We win!

Big win. Sure it's a pre-tournament game, but considering the shockingly weak teams in Canada's pool this year, it's important to get an idea of your level against a strong team like Sweden. Even if it doesn't count for the standings. Just a couple of final thoughts on the game. If Taylor Hall can't go, we'll probably seen Adam Henrique and Greg Nemisz move into more of a checking line role with Luke Adam joining them. Henrique and Nemisz didn't realy get anywhere near the scoresheet, but they were on the ice for the final minute of both the second and third periods. The rosters won't be finalized until Christmas Eve, so Canada can make a move if Hall can't go. Last year, Evander Kane was a late replacement because of injury and was a major factor in Canada's win. Patrice Cormier was probably my favourite player on last year's team (along with Angelo Esposito, Tyler Myers and Brett Sonne), and I was ecstatic when he was named captain. Looking at this year's squad, it may be Brandon McMillan. He got better as the game moved along, saving his best hockey for the second half of the game. Of course, he plays for Kelowna. So I think it's in my Hitmen contract that I can't cheer for him. Lastly, on Brandon Kozun, he looked really good out there. I watch him a whole lot here in Calgary, and I watched a lot of Brett Sonne last year. Kozun, like Sonne last year, is at the top of the WHL scoring charts heading into the tournament, and is one of Calgary's most important players. His game is far from perfect-- in fact, we usually leave the game cursing him until the post-game radio show reminds us he had three or four points-- but he seemed to really be competing tonight. When Sonne came back from the tournament last year, there were games he simply willed the Hitmen to victory, and it looks like Kozun may have some of that in him this year. Here's hoping.

WJC thoughts, second period

Sure enough, Taylor Hall has left the game. Also, the intermissions seem to be a little shorter than I'm used to and I missed the first four minutes of the second period, including the goal. So with Hall out, I expected to see more Luke Adam, but instead was treated to all kinds of the Bourque-Kadri-Kozun line. There's a lot of speed on that line and these guys seem to have some pretty strong chemistry already. They look poised to give the opposition fits for the next two weeks. I think Bourque is going to be Pierre McGuire's pet for the tournament, and that's just fine with me. He's wearing number seven, which Angelo Esposito wore in last year's tournament when he revitalized his career. They're totally different styles (Bourque is more of a grinder), but much like you always knew when Espo was on the ice last year, I think we'll always know when Bourque is on the ice this year. Great stuff. Saw Greg Nemisz for the first time during the late scrum that led to Ryan Ellis' penalty. It's early, I know. But he's being counted on to be a big part of this team and he'll need to step it up very soon. Marco Scandella seemed to want to get me familiarized with him during that second period. He was all over the place. He's very physical, so he'll have to find a way to make that work with the international rules, but he could be a lot of fun to watch. As noted, Colten Teubert is a warrior and blocked two shots during Sweden's first PP. Great stuff from him. Like I say, if he stays within himself, he's going to be fine. He only gets into trouble when he's trying to do too much. The TSN guys noted that 12 different players have points on Canada's four goals, and drew comparisons to the 2006 team in Vancouver that won with deep defense, scoring by committee from all four lines, and a herculean effort from Justin Pogge. That's a pretty fair comparison, though I think this team has more high-end skill than that team did.

WJC thoughts, first period

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! I love the World Juniors, I really do. No doubt it's my favourite hockey of the year. So, some early thoughts on Team Canada after the first period of the first exhibition game. The top two lines look great on paper. Absolutely awesome. The much-ballyhooed Windsor Spitfires line with Greg Nemisz, Taylor Hall and Adam Henrique should be solid, particularly in the early going because of their familiarity with one another. One note on Hall though: he took a couple of very solid shots late in the first and I wonder if he's quite ready physically for this tournament. He looks a little small and a little timid out there-- kind of the way you'd expect an 18-year old to look. The second line with Jordan Eberle, Brandon McMillan and Brayden Schenn looks like a solid trio that could be explosive. I'd forgotten all about Eberle's blazing speed and as a Calgary Hitmen season ticket holder, I'm excited about the fact Eberle's Regina Pats are here twice during this tournament. Having Jordan Caron on the third line, adding some firepower to the Stefan Della Rovere and Patrice Cormier defensive prowess has already paid off with a goal in the first period. Speaking of the Calgary Hitmen, their own Brandon Kozun has shown everything he's got. He has great speed, a nose for the net (as seen on his goal) and a tendency to over-pass (as seen in his first power play shift). Working with Nazem Kadri may pay off huge for him, since Kadri has such a strong goal-scoring touch. As for Luke Adam and Gabirel Bourque, I didn't see much of them, so I'll get back to you. On defence, I'm not familiar with Marco Scandella, and didn't see him much with all the special teams time in the first. This bodes well for the opinion that he's a good shut-down defender. His partner Travis Hamonic looked pretty good despite the penalty. He quarterbacked the first power play and it was a good one. The second pair of Alex Pietrangelo and Jared Cowen may end up being Canada's most important pair. I'm very high on Cowen (I would have taken him first overall in June), and while the TSN guys are already prepared to beat this point until it's thoroughly dead, Pietrangelo really does look like a completely different player from the one we saw last year. I would liken his transformation to the one Karl Alzner made in his two tournaments. His first year, Alzner was kind of OK, but in his second year, he was absolutely Canada's most important defender. Could go that way for Alex P this year. Last note, Pietrangelo seemed to be quarterbacking the PP even when he was out there with Ryan Ellis. This leads me to believe Ellis hasn't fully gained coach Willie Desjardins' trust. We'll see. Ellis is on the third pair with Colten Teubert, another player returning from last year's team. Teubert was part of Canada's shut-down pair last year with Tyler Myers, but I think we're going to see that Teubert probably isn't that player. He made some mistakes in the first period and really doesn't seem to quite be a top-pair defenceman. He is a warrior though, and he makes the right play more often than not. The key for both of these players is to stay within themselves and focus on doing well the things they do well. I didn't see much of Calvin de Haan, so again, more to come. As for Jake Allen, he looked good. I don't think he was spectacular, but he seems to stop the shots he needs to stop. His rebound control looks good, but not quite as controlled as my heart would like. I don't see Allen being the reason for any of Canada's losses in this tournament. All in all, things look good. In the first half of the period, Canada really seemed to rely on fast breakouts and really playing a counter-attacking style, which you'd expect from a team that's only been together a week. But as they got a couple power plays and as the period moved on, they played with more structure. As that structure improves, so should this team. It's been just one period of one exhibition game, but these guys look good so far.

The drumsticks are off; there's stuffing everywhere; now what?

Hello again folks. Here's a quick update on the last week. Last Tuesday I made a turkey for the first time ever. That was fun, which is to say I barely figured out what the hell I was doing and just sat around for six hours hoping for the best. I didn't get any direct feedback about my bird (it was one of three at the office potluck) but I didn't kill anyone with it. So that's good. Hockey news: Only watched one game, it was the Hitmen hosting the Medicine Hat Tigers. Last time the Tigers were in town they choked away a third period lead, which led to someone from my office being asked to leave the game. This time 'round the Tigers had a little payback in mind. With the Hitmen leading 3-0, I realized BK was wearing his new Hitmen jersey, from which point the Tigers outscored the Hitmen 5-2 before winning in a shootout. The Tigers' hero was Emerson Etem, a 2010 draft eligible player that decided to score a hat trick. The American forward was listed fourth in Central Scouting's preliminary ranking of Western League players, and recently had a feature on NHL.com. He's sure to climb the rankings and is almost a lock for a top-10 selection at the draft in June. One of the things they used to say about Brett Hull is that he'd get lost on the ice, which is to say, you would sometimes forget he was even on the ice-- until the moment the puck hit his stick before taking off for the back of the net. Etem has a similar quality. All in all, it was a lackluster effort by the Hitmen in their first game without WJC hopefuls Brandon Kozun and Martin Jones (TSN's Bob McKenzie feels Kozun will stay and Jones will come back). Despite captain Ian Schultz's best efforts, the lack of leadership was evident. I'm still not sold on new head coach Mike Williamson; I'm just not certain he's capable of running a dressing room in one of the WHL's hotbeds. Hitmen again this Friday, and Canada v Finland at the Dome next Tuesday. More on that later. In the pro ranks, TSN.ca decided I should throw up my morning coffee by putting Dustin Penner in their weekly Olympic Stock column as someone who's stock is up. If on December 30th, Hockey Canada names Dustin Penner to the Olympic team, I will smash my laptop to pieces and post the video here. That's how certain I am he's not even going to catch a sniff of the Canadian Olympic team. Jaroslav Halak and Bob Gainey have proven to be more classy than most players and GMs. By all accounts Halak has asked for a trade out of Montreal, by asking simply for more playing time (which isn't coming now that Carey Price is back on track), and by all accounts Gainey refuses to throw the young netminder under the bus by telling the world he's demanded a trade. Whether this is because Gainey knows he'll be lucky to get a second-round pick for a 24-year old goalie with less than a full season of starts under his belt, or because Gainey's suddenly found some sense of loyaly (ask Saku), I can't say. But I know this: if the Philly rumours are true, the Habs need to get a roster player in return. That's really all for now. I'm gonna call it a night and watch Inglourious Basterds. You should probably do the same.

Testing

So looks like this thing's still here. Let's give it a whirl for old times' sake. We're accompanied this evening by the soothing sounds of Drag The River's album Hey Buddies... Watched hockey for the first time in too long a little while ago and figured I'd ease back into the groove with some quick thoughts on the game. The Calgary Flames are a pretty good team. They controlled most of the second and third periods in Los Angeles tonight, but couldn't pull out the win. They get contributions from the second and third lines, but just not enough to be anything more than a one-line team. It's shocking to me that in all the time since the lockout, the biggest knock on the Flames has been that they're a one-line team. Now here we are in the fifth season since the lockout, and it's still the same knock. It's inconceivable. That said, I'm not sure how their opponents tonight are winning. I want to say it's misdirection or smoke-and-mirrors or some other magic lingo, but I honestly can't even commit to that description. If anyone can tell me how the LA Kings are winning games, please do. I thought Wayne Simmonds was a better skater than this. I think I could beat him in a goal line-to-goal line sprint, but the man is one effective hockey player. As for Kings netminder Jon Quick, the remark I made to BK earlier is that I've seen Pong paddles with better rebound control than this guy. He and his teammates do a great job clearing rebounds and preventing second-chance opportunities, but I didn't see him make a clean save all night. Incredible. One last thought: looks like NHL 10 finally has AHL rookies like Paul Postma, Carson McMillan, Brett Sonne (OK fine, the guys that graduated from the Hitmen to the American League this season) and others. I'm going to restart my Be A Pro with the Thrashers in hopes of spending a year in the AHL playing defense with Postma. Well, goodnight. I might be back tomorrow with turkey and/or hockey updates.

In defense of the Leafs

First and foremost, everyone should know that I loathe the Toronto Maple Leafs. In every fiber of my soul, there's room to despise this team. But in the interest of fairness, I figured I should respond to a text sent to me after the Leafs signed Francois Beauchemin on Monday. That text read "I think we have our best blue line since Kaberle/McCabe." Now, that's not exactly a feat in and of itself. The Kaberle-McCabe era was good to the Leafs, but also included players like Aki Berg and Calle Johansson, Anders Eriksson and Robert Svehla, the list goes on and on. Since those "salad days," and since the lockout, the Leafs haven't made the playoffs-- their longest playoff drought since the league expanded beyond six teams. But there is reason to believe that drought will come to an end. Soon. With all due respect to the Dave Ellett, Todd Gill, Dmitri Mironov, Jamie Macoun era, and the Al Iafrate, Borje Salming era, I figure the 2009-2010 Maple Leafs defense corps is shaping up to be the best since the first time Bobby Baun patrolled the Toronto blue line. Led by the likes of Baun, Marcel Pronovost, Tim Horton and Carl Brewer, the Leafs won four Stanley Cups between 1962 and 1967. Of course, I'm not predicting that kind of success over the next six seasons, but I'd probably take this group of eight defensemen over any other team's top eight. Projecting the Leafs top pair as Tomas Kaberle and Mike Komisarek (a poor man's Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger); second pair as Beauchemin (direct understudy to Niedermayer and Pronger) and Luke Schenn; and a rotating cast of Jeff Finger, Mike Van Ryn, Garnet Exelby and Ian White rounding out the top six at any given time, the Leafs have a fantastic mix of speed, skill, and sandpaper. Kaberle, Van Ryn and Finger are all in the puck-moving mold. Komisarek, Exelby and White are known for their physical play. Beauchemin and Schenn are very balanced, but blossoming into high-end puck movers that can make life miserable for opposing forwards. This is still a team in flux that needs to sort out their goaltending, their powerplay, their faceoffs, and their overall offense. But the defense is set, and will not rest. So there, I said something nice about the Leafs. Oh, and you know I can't let you leave without mentioning Cory Cross in that dead-weight group from the Kaberle-McCabe days.

2009 Draft continued

After all was said and done with the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, I learned I have very different ideas about most team’s needs than they do. The second half of the first round played out the way you’d expect in a deep draft, which is to say, very unexpectedly. To see players like Jordan Schroeder, Carter Ashton and Simon Depres fall all the way to the end of the first round was surprising based on early projections. But most teams are going to be happy with the way the draft went. Starting the Minnesota, who kicked off the second half of the first round, the American system finally started to make an impact on the draft. Nick Leddy, from the US high school system was the first of seven Americans chosen in the first round (though Tim Erixon is American born and Swedish trained). Leddy is very much a project, and is something of a surprise to go at 16. He’s off to the University of Minnesota next year, and it’s no doubt the Wild will let him grow into a very good defenseman. It may take a few years for Leddy to make an impact, but there’s little doubt he can become an impact player. At 17, the St Louis Blues went across the pond to draft Swedish defenseman David Rundblad. Like Leddy, Rundblad is seen as a longer-term project, though some think Rundblad may have been under-scouted and overlooked because of the hype around Victor Hedman. There’s no doubt the Blues are making the most of the lean years they’ve gone through since the lockout, and now feature at least four high-end defensive prospects in their system. Draft host Montreal selected 18th, and went to the USHL, moving away from their recent trend of drafting out of US College in the first round. Of course, the local product Louis Leblanc is headed to Harvard next season. Leblanc is a winner that has a chance of a coming out party with the Canadian World Junior team this coming holiday season. He has the size and tools to have a shot at being a first-line centre in the NHL, something the Canadiens have needed for a very long time. The New York Rangers selected Chris Kreider at 19, a player very similar to Leblanc with size, skill, decent speed, and questions about the level of competition he sees. Kreider has the potential to be an impact player with the Rangers, having drawn comparisons to John Leclair. The Rangers’ cross-river rivals selected 20th, drafting Jacob Josefson from Djurgarden of the Swedish Elite League. Josefson didn’t put up great numbers in Sweden last season, but is the prototypical Devils forward: smart, defensively responsible, a little offense, and again, smart. After they traded down from 16, I wanted to rip the Columbus Blue Jackets, but they got the player they wanted at 21, American defenseman John Moore. As previously noted, Moore is a strong, smart two-way defenseman with an extraordinarily high ceiling. Moore could become the player the Jackets thought they were drafting in 2000 when they drafted Rostislav Klesla. With the 22nd pick, the Vancouver Canucks may have the steal of the draft. Jordan Schroeder spent time flirting with the top of the draft ranking earlier this season before a sub-par World Junior tournament sent him spiralling down. If Schroeder can find his game again, the Canucks could have an ideal running mate to 2008 first round pick Cody Hodgson. The Calgary Flames had success looking to Sweden in the first round last year (expect Mikael Backlund to make the team out of camp), and must have seen something in Tim Erixon while they were there. Most of the write-ups I’ve seen about Erixon are middling at best, but the Flames will need more than that from the 23rd-overall pick. If they can get Erixon hooked up with Robyn Regehr before long, they may have a strong defensive prospect on their hands. Otherwise... Selecting 24th, the Washington Capitals chose Marcus Johansson from Farjestad of the Swedish Elite League. Johansson projects as a two-way forward with very good faceoff skills. The Caps certainly have most of the offensive pieces in place, and a guy like Johansson to anchor the group of defensive forwards could be the missing link. Boston nabbed Jordan Caron at 25, and much like the Canucks, the Bruins have to think they’ve found a diamond in the rough. Caron has shown off all kinds of skill during his time with Rimouski—the kind normally destined to be selected high in the first round. Injuries are more than a concern, as they’ll be the only thing preventing him from becoming an impact player with Boston. Kyle Palmieri projects as a solid two-way forward. The Anaheim Ducks like to draft, big, strong, smart players, and with the success they’ve had in recent years, it’s hard to argue with the logic. Palmieri may not be the most skilled player in the draft, but he can be coached, and should become a valuable player in a shut-down role. The Carolina Hurricanes made a surprisingly deep run in this spring’s playoffs, which actually hurt them in a very good draft. Philippe Paradis wasn’t this high on most boards, though that’s more a product of his projected potential than his skill level. He’s seen as a third-line centre in the John Madden mould, the kind of player you can’t win without. Dylan Olsen improved his stock at last year’s Under-18 tournament, coupling that performance with another strong season in the Alberta Junior League to find his way into the first round of the draft. The Blackhawks know what they’re doing when drafting Western League blue liners, and Olsen should become a special player in the Windy City. With their second pick in the first round, Tampa Bay grabbed Carter Ashton from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Ashton doesn’t have the high-end skill some of the other forwards in the first round have, but he plays a complete game. Expect Ashton to get a long look at Lightning camp, and don’t be surprised if he sticks around. With the last pick in the first round, the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins picked up defenseman Simon Depres from Saint John of the Quebec Major Junior League. Depres is a big, strong defenseman that projects as a shut-down guy. He’s probably a better prospect than most Cup winners expect to get with the last pick in the first round, and the Penguins are already re-stocking. Quick notes on Calgary Hitmen drafted: There’s no doubt Kris Foucault (103 to Minnesota) has elite offensive skill. But questions about his maturity and his work ethic have dogged him (to the point he spent most of last season in the Alberta Junior League). The success the Hitmen had this past season, combined with the strong coaching staff (assuming Joel Otto takes over as head coach) should help Foucault become a more consistent, driven, and complete player. Brandon Kozun was also drafted (179 to Los Angeles). Kozun has all the tools, he notched 108 points this season, second in the league, and has positively blazing speed. But he’s a little guy (5’8”), and there are questions about his durability. Kozun’s speed should get him a look, but it’s tough to say he’ll become a full-time NHL player.

Live blogging the draft

Draft day! I don’t know if you know this about me, but I love draft day. The NHL draft is very different from the ultra-hyped NFL and NBA drafts, but is probably more important to a team’s overall health because of the fact so few players go straight to the pros. Embracing that difference, we’re going to approach this draft a little differently from previous years. In the past, I’ve offered commentary on each pick as it happens, but this year I’ll be looking ahead a little more, offering a suggestion as to what each team should do with their upcoming pick. So let’s dive right in, tackling the New York Islanders and the first overall pick. Going back as far as the 2007 draft, the hockey world has been anticipating tonight’s John Tavares-Victor Hedman showdown. Tavares was the decisive winner in their most recent meeting, dominating the 2009 World Junior Championships and leading Canada past Hedman’s Swedish team. But questions about Tavares’ remaining potential were creeping into the discussion before the tournament, and it seemed Hedman would surpass him for good in the draft rankings (the two players have held the top two spots in the ISS rankings since November 2007). Tavares’ performance at the tournament laid any such talk to rest. That is, until the Islanders won the draft lottery. As I’m sure Islanders GM has also done, I’ve gone back and forth on this pick several times—changing my mind even yesterday. But the Isles are on the clock now, and I suppose I am, too. So here goes: with the first pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Islanders should select: Jared Cowan of the Spokane Chiefs. How’s that for way off the board? The Islanders have a nice group of defensemen from last year’s draft, as well as 24-year old Bruno Gervais playing big minutes on the Island and Jack Hillen getting an extended 40-game look last season. That’s before even considering 2008 free agent gem Mark Streit. The trouble is they’re all small. Gervais tops the list at an even six feet tall, and none of them possess the prototypical nastiness we’ve come to expect from high-end shut-down defenders. Cowan could make the jump immediately, though another season in Spokane would probably be better for his development, and could be wearing the captain’s C before his 22nd birthday. It’s not a sexy pick, and Cowan certainly isn’t the most talented player in the draft at this moment, but there’s a little Duncan Keith in him, and a big, mean, sandpaper defenseman should be the Islanders’ top priority. Trading down to fourth, and picking up and extra pick in the top 15 would give the Islanders five picks in the top 37, which should lead to a very bright future. That said, I expect the Isles to call John Tavares’ name from the podium. HIDE YOUR REPORTERS TSN is reporting Chris Pronger has been traded to Philadelphia. Details to follow. 1 - TAVARES Ol' Garth there knows how to string us along. There you have it. Tavares goes first overall in a pick two years in the making. I have a soft spot for the Isles and I desperately want this pick to work out for them. Looking ahead to number two, I can't imagine the Lightning won't grab Victor Hedman. The logic is pretty simple: name a current Lightning defenseman. In a few moments, we all should be able to. 2 - HEDMAN This pick makes perfect sense. I'm a big Hedman fan, and the city of Tampa will be, too. He's a gregarious young man, and if the Lightning can get their gameplan sorted out, Hedman is going to become a very good player very soon. Expect Hedman to have a better 2009-10 season than Drew Doughty had in Los Angeles last season. At three, the Avalanche have some options. While it's hard to ignore Matt Duchene's talent, the Avs need a big body that creates space in the offensive zone. So much like I thought Cowan was perfect for New York, I think Vancouver's Evander Kane is perfect for Colorado. 3 - DUCHENE This is a great pick. Duchene is a wonderful young player, and I think the Avs would love to see him make the jump right away if they can get him hooked up with Joe Sakic for a year. Atlanta has the fourth pick, and there's talk it's available. Getting Zack Bogosian in last year's draft was the first big step in a big rebuild, and passing on a Cowan, Kane, Brayden Schenn or Nazem Kadri here would be a terrible choice. I'm not sure which of the four players is the best fit, but Thrashers fans will be pleased with any of them. 4 - KANE Great pick. Just great. Kane was one of the best players for team Canada at the World Juniors, and took his game to a whole new level as the games got bigger. The TSN guys figure he won't stick with Atlanta this fall, but no one thought Bogosian would stick last season. He'll get the nine-game look. Los Angeles is on the clock at five, and has to take Brayden Schenn. The Kings' back end is set for the future, and now it's time to make a big splash up front. 5 - SCHENN Great pick. Some technical trouble prevented me from getting that Oliver Ekman-Larsson prediction posted in time. But I like that pick for Phoenix. Ekman-Larsson has elite offensive skills, and should become an impact player for the Coyotes. At seven, the Leafs should be looking at Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson to begin to add speed up front. Nazem Kadri is a good selection for the Leafs. He's nearly as quick as Paajarvi-Svensson, but doesn't have the same high-end offesnive skill, or quite as much grit. TSN revealing now that Burke just hate-drafter Kadri. Paajarvi-Svensson should go to Ottawa at eight, but the Senators could really use Cowan. Oops. Pardon me, the Dallas Stars are up ahead of Ottawa, and all signs say Dmitri Kulikov because of the Sergei Zubov mentorship opportunities. WOW. Dallas goes a little off the board with Brandon's Scott Glennie. This is a surprising but great pick. Dallas really isn't in a place where they need to rush Glennie, and allowing this young man a couple years to mature in junior will be great for him. Now I expect Ottawa to take Paajarvi-Svensson. That's the best personnel decision the Senators have made in a long time. Jared Cowan is going to be a stud defenseman in the NHL, and the teams between three and eight will kick themselves one day for not taking this young man. Edmonton could use a guy like Dmitri Kulikov here at 10. Kulikov has good offensive instincts and is projected to become a Sergei Zubov-like player, which the Oilers could really use. If not Kulikov, the Oilers may jump at Jordan Schroeder, who's been falling down the board for months. As a 16-year old, Paajarvi-Svensson didn't play a lot of hockey at the 2008 World Juniors, but was one of the most talked-about players in the tournament. The Oilers will be happy with this young man in a couple years. The Oilers may even try to get him into the CHL for a year before bringing him to the big club. Nashville will take John Moore from Chicago of the USHL here. The Predators develop young defensemen as well as any team in the league and Moore will fit in nicely. That's a little earlier than Ryan Ellis was expected to go. Nashville is the perfect organization for Ellis to go to. He'll need some time to get bigger and develop his defensive game, and the Predators will give him the time to do it. Up next Minnesota could use a big, strong forward. Slightly off-the-board players that fit are Carter Ashton from Lethbridge or Zack Kassian from Peterborough. Moving down here is a good move for Minnesota, and moving up is good for the Islanders. Dmitri Kulikov or David Rundblad would fill out the back end here. A defenseman was the right choice. Calvin de Haan is a little off the board (second round rated by ISS). De Haan is an explosive offensive defenseman with good defensive instincts. Great choice from out of left field. Buffalo is up next, a team that traditionally doesn't draft based on need. American defenseman John Moore would not be a surprise here, nor would American forward Jordan Schroeder. And though they don't draft for need, the Sabres could really use a finisher. American winger Chris Kreider could be the pick. Kassian's a good pick for the Sabres. He's got a lot of skill and is a big body the Sabres could use to police opponents that want to rough it up-- looking at you Milan Lucic. Florida has the last pick of the lottery group, and has needs just about everywhere. The Panthers have had success drafting from the Western League, but they're more likely to roll the dice with Moore. Given his slide out of the top 10, Kulikov is a bit of a surprise at 14. If there's concern about the transfer agreement and KHL and Russia in general, Miami is the kind of town to convince a Russian to stay in the NHL. Anaheim is next up next, and couple be looking Jordan Schroeder's way. Peter Holland is a big forward with the potential to play as a first-line centre in the NHL. It will take him some time to get there, and he may top out as a second-line centre, but the future is very bright for this young man. That's all for tonight, be sure to check back Monday for a look at the second half of the first round.

LMIRT Installed as High Ruler of all Hockey

So it’s the NHL All-Star break and talking heads will be scrambling all over one another during the next few days to talk about how archaic and needless the All-Star Game is. And that may be true-- for anyone over the age of, say 16. The All-Star Game isn’t meant for grumpy 40-year olds, it’s meant for pie-eyed youngsters just learning all the stars, and it’s meant for outsiders to tune in to see what all the fuss is about. So let’s do away with any notion that the game is out of touch and irrelevant. It’s vitally important (though admittedly less-so now with 24-hour highlight channels that lets us see every star’s every move), and still a lot of fun to watch. That said, the format is a little stale. In the early days a team of All Stars played against the defending champs. That would never happen in today’s game, and doesn’t need to. With all due respect to the defending-champion Red Wings, there’s no way I want to watch Darren Helm more than I want to watch any of the All Stars. Thinking back to the late-80’s and early-90’s, when divisional rivalries meant more, the Campbell-versus-Wales games often were played with more intensity and a high level of competition. Because division rivalries were all-but-killed by conference-based playoff scheduling, seeing those kinds of games again won’t happen, and is why the current East-versus-West format also seems a little stale. The North America-versus-The World format was plainly, awful. So how to spice things up? I have an idea that will never see the light of day in NHL offices, and most certainly will never come to fruition. But I’ll share anyway. First things first, every player is voted in by fans, not just the starters. The format, for both the All-Star Game and YoungStars Game: NHL All Stars versus World Champions. It’s a little tricky, but I’ll try to show you the way starting with the main ASG. Let’s assume the format were to start next season-- when there will be no All-Star Game because of the Olympic shut-down. Since the league is already shut down, why not have a team of All Stars take on the gold medal-winning team from the Olympics, in prime time, at an NHL rink, two days after the gold medal game? Let’s say Canada wins gold, all the players on the Canadian roster would be taken out of the voting, and the top 12 forwards, six defensemen and two goalies remaining make up their opposition for the All-Star Game. It guarantees two marquee events for the league on set dates. In 2011, the NHL All Stars could take on the winner of the 2010 World Championships. In 2012, the All Stars could take on the winner of the World Cup that looks certain to happen in August 2011. And in 2013 the All Stars take on the 2012 World Champions again before the format returns to NHL All Stars versus Olympic gold medallists in 2014 (this assumes the IIHF isn’t bluffing when they say the NHL has to commit to the Olympics to continue having the World Cup), say three days after the gold medal game. The YoungStars Game will often have to deal with Hockey Canada, which should make it a little easier, but the idea there is simple: a full team of NHL YoungStars (defined by the league as players on entry-level contracts) taking on the recently-crowned World Junior Champions. Admittedly, when European teams win, it would be a major headache to get the players back three weeks later (aside from the fact most of them are playing in the CHL), but when Canadian or American teams win, it would be a thing of beauty for the league. And while Hockey Canada is very protective of their image and logo (see: tangent, below), it’s in the league’s best interests if the players from the winning team wear the dark jersey of the NHL team that holds their rights (and undrafted players will wear their junior team jerseys), while the YoungStars would wear All Star jerseys. It would be an absolute nightmare to actually make this format work every year, but the NHL makes the Winter Classic work, and they make the European tours to start the season work. If they wanted to, they could make this format work. Tangent: I never gave this Canadian Olympic Committee-Hockey Canada logo flap a whole lot of thought before, because it seemed so silly. But it looks like this thing is for real, and I can honestly see both sides of it. So there are two solutions I see. The hard way: we create one governing body for all of Canada’s national teams, sort of like the COC but less ceremonial and more… effectual. The easy way: for the white jerseys/uni set, think New York Rangers white jerseys/uni set, swap the locations of the red and the blue, replace the blue with black, replace the Rangers wordmark with a Canada wordmark; for the dark jersey, think Rangers dark jerseys/uni set, swap the locations of the red and the blue, replace the blue with black, replace the Rangers wordmark with a Canada wordmark. Slap a Hockey Canada logo on the shoulders and it’s done. This whole garbage is over.

The Debate Continues

It sometimes seems as though anyone within reach of a keyboard, within shouting distance of a microphone, or with access to a soapbox has an opinion regarding fighting’s place in hockey. In the wake of the Don Sanderson tragedy there has been no shortage of people climbing onto their soap boxes-- something I often try to avoid when the issue of fighting in hockey surfaces. And with the Ontario Hockey League’s newly enacted rules about fighting, local soapboxes are once again full. On fighting itself, there’s no denying its strange and intricate place in the game of hockey. Whether a good or bad thing can be-- and in many places is-- debated until all participants are blue in the face. For now, though, it’s a part of the game. On the OHL’s new rules, so-called hockey purists and so-called experts are raking OHL commissioner David Branch over the coals, saying the new rules will effectively remove fighting from the OHL altogether. They say the new rules will ruin the game and rob fans of what they want to see. I think that sentiment is a disservice to hockey fans everywhere. In European leagues, fighting is rare, but fans flocked to the new Champions League tournament. Demand for hockey in Europe is higher than ever as the game becomes more and more global. As Canadians embrace ever more international competition, events find themselves in brighter and broader spotlights than ever before. The event now being called the biggest date in the NHL calendar-- the soon-to-be annual Winter Classic outdoor game drew enormous television audiences without a single scrap. And so long as temperatures stay below freezing, it’s doubtful many pugilists will want to change that. But back to the OHL. Last I checked, the OHL, as a member of the Canadian Hockey League is billed as Canada’s premiere development league for junior-aged players. That reputation holds-- the first four players drafted in June’s draft were OHL products-- and none of those players were drafted for their fighting ability. If the pro-fighting crowd, and rabid fight lovers are to believed, there’s nothing in hockey more important than a fight. Explain to me, then, why players like Minnesota’s Derek Boogaard are drafted toward the end of the draft, and others like Edmonton’s Steve MacIntyre aren’t drafted at all. No matter what these new rules mean for fighting, the OHL is right to enforce rules that will encourage the continued development of top-end talent. If OHL rosters aren’t going to include a designated “goon,” that just means there will be more room for another potential star. The more room this game has for skill, the better the game is.

Reflections on gold, Part One

Oh, the beauty of hindsight coupled with the beauty of sparkling gold. It makes this one of the easier blog entries I’ve ever had to write up. Congratulations to Canada’s junior team for winning their fifth-consecutive championship. Before the tournament started head coach Pat Quinn said this team would not be able to rely on one line to win gold. Quinn, and a lot of talking heads, believed a tournament win would require a 22-man effort. Mission accomplished. So with the gold in the bag, the Loudest Man in the Room takes a look back at the performances we saw-- in two parts. In goal, we’ll start with Chet Pickard. Pickard is in the midst of a superlative season with the Tri-Cities Americans, following his CHL goalie of the year award last season. That didn’t get him into very many games in this tournament though. To Pickard’s credit, he played well when called upon, and was professional in putting the team ahead of himself. A controversy between the pipes can kill a team’s chances and chemistry in a heartbeat. Pickard made sure that didn’t happen. The man of the hour Monday night was Canada’s number-one goalie Dustin Tokarski. The talk leading up to the final was that Tokarski is a big-game goalie. He showed his mettle at the Memorial Cup last May, and showed it again Monday night. There’s no doubt Tokarski struggled at times in this tournament, but he came through when his team needed him most. Looking back at the top defence pairing’s performance, I showered Colten Teubert and Thomas Hickey with praise in the early part of the tournament, but they didn’t seem to find another level in the later stages. Against the Russians in the semi final, and against the Swedes in the final, Hickey showed a propensity to being knocked off the puck and making bad decisions with it. Teubert showed a lack of footspeed, and was often beaten to the outside. These two young men still have very bright futures in hockey and will make the LA Kings very proud in the future. I just didn’t see them take their game to the next level. I also showered Cody Golobeuf with praise in the early days of this tournament, only to see Golobeuf’s ice time cut dramatically as the games got more important. I still feel Golobeuf played well, and certainly beyond my expectations and his reputation would have thought. His partner PK Subban had a superlative tournament. Subban showed incredible skating and puck-handling abilities. Heading into this tournament I wondered if Subban would ever be good enough defensively to play every day in the NHL. Turns out Subban’s got some game. His end-to-end rushes energized the Canadian offence and provided a spark whenever he went for one. His defensive play was more than good enough to be named to the tournament all star team. His unwillingness to lose banged home the puck that put Canada ahead in the gold medal game. Hickey was the captain of this team, but nobody led the way Subban did. Canada’s unorthodox decision to bring eight defensemen led to this team using two different power play specialists. Both Alex Pietrangelo and draft-eligible Ryan Ellis played big roles in Canada’s tournament best power play. Pietrangelo struggled at times, but overall played a strong game when put in the quarterback role. Ellis meanwhile, was nothing short of amazing. Looking ahead, he will need to get stronger and meaner to become an elite defender, but his work on the power play was some of the finest work I’ve ever seen. He was calm and patient and almost always made the right play with the puck. His work at the line was the catalyst for the work the forwards did down low, and allowed Canada to run the one-three-one power play they did. And I lost count of how many times he made great plays to keep the puck in the zone. I can’t find Ellis’ ceiling as a player. All of which brings us to the defence pair I was critical of earlier in the tournament. I wrote that I’d need to see another level from Tyler Myers and Keith Aulie-- and they showed it. Aulie didn’t crank it up quite the way Myers did, but he was part of the best pairing on the ice during the final. Myers was the other half of that pairing and was lights-out. Save for Tokarski, Myers was undoubtedly the best player on either side of the ice in the final. You’ve got to appreciate a big, strong defenseman that can skate, makes great passes and clears the front of his crease with tenacity. I’m a Myers believer after that final, and I look forward to watching him in Buffalo in short time. Tomorrow we look at the forwards.