Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust Head to the NY Rangers

It's an ugly business and you don't need to look further than how this trade was confirmed. During the Sunday circus with the Phaneuf trade, it was all but confirmed that Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust were headed to the Rangers. Then, as everyone waited in anticipation for the announcement during the morning skates, we all saw that Jokinen and Prust took to the ice. Meaning: they were going to be in Monday night's lineup against the Flyers -- and they were. So when we noticed a scowling VP of Hockey Admin and CFO Michael Holditch followed by a couple other of the teams top brass moving quickly to the back room of the Flames locker room, it was a sign something was up. Although, seeing Holditch go to the back room post-game is not an unusual site in many circumstances.

Upon writers and audio media clicking their mouses to file the last of their stories, and TV getting ready for their standups, someone spotted Jokinen and Prust heading upstairs to the front offices. We the media lay in wait. Posting bodies at all possible entrance points, we scrambled to the back pass gate in the nick of time to catch the two players as they nearly successfully snuck out the back door.

Brandon Prust:

“This is the ugly part, you could say.

“It was tough finding out. My phone was going off the hook last night. Just waiting to hear a confirmation, pacing around for hours. You come out here and you have to get focused for an opportunity to get two points. We’re professionals and you have to go about business in a certain way. This is definitely a different way, but it’s done now.

“It’s always tough getting traded, but at the same time, it’s a bit of a complement to have another team interested in your services. That’s what you do when teams struggle. You mix things up and I was involved.”

Olli Jokinen

“It was a long day. After hearing everything yesterday and last night, I’m surprised. It was a big day yesterday with Dion (Phaneuf) getting traded. I wasn’t expecting to get moved.

“It’s tough. This business is about winning. We have one win and lost 13 – 14 games. You’ve got to play hard every time you go on the ice, no matter what kind of distractions you have. You play for that sweater, that logo on the front of you as long as they tell you you’re part of the team. I just got the news I’m not part of the team anymore.

“Eleven months ago when I got traded here I was very excited. I moved my family over here. I was hoping I would be here for the rest of my career. It’s a cruel business. It comes with the salary. It’s definitely a slap in the face to get traded.

“Going back to the eastern conference and play for an original six team – I get a chance to play with one of the better players in the league right now – Gaborik. I know the coach very well.

“We understand. The toughest part is to move the family again with kids involved. It’s not just me. There’s other people involved, too.

“This is what we do for a living. We make good money. This is the sacrifice we have to do.

“I just heard the news five minutes ago. I’m just going to go home and pack. It’s always sad, you make great friends over here. That’s the tough part, saying goodbyes to everyone. It’s tough to get traded. In the first three or four years of my career, I got traded three times. I was able to stay on one team for seven plus years. Now it’s the third trade in the last three years. Hopefully, it’s the last.”

All Is Not Well in Oilerville

“I thought we were rock bottom a few games ago. We keep creating all time lows for ourselves. We’re pretty fragile right now. As much as you want to be positive on the bench and try to keep guys motivated, you can tell when we play we’re demoralized.”

The words of Ethan Moreau say it all.

In Calgary on Saturday, January 30, the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames were engaged in a different kind of Battle of Alberta: the battle of who gets to end an elongated losing streak.

The Oilers lost, thus pushing the streak to 13 games.

I don’t think I can even describe the room after the game. This team is more than defeated, the room is apoplectic. It’s beyond life support. The shock paddles have failed to jolt life back into the heart of this team.

And if it rains, it pours. The Oil have been riddled with injuries and another one popped up Saturday night. Sheldon Souray broke his hand in a fight with Jarome Iginla.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNlVwTOwOT8

Right now, I don’t really think it’s coaching or personnel that’s the problem as much as the team’s attitude – or lack thereof. Motivation out of this slump is not going to come from fear, brow beating, or rah rah. It’s a total overhaul of a mindset that has permeated each stall. And that mindset slaps you in the face when you read Moreau’s post-game comments.

I don’t know. What would it hurt to bring in an expert. As a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS), I can think of many people whose job it is to revitalize corporate climates. They are really good at their jobs and for sure, the Oilers can muster up the fee – or they can borrow it from Shawn Horcoff.

If there’s any doubt as to the need for such a measure, here’s Andrew Cogliano: “When you get back to back goals…it obviously kills the confidence and kills the group. We’re trying to stay positive but that’s easier said than done. I think everyone is trying to gather themselves up and think about what our next step is.”

The Untouchable Defenceman is Touchable After All

On Sunday (January 31), the Calgary Flames embarked on a seven-player deal to send defenseman Dion Phaneuf, forward Fredrik Sjostrom and defensive prospect Keith Aulie to Toronto for forwards Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman and Jamal Mayers and defenseman Ian White. Phaneuf’s season has been less than stellar, not to mention he was cut from the Canadian Olympic team. But there is no doubt he has been a formidable force since he entered the league. His point shot and his hits are second to none – well maybe the point shot could be second to Rob Blake (in his prime).

I’m not totally shocked by the trade because the Flames had to do something. Phaneuf was always considered untouchable, but factor in his less than average season and his contract.

Making a deal these days always has to work with the bottom line as much as results and chemistry.

But the trade shocked many, in particular the players in question. The married players admit their minds were scrambling as to how they pack up their household as quickly as they can pack their suitcases.
“I was very surprised,” says Phaneuf, “but on the other hand, I’m very excited to be going to the biggest hockey market in the world.”

White: “It’s difficult going through this. I don’t think you could be prepared for it. I have a young child right now and a family. It’s difficult, especially when you have a couple of hours to pack up a life that you made here.”

Hagman: “Hockey is the same in Calgary and Toronto or wherever. It’s the off-ice stuff that kind of shocks you a little and makes you wonder what you’re going to do.”

Mayers: “Any time you get that call, it does come as a surprise. You first think about your family and logistics in regard to what you’re going to do. That’s probably the most important thing. The easy part for us is going to the rink and have an instant 23 friends.”

You have to know it wasn’t an easy trade. Brent Sutter was Phaneuf’s coach in junior, so you’d have to believe that the bond is like a father-son relationship. But from what we’ve seen on some of these movements, players that may have been slumping a bit on one team will move to another and excel. That would be Toronto’s gain, for sure.

As for the guys in return, Jarome Iginla desperately needs someone he can play with who will complement his offensive talents. He just doesn’t have a playmaker to get him the puck. If the trade doesn’t boost the offensive touch, and soon, the Flames are in dangerous territory of missing the playoffs.

The First Team to Blink Wins

 

The good news for me is Edmonton is in town. That means some of my favorite people are here: JJ the PR man; Sparky the trainer; and Robert the reporter. The only one missing from the mix is Roli the goalie. (Sigh) But I'll bet anything that the Oilers wish he was still with the team.

The expectations were so high (or perhaps it was low). Both teams coming into tonight's game were in dire straights. It was as if they were allergic to winning. Edmonton was wearing a 12-game losing streak, while Calgary was not far behind with nine consecutive losses. I'll bet that's why the PA seems to be turned up a gazillion more decibles -- in anticipation of a long and winding game where fans can only do their best impression of an empty seat as they unhurry their way back from the beer stands. They needed the PA to jolt them awake and out of their seats. It's probably why one reporter felt like the press box was swaying through the night.

Dustin Boyd kicked off the scoring for the Flames at 3:45 into the first period. Sam Gagner then tied it up at 12:25, and then it was all Calgary with five unanswered goals, including a second by Boyd. 

Jarome Iginla scored his 900th career point with his assist on the first Boyd goal. Then he scored a two-man power play goal at 15:13 in the second period. In the third, he fought Sheldon Souray, thus cementing the Gordie Howe hat trick (goal, assist, fight). That should get some people off his back. Hey, he's the face of the franchise, but look at how many head coaches, general managers, and team presidents he's gone through during the course of his career. I dare you. Look it up. (On another note of good cheer on the Iginla name, it is interesting there was no media who noticed his wife Kara carrying the Olympic torch as it went through Calgary last week.)

Country is the theme for this game, which means, all the nice rock music I so enjoy has been thrown to the wayside in lieu of non-stop country music. Alberta's own Paul Brandt sang the national anthem and even sang a song in between the second and third period. He's good, I'll give him that. And not hard on the eyeballs for straight women and the gay guys.

So with a 6-1 finish in favor of the Flames, who get to at least put a bandaid on a massive losing streak and the Oilers going to game 13 without a win, at least the prediction as to this game's outcome has not come true. I figured because neither team seemed to want to win, that it would go to a shootout until 3:00 AM. 

But for one night, at least, all is well in Flamesville, and I need to go to the ear doctor.

Interview with Peter Bondra

It was February 6, 2007. Peter and I sat next to each other in front of his locker, alone in the Chicago Blackhawks dressing room in Calgary after his morning skate. All the other media and players had left the building. Only the equipment manager was there, tidying up for that night’s game against the Calgary Flames. Peter retired the following season.

His interview is reflective of why I like talking to European players about their experiences. I find it hard to put myself into their place – going to a foreign land where you don’t know the language, culture, or environment. How do you communicate, let alone play a professional sport at the level that is expected?

When did you first know you were going to play in the NHL?

“To be honest, it wasn’t my dream. The situation where I grew up was Communism. At that time, it was pretty impossible, unless you defected, like some players did. I didn’t think I was capable, to be honest.
“I grew up under Communism. My dream was to compete on national teams and the Olympics. As a kid, I went to bed and think about playing hockey. I know a lot of kids now grow up thinking about NHL.

“Looking back at 1990 when I come here that summer, I didn’t know much about NHL. There wasn’t Internet. There wasn’t satellite to see any games. I knew about a couple players. I knew who Gretzky was. Maybe Mario Lemieux. That was pretty much it. I wasn’t ready. I just try and see what happen. If I don’t succeed or I don’t like it for some reason, I will just come back. That was my mentality. That was my talk in my head. I wasn’t here to make a career, make the top, or score 500 goals. I wasn’t sure what kind of player I was. I knew I could skate. Maybe I knew I could score some goals. I had some offensive talents. But I just came here to try it.

“In my pocket, I had $1,500. When I left Slovakia, I told my wife, hey, if I don’t like it or something go wrong, I buy ticket and come back. Or the other way, if I made a team I will like there, you come over and meet me after training camp. That’s what happened.

“I made the team. It was a pretty tough training camp for me. I didn’t speak English. A couple things I knew – the words I knew were pizza and Coke. That’s what happened in Lake Placid, I went for dinner by myself. I got a menu in front of me, I knew pizza and Coke, so I got dinner.

“It was pretty tough. There was the first wave of Europeans coming here that was Hasek, Reichel, Holik…guys from Czechloslovakia. It was hard to compete for a job. It kind of felt like I had a big bulls-eye on my chest. They were very tough scrimmages for me. Everybody try to get a piece of you just because you’re skating a little faster than everybody else. You kind of show a little bit extra. All of a sudden, those guys, they know it. At the same time, when I made the team, it was different. I was already on the side of the players. They tried to protect me.

“Neil Sheehy come to me and told me to take the Jofa (helmet) off and take the CCM. I asked him why? Because the other team will know you’re European and will go harder against you. I just put a CCM helmet on. Some of those guys try to help you up, protect you when you go to battle. At the same time, you learn the game. I pretty much learn from beginning. Whatever I knew about the game, you come here, it’s different. Totally different game. Different coach. Coaches ask you to do different things. You learn as you go. It was tough at the beginning because coach talk about the game you’re going to play – the system, before the game give you a couple points. It was tough for me to get a couple words from his meeting. Every day was learning. Every day was something new.

“Even in life. My wife try to go to the bank and open an account, pay a bill by check. You go through the process. It was quite an experience for us.”

How do you know how to get to the rink and know what the coach says?

“That’s why you have your teammates that try to help you out. After the first month, I was excited to learn. I wasn’t a guy who was shy. I try to talk to my teammates, to coaches. I wasn’t perfect, but that was maybe what the team liked about me, about my personality. I was a guy who initiated being in conversation with the guys. That’s how you learn the English.”

How different is it when you come into a new locker room to establish yourself?

“My first trade to Ottawa was a little bit tough. I was playing for 14 years almost for one team and I kind of knew the system, the coaches and players. You pretty much feel at home. Being traded to Ottawa, I didn’t know what to expect at the beginning. I knew I come there to play hockey. The adjustments I was going through, I was better the second time because of it.

“No matter where you go, all the guys are same. You got all personalities, everybody’s different, but I’m the guy who try to be a friend to everybody. I just try to bond with the team and do the job which they ask me to do.”

Key to longevity?

“Don’t get satisfied. Compete. Play your expectations. Before you fight for a big contract, you go establish yourself as a player, maybe as a goal scorer. You sign a big contract, and now there’s more pressure to play expectations. You come play every game, every practice and be your best. When you get older, I would say to young players, compete. It’s everything inside of you – how much you’re willing to go to that kind of battle in your own mind, sometimes. When you challenge yourself more and more, you’re going to get better results. That’s why you going to stay in the game.

“And you have to like the game. I’m going to be 39, I guess tomorrow. I still like the game. I’m really happy to come to practice. The lockout year made me realize how much I missed the game. Even this year, early in the season. I would do anything just to come here, whether you win or lose, it’s something special. You appreciate when you’re older, more and more, come to practice, do the preparation for the game.”

How tough is it to have a family in this kind of environment?

“When you have the family around during the season, you try to help as much to your family, to your wife as much as you can, especially when you have kids – with all the schools, activities. They have hockey, each have couple sports. I’m really very proud of my wife and how she handle that stuff now when I’m in Chicago and she’s in Washington. You go to the games and if you don’t have good friends or on the hockey team, I don’t know if I’d be able to do it.

“When I was home, my wife would see me. I was kind of watching every night, four-five games with my kids at the same time. You’re flipping channels. She knew I was not ready to retire. She knew I missed the game.

“It’s tough, especially when my kids are their age, I should be around them as a parent. At the same time, my heart is still in hockey. Hopefully, I will pay them back. Hopefully, when the season is over, I will spend more time with them.

“Anytime I have a day off, I try to fly back. Any time they have school off, they come into Chicago.”

What do you think is the biggest misconception others have about you?

“I’m not sure. Maybe they don’t know me. If they knew me and I was on the same team as them, maybe they would view me differently. Mostly, they look at you, hey, there’s a guy who scored lot of goals, or I’m not sure…maybe he’s selfish. I’m not sure what they think. I hope I convince them wrong when I have a chance to play with them same team. I’m the type of person that gets along with everybody, on the team, on the staff. Maybe because I play with one team for so long, people don’t know much about me.”

How has your role changed as a player?

“Through the beginning was learning the game and not much experience. Later on, I be a team leader, a guy who’s relied for production and be a number one or two player on a team. Coming around to the end, I come to try and help and give people the experience that I have. I can help the young players. The roles are definitely changing. The game itself is changing. You have to understand your role and how you can help the team.”

What has the game taught you personally?

“I grew up with the game, as a hockey player and as a person as well. It gives you a lot of good things for your life. Only good things, I would say, is what I gained from this game. You try to be a good person, not cheater. You gain a lot of good stuff.”

What’s your passion outside of hockey?

“It’s always been in sport. Any time I play anything, I like to win and compete hard, whether it’s tennis or golf. It’s always a challenge. If you’re not good, you try to get better. Because I’m playing the game, you always challenge yourself. Even when I stop playing, I still want to be active in sports.”

Pepsi Cheer Contest

Contest for NHL Behind the Scenes Facebook group members; http://www.insidethelockerroom.com readers, and http://insidethenhl.ning.com/ members: Qualify to receive a cheer gear package if sign up at link below and send me a note on who was the captain of the 1998 Canadian Men's team in Nagano. Deadline January 31.

Send me a note at gridironchick@hotmail.com

http://pepsi.ca/jointhecheer/microDefault.aspx?bhcp=1#/cn_signup

Roughnecks and NLL Ready for 2010

Calgary Roughnecks players admit they have to shed the championship hangover and look at 2010 with fresh eyes. There are some changes in the new lineup, namely at the coaching helm. Dave Pym, a long-time assistant, takes over as head coach. Rod Jensen and Curt Malawsky provide a supporting role as his assistants.

The Riggers head to Lethbridge, Alberta on Saturday, December 19 for an exhibition game against the Edmonton Rush at the ENMAX Centre (7:30 PM).

In other NLL news, Colin Doyle returns to the Toronto Rock after a blockbuster trade on Tuesday December 15. He was sent to Toronto from the Washington Stealth with a conditional second round 2012 draft pick in exchange for Lewis Ratcliff, Tyler Codron, and Joel Delgarno. Doyle is the third player in NLL history to amass over 900 points. He has never missed a playoff in his career, won five Champion's Cups with the Rock (before he was traded to San Jose December 2006), and was the NLL Most Valuable Player in 2005.

In another trade, Ryan Powell was sent to the Edmonton Rush from Colorado Mammoth, which turned into a three-way deal, as Callum Crawford went from the Rush to Colorado, who sent him to Minnesota for Chad Culp.

Eight-year vet with Buffalo, Pat McCready, was sent to Toronto with a third round draft pick in exchange for three draft picks. Meanwhile, the Bandits cemented Mark Steenhuis to its lineup with a five-year contract.


Tracey Kelusky, Calgary Roughnecks

Andrew McBride, Calgary Roughnecks

Bruce Cobb, Calgary Roughnecks, recovering from dental oral surgery

Jeff Shattler, Calgary Roughnecks

Jayna Hefford leads Team Canada to 6-2 win over US

This was the fourth game in a six-game series between the Canada and United States national women's teams. So far, this season, Canada holds a 4-0-0-3 record against the US, Canada's and an all time record of 52-35-1.

Bob Nicholson presents long-time women's star Hayley Wickenheiser with an award before the start of the game. She is the first female hockey player in Canadian history to hit a career 300 points. She scored it on September 1 against Finland.

Team US opened the scoring with a power play goal at 11:51 of the first period: Meghan Duggan from Jinelle Zaugg-Siergiej and Kelli Stack.

Caroline Ouellette tied it up at 17:42 from an assist by Jayna Hefford.

Team US took a 2-1 lead in the second period with a power play goal by Jocelyne Lamoureux from Karen Thatcher at 4:44.

Canada came right back at 10:44 to tie it up with a goal by Jayna Hefford from Caroline Ouellette and Meghan Agosta. The team then took the go-ahead goal at 16:39 -- Hefford's second goal of the game from Meghan Agosta. Marie-Philip Poulin cements at two-goal lead to end the period at 18:38 (power play) from Catherine Ward and Caroline Ouellette.

Canada finished the game with a 6-2 win. Things got a bit rough at the 13-minute mark when a few roughing penalties were handed out in bunches.

The next time these teams meet will be in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Did You Know?

*Canada won its 200th game against the US on October 5, 2009 (3-1).

*September 3, 2009 was goalie Shannon Szabados' first loss (2-4 versus US). Up to that point, her record was 9-0.

*Jayna Hefford is the second Canadian female to play her 200th game against the US. Only Hayley Wickenheiser has made the 200-game mark.

* Jenny Potter is the only mother on Team US. Her daughter Madison is eight, and son Cullen is two.

*Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux are the first twins and first sisters on a US national team.

*Jessie Vetter was named the Sportswoman of the Year by the Women's Sports Foundation -- the first ice hockey player to receive it.

Learn more about Team Canada at www.hockeycanada.ca. Team US has a fan club at www.nscsports.org.