Articles

[DaveM]

Mike Danton comes to teammate's aid

Associated Press

STOCKHOLM — Former NHL player Mike Danton was sent to prison for plotting to take a life. In his return to professional hockey, the skills he learned while incarcerated may well have saved one.

Danton, who received first-aid training while incarcerated, sprung into action during a game and quite possibly saved the life of a teammate.

Danton, who served a five-year jail term for conspiracy to commit murder, was playing in his first game with Swedish third-division club Ore on Sunday when his linemate Marcus Bengtsson hit his head on the ice after a hard hit and started convulsing.

Using the first-aid training he received in prison, Danton dropped to the ice as well, waited for Bengtsson's jaw to unclench and then shoved his hand into his teammate's mouth to stop him from choking on his own tongue.

Danton was convicted in a failed murder-for-hire plot in 2004, and wrote on his blog that "one of the luxuries" of his jail stint was the chance to become a certified first-aid responder.

"I have seen seizures before. In prison, druggies would come in off the streets and have withdrawals," he wrote. "So, when the convulsions did not (stop) after a couple of minutes, I knew something was wrong."

After Danton stopped the choking, other teammates helped him put the 21-year-old Bengtsson on his side before an ambulance arrived and took him to a hospital, where he was diagnosed with a concussion and kept overnight.

"There have been so many tragic injuries in hockey lately and this incident was very close to being another," Danton wrote. "These types of scenarios get you asking yourself questions and realizing the important things in life — like friends."

“

I have seen seizures before. In prison, druggies would come in off the streets and have withdrawals. So, when the convulsions did not (stop) after a couple of minutes, I knew something was wrong.
” — Mike Danton, in blog posting

The incident happened about six minutes into the third period of Ore's opening game against Soderhamn-Ljusne. The game resumed, and Ore won 4-3.

Bengtsson told Tuesday's edition of local newspaper Dalarnas Tidning that the only thing he can remember from the incident is feeling his leg starting to shake before passing out — and then seeing Danton and other teammates standing over him when he woke up.

"I can't describe how thankful I am to Mike and all the others who helped me," Bengtsson said. "It could have been a lot worse."

Danton said he realized quickly that Bengtsson was in danger of choking on his tongue.

"With several players and other help surrounding (Bengtsson) on the ice, his face went from normal tone to Christmas red to snow white," he wrote. "In that process, he was on his back and his jaw became locked while bubbles of blood began to spew between his teeth. Only one thing came to mind. His tongue, I thought."

Danton said he had to wait several minutes for Bengtsson's mouth to open before he managed to get his fingers inside "and clawed at his tongue."

When the jaw started to clamp down on his fingers again seconds later, "I ripped them out before I lost them," he wrote.

Danton was sentenced to 7½ years in prison after pleading guilty in a plot that prosecutors said targeted David Frost, Danton's former junior coach who went on to become his mentor and agent. However, he was released on parole in 2009 after admitting that the intended target had actually been his father, Steve Jefferson.

Danton was a fifth-round pick by New Jersey in 2000 and played 87 career NHL games for the Devils and St. Louis. He was arrested while a member of the Blues in 2004 following a playoff game at San Jose.

In July, he announced his move to Ore after spending the past two seasons with the Saint Mary's Huskies in Canadian university hockey.

Ore is based in the small village of Furudal, around 185 miles north of Stockholm. The team plays in the 32-year-old Furudals Hockeycenter, which has a capacity of 796 people.

[hockeygod]

Leading American scorer Modano retires

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Sportsnet.ca, September 21, 2011

One of the greatest American hockey players is hanging up his skates for good.

Mike Modano announced Wednesday that he is retiring after 21 seasons in the NHL, a career that includes a Stanley Cup championship along with 561 goals and 1,374 points — both of which are records for U.S.-born players.

"It's just time," he said in a phone interview from Dallas, taking a break between playing 36 holes of golf. "I didn't get any calls after July 1 and I figured that was it."

Only it wasn't. The 41-year-old Modano said Vancouver assistant general manager Lorne Henning offered him a chance last week to continue his career with the Canucks.

"I told him I had to pass because I hadn't touched a weight or unzipped my bag since we lost in San Jose," he said.

Modano ended his career as a banged-up player who had lost a step and some zip off his shot during his one-season stint with his hometown Detroit Red Wings. A skate sliced a tendon in his right wrist and limited him to 40 games and career lows with four goals and 15 points with the Red Wings.

"He was on the verge of really producing for us before he got injured," former Red Wings teammate Chris Osgood said. "By the time he was able to play, it was too late. But back in the 1990s, few guys could skate and shoot like him. I can still see him flying down the ice, cutting down the lane and snapping off a shot toward the high glove."

In Modano's prime, he was among the best hockey players on the planet — shifty, speedy and with a tough-to-stop wrist shot. He also played in three Olympics, helping the Americans win silver in 2002.

"His speed was his strength," said former NHL player Chris Chelios, a teammate in the Olympics. "He had a great shot — hard and heavy — and he was tough to stop once he made a turn and generated speed. He was a great ambassador for the U.S. team."

The executive director of USA Hockey agreed.

"Scores of kids grew up pretending to be Mike Modano, not only in our country, but across the world," Dave Ogrean said. "That fact alone helps frame the enormous impact he's had on the game. His accomplishments on the ice speak for themselves. He's one of our greatest players ever."

The Minnesota North Stars selected the native of Westland, Mich., No. 1 overall in 1988. Following the franchise's move to Dallas, he helped the Stars hoist the Stanley Cup in 1999.

Modano was in his prime when the Stars were among the NHL's elite a decade ago, including a stretch of 34 home playoff games at rowdy Reunion Arena over three seasons from 1998-2000. When the Stars were at their best, Modano was the most popular player on a team full of fan favourites. The success fuelled a 238-game sellout streak and a youth hockey boom that led to the Stars building ice rinks all over the heart of football country.

Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk, who made the difficult decision not to bring his former teammate back a year ago, called Modano an icon in the sport.

"He was invaluable in helping sell the game of hockey in Dallas," Nieuwendyk said. "Mike is the face of our franchise and I think it is safe to say that no one else will wear No. 9 for the Dallas Stars."

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman congratulated Modano on an outstanding career.

"We thank Mike for giving National Hockey League fans 21 years of thrills with his speed, his skill, his craftsmanship and his class," Bettman said. "Mike also excelled on the international stage, representing the NHL and USA Hockey with great distinction."

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

Who goes to training camp?

Daniel Tkaczuk, The Hockey News, 2011-09-21

This time of year brings back many memories for me. Players are full of anticipation and excitement to finally put all that hard work during the summer months to good use at an NHL training camp.

Most teams will have 50-60 players come to camp. Here is a basic breakdown of a few types of players you will see in the pre-season.

Established Vets

The faces of the franchise. Your Jarome Iginlas, Joe Thorntons and Nicklas Lidstroms. Their spot and role on the club is assured, but they are integral in setting examples for the culture of a team.

Experienced Players

These are players with NHL experience who still have a lot to prove to hold onto their existing spot from incoming competition. These players are also looking to increase their roles/minutes in upcoming years.

American League Prospects

These are players who have spent time inside the team’s farm system and are on the cusp of making the jump. They usually range from 22-24 years of age and are starting to display the physical ability, skill set and maturity required to play at the NHL level. In many cases these players have an existing two-way contract and are in a tough battle for an opening day roster spot.

European Prospects

These are players who have played and had success in high-level European Division I leagues and are trying to make the crossover to a North American game. Mats Zuccarello of the New York Rangers fit this mold last year. Some have existing contracts, while others are coming in to give management a closer look to judge if their game is transferable.

Top 10 Draft Picks

These players are under the microscope during their first two training camps. Florida’s Erik Gudbranson, Edmonton’s Ryan-Nugent Hopkins and Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele are all in this boat. Each club has difficult internal decisions to make: what would be best for the prospect? Can he help the team this year? Will he be better off in junior? Can he compete at this level yet? They will be tested, but given an opportunity.

Draft Picks and Undrafted Free Agents

These players have shown some promise and skill, but are hard-pressed to crack the club during their first two training camps. Most come unsigned and are looking to make a splash to earn a contract. These players are driven to prove they have value and deserve the same attention afforded a top pick. Many will be cut in the first week without playing an exhibition game.

Free Agent Tryouts

These are players such as Manny Legace, Owen Nolan and Steve Begin who are trying out for the Vancouver Canucks – guys with experience and the ability to add reliable depth to a winning team. They are driven to prove they still belong and deserve a contract. They will get exhibition games to test their mettle.

Pure Walk-ons

These are the unknown assets – players who have, for one reason or another, slipped through the cracks. Maybe they have struggled with injuries, are super-late-bloomers or play in a less-scouted circuit. Somebody (inside the organization) has seen something they like from this player. The player may be there as a fill-in, but he has nothing to lose. Nobody is expecting anything out of him and the odds are stacked against him, but he may show enough to earn some time in the system.

Summary

The players listed above will be mixed and matched for intra-squad games. Clubs will try to balance the teams to make the games as close and competitive as possible. They will give each player the same amount of ice time and opportunity to display their skills.

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

DANTON HAS DIFFERENT TAKE ON HOCKEY AFTER YEARS IN PRISON

THE CANADIAN PRESS, Sept. 21 2011

Mike Danton says he cried for a good 20 minutes after a Swedish teammate survived a scare on the ice.

The former NHL player sees life differently after spending five years behind bars.

"I used to take hockey for granted, as well as a lot of things for granted," Danton told The Canadian Press on Wednesday. "After I tried to commit suicide (he tried to hang himself in his cell) and started turning my life around, I promised myself I wouldn't take the little things for granted anymore. Because if it wasn't for family and friends and morals and principles and things of that nature, I wouldn't be able to play hockey.

"Prison really changed the way that I think."

The Brampton, Ont., native, who spent five years in prison for conspiracy to commit murder, made headlines earlier this week for rushing to the aid of teammate Marcus Bengtsson — also Danton's best friend on the squad — during a game with his Swedish team IFK Ore.

Danton signed with the squad in the summer after his parole ended, lifting restrictions on his travel.

The team, with a home rink that seats 796, is a long way from the bright lights and big contracts of the NHL. But it's also a world away from confinement. And the 30-year-old, speaking from the team bus after a 14-5 rout of Lindlovens IF (Danton had a goal and an assist), said he's learned to love and appreciate the game's "little things."

"The friendships that you make, the camaraderie in the dressing room at practice, the joking around with the guys that you spend your time with every day — those are the best things about hockey," Danton said. "It's not scoring goals and even winning championships, it's the quality time you get to spend with 20, 25 guys that you really care about."

Danton obtained a first aid certificate in prison and put it to good use Sunday when Bengtsson collapsed and started convulsing after taking a hard hit. Danton said Bengtsson is fine — he was diagnosed with a concussion and Danton put his teammate on a train home to visit his family Wednesday.

But the close call left him shaken.

"A situation like that, I don't know, maybe we were 10 seconds away, maybe 10 minutes away from Marcus not being there anymore," Danton said. "When he came to I started asking him questions and he started talking to me like normal. I just started crying, I couldn't help myself, even when I went into the dressing room when I talked to the guys. It was just that close that one of my friends almost wasn't there anymore."

Danton admitted he'd love to one day lace up his skates in the NHL again.

"I'm pretty sure that I would get some opportunities to head to training camps, in fact, I know I would," he said.

But he added he's happy with IFK Ore, which plays in what is essentially Sweden's third division, with top salaries averaging about $3,000. It's based in Furudal, a tiny town that's a four-hour drive west of Stockholm and boasts a population of about 450.

"I have more Facebook friends than the town's population," Danton said, laughing. "I am in the sticks. There is nothing but woods and water around me. But it's great. It's just the type of town where you're walking down the road, and everyone waves at you, everyone knows everybody there. They look out for everyone. It's a really nice place."

Danton has no doubt everyone knows him, and all about his troubled past.

"The only thing I've understood is I've been called a 'midget' (in Swedish) by one of the opposing teams," he said, laughing. "I've had a couple players say some things to me, but I've been used to that since I've been out of jail. When I get a penalty, the opposing crowd cheers, just little things like that. That's what I expected. It's quite entertaining, it's OK."

The fifth-round pick by New Jersey in 2000 played in 87 career NHL games for the Devils and St. Louis. But in 2004, he was arrested following a playoff game in San Jose, Calif., and convicted in a murder-for-hire plot.

U.S. prosecutors said Danton's intended target was David Frost, a controversial figure who was his agent at the time. However, Danton suggested to the National Parole Board in 2009 that the target was his father, with whom he has been estranged.

Danton played for Saint Mary's University for two years after being released from prison, and helped the Huskies claim their first Canadian university title. He's about halfway toward his degree, a double major in psychology and criminology, and is taking a full-course load through correspondence from Saint Mary's. He's maintained a straight A average throughout.

"I find it fairly easy this time around, school," he said. "I'm a little bit more mature, take things a bit more seriously, and I'm doing well, I enjoy learning."

He wants to play hockey as long as he can, but sees himself pursuing a career in some facet of sports.

"Whether it's coaching players or coaching athletes to make better decisions in their lives, who knows?" he said.

The player also writes a blog for DT, the largest local newspaper in the region of Dalarna where IFK Ore is located.

"I guess ever since I went to prison, I had some practice writing letters and that. I've always been book smart, it's been my street smarts that have kicked me around a little bit," he said.

He's also writing a book, which he began writing in prison.

"I think that will be pretty interesting," he said. "But I won't conclude that until after my hockey career, I don't want any distractions or anything like that."

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[DaveM]

http://www.uscho.com/2011/09/21/report-western-michigan-st-cloud-state-to-nchc/

College Hockey:
Western Michigan, St. Cloud State invited to join NCHC

USCHO Staff Report • Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Western Michigan and St. Cloud State have received invitations to join the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, according to a press release issued Wednesday afternoon.

“After a thorough and deliberate evaluation process, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference is delighted to extend invitations to St. Cloud State and Western Michigan to become members of what we believe will be the premier college hockey conference in the United States,” said Brian Faison, director of athletics at North Dakota and spokesperson for the NCHC athletic directors committee, in the press release. “Both universities fit perfectly with the established goals of our conference membership.”

The Kalamazoo Gazette, citing sources, reported earlier Wednesday that the Broncos and Huskies will bring the NCHC to eight teams when the league begins in the 2013–14 season.

Western Michigan also had an offer to join the WCHA, part of an invitation extended to five CCHA schools in August. Alaska, Ferris State and Lake Superior State accepted that offer; Bowling Green has yet to commit despite a 30-day deadline that ends this week.

Notre Dame, meanwhile, has also not announced its intentions for the 2013–14 season, when the Big Ten and NCHC form.

As it stands, the NCHC will consist of charter members Colorado College, Denver, Miami, Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha and North Dakota, along with Western Michigan and St. Cloud State.

The Big Ten is forming with Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin. Notre Dame is frequently linked in media reports to a possible move to the Big Ten in all sports, and a shake-up of the Big East Conference, of which the school is a member in many sports (it is an independent in football), has launched that speculation again.

After losing seven members to the new conferences, the WCHA added Northern Michigan from the CCHA, then offered its invitation to five CCHA schools. It appears that the best it can do now is add four, while also losing St. Cloud State. The latter could be interpreted as somewhat unexpected, given that St. Cloud State was part of the WCHA group that banded together in the aftermath of the original changes.

In July, St. Cloud State president Earl H. Potter III told the St. Cloud Times that the school was expecting to be part of the talks in forming the NCHC. “But as we looked at it we intended to say no,” he told the newspaper then.

Read more: http://www.uscho.com/2011/09/21/report-western-michigan-st-cloud-state-to-nchc/#ixzz1YeEKmbMW

[DaveM]

How the Tacoma Dome could be the future home of the NHL in the Pacific Northwest

With a number of teams struggling financially, there have been various cities talked about for relocation. One of those places is Seattle. I'd hoped to get a more comprehensive write-up about the pros and cons of Seattle this offseason, as I grew up in that area, but that didn't happen and might be for another time. Which is too bad since one of our readers and friends of the site, MTBoltFan, has a really nice write up ready to be incorporated into such a thing. But I digress.

The problems with Seattle boils down into two things: ownership possibilities and an arena. The ownership situation is a bit murky, and I think we'll leave that for another day. There are potential owners, but nothing serious at this point.

As for the arena situation…. Seattle doesn't have a suitable arena, as the entire building called Key Arena is built around a basketball court, and Mercer Arena was demolished. There's been talk about building a facility in the suburb of Bellevue, but that's still being discussed. The two major junior team arenas seat 8513 (Everett Silvertips) and 6500 (Seattle Thunderbirds), respectively, which are far too small for an NHL-caliber team.

Simply put, there is no building available in Seattle, and almost no chance that Key Arena will be torn down and rebuilt – because it would have to be to work for hockey. It is physically impossible for Key Arena to be adapted for an NHL hockey rink. And due to many state construction projects in the Seattle area, there is no public money to build one, either.

And that leaves us with Tacoma, which is approximately 30 miles (50 km) south of Seattle.

Star-divide

A report surfaced yesterday in the Tacoma News Tribune that the Tacoma City Council is fielding the idea of a feasibility study to renovate the Tacoma Dome in order to lure in another NBA team and/or an NHL team. This is at the absolute beginning of the process. Approval for the feasibility study hasn't even been voted on by the council yet.

The Tacoma Dome, as it currently stands, is completely unsuitable to host a major league professional sport of any kind. While it is one of the largest free-standing wood-framed domes in the world, it is also nothing but an empty shell with removable seating. There are concessions, but they are very few. There is nothing resembling luxury suites – or suites at all, really. It's just one very big, empty room.

I watched my very first live hockey game in 1992 in the Tacoma Dome when the Tacoma Rockets (now the Kelowna Rockets) of the Western Hockey League (WHL) played there. The seating, which sounds like it hasn't been upgraded since then, has the sight lines for a football field. They play some of the state high school football playoffs there, and that's what the seating is obviously geared towards.

The poor sight lines are the real reason why major junior and minor league hockey failed in Tacoma. The seats are set too far from the rink, and they rise very shallowly. It's just not a good place to watch hockey, and never has been.

So in order to make the Tacoma Dome suitable for hockey, they're going to have to build up the interior to meet league specifications. I believe that the place seats around 18-20,000 for hockey, which are actually pretty good numbers for the NHL, but building a suitable interior will likely reduce that number.

And, yes, there is a hockey fan base in the Puget Sound region. Not only from the numerous military bases there, but also from the constant inflow of people moving into that area. The two major junior teams do very well for themselves as well; and the Seattle Thunderbirds / Breakers have been around since 1977. All this, despite the fact that the Vancouver Canucks try to do their very best to ignore that Washington State exists.

The location of the Tacoma Dome is very convenient to the freeways [MAP]. It's so convenient, in fact, that it's a notorious place for traffic congestion – even if there isn't an event going on there. And, yes, people would definitely drive down from Seattle to go watch games there. And they'd definitely drive up from Portland, too, which is two hours or so away. They'd also drive from Spokane as well, which is about a five-hour drive away.

(I've gone to Seattle Mariners games and have frequently run into people who had made the trip from Alaska and Montana just to come watch baseball – not as a vacation, and not to sight-see, but just to come watch baseball for the weekend.)

Then comes the cost of renovation. The city of Tacoma will have to foot the bill alone. They may be able to get Pierce County to go along, but they'll never get the state to. The state taxpayers are still paying for Safeco Field and CenturyLink (formerly Qwest) Field in Seattle – and will be paying for the Husky Stadium overhaul at the University of Washington. Not to mention some desperately needed transportation infrastructure upgrades in Seattle and around the state. State taxpayers are not going to agree to any measure to renovate the Tacoma Dome on top of all of that. Especially not with the economy the way it is right now.

So what the feasibility study, should one be done, will say is that a renovation needs to be done. It'll say that there is a fan base for both sports, and that it'll bring a lot of money into Tacoma and its surrounding communities. And it'll also say that it's going to cost a great deal of money and take a few years to do.

Potential owners will step up at that point and say that they'd be willing to buy a team and relocate it to the Seattle-Tacoma area – just as long as they won't have to pay for any of the renovation. People will scream and complain and protest about it, saying it shouldn't happen, for various reasons. And the people behind the potential arena in Bellevue will try to tell everyone that it'll never work in Tacoma. You know; the same old song and dance routine.

Then the city council will vote as to whether it should be done or not, or if they should put it up to a general vote among the city taxpayers.

And at that point, it'll be anybody's guess as to whether or not it'll go through. It probably will, since the Tacoma Dome is in need of major renovations, but the money available will dictate how extensive those renovations will be. It could all end up a watered-down version of the plans that would still leave the area without a facility to host an NHL team.

The NHL's been determined to put a hockey team in the Seattle area, and many are willing to help do that. But it all comes down to a building, as it has all along. Right now, Tacoma's thinking about fixing up what they have, but there's no guarantee that even if they do, it'll be suitable for the NHL or the NBA.

And that's assuming that the city of Bellevue doesn't beat them to it first.

[DaveM]

Stanislav Galiev is living large in the U.S. capital thanks to Alexander the Great.

Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals celebrates his 26th birthday Saturday.

Attending the Washington Capitals' training camp for the second straight year, the Saint John Sea Dogs forward is getting a whiff of the NHL and staying as a house guest of fellow Muscovite Alexander Ovechkin.

Saturday night, quite likely, Galiev will join Ovechkin as the hockey superstar celebrates his 26th birthday.

"He is a pretty fun guy,'' Galiev said this week. "I knew him before this because we both played for the Dynamo in Moscow, but I didn't know him that well. This summer we hung out a few times, and now we are good friends."

The Capitals' third-round pick in the 2010 NHL entry draft, Galiev arrived in Washington on Aug. 15. He stayed in a hotel at first, but after it became too expensive for him, Ovechkin took the young winger under his wing.

"He told me, 'You can move in with me if you want to' '' Galiev said. "I have been staying with him for two weeks."

Galiev, who rooms with fellow Sea Dog Jason Cameron in Saint John, is enjoying somewhat more luxurious accommodations at Ovechkin's residence in Arlington, Va., near the Capitals' training complex. The only player to be named a first-team All-Star in each of his first five NHL seasons, Ovechkin signed a 13-year contract with Washington in 2008 worth $124 million.

"It is a pretty nice house,'' said Galiev, who is sharing the residence with Ovechkin and Dmitry Orlov, another prospect from Russia. A 19-year-old who has scored 125 points in 131 regular-season games with the Sea Dogs, Galiev was thrilled when his mother moved from Moscow to Saint John two years ago to provide him with a little tender loving care and a lot of Borscht.

But there is little home cooking being done at Chez Ovechkin.

Giving a tour of his crash pad to the Sports.com network a few years ago, he showed off his kitchen and then confessed that he needs a few pointers.

Perhaps Gordon Ramsay will make a house call.

"I tried to cook with my brother,'' Ovechkin said. "We were going to make a salad, potatoes and filet mignon.

"The salad was good, but we had no meat and no potatoes.

"There was a lot of fire."

Criticized previously for not taking on a big enough leadership role, Ovechkin showed up at training camp a week early and 10 pounds lighter, and has been skating with the rookies. In a Crosby-esque moment, he even did a floor hockey clinic this week at a Catholic school in Falls Church, Va. for 220 fifth- through eighth-graders.

"For me to get to skate with a player like him, it is a big thing for me,'' Galiev said. "It is like, 'Wow.' "

Galiev was nervous when he came to Washington for his first training camp a year ago, but is more comfortable the second time around. On Thursday, in fact, he had an assist in a game against the Flyers' rookies in Philadelphia, and has caught the eye of Capitals' coach Bruce Boudreau with his hard work.

"When I was drafted by the Capitals, I was super happy,'' he said. "They were my favourite team, and some of my favourite players are here. So it was amazing. But when I came here for the first time I was a little uncomfortable because I didn't know the coaching staff or many of the guys.

"Now I feel like I am in my hometown. I am happy to see everybody again."

Especially Ovechkin, who, quirky as he is, is showing Galiev and the rest of the Capitals' prospects a serious side.

"He tells us what we have to do off the ice, that we have to be disciplined and not to do stupid stuff,'' Galiev said. "He is a real professional and a great guy, and I am happy to be friends with him."

There is of course the other side of Alexander the Great; the fun-loving Ovie side.

Among other things, he boasts that he has Vladimir Putin's home telephone number – "He is never home when I call" and has a keen interest in anything Dolce & Gabbana. He has his own clothing line, a girlfriend he met on a Russian dating site, and a knack for dead-panning in funny TV commercials. He is also extraordinarily talented at video games.

"Every night we go out together and then come back and play FIFA soccer on a Sony PlaySation,'' Galiev said. "We always play two to a team, with me and Dmitry (Orlov) on the same side.

"The first three times we played Alex and his teammate, we beat them."

Then Ovechkin challenged them to another game, with the winner buying dinner. Picture a mongoose inviting a cobra to supper.

Ovechkin easily won his dinner.

"He wanted to go to a steakhouse,'' Galiev said. "Not Subway."

Marty Klinkenberg is the senior writer of the Telegraph-Journal. He can be reached at martyklinkenberg@hotmail.com.

[hockeygod]

OK. Here’s one that you absolutely have to read. You may even want to bookmark the blog address and revisit it from time to time.
The blog is titled: Eastside Stories — Diary of a Vancouver Beat Cop.

This particular entry details the visit made earlier this week by Tim O’Donovan, the Kamloops Blazers’ communications and media co-ordinator, and six of the team’s veteran players.

http://www.beatcopdiary.vpd.ca/

—–

An ounce of prevention

September 20, 2011 by saddison

The solution to the scourge of the Downtown Eastside seemed more black and white when I began working down here. I figured then, as some do now, that the salve for this neighbourhood’s problems was strict enforcement and harsh penalties for people who commit crimes, regardless how petty or severe.

Put a police officer on every corner. Show zero-tolerance. Send a drug addict to jail enough times and he’ll eventually clean up. If not, he’ll at least move out of the area. Right?

Not so much.

That hard-line view is shared by many, including a few who e-mailed to criticize my recent blog post in which I describe catching two people making a drug deal, then letting both walk away without putting them in jail.

While there are few things in this job that are as satisfying as putting a bully, a cheater or a predator behind bars, it’s painfully obvious that we simply are not going to arrest our way out of this crime and drug epidemic. The Downtown Eastside already boasts the highest number of arrests in the city. Still, it continues to be the most violent and drug-adled neighbourhood by far.

So, while putting people in jail is often necessary and quite satisfying for those of us who walk the Hastings beat, enforcement is just part of the fix. The real solution, I’m beginning to learn, is to stop people from getting addicted to drugs in the first place.

Last night I had an opportunity to work with a group of beat officers that is doing just that.

Constables Brian Hobbs, Tyler Urquhart and David Steverding are part of the Beat Enforcement Team. They are also volunteers with the Odd Squad Society, a group of officers that works to educate youth about the importance of making smart choices when it comes to drugs.

They let me tag along as they took a group of players from the Western Hockey League’s Kamloops Blazers on a reality tour through the Downtown Eastside. The young athletes, all trying to punch their tickets to the NHL, spent the afternoon and evening touring the back alleys and rooming houses of Hastings Street, and hearing from addicts whose lives have been wasted because they made once bad decision – to try dope.

I walked with them and listened as they talked to people on the street about addiction and how they ended up down here. I was surprised how many people’s hard-wired addictions started with social drinking or smoking a bit of pot, then led to a never-ending search for a more powerful high, a search which took them through every drug and back alley they could find.

We ran into one female at the corner of Hastings and Columbia Street. She had just shot heroin into a vein in her neck, and was still clutching the uncapped rig in her right hand while swaying on the corner. After she put the needle down, she spent 20 minutes telling her story.

An admitted “dope pig,” she talked about how she got hooked on heroin at age 16 and has spent almost half her adult life on skid row. Now 30, she sells her body for sex just to make money and get high. On a good night, she’ll give oral sex up to 10 times, to 10 different men. If she’s lucky, she’ll make $40 a date.

What affected me most was when she admitted that every time she gets in a car, she knows she might not live to get out. But she doesn’t care. The need to get high overpowers her better judgement.

It was a message that was neither lost on me, nor the guys from the Kamloops Blazers.

The WHL team is part of a program created by Odd Squad that aims to get the athletes, who are all role models in their community, talking to students about the dangers of drug use. The idea is that impressionable and at-risk youngsters are more likely to heed the warnings of 18- and 19-year-old hockey studs than they are to listen to another scared-straight message from a group of cops.

So, each time a WHL team rolls through Vancouver, they spend a day with the Odd Squad, learning about the Downtown Eastside and talking to people who have made the wrong choices in life. Accompanied by RCMP members from their respective communities, the players are sent home with all of the Odd Squad’s presentation material. Their job is then to go into the schools of the towns they play hockey in, and spread the message.

Last year, after receiving a similar presentation from the Odd Squad, players from the Blazers went back to Kamloops and gave more than 20 presentations throughout their community, reaching approximately 4,000 youngsters.

I remember being in the audience for a similar presentation when I was growing up in North Delta. Years later, when it came time for me to make difficult choices, it was that sobering talk that helped me stay on the right path.

As the idiom goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And if a group of hockey players can convince just one at-risk youth to make the right choice, that’s one less person that’s going to show up on my street corner. It’s one less person whose potential could be lost due to a single bad choice.

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

Backchecking: Laurie Boschmann
Laurie Boschman scored 229 goals and 577 points in 1,009 career NHL games.

Murray Pam, The Hockey News, 2011-09-24

This season will mark the Ottawa Senators’ 20th anniversary since their return to the NHL. During the season, the Senators are taking the opportunity to honor their legendary early-20th-century clubs and players, including Frank Nighbor and Cyclone Taylor. But opening night will be reserved to celebrate the 1992-93 expansion team that included first-ever captain Laurie Boschman.

Boschman, a 13-year veteran when he was acquired by the Sens, was a member of the New Jersey Devils the previous two seasons where he was a consistent checking center and penalty-killer. He was assured by both Devils GM Lou Lamoriello and Senators GM Mel Bridgman that he would not be selected in the expansion draft. However, Lamoriello surprisingly left Boschman unprotected and Bridgman quickly took the opportunity to select the hard-working forward.

Boschman, understandably, was caught off guard when he learned he had been selected by Ottawa.

“My wife (Nancy) and I were flying back to our summer home in Winnipeg,” he recalled. “We were going through customs and the agent said that I was picked up by the Senators. He asked me how I felt about that.”

One of the senior players on the expansion Senators, Boschman was easily the best choice to become the club’s first captain and he said he felt “privileged’ to become the leader of a new team.

The Senators had more downs than ups in their debut season. The club’s highlight came early with a 5-2 opening night victory over the Montreal Canadiens.

“The Canadiens had Denis Savard and others,” Boschman said. “They went on to win the Cup that season, but we won (that game). The fans were 100 percent behind us. The community was excited to have NHL hockey.”

During the post-game, Boschman overheard a conversation between Senators starting goalie Peter Sidorkiewicz and center Jamie Baker. An excited Sidorkiewicz declared “we may be able to win 20 games this season.” Alas, this was not meant to be. After toppling the Habs, it would be another 22 games before they won their second of the season and Ottawa was victorious on only 10 occasions in their inaugural season. In fact, they did not win on the road until their fourth-last game of the season.

Even though the year was a trying one, Boschman and his family became enamored with Ottawa and made Canada’s capital their permanent home when he retired at the end of the season.

Hockey writers sometimes say some of the toughest competitors on the ice are the Lady Byng candidates off the ice and Boschman fits this description. The ninth overall pick of the 1979 draft, he is one of only 16 NHL players to have totaled more than 500 points and 2,000 penalty minutes over his 14-year career.

Boschman, 51, is now heavily involved in local charities and is an active member of the Sens Alumni. His pride and joy is being the Ottawa and Eastern Canada director of Hockey Ministries International. Cantankerous former Toronto Maple Leafs owner Harold Ballard once criticized Boschman for his religious beliefs, but he has remained true to his faith and has been involved with Hockey Ministry camps for the past 16 years, running Chapel programs for Christian athletes from junior to the NHL.

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

Kelly's Ducks influence Winterhawks' Johnston

Jason Vondersmith, The Portland Tribune, Sept 23, 2011

Oregon Ducks football coach Chip Kelly has often visited other college football programs, and he welcomes coaches to the team's practices and offices.

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra paid a visit this summer.

So did Mike Johnston, general manager and coach of the junior hockey Portland Winterhawks, who open defense of their Western Hockey League Western Conference title with a home game tonight against the Everett Silvertips (7 p.m., Rose Garden).

Kelly and Johnston met at the annual Oregon Sports Awards earlier this year and found out they had a mutual friend in New Hampshire (Kelly's home state).

Later, Johnston contacted Kelly about attending a practice this summer.

Johnston went through a training camp day with the Ducks, which included a 2 hour, 40-minute practice, after which Johnston left completely impressed with Kelly's and his coaches' administering of the practice, along with the pace and detail.

"It was incredible," says Johnston, a coaching guru himself in hockey who has reshaped the Winterhawks' fortunes in recent seasons. "Two hours, 40 minutes, all to music. Really lively."

Johnston admired how the Ducks practice with such pace.

"We're very organized for our practice, but the speed and pace in your game, you have to practice that way," he says. "We practice fast, but sometimes there are breaks between. They had no breaks. There were two five-minute practice segments, a walk-through, a time to catch their breath. That's all they had."

Johnston says he and assistant Travis Green ran a couple of their own training camp practices like the Ducks do theirs.

"Between drills we did sprints," Johnston says. "We practice at a good pace, but (players) weren't used to it."

Johnston says he plans to have more uptempo practices, and also incorporate music as a means to inject fun into the workouts and noise to help players cope with distractions.

"You can always learn and get better," Johnston says. "Sometimes what happens is you stick to your own environment and don't go outside to see what you can learn from football, basketball or soccer.

"Football is a sport that I can understand, I grew up around football, I know the game."

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

Arena honours Burns' legacy

THE CANADIAN PRESS, September 25, 2011

STANSTEAD, Que. — Ten months after his death, legendary hockey coach Pat Burns has an arena in his name.

The Pat Burns Arena was officially opened today in Quebec's Eastern Townships.

Burns' widow Line was to be joined at the ceremony by old hockey friends including former coach Jacques Demers and former players Henri Richard, Guy Carbonneau and Patrice Brisebois.

The three-time NHL coach of the year died last Nov. 19 after a long battle with cancer.

Burns said last year he didn't expect to live until the opening of the arena but hoped he could look down and "see a young Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux."

The federal and Quebec governments together pledged two-thirds of the roughly $8-million cost, while the city of Stanstead raised the rest through donations and charity auctions.

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

Getting To Know: Rod Gilbert
Rod Gilbert scored 406 goals and 1,021 points in 1,065 career NHL games

Mark Malinowski, The Hockey News, 2011-09-25

Status: Former NHL right winger for the New York Rangers from 1960-1978.

DOB: July 1, 1941 In: Montreal

Nicknames: "Blackie. Noireau – it's Blackie in French. Because my hair was pitch black. When I came up here my brother's nickname was Rock, so he named me Rocky, because I was injured quite a lot. They got me to go into the corners, so because of my perseverance they called me Rocky."

Hobbies/Leisure Activities: “My favorite is golf actually, in the summer. I picked up golf when I was 15-16, coming home from junior hockey. I enjoyed emulating the same motion (as a slap shot) and I was good at it and I enjoyed the game. It was a beautiful pastime."

Favorite Movies: "I'm a big Jack Nicholson fan. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. I enjoyed that probably the most."

Hockey Inspirations: "Growing up in Montreal my main man was ‘Boom Boom’ Geoffrion of the Montreal Canadiens. The reason is, his uncle used to hang out with my father at his blacksmith shop. And he kept telling me how his nephew ‘Boom Boom’ could really slap the puck and the reason they nicknamed him ‘Boom Boom’ was because of his slapshot. He was playing the point and he scored 50 goals for the Canadiens, where it was unheard of. And even won the scoring title when he beat Rocket Richard (he won the title twice). And of course my other favorite player was Jean Beliveau. And then at the age of 16 Jean Ratelle and I went to Guelph, Ontario. Andy Bathgate, star of the New York Rangers, played in Guelph. He left his legacy there as one of the best juniors, so I started emulating him. And then I got to meet him and play with him on the Rangers for three years. And I also got to play against him – he played for Toronto Maple Leafs. He's one of my favorite people."

First Job: "Worked with my dad shoveling horse manure in the garage for 25 cents a week. My first real paying job. I was an altar boy for five cents a mass. I got to save my money, put it in the bank, and bought me my first pair of skates. It took me probably from six years to probably 12 years old when I first accumulated $14.00 with all the five cents to buy me my first pair of skates. But it was a good pair."

Favorite Meal: "My whole career my pre-game meal was a steak, baked potato and string beans."

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: "Vanilla. Very boring. But I usually dress it up real good with hot fudge, butterscotch, caramel."

Embarrassing Hockey Memory: "Embarrassing stuff is like when you're trying to control your anger out there. And I put my whole team in the hole one time. I got a penalty that I didn't deserve. I sort of tried to throw my stick on the side, pretending to hit it against the boards. And it got caught in my glove and went into the stands. It was one of my best sticks. And I'm begging to get it back. Guy said, 'Yeah, right.' So not only did I get a penalty, I lost my stick. (This happened in) Boston, in the playoffs. I was very upset and embarrassed, too. It was in 1972, when we played in the final. That's why it's so vivid. We were playing for the Stanley Cup."

Greatest Sports Moment: "As a player, probably when we defeated Russia in 1972. Team Canada had been challenged by the Russians for the first time as professionals. Confrontation – four games in Canada, four games in Moscow. And it got voted the Sporting Event of the Century. So we happen to win in Moscow. The series had been tied 3-3, one tie. We won the eighth game. That's probably my Stanley Cup in my career. And in Canada, when we came back, all the people there, we had some reception. And people, some 30 years later haven't forgot. We were introduced in the Hall of Fame as a team – in the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Canadian Hall of Fame. So it's wonderful."

Most Painful Moment: "Oh boy, my career took a bad turn when I was 19. I stepped on a piece of debris on the ice and cracked my fourth vertebrae and was paralyzed for two months. A possibly career-ending injury. Took me to the Mayo Clinic and performed a spinal fusion. (It happened in) Guelph with one game left in junior. I was scheduled to come up with the New York Rangers. It was really traumatic, psychologically. I didn't skate for eight months. I was pretty positive the whole time, but there was doubt that I'd ever skate again."

Favorite Uniforms: "New York Rangers. I was really upset after playing many years when (GM John) Ferguson had changed the uniform to the square (shield logo). I was upset. So Fred Shero brought it back."

Closest Hockey Friends: "I admired and became almost like a brother to Brad Park. He came in maybe six years after me. And I became his mentor. He showed me a lot of dedication and leadership. I was the godfather to his first child. And to this day we're still friends."

Funniest Players Encountered: "One of my favorite one-liners was Pete Stemkowski. We're still friends and I see him a lot. He always comes up with one-liners. I like to wear new suits an awful lot. Every time he sees me with a new suit, 'Geez Rock, nice suit. Who shines it for you?' That type of humor. He's wonderful."

Toughest Competitors Encountered: "I classify two types of individuals: played the game hard and hit clean; then there were the Gordie Howes of the world, who when you weren't looking, you'd receive an elbow on the side of the head or a butt-end in the ribs. I never appreciated the tactics of cheap shots. There was a lot of guys in the league who got away with stuff and I didn't respect that. There were some clean hitters, guys like Tim Horton, Leo Boivin. The guys who you knew were going to hit you, but you took it. You were upset, you were hurt, but you say: 'Well at least it wasn't cheap. I should have kept my head up or something.' There were some good hitters."

Funny Hockey Memory: "Yeah, there are a million stories. All the players – we all had our little idiosyncrasies and jokes and practical jokes. And everybody was playing tricks like sending guys on a date with a girl who doesn't show up. Calling for wake-up calls. Putting soda machines in front of doors so guys couldn't come out. There were a number of things that we could write books about. But we choose not to (smiles)."

Favorite Players To Watch: "There are a number of stars today. I enjoyed watching Mario Lemieux. My days of course, I hope I didn't watch him too much – Bobby Orr. We could probably have done better against them if I wasn't so mystified by him. Wayne Gretzky was a tremendous playmaker. I enjoy finesse – like Yvan Cournoyer was incredible. Dymanic. Jumpin'. Burst of speed. Very admirable."

People Qualities Most Admired: "I've surrounded myself with people who are generous and take care of other people and support the different charities of New York."

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

New and improved NHL discipline, courtesy of Brendan Shanahan

BRUCE DOWBIGGIN, Globe and Mail, Sept. 25, 2011

Traditionally, innovation and the NHL have gone together as well as a fish and a bicycle. Had the NHL been a telephone, it would have been rotary. But light is making its way into the league’s New York City sepulchre. Whether it’s the Winter Classic or Brendan Shanahan getting ready for his close-up, the NHL is in danger of losing its reputation as the crusty neighbour who won’t let you get your football out of his backyard.

Shanahan’s simple public videos explaining the NHL’s discipline calls are a perfect example of the league actually leading the way for team sports. (We cannot recall any team sport where the discipline calls have been distributed as a video, let alone explained so succinctly.) From Shanahan’s first appearance this week on NHL.com, looking like some character from Desperate Housewives in a raffish, open-necked shirt, the genius is in the simplicity.

Shanahan is direct, logical and pitiless as he rolls the video to underpin his findings. The ease with which he dispenses his calls lays waste to the NHL officials and their media sycophants who’ve tried to tell us for years what a torturous process it was to give a habitual offender 10 games for trying to deliberately injure someone. Colin Campbell, you are now free to move about the nation.

Here’s a sample of Shanahan’s jurisprudence as he sends Calgary’s Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond to the sin bin for pasting Vancouver’s Matt Clackson: “Letourneau-Leblond took a direct route toward Clackson, hit him squarely from behind into the boards and drove through the check high and hard. Clackson’s back was turned toward Letourneau-Leblond well before the contact, requiring that Letourneau-Leblond avoid or minimize the check completely. He did neither.

“Letourneau-Leblond is considered a repeat offender under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement because he was suspended for one game on Oct. 9, 2010. Under the terms of the CBA, Letourneau-Leblond has to forfeit his salary based on the number of games in the season [82] instead of the number of days in the season [185].” Ouch.

Now, was that really so hard? Granted, Shanahan had some batting-practice fastballs to start with as recidivist types such as Letourneau-Leblond, Jody Shelley and James Wisniewski offered up acts of idiocy that almost anyone could punish. Will Shanahan be so bold when Alex Ovechkin performs his annual act of lunacy? No doubt there will also be jealous NHL types who feel Shanahan is pumping his own tires by appearing in the videos.

But the fan-friendly bits are already a success with both consumers and many players. They’re state of the art for other leagues to emulate. We at Usual Suspects can’t get enough of the summary justice as Shanahan goes old-school Judge Mills Lane on NHL rockheads. Will the message get through to them? Hard to say, but until it does, we’ll simply quote the immortal George Michael, “Let’s go the video …”

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

Selanne can't wait to play in Winnipeg
Has Dec. 17 game against Jets circled on his calendar

By PAUL FRIESEN, QMI Agency, Sept 27 2011

WINNIPEG – Teemu Selanne may be one of the NHL’s senior citizens, but he remembers exactly one of the first things he did on June 23.

“Right away when the NHL schedule came out, I checked out the date, when we’re going to Winnipeg,” the 41-year-old Anaheim Ducks star said. “It’s in my calendar. I’m excited.”

Saturday, Dec. 17 figures to be one of the more memorable nights in the inaugural season of the new Winnipeg Jets, as Selanne makes his first and only appearance of the season, and first as a player since he was traded midway through the final season of the original Jets.

Even though he played just two-and-a-half seasons here, Selanne remains one of the most popular Jets of all time, based mostly on his record-setting, 76-goal campaign as a rookie in 1992-93.

The Finnish Flash acknowledges he had a few flashbacks when news broke the NHL was returning.

“I was so happy. I have great memories from there and I know how much hockey means to the people. I was very thrilled. I know how much they’ve been wishing it.

“I’ve talked to a lot of my buddies that still live there. They’re extremely excited they finally got the team back. They’re pumped. It’s awesome. The people are so nice and friendly there. They really deserve the hockey franchise there.”

Selanne almost didn’t get the chance to return as a player.

More than once over the last several years he’s flirted with retirement, most recently this off-season, after surgery on his left knee.

But with a clean bill of health, one of the NHL’s most prolific and enduring goal scorers is back for a 19th season.

Drafted 10th overall by the original Jets in 1988, Selanne is coming off a 31-goal, 80-point campaign — the 10th time he’s scored at least 30.

He never did get a proper sendoff as a Jet, as the Ducks didn’t play in Winnipeg during the second half of that final, fateful season.

Dec. 17 could mark the loudest ovation a visiting player has ever received, here, when No. 8 steps onto the ice.

“Obviously they don’t have the old Winnipeg Arena, so it’s going to be a little bit different,” Selanne said. “But it’s a very special place for me. So I’m really looking forward to going there.”

The Winnipeg trip won’t be the only time Selanne is the most popular visiting player, this season.

The Ducks open the season in his home town of Helsinki, Finland, Oct. 7.

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

The waiting game

Patrick King, Sportsnet.ca, September 28, 2011

The Portland Winterhawks are one of many junior teams watching NHL training camps closely.

If Mike Johnston made one mistake, it's that he did his job too well.

The head coach and general manager of the Portland Winterhawks could be on the verge of another championship-worthy season, but is in limbo where some of his biggest stars are concerned. Nino Niederreiter, Ryan Johansen and Joe Morrow have yet to return from National Hockey League camps, which would be a feather in his cap if not for the big skates those players leave to fill.

"You catch yourself every once in a while looking at the board," Johnston said. "If we had that group of players, this would be a special year. That is the nature of junior hockey and you look at organizations like the Kitchener Rangers … they're losing players all the time."

The Winterhawks certainly aren't alone in playing the NHL waiting game, but it's hard to argue any junior franchise could be influenced more by the decisions of NHL teams than the Winterhawks. The list also included Sven Baertschi until he was returned to junior on Monday. Baertschi's camp with the Calgary Flames left Johnston looking at that board wondering if he too would be missing in action.

"We were a little bit concerned because he was having a good camp that he may stay," said Johnston. "We weren't projecting that we would have three or four guys as under-agers stay this year. In our plans, we were probably banking on two would stay and we'd probably get the rest back."

Those two he isn't expecting back are Johansen, the fourth-overall pick by Columbus in 2010, and Niederreiter, the fifth-overall pick by the Islanders that same draft. Morrow, drafted 23rd overall by Pittsburgh last summer, is the only remaining player the Winterhawks anticipated in Portland this season. Since all are younger than 20 and haven't played four years in the Western Hockey League, their only other option is junior.

By producing so many players for the NHL, the Winterhawks are simply filling one of the team's mandates. Unfortunately, that mandate doesn't always coincide with what's most important: winning games.

"These young kids come to our program to try and work as hard as they can for three or four years to become a pro," he said. "Getting our players to NHL camps, having our players signed, having our players play as an underage — those are all positive for our program.

"When you're losing a player like Johansen, we're getting excited about two or three of our younger players … you tend to almost look ahead and say, ‘Well, those guys are going to be gone. Now we have to have some replacements.' As long as you continue to replenish your team at the lower end with the 16 and 17-year-old kids, as an organization, you should be fine."

The Winterhawks will be fine this season. But the difference between getting Johansen and Niederreiter back could be the difference between being a top team or a generational team discussed decades later. Johnston knows his team can still compete for that elusive WHL championship and possibly the MasterCard Memorial Cup even without those two.

One of the bigger differences he noted is that his team won't score at the same propensity as it did a year earlier, but should be stronger along the backline. Among those players who will fill the skates of Johansen and Niederreiter are Baertschi and Ty Rattie.

Rattie, a second-rounder to St. Louis last June, arrived in Seattle just three hours before game-time on Saturday after playing an exhibition game against Colorado the night before. He proceeded to score twice and pick up one assist, the same totals he would also produce against Tri-City on Sunday, upon returning.

"I was a little bit tired," Rattie professed after playing second line and second power-play with St. Louis on Friday. "I think just being excited for the moment and all the adrenaline rushing through helped a lot."

Johnston is doing his best to stop the Johansen and Niederreiter watch from becoming a distraction for his players. His message has been to look within the room and focus on which players are in Portland right now.

"Obviously we know guys like Johansen and Nino are well on their way to the show," said Rattie, "but you can't help but think in the back of your mind, ‘What if they come back?'"

The Winterhawks' goal is the same as it was a year ago. Portland returned to the WHL final for the first time in 10 years, but bowed out to a veteran-laden team from Kootenay in five games. Rattie and his teammates set the bar last season and they know the target is on their back.

"We're the team to beat in the Western Conference now," he said. "Every team is coming for us."

Another run at a WHL title is within reach, even if their top two forwards don't return. But if this team is going to be remembered when lists of top teams are being compiled in the decades that follow, a championship is a must.

"It's a disappointment for every team if they don't win the WHL finals," Rattie explained. "Our goal from Day 1 is to win a WHL championship, so if we don't win, it is a disappointing season."

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[Author]

Posts