And then there were seven....Welcome back Winnipeg

May 31^st, 2011 will go down as a day I never thought I would see, the day the National Hockey League returned to Winnipeg. Looking back to the final game the Jets played in Winnipeg after being eliminated by the Detroit Red Wings in their opening round series of the 1996 Stanley Cup Playoffs, I can honestly say I never thought the NHL, especially with Gary Bettman in charge, would be calling Winnipeg home to a franchise once again.

Anyone who has watched the scenarios play out in markets like Atlanta, Florida and of course Phoenix can tell you that the league’s attempt to make the game fly down south was met with limited success. All three markets had varying levels of success, with Florida creating the biggest buzz when they made it to the 1996 Stanley Cup Final only to fall to  the Colorado Avalanche, who were also in the midst of making a name for themselves after relocating from Quebec City a year earlier. While the NHL was able to create a buzz and find success in some of the cities it brought the game to, there have been just as many, if not more that are on shaky legs. For every Colorado, San Jose and Minnesota you have a handful of clubs that just have not been able to maintain a balance that will last long term.

The question that jumps out after today’s announcement is who is next? Will it be Florida, or Phoenix, or perhaps Columbus, who has had solid fan support during their tenure in the National Hockey League but limited success on the ice with their lone post season appearance coming in 2009. It is tough enough to build a Stanley Cup contender, but if you ask me it is tougher to build a solid franchise in the many U.S. markets the league has set up shop or have looked to as possible destinations.

Like myself, the National Hockey League did not expect a return to Winnipeg when the last box was packed and sent for Phoenix when the Jets left 15 years ago. To many Canadians it is a great day for hockey and rightfully so, but for the NHL and those who supported the game in Atlanta and in other markets south of the boarder it is anything but exciting. Gary Bettman had his work cut out for him when he took the job as commissioner of the National Hockey League and he continues to face similar adventures to this day. Hopefully the lessons learned will make for a stronger league, with stronger ownership and a level of support in all markets the league is presently in with a push by those lurking in the bushes to be on their best behaviour if they chance to get into the game comes about.

May 27th 1993

It is hard to believe it has been eighteen years to the day that the Toronto Maple Leafs travelled to Los Angeles to play the Kings in game six of the Campbell Conference Final. I can remember that evening like it was yesterday; I was in the midst of completing grade 10 at Sir Oliver Mowat Collegiate, looking for a hockey team to play for in the fall and just being the odd ball teenager that I was. The one constant during that spring was watching the Maple Leafs make a playoff run that I had yet to witness in my nearly sixteen years of life at the time.

The run was lead by the late Pat Burns behind the bench, along with key contributions coming from numerous players like Wendel Clark, Felix Potvin right through to Nikolai Borchevsky, but none more so than Doug Gilmour. It was a team that had bonded as the year progressed into the playoffs with the club upsetting the Detroit Red Wings in seven games of the opening round and then knocking off the St.Louis Blues in a hard fought seven game series. The series vs the Kings was similar to the first two with both teams going back and forth and stealing key victories on the road; things looked to be on the up when Glenn Anderson scored in overtime of game five putting the Maple Leafs in a position they had not been in since 1967 as they were one win away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final.

Game six was one that will not be forgotten by many fans who followed the series since it essentially summed up how the series itself had gone. Back and forth, numerous penalties and plenty of goals going both ways. With the Maple Leafs trailing late, Burns pulled Felix Potvin and had Wendel Clark join the play as the extra attacker. It was a move the worked to a ‘t’ as Doug Gilmour spotted Clark skating towards the high slot and feathered a pass onto Clark’s Sher-Wood stick like he had countless of times since joining the Maple Leafs in January of 1992. Clark wasted little time and fired a snap shot over Kelly Hrudey’s shoulder for his third goal of the night. The goal sent the Maple Leafs bench and fans watching the game into a frenzy. With momentum was on the Maple Leafs side as  it looked as though the impossible was going to be happen and club would complete the comeback in overtime thus setting the stage for an epic Stanley Cup Final vs. the Montreal Canadiens who had recently disposed of the upstart New York Islanders earlier in the week.  

As the game was winding down Glenn Anderson took one of the most selfish penalties when he drilled Rob Blake from behind into the boards, this gave the Kings a power play heading into overtime and a chance to set up their game plan during the intermission. As the overtime started the Maple Leafs sent out the likes of the late Peter Zezel and Gilmour to get the penalty killed and give the hockey club the chance to put enough pressure and pucks in front of kelly Hrudey. It was a task that was more than attainable given the wide open action taking place in the series. It was not long into the overtime that the Kings were looking to set up a play with Wayne Gretzky controlling the puck on the half wall, as his line mates moved around the ice to provide outlets for #99. It was during this time that Gretzky lost control and found himself in a battle for the loose puck with Gilmour. In the midst of both players making an effort to gain control of the puck and the play, Gretzky’s stick came up and clipped Gilmour under the chin, opening a wound in the process. As the rules were during this time in the National Hockey League, any major penalty for high sticking wasn’t just a five minute penalty it also resulted in a game misconduct.  Most in the Fabulous Forum that night knew the rule, especially Gretzkty himself and the look on his face said it all. Sensing an early trip to the showers, Gretzky milled sheepishly around the ice as the officials consulted on the play and how to call it. It was rare to see #99 stray from any interaction with the officials given his well known habit for voicing his opinion with them on a regular basis. Kerry Fraser was the lead official that night and the onus was him to make the call. For reasons that we will probably never really know, Fraser decided the play was a mistake and Gretzky was off the hook of an infraction being called. Sensing that he had gotten away with one, Gretzky wasted little time in making up for his gaffe and pounced on a  loose puck in front of the Maple Leafs net and scored the game winner sending the series back to Toronto for game seven.

The loss was one that the Maple Leafs tried to shake off and regroup heading into game seven two days later at Maple Leaf Gardens. The non call hit the Maple Leafs hard and gave Gretzky and the Kings a boost that would carry them to victory as they eliminated the Maple Leafs in the final game. It was a play that altered the outlook of the series like no other and left many fans following to wonder as to what could have been, not just for the Maple Leafs but for the league in general as a classic match-up with the Montreal Canadiens would have been something the league would have thrived off with the amount of exposure it would have created. Hockey is a game that many analyze and follow, while there were many factors that hindered the Maple Leafs falling short vs. the Kings in 1993, most will agree letting Gretzky off the hook sealed the fate for the boys in Blue on that spring evening on May 27, 1993.

CBC – Canucks Broadcast Corporation

First off, congratulations to the Vancouver Canucks on winning the Western Conference Final over the San Jose Sharks in a hard fought and well contested five game series. Each game was entertaining and closely matched throughout, though in the end Vancouver’s depth and timely goal scoring was the difference in the series. As entertaining as the product was on the ice, unfortunately the same cannot be said for the broadcast put forth by the CBC, or as I now call them the “Canucks Broadcast Corporation”. The play by play team of Jim Hughson, Craig Simpson and Glenn Healy were not shy in hiding their fondness for the lone Canadian team remaining in the playoffs; this angle is one that should be muted and the game should presented in a less bias manner.

Hughson has never been shy in expressing his fondness for the Canucks over the years and thus has affected the way he calls the games he is working. It is unprofessional and takes away from the game being watched by the fans, unless the broadcast team is strictly covering that specific club regionally, I find it hard to understand how a network airing the games nationally has let it’s on air talent carrying such a tone throughout? In the past this same debate has been mentioned when Bob Cole and Harry Neale covered Toronto Maple Leafs, while similar discussions were brought to light during the Dick Irvine days covering the Montreal Canadiens.

I have heard from others, fans of the Canucks or neutral fans, that have also noticed the language used on a nightly basis throughout the playoffs by the aforementioned trio during the Canucks games. Understandably, the CBC wants to cater to its audience across the country that are eager to see a Canadian team win a Stanley Cup for the first time in 18 years, but in doing so, there should be more transparency in how the games are called and analyzed as not all of the viewers are cheering for the Canucks.

It is a sad day when this topic has to be discussed not only once but now twice.  The game should be the main attraction with zero bias, something that has become a growing issue as the playoffs have progressed.

Last boarding call for Atlanta to Winnipeg

As I mentioned the other day, I am not going to leave any move of the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg until I see Gary Bettman step up onto the milk crate and announce to the throngs of people in attendance at the press conference that the deal is signed and sealed.

Yesterday word broke of a deal being finalized to the delight of many following the story, and while it has not yet been signed off the agreement between the parties involved "appears" to be very close. Hopefully this is the case and the press conference is announced with new of the Thrashers coming to Winnipeg finally becoming reality.

This will be a day I can say I never thought would happen given the way the former club left for Phoenix back in 1996. I will avoid much of the discussion until the deal is finalized and made public.

Hang tight and fasten your seatbelt', it appears as though this flight is about to take off from Atlanta will land in Winnipeg soon enough.

Waiting on the tarmac

As another week is well underway another familiar and becoming increasingly boring story continues to make headlines as talk picks up regarding the possible return of the National Hockey League to Winnipeg. Let first start by saying that adding another club to a Canadian city will be a boon for success if and/or when the NHL decides to make it official, but at the same time I am nauseas from the repeated story that goes absolutely nowhere time and time again. I have no idea how many times I have had to listen to Darren Dreger, Bob McKenzie, Nick Kypreos and Doug McLean, amongst many others, discuss this story with really nothing coming from each segment other than time being filled on another light day in the world of sports and the splattering of die hard hockey fans across the country hoping that one day the story will be for real.

Many shake their heads when Gary Bettman and Bill Daly speak about trying to keep a franchise in the city it presently resides over bringing them to Winnipeg, Quebec or even in a surrounding city in Southern Ontario. It is easy to wonder why the NHL is slow in returning or bringing hockey into these specific markets, but after seeing the league stand by and help Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa survive during the unstable moments each of those franchises faced, you have to give Bettman some credibility in doing what is right. When the stars align and the best option for relocating a club appears to be in the Great White North, I am sure the NHL will be sure it is the best move across the board.  

With rumours floating around that the possibility of the league having an announcement regarding the state of the Atlanta Thrashers coming as early as the end of the week or perhaps as late as the end of the Stanley Cup Finals, I would presume the latter will end up being timeline for any announcement. The League would not want to take away from the coverage surrounding the four remaining clubs vying for the Stanley Cup and in keeping any announcement until mid June will keep the league in the media headlines that much longer. It will be attention the league will certainly welcome as they know very well that adding another franchise in a Canadian market will benefit the league and will kick start interests in all markets across the country.  

Until the day comes when the National Hockey League announces a press conference in which Commissioner Bettman stands at a podium and makes the return to Winnipeg official, you won’t find me sitting with batted breath listening to a panel of insiders talk about not really anything more than rumours and hearsay.

2011 Western Conference Final

As game one of the Western Conference Final came to a close last night it appears to be clear that this series will come down to whomever comes to play the full sixty minutes. With momentum swinging both ways throughout the first two periods, combined with solid goaltending at both end of the ice, it was fitting that the third period would provide the most entertainment as the Canucks built off Kevin Bieksa’s tying goal to see Henrik Sedin tally the winner about a minute and twenty seconds later.

If I was Sharks coach Todd McLellan I would break the results down this way; focus on the positives that came from the game, work on maintaining a balanced attack over the sixty minutes and avoid getting drawn into playing Vancouver’s game. The Sharks got off to a decent start, were able to score the game’s first goal and take the lead again on the power play midway through the game, both positives that I am sure the coach will use. Areas that would need to be addressed are staying out of the penalty box, better support in the defensive zone and again focus on playing a complete game. It was a few lulls during the first two periods which almost cost the Sharks if not for Antti Niemi bailing his club out on numerous flurries the Canucks brought his way, something that seemed to give the Canucks confidence as the game progressed and forced San Jose back on their heels.

Credit to the Vancouver Canucks for not losing focus after a broken play resulted in the opening goal of the series by Joe Thornton and then rendering a power play goal to Patrick Marleau in the second shortly after Max Lapierre tied things up. When the Canucks are rolling and getting the contributions needed from all of their lines, they are a tough team to play against although can find themselves in a bind when sidetrack by an opponent who has the ability to do so. If Alain Vigneault is going to keep the Canucks on track he will have to continue to preach that his club not stray from the team objective of achieving their goal. Players like Raffi Torres, Max Lapierre, as well Ryan Kesler and Kevin Bieksa are known for having a short circuit at the wrong times. If they can focus on the task at hand and save any shenanigans for the future it will help the Canucks greatly.

This series should be a battle, as it was last night, to the final buzzer. The key will be the performances from both clubs top end players, anything less will put either of these clubs behind the eight ball. In game one San Jose was able to get production from Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, while Vancouver picked up a huge goal from Henrik Sedin, received another solid performance from  Kesler and Bieksa as well.   In the end it will be the club who maintains the focus, stays out of trouble and maintain a consistent presence in the offensive zone while limiting their opponent at the same time.

Three Points for the Sharks to focus on....

1)      Get in Luongo’s kitchen as much as possible

2)      Get under the skin of anyone in a Canucks uniform – but be disciplined

3)      Cut Vancouver’s ice in half – force them to play on their side of centre

Three Points for the Canucks to focus on...

1)      Neutralize San Jose top lines

2)      Win the battles on the walls and down low

3)      Stick to the game plan

There are a ton of other factors both clubs will harp on as the series progresses but it will be interesting to see which come to the forefront and which take a backseat, that can be said for the players in this series too. It is time for the Thornton’s, Marleau’s, Sedin’s and Luongo’s to show they can finish what they started. This has the possibilities of being a great series, time will tell if that will be the case.

Derek Boogaard 1982-2011

Yesterday the NHL lost a player and more so a character that will be talked about for years to come.  Derek Boogaard will be remember for his size, strength and for being one of the toughest men to ever play in the greatest league in the world.

Over the years the role of the enforcer has slowly deteriorated from your tough guy needing talent beyond his fists, now almost to the point where a pest is looked upon as the one to turn to when trouble starts. Derek Boogaard was one of a dying breed amongst players in the National Hockey League who command the skill set in which he did, and while many say this is a good thing just ask Wayne Gretzky and Steve Yzerman how different their careers may have been not having Dave Semenko, Marty McSorely, Joey Kocur and Bob Probert on their hockey clubs. Imagine how much more of Mario Lemieux would have been able to see if the Penguins kept Marty McSorely around or didn't wait nearly a decade to re-fill the role after Lemieux had encountered numerous injuries related to the treatment he received on a nightly basis. 

Derek Boogaard was a player that struck fear into the eyes of ever opponent while giving his teammates the space to play the game they wanted to every night out. He will be missed for the player he was but more importantly the person everyone knew.

RIP Derek Boogaard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rR1EGzp9DLY