Friday, July 25, 2008

A Quick Note

According to a book I'm working on for my boss, the woman in this video will be named the Philadelphia Flyers' "most inspirational performer."

Take a look:



Yes, it's Kate Smith, that woman who used to sing at the Spectrum before big Flyers games.

Apparently Smith would begin her performances at the Spectrum by saying, "It ain't BEGUN till the fat lady sings!"

Figures that the Flyers' most inspirational performer was an overweight woman.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Mike Milbury's Hiring Only Further Highlights Why He Should Be Banned From Hockey

WARNING: I'm about to go where many hockey writers have gone before. However, my stance on the matter is perhaps more radical...

In a crime against the game of hockey, current hockey analyst Mike Milbury was hired today to join CBC's Hockey Night in Canada crew.


Here are the two main reasons why it's a crying shame that Milbury has been able to hold a lengthy career as a player/general manager/coach, and now, an analyst on the most famous hockey broadcast on the continent.

1) The Shoe Incident.

Many people see Milbury's shoe incident as a classic example of "old time hockey." I see it as one of the reasons hockey is looked down upon in the U.S. As I will surely post about later, excessive fighting may draw in unknowledgeable fans, it severely hurts the credibility of the game.

So, on December 23, 1979, when Milbury climbed into the Madison Square Garden stands to "help" his teammates yet ended up beating a Rangers fan on the leg with his own shoe, that shoud've been the end of his career as we know it. Take a look; it's all in here:



Now, I ask you, how is this any different than the brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills that took place in 2004? That riot has been cited as one of the darkest days in NBA history, yet what sports historians fail to realize (and probably because hockey is often a forgotten sport) is that Milbury's involvement in the "shoe incident" not only rivals the Palace Brawl, it was worse.



What's worse: Ron Artest (granted, he acted in as classless a fashion as one can) knocking heads with a few fans, or a series of players wearing VIRTUAL KNIVES on their feet entering a crowd of rowdy yet basically harmless fans?

If the Milbury incident had happened today (and I can't ever imagine it would), there's no telling what the consequences would be. Gary Bettman would've of course dubbed it a dark day for hockey, and Milbury would likely be looked down upon for a while by NHL executives, much like I'm doing right now in this post.

But the second reason better explains why Milbury shouldn't be an analyst, at least certainly not for CBC.

2) His Moves with the Islanders.

After the "shoe incident" in 1979, Milbury finished his career and had a rather successful coaching tenure in Beantown. The real trouble, and the real nickname began for "Mad Mike" on Long Island as a GM.


I bet all those Isles fans were real pumped about Michael Peca.

It's been noted that one could make an All-Star team out of the guys Milbury has let go. Isles fans know the worst instance of this came on the day of the NHL Draft in 2000, when Milbury traded Roberto Luongo and Olli Jokinen to the Panthers for Oleg Kvasha and Mark Parrish. Just writing about the trade makes me cringe.

And what do Zdeno Chara, Wade Redden, and Raffi Torres all have in common? They weren't good enough to be retained on Milbury's roster. Don't forget Rick Dipietro either - Milbury drafted him first on that big day in 2000 over Dany Heatley and Marian Gaborik.

I think "Mad Mike" is too light. Let's call him "Stupid Mike."

The notion that this guy has any reason to analyze hockey is outrageous. Yes, he played, but beating a fan with his own shoe - and then throwing the shoe onto the ice [see video] mind you - should have hurt Mike's credibility a little more than it did. And yes, he was a coach, and yes he was a GM - but honestly, who the hell trades Luongo and Jokinen for Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha? That kind of thing just doesn't happen.

So, next time YOU watch Hockey Night in Canada, just make sure to research the analyst throwing information at you - he may have shown his true hockey colors at one (or several) points in his illustrious career.

Mike Milbury is the Peter Angelos of the Islanders, and hell, of the whole NHL!

Saturday, July 19, 2008

News and Notes

A few notes on some happenings around the league:

1) The NHL clearly feels threatened by this new Russian league. Personally, I can't imagine that any player actually worth a damn would play in the KHL over the NHL.

Alas, we're on the edge of letting Alexander Radulov slip away. I bet this is more of a pride thing for the NHL than anything.


Courtesy: TSN.ca

I suppose Russia has its appeal for players born overseas. Nevertheless, there's no doubt in my mind that a truly skilled player would opt for the NHL over some "up and coming" league.

Of course, there are plenty of hockey fans in Russia excited at the prospect of seeing high level competitors hit the ice at home. But let's not get ahead of ourselves here. The players going overseas aren't the cream of the crop - in other words, it's not really clear whether or not they want to be there.

Hockey is more than a hobby for these players, it's a job, and it's their life. Just like any other job, players will go whereever the work is, taking the best option thrown at them.

Put it this way: in an interview with TSN, Ray Emery said he's excited about the women in Russia as well as having a bodyguard. But wouldn't Ray rather have stayed in Ottawa (which is a pretty good hockey market too), and don't you think he's annoyed at himself for screwing it up?


Courtesy: USA Today

They'll be no goalie fighting in Russia. Ok, maybe a little.

The point is: the NHL should not be worried. Let those who want play overseas go for it - we don't need those scrubs anyway.

2) The Blackhawks named Jonathan Toews their captain. Maybe now they'll actually start televising games.

Honestly, I don't think a 20-year-old is ready to lead a hockey team. A captain should not necessarily be the best player on the team, but the best leader.

In Pittsburgh, for example, Sidney Crosby and his diving ways are a terrible example, yet he's the team captain.


Courtesy: Daylife.com

What a piece of crap this guy is.

Chicago should've broken conventional ways (any change might help them make the playoffs anyway) and named one of their experienced and aging goaltenders captain.

3) The Islanders still haven't found a coach, but reports say John Tortorella could be in the front running. Tortorella is a feisty coach and could be just the thing the SOFT Isles need.

In fact, just after Ted Nolan got the axe, my boss called Tortorella and told him he wanted him to get the job. Tortorella hadn't heard the news yet - but now it seems that conversation could have foreshadowed the future.

He'd be a better coach than Butch Goring or Paul "No-Success-with-the-Leafs" Maurice.

That's all for now.
-JS

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Ted Nolan, it's been real: Why Nothing Will Change for the Islanders


Courtesy: CBC

So the New York Islanders fired Ted Nolan.

Big deal. Now they can miss the playoffs next season with a new coach.

Right now, the franchise on the Island is in serious trouble. They haven't won a playoff series since 1993, and Clark Gillies retired 20 years ago. But never mind the 90s, or the early 2000s - today's issue is that the Isles simply don't have the personnel available to win hockey games.

This is a team whose marquis free agent signing last summer was Bill Guerin, a 38-year-old forward who posted mediocre numbers at best in his first season as captain. This summer, the Islanders really wanted to fill some holes, so they picked up Mark Streit on defense - not a bad move, but probably not the end-all, be-all when it's said and done. They also locked up the all-too-valuable Brendan Witt for two more years.

If I was a fan of the Islanders, I would have asked (probably too many times by now), "Who the hell is running this team?"

Oh yeah, Garth Snow. And that other guy on the left, Charles Wang. Buncha rough-housers they are!


Courtesy: Ericmcerlain.com

Wish they could put some of that energy into running a hockey team!

We all know how Snow stepped in after Neil Smith was fired, which was in my opinion one of the dumbest moves the team could've made. Snow had no management experience at the time (except for a supposed Masters in Administration and Bachelor's in Business Administration from Maine), and now that he does, all he has to show for it is a pathetic team who didn't even come close to making the playoffs last season.

Yes, in Snow's first season as GM the Isles did make the playoffs (and JUST barely), and yes, Snow was named NHL Executive of the Year by Sports Illustrated. But let's take a step back here, shall we? The Islanders were never that good in 2006-07. They managed the 8th spot and got to play a few more games in the first round, and then they took their positions on the golf course.

For that, Ted Nolan deserves a little credit; for last season, he also deserves credit - the bad kind.

I think the Isles showed us just how solid of a team they really were in 2007-08.

Many forget that the team was quite involved in the Eastern Conference playoff race for much of the season, and then, maybe because of injuries, and maybe because they just weren't very good, the organization imploded. Ted Nolan is certainly to blame in part for this, and that's why Garth Snow did the right thing in firing him (although the reasons for the firing were listed as "philisophical differences").

Now, all Owner Charles Wang has to do is fire Garth Snow. Snow can try and build the team around a core of young players, but if that happens, the club won't be competitive for many years to come. Snow should bring in a few older (mind you, not Rangers old), wiser players who know what's going on. A mix of veterans and young players always does the trick, and right now, Isles fans only have guys like Blake Comeau and Kyle Okposo on which to rely.

So, Snow should go. I really don't think he knows what he's doing.

And after that, someone should fire Charles Wang (if that's even possible), because he REALLY doesn't know what he's doing. This is an owner who once suggested that SUMO WRESTLERS play goal for the team. Not a bad idea, if you have no respect for/don't understand hockey.

Until the Islanders somehow find a way to lure in guys to play on the Island, they won't win a playoff series or make it to the playoffs. Hate to say it, Isles fans, but Richard Park, Trent Hunter, and Mike Comrie (at least as long as Hilary Duff is around) just aren't going to cut it as team leaders.


Courtesy: Canada.com

"Rebuilding" is never fun, and when it works, it's great - but it's a true gamble. It seems to have worked for the Capitals, but it's anyone's guess as to whether or not it will play out in favor of the Islanders.

Right now, the answer is painfully simple - The Islanders must rework the entire plan, because whatever they currently have just isn't flyin'.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Free Agency Grades - A Bit Late

These are definitely a bit late, but I wanted to get it up anyway.

If you're a hockey fan, you know that on July 1, the NHL's unrestricted free agents were let loose like Nerds candy at the bottom of a Nerds candy container with a hole in it. Bad analogy? Perhaps, but the fact remains that the free agents were let loose. The bind on the agents that were free was no longer applicable. The -

Here are my grades for the BEST and WORST July 1-and-after actions:

BEST

* NEW YORK RANGERS - B+

Rangers GM Glen Sather certainly had some sort of plan when July 1st came around, the kind of plan that made New York fans cringe - at first. The drama on Seventh Avenue leading up to UFA day revolved around the notion of whether or not Sather would re-sign Sean Avery and Jaromir Jagr. Sean Avery seemed a given - after all, while he was often touted as possibly the most annoying person ever to take the ice, the Rangers won more often than not when this summer's Vogue intern was in the lineup. But, as many bloggers and writers have noted, there's a reason why Avery can't sign with any team for the long haul - he's undoubtedly impossible to deal with. There's a reason why Sean was forced to take a deal in Dallas, of all places. Sather knew what went on in the locker room, as well as on and off the ice. As much as it seems strange to say this, the Rangers may be better off without Sean Avery.

Jagr is a different story. Nobody has the strength that this guy has shown during his NHL career. Watching an opponent try to take the puck off Jags was often a lost cause, and the Rangers will miss that. But, like Avery, Jagr probably didn't want to wind up in Russia and end his NHL career as he did. As I mentioned earlier, Sather had a plan, and carried it out.

First, Sather improved the Rangers on D by inking Wade Redden who, while 31, likely still has another five, maybe even six years left in him. The Rangers hope he has at least six, because that's how long the contract is for.

Then, Glen dished out the big bucks for Markus Naslund. Now, I'm a fan of this move because Naslund still has another 20-30 goal season left in him. The downside is that he'll turn 35 by the end of this month, making it official that Broadway is the place where NHLers go to die. However, Rangers fans should look at it this way - Naslund will replace Jagr as the team's token European forward, and probably offer more offensive productivity than would Number 68 at this point in his career.

But the greatest move Glen Sather made this offseason: THE BLOCKBUSTER trade of the summer with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Having some room to move players around on D with the signing of Redden, Sather traded defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman to the Jackets for forwards Dan Fritsche and Nikolai Zherdev. I bolded the last guy's name because you can expect to see it a lot more, especially now that he's out the hockey hotbed of Columbus. This kid is a hidden gem. He scored 26 goals and 35 assists - 61 points - last season, beating out supposed star Chris Drury's 25 goals and 33 assists - 58 points.

Looking at the video, it's obvious that Zherdev is an Ovechkin-type player, and will be a star on Broadway. I'm going to say that this could be the best move Sather has ever made - you heard it here first:



Probably the only truly questionable move (thus the B+ rating) Sather made was re-signing Michal Roszival for far too much cash.

* CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS - B

Chicago all but ensured they will make the playoffs next season with two key signings this off-season. On the same day, the Hawks locked up the ever-sought-after defenseman Brian Campbell for eight years and goaltender Cristobal Huet (stolen from the Capitals) for four years.

The only downsides?

Campbell is 29 - and the contract was for approximately $7 million per season. Campbell is a strong backliner, yes, but doesn't that seem a bit pricy for a guy who career high for assists is 42? (Note: I know this gets into all sorts of cap issues, which I won't go into).

Additionally, with Nikolai Khabibulin as the top dog for the Hawks, Huet's entrance in Chicago almost creates a goalie controversy all by itself. Neither netminder is a "young star," persay; Huet will turn 33 in September while 'Bulin is 35. However, both are solid and will provide much comfort if the other goes down with an injury.

The point is, the Hawks have lined themselves up to make the post-season and finally remind their fans that there is indeed a pro hockey team in Chicago - an Original Six one at that. And for phenoms like Jonathan Toews (whose name pronounciation I just can't seem to get right) and Patrick Kane, that's a VERY good thing.

WORST - AND NOW FOR THE EASY PART

* TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS - D

Yes, it does give me pleasure to report that the Maple Leafs have royally screwed up a franchise that's already screwed up. Let me just pull out the old notes here in the vault to report what the Leafs did on day one...oh, here it is!

Toronto GM Cliff Fletcher started out by signing 41-year-old goalie Curtis Joseph to a one year deal. Not really sure where Cliff was going with that one. What about Toskala? But let's not dwell, there are more important things to report.

Like Jeff Finger. Who? Jeff Finger. Who? JEFF FINGER! No, seriously, I have no idea who that is.

I've had this conversation with myself over and over, but I still can't seem to figure out who Jeff Finger is. Wait, I did find a few things:

1) NHL.com does not have a photo of Jeff Finger. Most - I should say virtually all - NHL players have their picture on NHL.com. He must be a new guy or something.

2) Jeff Finger has played in 94 total NHL games with the Colorado Avalanche, registering 9 goals, 15 assists and 51 penalty minutes.

3) On July 1, 2008, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Jeff Finger to a 4-year contract worth $3.5 million per season.

Do items 2 and 3 not match up? Still wondering who Jeff Finger is? The world will soon find out. At that much money (see item 3), Leafs fans better pray he's the savior they've been waiting for, now that Mr. Prince Mats Sundin is taking his sweet little time deciding his future.

What saved Cliff Fletcher and the Leafs from an F? They managed to sign Dominic Moore for a season.

* VANCOUVER CANUCKS - C-

It's the new fad in the NHL to say Canucks GM Mike Gillis' hasn't done enough this post-season, and I certainly wouldn't want to see uncool. Gillis is the new guy in town, but when you're the GM in such a great hockey market as Vancouver, even if you're a newbie, there's little room for error.

He's watched as Naslund walked across the entire continent and as Brendan Morrison shipped himself down the coast to Anaheim. All Gillis has to show for himself and for a team that took a nose dive at the end of last season and missed the playoffs is Steve Bernier and Mark Cullen - oh, and a few other guys whose names don't light up when you hear them.

Now, it seems Gillis wants Mats Sundin. The Canucks GM offered the 37-year-old Swede $10 per year for two years. Hey, I'll give Gillis a little credit - that's a lot of money, but he certainly hasn't spent it on anyone else. And the fact remains that while Sundin seems ancient at this point, the guy can still score goals and create offense in general.

It's my take, however, that because Sundin is making us all wait on him for lord-knows-how-long, Mats will remain with the Leafs when it's all said and done.

* OTTAWA SENATORS - C-

The Senators front office oughta be ashamed. With the way they finished last season - going from first to seventh and getting swept by the Penguins - you would have expected GM Bryan Murray to make some key changes this offseason.

OK, he got rid of Ray Emery. Whoop-dee-freaking-doo. He's in Russia now like the rest of the rejects.

All Murray has to show for the Sens is the loss of Wade Redden, the signing of an underrated backup (or maybe even starter) in Alex Auld, and Jarkko Ruutu, a world class jerk on the ice.

Oh, and did I mention Jason Smith? What a loss for the Flyers - a 34-year old d-man for 2 and a half million per year? No way!

HONORABLE MENTIONS

BEST - Washington Capitals - The Caps managed to re-sign almost all of last season's roster, with the exception of their goaltender. Still, even with the loss of Huet, GM George McPhee was able to go out and get Jose Theodore who, while he isn't great, won't be bad enough to severely hurt the club. The Caps could go at least as far as the second round of the playoffs this season, which would be a large step for a franchise relatively recently in shambles.

-Tampa Bay Lightning - The new owners in Tampa didn't waste any time taking this team in a new direction. The master of the mullet, Barry Melrose, was a great choice for a new head coach. The re-signing of Vinny Lecavalier for the long term didn't hurt either. Additionally, Olie Kolzig, now a traitor his longtime club the Washington Capitals, was a fine option for a backup goalie.

WORST - Calgary Flames - Anyone who feels like signing Todd Bertuzzi doesn't get my vote.

Thanks for reading this far.

-JS

PS: Stay tuned for tomorrow's post on the firing of Ted Nolan - I've got my own little views on that issue.

Welcome, all fans of the greatest game in the world

"This game is slippery. It's played on ice." -Emile Francis

In case you were wondering, that's how I came up with the title of this blog. A quote from the famous Rangers coach of the 1970s, Emile Francis. However, he wasn't that great, seeing as how the Blueshirts wouldn't win a Stanley Cup until 1994, the year I turned 6 - so it's not like Francis was someone of my generation anyway. Nice quote, though.

Allow me to introduce myself (in a very non-descriptive manner).

I am currently a student at a mid-size university. Growing up, I was always a more devoted hockey fan than all my friends. And I'm not just saying that because none of my friends liked or cared about hockey. I played on teams from the time I was 10 years old until I graduated high school. Later, I had a brief stint covering my college team.

This summer, I've had the glorious and bizarre opportunity to work with Stan Fischler. When I tell hockey fans this bit of info, they either stare blankly or exclaim, "WOW!" - and the latter is very rare, which is unfortunate. Fischler has written close to 100 books on the sport - everything from a manuscript on the first years of the New Jersey Devils to an anthology of the best Philadelphia Flyers through 2002 - and continues to work today as an analyst for Madison Square Garden Network and as a writer of his weekly newsletter, entitled The Fischler Report.

What I'm getting at is that while working for Stan, I've had (so far) the opportunities to interview the likes of Barry Melrose, Paul Holmgren, and Scott Howson (he's the Blue Jackets GM - and you should've known it too.)

What I'm really getting at is my hockey resume - this is it. I've watched, followed, eaten and breathed the sport for the last 20 odd years. No, I didn't work in the Phoenix Coyotes PR department. No, I've never had lunch with Gordie Howe. No, I never played on a line with Adam Graves.

Mainly, I'm a fan of the game who wants to get his thoughts out and see what people think. On this blog, I'll be covering and analyzing any action I feel needs to be addressed. It won't be the next Kukla's Korner or anything like that, but it will hopefully be a forum for some interesting discussion.

Oh, and if you don't like what I have to say, please let your voice be heard!

Stay tuned for my very first post on 2008 free agency.