Sunday, March 8, 2015
What Say You Shanny?
I am surprised at what is going on in Toronto. I saw the Leafs play the Capitals last week and must admit Toronto could be beaten by a few AHL teams at this point. In today's Boston Globe Hockey Notes http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/03/07/sunday-hockey-notes-rangers-range-stanley-cup-but-sure-thing/x8Pbq4iXoTWEFiEzQ6MxNM/story.html Fluto Shinzawa points out something I have been thinking about for the last month, why is Brendan Shanahan not saying or doing anything? I think the real question is why is Brendan Shanahan in the Toronto President's position in the first place? Time to come public Shanny and discuss the way out of this mess!
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Most Pressing Issues
Sportsnet is a television property of Rogers Media in Canada. They have a segment called "To The Point" in which Nick Kypreos and Glenn Healy argue different perspectives on hockey's most pressing issues. It is hard to believe that a Canadian television property would view Alex Ovechkin's relationship with current and prior Washington Capitals coaches as a more pressing issue over the ineptness of the Edmonton Oilers' and Toronto Maples Leafs' organizations.
Once they have found a solution to the Oilers and Leafs woes (that will keep them busy for a while), they should come down to Washington and watch a Caps practice. It would then become apparent to both Kypreos and Healy their comments on Ovechkin are off-base, inaccurate, uninformed and borderline unprofessional. I do realize Sportsnet and "To The Point" are intended to provide entertainment value but do some research rather than "ready, fire, aim" analysis.
The Puck Daddy writes an article on this matter worth viewing at http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/puck-daddy/glenn-healy-rips-alex-ovechkin-and-his-mother-173731507.html
Once they have found a solution to the Oilers and Leafs woes (that will keep them busy for a while), they should come down to Washington and watch a Caps practice. It would then become apparent to both Kypreos and Healy their comments on Ovechkin are off-base, inaccurate, uninformed and borderline unprofessional. I do realize Sportsnet and "To The Point" are intended to provide entertainment value but do some research rather than "ready, fire, aim" analysis.
The Puck Daddy writes an article on this matter worth viewing at http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/puck-daddy/glenn-healy-rips-alex-ovechkin-and-his-mother-173731507.html
Saturday, November 24, 2012
The Business of Hockey
I became curious about which owners are taking the most active roles with the NHL in the ongoing CBA negotiations. An interesting article by Pat Hickey in yesterday's Montreal Gazette sheds some light on this http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/hockey/montreal-canadiens/Hickey+proves+rich+people+different/7602720/story.html He discusses the most involved owners and their motivation:
- Jeremy Jacobs - the Bruins made a number of signings prior to the lockout. Word has it he is one of the more driving forces behind the lockout as he attempts to pad his profit margin through these negotiations. Curious, he could also have padded his margin by not going on a spending spree prior to the lockout.
- Craig Leopold - as Hickey points out in his article, Leopold's Minnesota Wild lost close to $6 million in 2010-2011. Leopold was whining about his hockey losses this past spring. So how does he address the problem? He signs Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to 13-year $98 million contracts knowing that his attendance is already at 98.4% capacity. The only way for Mr. Leopold to remediate this poor decision is to be staunch in his support for increased HRR - shocking he is an active participant in the ongoing negotiations.
- Ted Leonsis - in 2010-2011 Leonsis' Washington Capitals lost $7.5 million. Hickey points out he is experiencing some buyer remorse. Was he referring to Leonsis' purchase of the Capitals or the 0-10 Washington Wizards?
- Murray Edwards - the Flames made $1.1 million in 2010-2011, their average attendance was 19,289. Not far away the Edmonton Oilers made $17 million in 2011-2012 with average attendance of 16,839. That is a statistically significant revenue difference in markets that are not too distinct from each other.
If these guys are not making enough money in hockey why can't they go back to businesses that are more lucrative for them - and let us get on with the season? It will be interesting to see how the fan base in each of these cities supports these teams whenever the NHL gets underway.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Fehr Factor
For hockey coverage, the Washington Post Sports Section does not compare to the likes of The Boston Globe, the Toronto Globe and Mail or the Montreal Gazette. Today's Post, however, has a terrific article from baseball guru Tom Boswell who does a terrific job summarizing Donald Fehr's approach to the CBA negotiations. Here's an excerpt, "Hiring Don Fehr, the Sun Tzu of jock labor, to face NHL owners in a lockout is like getting the Godfather to help you fix a parking ticket." Details can be read at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/capitals/nhl-lockout-owners-shouldnt-underestimate-the-fehr-factor/2012/11/21/7529ec82-341b-11e2-bb9b-288a310849ee_story.html At some point the NHL leadership will understand they are dealing with a highly solidified NHLPA led by a loaded gun.
Another interesting article in the Toronto Globe and Mail discusses the numbers from the latest NHLPA offer http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/globe-on-hockey/the-nhlpa-proposal-by-the-numbers/article5530468/ As this article points out, the make whole amount from the NHLPA is $393M and the make whole amount from the NHL is $211M - a difference of $182M. Here's a brainstorming thought, how about we agree on $300M and get the season started?
Another interesting article in the Toronto Globe and Mail discusses the numbers from the latest NHLPA offer http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/globe-on-hockey/the-nhlpa-proposal-by-the-numbers/article5530468/ As this article points out, the make whole amount from the NHLPA is $393M and the make whole amount from the NHL is $211M - a difference of $182M. Here's a brainstorming thought, how about we agree on $300M and get the season started?
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Can Of Worms
Well before all this CBA drama took center stage, my prior blogs mention concerns with the KHL competing against the NHL. The KHL continues to improve and this year is a haven for locked out Russian NHL players. The oil-backed funding of many teams provides stars like Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Ilya Kovalchuk a good salary in their homeland. Depending on the haircut these guys take on the final CBA agreement, it's quite possible a few of them may consider staying home. After escrow, salary deduction resulting from the CBA and quality of life considerations are made, some players may determine that it is best to stay in the KHL.
The KHL is only five (5) years old, but they honor their contracts. The NHL is increasingly being viewed by players as unstable given the recent lockout history. In addition, the players are increasingly circumspect with regard to the contracts they sign. The fact that owners negotiated long-term contracts during the CBA process is reprehensible. If the players are asked to take a significant pay cut from an existing contract, breach of contract suits will become quite interesting as players decide to stay in the KHL. This is where the can of worms comes in.
As Gary Bettman and the NHL geniuses continue to act like they are holding all the cards, the more they push HRR reductions the more they negotiate against themselves.
The KHL is only five (5) years old, but they honor their contracts. The NHL is increasingly being viewed by players as unstable given the recent lockout history. In addition, the players are increasingly circumspect with regard to the contracts they sign. The fact that owners negotiated long-term contracts during the CBA process is reprehensible. If the players are asked to take a significant pay cut from an existing contract, breach of contract suits will become quite interesting as players decide to stay in the KHL. This is where the can of worms comes in.
As Gary Bettman and the NHL geniuses continue to act like they are holding all the cards, the more they push HRR reductions the more they negotiate against themselves.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Dug In
I believe comments from these two individuals sum up where we are at with current collective bargaining negotiations.
Brooks Laich, Washington Capitals as quoted in Washington Post on September 15, 2012
"......every contract ends with a handshake. Every single contract, where I come from, you honor your handshakes and you have your word. If you don’t have that you have nothing. If I make a bad deal, sign a bad contract that’s my fault. And I accept that, I’m a man and I work through that. That’s something I deal with. I don’t go crying foul and looking for somebody to fix my mistakes. I accept that as a man, that I made a bad decision. I think that hockey players are pretty honest people and they don’t like it when it’s coming back the other way.”
Gary Bettman, Commissioner, National Hockey League as quoted in SI on September 13, 2012
When asked how the owners could justify signing players to contracts and then asking them to take less in real dollars (i.e. losing money to escrow), Bettman reasoned that there was no “perpetual entitlement” to the 57 percent share of overall revenues the players currently receive.
Players seem dug in as does Bettman. I'm thinking some of these owners should consider selling their team if it's not generating enough money for them.
Brooks Laich, Washington Capitals as quoted in Washington Post on September 15, 2012
"......every contract ends with a handshake. Every single contract, where I come from, you honor your handshakes and you have your word. If you don’t have that you have nothing. If I make a bad deal, sign a bad contract that’s my fault. And I accept that, I’m a man and I work through that. That’s something I deal with. I don’t go crying foul and looking for somebody to fix my mistakes. I accept that as a man, that I made a bad decision. I think that hockey players are pretty honest people and they don’t like it when it’s coming back the other way.”
Gary Bettman, Commissioner, National Hockey League as quoted in SI on September 13, 2012
When asked how the owners could justify signing players to contracts and then asking them to take less in real dollars (i.e. losing money to escrow), Bettman reasoned that there was no “perpetual entitlement” to the 57 percent share of overall revenues the players currently receive.
Players seem dug in as does Bettman. I'm thinking some of these owners should consider selling their team if it's not generating enough money for them.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
NHL Not Starting Anytime Soon
I cannot see the NHL starting on time this year. Players seem adamant they will not agree to a 24% pay reduction. Think about those contracts Suter, Parise, Weber, and Crosby signed over the summer. A payment over a certain period of time was negotiated, now because of the CBA, the payments at the agreed upon rate cannot be honored. The owners are holding the cards in this one. The players have the deck stacked against them for the following reasons:
This one is not ending soon. It will be difficult over the long haul to keep the players in sync. As the lockout wears on, the NHLPA will start to fragment. The good news is college hockey starts in October.
We will put this blog entry en francais to placate the patrons of Boon Island Ale and the media in Montreal.
LNH pas commencer n'importe quand bientôt
Je ne peux pas voir que le NHL commence à l'heure cette année. Les joueurs semblent inflexibles qu'ils n'accepteront pas d'une 24% réduction de salaire. Penser à ces contrats Suter, Parise, plus Web, et Crosby a signé sur l'été. Un paiement sur une certaine période de temps a été négocié, maintenant à cause du CBA, les paiements au consenti sur le taux ne peuvent pas être honorés. Les propriétaires tiennent les cartes dans ceci l'un. Les joueurs ont le pont empilé contre eux pour les raisons suivantes :
Ceci l'un ne termine pas bientôt. Ce sera difficile sur la prise longue de garder les joueurs dans la synchronisation. Comme le lock-out porte sur, le NHLPA commencera à fragmenter. Les bonnes nouvelles sont les débuts de hockey de collège au mois d'octobre.
Nous mettrons cette entrée de blog en francais pour apaiser les clients de Boone Island Ales et les médias à Montréal.
- High diversity among players. Over half the players come from Canada, 24% come from the USA and 23% from Europe. There is high disparity in language, culture and education which makes collaboration efforts a substantial challenge.
- Feeder systems. Half of he NHL players come through either the Ontario Hockey League, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League or the Western Hockey League. The leagues train the players in a hockey environment that offers them limited rights. They have advisors from their early teenage years who provide guidance, but don't always have the best, long-term interests of their clients at heart.
- History. Clearly the owners have the advantage here. Bettman and most of the owners have been through prior CBA's and fully understand the history of how we got to this point. On the union side there are few players with experience in prior CBA negotiations.
- Education. Only 30% of NHL players have had some college training and only half of these guys have college degrees. While a college degree is not a measure of intelligence, four years on campus would help a player strategize, better plan, think critically and be more likely to stick up for themselves.
This one is not ending soon. It will be difficult over the long haul to keep the players in sync. As the lockout wears on, the NHLPA will start to fragment. The good news is college hockey starts in October.
We will put this blog entry en francais to placate the patrons of Boon Island Ale and the media in Montreal.
LNH pas commencer n'importe quand bientôt
Je ne peux pas voir que le NHL commence à l'heure cette année. Les joueurs semblent inflexibles qu'ils n'accepteront pas d'une 24% réduction de salaire. Penser à ces contrats Suter, Parise, plus Web, et Crosby a signé sur l'été. Un paiement sur une certaine période de temps a été négocié, maintenant à cause du CBA, les paiements au consenti sur le taux ne peuvent pas être honorés. Les propriétaires tiennent les cartes dans ceci l'un. Les joueurs ont le pont empilé contre eux pour les raisons suivantes :
- L'haute diversité parmi les joueurs. Sur demi les joueurs est venu de Canada, 24% est venu de l'USA et 23% d'Europe. Il y a l'haute disparité dans la langue, la culture et l'éducation qui font les efforts de collaboration un défi substantiel.
- Systèmes d'alimenteur. La moitié de lui joueurs de NHL viennent passé ou la Ligue de Hockey d'Ontario, le Québec Hockey Ligue Junior Majeur ou la Ligue de Hockey de l'ouest. Les ligues entraînent les joueurs dans un environnement de hockey qui les offre ont limité des droits. Ils ont des conseillers de leurs premiers ans adolescents qui fournissent la direction, mais ne pas toujours avoir les intérêts meilleurs et à long terme de leurs clients au fond.
- Histoire. Clairement les propriétaires ont l'avantage ici. Bettman et la plupart des propriétaires ont été par CBA préalable et comprennent entièrement l'histoire de comment nous avons obtenu à ce point. Sur le côté d'union il y a peu des joueurs avec l'expérience dans les négociations de CBA préalables.
- Education. Seulement 30% de joueurs de NHL a eu de l'entraînement d'université et seulement la moitié de ces gars a des degrés de collège. Pendant qu'un degré de collège n'est pas une mesure d'intelligence, quatre ans sur le campus aideraient un joueur élabore une stratégie, le meilleur projet, penser d'une manière critique et être plus probable pour enfoncer en haut pour se.
Ceci l'un ne termine pas bientôt. Ce sera difficile sur la prise longue de garder les joueurs dans la synchronisation. Comme le lock-out porte sur, le NHLPA commencera à fragmenter. Les bonnes nouvelles sont les débuts de hockey de collège au mois d'octobre.
Nous mettrons cette entrée de blog en francais pour apaiser les clients de Boone Island Ales et les médias à Montréal.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Summer Fun
This past Saturday I wandered over to the Washington Capitals practice facility to watch the final event of this week's rookie camp - an intra-squad scrimmage between the "Red Team" and the "White Team". I was struck by the huge crowd and some very impressive prospects in this camp. Some of the more notable players were Mattias Sjogren and Garrett Haar. I believe Sjogren is ready for the show as he is strong on his skates, throws his weight around and is a solid play maker. It really makes me wonder why the Capitals brought center Jeff Halpern back as I believe Sjogren will be higher on the depth chart by the conclusion of training camp.
Garrett Haar also impressed me. Haar was planning to play at Northeastern this season but recently decommitted after Greg Cronin resigned as head coach to join the Toronto Maple Leafs. Haar planned to return to Fargo of the USHL but the Capitals want him to play college hockey in the fall. In fact, after the scrimmage, Caps GM George McPhee called Boston College coach Jerry York to see if he had room for the 17-year-old defenseman. These last minute arrivals to a college team are always interesting. Some of you may remember back in 1973 when Mike Eruzione was planning to play at Merrimack College. Boston University saw him play in a summer league and invited him to play at BU in the fall - the rest is history.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Ten Reasons Why The Bruins Won the Stanley Cup
- They out coached Vancouver.
- They out goalied Vancouver.
- The Bruin's defense was superior.
- Unexpectedly, the Bruin's offense was superior.
- Vancouver lacked depth and degraded as Dan Hamhuis and Mason Raymond went down.
- The Bruin's rallied when Nathan Horton went down as Shawn Thornton was inserted into the lineup.
- Vancouver power play was stifled.
- Vancouver lacked discipline (cheap shots, diving).
- Vancouver lacked character.
- Bruins had Rene Rancourt, in Game 6 he did three (3) fist pumps and wore a yellow vest and tie (reportedly borrowed from Ryan Herron).
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Nathan Horton for Aaron Rome
Nathan Horton for Aaron Rome, the Canucks will take this any day of the week. The Bruins lose one of their top forwards for the remainder of the playoffs, the Canucks lose a journeyman player. I know Rome's a good guy, but give me a break. In the biggest hockey venue of the season, he decides to make a lateral, leave-your-feet, late head-shot hit on Nathan Horton. Doesn't do much for the game, doesn't say much for the league and because Rome lost his poise, his actions could have a very real effect on the outcome of this series.
Interesting comments from NHL SVP of Operations Mike Murphy, Murphy claims the Rome hit would have been legal if it were not late. That's like saying the drunk driver would have been sober if he drank only twelve beers instead of fifteen. Watch the video again Mike http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUYqTE3cnuQ he went for the head, it was still a lateral hit and he left his feet. You might want to turn the reins over to Brendan Shanahan now before this series gets any uglier. Really, where do they get these guys?
The league did not bring this incident on, however, the player did. Until the players take ownership of the problem and start respecting one another, these types of occurrences will continue. The NHL, despite a new disciplinarian, loses yet another opportunity to eliminate blind-side hits. Rome's suspension is nothing - he should have received at least 10 games into the regular season next year.
Other notes....referee Stephen Walkom did the Bruins a huge favor by giving Shawn Thornton a "preventative misconduct". The Bruins need Thornton's presence in game 4, had he played out the remainder of game 3 he quite possibly would have done something to warrant a game suspension. Momentum is a funny thing, the Bruin's have woken up and it's highly likely this will continue...remember my prediction, Bruins in 6.
Interesting comments from NHL SVP of Operations Mike Murphy, Murphy claims the Rome hit would have been legal if it were not late. That's like saying the drunk driver would have been sober if he drank only twelve beers instead of fifteen. Watch the video again Mike http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUYqTE3cnuQ he went for the head, it was still a lateral hit and he left his feet. You might want to turn the reins over to Brendan Shanahan now before this series gets any uglier. Really, where do they get these guys?
The league did not bring this incident on, however, the player did. Until the players take ownership of the problem and start respecting one another, these types of occurrences will continue. The NHL, despite a new disciplinarian, loses yet another opportunity to eliminate blind-side hits. Rome's suspension is nothing - he should have received at least 10 games into the regular season next year.
Other notes....referee Stephen Walkom did the Bruins a huge favor by giving Shawn Thornton a "preventative misconduct". The Bruins need Thornton's presence in game 4, had he played out the remainder of game 3 he quite possibly would have done something to warrant a game suspension. Momentum is a funny thing, the Bruin's have woken up and it's highly likely this will continue...remember my prediction, Bruins in 6.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Reality Bites
Do you think Bobby Orr and the Big Bad Bruins of yesteryear would have let Alex Burrows score two goals and an assist in a game subsequent to biting one of their teammates? I'm doubting Burrows would have made it beyond the first period. OK, so the NHL disciplinary office messed up once again, but really, what did you expect here? Even Henrik Sedin joked about the incident in an NBC snippet where he introduced his twin brother and "vegetarian" line mate Alex Burrows. I'm still shocked Burrows went unscathed through the entire game, but let's move on.
The Bruins power play gives the Canucks a decided advantage. The Canucks can actually take good penalties with a high likelihood the Bruins won't score - in fact a 92% likelihood they won't score. This confidence effectively means the Canucks can clutch, grab and otherwise take full liberties with the Bruins. For Vancouver, this results in no real penalty other than a lost opportunity cost from an offensive perspective. Manny Malhotra's return to the Canuck power play won't make life any better for the lethargic Bruin power play. To compound matters, Vancouver's power play effectiveness in the playoffs is just under 30%. In fact, the last series against San Jose they were 37% effective. A bit daunting for the Bruins, every third penalty they give up will statistically result in a goal for Vancouver.
Is Claude Julien thinking of dressing Cam Neely, Terry O'Reilly or Shawn Thornton next game?
The Bruins power play gives the Canucks a decided advantage. The Canucks can actually take good penalties with a high likelihood the Bruins won't score - in fact a 92% likelihood they won't score. This confidence effectively means the Canucks can clutch, grab and otherwise take full liberties with the Bruins. For Vancouver, this results in no real penalty other than a lost opportunity cost from an offensive perspective. Manny Malhotra's return to the Canuck power play won't make life any better for the lethargic Bruin power play. To compound matters, Vancouver's power play effectiveness in the playoffs is just under 30%. In fact, the last series against San Jose they were 37% effective. A bit daunting for the Bruins, every third penalty they give up will statistically result in a goal for Vancouver.
Is Claude Julien thinking of dressing Cam Neely, Terry O'Reilly or Shawn Thornton next game?
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Pre Game Warm Up
As you prepare for tonight's Stanley Cup opener between the Bruins and Canucks, check out the following links:
Time To Go - Dropkick Murphys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP5g-Pjpg_I
Nutrocker Live - Dropkick Murphys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOISP4xnw-Q&feature=related
Top 10 Stanley Cup Playoff Upsets
http://www.toponlinecolleges.com/blog/2011/10-greatest-nhl-playoff-upsets/
(not certain how the 1971 Bruins playoff elimination to Canadiens missed this list, see my May 1, 2010 entry "The Caps, The Red Sox and The Crappy Feeling Index")
Time To Go - Dropkick Murphys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP5g-Pjpg_I
Nutrocker Live - Dropkick Murphys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOISP4xnw-Q&feature=related
Top 10 Stanley Cup Playoff Upsets
http://www.toponlinecolleges.com/blog/2011/10-greatest-nhl-playoff-upsets/
(not certain how the 1971 Bruins playoff elimination to Canadiens missed this list, see my May 1, 2010 entry "The Caps, The Red Sox and The Crappy Feeling Index")
Monday, May 30, 2011
Fear Not John R
Have you been following tweets from JayRCallahan (aka John R Callahan)? His Twitter updates are highly entertaining and worth checking out http://twitter.com/#!/jayrcallahan Seems John R was curious about a couple of topics last week. One was what percentage of the male population that actually tuned into Oprah's show. The second was fear of a Vancouver versus Tampa Bay Stanley Cup Final and its effect on TV ratings. While I don't have the answer on Oprah's male viewers, I can say this, FEAR NOT JOHN R AND VERSUS, THE BRUINS ARE GOING TO THE FINALS!
I am actually a bit perplexed that former Pond Meadow and Faxon Park pond hockey legend John R had any doubt about the Bruins winning game seven. I am pleased to report he is doing well, in fact on Saturday morning my cell phone rang, it was the legend blaring the Bruins WSBK-TV38 theme song from the Dropkick Murphys into my ear. All is well in Pond Meadow and Faxon Park.
It's been 21 years and the Boston Bruins are finally going to the Stanley Cup Finals. This will be an interesting match up. First the Vancouver Canucks are favored and their media is lacking no confidence. The Vancouver Sun sports section actually seemed pleased the Canucks will play the Bruins and predicted the Canucks will win. I believe this series will be a closer one than most people think.
Goaltending. Tim Thomas will rise to the occasion. Roberto Luongo is no slouch, however, I give the goal tending edge to the Bruins.
Defense. Zdeno Chiaro and Dennis Siedenberg will log lots of minutes. Johnny Boychuk and Andrew Ference are solid and Thomas Kaberle will have to deliver on the power play. I like the Bruin defense despite Vancouver's Kevin Bieksa, Alexander Edler, and Dan Hamhuis all being solid two-way defensemen. The Bruins are stronger here.
Forwards. It's really easy to figure this one out, the Bruins cannot take penalties. If they get sloppy, this will be a short series. The potent Vancouver forwards led by the Sedin twins, Ryan Kessler and the return of Manny Malholtra (possibly), are outstanding. Bruins forwards are winning faceoffs and transition well. The Canucks forwards (and special teams) are just better.
Bruins in six.
I am actually a bit perplexed that former Pond Meadow and Faxon Park pond hockey legend John R had any doubt about the Bruins winning game seven. I am pleased to report he is doing well, in fact on Saturday morning my cell phone rang, it was the legend blaring the Bruins WSBK-TV38 theme song from the Dropkick Murphys into my ear. All is well in Pond Meadow and Faxon Park.
It's been 21 years and the Boston Bruins are finally going to the Stanley Cup Finals. This will be an interesting match up. First the Vancouver Canucks are favored and their media is lacking no confidence. The Vancouver Sun sports section actually seemed pleased the Canucks will play the Bruins and predicted the Canucks will win. I believe this series will be a closer one than most people think.
Goaltending. Tim Thomas will rise to the occasion. Roberto Luongo is no slouch, however, I give the goal tending edge to the Bruins.
Defense. Zdeno Chiaro and Dennis Siedenberg will log lots of minutes. Johnny Boychuk and Andrew Ference are solid and Thomas Kaberle will have to deliver on the power play. I like the Bruin defense despite Vancouver's Kevin Bieksa, Alexander Edler, and Dan Hamhuis all being solid two-way defensemen. The Bruins are stronger here.
Forwards. It's really easy to figure this one out, the Bruins cannot take penalties. If they get sloppy, this will be a short series. The potent Vancouver forwards led by the Sedin twins, Ryan Kessler and the return of Manny Malholtra (possibly), are outstanding. Bruins forwards are winning faceoffs and transition well. The Canucks forwards (and special teams) are just better.
Bruins in six.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
The Last Four Standing
I believe the four remaining teams in the Stanley Cup playoffs clearly are the four best teams in the league. This will make for an exciting semifinal round.
San Jose versus Vancouver
Vancouver only has three players that have previously advanced to the final round. Vancouver offense is solid albeit in need of a bigger contribution from the Sedin twins. Ryan Kessler cannot carry the water alone. San Jose is getting solid performances from Joe Thornton, Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski but will need Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau to show up. I like the San Jose forwards. As for defense, I give the edge to Vancouver. San Jose has Dan Boyle but there is little depth after him. Vancouver, led by Kevin Bieksa and Alan Edler, are just more talented defensively. San Jose goal tending is a bit stronger. Anti Niemi is coming off a strong series with Detriot. Roberto Luongo is highly capable, but can he deliver when it counts?
This series will be close, I am picking San Jose.
Boston versus Tampa Bay
From the minute the puck drops, expect the Bruins to be physical. The Tampa Bay forwards are more talented than the Bruins. The B's will need to rough up Tampa Bay from the outset, if they don't its going to be a short series. Zdeno Chara leads the Bruin defense and he is well rested and ready to go. Chara gets solid supporting help from Dennis Seidenberg. The Bruin's defense is superior to injury laden Tampa Bay's. Tim Thomas needs to continue building momentum from his strong regular season and early-round playoff performance. Another solid series, with the Bruins advancing, and he becomes part of the Conn Smythe conversation. Duane Roloson is playing terrific and will be well rested - I still give the goal tending advantage to the Bruins.
Barring the unforeseen, the Bruins should take this series.
Miscellaneous.....is it any wonder the Edmonton Oilers are in the cellar for the past couple of years? You have to wonder how they judge talent? They decided not to renew Colin McDonald's contract during the summer of 2010, so what does McDonald do? He goes out and leads the AHL in scoring. McDonald would be a good acquisition in June for an NHL team needing a solid defensive minded forward.
San Jose versus Vancouver
Vancouver only has three players that have previously advanced to the final round. Vancouver offense is solid albeit in need of a bigger contribution from the Sedin twins. Ryan Kessler cannot carry the water alone. San Jose is getting solid performances from Joe Thornton, Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski but will need Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau to show up. I like the San Jose forwards. As for defense, I give the edge to Vancouver. San Jose has Dan Boyle but there is little depth after him. Vancouver, led by Kevin Bieksa and Alan Edler, are just more talented defensively. San Jose goal tending is a bit stronger. Anti Niemi is coming off a strong series with Detriot. Roberto Luongo is highly capable, but can he deliver when it counts?
This series will be close, I am picking San Jose.
Boston versus Tampa Bay
From the minute the puck drops, expect the Bruins to be physical. The Tampa Bay forwards are more talented than the Bruins. The B's will need to rough up Tampa Bay from the outset, if they don't its going to be a short series. Zdeno Chara leads the Bruin defense and he is well rested and ready to go. Chara gets solid supporting help from Dennis Seidenberg. The Bruin's defense is superior to injury laden Tampa Bay's. Tim Thomas needs to continue building momentum from his strong regular season and early-round playoff performance. Another solid series, with the Bruins advancing, and he becomes part of the Conn Smythe conversation. Duane Roloson is playing terrific and will be well rested - I still give the goal tending advantage to the Bruins.
Barring the unforeseen, the Bruins should take this series.
Miscellaneous.....is it any wonder the Edmonton Oilers are in the cellar for the past couple of years? You have to wonder how they judge talent? They decided not to renew Colin McDonald's contract during the summer of 2010, so what does McDonald do? He goes out and leads the AHL in scoring. McDonald would be a good acquisition in June for an NHL team needing a solid defensive minded forward.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Hockey's Dale Earnhardt Moment
An interesting week in the hockey world to say the least. It is becoming increasingly apparent that many players in the league have absolutely no respect for each other. I agree with Mike Milbury, the GM's and owners need to address the increasing violence NOW. I would also suggest the NHLPA have a discussion with the players by pointing out the league is at a real flashing point if the current trend of violence continues. The NHLPA may want to revisit player safety issues as well, they can start by considering a ban on fighting.
Let's look at the Chara check. When I saw the replay I asked myself four questions:
1) Was the check excessive?
2) Was there an intent to injure?
3) Was the check necessary?
4) Was the check an unsportsmanlike act?
The answers.....
1) Yes.
2) Don't know but doubt it.
3) No. Chara was almost beat on the play, if the stanchion was not there it was likely Pacioretty would have slid by him. Chara had to do something to impede his progress, but come on, this was over the top. Chara and his team were down 4-0, he was pissed off. Don Cherry characterized this as a hockey play - I vehemently disagree.
4) Yes absolutely. He was amped up and about to be beaten on this play.
So, did the league make the right decision? It's interesting because Chara is an honorable player with a solid track record of success. It would be interesting to see what the league would have done if the player were someone other than Chara. Let's look at an "instead of Chara what if" scenario:
Instead of Chara what if the player were _________ would he be suspended?
Wayne Gretzky N/A
Alex Ovechkin Yes
Cam Neely Yes
Mario Lemieux N/A
Jean Ratelle N/A
Bobby Orr N/A
Steve Yzerman N/A
Matt Cooke Yes
Steve Downie Yes
Trevor Gillies Yes
When you do this exercise it really becomes a judgment on which players have the propensity to do something like this and which players would never consider it. The not applicable (N/A) players would never really get in a position like this so, really, its a moot point. These players have so much respect for the league and fellow players that an event like this is really beyond consideration for them. When looking at the players that "yes" would be suspended, you see two different types. Ovechin and Neely are/were "talented aggressors" much like Chara, both would likely have been suspended. The second type of players are what I call "energy goons"; Cooke, Downie and Gillies fall into this category. All of these "energy goons" would have received a substantial suspensions. The "energy goons" alone cause enough problems within the league already. It is particularly troubling however when a "talented aggressor" is involved in an incident of violence.
Given the answers to my four questions and the categorization of Chara as a "talented aggressor" I would have given him a three game suspension. One of these days the league and the NHLPA will wake up to the violence issue before it's too late. On the heels of the recent Bob Probert research findings, we have a player nearly killed and now sponsors threatening to abandon ship. How does the NHL respond? Nothing, they just bank on our short term memory until the next incident takes place.
Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail summed it up perfectly when he said, "Whether Bettman likes it or not, this is hockey’s Dale Earnhardt moment, the time when the speed of the cars and the aggression of the drivers overwhelms the race track. As NASCAR did when its brightest star Earnhardt was killed at the Daytona 500 in 2001, hockey has to take its foot off the accelerator and take stock of how much risk is acceptable. (Earnhardt was the fourth driver to die in NASCAR within a year; since revising its safety standards, no NASCAR driver has died since.) No matter how impulsive Air Canada’s media onslaught seemed, who wants a dead NHL player photographed lying in front of your corporate logo on the boards? Bettman’s petulant response to the week’s criticism, however, indicates he’s still got the pedal to the floor and his fingers in his ears."
Leadership, it starts at the top.
Let's look at the Chara check. When I saw the replay I asked myself four questions:
1) Was the check excessive?
2) Was there an intent to injure?
3) Was the check necessary?
4) Was the check an unsportsmanlike act?
The answers.....
1) Yes.
2) Don't know but doubt it.
3) No. Chara was almost beat on the play, if the stanchion was not there it was likely Pacioretty would have slid by him. Chara had to do something to impede his progress, but come on, this was over the top. Chara and his team were down 4-0, he was pissed off. Don Cherry characterized this as a hockey play - I vehemently disagree.
4) Yes absolutely. He was amped up and about to be beaten on this play.
So, did the league make the right decision? It's interesting because Chara is an honorable player with a solid track record of success. It would be interesting to see what the league would have done if the player were someone other than Chara. Let's look at an "instead of Chara what if" scenario:
Instead of Chara what if the player were _________ would he be suspended?
Wayne Gretzky N/A
Alex Ovechkin Yes
Cam Neely Yes
Mario Lemieux N/A
Jean Ratelle N/A
Bobby Orr N/A
Steve Yzerman N/A
Matt Cooke Yes
Steve Downie Yes
Trevor Gillies Yes
When you do this exercise it really becomes a judgment on which players have the propensity to do something like this and which players would never consider it. The not applicable (N/A) players would never really get in a position like this so, really, its a moot point. These players have so much respect for the league and fellow players that an event like this is really beyond consideration for them. When looking at the players that "yes" would be suspended, you see two different types. Ovechin and Neely are/were "talented aggressors" much like Chara, both would likely have been suspended. The second type of players are what I call "energy goons"; Cooke, Downie and Gillies fall into this category. All of these "energy goons" would have received a substantial suspensions. The "energy goons" alone cause enough problems within the league already. It is particularly troubling however when a "talented aggressor" is involved in an incident of violence.
Given the answers to my four questions and the categorization of Chara as a "talented aggressor" I would have given him a three game suspension. One of these days the league and the NHLPA will wake up to the violence issue before it's too late. On the heels of the recent Bob Probert research findings, we have a player nearly killed and now sponsors threatening to abandon ship. How does the NHL respond? Nothing, they just bank on our short term memory until the next incident takes place.
Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail summed it up perfectly when he said, "Whether Bettman likes it or not, this is hockey’s Dale Earnhardt moment, the time when the speed of the cars and the aggression of the drivers overwhelms the race track. As NASCAR did when its brightest star Earnhardt was killed at the Daytona 500 in 2001, hockey has to take its foot off the accelerator and take stock of how much risk is acceptable. (Earnhardt was the fourth driver to die in NASCAR within a year; since revising its safety standards, no NASCAR driver has died since.) No matter how impulsive Air Canada’s media onslaught seemed, who wants a dead NHL player photographed lying in front of your corporate logo on the boards? Bettman’s petulant response to the week’s criticism, however, indicates he’s still got the pedal to the floor and his fingers in his ears."
Leadership, it starts at the top.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Watson and the National Hockey League
By now you all are aware of the recent Jeopardy match played among Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter and IBM's Watson. You will recollect that Watson didn't do too badly until the final jeopardy round on the second day when it was given the clue "Its largest airport was named for a World War II hero; its second-largest, for a World War II battle." Watson's reply was "Toronto!". Wrong city, wrong country.
I am curious why Watson selected Toronto and I am thinking there may be a hidden meaning behind this choice. I'm thinking this was Watson's subliminal way of saying he might be able to help out the National Hockey League with some of its current issues. So I decided to provide a list of problem areas for Watson to research:
I am curious why Watson selected Toronto and I am thinking there may be a hidden meaning behind this choice. I'm thinking this was Watson's subliminal way of saying he might be able to help out the National Hockey League with some of its current issues. So I decided to provide a list of problem areas for Watson to research:
- Can you help the Pittsburgh Penguins scouting team provide a replacement for Matt Cooke?
- Can you help the New York Islanders find a goaltender?
- Can you help me understand why Trevor Gillies is not suspended for the rest of the season? He has two minutes of penalties for every minute of ice time he sees - not a really good ratio.
- Can you help me understand why there is an NHL team in Atlanta but not in Kitchener Ontario?
- Can you help me understand why there is still no "no touch icing" in the NHL?
- Are the New York Rangers for real?
- Will the Toronto Maple Leafs make the playoffs? [If yes, what effect will this have on ticket prices?]
- Why can't the NHL rid themselves of a culture that has them employ the likes of Matt Cooke, Steve Downey, Sean Avery and Trevor Gillies?
- Should the NHL eliminate fighting?
- Does the NHL need to consider changing the ice surface dimensions given the increase in player size?
- Does the recklessness and stupidity leading to concussions register with the NHL ownership or the NHLPA? Should an independent medical commission look into this?
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Time To Phase Out "Energy Goons"
I remember years ago back in junior high school we used to have boxing matches in gym class. It was actually a lot of fun. For some kids, however, the experience wasn't so great as the gym teacher would match kids they did not like with partners much bigger, tougher and stronger. This typically resulted in a one-sided ass kicking. Over time, the school administration realized this probably was not a great idea as there was a possibility of someone getting seriously hurt. Boxing was soon phased out of the gym class curriculum.
You know what else is not a good idea? Having Matt Cooke on your team. Last week Cooke was handed a four game suspension for his behind the back hit on Fedor Tyutin. When asked about the Cooke hit here's how Dan Bylsma responded “The player looks him right in the eye and knows he’s coming and makes sure he keeps his numbers turned towards him." Dan, did you ever consider why folks are taking shots at some of your better players? Look at this video from Don Cherry last March. It shows numerous examples of Matt Cooke intending to injure opponents. Cherry is prescient as he points out that opponents will start going after star Pittsburgh players like Sidney Crosby.
You know what else is not a good idea? Having Matt Cooke on your team. Last week Cooke was handed a four game suspension for his behind the back hit on Fedor Tyutin. When asked about the Cooke hit here's how Dan Bylsma responded “The player looks him right in the eye and knows he’s coming and makes sure he keeps his numbers turned towards him." Dan, did you ever consider why folks are taking shots at some of your better players? Look at this video from Don Cherry last March. It shows numerous examples of Matt Cooke intending to injure opponents. Cherry is prescient as he points out that opponents will start going after star Pittsburgh players like Sidney Crosby.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
A Letter To Maple Leaf Season Ticket Holders
It is fascinating to look at the NHL from a financial perspective. Two (2) interesting metrics are Price Per Ticket and Operating Income by team. Check this out:
Price Per Ticket - US $ (Based on the week of January 10, 2011)
Toronto $209.26
Montreal $194.46
Vancouver $157.76
Pittsburgh $144.76
Edmonton $121.49
Source: SeatGeek
Operating Income - US $ (in millions, 2009)
Toronto $78.90
Montreal $31.30
NY Rangers $27.70
Detroit $27.40
Chicago $20.90
Source: Forbes November 11, 2009
Imagine paying on average $209.26 for one ticket to watch the Toronto Maple Leafs! What are these fans thinking about? This franchise has done next to nothing since they won the Stanley Cup in 1967. In fact, they have missed the playoff for the past five (5) years (and won't make it this year either), they have the longest active Stanley Cup drought in the league and are the only Original Six team to not have won the Cup post league expansion. Despite this pile of dung they serve up every year, this franchise has the highest valuation in the league at $470 million and makes far more Operating Income than the number two team, the Montreal Canadiens at $31.3 million. When you look at the entire NHL Operating Income of $183.5 million, you quickly realize the Maple Leafs earn 43% of that total.
After looking at these numbers and the sustained below average performance of this team for the past 40 years, I wondered what the yearly letter from the Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd. says to the Maple Leaf season ticket holders. Below I have crafted how it might look:
Dear Maple Leaf Season Ticket Holder,
Congratulations on becoming a season ticket holder for the 2010-2011 hockey season. We are prepared for another exciting season of Leaf hockey at the Air Canada Center. Frankly, we are absolutely blown away by your support. We have not made the playoffs in years, we don't expect to make it this year and we have not won the Stanley Cup in over 40 years. Despite this, you continue to support our franchise, your perseverance is noteworthy and we are grateful.
Going into this season we are encouraged as our season ticket wait list is now over 3,000 strong. Evidence that our mediocre hockey team is not only a source of entertainment for you, but for many other folks in the area. In fact, you should tell your friends one interim solution to the waiting list is our VIP Mini Packs - check them out on our website at http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=42099. This promotion allows you to get two (2) tickets to five (5) Leaf games AND two (2) tickets to five (5) Toronto Raptors games. Due to the demand for sub-par sports entertainment in the Metro-Toronto area we have ingeniously applied a ticket tying practice. This way when you buy Leaf tickets you can augment your hockey disappointment by getting a dose of frustration from our below average basketball team. We have seen the Microsoft Corporation bundle mediocre products, so we decided to give it a shot. It's turning out to be a real money-maker for us so far.
As for future direction of the club, we are petrified of what a franchise in Hamilton poses to our business model. Could you imagine the possibility of Leaf season ticket holders switching allegiances en masse to an ownership group that could actually outfit a winning hockey team? We still remain supportive of Burkie and his staff though admittedly we are scratching our heads on why Phil Kessel and Kris Versteeg have a combined plus/minus of -26 as of this writing.
Despite all appearances we are not the Washington Redskins. We can judge talent and we will not overpay our players. We again thank you for being a season ticket holder!
Sincerely,
Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd.
Price Per Ticket - US $ (Based on the week of January 10, 2011)
Toronto $209.26
Montreal $194.46
Vancouver $157.76
Pittsburgh $144.76
Edmonton $121.49
Source: SeatGeek
Operating Income - US $ (in millions, 2009)
Toronto $78.90
Montreal $31.30
NY Rangers $27.70
Detroit $27.40
Chicago $20.90
Source: Forbes November 11, 2009
Imagine paying on average $209.26 for one ticket to watch the Toronto Maple Leafs! What are these fans thinking about? This franchise has done next to nothing since they won the Stanley Cup in 1967. In fact, they have missed the playoff for the past five (5) years (and won't make it this year either), they have the longest active Stanley Cup drought in the league and are the only Original Six team to not have won the Cup post league expansion. Despite this pile of dung they serve up every year, this franchise has the highest valuation in the league at $470 million and makes far more Operating Income than the number two team, the Montreal Canadiens at $31.3 million. When you look at the entire NHL Operating Income of $183.5 million, you quickly realize the Maple Leafs earn 43% of that total.
After looking at these numbers and the sustained below average performance of this team for the past 40 years, I wondered what the yearly letter from the Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd. says to the Maple Leaf season ticket holders. Below I have crafted how it might look:
Dear Maple Leaf Season Ticket Holder,
Congratulations on becoming a season ticket holder for the 2010-2011 hockey season. We are prepared for another exciting season of Leaf hockey at the Air Canada Center. Frankly, we are absolutely blown away by your support. We have not made the playoffs in years, we don't expect to make it this year and we have not won the Stanley Cup in over 40 years. Despite this, you continue to support our franchise, your perseverance is noteworthy and we are grateful.
Going into this season we are encouraged as our season ticket wait list is now over 3,000 strong. Evidence that our mediocre hockey team is not only a source of entertainment for you, but for many other folks in the area. In fact, you should tell your friends one interim solution to the waiting list is our VIP Mini Packs - check them out on our website at http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=42099. This promotion allows you to get two (2) tickets to five (5) Leaf games AND two (2) tickets to five (5) Toronto Raptors games. Due to the demand for sub-par sports entertainment in the Metro-Toronto area we have ingeniously applied a ticket tying practice. This way when you buy Leaf tickets you can augment your hockey disappointment by getting a dose of frustration from our below average basketball team. We have seen the Microsoft Corporation bundle mediocre products, so we decided to give it a shot. It's turning out to be a real money-maker for us so far.
As for future direction of the club, we are petrified of what a franchise in Hamilton poses to our business model. Could you imagine the possibility of Leaf season ticket holders switching allegiances en masse to an ownership group that could actually outfit a winning hockey team? We still remain supportive of Burkie and his staff though admittedly we are scratching our heads on why Phil Kessel and Kris Versteeg have a combined plus/minus of -26 as of this writing.
Despite all appearances we are not the Washington Redskins. We can judge talent and we will not overpay our players. We again thank you for being a season ticket holder!
Sincerely,
Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Hall of Fame Smorgasbord
Interesting interview with Bobby Hull and Phil Esposito over the weekend. They were talking about the good old days back when Espo was a rookie playing for the Blackhawks in the early 60's. Evidently, these guys spent many a late night on the town - I'm sure that shocks you all. Hull, Esposito, Kenny Wharram and Chico Maki were the chief participants who would come back to the hotel really hungry after a night of hard drinking and carousing. Back then there were no late night food joints open, so they canvassed all floors of the hotel and confiscated guest leftovers that were left outside the rooms. Yes, hamburgers with one or two bites taken out of them. They took the "stash" back to one their rooms and had a feast. They actually did this on numerous occasions and in the interview reminisced fondly at recollection of these antics.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Automatic Notifications of Blog Updates - RSS Feeds or Twitter
Two easy ways to know when new content is published to my blog:
1) RSS Feeds. At the bottom left side of my blog there is a link that says 'Atom'. You right click on that link, select copy link, then add that link to whichever feed reader you use. I use Google Reader. Easy!
2) Twitter. Become a subscriber to my Twitter account 'neilrherron'. I will post 'tweets' each time I publish new content.
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