Articles

[hockeygod]

NHLers helping to end homophobia in hockey

Canadian Press, 04/03/2012

First, it's Rick Nash. Then Duncan Keith, Brian Boyle, Matt Moulson, Joffrey Lupul, Claude Giroux, Daniel Alfredsson, Scott Hartnell, Corey Perry, Andy Greene, Dion Phaneuf and Henrik Lundqvist.

As each of the NHL players repeats a simple message in a powerful public service announcement released Sunday, they add their voice to a growing movement aimed at creating a level playing field in the sport, regardless of sexual orientation.

It's the brainchild of Patrick Burke, a scout for the Philadelphia Flyers and the son of Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke. He created the "You Can Play" project to help eliminate the homophobic culture found in some corners of hockey.

In doing so, he called on powerful allies to help get the message across – and more than 30 NHL players responded by taping spots that will air throughout the remainder of the season.

"The messages are very simple, yet meaningful," Patrick Burke said in an interview. "It's variations of the idea that all they care about is winning, all they care about is having the best teammates and it doesn't matter if the best teammate happens to be gay or straight.

"That plays no role in whether or not they would accept their teammate and that they would all be welcoming and supportive of an openly gay teammate."

For Burke, the cause is close to his heart. His late brother, Brendan, made headlines when he came out publicly in November 2009 while serving as the manager of Miami of Ohio University's hockey team.

Brendan Burke was killed in a February 2010 car crash at age 21, leaving the family to carry on his legacy. Brian Burke has been active in gay rights initiatives around Toronto and marches annually in the city's gay pride parade, while Patrick founded the "You Can Play" project along with Brian Kitts and Glenn Witman, who run a Denver-based gay hockey team called GForce.

In its mission statement, the "You Can Play" project says it aims to ensure "equality, respect and safety for all athletes, without regard to sexual orientation."

That ideal comes directly from conversations Patrick Burke had with his late brother.

"When Brendan came out it didn't change anything between me and him," said Patrick. "It turned into a great moment for us, a great bonding moment for our family because when something like that happens when you're not expecting it, you have to evaluate: 'What do I look for in a brother? What do I look for in a friend?'

"We had a very open relationship where I asked him a lot of questions because I didn't know anything. … And hearing some of the stories that young LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) athletes face really touched me and made we want to do something in Brendan's honour to help those kids."

The Burkes reached out to all 30 NHL teams in an effort to get support from players and received a strong response. Eight of them taped spots during the all-star game in Ottawa.

The first PSA – dubbed "The Faceoff" – debuted on NBC during Sunday afternoon's game of the week between the Bruins and Rangers. Others will be rolled out over time.

"I am grateful to the NHL community for their support (and) acceptance," Brian Burke wrote on Twitter over the weekend.

Hockey has yet to have an athlete come out and declare that he's gay. Patrick Burke is optimistic the day is coming – "statistically, we have gay players in the NHL," he said – and thinks it will not only serve to help that individual but also a large group of young players in need of a role model.

The issue has received a growing amount of attention. Former New York Rangers forward Sean Avery appeared in an ad supporting gay marriage last year and a big wave of players have added their support with Patrick Burke's new initiative.

It's a big testament to his brother's legacy.

"I think the biggest thing Brendan did in the hockey community – both in the NHL and lower levels – is that he got people talking about the issue," said Patrick. "For a lot of people that aren't familiar with LGBT issues, it's kind of an uncomfortable conversation to bring up at times. What Brendan did when he first came out, he gave a lot of people a reason to talk, a reason to ask questions, a reason to find out more about LGBT issues in sports.

"So I think he made a huge impact. I'm not sure it's something that we could ever really measure, but I know this project wouldn't be here without him."

—

The public service announcements can be viewed at http://youcanplayproject.org/

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

[hockeygod]

Cherry drops another bomb on Burke: Battle over Ontario gets heated

Joe Warmington, QMI Agency, March 3 2012

Forget the Battle of Ontario. This is the battle for Ontario.

And it’s a barn burner.

An old fashioned donnybrook, in fact.

“You want to get me off? You want to take me on?” Don Cherry said of Leafs General Manager Brian Burke on Coach’s Corner Saturday night. “Two years ago you said you were going to do something to me in the playoffs. Remember that? And I said, ‘Oh Brian Burke I’m shaking in my boots. I’m shaking right now. Do your best.’”

Another Cherry bomb.

For Grapes, the battle stems from the fact that the Toronto Maple Leafs do not have one player from Ontario currently on the roster.

For GM Burke, a loud and bombastic failure so far in his first three years at the helm despite tens of millions spent, it may end up being a battle to keep his job.

It’s a heavyweight prize fight.

Perhaps Burke can “rent a barn” at Riverdale Farms, like he suggested he wanted to do to settle a heated grudge match he had a few years back with Edmonton Oilers GM Kevin Lowe?

The problem is — as fighting goes — Cherry had 1,343 professional penalty minutes over 16 years in the minor leagues where Burke had 60 penalty minutes in just one season.

Their first two rounds were hot. The third round is steaming.

In January, Burke admitted he had “quietly and professionally” gone to Cherry’s CBC superiors to complain about what he called “vicious and cutting” attacks during Coach’s Corner against his coach and players.

Cherry took exception to him going “behind my back” — saying it’s “quite obvious” Brian is “trying to deflect from his team’s performance missing the playoffs three years running at my expense and to be a hero to his players at my expense.”

The temperature rose a few more degrees Saturday when Cherry called out Burke for both his lack of Ontario players and his going after his job.

“Here is what kills me,” Cherry said. “Burke goes to my bosses and says I am a bad guy because I said something vicious about his coach; two weeks later he fires him? Figure that one out folks!”

But it was the surprising fact that there are currently no Ontario players being iced that was one right to the kisser of American-born, dual-citizen Burke.

“Every team in the National Hockey League has a guy from Ontario except one. Guess who it is? It’s Ontario’s Toronto Maple Leafs,” said Grapes. “Now if you want American college guys; if you want Americans you got the team.”

As a Maple Leafs season ticket holder, Cherry said “we pay his salary from Ontario” and to “not make the playoffs for three years in a row, probably not four and not have one guy from Ontario is a crime as far as I am concerned.”

Forget the barn. To the woodshed.

Self described “vindictive” but other times big-hearted Burke did not seem to respond Sunday — fresh off his first win in a month with his new, Ontario-born, coach Randy Carlyle. He eventually patched up the feud with Lowe without any barn rental and will likely have no choice but to do the same with Cherry since going behind a guy’s back for his job in hockey is not honourable.

Even though Burke’s defenders say he has drafted, and his developing many Ontario players, his detractors say Ontario players like Nazem Kadri and Mike Zigomanis should be in the lineup now instead of overpaid and under-achieving team members who are not from these parts.

The bench-clearing brawl that ensued has gone viral.

“I thought Don was superb,” said former Toronto Sun hockey columnist and Hockey Night in Canada commentator Al Strachan. “For the most part, the Toronto media corps, that is supposed to be so demanding, has given Burke — or “Burkie” as they almost universally call him — a free ride. His inconsistencies are ignored; his gaffes are written off; his arrogance is forgiven and his general ill temper is accepted as a somehow acceptable personality trait.”

Strachan added Burke “has had great success browbeating the superiors of those who disagree with him and (allegedly) getting them fired but he tried it once too often when he went after Cherry. Unfortunately, very few in the Toronto media have had the fortitude to examine what Burke really is and to stand up to him. Don did that on Saturday night and it was great to watch.”

And every hockey fan certainly loves to watch a good tussle between two heavyweights.

There’s enough material develop a third CBC life and times movie where Jared Keeso does have excellent job of playing Grapes. But who is going to play Burke.

—–

CBC about to pay for Don Cherry’s criticism of NHL?

BRUCE DOWBIGGIN, Globe and Mail, Mar. 04, 2012

Journalism makes strange bedfellows. Don Cherry’s polemic Saturday on Coach’s Corner about Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke allegedly attempting to have him fired is one of those moments.

Cherry has the right to expect editorial freedom from the league that he covers. As much as we’ve disagreed with him, we support Cherry if a team executive tries to have him fired for taking positions contrary to the party line at the Air Canada Centre. Yes, strange bedfellows.

So long as he’s accurate, Cherry’s entitled to make a public show of his opinions, no matter how he’s dressed, no matter how over the top his delivery. (It’s up to CBC, not Cherry, to provide balance in its coverage.)

Trying to intimidate the press is nothing new for Burke. He has attempted, successfully at times, to silence his critics in media positions by going to their bosses with his complaints. We’re waiting for the moment when his new employers at Rogers and Bell must choose between Burke and one of their radio, TV or print employees who’ve irritated the Maple Leafs’ GM. For now, the friction point is between Burke and CBC, partners in the NHL national broadcast rights in Canada.

Which leads us to the other issue raised by Cherry’s bombast: What’s an acceptable level of criticism from a host broadcaster?

Cherry tailored the facts on Saturday about Burke trying to have him fired. It’s not simply the Maple Leafs who are carrying a grudge over his flamboyant and persistent criticisms of the NHL and its product. When CBC executives made a pilgrimage to the NHL board of governors, they were rudely greeted by criticism of Cherry and MacLean from the Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks, whose complaints about biased coverage and editorial failings have been voiced on other occasions.

The league, too, has been less than enthusiastic about Cherry’s demeaning of the new rules, discipline czar Brendan Shanahan, and the refereeing. Commissioner Gary Bettman appears to be boycotting Hockey Night in Canada after several contentious interviews with MacLean. Some of this is predictable, of course. As the expression goes, journalism’s goal is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

But it is becoming clear that CBC may pay a price for countenancing the Ron ’n’ Don agenda of old-time values. NHL officials would not comment publicly on whether the pair would be an impediment to CBC retaining all or some of the next national TV rights package in Canada, which begin in 2014. But the sentiment in the league office seems to be, can anyone imagine the NFL’s broadcast partners being as constantly critical of the game, its officials, clubs, league and, particularly, the commissioner as Cherry/MacLean have been?

This became toxic this year when Cherry mocked the league’s disciplinary department and referees. While it doesn’t want to censor its broadcaster, the league does feel it could stand a little love once in a while from the stars of its Canadian partner.

Jeffrey Orridge, CBC vice-president of sports properties, told Usual Suspects that CBC would not publicly discuss the issue of whether Cherry/MacLean could cost them HNIC. But we have learned that HNIC and CBC employees are concerned that the personal agenda of the Coach’s Corner pair is jeopardizing the future of the show on CBC.

There is a feeling that Cherry/MacLean dominate editorial content on the show, and the content is no longer acceptable to a league that wants to emphasize speed and skill at the expense of grittiness and fighting. Some feel that Cherry, facing retirement, is looking to go out on his shield by picking a fight with the suits of the league for the soul of the sport.

The 77-year-old Cherry says he is on an annual contract with CBC. MacLean has two more years on his deal. Some think it’s time they moved on. Removing either or both this summer from HNIC would be a tricky public relations move for CBC, which is already under fire from both political and broadcast critics. For a corporation facing financial challenges in the next year, the advertising revenues from HNIC are crucial. Losing them, a disaster.

Can CBC retain both HNIC’s revenues and Cherry/MacLean? We may be about to find out.

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

[hockeygod]

OHL centre pressed into goalie duty in 13-4 loss: GM apologizes for 'embarrassment to the league'

CBC Sports, Mar 5, 2012

Erie Otters centre Connor Crisp had a game he likely never would have predicted, donning the pads Sunday in a 13-4 loss to the Niagara Ice Dogs.

Crisp, 17, switched positions when starting goaltender Ramis Sadikov was taken out of the game just two minutes in after a collision with Niagara forward Alex Friesen.

Veteran OHL executive Sherry Bassin, the Otters general manager, has apologized for not having a backup netminder at the ready.

'Well, I’m a road hockey goalie, ball hockey goalie, but that’s the first time I’ve put on goalie equipment and played on ice since I was 5 years old'—Emergency 'goalie' Connor Crisp

The team's other netminder, Devin Williams, was hurt Friday night in a loss to Saginaw.

"Late last night, our backup goaltender [Williams] failed a concussion test," Bassin told the team's website. "I looked at our alternatives; one of our goaltenders [Adam Wood] was playing in the Ontario Junior C Championships, the other [Corey Foster] in the Midget Ontario Championships. I studied our alternatives based on the 2,000 or so games I've been involved in.

"This turned out to be a bad decision. I accept full responsibility and apologize publicly for the embarrassment to the league and the sport of hockey that I love. I have deep respect for our league and sport."

Crisp finished with 32 saves and was named the game's first star but was clearly in tough against the Central Division leading Ice Dogs.

"Well, I’m a road hockey goalie, ball hockey goalie, but that’s the first time I’ve put on goalie equipment and played on ice since I was 5 years old," Crisp told The Canadian Press.

Ryan Strome, who played for Canada at the world juniors and is usually known as more of a setup man, scored five goals for Niagara.

While some might question why a player of Strome's calibre was still getting ice time well into the third period of a rout, Ice Dogs owner Bill Burke felt it was Erie who needed to apologize for their goaltending lapse.

"It's brutal. I don’t know how you can come to the game without a backup goalie," Burke told Bernie Puchalski of the St. Catharines Standard.

Burke said the Otters had nearly two days to find a goalie after the injury to Williams.

The OHL does not require teams to have a backup to dress.

Erie has a league-worst 10 wins in 62 games.

The Ice Dogs, meanwhile, scored a total of 24 goals in a successful two-game weekend.

—–

Otters forward plays goal in 13-4 loss

The Canadian Press, Mar 4

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – It was a game Connor Crisp will never forget. After allowing 13 goals on 46 shots for the Erie Otters on Sunday, he was named the first star.

The 17-year-old centre was never supposed to play net, but he got pressed into action as an emergency replacement when starting goalie Ramis Sadikov was injured in the opening minutes of a 13-4 victory by the Niagara IceDogs.

"Well, I'm a road hockey goalie, ball hockey goalie, but that's the first time I've put on goalie equipment and played on ice since I was five years old," said Crisp.

The Otters dressed only one goaltender after backup Devin Williams suffered a head injury earlier this weekend in a game against Saginaw. Sadikov was knocked out just 1:45 into Sunday's game after a collision with IceDogs forward Alex Friesen, who received a five-minute major for charging and a game-misconduct on the play.

With no backup on the bench the Otters had a choice — dress a player for the rest of the game, or forfeit.

Enter Crisp, who hadn't played in a single game this season after undergoing shoulder surgery. He had been designated as the backup goalie prior to the game, but said "not in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be playing today."

Following a 20-minute delay while he donned goaltender equipment, Crisp stepped onto the ice and almost slipped, then fell while taking warmup shots — much to the appreciation of the Niagara fans.

"My feet are still cramped, I can hardly walk right now," said Crisp. "Rammer's skates were three times too small and not wide enough, that's probably why I couldn't skate."

The fans' admiration would soon grow.

Crisp made six saves in the first period, 12 in the second and 14 more in the third period, which culminated with a standing ovation from the crowd and first star honours.

"It was appreciated so much — beyond words," he said. "Honestly, it was embarrassing to let some of those goals in, but I think the IceDogs fans knew. I can't say enough about how fun and classy that was today."

Ryan Strome led the Niagara (42-17-3) attack with five goals and one assist, while Freddie Hamilton had one goal and five assists. Jesse Graham, Tom Kuhnhackl and Dougie Hamilton all added three assists in the win.

Stephan Harper and Sondre Olden both had one goal and two assists each for Erie (10-46-6). Jake Evan and Luke Cairns had the other Otters goals.

Former Otters goalie Chris Festarini made 36 stops to pick up the win for Niagara.

But it was the losing goalie who fans will remember. Crisp didn't have any family at the rink, but he said they knew what was happening.

"As soon I got on the bus I called my parents and as soon as they picked up the phone they were laughing.

"It's definitely something I will never forget."

—–

Erie Otters’ Connor Crisp, after not playing all season, gets his 58 minutes of fame by going into OHL game in as an emergency goalie

Neate Sager | Buzzing The Net, Yahoo! Sports, March, 4 2012

Erie Otters centre Connor Crisp playing goal after his team's only netminder was injured

Of all the ways to return after nearly missing an entire season.

Imagine a chart-topping band needing to use a fan who's really good at Rock Band as their drummer. Or a NFL team putting an offensive lineman under centre after running out of healthy quarterbacks. Then you would have some idea of what happened in St. Catharines, Ont., on Sunday after the Erie Otters' only available goalie, Ramis Sadikov, was injured after being run by a Niagara IceDogs opponent just two minutes into the game.

With their other goaltender, Devin Williams, sitting out with a head injury he suffered two days earlier, centre Connor Crisp was drafted to go in goal. Crisp, gamely jamming his wide double-E feet into Sadikov's narrow goalie skates ("my coach said if I wore player skates, I'd break my foot"), allowed 13 goals on 45 shots in a 13-4 loss to Niagara. IceDogs management was hardly amused, with owner Bill Burke calling it "brutal" that the last-place Otters did not dress a backup goalie. But no one could fault Crisp for taking one for the team. His valiant effort led to him being named the game's first star and a trending topic on Twitter, with some joking that the goalie-deficient Toronto Maple Leafs should draft him.

"On Saturday they told me I was coming on the road and that I would be the backup goalie," Crisp, who just resumed full-contact practices with the Ontario Hockey League team and was itching to get in a game, said from the Otters' team bus. "Me and the guys were laughing about it on the bus coming up. Then just after warmups, Mikey [Hildenbrand], our equipment manager, made up a jersey for me.

"The next thing I know I'm skating out to centre. It was funny at first and then it just escalated from there."

Crisp had just found a spot to watch the game when Niagara's Alex Friesen barreled into Sadikov 1:45 into the contest. While Sadikov received medical attention, Crisp's cell phone buzzed. Before he knew it, he was donning Sadikov's gear, including his Popeye-motif goalie mask, to face one of the highest-scoring teams in junior hockey. The IceDogs have four skaters who were on Team Canada at the world junior hockey championship, including New York Islanders first-rounder pick Ryan Strome, who ended up scoring five goals. Conversely, the Otters are in last place.

Erie Otters goalie Ramis Sadikov"I was just hanging out in the stands and I saw Rammer [Sadikov] got run and I got a call from [Otters assistant general manager] Dave Brown saying, 'Are you ready?' " Crisp said. "I was like, 'Seriously?' And he says, 'Oh no, I think he'll be fine." And the next thing I know he's being helped off the ice.

"I pretty much sprinted to the change room and started gearing down. [Coach] Robbie [Ftorek] walked in and I asked, 'Am I going in?' He said, 'We need a goalie.' I've never been dressed up as a goalie before. I had no idea what I was doing. I had [teammate] Dane Fox strapping one pad on, our equipment manager doing up the other one, the goalie coach telling me what to do. It was a hectic 15 minutes of getting dressed. I've never been so nervous in my life.

"As soon as I got the nod from the coach, I was like, 'Jesus, this is becoming so real right now.' As soon as I stepped on the ice and could barely skate at first with the goalie skates on, I was thinking this could be a long day."

Once play resumed after a 20-minute delay, the IceDogs scored on their first three shots against him and seemed to ease off the throttle. There were a couple of 3-on-2 rushes when Strome, one of the best attackers in junior hockey, seemed to very slowly bring the puck over centre ice before passing off as he entered the Erie zone. However, the Otters were only down a goal after the first period. Realizing they couldn't lay back, Niagara came out harder in the second period and soon enough, the score mounted. The IceDogs players declined to raise their sticks after scoring.

Trended on Twitter

Meantime, Crisp became a hot social media topic as hockey fans buzzed about the oddity of a skater being conscripted as a goaltender. Meantime, other junior hockey players shared their solidarity. Lethbridge Hurricanes captain Brody Sutter was envious ("The things I would do to play goalie for a game"). Kamloops Blazers star defenceman Austin Madaisky called Crisp his hero.

"I don't have Twitter, but all the guys were really excited and telling me about it," the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Crisp said. "I thought that was pretty cool once they explained to me what trending meant. It was a pretty cool experience overall.

"I had a ton of of texts when I checked my phone after the game," the 17-year-old native of Alliston, Ont., added. "My parents [Sheila and Steve Crisp] loved it. They went over to a friend's house to watch the game when they heard when I was in goal and when I called them they were cracking up about it."

Understandably, Crisp, who told The Canadian Press he had only been a goalie in road hockey, let in a few goals on shots he would have liked to have back. Granted, the IceDogs' complaints about Erie not having a second goalie might ring truer if first-liners Strome and Freddie Hamilton had not been on the ice to score the final goal with less than four minutes to play. After the IceDogs reached double digits, TV Cogeco Ontario commentator Ed Burkholder expressed sympathy for Crisp by saying, "He must feel like his pants are down in front of 3,000 people."

Standing O

Crisp got a standing ovation at game's end. IceDogs players skated over and tapped his pads, while the Niagara goalies, Chris Festarini and Mark Visentin, came over and offered some compliments. Crisp, actually sounding no worse for wear, credited his teammates for playing hard in a no-win situation.

"[Adam] Pelech and [Troy] Donnay were blocking shots left, right and centre," he said. "The guys were behind me 100 per cent. It got embarrassing at points and you feel like you're letting the guys down and hurting their statistics. I know Pelech took a hard one off the ankle and is in a lot of pain right now.

"I have so much respect for goalies now. By the end of the second period my feet were just killing me."

A pro team which is hard up for a goalie can usually find a local amateur netminder. For instance, in 2008, the Washington Capitals dressed their website producer, Brett Leonhardt, a former NCAA Division III 'tender, for a game. Some Canadian NHL teams have called upon a goalie from a local university squad.

A major junior team has to find someone available who is 16 to 20 years old, not engaged with her/his current team and not planning on playing at a U.S. college. Dressing for one Canadian Hockey League game means forfeiting NCAA eligibility. But as much as this is something that has not happened in many years, it's probably something that shouldn't happen again. This was actually the second time this year the Otters have had only goalie suited up.

"I'm sure the league is going to think of something that you have to have a backup goalie or at least one on standby," Crisp said.

Meantime, come Monday it's back to the business of trying to crack the lineup at his full-time position. Crisp said his shoulder held up well.

"Everything felt great when I was out there in goal, so I imagine it will when I get in there as a skater," he said.

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

[Kai K]

From IIHF.COM

2012 IIHF INTERNATIONAL YOUTH COACHING SYMPOSIUM, HELSINKI, FINLAND

The 2012 IIHF International Youth Coaching Symposium will take place May 4-6, 2012 during the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Helsinki, Finland. The seminar is organized by International Ice Hockey Federation, together with Finnish Ice Hockey Association, World Championship Organizing Committee, and International Ice Hockey Centre of Excellence.

The themes of the seminar are based on the fundamentals of Finnish ice hockey – Game sense, Character, and Skating. The seminar, aimed at youth coaches, will also cover the subjects of talent, learning, and teaching. These themes are examined by Finnish and international top speakers such as talent researcher Kari Uusikylä, former scout and executive vice president of St. Louis Blues and current CEO of Jokerit; Jarmo Kekäläinen, and Tommi Pärmäkoski, a trainer of F1 driver Sebastian Vettel.

Dates May 4-6, 2012
Location Sokos Hotel Presidentti (auditorium), Helsinki
Price 325€ (excluding accommodation)

Price includes:
– Seminar lectures
– Access to seminar materials in the Hockey Centre website
– Participants material package
– Lunch and coffee during the seminar days
– BLR-FIN game shown in the night club of Sokos Hotel Presidentti
– Tickets to the World Championship games CAN-USA, FIN-SVK, SUI-BLR in Hartwall Arena

2012 IIHF INTERNATIONAL COACHING SYMPOSIUM, HELSINKI, FINLAND MAY 11-13

The 2012 IIHF International Coaching Symposium will take place May 11-13, 2012 during the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Helsinki, Finland. The seminar is organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation, together with the Finnish Ice Hockey Association, World Championship Organizing Committee, and the International Ice Hockey Centre of Excellence.

The themes of the seminar are based on the fundamentals of Finnish ice hockey – Game sense, Character, and Skating. The seminar has several international and Finnish coaches to presenting their view on the themes. One of the top names is Mr. Aki Hintsa, former head doctor of Finnish Olympic Committee now working with conditioning of the Formula 1 drivers at McLaren.

Dates 11-13.5.2012
Location Sokos Hotel Presidentti (auditorium), Helsinki
Price 395€ (excluding accommodation)

Price includes:
– Seminar lectures
– Access to seminar materials in the Hockey Centre website
– Participants material package
– Lunch and coffee during the seminar days
– FIN-USA game showed in the night club of Sokos Hotel Presidentti
– Tickets to the World Championship games of KAZ-USA, FIN-CAN, SUI-FRA, KAZ-CAN and SUI-SVK in Hartwall Arena

Accommodation

Seminar participants have an opportunity to reserve accommodation in Sokos Hotel Presidentti for the price of:

95€ for two nights in a double room
190€ for two nights in a single room

Sokos Hotel Presidentti is a busy congress hotel locating in Helsinki city centre. It is located just next to the Kamppi shopping center and only 5 minutes away from Helsinki main railway station, from where it takes only 10 minutes to get to the Harwall Arena.

Sign Up!

Registration to seminar will open soon.

Kai

[hockeygod]

Sounds like some interesting topics. Most hockey seminars are the some old recycled crap, but the IIHF does it much better than those in North America (well, Canada anyways… can't comment on any USA clinics!) Unfortunately, I will be in Spokane at that time visiting family and participating in the Bloomsday 12k roadrace. I have been doing this since the early 1980's and only missed two of them (for World Championships). I am looking into the possibility of attending a TGfU conference north of London UK in the 2nd week of July. Would like to see if I could combine this with a side trip into Sweden or Finland for a couple of days – but only if I could hook up with Kai (or any other locals) to watch some practices / training sessions…

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

[hockeygod]

FRASER: THE FORUM, THE BATTLE OF QUEBEC AND THE SENATOR

KERRY FRASER, TSN.CA, 3/7/2012

Growing up in Ontario, both Kathy and I were Leafs fans (she's much more devout than I). The Canadiens were the hated arch-enemy. The Flying Frenchmen combined the speed and skill of Rocket Richard and his brother Henri (the Pocket Rocket), Jean Béliveau, Bernie Geoffrion, Yvan Cournoyer and Guy Lafleur with the toughness of John Ferguson and Ted Harris. Their defence corps boasted a seemingly endless supply of future Hall of Famers, from Doug Harvey and Butch Bouchard to Jacques Laperrière, Serge Savard, and Guy Lapointe…

Throughout their storied past, the Canadiens didn't just do business in a unique way, they espoused a philosophy of pride in the organization that every member was expected to live by. I could feel it in the air each time I entered the old Montreal Forum.

The Habs' fans were very demanding, expecting nothing less than a Stanley Cup every year. These high expectations were a by-product of the deep sense of pride that flowed both ways between the team and the community. A player walking into the Canadiens' dressing room for the first time would get an instant history lesson, as the walls were adorned with photographs and names of past players…

On May 1, 1985, I packed my bag early in the morning and headed off to the Sarnia Airport to catch a flight to Montreal… This was only the third time I had been assigned to the Stanley Cup playoffs, and the first time I had been chosen to work Game Seven of a divisional final series… This was The Battle of Quebec!…

Clashes between the Nordiques and Canadiens pitted the smaller provincial capital against the metropolis… Throughout the province, the media – particularly the competitive French-language newspapers in Quebec City and Montreal – were relentless in their coverage and would pull no punches in their pursuit of sensational headlines. On more than one occasion, I was advised by John McCauley [then Director of Officiating] to be very careful about what I did or said in public in either city. Even the officials were fair game!…

Both teams came to play, and there was none of the rough stuff that we might have anticipated. At the end of regulation time, it was all tied up at two… Once I dropped the puck to start the overtime, it didn't take long for the game and series to end…[Peter] Stastny pounced on the rebound, and Penney made another stop but still couldn't control the rebound. Stastny would make no mistake the second time, putting the game and series in his pocket at 2:22 of overtime…

I got caught in the crossfire between these two bitter rivals in Game Five of the Adams Division final on April 28, 1987. The Nordiques had stunned the Canadiens by taking the first two games in Montreal, while the Habs won the next two at Le Colisée. Late in the third period of the fifth game, with the score tied at two, I disallowed a goal by Alain Côté, and Nordiques coach Michel Bergeron was transformed from "Le Petit Tigre" into a roaring lion — or, depending on your perspective, a raving maniac. To this day, the thought or mention of that call causes Bergeron's already high blood pressure to boil out of control.

We had a rule, even back then, that a goalie should be allowed to stand in his crease and do what his job description entails—namely, to defend his net by stopping the puck without being interfered with. This was the premise that later led us to the ridiculous interpretation that a goal could not be counted if a player had his foot – even a toe – in the goal crease, or even on the goal line.

Players went hard to the net, and goalies such as Billy Smith and Ron Hextall had a technique for keeping their goal crease clear — and not the same one used by the "ice girls" on Long Island or in Philadelphia, who scrape away the debris during commercial timeouts. I made it clear to goalies that I would not allow them to be bumped, jostled, interfered with, or bodychecked when they were within the confines of their crease. On the other hand, if they decided to do their own housekeeping with their stick or any other appendage, I would penalize them accordingly. The arrangement worked extremely well.

It looked as though this game might continue for a while, since the game in Quebec two nights earlier had been sent to overtime with the exact same score. Montreal scored five and a half minutes into the extra period. When I saw Quebec's Paul Gillis attacking the net hard, with Mats Näslund of the Canadiens chasing him on the backcheck, I immediately recognized all the makings of trouble in the crease. Sure enough, Näslund gave Gillis a little bump from behind that Gillis took advantage of to speed right into the goal crease, where he made solid contact with the left side of Montreal goalkeeper Brian Hayward. Gillis was not content with that contact, however: he hooked his skate around the left skate and pad of Hayward while he applied pressure with his stick to the goalie's upper torso. Gillis then used his momentum and force to drag Hayward to the side of the goal crease and beyond.

Seeing this take place, it would most likely not have drawn a penalty or a reaction from anyone in those days, especially given the score and the time remaining. Unless, that is, there was a consequence to Paul Gillis's actions. Therein lies the problem. In the same instant that I saw Hayward being dragged out of the net, I also saw Côté ready to fire a shot from the high slot into the now-empty Montreal cage. Before the puck left Côté's stick, the whistle was in my mouth and I was blowing as hard as I could. The Nordiques' celebration was short lived as I waved off the goal and penalized Gillis for goaltender interference. I also gave Näslund a token interference penalty for his nudge on Gillis that triggered the events. The penalties were a wash, and I felt justice had been served.

With a faceoff in the Montreal end, the Nordiques seemed to be in shock. The Canadiens won the draw and marched down the ice. Guy Carbonneau set up Ryan Walter for the winning goal with 2:53 remaining. With his team down one goal, and certainly with enough time to score an equalizer, the very last thing I wanted to do was to give Bergie a bench penalty—or, worse yet, throw him out of the game. As Le Petit Tigre began to growl and bare his fangs, he was providing me with all the ammunition I would need to make such a call, but none would be forthcoming at this particular time. After the horn sounded, though, the fireworks started up in the hall outside our dressing room. Michel was out of his mind, his face so red I thought he was going to blow up. There was no sense pouring gasoline on an inferno, so Bob Hodges, Leon Stickle, and I made our way into our dressing room as Michel and his people were moved elsewhere…

[The next day] I was listening to radio station CHOK in Sarnia when it was reported that a lawsuit had been filed against Sarnia native and NHL referee Kerry Fraser by a group in Quebec claiming prejudice! I couldn't believe my ears. Wait a minute, I thought. I had just worked a game involving two teams from the province of Quebec, and I was being sued for prejudice? I called the NHL office in Toronto, got Jim Gregory on the line, and told him what I had just heard… He told me that, if served, I should just send the paperwork to New York and that the league would stand 100 per cent behind me. That was reassuring—for the time being.

When all three playoff series went to Game Seven, and I wasn't called on for any of them, I knew I was done for the year, even before John McCauley completed the unfortunate task of telling me. I know it was not something John relished doing…[Some time later] John told me that he got calls from all over the league on the Quebec ordeal and that I had many friends in very high places. He promised that someday he and I would sit down and he would let me in on all that had transpired. We never did have that conversation as John passed away after the 1989 Stanley Cup final in which Calgary beat the Canadiens in six games. I cherish the many moments that we got to spend together during his final series of life.

In the summer of 1987, I received a personal letter from Serge Savard, general manager of the Canadiens, along with a videotape with enhanced footage of the play. It clearly showed Paul Gillis hooking Hayward's skate and using his stick to drag him out of the crease, as I suggested had been the case. With the class that Serge Savard always demonstrates, he said it had taken courage to make that call and he thanked me for being able to put the game ahead of my own self-interest… Serge's letter came at a time when I felt alone and abandoned…

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

[hockeygod]

The NHL's most dangerous shooter

Luke Fox, Sportsnet.ca, March 6, 2012

For the life of him, Steven Stamkos couldn’t shoot the puck where he wanted it to go.

It was a moment rich in irony and humility.

The Tampa Bay Lightning forward says his skating and his shot are the cornerstones of his success, and yet when there was nothing to watch in the NHL world but its greatest sniper firing at close-range targets, Stamkos couldn’t perform.

Featured in the 2012 All-Star Skills Competition’s Accuracy Challenge, Stamkos’s job was to hit four bull’s-eyes placed in the corners of an empty net with in as few shots as possible. He failed, comically.

By shot number 12, he had resorted to one-timers and slap shots. And after 40 seconds and 17 shots of futility, Stamkos skated right up to the final target… and still missed.

It was a classic foot-in-mouth moment, and hands-down the least-accurate display of all-star accuracy.

“I’d like to try the accuracy. I think I could do well in that. There’s not too much involved in that,” the Lightning star, decked out in a grey plaid three-piece suit, said confidently prior to the 2012 All-Star Skills Competition in Ottawa.

But Stamkos had salvaged the moment by hamming it up and letting his personality flow almost as freely as his winged hockey hair.

One would assume — judging by his lamp-lighting knack and not just his golden party-in-the-back — that Stamkos emerged from the womb with the gift of an archer’s shot, that he was born to one-time cross-ice feeds and jam wristers under the crossbar. But that wasn’t the case.

“I never had a good shot as a kid. I was one of the smaller kids and was a good skater, but I could never really shoot,” the native of Markham, Ont., explains. “My dad took me to shooting school when I 12, 13 years old and started to develop that with a one-on-one instructor. I think my shot’s more accurate than hard. It’s something that I’ve worked extremely hard on over the years, and continue to work on.”

If Stamkos, the lead’s leading goal scorer by a mile and a guy with a legit shot at 60 this year, continues to work on his shot, is it too much to ask for the NHL to work on developing Stamkos as a face of the league?

While the league once pinned its marketing strategy on the Sidney Crosby-Alex Ovechkin rivalry, there is now room for expansion. The wonder that is Evgeni Malkin deserves all the attention he gets, but so many of the NHL’s storylines this year have focused on coaching changes and non-trades and the saga that is Crosby’s health.

Would the incredible wintertime feats of an Ontario wonder (Don Cherry approved!) be so overlooked if Stamkos didn’t play in region where Canadians migrate to in order to escape wintertime?

“For me personally, every time I come to a Canadian city, I feel that buzz and I remember what it was like growing up here in Canada and watching your idols play hockey,” Stamkos says.

Whether or not he or the league is ready to admit it, Stamkos is the idol now. He’ll be the first to 50 this season. And kids in chillier climes than Tampa Bay ought to be watching more than just the middle-of-the-show highlight packs doled out to a middling southeast franchise.

If the last three seasons were one giant goal-scoring race, Stamkos would be Usain Bolt — the gap between him and the pack is that airy. During that span, No. 91 has racked up 143 goals. Corey Perry trails with 110, and Alex Ovechkin has 108. (Granted, a couple of emperor Penguins have had their march halted by injury.)

In 65 games this season, Stamkos has already scored 47 goals, surpassing the 45 goals he registered in 82 matches last season. The centreman is in great position to eclipse his personal bests in goals (51) and points (95), which were both set in 2009-10. As of early February, when Stamkos notched a goal against the L.A. Kings, he has now scored at least one goal against all other 29 NHL teams. With his recent accelerated scoring pace, Stamkos has widened the margin between himself and the NHL’s second-most-productive sniper, Malkin (38 goals), to nine red lights. As of Monday morning, the two were knotted atop the Art Ross Trophy race with 80 points apiece, although a tie would go to the man with more goals.

Remarkably, Stamkos only ranks 12th in power-play goals and 14th in power-play points, meaning he’s getting it done the hard way; his gaudy numbers aren’t padded by man-advantage markers. He does, however, share the NHL lead in game-winners (with Phoenix’s Radim Vrbata and Detroit’s Johan Franzen) at 10. So he’s clutch, too.

Even more impressive is that Stamkos has posted a career-best plus-8 rating (even during his 95-point season, Stamkos was a minus-2 player) for a team with a minus-35 goal differential that would miss the playoffs if they started today.

Although Tampa Bay has won its last four games, the team ranks four points behind the Winnipeg Jets for the hotly contested eighth seed in the East. Stamkos admits that the Lightning’s 2011-12 campaign has been an inconsistent one.

“We’re starting to get things rolling, so hopefully we can stay the course. You look at the standings, and guys are still believing. We play a lot of the teams that are ahead of us, so the ball is in our court. We have to realize what’s at stake,” Stamkos says. “Hopefully the experience we had last year in that playoff stretch can help us. It’s gonna be a fight. Hopefully we can slide under the radar and play well.”

Stamkos knows how to play well. He played well enough in the Ontario Minor Hockey Association to be drafted first overall into the Ontario Hockey League, where he scored 100 goals in two seasons with the Sarnia Sting, which in turn was well enough to earn first-overall NHL Entry Draft honours in 2008. He waited only until his sophomore year in the bigs to score 51 goals and co-win the Maurice Richard Trophy (with Sidney Crosby), award to the NHL’s top goal-getter.

But like a Pulitzer-winning scribe who suffers from bouts of writer’s block, Stamkos has drawn blanks, too. Last season, he jumped out of the gates at a silly pace, scoring 19 goals in his first 19 games. Hockey writers began murmuring about 50 in 50. Following the all-star break, however, it was as if Stamkos withdrew his pen midsentence. In his last 30 games of 2010-11, he scored just seven times and finished with “only” 45.

“I just want to stay consistent—that’s what every player strives for. You look at the best players in the league, and they’re considered that because they play consistent, game in and game out,” he says. “That’s something I struggled with the latter part of last year, and I learned a lot about myself. I matured as a person and player because of that. I hope I can keep it up and help my team win.”

Although he has 19 more points than Martin St. Louis this season and 34 more than Vincent Lecavalier (to be fair, Stamkos has played more games), Stamkos defers to the captain and the assistant: “(Marty) and Vinny are our leaders, and we follow those guys.” He also sticks up for Tampa Bay netminders Mathieu Garon and Dwayne Roloson, who have been pegged as the reason the Lightning are on the outside looking in.

“Everyone likes to point fingers at the goaltending situation, and I’m sure they’d like to have a couple games back, but our defensive play as a team wasn’t that great. We talked about it a couple weeks ago, and we’ve improved dramatically,” Stamkos says. “You can’t give teams two- or three-goal leads and expect to come back. We’ve established what we need to work on, and I think we’ve done that in the past couple weeks.”

Here’s an already elite player who’s improving his game both offensively and defensively, and he brings the attitude a coach would love. P.S.: The guy just turned 22 last month, making him three years younger than Malkin, two years younger than Claude Giroux, and six years younger than Jason Spezza. In all likelihood, Stamkos’s best statistical year is still ahead of him. Jealous yet?

Despite the brilliant year Stamkos is having, and despite the wealth of veteran talent Tampa Bay boasts up front with St. Louis, Lecavalier, and Ryan Malone, the Lightning as a team have scored 184 goals total this season, the same tally as the notoriously defence-first Nashville Predators.

When we spoke to offensive-minded NHL legend Paul Coffey in December, he criticized Lightning coach Guy Boucher’s tactics, saying the Lightning forwards should be let loose to attack more frequently.

“Are you kidding me? The attitude should be, if they score seven, let’s go score eight,” Coffey said.

Stamkos believes the trap system that his team operates occasionally has drawn an inordinate amount of attention, particularly because of a 2011 game against the Philadelphia Flyers in which Tampa refused to forecheck and the Flyers’ defencemen refused to advance the puck.

“Obviously you’d love to score as many goals as you can, but that’s not the style of hockey that’s being played now. Twenty years ago, it was a lot more wide open. You see how good goalies are now, and you see how systems are implemented in the game. I think people get caught up in us playing the 1-3-1, and that got talked a lot about with us playing the Philly game this year, but I don’t think we play it as much as some other teams in the league,” he says.

“We only play it when we’re up a goal or we need to protect a lead. If not, we have a lot of speed on our team and we like to utilize it. For the people that see us play on a regular basis, they know we don’t always play that style, but it gets overlooked sometimes.”

And that’s coming from a guy who knows a thing or two about being overlooked.

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

[hockeygod]

Tigers play-by-play man Ridley to call No. 3,000:
He's also driven the team bus on the majority of their trips – all told, a 'pretty incredible' feat, says Flames play-caller Maher

Kristen Odland, Calgary Herald With Files From Scott Cruickshank, March 6, 2012

When Bob Ridley hits the Chat 94.5 airwaves Wednesday as the Medicine Hat Tigers take on the Kootenay Ice, it'll mark his 3,000th game broadcasting Western Hockey League action.

"It's been awesome," said Ridley, who will be honoured in a pre-game ceremony. "The reason is it's been like one big family. I just feel so very, very fortunate to have been involved for so long. I've been getting texts and e-mails and phone calls from numerous players for the Tigers over the years. It's really, really special for myself, my family, and the Tigers and everybody that's been involved."

In the past few days, Ridley has heard from former Tigers coach Willie Desjardins and former players like Dean Chynoweth, now a coach with the New York Islanders, Dallas Stars forward Vern Fiddler, Clarke MacArthur of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Darren Helm of the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Kris Russell, to name a few.

"It goes on and on," Ridley said. "I feel very proud of it.

"It's incredible how quickly time has gone by. When I started back in 1970, I never thought I'd see 3,000 games, that's for sure. But here it is."

And, from one voice to another, Peter Maher can relate. However, the longtime play-caller of the Calgary Flames, who recently celebrated his own 3,000th game behind the microphone, believes Ridley's milestone might have been tougher to accomplish.

On top of calling all of the Tigers' WHL games, Ridley has driven the team bus on the majority of their trips during his career – and, at 67 years old, he is still occasionally behind the wheel.

"I would say, his calling 3,000 games have been a whole lot more of a rigour than my 3,000 games," Maher said. "Even if he didn't drive the bus, just busing to all those games all over the place would be a real chore."

Like, for example, the trek from Medicine Hat to Prince George for a pair of games, then on to Vancouver – which was the club's most recent road trip.

"It's a real tribute to his stamina and his abilities to be able to travel as much as they do and broadcast all those games," Maher said.

"And driving the bus on top of all that? I can't comprehend doing what he's done.

"Pretty incredible."

Since the Tigers joined the WHL in the 1970-71 season, Ridley has been the team's only play-by-play broadcaster. And, amazingly enough, after nearly 42 campaigns, the Drumheller native has only missed one game – not because he was sick, either. He had to cover a national women's curling event, which his boss's wife was competing in.

Calgary Flames defenceman and former Tiger Jay Bouwmeester said Ridley is a fixture around the team.

"He's been the glue there – the one thing that never changes," he said. "Some of those long trips, you don't realize the time that he puts in. When you think about it, he's announcing the game, then driving the bus and you're at the back sleeping – and taking for granted what he's doing."

Bouwmeester arrived in Medicine Hat just shy of his 16th birthday and appreciated Ridley's friendly face.

"When you're a young kid like that – and you go off and you're away from your parents and family for the first time – to have a guy around like that? He's almost like a grandpa," he said. "He's just there to support everyone. He's so friendly. As the generations go by, not much changes. He's always open to the kids. He's got a lot of knowledge.

"He can share a lot of things. A really neat guy. An awesome guy."

The sentiments were shared on the Twitterverse when word got out that Ridley would be celebrating the milestone soon.

In fact, a few Twitter followers started a hashtag (#putbobridleyinthehhof), informally petitioning his inclusion in the Hockey Hall of Fame (he was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2000).

Maher likes the idea. "I'm going to bring that up with the broadcasters group for the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award (which Maher won himself in 2006)," he said. "He'd be a really worthy recipient."

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

[hockeygod]

Grabovski's deal fair for both sides + 30 Thoughts

Elliotte Friedman, CBC Sports, March 6, 2012

Wrote about this a little bit last week, but with Mikhail Grabovski re-signing for $27.5 million US over five years (a $5.5 million cap hit), it bears further investigation.

Clearly, I'm in the minority on this one. It's a fair deal for both player and team. But, there are plenty who disagree, saying the figure is too high for someone with a career-best 58 points.

The Toronto Maple Leafs believed the fairest comparable was Tomas Plekanec, who signed a six-year, $30 million deal in 2010. Grabovski gets a little bit more, and with that will come expectation to perform to a higher level. If last Saturday's game was any indication, Randy Carlyle will lean on him to do just that.

The real question is: What would it cost to replace him?

It's the same thing Edmonton Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini asked about Ales Hemsky and Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford asked about Tuomo Ruutu.

The Maple Leafs are not strong down the middle. Grabovski is their best offensive option, even if he doesn't technically hold down the No. 1 spot. (He does need to become a better faceoff man.) Even with him, they're going to have to look for someone else. If he walks as an unrestricted free agent, exactly how does Toronto replace that?

There is one potential free-agent centre outscoring Grabovski this season (two if you want to play Zach Parise full-time at that position). It is Olli Jokinen, who is six years older. Even if, for argument's sake, you let Grabovski walk and signed Jokinen, you're still in the same position, at least one centre short. Plus, with so few potential free-agent options, it's probably going to cost you a similar amount.

Of course, there's the worse-case scenario of letting Grabovski walk and not being able to sign Jokinen or anyone else who can fill that position. Then where do you go? Trade? Anyone feel like giving up Jake Gardiner for the one impact centre you'll absolutely need to have? And who do you give up for the second one?

Leaf fans will argue there's Nazem Kadri or Joe Colborne coming down the pipe. You have to think that, if Leafs GM Brian Burke really thought one (or both) could give him more than Grabovski, negotiations would have gone differently.

Hemsky drives me crazy and I'm sure Carolina would like to see Ruutu spend a little less time wrapped in gauze. But both are 29 (Hemsky in August) and play important roles on franchises that have trouble attracting players.

"Better the Devil you know, than the one you don't," said one executive Tuesday morning when I asked about Grabovski. Funny, it's the same line I heard last week when talking about Ruutu.

Toronto knows what it has with Grabovski. Without him? Right now, no clue.

30 THOUGHTS

1. Think the Grabovski deal could have been done a week or two ago, but Burke probably wanted to see if he'd get a ridiculous offer.

2. Spent a lot of time over the past six days researching the Cody Hodgson/Zack Kassian deal. (As mentioned in last week's blog, have a "man-crush" on Hodgson's game.) It's tough to know the exact truth, because so many of the particulars didn't want to talk about it. Here's some of what's out there: First, there was some surprise the Canucks did it, as opponents figured they were going to make Hodgson the centrepiece of a "bigger" deal. (You're going to ask what that means. Can't give you any specifics, other than to say it would probably be for whatever Vancouver decided it needed after the season.)

3. Why did it get done now? When the Canucks were in Nashville, there was some kind of conversation between Hodgson and head coach Alain Vigneault. As reported on Hotstove, I'd heard it was about playing time. And, on a team where Cory Schneider (who is four years older) waits for his opportunity, Vancouver didn't want the distraction in what could be a Stanley Cup season.

4. Equal time: heard from a friend of Hodgson's who told me it was unfair to say that, "since only Hodgson and Vigneault know what was said." That is true, although I stand by my reporting. The same person also took issue with my comments that Hodgson had to tell "people around him to stop … if you have interference, whether it's family or anybody else, you just have to say 'It's enough.'" Whatever the case, he's got a fantastic opportunity now. Hopefully, he reaches his vast potential.

5. Couple of teams did ask about Hodgson at the deadline. It's been reported that Dallas wanted him in exchange for Steve Ott. Toronto tried, too.

6. Vancouver "targeted" a few clubs that had the kind of player it wanted in exchange. Obviously, Buffalo was one (and Kassian was very high on the list). I believe the others were Carolina, Washington, Florida and one more I can't nail down. Don't know what the Canucks wanted from the Hurricanes. But, almost certain they asked for Brandon Sutter (can't see it, GM Jim Rutherford loves him) and an educated guess is the wanted Capital was young defenceman John Carlson.

7. Both Niklas Backstrom and Tuukka Rask went down with non-contact injuries last week. What if Josh Harding or Tim Thomas got hurt too? (Not every team has a Connor Crisp — the Erie forward who strapped on the pads Sunday when the Ontario Hockey League team's lone goalie was injured.) Teams cannot use anyone with any professional experience in that situation. So, if you're Chuck Fletcher, what on Earth do you do on the road? Should the home team have a beer-league goalie in the crowd?

8. One Jet on Winnipeg's 7-0 win over Florida: "I'm not sure who was more surprised, us or them."

9. That crowd was unreal for the Buffalo/Winnipeg game. One GM said Winnipeg would make playoffs this year "because they'll go 41-0 at home." Laughed at that, but he had the right idea.

10. Thanks to Ken Hitchcock and Paul MacLean, Claude Noel has zero shot at the Jack Adams. But he's done a great job with the Northern Thrashers.

11. Dallas Eakins said that if he was Brian Burke, he would've hired Randy Carlyle, too. (He wants to follow Carlyle's path from AHL head coach to Stanley Cup champion.) But Eakins admitted to being disappointed because he wanted the job, badly. When asked if he discussed an assistant's job for next year, Eakins surprised me by saying he doesn't want it. "Already did that for two years (under Paul Maurice)," he said. He wants to make the decisions, to be in the hot seat. Would rather be an AHL head coach than an NHL assistant. His big-league time will come.

12. Toronto reporters were tweeting Monday about the length of Carlyle's practices. His former players say, "Get used to it." Unlike many coaches who regulate that, he is unafraid to skate guys hard the day before (or after) games.

13. You've heard a lot already about Carlyle's love for line-matching. Apparently, he is also an excellent in-game bench coach. One executive said it best: "He will determine who you play against. You will determine how much you play."

14. Look at Anaheim's last few seasons. In 2010-11, the ice-time drop from number 11 (Luca Sbisa) to 12 (Brett Festerling) was two minutes. In 2009-10, it is 1:21 from 10 (Aaron Ward) to 11 (Joffrey Lupul). 2008-09 is pretty amazing. Four players (Pronger, Scott Niedermayer, Beauchemin, Whitney) went 24 minutes a night. Eight skated 18:36. No one else was more than 16:40.

15. Asked James Reimer on Friday if there was any possibility concussion-related symptoms are a reason for his struggles. Answer: "I wish I could say it was that." Points for honesty.

16. Despite rumblings to the contrary, Tom Gilbert said he did not demand a trade from the Oilers. And he didn't like the suggestion of it, either.

17. Gilbert said there was one major difference in defensive-zone coverage in moving from Edmonton to Minnesota. Down low, the Oilers play man-to-man. The Wild prefer zone.

18. Nick Palmieri, who came to Minnesota from New Jersey, said the Wild's zone in that area of the ice isn't as aggressive as the one Peter DeBoer brought to the Devils. A couple New Jersey defencemen said DeBoer was asking them to do things they'd never done before, like leave the front of the net to overload down low. "We're pressuring the puck more than ever," one said. Seems to be working pretty well.

19. One Devil on Ilya Kovalchuk: "Boy, does he want the puck right now."

20. Carey Price went almost a period without facing a shot in last week's win over the Wild. Brought back memories of a great childhood moment. My father got tickets for a Montreal/Toronto game at Maple Leaf Gardens, one of those nights where the Canadiens absolutely toyed with the Maple Leafs. Rick Wamsley didn't get much action in the Montreal net and, in a quiet moment, the guy next to us yelled, "Hey Wamsley, getting bored?" Wamsley looked up and nodded. To an 11-year-old, that was pretty awesome.

21. Had a chance to chat with Canadiens captain Brian Gionta for about 10 minutes. He called this "the toughest season of my career," because he hasn't been able to help as the team collapsed. What did he see? "When you look at our overtime/shootout losses (10) and all of our blown leads, you see a team that is not confident in itself. We've been fragile during games."

22. Gionta praised David Desharnais and Alexei Emelin for their development during a difficult season. He added that the Canadiens must be better prepared to start next season (they lost seven of their first eight in October) and finished with "losing is not in us. We are not content with where we stand."

23. What's wrong with San Jose? Here's an idea. The Sharks have an internal saying: "Play to three." Basically, it's a belief that if they score three goals, there's no excuse to lose. On Jan. 7, they beat Washington 5-2, running their record to 20-1-2 in those games. They are 4-7-1 since.

24. Before his injury, Sharks head coach Todd McLellan said the danger of the "play to three" philosophy is that a team can switch from a defensive mindset ("let's prevent another team from getting there") to an offensive one ("let's get there first"). When they were in Toronto, he showed players video of cheating on defence, or gliding when an extra stride would make a bigger difference in getting somewhere. San Jose won that night, but is 1-4 since.

25. How badly did Chicago need another defenceman to help Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook? Johnny Oduya played a season-high 25 minutes 25 seconds Sunday in Detroit.

26. Islanders' statistician Eric Hornick with a good one: Anders Nilsson is the fourth goalie ever to get his first win against Martin Brodeur. (Others: Brian Boucher, Henrik Lundqvist and Adam Berkhoel.) Good for Nilsson, who was served up to the Penguins for his first NHL start – Sidney Crosby's return. Always wonder if a guy's going to get ruined by something like that.

27. The Ontario Hockey League is going to have some kind of additional fighting penalty next season, but elimination of fisticuffs isn't going to happen. "I'm 99 per cent in favour of abolishing it, but I'm worried about 'the rat' taking over junior hockey," said one GM. Said another: "I don't hate fighting, I hate the bull (bleep) that comes with it." He's referring to staged fights, players taunting via social media and guys who can't do anything else.

28. The other thing they want to eliminate is fisticuffs after clean hits. Limiting the number of fighting majors a player can get during the season should cut down those kinds of brawls. Let's say the maximum is 10. Fight number 11 gets two games. Fight number 12 is four, and so on. You'd probably cut down on a lot of that.

29. Will the OHL do this on its own? Yes, if necessary. The WHL has little interest and the QMJHL is a tossup.

30. youcanplayproject.org — very impressed with the initial launch.

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

[hockeygod]

Carlyle cleaning up mess left behind by Wilson:
'We have to correct this as a group'

By STEVE SIMMONS, QMI Agency, March 7 2012

TORONTO – Randy Carlyle was candid enough to admit he was nervous.

That was before he watched the good and the bad and the deficiencies of his Maple Leafs team all in one game on his fourth night of the rest of his coaching life. He doesn’t want to look at old games on tape. He doesn’t want to have any preconceived notions about his group. He wants to learn this team from Saturday night on.

And what he’s learned so far is there is much work to do — because frankly, the previous coaching administration left behind something of a mess.

He won’t say that. He isn’t here to castigate Ron Wilson. But what’s clear from Carlyle’s first four days on the job and listening to his words is this: He has to remake this team and mould it into something it has never been before.

The Leafs have to learn how to play in their own end of the ice. Tuesday night they gave up five goals against — the eighth time in the past 10 games they have given up four or more goals against.

“You can’t play that way,” said Carlyle. “Our offence is good enough.” Quick translation: their team defence, something Wilson rarely stressed, is not.

It isn’t just defensive zone coverage that Carlyle is looking for. He wants the Leafs to compete harder as a group, especially in one-on-one situations. He wants them to be tougher on the boards. He wants them to go to the net with a vengeance, the way the Boston rookie Jordan Caron did Tuesday night (Caron, for the record, was a late first-round draft pick chosen 18 picks after the Leafs selected Nazem Kadri).

“We have to correct this as a group,” said Carlyle, who has watched the uneven Leafs through two games and enjoyed their speed, their ability to generate offence, their spirit as a group, but at the same has cringed — and rightly so — about how much he has to undo what this team is used to doing. This is start over time for the Leafs, who lost points last night to the ninth place Washington Capitals. This is loss one in the Carlyle chase: They can afford four more losses and that’s all. After that, you can declare them officially out of the Eastern Conference playoff race.

But this was first night, first home game, the first time for butterflies at the Air Canada Centre. It doesn’t yet feel like home for Carlyle, even though that was a surprisingly loud mid-week crowd for Toronto. It doesn’t yet feel like home when he hasn’t had time to set up his office, isn’t sure how all the equipment works around the dressing room, isn’t certain where to go around the Air Canada Centre and even has to figure out exactly where he has to go to get his morning hockey staple of peanut butter, toast and coffee to start the day.

It will take time. This is a team so immature when it comes to basics such as neutral zone play, forechecking effort, conditioning, not running around in the defensive zone the way the Leafs managed in their closest game this season against the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins.

“We’re supposed to be aggressive,” said Carlyle. “We’re supposed to be hard hitting. That’s how you play the game. Our compete level is the thing that’s going to turn this hockey club around … We had a lot of positives in the hockey game.”

Just not enough to get a win or beat the slightly sloppy Bruins.

So was he at all nostalgic about returning to the Leafs as coach after beginning his NHL career here as a player? “If nostalgic means nervous, I guess it would apply here,” he said.

This is about as revealing as Carlyle will get. He has shown a different side of himself in four days on the Leaf job. He has been more open, more honest, more forthcoming, more personal and personable, than he ever was at any time in Anaheim. He hasn’t been gruff or angry or short yet — at least not to the outside world.

He has worked hard, inside the dressing room, outside the dressing room, in cultivating who he is and what he demands this team to be. These are the first days of kindergarten. There is so much for this Leaf team to grasp, to comprehend, to change. They have to learn to walk before they can run.

And now Carlyle has a win and a loss and a growing dossier of what is required for success.

“As a coach, you’re never comfortable. That just doesn’t exist in our world.”

Not with this team. Not in these circumstances.

—–

An interesting perspective on a coach taking over a team in during the season. I have done this before a couple of times and I enjoy hearing what other people do as I am sure this situation will arise again… and again!

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

[hockeygod]

FRASER: MY DEALINGS WITH THEO FLEURY DURING OUR CAREERS

KERRY FRASER, TSN.CA, March 8 2012

"I'm gonna *&%#ing kill you! I don't care who you *&#@-in' think you are. Let's meet outside in the parking lot, you *&%#ing —-bag *#%-hole!" (Fraser) immediately gave me a 10-minute misconduct, throwing me out of the game. It was too much. I took my helmet off and threw it at him.

– Theoren Fleury, from his book 'Playing with Fire'

I felt the anger well up in me as Fleury's helmet landed at my feet. For a fleeting moment, I considered kicking it back at him. But I quickly regained my composure and my professional demeanour and ejected him from the game.

It was April 19, 1996, Game 2 of a first-round series between the Calgary Flames and Chicago Blackhawks. The Hawks had won the first game, 4–1, and now, in the third period, were up 3–0 and were on the power play. In a corner of the rink, I could see Fleury slashing – in retaliation – at the Hawks' Murray Craven. I assessed a penalty, which would again put the Flames two men down – and which triggered Theo's outburst, in which he threatened me with a passion that only men with nothing left to lose can muster.

It has always been my objective, in a game sometimes characterized by force and brutality, to show respect to all who cross my path, both on and off the ice.

I believe that sportsmanship is key and that there is a certain baseline of conduct and comportment that one should never slip below. Unfortunately, there have been a number of times when I, as well as other players, have fallen prey to a crudeness, even a cruelty, that is way out of line.

Theoren Fleury has been on both the giving and receiving side of that equation. He always talked a big game, and wasn't afraid to act on his claims if he thought it could benefit himself or his team. Calgary profited quite a bit from this fiery, controversial character and his great heart, speed and grit, not to mention the goals he scored prolifically. Theo wouldn't learn, however, until four years later, the venomous potency that words can have when aimed low.

On December 20, 2000 at Madison Square Garden, the buzzer had just sounded to end the first period and Fleury rushed up to me with tears in his eyes, a shocking sight in its own right. This player, known for his Mighty Mouse-like tenacity, now stood beaten down, appealing to a person he'd rather never have contact with. "Kerry, he can't talk to me like that!" he shouted. "He can't talk to me like that! I'm really tryin' to get my life turned around. I've been clean for a month and haven't done any coke or even had a drink since then. I'm really tryin', honest. Don't let him talk to me like that!"

Was this the same Theoren Fleury who had played for three different teams and had never once, while playing for any of them, exhibited any sort of trust in or respect for me? Was this the same guy who'd told me to go eff myself time and time again, who'd thrown his helmet at me, railed against me as an authority figure because he never wanted to play by the rules and, by virtue of my job, I forced him to? Could it be that man who was now was pouring out his heart to me?

He was desperate – I could see that in his eyes, along with a deep sadness and lifelessness. There were lines etched on his face from wounds that not even the best doctors could diagnose or repair; and he wore psychological scars from his troubled existence, despite being a superstar winger in the National Hockey League. I was confused in this moment by what I was seeing from Theo Fleury, but then again, most things that Theo did were confusing to the average person. In a moment of vulnerability, when I could easily have gotten him back and told him to eff off, I looked into those tormented eyes and felt compassion. I was reminded of my own seven children and how I felt for them when they were in distress, especially my son Ian, who had been to Fleury's hockey school a few years before. Theo Fleury was his favourite player growing up and Ian had a signed poster on his wall. Looking at Theo, I couldn't help but feel a small tug at my heartstrings and a desire to help take some of the pain away. Although Theo wasn't looking for a father's shoulder to cry on (he was still too proud for that), he was reaching out to me for the first time in our tumultuous relationship. I saw before me a broken human being with a dangerous combination of vulnerability, volatility, and weakness.

It was in this vulnerability, though, that I saw potential strength and could feel hope for him. He was probably expecting me to disappoint or mock him, as so many with authority had done throughout his life. But that was not my intention; I needed to throw Theo a lifeline. I only hoped he might grasp at it…

(The continuation of this story is too long for this blog. If and when you read on you will find it to be a life lesson for all involved and one in which, I believe, all players, coaches and even refs can learn from. I certainly did.)

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

[hockeygod]

Kennedy: Hockey community quickly accepting gay rights

Ryan Kennedy, The Hockey News, 2012-03-07

The timing could not have been more fortuitous. Just as I was talking to a teen player who had come out of the closet to his team and school, the Burke family’s You Can Play initiative hit the world full-stride, with a public service announcement featuring a cavalcade of NHLers.

From Zdeno Chara to Dion Phaneuf to Rick Nash, it’s impossible to minimize the names involved in the project, which takes its inspiration from the late Brendan Burke, son of Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke and brother of Flyers scout Patrick Burke. When Brendan announced to the Miami RedHawks team he worked for that he was gay, it began a revolution in hockey that is now unstoppable: Being openly gay and playing the sport at a high level will not be mutually exclusive for much longer.

Simply put, the momentum is too great. This isn’t like the foot-in-the-crease rule or bringing back the red line – intolerance towards homosexuals is finally seen as being on par with racism and players are beginning to acknowledge that.

Speaking with the teen player (his parents aren’t as keen on his name being out there), he told me how one of the first sentiments his teammates relayed to him was that they’d kick anyone’s ass that gave him a hard time. And really, if the jocks are on your side in high school, there’s not much left to fear other than acne and cafeteria food.

For further proof, just look at the immediate reaction to those who came out against Sean Avery when the Rangers (OK, Connecticut Whale) agitator voiced his support for gay marriage. Agent Todd Reynolds was treated like a pariah on the Internet and lost client Andrew Brunette (who signed with Don Baizley), while sportscaster Damian Goddard was fired by Sportsnet shortly after supporting Reynolds. These were swift backlashes – not a lot of hemming and hawing, which usually happens in hockey.

Will we see a current NHLer come out of the closet soon? I wouldn’t be surprised if the first big name to break the barrier is actually a college or major junior player who graduates to the bigs. Nothing against the current crop of NHLers, but the exposure of the current high school generation to positivity surrounding the gay community is light years ahead of what I experienced – and I’m not that old (we had one openly gay kid in high school and when he was harassed, a senior school official suggested the kid go to another school if he didn’t like it).

One perfect example is the character Omar Little from The Wire. ESPN’s LZ Granderson had a great piece on NFL and NBA stars who respected the openly gay stick-up artist, even if their previous views hadn’t been so liberal. Willem Dafoe’s badass FBI agent in The Boondock Saints inspired similar accolades from folks in my experience. Meanwhile, the Internet has created a space where no kid, no matter how small a town, is alone anymore.

Being a pioneer isn’t easy and with the money involved in sports these days, it’s not surprising no active Big Four athlete has come out yet – in their minds, I’m sure there are too many “what ifs?” And that’s fine – people have personal lives for a reason and we don’t need to know everything about our sports heroes if they’re not comfortable sharing. But there will be a trailblazer. The teen I talked to? I think he’s a hero and I’m sure he won’t be the last. There’s a long way to go before homophobia is stamped out, but the momentum is picking up fast in the hockey world.

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

[hockeygod]

Alexander Ovechkin is too predictable: Retired NHLer

Sean Fitz-Gerald, National Post, Mar 8, 2012

Alex Ovechkin has 26 goals and 49 points through 62 games this season. His shooting percentage (11%) is not far off his career average (11.8%), but he has not been taking as many shots.

Alexander Ovechkin has been struggling to generate offence because he has not adapted his style of play, giving opposing coaches and players time to catch up to a forward who was once unstoppable, according to one former opponent.

Bobby Holik, who retired from the National Hockey League three years ago after playing in more than 1,300 games, said it was only a matter of time before the pace and the grind caught up with the Russian star. Ovechkin, a two-time Hart Trophy winner, is 53rd on the NHL’s scoring list this season and has been benched by both men who have coached the Washington Capitals.

“I think he was always predictable,” Holik said. “I played quite a few games against him, but at that time, it was new to everyone. He was just so physically dominating that he was unstoppable on most nights. You just tried to contain him.”

Holik faced Ovechkin over four seasons.

“As your career progresses, you don’t have the same physical edge, because that’s just the way it is — you’re just playing so much hockey,” he said. “You have to become smarter, because in the long run, you cannot sustain that kind of physical edge.”

Ovechkin has 26 goals and 49 points through 62 games this season. His shooting percentage (11%) is not far off his career average (11.8%), but he has not been taking as many shots. The 26-year-old was held off the ice for more than six minutes in a recent game.

“Defencemen on teams, they start knowing top guys, what they do, and of course you have to adjust,” Anaheim Ducks forward Teemu Selanne said in a story about Ovechkin that appeared on the front page of The Washington Times in November. “And you have to find a way to maybe do different things.”

Holik won a pair of Stanley Cup titles with the New Jersey Devils before retiring after the 2008-09 season. He has been living in Wyoming, and has launched a blog — holikonhockey.com — posting one recent entry, “What’s wrong with Ovechkin.”

“It’s not too late, or it’s not over for Ovechkin,” Holik said over the phone. “But I don’t see anybody in the organization mentoring him, or guiding him. And I think it has to come from the top.”

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

[hockeygod]

Carlyle's system will take time

Mike Brophy, Sportsnet.ca, March 8, 2012

PITTSBURGH — Despite the results, Randy Carlyle's message remains the same.

After losing its second straight game and having accumulated just five points in their last 15 games, the Toronto Maple Leafs put forth a solid effort in dropping a 3-2 decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"There were a lot of positives that came out of (Wednesday's) hockey game," Carlyle said. "That's part of the coaching staff's responsibility. You are going to hear it a lot of times from me; it's about the environment we are able to create for them. They have to feel good about their work ethic and I told them so. But, again, the mental mistakes are correctable. The positional mistakes we made and the turnovers at inopportune times are correctable."

It was a second straight solid effort. It was also the second consecutive night the Leafs lost two players to injury.

Joffrey Lupul and right winger Colby Armstrong went down against the Bruins. Lupul, who will be out 3-4 weeks, suffered a separated shoulder while Armstrong broke his nose in a fight and is listed as day-to-day.

Early in the first period, Mike Brown — who missed Tuesday's game with a sore hand — crashed heavily into the end boards behind the Penguins' goal and got up slowly before heading to the dressing room with a leg injury. Not long afterwards defenceman Cody Franson took the butt end of teammate Tim Connolly's stick in the eye and also did not return to the game.

Carlyle, who was coaching just his third game since joining the Leafs last Friday, leaned heavily on some of his players who were given additional ice time and responsibility. Captain Dion Phaneuf led the Leafs at 29:20 and responded with a plus-2 rating.

"I think that we showed signs of enthusiasm and kind of stuck with our game plan," Carlyle explained. "I thought we were better from a defensive standpoint in the critical areas and I thought that our work-ethic was stronger, but we ran out of bodies. We lost two bodies in the first 10 minutes of the hockey game again (Wednesday) and it taxes everybody else.

"Then it showed in some of the questionable decisions in terms of when to pinch and when not to pinch; turnovers and positioning. It's the little things that are costing us and my message to the players was, until we adopt the mentality that we are going to correct those little things, the work they are putting in they are not being rewarded for."

On a day when the Penguins organization honoured the great Mario Lemieux by unveiling a statue of No. 66 in front of the CONSOL Energy Center, it was the visitors who got off to a fast start in the game.

Right winger Phil Kessel scored his second goal in as many nights and 34th of the season a minute into the second period with the teams playing four aside. The puck was directed to him at the side of the goal and he swept it past Brad Thiessen, who was playing in just his second NHL game.

Six minutes later defenceman Carl Gunnarsson scored his second in as many games when a shot by Mikhail Grabovski banked in off his leg. Pascal Dupuis pulled the Penguins to within a goal when he deflected a shot past Jonas Gustavsson.

There's a reason why the Penguins are one of the best teams in the NHL and were entering Wednesday's tilt riding a six-game winning streak and the Leafs found out why as the game progressed. Quite simply, the Penguins don't quit. They pounded the shorthanded Leafs every chance they got.

Jordan Staal tied it a minute and a half into the third on a similar tip-in and then Dupuis gave the home side the lead with a shot that somehow found its way through The Monster.

For the second straight night, Carlyle came to the defence of his goalie.

"They were out-shooting us (by a ratio of) 2-1 at one point until we finally got some shots so you really can't fault The Monster," Carlyle said. "I thought he gave us a chance in the game. I'm sure he'd like to have the one goal back, but he gave us a pile of saves and we weren't able to get the third goal to tie the hockey game."

In a vote of confidence, the Leafs once again turned to Gustavsson. Carlyle was very clear Tuesday after the Leafs were beaten by the Boston Bruins that Gustavsson was not to blame. The coach said he was abandoned by his teammates.

It is clear the Maple Leafs believe Gustavsson, and not James Reimer, gives them the best chance to win at this stage of the season.

While Kessel has continued to score under Carlyle, his poor defensive play has been an issue. Carlyle, however, wasn't willing to throw him under the bus.

"I think there's work for our group; not just the Kessel line," he said. "He scored again and you need offence to win in this league, but you also need defence and right now our mixture hasn't been what is required for success in the last two games."

Judging by the players' reaction after the game, they are starting to get the coach's message.

"In the second period we turned the puck over too many times and that's when it gets tough," said Gunnarsson.

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

[hockeygod]

Does Dale Hunter Get a Passing Grade?

Steven Hindle • Washington Capitals Blogger • HockeyBuzz.com • March 8, 2012

Where Did It All Go Wrong?

On November 28th, 2011, the Washington Capitals fired Bruce Boudreau and hired Dale Hunter.

At the time, the Caps had lost 7 of their last 10 games and had seen their record slip from 9-2-1 on November 4th to 12-9-1 by the 28th.

The slide, a mirror of many situations over the past few seasons where this team collapsed for no apparent reason, was the last straw for Boudreau in DC and the first step in what appears to have become the wrong directions for the Capitals.

Bringing aboard long sought after coaching candidate, Dale Hunter, the spin was that this was going to be a positive step forward for the organization.

Spurred to action by Washington's poor play, there hasn't been much change in the way the Caps have played since Hunter's hiring.

Now sitting with a record of 32-28-6, the Capitals have managed a meager record of 20-19-5 under their new coach, scoring 105 goals for while allowing 115 goals against during that span.

It makes you wonder if this wasn't one of those "one step forward, two step back" situations for Washington?

Though the team sits with a stellar home record of 21-10-3, the truth is that under Boudreau the team went 8-2-0 in 10 games while Hunter's Caps have managed a less impressive record of 13-8-3.

Contrasted with their 4-7-0 record on the road to start the year under Gabby, Hunter's Caps haven't fared any better in registering a 7-11-3 record away from the Verizon Center.

So are they any better off with Dale Hunter behind the bench? Considering Boudreau's accomplishments right off the bat when he took over, it's safe to say Hunter isn't having quite the same affect.

Speaking of affect, Roman Hamrlik has not played a game since February 20th and Mike Knuble hasn't seen action since action but once since the 22nd. Leaving these two veteran leaders aside has seemingly caused a greater rift in the dressing room and with management being adamant about not moving them at the deadline, you have to wonder what the future holds for this team?

Is Hunter blowing his only chance?

Thoughts point to yes as he hasn't managed to corral a winning effort consistently out of this bunch and with time running out and the Caps walking the fine line between hope and despair, it could be a lot easier to lean towards this season as a write-off.

With Nicklas Backstrom's absence hanging over the offense like a noose, it's no secret that the Caps aren't the same team without him. Add to his absence the slow recovery and impact of Mike Green's return and all you can say is that these Capitals have become a very different team over the last 6 months.

With no leadership evident both on the ice and behind the bench, is it any surprise that leaders like Brooks Laich have had such an off-year? I can't imagine he is happy with how things have gone and considering the value he holds, it's amazing he hasn't been able to provide more of a regular impact for this team. Yet that speaks to the truth behind the problems; if Brooks Laich, your ultimate utility man and the true heart of this team, can't provide an impact, you're doing something wrong.

Yes, Ovechkin's been an issue this year and, even worse, Semin's been a complete non-factor, yet this is no longer a shock.

The real shock is that the once great supporting cast which helped hold these All Stars above the fray no longer possess the same abilities. Whether a separation in chemistry or confidence, the player-to-player connections are no longer there. Unfed by a far-less charismatic and personal coaching staff and the players are evidently just as lost today as they were mid-November.

To be fair to Hunter, it took him a couple years before he settled into the coaching force he was known to be in London. Perhaps it will take a little longer for him to gel this team together and work with management to procure the pieces he wants to work with, but with four years invested into the core of this team, would it not be more prudent for them to build around that core instead of their new coach?

It's a conundrum, no argument there.

But does Dale Hunter get a passing grade?

There are 16 games and 32 points left on the table for the Caps.

Sitting two points out of the final playoff spot and four points out of top spot in the Southeast, there's no reason to think they playoffs aren't in the cards for this team, yet it's going to take a monumental shift in commitment on behalf of the players and coaching staff if they want to get there.

The challenges for this team are far greater than making the playoffs, but with those hopes teetering on the brink, there's no time to think past today.

And today brings a very important matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning and a very valuable game in hand on the Winnipeg Jets. A win will tie the Caps with the Jets and will bring them two points closer to the Panthers.

It's a brutal situation because nothing is comfortable in DC anymore.

Pulling together is their only hope for success, but even that seems uncertain at best.

Whether he needs more time or the team just needed better breaks, passing grade or not, it's hard to think Dale Hunter has more than 16 games to prove he is the coach this team needs moving forward.

—–

Compare and contrast this to the position Randy Carlyle inherited in Toronto. The NHL is a pressure cooker.

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

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