Monday, July 25, 2005
Brian Savage: The Hunt for Mr. October
The news that the Phoenix Coyotes bought out winger Brian Savage Garden isn't at all surprising.
...and then I decided to look at his splits for the past two seasons.
It seems Savage hasn't been living up to his Mr. October moniker the last two seasons. His production hasn't even been that special in November.
Note to GM's of any team I don't hate: Don't sign this guy!
What's the use of signing Savage when he's just an oft-injured, defensively challenged winger who no longer produces goals? I hope the St. Louis Blues aren't tempted to bring back Savage as a 'budget' signing.
Oh, and Mr. October is such a catchy nickname that I think I'll still continue to call him that. A player should never lose a great nickname.
Savage, 34, was scheduled to make $2.85 million US this season. The Coyotes bought him out for $1.9 million, as per the new collective bargaining agreement which allows a one-time window to buy out contracts.I got to thinking that one enterprising team may want to sign Brian Savage to a incentive-laden contract. Given his past nickname of "Mr. October" for his great early-season goal scoring feats earlier in his career, it might make sense to sign Brian Savage to a contract, and then trade or dump him in December after the magic wears off.
...and then I decided to look at his splits for the past two seasons.
It seems Savage hasn't been living up to his Mr. October moniker the last two seasons. His production hasn't even been that special in November.
Note to GM's of any team I don't hate: Don't sign this guy!
What's the use of signing Savage when he's just an oft-injured, defensively challenged winger who no longer produces goals? I hope the St. Louis Blues aren't tempted to bring back Savage as a 'budget' signing.
Oh, and Mr. October is such a catchy nickname that I think I'll still continue to call him that. A player should never lose a great nickname.
Radovan Somik and Martin Strbak to Stay in Europe
The NHL is getting a little less Slovak these days :(
A bit of surprising and bad news for Flyers fans as 28 year-old Slovakian winger Radovan Somik has decided to stay in Europe following the lockout and will not return to the NHL.
Radovan Somik played in 2 seasons with the Flyers, compiling 12 goals and 20 assists in 113 regular season games and 2 goals and 2 assists in 14 playoff games.
While Somik was never an offensive superstar, even in Europe, but he was good defensively, had a cheap salary, and was always very coachable in Ken Hitchcock's system.
Somik really developed good chemistry with countryman Michal Handzus and big Donald Brashear as an effective checking unit. Somik's skating ability and smarts combined with Brashear's size and aggressiveness and Handzus' defensive reads made this combo one of the more effective and underrated checking units since the Florida Panthers trotted out Mike Hough-Brian Skrudland-Jody Hull to shut down the league's top offensive lines.
Somik made a modest US$600,000 last year, and wouldn't have really been able to make that much more as a Restricted Free Agent. It's no surprise, really, that Somik would stay in Europe where he could make similar money and play a more offensive role than he did with the Flyers.
Also, Penguins defenseman Martin Strbak signed a contract with CSKA Moscow that does NOT contain an NHL out clause. Strbak had played in Russia before his brief NHL career, and decided that the money in the NHL ($550,000 with rollback and taxes on top) could not compare to the star salary he could earn in Vodkaland ($500,000+ tax-free).
It's a shame for the Penguins, since Strbak is a pretty good 2-way defender and was one of their better players as they tanked the season. I was glad when he made the trek over here, and was pulling for the Kings or some other team (which was the Penguins) to give him a real shot.
A bit of surprising and bad news for Flyers fans as 28 year-old Slovakian winger Radovan Somik has decided to stay in Europe following the lockout and will not return to the NHL.
Radovan Somik played in 2 seasons with the Flyers, compiling 12 goals and 20 assists in 113 regular season games and 2 goals and 2 assists in 14 playoff games.
While Somik was never an offensive superstar, even in Europe, but he was good defensively, had a cheap salary, and was always very coachable in Ken Hitchcock's system.
Somik really developed good chemistry with countryman Michal Handzus and big Donald Brashear as an effective checking unit. Somik's skating ability and smarts combined with Brashear's size and aggressiveness and Handzus' defensive reads made this combo one of the more effective and underrated checking units since the Florida Panthers trotted out Mike Hough-Brian Skrudland-Jody Hull to shut down the league's top offensive lines.
Somik made a modest US$600,000 last year, and wouldn't have really been able to make that much more as a Restricted Free Agent. It's no surprise, really, that Somik would stay in Europe where he could make similar money and play a more offensive role than he did with the Flyers.
Also, Penguins defenseman Martin Strbak signed a contract with CSKA Moscow that does NOT contain an NHL out clause. Strbak had played in Russia before his brief NHL career, and decided that the money in the NHL ($550,000 with rollback and taxes on top) could not compare to the star salary he could earn in Vodkaland ($500,000+ tax-free).
It's a shame for the Penguins, since Strbak is a pretty good 2-way defender and was one of their better players as they tanked the season. I was glad when he made the trek over here, and was pulling for the Kings or some other team (which was the Penguins) to give him a real shot.
St. Louis Blues: Outlook #1
It was a strangely quiet weekend in the NHL, as only the Philadelphia Flyers were doing much of anything with the non-to-surprising buyouts of Tony Amonte and John "Chocolate" LeClair.
Where's the excitement? Where's the drama?
Over the off-season, I'll be focusing on the present and future of the St. Louis Blues as they try and continue their record-setting playoffs-made move into the new era without Captain Al MacInnis.
The St. Louis Blues have two major problems with their roster that have been building for many years.
1. The roster is top-heavy: Currently, the Blues have 13 players signed at $24.1 million dollars in salary, and this does not include the highly-paid Chris Pronger, who would be entitled approximately $7.6 million of the Blues qualified his contract. If the Blues did qualify pronger, they would have $31.7 million committed to 14 salaries, with 20.9mil (66%) tied up in 3 players salaries with 8-10 roster spots to fill! No team is going to be successful with most of their payroll tied into 3 players.
2. The Blues have very few good prospects in the pipeline. For a few years now, the Blues have had a barren farm system thanks to some poor drafting, promotions, and trades. Heading into the new NHL, the Blues are in poor shape with very good quality young players to promote onto the pro roster. Therefore, the Blues will need to head out into the open market to fill quite a few spots if they hope to have any playoff hopes.
Restricted Free Agents: Chris Pronger, Jamal Mayers, Ryan Johnson, Mark Rycroft, Bryce Salvador.
Goaltending: Patrick Lalime is a bonafide #1 and Reinhard Divis should be ready for the backup role, if he chooses to come back to North America. Prospect Jason Bacashihua isn't quite ready to the backup role, so the #3 job (or possible backup) will likely fall to Curtis Sanford. The Blues are looking OK in this department.
Defense: The Blues seem likely to sign Chris Pronger as he is a cornerstone player and would help carry the Blues defense corps. Pronger isn't as tradeable as he once was, but he could be dealt for 2-3 players if the Blues are looking to get quantity over quality. Overall, Barrett Jackman, Bryce Salvadore (who is RFA) and Christian Backman provide a good young core to build around while the wily Weinrich is pretty old but still a decent 3rd line player. Matt Walker is a tough fringe player who is not suited for anything other than the 7th man position. If Pronger comes back, the Blues will only need to sign 1-2 decent defensemen and they'll be set.
Forwards: Unless the Blues trade Pronger, they are expected to buy out one of either Doug Weight or Keith Tkachuk. After those two, the Blues have some decent role players and a real lack of quality.
Center: Petr Cajanek has been a disappointment offensively in the NHL, but he does have the real potential to be a good #2 centerman. Cajanek can also play on the wing, as he might have to with the current roster makeup.
Mike Sillinger is an excellent faceoff artist and solid 2-way center, and he can man the #3 spot. Ryan Johnson is suitable for the #4 spot or he can be shifted to wing and allow prospect Jay McClement to man the #4 spot. If the Blues keep Weight and Cajanek can find his offensive game, the Blues will be at least average down the pipe.
Wingers: If the Blues buy out Tkachuk, they will have absolutely no wingers with any pop in their guns. Without an outside fusion of free agent spice, the Blues will have an offence with less flavour than tofu.
Eric Boguniecki and Dallas Drake have enough skill to play on the top 2 lines, but only as complimentary players to the real skilled guys. In the real world, they are both suited to the 3rd line.
Jamal Mayers is all tools and no toolbox, and struggles to make himself a plus player even on the 3rd line at times. Reed Low is a 4th line goon, and Mark Rycroft is his partner in crime. Prospect Peter Sejna was once looked at as the solution to the offensive problem, but it's looking more and more like he will not provide any goal scoring at the NHL level.
To summarize, it's obvious that the Blues have one big decision to make in regards to the Big 3 players. Once that decision is made, the Blues will really need to focus their efforts on finding some offensive-minded wingers, 2 solid depth defensemen, and possibly an upgrade at the #2 center slot. With the current offensive configuration, the Blues could struggle to make it out of the bottom 5 teams for goals scored.
Tomorrow, I plan to look at the prospects in the Blues organization and how, if possible, they can help the Blues next season.
Where's the excitement? Where's the drama?
Over the off-season, I'll be focusing on the present and future of the St. Louis Blues as they try and continue their record-setting playoffs-made move into the new era without Captain Al MacInnis.
The St. Louis Blues have two major problems with their roster that have been building for many years.
1. The roster is top-heavy: Currently, the Blues have 13 players signed at $24.1 million dollars in salary, and this does not include the highly-paid Chris Pronger, who would be entitled approximately $7.6 million of the Blues qualified his contract. If the Blues did qualify pronger, they would have $31.7 million committed to 14 salaries, with 20.9mil (66%) tied up in 3 players salaries with 8-10 roster spots to fill! No team is going to be successful with most of their payroll tied into 3 players.
2. The Blues have very few good prospects in the pipeline. For a few years now, the Blues have had a barren farm system thanks to some poor drafting, promotions, and trades. Heading into the new NHL, the Blues are in poor shape with very good quality young players to promote onto the pro roster. Therefore, the Blues will need to head out into the open market to fill quite a few spots if they hope to have any playoff hopes.
Restricted Free Agents: Chris Pronger, Jamal Mayers, Ryan Johnson, Mark Rycroft, Bryce Salvador.
Goaltending: Patrick Lalime is a bonafide #1 and Reinhard Divis should be ready for the backup role, if he chooses to come back to North America. Prospect Jason Bacashihua isn't quite ready to the backup role, so the #3 job (or possible backup) will likely fall to Curtis Sanford. The Blues are looking OK in this department.
Defense: The Blues seem likely to sign Chris Pronger as he is a cornerstone player and would help carry the Blues defense corps. Pronger isn't as tradeable as he once was, but he could be dealt for 2-3 players if the Blues are looking to get quantity over quality. Overall, Barrett Jackman, Bryce Salvadore (who is RFA) and Christian Backman provide a good young core to build around while the wily Weinrich is pretty old but still a decent 3rd line player. Matt Walker is a tough fringe player who is not suited for anything other than the 7th man position. If Pronger comes back, the Blues will only need to sign 1-2 decent defensemen and they'll be set.
Forwards: Unless the Blues trade Pronger, they are expected to buy out one of either Doug Weight or Keith Tkachuk. After those two, the Blues have some decent role players and a real lack of quality.
Center: Petr Cajanek has been a disappointment offensively in the NHL, but he does have the real potential to be a good #2 centerman. Cajanek can also play on the wing, as he might have to with the current roster makeup.
Mike Sillinger is an excellent faceoff artist and solid 2-way center, and he can man the #3 spot. Ryan Johnson is suitable for the #4 spot or he can be shifted to wing and allow prospect Jay McClement to man the #4 spot. If the Blues keep Weight and Cajanek can find his offensive game, the Blues will be at least average down the pipe.
Wingers: If the Blues buy out Tkachuk, they will have absolutely no wingers with any pop in their guns. Without an outside fusion of free agent spice, the Blues will have an offence with less flavour than tofu.
Eric Boguniecki and Dallas Drake have enough skill to play on the top 2 lines, but only as complimentary players to the real skilled guys. In the real world, they are both suited to the 3rd line.
Jamal Mayers is all tools and no toolbox, and struggles to make himself a plus player even on the 3rd line at times. Reed Low is a 4th line goon, and Mark Rycroft is his partner in crime. Prospect Peter Sejna was once looked at as the solution to the offensive problem, but it's looking more and more like he will not provide any goal scoring at the NHL level.
To summarize, it's obvious that the Blues have one big decision to make in regards to the Big 3 players. Once that decision is made, the Blues will really need to focus their efforts on finding some offensive-minded wingers, 2 solid depth defensemen, and possibly an upgrade at the #2 center slot. With the current offensive configuration, the Blues could struggle to make it out of the bottom 5 teams for goals scored.
Tomorrow, I plan to look at the prospects in the Blues organization and how, if possible, they can help the Blues next season.
Saturday, July 23, 2005
The Changing Landscape of the NHL
The NHL will never be the same again, folks! As was feared, the NHL seems to have gone 'too far' with some of these rule changes...although it could have been worse.
Here is the damage, per the official release from the NHL.
Let's look at the MAJOR changes we'll be facing when the puck hits the ice in October.
Two-Line Passing: Passes from behind the defensive blue line to the attacking blue line will be considered legal. The center red line will be ignored for purposes of the "two line pass".
(Look for defensive-minded coaches to put the reigns on their defensemen even more as they want to protect from the long passes. What we could gain in long-bomb passes could be negated by having less defensemen attacking. As someone who follows European hockey, I've always had reservations about the NHL adopting this rule. Many European leagues are incredible defensive-minded, mainly because of systems designed to protect against long breakout passing.)
No-Touch Icing: "Touch" icing will remain the practice, although the Linesman will have discretion to wave off apparent icing infractions if they are deemed the result of an attempted pass. Providing the discretion to the Linesman also should have the effect of reducing the number of situations in which a race for the puck might result in an injury to a player.
(I like this compromise, though, like Don Cherry, I'd rather have "No-Touch". With the increased amount of long passes we'll be seeing, we need to have the linesmen ensure that we don't get a parade of long-bomb passes that are always whistled down. )
A team that ices the puck cannot make a line change prior to the ensuing face-off.
(Good, no more free passes for tired defenders! Tired defenders = mistakes = goal scoring chances!)
SHOOTOUTS: Regular-season games that are tied at the conclusion of overtime will be decided by a shootout round beginning in 2005-06, the National Hockey League announced today.
The new shootout rule guarantees a winner each game; ties have been eliminated. If a game remains tied after the five-minute, four-on-four overtime period, the teams will engage in a shootout, in which three skaters aside take alternating penalty shots against the opposing goaltender. If still tied after three shots per team, 'sudden-death' shots will be taken to reach a decision.
The League will award two points to a team that wins in regulation, overtime or the shootout; one point to a team that loses in overtime or the shootout; and no points to a team that loses in regulation.
(Sure, using a shootout of 3 players to decide a game played by a whole team. I don't want to repeat myself for the 1,000,000th time, but I'm really choked about shootouts since this is my least favourite aspect of European hockey.
It's too bad, also, that the NHL is awarding/rewarding shootout winners the exact same 2 points as teams who win in regulation time. Great, now we'll see all sorts of teams play it safe in the 3rd period to guarantee themselves a bonus point.
It's too bad the NHL didn't take a look into the "3 point" system I discussed previously.)
Goaltenders who play the puck behind the goal line but outside the designated puck handling area will be penalized for delay of game.
(Dumb, dumber, and dumbest! Why are we punishing the few goalies who are great puckhandlers [Brodeur, DiPietro]? I mean, if Brodeur thinks the risk of handling the puck outside of his crease is worth the reward, then he should be allowed. The NHL could have allowed goalies to play the puck outside this zone, but subject to the same 'law of the land' that all other players face. If Brodeur thinks he can play the puck and not get bodychecked, then let him try!)
Overcompensation - It's a trait of the desparate souls who can't see that common sense solutions are often the best ones. I am really hoping for the best, but I am fearing the worst.
I am willing to give these new rules a chance, but I, and all other NHL fans, will be watching like a skeptic hawk.
Here is the damage, per the official release from the NHL.
Let's look at the MAJOR changes we'll be facing when the puck hits the ice in October.
Two-Line Passing: Passes from behind the defensive blue line to the attacking blue line will be considered legal. The center red line will be ignored for purposes of the "two line pass".
(Look for defensive-minded coaches to put the reigns on their defensemen even more as they want to protect from the long passes. What we could gain in long-bomb passes could be negated by having less defensemen attacking. As someone who follows European hockey, I've always had reservations about the NHL adopting this rule. Many European leagues are incredible defensive-minded, mainly because of systems designed to protect against long breakout passing.)
No-Touch Icing: "Touch" icing will remain the practice, although the Linesman will have discretion to wave off apparent icing infractions if they are deemed the result of an attempted pass. Providing the discretion to the Linesman also should have the effect of reducing the number of situations in which a race for the puck might result in an injury to a player.
(I like this compromise, though, like Don Cherry, I'd rather have "No-Touch". With the increased amount of long passes we'll be seeing, we need to have the linesmen ensure that we don't get a parade of long-bomb passes that are always whistled down. )
A team that ices the puck cannot make a line change prior to the ensuing face-off.
(Good, no more free passes for tired defenders! Tired defenders = mistakes = goal scoring chances!)
SHOOTOUTS: Regular-season games that are tied at the conclusion of overtime will be decided by a shootout round beginning in 2005-06, the National Hockey League announced today.
The new shootout rule guarantees a winner each game; ties have been eliminated. If a game remains tied after the five-minute, four-on-four overtime period, the teams will engage in a shootout, in which three skaters aside take alternating penalty shots against the opposing goaltender. If still tied after three shots per team, 'sudden-death' shots will be taken to reach a decision.
The League will award two points to a team that wins in regulation, overtime or the shootout; one point to a team that loses in overtime or the shootout; and no points to a team that loses in regulation.
(Sure, using a shootout of 3 players to decide a game played by a whole team. I don't want to repeat myself for the 1,000,000th time, but I'm really choked about shootouts since this is my least favourite aspect of European hockey.
It's too bad, also, that the NHL is awarding/rewarding shootout winners the exact same 2 points as teams who win in regulation time. Great, now we'll see all sorts of teams play it safe in the 3rd period to guarantee themselves a bonus point.
It's too bad the NHL didn't take a look into the "3 point" system I discussed previously.)
Goaltenders who play the puck behind the goal line but outside the designated puck handling area will be penalized for delay of game.
(Dumb, dumber, and dumbest! Why are we punishing the few goalies who are great puckhandlers [Brodeur, DiPietro]? I mean, if Brodeur thinks the risk of handling the puck outside of his crease is worth the reward, then he should be allowed. The NHL could have allowed goalies to play the puck outside this zone, but subject to the same 'law of the land' that all other players face. If Brodeur thinks he can play the puck and not get bodychecked, then let him try!)
Overcompensation - It's a trait of the desparate souls who can't see that common sense solutions are often the best ones. I am really hoping for the best, but I am fearing the worst.
I am willing to give these new rules a chance, but I, and all other NHL fans, will be watching like a skeptic hawk.
Friday, July 22, 2005
NHL Lottery Returns
What drama here at work as we're watching the NHL.com live broadcast of the NHL Lottery Draft. It's between Anaheim and Pittsburgh for the #1 pick!
Canucks end up with #10... nice a top 10 pick. Ranger$ down at 16...whosever face they showed (Maloney?) looks like he was going to cry.
...and the winnah is...
THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS!!!
Official results available here.
Canucks end up with #10... nice a top 10 pick. Ranger$ down at 16...whosever face they showed (Maloney?) looks like he was going to cry.
...and the winnah is...
THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS!!!
Official results available here.
NHL Hockey on HBO?
With the NHL searching for one or more national TV deals in the USA, here is an interesting option that Michael Hiestand of USAToday looks into - HBO (Home Box Office)
Still, I like the thought of having some 'all-access' NHL games. If you really wanted to get inside the game of hockey, let's hear more of the 'banter' from the ice and the benches.
When the CBC's board-mikes caught Brian Skrudland curse-filled tirade to the ref about a penalty he took during a Panthers/Flames game many years ago, it certainly brought the viewing experience to a different level.
The NHL could certainly attract a 'mature' audience (for lack of a better word) with a 10-game package on HBO. HBO is known for its great production capabilities, so why not take advantage if HBO were willing to talk?
As the NHL seems ready to play games again, it has no national U.S. cable TV deal. An idea: Put games, with players and coaches miked live, on ad-free HBO, where anything goes with on-air expletives.Given Gary Bettman's foolish quest to eliminate fighting from the NHL, I doubt he would consider having hockey in this format. I can't imagine too many of the players would want everything on air, either.
"That's intriguing," HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg says. "The only issues would be how much (money) they'd want and the games' significance. I'm not sure regular-season games would have the heat we'd need. But if they gave us an open book, we'd fill the pages."
Still, I like the thought of having some 'all-access' NHL games. If you really wanted to get inside the game of hockey, let's hear more of the 'banter' from the ice and the benches.
When the CBC's board-mikes caught Brian Skrudland curse-filled tirade to the ref about a penalty he took during a Panthers/Flames game many years ago, it certainly brought the viewing experience to a different level.
The NHL could certainly attract a 'mature' audience (for lack of a better word) with a 10-game package on HBO. HBO is known for its great production capabilities, so why not take advantage if HBO were willing to talk?
NHL: New Logo versus Old Logo
I was expecting the worst when the NHL decided to update their logo.
Here is the new one versus the old one.
It's somewhat typical of today's age that they went to a black/grey/silver etc motif with no real colour. It's a shame, since the NHL's logo was very recognizable, classic, and classy. The new logo isn't "bad", but it seems like a downgrade and unnecessary change.
What's the point?
Here is the new one versus the old one.
It's somewhat typical of today's age that they went to a black/grey/silver etc motif with no real colour. It's a shame, since the NHL's logo was very recognizable, classic, and classy. The new logo isn't "bad", but it seems like a downgrade and unnecessary change.
What's the point?
CHL: Spotlight on Marek Polak
While there is a lull in the action, I'd like to take a closer look at CHL Import Draft pick Marek Polak, one of three Trinec prospects taken by CHL clubs a few weeks ago. Polak was taken 7th overall by the Sudbury Wolves and was the bigger mystery picks taken high in the draft.
Under the new CBA, Marek may have to wait another year to be selected. He was a 2006 eligible draft pick for the NHL, but now it looks like all kids his age will have to wait until 2007 to hear their names called.
(On another note, doesn't this make the 2006 draft absolutely weak? Will they even have a draft?)
In a previous post, I wasn't able to elaborate very much on this 6'2" 200, pound winger, but superscout Robert Neuhauser (of McKeens) came to the rescue and shares his scouting knowledge of this unheralded tank.
---
Scouting: a solid skater with good lower-body strength and balance .. possesses solid agility, but could use bigger top-end speed .. adequate acceleration .. okay stickhandling skills .. can occassionally beat an opponent in one-on-one and go with the puck into traffic .. a competitive warrior .. above-average toughness .. hits hard along the boards and mucks in thecorners .. unleashes a hard slap shot .. battles traffic effectively ..adequate defensive awareness, but has to further improve in this asset .. good leadership skills .. solid on the special units .. adequate vision and hockey sense, but misreads developing plays at times and is at the wrong place .. prone to odd off-games where he isn't able to create quality plays with the puck and is hampered by a lack of elite smarts.
In my opinion would Marek Polak make a solid major junior player after the needed adjustment period. The Wolves made a solid pick at the 7th spot. He doesn't speak very good English at this point, but is picking up on his knowledge during the summer. Polak is going to report to the Wolves summer camp and his playing style should translate to the OHL adequately well.
Polak is among the grittiest players of the Czech '88 class and wanted to play major junior as early as possible. He wasn't very happy with his situation on the Trinec junior team, mainly with the fact that he definitely wouldn't get any playing time on the senior team in 2005-2006. The Czech 1988 birthyear is very strong which causes the fact that Polak isn't among the most highly-touted prospects, but he is a solid player in the second tier and a possible NHL draft pick if he adjusts to the OHL quickly enough.
Don't expect him to score big numbers in his rookie OHL season, he will need to be brought along slowly to adapt, but should become a solid asset to your team down the road. I expect Polak to be a modest scorer in 2005-2006 before possibly raising his offensive output in the next seasons. He won't ever be among the scoring champions, but should make a solid OHL player with decent offensive numbers.
---
On another note, I had one of my Jedi premonitions last night: Gilbert Brule donning a Vancouver Canucks sweater at the 2005 Entry Draft. I saw great joy in Vancouver, and great sadness in New York. I am definitely excited and nervous about tonight's draft lottery.
Under the new CBA, Marek may have to wait another year to be selected. He was a 2006 eligible draft pick for the NHL, but now it looks like all kids his age will have to wait until 2007 to hear their names called.
(On another note, doesn't this make the 2006 draft absolutely weak? Will they even have a draft?)
In a previous post, I wasn't able to elaborate very much on this 6'2" 200, pound winger, but superscout Robert Neuhauser (of McKeens) came to the rescue and shares his scouting knowledge of this unheralded tank.
---
Scouting: a solid skater with good lower-body strength and balance .. possesses solid agility, but could use bigger top-end speed .. adequate acceleration .. okay stickhandling skills .. can occassionally beat an opponent in one-on-one and go with the puck into traffic .. a competitive warrior .. above-average toughness .. hits hard along the boards and mucks in thecorners .. unleashes a hard slap shot .. battles traffic effectively ..adequate defensive awareness, but has to further improve in this asset .. good leadership skills .. solid on the special units .. adequate vision and hockey sense, but misreads developing plays at times and is at the wrong place .. prone to odd off-games where he isn't able to create quality plays with the puck and is hampered by a lack of elite smarts.
In my opinion would Marek Polak make a solid major junior player after the needed adjustment period. The Wolves made a solid pick at the 7th spot. He doesn't speak very good English at this point, but is picking up on his knowledge during the summer. Polak is going to report to the Wolves summer camp and his playing style should translate to the OHL adequately well.
Polak is among the grittiest players of the Czech '88 class and wanted to play major junior as early as possible. He wasn't very happy with his situation on the Trinec junior team, mainly with the fact that he definitely wouldn't get any playing time on the senior team in 2005-2006. The Czech 1988 birthyear is very strong which causes the fact that Polak isn't among the most highly-touted prospects, but he is a solid player in the second tier and a possible NHL draft pick if he adjusts to the OHL quickly enough.
Don't expect him to score big numbers in his rookie OHL season, he will need to be brought along slowly to adapt, but should become a solid asset to your team down the road. I expect Polak to be a modest scorer in 2005-2006 before possibly raising his offensive output in the next seasons. He won't ever be among the scoring champions, but should make a solid OHL player with decent offensive numbers.
---
On another note, I had one of my Jedi premonitions last night: Gilbert Brule donning a Vancouver Canucks sweater at the 2005 Entry Draft. I saw great joy in Vancouver, and great sadness in New York. I am definitely excited and nervous about tonight's draft lottery.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Dany Heatley: Morbid Curiosity
Looking for the ultimate in sports memorabilia? Do you want to one-up your friends?
How about owning the very same Ferrari that Dany Heatley crashed?
EBay is known as a clearing house for strange stuff, but I can't fathom why anyone would want to pay $15,000 USD for a smashed up Ferrari (and that didn't even meet the reserve price!)
The actual EBay auction does not specify who owned the vehicle, but the boys at gameworn.net put 2 and 3 together and discovered who really owned this vehicle.
I just wonder why someone would want to purchase this wreck? Spare parts? A morbid collectors item? Whatever the case, the auction was stopped. This is likely due to the fact that whoever was selling the smashed up Spider found out the history behind his goods.
How about owning the very same Ferrari that Dany Heatley crashed?
EBay is known as a clearing house for strange stuff, but I can't fathom why anyone would want to pay $15,000 USD for a smashed up Ferrari (and that didn't even meet the reserve price!)
The actual EBay auction does not specify who owned the vehicle, but the boys at gameworn.net put 2 and 3 together and discovered who really owned this vehicle.
I just wonder why someone would want to purchase this wreck? Spare parts? A morbid collectors item? Whatever the case, the auction was stopped. This is likely due to the fact that whoever was selling the smashed up Spider found out the history behind his goods.
Feel like Playing the Draft Lottery?
"PecaFan" has created a simple simulation program that lets you run your own NHL Draft Lottery.
For fantasy league owners, this same simulation allows you run various lottery drafts using different variables, if you are starting up a league of your own.
Just for kicks, I ran the simulation 20 times. The Canucks came up first once, and dead last twice. The Ranger$ also came in last once and first once.
Really, this whole exercise just goes to show you how random this draw really is. Your favourite team could end up anywhere from #1 to #30 very easily. I just hope the Canucks and Blues get the lucky bounce, so to speak.
For fantasy league owners, this same simulation allows you run various lottery drafts using different variables, if you are starting up a league of your own.
Just for kicks, I ran the simulation 20 times. The Canucks came up first once, and dead last twice. The Ranger$ also came in last once and first once.
Really, this whole exercise just goes to show you how random this draw really is. Your favourite team could end up anywhere from #1 to #30 very easily. I just hope the Canucks and Blues get the lucky bounce, so to speak.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
NHL: Draft Lottery will be televised after all!
The revolution will be televised!!!! ...somewhat.
After getting a few slapshots to the head, the NHL finally relented and decided to let TSN (The Sports Network) in Canada air the draft lottery.
Notice how they said the 'results', and not the actual drawing of the (*cough* New York Ranger *cough) lottery ball itself? I know it's hard for any of us to fathom why the NHL wouldn't show the actual draw when SIDNEY CROSBY (oh my gawd!) is on the line. Sure, the NBA doesn't televise its draw, but many suspect that the NBA has fixed its lottery ever since Patrick Ewing somehow ended up a New York Knickerbocker.
Look, Gary, could the NHL learn a little communication and at least let us know why the actual drawing won't be televised? Unless you are planning to fix the damn thing (which could still be done with weighted balls, I suppose), what is the real harm in showing us the actual balls spinning around inside a big ball? Who cares if the NBA doesn't show theirs, it's time for the NHL to up the ante and be a leader somewhere in the sports world!
I don't understand how East Coasters (like those at hockeybird.com) can whine about the 7PM EST lottery time when us West Coasters will still be at work when the draft results will be carried live on TV. Of course, us Westerners are used to be looked over when it comes to sporting events and other political issues.
As an aside, here's a real damn funny line from HDH at Hockeybird.com
For complete lottery system rules and such, here, again, is a most helpful page courtesy of TSN.ca
Let's not forget that the entire draft order, and not just the Sidney Crosby pick, is at stake here. If the Canucks can snag a top 5 pick, I'll suddenly have dreams of Gilbert Brule in a Canucks sweater and will murder GM Dave Nonis if he doesn't make it happen.
After getting a few slapshots to the head, the NHL finally relented and decided to let TSN (The Sports Network) in Canada air the draft lottery.
The results of the NHL's entry draft lottery, and who gets the No. 1 overall pick, will be carried exclusively on The Sports Network in a special half-hour show on Friday at 4 p.m. (EST).
Notice how they said the 'results', and not the actual drawing of the (*cough* New York Ranger *cough) lottery ball itself? I know it's hard for any of us to fathom why the NHL wouldn't show the actual draw when SIDNEY CROSBY (oh my gawd!) is on the line. Sure, the NBA doesn't televise its draw, but many suspect that the NBA has fixed its lottery ever since Patrick Ewing somehow ended up a New York Knickerbocker.
Look, Gary, could the NHL learn a little communication and at least let us know why the actual drawing won't be televised? Unless you are planning to fix the damn thing (which could still be done with weighted balls, I suppose), what is the real harm in showing us the actual balls spinning around inside a big ball? Who cares if the NBA doesn't show theirs, it's time for the NHL to up the ante and be a leader somewhere in the sports world!
I don't understand how East Coasters (like those at hockeybird.com) can whine about the 7PM EST lottery time when us West Coasters will still be at work when the draft results will be carried live on TV. Of course, us Westerners are used to be looked over when it comes to sporting events and other political issues.
As an aside, here's a real damn funny line from HDH at Hockeybird.com
So technically they can still fix the draft, but they are going to at least announce the results live, so will be able to see Glen Sather pretend to be surprised when they announce that the Rangers won the first pick. (I am just playing around.)The image of Glen Sather feigning shock could be Oscar-worthy.
For complete lottery system rules and such, here, again, is a most helpful page courtesy of TSN.ca
Let's not forget that the entire draft order, and not just the Sidney Crosby pick, is at stake here. If the Canucks can snag a top 5 pick, I'll suddenly have dreams of Gilbert Brule in a Canucks sweater and will murder GM Dave Nonis if he doesn't make it happen.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
NHL: The Sidney Crosby Challenge
Ben Wright of The (now revived) Net Files had an interesting challenge for some of us hockey bloggers: Where, in my opinion, would Sidney Crosby best serve the NHL?
We've speculated on the fact that he's likely to end up in New York as a Ranger or any big market that Gary Bettman hand-picks during the secret lottery this Friday (moved from Thursday, apparently).
Now, it's time to give my thoughts on where I feel Crosby would serve the NHL the best and where he might be wasted.
Standard Line of Thinking I: "Sidney Crosby is the next Wayne Gretzky! You can plunk Sid the Kid into any troubled market and he will pull the team and the whole league up from the grave into financial heaven! Millions will flock to see Sidney Crosby, Nashville Predator, as he carries the NHL to heights unseen."
Standard Line of Thinking II: "Sidney MUST end up in one of the NHL's prime markets: New York or Toronto. The NHL suffers when the NY Rangers are doing poorly, and only in these two markets can the hype machine generate enough momentum to spread over all 30 NHL markets. If the NY and Toronto tabloids are writing 100 Crosby articles a day, the league will benefit."
As I see it, Crosby needs to play in a good hockey (not necessarily the biggest) market in order to maximize his playing and marketing potential. When Gretzky was traded to the Kings, he WAS the man. Crosby has not established himself south of the border, and he won't make the same impact (if at all) for a few years. It's not enough to plunk Crosby into any market and expect arenas to sell out.
So, here are my picks for the top 3 and bottom 3 American markets in which I would place Sid the Kid as well as the top and bottom Canadian markets.
Top 3 USA:
Los Angeles - This is one of the rumoured choices that Gary Bettman might FIX Sidney Crosby into, and it would be a good one. The NHL desparately needs some 'Street Credit', and what better way to obtain such props than by having Hollywood and other celebrities at LA Kings games and openly showing how much they like the sport. Remember when Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell were attending Kings games to watch Gretzky? I'm sure you've seen Jack Nicholson and many other celebs at LA Lakers games. The big stars shine brightly in LA, and the Crosby effect would definitely filter out to the other California hockey franchises.
If Crosby were to become one of the big stars of LA, it would give the NHL some recognition outside of the small circle it is currently confined to. Gretzky was one of the few hockey players that had real 'cred' outside of the hockey world thanks to the fact he was playing in LA, appearing on Saturday Night Live (in a very forgettable performance) and marrying a Hollywood actress.
Chicago - I know, I know, Bill Wirtz does NOT deserve Sidney Crosby.
Still, ChiTown is one of the best sports markets in North America, has a very good history as an Original Six member, and a large population. I believe the NHL really does feel the pain when the Chicago market is struggling as it is.
Under Wirtz, the Hawks have managed to kill a good deal of their current and future fan base. Despite this, there is still an appetite for hockey in ChiTown as the AHL's Chicago Wolves actually outdraw the NHL Hawks and other NHL teams on a regular basis. There are a LOT of people in ChiTown that would come back to the Hawks if they were a legitimate contender.
The ChiTown market is in need of repair, and, short of assissinating Bill Wirtz, having Sidney Crosby as a Chickenhawk would really bring this franchise back into good times once again. Remember when Jeremy Roenick and Ed Belfour led strong Hawks teams in the mid-early 90s? The NHL would really benefit from having Crosby take this team and make them into a strong force in the US Mid-West.
New York - I might hate to admit it, but we all know that having Crosby in Gotham City would benefit the league. New York represents the largest hockey market (well, any market) in North America and has the largest media contingent available at its disposal. Having Crosby on the front page of the New York Post on a regular basis would give the NHL exposure it would die for.
You'll notice I said New York, and not necessarily the Ranger$. Although only an outsider would ever put the Islanders and Rangers together, I believe Crosby's impact as an Islander would still be felt throughout the NHL. If Crosby was leading a new Islander's dynasty, you can bet the NY media would jump right on that bandwagon. If Crosby were to end up on the Isles, it might just speed up the process of getting out of the death trap that is the Nassau Memorial Coliseum.
Obviously, Crosby would better serve the NHL as a Ranger, rather than an Islander...but having him in the New York market, period, would be a great marketing boon for the NHL.
Bottom 3:
Florida/Carolina - I hate to pick on these two franchises all the time, but they really are a Black Hole when it comes to hockey coverage, attendance, and general interest.
Florida, as is stands right now, is in real danger of being the first NHL franchise to fold or relocate since the 30-team NHL began. Their arena is located in the middle of nowhere, the fan base is very small, and there are many whispers about their current financial and debt troubles that are too hard to ignore. The hockey coverage in South Florida is limited mainly to two dedicated writers (Russo and Neal), and Crosby would not get much exposure at all if he were playing so far away from the rest of the hockey world. Sunrise, Florida, is not where you want your top hockey draw to be practicing his craft.
On the plus side, The Florida Panthers have a good young team on the way up to respectibility (thanks to many good drafts). If Crosby was a Panther, this team would achieve powerhouse status for a few seasons and sustain such success thanks to a good, young core.
Carolina, as we've seen, is similar to Florida in terms of attendance and generally lousy media coverage. During their improbable run to the Cup Finals a few years back, they were met with a loud chorus of yawns and more apathy than is normally mentally possible. Carolina has always been derided by Canadians and the 'Yankees' as NASCAR Country (plus the fact they stole a team from Hartford), so having Crosby there would not result in a whole lot of bandwagon jumping from the North.
Carolina, unlike Florida, has an extremely poor farm system and would not be any threat to contend for the next 200 years. As long as GM Jim Rutherford is running the show, Crosby's talents as a Cane would wasted playing for a team that misses the playoffs almost every season.
Phoenix - As I expressed in a previous post about my travels to Phoenix, this place really is an oasis for hockey. In other words, if you don't want to think about hockey, Phoenix is a great place to go.
Geographically, Phoenix's weather lends itself to any sport that DOESN'T play on ice. It's very hard to tap into such a market when the weather is constantly in the 80s and 90s (Fahrenheit). Even a hockey fanatic such as myself had a hard time getting in the mood for a hockey game when it felt like golfing and suntanning weather. Phoenix is also not very close to any hockey market, so it's hard to develop a rivalry of any sort. Being close to the Mexican border also lends itself to a very large latino population which largely ignores hockey in favour of soccer or baseball. (I could count the number of visible minories at a Coyotes game on my right hand)
Media - Well, they really never cover hockey. Baseball (especially Spring Training), football, and basketball all get about 10000% more coverage than hockey. Like the Florida Panthers, the media coverage is rather poor and limited to one/two dedicated writers. The big hockey media of Canada, NY, and LA don't want to pay much attention to a market so far out of the normal scope of hockeyland.
The team is bad, and will be bad for some time...the arena is in the middle of a desert and surrounded by miles of parking lot and cactus plants.
Top Canadian Market - Montreal
"But Jes, Toronto is the centre of the UNIVERSE!! Crosby should be here!!"
Toronto doesn't need any help or any more attention than it already gets. If Crosby were to become a Maple Leaf, he would probably become one of Canada's least favourite players due to the incredible backlash of "Shut the hell up already!!!" cries from the rest of the country.
Montreal, on the other hand, has been in a funk for the last decade thanks to some financial tough times and some lacklustre teams. The Habs desparately need a superstar player and Crosby's favourite team happens to be the Canadiens. Imagine how good a happy Crosby will be?
When the historic Montreal Canadiens are doing great things, the rest of the country is very jealous ("Damn seperatist pigs!") and the Toronto/Montreal rivalry really does generate a lot of great and intense passion in many hockey fans. Even us Western outsiders tend to enjoy watching a great Montreal/Toronto tilt.
Bottom Canadian Market - Ottawa
Face it, Sens fans, your team is the "6th team out of 6" in Canada and well behind the others in terms of popularity outside of Ottawa. The Senators have had some great players over the past few years, but I see very few Sens fans outside of Ottawa...
1. Ottawa (the new incarnation) hasn't been around that long compared to the other 5 teams. While the Oilers and Flames built their fanbase through the 80s (thanks to championships), the Canucks built theirs over the past 30+ years, and Toronto/Montreal have been around forever, the Sens are the young baby that doesn't have a long history behind them.
2. There is a general disdain of Ottawa from outside of Ottawa. Given that Ottawa houses our corrupt federal politicians, is it any wonder why it could be hard to like a team from there? Torontonians and Montrealites also have a natural disdain for Ottawa given past sports and non-sports history.
3. While the CBC and national media drool over Toronto and Montreal (The French CBC), Ottawa is stuck in the middle of these two giants and definitely gets far less respect and media attention.
It's not that is having Crosby in Ottawa would be BAD, but it certainly would be less effective for the NHL to have him in a 'small market' like Ottawa compared to any of the other 5 Canadian cities (including 'small markets' Calgary and Edmonton)
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Of course, the absolute best place that Sidney Crosby could end up is Vancouver. Why? Just because I live here ;) Maybe I could start the official Sidney Crosby Blog just because he doesn't get enough attention.
We've speculated on the fact that he's likely to end up in New York as a Ranger or any big market that Gary Bettman hand-picks during the secret lottery this Friday (moved from Thursday, apparently).
Now, it's time to give my thoughts on where I feel Crosby would serve the NHL the best and where he might be wasted.
Standard Line of Thinking I: "Sidney Crosby is the next Wayne Gretzky! You can plunk Sid the Kid into any troubled market and he will pull the team and the whole league up from the grave into financial heaven! Millions will flock to see Sidney Crosby, Nashville Predator, as he carries the NHL to heights unseen."
Standard Line of Thinking II: "Sidney MUST end up in one of the NHL's prime markets: New York or Toronto. The NHL suffers when the NY Rangers are doing poorly, and only in these two markets can the hype machine generate enough momentum to spread over all 30 NHL markets. If the NY and Toronto tabloids are writing 100 Crosby articles a day, the league will benefit."
As I see it, Crosby needs to play in a good hockey (not necessarily the biggest) market in order to maximize his playing and marketing potential. When Gretzky was traded to the Kings, he WAS the man. Crosby has not established himself south of the border, and he won't make the same impact (if at all) for a few years. It's not enough to plunk Crosby into any market and expect arenas to sell out.
So, here are my picks for the top 3 and bottom 3 American markets in which I would place Sid the Kid as well as the top and bottom Canadian markets.
Top 3 USA:
Los Angeles - This is one of the rumoured choices that Gary Bettman might FIX Sidney Crosby into, and it would be a good one. The NHL desparately needs some 'Street Credit', and what better way to obtain such props than by having Hollywood and other celebrities at LA Kings games and openly showing how much they like the sport. Remember when Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell were attending Kings games to watch Gretzky? I'm sure you've seen Jack Nicholson and many other celebs at LA Lakers games. The big stars shine brightly in LA, and the Crosby effect would definitely filter out to the other California hockey franchises.
If Crosby were to become one of the big stars of LA, it would give the NHL some recognition outside of the small circle it is currently confined to. Gretzky was one of the few hockey players that had real 'cred' outside of the hockey world thanks to the fact he was playing in LA, appearing on Saturday Night Live (in a very forgettable performance) and marrying a Hollywood actress.
Chicago - I know, I know, Bill Wirtz does NOT deserve Sidney Crosby.
Still, ChiTown is one of the best sports markets in North America, has a very good history as an Original Six member, and a large population. I believe the NHL really does feel the pain when the Chicago market is struggling as it is.
Under Wirtz, the Hawks have managed to kill a good deal of their current and future fan base. Despite this, there is still an appetite for hockey in ChiTown as the AHL's Chicago Wolves actually outdraw the NHL Hawks and other NHL teams on a regular basis. There are a LOT of people in ChiTown that would come back to the Hawks if they were a legitimate contender.
The ChiTown market is in need of repair, and, short of assissinating Bill Wirtz, having Sidney Crosby as a Chickenhawk would really bring this franchise back into good times once again. Remember when Jeremy Roenick and Ed Belfour led strong Hawks teams in the mid-early 90s? The NHL would really benefit from having Crosby take this team and make them into a strong force in the US Mid-West.
New York - I might hate to admit it, but we all know that having Crosby in Gotham City would benefit the league. New York represents the largest hockey market (well, any market) in North America and has the largest media contingent available at its disposal. Having Crosby on the front page of the New York Post on a regular basis would give the NHL exposure it would die for.
You'll notice I said New York, and not necessarily the Ranger$. Although only an outsider would ever put the Islanders and Rangers together, I believe Crosby's impact as an Islander would still be felt throughout the NHL. If Crosby was leading a new Islander's dynasty, you can bet the NY media would jump right on that bandwagon. If Crosby were to end up on the Isles, it might just speed up the process of getting out of the death trap that is the Nassau Memorial Coliseum.
Obviously, Crosby would better serve the NHL as a Ranger, rather than an Islander...but having him in the New York market, period, would be a great marketing boon for the NHL.
Bottom 3:
Florida/Carolina - I hate to pick on these two franchises all the time, but they really are a Black Hole when it comes to hockey coverage, attendance, and general interest.
Florida, as is stands right now, is in real danger of being the first NHL franchise to fold or relocate since the 30-team NHL began. Their arena is located in the middle of nowhere, the fan base is very small, and there are many whispers about their current financial and debt troubles that are too hard to ignore. The hockey coverage in South Florida is limited mainly to two dedicated writers (Russo and Neal), and Crosby would not get much exposure at all if he were playing so far away from the rest of the hockey world. Sunrise, Florida, is not where you want your top hockey draw to be practicing his craft.
On the plus side, The Florida Panthers have a good young team on the way up to respectibility (thanks to many good drafts). If Crosby was a Panther, this team would achieve powerhouse status for a few seasons and sustain such success thanks to a good, young core.
Carolina, as we've seen, is similar to Florida in terms of attendance and generally lousy media coverage. During their improbable run to the Cup Finals a few years back, they were met with a loud chorus of yawns and more apathy than is normally mentally possible. Carolina has always been derided by Canadians and the 'Yankees' as NASCAR Country (plus the fact they stole a team from Hartford), so having Crosby there would not result in a whole lot of bandwagon jumping from the North.
Carolina, unlike Florida, has an extremely poor farm system and would not be any threat to contend for the next 200 years. As long as GM Jim Rutherford is running the show, Crosby's talents as a Cane would wasted playing for a team that misses the playoffs almost every season.
Phoenix - As I expressed in a previous post about my travels to Phoenix, this place really is an oasis for hockey. In other words, if you don't want to think about hockey, Phoenix is a great place to go.
Geographically, Phoenix's weather lends itself to any sport that DOESN'T play on ice. It's very hard to tap into such a market when the weather is constantly in the 80s and 90s (Fahrenheit). Even a hockey fanatic such as myself had a hard time getting in the mood for a hockey game when it felt like golfing and suntanning weather. Phoenix is also not very close to any hockey market, so it's hard to develop a rivalry of any sort. Being close to the Mexican border also lends itself to a very large latino population which largely ignores hockey in favour of soccer or baseball. (I could count the number of visible minories at a Coyotes game on my right hand)
Media - Well, they really never cover hockey. Baseball (especially Spring Training), football, and basketball all get about 10000% more coverage than hockey. Like the Florida Panthers, the media coverage is rather poor and limited to one/two dedicated writers. The big hockey media of Canada, NY, and LA don't want to pay much attention to a market so far out of the normal scope of hockeyland.
The team is bad, and will be bad for some time...the arena is in the middle of a desert and surrounded by miles of parking lot and cactus plants.
Top Canadian Market - Montreal
"But Jes, Toronto is the centre of the UNIVERSE!! Crosby should be here!!"
Toronto doesn't need any help or any more attention than it already gets. If Crosby were to become a Maple Leaf, he would probably become one of Canada's least favourite players due to the incredible backlash of "Shut the hell up already!!!" cries from the rest of the country.
Montreal, on the other hand, has been in a funk for the last decade thanks to some financial tough times and some lacklustre teams. The Habs desparately need a superstar player and Crosby's favourite team happens to be the Canadiens. Imagine how good a happy Crosby will be?
When the historic Montreal Canadiens are doing great things, the rest of the country is very jealous ("Damn seperatist pigs!") and the Toronto/Montreal rivalry really does generate a lot of great and intense passion in many hockey fans. Even us Western outsiders tend to enjoy watching a great Montreal/Toronto tilt.
Bottom Canadian Market - Ottawa
Face it, Sens fans, your team is the "6th team out of 6" in Canada and well behind the others in terms of popularity outside of Ottawa. The Senators have had some great players over the past few years, but I see very few Sens fans outside of Ottawa...
1. Ottawa (the new incarnation) hasn't been around that long compared to the other 5 teams. While the Oilers and Flames built their fanbase through the 80s (thanks to championships), the Canucks built theirs over the past 30+ years, and Toronto/Montreal have been around forever, the Sens are the young baby that doesn't have a long history behind them.
2. There is a general disdain of Ottawa from outside of Ottawa. Given that Ottawa houses our corrupt federal politicians, is it any wonder why it could be hard to like a team from there? Torontonians and Montrealites also have a natural disdain for Ottawa given past sports and non-sports history.
3. While the CBC and national media drool over Toronto and Montreal (The French CBC), Ottawa is stuck in the middle of these two giants and definitely gets far less respect and media attention.
It's not that is having Crosby in Ottawa would be BAD, but it certainly would be less effective for the NHL to have him in a 'small market' like Ottawa compared to any of the other 5 Canadian cities (including 'small markets' Calgary and Edmonton)
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Of course, the absolute best place that Sidney Crosby could end up is Vancouver. Why? Just because I live here ;) Maybe I could start the official Sidney Crosby Blog just because he doesn't get enough attention.
Monday, July 18, 2005
The American Media: The Negative Frontier
To our media 'friends' south of the border,
OK, we get it! The NHL is irrelevant, unworthy of our attention, and nobody down there cares about our game. The NHL and hockey is just another foreign 'niche' sport like darts, billiards, and cockfighting.
If the NHL is so irrevelvant, then why do you, the American media, feel compelled to keep wasting column space telling the fans this fact? Why spend hours telling us that nobody cares about the NHL...obviously you felt compelled and cared enough just to write about the NHL.
You know, after the 100000th "There was no NHL?" joke, it kinda gets a little stale.
Sincerely,
Jes Gölbez
On behalf of Canadian hockey fans and American fans who DO care.
I know that, on a whole, Americans don't care much about hockey. It's a fairly regional sport and doesn't have much of a dent in the culture of many places outside of Minnesota, Michigan, Boston, and a few other cold and snowy places.
Still, the Americans who do love the sport tend to love it just as much as Canadian fans. Some of the Americans could qualify for Canadian citizenship on that fact, alone (We'll trade you Celine Dion for a few Blues fans, eh?)
I agree with the Ottawa Sun's Erin Nicks in that the US Media has done nothing but slag the NHL ever since the two sides agreed, in principle, on the new CBA.
Up here in Canada, the press has basically been the extreme opposite. So many media members have been drinking Gary Bettman's CBA-Tang that our precious small market franchises will be saved and we can have our national sport back once again. Who cares about details, we just want hockey back!
While the American media tells their fans to just find something else to do, at least the Canadian media has been optimistic in its pessimism (if that makes sense) and there are billions of suggestions of how to improve the NHL on and off the ice.
Flames are a Hot Ticket
Speaking of optimism, the Calgary Flames aren't having any troubles selling tickets...is anyone surprised?
I would presume that the lockout has only increased the appetite for NHL hockey up here in Canada. The Flames were coming off of a Finals appearance and, with a young team, looked to be in great shape for the future.
What hurts us only serves makes us stronger.
OK, we get it! The NHL is irrelevant, unworthy of our attention, and nobody down there cares about our game. The NHL and hockey is just another foreign 'niche' sport like darts, billiards, and cockfighting.
If the NHL is so irrevelvant, then why do you, the American media, feel compelled to keep wasting column space telling the fans this fact? Why spend hours telling us that nobody cares about the NHL...obviously you felt compelled and cared enough just to write about the NHL.
You know, after the 100000th "There was no NHL?" joke, it kinda gets a little stale.
Sincerely,
Jes Gölbez
On behalf of Canadian hockey fans and American fans who DO care.
I know that, on a whole, Americans don't care much about hockey. It's a fairly regional sport and doesn't have much of a dent in the culture of many places outside of Minnesota, Michigan, Boston, and a few other cold and snowy places.
Still, the Americans who do love the sport tend to love it just as much as Canadian fans. Some of the Americans could qualify for Canadian citizenship on that fact, alone (We'll trade you Celine Dion for a few Blues fans, eh?)
I agree with the Ottawa Sun's Erin Nicks in that the US Media has done nothing but slag the NHL ever since the two sides agreed, in principle, on the new CBA.
When the news broke on Wednesday that the league and its players' association had reached a tentative agreement, it was easy to assume what the reaction in Canada would be. Watching the story emerge across the border -- where the majority of teams and significant income emanate from --was a different matter.I wonder why the NHL receives so much press like this from the American media. If Americans don't care about hockey, then why bother reporting this? Are you trying to convince the people not to care? I don't see the same media telling people not to watch gambling on TV, or telling us that the NFL is not worth watching because it really is tremendously boring (even though it is so true). Perhaps the American media just sees hockey as a 'foreign' spot that is not welcome on their territory...nevermind that basketball was invented by a Canadian, and that NHL ratings weren't too far behind the NBA's once upon a time.
Who exactly has been broadcasting the lockout information to American fans -- ESPN or Fox News?
The sensationalistic "reporting" has been delivered with unwavering opinion, and the message is clear: The NHL, regardless of its imminent return, is a lost cause.
This is a loser's league that isn't worthy of anyone's support. The NHL is making its first attempt to climb out from the massive hole it created, but the American media is not content to simply throw dirt on them. They're trying to beat the league down with the shovel.
Up here in Canada, the press has basically been the extreme opposite. So many media members have been drinking Gary Bettman's CBA-Tang that our precious small market franchises will be saved and we can have our national sport back once again. Who cares about details, we just want hockey back!
While the American media tells their fans to just find something else to do, at least the Canadian media has been optimistic in its pessimism (if that makes sense) and there are billions of suggestions of how to improve the NHL on and off the ice.
Flames are a Hot Ticket
Speaking of optimism, the Calgary Flames aren't having any troubles selling tickets...is anyone surprised?
Flames tickets are red hot, and team management is expected to soon announce record pre-season sales, a spokesman for the hockey club said.
Rollie Cyr, vice-president of ticket sales for the team, said he hasn't seen anything like it in 10 years.
"We have had a great period of renewal," he said.
"Three weeks ago, we sold 200 new season tickets -- that was before the settlement was announced -- and the phone has been ringing off the wall since the announcement."
I would presume that the lockout has only increased the appetite for NHL hockey up here in Canada. The Flames were coming off of a Finals appearance and, with a young team, looked to be in great shape for the future.
What hurts us only serves makes us stronger.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
NHL: Tweaking the Entry Draft
One of the few marketing jobs the NHL has done right over the years is the annual meat-market event known as the NHL Entry Draft.
While many of these kids will not make an impact in the NHL until a few years after they are drafted (if at all), the Entry Draft still provides a lot of excitement and exposure for the NHL. If you aren't dreaming about how your next draft pick will carry the franchise to the Stanley Cup, you can always laugh at some of the foolish picks some teams make (Adrien Foster, hullo?) or get your kicks from the numerous trades that go down when 30 GMs are in the room together and desperate for attention.
Televising and creating hype around an Entry Draft is a great low-cost way to market the stars of tomorrow and create buzz for the NHL product during the summer, when there is no hockey being played. If memory serves me correctly, the NBA actually copied the NHL in this regard and started putting more emphasis on exposing their draft when they saw what the NHL was doing.
Still, the NHL Entry Draft is a very long and drawn-out affair and does need some fixing. With the NHL holding a very 'reduced' draft this summer, it's the perfect time to borrow a page from the NBA Draft Book and make some changes.
As we know, Gary Bettman calls up representatives from each team to make their picks. The GM, head scout, and a whole posse of hanger-oners mosey on up to the podium (which takes a few minutes). This posse proceeds to thank the hosting city, congratulate the Stanley Cup winning squad, say hello to their mothers, etc etc etc.
Then the GM or one of his staff finally gets around to announcing the pick. The prospect kisses his disgustingly hot girlfriend, and then has to take a 5 minute walk to the podium before finally putting on a sweater and trying not to show the "I can't believe I got drafted by Chicago" face.
A bunch of interviews ensue, analysts chop the picks with a sushi knife, and we move on to the next pick 10 minutes later. Wash, rinse, repeat 30 times.
So, either the NHL should take measures to speed up the process, or just make the process a hell of a lot more entertaining.
First, we need ONE person to announce the picks. Either we have the weasel, Gary Bettman, call the picks to the podium ala David Stern, or we hire an uber-celebrity like Jessica Simpson to call up the picks. Imagine the cheap laughs we can have while Simpson struggles with those Russian names. Imagine the look on some of these guys faces when they come face to face with her and try...not...to..look..down..
Forget the team entourages, we don't need 10 people to announce a draft pick when one person can do that without taking away from the 'experience'. We also wouldn't have Doug MacLean butchering a very easy name like Rostislav Klesla.
Then, we need to have an NHL version of the "Green Room". Put all of the top prospects in a small section where they have to sit next to each other in nervous anticipation. We can then pan to Gilbert Brule with a pissed off look when a lesser prospect, such as Benoit Pouliot, gets taken ahead of him. Create some friction!! ...and get them prospects to the podium in less than 5 minutes.
Third, the interviews are so boring an unrevealing. The GMs proclaim that they got they guy they wanted ("Oh yes, we REALLY wanted Benoit Pouliot over Sidney Crosby"), the prospect conducts a standard cliche interview and tries not to fret over being picked by the Chicago Blackhawks/Carolina Hurricanes/Florida Panthers, and we don't learn anything.
Solution: Triumph the Insult Dog! He wouldn't pull any punches and we'd get the most entertaining hockey interviews ev-ar!
"Hey Dougie, that was a great pick...for me to poop on!"
Now, since we know the NHL won't take any steps to make the draft more 'entertaining', the least they could do is get the picks announced through one person, and have the whole process sped up at least 50%. As much as I love the Entry Draft, my patience and interest starts to wane at around pick #15.
Many folks are lamented the fact that the Entry Draft will be closed to the public this year due to the special circumstances. Michael Fedor is pretty ticket off about it, and is must be noted that the NHL is missing a good and cheap marketing opportunity given the Sidney Crosby hype.
Would it really be that hard to open the Corel Centre to the public and have a few thousand fans attend? The NHL needs any good publicity it can get, and holding a nice free 'Entry Draft Party' in Ottawa would be a nice kick-start to the New NHL.
What is of more concern to me is the rumour that the NHL will hold the draft lottery in private.
PRIVATE?
Umm, yeah...I can smell the fix right now.
Given the hype surrounding Crosby and the fact that every team (supposedly) has a shot at the best prospect since Eric Lindros, it would make great TV for the NHL to televise the lottery. TSN or Sportsnet in Canada would definitely make a show out of it, and it would be a really good low-cost and quick way for the NHL to get some publicity.
Instead...we get a 'private' lottery...once again the NHL drops the ball.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
While many of these kids will not make an impact in the NHL until a few years after they are drafted (if at all), the Entry Draft still provides a lot of excitement and exposure for the NHL. If you aren't dreaming about how your next draft pick will carry the franchise to the Stanley Cup, you can always laugh at some of the foolish picks some teams make (Adrien Foster, hullo?) or get your kicks from the numerous trades that go down when 30 GMs are in the room together and desperate for attention.
Televising and creating hype around an Entry Draft is a great low-cost way to market the stars of tomorrow and create buzz for the NHL product during the summer, when there is no hockey being played. If memory serves me correctly, the NBA actually copied the NHL in this regard and started putting more emphasis on exposing their draft when they saw what the NHL was doing.
Still, the NHL Entry Draft is a very long and drawn-out affair and does need some fixing. With the NHL holding a very 'reduced' draft this summer, it's the perfect time to borrow a page from the NBA Draft Book and make some changes.
As we know, Gary Bettman calls up representatives from each team to make their picks. The GM, head scout, and a whole posse of hanger-oners mosey on up to the podium (which takes a few minutes). This posse proceeds to thank the hosting city, congratulate the Stanley Cup winning squad, say hello to their mothers, etc etc etc.
Then the GM or one of his staff finally gets around to announcing the pick. The prospect kisses his disgustingly hot girlfriend, and then has to take a 5 minute walk to the podium before finally putting on a sweater and trying not to show the "I can't believe I got drafted by Chicago" face.
A bunch of interviews ensue, analysts chop the picks with a sushi knife, and we move on to the next pick 10 minutes later. Wash, rinse, repeat 30 times.
So, either the NHL should take measures to speed up the process, or just make the process a hell of a lot more entertaining.
First, we need ONE person to announce the picks. Either we have the weasel, Gary Bettman, call the picks to the podium ala David Stern, or we hire an uber-celebrity like Jessica Simpson to call up the picks. Imagine the cheap laughs we can have while Simpson struggles with those Russian names. Imagine the look on some of these guys faces when they come face to face with her and try...not...to..look..down..
Forget the team entourages, we don't need 10 people to announce a draft pick when one person can do that without taking away from the 'experience'. We also wouldn't have Doug MacLean butchering a very easy name like Rostislav Klesla.
Then, we need to have an NHL version of the "Green Room". Put all of the top prospects in a small section where they have to sit next to each other in nervous anticipation. We can then pan to Gilbert Brule with a pissed off look when a lesser prospect, such as Benoit Pouliot, gets taken ahead of him. Create some friction!! ...and get them prospects to the podium in less than 5 minutes.
Third, the interviews are so boring an unrevealing. The GMs proclaim that they got they guy they wanted ("Oh yes, we REALLY wanted Benoit Pouliot over Sidney Crosby"), the prospect conducts a standard cliche interview and tries not to fret over being picked by the Chicago Blackhawks/Carolina Hurricanes/Florida Panthers, and we don't learn anything.
Solution: Triumph the Insult Dog! He wouldn't pull any punches and we'd get the most entertaining hockey interviews ev-ar!
Now, since we know the NHL won't take any steps to make the draft more 'entertaining', the least they could do is get the picks announced through one person, and have the whole process sped up at least 50%. As much as I love the Entry Draft, my patience and interest starts to wane at around pick #15.
Many folks are lamented the fact that the Entry Draft will be closed to the public this year due to the special circumstances. Michael Fedor is pretty ticket off about it, and is must be noted that the NHL is missing a good and cheap marketing opportunity given the Sidney Crosby hype.
Would it really be that hard to open the Corel Centre to the public and have a few thousand fans attend? The NHL needs any good publicity it can get, and holding a nice free 'Entry Draft Party' in Ottawa would be a nice kick-start to the New NHL.
What is of more concern to me is the rumour that the NHL will hold the draft lottery in private.
PRIVATE?
Umm, yeah...I can smell the fix right now.
Given the hype surrounding Crosby and the fact that every team (supposedly) has a shot at the best prospect since Eric Lindros, it would make great TV for the NHL to televise the lottery. TSN or Sportsnet in Canada would definitely make a show out of it, and it would be a really good low-cost and quick way for the NHL to get some publicity.
Instead...we get a 'private' lottery...once again the NHL drops the ball.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Friday, July 15, 2005
LOCKOUT: The Movie
Paul Jay of DOSE.ca has an idea for a movie based on hockey's long-running lockout drama. (Story Link)
What (or who) would you be willing to sacrifice to take a stand? What if you had to destroy the thing you loved in order to save it?The story could really use some work, but I'd have to say Paul has a good eye for castin parts. Jonathan Lithgow is definitely eerily similar to Bob Goodenow. I'm willing to bet Goodenow is also an alien from outer space.
BOB GOODENOW and GARY BETTMAN both are faced with this decision. The two men sat across the table each other in a Manhattan Hotel on a hot July night. It had been over a year since they met in Toronto and talked about a possibility that frightened everyone to the core: a lockout.
And now the lockout was almost a year old. In this hotel we meet the principles. BETTMAN – a smug beancounter weaned off the glitz and glamour of the NBA and now ten-years into a tumultuous reign as head of a bloated league – and GOODENOW – a former labour lawyer who succeeded the corrupt regime of Alan Eagleson, torn between pleasing a membership that doesn’t quite trust him and ensuring there is a league left to negotiate with.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
The Morning After
Guten Tag! How are you feeling this morning?
If you are feeling some excitement mixed with a bit of anger, relief, and apathy, then you probably have the "It's about god damn time the lockout is over" Syndrome.
If you are REALLY excited, like my friend Michael, you could end up in a mental institution.
Now that we've had a bit of time to digest what has happened, it's time to prepare for the chaos of an unprecedented offseason, crazy rule changes, and more hockey news than you can shake a cane (but not a Carolina Hurricane) at.
(This is assuming the deal will be ratified, because you know the two sides aren't stupid enough to screw this up and vote 'NO')
First, each team will need to assess it's current position, read through the CBA 100 times, and prepare to get hand cramps from signing contracts, buyout agreements, and sending offer faxes.
Scott Burnside at ESPN provides a capsule look at each team as they stand after the dust settles.
TSN has a breakdown of the Canadian teams and the current contracts they are tied down to. The numbers don't quite jive, but the Canucks look very good or very bad depending on how you look at things:
Todd Bertuzzi - $5.3mil
Ed Jovanovski - $4.0mil
Trevor Linden - $1.5mil
Ryan Kesler - $722,000
Alex Auld - $513,000
Just 5 contacts for US$ 12,000,000
So, the Canucks have a lot of financial freedom, but have to worry about signing a lot of their stalwarts to deals...The SedinBots, Marek Malik, Sami Salo, Brendan Morrison (or will they let him go?)...
...and whither Markus Naslund? Will he really return home, like he's moaned about before? How about the brothers Niedermayer, who have been making noises about wanting to return close to home?
The other big question will be in goal. Will the Canucks try their luck with young Alex Auld after a pretty good AHL season? Will they give Dan Cloutier one more chance? Will they go after a different goalie who is on the market?
Oh, and there's always Todd Bertuzzi's re-instatement case. This is going to be a fun few months! :)
I was also stunned to see that the UFA age will apparently whittle down to 27, and not 28 as reported earlier...
Now, Tom Benjamin from CanucksCorner.com is a wise old crank, but I get the feeling that if Gary Bettman found a cure for AIDS, Tom would criticize him for not discovering such cure 10 years ago. It's time for a little Devil's Advocate and give some positives that I see to counter Tom's railings against the new CBA.
Look, the European players who were able to play at home for decent salaries and stay with their families for a year (like Pavol Demitra or Ilya Kovalchuk) are the only short-term winners. Everyone else involved, from beer vendors, to NHL owners, to Chris Pronger, was a big short-term loser in this battle.
Lyle Richardson, aka Spector, sums up his feelings and I have to agree with his sentiment:
Amen!
If you are feeling some excitement mixed with a bit of anger, relief, and apathy, then you probably have the "It's about god damn time the lockout is over" Syndrome.
If you are REALLY excited, like my friend Michael, you could end up in a mental institution.
Now that we've had a bit of time to digest what has happened, it's time to prepare for the chaos of an unprecedented offseason, crazy rule changes, and more hockey news than you can shake a cane (but not a Carolina Hurricane) at.
(This is assuming the deal will be ratified, because you know the two sides aren't stupid enough to screw this up and vote 'NO')
First, each team will need to assess it's current position, read through the CBA 100 times, and prepare to get hand cramps from signing contracts, buyout agreements, and sending offer faxes.
Scott Burnside at ESPN provides a capsule look at each team as they stand after the dust settles.
TSN has a breakdown of the Canadian teams and the current contracts they are tied down to. The numbers don't quite jive, but the Canucks look very good or very bad depending on how you look at things:
Todd Bertuzzi - $5.3mil
Ed Jovanovski - $4.0mil
Trevor Linden - $1.5mil
Ryan Kesler - $722,000
Alex Auld - $513,000
Just 5 contacts for US$ 12,000,000
So, the Canucks have a lot of financial freedom, but have to worry about signing a lot of their stalwarts to deals...The SedinBots, Marek Malik, Sami Salo, Brendan Morrison (or will they let him go?)...
...and whither Markus Naslund? Will he really return home, like he's moaned about before? How about the brothers Niedermayer, who have been making noises about wanting to return close to home?
The other big question will be in goal. Will the Canucks try their luck with young Alex Auld after a pretty good AHL season? Will they give Dan Cloutier one more chance? Will they go after a different goalie who is on the market?
Oh, and there's always Todd Bertuzzi's re-instatement case. This is going to be a fun few months! :)
I was also stunned to see that the UFA age will apparently whittle down to 27, and not 28 as reported earlier...
liberalized free agency: age eligibility for unrestricted free agency at age 31 in 2005, 29 in 2006, 28 in 2007. In 2008, it's 27 or seven years of NHL tenure.So, a special player like Sidney Crosby or an Eric Staal could be given UFA status at the age of 25! Wow, quite a stunner...
Now, Tom Benjamin from CanucksCorner.com is a wise old crank, but I get the feeling that if Gary Bettman found a cure for AIDS, Tom would criticize him for not discovering such cure 10 years ago. It's time for a little Devil's Advocate and give some positives that I see to counter Tom's railings against the new CBA.
- Having young UFA ages has not killed or damaged the NBA, NFL, or MLB in any great degree. Why should the NHL be any different? With a lower UFA age, we'll have lots of player movement. Trades, trade rumours, and player movements have always been exciting for most fans and this could generate even more of that buzz during the season and off-season. With such fluid rosters and a more open market, there will be lots of opportunities for EVERY team to improve themselves somehow. Smart management will always trump whatever the Chicago Blackhawks are doing.
- I've been following European hockey for years, and the total free-for-all market hasn't 'killed' their game. Players can go back and forth between teams when they are 13, 16, 19, 24...any age they please! It's true that the bigger markets like Slovan Bratislava and Sparta Prague pilfer talent from the 'small' towns, but the NHL will have some safeguards whereas Europe does not.
- An unlevel playing field? As it stands right now, the Payroll Range is about $21-39mil per team (54% of league revenues). Tom assumes that the NHL will gain and maintain a constant growth rate (say 5% a year) that could see the the range end up being US$ 30-55 million.
So, if teams truly have trouble maintaining a team with a $30-35 million payroll, do we really want them in the league? Perhaps this is the true test to see if a franchise is really viable. The payroll range seems completely reasonable to me, and I don't want ANY team in the NHL if they can't meet this threshold.
There is also the argument that the 'small market' teams will not be able to ever come close to the top $50mil mark and will have a disadvantage because they will have a payroll of about $35mil while the Detroits max out at $50+ mil.
Is that a bad thing? You can't have it both ways, Tom! I like the fact that not every single team will have the exact same payroll ceiling. I do want some teams to have *some* advantage over other markets because it would be extremely boring and harmful to have every NHL team using the same payroll figure. It's not as if the BIG market teams will be able to buy every single good player on the market, providing major loopholes can't be found.
Tom also assumes that NHL revenues grow at a nice constant rate. With the damage already done to the NHL, and the fact that the NHL had pretty much maxed out its revenues in the USA, leaves me thinking that a constant 5% growth rate is a pipe dream. - Let's not forget that these 'small market' clubs will be getting some revenue sharing money. If they use this money for their payroll, they will have nothing to complain about. If they stuff their pockets with this money (see many MLB teams like Pittsburgh), then these teams have absolutely no reason to ever whine about not being able to compete.
- Development of young players - I think it's great that most players, excluding the special talents, won't be rushed into the NHL at 18. Now that the CBA will allow for players to gain UFA status after 7 years of service time, the NHL teams will have a real disincentive to rush their prospects into service. Would the NY Rangers play and destroy Manny Malhotra or Dan Blackburn under the new CBA? No.
The AHL, ECHL and CHL will definitely benefit as players can stay in these leagues longer to develop, so there will be a run off effect to other hockey teams at the lower levels. I like the fact that this could lead to more prospects being more mature when they enter the NHL, rather than hurting their teams by sitting on the bench and learning the ropes.
Look, the European players who were able to play at home for decent salaries and stay with their families for a year (like Pavol Demitra or Ilya Kovalchuk) are the only short-term winners. Everyone else involved, from beer vendors, to NHL owners, to Chris Pronger, was a big short-term loser in this battle.
Lyle Richardson, aka Spector, sums up his feelings and I have to agree with his sentiment:
I don't want an apology from the NHL or NHLPA. It's pointless to ask or demand it, since it wouldn't be sincere. Neither I or you were factors in this labour drama and neither side really gave a damn about us. If they had, they would've avoided this nightmare in the first place.
The only thing I want is for both sides to learn from this, to understand that if they pull this stunt again in four or six years time, they might as well kiss their league bye-byes.
The damage from this lockout was serious but not fatal. Next time may be
different.
I want both sides to learn to negotiate in good faith with costing them an entire season, and I want them to start improving this game and market it the way it should be done, not half-heartedly and half-assed as in the past.In other words, shut up and play hockey!
Amen!
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Finding Loopholes in the CBA... How about this?
It won't be long before certain teams and every agent will be trying to find loopholes that allow for players to be signed in some way that they can get around the Salary Range.
Scott Burnside of ESPN looks at this issue a little more.
Now, I have an idea...a very simplistic idea, but one that makes total sense.
OK, the Canucks are owned by Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment, right? They run the separate entities of General Motors Place (the building) and the Vancouver Canucks (the team).
Now, say that the arena (as a seperate company) signs Joe Sakic to a $6,000,000 contract to lick envelopes and a few menial office chores, and then have the team pay him $5,000,000 to actually play hockey?
How about Orca Bay Enterprises setting up a seperate company that sells T-shirts? This company would have no relation to the Canucks whatsoever.
They could pay Ilya Kovalchuk $6,000,000 to model t-shirts and then pay him seperately with the hockey team? They could pay players some good salaries, but a bit chunk of the salary wouldn't be paid by the actual team and they would be paid for non-hockey services. The Payroll Range isn't supposed to include outside contracts (like Sidney's Gatorade deal), right?
Of course, there would be more than meets to the eye to these deals, but these are the kinds of ideas that float around in my head on long SkyTrain rides to/from work.
Scott Burnside of ESPN looks at this issue a little more.
Now, I have an idea...a very simplistic idea, but one that makes total sense.
OK, the Canucks are owned by Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment, right? They run the separate entities of General Motors Place (the building) and the Vancouver Canucks (the team).
Now, say that the arena (as a seperate company) signs Joe Sakic to a $6,000,000 contract to lick envelopes and a few menial office chores, and then have the team pay him $5,000,000 to actually play hockey?
How about Orca Bay Enterprises setting up a seperate company that sells T-shirts? This company would have no relation to the Canucks whatsoever.
They could pay Ilya Kovalchuk $6,000,000 to model t-shirts and then pay him seperately with the hockey team? They could pay players some good salaries, but a bit chunk of the salary wouldn't be paid by the actual team and they would be paid for non-hockey services. The Payroll Range isn't supposed to include outside contracts (like Sidney's Gatorade deal), right?
Of course, there would be more than meets to the eye to these deals, but these are the kinds of ideas that float around in my head on long SkyTrain rides to/from work.
We have a deal!!!
Finally!! The news we've been waiting for.
The deal still has to be ratified, but I highly doubt that the players and owners don't want to just get on with life and get the new season underway on time. Of course, as details emerge about the NEW CBA, pundits, including yours truly, will have lots to say.
The next big issue is the NHL Entry Draft and the Sidney Crosby Lottery. We've seen and heard of various scenarios.
According to TSN, it'll work like this:
of course, we know the draft will be fixed in favour of the New York Rangers, right? :)
The NHL and NHL Players' Association have finally reached an agreement (pending ratification) on a new six-year collective bargaining agreement that - if approved by the NHL board of governors next Thursday and the rank and file membership of the NHLPA next Tuesday - will officially end the stalemate on July 21.
The agreement, a complex document reportedly numbering more than 600 pages, came after the two sides staged marathon negotiating sessions for nine consecutive days. Since the 2004-05 NHL season was officially cancelled on Feb. 16, the league and union have met on 82 occasions, leading to an agreement that will revamp the way the entire professional hockey industry conducts its business.
The deal still has to be ratified, but I highly doubt that the players and owners don't want to just get on with life and get the new season underway on time. Of course, as details emerge about the NEW CBA, pundits, including yours truly, will have lots to say.
The next big issue is the NHL Entry Draft and the Sidney Crosby Lottery. We've seen and heard of various scenarios.
According to TSN, it'll work like this:
The lottery formula is as follows - each team begins with three balls. For every playoff appearance in the last three years or No. 1 overall pick over the last four years, a team loses one ball. But each team will still be guaranteed to have one ball in the lottery. The first round will go with teams picking 1 through 30, with the 30th team picking 31st and the draft order 'snaking' back and forth in a seven round draft.
of course, we know the draft will be fixed in favour of the New York Rangers, right? :)
What's in the beer over in Czechia?
I am sure you are well aware of Jaromir Jágr's penchant for entering beauty contests.
"Is that Monica Lewinsky? What a butch!
*shudder*
So, defenseman and Golbez favourite Jiri Slegr decided to one-up Jágr and go on Czech TV to do a little showgirl number for 'friend' Martin Rucinsky.
0_o
*shudder*
Ok, I need something to wipe that image out of my head...
...much better and much more manly...
"Ooooh, what's down here?"
While Jagr was watching the show, his girlfriend apparently had other interests...
*shudder*
So, defenseman and Golbez favourite Jiri Slegr decided to one-up Jágr and go on Czech TV to do a little showgirl number for 'friend' Martin Rucinsky.
0_o
*shudder*
Ok, I need something to wipe that image out of my head...
...much better and much more manly...
While Jagr was watching the show, his girlfriend apparently had other interests...
(assist to 'joolzie')
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
NHL: Should a win be worth 3 points?
One of the more drastic and rather foolish rule changes that we could end up seeing in the New NHL is the abolition of ties, with each game now a 2 point win-or-lose proposition. If the game is tied after regulation and overtime, there would be shootouts *groan* to decide the winner.
I'm with Tom Benjamin on this one:
As it is, I don't really like the current system of "Bonus Points" that the NHL came up with a few years ago. Teams that can bring a lot of games into OT get a nice "Bonus Point" while the winner of such an overtime battle gets the same reward as a team that wins during regulation time.
How to solve this? Simple...let's look to Europe and the 3-point win.
A mainstream writer, Al "Rumour de jour" Strachan, surprisingly came to his senses and realized what the Europundits have been pushing for all along: Reward Regulation winners with 3 points, Overtime winners with 2 points, and tiers and overtime-losers with 1 point.
Currently, we often see both teams playing is extremely safe if the game is tied in the 3rd period. The teams know they will get at least one point if they make overtime, so they have little incentive to drive for the win and risk losing the one point they can get. Under a 3-point system, there will be more incentive to win during regulation.
So, how would the NHL look under such a system?
I calculated the effects of having the Eurosystem put into place for the 2003-04 system. This is just a straight conversion, and we can't calculate the psychological and strategic effects on the standings.
(1-PTS represents the current system and 2-PTS represents the proposed 3-point system)
We can see that that Calgary Flames would have made a drastic leap up in the standings as they were great at winning during regulation time. Our hometown Canucks were incredible in overtime and would be knocked down a few pegs because of it. Boston, a poor overtime team, took the most drastic drop from 4th to 10th place.
It's also interesting to note that the Chi-Town Hawks would have finished in last place and Washington would be up to 27th.
Although the 03-04 playoff races wouldn't have been drastically affected, we could expect that other seasons could show differently.
The NHL only went half-way to addressing overtime issues with it's "Bonus Point" fix. Now, the NHL needs to finish the job and institute the 3-point-win system, rather than foolish shootouts and abolition of tie games.
I'm with Tom Benjamin on this one:
First, I don't think tie games are terrible things in hockey. The quote "A tie is like kissing your sister" comes from football, not hockey. A tie is a result just like winning and losing are results. There are good ties and bad ones. Sometimes in hockey the only fair result is a tie.The NHL season is a marathon in which entrance into the playoffs is determined by points earned. I have no problems with having ties and I don't like to mess with tradition in such a drastic matter. Changing how records are kept is far different than instituting no-touch icing or reducing goaltender equipment.
Second, I opposed four on four overtime as a circus and three on three is far worse. In the old days coincidental and overlapping penalties produced three on three hockey once in a while. The rules were changed to eliminate it because you can't really play hockey with only three skaters.
Third, I don't like the shootout. I think it is a lousy way to decide a hockey game in a World Championship and a lousy way to decide a hockey game in an NHL regular season.
As it is, I don't really like the current system of "Bonus Points" that the NHL came up with a few years ago. Teams that can bring a lot of games into OT get a nice "Bonus Point" while the winner of such an overtime battle gets the same reward as a team that wins during regulation time.
How to solve this? Simple...let's look to Europe and the 3-point win.
A mainstream writer, Al "Rumour de jour" Strachan, surprisingly came to his senses and realized what the Europundits have been pushing for all along: Reward Regulation winners with 3 points, Overtime winners with 2 points, and tiers and overtime-losers with 1 point.
Currently, we often see both teams playing is extremely safe if the game is tied in the 3rd period. The teams know they will get at least one point if they make overtime, so they have little incentive to drive for the win and risk losing the one point they can get. Under a 3-point system, there will be more incentive to win during regulation.
So, how would the NHL look under such a system?
I calculated the effects of having the Eurosystem put into place for the 2003-04 system. This is just a straight conversion, and we can't calculate the psychological and strategic effects on the standings.
(1-PTS represents the current system and 2-PTS represents the proposed 3-point system)
We can see that that Calgary Flames would have made a drastic leap up in the standings as they were great at winning during regulation time. Our hometown Canucks were incredible in overtime and would be knocked down a few pegs because of it. Boston, a poor overtime team, took the most drastic drop from 4th to 10th place.
It's also interesting to note that the Chi-Town Hawks would have finished in last place and Washington would be up to 27th.
Although the 03-04 playoff races wouldn't have been drastically affected, we could expect that other seasons could show differently.
The NHL only went half-way to addressing overtime issues with it's "Bonus Point" fix. Now, the NHL needs to finish the job and institute the 3-point-win system, rather than foolish shootouts and abolition of tie games.
Monday, July 11, 2005
CHL Import Draft: Vojta, Polak, Pavelec, Cmorej
Since all is still quiet on the NHL front, I might as well provide a few more thoughts on certain CHL Import Draft selections.
Jakub Vojta - #1 to the Ottawa 67s
We know the #1 CHL Import pick (like the NHL Draft) doesn't always equal the most talented pick. Vojta is very talented, but he won't be the best player to come out of this lot.
This Spartan defensive prospect is quite a polarizing player to the scouting world. ISS ranks him #50 for the 2005 Entry Draft and sees him as a boom-or-bust proposition. McKeen's ranks Vojta #31 and thinks highly of his offensive game.
What you will get with Vojta is a great Power Play quarterback who loves to carry the puck and pinch-in early and often. What Ottawa also gets is a thin, smallish defender who has had troubles in his own defensive zone.
Vojta looks to be a good candidate for Czech League stardom, but a hit-or-miss NHL prospect. NHL teams just don't let defenders this small and this loosey-goosey onto their rosters unless they can really produce (and even then, it's not always easy to find a spot for these types). Brian Kilrea is probably the best CHL coach Vojta could find in order to round out his game.
Marek Polak - #7 to the Sudbury Wolves
Listed at 6'2" 200lbs and 1 of 3 Trinec prospects to be selected in the Import Draft (and one who is not eligible until 2006), and the only one I know absolutely nothing about! Trinec has had a pretty good junior/midget crop in the past few years, and Marek Polak was never talked about in the same breath as their more talented prospects like Jan Danecek and Tomas Pospisil (who went #4 to Sarnia). In fact, I can't find anything in my files or past emails about this guy! I know Sudbury fans are probably scratching their heads and asking "Who is this guy?"
Looking at his stats, Marek played most of the season with the Havirov junior squad and piled up a LOT of penalty minutes (over 300) in the last two years. Maybe Polak is far better suited to the CHL and the Czech Junior Extraleague. Still, I caution anyone against drafting a 'Polak'...history shows how badly they turn out ;)
Michal Repik - #21 to the Vancouver Giants
The more I read about Michal Repik, the more excited I am that the Giants selected him. Repik lead the Junior Extraleague "A" league in scoring with 57 points in 45 games for a powerful Spartan squad (a teammate of Vojta's). Repik may be just a good 'junior' player, but that's all the Giants need. I just hope this high-scoring winger won't be Marian Havel, Part Deux.
Ondrej Pavelec - #11 to Cape Breton
Pavelec is this year's blue chip goalie from Czechia, and he's the complete opposite of Marek Schwarz. While Schwarz was ultra-hyper and relies solely in his reflexes, Pavelec is a tall goalie (6'2") who relies more on positioning and is cool and focused like The Terminator chasing after John Connor. I've read plenty of glowing reports from various sources, especially Robert Neuhauser, our resident Czech prospect expert.
I think Pavelec will end up being the steal of the CHL Import Draft and will be a good value pick in the NHL draft (I'd expect him to go in the later stages of the first round).
Peter Cmorej - #24 to Prince Albert
"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's Cmorej"
I've been asked about Cmorej and have seen a few message board posters asking about Cmorej. My contacts in Slovakia don't really even know much about him, since he was never considered much of a prospect.
From what I've heard, he's a tall and thin offensive-minded center and we shouldn't expect too much from him. Will Cmorej be another one of those "11 points in 70 games" imports?
Jakub Vojta - #1 to the Ottawa 67s
We know the #1 CHL Import pick (like the NHL Draft) doesn't always equal the most talented pick. Vojta is very talented, but he won't be the best player to come out of this lot.
This Spartan defensive prospect is quite a polarizing player to the scouting world. ISS ranks him #50 for the 2005 Entry Draft and sees him as a boom-or-bust proposition. McKeen's ranks Vojta #31 and thinks highly of his offensive game.
What you will get with Vojta is a great Power Play quarterback who loves to carry the puck and pinch-in early and often. What Ottawa also gets is a thin, smallish defender who has had troubles in his own defensive zone.
Vojta looks to be a good candidate for Czech League stardom, but a hit-or-miss NHL prospect. NHL teams just don't let defenders this small and this loosey-goosey onto their rosters unless they can really produce (and even then, it's not always easy to find a spot for these types). Brian Kilrea is probably the best CHL coach Vojta could find in order to round out his game.
Marek Polak - #7 to the Sudbury Wolves
Listed at 6'2" 200lbs and 1 of 3 Trinec prospects to be selected in the Import Draft (and one who is not eligible until 2006), and the only one I know absolutely nothing about! Trinec has had a pretty good junior/midget crop in the past few years, and Marek Polak was never talked about in the same breath as their more talented prospects like Jan Danecek and Tomas Pospisil (who went #4 to Sarnia). In fact, I can't find anything in my files or past emails about this guy! I know Sudbury fans are probably scratching their heads and asking "Who is this guy?"
Looking at his stats, Marek played most of the season with the Havirov junior squad and piled up a LOT of penalty minutes (over 300) in the last two years. Maybe Polak is far better suited to the CHL and the Czech Junior Extraleague. Still, I caution anyone against drafting a 'Polak'...history shows how badly they turn out ;)
Michal Repik - #21 to the Vancouver Giants
The more I read about Michal Repik, the more excited I am that the Giants selected him. Repik lead the Junior Extraleague "A" league in scoring with 57 points in 45 games for a powerful Spartan squad (a teammate of Vojta's). Repik may be just a good 'junior' player, but that's all the Giants need. I just hope this high-scoring winger won't be Marian Havel, Part Deux.
Ondrej Pavelec - #11 to Cape Breton
Pavelec is this year's blue chip goalie from Czechia, and he's the complete opposite of Marek Schwarz. While Schwarz was ultra-hyper and relies solely in his reflexes, Pavelec is a tall goalie (6'2") who relies more on positioning and is cool and focused like The Terminator chasing after John Connor. I've read plenty of glowing reports from various sources, especially Robert Neuhauser, our resident Czech prospect expert.
I think Pavelec will end up being the steal of the CHL Import Draft and will be a good value pick in the NHL draft (I'd expect him to go in the later stages of the first round).
Peter Cmorej - #24 to Prince Albert
"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's Cmorej"
I've been asked about Cmorej and have seen a few message board posters asking about Cmorej. My contacts in Slovakia don't really even know much about him, since he was never considered much of a prospect.
From what I've heard, he's a tall and thin offensive-minded center and we shouldn't expect too much from him. Will Cmorej be another one of those "11 points in 70 games" imports?
Sunday, July 10, 2005
NHL: Checking out the 'New' CBA Basics
With the two negotiating parties hunkering down for weekend talks, I'd figured I'd weigh in on some of the basic points that are expected to be included in the new CBA. It's been a while since I've commented on the CBA here, which has helped me maintain what is left of my sanity.
**A hard salary cap of $37 million linked to 54 percent of league revenue. The minimum payroll will be about $24 million with a provision that will limit the salary of any player to 20 percent of the team cap figure.
(So, under this new deal, the top salary for any one player would be $7.4million . This still seems pretty good as most NHL player didn't deserve this salary under the old system. If you are the top dog on any one team, you won't be suffering all that badly. I do wonder if this $37mil figure includes benefits and other non-salary expenses.
Under Bettman's "Final Offer" from February 15th, the NHL proposed a maximum cap of $44.7Million. Of course, that offer had a lot of poison pills hidden in the salad leaves.)
** A 24 percent rollback of existing contracts and qualifying offers.
(Once the NHLPA threw out that bone, the NHL wouldn't let it go from their clenches. In order to get teams under the cap, this really was a necessary evil)
** An NBA-style escrow provision under which 15 percent of each player's paycheck will go into an escrow account until revenue is calculated after each season. If league-wide spending on salaries exceeds 54 percent of revenue, the difference between the salaries paid and the negotiated percentage will be paid to teams from the escrow account.
(How would you love to have 15% of your salary held by your employer 'just in case' the company doesn't do that well this year? Well, it helps that most NHL players make nice salaries and 15% won't kill them. Still, I am surprised the players would give in to having a possible further reduction to their salaries.)
** Players will be able to represent their homelands at the Turin Olympics next February. The All-Star Game will be dropped so there won't be two interruptions of the season.
(Yes! Finally a good idea from both sides. The Olympics are far more prestigious and important than the All-Star Game.
I really wish they would cancel the All-Star Game every year since it's nothing more than a boring corporate schmooze-fest. On the other hand, the NHL needs any marketing tool and exposure it can get, cancelingling the All-Star Game permanently is not going to *help* the league, really.)
** Each team will have an equal chance in the lottery for the No. 1 pick in this year's entry draft, with forward Sidney Crosby the obvious top prize.
(I don't think bad teams like the Penguins, Hurricanes, and the New York Rangers should benefit by having two straight drafts with good drafting position and get rewarded for poor management. On the other hand, why should a team like the Red Wings have a shot at Sidney Crosby? The Entry Draft was there to help the poor teams get better...this would defeat the purpose entirely.
Hmm, I smell a rat... the 'Fix' is in. Will Bettman fix the balls to get Crosby to NYR, Montreal, or Toronto? The odds of Vancouver getting Crosby may officially be 1-in-30, but they are truly 'not a chance in hell')
** No luxury tax, but revenue sharing through a complex formula under which the top 10 revenue-earning teams will give a percentage of their revenue to small-market teams.
(Many pundits, especially Spector, agree that the league would be better off with revenue sharing and not a luxury-tax. Under a luxury tax system, the rich teams could still outspend the poor teams and we'd still have some level of economic disparity between clubs. Under a revenue-sharing system, the poor clubs have one less excuse to cry 'poor'. This hasn't stopped low-revenue MLB teams from pocketing the $$$, making the Salary Floor a necessary step to ensure the money is eventually falling into the pockets of the players as an investment.
Now, my question is... what will stop NHL teams from cheating each other?
If I own a hockey team that is close to the bottom 10 in revenues, what would stop me from hiding revenue streams in order to get to the bottom 10 and receive some corporate charity? What would stop a team in the Top 10 from hiding revenues so that they didn't have to share their jellybeans?)
** Salary arbitration will be conducted "baseball style," with each side presenting a figure and the arbitrator obligated to pick one figure or the other. Provisions will allow teams to walk away from a specified number of awards.
(This will certainly help the owners the most, but it can also help the players. No longer can either side make a really lowball or highball offer and simply expect the arbitrator to come 'half-way'. This system should help prevenridiculousiculous contracts and ensure both sides will come to the table with a more realistic vision of contract value. )
** Minimum age to qualify for unrestricted free agency will be 31 in the first year of the deal, 30 the following year and 28 for the remaining four years.
(I can understand why they are gradually lowering the age. There will be more than enough chaos once the new CBA is implemented. If they lowered the UFA age right away, most GM's heads would probably explode! Having quite a few UFA players on the market in their prime will really make offseasons exciting and/or nervewracking for the fans. Imagine if you develop a star player and he jets for your rival as he's hitting his peak? Imagine signing that same player away from your rival? A flooded market will depress prices, especially for the very old players who have been receiving great Golden Parachute contracts for years.
For the players, this also ensures a great deal more freedom that they never had before. Although they may not get the 'last big bang' that they did under the old system, they won't be a slave to their NHL team until they are 31 and probably past their prime. One thing the fans don't appreciate is how little choice a player has in their chemploymentloyement. For 13 years, the NHL player is basically 'owned' by one team and can't really play for a city that they want to. How would you like to have your services owned for such a long period, with your only other option being Europe?)
** Players' performance bonuses will be restricted according to a standardized formula.
(We need to see this in great detail. I've heard that this formula would include +/-, which is an incredibly flawed statistic. Such a formula would easily benefit those on successful teams while some good players on poor teams could suffer simply because of their environment.)
** Earnings will be limited for entry-level players, who will be subject to salary limits for their first four seasons instead of three. Their maximum earnings will be $850,000.
(We can see the reasoning behind not giving mega bucks to unproven prospects, but we know that this provision could hurt the NHL as well. NHL teams could lose out on some top prospects since European teams could always offer more.
Still, I believe the NHL clubs are also banking on the fact that "We're the NHL!" and the prospects could want to play for the NHL and would be willing to suffer for 4 years with a bit less money. You know North American-raised players aren't going to flock to Europe, and many European prospects still dream of playing in the most prestigious league in the world. I don't think this will hurt the NHL clubs as much as some pundits do, but it does make drafting a top-flight European player more risky.)
** The largest unresolved issue is the disposition of contracts for the 2004-05 season.
(...and this could be a dealbreaker...probably the reason why we don't have a CBA deal signed right now. With the NHLPA already given up so much, and the fact that the NHL forced Yashin to play out his contract after sitting out a year, you can bet they think that the NHL should honour all of their contracts much like the players were expected to do so.)
One last point I'd like to re-address is the issue of auditing and determining revenues. Not only will the NHL teams have to report to the NHLPA, but also to each other. This system will really start to break down and cause problems if teams are cheating the players and each other.
Gary Bettman has talked tough in the past (and we know how little that is worth) about punishing teams that underreport revenue. For once, the little Napoleon needs to get tough and the two parties need a way to make sure all NHL teams are reporting their fair share of revenue.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
NHL: A new type of Quality?
With the recent big-money offers to young stars like Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and the like, many pundits believe that the NHL could have a major problem attracting some of the best young talent since the new CBA may not allow NHL teams to outbid European teams for star prospects.
There is also the belief, which I share, that many mid-tier European NHLers will prefer to stay at home or elsewhere in Europe and make good wages instead of coming to, or staying in, the NHL where the schedule and travel and the being-away-from-family makes life in North America less desirable.
From Steve Ovadia at Puck Update,
Now, I do have a little bone to pick about the 'quality' of the NHL. I propose/suggest/feel/whatever that the quality of the NHL will simply be 'different' and not 'lesser'
WHY?
How about guys like Peter Ratchuk and Lonny Bohonos??
If solid players like Karel Rachunek stay home in Europe, there will be a need for talented players, of which there are many of the North American variety playing in Europe. As much as Ratchuk makes a good living in relatively easier conditions playing in the German league, do you think he'd pass up the chance to move back home in playing in the NHL? I don't think Ratchuk ever dreamed of playing for the Frankfurt Lions when he was playing streetball in Buffalo.
For every Rachunek that would want to go back, there would be a Peter Ratchuk waiting to come back. I doubt the quality of players in the NHL would decrease severly, but would suggest that the NHL would become a lot more North American flavoured than in the past 10 seasons.
There is also the belief, which I share, that many mid-tier European NHLers will prefer to stay at home or elsewhere in Europe and make good wages instead of coming to, or staying in, the NHL where the schedule and travel and the being-away-from-family makes life in North America less desirable.
From Steve Ovadia at Puck Update,
The superstars will stay in the NHL because that's where the money is. But a lot of solid players like (Karel) Rachunek will opt to play in Europe, either because the money is better, or because they can make comparable money without having to cross the Atlantic.
I'm just not sure an average European player will find it worthwhile to uproot his life to make average money playing in a league less and less people care about, playing an oppressively defensive style of play.
Sure, some players will want to come over to compete, and sure there are plenty of great North American players, but the NHL will no longer be the international talent pool in once was. Teams will no longer have the luxury of choosing players from among the best in the world.
And don't forget the older players who make too much money for the new NHL. If they can make comparable (or more) money to play close to home, don't you think they'll bail on the NHL, too?
It all just points to how much damage the lockout really did to the sport. Stuff that reduced ticket prices and overtime shootouts just can't fix.
A league is only as good as its players. The NHL is about to take a big hit in the player quality department.
Now, I do have a little bone to pick about the 'quality' of the NHL. I propose/suggest/feel/whatever that the quality of the NHL will simply be 'different' and not 'lesser'
WHY?
How about guys like Peter Ratchuk and Lonny Bohonos??
If solid players like Karel Rachunek stay home in Europe, there will be a need for talented players, of which there are many of the North American variety playing in Europe. As much as Ratchuk makes a good living in relatively easier conditions playing in the German league, do you think he'd pass up the chance to move back home in playing in the NHL? I don't think Ratchuk ever dreamed of playing for the Frankfurt Lions when he was playing streetball in Buffalo.
For every Rachunek that would want to go back, there would be a Peter Ratchuk waiting to come back. I doubt the quality of players in the NHL would decrease severly, but would suggest that the NHL would become a lot more North American flavoured than in the past 10 seasons.
Sidney Crosby: The Wanted Man!
(Welcome back to CNN - The Crosby News Network. All Crosby, All Day)
In light of the news that the CBA is all but agreed to, this Sidney Crosby story doesn't seem quite as relevant...but it's still interesting.
Unless the lockout continues, don't expect Crosby to be TOO tempted by Swiss Francs and Rhein Maidens.
1. As Michael commented in yesterday's post, Crosby's exposure to the lucrative North American would be severly minimized. This would basically kill Crosby's even more lucrative endorsement deals.
2. Sidney Crosby didn't train and work hard for all of these years to play in Switzerland or anywhere else in Europe. Barring some last-minute negotiating stupidity, Crosby will be in the NHL next season.
Still, these offers do give Crosby some great negotiating leverage. Say Crosby gets drafted a by a team he really doesn't want to play for (like the New York Rangers or Carolina Hurricanes)...it could happen. Now, Crosby can simply say "I'll play in Lugano until you trade me to Montreal or a team I like better."
It's always good to have options.
In light of the news that the CBA is all but agreed to, this Sidney Crosby story doesn't seem quite as relevant...but it's still interesting.
Hockey phenom Sidney Crosby is in contract talks with Swiss club Lugano, The Canadian Press has learned.There is no doubt that certain European teams will be able to tempt Crosby with offers like these...money he could not make in the NHL due to entry level restrictions.
With the NHL set to unveil a new collective bargaining agreement with tough new limits on entry-level contracts, a source said Wednesday that Crosby has been offered a three-year deal that could be worth as much as $10 million US including a multimillion-dollar signing bonus by the Swiss club.
Unless the lockout continues, don't expect Crosby to be TOO tempted by Swiss Francs and Rhein Maidens.
1. As Michael commented in yesterday's post, Crosby's exposure to the lucrative North American would be severly minimized. This would basically kill Crosby's even more lucrative endorsement deals.
2. Sidney Crosby didn't train and work hard for all of these years to play in Switzerland or anywhere else in Europe. Barring some last-minute negotiating stupidity, Crosby will be in the NHL next season.
Still, these offers do give Crosby some great negotiating leverage. Say Crosby gets drafted a by a team he really doesn't want to play for (like the New York Rangers or Carolina Hurricanes)...it could happen. Now, Crosby can simply say "I'll play in Lugano until you trade me to Montreal or a team I like better."
It's always good to have options.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Sidney Crosby lands in a pool of Gatorade dough
Sidney Crosby is certainly doing his best to become the next Wayne Gretzky ... at least off of the ice with these endorsement deals.
Sid the Kid will be joining Jose Theodore and Patrick Roy as an endorsement for Gatorade, the world's most popular glucose-fructose/sodium workout water.
Now, if Sid wants the hat trick, he needs to sign an automotive endorsement. Is Crosby built "Ford Tough"?
Sid the Kid will be joining Jose Theodore and Patrick Roy as an endorsement for Gatorade, the world's most popular glucose-fructose/sodium workout water.
Gatorade became the second major company this year to hitch its wagon to Sidney Crosby's rising star by signing the 17-year-old hockey player to a three-year endorsement deal.Whatever contract Sidney ends up getting from his NHL team will be nothing compared to all of these endorsements he'll end up signing for. I wonder how many more products he'll be shilling for
Crosby signed with Reebok in March in what was reported to be a five-year, $2.5-million US endorsement deal for equipment and apparel. While the Gatorade deal is not believed to be as lucrative per year as the Reebok contract, it is still reportedly the richest deal a hockey player has signed with the sports drink company.
"We've been talking with many brands in different categories," (Crosby's agent) Brisson said. "But also, Sidney doesn't want to be a walking billboard.When do you see Crosby walking around without that new Reebok hat? exactly. He's already a walking billboard!
"He's not just going to put his name to a brand for the heck of it or the money."
Now, if Sid wants the hat trick, he needs to sign an automotive endorsement. Is Crosby built "Ford Tough"?
Monday, July 04, 2005
This ain't Oprah's Book Club
During a slow summer and an even slower hockey season without NHL games, there's usually good time to get some reading done.
Many of the other author's in the hockey blogosphere have been waxing about what they read and what kind of literary thrills crank their mental chains.
Unlike an old wise crank like Tom Benjamin or a frosh newsie editor like James Mirtle, I am not that 'well-read'...Which will probably surprise nobody who frequents Hockey Rants. The types of books one reads usually give you an idea of the type of person you are dealing with.
I have a voracious appetite for reading, but I tend to read a lot of stuff on the internet. It's hard for me to sit down and read a book with dead silence...I'd rather read online articles and essays while listening to the latest songs on WinAmp. If you ever thought I had ADD, you are probably not too far off of the mark ;) . I usually read a lot about Central-European history, World War II history, baseball, politics (until I start feeling queasy) and more hockey than is healthy.
On the other hand, I do have to spend some time reading...unfortunately, it's all Finance and Economics as I take part-time classes.
1) How many books do I own?
About 30+ textbooks of various business/accounting/financial subjects plus some of my old Computer Systems Tech textbooks. I own about 30 or so other books...I also collect certain issues of The Hockey News and various hockey annuals published ever summer.
2) Most recent purchases?
The Hockey News Top 50 Draft Prospects issue...and that was quite awhile ago...other than my last course textbook. I prefer to take books out from the library (Vancouver has a great huge public library downtown) than buy them.
3) Currently Reading
"Fundamentals of Corporate Finance - Fifth Edition"
My final exam is this Saturday...it's not like I WANT to read this stuff.
4) Books that I enjoyed the most?
The Ballad of the Whiskey Robber - I still need to do my review on this book, but it sounds like a few fellow bloggers need to pick up this gem of a hook. The book has some hockey in it (The robber played goaltender for Hungarian team UTE), but it's really entertaining and more about the wacky characters and events in post-Communist Hungary more than just hockey.
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game - This look at the Oakland Athletics organization is a great book that changed the way many people look at the game and business of baseball. It's also one of the most misunderstood books and one of the most polarizing books in the baseball realm. It's hilarious to read some of the comments of people who have never actually read the book, yet claim the book is some sort of 'evil' (Joe Morgan, I'm talkin bout you!)
(PS: Moneyball is not about 'On Base Percentage', despite the fact many seem to think it is).
Total Hockey - Second Edition - My stepfather gave me this 6 pound almanac and it's packed full of so much information that it takes many sittings to digest all of the content...player stats, essays, etc... I love reading about the history of hockey and some of the great characters I never had a chance to watch (like Gump Worsley). If you want to buy one book about hockey, this is one of the best purchases you can make. It also makes a good weapon should you ever want to throw something at Kerry Fraser.
5) What do I plan to read next?
Being the nutrition/exercise freak that I am, I want to take a full gander at Fast Food Nation. I need another 1,000,000 reasons to never eat at McDonalds again (not that I need even one).
Many of the other author's in the hockey blogosphere have been waxing about what they read and what kind of literary thrills crank their mental chains.
Unlike an old wise crank like Tom Benjamin or a frosh newsie editor like James Mirtle, I am not that 'well-read'...Which will probably surprise nobody who frequents Hockey Rants. The types of books one reads usually give you an idea of the type of person you are dealing with.
I have a voracious appetite for reading, but I tend to read a lot of stuff on the internet. It's hard for me to sit down and read a book with dead silence...I'd rather read online articles and essays while listening to the latest songs on WinAmp. If you ever thought I had ADD, you are probably not too far off of the mark ;) . I usually read a lot about Central-European history, World War II history, baseball, politics (until I start feeling queasy) and more hockey than is healthy.
On the other hand, I do have to spend some time reading...unfortunately, it's all Finance and Economics as I take part-time classes.
1) How many books do I own?
About 30+ textbooks of various business/accounting/financial subjects plus some of my old Computer Systems Tech textbooks. I own about 30 or so other books...I also collect certain issues of The Hockey News and various hockey annuals published ever summer.
2) Most recent purchases?
The Hockey News Top 50 Draft Prospects issue...and that was quite awhile ago...other than my last course textbook. I prefer to take books out from the library (Vancouver has a great huge public library downtown) than buy them.
3) Currently Reading
"Fundamentals of Corporate Finance - Fifth Edition"
My final exam is this Saturday...it's not like I WANT to read this stuff.
4) Books that I enjoyed the most?
The Ballad of the Whiskey Robber - I still need to do my review on this book, but it sounds like a few fellow bloggers need to pick up this gem of a hook. The book has some hockey in it (The robber played goaltender for Hungarian team UTE), but it's really entertaining and more about the wacky characters and events in post-Communist Hungary more than just hockey.
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game - This look at the Oakland Athletics organization is a great book that changed the way many people look at the game and business of baseball. It's also one of the most misunderstood books and one of the most polarizing books in the baseball realm. It's hilarious to read some of the comments of people who have never actually read the book, yet claim the book is some sort of 'evil' (Joe Morgan, I'm talkin bout you!)
(PS: Moneyball is not about 'On Base Percentage', despite the fact many seem to think it is).
Total Hockey - Second Edition - My stepfather gave me this 6 pound almanac and it's packed full of so much information that it takes many sittings to digest all of the content...player stats, essays, etc... I love reading about the history of hockey and some of the great characters I never had a chance to watch (like Gump Worsley). If you want to buy one book about hockey, this is one of the best purchases you can make. It also makes a good weapon should you ever want to throw something at Kerry Fraser.
5) What do I plan to read next?
Being the nutrition/exercise freak that I am, I want to take a full gander at Fast Food Nation. I need another 1,000,000 reasons to never eat at McDonalds again (not that I need even one).
Sunday, July 03, 2005
The OC (Ovechkin County): Part II
Hockey's best Soap Opera just keeps getting better.
---
Scene One: Moscow Airport. Alexander and Tatyana Ovechkin are getting ready to board a flight to meet 'Avangard'
PA System: Final boarding call for Air Trotsky flight #86 to Omsk, departing Gate 13.
Tatyana: OK Alex. It's time to leave this city behind! Let's get on the plane.
Dynamo (shouting): Alex, Alex! Wait!! Please no leave!! I could never live without you!
Tatyana: You are not good enough for my son anymore! You are nothing but a cheap tramp. Alex deserves high class girl!
Dynamo: Please Alex...look at what I got for you?
Alex: ...are...those??
Dynamo: Da! Plastic surgery! You like?
Alex: ...wow!! BABUSHKAS!!
Tatyana: Hmph! Looks like a three-ruble job from Stalin Mart. We have flight to catch.
Dynamo: Father said you can have any apartment you like...any apartment? We can live together...please stay
Alex (pauses and thinks for 5 seconds): OK! I stay! I promise.
Dynamo: Oh, ALEX! You make me so happy!
Passionate embrace ensues as Tatyana looks on, unimpressed.
---
Scene Two: The dimly lit office of Vladimir Saraev, father of "Avangard"
Vladimir (talking on phone): He did what!! He can't do that to me! Nobody does this to me
...(listens to his conversation partner and takes a sip of vodka)
Vladimir: I don't care if he signed a marriage contract with that tramp! He is going to marry my daughter!
...(listens to phone and throws glass against the wall)
Vladimir: He already sign contract to marry Avangard! He will never marry Dynamo! Alex is mine, all mine!! HAHAHAHA (Evil Russian laugher ensues)
---
Scene Three: Millionare Ted Leonsis walks into his Washington office. Ted looks lonely and presses the button on his answering machine.
Machine: You...have..one..new..message
Alex: Ted. Hello in America! I think about you everyday! I know I still have problems with getting Visa, da? Don't worry about my relationhip with Dynamo...she could never been as good as you! I try really hard to come see you, I promise! I want to live American dream! Please wait for me.
Ted lsits down in a big leather chair and lets out a heavy sigh, a lonely look comes to his face as he looks at a picture of Alex.
OK, the real news, as reported by Sergei Berestoff of Eurohockey.net
Dynamo Moscow has matched the contract offer (it was their right) that Alex received from Avangard Omsk. Somehow, Kharchuk managed to scrape enough rubles to keep Ovechkin...probably because so many other of the good players have run off to other teams.
Still, don't except Alex to be a happy camper.
---
Scene One: Moscow Airport. Alexander and Tatyana Ovechkin are getting ready to board a flight to meet 'Avangard'
PA System: Final boarding call for Air Trotsky flight #86 to Omsk, departing Gate 13.
Tatyana: OK Alex. It's time to leave this city behind! Let's get on the plane.
Dynamo (shouting): Alex, Alex! Wait!! Please no leave!! I could never live without you!
Tatyana: You are not good enough for my son anymore! You are nothing but a cheap tramp. Alex deserves high class girl!
Dynamo: Please Alex...look at what I got for you?
Alex: ...are...those??
Dynamo: Da! Plastic surgery! You like?
Alex: ...wow!! BABUSHKAS!!
Tatyana: Hmph! Looks like a three-ruble job from Stalin Mart. We have flight to catch.
Dynamo: Father said you can have any apartment you like...any apartment? We can live together...please stay
Alex (pauses and thinks for 5 seconds): OK! I stay! I promise.
Dynamo: Oh, ALEX! You make me so happy!
Passionate embrace ensues as Tatyana looks on, unimpressed.
---
Scene Two: The dimly lit office of Vladimir Saraev, father of "Avangard"
Vladimir (talking on phone): He did what!! He can't do that to me! Nobody does this to me
...(listens to his conversation partner and takes a sip of vodka)
Vladimir: I don't care if he signed a marriage contract with that tramp! He is going to marry my daughter!
...(listens to phone and throws glass against the wall)
Vladimir: He already sign contract to marry Avangard! He will never marry Dynamo! Alex is mine, all mine!! HAHAHAHA (Evil Russian laugher ensues)
---
Scene Three: Millionare Ted Leonsis walks into his Washington office. Ted looks lonely and presses the button on his answering machine.
Machine: You...have..one..new..message
Alex: Ted. Hello in America! I think about you everyday! I know I still have problems with getting Visa, da? Don't worry about my relationhip with Dynamo...she could never been as good as you! I try really hard to come see you, I promise! I want to live American dream! Please wait for me.
Ted lsits down in a big leather chair and lets out a heavy sigh, a lonely look comes to his face as he looks at a picture of Alex.
OK, the real news, as reported by Sergei Berestoff of Eurohockey.net
Dynamo Moscow has matched the contract offer (it was their right) that Alex received from Avangard Omsk. Somehow, Kharchuk managed to scrape enough rubles to keep Ovechkin...probably because so many other of the good players have run off to other teams.
As Dynamo matched Omsk offer and sent official papers to the Russian Superleague governing body, the player should stay with his parent club. However questions still remain due to an interview which Ovechkin gave to Sport-Express.
Still, don't except Alex to be a happy camper.
"I’d like to go to Omsk. That is my current plan”, said Ovechkin. The forward's main reason for departure is that "the team that won the Russian championships last season does not exist anymore"....and how about poor jilted Millionaire Ted and the Capitals?
The whole saga is a waste of energy if Ovechkin is going to the NHL next season. The player himself said to Sport Express that this still is his priority. However he told another newspaper, Sovetsky Sport, that the odds of him leaving for the Washington Capitals are "now 50/50" and that it is not him deciding but his family.Stay tuned from more from The OC in the future.
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Alexander Ovechkin: The Soap Opera Continues...
Eurohockey.net has an interesting report on the continuing saga of Alexander Ovechkin, the wunderkind the Washington Capitals hope will eventually lead them back into the promised land. As reported before, Ovechkin had apparently already signed a deal with Dynamo for next season, no matter if there was an NHL season or not.
Of course, there is always the caveat that Dynamo could have been feeding false or 'enhanced' information to the press. It is common for Russian teams to claim bravado signings, only to have the signing fall through because it was never confirmeed.
Now, rich Siberian teams have made large bids for Ovechkin, wooing him with a nice lush apartment (apparently Ovechkin didn't like the small place he was given in Moscow) and big bucks.
If this is a Russian Soap Opera? What do we call it? All My Rubles? Makarov Place?
We certainly have the motley cast of characters
Alexander Ovechkin - Talented young hockey player with the looks, the charm...the man everyone wants. He's got all kinds of suitors...some say he's the ultimate gold digger, while others see him as an innocent lamb who is being overwhelmed by the desires of others.
Tatyana Ovechkin - Alexander's overbearing mother. A two-time Olympic basketball champion, Tatyana demands the best for her talented son; especially a spacious apartment. Nobody ever seems good enough for her son, and she is also watching...like a hawk
Anatoli Kharchuk - President of Dynamo Moscow, the team that developed young Ovechkin. He's almost helpless as more beautiful and rich suitors woo young Alexander away from his 'granddaughter' Dynamo
Vladimir Krikunov - Coach of Dynamo Moscow and the Russian Olympic team, and protective father of Ovechkin's current 'attachment'. It would not be wise to make him angry as he holds the hammer on Olympic roster decisions. This gives Alexander one reason not to leave Dynamo.
"Dynamo" - The young High School Sweetheart of Alexander's life.
"Avangard" in Omsk and "Ak Bars" in Kazan - These love interests have more money than Dynamo and rich parents that are trying to woo Alexander away from Moscow.
Ted Leonsis, Washington Capitals - The American businessman who shopped for a Russian Mail-Order bride and bought the rights to the best one. He can offer Ovechkin money and a comfortable life, but will they end up getting stiffed as Ovechkin prefers not to leave the comfort of Russia?
(post edited 10:28 7/2)
In all seriousness, the poor Capitals must be watching this whole saga and thinking "What about us"?
Whatever happens, there is never a dull moment in this saga.
Of course, there is always the caveat that Dynamo could have been feeding false or 'enhanced' information to the press. It is common for Russian teams to claim bravado signings, only to have the signing fall through because it was never confirmeed.
Now, rich Siberian teams have made large bids for Ovechkin, wooing him with a nice lush apartment (apparently Ovechkin didn't like the small place he was given in Moscow) and big bucks.
If this is a Russian Soap Opera? What do we call it? All My Rubles? Makarov Place?
We certainly have the motley cast of characters
Alexander Ovechkin - Talented young hockey player with the looks, the charm...the man everyone wants. He's got all kinds of suitors...some say he's the ultimate gold digger, while others see him as an innocent lamb who is being overwhelmed by the desires of others.
Tatyana Ovechkin - Alexander's overbearing mother. A two-time Olympic basketball champion, Tatyana demands the best for her talented son; especially a spacious apartment. Nobody ever seems good enough for her son, and she is also watching...like a hawk
Anatoli Kharchuk - President of Dynamo Moscow, the team that developed young Ovechkin. He's almost helpless as more beautiful and rich suitors woo young Alexander away from his 'granddaughter' Dynamo
Vladimir Krikunov - Coach of Dynamo Moscow and the Russian Olympic team, and protective father of Ovechkin's current 'attachment'. It would not be wise to make him angry as he holds the hammer on Olympic roster decisions. This gives Alexander one reason not to leave Dynamo.
"Dynamo" - The young High School Sweetheart of Alexander's life.
"Avangard" in Omsk and "Ak Bars" in Kazan - These love interests have more money than Dynamo and rich parents that are trying to woo Alexander away from Moscow.
Ted Leonsis, Washington Capitals - The American businessman who shopped for a Russian Mail-Order bride and bought the rights to the best one. He can offer Ovechkin money and a comfortable life, but will they end up getting stiffed as Ovechkin prefers not to leave the comfort of Russia?
(post edited 10:28 7/2)
In all seriousness, the poor Capitals must be watching this whole saga and thinking "What about us"?
Whatever happens, there is never a dull moment in this saga.
Friday, July 01, 2005
Hockey Canada Announces Olympic Invitees
It looks like that Hockey Canada fully expects NHL players at the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
The invitees:
Goaltenders:
Martin Brodeur
Roberto Luongo
Jose Theodore
Marty Turco
Defence:
Rob Blake
Jay Bouwmeester
Dan Boyle
Eric Brewer
Adam Foote
Scott Hannan
Ed Jovanovski
Scott Niedermayer
Chris Phillips
Chris Pronger
Wade Redden
Robyn Regehr
Forwards:
Shane Doan
Kris Draper
Simon Gagne
Dany Heatley
Jarome Iginla
Vincent Lecavalier
Mario Lemieux
Kirk Maltby
Patrick Marleau
Brenden Morrow
Rick Nash
Michael Peca
Keith Primeau
Brad Richards
Joe Sakic
Ryan Smyth
Martin St. Louis
Alex Tanguay
Joe Thornton
Steve Yzerman
Now, people can bicker about so-and-so left off of the roster until the cows come home. The roster could change due to injuries and so forth.
Still, I have one BIG quibble and that is the inclusion of Steve Yzerman and the exclusion of Brendan Morrison.
Yzerman, for all he's done in the NHL and for Canada, is a 40 year-old player who didn't play the past year, is coming off of some serious injuries, and will be even slower once we reach the Olympics.
Brendan Morrison, on the other hand, is a 29 year-old center. Brendan is in his prime, spent the last season playing actual hockey (in Sweden) and was one of the better players in his league. Morrison also represented Canada at the World Hockey Championships and did a great job.
Right now, Morrison is far more qualified for a spot on the roster, and his exclusion reeks of the 'old boys club' mentality that seems to strike Canadian hockey executives far too often.
Todd Bertuzzi? He's too much of a liability and I wouldn't want him there.
Bryan McCabe? I might take him over Philips, but only on the Power Play. Only Leafs fans think so highly of a guy who makes a lot of mental errors that are covered by his shockingly high point totals.
Yzerman's invite won't really affect Team Canada too much (I don't expect he'll make the final team), but Morrison is a player that deserved the invite more and could have had a positive impact on the playing roster for Canada.
CALGARY, ALBERTA – Hockey Canada announced today the 36 players that have been invited to attend Canada's Men's Olympic Orientation Camp that will run from August 15-20, 2005 in Vancouver and Kelowna, BC.
The invitees:
Goaltenders:
Martin Brodeur
Roberto Luongo
Jose Theodore
Marty Turco
Defence:
Rob Blake
Jay Bouwmeester
Dan Boyle
Eric Brewer
Adam Foote
Scott Hannan
Ed Jovanovski
Scott Niedermayer
Chris Phillips
Chris Pronger
Wade Redden
Robyn Regehr
Forwards:
Shane Doan
Kris Draper
Simon Gagne
Dany Heatley
Jarome Iginla
Vincent Lecavalier
Mario Lemieux
Kirk Maltby
Patrick Marleau
Brenden Morrow
Rick Nash
Michael Peca
Keith Primeau
Brad Richards
Joe Sakic
Ryan Smyth
Martin St. Louis
Alex Tanguay
Joe Thornton
Steve Yzerman
Now, people can bicker about so-and-so left off of the roster until the cows come home. The roster could change due to injuries and so forth.
Still, I have one BIG quibble and that is the inclusion of Steve Yzerman and the exclusion of Brendan Morrison.
Yzerman, for all he's done in the NHL and for Canada, is a 40 year-old player who didn't play the past year, is coming off of some serious injuries, and will be even slower once we reach the Olympics.
Brendan Morrison, on the other hand, is a 29 year-old center. Brendan is in his prime, spent the last season playing actual hockey (in Sweden) and was one of the better players in his league. Morrison also represented Canada at the World Hockey Championships and did a great job.
Right now, Morrison is far more qualified for a spot on the roster, and his exclusion reeks of the 'old boys club' mentality that seems to strike Canadian hockey executives far too often.
Todd Bertuzzi? He's too much of a liability and I wouldn't want him there.
Bryan McCabe? I might take him over Philips, but only on the Power Play. Only Leafs fans think so highly of a guy who makes a lot of mental errors that are covered by his shockingly high point totals.
Yzerman's invite won't really affect Team Canada too much (I don't expect he'll make the final team), but Morrison is a player that deserved the invite more and could have had a positive impact on the playing roster for Canada.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
CHL Import Draft: Mihalik, Bliznak, Bartanus
Now that the CHL Import Draft is complete, I have a few thoughts about some of selections. I'll be commenting on a 'piecemeal' basis over the next few days.
I want to bring up some points that I talked about last year, because they are still very much relevant this time around.
What to look for when selecting a European prospect for your CHL franchise?
1. Age - If you are a team thinking long-term, then you want to draft a 17 year-old player who will be draft eligible in 2006 (So you have them for a few years, hopefully). If you are thinking 'win now', then you would draft an 18 or 19 year old as they are more developed. Teams picking near the top of the heap tend to think long-term, so they would be slanted to pick younger.
2. Committment - Before drafting an import player, the team's GM typically (or should) reach an agreement with that particular prospect. If they cannot receive a commitment from a particular prospect, then they may pass and take someone more willing to come over. I will add to this by adding a CHL teams relationship with an agency stable is also very important. The Giants used their good relationships to help get Marek Schwarz and Andrej Meszaros to come to the CHL. It's important for a CHL team to have the agent working with them to get interested players to commit.
3. $MONEY$ - This is a factor that rarely surfaces publicly, but certainly plays a role in determining which imports a CHL team can afford.
When the Giants traded for the rights to Senators prospect Jakub Klepis, his club team, Slavia Prague, wanted $100,000 to release him from his pro contract with the club. Klepis, too, also didn't want to lose out on the pro salary that he was making with Slavia, and wanted his cut as well. For some of the higher-end prospects, their club teams want to be financially compensated for losing their assets. More and more, European club teams are nticing their top prospects with pro contract offers.
Some of the smaller market CHL teams (like Swift Current) would have a lot more trouble paying these fees than a team like the Giants.
Now, with that said, there is a big difference in this year's draft as the NHL has not yet held their entry draft. We do not know where many of these kids will end up in the NHL scheme of things, and the newly-drafted players will have to wait awhile until their NHL teams talk to their agents regarding their future plans.
Now, I want to mention a few of the selections.
1. Marek Bartanus LW/C, 10th to Owen Sound - The big 6'3" forward finds himself squeezed out of Kosice as his club team went out and signed a lot of good veteran forwards this spring. Bartanus all but admitted that he was on the outs and was open to coming to the CHL. Bartanus is a big guy who was good in league games and disappointing in International competition. There is a lot of upside in this kid, and he was looked at to be the top European-based prospect for Slovakia.
2. Vladimir Mihalik D, 36th to Red Deer - It won't be hard to miss this kid since he's a whopping 6'7" 220+lbs. Last summer, he looked like a big slug who couldn't skate well and wouldn't hit people. One year later, his good WJC18 performance showed us that he improved his conditioning, footwork, and mean streak. Mihalik should benefit from the smaller ice surface (ala Valabik) and he's the big 'home-run' swing type prospect. Unlike Boris Valabik and Kristian Kudroc, Mihalik won't be a first rounder. I'd expect Mihalik to go around the 4th or 5th round.
3. Mario Bliznak C, 27th to the Vancouver Giants - Frequent readers of this site will remember how Spartak Dubnica was the laughing stock of the Slovak Extraleague. They won less than the Washington Generals versus the Harlem Globetrotters. Since Zvolen's 'farm' team won the First Division, Dubnica managed to keep their Extraleague spot. So, what does Dubnica do? They sell their spot to MHC Martin and then disband their senior team's operations altogether.
Bliznak tore up the Slovak junior league, and fortunately only played 13 games (with a -9 rating) for the awful senior squad. All of these factors, combined with Vancouver's sparking track record with agents, leads me to believe Bliznak is a lock to be here next season. I'll talk about him more in the future, obviously.
I want to bring up some points that I talked about last year, because they are still very much relevant this time around.
What to look for when selecting a European prospect for your CHL franchise?
1. Age - If you are a team thinking long-term, then you want to draft a 17 year-old player who will be draft eligible in 2006 (So you have them for a few years, hopefully). If you are thinking 'win now', then you would draft an 18 or 19 year old as they are more developed. Teams picking near the top of the heap tend to think long-term, so they would be slanted to pick younger.
2. Committment - Before drafting an import player, the team's GM typically (or should) reach an agreement with that particular prospect. If they cannot receive a commitment from a particular prospect, then they may pass and take someone more willing to come over. I will add to this by adding a CHL teams relationship with an agency stable is also very important. The Giants used their good relationships to help get Marek Schwarz and Andrej Meszaros to come to the CHL. It's important for a CHL team to have the agent working with them to get interested players to commit.
- The NHL Factor - Teams who drafted European players often want them to come over and get adapted to North American hockey as quickly as possible. The kid may have not considered moving to the CHL, but the NHL team will put pressure on the kid or entice them into coming over. (Case in point: Marek Schwarz - He came to the CHL more for his NHL team than for himself)
- The Eliteness Factor - Elite prospects such as Ilya Kovalchuk were taken in the CHL Import Draft, but they would have no reason to come over to the CHL, when they can either make the NHL right off of the bat, or stay home and make good money playing against higher competition in the pro leagues. Elite pro prospects such as Kovalchuk don't get selected with high picks, as it's basically wasting the pick in the first place.
- The Eagerness Factor - Some prospects who have been passed over in the NHL draft want to come to the CHL to prove themselves and then get drafted (Tomas Malec and Lukas Pulpan are perfect examples), while some 2006 eligible prospects, usually the ones lower on the charts, want to come over and prove themselves. Many prospects, and their agents, see the CHL as a land of opportunity to get themselves into the good books of NHL scouts.
3. $MONEY$ - This is a factor that rarely surfaces publicly, but certainly plays a role in determining which imports a CHL team can afford.
When the Giants traded for the rights to Senators prospect Jakub Klepis, his club team, Slavia Prague, wanted $100,000 to release him from his pro contract with the club. Klepis, too, also didn't want to lose out on the pro salary that he was making with Slavia, and wanted his cut as well. For some of the higher-end prospects, their club teams want to be financially compensated for losing their assets. More and more, European club teams are nticing their top prospects with pro contract offers.
Some of the smaller market CHL teams (like Swift Current) would have a lot more trouble paying these fees than a team like the Giants.
Now, with that said, there is a big difference in this year's draft as the NHL has not yet held their entry draft. We do not know where many of these kids will end up in the NHL scheme of things, and the newly-drafted players will have to wait awhile until their NHL teams talk to their agents regarding their future plans.
Now, I want to mention a few of the selections.
1. Marek Bartanus LW/C, 10th to Owen Sound - The big 6'3" forward finds himself squeezed out of Kosice as his club team went out and signed a lot of good veteran forwards this spring. Bartanus all but admitted that he was on the outs and was open to coming to the CHL. Bartanus is a big guy who was good in league games and disappointing in International competition. There is a lot of upside in this kid, and he was looked at to be the top European-based prospect for Slovakia.
2. Vladimir Mihalik D, 36th to Red Deer - It won't be hard to miss this kid since he's a whopping 6'7" 220+lbs. Last summer, he looked like a big slug who couldn't skate well and wouldn't hit people. One year later, his good WJC18 performance showed us that he improved his conditioning, footwork, and mean streak. Mihalik should benefit from the smaller ice surface (ala Valabik) and he's the big 'home-run' swing type prospect. Unlike Boris Valabik and Kristian Kudroc, Mihalik won't be a first rounder. I'd expect Mihalik to go around the 4th or 5th round.
3. Mario Bliznak C, 27th to the Vancouver Giants - Frequent readers of this site will remember how Spartak Dubnica was the laughing stock of the Slovak Extraleague. They won less than the Washington Generals versus the Harlem Globetrotters. Since Zvolen's 'farm' team won the First Division, Dubnica managed to keep their Extraleague spot. So, what does Dubnica do? They sell their spot to MHC Martin and then disband their senior team's operations altogether.
Bliznak tore up the Slovak junior league, and fortunately only played 13 games (with a -9 rating) for the awful senior squad. All of these factors, combined with Vancouver's sparking track record with agents, leads me to believe Bliznak is a lock to be here next season. I'll talk about him more in the future, obviously.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
CHL Import Draft
http://www.ontariohockeyleague.com/events/pop.php?id=225
The CHL Import Draft is taking place and you can view the results live.
Jakub Vojta , a defensemen from Sparta was taken first overall.
Interesting that Trinec had 2 of the top 7 picks in Tomas Pospisil and Marek Polak.
With Marek Schwarz gone home, the Giants used their pick (21st) to select Michal Repik, another Sparta Prague product.
Of course, I'll have a lot more to tell you all later in the week.
The CHL Import Draft is taking place and you can view the results live.
Jakub Vojta , a defensemen from Sparta was taken first overall.
Interesting that Trinec had 2 of the top 7 picks in Tomas Pospisil and Marek Polak.
With Marek Schwarz gone home, the Giants used their pick (21st) to select Michal Repik, another Sparta Prague product.
Of course, I'll have a lot more to tell you all later in the week.
"How dare you sign those autographs!"
Here's a story from the "Lack of Common Sense" file.
Jones rink fined for signing autographs
If I were Coleen, I'd do what any person would do with such a fine - Throw it in the trash! Is Gary Bettman's son running the CCA?
Jones rink fined for signing autographs
The Canadian Curling Association has fined two-time world champion Colleen Jones and her rink $300 for what amounts to spending too much time with the fans.
The Halifax Chronicle-Herald reports Jones received written notification of the fine on Monday. The CCA says she and her foursome lingered just a little too long following a game at the Scott Tournament of Hearts last February and continued to sign autographs for fans while failing to take direction from a CCA official.
If I were Coleen, I'd do what any person would do with such a fine - Throw it in the trash! Is Gary Bettman's son running the CCA?
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Jason Strudwick's Hungarian Holiday
Today's link is a nice little fluff piece from the NHLPA's Propoganda Wing about Jason Strudwick's little hockey vacation in Hungary with Ferencvaros (Literally translated, it means "Pastor City")
One interesting quote from Strudwick, who is known more for penalty minutes than points, about the Hungarian refs:
Jason also enjoyed the heavy Hungarian cuisine (Rice AND Potatos and Pork), as did Rob Niedermayer (as noted before, Niedermayer really let himself go). While Jason seemed to take his hockey vacation a little more seriously, Niedermayer preferred the Hungarian wine, women, and goulash.
One interesting quote from Strudwick, who is known more for penalty minutes than points, about the Hungarian refs:
"To be honest, the referees let a lot more go during a game," said the Alberta native, who signed as a free agent with Chicago on July 15,Unlike most IIHF refs, the Hungarian league refs aren't exceptionally trained and whipped and, due to the Hungarian history of 'physicality', could be prone to let a little more of the physical destruction go on.
2002. "There are a lot of smaller guys nipping at your heels, so you
have to kind of keep your emotions in check.
Jason also enjoyed the heavy Hungarian cuisine (Rice AND Potatos and Pork), as did Rob Niedermayer (as noted before, Niedermayer really let himself go). While Jason seemed to take his hockey vacation a little more seriously, Niedermayer preferred the Hungarian wine, women, and goulash.
Monday, June 27, 2005
Marketing Ramblings
With many people believing that there will be NHL hockey next season, the challenge for the NHL is drawing people back in to the game (the casual fans), and then drawing new fans into the 'improved' product Gary Bettman has envisioned.
Given the NHL's poor record of management and marketing, what can they do to reach out and grab some of the fan support they have always craved from an apathetic American public?
I'm not a marketing major, nor do I play one on TV, but I do have a few thoughts...and so does ESPN's Scott Burnside.
First, the NHL has to say "We're Sorry, please don't leave!"
'Most' is the operative word here, because you won't get any ticket price reduction from strong markets like Toronto, Vancouver, or Montreal. Ticket prices are purely a supply-and-demand price structure, and the demand will obviously be less in many markets. You can expect ticket prices to rise once teams get to their target level of attendance. This isn't really a marketing tool, but part of the overall business plan.
So, what about measures to market the product beyond simple apologies and one-time offers?
I can't remember which blogger talked about it, but the NHL could do very well to follow the model of other sports (NFL) and tell more 'stories' about the players and the teams. Instead of the boring and extremely cliched intermission interviews ("Yeah, we gave it 105%...we need to establish the forecheck, yabba dabba do"), why not use the intermission segments to stories about the players...make up some drama!
Why doesn’t the NHL hire the people who work in the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) to do some in-game promos? If there is anything the WWE is great at, it's their storytelling montages and event hyping.
We could even have Jim Ross doing commentary: "My God! Brashear just hit Sandy McCarthy in the head with a hockey stick! The man is possessed!"
As for the 'Cyber World', the problem for the NHL is that there isn't nearly the demand for on-line services like the MLB, which has the most successful internet venture in all of pro sports. The NHL used to be a pioneer in this regard, but they've fallen way behind everyone else.
As a cybergeek, myself, I'd like to see the in-game reporting beefed up (Go to mlb.com and check out their GameTrak. We should have to-the-second updating of every shot, check, save, and penalty call. They could have a diagram of the ice and show where each incident occurred...so we could listen to the game through one of their radio feeds (something the NHL does a great job of) and then keep visual track with the GameTrak. Better yet, the NHL could do what the MLB does and offer live games online for $2.95 or something. Not only does the MLB let you watch the game live, but you can download any of the games on their archive. Perhaps a Lightning fan would pay $2.95 to download the Cup winning game?
Another thing I notice is the statistics for the NHL are poorly done. Each individual player page has only the basic stats, and the more detail stat pages don't go back many years. The NHL needs to become a much better keeper of its own records.
Most marketing types would say 'Yes', but I'll say 'Maybe'
I love the fact that Jeremy Roenick speaks his mind - I wish more players did that! On the other hand, JR isn't endearing casual fans to the sport or even the hardcore fans by spouting off like a pouty millionaire.
Talking about signing a CBA now as supposed to earlier
...and there are teams that will try to circumvent the cap for their own greedy reasons...
I don't think JR realizes the irony in his statement about cocky athletes...hmmm... part of being a professional athlete is having a great deal of confidence and cockiness, though I don't know many who label hockey players are 'cocky'. Soccer, Football, and Basketball players are called 'cocky' quite often, but rarely hockey players. 'Greedy' would be a more apt description.
JR, maybe you need a glass of Sugar-Free Reality Cola.
Given the NHL's poor record of management and marketing, what can they do to reach out and grab some of the fan support they have always craved from an apathetic American public?
I'm not a marketing major, nor do I play one on TV, but I do have a few thoughts...and so does ESPN's Scott Burnside.
First, the NHL has to say "We're Sorry, please don't leave!"
Most teams are expected to offer significant incentives to season-ticket holders and reductions in ticket prices across the board.
'Most' is the operative word here, because you won't get any ticket price reduction from strong markets like Toronto, Vancouver, or Montreal. Ticket prices are purely a supply-and-demand price structure, and the demand will obviously be less in many markets. You can expect ticket prices to rise once teams get to their target level of attendance. This isn't really a marketing tool, but part of the overall business plan.
The Tampa Bay Lightning, for instance, are planning a series of promotions for season-ticket holders who did not withdraw their money during the lockout. The team plans to reward those fans with replicas of the Stanley Cup rings presented to Lightning players.Now, this is creative and a nice gesture from a team to its fans. The rings will probably be 'junk' jewelery, but this type of creative thinking has been lacking in many NHL markets. The fans of Tbay missed out on a year of having their team as the defending Stanley Cup Champs, so this is a nice way to feel like they are enjoying the success along with the team.
So, what about measures to market the product beyond simple apologies and one-time offers?
Although the exact details of the NHL's marketing plan aren't yet known, some of the strategies include attempts to market its star players in a more aggressive way. Better access and a more friendly relationship with the media have been promised in the hopes of promoting players and their stories.As I've said before, the first and most important thing for the NHL to do is to improve the on-ice product. NHL hockey was enjoying major gains in the early-to-mid 90s, and they didn't need High Definition TV, microphones on players, or pucks with glowing red tails (oh, wait...)...people tuned in because the product was exciting (more flow, more scoring chances, more fights).
The league is looking to expand access to players and coaches during games, beyond the traditional between-period interviews.
The NHL, which claims that hockey fans are the most technologically savvy of all pro sports fans, will focus a portion of its marketing energies on the cyber world. It will also work to improve the at-home experience for an ever-waning television audience, employing new camera angles, microphones on players and coaches and the use of high definition television production.
I can't remember which blogger talked about it, but the NHL could do very well to follow the model of other sports (NFL) and tell more 'stories' about the players and the teams. Instead of the boring and extremely cliched intermission interviews ("Yeah, we gave it 105%...we need to establish the forecheck, yabba dabba do"), why not use the intermission segments to stories about the players...make up some drama!
Why doesn’t the NHL hire the people who work in the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) to do some in-game promos? If there is anything the WWE is great at, it's their storytelling montages and event hyping.
We could even have Jim Ross doing commentary: "My God! Brashear just hit Sandy McCarthy in the head with a hockey stick! The man is possessed!"
As for the 'Cyber World', the problem for the NHL is that there isn't nearly the demand for on-line services like the MLB, which has the most successful internet venture in all of pro sports. The NHL used to be a pioneer in this regard, but they've fallen way behind everyone else.
As a cybergeek, myself, I'd like to see the in-game reporting beefed up (Go to mlb.com and check out their GameTrak. We should have to-the-second updating of every shot, check, save, and penalty call. They could have a diagram of the ice and show where each incident occurred...so we could listen to the game through one of their radio feeds (something the NHL does a great job of) and then keep visual track with the GameTrak. Better yet, the NHL could do what the MLB does and offer live games online for $2.95 or something. Not only does the MLB let you watch the game live, but you can download any of the games on their archive. Perhaps a Lightning fan would pay $2.95 to download the Cup winning game?
Another thing I notice is the statistics for the NHL are poorly done. Each individual player page has only the basic stats, and the more detail stat pages don't go back many years. The NHL needs to become a much better keeper of its own records.
Is any publicity 'good' for the NHL?
Most marketing types would say 'Yes', but I'll say 'Maybe'
I love the fact that Jeremy Roenick speaks his mind - I wish more players did that! On the other hand, JR isn't endearing casual fans to the sport or even the hardcore fans by spouting off like a pouty millionaire.
Talking about signing a CBA now as supposed to earlier
"If we would have signed that deal in February, in terms of what we're getting now, we would have looked like heroes," he added.Heroes? Would the players come out as heroes? In any event, JR should know that the NHL will never, EVER, be able to idiot-proof any CBA system. As long as 'hockey men' run NHL teams and lawyers and agents run the NHLPA, the NHLPA will always have a leg up on the NHL. While the PA can't take advantage of a Brian Burke, they can take advantage of guys like Bob Clarke, who wouldn't know a debit from a credit.
"Right now we look like a bunch of idiots...The deal in February beats the (expletive) out of the deal we're gonna sign in July."
...and there are teams that will try to circumvent the cap for their own greedy reasons...
It's unfortunate we had to go through a whole year to realize the (expletive) that was going on," said Roenick. "We've hurt our league, we've hurt the reputation of our league and the integrity of our league by sticking up for something that might not have been the right thing to do."Jeremy won't make any friends (if he had any) within the player ranks with these comments. As much as I may not agree fully with the PA's stance, why should the PA have to apologize for standing up for what they believe in, while the NHL comes off as the heroes? Both sides lost a lot on this dispute and both made the same mistakes.
"If people are going to sit and chastise pro athletes for being cocky - for being suck asses - they need to look at one thing and that's the deal we're going to be signing in about three weeks," he said.Thanks, but I'll pass on the posterior smooching.
"Pro athletes are not cocky. Pro athletes care about the game. Everybody out there who calls us spoiled because we play a game - they can kiss my ass."
I don't think JR realizes the irony in his statement about cocky athletes...hmmm... part of being a professional athlete is having a great deal of confidence and cockiness, though I don't know many who label hockey players are 'cocky'. Soccer, Football, and Basketball players are called 'cocky' quite often, but rarely hockey players. 'Greedy' would be a more apt description.
"I will say personally, personally, to everybody who calls us spoiled - you guys are just jealous... We're trying to get this thing back on the ice and make it better for the fans. If you don't realize that, then don't come. We don't want you in the rink, we don't want you in the stadium, we don't want you to watch hockey."Now, this is the type of publicity that the NHL could live without. JR is trying to make the players look like 'heroes' for signing a deal that is so bad for them (which remains to be seen), yet he insults those same fans for not worshipping greedy players and greedy owners who fight over millions and billions of dollars.
JR, maybe you need a glass of Sugar-Free Reality Cola.
