Kovy's Blues

Vol. II, No. 2

The saga of Ilya Kovalchuk continues.  His case is a symbol of a much wider problem.

The hockey press has widely reported on what the NHL has done to the Devils and Kovalchuk.  At this moment, he is barred from playing in the NHL for any team.  But I think the real story is the NHL Players Association and their Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The CBA has now been turned into a farce. Long term contracts which evade the salary cap are the latest method. But let's face it. A long term contract is the absolute opposite of free agency - the right that all professional sports players have struggled to obtain over the past three decades. If a player is now able to accept restricted un-free employment, is that not the decision of the individual? Why should the league try to overturn that decision?

So what do the players want?  Big bucks?  Freedom to choose their employer?  Can they have both?  What about the owners, the teams and the fans who must ultimately pay for mega-buck deals?

The underlying reality is that players in the NFL, NBA and MLB make much more than their NHL counterparts.  Will the NHLPA rebel over the NHL's rejection of Kovalchuk's deal? This could be the opening shot in the re-negotiation of the next players/league agreement. The last time, bad feelings resulted in a season lockout in 2004-05.

Let's hope the NHL and players are not stupid enough to kill the goose that is laying the golden eggs.  Kovalchuk deserves what the market will bear.  The Devils deserve the right to set a long contract term, if that is what Kovalchuk accepts.

Meanwhile, the league should focus on ways to increase media revenue, and share the proceeds with the teams so that higher salary caps are made possible.  Reduce the dependency of teams on gate revenue, and leave policing to the refs on the ice.

Ilya, Jay and Lou Get Down

Vol. II, No. 1

This is the first post of the new hockey season, on a blazing hot day, in the beginning of July.

API, Sports Illustrated and the New York Post are reporting a blockbuster event in hockey.  It seems that Ilya Kovalchuk is about to re-sign with the New Jersey Devils for $60 million over a seven year term.  A month ago, nobody in the hockey world would have thunk this possible.

The details will be widely reported elsewhere, and the prospect of Ilya remaining with the Devils will not be certain until the last phone call has been made and the last page of a contract has been signed. But his agent, Jay Grossman (of PuckAgency), indicated that July 5th was D-Day, and that Ilya's future would be announced today.  So, how could this have happened? Here is one hypothesis.

Ilya Kovalchuk is represented by PuckAgency in Briarcliff Manor NY.  Two weeks ago, the Devils announced the acquisition of two other players, Johan Hedberg (goalie) and Anton Volchenkov (defenseman). Guess who represents Hedberg and Volchenkov?  PuckAgency, of course!

Could it be that Lamoriello and Grossman worked out a deal which would kill three birds with one stone?  The Islanders were (or still are, as of this writing) in the running. But uncertainly clouds the future of the Isles, who have been reported to be looking for a move to Kansas City if a new arena is not build to replace the Nassau Coliseum.  Would Kovalchuk risk playing in KC after his experience in Atlanta?

By the time the newspapers hit the stands on Tuesday, July 6th, the hockey world will know if the rumors are true.  If they are, a lot of fans in the Garden State are going to be buying #17 jerseys for the fall. If not, API, Sports Illustrated and the New York Post will have a lot of  "splainin to do".

Hockey Rules!

The Mac Attack is Back

Vol I., No. 88

Devils news for June 17th, just a little more than one week after the Stanley Cup finish.  Lou Lamoriello has filled the biggest hole on the team, the one left by Jacques Lemaire's retirement. 

Johnny Mac (John Maclean) is the new head coach.  He has ascended from the Lowell (now Albany) Devils.  It is one or three years too late, but better late than never.

At the end of 2007, Maclean had been an assistant coach with the Devils for five years, but was passed over when Brent Sutter came in as head coach.  At the end of 2009, then-head-coach Brent Sutter remarked that Maclean (an assistant coach) was ready for the top spot.

The Devils obviously went another direction, and sent Maclean "down" to their AHL affiliate in Lowell.  There, he coached the little Devils to a 39-31 season, finishing in fourth place in the AHL Atlantic Division. That was an improvement over the prior year 35-36 record.

Maclean , #15, was always a fan favorite, during his 15-year stint with the NJ Devils.  He was the Devils all-time leading scorer until Patrik Elias finally eclipsed his mark on March 17, 2009.  He is promising a return to "Devils style hockey".

One interesting tidbit. Check out pictures of Lou Lamoriello and John Maclean (with his 2010 style hair).  From a distance, they look like twins.  Will they make the "separated at birth" intermission screens at the Prudential Center?  Only time will tell (but don't hold your breath).

Mac now has to prove he has what it takes to succeed behind an NHL bench. Some first tests will be how he assembles or retains his own set of assistant coaches.  Might he be able to lure former teammate Kirk Muller down from Montreal?  They also played together on the "Grumpy Old Men" line for the Dallas Stars. They have history together.

Hockey Rules.

PS Goaltender Jaroslav Halak will be wearing blue and gold next year.  The Canadiens have traded him to the St. Louis Blues.  There is French history in St. Louis, just upriver from Louisiana.  Say it like SANH LOOEY and you get the picture. Montreal has obtained the rights to two prospects in return and has opened a gap in their salary cap as well.

2010 Season Ends with Dynasty Triumph

Vol. I, No. 87

The Chicago Blackhawks may rule the NHL, but there is a dynasty in hockey and it is not in the "bigs".  In the American Hockey League, it was crowned tonight. The Keystone state of Pennsylvania still has a hockey champion to brag about.

With a 4-0 shutout of the Texas Stars, the Hershey Bears won their fourth game in a row, in the best of seven series, to capture a second consecutive Calder Cup.  It was their third Cup in five years, and the franchise's eleventh Calder Cup.  No other AHL team has won the Calder more times. This is the definition of dynasty. 

The Bears' championship capped a record-breaking 60-17 season with 123 points.  Second place Albany finished 29 points behind Hershey. Tonight's shutout put the icing on an amazing performance this year. The Bears did it in front of a sellout crowd at the Giant Center in Hershey.  Their fans waited 30 years for the club to win the Calder on home ice. The last time was in 1980. Tonight, they were rewarded.

Sellout crowds in Hershey are not reserved for playoff games.  The fan base has existed since 1936, when the franchise was started by Milton Hershey. It is the oldest continuous team in the American Hockey League. The waiting list for season tickets is long, with seats held in families for generations.

Among the Hershey players tonight was left winger Chris Bourque, an American kid who was born in Boston in 1986. That was one year after his dad, Ray Bourque, became a co-captain of the Boston Bruins. Bourque Sr. was in the crowd tonight, and was able to have a picture taken with Chris down on the ice. 

The crowning of the Bears is a fitting end to the 2009-2010 season, a year filled with the Olympics, IIHF World Championships and a tremendous (dare I say breakout) year for NHL hockey.  Ratings went through the roof this year. With coverage by NBC and Versus, with the NHL Network getting into 80 million homes, hockey gained huge exposure and reached fans who had never before seen the sport.

Hats off to the Hershey Bears, to the Chicago Blackhawks, to the Windsor Spitfires, to the IIHF Champion Czech Republic, to Team USA's paralympic gold medal team and to Team Canada's Olympic champions. It has been a good year for hockey.  

In nine days, the season really ends in Las Vegas with the NHL Awards on June 23rd.  Las Vegas is also the site of the NHL Entry Draft on June 25th-26th. And then everyone takes a well-deserved break for July and August (with summer hockey camps all over the place). 

Hockey Rules.

Goals, Goalies and New Jersey

Vol. I, No. 86

Here's surprising news from the AHL hockey world.  The Hershey Bears won a third consecutive road game last night, on an OT goal scored by Alexandre Giroux (no relation to Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers, other than the fact that two both play in the Keystone State).

The Bears are on the verge of repeating as AHL Calder Cup Champions. There has not been a back-to-back repeat since 1991, when the Sprinfield Indians won two years in a row.  Hershey has a 3-1 series lead.  The contest now return to Giant Center in Hershey for the last two games (in the AHL, seven game playoff series are played 2 home - 3 away - 2 home, to cut down transportation costs). 

Speaking of goals, there is another net sport known as football in most of the world.  It is not played on ice, but has virtually identical principles to ice hockey.  Put an object into a net and score a goal.  Here in the US, we call it soccer.  And the world's biggest team sport competition, the FIFA World Cup, is underway in South Africa.  This year, there is a New Jersey dimension.

Team USA's top goalkeeper is Timothy Matthew Howard.  He was born in North Brunswick, and played high school ball for Montclair Kimberly Academy, before graduating to pro soccer where he quickly stood out as a superior talent.  

Howard starred for the Metrostars (now Red Bulls) and then was good enough to be traded to Manchester United. Presently, he is in goal for Liverpool's Everton Football Club.

Tim Howard is well known to the English. Today, he held England to one goal while Team USA scored a goal and earned a 1-1 tie against the favored team from Great Britain.  The 8th seed English team were confident that they could easily handle #14 Team USA. Tim and his teammates had other ideas.

Go Tim!  Go Team USA!

Hockey and Soccer Rule!

P.S.  Two million spectators turned up for the Chicago Blackhawks victory celebration.  The Second City has not stopped partying since Patrick Kane scored his OT Stanley Cup winner on Wednesday.

Breaking New Jersey Devils News

Vol. I, No. 85

The Devils are returning to Albany.  The "little Devils", that is.

The AHL has issued approval for the Lowell Devils to relocate to Albany.  The Albany River Rats, a minor league franchise of the Carolina Hurricanes, are moving to Carolina.  They will become the Carolina Checkers.  For the Devils and Canes, having a minor league team two hours away makes for easier personnel movement.

Ilya Kovalchuk has not yet signed with the Kontinental Hockey League in Europe, but his Russian agent reports that Ilya wants to play there. The tax regs make it much more attractive.  Ilya has not announced any plans, but it is expected that he will not renew his contract with the Devils (or vice versa).

The Prudential Center is still standing, filled with non-sport events, while it waits for the Devils and Nets.  The basketball team will be a temporary resident until a new arena is completed in Brooklyn. Meanwhile, the Nets have announced the hiring of their new coach, Avery Johnson.  He will meet with Mikhail Prokhorov on Sunday.  The two are sure to make a powerful management team.

Prokhorov is probably also a Russian hockey fan, but above all else, he knows how to make money.  Don't count on him buying the Devils, signing Kovalchuk, Gonchar, Malkin and Ovie, and then taking on Gary Bettman over the salary cap.

Mikhail is too smart for all of that meshugas. He has the rubles to spare for any of this, but knows that there is more money in NBA basketball than in NHL hockey, no matter how high this year's ratings have gone.

Money rules.

Reflections on a Cool Ending

Vol. I, No. 84

The Hawks have come home to roost, after a 49-year absence. Chicago's group was the only Original Six team to have not won a Stanley Cup in five decades.  After the NY Rangers erased their 50-year drought in 1994, only the Blackhawks remained as perennial wannabees.

Patrick Kane, of Buffalo NY, has now made Chicago happy.  Reports indicate that the largest sports celebration in Second City history will occur tomorrow, with over 500,000 spectators expected to watch the parade through the downtown streets.  It should eclipse celebrations held for the Bears (held in the Chicago winter, so crowds are smaller). But it will also exceed celebrations for the White Sox and Bulls. 

Another factotum.  NBC's television ratings for the game were the highest in 36 years, with 8.3 million viewers.  All of this surely reflects hockey's universal appeal, and growing popularity.

Kane's overtime goal may have been one of the strangest in NHL history.  The puck disappeared, literally, and the delayed reaction by refs, teams, fans and sportscasters created a surreal "slow-motion" reality. If you have not seen it, go to NHL.com to view a replay.

This playoff season includes a number of wonderful "storybook" endings.  Here are a few:

The Hawks have ended their 49-year drought.

The Flyers came from nowhere in the East, went through New Jersey, Boston and Montreal, winning 12 out of 17 games to reach the Final.

The Montreal Canadiens came from less than nowhere in the East, beating Washington and Pittsburgh before finally being mowed down by Philadelphia.

Marian Hossa finally gets his ring, after two unsuccessful tries in the past two years. Some fault Hossa for moving around as a free agent. But he is a hard working player, and deserves the success.

John Madden has gotten his third ring.

There are so many other stories.  It was a great run to the Cup. The Chicago Hawks faced an unexpected opponent in the final series. Congratulations to both of these franchises.  In Chicago, Rocky Wirtz has finally realized the family's dreams. And Philadelphia, under Peter Laviollette, exceeded all expectations.

Hockey Rules.

PS The AHL Calder Cup playoffs continue, tied 2-2 between the Texas Stars and Hershey Bears. The next game is Friday in Hershey PA. Go Bears!

Bears Rule in Texas and other news

Vol. I, No. 83

The Hershey Bears have won again on the road. AHL series tied 2-2 and the teams return to Hershey on Friday.  So one road team has won tonight.  My prediction was for a split between road and home teams.

The Flyers have the edge, going into OT.  But the last time this happened, a team from NJ won in Dallas in Game Six.  It took 28 minutes of OT for the Devils to win their Cup.

How many minutes and OT periods will it take tonight?  One thing is sure. The final score will be 4-3, the most common score in hockey.

11:06PM.  The road team scores.  Chicago's drought is ended.  49 years, and the Cup goes back to the Second City.  An amazing shot by Patrick Kane put the Flyers out of their misery.  Hossa finally has got his name on a Stanley Cup.  John Madden gets his name on for a third time.

Philly was valiant and went farther than any #7 seed ought to expect. Hats off to the Flyers for an amazing playoff run.

As for clairvoyance, I will keep my day job.  Two road team wins in one evening.  The Hawks were due.

Hockey Rules.

The Curtain is Almost Closed

Vol. I, No. 82

At around 10pm this evening, Philadelphia's Wachovia Center will be the site of delirium.  The Stanley Cup is in the building.  The hockey world is watching.

The home team can prolong its season by one more game, with a win. If they do that, the fans of this #7 Eastern Conference seed will be delirious. They'll anticipate one more game, to see if the Flyers can bring the Stanley Cup home from Chicago on Friday night.

If Philadelphia loses on home ice, the Chicago Black Hawks will be delirious, skating with the Stanley Cup after a 49-year drought.  They'll take the Cup back to Chicago and the 2010 hockey season will be done. Well, almost.

The AHL Calder Cup finals are still in progress. The Texas Stars lead the Hershey Bears 2-1 in the series, after winning two games in Hershey.  The Bears won a game in Texas on Monday night.  Game four is scheduled tonight in Texas.  So far, the road team has won every game - just the opposite of the NHL Cup finals.

So here's a prediction.  Tonight, one road team will win and one home team will win.  If the road team wins in the NHL Philadelphia game, THE Cup gets skated.  It's also possible that the other Pennsylvania team could win away, in which case Hershey will even its series at 2-2. Will both Pennsylvania teams lose tonight?  Fans in Chicago and Texas are sure hoping so.

And after Lord Stanley appears, the curtain on Hockey 2010 still remains open a crack.

The AHL Calder Cup will be awarded sometime between June 11 and June 16, if the series goes a full seven games.  And after that comes the NHL Awards Ceremony on June 23rd in Las Vegas.  And then, the Entry Draft on June 25-26th, in Las Vegas.

On June 27th, the curtain closes for a couple of months, and then it's back to training camps in September. When Labor Day arrives, it will be a good season for hockey 2011.

Hockey Rules.

A Tale of Two Goalies and the Season

Vol. I, No. 81

Chicago faced two goaltenders in game five, and broke both of them down.  Three goals scored on Michael Leighton in the first period chased him from the Flyers goal.

But over the next two periods, Brian Boucher also allowed three goals, and by the time the game was over,  Chicago had put seven pucks into the Philadelphia net.

Over the five games, Philadelphia's goaltenders have a combined .857 save%.  Goaltending woes have been the story of their season. A potent offense can only go so far.  Tonight, the Flyers were able to score 4 goals. In most Stanley Cup final games, that would seal the deal.  But when a team has spotty goaltending, four goals (or five, as in game one) just cannot get the job done.

This series has now had two eleven goal games.  The first one was 6-5 in favor of Chicago.  Tonight's game was 7-4 in the Hawks' favor. I'm not sure if there has ever been a final series with two eleven goal games. It is fire-wagon hockey, exciting to watch.  But for the coaches, you can see the grey hairs about to sprout on Peter Laviolette's head.

The common wisdom is that defense and goaltending ultimately wins Stanley Cups.  But this series is turning that conventional thinking upside down. Maybe all the NHL rule changes have opened up the ice and are creating higher scoring games.  That's what the league wanted after the low-scoring trap style of the 90s and early 2000 years.  

The 2010 Stanley Cup series has been odd. High scoring games are not the norm, but in this series, teams have scored five or more goals in three games. The next game could easily go the other way - a low scoring defensive contest or even a shutout.  Which goaltender will Laviolette pick to put up a stone wall? My bet is Brian Boucher. But watch out for Antti Niemi. His play tonight was spectacular at times, but four goals got past him.  He knows what is on the line in game six.

Tuesday night in Philadelphia will be an elimination game. The Stanley Cup will be present, in case Chicago can end it all with a road game win. Until this series, the Hawks had astounding road success against the Nashville Predators and Vancouver Canucks. Can Philly shut down Chicago for a third time at the Wachovia Center? On Tuesday, we will find out.

Hockey Rules.

Flyers Keep On Coming

Vol. I, No. 80

The hockey world knows the score.  There are two kinds of finals.  Some are let downs, after intense Conference championship battles.  One team, totally wiped out, folds in the final.  That's not happening this time. This one is loaded with suspense and game-changing leads.

The Stanley Cup 2010 series is deadlocked at two games apiece.  The number of goals scored in four games is 29 - a bit on the high side, after the Game One rinky-dink-wheres-the defense game got out of both teams' systems.  One team, the Flyers, have scored one more goal than the other team.  15 to 14 goals.

The goaltending has also been close.  Both goalies (Leighton and Niemi) have save percentages just .001 apart.  Philadelphia's is .883 and Chicago's is .882 - you can't get closer than that.

Philadelphia's play has been slightly more consistent in terms of shots on goal.  31 to 33 per game.  That means Chicago has not been able to figure out a way to shut the Flyers' offense down.  The Flyers on the other hand, have contained Chicago in two games to 26-27 shots on goal.  The Hawks won the first one, with stellar goaltending (1 GAA). The Flyers won the next one with an OT goal.

What's missing in these playoffs is stand-on-your head goaltending, the kind that Jaroslav Halak came up with for the Montreal Canadiens before being de-railed by Philly.  In past Cups, a goaltender has taken control of a series. Not this one, at least not yet.

The funny thing is that the Hawks had the second best goals against performance in the Western Conference during the regular season (209 GA). The Flyers, with 225 GA, were far down in the standings (and their last minute 7th place finish reflected that).  So here's the question.

Will the law of averages finally re-assert itself?  Will Chicago's defense and goaltending rise to the occasion and shut down the Flyers in game six?  If they don't, is sure looks like Coach Q and the boys from the shores of Lake Michigan won't be parading a Stanley Cup down State Street this year.

One more note about personnel.  Chris Pronger, age 35, has already won a Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007.  John Madden is in the same position, age 37, with two Cups under his belt (a former NJ Devil on their 2000 and 2003 championship teams).  

Marian Hossa, age 31, has never won the Cup.  This is his third appearance in a final series.  He missed with Pittsburgh in 2008, he missed with Detroit last year and this year, his chances are ???  What's more, Hossa has never won an international medal playing for his home country Slovakia, has remained medal-less in two World Junior Championships, seven World Championships, two Winter Olympics and one World Cup.  The last time he won anything was the Memorial Cup in 1998 with the Portland Winter Hawks of the WHL.

If the hockey gods are watching, it is Hossa's turn to finally bring home some hardware. If he misses for a third consecutive time, Chicago can always hope for next year...or even 10 more.  Hossa signed a 12 year contract with the Hawks.  Somebody must feel he can keep playing until the ripe old age of 42.  Some goalies make it that far, but a forward? Hossa must have a really good agent. In fact, the contract is a source of controversy in the NHL, because it may bend some of the salary cap rules. No forward plays until 42 years of age, unless you are Gordie Howe and want to play with your kids.

Hockey Rules.

Normal Niemi Netminding Nullification

Vol. I, No. 79

Philadelphia put one more shot on goal into tonight's game.  Two days ago, the Flyers had 32 shots on goal.  Tonight's game had 33 Philly shots on the Chicago goal. 

It was not enough. Chicago netminder Anton Niemi had a "normal" stand-on-his-head game, and allowed only one goal. His record, for the past two games, is now 3 GAA.  Leighton's record, in comparison, is 3.5 GAA.  The series is not exactly a goaltender's dream.

Besides Niemi, Chicago has to thank Marian Hossa, who came through in the second period to break open a scoreless game. Hossa, who has missed two Stanley Cup rings in the last two years with Detroit (2009) and Pittsburgh (2008), may finally be getting close to the Lord Stanley jewelry store.

Chicago now leads the series 2-0. Teams which have won the first two home games have gone on to win this series 31 out of 33 times. The most recent exception was Pittsburgh, which lost the first two home games in last year's final.

If Philly looks forward to home ice advantage, they have to respect the Hawk's road game performance during these playoffs. Chicago was 7-3 on the road against their first opponents.  If they keep up that performance, the Hawks will take one or two games on the road. All they need is two, to dance with Lord Stanley.

Hockey Rules.

Weird, Wild, Wooly Running and Gunning

Vol. I, No. 78

A team which allows five goals in one game will generally lose.  Only, not tonight. Chicago took a scalp, despite letting the enemy into the teepee way too many times. It was a weird, wild, wooly game filled with run and gun fire-wagon hockey.

The most common scores in close hockey games are 3-2, 4-2 and 4-3. That reflects the average number of goals per game, which has been about six in recent years. A late third period score of 3-2 is not uncommon. From there, three outcomes are possible. The score can stay the same.  The losing side pulls its goalie and has an empty net goal scored against it (4-2). Or the losing side scores, evens the game and then the contest goes to OT, ending 4-3.

Go over four goals allowed, and in most games, your offense cannot put enough pucks in the net to balance your leaky defense. But today, statistics were turned on their heads.  In tonight's first 2010 Stanley Cup game, the number of goals was almost DOUBLE the league average over about 1300 games, for the past couple of years.

John Madden, Chicago's veteran (and a Stanley Cup winner with the New Jersey Devils) called it a "weird game". High scoring game are more typical of amateurs who don't know how to play defense, and goalies in pickup games who get into the net because they can't skate.

The NHL is calling it a "wild game". The score was tied five times. That's never happened before. This game is also tied for the highest scoring Game One in Stanley Cup history. Chicago should not have won this game, except for the fact that Philadelphia allowed six goals.

Actually, Michael Leighton allowed five goals on 20 shots (.750 save%). Brian Boucher came in and settled things down, allowing one goal on 12 shots.  But that was the straw that broke the camel's sagging back, and Boucher earned the loss. Chicago's Tomas Kopecky got the game winner with the sixth goal, at 8:25 of the third period. 

Some predictions:
The score in Game Two will not exceed the total number of goals scored in the first period of this game (five). Philadelphia's spotty goaltending will even out with Boucher between the pipes. Unless Chicago's Anton Niemi can improve his own performance (he allowed five goals on 32 shots tonight), the Flyers will take the second game and eliminate home ice advantage, before the series moves back to Philadelphia.

The Hawks should not be satisfied or happy tonight. They earned a sloppy, ugly victory because Michael Leighton and the Flyers' defense allowed six pucks to cross the goal line. It won't happen again.

Hockey Rules, but sometimes the games truly are weird.

AHL Finals - Who's Who?

Vol. I, No. 77

vs 

The Dallas Stars' affiliate from the Western Conference of the AHL advanced to the Calder Cup finals on Wednesday night. They finished in third place in the Western standings.  The Stars are, would you believe, one year old?  The franchise moved to Texas in May 2010, with the purchase of the Iowa Chops club (suspended for the 2009-10 season in the AHL) by new owners in Texas.

The Stars will face the Eastern Conference regular season leader from Hershey PA.  The Bears have a long tradition, dating from 1931. Somehow, chocolate and hockey have mixed for a long time. It is hard to imagine a winter skate without hot chocolate.  Milton Hershey named the club the Hershey B'ars at first, but in 1938 the name was changed to eliminate the apostrophe.

The Bears have appeared in the Calder Cup finals four times out of the last five years.  They are favored.  But the Stars overcame the Hamilton Bulldogs to get this far.  It could be this is the year of the West.

Stars and Blackhawks.  Bears and Flyers.  Could Pennsylvania wind up with two Cups?  Will a new club only one year old rise to the top of the AHL? The hockey world will know by June 11.

Hockey Rules.

Hockey's Alphabet Soup

Vol. I, No. 76

It occurred to me today that the NHL playoffs are going beyond the IIHF and CHL championships, but that the AHL finals are even going longer.  The AHL?

It is the American Hockey League, which should be distinguished from the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) which of course includes American teams!  CHL teams are "major juniors". The AHL is "semi-pro", populated by young prospects and journeymen players in their 20s, 30s and even 40s.  

In the AHL Western Conference finals, the Texas Stars defeated the Hamilton Bulldogs tonight. They advance to the Calder Cup finals which start on June 3rd.  PK Subban of the Montreal Canadiens was re-assigned to their Hamilton development team, in time for the game.

Texas came from behind, to win the game 4-2. Subban has now appeared in two losing final games in one year. The young man is getting an education.

The Stars will face the Hershey Bears, who are returning to the Calder Cup finals for the fourth time in five years.  Hershey is without any doubt, the powerhouse of the AHL Eastern Conference.

AHL, CHL, NHL, IIHF, KHL, there sure are a lot of initials and hockey leagues.  For the moment, understand that the European KHL (Kontinental Hockey League) is taking a run at the NHL for international supremacy. KHL is by no means a minor league.

If the likes of Ilya Kovalchuk "defect" to the KHL, an era will end, the period started by the defection of the Stastny brothers to the NY Islanders from behind the Iron Curtain.  That curtain has not only turned to rust, but it can be argued that the quality of hockey is again equivalent in Europe, now that they have integrated the North American style of play.

The IIHF World Championships, held each year, reflect the equity of hockey talent.  Canada, Russia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden and the US are all competitive. IIHF stands for the International Ice Hockey Federation. Until the advent of the KHL, the only two "power players" on the world stage were the NHL and IIHF. Now there are three. The 2014 Winter Olympics will be affected; NHL interests will be outweighed by IIHF, KHL and the host country Russia.

All of the others - AHL, IHL, ECHL, CHL, WHL, OHL, QMJHL - are feeders into the NHL.  Throw in the NCAA, NESCAC and other collegiate associations and the picture is complete.  A real alphabet soup. If you want the initials decoded - post a reply or comment and the Tattler will answer.

Hockey Rules.

Local Big Apple Area News

Vol. I, No. 75

February is the time for hockey, right?  Well, hold on to your hats, because on February 2, 9 or 16 in the year 2014, the Super Bowl will come to East Rutherford NJ.  NFL football will be played in the midst of a typical New Jersey winter.  Expect a snow bowl, a mud bowl or a thaw bowl, depending on what mother nature has in store (and considering global warming).

The venue will be the DOME-LESS new Meadowlands Stadium. Now don't get me started on the wisdom of replacing Giants stadium with another open-air bowl.  Perhaps Chris Christie would like to tell all Garden Staters how much of this is costing NJ taxpayers.  But the deal was done, even though Xanadu is now a thing of the past (or is it).  The Super Bowl might change everything.

Now, as for some personnel developments in the true winter sport...

Devils forward Zach Parise was doing community service today. He visited the New Jersey State Library in Trenton and read a book to students from the Katzenbach School for the Deaf.  Zach is apparently an avid reader.

His appearance was part of the New Jersey Library Champion program, which promotes the importance of reading to students. For details, go to the Devils website.  Hats off to Zach for doing something really useful with his time off from the game. Go Zach!

The New York Rangers did an unusual deal with their rivals from Long Island. The Blueshirts acquired WHL defenseman Jyri Niemi from the NY Islanders, in exchange for a 6th round pick in the 2010 entry draft.

Niemi plays for the Saskatoon Blades. He is a 19 year old with interesting potential.  Is Jyri related to Antti?  They were born about 200 miles apart (Jyri in a suburb of Nokia, Finland...Antti in a part of Helsinki).  Young Jyri can fire a slap shot at 97 mph and had WHL leading stats.  Keep an eye on him. 

This is the first of the off-season moves for NY/NJ area teams, as free agents start to consider their options.  The contracts and agents will really get busy, once the Stanley Cup finals are done.

Hockey Rules.

Junior Champs Repeat!

Vol. I, No. 74

The Ontario Hockey League can now lay claim to possessing Canada's most successful junior franchise, the Windsor Spitfires.

On Sunday evening, Windsor repeated its performance from last year, and defended its Memorial Cup championship. The Cup stays in Ontario one more year.

The Spitfires were convincing in the final game, defeating the Brandon Wheat Kings 9-1. Taylor Hall was named MVP.  Look for Hall to go #1 or #2 in the NHL entry draft on June 25.

Congratulations to the young men from Windsor. Now there is only one more contest left in the hockey world. The IIHF is finished. Only the Stanley Cup playoffs remain.

Hockey Rules (for about another week and a half)!

Seven More Games

Vol. I, No. 73

Anyone who reads this blog knows by now what has happened in the NHL Eastern Conference. But I will repeat it anyway, for posterity, or in case any reader is living under a rock in Antarctica.

The Philadelphia Flyers, an improbable 7th seed, got into the 2010 playoffs with a last game of the season shootout win over the NY Rangers.  The Flyers are now advancing to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in 13 years.  The Prince of Wales Cup stays in the state of Pennsylvania, only on the eastern side of the Appalachian mountains.

To get to this pinnacle, the Flyers went through the New Jersey Devils 4-1, the Boston Bruins 4-3 (in the most dramatic comeback in NHL history) and now, the Montreal Canadiens 4-1.  Philadelphia's record is 12-5 over the past 17 games.  

They will face the Chicago Blackhawks, who have not played for Lord Stanley since 1992 (18 years ago). The Hawks last Stanley Cup win was in 1961; that is 59 years ago.  The Hawks have long been denied.  Their record over the past 16 games is 12-4 (overcoming Nashville 4-2, Vancouver 4-2 and San Jose 4-0).

Conventional wisdom is that Chicago ought to have the upper hand. But Philadelphia's goaltending in the Montreal series was astounding, with a 0.959 save%.  Michael Leighton is white hot.  On the other hand, Chicago is arguably better than Montreal, Boston and the Devils.

The finals start on Saturday May 29th at 8pm.  Chicago is the home team.  If seven games are needed to resolve this contest, the last game will be in Chicago on June 11th.

Hockey Rules.  Summer is around the corner.

IIHF Upset Finish! Chicago and Czechs Rule!

Vol. I, No. 72

Czech MATE!

New hockey world champions have just been crowned in Cologne Germany.

After plowing through favored Team Canada 3-2 before the quarterfinals, the Czech Republic made it to the IIHF World Champioship finals for the 7th time since 1992.  They faced the other world heavy, Team Russia, stocked with many NHL superstars.

The men from Prague came out on top, 2-1. Russia, seeking to win a third straight world championship, came up short and goes home with 2nd place silver medals.

The young Czech team, backstopped by Thomas Vokun in goal, shut down the Russian powerhouse. Facing 36 shots on goal, Vokun stopped every one until a 6 on 3 power play late in the third period.

The only Russian score of the game occurred when captain Ilya Kovalchuk threaded a pass to Pavel Datsyuk.  Detroit's star one-timed a shot past Vokun. It was the only Russian score.  It was not enough.

The Czech victory ended a 27-game string of Russian wins. Following their disappointing performance in Vancouver, the Russian players resolved to get to Germany for the world championships and re-assert their dominance on the world stage. The only allowable excuse was the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs.  Only a few Russians are left playing with the 4 remaining teams.

For Jaromir Jagr, it was a fitting end to the year.  The Czechs bowed out in the quarterfinals, shutout by Finland 2-0.  The Finns went on to claim bronze against Slovakia (the smaller half of former Czechoslovakia).

For Kovalchuk, Ovechkin, Datsyuk, Varlamov, Gonchar, Malkin, Semin, Fedorov, Koslov, Afinogenov and many others, it is a signal that Russian hockey is no longer at the top of the world.  The Canadians (Olympic gold) and Czechs (IIHF gold) now hold those honors.  Team USA shares 2nd place Olympic silver with the Russians' IIHF silver. But as everyone knows, second place is a pittance, compared to being king of the hill.

This is all very confusing. Why two world championships in one year? Should there be IIHF championships in the same year as an Olympic Games event? It is an imposition on players, pro teams on both sides of the Atlantic (NHL, KHL).  The extra long season (regular pro games, Olympic games, pro playoffs, IIHF playoffs) take a toll on physical conditioning and with injuries.

The next winter Olympic games will be held in Russia.  My bet is that Russia and the KHL will convince the IIHF to suspend the 2014 World Championships.  The NHL won't oppose that decision.

Meanwhile, another Russian player was still playing after his country's team left the ice in Cologne. Across the Atlantic, in a game in Chicago. Evegeny Nabokov faced 26 shots on goal.  Three went in.  The Hawks allowed 17 shots on goal, and scored an empty net goal in the final period to win 4-2, and sweep their series.

The Hawks are going to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1992. Stan Mikita, their legendary team leader in the 1950s and 60s, was born in Sokolce, Slovakia.  It appears that the area of the world formerly known as Czech-O-Slovakia has surely given the world some very fine hockey players! It is the Czech's 12th World Championship.

Hats off to the Czechs and to Chicago.  The Hawks need four more victories to dance with Lord Stanley.  The only question now is if the Montreal Canadiens can pull off a miracle against Philadelphia. Many love the Habs, but the Flyers seem to have a convincing upper hand. Tomorrow's game at the Wachovia Center could decide who the Blackhawks face in the SC finals.

Hockey Rules.

P.S. Game three of the day starts at 8pm EDT.  The CHL championship will be decided in Brandon, Manitoba. Either the Windsor Spitfires or Brandon Wheat Kings will earn the Memorial Cup trophy. With two final championship games in one day, summer must be getting close!

Saturday Hockey in May

Vol. I, No. 71

The Habs are finished. Almost. With today's third shutout in four games, Montreal's prospects are flickering.  The law of averages has caught up with the #8 seed in the Eastern Conference.  Philly only needs one more win to advance to the final round and a chance to dance with Lord Stanley's Cup.

The 3-0 Flyers win today had one big difference from the past three games. It's all in the numbers.  Montreal wins when it gets a lot of shots on net. In game three, the Canadiens threw 38 pucks at the Flyer net.  Five went in. Today, Philly only allowed 17 shots on goal. Goaltending stats tell the story.

In this series, Flyer netminders have faced 143 shots and made 138 saves. That's a save% of 0.965. At that stonewall level, if a defense can shut down the number of shots on goal, the number of goals allowed will be meager. The magic SOG number, to allow only one goal, is 18 shots. Games can be won, if you hold your opponent to one goal.

Today, Philly's defense did the job. The offense only needed two goals, and with the additional empty-netter at the end of the game, the Flyers emerged with the 3-0 score, and a commanding 3-0 series lead.

Can the Canadiens come up with a miracle and win three straight with two road games in Philly?  Anything is possible in hockey. The Flyers got into this series by winning four straight against Boston.  It looks like Philly has the magic now and is headed for a final series berth against Chicago. Unless the Sharks pull off another miracle on ice.

Two miracles in one year?  Doubtful. The Hawks and Flyers are getting close to a final series matchup.

Meanwhile, in Europe, Russia beat Germany 2-1 in the semi-final today, with a end of game goal by Pavel Datsyuk (he isn't needed by the Detroit Red Wings who are now on summer break).  The Czech Republic bested Sweden 3-2 in a shootout.  Russia and Sweden face each other on Sunday at 2:30pm for the World Championship (or maybe the 2nd one, after the 2010 Olympics).  It's complicated.

Tomorrow, the Canadian Junior Hockey championship will be decided later in the day. The Brandon Wheat Kings face the Windsor Spitfires at 7pm EDT. The winner earns the Memorial Cup.  It is a forerunner to the Stanley Cup in the bigger league.  The Memorial Cup has been awarded for 92 years. Tradition lives on in Canada.

Sunday will be a good day for hockey. Hockey Rules.

Down to the Wire in the West

Vol. I, No. 70

Two game mirrored each other tonight.  Both went to OT.  The boys from Manitoba and the men from Illinois emerged triumphant.

In Manitoba, the Brandon Wheat Kings took on the Calgary Hitmen in the Memorial Cup semi-final.  At the end of three periods, the score was tied 4-4. The favored WHL champion Hitmen were supposed to come out on top. They had beaten Brandon every time they met during the regular season. Not tonight.

In front of the home crowd, the black and gold Wheat Kings scored in OT. They move on to face the Windsor Spitfires on Sunday, to compete for junior hockey's biggest prize - the Memorial Cup. This is the path to the NHL for many players.  Win a Memorial Cup, and draft prospects can change.

Further to the east and south, at the United Center in Chicago Illinois, the San Jose Sharks kept their Western Conference game close through three periods.  They scored a tying goal against the Black Hawks in the third period.  The game ended regular time, tied 2-2.

In OT, the Big Buff scored on Evgeny Nabokov.  Chicago's netminder Antti Niemi made 44 saves against the Sharks  The Hawks now have a commanding 3-0 series lead.  Don't expect another 4-game comeback (like Philadelphia's dismantling of the Boston Bruins). Chicago is playing to eliminate a 59 year drought with the Stanley Cup.

The measure of Chicago's success is that Jonathan Toews earned a point in his 12th straight playoff game. This string broke the Blackhawks team record set by hockey legend Stan Mikita, the leading NHL center of the 1960s, teammate of Bobby Hull and a member of the 1961 cup-winning Hawks.  Toews' performance puts him in the lead for the Con Smythe trophy, if the Hawks continue their winning ways.

At the time of his retirement in 1980, Mikita was the NHL's second leading scorer; only Gordie Howe had more points.  Mikita was in the crowd tonight, elated at the new Blackhawk success.  Toews is destined to become the Hawks leading scorer.  It has been an amazing year for him, including his strong performance for Team Canada in the 2010 Winter Olympics. He has been with the Hawks for only three years and is already the team captain. This is a super star in the making.

The Hawks are one win away from their first Stanley Cup appearance since 1992.  The Wheat Kings are two days away from playing for junior hockey's biggest prize.

Hockey Rules.

Scores From Near and Far, From Here and There

Vol. I, No. 69

The Habs are back from the dead.  They outplayed the Flyers on home ice and turned the tables.  Leighton 5, Halak 1.  Could this be the time that Michael Leighton unravels?  Will "Stonewall Halak" play again on Saturday, or will "Jaro the Holy" show up instead?

Philly proved one thing tonight. They know how to fight at the end of a losing game.  Will it make a difference in Game Four? Doubtful.

Out west, in the CHL Memorial Cup tournament, there was no game today since the final pairings had already been decided.  The QMJHL champion Moncton Wildcats have been eliminated.

Tomorrow, the Brandon Wheat Kings face the Calgary Hitmen in the semi-final game. Game time is 8pm EDT. The winner of that game will face the Windsor Spitfires on Sunday May 23rd. Game time is 7pm EDT.

Much further to the east, the IIHF World Championships in Germany had two games.  Canada was whipped by the Russian team.  The boys from east of the Urals beat the CanadiAns 5-2.

Meanwhile, the Germans eked out a victory over Switzerland with a 1-0 shutout. That means Germany is headed to the semi-finals for the first time since 1992.

Hockey Rules, Globally!

Ou Sont Les Habs? Where Have the Habs Gone?

Vol. I, No. 68

The hockey world is either in shock, or yawning. 

The yawning comes from the Eastern Conference final. Only one team has showed up to play.  The Philadelphia Flyers look like they are on auto-pilot, cruising to an easy series sweep and an appearance in the Stanley Cup final for the first time in 13 years.  Their last chance was against the Detroit Red Wings in 1997.

The shock exists on both coasts.  The San Jose Sharks have been de-finned in their own tank by the tribe from Chicago.  The Hawks won two at the HP Pavilion on the road, but at least the games were close (2-1, 4-2).  Fans of the #1 Western conference team left the arena, stunned.

On the other side of the continent, the Montreal Canadiens have more or less disappeared.  The hockey team that is playing in their place must be replacements from the junior leagues.  Not a goal has been scored in two games by the Habs, against the #7 Eastern Conference Philadelphia Flyers.

The same team that vanquished the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins just did not travel to Philadelphia. Maybe the bus got lost. Or maybe the Philly accent have befuddled the French-Canadiens. On the defensive side, the Canadiens have allowed nine goals in two games.  4.5 GAA.  In the previous series, the Habs GAA was 2.57. This cannot be the same team out there.

The result is two series with teams up 2-0.  Chicago is returning home with a lead.  It is hard to imagine the San Jose Sharks winning the series. They need to win 4 out of the next 5 games, and three of the contests will be on the road in Chicago. The Hawks and Chicago fans are hungry. It has been a 59 year wait. The Stanley Cup is getting nearer. You can feel the loop shaking with anticipation.

Montreal plays the Flyers tomorrow night at the Bell Centre.  Unless the REAL Habs show up, unless the Canadiens win a game and get back into the series, you can expect Montreal fans to show some displeasure. There were only 32 arrests in Montreal when the Habs BEAT the Penguins.  If they lose to the Flyers, the Montreal police and RCMP may have an interesting evening.

Meanwhile, the CHL Memorial Cup is drawing to a close.  It looks like the WHL Calgary Hitmen will face the OHL Windsor Spitfires in the final game on Sunday May 23rd. Game time is 7pm, following the 3pm NHL Western Conference final in Chicago.

Hockey Rules.

Suspense, Quebec Style (et plus)

Vol. I, No. 67

Moncton is trying for a comeback tonight.  The QMJHL champion Wildcats are tied, 3-3, in the first OT period, against the OHL champion Windsor Spitfires. Moncton scored two goals in the third period to tie the game.

What is happening in Brandon MB tonight is a traditional Ontario-Quebec battle for hockey bragging rights.  Moncton has lost twice in this tournament, and has something to prove.

Taylor Hall, the probable #1 NHL draft pick, is playing for the Spitfires. He has been held to one assist tonight. The Windsor team has already qualified for a berth in the CHL Memorial Cup final.  The only question is who their opponents will be.  

Hmmm, seems like there is another team from Quebec which has lost two in a row (both shutouts) against a team from another province (or state).  The next game in the NHL Eastern Conference finals happens on Thursday May 20.  The Centre Bell will be rocking, and I don't think a third shutout is in the cards.  On verra.  We shall see.

The last game of the evening started at 10pm, and the Chicago Blackhawks lead the San Jose Sharks 3-1 with one period of play left. On the east coast, if you can stay awake until 12:30am, the outcome will be known.

If the Hawks can go two up on the road, it sure looks like the Sharks will be washed up soon.  But a one goal lead at the HP Pavilion in San Jose does not mean much, unless Antti Niemi is standing on his head. Maybe he can "finnish" the Sharks off. Stranger things have happened.

Hockey Rules.

P.S. Ontario won tonight. The Spitfires scored in overtime to win 4-3. Looks like Windsor is cruising to another championship. With three straight wins, they still have to get through the final game on Sunday May 23rd. It will be broadcast on the NHL Network, game time 6pm. Watch tomorrow's stars, before the NHL entry draft happens on June 25-26 in Los Angeles.

Memorial Cup, History and Hockey Geography

Vol. I, No. 66

The Windsor Spitfires are current OHL champions, defending Memorial Cup champions, and have beaten the WHL Calgary Hitmen by another lopsided score, 6-2.  This follows their 9-3 win over Brandon's Wheat Kings.  Could be the Spitfires are on their way to a repeat Memorial Cup.

That name, Spitfires, made me wonder.  What is a Spitfire?

The main reference is to Britain's most advanced fighter airplane of World War II.  The "Submarine Spitfire" in its various incarnations, was reputed to have reached a top speed of 690 mph (Mach 0.96) and was the last piston engine fighter made in Britain.  RCAF pilots were part of the aerial resistance to Germany's air attacks in 1940, which initiated the Battle of Britain.

A Spitfire was the toughest, fastest thing in the sky over Britain, and was responsible in large part for preventing a German invasion in the early years of the war. The resistance mounted by the RAF was the first defeat suffered by the Luftwaffe, until America entered the war in 1941. The pride associated with the word Spitfire, in the British Commonwealth, is considerable.

Windsor is the only Canadian city located south of its across-the-border American counterpart.  It lies on a peninsula bounded by Lake Erie to the south, Lake St. Clair to the north, and the Detroit River to the west. Across the river is Hockeytown, also known as Motor City. So there is considerable hockey pride in these Michigan/Ontario border towns.

The Memorial Cup had its origins in 1919, donated to the Ontario Hockey Association in honor of the valiant efforts of Canadian soldiers who gave up their lives in World War I, on the side of the Allied Powers. This is the 92nd annual tournament, since the Cup was created.

Detroit may be out of the NHL championships, but Hockeytown can still enjoy the Spitfires south of the border.

Hockey Rules.

Sunday Hockey Games in the West

Vol. I, No. 65

The Wheat Kings of Brandon notched a victory in front of the home crowd on the Manitoba prairie.  In the Memorial Cup tournament, the Wheaties beat the Moncton Wildcats, with a convincing 4-0 shutout. So much for the QMJHL champs from New Brunswick, who have now lost two straight games.

Further to the west, in the San Francisco bay area, the San Jose Sharks disappointed their home crowd.  They dropped their NHL Western Conference home opener 1-2, against the Chicago Blackhawks.  The Sharks had five power play opportunities, but ran into Chicago's Antti Niemi in goal.

Niemi, only in his second NHL season, saved 44 of 45 shots on goal, a Save% of 0.978. Over the entire playoff run, his Sv% is now .918, compared to San Jose's Nabokov at .913.  On paper, Chicago now has the edge in net minding. Cups are by goaltenders who stand on their heads. Niemi did that in Game One.

Chalk up two wins for teams from the midwest and Great Plains, and two losses for teams from the coasts (Pacific and Atlantic).

The Eastern Conference series starts with a 7pm game, in the city of brotherly love.  Do not expect much brotherly affection on the ice, or in the streets.  Only 32 Montreal fans were arrested on Wednesday night, after their VICTORY over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  If the Habs lose, those numbers would likely increase.

Quebecers have been waiting for 17 years for a run at the Cup.  Philly fans were last disappointed in 1997, when the Flyers reached the final and were swept in four straight games by the Detroit Red Wings.  Seems the Flyers have a tough time playing teams wearing red.  

Hockey Rules.

The Wild West Rules - Junior Size

Vol. I, No. 64

Calgary is the site of the Pengrowth (fka Olympic) Saddledome and the Stampede. The wild west is part of the city's fabric.  So is hockey.

Two teams play at the Saddledome.  One you know. The other is the Hitmen. Today, they hit on a team from Moncton, New Brunswick. There were parallels with the NHL Boston-Philly game.  But first, let's go back to Calgary.

It is Canada's fourth largest city, the only place with more than a 1,000,000 people between Toronto and Vancouver. In the hockey world, the Calgary Flames play in the NHL Western Conference. The Hitmen play in the Western Hockey League (WHL). They share the arena built for the Flames in 1983 and the Olympics in 1988.  The Saddledome is located on the Stampede Grounds.

The arena roof looks like a saddle; the Stampede is an annual summer rodeo, billed at the "Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth". It is certainly the largest rodeo in the world, attracting 1.2 million visitors over a 10 day period in early July.

When hockey season is over, the city moves into rodeo mode. Hockey gets going again in the fall, with a brief respite for CFL games and the Calgary Stampeders. And the city has multiple hockey attractions.

The Flames entered the NHL in 1972, playing in Atlanta. But the southeast was not yet ready for ice sports, and so in 1980, the Flames moved 1900 miles northwest to Alberta's southern metropolis, Calgary. Ice is somewhat easier to find in Calgary, which lies 1000 miles due north of Las Vegas.

Calgary had two professional franchises before the NHL Flames arrived. The Calgary Tigers played from 1921-27, but were done in by the Great Depression. Fifty years  later, the Calgary Cowboys played in the WHL for two years. But they only had the Stampede Corral as a venue, and with its 6500 seat capacity, the Cowboys could not collect enough gate revenue to stay in business.  They folded up their tent in 1977, six years before the Saddledome was built to accommodate a professional franchise (and the 1988 Olympics).

The Flames were Calgary's first NHL franchise. The team encountered initial success, reaching the Stanley Cup finals in 1986 and then winning Lord Stanley in 1989. Alberta owned the Cup in those years, with Edmonton winning four times, bracketing the year that Calgary took the grand prize.  Battles of Alberta, between the two teams, remain a provincial favorite. But since the 80s, NHL hockey success has drifted away from Alberta and the Canadian teams. The Montreal Canadiens are now bucking this trend - to the amazement of many.

The Flames have a major junior team affiliate in the same city, the Calgary Hitmen.  The junior team has been quite successful in the Western Hockey League. They play in the Saddledome just like their big brothers.  They are the first major junior team to attract over 10,000 people to a game. Since 1994, they have had the best regular season WHL record four times.

This year, the Calgary Hitmen won the WHL championship and were invited to the annual Memorial Cup tournament. Today, the Hitmen put away the QMJHL champion Moncton Wildcats with a come-from-behind finish.  The Wildcats led 3-1 after two periods, but the Hitmen scored four goals in the third period to come out ahead 5-4. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? But this story gets even a little stranger. 

The scapegoat for Friday's implosion by the Boston Bruins was allegedly Marc Savard, who signaled that he was coming off the ice and then stayed on, leading to the extra man penalty. Today, Moncton's defensmen David Savard tried a clear around the boards, but a bad bounce off the Zamboni door put the puck on the stick of Hitman Tyler Shattock who scored the winning goal. Two Savards, a mistake and a bad bounce. That's the way hockey games are decided. For the curious, these  Savards are not related.

On Sunday, the Brandon Wheat Kings take on Moncton at 3pm EST. They'll be playing at the same time some team from Chicago starts its series in San Jose, trying to get to a Stanley Cup final.  The Blackhawks have been Stanley Cup-less for 59 years. 

Go Hawks.  Go Wheat Kings.  Western Hockey Rules.

Hockey Out on the Prairie

Vol. I, No. 63

The Memorial Cup

The boys, and I do mean boys, are holed up in Brandon, Manitoba. They are competing for a trophy which culminates the competition of three Canadian junior leagues from Quebec to the Western provinces. It is a confederation known as the Canadian Hockey League, but the teams play for three regional leagues, known as the  OHL, QMJHL (LHJMQ si on parle Francais), and WHL.

The alphabet soup means Ontario, Quebec Major Junior and Western Hockey Leagues.  21 teams operate out West, 20 teams play in Ontario and 18 teams are in the QMJHL, including the Lewiston Maineiacs. Yup, a team from the State of Maine, here in the US. And one of their alums is none other than Jaroslav Halak. Americans playing in the Canadian Hockey league, eh?  It is not really a mystery.

If you know anything about Maine geography, you understand that the twin cities of Auburn-Lewiston are renowned for three things.  One is Bates College, the alma mater of Bryant Gumbel.  The second is its number of churches, supposedly the highest per capita in the nation, including Maine's only basilica. The third is its Franglais influence, dating from the time of the American civil war, when Quebecers moved south to work in the textile mills on the Androscoggin River.  Part of downtown Lewiston became known as "Little Canada".

Out west, the WHL includes the Everett Silvertips, the Portland Winterhawks, the Seattle Thunderbirds, the Spokane Chiefs and the Tri-City Americans (Kennewick, WA on the Columbia River).  Even the Ontario league has been tainted with Americans, from Erie PA and Saginaw MI.  So much for the "Canadian" Hockey League.  

Now, going west about 2000 miles, the end of the junior hockey is happening in Brandon.  It is 100 miles west of Winnipeg and 120 miles NNE of Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota (or you could head 200 miles northwest from Grand Forks and get to the place).  Brandon is the heart of Canadian wheat country.  It is Manitoba's second largest city, with a surrounding population of 150,000.  Average summer weather is 65F, though temps have reached 110F under the prairie sun. In January, the average temperature is 0F (with the record low of -52F).  

Four teams have reached the finals.  They are the Calgary Hitmen, the Windsor Spitfires (OHL champs and defending Memorial Cup champs), the Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL champs) and the Brandon Wheat Kings (host city). From now until next Sunday, the four will duke it out for Canadian junior bragging rights.  Upcoming stars put on their best show, as the NHL draft looms on June 25 at the Staples Center in LA.  A strong Memorial Cup showing can make the difference in starting a pro career.  The scouts are all in Brandon right now.

Hockey Rules.

Agony and Ecstasy - A New Boston Massacre

Vol. I, No. 62

They'll be talking about this one for years to come. It was a hockey game for the ages, exceeding the storylines of classic comebacks in 1942 (the Toronto Maple Leafs) and 1975 (the New York Islanders).

Boston choked not once, but twice.  After starting the series with three straight wins, the Bruins dropped three straight games - only the sixth time this has happened in NHL playoff history. Then came tonight's decisive game seven, on Beantown home ice at TD Gardens.

Watching the game at 7:15pm and then again at 9:15pm, you could swear it was two different nights.  Boston assumed overwhelming control with a 3-0 lead.  It is a truism that hockey teams don't come back from three goal deficits.  Don't tell that to Philadelphia tonight. The #7 seed in the East came out on top, after being down three games to none, after being down three goals to none. 

In the middle of the first period, down 0-3 goals, Flyers coach Peter Laviolette took an unusual time out.  No coach wastes that opportunity so early in the game, but Laviolette knew better.  After getting back on the ice, his team rallied and scored late in the first period. They started to smell the possibility. Victory can be snatched from the jaws of defeat.

The Flyers continued to battle in the second and Boston had no answer. Just like the comeback after losing three games to Boston, the Flyers refused to surrender. After 40 minutes of play, the score was tied 3-3 and it was anybody's game.

And then came the second, killer, choke. Boston took a penalty for too many men on the ice, and at 12:52 of the third period, Philly capitalized. Simon Gagne scored the game winner.  Boston fans and the rest of the hockey world will long remember the fateful penalty. The Bruins came so close, came back in the first period after losing three straight, only to lose their season in the next 40 minutes. And for what - one of the most elemental aspects of the game, changing lines without leaving an extra player on the ice.

Last year, the Devils blew a lead in the last two minutes of the third period of a game seven. At the time, I thought that was devastating. But that game was a marsh mellow, piker, powderpuff, compared to the 2010 Boston Massacre by the Philadelphia Flyers.

Without the final Boston mistake, who knows, the game might have gone to overtime with a different result. This game and the penalty will no doubt be used by coaches at every level, to demonstrate the importance of good line changes. These memories will not fade. 1942. 1975. And now, 2010.

So where does the NHL 2010 season stand?  In the west, the top teams have reached their final.  San Jose (#1) faces Chicago (#2). In contrast, the Eastern Conference final will have #7 and #8 seeds competing for the Prince of Wales Trophy. That's another first in hockey. It reflects this new era of free agency, and the equality of many teams. There is no one in hockey who predicted this outcome. 

Is it fathomable that a #7 or #8 seed can take on a top regular season team and win the Stanley Cup?  Ask the Washington Capitals, New Jersey Devils or Pittsburgh Penguins - all of whom have been beaten by Montreal and Philadelphia.

The Conference finals start on Sunday.  Can the Flyers compete against Montreal after the roller coaster they have just been on?  Will Chicago be able to erase its 59 year drought?  Is this the year that San Jose finally fulfills its destiny and wins the cup? The Habs have not won since 1993. It is a great day for hockey.  

Hockey Rules.

P.S. NHL top prospect Taylor Hall, playing for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League, demolished the Brandon Wheat Kings (Western Hockey League) tonight in the opening game of the MasterCard Memorial Cup tournament. The Spitfires, defending OHL and Memorial Cup champions, beat Brandon 9-3. It's not the same as the big leagues, but this is where tomorrow's NHL stars come from. The games are streamed live and shown on the NHL Network.

Boston On Edge - A Tale of Two Teams

Vol. I, No. 61

On a hockey-less night, in the absence of NHL playoff games, there is time to relax.  The suspense is on hold, unless you were a Celtics fan praying for a Cavalier exit in game six of the NBA playoffs.

After all, how much cliff-hanging anxiety can Boston fans possibly endure? Before this evening, both winter teams had not yet sealed the deal. The Bruins in particular, seemed to be on the brink of implosion.

Playing in Boston tonight, the Celtics were in a game six situation and did not want to travel back to Cleveland for a final game against the league-leading Cavaliers.  But the Celts pulled it out, 94-85. So at least one Boston winter team plays on, with the Celts reaching their Eastern Conference finals against the Orlando Magic.

What are the odds that two winter teams from the same town both go to their Conference finals?  It is a scheduling nightmare for the NBA and NHL, but the teams will take it (and the extra gate revenue from more playoff games).  TD Gardens and the hospitality business in Boston also get to rake in more money, the longer these teams endure.

Tomorrow night, Boston's hockey team has no second chances.  Unless the Bruins can win their game seven, it is the end of the line.  They've lost three straight games to the Philadelphia Flyers - only the sixth time in NHL history that a team up by 3 games has blown it's lead. If Philly wins four straight, it will only be the third time in league history.  The betting money is on Philly to come out on top.

Boston hockey fans are on edge.  The big Mo is on Philly's side. The Flyers have gotten unbelievable goaltending from TWO netminders. Tomorrow night, the Bruins will face Michael Leighton in goal. He has stopped 44 of the past 45 shots.  He is fresh (replaced Brian Boucher in the last game). Boston's offense has disappeared in the past two games, with only one goal scored in six periods of play.

Whoever wins tomorrow faces the Montreal Canadiens at 7pm on Sunday, in the Eastern Conference finals.  The Western Conference finals kick off at 3pm that day (a noontime start at the HP Pavilion in San Jose).

Hockey resumes on Friday with the NHL last semi-final game, and the start of the Canada junior Memorial Cup tournament.  It will be a chance to see top draft prospects in action on the ice.  The Memorial Cup concludes on Sunday, May 23. So do the IIHF World Championships.  Then comes the Stanley Cup finals.  There's plenty of hockey left in the tank.

Hockey Rules.