Recently the new CFL commissioner Mark Cohon announced that he plans to market the CFL through the marketing of the leagues superstars. As much as I think that the CFL is going in the right direction with their emphasis on marketing to grow the league, I don't think that putting all the emphasis on the superstar players will solve all of the league's problems.
I think that the league is missing a step in its marketing planning, and it really does depend who they are targetting because if they are targetting those who already follow the game or even the casual fan, they will have no problem with appeal. But if they are looking at getting to fringe fans, before the league can start marketing their superstars to their communities, they need to build up products in each city that are worthy of having their superstars bragged about. They can't have franchises with internal conflicts and players getting arrested and they can't have franchises going out of business.
The CFL needs to clean up the league on all front, start marketing the game to its communities through history and excitement of the game and then once they have buy in, they can start to market their superstars. Without a solid team foundation, there are no superstars.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Patrick White - A Steal?
When I first heard Dave Nonis call Patrick White's name as Vancouver's first round selection in the NHL Entry Draft this past Friday in Columbus, I thought to my self, Patrick Who? With the likes of David Perron, Michal Repik and Oscer Moller still available at that point, I was certain that the Canucks scouting staff had yet again failed to judge young talent. Without even knowing much about him, I thought his career potential was Ryan Kesler at best and Nathan Smith at worst. To say I wasn't thrilled about the selection is a major understatement. But the more I read about this kid, the more I like him. I have also been very impressed with the way he conducted himself in the few interviews I've heard. Here are some encouraging quotes I've gathered from several people that have seen him play.
"White is incredibly strong with the puck. In last year's state championship game, Roseau head coach Scott Oliver instructed his players to try and play off White, because of his ability to bounce off of checks. White also has a hard, accurate shot which allows him to score a lot of goals. He is also responsible on his own end of the ice, which should make him even more attractive to NHL teams."
"White will head to the University of Minnesota next season. Whichever team drafts him will likely want White to play at least 2 or three years as he develops physically. White has a great deal of strength, but there is a big difference between being high school-strong and NHL-strong, and it takes time to build that strength. White projects to a solid two-way player that can be a solid finisher on a powerplay. White is one of the more complete players in the draft, with no glaring weaknesses. It will just be a matter of how he continues to develop."
"I really like White. I have a feeling he will end up on the gophers top line with Stoa and Okposo. He does everything well. He has the strength and smarts to make things happen. What i like about White the most is his willingness to shoot the puck. Some snipers in the making have the shot but do not shoot. White loves to shoot the puck. He likes to be that guy. I think he will be a steal where he was picked. Supposedly he is taking classes at the U already to work out with team and get early chemistry. He says and does all the right things. I hate to to cross compare stats but Sam Gagner had 11 goals in 40 some games in the USHL last year. This year White had 8 goals in 12 games."
"It's no secret that the Wild like Minnesota high school talent and Minnesota collegians. With White, they'd be getting both as he's headed for the University of Minnesota in 2007-08. However, this wouldn't be merely a public relations selection. Minnesota needs a future first-line center and White fits the bill--albeit a few years down the road. This pick seems like a natural."
"Can be a downright scary player to go up against when his game is on. Had a nice debut in the USHL and his short stay there leaves the mind open as to what he is really capable of. When he’s motivated, he can go out there and control games with his speed and mental game. Can go end to end at a moments notice when he turns on his afterburners. Again, consistency is a problem but not something “scary” enough to warrant dropping him out of the top 30."
"Minnesota : Lots of hometown players in this draft, and some of them are good, and still available. One of them will be quite good, and could turn out as the best sniper of the draft. His name, Patrick White. His shot is great, his release is fast, his shot is deadly accurate. Add to that good skating, good two way game, and you have a complete player. Will need time to reach the NHL, but he’ll be a good one."
"Pat White. Seen him as high as top 10 and as low as "who is Pat White." Totally carried his HS team to back to back state tournament appearance in what i think is the toughest section in the state to begin with. Took second both years. Plays well at both ends. Hard to knock off of the puck. Great shot. Loves to fish out pucks down low and take them out front and bury it. Possible 2 way sniper."
"I watched him play at the MN State Hockey Tournament. He was the leader of the Grand Rapids team. He's a very smooth skating player. The bottom line is he's a gamer. He simply took over the three games I watched him play. He's scores the important goals, very clutch. The knock on him is he can drift in and out of games which I saw at times. However, with the game on the line there wasn't anybody as clutch as him."
"The best stick handler in the draft besides Pat Kane."
"On the other side of the ice, the more I see Pat White, the more I'm convinced he'll be a first round draft pick next summer. He had another great performance. Even though he was held off the scoresheet, he was still making his presence felt on the ice."
"He's a very strong two-way player and can really dominate along the wall with the puck -- very strong kid. Give him three years at Minnesota and I think you'll find yourselves very happy with this pick. I know as a Gopher/Wild fan, I'm loving the fact White's here for the next few years, but now with Vancouver taking him, it's too bad he'll get to eat up the Wild down the road."
"He was also the AP Player of the Year in the state of Minnesota. He won this award over, among others, Ryan McDonagh, who of course went earlier in the first round to Montreal."
"He's a smart two-way center with great puck sense. His poise with the puck is exceptional and his best trait is his ability to draw the opposition to him and then break the defense down by threading the needle with a slick pass. He's also a precise finisher with a quick and accurate shot, especially in tight. His skating is deceptively good and his defensive game is underrated."
"White is incredibly strong with the puck. In last year's state championship game, Roseau head coach Scott Oliver instructed his players to try and play off White, because of his ability to bounce off of checks. White also has a hard, accurate shot which allows him to score a lot of goals. He is also responsible on his own end of the ice, which should make him even more attractive to NHL teams."
"White will head to the University of Minnesota next season. Whichever team drafts him will likely want White to play at least 2 or three years as he develops physically. White has a great deal of strength, but there is a big difference between being high school-strong and NHL-strong, and it takes time to build that strength. White projects to a solid two-way player that can be a solid finisher on a powerplay. White is one of the more complete players in the draft, with no glaring weaknesses. It will just be a matter of how he continues to develop."
"I really like White. I have a feeling he will end up on the gophers top line with Stoa and Okposo. He does everything well. He has the strength and smarts to make things happen. What i like about White the most is his willingness to shoot the puck. Some snipers in the making have the shot but do not shoot. White loves to shoot the puck. He likes to be that guy. I think he will be a steal where he was picked. Supposedly he is taking classes at the U already to work out with team and get early chemistry. He says and does all the right things. I hate to to cross compare stats but Sam Gagner had 11 goals in 40 some games in the USHL last year. This year White had 8 goals in 12 games."
"It's no secret that the Wild like Minnesota high school talent and Minnesota collegians. With White, they'd be getting both as he's headed for the University of Minnesota in 2007-08. However, this wouldn't be merely a public relations selection. Minnesota needs a future first-line center and White fits the bill--albeit a few years down the road. This pick seems like a natural."
"Can be a downright scary player to go up against when his game is on. Had a nice debut in the USHL and his short stay there leaves the mind open as to what he is really capable of. When he’s motivated, he can go out there and control games with his speed and mental game. Can go end to end at a moments notice when he turns on his afterburners. Again, consistency is a problem but not something “scary” enough to warrant dropping him out of the top 30."
"Minnesota : Lots of hometown players in this draft, and some of them are good, and still available. One of them will be quite good, and could turn out as the best sniper of the draft. His name, Patrick White. His shot is great, his release is fast, his shot is deadly accurate. Add to that good skating, good two way game, and you have a complete player. Will need time to reach the NHL, but he’ll be a good one."
"Pat White. Seen him as high as top 10 and as low as "who is Pat White." Totally carried his HS team to back to back state tournament appearance in what i think is the toughest section in the state to begin with. Took second both years. Plays well at both ends. Hard to knock off of the puck. Great shot. Loves to fish out pucks down low and take them out front and bury it. Possible 2 way sniper."
"I watched him play at the MN State Hockey Tournament. He was the leader of the Grand Rapids team. He's a very smooth skating player. The bottom line is he's a gamer. He simply took over the three games I watched him play. He's scores the important goals, very clutch. The knock on him is he can drift in and out of games which I saw at times. However, with the game on the line there wasn't anybody as clutch as him."
"The best stick handler in the draft besides Pat Kane."
"On the other side of the ice, the more I see Pat White, the more I'm convinced he'll be a first round draft pick next summer. He had another great performance. Even though he was held off the scoresheet, he was still making his presence felt on the ice."
"He's a very strong two-way player and can really dominate along the wall with the puck -- very strong kid. Give him three years at Minnesota and I think you'll find yourselves very happy with this pick. I know as a Gopher/Wild fan, I'm loving the fact White's here for the next few years, but now with Vancouver taking him, it's too bad he'll get to eat up the Wild down the road."
"He was also the AP Player of the Year in the state of Minnesota. He won this award over, among others, Ryan McDonagh, who of course went earlier in the first round to Montreal."
"He's a smart two-way center with great puck sense. His poise with the puck is exceptional and his best trait is his ability to draw the opposition to him and then break the defense down by threading the needle with a slick pass. He's also a precise finisher with a quick and accurate shot, especially in tight. His skating is deceptively good and his defensive game is underrated."
Friday, June 22, 2007
Sixes Wild
July 1st is still over a week away, but the free agency signing frenzy has already begun in the NHL. With Canada Day and the date at which players at the end of their contracts become free agents fast approaching, NHL GM's are trying with great fervor to re-sign their impending UFA's before other teams have a chance to offer them contracts.
The signings by the Flyers and Pantehrs in the last few days are by-products of the new NHL, the new CBA and the salary cap era. Last season, we saw the Edmonton Oilers lock up one of their young stars, who (with Ryan Smyth's departure) is now their franchise player, Ales Hemsky to a 6-year contract. This type of contract allows for teams to keep the cores of their franchise for a long period of time as an attempt to ensure a continued high level of competetion. The player is guaranteed long-term security while at the risk of not being given a raise for a good season until after the contract expires while the team is risk of paying a player so much even if they don't produce in years upcoming.
While this could have been now in the old-NHL, it was rarely seen notwithstanding the crazy Alexei Yashin type deals. But the Islanders did many crazy things, so we will discount them. The Oilers deal with Hemsky made sense to me, and to go even further so did the decade-long deal that Rick DiPietro of the Islanders received. What is puzzling to me is why teams are now starting to sign lower level players to long-term contracts at high prices. Hemsky's deal saw him get what was fair market value for his performance, over a long period of time. Again, player security and low future cap hit for the team. But when the Flyers signed Scott Hartner to a six year deal worth over four million a year, both of the reasons to make a six year deal were thrown out the window. Hartnell, a 20-goal scorer and a second line player (at best) may not ever produce more than he has, and may even begin to decline in production in the new-NHL. The Panther's did the same with Nathan Horton signing him to a six-year deal, Horton hasn't done much to prove himself in the NHL and guaranteeing him six-years without proof of superstardom may prove to be foolish.
I guess the point is that some GM's are beginning to focus more on their salary cap's over a long period of time, rather than the actual hockey. Sure a player making the same six years from now may be a good deal, but that is only if he is a better (or atleast equal) player than he was at the start of his contract.
The signings by the Flyers and Pantehrs in the last few days are by-products of the new NHL, the new CBA and the salary cap era. Last season, we saw the Edmonton Oilers lock up one of their young stars, who (with Ryan Smyth's departure) is now their franchise player, Ales Hemsky to a 6-year contract. This type of contract allows for teams to keep the cores of their franchise for a long period of time as an attempt to ensure a continued high level of competetion. The player is guaranteed long-term security while at the risk of not being given a raise for a good season until after the contract expires while the team is risk of paying a player so much even if they don't produce in years upcoming.
While this could have been now in the old-NHL, it was rarely seen notwithstanding the crazy Alexei Yashin type deals. But the Islanders did many crazy things, so we will discount them. The Oilers deal with Hemsky made sense to me, and to go even further so did the decade-long deal that Rick DiPietro of the Islanders received. What is puzzling to me is why teams are now starting to sign lower level players to long-term contracts at high prices. Hemsky's deal saw him get what was fair market value for his performance, over a long period of time. Again, player security and low future cap hit for the team. But when the Flyers signed Scott Hartner to a six year deal worth over four million a year, both of the reasons to make a six year deal were thrown out the window. Hartnell, a 20-goal scorer and a second line player (at best) may not ever produce more than he has, and may even begin to decline in production in the new-NHL. The Panther's did the same with Nathan Horton signing him to a six-year deal, Horton hasn't done much to prove himself in the NHL and guaranteeing him six-years without proof of superstardom may prove to be foolish.
I guess the point is that some GM's are beginning to focus more on their salary cap's over a long period of time, rather than the actual hockey. Sure a player making the same six years from now may be a good deal, but that is only if he is a better (or atleast equal) player than he was at the start of his contract.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
2007 NHL "Mock" Draft
I have taken a lot more interest in this year’s NHL Entry Draft than I have in years past. I have probably taken a little too much interest in this year’s draft considering the fact that I am spending a large portion of my time trying to figure out who the Canucks will draft, if Kyle Turris will go first overall or if Alexei Cherepanov will drop out of the top 10, when in reality I should be studying for my Socials Provincial exam which oddly enough falls on the same day as this year’s NHL Entry Draft. I definitely didn’t want to let all my extensive research go down the drain, especially when it comes at the expense of my Socials mark, so I thought why not give The Press Box Blog viewers a sneak peak of what I think will go down Friday in Columbus? As a result of everything I’ve read and heard along with my obvious knowledge and intelligence, I assembled this “mock” draft of the 1st round, exclusively for The Press Box Blog viewers. Enjoy!
1.
The Blackhawks truly believe that Kane is the best player in this draft class, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s a good old American kid and will indisputably put fans in the seats. Will fit in perfectly playing alongside Jonathan Toews down the road.
2.
With Kane out of the picture, there is no doubt that Turris is the best player available at this point. Turris has said that Philly has talked to him more than once and Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren described him as “very competitive and smart.” Has the potential to become a Steve Yzerman type player and remember, you heard him on The Press Box.
3.
Van Riemsdyk offers the whole package, and when the Coyotes pretty much need help in all facets of their organization, James is a no brainer. Doesn’t hurt that the Coyotes have had a tendency of drafting American born players.
4.
5.
The Capitals will be willing to take a gamble on this skilled Russian. Alexander Ovechkin has a lot of say in what this team does and he will convince George McPhee and the Captitals’ scouting staff to pick Cherepanov, even though the Russian Transfer Agreement is still up in the air.
6.
While they were thinking about taking Sam Gagner from
7.
Gagner will undoubtedly be a solid NHL’er. Has good blood lines and has an amazing skill set. Gilbert Brule and Sam Gagner will provide a dynamic one-two punch down the middle for the foreseeable future.
8.
In the past, the Bruins have always chosen the best player available, but in a draft that is so wide open, they felt the need to draft this big physical two-way defenceman to solidify their back end.
9.
The Blues are looking for a skilled forward, and while I feel Hamill or Esposito would be the better choice, the Blues always seem to end up with a European, Backlund being a pretty good one at that.
10.
In the past, the Panthers have had the tendency of drafting players from the CHL, and they believe Hamill is the best player available. While they already have many skilled forwards in the system, the Panthers’ scouting staff has seen a lot of this kid in the WHL and is ecstatic that he is still available. Another future star that you heard first on The Press Box.
11.
While the Canes would have preferred Alzner or Ellerby; they feel that Esposito has the raw offensive upside to become a superstar in the NHL. While the Canadiens made a strong push to trade up to draft the local hero, the Canes feel that Esposito is by far the best player available and are very excited to see him develop.
12.
While the Canadiens would have much rather drafted Esposito; they feel that Perron is the next best thing. They haven’t been reluctant in drafting French Canadians in the past and they feel that Perron took huge strides of improvement this season. They believe that Perron will keep on getting better and better in the years to come.
13.
The Leafs were thrilled that hometown hero Logan Couture was still available at 13. They feel that he is by far the best player available and will work even harder to achieve his goals playing with the Leafs.
14.
The Avs’ scouting staff yet again comes up with a gem. I haven’t read one bad thing about this kid; has good size and strength along with an amazing offensive tool set, should be a solid NHL’er.
15.
The Oilers were looking for a defenceman and they felt that McDonagh was the best player available. Offensive defenceman with good size and strength; he too made some major strides this season. May be one of the steals of the draft.
16.
The Ducks are very pleased with the selection of Kevin Shattenkirk. With Niedermayer’s retirement looming, the Ducks all of a sudden don’t have a lot of depth on the back end. Brian Burke has had a tendency of drafting American born players with his first round picks (Bobby Ryan, Ryan Kesler, RJ Umberger).
17.
The Rangers were very impressed with Repik’s play in the WHL playoffs and the Memorial Cup. They feel as though he is the steal of the draft. Repik will fit in nicely with
18.
Darryl Sutter and the Flames turn some heads when they pass up on the Brandon Sutter. But they feel that Gillies is basically NHL ready and is a guaranteed 3rd line player, with the potential of becoming a 1st or 2nd liner. Gritty kid from the west; will fit in perfectly with the flames rugged style of play.
19.
A big rugged stay at home defenceman with good speed that would be an ideal fit on Jacques Lemaire’s Wild. They feel that Petrcki was the best player available.
20.
The Pens had both Gillies and Petrcki ahead of Sutter on their list, but they feel as though Sutter will be a certain 3rd liner in the NHL, with the potential of becoming much more. The last name doesn’t hurt either.
21.
Gretz and the Coyotes were very surprised when Sweatt was still available at 21 as they had him much higher on their list. The best skater in the draft with a lot of offensive upside.
22.
The Canadiens were very impressed with his composure down the stretch with the Vancouver Giants; a great puck moving offensive defenseman, with under rated defensive abilities.
23.
Put up 100 points with
24.
The Blues feel that this Russian is the best player available and is way too good to pass up on. The Blues had Moyarov much higher on their list and have no problem drafting him, even though there is no guarantee he will come over to
25.
The Canucks got the kid that they really wanted. Dave Nonis and the Canucks scouting staff saw a lot of him playing in
26.
The Blues were once again surprised that Hickey was available this low; drafting 2 skilled forwards with their previous picks, they felt that this defenceman would be the perfect selection. Should make a nice pairing with Erik Johnson.
27.
The Red Wings will yet again draft a Swede, and yet again draft a very talented one. They feel like Andersson is already a top notch defensive forward ala. Samuel Pahlsson and they feel that he has a lot more to offer offensively.
28.
The Caps would have liked to draft a defenceman, but they feel that Pacioretty is definitely the best player available. They didn’t think he would be around at 28 but were very thrilled that he was. A prototypical power forward with deceptive speed and a developing defensive game.
29.
The Sens’ really like this kid from
30.
The Oilers are well aware of all the questions surrounding this kid’s attitude and behavior, but there are no questions surrounding his raw skill. The Oil are counting on the Gagners in
Friday, June 15, 2007
Too Much Fun League
It had been said by pundits time and time again that with the NFL's strict policies and regulations on and off the field, the league had gone from the best professional sporting league in the world to the 'No Fun League'. Well, it seems like the players in the NFL heard those critics and didn't agree. In fact the players really must love their league because it seems like players have taken offense to what the critics had to say.
Over the past few years, many NFL players have taken it upon themselves to right what they believe to be a wrong accusation. The NFL is not the 'No Fun League' it is in fact the 'Too Much Fun League' and the players have proved it through their recent actions. It really is hard to believe that the NFL, the uncontested best-run professional sports league in the world, can have so many dysfunctional players and yet still be the superpower that it is.
Every week we see someone like Micheal Vick, Adam Pacman Jones or Ricky Williams tangled up in a big mess with dogs, drugs, cops or estranged lovers and no matter how severe the crime, the punishment rarely seems to be punitive. It's common knowledge that celebrities and professional athletes are treated differently when it comes to the law, but players in the NFL are taking it to another level. It's almost as if some of these players live two lives: a football life and a life breaking the law. Imagine what the league could be if those immature players who take advantage of their status start clean up their act. The NFL is beginning to punish player with lengthy suspension, exemplified by the year-long suspensions received by Williams and most recently Jones. But of course, as long as these players are putting fans in seats and money in the pockets of the owners and leagues they really will never be treated as a human being before pro-football players, and suspensions are all they will continue to receive.
Over the past few years, many NFL players have taken it upon themselves to right what they believe to be a wrong accusation. The NFL is not the 'No Fun League' it is in fact the 'Too Much Fun League' and the players have proved it through their recent actions. It really is hard to believe that the NFL, the uncontested best-run professional sports league in the world, can have so many dysfunctional players and yet still be the superpower that it is.
Every week we see someone like Micheal Vick, Adam Pacman Jones or Ricky Williams tangled up in a big mess with dogs, drugs, cops or estranged lovers and no matter how severe the crime, the punishment rarely seems to be punitive. It's common knowledge that celebrities and professional athletes are treated differently when it comes to the law, but players in the NFL are taking it to another level. It's almost as if some of these players live two lives: a football life and a life breaking the law. Imagine what the league could be if those immature players who take advantage of their status start clean up their act. The NFL is beginning to punish player with lengthy suspension, exemplified by the year-long suspensions received by Williams and most recently Jones. But of course, as long as these players are putting fans in seats and money in the pockets of the owners and leagues they really will never be treated as a human being before pro-football players, and suspensions are all they will continue to receive.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
A Night Amongst the Stars
The 2006-2007 NHL Awards take place tonight in Toronto and like every other year, this year there is plenty of debate taking place over who is going to win each award. It can be argued that each award has more than one deserving candidate and that can only lead to many being disappointed once the hardware is given out.
The five major awards being contested are the Hart (League MVP), the Vezina (Best Goalie), the Jack Adams (Coach of the Year), the James Norris (Best Defenseman) and the Calder Memorial (Rookie of the Year).
The Calder Memorial Award is an interesting one. After last year's Crosby/Ovechkin showdown, this year's give away may not be as high profile but may be more competitive. Nominees for this award are the Pittsburgh Penguins' Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal and Paul Stastny of the Colorado Avalance. Each young phenom did great things this past season. Malking scored hilight reel goals time after time and led all rookies in scoring while Staal was sixth in rookie scoring but played a large role on the team's penalty kill and led the league in short handed goals. Paul Stastny was not as flashy as Malkin or Staal, but he did end up second in rookie scoring thanks to his impressive twenty game point-scoring streak.
The James Norris Award has been anything but competitive in recent history. Out of the last five years, Red Wing Niklas Lidstrom has won four time and guess what, he's up for it again. Along with Lidstrom, now Stanley Cup Champions Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger are nominated. It would be irresponsible to discredit Lidstrom on account of his competitiors winning the Stanley cup, but one would think that Anaheim's successes were due in large part to the tandem they had on D and this would render either Niedermayer or Pronger worthy of winning the award. The award will likely go to Niedermayer as he led all defeseman in points while Lidstrom and Pronger were fifth and seventh respectively.
The Jack Adams Award is awarded to the top coach in the league but this award may be the toughest to judge. This year's nominees are Buffalo's Lindy Ruff, Vancouver's Alain Vigneault and Pittsburgh's Michelle Therien. Although Ruff did a great job with the Sabres, it is apparent that Ruff's team had the most talent throughout the roster. This coupled with his win in this category all but eliminates him from contention in my mind. This leaves the two frenchmen Vigneault and Therien. Vigneault took a Canucks team which missed the playoffs the year before and was completely revamped with 14 new players on the roster and led them to a division title and a second round playoff berth. Although Vigneault's feat is astounding, the league and writers may see Therien's as more so. The Penguins' bench boss led his team from last place in the Eastern Conference last year to fifth place this year and a long-awaited playoff appearance. Vigneault did more with a lesser team, but Therien made a more drastic improvement.
The Vezina Trophy is given to the best goalie. Genearlly this award is based on stats. This year there are four nominees. Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, Mikka Kiprusoff and Henrik Lundqvist. Brodeur seems like a shoe-in for this one, he lead the league in shutout with 12 and set a new league record for wins while having a steller GAA and Save %. Luongo would be a close second, but his stats do not compare to Brodeurs.
Finally, the Hart Trophy. The player who is judged the most valuable player to his team. Martin Broduer, Roberto Luongo and Sidney Crosby are up for this one. Many in the West would say Luongo deserves to win as without him, the Canucks would have gone nowhere this past season. Although the same could be argued for Brodeur, it could also be said that the Devils had a more talented team than Vancouver. This leaves Sidney Crosby, who as a 19 year-old, led the NHL is scoring setting a league record as the youngest player ever to do so. Sure there will be the argument that Pittsburgh was loaded with kid phenoms, but the fact remains that without Crosby that team would have go nowhere fast.
The Lester B. Pearson award is given to the Most Valuable Player voted on by the players of the NHL. Crosby, Luongo and Vincent Lecavalier (led the league in goals) are on the ballot. Crosby doesn't have the best reputation amongst his peers, but I doubt this will take many votes away from him. Lecavalier has Martin St. Louis on his side and often worked as the second half of a tandem. Most players in the league believe that Luongo is the best goalie in the league and without him, the Canucks would have been a basement dwelling team.
As you can see, there is much room for debate and controvery. This means only one thing: an exciting night in Toronto and that is more than we can say about the city during the NHL season.
Here are my predictions for all awards:
Hart - Crosby
Lester B. Pearson - Luongo
Calder - Malkin
Norris - Niedermayer
Selke - Pahlsson
Adams - Vigneault
Byng - Sakic
Vezina - Brodeur
Catch a debrief on the NHL Awards on this weeks upcoming show of The Press Box at www.thepressbox.org
The five major awards being contested are the Hart (League MVP), the Vezina (Best Goalie), the Jack Adams (Coach of the Year), the James Norris (Best Defenseman) and the Calder Memorial (Rookie of the Year).
The Calder Memorial Award is an interesting one. After last year's Crosby/Ovechkin showdown, this year's give away may not be as high profile but may be more competitive. Nominees for this award are the Pittsburgh Penguins' Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal and Paul Stastny of the Colorado Avalance. Each young phenom did great things this past season. Malking scored hilight reel goals time after time and led all rookies in scoring while Staal was sixth in rookie scoring but played a large role on the team's penalty kill and led the league in short handed goals. Paul Stastny was not as flashy as Malkin or Staal, but he did end up second in rookie scoring thanks to his impressive twenty game point-scoring streak.
The James Norris Award has been anything but competitive in recent history. Out of the last five years, Red Wing Niklas Lidstrom has won four time and guess what, he's up for it again. Along with Lidstrom, now Stanley Cup Champions Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger are nominated. It would be irresponsible to discredit Lidstrom on account of his competitiors winning the Stanley cup, but one would think that Anaheim's successes were due in large part to the tandem they had on D and this would render either Niedermayer or Pronger worthy of winning the award. The award will likely go to Niedermayer as he led all defeseman in points while Lidstrom and Pronger were fifth and seventh respectively.
The Jack Adams Award is awarded to the top coach in the league but this award may be the toughest to judge. This year's nominees are Buffalo's Lindy Ruff, Vancouver's Alain Vigneault and Pittsburgh's Michelle Therien. Although Ruff did a great job with the Sabres, it is apparent that Ruff's team had the most talent throughout the roster. This coupled with his win in this category all but eliminates him from contention in my mind. This leaves the two frenchmen Vigneault and Therien. Vigneault took a Canucks team which missed the playoffs the year before and was completely revamped with 14 new players on the roster and led them to a division title and a second round playoff berth. Although Vigneault's feat is astounding, the league and writers may see Therien's as more so. The Penguins' bench boss led his team from last place in the Eastern Conference last year to fifth place this year and a long-awaited playoff appearance. Vigneault did more with a lesser team, but Therien made a more drastic improvement.
The Vezina Trophy is given to the best goalie. Genearlly this award is based on stats. This year there are four nominees. Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, Mikka Kiprusoff and Henrik Lundqvist. Brodeur seems like a shoe-in for this one, he lead the league in shutout with 12 and set a new league record for wins while having a steller GAA and Save %. Luongo would be a close second, but his stats do not compare to Brodeurs.
Finally, the Hart Trophy. The player who is judged the most valuable player to his team. Martin Broduer, Roberto Luongo and Sidney Crosby are up for this one. Many in the West would say Luongo deserves to win as without him, the Canucks would have gone nowhere this past season. Although the same could be argued for Brodeur, it could also be said that the Devils had a more talented team than Vancouver. This leaves Sidney Crosby, who as a 19 year-old, led the NHL is scoring setting a league record as the youngest player ever to do so. Sure there will be the argument that Pittsburgh was loaded with kid phenoms, but the fact remains that without Crosby that team would have go nowhere fast.
The Lester B. Pearson award is given to the Most Valuable Player voted on by the players of the NHL. Crosby, Luongo and Vincent Lecavalier (led the league in goals) are on the ballot. Crosby doesn't have the best reputation amongst his peers, but I doubt this will take many votes away from him. Lecavalier has Martin St. Louis on his side and often worked as the second half of a tandem. Most players in the league believe that Luongo is the best goalie in the league and without him, the Canucks would have been a basement dwelling team.
As you can see, there is much room for debate and controvery. This means only one thing: an exciting night in Toronto and that is more than we can say about the city during the NHL season.
Here are my predictions for all awards:
Hart - Crosby
Lester B. Pearson - Luongo
Calder - Malkin
Norris - Niedermayer
Selke - Pahlsson
Adams - Vigneault
Byng - Sakic
Vezina - Brodeur
Catch a debrief on the NHL Awards on this weeks upcoming show of The Press Box at www.thepressbox.org
Friday, May 25, 2007
Healthy Competition
Competition between players, coaches, clubs and owners is not rare in professional sports and much of the time this competition stems from bad blood or a competitive nature inherent in professional athletes. And hey, I'll be the first to admit without competition sports would be boring.
But amidst the bad blood and the drive to win, you do come across the odd time where competition is all in good fun. Even more rare than that is when competition leads to helping others. A prime recent example of this healthy comeptition comes from the Canadian Football League. Earlier this week co-owners of the Toronto Argonauts, David Cynamon and Howard Sokolowski, announced that they plan to donate $4 million over five years to the Hospital for Sick Children.
Cue the competitive drive of B.C. Lions owver David Braley. One day after the announcement by the Argonauts' owners, it was announced that Braley himself is donating $5 million to St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton. Although Braley it is not certain or likely that Braley made this donation because his competitive counterparts had done the same, it is not a stretch to believe that it may have had some effect on his decision to donate, and donate $1 million more. There's nothing wrong with a little healthy competition.
Braley, a Hamilton-based business man, has made it second nature to help the community whether it be in Vancouver or Hmailton. Last August, Braley was a part of the McMaster University Alumni who contrinuted $5 million to help support McMaster's new athletics and recreation centre.
But amidst the bad blood and the drive to win, you do come across the odd time where competition is all in good fun. Even more rare than that is when competition leads to helping others. A prime recent example of this healthy comeptition comes from the Canadian Football League. Earlier this week co-owners of the Toronto Argonauts, David Cynamon and Howard Sokolowski, announced that they plan to donate $4 million over five years to the Hospital for Sick Children.
Cue the competitive drive of B.C. Lions owver David Braley. One day after the announcement by the Argonauts' owners, it was announced that Braley himself is donating $5 million to St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton. Although Braley it is not certain or likely that Braley made this donation because his competitive counterparts had done the same, it is not a stretch to believe that it may have had some effect on his decision to donate, and donate $1 million more. There's nothing wrong with a little healthy competition.
Braley, a Hamilton-based business man, has made it second nature to help the community whether it be in Vancouver or Hmailton. Last August, Braley was a part of the McMaster University Alumni who contrinuted $5 million to help support McMaster's new athletics and recreation centre.
Monday, April 23, 2007
One and Done
For all those who have been jumping on and off the Vancouver Canucks' bandwagon, a game seven is everything that you have ever wanted. On the one hand, if the Canucks lose you will claim that you knew it all along, that the Canucks had no chance and that they were going to blow the 3-1 series lead. On the other hand, if the Canucks win you will undoubtedly assert that you stood behind the team all season long and have no worries when the team blew its 3-1 series lead.
The fact of the matter is that whomever predicted anything but a stalemate in the series between the Stars and the Canucks was doing so without any hard evidence. That is why I would call those people bandwagoners. If anyone expected anything but a game seven in this series, they would have been crazy. As evenly matched as the two teams were in the regular season, they were even more so in the first six games of the playoffs. Experts nationwide were predicting a long series with good goaltending and that is what they got. The Canucks may have let a 3-1 series lead slip, however it was not before they had attained that series lead in a fashion which they may not have been deserving.
So to all of you who predicted the Canucks winning or Stars winning, you were wrong. There was no way, in a series as even as this one, for you to predict anything but a close series and the possibility of a game seven. I have not done much predicting this series or throughout the regular season in fact, but I will start now and say that after tonight the series will be over and the team that wins the seventh and deciding game will be most deserving, even if it is only by a goal.
The fact of the matter is that whomever predicted anything but a stalemate in the series between the Stars and the Canucks was doing so without any hard evidence. That is why I would call those people bandwagoners. If anyone expected anything but a game seven in this series, they would have been crazy. As evenly matched as the two teams were in the regular season, they were even more so in the first six games of the playoffs. Experts nationwide were predicting a long series with good goaltending and that is what they got. The Canucks may have let a 3-1 series lead slip, however it was not before they had attained that series lead in a fashion which they may not have been deserving.
So to all of you who predicted the Canucks winning or Stars winning, you were wrong. There was no way, in a series as even as this one, for you to predict anything but a close series and the possibility of a game seven. I have not done much predicting this series or throughout the regular season in fact, but I will start now and say that after tonight the series will be over and the team that wins the seventh and deciding game will be most deserving, even if it is only by a goal.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
The 2nd Season Begins
The NHL Playoffs kicked off last night and the first night's schedule did not fail to disappoint. The early games saw the four and five seeds do battle in both conferences and although both series' were touted as being the best two match-ups in the the first round, only one of the two came through.
The Ottawa Senators, who have only one player on their roster that does not have any NHL playoff experience in Joe Corvo, let their experience pay off in a 6-3 thrashing of the inexperienced and evidently nervous Pittsburgh Penguins. The sens opened up an early 2-0 lead on the Pens capitalizing on jittery play by the Penguins team and a shaky goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury settled down by the end of the first period and kept his team down by only two goals after being outplayed, but by the second period the fat lady had sung. Ottawa extended their lead to 6-1 later in the game and until late in the contest, kept young phenoms Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal in check.
The Western Conference's 4/5 match-up was everything but a blowout. The game was a high tempo and high scoring contest which saw the San Jose Sharks take a 4-2 lead into the third period, only to allow a last minute tying goal on a deflection by Nashville's J.P. Dumont. After a scoreless first overtime, the San Jose Sharks came through and made amends for their blown lead when Patrick Marleau fed Patrick Rissmiller who netted his first of the post-season to give the Sharks the win. In one of the two remaining opening night games, the Anaheim Ducks won a low scoring affair topping the Minnesota Wild 2-1, in Anaheim.
The final game of the night - and the game that ran the longest - was the marathon between the Dallas Stars and the Vancouver Canucks. In a series that was expected to be low scoring and highly defensive, the Stars and Canucks came out guns a blazing in game 1, both scoring four goals before heading to overtime. Markus Naslund played one of his best games of the year notching one goal and one assist and Jeff Cowan continued his torrid pace of great play taking the spot of Matt Cooke after Cooke left the game with a groin strain. Both goaltenders who were under immense scrutiny entering the playoffs played well enough to keep their respective teams in the game despite allowing some questionable goals. In the end - which didn't come for a while, not until the 4th overtime - it was the Sedin twins who came through continuing to be the go-to-guys for the Canucks as Daniel Sedin fed his brother Henrik who ended the game late in the fourth overtime frame.
The first night of playoff hockey was far from a let down and was full of drama. The story lines are set for each set of game twos, but before we get there we have more exciting game 1's on hand tonight as Detroit takes on Calgary, Atlanta battles the Rangers, Buffalo and the Islanders square off and New Jersey and Tampa Bay begin their series.
It is official, the 2nd season is underway. Soak it in and enjoy the two months of non-stop exciting hockey!
The Ottawa Senators, who have only one player on their roster that does not have any NHL playoff experience in Joe Corvo, let their experience pay off in a 6-3 thrashing of the inexperienced and evidently nervous Pittsburgh Penguins. The sens opened up an early 2-0 lead on the Pens capitalizing on jittery play by the Penguins team and a shaky goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury settled down by the end of the first period and kept his team down by only two goals after being outplayed, but by the second period the fat lady had sung. Ottawa extended their lead to 6-1 later in the game and until late in the contest, kept young phenoms Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal in check.
The Western Conference's 4/5 match-up was everything but a blowout. The game was a high tempo and high scoring contest which saw the San Jose Sharks take a 4-2 lead into the third period, only to allow a last minute tying goal on a deflection by Nashville's J.P. Dumont. After a scoreless first overtime, the San Jose Sharks came through and made amends for their blown lead when Patrick Marleau fed Patrick Rissmiller who netted his first of the post-season to give the Sharks the win. In one of the two remaining opening night games, the Anaheim Ducks won a low scoring affair topping the Minnesota Wild 2-1, in Anaheim.
The final game of the night - and the game that ran the longest - was the marathon between the Dallas Stars and the Vancouver Canucks. In a series that was expected to be low scoring and highly defensive, the Stars and Canucks came out guns a blazing in game 1, both scoring four goals before heading to overtime. Markus Naslund played one of his best games of the year notching one goal and one assist and Jeff Cowan continued his torrid pace of great play taking the spot of Matt Cooke after Cooke left the game with a groin strain. Both goaltenders who were under immense scrutiny entering the playoffs played well enough to keep their respective teams in the game despite allowing some questionable goals. In the end - which didn't come for a while, not until the 4th overtime - it was the Sedin twins who came through continuing to be the go-to-guys for the Canucks as Daniel Sedin fed his brother Henrik who ended the game late in the fourth overtime frame.
The first night of playoff hockey was far from a let down and was full of drama. The story lines are set for each set of game twos, but before we get there we have more exciting game 1's on hand tonight as Detroit takes on Calgary, Atlanta battles the Rangers, Buffalo and the Islanders square off and New Jersey and Tampa Bay begin their series.
It is official, the 2nd season is underway. Soak it in and enjoy the two months of non-stop exciting hockey!
Monday, March 12, 2007
Well, it looks like The Press Box is back. It’s been a while, far too long in my humble opinion. Shaheed and I did over 30 episodes of the show, jibber-jabbering back and forth at one another.
So, we’re back and blogging! Let me tell you, I am really starting to dig the “blog.” A friend of mine said, “Nabil, now you can sound like a total moron on air and on print.” Great, thanks for the support. But, this is a great way to be interactive which is a new exciting direction for The Press Box. But more of that to come soon…
What’s going these days in sports? Let’s see, the Chris Simon issue. You know I want to get into that, but not right now. I need to collect my thoughts and really think about this one before I say something. It’s all too familiar, bringing back a very controversial issue.
I am watching CSI Miami and the only thing I can think about is Roberto Luongo. Yes, laugh it up. For the record this is not some teenie-bopper high school type of crush. I just have been amazed with Luongo all season. A no-brainer obviously. Forget all the record books he’s coming close to or has already broken as a Canuck. What impresses me most about Bobby-Lu is that he is always composed. This is something we have not seen in quite sometime from Vancouver goalies.
I used to think the fire that Dan Cloutier had made him the goalie he was. And, you know what, I was right. However, it has hindered him more than helped him. Unfortunately, having a short fuse as a goaltender doesn’t seem to be the formula for success. Look at the arguably the three best goalies in the league: Brodeur, Luongo and Kipper, all goalies that don’t get rattled. They all seem to be so cool and confident, no matter what the score or situation is. Heck, I don’t think I have ever seen Kipper smile.
Luongo has been the target of the opposition all year. He has been bumped, run and trash-talked, sometimes all at once. But, I think the Roberto has been able to keep his cool, because he has been so motivated to stick it to the Panthers, to prove to his critics that he can lead a team to the playoffs and show the fans of Vancouver what a world-class goalie plays like.
I could go on and on about Roberto. However, I have to intern tomorrow at CBC and I am dead tired.
I just can’t to see what Luongo does in the playoffs.
Stay Tuned.
So, we’re back and blogging! Let me tell you, I am really starting to dig the “blog.” A friend of mine said, “Nabil, now you can sound like a total moron on air and on print.” Great, thanks for the support. But, this is a great way to be interactive which is a new exciting direction for The Press Box. But more of that to come soon…
What’s going these days in sports? Let’s see, the Chris Simon issue. You know I want to get into that, but not right now. I need to collect my thoughts and really think about this one before I say something. It’s all too familiar, bringing back a very controversial issue.
I am watching CSI Miami and the only thing I can think about is Roberto Luongo. Yes, laugh it up. For the record this is not some teenie-bopper high school type of crush. I just have been amazed with Luongo all season. A no-brainer obviously. Forget all the record books he’s coming close to or has already broken as a Canuck. What impresses me most about Bobby-Lu is that he is always composed. This is something we have not seen in quite sometime from Vancouver goalies.
I used to think the fire that Dan Cloutier had made him the goalie he was. And, you know what, I was right. However, it has hindered him more than helped him. Unfortunately, having a short fuse as a goaltender doesn’t seem to be the formula for success. Look at the arguably the three best goalies in the league: Brodeur, Luongo and Kipper, all goalies that don’t get rattled. They all seem to be so cool and confident, no matter what the score or situation is. Heck, I don’t think I have ever seen Kipper smile.
Luongo has been the target of the opposition all year. He has been bumped, run and trash-talked, sometimes all at once. But, I think the Roberto has been able to keep his cool, because he has been so motivated to stick it to the Panthers, to prove to his critics that he can lead a team to the playoffs and show the fans of Vancouver what a world-class goalie plays like.
I could go on and on about Roberto. However, I have to intern tomorrow at CBC and I am dead tired.
I just can’t to see what Luongo does in the playoffs.
Stay Tuned.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
All That Is Wrong
Welcome back Press Boxers!
I'm as glad as anyone that The Press Box is back with an interactive approach to the best place to 'just talk sports' because as many of you may know, I'm a internet junkie.
Speaking of junk, did anyone watch the Canucks vs. Ducks game tonight? A message to the know-it-alls at the NHL head offices: if you want to see an embodiment of all that is wrong with the game today (or at least some of it) then take a look at some footage from tonight's game down at the Pond (or Honda Center, whatever).
In the first period Canucks' forward Tommi Santala was pushed awkwardly from behind into the boards in his own zone, although he was not severely injured on the play and returned to the game shifts later, the outcome of such a hit could have been grave.
Problem 1: There was no penalty on the play. A hit from behind, no matter who the victim or the severity of the hit, should be penalized.
Problem 2: After a non-call on the hit, Canucks' tough guy (sometimes to the shagrin of the coaching staff) Kevin Bieksa took punishment into his own hands by challenging the Ducks' forward Dustin Penner (the hitman, so to speak) to a fight. Penner graciously accepted and the two did a little dance. After all this, along with his fighting major Bieksa was handed an instigator penalty along with a misconduct. On the ensuing power play, Anaheim took the lead. If the refs aren't calling penalties to protect the players and the rules don't allow for the players to protect themselves through good old fashioned fistacuffs, then why is the NHL surprised by all of the Chris Simon-like incidents arising?
Problem 3: Shortly after this skirmish, Canucks' grinders Matt Cooke and Jeff Cowan took a clean yet provoking run at Ducks' young d-man Kent Huskins. Shawn Thornton took exception to this hit (and Cowan's extra nudge after the hit) and jumped Cowan much like Bieksa did Penner (more instigating-like in fact). One would think that Thornton would then be assessed an instigator and misconduct to along with his five minutes of fighting, right? Nope.
The game went on like this throughout the night with inconsistent officiating and not much flow being allowed by the men in stripes. Far be it that I blame the Canucks' loss on the officials, but they did not make it any easier for Vancouver to stick up for themselves without being put in a vulnerable position and they did not call it consistently when the Ducks did so.
As far as the NHL has come in the 'new era' it is apparent through tonight's game that there is still a long way to go in making the game what it should be and then marketing it as the best and coolest game on earth. So I shall wait, patiently, albeit squirming in my seat every time an instigator penalty is called.
I'm as glad as anyone that The Press Box is back with an interactive approach to the best place to 'just talk sports' because as many of you may know, I'm a internet junkie.
Speaking of junk, did anyone watch the Canucks vs. Ducks game tonight? A message to the know-it-alls at the NHL head offices: if you want to see an embodiment of all that is wrong with the game today (or at least some of it) then take a look at some footage from tonight's game down at the Pond (or Honda Center, whatever).
In the first period Canucks' forward Tommi Santala was pushed awkwardly from behind into the boards in his own zone, although he was not severely injured on the play and returned to the game shifts later, the outcome of such a hit could have been grave.
Problem 1: There was no penalty on the play. A hit from behind, no matter who the victim or the severity of the hit, should be penalized.
Problem 2: After a non-call on the hit, Canucks' tough guy (sometimes to the shagrin of the coaching staff) Kevin Bieksa took punishment into his own hands by challenging the Ducks' forward Dustin Penner (the hitman, so to speak) to a fight. Penner graciously accepted and the two did a little dance. After all this, along with his fighting major Bieksa was handed an instigator penalty along with a misconduct. On the ensuing power play, Anaheim took the lead. If the refs aren't calling penalties to protect the players and the rules don't allow for the players to protect themselves through good old fashioned fistacuffs, then why is the NHL surprised by all of the Chris Simon-like incidents arising?
Problem 3: Shortly after this skirmish, Canucks' grinders Matt Cooke and Jeff Cowan took a clean yet provoking run at Ducks' young d-man Kent Huskins. Shawn Thornton took exception to this hit (and Cowan's extra nudge after the hit) and jumped Cowan much like Bieksa did Penner (more instigating-like in fact). One would think that Thornton would then be assessed an instigator and misconduct to along with his five minutes of fighting, right? Nope.
The game went on like this throughout the night with inconsistent officiating and not much flow being allowed by the men in stripes. Far be it that I blame the Canucks' loss on the officials, but they did not make it any easier for Vancouver to stick up for themselves without being put in a vulnerable position and they did not call it consistently when the Ducks did so.
As far as the NHL has come in the 'new era' it is apparent through tonight's game that there is still a long way to go in making the game what it should be and then marketing it as the best and coolest game on earth. So I shall wait, patiently, albeit squirming in my seat every time an instigator penalty is called.
A New Face
The Press Box is back and ready to get interactive!
The Press Box blog is a place for you to follow the opinions and stories of the TPB hosts and writers and get your own voice heard by posting your own comments.
Keep checking back for new posts and updates on the website and upcoming shows of 'The Press Box: Where we just talk sports'.
The Press Box blog is a place for you to follow the opinions and stories of the TPB hosts and writers and get your own voice heard by posting your own comments.
Keep checking back for new posts and updates on the website and upcoming shows of 'The Press Box: Where we just talk sports'.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)