed to them as Adam Foote demanded a trade from Columbus back to his old team. It pumps this team up for a strong playoff run, and making them a legit contender.

Colorado made the most noise in their division, as the North West failed to respond. The Avalanche are desperate to appear in the post-season after failing to gain a spot last year. The addition of Foote and Forsberg will surely make a big difference on the standings for this Western squad. 

Washington Capitals - The Capitals made a statement on Tuesday. They want to be in the playoffs. And considering their moves at the deadline, they backed up that claim. Washington started off the day with a stunning trade by picking up Cristobal Huet from the Montreal Canadiens for a second rounder. Then they went out and got more offensive help by trading for Sergei Federov from Columbus and Matt Cooke from Vancouver. Washington is ready to get this team back into the playoffs, and getting support for Alex Ovechkin is a great start.

The Caps are not far out from claiming the division title and with help coming to their team after Tuesday, the possibility is high. The East should watch out for Washington, a team capable of making some loud noise when the time comes. 

Deadline Losers:

Canada - Out of the six Canadian squads, there were six moves resulting in only two players coming to the hockey nation. Vancouver got Matt Pettinger from Washington, while Ottawa got Martin Lapointe from Chicago. The Leafs made the most deals, trading away three players for draft picks. The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames stayed quiet, while the Montreal Canadiens were probably the biggest losers out of this country. They gave away Huet for something less then his value, and could not complete a deal for Richards or Hossa, two players they were heavily rumoured to acquire.

Montreal disappointed their fans, and is putting a lot of pressure on rookie Carey Price to lead them through the playoffs. They also failed to add any offensive punch, and the same can be said about Vancouver. The Canadian teams just couldn’t match the rest of the NHL with additions needed to take them one step further to the Holy Grail. 

Tampa Bay Lightning - Although they got rid of big salary players, they did not get back what could have been demanded. A player like Richards would have landed someone like, let’s say, Huet, who is considerably better then Smith. Prospal on the other hand, only got them a weak defensive prospect, and a second rounder. The Lightnings did not handle the proposal to the best that they can, and therefore, did not get the best possible return. A quick look at Atlanta, who got a steal for Hossa, and Tampa Bay could have learned some lessons from them.

Sure, they unloaded huge salary, but Tampa Bay was not efficient enough in trading off their big stars, and could have probably garnered better deals from other teams. 

Columbus Blue Jackets - Washington in the East made a statement that they will push for a playoff appearance. The Blue Jackets, on the other hand, basically gave up any hope. Even though they are in position to get an eighth place spot, they decided to once again prep for next year. After they failed to acquire Brad Richards, they decided to trade off a couple stars on their team in Federov and Foote, instead of trying to get more help for Rich Nash.

The chances of the Blue Jackets making it into the post-season dance is pretty slim to none, and even if they manage to squeak in, they won’t make it far. It’s another disappointing season for this city, as they are the only NHL team to have not seen any playoff action in their history.

Too bad that streak will continue. 

Two Big Names for Sale, for Sure

Okay, one is guaranteed NHL shopping material, while the other is rumoured to be heading out of town as well.

On Friday, Atlanta failed to come to terms with any sort of extension on Marian Hossa’s contract, therefore, letting the rest of the league know that they will try and get something in return before the superstar bolts elsewhere when free agency hits.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Toronto Maple Leafs had two players sit out morning practice because of a flu. Yeah, right.

Captain Mats Sundin and defencemen Bryan McCabe were not on the ice, and the rumour coming out of the general manager’s office is that Cliff Fletcher asked Sundin for a list of teams he’ll be willing to go to. This doesn’t mean that Sundin will be traded, but it does show that Fletcher is flirting with the idea.

The Swedish centre ultimately is in control of his own destiny, as he can refuse to waive his no-trade clause and stay in Toronto, and maybe sign somewhere else in the off-season. Hossa, however, won’t have much power in his fate and as absurd as it might sound, he will also have to wait for Sundin’s decision before possibly getting moved.

The reason behind this is simple: Teams, who are interested in acquiring Hossa, is also licking at the lips to get Sundin. Some people may not agree with this, but Sundin is a hotter commodity then the ex-Senator.

Buyers around the league are going to hold off until they know of Sundin’s true intent before making their move. Teams would rather aim to get Sundin, but if their bid fails, Hossa is not a bad fall back option.

Although these two have been rumoured to be traded for quite a while, it’s not until five days before the deadline that the possibility of a blockbuster is heating up. This has to be credited to the fact that Hossa cannot come to terms on a new contract, and the attempts by Toronto to convince Sundin to waive his no-trade clause.

With all the recent hype, it would be a disappointment for the fans and the teams to not be able in unloading these two superstars at the deadline, and losing them for nothing in the free agent market.

It’s better for these two teams to use this weekend to shop their two superstars, and hear as many offers as they can, in order to prevent committing the same mistake the Edmonton Oilers did last year with Ryan Smyth.

Many teams are hungry for these two big names, and Atlanta and Toronto should take full advantage of it. 

NHL Still Waiting For Blockbuster

There is ten more days until the NHL trading deadline.

And the biggest deal so far is an Ottawa-Senators-Carolina-Hurricane swap that wasn’t all too thrilling. 

The lack of trades so far this year is astonishing, and disappointing, for fans who follow the game. When the biggest deal made, before the previously mentioned one, was a Doug Weight for Andy McDonald trade-off, then a light should go on within the NHL’s head.

Why are there so little trades?

The answer is simple. When you have 26 buyers in the entire league, there are very little opportunities out there for the general managers to complete any transactions.  

Every team is basically in the playoff run, excluding several bottom feeders, which means that they are looking to improve their team for this year, and not for the years after. In other words, they are looking for rentals, for lasting players, for star power, and for the final ingredient to complete their team. All we’ve seen so far are prospects, no-namers, and draft picks. Definitely nothing to text message all your hockey friends for, that’s for sure.

There is a shortage of squads in the NHL right now who are willing to give up a vital aspect of their team for prospects and picks because they are hanging onto the fact that they can still compete to win it all this year.

Take L.A. for example, they know that they have no chance of winning,, that’s why names like Rob Blake, Ladislav Nagy, Mike Cammalleri, etc., are mentioned in trade rumours.

A large factor into this lack of sellers is the salary cap. Since the league is now on an “even playing field“, they are all competitive, which I’m not complaining about, but they also have to watch their spending limit. Some deals can not be made simply because the team cannot afford the player financially.

Last season saw some major deals sprung at the deadline, but the difference was that the standings were more divided, as opposed to the tightness of this year’s rankings. Even though names like Olli Jokinen are involved in hearsays, the Florida Panthers have a great chance at claiming a playoff spot, and they are more reluctant to give up the heart and soul of their team. Same can be said about a player like Marian Hossa, minus the contract negotiations and all.

There is no negative aspect in making the NHL more competitive in the standings, but it does deprive fans of being blown away by mind-boggling, team altering trades. In a way, it takes away from a fan’s experience.

The opportunity for diehard and arm-chair GMs to dissect and analyze a deal is now a rarity, unless of course a J.D Forrest for future considerations swap really entices you.

Rumours are only fun when some become reality. And so far, it hasn’t happened.

There is ten more days, and hopefully NHL fans can start getting excited about a new star on their team.

Shoot ‘Em Like Detroit

Besides having the best defencemen in the league and some dynamic young forwards, there is one glaring reason as to why the Red Wings are the best NHL team.

They shoot the puck.

It might sound too simple but there’s no other possible explanation.

Heading into tonight’s schedule, the Red Wings average 34.6 shots on goal a night, ranking them first in the league. In comparison, Vancouver stands 25th in that same category with 26.2 shots average. 

More shots means more opportunities to record a goal; it’s the basic tactic which players learn at a young age. Detroit is second behind Ottawa with 172 tallies so far this season and to add to that impressive stat, the Red Wings are first in lowest shots against with a 23.8 average.

The Red Wings shoot from anywhere, and sometimes the most obscure shots finds its way through the opposing goalie’s equipment. Leading the pack for them is Henrik Zetterberg, who has 232 shots, putting him second in the NHL behind Alex Ovechkin. Vancouver just needs to watch some of Detroit’s games to understand their success.

How often do you hear a fan yell “shoot the puck!“? It’s like a broken record at GM Place.

The most obvious non-shooter for Vancouver would probably have to be Sami Salo. Even though he has considerably one of the hardest slappers in the league, he always hesitates to wind up. With 64 blasts on net so far, he only has one measly goal, and six assists. And how many times has he missed the net?

Markus Naslund is also a target for criticism, especially since he used to lead the league in that department. The star forward might find results if he only plays more selfish by sniping the puck, instead of passing it off. 

Vancouver’s top shot getter is Daniel Sedin, who records a total of 144. Imagine how many more goals he would have on his stats sheet if he brought the puck in front of the net instead of cycling with his brother.

It’s like Gretzky’s old quote, “You miss 100 per cent of the shots you don’t take.”

In order for the Canucks to start piling up the numbers offensively, they have to start piling up the numbers on the shots-for column. The constant passing and the need to make the “perfect” play won’t do the team any good if they can’t put the puck on the opposing net.

A slap shot from the point can magically pinball it’s way into the net, but it seems like Vancouver’s pointmen don’t understand that concept. The forwards need to test the goaltender as much as they can, whether from awkward angles or from anywhere in the offensive zone. It’s pretty frustrating to watch a team control the play in the opposing area and not manage a shot on goal, and that frustration is always re-occuring with the Vancouver team.

It’s a fundamental skill, and a simple solution. Detroit has managed to stick with their system and game plan of bombarding the other goaltender with pucks, and look where they sit in the standings. Alain Vigneault needs to instill that ideology into his squad.

It’s like a secret recipe for Detroit that no one else seems to figure into their strategy. 

Think shot, think simple. It’s Red Wings’ hockey 101, and definitely a lesson this Vancouver team can learn. 

European Power Nowhere to be Found

On the ice, the Europeans have broken the barrier many years ago. But off the ice, it’s a different story.

Players not from North America make up about 30 per cent of the league, not bad considering that number is constantly rising. However, how many of those Europeans end up working in a management position in the NHL?

The answer is three. Yes, out of the 249 possible hockey management jobs in the NHL, up until a month ago, three of them are held by an European. That’s a measly 1.2 per cent.

The trio – Jarmo Kekalainen, the assistant GM of the St. Louis Blues; Ulf Dahlen, the assistant coach in Dallas; and Ulf Samuelsson, the assistant coach in Phoenix – make up the microscopic contingent of non-North American blood.

Not only is this a shocking number, but the possibility that an European GM might take over the helm soon is highly unlikely. The only two ever European coaches failed miserably. Remember Alpo Suhonen and Ivan Hlinka?

Once Europeans finish their careers in the NHL, they tend to head back to their native country and stay there. But the question is, is the NHL losing potentially great management talent by not pursuing these Europeans?

According to Ken Campbell of The Hockey News, he believes that it’s difficult for them to get into the North American network, with a large part having to do with the European stereotypes we’re oh so common with. The Europeans are not the ones to campaign for themselves or promote themselves, and fight for a GM job. 

However, there are a few names or candidates that would make a more worthy manager then some who holds that title right now. Campbell points out that the first name, which comes to mind, would have to be Hakan Loob.

The former Calgary Flames star is currently the GM of Farjestad in Sweden. This is the same team that has won four championships in the past eleven years, and in North America, we would call that a dynasty. But no NHL job has been offered to Loob yet.

How about Peter Stastny, who’s currently in politics, or Igor Larionov? Mats Naslund and Jari Kurri is successful in running the hockey programs at both their respectable countries, while Euro scouts Thommie Bergman of the Leafs and Dan Labraaten of the Devils are well known for their ability at finding talent.

Have any of these men been approached?

Loob has a strong logic as to why Europeans aren’t holding NHL positions, which are dominated by North Americans.

“It you want to get something, you have to be more aggressive and tell people you’re capable and stand up for yourself a bit. I think maybe we don’t have the mental toughness to say those things. We have the mental toughness to do a good job, but not maybe to present ourselves as capable as we are. You hope without saying anything, somebody is going to ask you and it’s not that easy.” 

North Americans don’t find the time to understand the European culture or get to know how they would run a team. Everyone is too scared to be the first to put the control panel of their squad in the hands of someone not from these two countries. But until someone actually does, no one can say whether or not an European can get the job done.

Let’s say a Russian GM might be able to produce more undiscovered Russians on their team, and probably have more strings to pull overseas. Same goes for a Swedish GM or a Finn.  

They are capable of competing on the ice, and looking at international events, they are also capable of putting a team together and beating USA or Canada. Why can’t they do that in the NHL? or better yet, why aren’t they given the opportunity to do that in the NHL?

Sooner or later, there will be a first for an European GM. For now, the influence Europeans have on the NHL is at a bare minimum, and that’s not helping this game grow at all. 

No Life in Leader Markus Naslund

It’s on every fan’s list of how to improve the Canucks, and there’s no denying it.

Markus Naslund, the captain and the leader of this team, needs to start playing as such. I might be a couple years too late to point this fact out but I kept suppressing hope that Naslund would pop out of his long, long slump.

It still hasn’t happened yet, and last night was a prime example of that.

He did score a goal, but besides that 10 seconds of fame he was unnoticed throughout the entire game. He only registered one shot on net and he played on more lines then Kris Beech did teams in the past month.

Markus Naslund is the head honcho in the locker room. That means players look up to him, and when he has no emotion and energy, neither does his teammates. He honestly had more excitement in his lame jumbotron speech to the fans at yesterday’s game then he did with his play, and that’s not saying anything. Naslund was energetically-dead.

The city is getting sick of his lack of back-checking, his resistance of using the body, and his sloppy skating.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not like all the other Naslund bashers. I’ve supported this talented hockey player for years, and he’s always been my favourite NHLer. I’ve always had faith in him that he would return to his old self and dominate the ice, and find his most-feared wristshot. But that’s why it hurts even more for me.

Naslund himself knows that he’s not at his best. He’s not even close to his best.

His post-game speeches are ridiculous and cliched, his comments are not heart-felt, and his actions on the ice is as bland as Greg Millen’s quips. It’s like Naslund doesn’t even care.

The numbers this Swedish native puts up is decent, but not appropriate at his calibre. The money he’s getting paid is not comparable to the product he’s showcasing. It’s apparent he’s struggling, and it’s not helping with the constant changing of linemates, but when did excuses factor into performance? 

It’s probably wrong of me to still assume that Naslund can lead this team to a Stanley Cup, but if something, or someone, lights a fire under him, this man still has the ability to humiliate the opponent. All the talk shows are calling for Naslund’s head, but I’m still waiting for him to shut all his critics up. But it just doesn’t seem likely with what we’re seeing lately.

How do you fix Naslund? How to you instill life into an emotionally-dead hockey player? How to you help the captain regain his old form and lead his team night-in and night-out?

The respect for this forward is slowly diminishing from the faithfuls at G.M. Place. Or at least it’s much less then that he recieved as he came out on crutches prior to an L.A. Kings game seven years ago with the whole arena giving him a long, thunderous ovation. That was the Naslund we loved. Not this ineffective, invisible, non-scoring buzz kill. 

It’s time for Naslund to step it up, and hopefully he can regain the ol’ Nazzy form in time to lead us to the promised land.  

Please Naslund, just start playing with some heart. Is that too much to ask?

No More Trading for Scraps

Martin Rucinsky, Geoff Sanderson, Brian Smolinksi, Marc Bergevin, and the list goes on.

Do these names sound familiar?

Those are some of the players Vancouver has acquired during the past few years on deadline day in order to see them flop come playoff time. It’s getting tiresome and repetitive. 

Dave Nonis and the Canucks need a different approach this year.

Trading for underachievers is not going to bump this team further into the playoffs, because what they really need – and this is no secret – is a top six forward. Names like Peter Forsberg, Marian Hossa, and Mats Sundin have been thrown around the rumour mill nonstop, but my preference for Vancouver’s case would probably be Florida Panthers’ Olli Jokinen.

Don’t get me wrong, I would love to have Forsberg on this team, as well as Hossa or Sundin, but Jokinen would fit perfectly fine as a Canuck.

If I’m not mistaken, Jokinen currently holds the streak of longest non-appearance in a playoff contest, and with a team like the Panthers, it’s no surprise. He’s basically in the same boat as Luongo was a couple years ago. This mohawk-dawning Finn would be a great motivated centre to play alongside Markus Naslund, potentially forming a very dangerous second line. This would give Vancouver the much needed one-two punch. Jokinen is big, he’s talented, and he’s underrated.

There has been so much talk of getting a player to jump-start Naslund, and there is no one on the current squad who has the ability to do so. Naslund needs a linemate to make room for him, a big body like Bertuzzi if you will, and that’s what Nonis needs to focus on.

The problem though is that there is a very small opportunity to make a big splash in the trading market.

Everyone, except probably L.A., is buying because every team still has a legitimate chance at making the playoffs. The assets Vancouver might be willing to let go would be guys like Matt Cooke and the pluggers. Everyone would love to see us get a superstar in return for Isbister, Cowan and futures, but that is not realistic.

Prospects like Luc Bourdon is a very tempting bait to dangle in front of the other general managers but he’s not enough. With our poor drafting – an example would be Vancouver taking Patrick White over David Perron this past year – Nonis would probably not hesitate to swing a deal involving our first rounder. Especially if the returning package was not a rental player, but a superstar willing to stick with the team for a few years.

Sami Salo and Mattias Ohlund also has their names mentioned because of the soon returning Kevin Bieksa; as well, many teams are looking for blue-liners of their calibre.

Of course, there is always still the free agent route with Forsberg, and most recently Fabian Brunnstrom. Who? Fan in Van has more on the Swedish prospect. However, Brunnstrom probably won’t be signed until after the season.

Ryan Kesler’s name has also been thrown around the table. It would be absolutely ridiculous to trade away a future star like Kesler, since Stanley Cup winning teams always need an excellent checker to man their shutdown line. A few examples would be Anaheim’s Samuel Pahlsson and Detroit’s Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby. Kesler and Alex Burrows is exactly that type of player, and with a possible addition on the line – like Morrison – who might be able to pot in a few more goals, then they will be crucial for future success.

Vancouver does not have many options to go the other way, especially if they don’t want to give up their future. Who would you want to see get traded? 

It’s less then a month until the deadline, and Nonis will have a busy time ahead of him. He knows what he needs to get done, and in order for Vancouver to win, a top six forward must come to this team.

Please no more failures and flops. We have one more hole to fill, and the greatest opportunity to win it all is now.

Rick Nash, How D’ya Do?

If you missed it, last night showcased a potential winner for the NHL Goal of the Year. Yes, if the season ended now, I would choose that goal, no questions asked.

Columbus Blue Jacket’s Rick Nash not only capped off a three-point night with this incredible tally, but he also scored it with 21.5 seconds left in the game to give his team a 4-3 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes. Asides from maybe some Jonathan Toews’ early season beauties, there is no competition when it comes to Nash’s sick-yet-skin-tingling goal.

He managed to get a lead pass up the ice, putting himself in a one on two situation against Coyotes’ defencemen Keith Ballard and Derek Morris. With insanely-fast dekes, he managed to go around one, then both, of these blueliners. Then he kicks the puck across the crease, to his stick, where he completely leaves goaltender Mikael Tellqvist in no-man’s land, and puts it into the open net.

Okay, writing about it doesn’t give it any justice, you have to watch it.

Wow, just wow. 

Forsberg Belongs In Vancouver

Okay, before I start explaining my bold claim, the question of ‘why Peter Forsberg’ comes to the mind of some readers I’m sure.

My question is, why not Forsberg? Especially come playoff time, Foppa should be the weapon of choice.

The injury-proned Swede has 154 points in 133 playoff games, putting him in the top 25 all-time playoff points leader board. Also, only one player above him in the rankings have played less games, and that would be Brett Hull.

Vancouver would be a great destination for Forsberg. The Canucks need him, and he needs a cup contending team.

With childhood friend Markus Naslund already on the roster and a handful of familiar Swedes on the squad, Vancouver makes for an appealing location. The Ornskoldsvik native has come out and stated that he wants to play on a team worthy of capturing the Stanley Cup.

A few cities he publicly suggested were Colorado, Nashville, and Philadelphia. One of those squads are currently not in the top eight of their conference, while the other two, Avalanche and Flyers, are on the brink of the playoff separation line.

Vancouver has one of the best goaltenders in the NHL, and one of the deepest defensive corp in the league. Forsberg would provide a much needed offensive punch to the Canucks’ attacking force, hence solidify the overall eliteness of the team.

Reports are saying that Forsberg is skating again after his injury earlier this season, while playing overseas. And so rumours are circulating again as to where this high-priced sniper will land.

Originally, Vancouver would not have been able to afford Forsberg at the price tag he demands, but that is very different now.

Without spending to the cap limit, the Canucks have saved $2.021 million and can use that amount for the remaining season. Also, the injuries to Brendan Morrison, Jeff Cowan, and Kevin Bieksa have freed up even more space on the salary spreadsheet.

Morrison makes $3.2 million this year, but since he’ll be out for around half of the season, that means the Canucks can use $1.6 million of his saved contract. Whenever a player is placed on IR, a team can claim that money and not apply it to the cap hit. Same goes for Cowan and Bieksa, even though they are only making $725,000 and $525,000 respectively. Vancouver probably saves around $500,000 on those two combined.

That’s around $2 million extra due to long-term injuries and players being placed on the injured reserve list.

Add that to the orginal $2 million free cap space and GM Dave Nonis has around $4 million to work with for the remainder of the year. That means he can use it all up by signing Forsberg to, let’s say, an $8 million per year contract. Since the season is halfway done, Vancouver will only have to pay him $4 million. Not to mention Nonis will probably consider trading away players to free up room on the roster, and some extra cash on the cap.

If Forsberg signs for $6 million, then the Canucks will pay him $3 million, leaving another million for more depth acquistions. You get the idea. And all that without having to give up something valuable off the roster.

Vancouver needs a top six forward. Forsberg needs a cup-winning capable team.

It’s a match made in hockey heaven. Right? 

Hawks and Heat to Replay 51.9 Seconds

What? Is this a joke?

The NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat must replay the final 51.9 seconds of last month’s game after the league ruled that the official scorer gave Shaquille O’Neal one foul too many, resulting in him being fouled out.

This means that the 117-111 win in overtime by the Hawks on December 19 is crossed out from the record books and the final seconds of that game will be replayed.

Yes, you heard right.

Before their next meeting on March 8, these two teams will play starting at the time where O’Neal previously received the disputed sixth foul. 

Here’s what happened, according to a TSN article:

The Hawks were leading 112-111 in overtime when O’Neal was called for a foul. The scoring table personnel, who are provided by the home team, ruled it was the Miami centre’s sixth foul, when actually it was only his fifth. 

 

According to the league, the mistake stemmed from a foul with 3:24 remaining in the fourth quarter that was called on Udonis Haslem, but was mistakenly credited to O’Neal at the scoring table.

 

David Stern ruled the Hawks “failed to follow league-mandated scoring procedures and failed to respond effectively when the members of the statisticians’ crew noticed the mistake,” the NBA said in a statement.

 

“Because of this conduct by Atlanta’s personnel, Miami suffered a clear competitive disadvantage, as O’Neal – the Heat’s second-leading scorer and rebounder that night – was removed from a one-point game with only 51.9 seconds remaining.”

 

Now, they’ll have to do it over again. The NBA decided to let Horford’s free throws stand, meaning it will be Miami’s ball, with the Hawks up by three.

 

On the NBA’s official website, those final 51 seconds have already been wiped from the books. The Dec. 19 schedule shows 12 games as finals, but the one in Atlanta is still in progress. The box score and play-by-play are on hold, ending at the time of Horford’s free throws.  

This is absolutely absurd.

First off, it’s not like this was a playoff game, and secondly, mistakes happen in sports. If only we could take back so many instances where the ruling went wrong.

The NBA should not be doing this whatsoever, because then what happens everytime a wrong call is made by an official or a timekeeper? They can’t review it and play it out again.

The Hawks also were fined $50,000, because commissioner David Stern ruled that the team was “grossly negligent” in failing to address the mistake.  

It gets even more ridiculous because timekeepers make mistakes as well as athletes. Why isn’t Shaq fined for not keeping track of his own fouls? Give me a break. Games should not be allowed to be redone because, as unfair as maybe some instances are, it’s part of sports in general. If we can have do-overs in life, then history would be very different.

They cannot rebuild the whole scenario again, so they should not even touch it. Disciplinary action and warnings is okay, but to change the past result is a big no-no. Are they going to get the exact same crowd and atmosphere? Are they going to regain the same fatigue these players were experiencing at the time? Are they going to have the exact same lineups, especially if one of these teams make a trade?

This extra 51.9 seconds of play that these two teams will have to replay is a waste of time, and ultimately, an insult to the world of sports. And now, Stern and his NBA will add another page to the book of sporting disgrace.

So next time Dallas and Buffalo meets in NHL action, we’ll take off from when Brett Hull had his skates in the crease, okay? 

Quick Fact of the Day

There would have been no NHL in New York if it wasn’t for one man.

His name is Howie Morenz.

The Babe Ruth of hockey was one of the greatest players of his time and he deserves way more recognition then he currently receives. King Clancy, who played against Morenz, once said this about him.

“Morenz was the greatest I ever saw. He was as fast as a bullet and had a shot to match. He could stop on a dime and give you five cents change. The first time I played against him he sifted right through the Ottawa defense and scored. I said to him, ‘Kid, you do that again and I’ll cut your legs off.’ He said to me, ‘Clancy, I’ll be right back.’ Seconds later, there he was again, cutting right between my partner and me and scoring again. I couldn’t believe the little bugger could move that fast.” (Brian McFarlane)

The story of New York accepting hockey happened in the twenties when the Big Apple was North America’s sporting capital. However, neither hockey nor its biggest stars had any part to do with that recognition.

Madison Square Garden was being built at the time by promoter Tex Rickard, who had no reason to install machinery for making artificial ice. Then along came entrepreneur and hockey fanatic Tom Duggan. Duggan knew that having an NHL franchise in New York would do wonders for success of hockey in the States, but he had to convince Rickard that.

Duggan persuaded Rickard to go with him to Montreal, where Morenz was playing. Rickard, who was accompanied by famous columnist Damon Runyon, made the trip to Canada and both of them were thrilled by the showing Morenz and his Canadiens put forth.

Rickard quickly returned to New York and ordered his architects to add an ice-making facility to the new arena.

When the New York Americans made their NHL debut at the new Madison Square Garden in 1925, they hosted none other then the Montreal Canadiens. The home team, decked out in their star-spangled jerseys, and its fans were overwhelmed by the speed and finesse of these hockey players, most notably the superstar Howie Morenz.

If Morenz was not as equally spectacular a few months earlier when Rickard and Runyon came to watch him play, then it would have been a game that might never have happened in New York.

Capital Money Makes NHL History

It’s the continuation of a common trend and the beginning of a failure.

The trend being long multi-year contracts spanning over 10 years and the failure being Gary Bettman’s aim to prevent such contracts.

Much like many other things Bettman has set his ignorant fingers upon, the NHL salary cap is crumpling right before his eyes. How so?  

Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals agreed today to a 13-year deal worth $124 million, hence signing the biggest contract in NHL history. Ovechkin, who negotiated the contract himself, will be paid $9 million per year for the first six years, and $10 million per for the next seven.

“I’m a risk-taker,” Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said. “And if you’re going to make a long-term investment, who else would you do it with?”

I totally agree with his point of view, but is Leonsis – who is probably one of the fan-friendliest owners in NHL history – going overboard with this contract? Of course locking up Ovechkin is a given, but how does signing a player worth one-fifth of your team’s salary help the other areas of the squad?

The whole purpose of the salary cap was to allow an even field for every team to compete, but owners and general managers have found ways to challenge the restrictions by committing to lengthy contracts. They are banking on the fact that although, the player might be overpaid now, they might be worth it and even “underpaid” ten years from now.

As seen with the recent signings of players like Rick DiPietro and Mike Richards, years are starting to pile up, along with the price. Teams are only going to follow in the footsteps of these major deals and the result is the raising of salaries, which just might pressure the NHL in raising the cap.

A big mistake this off season by the NHL was to up the salary cap ceiling to $50 million, from the previous $44 million right away, as opposed to doing it over the years. The sudden surge sparked richer contracts that reflected pre-lockout days. It defeats the purpose.

Having Ovechkin on Washington is great for the franchise, but a team is never a one-man show. The Capitals can’t afford to provide support for AO with $40 million left to sign 21 other players. Unless they hope to get some steals in the free agent market, there is no way that Ovechkin is the only answer.

Hopefully, Ovechkin enjoys not playing in the playoffs, or even fighting for a spot come January, every season. 

Also, this contract starts a debate of whether or not Ovechkin is worth more then Sidney Crosby. But that’s a whole other article in itself.

Bettman, who obviously is not well liked by this writer, did not well think out the long term strategy of the league. Many will ask now, what’s the harm of signing Ovechkin to 13 years? But it’s not just Ovechkin and the Capitals. It’s the whole trend and process. Guys like Ryan Smyth, who signed a five year $31.2 million contract, is not going to be worth $6-million four years from now.

If Mike Richards flops, then the Flyers are stuck paying him around $6 million for another 12 years.

Bettman is making more money for himself, or the league so he claims, with the salary cap but he does not care about the overall health of these contracts or the NHL. I highly doubt the cap level will be rising every year, and with the audience interest lowering, the possibility of lowering the limit is very likely. Then what? Teams can’t just rework contracts. 

When the NHL starts losing money again, it’s teams with these long term deals that will get screwed.   

What that means is that we’re going to start seeing players aim for long-term deals now, and it’s a crapshoot whether they’ll live up to their amount a decade from now. The money that the owners are willing to dish out is even more amazing then that five years ago. So basically, we were prevented from watching hockey for a season only to repeat the reason as to why the league shut down?

Contracts are at all time highs now, and it’s going to keep rising. Unless of course, the NHL does something about it, but we all know what happens when responsibility is placed upon the governing body. 

All in all, don’t be surprised to hear that the Maple Leafs lock up Wade Belak for another eleven years, maybe then he’ll be able to get his next goal.

All-Star Bust

It’s an opportunity for fans across the hockey map to witness their favourite stars all compete in the same game, so how come it means nothing to many?

The All-Star game is a classic, a tradition as some might call it, but over the years, it’s value has been deteriorating. Whether it be the lack of excitement generated by the league around this contest or the boring, non-purpose actions by both teams, this annual event just doesn’t have anymore pizzazz. 

The inresult? Well, a lack of interest by players voted or chosen to play in this game.

Case and point came Wednesday when Vancouver Canucks’ goaltender Roberto Luongo decided to withdraw from the match in order to rest up and spend time with his wife, who is expecting a child in April. Good for Luongo for realizing what a waste of his time it would be to attend, even if fans did vote him in. There was no life or death need for Luongo to be at the event held in Atlanta because the game serves no purpose. 

If the NHL decides to go the Major League Baseball route and use the All-Star game to decide the host team in the Stanley Cup finals, then maybe there might be more hype and participation from its players.

Not only that, but it just might draw more viewers since the game will actually bring out competition from both sides.

Gary Bettman and friends have swung and miss so many times on issues since his reign in the league that simple tasks – such as attracting audiences to watch the All-Star game – seems so difficult for his unintelligent brain. With an already failed promise of higher scoring this season, it won’t be a surprise to see the late January exhibition match end in a 3-2 result.

Previous experiments and tinkerings with the classic have left fans groaning at the mere mention of this match. The changes of formats only added confusion, while the dreaded camera-moving-ontop-of-the-glass was a bust. 

Get it right, NHL, or else more players won’t hesitate to politely drop out of the meaningless tilt. Make it worth something, make it exciting, make it so the players actually compete to win.

It’s pretty sad to think that the most interest generated for this game in the past few years was Rorygate. Yes, and that was all due to fan involvement, when they decided to make the NHL the brunt of their joke by nearly voting in Rory Fitzpatrick. (Note: Fitzpatrick finished third in fan online selection, behind Neidermayer and Pronger, who both did not play in the All-Star game due to injury.)

Fans are getting sick and tired of watching a non-contact, ballet-reflecting game of shinny, when the possibility of Sidney Crosby making a spectacular pass to Alex Ovechkin, who dangles around Chris Pronger before getting drilled by Dion Phaneuf, is not so far-fetched. How about a drive to the net by Joe Thornton, where he gets pushed into Martin Brodeur by Zdeno Chara, only to have Jarome Iginla follow up to jam in the rebound. Dreams like this can come true, if only the NHL head office decides to stop tip-toeing around changes that would make the game better.

Give the All-Star game a purpose. And maybe the fans will give the NHL some respect during that long weekend.

Rematch Headlines Canada’s Journey

Canada is going for gold, again.

The difference, however, is the storyline behind this WJHC journey. Team Canada defeated the unbeaten Americans today 4-1 in the semi-finals and will face the Swedes in the gold medal match tomorrow.

Still with last year’s shootout battle fresh in their minds, both teams stepped on the ice with something to prove. U.S.A needed to show that their 4-0 record so far was for real, while Canada needed to step up their offense and solidify their tournament dominance. 

Although the match was not as thrilling as last year, it still had its moments. 

Even after an early onslaught by the Americans, goaltender Steve Mason and his teammates managed to keep the score tied at zero after one. That’s when Canada turned on their game.

First Shawn Matthias opened the scoring in the second with a strong drive, then Karl Alzner blasted a powerplay slapper past U.S.A. goaltender Jeremy Smith. Canada was up 2-0 heading into the third, and looking like the better team. But unlike the Sweden round robin game, the Canadians did not sit back.

Instead, they added two goals in 20 seconds with tallies from Colton Gillies and Brad Marchand, putting the Americans down 4-0. Not only did the third period quick strike shatter any hopes for U.S.A. to come back, it also prompted the singing of ‘Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye’ from the one-sided Canadian crowd. 

A late goal by the Americans did nothing as the nation north of the border moved one step closer to their goal, or as Stefan Legein says it, “One more, baby.” 

Canada passed another test today but their next one will be even tougher. That’s because they are somewhat familiar with their upcoming opponents, Sweden. 

This is not just another final game for these two teams, especially after their last meeting.

Canada will be looking for revenge, while Sweden will be backing up their round robin victory over the defending champions. The Swedes won 4-3, ending the 20 game winning streak of Canada and giving the team a fright they have rarely experienced in the past four years.

The upset will be on Team Canada’s mind, as this time, more will be on the line. Sweden has been dominant all tournament, but Canada will not be looking to lose again.

Sweden looked vulnerable with their slow start against Russia in the other semi-final, but managed to score the overtime tally for a 2-1 win. Robin Figren, Mikael Backlund and Patrik Berglund will lead the Swede attack, one that has the possibility to dismantle the Canadian defense.

Canada must focus on playing a team game, and not letting up. They must learn from their previous mistake of letting up and play strong the whole game. The road this year might be different, but this team is still in the same position. 

Gold is on the line, and the team with the most heart will come out champions, with the sweet sounds of their nation’s anthem playing in the background and their country’s flag rising to the rafters. Who wants it more?