Rink Rage

Head-Scratching Votes

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:51:00 +0000

from James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail,

GM of the Year Toronto Maple Leafs GM Dave Nonis received two second place votes (the potential difference between Murray winning over Shero) despite making few significant roster changes from the lineup he inherited upon taking over right before the season started.

Even more curious, Greg Sherman, GM of the last place team in the West, picked up a third-place vote for helping steer his team into the basement.

Vezina Trophy (top goaltender) Ray Emery (only 19 starts) received a first-place vote – putting him ahead of Bobrovsky, Henrik Lundqvist and everyone else. Jonas Hiller (who lost his starting job for long stretches to Viktor Fasth) received a second-place vote, and Carey Price and Niklas Backstrom both got third-place votes despite well below average save percentages (.905 and .909).

Hart Trophy (league MVP) Alex Ovechkin beat out Sidney Crosby by only 32 points in one of the closest votes in history, meaning another half dozen votes one way or the other could have meant for a different winner.

Some of those went to what are decidedly complementary players – Chris Kunitz (five points) and Pascal Dupuis (one point) – or those having off seasons like Evgeni Nabokov (five points), Backstrom and Price (three each).

Anyone, anywhere, would be hard pressed to argue any of those five were among the top five most valuable players in the league this season.

Report- New Jersey Devils Still In A Financial Mess

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:26:00 +0000

from Josh Kosman of the NY Post,

The New Jersey Devils are again skating on very thin financial ice, The Post has learned.

The team’s cash-strapped owner, less than six months after restructuring its debt, has missed an interest payment and now risks defaulting on its new loan, a source with direct knowledge of the situation said.

The latest financial blow-up at Devils Arena Entertainment — a missed interest payment in April of nearly $3 million — has surprised those close to the once-proud NHL franchise.

“How can you do a restructuring Dec. 31 and default in April?” the source said. “It’s astounding.”

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The Exhausting Playoff Schedule

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 01:44:00 +0000

from Jack Todd at the Montreal Gazette,

Even without a lockout, last year’s six-game final ended on June 11. Go back to 1956, when the Canadiens beat the Red Wings in five games, the final game was played at the Forum on April 10. They had endured a grand total of 10 playoff games to win the Cup after a 70-game season.

The effect, especially with the number of lengthy overtimes in today’s game, accounts for the way Chara and Toews and every other player who is still in this looks at this point. It’s almost a crime that either team has to lose (although local Boston-haters won’t see it that way) after giving so much to get this far.

There will be consequences. One of the safer bets you can make is that neither Chicago nor Boston will be back in the final next spring. The way the league is today, Claude Julien’s Bruins have accomplished a remarkable feat simply by getting this far twice in three years.

The schedule is a dynasty-killer. The process is brutal. And the champion, when one team skates around the ice with that elusive Cup, will have survived something the champions in other sports can only imagine.

Bettman Has Talked With Seattle Mayor

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 01:42:00 +0000

via KING5.com,

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn has acknowledged recent discussions with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.

In a statement, McGinn said about two weeks ago a representative of Chris Hansen introduced him to potential investors in an NHL team, who also met with a number of Seattle City Council members.

And McGinn said last week he spoke with NHL Commissioner Bettman.

"Our message to all parties has been the same: We believe we can support an NHL team as a tenant at KeyArena, and as a potential tenant of a new arena, subject to all parties reaching agreement on terms," McGinn said.

McGinn went on to say "As recent news reports indicate, it appears the NHL is taking the new ownership proposal seriously. But we also know from experience that it may be some time before an NHL team is located in Seattle, as the home city for the Phoenix Coyotes is working to keep them. We will keep the public informed as we learn more about the possibility of the NHL in Seattle."

Should Quenneville Push The Emotional Button?

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 21:21:00 +0000

from Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago,

Although he appeared in just 19 regular season games this year and none so far in the postseason, it might be time for Chicago Blackhawks forward Jamal Mayers to make his playoff debut in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals against the Boston Bruins on Monday.

Conventional thinking in the aftermath of the Hawks' 2-1 loss in Game 2 was that Viktor Stalberg might return to the lineup in place of fourth-liner Brandon Bollig....

Mayers is a stabilizing force, a veteran who is beloved in the locker room. It’s a button to push for Quenneville. Teammates will rally around that kind of decision and Mayers can use the adrenaline of the moment to overcome any quickness or speed issues. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a face-off option from the right side, something that line doesn’t possess with Michael Frolik and Marcus Kruger.

Chicago Has Yet To Win A Game 3 This Post-Season

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 19:47:00 +0000

from Chris Stevenson of the Toronto Sun,

Now, they face the task of having to go to Boston and beat the Bruins in Game 3 to avoid falling behind in the Stanley Cup final after dropping a 2-1 overtime decision to them at the United Center on Saturday night, tying the series 1-1.

“All three of those games have been on the road. We feel like we have a team that can battle on the road and play well. We’ve done it for a couple of years,” said Chicago forward Patrick Sharp, who scored the lone Hawks goal. “We know the challenge going into Boston is going to be tough, knowing how well they play in their building. We can’t look at what’s happened in Game 3 up to this point. We know what’s on the line. We have to find a way to play our best game.”

Chicago captain Jonathan Toews had a similar approach.

“It doesn’t matter what game we’re in and what the score is in the series, we try to play like it’s Game 7, no matter what,” he said.

read on

Contract Extension Coming For Paul MacLean

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 16:33:00 +0000

from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun,

Paul MacLean is about to get rewarded for his NHL award.

The Senators coach confirmed Saturday — fresh off winning the Jack Adams as the NHL's coach of the year Friday — he's had discussions about a contract extension with GM Bryan Murray and expects a new deal to be in place soon.

Heading into the final season of his contract, it's believed the two sides have discussed a two-year deal through the 2015-16 season. MacLean isn't the least bit concerned about getting something done, but is happy to have the talks and believes they'll be fruitful.

"I think that'll be something that will get done in short order," said MacLean when asked about a new deal.

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Boston Finds Their Game Just In Time

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 16:31:00 +0000

from Bruce Arthur of the National Post,

In a game that could have been a formality, Boston won 2-1 in overtime to tie the series 1-1, with Game 3 Monday in Boston.

“If somebody would watch the first period, I would’ve said, ‘Oh, give them the Cup right now,’” said Boston’s Jaromir Jagr. On two overtime games to start the series, Jagr said, “Old people don’t watch it, because you might die just watching.”

It was a near-death experience, all right. The Bruins were out-shot 19-4 in the first period, and one of their shots commuted in from the neutral zone. The Blackhawks attempted 30 shots to Boston’s five. Patrick Sharp scored as a landslide of bodies filled the Bruins crease in a mad scramble midway through the first, and it felt inevitable. Yes, of course they scored. Boston looked helpless. How could they not?

“Maybe thought the game was at a different time, I don’t know,” said Bruins winger Tyler Seguin.

“It looked like they had more guys out there than we did,” said Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask, who made 33 saves. “They were bouncing on every single puck in front of net, had a lot of chances. We definitely played pretty bad.”

read on

Rink Rage Performer of the Night 6/15/13

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 03:58:00 +0000

Goes to Daniel Paille of the Boston Bruins who had the game winning overtime goal in a 2-1 OT win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

The series is tied 1-1.

HNIC Coach's Corner 6/15/13

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 03:55:00 +0000

Do You Want Dan Cleary Back?

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 22:51:00 +0000

from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,

Will Daniel Cleary be back for an encore with the Red Wings?

Talks to that end will heat up in the coming days, about three weeks ahead of July 5, when Cleary can become an unrestricted free agent. The Wings want Cleary back, and Cleary has said he wants to come back, but given the money that gets thrown around every summer once the market opens, Cleary may well opt to look around.

He’s coming off a five-year, $14 million contract, and made a solid case for his value in the playoffs, when he finished second on the team with 10 points, ahead of Pavel Datsyuk.

On top of that, Cleary was the leading scorer in the Blackhawks series, with five points. He’s 34, healthier than he has been in years, and a big body who repeatedly has demonstrated a willingness to go to the hard areas.

All those are reasons why the Wings want him back, of course. They need a big man to provide a net-front presence on each of the top two lines. Justin Abdelkader showed he could be one of them this past season. It’s not a role that Johan Franzen performs well. Todd Bertuzzi is an option, but it’s hard miles on the body, and Bertuzzi is 38 and has a history of back problems.

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Why The Blackhawks Continue To Lose Money

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 21:26:00 +0000

from Danny Ecker of Crain's Chicago,

Even with higher ticket and sponsorship revenues this season, Crain's estimates the Blackhawks annually spend between $10 million and $20 million more than they take in. The balance is made up from other companies under the Wirtz Corp. umbrella, including United Center Joint Venture.

This season's surge to the Stanley Cup Final hasn't made up for missed revenue from a lockout-shortened regular season, when the team continued to pay more than 100 non-player employees, but it has mitigated the pain.

Ticket sales from a dozen home playoff games—especially from the Western Conference Final and Stanley Cup Final, which are far more lucrative than regular-season contests—has poured roughly $15 million into the team's coffers.

Dating back to his father's ownership days, Mr. Wirtz says, the Blackhawks have turned to money from other businesses in the family empire to cover 13 player payroll installments each season. Five years ago, the team could make it through only one pay cycle on its own dime. As recently as last season, they got to late February. Next season, Mr. Wirtz says, they'll aim to reach late March or April.

Weep not for the Hawks owner. The team's losses are covered easily by his other highly successful interests, including Wirtz Beverage Co., which last year had nearly $2 billion in sales and distributes to the United Center, where his Blackhawks are a tenant.

“We're lucky enough to have a strong balance sheet, so we have the ability to bring money in from other businesses,” he says. “But you don't want (the team) to be dependent on some other business to siphon off profits.”

Would You Pay Claude Giroux Over $7M A Year?

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 17:27:00 +0000

from Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer,

Giroux's agent, Pat Brisson, did not respond to phone calls, but he must have smiled when Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin signed an eight-year deal Thursday for $76 million. The deal starts in 2014-15 and carries an average cap hit of $9.5 million.

Giroux doesn't yet have Malkin's pedigree - the Penguins' star has an MVP award and has won two scoring titles - but he is considered one of the NHL's premier players.

If a new deal is consummated, it will undoubtedly make Giroux the Flyers' highest-paid player. Based on the market, he probably will average between $7 million and $8 million per season in a long-term deal.

Coyotes’ Situation Coming To A Conclusion

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:49:00 +0000

from Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic,

Divorces don’t happen overnight. Most times, you can hear them coming.

Loose comments? A chilly change in tone? If you’re a Coyotes fan, you were jolted by both before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Commissioner Gary Bettman said time was running short on the city of Glendale. He said “stuff’s gonna happen” in the next two weeks. He even tossed out the visual of a boarded-up Jobing.com Arena.

Not what you expect from a life partner.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly acknowledged for the first time that the Coyotes might not be playing in Arizona next season. He said the puck was in Glendale’s end, assuming all city-council members actually would catch the metaphor.

It sounded a lot better when we were on the 1-yard line.

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Rink Rage Performer of the Night 6/12/13

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 05:25:00 +0000

Goes to Andrew Shaw of the Chicago Blackhawks who had the game winning overtime goal in a 4-3 3OT victory over the Boston Bruins.

Blackhawks lead 1-0.

HNIC Coach's Corner 6/12/13

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 03:44:00 +0000

Rocky Wirtz Talks Team Finances, Player Retention And Other Topics

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 21:17:00 +0000

from Melissa Isaacson of ESPN Chicago,

While Wirtz said the club still is not turning a profit on its own, "we're closing the gap" and the new salary cap of $64.3 million will not put the Hawks in a similarly precarious position as they were in 2010.

"Since 2010, we've been able to review ticket prices and we're not there yet but after the lockout, we're now 50-50 with the players, so as we grow the sport, we'll grow with the players," he said.

More importantly to fans and to Wirtz, is that this team does not fall off in the postseason as it did in the two seasons following the 2010 championship, when the Hawks lost in consecutive first rounds.

"Take nothing from Carolina, but they were in the Stanley Cup finals [in 2006] and they didn't make it [to the playoffs] for the next [two seasons], so you don't want to have the peaks and valleys," Wirtz said. "That's the one thing Chicago fans will not tolerate is having a very good team and then being lousy the next few years. As long as you're consistently good and put yourself in position to win, the fans will be there for you."

Soon To Be UFA Streit Traded To Philadelphia

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 21:15:00 +0000

from Anthony SanFilippo at the Flyers website,

The Flyers began their offseason re-modeling of the roster by trading for a veteran defenseman Wednesday.

The Flyers shipped a fourth round pick in the 2014 NHL Draft to the New York Islanders for Mark Streit.

Streit, 35, is a pending unrestricted free agent, but the Flyers now own his rights and will have an opportunity to sign him to a new deal before he hits the free agent market July 5 and could sign with any of the 29 other teams in the NHL. He made $4.1 million last season as a member of the Islanders.

“Mark is a player we would have had interest in on July 5th," said Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren. "We now have exclusive negotiating rights and we are hopeful that we can get an agreement in place prior to him becoming an unrestricted free agent.”

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Would Tortorella Be A Fit In Vancouver?

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 18:48:00 +0000

from Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province,

With Tortorella you might get Vigneault 2.0 with a heavy reliance on great goaltending, good defence and a struggle to score goals. The Rangers were 10th in offence and 23rd on the power play during the regular season and a paltry 4-for-44 on the power play in the playoffs. But you also get a snap to attention from a guy who guided the Tampa Bay Lightning to a Stanley Cup championship in 2003-04. That carries cache, even though Torotella rubbed many Rangers the wrong way and you can just imagine how Henrik and Daniel Sedin would react to that approach. They’ll probably call Henrik Lundqvist for a heads-up.

However, this could be another fact-finding mission for both parties. Tortorella knows Ryan Kesler from the Team USA program at the 2010 Olympics, but he’s probably anxious to learn how Gillis plans to make his club better while already being at the salary cap ceiling for next season with seven players to still sign to flush out the roster. Is Gillis going to trade Keith Ballard? Can he move Roberto Luongo? What about Alex Edler? What about employing a more up-tempo approach? What about assistant coaches?

Gillis will be just as curious. Can Tortorella rule with an iron fist and not turn off a veteran core than doesn’t believe it needs somebody to come in and rattle the chains? Would he be a lockerroom presence or allow players to police themselves? Can he handle a hockey-mad market? Can he handle a core of veterans who savour having considerable clout in the room?

HHOF Honors Harry Neale And Jay Greenberg

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 17:15:00 +0000

from CBC,

The Hockey Hall of Fame announced on Tuesday that longtime Hockey Night in Canada colour commentator Harry Neale will be inducted in November as recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award.

The award is given for outstanding contributions made as a hockey broadcaster, named after the first man to gain fame as the voice of Hockey Night in Canada. It is presented by the NHL Broadcasters’ Association.

"Harry has entertained millions of hockey fans in the United States and Canada for close to thirty years," Chuck Kaiton, President of the NHL Broadcasters’ Association, said in a statement. "His unique brand of humour and insight has been memorable. He is extremely worthy of this honour and the NHL Broadcasters' Association applauds him for his great work in all aspects of hockey."...

In addition, it was announced Tuesday that Jay Greenberg will receive the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for excellence in hockey journalism. The award is presented by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association.

Greenberg has been a beat reporter for NHL teams the Philadelphia Flyers and Kansas City Scouts, as well as writing posts for Sports Illustrated, The Hockey News, The Toronto Sun and New York Post. He has written several books, with Gordie Howe’s Son: A Hall of Fame Life in the Shadow of Mr. Hockey, co-authored with Mark Howe and to be published in October.

Barclays Center - A Unique Hockey Venue For The Islanders

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:34:00 +0000

from Kevin Schultz of Islanders Point Blank,

When Barclays was initially being constructed under the design of architect Frank Gehry, the arena considered whether to make it a basketball-only facility or a dual basketball-hockey facility. After Gehry was removed from the job for driving costs higher the arena had to make a decision on how to continue. Given that at the time the Islanders looked like a long shot to head to Brooklyn – this was in 2009 – the arena moved forward with construction as a basketball-only facility. Now that the Islanders have bolted for Brooklyn, the arena is being retrofit for hockey.

The Barclays Center is certainly going to be a unique hockey setup. With an off-center scoreboard and seating issues on one end, the Barclays’ setup for hockey is going to be much different than anything the NHL currently has in use.

With a history that contains four consecutive Stanley Cups, multitudes of miraculous overtime victories, record-length contracts and a former felon owner, the Islanders have been a part of many unique situations before. The Team That Has Always Been Different now has a new, unique looking home to go with their unique name and history. And they should embrace it.

Ranking The Logos

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:33:00 +0000

from Luke Fox of Sportsnet,

In a completely unscientific study to rank the current NHL logos from worst to best, we polled sportsnet.ca readers, fellow staff writers, and a select group of NHL stars for their opinions....

30. Carolina Hurricanes “Obviously ours is the best,” says Hurricanes 20-year-old forward Jeff Skinner, who is obviously biased and obviously too young to realize how lazily the ’Canes logo was designed. “Looks like someone just threw red and black paint against a wall,” says a Sportsnet co-worker who doesn’t know art but knows how to describe the sloppy mess on Skinner’s chest. And to think the NHL traded that glorious Hartford Whalers insignia (*sheds single tear*) for this Weather Channel glitch.

read on

SCF- Great Defense vs. Great Offense

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:45:00 +0000

from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,

So Boston will largely be a mystery to Chicago when the best-of-seven Stanley Cup final opens Wednesday, and Chicago will be equally unfamiliar to Boston.

“I’m sure the rivalry could return instantly come Game 1,” Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville said. “I think it’s good for the league and it’s good for hockey, two great hockey markets. We’re very excited to be a part of it.”

The last time the Stanley Cup final spilled this far into the late spring/early summer was in June of 1995, the other time the NHL played 48-game season because of a labour squabble. The final series began on June 17, and ended a week later on June 24, a mostly anticlimactic four-game sweep for the New Jersey Devils over the Detroit Red Wings.

If Chicago-Boston goes the distance, it could go until June 26, which would be the latest ending in history for an NHL season.

Ultimately, the on-ice test will be to see if great defence and goaltending can trump great offence, the way it did in the Eastern Conference final, when the Bruins limited the Pittsburgh Penguins to just two goals. Pittsburgh went into that series as the No.1 offensive team in the regular season.

The Bigger Byfuglien

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:44:00 +0000

from Gary LawLess of the Winnipeg Free Press,

Dustin Byfuglien is going to be mentioned in trade talks as the NHL draft draws closer and the talking point that will be raised again and again is his weight.

It was evident Byfuglien grew heavier this season as the games moved on and according to accredited Jets blogger Pete Tessier, the player's weight rose to 302 pounds by season's end.

If there's any truth to this number, Byfuglien is virtually untradeable. Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff can't engage in trade talks with another GM and keep Byfuglien's weight off the table until the very end -- then hit his colleague with an, "oh, by the way, Buff's a little big right now."

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Protecting The ‘Canadien’ Net

noreply@blogger.com (Commissioner) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:42:00 +0000

from Damien Cox of The Spin at the Toronto Star,

The door is shutting to puckstoppers from Europe.

Within four years or less, there will be no more European goalies playing major junior hockey in Canada and the U.S. after the CHL officially moved to make goaltenders ineligible to be selected in the league's import draft starting next year.

As reported 10 days ago by The Star, the three junior leagues - OHL, QMJHL and WHL - agreed on the drastic move amidst concerns that Canadian goalies simply are being squeezed out of opportunities in major junior and the country is developing fewer and fewer elite netminders.

The change was officially announced Monday night at the OHL's "Protect the Net" symposium, a gathering designed to address the "crisis" in Canadian goaltending, specifically in Ontario.

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