Articles

[hockeygod]

Friberg’s broom-riding celebration the talk of the town:
Swedish winger ruffles a few feathers as he rides his stick after tallying in shootout

George Johnson, Calgary Herald, December 30, 2011

CALGARY – Out on the ice, WinSport Arena sheet B, his teammates were indulging in a few post-holiday jollies mimicking the newly-notorious Mad Max.

Joyriding on their sticks. Celebrating routine scrimmage tap-ins with florid theatricality.

“I’m glad somebody found it funny,’’ said a slightly bewildered Max Friberg later.

“I play with a lot of emotion. I got happy and I did something … I’m just sorry they took it the wrong way or got mad at me.’’

Friberg’s slaloming, tobogganing, Broomhilda act after scoring on Sweden’s second shootout try against the overmatched but resolute Swiss on Wednesday night, had already, in the space of one sleep, become the talk of the town, if not the tournament.

Depending on your rooting interest, Friberg’s Tiger Williams take was either A) a wonderful, spontaneous expression of joy and personality all too lacking in today’s dour, tightly-buttoned-down, cookie-cutter game (we opt for that); or B) nothing more than a crude show-up.

The pro-underdog Scotiabank Saddledome crowd let Friberg know exactly their opinion of his shenanigans.

“I don’t know if he thought about it much,’’ said teammate Mika Zibanejad, unable to resist a mischievous smile. “It’s just something that popped into his head.

“Really, it was pretty funny.

“He’s probably not the most popular guy in Canada right now. But we don’t care about that. We’re here to play hockey. If they like us or not, we can’t control that.’’

Zibanejad certainly didn’t mind getting in on the gag when asked if he planned on swiping the template for Friberg’s celebratory shtick should he net an overtime or shootout winner later in the tournament.

“I have my own.’’

And that would entail, precisely?

“You’ll see. You’ll see,” he said with a wink.

As the cameras pointed and the questions kept arriving from the same angle, the prevailing response from the Swedish camp to the outraged was this: Chill.

“We’re dealing with young kids here,’’ said coach Roger Ronnberg. “We have to understand this is a huge experience for these kids to play the world juniors and they love every minute of it. They don’t have a thought about doing anything bad.

“We tell them all the time to stay steady on the ground, with both feet, be humble, but in that moment … it can happen.’’

Linemate and team captain Johan Larsson waved a dismissive hand at the kerfuffle Friberg has generated.

“We didn’t expect so much, so much … talk,’’ he stammered. “So much noise. So much writing. It’s hard to understand.

“Really, it’s not such a big thing.’’

From Ziggy Palffy and Travis Green puckering up on the Island to Teemu Selanne’s Capone-style rat-a-tat-tat during his Winnipeg days to Sean Avery’s impromptu pushups to Alexei Kovalev’s moonwalking to, of course, Tiger’s groundbreaking stick-riding act, the unconventional goal celebration has long been a controversial aspect of the sport.

“I’ve heard the story now about (Tiger) Williams doing it against Calgary,’’ said Friberg. “I didn’t know that. Of course they’d get angry. If it’s true.’’ He shrugged. “Maybe they’re lying to me.

“But I had no idea.

“I’ve seen it on YouTube.

“I didn’t mean to offend the people here in Calgary, or the opponents. So of course now I’m thinking about it a little bit.

“Like I said (Wednesday) night, I had no teammates to celebrate with on the ice. It was just bad timing.’’

Over and above the good-natured teasing, the Swedes were a decidedly loose, relaxed lot on Thursday, despite having allowed a very valuable point to slip away (three for regulation wins here, only two for overtime or shootout victories) in the third period Wednesday.

“The most important thing in a short tournament like this,’’ said Ronnberg wisely, “is that things don’t get too big, too serious. Don’t think about the consequences of the game, the importance. Just stay in the moment, and enjoy it. You have to enjoy every day.

“(Friberg’s teammates) know he’s the last person to want to offend anybody. So that’s whey they were giving him a hard time.’’

Certainly no one has more reason to be loosey-goosey than Friberg, an Anaheim Ducks’ draft pick, who’s notched five goals and a shootout winner in two games heading into Friday’s joust with Slovakia at the Saddledome.

He’s getting a lot of attention, but not much respect. Monday, the guy scores four and is somehow bypassed for player of the game. Forty-eight hours later, he slides a shootout winner through the wickets of stellar Swiss goaltender Lukas Meili and is lustily booed for his act of exuberance.

“Maybe,’’ said the newly-notorious Mad Max, “they don’t like me over here.’’ He held up a hand. “No …”

Whoa there, people! Joke. Joke!

“I’m just,’’ Friberg said amiably, “trying to do my best. Everybody else can think what they want. We’re here to win games. In the end, it doesn’t matter what people say.

“Right now it’s fun to be out there. It’s always fun to play hockey. I give and get more energy when I’m smiling, when I’m happy.

“I’m not used to this, scoring all these goals, so of course it’s fun.’’

You could say he’s enjoying the ride of his life.

Not only on his stick and down the boards, either.

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

[hockeygod]

Team GB in Tony’s hands:
Still playing Hand replaces Thompson as Great Britain coach

MARTIN MERK, IIHF.COM, 30-12-11

LONDON – Ice Hockey UK appointed Tony Hand as new head coach of Great Britain’s national team.

Hand signed a four-year contract to replace Paul Thompson, who had been coaching the team for the last five years.

The Edinburgh-born 44-year-old is currently the player-coach of English Premier League team Manchester Phoenix and will work in a dual role for club and national team.

The Scotsman became the first British-raised player to be drafted by an NHL team when he was selected by Edmonton Oilers in 1986.

After the draft, he participated for two weeks in Edmonton’s pre-season camp with the likes of Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier and was offered a spot on a Canadian junior hockey roster. But his career in North America didn’t last long as he played just three games, with eight points (4+4), for the WHL’s Victoria Cougars.

Hand felt homesick and has been playing in Great Britain ever since. He scored over 4,000 scoring in his career with the Murrayfield Racers, Sheffield Steelers, Ayr Scottish Eagles, Dundee Stars, Edinburgh Capitals, Belfast Giants and Manchester Phoenix.

His first coaching role was in the British National League with Dundee Stars, and has also had spells with Edinburgh Capitals and Belfast Giants in the Elite League, before joining Manchester in 2007.

“I am proud to be appointed to the role of head coach and am very excited about the challenge. I am looking forward to working with some fantastic players and it will be a great honour and privilege to coach the national team,” Hand said in an official announcement.

“I am following in some great footsteps in Paul Thompson, who did a fantastic job in his time as GB coach,” said Hand, who was given the Membership of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to hockey.

Great Britain hasn’t been among the elite nations since the 1994 IIHF World Championship in Italy. Hand was part of that team as a player and also represented Great Britain in nine lower-tier World Championships, most recently in 2007.

“Tony stood out from all the rest. He is a legend in British ice hockey and is well-known throughout the ice hockey world,” Andy French, Ice Hockey UK’s General Secretary, said about the appointment. “I am sure Tony will be able to build on the fantastic work done by Paul Thompson and keep GB challenging for promotion to the top flight.”

Great Britain will participate in the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division I Group A in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where the best two of the six participating teams will be promoted to the top division in 2013.

The other teams battling for promotion are Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Japan and Ukraine.

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

[hockeygod]

Regina Pats practise what they preach

GREG HARDER, Regina Leader-Post, December 28, 2011

REGINA — If their first practice after the Christmas break is any indication, the Regina Pats could hit the ground running in the second half of the WHL season.

“I have to say, without a doubt, in all my 32 years of junior hockey and pro hockey, this was the best post-(Christmas) practice I’ve been involved in,” head coach Pat Conacher said after his team’s workout on Tuesday morning at the Brandt Centre. “They were engaged and they were flying. It was a great sign. You have to practise well to be able to play well. I can’t tell you how happy I was. We had a short break, only probably four days off by the time they got home. But they came back and it was high tempo. I take my hat off to the kids because they came ready to rock this morning.”

In fact, Conacher was so pleased that he cut the practice short in hopes of saving a little extra for tonight’s road contest against the Brandon Wheat Kings.

“They were giving me everything they’ve got,” he continued. “I just hope it carries into Brandon. You never know (how it will translate to games) but right where I stand this morning, I feel really good about it.”

Reading between the lines, Conacher interpreted Tuesday’s effort as a positive sign that his players were excited to be back and motivated to get down to business.

Captain Brandon Davidson agreed.

“It’s very exciting to see, especially after the Christmas break,” noted Davidson. “Everyone is usually a little lazy, a little lackadaisical (after the mid-season hiatus). But the guys were firing today. We got practice cut short because we want to save that momentum. It’s great to have a team that comes back from a break and is fired up and ready to go. Hopefully we can take that into Brandon.”

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

[hockeygod]

Coach Pat Conacher not taking credit for Regina Pats’ success

Greg Harder, Regina Leader-Post, December 28, 2011

REGINA — It’s often said that coaches get too much of the blame when their teams struggle and too much credit in times of prosperity.

Regina Pats head coach Pat Conacher takes the good with the bad, although he hasn’t experienced much of the latter in the wake of a surprising first-half performance which saw his team post a winning record (19-15-2-1) and set itself up nicely for a chance to end a three-year WHL playoff drought.

“I’ve said before, the credit goes to the players,” said Conacher, whose club opens the second half tonight in Brandon against the Wheat Kings. “I’ve had some great support. It has been a total team effort. My whole thing when I came here was to try to change the culture. You’re never guaranteed success but we definitely were doing all the right things to give us success. And of course at the end of the day it’s the buy-in from the players. It’s all those little things that add up to the big things, which is winning.”

Conacher often mentions that he and GM Chad Lang have been “on the same page from Day 1” in regards to their priorities on and off the ice. He also lauds the efforts of assistants Malcolm Cameron and Josh Dixon, describing them as “professional coaches” who’ve made invaluable contributions as teachers and mentors.

That said, Conacher is the one who ultimately sets the tone.

“He really keeps guys in line and he definitely got that respect from the whole dressing room early in the year,” noted veteran centre Jordan Weal. “When you have that respect as a coach and the players respect what you want to accomplish, it’s only a good thing. He seems to have that knack as well to get the right guys on the ice at the right times. Not many coaches have that.”

Although he’s technically a rookie head coach in the WHL, Conacher had a long career as a player and a coach at various levels, including the NHL. He has drawn upon all those experiences since joining the Pats, who are reaping the rewards.

“I don’t think he wants the credit but he gets his fair share,” said captain Brandon Davidson. “A lot of our success has come from Pat and the way he has changed things. We’re still the same group we were last year for the most part. A few new faces but mostly a new coaching staff. That has definitely had a huge impact on how we’re playing.”

The same goes for their work off the ice, which is another area of emphasis under Conacher.

“Being part of the community and really reaching out and helping the community has made us better people and made us better hockey players,” continued Davidson. “We respect a lot more things now. I think we’ve just grown as a group and really come together. Things have been happening because of hard work and discipline.”

How about chemistry?

Veterans like Davidson and Jordan Weal will tell you the Pats are a much closer team than they’ve been in the recent past. Being a tight group away from the rink has translated to playing well as a team on the ice.

“The leadership group in this room is really good,” noted Weal. “The older guys have really brought in the young guys and (treated) them as equals.”

“It’s definitely a close room,” added Davidson. “The relationship of the guys in the room and away from the rink, it has been a team unit. If you’re a group off the ice, you’re going to be a group on the ice. It’s better to (go to war) with five guys than one.”

The Pats’ team-first mentality has helped them focus on themselves rather than listen to dissenting voices that projected yet another losing season. Although still in the early stages of a potentially painstaking rebuild, the team has found a way to raise the bar — thus raising expectations for the second half of the season.

“Now we have to go forward,” added Conacher. “It’s the little things we do, it’s our detail, it’s the way we have to play each and every day, our identity as a hockey team. We have to keep pounding on the guys about that. We have to keep dragging that out of them. A lot of the players, as the season goes on, they’re taking a lot of pride in who they are and what their responsibilities are and the identity they’ve created for themselves. But that never ends. You have to keep getting better as a person and a player. It’s always a work in progress. We’re a long ways from the finish line.”

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

[hockeygod]

Former Regina Pats player Todd Strueby remembers 1982 world junior tournament

CRAIG SLATER, Regina Leader-Post, December 22, 2011

REGINA — A Canadian television crew was nowhere to be found. Even the national anthem was missing.

But Canada had just won the gold medal at the 1982 World Junior Hockey Championship. Other than the few hundred spectators who watched the game live in Rochester, Minn., Canadians from coast to coast were oblivious to the outcome.

It sounds like a nightmare, but that was reality for Regina’s Todd Strueby and his teammates on that gold-medal-winning Canadian team of 30 years ago.

“There was no video broadcast at all. There was media coverage, but not at all what it’s like today,” Strueby said. “It has evolved into this huge event, and that’s great to see. I think everyone in Canada, especially hockey fans, has grown to love this tournament.”

This year, the world junior tournament will be hosted by Calgary and Edmonton. Strueby, along with every player who ever wore the maple leaf during a world junior tournament, has been invited to the event by Hockey Canada as part of the 30-year anniversary.

Over the past 30 years, the world junior hockey championship has certainly rose to the forefront among events in Canada. The tournament in ’82 marked the first year Canada, which used to be represented by club teams, was comprised of a collection of the best junior-aged players from across the country. It featured the likes of Strueby (then of the Saskatoon Blades), Regina Pats defenceman Garth Butcher, Mike Moller, Gord Kluzak and goaltender Mike Moffat. The latter three were named to the tournament all-star team that year. Pats general manager Bob Strumm doubled as the GM of the world junior team.

Minneapolis was the host site of the ’82 event, but games were also hosted in nearby Rochester and across Minnesota, as well as in Winnipeg and Kenora, Ont.

The arena in Rochester, where Canada and Czechoslovakia skated to a 3-3 tie, didn’t have O Canada on its playlist. Instead, the players lined up on the blue line and sang in unison. The arena also was devoid of television cameras. Canadians listened to a telephone feed of the final few minutes of that game during a Hockey Night in Canada telecast.

The tournament has seen obvious changes since then.

“For players, though, I don’t think the tournament has changed at all,” Strueby insisted. “We knew how big a deal it was, just like the players now do. We knew the impact it would have on us and on our country. As Canadians, we know how big of a deal it was, how intense it was. I don’t think that will ever change.”

The ’82 tournament didn’t have a playoff round. The eight teams played each other once. Canada and Czechoslovakia sat at the top of the standings with identical 5-0-1 records before they met in the final round-robin game, which was essentially the gold-medal final.

Regardless of the lack of hype that surrounded that game, and the fact it was played at a neutral site away from the host city, it was still a big deal for the Canadians.

“The rink was probably the same size as the Twin Arenas … just a little tin barn,” Strueby remembered. “But for us, it didn’t matter where we played or how many fans were there. This was the biggest game of our lives at that point. For some of us, it was the biggest game we would ever play in. It was such a huge event for us.”

Media coverage of the tournament has intensified over the years but, according to Strueby, the rivalries have remained.

“We didn’t hate the Russians, but there definitely was a huge rivalry with them back then. I think that’s still there,” he said. “Even though a lot has changed over the years … some of their (junior) players are playing here now, but it’s always a big game when you play Russia.”

Strueby, though, said the games in Calgary over the next couple of weeks will take a back seat to the socializing he plans to do with old friends and former teammates.

“I don’t care if I see one game while I’m there,” said Strueby, who played for the 1980-81 Pats before being dealt to Saskatoon. “I want to see some of my teammates. The hockey world will seem so small because everyone knows everyone. Even if I didn’t play with some of these guys, we all know each other in some way. We’re all a part of the same movement and that’s what makes this a special thing.”

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

[hockeygod]

Widow claims family friend won't return her gold

Darah Hansen, Postmedia News December 29, 2011

VANCOUVER — An 84-year-old widow is suing a British Columbia Hockey Hall of Famer, alleging she gave him thousands of dollars in gold and silver and he won't give it back.

According to court documents, Laverne Sniegocki of Chemainus, B.C., is seeking the return of her property — or its value in lieu — after entrusting Ernie "Punch" McLean with at least 15 ounces of gold bars, 74 ounces of silver bars, several large gold nuggets and a series of gold coins two years ago on the promise the renowned former junior hockey coach, now 79, would sell it for her.

Sniegocki and her husband accumulated the gold and other precious metals while living in the remote northern community of Atlin, B.C., according to court documents filed with the B.C. Supreme Court earlier this month in support of Sniegocki's claim.

The couple owned and operated the Atlin grocery store from 1975 to 1987.

It was there, Sniegocki said, that she became friends with McLean, an avid gold miner since wrapping up a colourful career as head coach of the Estevan and New Westminster Bruins in the 1980s.

After her husband's death in October 2009, Sniegocki said she turned to McLean to advise her on how and when to sell her collection of gold and silver.

She alleges McLean agreed at the time to sell the property on her behalf and give her the money, but never did, and has since refused to answer her phone calls or letters.

McLean has yet to formally respond to Sniegocki's allegations in court. He was quoted by local media saying the dispute is the result of a misunderstanding, and that the property is in storage.

Phone calls by the Vancouver Sun to McLean's Coquitlam, B.C., home were not returned by press time.

Sniegocki declined to comment on the case when contacted by the newspaper Thursday.

McLean made headlines in the summer of 2009 when he went missing while prospecting in a remote wooded area outside of Dease Lake, B.C. Search crews found him weak and hungry, but otherwise healthy, five days later.

In 1972, McLean survived a plane crash in northern Saskatchewan. He lost an eye and broke his jaw and shoulder blade, but somehow managed to crawl from the wreckage and seek help.

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

[hockeygod]

Orr inspires Canada to win over U.S.

Roy MacGregor, Globe and Mail, Dec. 31, 2011

It seemed only appropriate that the loudest cheers of the first two periods were for nights past.

”Bob-by!

“Bob-by!!

“BOB-BY!” they chanted.

And all he did was wave at them. Still, the mere presence of Bobby Orr – going on 64 and looking, not acting, half his age – was enough to release the pent-up emotion that was long ago bottled for a New Year’s celebration that was supposed to matter a great deal.

Unfortunately, sadly, this game did not matter at all.

Playing early on as if they already had hangovers, Team U.S.A. fell 3-2 to Team Canada in a game that, until late in the third period, held about as much tension as a soggy New Year’s Eve hat.

Yet the ingredients were all there for what could have been. On medals, Team U.S.A. and Team Canada roughly balanced out, the Americans winning gold in Saskatoon two years ago, bronze in Buffalo last year, the Canadians with two straight silver medals.

The Americans had in net their hero from Saskatoon, Jack Campbell, now playing in his third straight World Junior Championship, supposedly older and better.

The Americans had their entire coaching staff from that 2010 gold back. They had seven returning players and a remarkable eight first-round NHL draft picks on their squad. They had huge defence and had come out of the exhibition round with a 5-0 licking of Slovakia that seemed to bear well for Edmonton and Calgary.

Canada-USA, after all, is supposed to be the great rivalry. It isn’t, actually, though the broadcasters would love that – the great Canadian junior rival is, and remains, Russia. Still, recent junior events, especially Saskatoon – where the two teams exchanged wins and U.S.A. won the gold in overtime – had created a natural storyline.

Even better, the two team captains were already familiar with each other, Canada’s Jaden Schwartz of Colorado College and Team U.S.A.’s Jason Zucker of the University of Denver competing for the “Gold Pan” in one of the fiercest rivalries in college hockey.

Players, however, are easy to define, teams much less so. There are hugely talented teams that simply cannot get it together – Team Canada in the 2006 Turin Olympics – and superior teams that stumble inexplicable, as Team Sweden did against Belarus in the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Games.

Put the junior Team U.S.A. in category one: a team blessed with great talent, cursed with poor play for most of this tournament. After an impressive 11-3 thrashing of Denmark on Boxing Day, the Americans lost 4-1 to the Finns and then 5-2 to the Czechs, thereby rendering the much-anticipated New Year’s match against unbeaten Canada meaningless and, shockingly, sending the inept Americans off to the relegation round.

The Canadians, on the other hand, won every one of their games to claim first place in the division and get a bye into the semi-finals, which will be played next week in Calgary.

In the early going of this meaningless game, the Americans put on a vivid display of what had gone so wrong this week. Defencemen could not control pucks along their own boards, forwards could not read each other, the power play was non-existent. And thought the crowd launched derisive (ital)”Camp-bell! Camp-bell”(end ital) chants at the American goaltender, he was far from the problem. No Campbell, no third-period fretting. In fact, Campbell played very well, as did Canadian Scott Wedgewood for the most part. Wedgewood now has given up two goals in his two games – one good, one bad – and gives Canada a solid alternative to Mark Visentin, who has also been excellent in the preliminary round.

Canada got its goals from Mark Stone, with his seventh of the tournament, Schwartz and Brett Connolly, all in the opening period.

It was good that the 16,647 fans on hand got their cheering in early, for there was little gold-medal display on later in the game as the Americans, reaching for their pride, finally began to play, just as the Canadians, understandably already looking ahead to Calgary, lost focus and determination.

The Americans scored halfway through the final period when, on a broken play, Team U.S.A. forward Charlie Coyle was able to snap a hard wrist shot high into the net behind Wedgewood. They scored again when Zucker was allowed to spin around the net on a wraparound and beat Wedgewood.

If only the Americans had found their game before the countdown began to put an end to 2011. The Edmonton round would have been a tournament and the New Year’s Eve match could have lived up to its early billing.

But it was not to be.

And so, with the preliminary round finished in Edmonton, it is fair to say that this superb Team Canada has yet to be truly tested.

But it is coming – and no fan of the World Junior Hockey Championship would wish it otherwise.

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

[hockeygod]

Harold Ballard’s ghost still haunts Winnipeg

Paul Waldie, Globe and Mail, Dec. 30, 2011

Sure Winnipeg Jets fans have made life difficult for opposing teams at the MTS Centre this season. But wait until Saturday when the Toronto Maple Leafs come to town. That will unleash a whole new level of hostility.

“It’s going to be a crazy atmosphere,” said Chuck Duboff, who grew up a Leaf fan but will be at Saturday’s game cheering loudly for the Jets. “I’ve been excited about this since I saw the schedule come out.”

Animosity? Resentment? Grudge? Jets fans have all that and more when it comes to Toronto. Yes, Jets fans booed the Phoenix Coyotes mightily when they showed up in early December, but that was only 15 years of pent-up anger over the team’s abrupt departure in 1996.

The hatred of Toronto goes back almost 40 years – all the way to the late 1970s, when Leaf owner Harold Ballard campaigned against allowing the Jets and three other World Hockey Association teams into the NHL. That so enraged the city there were calls to boycott companies connected to the NHL as well as the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who were owned by Ballard at the time. The fury went as far as Ottawa with Winnipeg politicians leaning on the federal government to push the NHL to override Ballard’s objections.

When the Jets finally got into the NHL in 1979, along with the Edmonton Oilers, Quebec Nordiques and Hartford Whalers, the Winnipeg Arena was covered in “We Hate Leafs” signs for the first game against Toronto.

The hatred didn’t end there. When the Jets fled to Phoenix the resentment kept building as Winnipeggers endured years of being force-fed Leaf games on Hockey Night In Canada. Even now with the Jets back in the NHL, many Winnipeggers still feel the Leafs dominate media coverage. Adding to the injury for some fans were comments last June by Leafs general manager Brian Burke who dared question the long-term viability of the Jets, saying that while it was great to have the team back in the league, “It’s not a slam dunk” the Jets will be a success.

If all that wasn’t enough consider this: the Jets and the Leafs have the same record heading into the game, 18-14-5 with 41 points. And, as of Friday, the teams hold down the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.

Thus, the atmosphere for the New Year’s Eve will be special.

“Winnipeg Jets’ fans always feel like we’re the red-headed stepchild,” said Derek Brookes, an ardent Jets fan who can’t wait for Saturday’s game. “Even though Winnipeg has gotten more than its normal share of coverage because of the return of the Jets, the fans have still got a chip on their shoulder.”

There will probably be a few Leaf fans at the MTS Centre and some brave souls may even wear their Leaf jerseys. In fact there was a time when Leaf fans filled the Winnipeg arena, back when the Jets games weren’t such a hot ticket.

“Ironically, the Leafs used to be one of the more popular teams at the old Arena,” recalled Jets fan Michael Bailey. “You would see more Leaf jerseys than Jets jerseys when Toronto came to town, despite the Ballardian opposition to the merger. … All that said, this time around things are very different. I’m certain that there will be a few Leafs jerseys at the MTS Centre on Saturday but it’ll be all Jets, Jets, Jets. It’s cool to be a Jets fan these days. It wasn’t so cool 25 year ago for some reason.”

Jets fans will have to confront one dilemma Saturday. What to do with Leaf goalie James Reimer? The MTS Centre crowd has taken to jeering opposing goaltenders constantly this season but Reimer hails from Morweena, Man., about 140 kilometres north of Winnipeg, and he is expected to have loads of family and friends in attendance.

All that hype and hatred has made the game a pricey event. Tickets for all Jets games sold out long ago but some are available on reselling sites such as Stubhub. As of late Friday there were six tickets listed for Saturday’s game. The asking price? From $479 to $1,000.

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

[hockeygod]

Getting To Know: Mike Rupp
Mike Rupp has one goal and 38 penalty minutes in 14 games this season.

Mark Malinowski, The Hockey News, 2012-01-01

Status: New York Rangers left wing/center.

Ht: 6-foot-5 Wt: 243 pounds

DOB: Jan. 13, 1980 In: Cleveland

First Hockey Memory: "I remember the morning, waking up and putting the hockey equipment on – it was airing out in the living room. Those Saturday mornings had to put the gear on on the couch, drive to practice with all my equipment except my skates on. I remember doing that a lot."

Nicknames: "Rupper, Moose, Sasquatch."

Hockey Inspirations: "I was a big Gretzky fan."

Last Book Read: "Lone Survivor."

First Job: "Produce clerk."

First Car: "Chevy Lumina."

Current Car: "Ford F-250."

Favorite Movies: "Talladega Nights, Glory."

Greatest Sports Moment: "Game 7, Stanley Cup final (2003 with N.J., scored the Cup-clinching goal)."

Most Painful Moment: "Couple Game 7 losses."

Favorite Uniforms: "Hmmm….Blackhawks."

Favorite Arena: "Montreal."

Closest Hockey Friends: "I don't know if I could put a finger on one. A lot of good teammates over the years."

Funniest Players Encountered: "Mike Mottau. Just everything that comes out of his mouth, with a dry sense of humor, but it's hilarious."

Toughest Competitors Encountered: "Scotty Stevens."

Most Memorable Goal: "Game 7."

Embarrassing Hockey Memory: "Coming out on the ice, I had my stick sideway and went through the door. For warmups. We all came running out. And I got stuck, and we all ran into each other. (Where?) Pittsburgh."

Favorite Sport Outside Hockey: "All sports, but I'm a big basketball fan."

Funny Hockey Memory: "I remember we were having a real serious meeting. And it was one of those, kinda going around the room and all the players were saying what their jobs are. The GM (Lou Lamoriello) was in the room, we were saying what your job is, what you bring to the table. Mike Mottau just like, it doesn't sound funny but in the moment it was. He just said, like, what he does, ‘Keeps it simple, moves the puck, good first pass’ and he's like, ‘Let all the lightweights know that I got my tie-down ready and I'm ready to go.’ Made everyone laugh."

Last Vacation: "The Outer Banks, North Carolina."

Favorite Player(s) To Watch: "My favorite player ever to watch is Pavel Bure. No one is quite like that."

Personality Qualities Most Admired: "Honesty, accountability, passion."

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

[hockeygod]

Big E shines in Philly return
Lindros finished the Alumni game with one assist Saturday.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, December 31, 2011

PHILADELPHIA — Eric Lindros stepped out of the dugout to a roar he hadn't heard in Philadelphia in almost 12 years.

Big E had his standing O.

Lindros pointed his stick toward nearly 49,000 fans and took his long-overdue walk toward the infield ice to join his Flyers teammates. One of the great players in a franchise loaded with them was back in the orange and black.

With a packed Philadelphia crowd standing and going wild in appreciation, Lindros made a triumphant return to the city in a Philadelphia Flyers jersey, a bitter parting more than a decade ago forgotten from the moment No. 88 hit the ice for warmups.

The red reserved for the Phillies at Citizens Bank park gave way to 40,000 fans in Flyers orange — so many who paid just to see Lindros play in the alumni showcase, a prelude to Monday's Winter Classic between the Flyers and New York Rangers.

Lindros assisted on the first goal of the game, connecting with former Legion of Doom linemate John LeClair, to help the former Flyers beat the old-time Rangers 3-1 Saturday.

"It really felt special here," Lindros said. "It's nice to be back and heading out to restaurants and hearing the well wishes around town. I'm happy to be here and catch up with some people I haven't seen in a while."

Lindros' last appearance for the Flyers was in May 2000 when he was laid out by New Jersey's Scott Stevens in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.

He would be traded 15 months later to the Rangers because of a nasty falling out with former general manager Bobby Clarke.

All was forgiven Saturday.

Lindros and Clarke, who won two Stanley Cups with the Flyers in the 1970s, chatted and skated together during warmups. Clarke received a huge ovation from the 45,808 fans who filled a reconfigured ballpark. Lindros also took a seat on the bench during intermission with youth teams playing on an auxiliary rink.

The two Flyers greats — who led a triumphant final lap around the ice when the team left the Spectrum in 1996 — hadn't talked since the trade until this weekend.

"It's good. We talked this morning and everything's great," Lindros said.

Clarke, still an adviser to the Flyers, stood by his comments that all ill will toward Lindros evaporated the day of the New York trade.

"He's 38. He can make a comeback," Clarke said, laughing.

After Lindros, the loudest cheers were reserved for goalie Bernie Parent. "Bernie! Bernie! Bernie!" echoed throughout the park for the affable goalie, who sparked the phrase in the '70s, "Only The Lord Saves More Than Bernie Parent."

Parent played five minutes 32 seconds and stopped all six shots. Each save made the "Bernie!" chants return.

"I felt the pressure," Parent said. "Once you get on the ice, you want to perform, you want to do well in front of your fans."

Shjon Podein and Mark Howe also scored for the Flyers and Pat Quinn was behind the bench.

Flyers founder and chairman Ed Snider dropped the puck for the ceremonial faceoff between honorary captains Clarke and Mark Messier.

Messier, Brian Leetch, Adam Graves and Stephane Matteau were among the former Rangers who returned for this reunion, also having won the franchise's last Stanley Cup in 1994. Mike Keenan coached the Rangers.

"These were successful players who had successful runs," Keenan said.

Glenn Anderson scored in the second period for the Rangers.

"Once you get to a certain age and have bypassed your prime, there's a lot of mistakes and it's pretty funny to watch," Anderson said.

Wins and goals hardly mattered Saturday.

This was all about Lindros' homecoming.

Lindros and the Flyers had been estranged since their breakup more than a decade ago. Lindros won a Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, made six all-star teams, and led the Flyers to the Stanley Cup finals in 1997. His career was shortened by a series of concussions, and clashes with management paved his way out of town.

From the moment No. 88 peeked out of the Phillies' dugout, the crowd stood and started cheering. The fans went wild when Lindros took the long walk to the infield rink that stretched from first base to third base.

He raised his arms in triumph and broke into a wide smile after his feed to LeClair put the Flyers up 1-0. LeClair, Lindros and winger Mikael Renberg comprised the popular and productive Legion of Doom line in the 1990s that helped the Flyers out of their darkest era in franchise history and into the finals.

The game served as opening act for a week's worth of games. High school, college and minor league teams will play at Citizens Bank Park and there's an open skate for fans.

Saturday's start time was pushed back two hours to 3 p.m. for more ideal temperatures for the outdoor game.

The NHL expects Monday's game to start at its scheduled 1 p.m. time.

"We have a pretty big window to get the game in," said NHL chief operating officer John Collins.

Collins addressed other topics on the future of the Winter Classic:

–The NHL isn't likely to stretch much beyond the Midwest for future Winter Classics because it likes the 1 p.m. ET window on Jan. 1 or 2.

–The NHL has considered Citi Field, MetLife Stadium, the Yale Bowl, and even West Point as potential sites in New York/New Jersey. Detroit is in the mix as potential future site.

–The NHL and HBO have not yet talked about a "24/7" going forward for 2012.

–Canadian teams could become part of the Classic.

–Collins on the Jan. 1 day off: "It's not ideal that we have this dead day tomorrow. But it's kind of nice in that it stretches the event over a couple of days and I think there are more fans who have the ability to come out and touch it and feel it."

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

[hockeygod]

Calm before CBA storm for Fehr, NHL

MIKE ZEISBERGER, QMI Agency, Jan 1 2012

Donald Fehr, who has been the NHLPA's executive director for just more than a year, talks to Mike Zeisberger on wide-ranging list of issues concerning the NHL's CBA, which expires on Sept. 15. (Getty Images)

TORONTO – When the clock struck midnight on Saturday, it signified more than just champagne corks popping and large groups of boozed-up revelers crooning in song to usher in the new year.

It also marked the final countdown to the end of the current collective bargaining agreement between the National Hockey League and the players association.

With 2011 giving way to 2012, hockey fans have their collective fingers crossed that another ugly work stoppage such as the one that plagued the sport in 2004-05 does not happen again when this CBA runs out on Sept. 15.

The point man on the players side is Donald Fehr, who has served as executive director of the NHLPA for about 13 months now. Given his two-plus decade stint as the head of the baseball players union, his mandate remains the same: Represent the interests of his constituents which, in this case, are more than 650 NHLers.

In a recent, wide-ranging interview with the Toronto Sun, Fehr, 63, addressed six key points related to the upcoming collective bargaining process.

1. On his relationship with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman

Fehr and Bettman have known each other for about 30 years, which could help talks at the grass roots level. Having said that, Fehr cautions that it does not guarantee an agreement will be reached any quicker because of it.

“It may (play a factor) from the standpoint of trying to judge someone brand new and trying to judge what every phrase means, things like that,” Fehr said. “But we’ve both been around a long time. We both know how this game is played, if I can phrase it that way. We both have our own reputations. In the end, the dynamics of the deal are governed, in my experience, by the interests of the constituents.”

2. On fears that a potential clash of personalities have hindered past CBA talks in pro sports

“All this talk about the personalities of the negotiators, or whether they’re not making a deal in the interest of their clients because they are upset with each other, just doesn’t strike me as the real world,” Fehr said, “I think that’s gossip stuff. I hope so anyway.”

3. On the suggestion that the players have become more unified

“I think so,” Fehr acknowledged. “I think that the feeling was, there used to be an extremely close sense of community here. And after the lockout, with the disruptions and the uncertainty and the change of administrations the two or three times that they had, that got lost a little bit.

“You had a generation of players come in, a little less than 50% of the membership now, that didn’t have any first-hand experience with the way things used to be. But they are looking as a group to put it back together. They are beginning to understand that their greatest strength in bargaining is their own unity. They get it pretty quickly when you talk to them.”

4. On the talks timeline for the months ahead

While Fehr thinks discussions will kick off sometime after the Jan. 29 all-star game, don’t be surprised if the bargaining crunch-time occurs in the summer.

“In a lot of labour relations settings, the last few weeks before the exsisting agreement expires is when the key compromises are made if a deal is going to be done by the date of the expiration of the existing agreement,” Fehr said. “That’s usually the case in negotiations, whether it be key legislation or someone buying a house … But I would expect that, leading up to it, we’ll do a lot of preliminary work.”

Fehr added he wants to “spend more time with the players this spring talking about what additional things we’ve learned.”

5. On whether recent labour agreements in the NFL, NBA and MLB have an impact on the upcoming NHL talks

“Not really,” he said. “The negotiations are self-contained. The economics of the four sports are different. The nature of the individuals are different. And the issues are likely to be different.

“There was a long strike in baseball the owners forced in 1994. They had a hockey lockout in ’94. Doesn’t mean they had one in football.”

6. On another potential work stoppage

“The purpose is to hope to avoid doing that,” Fehr said. “And you hope that’s the feeling on the other side, too. A lot of people think that was not the view the last time.”

FEHR ON REALIGNMENT

A decision from the NHLPA on the league’s radical realignment proposal likely will come within the next couple of weeks, maybe even days.

The potential format, which was passed at the league’s Board of Governors meetings at Pebble Beach in early December, would see the 30 teams split into four conferences, with the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning joining the Maple Leafs and fellow Northeast Division foes Buffalo, Boston, Montreal and Ottawa in one of them. Now, all that remains, is an endorsement from the PA.

Executive head Donald Fehr said the union and league officials had held discussions on the subject in the 10 days or so leading up to Christmas.

Said Fehr: “Is there more travel or less? Does it produce more or fewer off days? If so, are those more concentrated at home or on the road? Does it result in getting to away cities later? Does it affect the playoffs in a good way or is it fundamentally unfair? And are there are certain divisions where it is mathematically easier to make the playoffs than in other ones?”

“Those are some of the things we’ve been discussing."

ON CONCUSSIONS

Know this: The head of the NHL Players Association is just as concerned about the concussion issue in hockey as players, league officials, fans and media are, if not more.

To that end, Donald Fehr makes the following observations:

1. “Until very recently, the number of concussions as compared to last year was actually down. Whether that remains the same over the course of the season remains to be seen.”

2. “We’ve had a rash of them among well-known players in the past several weeks. And that generates a lot of publicity and is very upsetting.

“It’s upsetting when a player of any calibre goes through this.”

3. “We are working with the league on a concussion working group and elsewhere to attempt to examine things that have happened the past several years.

“One is to minimize the likelihood of concussions. But on the other side, it is to recognize them more frequently than we did in the past, doing a better job of diagnosis and not forcing players back (too early).

“A big problem with concussions is (players getting) concussion No. 2 before concussion No. 1 is healed, You want to do everything you can to avoid something like that.”

4. “We are working with the league and on our own on whether there are changes in equipment, rules and the nature of the rinks that could make a difference.”

ON THE SOCHI OLYMPICS

Yes, there is a group of players who would love to lace up the blades at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.

And, yes, Donald Fehr acknowledges that having NHLers at the next Winter Games potentially would give the sport more exposure “in markets which don’t ordinarily watch NHL players ply their trade.”

“But that is a consideration,” cautioned Fehr. “It doesn’t mean it’s the only one.”

It has been suggested that, as part of the collective bargaining process, the league would concede allowing NHLers in Sochi in exchange for concessions from the union.

Of course, you don’t hear such talk coming from Fehr’s lips.

“There will be some ongoing discussions,” he said. “If NHL players are going to participate, it requires a three-way agreement involving the NHL, the players association and the IIHF.”

Added the NHLPA executive director: “There are a lot of players who are very interested in it. There are others who feel the potential disruption of the season, especially going seven eight nine time zones away, and the squeezing of the schedule that results at both ends from the hiatus, would not be worth it. There are other individuals within the game … who think that, while you get a tremendous bump if they’re in North America or not too many time zones away from what the viewing audience watches, that it may not be true if it’s in the Far East or central Asia.

“So, we’ll have to see.”

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

[hockeygod]

2011 in Sport: The year in lip

Bruce Arthur, National Post, Dec 31, 2011

“Playing bad golf.” — Tiger Woods, on what he’s been up to lately.

In the final installment of our 2011 in Sport series, Bruce Arthur sums up a year that had its fair share of unforgettable — and often ridiculous — moments with a compilation of the top sports quotes since January 1st:

JANUARY

“There was a Toronto Maple Leaf fan sitting next to her. But I missed by a couple of inches.” — Ottawa Senators winger Ryan Shannon, who sent a shot off the crossbar against Carolina that ricocheted into the crowd and hit his wife in the thigh.

“They’re scared of the beard and the unibrow.” — Pittsburgh Penguins winger Pascal Dupuis, on why opponents won’t fight him.

“I asked them if they wouldn’t mind maybe playing a little better tomorrow. They said they’d think about it.” — San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, after his team lost by 13 to the New York Knicks.

“That’s where Nike is.” — Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, when asked if he knew anything about the state of Oregon before facing the Ducks in the BCS Championship.

“I can’t say anything. I did the same thing last year. That’s what happens when you’re big and white.” — Orlando Magic forward Ryan Anderson, after teammate Hedo Turkoglu missed an in-game dunk.

“Dogs Express Interest in Owning Michael Vick.” — Headline on sportspickle.com, after the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback who served time for dogfighting expressed interest in owning a dog again.

“Well, he probably has sensitive skin, no?” — Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin, trying to convince a referee not to give his teammate a five-minute major for a high stick that drew blood.

FEBRUARY

“There’s, no jokes, a ‘stripper shortage’ going on at the Super Bowl. Which is weird, because I’m seeing a ton of awful dads here.” — Donald Glover, of the TV show Community, on the stripper shortage in Dallas.

“The NFL says next year’s halftime show will be Yoko Ono, a hyena, and two balloons rubbed together.” — Comedian Andy Borowitz, after an awful performance at the Super Bowl from the Black Eyed Peas.

“They seemed like good kids. They asked me if they could use my name for the band and I told them, ‘As long as you stay out of jail, go ahead.’ ” — Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk, on a punk band in Quebec called Les Dales Hawerchuk.

“I don’t drink coffee. Can you imagine if I did?” — New York Rangers coach John Tortorella, on his already acerbic reputation.

“It would be nice to play some black-and-white movies, maybe some Kurosawa films, get some culture out here.” — Bill Murray, on the commercial-playing video screen embedded in John Daly’s golf bag during the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

“We’re actually Coyotes fans. We’re just dressed this way to fit in.” — Sign spotted at a Phoenix Coyotes game, held by fans wearing jerseys of the visiting Vancouver Canucks.

“We should have brought a giraffe or something.” — Toronto Raptors forward Amir Johnson, after teammate DeMar DeRozan lost the NBA slam dunk contest to Blake Griffin, who jumped over a car on his final dunk.

“Stay off the crack. Drink a chocolate milk. Enjoy your moment. That’s all I got.” — Charlie Sheen, giving a pep talk to the UCLA baseball team.

MARCH

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

Sidney Crosby

“Penguins Coach Assures Everyone That Dazed, Vomiting Sidney Crosby Is Progressing Nicely.” — The Onion, strangely prescient.

“Ah, the Princeton-Harvard game. Today’s winner earns the right to create disastrous foreign policy.” — From the parody Twitter account @OldHossRadbourn.

“Zdeno Chara: ‘It’s not my fault there was a stairway behind the person I shoved.’” — Sportspickle, after the Boston Bruins defenceman claimed he did not mean to injure Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens.

“Playing bad golf.” — Tiger Woods, on what he’s been up to lately.

“Your wife refers to your fat butt as the ‘Big South.’ ” — From David Letterman’s Top Ten Signs You’ve Been Watching Too Much College Basketball.

“Barry Bonds’ perjury trial started today. Or as Barry Bonds puts it, ‘No, it didn’t.’” — Stephen Colbert.

“This old man has had his blinker on for like 8 miles. F*** where I’m going I’m just going to follow him to see how long he’ll keep it on.” — Milwaukee Bucks guard Chris Douglas-Roberts, on Twitter.

“Mets Release Mets.” — The Onion.

APRIL

“I don’t really read what you guys write. I read Playboy and things like that.” — San Jose Sharks centre Joe Thornton, on his critics.

“Second base is a manhole cover, Dave. For the whole year. They use the other team’s gloves. No catcher’s masks this year. They just get an ugly guy.” — Comedian Chris Rock, on the financial predicament of his favourite team, the New York Mets.

“Once missed a tournament because of a herniated Schwartzel.” — From David Letterman’s Top Ten Surprising Facts About Charl Schwartzel, the Masters winner.

“I woke up with two knees and no big boobs.” — Montreal Canadiens defenceman Jaroslav Spacek, on how he knew his arthroscopic knee surgery was a success.

“I don’t know.” — Mike Tyson, after being asked by the Post’s Scott Stinson, “Why did you get that tattoo on your face?”

“We get a driver and he figures out what’s going on. At the end of the day, I’m dropping him off at his house and then taking the guys to the hotel. The next morning we go pick him up.” — Canadian curling skip Jeff Stoughton, on the perils of being a non-drinker at the world curling championship.

MAY

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Stephen Colbert

“What? Take him out of the game? No, you put the concussed players back in. It’s the brain-damaged ones that don’t feel fear!” — Stephen Colbert, on the new era of concussion protocols.

“You know, I’d like to be an astronaut. And for some reason, they just won’t let me.” — Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost, on Billy Butler still wanting to play first base.

“I think if his head would be normal size he’d be only 5-4. But his head is so big it makes him like 5-9 or something.’’ — Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki, on diminutive teammate J.J. Barea.

“I’m older.” — Vancouver Canucks centre Henrik Sedin, when asked why he had missed a practice that his twin brother Daniel attended.

“First off, I just want to say to my wife, I hope I didn’t put you into labour.” — Canadian MMA fighter Mark Hominick, after a bloody loss at UFC 129 in Toronto.

“I’ve dealt with the North Koreans.” — Former U.S. ambassador Tom Schieffer, when asked if he was concerned about dealing with the messy divorce of Frank McCourt and his wife Jamie when asked by Major League Baseball to run the team.

“Worst Parade Ever!” — Sign spotted at the finish line of the Washington marathon.

“They’re day to day, except for today and tomorrow.” — Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Guy Boucher, updating the injury status on two of his players.

“Is it a move I would do again? No.” — J.R. Hildebrand, who was leading the Indianapolis 500 when he crashed on the final lap.

“An elderly lady was in a car, and she had the oxygen tubes up her nose and she rolled down the window and gave us a certain gesture. It was awesome.” — Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane, on the reception his team received in Vancouver before playing the Canucks.

“The Kentucky Derby is coming up. This year, the horses may be subjected to a surprise drug test. Isn’t everything a surprise to a horse, though?” — David Letterman.

“If I had a best buddy, it would probably be Dennis Rodman.” — Dennis Rodman.

JUNE

“I haven’t spoken to her about that yet but I’m pretty sure she’ll be supporting me on Wednesday, I think.” — Tennis star Andy Murray, on playing Feliciano Lopez, a pretty-boy favourite of his mother’s.

“Oh, what kind of dog is it?” — Florida Marlins manager Jack McKeon, 80, after outfielder Logan Morrison told him he was “Going home to play with Twitter.”

“If I had known in the late ’70s that it was okay to pig out on human flesh, I would have eaten Guy Lafleur.” — Mike Milbury, after Vancouver Canucks forward Alex Burrows bit the glove of Boston’s Patrice Bergeron.

“It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you disparage the pathetic lives of the little people who make it possible for you to have a career bouncing an inflatable ball.” — Stephen Colbert, after LeBron James said that people rooting for him to fail would “have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today.”

“And Venus said, I’ll never forget … what was it … I can’t remember what she said.’’ — Serena Williams.

*If I had Rafael Nadal’s arms, I’d wear those shirts all the time. I’d wear those shirts to funerals.” — Parks and Recreation head writer Michael Schur.

“If Colin Campbell was mayor of Vancouver, he’d give two games to a lot of residents.” — Marc-Antoine Godin, of La Presse, on the night of the Vancouver riots.

“And I’m really going to miss the free throws.” — Shaquille O’Neal, on retiring from the NBA.

“Nate McMillan? What college is that?” — Basketball player Jeremy Tyler, asked about the coach of the Portland Trail Blazers while working out for the team.

JULY

REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

Brian Wilson at the ESPY Awards

“Michelle was relieved to know people would be talking about what someone else wears at the White House.” — U.S. President Barack Obama, on a White House visit from the San Francisco Giants and eccentric closer Brian Wilson.

“I have 294 messages, and the writing is far too small for me to look at them in this state, so I may look at them tomorrow at some stage and figure them out.” — Golfer Darren Clarke, the morning after celebrating his unexpected win at the British Open

“No, sadly not. Maybe next time.” — Prince William, when asked during his visit to Los Angeles whether he had come to buy the fiscally teetering Dodgers.

“Let’s go bankrupt!” — Chant heard at a Los Angeles Dodgers game.

“Miguel Angel Jimenez’s warm-up routine remains so suggestive that spectators are trying to stick dollar bills in his belt.” — Dan Jenkins, of Golf Digest, on the hip-gyrating stretching routing employed by the Spanish golfer.

“Due to the extreme heat, Bud Selig is nude.” — From David Letterman’s Top Ten Signs You’re Watching A Bad All-Star Game.

“I don’t think so. I thought everybody hated them already.” — Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, on whether his new teammates would have to taught about hating the Vancouver Canucks.

AUGUST

“Brawl Highlights Decades Of Tension Between China, Georgetown.” — The Onion, after a brawl broke out in a basketball game between Georgetown and the Chinese national team.

“I played four years in Detroit. I can handle a car.” — Former quarterback Joey Harrington, after he was hospitalized with a broken collarbone and a punctured lung, suffered when he was hit by a car when riding his bicycle.

“He’s only 22, so his right wrist should be the strongest muscle in his body.” — Golf commentator David Feherty, when Rory McIlroy hurt his wrist at the PGA Championship.

“Well, I’m getting paid a lot of money.” — New England Patriots offensive lineman Logan Mankins, on why he signed after a holdout.

“I love that little [guy]. It looks like he escaped from Cirque du Soleil and they put a uniform on him.” — Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, on Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia.

“After all the rioting in London this week, officials are worried that it could mean security problems for the Olympics next year. On the bright side, the guy running with the torch will just blend right in.” — Jimmy Fallon.

SEPTEMBER

Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

Metta World Peace

“I didn’t have a lot of fun today, no. But it’s early.” — Andy Roddick, after losing in the quarter-finals at the U.S. Open.

“It’s like something to do with the universe.” — Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest, asked to explain the significance of changing his uniform number from 37 to 70. He later changed his name to Metta World Peace.

“It seems like there’s going to be lots of murders. Make sure we have enough ambulances.” — Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, on his early impressions of the rivalry between the Flyers and the New York Rangers.

“Morning all, someone ended a tweet to me with ‘STFU.’ I’ve no doubt they were referring to St. Fu the patron saint of long mustaches.” — Receiver Chad Ochocinco, on Twitter.

“It seemed OK in the shower. I haven’t went around and asked everybody, but the shower seemed fine.” — Boston Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett, during his team’s historic collapse down the stretch.

OCTOBER

“Right now it’s a mid-body. But picking my nose, it’s an upper-body.” — Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Carl Gunnarsson, on the difference between upper-body and lower-body injuries after taking a shot off his ring finger.

“Profile Of Serial Killer Matches Description Of Baltimore Ravens.” — The Onion.

“I thought to myself, self, you’re a sick man trying to make logic of this.” — Winnipeg Jets coach Claude Noel, on what he was thinking during a 9-8 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.

“I’d give him like an 8.5 because he passed it to Hossa instead of me.” — Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp, asked to rate a particularly remarkable pass by teammate Patrick Kane.

“I’m just glad I’m no longer the one people are making fun of on a daily basis.” — New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, after photographs of teammate Rob Gronkowski with a porn star circulated on the Internet.

“I don’t care how good technology is these days, there’s a lot of hair on that body.” — Vancouver Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa, on why it’s good his teammate Roberto Luongo didn’t join Ryan Kesler is posing for ESPN’s Body Issue.

“We take the square footage between the right-field line and centre field and the square footage from left field to centre field, divide that by pi and multiply it by bulls—, and then we pick the dugout. The field that’s closest to the dugout, that’s where Lance plays.” — St. Louis cardinals manager Tony LaRussa, on how he decided to position outfielders Lance Berkman and Allen Craig in the NLDS.

“Is my mother listening?” — Ottawa Senators coach Paul MacLean, when asked his impression of a 7-2 loss to Philadelphia.

NOVEMBER

Jason Miller/Getty Images

Ozzie Guillen

“I didn’t read the book.” — Shaquille O’Neal, asked what his favourite part of his new book was.

“My excuse was sometimes I felt like the boat moved when I shot, and that’s why I missed.” — North Carolina centre John Henson, after beating Michigan State in a game played on the USS Carl Vinson.

“I have a bulldog and named him DH because he is so lazy.” — Ozzie Guillen.

“To answer your question, I’m not going to answer that question. Anybody else got a question?” — Georgia football coach Mark Richt, asked about three of his players who were allegedly suspended for failing a drug test.

“It looks like mine now.” — Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic, after teammate Daniel Paille took a puck in the nose.

“Kim is insisting that she really did marry for love and not publicity. She said her agent was very clear that a love marriage was the most lucrative, in terms of selling home video rights.” — Jimmy Kimmel, on the 72-day marriage between Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries.

“Hopefully, this story will help her get a date to the prom.” — Judy Thompson, mother of 16-year-old golf phenom Lexi Thompson, on getting into Sports Illustrated.

“I finally looked up John 3:16. It reads, “The kick is up and it is good.” — Andy Borowitz, on the Tim Tebow phenomenon.

“You know, nobody died.” — Anaheim Ducks forward Teemu Selanne, after another loss in a 2-10-4 slump.

DECEMBER

“God’s a great financial planner.” — Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, after Albert Pujos’ wife said that God told them to sign with the Los Angeles Angel.

“He’s starting to look like a hockey player. Pretty face, pretty boy, it’s almost over.” — Vancouver Canucks coach Alain Vigneault, on Mason Raymond taking a puck in the face.

“Hey, I’m from Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. It makes Buffalo look like Rome.” — Toronto Maple Leafs forward Joffrey Lupul, after he made fun of the view from his Buffalo hotel room on Twitter.

“Thinking of buying Packers stock? For $249, I will print you a certificate and hold an imaginary meeting where your vote also doesn’t count.” — Pablo S. Torre, of Sports Illustrated, on the Green Bay stock sale that sold 185,000 non-voting, non-appreciating shares in two days.

“I could watch a whole channel that was just Jerry Jones watching his team implode from a skybox.” — Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Gay, on the Dallas Cowboys owner.

“You’d think they’d be wearing pants.” — Canada world junior coach Don Hay, on waking up his players, who often answered the door in their underwear to be told they had made the team.

“Chemistry is something that you don’t just throw in the frying pan and mix it up with another something, then throw it on top of something, then fry it up and put it in a tortilla and put in a microwave, heat it up and give it to you and expect it to taste good. You know? For those of you who can cook, y’all know what I’m talking about. If y’all can’t cook, this doesn’t concern you.” — Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, on shortened training camps.

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

[hockeygod]

Delay of game

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, January 1, 2012

PHILADELPHIA — Claude Giroux and Jaromir Jagr hit the ice looking more ready to shag flies than practise the power play.

The Philadelphia Flyers stars smeared eye black to fight the glare on a sunny morning as they skated on a rink constructed on the site of two Fall Classics that underwent a makeover as it shifted into the home of the Winter Classic.

Jagr later strode shirtless around the Philadelphia Phillies' clubhouse with a baseball bat slung over his shoulder.

Skater up!

Cold, wind, ice. Conditions that usually spoil the enjoyment of a World Series game are on deck for the fifth edition of the NHL's inside-the-park extravaganza, this one set for 3 p.m. Monday between the Flyers and the New York Rangers at Citizens Bank Park.

Amid the HBO cameras and Stanley Cup-atmosphere that has infused the game with enough energy to power the rink, a little perspective came Sunday from the Rangers and Flyers in their final practices.

"When we wake up, all the fun is going to be over," Giroux said, "and it's about two points on the ice."

The game was pushed back two hours because of a revised weather forecast that should offer optimal game conditions for players and fans.

The game was scheduled for 1 p.m. The gates will now open at 1 p.m. with the puck dropping two hours later.

Last year's game at Pittsburgh was moved into prime time because of rain.

"Let's play," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "It's time to play the game."

Workers stuck Christmas trees and winter firewood on the fake snow around the rink as the finishing touches were sprinkled on a project that started just before Thanksgiving. While fans hoped for winter wonderland conditions, the two-hour shift will at least mean chilly temperatures and less sun.

"It's going to feel different to be out there," Rangers centre Brad Richards said. "It'll be, look around for a little bit, but you don't want to get clocked, so you can't look too much."

The game is too important to gawk at the skyline.

Flyers coach Peter Laviolette made it clear winning the game between two teams jostling for the top spot in the Eastern Conference is more important than putting on a show when he benched slumping goalie — and "24/7" breakout star — Ilya Bryzgalov for Sergei Bobrovsky.

Bryzgalov, the self-deprecating Russian, has failed to live up to the nine-year, US$51 million contract he signed in June and now finds a spot on the bench for the Winter Classic.

With temperatures expected around 4-5 degrees C, Bryzgalov joked he'd sip Earl Grey tea to keep warm. He could be in hot water after revealing before Laviolette's announcement that Bobrovsky would be in charge of trying to stop Marian Gaborik and Ryan Callahan instead of him.

Laviolette has strict guidelines on how he presents the day's starting goalie — never a day ahead, rarely at morning skate — and Bryzgalov's defiance may keep him on the bench.

Laviolette refused to announce a goalie even after he was told Bryzgalov spoiled the news.

"I have great news and even better news," Bryzgalov said. "Great news, I'm not playing tomorrow night. Good news, we have a chance to win the game tomorrow night."

The Flyers counted on Bryzgalov to become the goaltender that would lead them to their first Stanley Cup championship since 1975. He's 14-8 with a pedestrian 3.01 goals against average, and has allowed five, four and five goals in three of his last four starts.

"Six, five, next game if I give up three, it's going to be progress," Bryzgalov said.

His dry wit made him a hit on the first three episodes of HBO's behind-the-scenes look at both teams before the Classic. His two little children, meanwhile, bickered at a Christmas celebration over who was more Russian.

Laviolette planned to discuss his decision with Bryzgalov later Sunday. Oh, to be a fly — or a "24/7" camera — on the wall for that talk.

Bryzgalov admitted Sunday leaving Phoenix for big money and a hockey-mad market has made him feel added pressure.

"I like it here," he said, "but something's gone wrong with (my) game. Too much thinking. I wish I got (a) $450,000 salary."

Earlier this season, Bryzgalov said he was "lost in the woods."

Pine Barrens, perhaps?

Bryzgalov has shone on the HBO series that will whittle 750 hours of footage down to four over its brief run. HBO has pushed back the final episode of "24/7" to Thursday night because it needed an extra day to put the episode together.

HBO has 12 cameras filming Monday's game.

The camera crews have remained a silent presence, always filming, never talking or intervening.

In last week's episode, Bryzgalov's dog was caught chomping on his son's arm.

"I would say the kid would have had to have cried rather than just yelled at the dog" before the crew helped, senior producer Dave Harmon said. "If the kid wasn't crying, then we're going to keep shooting."

HBO airs a daytime version of the show where profanities are censored so families can watch together.

Tortorella said the cameras have not been a distraction.

"I think we've handled it well," he said. "We've had a number of distractions right from the get-go of camp. The guys have handled it well. This has been a great experience for them. I'm glad we've gone through it. We're honoured to be part of it."

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

[hockeygod]

Bryzgalov's act wearing thin on Flyers

CHRIS STEVENSON, QMI Agency, Jan 1 2012

PHILADELPHIA – At the end of a rambling, sometimes characteristically quirky and always entertaining dialogue Sunday, Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov came to the truth.

It's all pretty much been a lie. All that mugging for the HBO 24/7 cameras has been an act.

"I never let anyone get inside of my head. If you want to be honest, a serious question? I always lie to you guys," said Bryzgalov, who surprisingly made the announcement he won't start Monday's Winter Classic against the New York Rangers at Citizen Bank Park, ticking off Flyers coach Peter Laviolette.

It was yet another off-the-wall moment for the goaltender, who has been one of the stars of the HBO documentary in the run-up to the NHL's showcase regular-season event.

OK, so if he's always lying, when he says he's lying is he really telling the truth?

"You'll never find out my real feelings," he said. "We're talking now probably half an hour, right, and what you got from this conversation? Basically, nothing, right? That's how it's supposed to be probably. People doesn't care how I feel. They want a show. They want the entertainment. You remember the Rome, right? The antique Rome? The Roman Empire? What they want? Gladiators and bread. It's all they want.

"The crowd doesn't change. They still think the same. It's going to be three hundred years ago. In the future it going to be the same. It's all the crowd needs. I think life is a show."

And so it was again Sunday.

"I have great news and I have even better news," said Bryzgalov in the Philadelphia Phillies clubhouse, which has been converted to the Flyers dressing room, as he met with the media. "OK, great news is I'm not playing tomorrow night and better news is we have a chance to win the game tomorrow night."

As far as his plans for spending the day outdoors at the end of the Flyers bench (if, indeed, he isn't playing and it isn't all just more of Bryzgalov's playing for the cameras): "Make sure I'm not forget in the morning my Thermos with some nice tea and enjoy the bench," he said.

What kind of tea?

"It's going to be Earl Grey, probably. Lemon. Lots of sugar, sweet."

Unlike the way things have been going for Bryzgalov lately. He's 0-3 in his last three games, giving up 16 goals on 87 shots.

Sergei Bobrovsky is 3-0, giving up six goals on 88 shots.

It's not the way Bryzgalov or the Flyers saw things going when they signed him to a nine-year, $51-millon contract in the off-season.

Is the weight of that deal affecting Bryzgalov?

"Yeah, maybe. I wish I got $450,000 salary for right now," he said. "'What do you want from me? I play for the gas (money).'"

When asked what was wrong with his game right now, Bryzgalov said: "Too much thinking."

A couple of Flyers players rolled their eyes when asked about Bryzgalov and the way he handled the news of his not starting Sunday. Laviolette, as per his custom, refused to name his starter (Bryzgalov said he was told by Flyers goaltending coach Jeff Reese he was not starting). Laviolette's displeasure with Bryzgalov prematurely revealing who would start was clearly evident.

Bryzgalov's act is wearing thin with the organization. He has already been told to stop beating himself up in the media after his famous meltdown (about being lost in the woods) after a game against the Winnipeg Jets.

It was interesting that when players spoke on the record, they mentioned how hard Bobrovsky works.

"Obviously, Bob deserves it," said NHL leading scorer Claude Giroux. "He's been playing well and since the start of the season he's been working hard and I think the guys can see how hard he works."

"Bryz has had a tough couple of games. Bob has been pretty steady the whole year," said Flyers winger Scott Hartnell. "I think it might be good for Bryz to get a wakeup call, work on some things, get back to being the goalie that he can be."

Bryzgalov said it hurt not to be starting Monday in such a high-profile game.

"Oh, yeah, that's true. (The) only one reason. If it's probably going to be another game, maybe I'm not going to be frustrated like that," he said. "I'm a human. I'm not made from the steel."

While what's fact and what's just fun for Bryzgalov is a moving target, the truth of his situation is this: when a guy is playing well and winning, off-the-wall behaviour like Bryzgalov's is charmingly quirky.

When he's struggling and the team is losing, he's a loose, though entertaining, cannon and a distraction.

That's the way it is in this show.

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

[hockeygod]

Mac's title for Severstal

Scott Mitchell, Calgary Sun, January 01, 2012

When the UFA Bisons should have been charging, they were grazing.

An uninspired effort from the Strathmore-based club allowed Russian squad Severstal/Lokomotiv to capture their second Mac’s Midget Tournament title Sunday at the Saddledome with a 5-0 win.

Goaltender Wilson Sproule kept the Bisons in it early, but two second-period goals gave the Russians all the momentum they needed and Alexander Sharov’s natural hat-trick in the third period put it away for Russia, who enjoyed their first Mac’s crown since a 2007 triumph.

Sproule was named the tournament MVP, and it wasn’t his fault the Bisons couldn’t mount any offensive charge whatsoever.

“Seven games in seven days is a lot,” Sproule said. “It was just one of those days.

“It was just one of those games where we couldn’t get our momentum going. Usually with our team, once we get one goal, it just keeps on coming.”

It was the Russians who kept on coming.

After taking a 2-0 lead into the second intermission, Russia sealed it early in the third when Sharov finished off captain Artyom Vorobyov’s feed on a shorthanded rush to make it 3-0.

Then, just over three-and-a-half minutes later, Sharov struck again, dangling in on the right wing and roofing a pretty backhander over Sproule’s glovehand to extend the lead to four goals.

He’d finish off the hat-trick with 52 seconds left.

“I was very happy,” Sharov said through a translator after his hat-trick performance. “Of course, I had lots of help from my teammates.”

“We supported each other out there and that’s why we won the game.”

Russian GM Vladimir Sokolov was impressed by the 16-year-old winger’s performance when the lights were brightest.

“Not a hat-trick, but he often scores,” Sokolov said when asked what type of player Sharov is back in Russia. “He should score. He should score more.”

Russia outshot the Bisons 32-14.

It was a sound beating and it’s the second time the Bisons have lost in the final in the past three tournaments, as they lost to the Vancouver Giants in 2009.

Meanwhile, the Russians are showing they’re a threat to win every time they venture overseas.

“It’s really great for the kids and a great experience for the coaching staff, as well — we did it,” Sokolov said. “I think the kids, they played tougher and they skated well."

Russia finally solved Sproule at the 5:42 mark of the second period when an Ahmed Gimbatov shot from a bad angle found its way through the Bisons goaltender’s pads.

Artur Chuvilyaev puts Russia up by two with just under three minutes to go in the second period, outskating the Bisons’ defence and teeing up a slapper that fluttered through Sproule’s five-hole.

The Bisons went 3-0-1 in roundrobin play, before dispatching the Calgary Flames 4-2 in the quarterfinals.

They followed that up with another 4-2 win in the semifinals, this time over the previously unbeaten Prince Albert Mintos.

Russia went 2-0-2 in the roundrobin and took out the Czech Republic’s Pirati Chomutov 5-3 in the quarterfinals, and followed that up with a 3-2 win over the St. Albert Raiders in the semis.

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

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