Inside the Locker Room

Karlis Skrastins Held the Key to Longevity

2011-09-07T22:41:00.001-07:00

It was in February 2007 when I sat down one-on-one with then Colorado Avalanche's Latvian blueliner Karlis Skrastins -- in the same month he broke Tim Horton's durability record for most consecutive games played by a defenseman.

Karlis towered at 6' 2" and his handsome devilish smile was framed by long flowing blonde locks. He was a pleasure to be around.

Here is part of that conversation:

What's the key to longevity?

Getting ready and getting focused for one game at a time. It’s a lot of work and a lot of effort. I think it’s the combination of work and a lot of luck, too. Hockey is a tough game to play. I had all kinds of injuries, but they weren’t serious enough to stop me from playing the game.

What was your worst injury? I had a broken wrist. It was one year before the lockout and close to the end of the season.

How did you gain confidence in the wrist when coming back from the injury? I try a couple practice. I try one game, second game, and was able to play the same game that I was playing before. If I would play forward, of course, it would be tougher for me. I was able to do almost everything I had to do. That season I was playing really good. It was one of my best seasons.

Talk about your first opportunity to play in the NHL. Dreams come true, you know. I remember my first game. I never thought I was going to play so many games, especially so many games in a row. When I played my first NHL game, it was, oh, my dream come true. It was amazing. It makes you feel good you can play in the best league with the best players in the world. If you keep working, your dreams can come true.

Who were some of the people who have influenced your career? It was more back in Europe. I don’t know if you know Russian coach Vladimir Yurzinov. He asked me to come to his team in Finland. I spent three really good years there. It was my step up in my career. Without his help, without his helping me to believe in myself, I couldn’t be in the NHL for sure. It’s where I got drafted – Finland. I kind of got my opportunity in Nashville. Nashville was a great organization and those people were helping me, too.

How was the cultural adjustment for you when you first came over to North America? It was hard. The first year, there were a couple of Russian guys to help me get used to American life. The first year I played in Milwaukee, the farm team. I learned a lot about small ice, about American hockey. Everything was step-by-step. It wasn’t like right away. I learned my language, too, day by day. I didn’t have another choice if I wanted to be here.

What has the game taught you personally? It’s what I love. It’s your job. It’s what you dream about. If I had another chance, I would do it exactly the same.

Karlis died this morning in a plane crash, along with his entire Kontinental Hockey League Lokomotive team, which was headed for its opening game from Yaroslavl to Minsk, Russia.

College Coaches: More About "Me" Than Molding Players

2011-01-02T10:53:00.000-08:00

Pittsburgh Panthers coach Mike Hayward was just given his walking papers after an arrest on a domestic violence charge. He only had been in the job for two and a half weeks. College Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg says in response, "Head coaches are among the university's most visible representatives and are expected to maintain high standards of personal conduct and to avoid situations that might reflect negatively on the university."

Well, isn't that special? And what a crock.

Tell that to Declan Sullivan.

The 20-year-old Notre Dame student fell to his death filming a practice that coach Brian Kelly conducted in tropical storm winds. No changes were made to the routine, despite the 60 mile per hour winds that Sullivan faced while standing on a hydraulic lift 50 feet from the ground.

Kelly was never held accountable and neither was the athletic director or school president. It was chalked up as an "unfortunate incident." In reality, the Irish could have postponed the practice or moved it indoors. This was negligence at its best. But, the Irish carried on business as usual. They played the next day and the NCAA never batted an eyelash.

December 29, 2009, Texas Tech finally came to a right decision and punted head coach Mike Leach, who had a series of questionable conduct, but his ultimate undoing was locking player Adam James in a shed during a practice.

Then there is Lane Kiffin. He was reprimanded by the SEC for calling out Gators' coach Urban Meyer for recruitment tactics -- this when he was with University of Tennessee. Then after one year with the Volunteers, he jumps ship to go to University of Southern California to replace Pete Carroll. The grass seemed greener, I guess. His likeness still hangs in effigy in Tennessee.

Speaking of breaking contracts, Nick Saban, who after verbally dispelling rumors, insisted he was not leaving the Miami Dolphins (with time left on his contract) and lo and behold, he's coaching University of Alabama.

But with death and physical abuse aside, the poster coach for lack of integrity has to be none other than Bobby Petrino.

With three games still left in the season, less than 24 hours after a blowout loss, Petrino left a note in the player stalls of the Atlanta Falcons' locker room to say he quit. Hours later, the Falcon players watched their ex-head coach calling out "pig suey" at a press conference announcing him as the head coach of University of Arkansas. The move was so distasteful and scorned that even today, broadcasters can barely mention his name without hurling.

So let's not revere these coaches too fast.

A Sports Illustrated story this season exposed the real truth behind the bowl games and who wins financially. Not the colleges -- in many cases, it costs them thousands of dollars out of pocket to send teams to the events. The winners are the sponsors, the host cities, and college coaches. Yes, coaches. Why? Their salary goes up with every bowl game appearance. Most football fans would welcome the end of the bowl system in lieu of a playoff, but the colleges, whether they benefit financially or not, will fight to the death to support it -- for its coaches.

Also note that the NCAA is an institution that penalizes its players for selling personal items or accepts any financial help, while it makes a killing off the backs of the same players. See Reggie Bush giving back his Heisman trophy, although Cam Newton seems to have gotten off scott-free.

Joe Paterno

Urban Meyer

Bobby Bowden

Technology Doesn't Always Cooperate

2010-09-25T22:51:00.000-07:00

It would have been the most awesome film clip. The vantage point was perfect -- could not have been better. The match was great, and the outcome -- a belt.

I was tasked with the job of videotaping my friend Ra'am Dante's wrestling match tonight. I filmed his walk through the back of the hotel to the curtain. Then I filmed his entrance into the ring. I moved over to a seat right outside the ring where the lighting was good and the wrestlers were practically on top of me, and that's when the camera crapped out.

We missed all the good stuff. Pretty much the whole bout, the signature move, the belt presentation, and the lead-in to the next grudge match when another wrestler grabbed the microphone and called Ra'am out.

Stuff happens, and instead of preparing for it, I left my backup camera at home.

Unfortunately, this happens all the time.

I remember a conversation with my friend Peter Maher for my first book (Inside the NHL Dream), where he talked about the perfect interview with a goaltender on game day -- a rarity in the NHL. After finishing up the interview, he realized his tape recorder didn't record. It's not like you can do the interview all over again. Even if you could, the subject would never be as candid or answer the questions the same way.

Funny, I did the same thing with a goaltender. It was Curtis Joseph, actually. He was awesome, and after I realized I had hit the play button instead of the record button.

Then there's the tape record over the perfect interview you haven't had the chance to transcribe or download yet.

I'm sure everyone at one time or another has experienced a technology outage at the most inopportune time when you can't get that moment back and you missed documenting a piece of your history.

Beat yourself up all you want, but it happens to the best of us. And it will probably happen again. It's like karma. It's how technology rolls.

Just Ducky

2010-09-20T16:34:00.000-07:00

March 1, 1993.

That was the day NHL beat writers questioned the sanity of the announcement: the Mighty Ducks are coming to Anaheim. Even with the Mickey Mouse empire behind them, as one headline attested, "NHL expansion on hold till next goofy rich guy."

Fast forward to playoffs 2003. With only two playoff seasons to their name (1997, 1999), the Ducks looked ever so mighty, mowing through Detroit, Dallas, and Minnesota before forcing the New Jersey Devils to a game seven in the Stanley Cup final. Mike Babcock had just taken over head coaching duties for the season. The team finished as the seventh seed in the Western Conference. G Jean-Sebastien Giguere tied a league record for most consecutive shutouts (3) and earned himself the Conn Smythe Trophy, even though the Devils won the Cup.

Mike Babcock addresses the Ducks in December 2006

As November neared a close in 2006, the Ducks had their best start ever and sat first overall. They out shot their opponents by roughly 15 shots, averaging the third highest in the league. The Ducks defense had the most points by a league defense. The team ranked second in power play percentage and earned a standings point in each of their first 16 games—the longest streak to start a season.

RW Teemu Selanne banked his 500th career goal on November 22, 2006 at Colorado, scored points in nine of ten games, and led his club in points. He also tied a franchise record for both assists and points (5) when he chalked up five assists on November 19, 2006 versus Phoenix (tied D Dmitri Mironov—12/12/97 versus Washington).

Captain Scott Niedermayer ranked fourth on the points scale for defensemen and was second on the club and sixth overall in the league for ice time. He was also the fan favorite in the All Star vote, leading the Western Conference balloting—well over 18,000 votes ahead of Detroit D Nicklas Lidstrom. Ducks D Chris Pronger was third in the ballot, first for points for defensemen, second in the league's plus/minus, and fourth in overall league assists.

Meanwhile, Giguere topped the league in wins and was tied for first in shutouts, while RW Dustin Penner was second in rookie scoring.

Then came the 2007 playoffs.

After winning the Pacific Division title, the Ducks eliminated Minnesota, Vancouver, and Detroit before heading to the Stanley Cup final to face the Ottawa, and beat the Senators in five games.

Yes, the team has struggled to make the playoffs since then, but the Ducks have certainly had the last laugh over the 1993 headlines. It's not a stretch to think that another future headline might read "Stanley Cup contender."

Tony Amonte and the Personal Impact of Trades

2010-09-18T21:44:00.000-07:00

It was 2006 when Tony Amonte was playing for the Calgary Flames. I was able to pull him aside and ask him about what it was like to be traded. Not about his role with his new team or what he thinks of the new city. What was the impact on his family?

"It’s a double-edged sword. The first one is really the one that catches you off guard. You really don’t know it’s coming. You don’t know what to expect. You don’t know how to act. The way you have to look at it is there’s a team that really wants you bad."

While fans know that players must report to their new city as soon as possible, nobody thinks about the logistics behind that.

"It’s brutal. Especially if you’re a single guy. You’ve got to pack up and leave right away. You’ve got to find friends to let the movers in and let the movers pick up your crap. If you’re married, fortunately you’ll have a wife you can leave behind and she has to do all the work, unfortunately. That’s the worst part about being traded is the move – upload and moving your stuff across the country. Your car is over there and everything else. As far as the trade itself goes, it’s usually pretty smooth. You get the call. You’re on the next plane out. You leave everything. Fortunately for most guys, they’ve got great friends, great wives, and people who will look after their stuff and take care of some issues for them while they’re gone."

Even if they hadn't played with someone before, through from past tournaments, all star games, and player association functions, many players do know a lot of players on other teams. It's still an adjustment. The room has a different chemistry and when you first arrive, you don't really know where you fit in.

It's nice when one of the vets steps up to the plate.

"Guys know, especially in the middle of the season, when the new guy comes on the team, take him in, make sure you talk to him as much as you can, get to know the guy, dinners, if the guy needs anything while he’s in town. If he needs a rental car, you can hopefully set him up with some people. Whatever the guy needs to just make him comfortable. When you get to a city, you want to feel comfortable. You don’t want to feel like you’re all alone and sitting in a hotel every night. Guys will invite you out to dinner, go here, just do things and keep busy."

Thanks #World Cup and #Team USA, I almost forgot

2010-06-27T09:21:00.001-07:00

I stand here before you and admit as a North American-born citizen, I watched Saturday's match (June 26, 2010) between Ghana and the United States in the South Africa World Cup. There! I said it. It was a heck of a game and extremely hard on the nervous system as Ghana won the game in extra play.

It's no secret that many North Americans have an aversion to soccer (what people outside of North America call "football"). Gridiron football has been my religion for as long as I can remember, and having been personally involved in grassroots and junior football for over 18 years in Canada, there was one thing that you knew for sure -- football in Canada and the US means helmets, shoulder pads, and hitting. Let's just say, you'd be better off admitting you were gay in a testosterone-filled locker room than admit to liking soccer.

Team USA just may be the catalyst to change that mindset -- for some. Unless you've been hiding under a rock, even in Canada, the US bid for the World Cup in 2014 is a big deal. The bid committee is made up of a star-studded lineup (Bill Clinton, Drew Carey, Morgan Freeman, Henry Kissinger, Spike Lee, Brad Pitt...). While security may be a nightmare, the possibility of being on the world stage and the economic impact is intoxicating. After all the crap its been facing of late, with the economy and oil disaster killing everything in its path along the southern and soon eastern coastline, the US really needs this. And we in Canada have to want this, too, because as goes the US, so does Canada.

But getting back to yesterday's game. I almost (actually I did) forgot I used to really enjoy watching soccer -- used to watch it a lot BM&D (Before Marriage & Divorce), after which it was completely lost on my radar. I forgot I used to go watch live matches in Edmonton and never missed seeing Pele play on TV. Repressed memories.

Oh granted, I do have a lot of problems with the "acting" where players go down as if they've been shot, feigning injury. This is where my gridiron peeps step in and mock the sport. In "real" football, guys who spend the whole practice on the trainer's table are "champagning" it. And if you have a broken finger (even the quarterback) or something equally benign and choose to stay out of the reps (repetitions) to nurse it, you are never going to make the team for long. That's just a fact of life. Toughen up and be a football player. Notice soccer goalies never take an injury dive.

But where soccer has most sports beat is in the conditioning department. That's a lot of ground to cover when all you have to go on is your legs.

Now just because I enjoyed watching the US team play doesn't mean soccer will take over my TV any time soon. Gridiron football will always be my religion: National Football League and NCAA. But from time to time, I think I just may indulge again in soccer. And yes, I did sign the petition for the US bid.

The Flames Don't Need to be Fixed if the Team is Not Broken

2010-05-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

It was April 15, 2000. The Calgary Herald headline read "Tick, tick, tick...Flames' future in hands of fans." The day before, owner Harley Hotchkiss faced the media (you know, those people who report to the fans what is happening within the organization) after a full-scale housecleaning, which included the firing of Brian Sutter as head coach. The club had missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year and had only 9,000 season tickets to its name.

That humbling experience seems all but lost on the current regime. If two words could sum up what is wrong with the Calgary Flames, those words might be: arrogance, complacency.

When President Ken King and General Manager Darryl Sutter addressed the media on April 12, 2010, the message was the team was just a couple of wins from being a condender and no wholesale changes are needed, only that some players need to step up their games and that if the Flames played in the Eastern Conference, it would have made the playoffs in seventh place.

King was quoted: "We are throwing no bodies out on the tarmac here." In other words, both their jobs are safe, even though they have not received reassurance from the ones who sign their paychecks: ownership.

Because it was noted that 97 percent of the club's season ticket holders have submitted their deposits for 2010-11 and that profits were made despite missing the playoffs also suggests that the current regime takes that as approval of performance.

Nepotism runs rampant here and you have to wonder if that doesn't play a role in the overall culture of the organization. Brent Sutter was brought in as head coach after he left New Jersey with one year left on his contract and an adamant denial that he would be coaching the Flames. Ron Sutter is a scout. Duane Sutter is director of player personnel. Brett Sutter (Darryl's son) is in the system and has suited up for the Flames this season. Also note that Shaun Sutter (Brian's son) never made the NHL but was drafted by the Flames in 1998.

Meanwhile, inside the locker room, the chemistry was shaken when the player Darryl Sutter wined and dined for years since taking the helm--Olli Jokinen--was uprooted and sent packing with Brandon Prust. Then all star defenseman Dion Phaneuf was sent to Toronto in return for nearly one third of that team's offense--a team in worse shape than the Flames. If that wasn't enough, Sutter brought in the much maligned Ales Kotalik--a deadweight player with a Paris Hilton contract. None of the players received in return have so far been able to carry Phaneuf's jock strap, let alone act as a complement to Jarome Iginla. The reasoning behind these decisions were left with what has become the usual stoic non-of-your-business explanations.

The overall season on-ice performance has been inconsistent at best. Agree with him or not, Captain Jarome Iginla steps up to receive the blame for the results. One player does not make a winning season and without consistency from the supporting cast, it's doubtful that Sidney Crosby would have fared any better on this team.

It is clear there will likely be two sets of evaluations happening within this organization in the weeks to come: one by the current braintrust and the other by the ownership. The only people who should have job security are the trainers, doctors, and equipment staff.

Who Makes Up These Mascots, Anyway?

2010-05-20T10:50:00.000-07:00

It's always a discussion up for debate, but perhaps two of the best sports mascots are the San Diego Chicken and Calgary Flames' Harvey the Hound. One mascot I really enjoyed in Calgary, which used to be a mainstay on the sidelines of Stampeder football games, was the American Eagle mascot from a local restaurant. It had lots of personality and was quite funny when it would annoy the football team's mascot: Ralph the Dog.

But then there are mascots where you wonder what their creators were thinking.

Yes, these are pretty bad: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/154086-10-worst-mascots-of-all-time, but I think the newly unleashed London Olympic mascots would definitely fit as number two, at the very least.

London Olympic mascots (Source: Globe and Mail)

One of the worst mascots I've seen belonged to the Calgary Hitmen junior hockey team: the Vulk. It was so ugly, you spent the whole game trying to figure out what he was. And, he was so ugly, this is the only online picture I found of him: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1201377441060518742yAfpLy. He was big, ugly, and green and mean looking. He looked like a monster. Makes you wonder why mascots are created to scare kids more than engage them.

But a quick Google search on "ugly mascots" and you will find a treasure chest of some pretty questionable characters.

Still, after all the flak the British press reined upon the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, it's interesting that this is the best they could come up with for mascots. Whatever happened to Heidi and Howdy?

1988 Calgary Olympic Winter Games friendly mascots Heidi and Howdy

Brad May on Making it to the NHL

2010-04-04T15:08:00.001-07:00

"I don’t know if it was a surprise as much as fulfilling a dream. Just the way things happened. I made Buffalo as a first-round pick and was somewhat of a local boy. I played junior hockey in Niagara Falls just 20 minutes away. I had all the help and all the support that got you through those tougher days. People wanted to see me succeed. John Muckler was the general manager of the team and became my coach. John Muckler was great, for me as a young man, as a teenager. I remember my first meeting with him. He said, 'Listen, you’re 19 years old. In six months, you’re going to have to be acting 30 if you want to be on this hockey team.'

"Maturity wise. I had the right people around me. Dale Hawerchuk, Dave Andreachuk, Pat Lafontaine. They’re Hall of Famers, these guys. Colin Patterson is one of the top five guys I’ve ever played with. I was fortunate to have those types of people around me."

National Lacrosse League's Reaction to Hit on Kelusky

2010-03-25T20:39:00.001-07:00

On behalf of Doug Fritts, National Lacrosse League

March 25, 2010

The National Lacrosse League has completed its review of the incident involving contact made by Orlando Titans’ defenseman Rory Smith upon Calgary Roughnecks forward Tracey Kelusky at the 5:42 mark of the third quarter in the Calgary at Orlando game on March 20th.

Upon review of the incident, the league has determined that Smith engaged in an avoidable body check to Kelusky above the shoulders after Kelusky had already shot the ball at the net. The check is in violation of NLL Rule 70 (Illegal Bodychecking). The league also found that Smith had taken more than two steps after Kelusky shot the ball, which is in violation of Rule 70.3. The league's review of the incident included review of the game video as well as consideration of any statements submitted by the participants. As per Rule 70.8, the league has assessed Smith a game misconduct.

Smith has now accrued four game misconducts during the 2010 season and thus must be assessed an automatic one game suspension. As per Rule 40.2, a player that accrues three game misconducts in a season receives an automatic one-game suspension. For each additional game misconduct beyond three in a season, an additional one-game suspension is handed down. The suspension is subject to the player filing an appeal to a neutral arbitrator under the provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NLL and the players association.

-30-

Doug Fritts
Vice President of Communications
National Lacrosse League

Kelusky Out With Concussion for Next Divisional Match-Up

2010-03-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

March 25, 2010 CALGARY, AB

The National Hockey League isn't the only league crying fowl over shots to the head these days. The National Lacrosse League seems to have its issues, too -- a least with respect to a controversial hit on the Calgary Roughneck's star captain.

In a 13-6 win over the Orlando Titans last weekend, a hit by Rory Smith will keep Tracey Kelusky out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Minnesota Swarm.

Kelusky believed the hit was high -- delivered just as he flung a backhand shot after picking up a loose ball. He said he felt helmet-to-helmet contact. Smith did receive five minutes for checking from behind. He took another identical penalty earlier in the game. The Roughnecks are still waiting for the league to come down with something more.

While the team is still in contention, not having its star player going into a divisional match-up is not an ideal situation.

Head Coach Dave Pym thinks Kelusky is one of the best in the game.

"He can take a team on his back. And when we're down and we need those big goals, he's the kind of guy you can go to and look to to bring us back in a game that maybe we didn't really deserve to be in. He's that kind of guy. That's why he's such an inspirational leader in our room."

Kelusky leads the NLL in goals with 26 and is 10th in scoring (26 goals, 25 assists, 51 points). Meanwhile, teammate Josh Sanderson leads the league scoring with 23 goals, 49 assists, and 72 points.

Calgary is tied for second place with Edmonton (both 6-4), behind first-place Washington (7-3). Minnesota is two games back of the Alberta teams, hoping to make the standings even tighter.

Scrappy Lappy

2010-03-23T16:31:00.002-07:00

Anyone who has seen Ian Laperriere play knows he’s not known for his prolific goal scoring. Although he has occasionally posted some decent numbers, especially when he played in Colorado.

If you don’t cheer for his team, you respect him, even though you can see he can be one of the most annoying players to play against.

What endears him to hockey fans is his scrappiness. You can see his nose has been broken a few times – something like six or seven times. He gave up on surgery after two. He’s had his teeth stolen and never a day goes by without a scar or scratch.

Getting into fights is something he is famous for. But even Lappy will tell you he does not fight for the sake of fighting.

“Sometimes it’s not the right time.”

It might be the right time for the other team, but not his own. If that’s the case, you don’t want to give the other team any momentum, so you don’t participate, now matter how hard they try to get you to.

It’s no secret Lappy is one of my favorite people. I got to know him better each season after a sit-down with him for my Positive Sports book when he played in Los Angeles. He just has that way of brightening up a room, and I love that he skates and waves at me when he is out for a pre-game skate.

He is very much a family man, but before the kids, he and his wife Magali (who he started dating at age 15) used to watch movies a lot.

“With the kids, you just can’t go out every night. It was a great time in LA with no kids, but it’s way more fun having kids than going to the movies.”

Kids don’t always understand when dad has travel for work, and leaving them gets more difficult for him with each road trip.

“They know I’m leaving. It’s tough. You talk to them on the phone. They miss you. For sure, that’s the biggest adjustment when dad is on the road quite a bit. It’s a sacrifice everyone has to make. On the other hand, they’re spoiled because of my job. They get everything they need because of my job. My wife understands that. I’m sure the kids, in the future, will understand that, too.”

A few seasons ago, he planned on taking his then five and three year old out for Halloween.

“They love Star Wars. I’ll be Chewbacka. I just need the mask. Maybe I don’t need the mask, I’m hairy enough. (As a kid) Star Wars was my thing. I was into Luke Skywalker. It’s funny my kids love the same thing I loved as a kid.”

Lappy is always the go-to guy in the locker room. It’s doubtful anyone in the NHL can dislike him. He’s always positive and has a way of making everyone else’s day better – even when they fight.

In the meantime, check out this website dedicated to him: http://www.itsallaboutlappy.com/index.html

It's Not Easy Being on the Playoff Bubble

2010-03-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed in the past few seasons that the race for the playoffs has been getting tighter and tighter? Friday night (March 19) was a good example.

Calgary faced off against San Jose, which pretty much has a lock on the playoffs, although the Flames handed the team its fifth consecutive loss. It won't take the Sharks out of the playoffs, but it doesn't do much for morale coming into the final stretch, unless things turn around.

Going into Friday's NHL games, there were seven points separating the Western Conference's ninth place team (Calgary) from the fifth place team (Colorado). Sixth and seventh were Los Angeles and Nashville. The Wings -- one point ahead of the Flames in the eight spot -- played the lowly Oilers, a team that could only act as spoilers (no rhyme intended) sitting dead last in the league's overall standings.

The Flames took care of business at their end. Many of the players were watching with interest at the score in Edmonton. The Oilers were up 2-1 at this point, and Mark Giordano uttered what would be some profound words.

"No lead is safe in this league. You see it every night. Definitely cheering for the Oilers."

The Oilers led the Wings through much of the game. Until two seconds remaining and Brian Rafalski tied the game, sucking the wind out of Rexall Place and Devan Dubnyk's first win of the season. That meant overtime and a point for Detroit. So much for Calgary sneaking ahead into that eighth spot.

At this time, Flames coach Brent Sutter came into the media lounge to address the reporters.

"You can't control anything outside of what we've got to do. There's no point in getting upset about it. We just have to worry about ourselves."

The Oilers won in a shootout, Devan Dubnyk received is first W, and going into Hockey Night Saturday, not much had changed in the Conference.

The standings will yo yo a bit until it comes down to the 82nd game. And regardless of the teams each has yet to play left in the schedule, no game can be considered a lock.

It's hard not to like. It's never the same teams that get in, and when a team does get in, anything can happen.

That Elusive Eight Place in the NHL Conference Standings

2010-03-10T15:00:00.002-08:00

It’s crunch time. April is looming and there are a number of National Hockey League teams teetering on the edge of a playoff spot. On any given night, one team gets in, another gets knocked out.

The conference races have been extremely tight the last couple of seasons – so tight, that the final lineup will come down to the last game.

In Alberta, there is the tale of two teams. The Edmonton Oilers couldn’t have had a worse season and is dead last in the league’s standings.

Enter defenseman Steve Staios. In a history-making trade between Edmonton and Calgary (these teams have never entered a direct transaction with each other before), Staios found himself looking down a very long and dark tunnel and is now right up to the edge of the opening with the light beaming in.

“Just a feeling of waking up, knowing you have a chance to play in the playoffs, it feels great. It’s been a long time since I felt that.”

Staios was surprised at how many familiar faces he saw in the Flames’ locker room – players he played with in World Championships and other teams. He observes the playing system is similar to Edmonton’s and feels like his comfort level is on the fast track – much needed for this time of year.

“It’s a great situation. I know from the outside, it’s unique. As a player, you don’t have control over a lot of things, but I can control the way I prepare and the way I play.”

Because every game counts at this point, it’s a difficult balance for the players to maneuver.

Eric Nystrom: “We obviously have to be confident. There’s no time to be tense. No fighting the puck. We’ve got to play like we’ve just won 10 in a row, when we’re feeling confident and the pucks are going in. When you’re playing like that, that’s when you feel great with the puck and you’re confident and making the right plays, as opposed to just getting rid of the puck.”

Staios adds: “They’re all like playoff games for us. If you start looking too far ahead, you can wear yourself out. You can’t look past the game in hand.”

Jarome Iginla reads and hears that a lot of people have already written his team off.

“Lots of teams are further out and don’t have a chance. Sometimes you get frustrated as a group when it doesn’t go in. You put your hands up. You have broken sticks with good chances. There’s no time to feel sorry for ourselves. If we’re getting five scoring chances, or seven in a period – we need eight.”

At this point in the season, even a single point from an overtime game can make or break a team’s chances for the post-season. And if any two players know about the anything-can-happen scenario once you make the playoffs, it’s Steve Staios and Jarome Iginla. In 2004, the Flames were a sixth place team that went to seven games in the Stanley Cup final. In 2006, the Oilers were the only eighth seeded team to ever play in a Cup final, and they, too, went to a seventh game.

Steak, Mutton, or Filet Mignon? – the NHL Trade Deadline

2010-03-03T11:37:00.001-08:00

It was the 2002-03 season – March 11 – game day – and there were three teams located in Calgary: the Flames, of course, the Edmonton Oilers (who were playing that night), and the Toronto Maple Leafs (in town early for their game against the Flames).

Before the morning skate, Oilers fan favorite Anson Carter had learned he was traded to the New York Rangers. He had an idea before it was official but how he learned about it was quintessential NHL.

“What happened is one of my friends from a sports radio show in Toronto called me and gave me the heads-up. It hadn’t been announced yet. He was pretty sure a deal went down. I contacted my agent and he hadn’t heard anything yet. Next thing you know, I got a call from the guys with the TV shows who wanted to know my reaction to the trade.”

The irony was, after talking to Carter, Janne Niinimaa offered his reaction to his teammate leaving the Oilers, standing in front of a large television screen that featured TSN and the latest news of the day. “It’s tough to see a good friend go. It hurts. He was a big part of our club. It’s hard to comment. It happened and we have to move on.”

It wasn’t even a minute after the media left the Oilers’ room when Niinimaa learned he was traded to the Islanders – via that same TV.

The teams’ general managers never seem to pick up a phone to inform the players.

Late in the day, Rob Niedermayer learned he was traded to Anaheim. Because the Flames were in the midst of their eight-season playoff drought, his reaction was a positive one.

“I’ve been smiling ever since the trade went down. There’s nothing worse than not playing for a playoff spot in the last 10 or 15 games. I had a chance to play with Paul (Kariya) with the World Junior team over in Sweden. He’s a great guy and you all know what he can do out on the ice (smiling). I’m really looking forward to playing with a guy like him.”

Lo and behold, the Ducks made a run to the Stanley Cup final.

Trade Deadline shows that professional sports comes all down to business. Regardless of how signing announcements might be launched as sugar and spice, the players are just commodities, and it’s about the bottom line. The human side of it doesn’t count. And yes, it’s what you sign up for when you want to be a professional athlete. Even so, it’s an emotional day for both the players that are traded and the ones left behind.

“It’s always so abrupt,” says Jarome Iginla. “Buddies leave and buddies come the other way. There are rumors. We don’t know what’s going to happen. We can’t control that.

You hear things that were close that weren’t done. People run with rumors. And you don’t know. I imagine there’s some truth to them and some not. Fans enjoy saying, what if we put this guy here and there and another team has no intention of moving a guy but people run with it.”

Iginla also admits a player is last to know. “It may happen that way. I guess it’s easier to get a hold of guys now with cell phones. I remember guys saying they were reading the Ticker (Sportsticker) and the trade deadline was over. The trade went through a couple hours later, and they read the Ticker and see they’re gone when they already thought they were staying.”

One player that knows how that feels is Olli Jokinen. The rumors ran amuck and all but seemed certain. He dressed for a game in Calgary, and the trade came through before he left the rink. It still shocked him.

“I wasn’t expecting to get moved. It’s tough. This business is about winning. 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. It’s a cruel business. It comes with the salary. It’s definitely a slap in the face to get traded.”

The players do understand it’s a business. They know all about no-move clauses, unrestricted free agency at the end of the season, salary dumping, and all the aspects that impact how a team wheels and deals with their lives.

“You learn early on in this game that you are a piece of meat,” adds Chris Pronger. “You don’t really have a say unless you’re an unrestricted free agent, but then you have to be wanted as well. It is what it is.”

Players have no time to think about logistics. Once they’re traded, it’s get to B from A in the quickest time possible. Jokinen, who initially thought he was just going home from a game to spend time with his family, ended up packing a bag and heading to the airport for the next possible flight.

A lot of the details are passed off to the wives, girlfriends, or friends. If there is a family, chances are the wife and kids will stay behind until the end of the school year, and the player will move into a hotel at his new destination.

If the family does decide to join the player, Pronger says, “You’ve got 20 extra friends and they’re stuck moving your family, cleaning up the household, and moving it all, trying to figure out where the kids are going to go to school, babysitters – all the little things that get taken for granted when you’ve been in a city for a number of years. For the most part, it’s a lot easier at the rink then at home.”

The Impact of an Olympic Break

2010-02-15T11:40:00.000-08:00

The NHL is closed for business for 10 days, while several of the league's finest head off to Vancouver to don sweaters for their home country instead.

With the tightness of the standings and so many teams vying for that final playoff spot, you'd think the break would suck the wind out every team's sails.

"We can’t do anything now until the 24th," says Calgary Flames' coach Brent Sutter. He admits all his coaching staff can do is start planning the next days of practice before the first game off the break: March 3 versus Minnesota, which also happens to be the trade deadline.

The Flames sit one point above Dallas and Detroit in eighth spot in the Western Conference. They can also feel the breath of Anaheim, St. Louis, and Minnesota not far behind.

"Obviously, it’s got to be a strong push for the last 20 games. We need to play well. But it’s not like we haven’t been playing well. The last six games or so, we’ve actually played some pretty good hockey. We just weren’t scoring goals."

So if the timing is good for a break, it doesn't matter to Sutter.

"It is what it is. Everyone’s known when the winter break was going to be for quite some time now. No players can practice. Is it a good time? It’s not like some teams are doing it and some aren’t. Everyone is on the same grounds with it."

Many of the league's players that won't be in Vancouver will use this opportunity for some rare family time.

What is Eric Nystrom going to do during the break?

"Just a little vacation and relaxation, nothing too crazy."

If the players have trouble getting their legs back after the 10 days are up, Nystrom says the Flames, in particular, have plenty of motivation.

"You just look at the standings. One win is not going to get us out of the position we’re in. You need to string a lot of wins together. That’s not going to change over the break."

Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust Head to the NY Rangers

2010-02-02T11:53:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-31T21:12:00.001-08:00

“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

2010-01-31T20:28:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-30T21:39:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-17T10:31:00.001-08:00

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

2009-12-22T14:42:00.002-08:00

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

2009-12-16T12:34:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-15T20:51:00.000-08:00

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.

Three NHL players officially diagnosed with H1N1

2009-10-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

Read about it here:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/nhl-monitoring-h1n1-situation/article1342119/

What the NHL should be doing is having press conference setups for player availability, like in the playoffs. Given the number of people who have closer than breathing space access, it puts a lot of people at risk to bring it home to their families and then have their kids to take it to the schools. Players drink out of communal water bottles, share sweat on the exercise equipment, and having dressing room access for media means their sweat can drip onto someone in a scrum, from a hanging skate, and God knows what else.

Given that the NHL has no policy or plans to implement one, this fact is much scarier than the flu.

When Billions of Dollars Are Involved, Chances Are Health Issues Be Damned

2009-10-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, October 24, 2009 the Edmonton Oilers came to Calgary for a highly anticipated Battle of Alberta that was previewed by rivalry and controversy from their last contest in Edmonton.

During this trip, Mike Comrie and Gilbert Brule stayed home with the flu, while J.F. Jacques sat out of the lineup with a sore throat.

This obviously begs the question: what happens if a player or member of team personnel is officially diagnosed with the H1N1 virus? Will NHL teams hide this like they do injuries in the playoffs by calling it an "upper body" ailment? To do so puts everyone in contact at risk, including fans, game day staff (concession kitchen, parking lot attendants, ushers...), media, security, and the list goes on.

The Calgary Herald's Ken Warren wrote this article on September 1, 2009: http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/story.html?id=1950579. However, nobody seems to be talking about the possibility. Perhaps they are waiting to develop a game plan after the fact.

Somehow, I'm personally not convinced yet of the pandemic, but even if it is viable, I highly doubt that teams and leagues, particularly the NHL when injuries are so secretive, will not run business as usual. But if the pandemic is real, to do so will risk a public relations scandal much more volatile than losing money.

Nothing But Cup

2009-10-01T22:36:00.001-07:00

If preseason has anything to do with it, the Vancouver Canucks are destined for the finals. Undefeated in regular time, the only two exhibition losses came in overtime. As well as this team looks on paper, individually, only Sergei Shirokov shows up anywhere near the top five in league scoring with seven points.

Fast forward to the first regular season game of the 2009-10 season, and the Canucks quickly fall 2-0 behind the Flames in Calgary halfway through the first period -- 3-0 at the 12-minute mark.

This is a team that may have similar challenges as the Flames had towards the end of last season as they are inched right at the edge of the salary cap -- any of that space has to be used before injury allowances kick in. Pavol Demitra and Mathieu Schneider are still nursing off-season shoulder surgeries.

The Flames kept control and went up 4-2 at the end of the second, but you just knew that second goal (Mikael Samuelsson) woke Vancouver up.

Just :41 into the third, a persistent Alex Burrows put the Canucks behind by one. Halfway through the period, the Canucks posted 14 shots to the Flames one.

Vancouver tallied 41 shots when they pulled Roberto Luongo for an extra attacker with one minute to go, but the Flames pocketed an empty netter -- Dion Phaneuf.

The Canucks pushed back but they were able to get a big penalty kill at the end to hold on.

Calgary's Eric Nystrom, who assisted on his linemate Brandon Prust's goal, along with Fredrik Sjostrom, evaluates, "We're still learning. The two guys I play with are fast players and they hound the puck better than anybody. Once we got control of it, the guys were playing strong, making simple plays, getting it out to the point, and shooting at the net. It's such a simple game."

"We didn't try to be too fancy," adds Sjostrom. "We cycled the puck a lot, and it worked.

It wasn't a pretty win, but coach Brent Sutter will take it. As for the Canucks, they can take some solice into the 42 shots generated, 21 in the third period. Just one game with 81 to go. I still like the Canucks' chances of reaching the final.

Theoren Fleury comes full circle

2009-09-22T12:53:00.002-07:00

There’s a little déjà vu happening in Alberta these days. However, Mike Comrie’s return to the Edmonton Oilers doesn’t have quite the pizzazz of Theoren Fleury’s resurrection with the Calgary Flames.

It was a crazy idea, but in cold Hartney, Manitoba in November, Fleury played his first game for a long while and felt really good about it.

“My mind was clear. I’m really having fun. That wasn’t the case when I was in Chicago the last year. The last place I wanted to be was at the rink. Back playing senior hockey in Manitoba, it was like one of those days when I was a kid in Russell.”

It’s been six years since he played in the NHL. Six years since he was suspended indefinitely for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. It didn’t ever look like he would make it back.

In fact, Fleury’s life got so low that just being alive at this point is a miracle. Alcoholism and erratic behavior painted his legacy at the end of his 13 seasons. He bounced around senior leagues and ended up in Albuquerque, where, in baring his soul to a group of business people last year, he said he had gone to die. He spiraled downward to a point of no return. A chance telephone call saved his life, and from there, it was a long, hard struggle to find his way back.

In that journey, we saw him invest in a concrete company and even try out for the Calgary Vipers of the Golden Baseball League. So when the news hit that he was reinstated by the NHL and was to get a walk-on tryout with the Calgary Flames, many wondered if this was another one of those Theo-moments. It was pretty obvious from the first day that he was dead serious.

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I could do this. I went through my process and there was one thing left to accomplish before I could truly say goodbye to the game that’s giving me everything that I have. I didn’t get to go out the way that I wanted to. I’ll take full responsibility for that. For the first time in my life, I faced some real consequences for my actions. If I didn’t try to do this, I think I would have regretted it. It’s important for me, my soul, my sanity to try to accomplish this.”

Fleury’s NHL career began in Calgary – where he was drafted in the final round, 166th overall in his second year of eligibility. He was traded to Colorado, then played out the rest of his career in New York (Rangers) and Chicago. He scored 455 goals and 633 assists in 1,000+ games.

He’s 41 and with Brent Sutter as the Flames’ new coach, it’s an unlikely scenario. But Fleury was encouraged by his testing results. He hired a team of trainers to get him game-ready, and it has appeared to have paid off – at least to get him through to the next stage.

Then he had his moment: an exhibition game at home against the Islanders. The fans chanted his name and it became one of those Hollywood moments. The game goes into a shootout, Fleury gets the nod – and scores. It’s the only shootout goal and he cements the W for his team. It’s crazy.

“I was surprised when I got the puck, I had jump. I was able to get a couple chances (in the game). The way my life has gone, it doesn’t surprise me it went to a shootout and I was able to get the chance to put it in.”

He notices the league is more technical today, but he’s still hopeful he can work his way to another game.

“There’s a blank sheet of ice out there right now. Every day and every period, there’s a different story that gets written. Hopefully, I still belong, and I can still take up space and be a contributing member. I don’t know, maybe I could be the first shootout specialist in the NHL.”

In five pre-season games, the Flames are 2-3. Theoren Fleury was a factor in both wins. In his second game against Florida on Sunday, he posted a goal and an assist. The assist was on the game-winning goal. He scored an assist in the loss against Vancouver on Monday, September 21, 2009.

Canadian National Men's and Sledge Teams Share More Than Saddledome Ice

2009-09-01T21:54:00.000-07:00

Hopefuls for the Canadian National Men’s Hockey Team, including Martin Brodeur and Jordan Staal, watched with intensity and admiration as 18 men in custom-built sleds propelled themselves at lightening speed across the ice, firing 100-mile-an-hour slap shots at the net. For the Canadian National Sledge Hockey Team, it was business as usual, except for the luxury of practicing on Pengrowth Saddledome ice.

Along with the Canadian National Women’s Team, the sledge players had the opportunity to share the building with the men’s team orientation camp and the 200 or so media that were there to cover it.
Jean Labonte, who is 40, was named the sledge team captain for the third year.

“Just the fact of being here with the women’s team and the men, it’s an amazing week,” exclaimed Labonté, “and we’re learning a lot. At the same time, our sport gets a lot more media attention. In the long run, we want to build the sport and for that, we need more coverage and visibility.”

While sledge hockey was introduced to Canada in 1982 and debuted at the Paralympic Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway in 1994, Hockey Canada brought it under its umbrella in 2004. Canada is also the defending Paralympic champion – having won gold in Torino, Italy in 2006.

Labonté says the difference has been night and day for the sport. “The level of professionalism around the team has increased a lot. It motivates me to be more ready, to be more fit, to work a lot more. Being with Hockey Canada has brought us that same winning attitude, not overconfidence. Coming to the rink, as simple as well-dressed, ready for a game, game face on – we’re coming here to win.”

While sledge hockey is growing, currently three teams seem to split the top three finishes: Canada, United States, and Norway. The national team isn’t centralized, so players gather from across the country to meet as a team about once a month.

Canada has won every tournament since 2006, except in last year’s Worlds, where it finished third. If there is danger of becoming complacent from the team’s continued success, Labonté said the bronze-place finish was a good wake-up call.

“It sends a message to us that you can’t just expect to win. We have great talent on our team, but we need to put in the work ethic, and we need to be ready for every game, every minute, every shift. Without that, other teams can beat us.”

Of course, it didn’t hurt that the men’s team coach Mike Babcock came into the sledge team dressing room to talk to the players before their practice with a powerful message about how easy it could be to become unworried when a team always wins.

Having access to the best Canadian National Hockey League players just across the hall, Labonté admits it has been a great experience. “It’s two different games, but it’s the same passion. It’s the same will to win. I guess maybe both teams are in awe. We’re in awe because these are the players we watch all year long. They’re close to us now and we can watch their practices. For them, they’re new to our sport. They’re discovering it.”

In 2010 in Vancouver, for the first time in Paralympic history, sledge hockey will be televised throughout the Paralympic Winter Games on CTV, TSN or Rogers Sportsnet.

Shane Doan on the Phoenix Situation

2009-08-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

Shane Doan is one of those individuals who wears his heart on his sleeve. A true ambassador, you can take anything he has to say at face value. At the Team Canada orientation camp in Calgary on August 26, Doan was candid with his opinions on the Phoenix ownership saga. You know the story: Jim Balsillie wants to buy the team and move it to Hamilton and the NHL is trying to do everything in its power to stop him. Jerry Reinsdorf enters the picture as a possible bidder; then the NHL decides it will put in a bid so it can control who the future owner will be. It will all be hashed out in court in a couple weeks’ time.

Here is Doan’s take on the whole situation:

“Nothing would be better than on September 10 it all gets figured out. Until that happens, it’s just going to be more questions. It seems that every time something happens, there are more questions and more uncertainty.

“For us as a player, there’s nothing you can really say, oh this is it, or that’s it. It’s always, well tomorrow I’m going to be in Phoenix and practicing. I’ll be going to the rink and playing there until they tell me otherwise.

“We’re trying to get information from everybody, but it’s hard, because up until two days ago, everyone was kind of thinking that Reinsdorf was the guy that was in the lead. A lot of people, including myself, will talk like you do know stuff. Really, you don’t. Anyone you talk to is saying, this is the way it is. Two days later, it turns out that’s not the way it is.

“The city of Winnipeg went through it, where the team was moving and everyone was gone. We came back – just kidding – for one more year. It was tough on everybody. It was tough on the fans. At the end of the year, there wasn’t a lot of people at the games. We had a pretty good team and made the playoffs. But the playoffs were unbelievable. It was the loudest and most incredible atmosphere I’ve ever been in. In Phoenix, it will be the same thing. If we’re able to win, people will come out and cheer for us. If we’re able to make the playoffs, they’ll come out and support us. It’s really going to come down to the players and the organization.

“The city of Phoenix, the valley, it’s been great if we win. When we won for the first few years, the fans were great. Then in the middle of that, we changed cities because we moved out to Glendale. Obviously that affected our fan base considerable because it’s a fair jaunt from there. And then to top it off, we haven’t won. You can’t blame the fans or the city or the area one bit for the fact that we haven’t won. But if you win in Phoenix, they’ll support you. The Cardinals were notorious for being one of the bottom teams. Now they’re one of the hottest teams in the NFL.

“I’ve been there for 14 years. It becomes more personal for me as a player because I know all the security guards. I know all the trainers, all the people that do the equipment, that do the PR. You get to know everybody, and those people are losing their jobs. It really affects you as a person – your friends. It affects the people around you. Immediately, it affects your kids, your wife. As a player, you understand it, but when it gets personal like that, it makes it tougher. This has been my home for a long time. At the same time, I just play hockey.

“Yea, it is stressful at times. My daughter’s ten and she’s been in the same school for the last five years. All her friends live right around her. She hears things and asks things. Are we moving, are we not? What’s going on, dad? And you don’t know anything. You don’t want to say no we’re not because if you do then you feel like you’re a liar. At the same time, you don’t want to tell her yea we are because she’ll be upset. She doesn’t want to leave her friends. My seven-year-old son is playing hockey. That’s where it affects you. And then on top of that, the other people – our trainers, the PR department, all those guys – those are my friends. It’s going to affect them drastically. I’m sure it’s a lot more stressful for them. The players – we can play hockey pretty much anywhere, but those guys, you feel for them and feel for the people that supported us in the last 14 years. They don’t get any attention. The same group of guys always get asked if it’s stressful.”

Red and White Scrimmage August 27, 2009

2009-08-28T13:53:00.001-07:00

(Calgary, AB) There was a lot of star power in the warm-up. Wonder how much dough it all added up to? Hence the selling of tickets. Good sold-out crowd, too. Just missing Harvey the Hound.

On Team White, both Jarome Iginla and Eric Staal wearing number 12. Ryan Smyth was the last player off the ice during the warm-up, after he scooped some pucks out of the net and threw them into the stands for some fans. Class act.

When showing the players on the Jumbotron and announcing their names while the Zamboni was flooding the ice, Dany Heatley garnered a number of boos.

Fans cheered Jordan Staal as he headed into the penalty box for running over Roberto Luongo. Of course, Luongo showed why he was chosen for this camp. Unbelievable talent. No love lost between him and the locals here.

It was rumored that the first 20 minutes will be a scrimmage, then 20 minutes of drills, 20 of other stuff and a shootout. The full 60 minutes were fortunately a scrimmage, with Ryan Smyth opening the scoring -- unassisted for the white team at 1:35.

Red team tied it up at 6:17 with a goal by Jeff Carter, assisted by Mike Richards and Brendan Morrow.
Fans were booing Dany Heatley every time he touched the puck. The only place he’ll be able to play in the NHL without boos is the team of anonymity: Florida.

Sid Crosby gets a penalty in the second period and initially goes to the wrong penalty box. Jarome Iginla was doing that at yesterday’s practice. The players are obviously on auto-pilot.

Mike Richards took a puck to the mouth and went off for treatment.

Red scored the next goal: Patrick Marleau, unassisted, or rather assisted by white team’s Brent Seabrook, who muffed clearing the puck and fell to the ice at 18:06.

During the second intermission, some of the sledge hockey team players came out onto the ice to scrimmage. Great way to introduce the sport to more fans.

It doesn’t get better than this. Could watch this 82 times a year.

Big cheers for Iginla – and Steve Yzerman. Not so big for Heatley and Luongo. You’d think Ryan Smyth would get booed for his past service in Edmonton.

A power play goal Cory Perry assisted by Dan Boyle and Smyth – with Lucic in the box – was a sweet wrap around in the third at 10:59.

Joe Thornton was laughing as the fans booed after his goal is called – blatantly kicked in.
Now the players head back to their club teams, where the real evaluation begins.

This is probably the first time an exhibition scrimmage has been sold out: 19289 announced attendance, not counting the 200 media.

Team Canada Coaches Have All-Star Power, Too

2009-08-28T13:31:00.001-07:00

We hear all about the all-star cast of players and how Canada could field two Olympic men’s teams. But what about the coaches? Has anyone checked their talent level lately?

Look closely, and you’ll see this year’s coaching staff is equal to the Rick Nash-Sid Crosby-Jarome Iginla line. It kind of makes you froth at the mouth at the thought of it.

Mike Babcock, who made a splash in 2003 when he took a most unlikely team, the Anaheim Ducks, to the Stanley Cup playoffs, has since pocketed a Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings (2007-08), a team he head-manned to the final in two consecutive seasons.

Ken Hitchcock also has back-to-back seasons where he took his team to the final – the Dallas Stars – which won a Stanley Cup under his watch in 1998-99.

Given that Jacques Lemaire has 11 Stanley Cup rings, it’s hard to fathom that this is his first invite to Team Canada. He coached the New Jersey Devils to a Stanley Cup in 1994-95, and the rest are from his tenure with the Montreal Canadiens – nine of them as a player.

Lindy Ruff doesn’t have a Stanley Cup to his name, but he did take the Buffalo Sabres to the final in 1998-99, coincidentally facing Ken Hitchcock’s Dallas Stars.

This is perhaps the greatest collection of hockey minds ever assembled.

The August orientation camp in Calgary is all about team-bonding, getting acclimatized, and that it’s the only time it will have together until February in Vancouver.

“This whole camp is about us getting to know them and them getting to know us,” says Ryan Smyth, “because once you get into the tournament, one practice, and you’re right into it.

And while everyone discusses the players and their connecting with each other on and off the ice, it’s almost more important for the coaches.

According to Hitchcock, “It’s really important from a chemistry standpoint. The players can’t feel any indecisiveness from us. They have to feel like we’re just snapping and going and that we’re really in it together. We’re a little rusty. Our yelling voices aren’t there yet. We’re not as crisp in the first practice. The players have to feel from us that these guys can go from drill to drill or from sequence to sequence or from system to system seamlessly.”

This is the first time Hitchcock has worked with Babcock, who he says is very good at the how and the why. “A lot of coaches are good at the how. He’s really good at the why.”

Babcock’s strong A-type personality is another reason for his success. That and the fact he is very focused and intense. He expects it to get done – period.

“If it’s not done right, he doesn’t care what the name is on the back, what the number is, where you’re from, who you play for – he treats everybody the same,” confirms Hitchcock. “When he says you’ve got to play on 200 feet, you’ve got to play on 200 feet. And when the discussions on the personnel come, he’s going to be very determined that his voice is going to be heard. He wants to trust players.”

One of the first criteria Babcock addressed was that he expected every player to play the full ice surface. But this camp isn’t about making the team. What the players do in regular season is what will determine their spot on the roster. “We’ve got three months in management of watching these guys every day, and we’ll see who’s playing at the top of their game.“

But he is also extremely clear as to how a player might make the team, even the goalies. Pure and simple, outplay the other guy. Outplay the other guy and you’ll be at the top of your game, and probably at the top of the league.

Ryan Smyth understands his coach’s message. “You’ve got to check your egos at the door and adapt to the role that the coach wants you to be in. Whatever is said, that’s the way it’s got to be. You’re going for one prize. It’s an ultimate prize. It benefits everybody.”

Team Canada Orientation Camp Day 3

2009-08-27T14:01:00.002-07:00

No longer the Crosby, Iginla, and Nash line today but rather the Crosby, Nash, and St. Louis line.

During the scrimmage part of the practice, Iginla kept forgetting what bench he was in. He kept going to the Flames' bench, but the white team was in the visitor's bench.

The players talked about their golf game and bonding moments from the day before. Today, there was a team picture of the three teams around center ice of the Saddledome: men's, women's, and sledge.

The women's and sledge teams skated before the men's team took the ice.

Day Two -- Canadian National Men's Team Evaluation Camp

2009-08-26T09:51:00.003-07:00

Simon Gagne went home on Tuesday after his groin started pulling on him. He went to get things checked out by his Philadelphia doctor. If he is able to start the season and play for the first three regular season months, he can still make the team.

It was made clear by Assistant Coach Ken Hitchcock, however, that this year, they would choose healthy players -- something he admits was their mistake in 2006.

If the regular season is what bases the decision as to who makes the cut, then Dany Heatley ought to start becoming a team player with the Sens. While it's still a mystery for some that he was chosen over Marc Savard, perhaps an argument can be made for many. As Martin St. Louis commented, Canada could very well field two teams in the Olympics.

Mike Babcock says everybody has to earn their spot, even Roberto Luongo and Martin Brodeur. If Cam Ward, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Steve Mason outplays them during the regular season, that will help them get the nod. Babcock says it's simple: outplay your competition if you want a shot at this team.

Day One -- Canadian National Men's Team Evaluation Camp

2009-08-24T20:49:00.007-07:00

Day one at the Team Canada Evaluation Camp in Calgary. Lots of media, lots of talent. Ryan Getzlaf is still injured and watching the camp from the stands.

Some of today's line combos include:

Rick Nash - Sidney Crosby - Jarome Iginla
Simon Gagne - Jonathan Toews - Martin St. Louis
Milan Lucic - Vincent Lecavalier - Jeff Carter
Eric Staal - Joe Thornton - Cory Perry

Interesting scenario -- there could possibly be three Calgary Flames defencemen making this lineup: Robyn Regehr, Jay Bouwmeester, and Dion Phaneuf.

Canadian National Women's Hockey Team prepares for 2010 Olympic Winter Games

2009-08-24T11:40:00.003-07:00

Five – that’s how many tough decisions Mel Davidson will have to make before the end of December.

As the National Women’s Hockey Team gathers in Calgary for a centralized camp to precede the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, the competition for spots is even stronger this time around.

“We were young in 2006,” admits Davidson. “The spotlight was on our older players because they were veterans and such forces on our team that I think our young players flew under the radar. Nobody paid a lot of attention to them. Now those young players are in the prime of their career – and they’re still young.”

Veteran Jayna Hefford admits those younger players will be pushing the veterans to earn their spots.
“The young players are so good now, and they’ve had so much experience. We get players in their first year on the senior team and they’ve already played internationally for Team Canada. It doesn’t take them long to adjust.”

Even Hayley Wickenheiser isn’t resting on her experience. “As a veteran player, if you don’t do all the right things in the off-season, someone is going to take your place. You have to find ways to get better and improve. What we have is great internal competition in Canada.”

Given the strength of the national team program, having a centralized camp does have its advantages. This year, there are 30 games scheduled against the 18 boys’ teams from the Alberta Midget Hockey League between September and the end of January. The women’s team has had a partnership with Midget AAA since 2000, but this is the first time the games will officially count in the standings for the AMHL.

“It will up the competition level for us,” says Davidson.

Wickenheiser adds that it’s always tough to find competition that matches the national team. “The size of the guys in Midget AAA seems to fit the size and speed of play. For us, puck moving and game-thinking skills, we’re generally ahead in that area, but they give us good games because they can physically match us. They don’t want to lose too much to girls. It makes for a lot of fun games. They’re intense. They don’t back down once they figure out the line about hitting. We go out there every game to win.”

One might expect that this Olympic team’s identity will be built around speed and skill, but Davidson says that it will actually evolve as the camp progresses. The team itself will determine what its identity is, but it will certainly be hard working, passionate, and skilled.

The final roster will be announced some time in December. In the meantime, Davidson has developed a check list to determine who will make the cut.

“Performance on demand and consistency; the ability that they can play any time, any place…tired, fresh, and they can perform at the same level and then elevate their game when they need it, in terms of down a goal, up a goal – when you need an energy switch.”

With a strong mix of fresh faces and veterans – all with international experience – there is no doubt choosing who gets the call will be a difficult task.

Bob Boughner and the Under 18s

2009-08-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

Bob Boughner hasn’t had a lot of time to prepare for the Under 18 evaluation camp this August. Besides playing the absolute latest date possible in the Canadian Hockey League, having led his Windsor team to a Memorial Cup, he was only tapped a few weeks in advance of the camp. Initially, Dave Lowry was to headman the Under 18s to the 2009 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka. That changed when the Calgary Flames announced Brent Sutter as its head coach, who in turn, named Lowry as the team’s new assistant.

As are most Hockey Canada camps, there was no shortage of talent on the ice. After putting the team through its paces, there weren’t too many surprises on the final roster. With lots of high-end talent up front, the team is deep in scoring, physical, and with solid goaltending.

In order to save time, in the last couple of days of the camp, the coaches (assistants are Chris DePiero of OHL Oshawa and Mark Holick of WHL Kootenay) introduced the system they want to use in the tournament.

“When you have a talented group of kids, it doesn’t take them long to adapt,” adds Boughner. “We don’t have a lot of time to prepare. We have two exhibition games. When you have a talented group of kids, it doesn’t take them long to adapt.”

When it came to making decisions as to who would fit the roster: “One of the things we wanted on our team identity was speed. We wanted a quick team. That’s what we looked for at the end, obviously skating and tempo and making the quick plays. We did some off-ice things with the kids. You find a little bit about their character and leadership. That’s another identity we want to have.

“I told a lot of them, ‘This is my first impression of you. I don’t know a lot of you kids from the west and I don’t know a lot of you from the Quebec league; make sure you take advantage of that first impression.’”

As the tournament gets underway, it’s expected the Canadian team will be a strong medal contender, and not just because of the strength of its roster. In looking at Boughner’s young coaching career thus far, he’s made a significant impact.

He started coaching the Windsor Spitfires in 2006-07 and by 2007-08, the team improved by 51 points. He was the Ontario Hockey League and Canadian Hockey League coach of the year in both 2007-08 and 2008-09 and his Spitfires won the 2009 Memorial Cup. His future looks very bright indeed.

“I try, as part of my coaching career, to pull some of the things I liked best as a player from all of the coaches that I had. Hopefully, that’s had something to do with my success.”

Ode to J.R.

2009-08-11T16:41:00.000-07:00

Jeremy Roenick had just signed as a free agent with the Sharks when I sat down with him in September 2007. San Jose was the fifth National Hockey League team he had suited up for (having played for Chicago, Phoenix, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles before that).

He had just come off a less than stellar season in Phoenix, where his loyalty and effectiveness were questioned and it appeared it might be the sad end to a great career. We all remember the incident where he enjoyed a beer and a plate of wings at a local establishment rather than stay at the arena as a healthy scratch to watch his teammates. But unbeknownst to most, he still had two more seasons in him.

Over the years, he has had a few controversies and conditioning issues, but one thing Jeremy Roenick could never be accused of being: boring. Known as “the mouth that roared,” the popular center agreed to as many talk show and media interviews as he could. He was always approachable, always quotable, and agree with him or not, always likeable.

As he sported his new jersey with the Sharks, I asked him how much of a challenge was it to try and fit in with a new team.

“It’s definitely an adjustment, but when you’re around for 19/20 years, you kind of get used to this kind of situation. The different systems and stuff is not that tough. A lot of the systems are the same. It’s getting to know the guys, and getting to know them on a personal level is more important, and you have to take your time.”

A couple of years away from age 40, one might wonder if Roenick could keep up with the younger guys after 19 seasons or so.

“I have to work much harder than they do, actually. I have to be in early. I have to be on the bike more often, be at the gym more often. I have to pay attention to detail more often. I have to take care of my body better. The body deteriorates as you get older. It gets more tired, and you don’t have as much of the pep that some of these young guys have. Mentally, I’m still as excited at being here. That’s a big part of it.

“If you’re tired mentally, you’re physically going to be tired. If you’re continually physically tired, you’re going to get mentally tired. It’s really a hard ball to juggle. When you’ve been around as long as I have and you have the chance to do something that you’ve never done – win a Stanley Cup – like I have this year, the juices start to flow more rampant.”

Roenick did not hide the fact he was happy in San Jose.

“I don’t know if you call it rejuvenation. My energy is very high…my excitedness to be on this team is very high. I feel very fortunate and blessed to have this opportunity.”

It was a sad day for media and talk show hosts all around North America when he hung up the skates for good on August 5, 2009. We may never be able to see him play again, except maybe Oldtimer hockey, but it would be no surprise if J.R. reappears as the media.

The J.R. Quote Vault

October 22, 2007: Calgary defenseman Robyn Regehr delivered a hit that left Roenick momentarily stunned before he groggily skated to the bench amidst a chorus of boos from Calgary Flames fans. About the crowd, he remarks, “Well they were cheering for me, weren’t they?”

He said he was hit hard, that his head rattled against the glass, he thought he was Batman for a minute, and he needed to get his bearings. “I don’t know if they should have stopped the play or not. I was just going to stand there until my sight came back.”

January 30, 2008: on then Calgary Flames’ Owen Nolan’s first hat trick since 1999. “He's a tremendous leader, a tremendous competitor, and he can do everything on the ice. He killed us tonight, too, the sonofabitch.”

Here is a blog that shows some classic J.R. moments: http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2009/08/sunday-funnies-jeremy-roenick-edition.html

From http://proicehockey.about.com/cs/triviaandfun/a/2003hockeyquote.htm:

Regarding New York Islanders’ Garth Snow: "It's not my fault (Snow) didn't have any other options coming out of high school. If going to college gets you a career backup goaltender job, and my route gets you a thousand points and a thousand games, and compare the two contracts, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out whose decision was better."

About Edmonton Oilers’ coach Craig MacTavish ripping the tongue from Calgary Flames’ mascot Harvey the Hound: "I was surprised by how easy it came out. It was one of those tear-away tongues. Kevin [Lowe, Edmonton GM] said he should have tucked it into the breast pocket of his jacket. Like an ascot."

New Coach for the Calgary Hitmen

2009-07-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

The Western Hockey League Calgary Hitmen unveiled a new head coach on July 22 to fill a vacancy left by Dave Lowry, who recently moved across the hall to serve as Brent Sutter’s assistant with the Calgary Flames.

Not surprising, Mike Williamson has Alberta roots, having grown up in Leduc, just outside of Edmonton. He played his junior hockey in Portland (formerly the Edmonton Oil Kings) and has coached his entire career there. He won a Memorial Cup as an assistant coach and was 2001-01 WHL Western Conference Coach of the Year. What is interesting is that Williamson took the last two hockey seasons off to work for a Portland company in business development and to spend time with his newborn son.

“I’m very hungry to get back in. I was in Portland for a little over 15 years – it’s a long time in one place in this industry. I think I was a little bit exhausted.”

Williamson says he likes to coach a high speed transition game, and while he expects he’ll be able to get along well with the players, he will be demanding, too. He recognizes there were a lot of graduating players from last season – and after such success (reaching the WHL final), there will be some questions and holes to fill. “With the depth they had last year, there are a lot of young guys waiting in the wings that maybe didn’t get the opportunity last year.”

Hitmen General Manager Kelly Kisio isn’t concerned about the two-year hiatus. “He’s a knowledgeable guy. You look at his resume and he’s been with one organization for 15 to 17 years. You’ve got to be doing something right in this league – in any league – if you’re there for that long. He’s a young guy, enthusiastic.”

Kisio received a lot of resumes and phone calls when the head coaching job came vacant. Perhaps another element that gave Williamson the edge was his learning about the business sector in the past two years. And in all his years with Portland, he was able to gain responsibilities. That means Kisio could potentially groom him for his job.

“It’s a possibility, for sure,” admits Kisio.

From the National Women's Team to Boldly Go Where No Women Have Gone

2009-07-21T11:08:00.006-07:00

Twenty-one medals, including 17 gold, two Olympic gold, and six World gold – the longest serving captain (2001 to 2006) of Canada’s National Women’s Team is making as many headlines now as she did during her playing years.

Cassie Campbell retired from the ice in 2006. It didn’t take long before the television stations snatched her up as an analyst. Her knowledge and authoritative voice soon opened the door to the Mecca of Canadian hockey broadcasting: CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada. On October 14, 2006, she was the first woman to color commentate on Hockey Night in Canada.

Brampton, Ontario opened the Cassie Campbell Community Centre on September, 13, 2008, where she was accompanied by Wayne Gretzky, Steve Yzerman, and members of Hockey Canada’s board. Her annual street hockey charity raises funds for Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities.

I sat down with Campbell last year to get a taste of her whirlwind life.

When you played for Team Canada, how did you juggle work and training?

I wouldn’t say we were working full-time, but a lot of us always had something else on the go. A lot of the girls were students or had part-time jobs. In my case, it was always a lot of different promotional stuff. I did a lot of speaking, and I have two books on the go – I wrote the shell of that. I always had some projects on the side while I was training. Basically, for those of us on the national team now, it’s a full-time commitment.

What did you sacrifice?

I think some of the normalcy of life. I look at some of my girlfriends that aren’t athletes. They’ve got kids already. They have a house and a mortgage and a savings account. They have some of that normal stuff in life. You sort of put that on the back burner. It’s all about hockey. At the same time, it’s your career; it’s your job. It’s a healthy job. You’re fit. You’re active and it’s fun. I just think you sacrifice the little things. My husband and I are both in hockey and we travel a ton in the winter. You’re playing every weekend, so you don’t have that weekend social life that your friends have. And for him and I, we’re away quite a bit from each other in the winter months. It becomes part of your lifestyle.

There is an underestimated component to maintaining fitness levels for athletes and that is sleep. How did you manage to get enough, considering all the travel?

That was probably the weakest part of my game, making sure that I got rest. I spent a lot of time traveling the country, promoting the game, too. I’d be training in gyms from Newfoundland to Victoria and trying to balance all my extra commitments as a captain with the training and everything else. I was never much of a napper. I was, maybe earlier in my career. As an athlete, you had to make sure you got eight or nine hours of sleep a night. You sort of put that into your schedule as a mandatory thing. We slept on planes. We sleep everywhere. I think I have no problem sleeping anywhere, and I think that was because of the way I was as an athlete. If I needed the rest, I just took it.

Since you’ve retired from playing, your schedule hasn’t really slowed down, has it?

I never thought it could occur, but I’m definitely more busy now than I was when I was playing. I think the reason is, when you’re playing, you can say to people, no, I’ve got to train or we have a game.

With the Hockey Night in Canada stuff, I want to know everything. I’ve been a fan of the game, so right now, I’m studying the game. It takes a lot of research and behind the scenes work. Even though it’s Saturday night, it’s really a full-week commitment. For me, it’s learning my new schedule of having a real job and balancing what I need to get done for the show and what I need to get done for my other commitments. The first year was pretty tough. My husband was very supportive. He helped me organize my schedule. And then I really got the hang of it. I started to have a little bit more of a balance. I still train a lot. I don’t train nearly as hard as I used to. I still work out pretty much every day. I wanted that to be part of my schedule. The first year transition from athlete to professional working woman was definitely an anxiety-filled year. There were a lot of changes going on.

Did you find someone in the organization to help with the transition?

I talked with a lot of people. Kelly Hrudey was really great to me, him being a former athlete. He sort of went through the same type of thing. I bounce things off him a lot. He was really good, especially the first summer after my first year. I didn’t do a lot of broadcasting in the summer. I came back the second year and was a bit rusty. He said, you’ve got to go and do a bunch of breakfast shows and do those things to keep that edge. Ron MacLean has been very helpful. He took over from Dave Hodge and the pressure of that situation. I think him and I have a bit of the same thing. I’m the woman who did color and the pressure of that and the hoopla that surrounds that, which is quite funny. He’s helped me with that. He’s such a very down to earth person. I think you lean on some of your colleagues who have been through it before. My husband used to be a professional hockey player. He had the transition of going into the real world. He helped me a lot that first year. I’ve been lucky to surround myself with some really great people.

How has perception of media changed now that you’ve become the media?

I still don’t like some of the things that the media does – some of the gossipy things. I understand why it’s part of it, but I don’t like that side of it. That’s the interesting thing about Hockey Night in Canada is we’re not really a show that’s about that. It’s about the hockey game. It’s about the hockey story. As much as the Hot Stove is a gossipy section, unless you’re on that segment, you’re not really about that. I still struggle with some of that.

I’m on the Olympic Athletes’ Committee, and when we picked the flag bearer for the Summer Olympics, one of the things we talked about was the media perception of our choice. I said, bottom line, we can’t control what the media is going to write, but we can control on who we pick. We pick the right person for the right reason and stick by that. We won’t be able to control the opinions of people out there.

When I first did color, my dad had a really hard time. I was blasted in part of the media. There was some positive stuff and other that wasn’t so positive. My dad had to hear that. Finally, a month or two later, he came to me: “Cass, are you okay?” I said, “Dad, as much as I’m in the media, think about this. These people who are writing these stories, they never call us at Christmas time. I’ve never called them on their birthday. That’s their opinion. That’s their job to have an opinion. But really, it’s not who I am. It’s not what the situation was. You kind of have to put it into perspective.”

I definitely have more sympathy for the media because you’re in it and you know how difficult it is to get the right quote. I still have that athlete side of me that recognizes that it’s not the be all of my existence. I don’t take the good too seriously. When the bad comes, yes it hurts a little bit. I think my overall perspective of it hasn’t changed.

We can watch the news every night and we can see the negative. We read the newspaper and usually the front page is someone was killed. That’s real life stuff and I understand why it’s in. But I think when it comes to sports, the people who you can always see are negative writers and negative people on the air, they’re always negative. When you see them at the rink and talk to them, they’re negative then, too.

For example, during the playoffs, I had to ask Patrick Marleau about the Cory Sarich hit. I said, “Hey, Patrick, heads up, this is what I’m going to do and this is the way we’re going.” He appreciated that. So I think I kind of have that athlete perspective of the media and use that to my advantage.

Do you ever find extra criticism or pressure because you’re a woman?

That’s a tough one. For example, Hockey Night, when I first did the color, it was difficult for people to hear a woman’s voice. That was the first time on Saturday night they heard a woman’s voice. It’s much higher pitched. There are things I had to work on with my voice as a broadcaster that had been brought to my attention. I’ve never felt I couldn’t do something because I’m a woman. I never had that feeling my whole life.

I remember my dad wanted me to play tennis. He thought I would make more money playing tennis than hockey. It wasn’t that he said I don’t want you to play hockey. I’ve never had a feeling in my life that I couldn’t do something because I’m a woman. It’s never been an option. My parents never made me feel that way. My brothers never made me feel that way. If I get the odd negative comment from somebody or some yahoo you meet somewhere and they make the negative comment, it just motivates me. I don’t look at it that he’s a male chauvinist pig. I look at it – that’s his opinion. It has no reflection on how I’m going to live my life.

Who was your childhood hero?

Definitely, my mom. My parents divorced when I was eight years old. My dad was very supportive, but my mom played professional football in 1969. It was an all-woman’s league. She was an equestrian rider. I remember going to watch her play softball. My mom was a bit before her time. She just did whatever she wanted. She used to drag race cars. She was very much a tomboy. She was just such a strong lady, a great communicator. She instilled trust in both me and my brothers. The rules we had around the house were, you could basically do whatever you want but you better have good grades and you better be active in sports or some other activity. She was why I grew up thinking I could do whatever I want because I watched her do it.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever got?

One of the best things I’ve heard since I’ve been in broadcasting was from Ron MacLean. He said, “Cass, just be yourself. If you try to be someone else, people are going to see it and they’re going to see that it’s fake. If you’re yourself and you make a mistake, it’s much easier to deal with.” We had a chance last September to have Dick Irvin speak to us. He said, it’s not us that make Hockey Night in Canada; it’s Hockey Night in Canada that makes us. And he said to me, “Cass, I know you did color and you did a wonderful job, but if you did that on any other network, it wouldn’t have been a big deal.” He’s right.

Some people I’ve seen think they’re bigger than the game. It doesn’t matter how famous Don Cherry is or Ron MacLean, they understand that Hockey Night is bigger than they are and the hockey game itself is bigger than they are.

One of my favorite quotes, I actually have a little plaque at my house with it on it: Never let your memories be greater than your dreams. To me that’s don’t rest on your laurels. Always work hard. Yea, it’s great you accomplished what you did yesterday, but what do I do today? How do I become a better person? How do I become a better broadcaster? How do I become a better athlete? I think that’s a mentality I learned from being an athlete.

How strange is it to have an arena being named after you?

A lot of these things that happen to me, I just kind of laugh. Don’t they know I’m just a little kid from Brampton? Going to the Olympics and being on Hockey Night kind of puts you on that stage. I think you do pinch yourself. Sometimes I feel guilty. Why am I getting all this? I don’t deserve this. I’ve got to do more. All these people are being so nice to me, I’ve got to achieve more. That stuff, though, is not real. It’s not the real part of life. It’s wonderful and it’s great to be honored and recognized. I kind of separate it. My parents used to get mad at me because I never told them anything that was going on. “We hear from all these strangers. How do you think it makes us feel that these strangers know more about you than we do?” But that’s not the real stuff. They’d say, “Tell us; we want to know.”

When it comes to broadcasting, people might think it’s easy. You stand there and speak. It’s an easy job. I think people don’t understand the research that goes in behind it. It’s not a script. It’s a live television show. You’ve got a producer talking in your ear, you’re listening to the interview – it’s the complexity of it. It’s a pretty fun job. People don’t understand the amount of work that goes in behind the scenes. And for me, I just don’t want to make a mistake.

Brent Sutter pulls a Nick Saban

2009-06-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

Fit or no fit (and on paper it’s probably a good fit), the rest of the hockey world is not basking in the southern Alberta lovefest of Brent Sutter becoming head coach of the Calgary Flames.

Why? Can you say Nick Saban?

For those who don’t know the story, football coach Saban incurred disdain from his former NFL colleagues when after two seasons with the Miami Dolphins, he repeatedly announced he would stay with the team – only to resign and coach the next season with the University of Alabama.

And here we are with Brent Sutter – who adamantly denies he is leaving the Devils to coach the Flames – low and behold.

“I believe it was Monday, June 8 that I had officially resigned my position with the New Jersey Devils as their head coach.” Brent Sutter (when writing about the Flames, we can no longer use just a surname) did extol words about the tremendous respect for New Jersey general manager Lou Lamoriello, how he was like a father figure, that he understood the situation. With Lamoriello allowing the Flames to talk to him, he adds, “I’m not sure under normal circumstances that would happen.”

Regardless of what the locals might think, know that the warm and fuzzy feelings are not mutual. In fact, as Lamoriello stays publicly silent, Devils’ owner Jeff Vanderbeek is not. He told the Newark Star-Ledger, “It leaves a bad taste in your mouth.” Exactly how the NFL fraternity feels about Nick Saban.

At the time of his resignation, Brent Sutter was not happy about spending so little time with his daughter. It is believed his family did not accompany him to New Jersey because his daughter was so close to graduation, and being uprooted from friends is a devastating blow to any teenager.

“I was going to be re-evaluating things on a yearly basis because of family and personal situations. With Lou and myself, the dialogue has been outstanding. We’ve always had strong communication.”

Certainly, the Flames could use a strong hand to run the team. The city was all but certain a Sutter would end up behind the bench, but that it would be Darryl. In any case, Brent Sutter will instill that same accountability factor. Whether he will be any more successful than Mike Keenan is yet to be determined. After all, Brent Sutter’s Devils made first-round exits in the same seasons that Keenan coached the Flames.

Still, he claims he was not thinking about the Flames when he made his announcement in Newark. “When I did resign from my position, I was very content and perfectly fine with the fact I may never ever coach again in the National Hockey League.”

That’s good because chances are this will be his last NHL coaching job. Hopefully, he’ll make the most of it.

But while his actions will share the same distaste as Saban’s, he’ll never be the pariah that is Bobbie Petrino. The former Atlanta Falcons coach quit his team with three games left in the season, left a four-paragraph letter in each player’s stall on their day off, and the next day was on national TV singing the pig suey song as head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The Last Team Standing

2009-05-15T20:31:00.004-07:00

There is probably some irony in the fact that, historically, Canada’s national game has been lacrosse. So how fitting is it that the last professional sports team to play is a National Lacrosse League team: the Calgary Roughnecks. And play they did – all the way to winning the Champion’s Cup.

However, regarding its opponent, it says a lot about a team’s character when it had to play in three different home buildings this season and rumors abound about its demise following this Champions Cup. That the New York Titans have even made it this far shows how strong that team’s bond is. It also held the defending champion Buffalo Bandits to just three goals in the Eastern Final.

The Roughnecks came into this game having set the record for the longest shutout streak in the playoffs (holding the San Jose Stealth scoreless until 24 seconds into the fourth quarter of the Western Final) and recording the first game-winning goal by a netminder (Matt King threw the ball into the opposing net at 14:59 in the first quarter of the same game).

It’s the Titan’s first trip, but the Roughnecks have been here before. Getting to the final takes more than just winning. Riggers’ T Devan Wray tries to explain.

“I don’t know if I can really put a finger on it. There are a lot of the same faces we had last year. It’s a matter of everyone getting more familiar with each other, buying in and really starting to believe in what we’ve got going on in the locker room. We’ve been healthy all season long. We’re continuing to strengthen the relationships between teammates.”

Meanwhile, the Titans have its best player back in its lineup after injury in Casey Powell.

Coach Troy Cordingley was named NLL Coach of the Year and while Wray says he is very intense and his will to win is strong, the entire coaching staff also shared the same cohesiveness as the players. Much could be said on the other bench.

Even though the Necks defeated the Titans 12-10 in February, regular season gets thrown out with the bathwater when it comes to playoffs. D Andrew McBride adds, “They didn’t have their best player (Powell) in the lineup.”

On the floor, F Tracey Kelusky opened the play with a shot stopped by G Matt Vinc. Play was halted to fix the game clock wasn’t working, then the Titans opened the scoring with a power play goal by Pat Maddalena with Mike Carnegie in the box for illegal cross checking at 1:31.

Tracey Kelusky evened up the game on a two-man power play advantage at 4:26.

The Roughnecks dominated loose balls, while Titan defense kept a hold on the shooting lanes in front of Vinc. It was a tough battle throughout the entire game. Calgary mostly held a slight lead or the game was tied. It was good entertainment for the 13,042 in attendance.

The Titans never let up. Vinc played solid in goal facing 50 shots, while Riggers’ G Matt King faced 42. The final score: 12-10.

It’s a satisfying victory when you can do it in front of a home crowd. It’s something the team, even those that were here before in 2004, will savor.

D Andrew McBride: “Opportunities don’t transpire that often to be back. A lot of guys have played many years and have not won a championship. We didn’t celebrate the Western Conference championship too much. We’ve had one goal in mind all year. It’s to be a champion.”

D Bruce Cobb: “In a short season, if you have a lot of injuries, it can be tough to recover. We haven’t had maybe four, five man games lost to injury. That helps with chemistry, too.”

Devan Wray: “It’s not about individuals. Without everybody working together, it just doesn’t happen. It’s as important for me to win it for the rest of the locker room as it is for me.”

NLL final to rock the house in Calgary

2009-05-09T20:19:00.002-07:00

Sacrifice, honor, glory – these are the traits that cover the theme of the naval exhibit of Calgary’s Military Museum, where the Calgary Roughnecks held its pre-game press conference on Friday. The venue couldn’t have been more perfect. It’s the message the team wanted to take to the Western Division final, and ultimately the National Lacrosse League final.

It’s difficult to put a finger on what it takes to get that far, but there are six on the floor who knew what it felt like to win the final exactly five years ago in 2004. That’s when the Roughnecks beat Buffalo for the Champions Cup. Five still wear the uniform: Devan Wray, Kaleb Toth, Tracey Kelusky, Andrew McBride, and Kyle Goundry. The sixth was the man who stood behind them: Coach Chris Hall. However, this time, Hall is positioned behind the San Jose bench.

The man motivating the Necks this year was also name the NLL Head Coach of the Year – Troy Cordingley. He guided the team to a 12-4 record and in just his second season, has earned a trip to the final. Ironically, Cordingley was also behind the Buffalo Bandits’ bench when his team lost the 2004 final to the Roughnecks.

The Western Final was some kind of game. In the first half alone, five goals by Tracey Kelusky and one by Matt King – the goalie, who also had an assist. The Necks outshot the Stealth 31-20 at the half and continued to roll over its opponent throughout the second half.

By the end of the third quarter, it was 15-0 for the Roughnecks, which outshot the Stealth by this point: 45-29. You could feel it in the building – Cup fever.

However, some of the bubble burst when King’s shutout was taken away in the first few seconds of the 4th when the Stealth came fast off the faceoff and scored two quick goals. But the Roughnecks held them back to only four goals and a
17-5 final. Final shots: 53-47 Calgary.

The ultimate goal was finally realized: the NLL Champions Cup will be held at the Pengrowth Saddledome on Friday, May 15 at 7:00 PM. The Roughnecks will play Casey Powell and the New York Titans – who defeated the Buffalo Bandits 9-3 to clinch the Eastern Division title. Hopefully, there will be more than the 9,639 that were in attendance for the Western Final.

A promising season goes to waste

2009-04-15T11:26:00.001-07:00

There is no doubt that during the first two thirds of the season, everybody in Calgary was thinking Stanley Cup. On paper, this was every bit the team and more so when compared to the 2004 squad.

The addition of Todd Bertuzzi and Mike Cammalleri seemed a great fit. Bertuzzi has given the team some grit, while Cammalleri punched in enough goals to surpass his best season (34) with the Los Angeles Kings. At the NHL Entry Draft, General Manager Darryl Sutter was finally able to land the player he has wanted for so many seasons: Olli Jokinen.

That was then. This is now.

Bertuzzi has not scored since March 1, and Cammalleri had not scored since March 23 before punching two in at the season finale against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. Jokinen hasn’t scored since March 24.

The Flames were 2-3-0 in its last five games; 4-6-0 in its last 10 coming back to the Pengrowth Saddledome for the wrap-up. Fortunately for the team, the last game ended on a win.

This last contest was also the fifth consecutive game that the team has played shorthanded – the second game dressing only 15 skaters. Shorthanded because of key injuries to three key defensemen: Cory Sarich, Dion Phaneuf, and Robyn Regehr and left wingers Rene Bourque and Curtis Glencross. Shorthanded because of a balance sheet.

How can a team dress shorthanded in five of the most crucial games of the season when it is battling for a home playoff date? Two words: salary cap mismanagement. There was no contingency plan if its key contributors were hurt.

The club had to send Dustin Boyd to the minors in lieu of John Negrin because keeping him in the lineup would have put them over the cap. Bringing up Negrin still didn’t help much because the team has no funds left to fill a fourth line.

Think back to Jarome Iginla’s very first appearance in Calgary in April 1996. It was Game Three of the first round against Chicago. The closest Iginla every came to a Cup final was 2004, when the Flames went seven games with the Tampa Bay Lightning and lost – and this season. It was this season when Iginla became Calgary’s all-time points leader. It was this season when the club led the Northwest Division for much of the year. It was this season when the Flames were considered one of the best home teams. The club was 13 points ahead in the division and then something happened during an early March extended road trip.

After two road wins against Ottawa and Philadelphia, the Flames then lost three in a row, ending the trip with an 8-6 loss to Toronto and a 3-4 record. The team wasn’t able to regroup. Meanwhile, the Vancouver Canucks found some life and knocked at the lead to the division. The Flames fell from third to fifth place in the Western Conference.

Losing games is one thing, especially due to key injuries. But not being able to dress enough players? You’ll be hard pressed to find an NHL insider who has ever seen that before. It’s a sad testament to see such a promising season whittle away to almost oblivion.

So the pulse around Calgary is the team will be lucky to survive one playoff win in what will be expected as an early exit to the post-season.

One has to wonder what a first-round exit will mean for next year. New coach? Likely. New general manager? Perhaps. New upper management? Also a possibility. You can’t fault the players on this one. Injuries have certainly played a key role, but not being able to dress enough players to field a game is as undeniable as a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty call.

But on the upside, we hear that Jacques Lemaire is available. There is also good news on the economic front. The Flames are still considered one of the league’s most viable franchises. The black ink has flowed in since 2004.

A look ahead to the playoffs

It could be déjà vu all over again. The last time the Flames faced Chicago in the first round of the playoffs was 1996. The outcome wasn’t pretty and the team missed the post-season for eight consecutive seasons thereafter.

Of course, the one guy who was there is the team captain Jarome Iginla. “That was a lot of years ago, and it’s also a new opponent.”

True, but if the regular season has anything to say, it’s not looking promising. The Blackhawks came out the victors in every single contest.

The only thing the team can do is to break down each of those game films and see where they can do better.

“Other than that, it’s a question of who wants it more,” adds Mike Cammalleri. “I’d say we’re due. We’re going to take the positives and say we’re due to have some good games against them.”

The Flames are expected to finally field a full roster come the first game, although Coach Mike Keenan won’t say which of the injured will be returning. But one has to wonder how playing so many games shorthanded has affected the players overall. Eric Nystrom is probably tired of talking about it.

“We were sick of using excuses about being down manpower and stuff. We’ve got a lot of guys in this room that can put the puck in the net and play good hockey.”

Yes, the Flames were unlikely heroes to reach the Stanley Cup final in 2004, but no matter how promising this season was made out to be, the final few weeks are the measuring stick for the momentum coming into the playoffs. Add in Chicago, and well, maybe the team will surprise us.

Face the media trend

2009-03-27T20:49:00.001-07:00

Face it. If the NHL wants to survive as a going concern, it has to get with the times.

Yes, it has revamped its Website to include interesting blogs, live video and audio feed, and numerous other features. The updates on the media site score sheets are still two to three minutes behind the actual game clock, but it has improved. (See the National Lacrosse League site at www.nll.com for actual real time updates.) However, its media credential policy still lives in the Dark Ages.

There is an old saying -- maybe it's this writer’s old saying: if you want to find your target audience -- go where they go.

We are in the middle of a media revolution: out with traditional and in with new technology. It's ever changing but those that learn and move with the ebb and flow of the Internet will likely find more success than those stuck in the old traditional formats that are drying up.

For example, many have stopped buying newspapers because a) they pile up faster than you have time to read them and b) it is a pain in the backside to take the bulky weight of them to the recycling bin. But more so, people are getting their news and sports online and through cable television because it's instantaneous; it's easy; and you get a broader viewpoint.

Here are the facts:

• The high fixed costs of printing and distribution are not going down any time soon.
• The Rocky Mountain News, which closed its doors in February, was said to be failing in 2001 when it joined forces with the Denver Post; owner E.W. Scripps Co. says it lost $15 million in Denver in 2008
• The Philadelphia Inquirer, Baltimore Sun, and Boston Globe shut down their foreign bureaus; Time and Newsweek downsized their foreign correspondents (LJWorld.com)
• The Tribune Co., owners of Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times, is in bankruptcy proceedings and outsourcing its foreign news coverage; the New York Times is in financial trouble
• (Pew Internet and American Life Project November 19 to December 20, 2008): 70 percent Internet users get their news online; 45 percent get sports scores online; 29 percent listen to live or recorded radio broadcasts; 36 percent get their news online daily; 29 percent look for their hobby or interests online daily; 15 percent look for sports scores online daily
• (Statistics Canada, June 2008): 73 percent of the population 16 and older go online for personal reasons; 68 percent are online every day; men stay online longer than women; most online users earn over $95,000; 84 percent of online users have some post-secondary education
• (The Conference Board and TNS): close to 16 percent of Internet-using U.S. households watch television broadcasts online; 3/5 of those that watch online broadcasts say it’s more convenient
• Television networks have lost 17 percent of its 18- to 49-year-old demographic to Internet TV (comScore)
• (Awareness Inc.) 93 percent of organizations surveyed use some form of unpaid social media in an era of declining marketing budgets

Howard Kurtz adds insight to this issue on his CNN show Reliable Sources and with this column: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/02/28/ST2009022802422.html.

The NHL and other like organizations cannot ignore what is happening. The desired demographic is online, not on the networks or reading newspapers. Pew reported in December 2008 that 74 percent of adults use the Internet and if you look at the demographic breakdown – it’s exactly who the NHL is trying to reach to keep its business afloat.

18-29: 87 percent use the Internet
30-49: 82 percent
50-64: 72 percent
65+: 41 percent

And the higher the income, the more Internet use.

One of the jobs of PR departments is to control the company message; whereas the media’s job is to relay the message to the general public that doesn’t have the upfront access. For the organization, the media actually provides free advertising. If the media organizations all dried up overnight, the NHL would not have a venue to market its business.

Because the mainstream media industry is changing, NHL PR departments have to rethink their priority heirarchy when it comes to media importance. They can no longer afford to “diss” the electronic media, as they may be the last ones standing in the new era that is taking place at this very moment. That doesn’t mean accrediting every Tom, Dick, and Jane that has a sports blog or Website. But if the NHL brass actually took a moment to click on the most frequented sites and blogs that are continually updated and those with writers that are serious about writing, the NHL might consider adding those outlets to the list.

Look no further than the presidential campaign of Barak Obama to see where the future is going in media. He brilliantly incorporated social networking (Facebook and Twitter, etc.) as part of his marketing campaign. As of this writing, there are 5,842,010 supporters that have joined his Facebook page and 393,269 Twitter followers.

Rick Sanchez of CNN, who calls his show “Your” newscast” has basically changed the way his fellow anchors deliver the news overnight. He skillfully incorporates viewer feedback through Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace, reads and shows some of the comments live. He has 63,383 followers on Twitter.

The time is now for the NHL to get with the times. It owes it to its fans.

The "G" Word

2009-01-17T19:24:00.002-08:00

It would appear the Wayne Gretzky phenomena is over. We're just not that into him anymore. At least that's what it appears when Calgary's Pengrowth Saddledome security staff are saying the extra crew they brought in for today's hockey game with the Phoenix Coyotes was all for not. There was barely anyone (fans) lined up to see him.

On the other hand, that might be from seven straight years out of the playoffs. Just ask the Flames about that. (It was pretty easy to get tickets pre-2004, when the Stanley Cup run was in Calgary.)

But lack of popularity is the least of The Great One's worries. He may not have a team to coach next year.

The Coyotes are in dire straights, such that Gretzky is spending much of his time focusing his players towards the ice instead of whether or not they will continue to get paychecks. The team is in fast need of a financial bailout. Although so far, it has no appointments with Congress but rather is seeking an investor. The National Hockey League is expected to step in should not meeting payroll becomes a reality. The Yotes are forecast to lose around $45 million by the end of the season and that could force it into bankruptcy.

Not making the playoffs for ever doesn't help attract donors. And obviously, the Gretzky factor matters not -- only if some rich guy is excited about the prospect of being in partnership with him. However, when it comes to that many millions, it's doubtful hanging out with the former #99 will make up for those winged dollar bills flying out of the window into Neverland.

New season, new look, new commissioner

2009-01-10T18:07:00.003-08:00

January 10, 2009

First, the big news of the day. Many were surprised to hear that Commissioner Jim Jennings resigned today. His reasoning: "I feel that I have accomplished all the goals I set out to do at the NLL. I want to spend some time with my family before pursuing other opportunities and taking on the next challenge."

Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer George Daniel will take over effective immediately. He was president of the New York Titans in 2007.

Jennings has been at the helm since 2000. While the league has grown and expanded, and franchise values have gone from $250,000 to $5.6 million, there have been some serious questions about Jennings leadership. While the NLL All-Star and Championship games are televised on network TV, it could be much better.

There is a strong online following for the NLL, but let's face it, the league is marketing-challenged. Probably the biggest faux pas was the league playing "chicken" with the Players' Association last year, when the league announced it was canceled -- then changed its mind a week later. All the goodwill that was collected up until then had been erased. The diehard lacrosse fans still showed up, the people on the fence, the ones the league needs to get to one game to get them hooked -- they assumed the league was dead. Even some media did. That's on Jennings' watch. It's like as good things happen on one side, the league shoots itself in the foot on the other to balance things out.

But we have a new season underway and a new commissioner. The Calgary Roughnecks also have a new look -- in the front office and the office itself. The team moved to new swankier quarters, with a workout facility and room for the new staff to move around.

I'm writing this in the first quarter of the Roughnecks home opener versus the Edmonton Rush and am staring down at an awful lot of empty seats. What happened to the 11,000 to 12,000 that have attended these games for the past number of seasons? Let's hope this isn't a trend.

This is a fantastic league to follow. It has a good online presence, which is where most fans learn about the game. It has so much potential. Let's hope the new commissioner will provide some stability and sustain its growth.

Dissing the media

2008-12-29T20:03:00.004-08:00

One of the questions I sometimes ask professional athletes is: what do you think is the biggest misconception people have about your job? Very often, the answer has something to do with what most people don't see: what they do on a daily basis to keep themselves in the game, or that they're human with feelings.

It just dawned on me that perhaps the players ought to be asked: what do you think is the biggest misconception people have about the media? While for the most part, most of the people we encounter around the game are gracious, accommodating, and appreciative. However, some environments do tend to give off the "media are pond scum" atmosphere.

What is fascinating is what the former pro athletes now media think. They have a much different perspective. They're even annoyed at the former mates that are still playing because they are now lumped into the same "pond."

It isn't just sports. You hear it in politics and every other area of life where things are not going according to plan. Whose fault is it? Not the people actually making decisions or playing the game. It's the media's fault. It's their fault for focusing on the story.

Well guess what? The media, like the players and everyone around the game, are also human. We also have a job to do -- to be the link from the team to the fans. This is where the disconnect lies. Without media, even the bad ones, people outside the rink, pitch, football stadium, and any other playing arena have no reason to follow the team.

There are some media who do a lot of prep work before they even get to the facility, armed with a game plan of getting player A, B, C, D, or E for the first choice, then A, B, C, D, E, F for the second choice and so on. It doesn't help them do their job when the media also has to field insults before they get their questions out.

Media is actually free advertising. Imagine what organizations would have to pay to get the same coverage. Perhaps the only way to let teams and players know why the media exists is for US to go on lockdown. If there was no coverage whatsoever for even one week during primetime, perhaps then the media would just get their questions answered instead of first fielding insults about the profession.

The Legend of Eddie Robinson

2008-12-02T11:44:00.001-08:00

More than a legendary college football coach, Eddie Robinson reflected the progress of a nation.

His tenure stretched from the 1941 Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, to the Korean War, Jim Crow and the Civil Rights Movement, to the Vietnam War and the Kent State shootings, women’s liberation, moon landing, the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union, to the age of the Internet.

Some of the elements that draw in fans of college football are tradition, innocence, purity, and big name coaches. The likes of Joe Paterno, Bobbie Bowden, Bo Schembechler, and a handful of others are in a league of their own.

Eddie Robinson is also a member of this exclusive club. However, he didn’t coach a Big 10, SEC, Pac 10, Big 12, or even a WAC team. He coached the Grambling State University Tigers. Chances are the only time you might have seen them on TV would have been during the traditional annual Bayou Classic when Grambling faced Southern University.

But even if you never saw Robinson coach one of his 588 games, you can learn much from this man. At the very least, you will be inspired. The biggest lesson he bestowed was being able to face your fears with courage.

Considering the cultural climate during his upbringing in Jackson, Louisiana, as the son of a sharecropper and domestic worker, Eddie Robinson could never have dreamt there would eventually be a stadium or a prestigious Football Writers of America award named after him.

Fresh out of Leland College, Robinson wasn’t able to find a job in coaching, so he went to work in a Baton Rouge feed mill. A relative helped him find a position with the Louisiana Negro Normal and Industrial Institute, where after an interview with Dr. Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones, the 22 year old took the reins as the team’s sixth head coach. That team eventually became the Grambling State University Tigers.

Most coaches do more than just coach, but for Robinson at the beginning, he also had to mow and line the football field, direct the girls’ drill team at halftime, and write a recap of the game for reporters. These duties earned him $63.75 a month.

His first season was unimpressive – a 3-5 record. In his second year, the Tigers were undefeated. An interesting fact is that among the university’s male student population, 33 of 57 played football for Robinson.

Coach Robinson became more than just a coach to his players. He was a father figure, a mentor, a friend, and cheerleader. He understood that football was more than just a game. It shaped lives. It gave individuals the discipline they needed to create their own success down the road. Robinson was personally involved with his players and taught them more than just x’s and o’s on the chalkboard.

Some of his players didn’t know how to eat properly with a knife and fork before they met Coach Rob. He taught them that hard work, dedication, and determination pays off and to never give up.

He said, “You have to coach ‘em as though he were the boy who was going to marry your daughter.”

In 1949, he saw one of his players, Paul “Tank” Younger, become the first player from a historically black college sign with an NFL team with the Los Angeles Rams. By the early 1970s, there were 43 former Grambling players attending NFL camps.

Robinson was named the Coach Who Made the Biggest Contribution to College Football in the Past 25 Years in 1966. But one of his biggest highlights was in 1974 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans. This was a place where blacks were not only unable to play, they couldn’t even watch a game. In a game between Grambling and Southern University, 76,000 came to see them play.

The school had to hire a public relations person to handle the national publicity campaign when Grambling scheduled games against other historically black schools in Yankee Stadium, Rose Bowl, and Los Angeles Coliseum.

Then in Tokyo in 1976 against Morgan State, Grambling played in the first regular season game on foreign soil.

Another proud moment for Coach Rob was January 31, 1988. He was in stands at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego and watched former Grambling quarterback Doug Williams lead the Washington Redskins to a Super Bowl win over the Denver Broncos. It was the first time a black quarterback played in a Super Bowl. Williams was also given the game’s Most Valuable Player award.

Robinson’s accolades are too numerous to mention, but during his overall record of 408-165-15, he became the winningest coach in college football history until 2003, when John Gagliardi recorded 409 wins for St. John’s, a Division III school in Minnesota. He was the first coach to chalk up 400 wins and guided over 200 players into the NFL.

Because of coach Rob, Grambling State became a nationally recognized power and had only eight losing seasons during his tenure. He won nine National Black College championships, 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference titles, and coached over 4,000 players during his 57 seasons.

Robinson shares his overview of his career, “I guess you could say I’m proud of the fact that I can summarize my life by saying I had one wife and one job.”

Sadly, Robinson reluctantly resigned in 1997. He suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. When he died in April 2007, nearly 6,000 attended his funeral.

Henry Burris overcomes the naysayers

2008-11-25T21:51:00.005-08:00

When the Calgary Stampeders said they would continue with Henry Burris’ contract in 2005, it was the first time he experienced it in his career.

“What every quarterback has had, whether it’s in the NFL or CFL, they’ve always been with the team for a number of years and have been able to achieve success and settle down and play their game. For me, this is the first time it’s happened. This will be the first time I’ve played back to back seasons. I can look forward to going into camp and actually knowing what the snap count is, knowing what Joe Schmoe’s last name is, where he’s from. A lot of times, you have to catch up on all those things. It takes time, especially when you run a hundred guys in training camp. You’re trying to get to know them all, their body language.”

With a newborn son at the time, Burris was looking forward to some sense of stability.

His position is not an easy one. The quarterback is the target. Everyone is gunning for him. So how does he prepare for the constant physical pounding?

“Repetitions. You get used to being hit. If a guy thinks about a hit, it’s going to hurt. The hit looks better to the fans than it does to us. When we actually feel it, it happens, and goes away real quick. With repetitions, you become used to everything. You’re the guy that’s wanted and everybody wants to hit you, but when you know that, you know you’re doing something good. Especially when the fans are getting on you and razzing you, you’re doing something good. If you weren’t, they wouldn’t care less about you. Nobody would say anything about you. You know you’re doing something good when people are saying something and trying to get in your head. As a quarterback, if they can capture your mental state, you’re basically done. Game’s over. You should take yourself out of the game. Bring in the substitute. Bring in the back up. Therefore you have to work on repetitions of staying focused, being mentally tough, and making sure when you step on the field, you know exactly what you’re going to do and how you’re going to get it done. Over time, you’re going to make adjustments.”

So what’s it like to walk out onto that field? Can it be described?

“Your first year, it’s a wow experience. When you first take the field, and especially when you’re announced as the starting quarterback, you hear the fans go crazy, it’s like, oh my God. Your heart really pumps. You talk about butterflies major. You’re nervous as can be. Going into my sixth season, I’m able to zone things out. As you play more, you become used to the environment you’re placed in and adjust well to things. Therefore, I’m just able to relax and go out and play without thinking about things. Now, I don’t even hear it. I just focus on what our game plan is – you want to beat that team. You know you only have so many years to go. Each and every day you want to give it your best and make sure when you step on that field, you’re in tip top shape. You know the game plan. You want to make that team wish they never want to play you. That’s how we, as players, approach the game. That’s our competitive spirit.”

Because of his background, getting the opportunity to quarterback has not been easy. There were times when a black quarterback was thought to be inferior – such as the days when Warren Moon and Randall Cunningham played.

“Times have changed a lot. The African-American quarterbacks you have playing in the NFL now, they’re supermen. If you’re an average quarterback, it’s tough still as an African-American quarterback. You have to be able to run as fast as a speeding bullet or you’ve got to be bigger than Dante Culpepper – 6’6,” 260, who runs the 4-4. Me, I’m not 6’6,” not 260, and can’t run a 4-4. Those guys still have those distinct athletic features that just separate them from the rest. But it’s a lot better than what it used to be. We’re still working on that curve. You’ve got guys like Quincy Carter who are now in the NFL. He had some troubles, but he’s continued to work at things. But still, guys like Damon Allen, there’s no way he shouldn’t be playing in the NFL. There are a lot of guys up here that should be down south. It works both ways. Guys like Dave Dickenson should have had a chance, Danny McManus, Ricky Ray, Anthony Calvillo. We’re guys that are enjoying our time here. Canada has done nothing but be a magnificent blessing to our lives. We’re more than thankful for it. It if wasn’t for this, we wouldn’t be playing football.”

Burris started his charity softball tournament in 2005 and supporting Big Brothers and Big Sisters is particularly important to him.

“We wanted to come up with an original event that has never occurred here in the city. Let’s put together some of Calgary’s finest celebrity athletes, mingle with corporate Calgary, the fans, and also enable those who can’t afford to go to a gala-like event.

“My father was always my ultimate big brother. I was blessed to have a father. A lot of people come from single-family homes. I wanted to take what I’ve been able to learn from my father and mother and share it with those out there. Big Brothers and Big Sisters enabled me to come about from my high school days, college, professional ball, and help give back to those who are less fortunate. I was at the other end of the spectrum in Detroit, in professional football, having an opportunity to meet those guys while I was growing up. It’s the wow factor. Through their troubles and how they were able to overcome some of the obstacles in their lives. I want to be able to share those with some of the little kids here in the city – mentorship. That’s why we need more males to spend the time with kids. Maybe an hour a week, come out and spend the time. It will change somebody’s life.

“Growing up in Oklahoma, it’s primarily a football state. We’re just blessed to have sports, whatever it is, it’s just there at our discretion to let us choose which route we want to go. You kind of catch onto looking at certain teams, certain athletes. Whenever that athlete is on television or on radio, we’re glued to that television set or to the radio. You’re listening for something that might stick out to you, like what I call a high-catcher. Just being able to see what guys like Emmitt Smith, the obstacles like guys like Warren Moon had to overcome by going to the CFL and work his way back to the Houston Oilers and impact the lives like myself. To see those guys go through those obstacles and to know that if they can do it, then I know I can do it. Emmitt Smith told me when I met him the first time at his football camp, if you have a dream, despite what obstacles are set up against you, you can make that dream come true.

“I had to go through where people said I was too small. I continued to work my tail off. I’m not the fastest. I’m not the biggest, not the strongest. But nobody plays harder than me. With Emmitt’s passion and playing through a separated shoulder, broken ribs, he’s definitely showed that passion.”

Opening Night Jitters for the Flames

2008-10-11T22:56:00.002-07:00

Calgary, Alberta -- October 11, 2008: Two back to back losses to Vancouver. The opener on Thursday in Vancouver was painful for not only Flames' fans, but most hockey fans to watch. The Canucks more than handily took a 6-0 win and used it for leverage coming into tonight's game at home. The Canucks opened the scoring, then tied the game twice to force an overtime. The game finished 5-4 in favor for the Canucks.

Normally, when Flames' captain Jarome Iginla engages in an all out brawl with the visiting team's tough guy, his club takes the lead and keeps it. He took on Willie Mitchell at 10:24 in the first when his team was up 3-1...until Vancouver scored two unanswered goals.

The game was a nice introduction to the Canucks for guys like Darcy Hordichuk (who played in Nashville last season) and new assistant coach Ryan Walter. Former Wild, Pavol Demitra scored the winning goal in overtime.

On the other side of the rink, Miikka Kiprusoff's GA avg is 5.5. So couple that with some of the wondering thoughts from last year: is it time to find another goalie? Has Kiprusoff worn out his expiry date? And...if you really think about it, like the complaint about Roman Turek years before, it sort of appears that since signing the big contract is when his consistency went down hill.

Bright notes for Calgary are newcomers Mike Cammalleri and Todd Bertuzzi. Even when they don't factor on the scoreboard, they have shown some things on the ice that offer encouragement. And the two did score in this game. But with all the bolstering up front, it's still the net that is in question.

Todd Bertuzzi will fan the Flames' fire

2008-08-27T17:08:00.000-07:00

“Obviously, I’m well aware I wasn’t the most popular pick in Calgary Flames’ history. But I think you have to give it a little bit of time and give me a chance.”

There has been much controversy over Todd Bertuzzi becoming a Calgary Flame. On the ice, while his stats didn't overwhelm in Anaheim, he should provide a good mix to the team. He has the grit and scoring ability that is synonymous with Western Conference hockey. The chemistry is obviously good between him and the team's captain Jarome Iginla, who went to bat for him to bring him here.

“He was one of the power forwards that I would look to and check their numbers and watch and admired his game,” admits Iginla. “His own fans loved him. As far as winning the fans over, I think that’s going to be something on the ice. I think fans will give him a chance.”

General Manager Darryl Sutter and his staff felt he was a fit because he is a big guy and can still put up numbers. “In the end, the money worked, so that’s probably why it was a good fit. If we thought he was an injury-prone player, we wouldn’t have signed him.”

Bertuzzi admits he never expected to ever wear a red Flames’ jersey at any point of his career, especially after having been a Canuck for eight seasons. He is however excited about coming back to Canada and has a positive relationship with head coach Mike Keenan.

“Mike basically gave me my kick-start in Vancouver. A lot of my success has come from him and how he played me and how he used me. Mike’s a guy who knows how to treat different people at different times and different situations. He pushes you really hard and all that but at the same time, he knows what kind of person they are, how they live, and how they handle different situations.”

All the warm fuzzies aside, off the ice is where most of the controversy hovers.

Much of that obviously has to do with the attack on former Colorado Avalanche Steve Moore, already four years ago, when Bertuzzi played for Vancouver. To refresh, Moore had laced a big-time hit on Canuck star Marcus Naslund that knocked him out in the game on March 8, 2004. The Canucks were incensed and later on in the contest, Bertuzzi jumped on and attached Moore from behind. Moore suffered a concussion and two broken vertebrae, jeopardizing the young player’s ability to ever return to the NHL. Bertuzzi was charged with assault a few months later on June 24. He pled guilty and now faces a civil lawsuit, with Marc Crawford and the Canucks added to list of defendants. In the plea agreement, Bertuzzi was given a conditional discharge with no criminal record, sentenced to one year of probation and 80 hours of community service, and banned from participating in any sporting event where Steve Moore might be involved. He was also suspended for the rest of the season and the 2004 playoffs.

As a result of the incident, the NHLPA seemed to have bailed on Steve Moore right from the start. Players and the PA hierarchy sided with Bertuzzi because Moore only had played 64 games in the NHL. He belonged to the same fraternity, lived in the same trench, but because he was deemed to have fewer games under his belt, he was "making Todd Bertuzzi's life miserable."

Who knows if Moore would have gelled into a first- or second-line player? But because of the hit, he will never lace up a skate in the league ever again. He will be lucky to ever enjoy normal life without doctors and painkillers.

Personally, I do not believe he intended to break Moore's neck, and I can't imagine how horrible it would be to know you were responsible for ending someone else’s career. Bertuzzi has mentally and publicly paid for his mistake many times over. But what he has that Moore does not is the entire hockey fraternity standing behind him. He didn’t have Wayne Gretzky adding him to the lineup of Team Canada for the 2006 World Championships. It's as if Moore's career wasn't as worthy. And that is NOT Todd Bertuzzi's fault. Nor is it his fault that he seems to be the lone guy holding the bag now, when to anyone watching, he was clearly sent onto the ice for revenge on the Naslund hit. Add to the mix, his former coach Marc Crawford, in an attempt to get out of the lawsuit, is recently denying culpability and saying Bertuzzi acted in direct disobedience. It’s taken until now for Crawford to bring this up. And since when is a coach not responsible for his players?

Back to the Calgary Flames, regardless of what Bertuzzi does on the ice, the $38 million lawsuit is expected to go to trial this year. So the question arises: how much of distraction will this be for the team?

There is no doubt Bertuzzi feels comfortable in Calgary. He likes the organization and he likes the people. He thinks he can really contribute, and he’s used to the media spotlight, even after the hiatus in Anaheim, where he could stay off the radar. That’s something his new GM gives him credit for. He could have gone to another team like Anaheim, where NHL media coverage is secondary. But he didn’t. He is also not taking anything for granted.

“I don’t think anything’s a given, especially the top six positions. Even though I consider myself up there, I still have to go out there and earn it. In Anaheim, I thought it was a good opportunity. I just didn’t fit into the mode there with ice time. Playing 10-12 minutes a game; it’s kind of tough to perform, especially trying to play offense.”

One thing is for sure, because of its new acquisition, the Calgary Flames may very well be one of the most watched teams in the NHL this season.

Anaheim Duck star comes back to Calgary to support team

2008-08-25T13:59:00.002-07:00

It’s not often something like this happens. In fact, in the Western Hockey League, it may be the first time – where a current NHL player comes back to partner with his junior hockey team to give back to the community.

Anaheim Ducks’ star forward Ryan Getzlaf came to Calgary August 25, 2008 to announce his partnership with the Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club, which by the way, is owned by the Calgary Flames.

The new venture is called Getzlaf’s Gang, and what it does is bring kids to a junior hockey game who may never otherwise get to go. Getzlaf will select the kids himself and each will receive a Getzlaf Gang t-shirt and autographed eight by ten picture of the Ducks’ number 15. Kids Up Front, with the support of Telus, will invite kids from low income families, immigrant families, and also those with mental and physical challenges.

“I never went to a lot of games when I was young,” says Getzlaf. “It’s a way to promote hockey and let kids come to the games to see what it’s about and hopefully inspire some of them to play.”

Getzlaf played with the Hitmen for four seasons from 2001-02 to 2004-05, scoring 215 points in 233 regular season games.

“This is an organization and community that helped me so much. When I have all that I have, it’s a way to give back. I wouldn’t be here today without this city or this team.”

He also states that junior hockey doesn’t get as much recognition as it deserves and could use the help. The Hitmen already notice the increase in interest in the team as a result.

“You can do all the donating and stuff you want,” adds Getzlaf, “but until you get on that personal level where the kids maybe get to meet you, that’s where the kids really benefit from it.”

Given all the accolades and hype that media and hockey insiders are giving this young star, one might ask, is the Getzlaf Gang also a way to keep himself grounded? “You could say that. It’s definitely a way to kind of relate back to what things used to be like and how hard it is to get to where I am. There were a lot of people along the way that pushed me along and helped me, whether I thought so at the time or not.

“(On the hype) I don’t listen. Hockey’s a funny sport because when you’re on top, everyone’s on top with you. And I’ve gone through the tough times, too, where people are down on you for certain things. My main focus is to play hockey for the Anaheim Ducks and try and win another championship.”

After already experiencing a Stanley Cup under his belt, the summer was much longer than he would have liked, but Getzlaf has high hopes for the upcoming season. “We’re going into a pretty good year and have a great group of guys. We filled a few holes that we were missing last year.”

Chelios makes a case to resurrect an old TV series

2008-05-24T22:40:00.002-07:00

He was out of the lineup on Saturday for Game One of the Stanley Cup Final, but Detroit Red Wings owe much of its success in getting to this point to Chris Chelios.

It seems unlikely for a professional career in any sport to stem over 24 seasons, especially hockey. Chelios is an anomaly. Maybe he isn’t even human. He’s Lee Majors reincarnated: the Six Million Dollar Man cyborg.

In fact, in the last couple of seasons, Chelios looks to be in the best shape of his career, probably in better shape than half the players in the National Hockey League.

What’s his secret? His personal trainer, T. R. Goodman, has crafted a fitness regime that focuses on Chelios’ muscular endurance, strength, and high performance. In other words, this cocktail of exercises has seemingly transformed the three-time Norris Trophy winner and 11-time All Star into an athletic wonder.

It would appear the Wings’ D-man has more than a couple of seasons left. He has even admitted having an eye on playing to age 50. He only has four years to go. That said, in January 2008, Chelios became the second oldest player in National Hockey League history, second only to Gordie Howe. So when you think about it, four more seasons doesn’t seem a very big stretch. Heck, Chelios is even older than his coach Mike Babcock. He’s living proof that age is only a number.

When you have a man like this on your team, he can’t help but inspire the rest of the players, just by sheer work ethic, grit, and determination. Anyone who has played 1,616 regular season games plus 260 playoff games, including one Stanley Cup, and captained three U.S. Olympic teams has to garner the respect of his teammates and anyone who watches the game.

Chris Chelios was listed as a finalist for the Masterton Trophy, which will be presented at the NHL Awards on June 12. If the trophy goes to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey, who else could possibly rank ahead of this man? Yes, he’s taken his shots on the ice from time to time, but there is no question to his dedication. And if there is anything we can all learn from Chelios is he rewrote the meaning of perseverance.

Dan Dawson pulls his team to the NLL final

2008-05-11T16:07:00.001-07:00

The crowning touch for this year’s National Lacrosse League season is one 6’5” forward by the name of Dan Dawson.

The six-year pro says, “Portland is not a one-man team. We’re not going to win games unless we have a total team effort.”

That may be true, but you could say the Lumberjax have made their way to the Champions Cup final solely on the back of its superstar. The team’s scoring leader set a franchise and career-high seven goals and five assists in Portland’s first ever playoff game May 4 against the heavily favored San Jose.

After mowing over the Stealth 18-16, Portland faced the Calgary Roughnecks at home May 10, and once again, Dawson led the play for another victory: 16-12. He had five points in the first quarter alone (three goals, two assists) and finished the game with five goals and five assists. In two games, he has bettered his career playoff high 10 goals and five assists in 2005 with Arizona.

But Dawson will also insist it wasn’t just his performance that excelled his team to the final. Certainly he had help from the likes of Ryan Powell (four goals) and others.

The Lumberjax won many of the battles along the board and Powell out-muscled the Calgary defense to score at least two of his goals.

Calgary Roughnecks’ captain Tracey Kelusky summed up his team’s efforts. “We didn’t take the flow to them, and as a result, they dictated. I don’t know if we had that sense of urgency.”

In the second quarter, Matt Disher came to the bench after facing 10 shots, allowing four goals against, and six saves in lieu of Dallas Eliuk.

Dawson commented on Eliuk’s performance coming off the bench, “He showed why he’s one of the greatest goaltenders in the league.”

At the other end, Pat Campbell came in to replace Steve “Chugger” Dietrick in goal after two Ryan Powell goals in the fourth. Dietrick had faced 47 shots by then, made 33 saves, and allowed 14 goals against, but it was the last four goals that haunted him.

“Those last four goals were brutal and cost us the game.”

The stage is now set for Portland to make NLL history and faces the Buffalo Bandits in the final. It’s likely Dawson will add significantly to his point total, cementing his position as one of the more exciting players to watch in 2009.

Sea of Red April 20, 2008

2008-04-20T20:59:00.001-07:00

Game Six
Playoff Blog

It might not be the out-of-body experience that it was during the 2004 Stanley Cup final, but the pre-game ceremony is the highlight of the playoffs.

We’ve seen this movie many times before. The Flames elimination hangs in the wind. History has shown the team is either out in the first round or it goes all the way to the final. It’s never in between.

Four minutes in and Flames’ head coach Mike Keenan has gone with three defenseman – Jim Vandermeer seems to be a linemate for RW Jarome Iginla and C Daymond Langkow.

C Jeremy Roenick is absent from the Sharks’ lineup. That will likely not impact the San Jose threat. Coach Ron Wilson says he was resting him for this game so he would be fresh for game seven.

I think C Patrick Marleau plays like a shark – of the Great White variety.

LW Kristian Huselius (who was replaced by Vandermeer on an earlier shift when on the Iginla line) worked hard to get the puck over to RW Owen Nolan at the side of the net to put the Flames ahead 1-0 at 11:33 of the first.

Vandermeer was immediately put back as a forward with C Matthew Lombardi. No doubt Keenan is shaking the trees trying to find every possible angle that works. Keenan says Vandermeer is one of the few NHL players that has the capability to play both defense and forward. He has done it before. He thinks that is testament to the Flames’ depth at forward. “He’s the boss (Keenan),” adds Vandermeer, “and he tinkered a bit. I don’t know if it was me playing forward that got it going a bit.”

D Adrian Aucoin almost gave away the farm when he tripped as he was coming back to the net for the puck. RW Jonathan Cheechoo was inches away from recovering the puck. At the other end, LW Eric Nystrom nearly squeezes through for a breakaway until he is hauled down by LW Patrick Rissmiller, who gives the Flames the first power play of the game at 16:37 for hooking.

Iginla was sooooooooooo close. He got the puck just inches ahead of D Brian Campbell, who hooked and held him as he took the shot, which tricked just wide of the post.

End of first period: 1-0 Calgary; shots on goal – 11 for Calgary, five for San Jose

LW Kristian Huselius gives the Sharks a power play on a trip away from the play at 2:38. Marleau and Jonathan Cheechoo hover the doorstep of Miikka Kiprusoff. Not quite.

It kind of makes you wonder if the Flames walked into the rink today KNOWING they were going to win or whether they were hoping they would win.

According to Iginla: “We have a lot of respect for San Jose. Every game has been close. We’re thinking of ourselves and we think we can find a way. Coming into this game, it was strictly about forcing a game seven. Every guy was positive and extremely determined and we need the same, probably even more because we know they’re facing it now, too.”

RW Devin Setoguchi is a noticeable find for the Sharks and has factored well in this series, especially his being on a line with Cheechoo and C Joe Pavelski. He had a reasonable chance about nine minutes into the second. Certainly Owen Nolan has stepped up his game on the Flames’ side. That said, LW Alex Tanguay looks like a ball and chain. This is the first time in the playoffs that Huselius has been a factor, meanwhile Tanguay gets on the score sheet with a hooking penalty at 12:05. The Flames do not need guys like Cheechoo, Marleau, and C Joe Thornton on a power play. Setoguchi has also earned his way into a power play position. Also, Eric Nystrom is turning into a fun player to watch.

Tanguay redeems himself and wins the battle along the boards against D Marc-Edouard Vlasic to get the puck to C Daymond Langkow, who makes no mistake with a minute to go in the third.

End of second period: 2-0 Flames; shots on goal – Calgary eight for a total of 19, San Jose 9 for a total of 14.

Maybe they should put D Dion Phaneuf on forward. He usually has better chances than most of the Flames’ forwards anyway.

RW David Moss’ penalty for hooking at 2:03 with a two-goal lead can’t make Keenan a very happy man.

Flames are called for icing when clearly on the reply it was the Calgary man who touched the puck behind the Sharks’ goal. Although, it was okay for the camera angle, not an angle the official would have seen it at.

Okay, with 11:24 left to go in the third, it’s come down to who wants this more? Yes, it’s still 2-0 for the Flames, but that can change in an awful hurry.

Both LW Ryane Clowe and D Christian Ehrhoff admit they didn’t shoot the puck enough or take enough chances.

The atmosphere in the arena from the fans’ perspective is electric. They seem more hyped for this game six than they were for games two and three.

Wayne Primeau is tripped as he raced in for an attempted shot. Christian Ehrhoff goes off for tripping at 10:35.

Five minutes left and the fans are on their feet cheering. Standing ovation for the Flames regardless of the outcome. The noise meter reads at 112 decibels. This place is going to explode.

The Flames obviously wanted this more. Pulling goalie Evgeni Nabokov for the extra attacker hadn’t changed the momentum.

Mike Keenan’s assessment of the game was, “I was pleased about the effort but I was more pleased about the execution and the attention to detail. Small one-on-one battles for example, or the details along the boards, the board work and particularly our hard fore check, I think that if you look after those details we’re a better team and we perform on a more consistent basis.

“You have to respect their (Marleau, Thornton, Cheechoo) skill and it’s not a secret but the best solution for us is to be able to put them in check and that’s what we tried to do.”

Heading into game seven, to some, it looks like the pressure is on San Jose a bit more, given the fact of where they finished, and that (according to D Robyn Regehr), the team was touted as a potential finalist.

D Brian Campbell comments, “I think home ice advantage doesn’t mean much until you get to game seven. You can’t go out there and expect it to be won. We’ve got it in ourselves.”

When asked about the pressure on his team and if they need to play with more desperation, coach Ron Wilson replies, “Well it’s the seventh game, if you don’t win you’re out. If I have to manufacture desperation we are in dire straits. Our players know what’s at stake. This is a great opportunity. These are the situations that you should enjoy; a seventh game and especially when you get to play at home. So our crowd will be picking us up just as their crowd picked them up. We just have to go out and get the job done, play with a little more passion, a little more aggression and we’ll be fine.”

Sea of Red April 15, 2008

2008-04-15T22:50:00.000-07:00

Sea of Red April 15, 2008
Game 4: San Jose at Calgary
Playoff Blog

Young hockey players line up with Alberta, Flames, and Canadian flags. Harvey slides across to center ice to kick start one of the most impressive pre-game introductions the National Hockey League has to offer. The lights darken, the fans begin its “Go Flames Go” chant, the red glow emanates from the electronic banner circulating the rink -- bouncing off the red jerseys that fill every last seat, save for one or two in most sections. It is something to see.

“It was impressive,” says Curtis Joseph, the star of game three after he took over for Miikka Kiprusoff, who had been pulled after just three minutes. “I had a chance to skate around the warm up (before game three) and take it all in. The Sea of Red is no understatement. It’s pretty impressive.”

Just prior to the opening puck drop, San Jose’s LW tough guy Jody Shelley gives notice to Flames RW Owen Nolan and the two are reprimanded by the officials. The Sharks are fired up with having D Christian Ehrhoff back in the lineup. Coach Ron Wilson believed he would add the extra element they need.

That said, at 3:19 – early in the first, after a couple of back and forth passes back and forth in the faceoff circles, Flames RW Jarome Iginla takes the bite out of the Sharks and banks a goal – letting the shot go as he lost his balance. A rare sight to see Iginla lose his balance, but the fans erupted at the site of the goal lamp. The goal being the club’s second shot on goal. History has shown, as goes Iginla and goalie Miikka Kiprusoff, so do the Flames, but it’s early.

Wayne Primeau gives the Sharks its first power play (hooking) at 6:37. It’s unsuccessful.

Guy has a cool sign: I see red people.

Eight thirty-three left in the first and only four Sharks have shots on goal (5 in total), Marc-Edouard Vlasic has two of them.

Four forty-seven left in the period; the Flames only have two shots and are still leading the game.

The play is kind of choppy. The puck is bouncing all over the place, making it hard to keep control, which is probably why the shot count is still only 2-6 Calgary-San Jose with 2:50 left.

Jody Shelley skated by Kiprusoff and ever so casually let his stick trip him up after the play was dead. Shelley gets two for roughing at 17:18. Not sure what that proved but Wilson can’t be very pleased. A bonehead move like that only fires up the opposition.

That’s a wrap for the first. Shots still 2-6.

The Sharks drew the first shot just under a minute into the second. The Flames better get more shots or this game will be over soon. Kiprusoff held the puck after the 10th shot, seemingly to send a message to his team – “stop them in the neutral zone.”

It’s halfway through the second period and the Flames have mustered one more shot. The Sharks big guns are starting to hit the net and now, hooking to Craig Conroy at 9:43. The odds should be in San Jose’s favor.

Pretty hard to live up to the excitement and intensity from Game 3 and so far it hasn’t.

Well, you saw that coming: a power play goal by Ryane Clowe from Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton at 10:56. Thornton worked Aucoin out of the way, which looks like he may have screened Kiprusoff. The shot came from between the circles. Tie game.

Coach Ron Wilson was pleased after the game. “I think Pat Marleau has been our best player by a country mile. He’s skating, competing, leading by example, but Clowe’s a close second. He’ll be our freshest guy. Mentally, he wants to help his teammates so he’s very motivated, and I guess Calgary, with a big physical defense, he can handle anything and then dish out some, too.”

Sadly, at the timeout, a group of drummers received a larger applause than the Flames of late.

Christian Ehrhoff made the score sheet at 12:18 with a hooking penalty. At least the Flames got one shot on goal.

Not good. 4:01 left and the Flames are out shot 16-5 with no offense in sight.

Another thing, this game doesn’t seem anywhere near as physical as game three.

But – none of that matters at the moment. On the seventh shot on goal, Dion Phaneuf takes a one-timer from the face-off and banks it past Evgeni Nabokov at 18:29. Two – one Flames.

Kiprusoff makes a glove save to end the period. Total shots in favor of San Jose: 18-7 and 2-1 Flames.

Into the third, The Flames’ eighth shot seemed to hit the crossbar. Claude Rivet gives the home team a man advantage at 4:41 with a delay of game penalty.

Patrick Marleau is tripped beside the Flames’ net. It’s Craig Conroy’s second penalty of the game at 7:36. Wondering if there is another Shark player, other than Jeremy Roenick, who has faced so much bruising in his career.

The physicality of the game has certainly picked up tenfold.

Marleau tries to squeeze one in beside the lower post, but Kiprusoff’s leg held tight against it.

Calgary on another power play as Torrey Mitchell goes off at 10:18 for high sticking. Flames do pressure. Up to nine shots on goal with only 7:24 left. But Joe Thornton and Marleau are pressing, too. One can feel the tension as the whole building sits on the edge of its seats, fans holding their collective breath Calgary holds the lead. When the Jumbotron says it’s gut check time – not sure if that’s for the team or the fans.

Well, the Sharks answered back to quiet the building. Jonathan Cheechoo from Joe Pavelski and Devin Setoguchi at 15:16.

Thirty-eight seconds to go in the third and still only 10 shots for the Flames. Then after a flurry of activity around the net, Joe Thornton ties up the series with seven seconds left in the game, giving the Sharks the 3-2 win.

“Doug Murray made a great shot and I just happened to get my stick on it. It was a pretty easy shot to take.”

Coach Wilson admits Thornton struggled mightily for two periods. “I thought we played a tremendous game. Here on the road, and a huge game, and everything about you has been questioned, you only give up 10 shots, I can’t ask for anything more. And Joe hung in there and found a way; I’m very proud of him.”

After the game, Mike Keenan wasn’t impressed with his team’s play. “I am sure that the team has to revisit their thinking in terms of offense. We didn’t go to the net nearly often enough, and we certainly didn’t shoot the puck as often as we should. We had five or six close opportunities in the first period where we missed the net completely, but when you have an opportunity to really make it difficult, we carried some play early, and then it was all San Jose after that. They completely outplayed us after we failed to really generate the offensive chances after we scored the first goal. We could have really pushed at that point. We had a couple of good chances, missed the net and then we really didn’t follow the game plan after that.”

Necks gain momentum in playoff race

2008-04-13T08:31:00.002-07:00

With two games left of a somewhat lethargic season, the Calgary Roughnecks once again find themselves in a must-win situation. The challengers are the usual suspects: the Edmonton Rush, to whom the Necks finally took their first win against on Saturday night (April 12). Although, the Rush do have an extra game in hand. It’s also no surprise that Colorado has wrapped up the West Division with San Jose immediately behind. Portland is also amongst the Rush and the Roughnecks, vying for a playoff spot.

Newcomer Josh Sanderson has found his way as a nice setup man, but losing Lewis Ratcliff in exchange (Ratcliff and a conditional 2009 second round pick were sent to Toronto in exchange for Sanderson and a 2008 first round pick) could significantly hamper the scoring punch the Roughnecks desperately need.

Ratcliff’s stats still top the team after two games gone. The next closest scorer is Scott Ranger, who is still six points behind. Radcliff led the Necks with seven hat tricks and is the all-time point leader.

One of the storylines to Saturday’s contest was that Edmonton owner Bruce Urban bought 650 tickets for Rush fans to travel to Calgary to lend their support. His money as good as anyone else’s, Urban actually brought a contingency of about 1,000 people.

Nolan Heavenor – the all heart transitional player who was moved to starting center this year – was rushed off the field with a face injury (seemingly a broken nose) then came back to score back-to-back goals to help cement an 18-7 victory over the Rush.

The Iginla Factor

2008-04-10T19:29:00.001-07:00

There is some argument as to who is the quintessential “Cam Neely” power forward: Vinny Lecavalier or Jarome Iginla. You could say Lecavalier is more finesse, while Iginla is grit and grind. Cam Neely was both.

They can both fight their own battles. They’re both media darlings. They both have scored enough to challenge for the NHL scoring lead. They both have faced adversity in that their teams have struggled to make the playoffs over the years.

Which player gets the nod depends on which conference you reside in. I happen to reside in the west, so Iginla is my choice on the matter. While it’s doubtful any team would turn down a chance at Lecavalier, if they had a choice, I think Iginla would have the edge due to the extra grit factor.

He might have been an afterthought for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. (He was called in by Wayne Gretzky after the September 2001 evaluation camp had already started.) That was before he took ownership of the 2001-02 NHL season, when he won the Art Ross Trophy as the leading point getter, the Maurice Rocket Richard Trophy for leading goal scorer, and the Lester B. Pearson Award as the Players’ Association most valuable player. He missed out on the league MVP – the Hart Trophy – by an eastern conference media vote.

And still, he faced trade rumors.

In 2003-04, there was no question of Iginla’s leadership. His team traveled the unlikely journey straight to the Stanley Cup final and pushed for a seventh game in the series, only to come out on the short end. He won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for leadership qualities on and off the ice plus humanitarian contribution. He tied Ilya Kovalchuk and Rick Nash for the Maurice Rocket Richard Trophy.

With all this history, it’s hard to believe there was a time when the Calgary Flames’ acquisition of Jarome Iginla had people thinking “bust,” where he didn’t fulfill immediate expectations. He was touted as the next coming of Theoren Fleury when he arrived at the Pengrowth Saddledome in time for the 1995-96 playoffs – the last time the club would see the post-season until 2003-04.

During his tenure thus far, Iginla has gone through seven head coaches, three team presidents, and three general managers. The team traded an icon in Joe Nieuwendyk (along with Corey Millen) to acquire Iginla December 1995, which is likely why he’s faced so much criticism. But you could say they ultimately traded one icon for another.

This season, 2007-08, marks another milestone year for Iginla. He was named captain of the Western Conference All-Star Team, netted 50 goals on the season, and became the franchise all-time goal scoring leader. He received the team’s J. R. McCaig Memorial Award for extolling the virtues of respect, courtesy, and compassion for all individuals he encounters in both his professional and every day life.

With yet another chapter to go to finish the season, there is no doubt Jarome Iginla has proved his worth, and the naysayers have been noticeably silenced.

NHL Trade Deadline Stream of Consciousness Diary

2008-02-26T22:22:00.002-08:00

February 26, 2008

6:50 AM: Wake up and head downstairs to brew Starbucks’ Christmas Blend before breakfast. Wondering if Calgary Flames’ GM Darryl Sutter has had any sleep at all. Turn on the TV, which is on CNN Headline News, then scroll down to The Score. Mats Sundin is all they can talk about – what ifs. Get a life! He said no to waiving the no trade clause in his contract days ago. Get over it. Five-plus hours of those guys will make me want to slit my wrists.

Quickly flip to TSN, but then check out Sportsnet – who are those guys? Ugh, more Mat Sundin. Sheesh. Is he the only freaking player in the league these days? Back to TSN and reality. The only trade so far came in last night: Vaclav Prospal to Philadelphia; Alex Picard to Tampa Bay.

Looks like the word of the day will be NTC: No Trade Clause.

8:30 AM or thereabouts: After completing a few important tasks around the house, hear about Bryce Salvador to New Jersey and Cam Janssen to St. Louis before stepping in the shower. Get out of the shower and Cam Janssen is already on the phone with TSN.

9:03 AM: Speak with a client about their annual report and take care of other business.

9:40 AM: The big trade so far: Steve Bernier to Buffalo and Brian Campbell to San Jose. Scrap that – Brad Richards and Johan Holmqvist goes to Dallas for Mike Smith, Jussi Jokinen, and Jeff Halpern. Getting my files and such together to head to the rink for the day.

11:52 AM: I’ve been at the rink for nearly an hour and half. First stop into the Flames’ locker room, where I spoke with Jim Vandermeer about his trade to Calgary and some of the trades in the past, particularly about what goes through the thought pattern, what does he do when he gets home – madly throw what he can find into a suitcase?

Found a plug-in at the media lounge and got the laptop going. Took a l-o-n-g time. Almost as fast as dial-up. Need a new laptop for next season.

12:30 PM: Back in the media lounge from the Avalanche locker room, where we spoke with Milan Hedjuk, Joel Quennevelle, Ryan Smyth, and Joe Sakic about Peter Forsburg and Adam Foote rejoining the team, and maybe a little bit about Ruslan Salei. Smyth talked about how last year was one of the toughest days in his career, as he expected to be an Oiler for a very long time. Chatted with Ian Laperriere off the record about his family and kids’ antics.

Seems to be a record number of female reporters at the rink today. Remember the days when it was just me.

12:45 PM: Everyone congregating the media lounge waiting for the next moves and anticipating some food. The Flames are usually gracious in feeding the throngs of media who are parked here for the day.

12:55 PM: Chowing down on some very welcome pizza. Always starving when I come to the rink.

1:00 PM: Looks like the winners of the day are the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals.

1:15 PM: Post – deadline -- Darryl Sutter has already addressed the media and Calgary made no deals. He just said he could have made a couple of bad ones.

1:36 PM: The media lounge and the whole rink quiets down. Just a few of use left finishing up their reports, and others, like me, who will likely stay here until game time.

3:30 PM: After completing my game notes in the media lounge, shut down the computer and moved operations upstairs to the press box. Have the TV on TSN, catching a few of the GM interviews while the ice gets flooded down below. It’s freezing in here, but the advertising band around the rink and the Jumbotron have the simulated fire going on. I’m pretending it’s warming up the rink. No lights on my side of the press box. Have a flashlight to see where all the plug-ins are. Always need the flashlight for pre-puck drop as they always seem to turn off the lights in the press box for the anthem. Not sure why. That’s usually when we do the call-in with the scratches and goalies.

5:29 PM: Working on what I think is hour number seven. Just four more to go. Did a bit of manuscript editing on a client’s book and watched the Young and the Restless. Fireball tests have warmed up the rink somewhat, but my fingers are frozen and operating stiffly. Lethal combination with a old and slow laptop. Time for supper. My back is killing me from these plastic chairs. Back down to the media lounge. Arnie and I discuss strategy as to getting interviews after the game. Not a lot of time to reach either room as the attitude is, if you’re late, too bad. Arnie will go into the Avs with two recorders; I go into the Flames with two recorders, and we switch after we come back upstairs to transcribe. Well, he files audio, I transcribe.

6:52 PM: Back in the press box getting ready to call in the starting goalies, scratches, and officials.

7:50 PM: First intermission. Have been instant messaging the updates to PA Sportsticker, emailing the editor, and instant messaging my assistant all at the same time. Adam Foote’s plane arrived just after 7:00 and he made it onto the Avs bench with 6:26 left in the first period. No stretch, no warm up. He is probably one of the very few NHL players who could do that.

8:58 PM: After second intermission, sent in this game recap:

Because Pepsi has coined the ad campaign of “forever young,” the fact they sponsor the building the Avalanche play in, it’s probably no coincidence the team’s desire to turn back the clock in resigning veteran players Peter Forsberg and pick up Adam Foote in a trade this morning with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

These two clubs haven’t met since November 24, when Calgary beat the Avalanche at the Pepsi Center 5-2.

The subject of last year’s trade deadline, Avs Ryan Smyth, popped in a backhand shot at 4:08 into the first, from inside the circle that sailed over the left shoulder of Miikka Kiprusoff about 15 feet.

Calgary’s Dustin Boyd tied it up at 15:35. The puck went from the corner, passed up the boards, back to the corner then to the net.

Flames’ Robyn Regehr was credited with a short-handed goal at 12:58 of the second. His shot went off Scott Hannan’s foot into the net.

Dion Phaneuf took a shot that hit John-Michael Liles, who was carried off the ice about a minute and a half into the second, but he did return.

Adam Foote arrived in Calgary just after 7:00 and made it to the ice with 6:26 left in the first.

9:00 PM: Fifteen minutes left in the game and I’m working on hour number nine, I believe. Can’t wait to get into the comfortable seats of my nice big car.

10:07 PM: Back in the press box from the rooms. Working on the game notes, getting Avs clips from Arnie.

10:24 PM: I’m totally dragging. Sent off the game notes, got the clips from Arnie, and now ready to transcribe.

10:56 PM: Still transcribing

11:18 PM: Finished filing. Checking last minute emails.

11:21 PM Called the Ticker to see if received everything.

11:31 PM: Go home.

When trauma reaches the big leagues

2008-02-17T12:26:00.002-08:00

After more than 15 years of direct access to NHL dressing rooms, this is my truth: regardless of how well you know a player, a staff member, fellow media, there is one underlying fact. When something serious happens, we are one fraternity.

You don’t have to know a person well. Sometimes, you may have barely encountered them, but the emotional tug is the same.

I didn’t know Ace Bailey or Mark Bavis well when their United Airlines flight 175 was hijacked and driven into the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. I barely encountered them at many a Calgary Flames home game, when they sat just a few seats down from me in the press box. Their sudden and violent deaths shook me to the core, compounded by the enormity of the event. I felt as connected to them at that moment as I would have with my closest friend.

When Detroit Red Wings’ defenseman Jiri Fischer went into cardiac arrest and collapsed on the bench with his life hanging in the balance, I felt more connected because I had a one-on-one interview with him the previous season. We talked about some very personal topics, such as his decision to come to Canada from the Czech Republic to play junior hockey, how he dealt with the language, the culture, and some other elements of his experience.

Jiri admitted the main reason for his move was to get noticed enough to increase his chances of making the National Hockey League. He knew some English from taking it in grade nine, but German was his second language. However, when he arrived in Montreal, he had yet another language to navigate. He was glad that coach Claude Julien ran most of the practices in English.

“There were always a few guys who didn’t speak proper English, but during the year, Claude wanted us to have the best possible chemistry we could have, so I was learning English, and the native Quebecers were learning English…obviously the guys from Ontario were picking up some French.”

The lifestyle changes he had to make upon his arrival were the toughest adjustments for Jiri. His billet, Linda Landry, became very important to him. He continued to visit with her often after he made the NHL.

Florida Panther RW Richard Zednik and I spoke one-on-one in the same season about the same issues. He wanted to stay in Slovakia, but others convinced him to move to North America, where he could also be seen.

As far as understanding his coach or his teammates … “The only language we had was hockey.”

The hardest adjustment for Richard was food. He hated the typical pre-game meal of chicken and pasta. He didn’t like the sauce. Over the years, it has become his favorite food but he missed his mom’s cooking in the first couple of seasons.

“At home (in Portland), the lady where I was staying, I ate everything. She was a great lady but she didn’t cook much. I was always starving. We always went to Taco Bell or something like that.”

Through those interviews, Jiri Fischer and Richard Zednick had created a soft place in my heart.

So when Richard’s Florida teammate C Olli Jokinen was pushed off balance and his legs came up from under him, with his skate blade catching Richard in the throat, partially severing his carotid artery, I personally felt his fear, pain, and trauma. Like everyone else, I held my breath until learning he was stable; shed a sigh of relief when he was moved from the Intensive Care Unit; and felt absolute joy when he was released from the hospital. I also felt Jokinen’s anguish.

As much as there is sometimes a “we/they” thing going on at the rink when reporters are madly trying to reach their deadlines, players are trying to get out of the venue as soon as they can, and staff members are trying to appease both sides, when something happens, you can’t be human and not feel something. But when you have even just a tiny or passing connection to one of those people, it keeps you grounded amongst all the pomp and fluff.

Iron Mike versus NHL goalies

2008-02-04T22:00:00.001-08:00

Iron Mike Keenan has always had the reputation of pulling goalies, no matter how big their names are. In his first year with the Calgary Flames, he’s already yanked netminder Miikka Kiprusoff at least twice from a game.

He admits the mathematical equation he has established with all his top goalies, including Grant Fuhr and Eddie Belfour, is to tell them, “The odds are if you play 95 or 70 percent of the games, you’re going to get pulled two or three more times than if you play 60 percent of the games. Are you comfortable with that?”

The goalies will undoubtedly respond: “Absolutely. I prefer to play a lot more games.”

Keenan will pull a goalie whether it’s a psychological move to jumpstart the team, whether a goalie is a little bit off because he’s playing so much – or a combination of both, or maybe he’ll yank the goalie to throw the opponent off a little bit.

“Probably the biggest incident I can remember pulling a goalie was on a five on three on a power play in 1987 against the Edmonton Oilers. I took Pelle Lindbergh out and put Bob Froese in. I remember Wayne Gretzky spent the entire two minutes trying to figure out why we did that. The power play was over and we went on and won that game. I remember Wayne came over to Sather, asking, ‘What’s he doing? What’s he doing? What should we do?’ I don’t know how often I’d ever do that again. They had such a good team, we had to do something.”

Calgary Flames' captain comes full circle

2008-01-31T21:36:00.000-08:00

Jarome Iginla has come full circle. Along with Mark Recchi, Darryl Sydor, and Shane Doan, he became a co-owner of the Western Hockey League Kamloops Blazers in October 2007. All four players are ex-Blazers, and Iginla had won two Memorial Cups with the team.

Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi, also a part-owner, handles all the day-to-day operations. Since the new ownership took over, Head Coach Dean Clark was replaced with Greg Hawgood. When asked if Jarome had a stake in the conclusion to fire the coach, he kept in touch via emails. “Tom has been watching the situation a lot closer than we’re able to. All of us do keep in contact.”

Certainly, Iginla’s schedule doesn’t allow him to be a hands-on owner. “In the off-season, there is more chance to be involved. There are certain things we talk to Tom about.” Some of those issues were in place when the four NHL players were there: the tradition, culture, discipline, school.

Iginla describes how the ownership opportunity came about. “The first time around, I knew they were making the bid, and I was hoping they would get it. I like the group, and I thought it would be a good direction change to get things flowing back on track. I was kind of busy at the time and had some different focuses. My son was being born. I had another opportunity. And I’m 30; you realized things go fast. We talked more about what would be involved as far as commitments and stuff. I was happy they gave me an opportunity to get involved with them.”

The group approached Iginla. It helped that he had known them for years – playing with and against them. Part of the attraction was to help get a storied franchise back on track.

“The people that were there did a good job. There were a lot of different stories about a lot of unfortunate things that happened over the last 10 years that took some of the focus away from the young guys, development, some tough situations. I think there are some things that we do share – all of us played in similar times.”

Iginla adds, “You want to win, but it’s not just about winning. There’s a huge responsibility in junior when you take the young guys at that age from 16 to 20, an impressionable time. I’m thankful that I had a lot of direction. To be honest, some of those days, I don’t know if I would have gotten off the bus to go to school. I wouldn’t have graduated. They definitely pushed me, and there were some tough times. You move on and realize a lot of it was very helpful and made it a lot easier for that transition. In Kamloops, they really treated us like young professionals.”

As to whether he has solicited advice from a couple other NHL owners: Scott and Rob Niedermayer, who own the Kootenay Ice, “Not lately. At times, I have. I played with Rob Niedermayer. He was always very positive about it. He really liked the role they have in Kootenay.”

The obvious question is whether being a junior team owner will impact his thoughts about the business of the NHL. “It’s still pretty early. I guess now with the coach being let go, it’s a more personal thing. You realize people have tough decisions to make. On our side, when we see players get traded away, we see families. You see coaches over the years have gotten fired. It’s always tough. We all want to win on the ice and do well. And when that’s not the case, you feel like you let things down, but also on the personal side, where you realize it’s pretty tough days for a little bit for family.”

Jamie Storr: Seeing is believing

2008-01-14T22:21:00.000-08:00

(From Positive Sports, Freelance Communications, 2003)

He was the Los Angeles Kings’ first round pick in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft (chosen seventh overall). Jamie Storr has played backup to some of the league’s best goalies and puckstopped for his hockey hero—Wayne Gretzky. His summer hockey school calls for celebrating pride in one’s heritage.

“I’m trying to defeat racism in sports and the general community. It’s impossible to do, but role models on professional teams can definitely have an affect on a community in a positive manner. It’s something I take very seriously.

“I’m half Japanese. It’s important for athletes, especially in high-end sports, to take a serious approach in their own community. The Japanese community I feel a real strong bond with because of my heritage. It gives me an opportunity to work with a lot of people who have no idea what hockey’s all. It broadens the horizon, not only on the diversity issue, but also by giving them positive feedback on the sport of hockey. It’s a part of NHL Diversity, but it’s a separate program run through the LA Kings and myself. This isn’t something that we have to do. I just have the privilege of going in and being the spokesperson. I don’t have a lot of time during the year to focus on anything but the game so any time I have, it’s already set up and ready to run, and I just step in and talk to a lot of people who I have a very special bond with.

“I never had that so that’s why it’s very important. I had the face, as does every other child growing up, of diversity throughout schools and the community. It’s something that I approached as a professional athlete, to be the role model I never had. I never had a Japanese-Canadian person to look up to other than my mother. I was ashamed, when I was a kid, that I was half Japanese. That’s probably one of the biggest letdowns I look back on. If I could change one thing it would be, not to look at what other people see you as…the color of your skin or your heritage. Instead, be proud to be unique and stand up for it. It’s something I’m trying to teach these kids. When other people look at you a little different, stand up for yourself. Be proud of who you are. Paul Kariya’s playing in the NHL. I’m playing in the NHL. Some of the best baseball players in the world are from Japan. Be proud of your heritage. Not because there are role models out there that are the same as you, but you could be one of those role models down the road. They can have something to look up to. They can say it’s cool to be half Japanese instead of running away from it. Even if it helps one child to look at being proud of who he is, it’s worthwhile for me to do it.

“As an adult, you’re able to overcome any prejudice—not letting it affect you in a negative manner, realizing, I can choose the people I hang out with, the people I talk to. I choose to choose people who are a positive influence on me. I know there are negative influences out there. The people you surround yourself with are the people you are most like. If you’re successful, a hard worker, and positive, you’re a positive influence, not only on yourself, your family, and your community, but mostly the people you hang around. If you’re a negative influence, negative person, you’re going to tend to hang out with that kind of crowd. There are a lot more actions you can take as an adult than there are as a child. I played with Nathan Lafayette, who was half African-American and half Irish. He said the hardest thing for him was, he wasn’t accepted by the white community because he wasn’t really white. He wasn’t accepted by the black community because he wasn’t really black. There wasn’t a community for him. I think it’s important for those people, especially as role models, to step up and be a positive influence. There are a lot of kids out there like them. Stepping out to talk about it or talk to the community that they feel positive about it…it has a big effect.

“I do this because I get enjoyment out of it, not because I have to. My mother passed away eight years ago and the only Japanese trace I feel is through her. Now that she’s passed away, I feel even stronger about reaching out to that community. Every time I’m able to talk to those people, it’s from the heart. It has a meaning.

“My brother is a teacher back home in Ontario. Sometimes he has good classes. Sometimes he has bad classes. It’s tough when you have kids that don’t want to listen or learn. I said, even if you can get one child in class and make a difference in his life, you don’t have to make a difference in 29 children’s lives. So when I do the diversity training, if one person picks it up, it’s worthwhile. It makes me feel even closer to my heritage. That’s important for me. Hockey’s just a game. We’ve got the luxury of making a lot of money. There are a lot more things out there that are important in life. To be a positive person, the community is a lot more important.

“People listen to sports athletes and people with a little bit of power behind them a lot more than they listen to the average person walking on the street. I think it’s, not only opportunity for an athlete, but it’s something you have to do for the influence on young children today. Those are the next great people in the world. My child will have a role model to look up to when he gets older.

“I had a little girl, the first time I ran the diversity clinic, who was half Japanese and half American. She came up to me and said, “Hey, Jamie, I’m just like you.” I asked what she meant by that. She said, “I’m Japanese. I’m just like you.” She felt important because of that. That’s what it’s all about. It’s just realizing it’s not the color of their skin. It’s not their heritage or what they’re going to become in the future. It’s what’s inside of them. It doesn’t matter if you’re black, white, Asian—any type of race. They can succeed in life if they sacrifice and work hard. You realize if children can put those excuses aside, instead of saying, “Well, I didn’t get a fair chance because I’m Asian,” then they realize it’s up to them. So then they can look themselves in the mirror and be proud of who they are and work towards goals they feel are achievable and cut the crap aside. Don’t feel sorry because they were born into this world under their heritage. We’re trying to make them realize, when they’re born into this world, they’re given an opportunity to do something in life and if they take a positive aspect to it, work hard and be determined, they will have the same opportunities of any child of any heritage. You can see that through the NHL. Jarome Iginla is one of the best players in the league right now. He’s one of the few African Canadian players in the league.”

What would he be doing if sports wasn’t apart of his life? “I’m a very determined person and a very hard working person. I have no idea what I’d be doing but I would like to be doing something that would be making a difference. I like positions of high pressure. I like being in control. I’d rather own a small company, make a small salary, and be in charge of everything than be at the bottom of the food chain of a big company and have everyone tell me what to do. I feel you make more of a difference when you’re in control. That’s basically what I’m going to look into doing after hockey—to have something that I choose to do will be my own and I’ll be able to run it.”

Stepping into a dynasty

2008-01-14T21:58:00.001-08:00

When a young man uses a heavy steel puck to develop his hockey skills, you know he is destined for greatness.

Lemaire played all of his youth in Montreal.

In two seasons with the Montreal Junior Canadiens (then part of the Ontario Hockey League) from 1964-65 and 1965-66, Jacques Lemaire honed his craft and learned that it took more than skill to further a career.

Major junior hockey has been a main breeding ground for up and coming National Hockey League players. It’s where young men learn to excel through perseverance, discipline, work ethic, and sometimes pure adrenaline. There is a strong emphasis on education in today’s junior hockey ranks. But back in the early 1960s, that wasn’t always the case.

“It was different in our days,” admits Lemaire. “It was not as well organized as today, the school and hockey. It seemed kind of hard to do both because of traveling. We were a Canadian team from Quebec playing in Ontario so all the teams we played against were in Ontario. There was quite a bit of travel.”

At the time, players almost had to make a decision between playing hockey and going to school. Those that made the decision to play, if they wanted to go to school, they had to find time during the summer. For the rest, they took advantage of making a little bit of money and worked, like Lemaire.

“I played hockey in the winter, and I was working for Coca Cola on the delivery as soon as the season finished. At training camp, I stopped. I worked for Coca Cola, then after I worked for Labatt Brewery, then Molson a bit.

“Hockey-wise, I found it was a little hard at times. We had no money at home. I think in those days they were giving us $18 or $16 a week. I remember when Scotty Bowman was our coach; he made us work at times in the winter at the arena. We’d clean the old Forum. We used to sweep the stairs and wash the stairs. They were paying us 50 cents an hour for that. We had to work hard for what we got. A lot of guys appreciated it at the time when they got a good job.”

Lemaire admits there is a lot more teaching in today’s junior ranks than there was in his days. He says the coaches didn’t have the know-how that they do now.

“We went on the ice and did what we had to do. If you’re not good enough, you’re not playing. That’s it. You’ll learn from better players. You’ll learn from watching the NHL. You’ll learn from other guys that were good on the team.”

Lemaire played a total of 104 games for the Junior Canadiens, posting 66 goals, 99 assists, and 165 points. He only clocked in penalty minutes (69) in his second season.

There is one fact of hockey that transcends every generation of player, particularly in junior: the myriad of stories. Although, considering this is an age where young testosterone-filled adolescent males are establishing their manhood, sometimes one can pry a “printable” story.

“I remember when Scotty Bowman was our coach,” says Lemaire about a road trip, “he put our curfew at 10:30. He said, ‘I don’t want any TV on past 10:30.’ He went to get a key to get into all the rooms. So he would open the door quick and go over to touch the TV, because if you were watching TV, it would be warm. A guy put a cold towel on the TV so the TV stayed cold, and he put the chain on so Scotty couldn’t get in. When he tried to get in, he’d say, ‘Open the door quick!’ So he took the towel off before Scotty could check the TV, and it was okay.”

He tells another story about the team meal. “When we had our team dinner on the road, we had one dollar. We had to get lunch with that. If it cost $1.05, you had to bring the bill plus five cents and give it back to the manager.”

Lemaire played the game of hockey because it was fun. He thoroughly enjoyed the game. But he could never have predicted how much fun his NHL career would prove to be.

After 69 games during the 1966-67 season with the Houston Apollos (19 goals, 30 assists, 49 points, 19 penalty minutes and six playoff games: 0-1-1, 0 PIM), the NHL beckoned and he never looked back.

His rookie 1967-68 season culminated with his first Stanley Cup.

The Montreal Canadiens were rich in NHL history long before the young center suited up his number 25 jersey. Its first Stanley Cup win was March 30, 1916 following a 2-1 victory over the Portland Rosebuds in five games.

The second Cup came in 1924. Howie Morenz scored at 4:55 in the first period to cement a 3-0 win over the Calgary Tigers. In 1930 (third Cup), Morenz scored the game winner at 15:43 in the second period to defeat the Boston Bruins 4-3. In the 1931 Cup final (fourth Cup), the Habs won 2-0 over Chicago; won (fifth) 5-4 against Chicago in 1944 (Lemaire’s future head coach Toe Blake scored the game winner at 9:12 in the first overtime); won (sixth) 6-3 versus the Bruins in 1946 (Blake scored the game winner at 11:06 of the third); won 1-0 (seventh) against Boston in 1953; (eighth) 3-1 against Detroit in 1956; (ninth) 5-1 versus Boston in 1957; (10th) 5-3 against Boston in 1958; (11th) 5-3 against Toronto in 1959; (12th) 4-0 over Toronto in 1960; (13th) 4-0 over Chicago in 1965; and won its 14th Cup with a 3-2 win over Detroit in 1966.

The home of the Habs, The Forum, was built in 1924 and accommodated 10,000 and opened its doors November 29, although an ice problem delayed it becoming the team’s permanent home until November 18, 1926. It was renovated up to 13,551 seats in 1949 and to 16,003 seats in 1968. It proudly and prominently displayed the team’s 14 Stanley Cup banners.

So for any player coming to Montreal, the weight of previous Stanley Cups permeated the room. Fans expected more, so did the organization, and the media. There was no place to hide if you didn’t perform.

Lemaire realized right away, from his first day in rookie camp, that Montreal did not approach hockey the same as other organizations. There was more scrutiny and more demands. Fortunately for Lemaire, his stick found the back of the net a respectable 22 times that season. In 69 games, he also recorded 20 assists for 42 points and 16 penalty minutes. His team had finished the season in first place in the East Division with 94 points.

But it was Lemaire’s playoff record that left a more lasting impression.

En route to the final, the Habs eliminated Chicago and Minnesota. It faced the St. Louis Blues in the Cup final (which finished third in the West Division with 70 points). The Blues were stacked with a roster of former and soon to be Habs, such as Red Berenson, Doug Harvey, Bill McCreary, Dickie Moore, Noel Picard, Barclay Plager, Jacques Plante, Jimmy Roberts, and Jean-Guy Talbot, plus coach Scotty Bowman and scout Cliff Fletcher.

Game one of the Stanley Cup final was played on May 5, 1968. The score was tied at 2-2 and the teams had just returned to the ice for the first overtime period. Lemaire felt his coach Toe Blake tap him on the shoulder. He was next on the ice.

Lemaire had been following the play from the bench, so he was able to jump into the flow of the game right away. He took a pass at the St. Louis blueline, let his shot go, and then saw the goal light go on behind Blues goalie Glenn Hall. The next thing he knew, his teammates were congratulating him. The goal was unassisted at 1:41. It was also his second overtime goal of the playoffs and a record for NHL rookies. The Habs went on to defeat the Blues in four games, with each of those games won by a goal, plus two were decided in overtime.

In 13 games, Lemaire’s playoff record stood at 7-6-13, and six penalty minutes.

One would think a rookie year like that would be hard to top. Fortunately for Lemaire, it was only the beginning.

2008-01-11T19:15:00.000-08:00

Who'd have thunk that the Phoenix Coyotes and "hot team" could be uttered in the same breath?

January 8, 2008, the Coyotes just surpassed the total road wins from last season (13) with a 3-1 win over another hot team, the Calgary Flames. The club is 16-2 when ahead after two periods. The Phoenix Coyotes were on a five-game winning streak before losing to Edmonton 5-2 on January 10.

So what's the secret? Most players say the same thing: we play simple.

Derek Morris admits, "We don't have a lot of guys on defense or on forward that can score a lot of points. We have a lot of guys in the bottom of the system that want to win." And they have found a way to win, although with much help from the new puckstopper Ilya Bryzalov, who is 13-9-1 since being plucked off waivers.

"I think I found a home. I feel here it's my best year in the NHL. I feel trust. I believe in the guys. The guys believe in me. I think we have a great future if we continue working hard and believe in ourselves."

The win in Calgary was also coach Wayne Gretzky's 200th game behind the bench.

-30-

All in the family

2007-12-26T23:16:00.000-08:00

The life of an athlete can be very demanding. The schedule, the pressure, the travel – all of it wreaks havoc on families.

Before the kids – it's all about the player -- his schedule, his pre-game meal, his pre-game nap, and what time he leaves the house for the rink. But after kids – well, it's hard to tell a two-year-old they can't play with their riding toy because daddy has to rest before the game.

Some of the social aspects a husband and wife enjoyed before are now shelved for the good of the family. With kids, you can't go out every night. But in looking at the families a little bit closer, it's the wives that hold the lion's share of the work in raising them.

St. Louis Blues RW Bill Guerin has four children (Kayla, Grace, Lexi, and Liam). He says juggling the kids' schedules with his hockey schedule wouldn't be possible without his wife Kara. But even though she takes care of business while he's away, with kids, stuff always happens. "I can't tell you how many phone calls I've gotten: kids being sick, taken to the hospital. That doesn't stop because you have practice."

Chicago Blackhawk RW Martin Lapointe and his wife Tania have four children: Guyot, Philippe, Noah, and Chloe, plus a Golden Retriever named Buddy. "They're (the kids) always asking me, why you going on the road? Why are you always in hotels? I tell them, that's my work." His 10 year old is okay with that, but the younger ones don't understand. They're told it's daddy's job, but they think he's just playing.

Professional hockey mixed with family is also all about sacrifices. Sacrificing sleep and eating schedules for the good of the kids, but also sacrificing family milestones and holidays for the good of the career. Missing birthdays, anniversaries, first words, and first report cards comes with the territory.

Minnesota Wild defenseman Keith Carney juggles a household of four kids under the age of ten – six-year-old triplets (Aiden, Cole, Kade) and a four-year-old daughter Morgan. If you think about it, when he helped take the Anaheim Ducks to the Stanley Cup final in 2003, Morgan was just a newborn and the triplets were a year and a half.

"It's hard for me to go on the road and be away for any time. After a few days, you're ready to get home. You start missing people. During the summer, you're there every day. Then it's stopped and dad's back to work."

Then add the element of being traded, particularly in mid-season. Even moving teams in the off-season is difficult – trying to get settled from July 1 to training camp.

"There's all sorts of things like schools to think about," adds Guerin, "doctors to think about, signing kids up for sports, buying a house, all sorts of stuff like that. It's all part of real life. Just the fact we play hockey doesn't change it."

No matter how many complications having children may bring to the mix, every player will tell you it's worth it – every moment. They have absolutely no regrets.

Their children also help the players put their careers into a new perspective. After moping around the rink, when they go home after a devastating loss, their kids don't care they lost the game. They only care that daddy's home.

The hockey trade that wasn't

2007-12-26T23:15:00.000-08:00

It was trade deadline. Kelly Kisio was in his second year in San Jose under coach George Kingston. San Jose was in Chicago.

"About a half-hour before the deadline, I got traded to Chicago. I talked to Darryl Sutter (then a Chicago coach), who said, 'Come on down tonight and we'll get your gear over to our dressing room. We'll decide if you play tonight.' I phoned my wife, phoned my agent, everything was fine."
Before leaving for the rink, the trade was nullified. A fax didn't go through. Kisio spoke with Chicago head coach Mike Keenan, who said they couldn't do anything about it, go home, and they'd sort it out. "I went home and cleaned my garage for two days, didn't hear from anybody. The deal didn't go through. I got back to the dressing room in time for a team picture with San Jose. Chicago went to the finals that year."

Everyone needs a dad like Doug Gilmour

2007-12-26T23:13:00.000-08:00

Tough-nosed center Doug Gilmour had a stellar NHL career that spanned over the course of 20 seasons. As a youngster playing hockey, he had three goals in one game. After the game, he put his gear in the trunk of the car. At home, when he went to get it out, his dad said, "That stuff is not coming out." Gilmour asked, "What do you mean?" His dad said, "Well, you didn't do anything out there today. You didn't work. Everything came natural for you, so forget it, it's staying in there. If you want to go back and play, you take that out and go work next time."

The next game, Gilmour didn't have any points, so he wondered what his dad would say now. It was, "Good game." Gilmour recognized the lesson immediately. Give it a good effort. Work hard and you'll succeed had been his mandate throughout his career.

Jumbotron watching

2007-12-26T23:12:00.000-08:00

John Garrett recollects a major distraction while playing goal for the Hartford Whalers at the old Landover rink in Washington – one of the first rinks to install a Jumbotron.

“I look up the ice, and it’s a two on two. They come in, the guy throws it across, and all of a sudden, it’s a two on one. The guy has an empty net to score. I’m thinking, what happened to my other defenseman? I’m watching the Jumbotron. As I’m watching the Jumbotron, they dropped the puck. RW Mike Gartner tees one up from behind the blue line and scores. At the last second, I look down. He’s scoring, and I’m still watching the Jumbotron. Coach Don Blackburn gets me to come to the bench and sit down. The other goalie goes in. He says, “You can watch the Jumbotron as much as you want, now. You’re game’s over.”

Facebook impersonators

2007-11-04T23:13:00.001-08:00

Identity theft isn’t always about social insurance numbers. It can also be about social networking.

As social networking integrates as part of our mainstream culture, we often go into these sites with trusting eyes. If you search out names on Facebook, you will find a myriad of NHL players. However, a recent Google search of “Facebook, NHL” exposes a growing blogosphere of stories about fake identities: people posing as these celebrity athletes. It plays into the old adage, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. If you think you’re in the real Sidney Crosby’s friend list, you probably aren’t.

“People have asked me if I’m on Facebook,” says Calgary Flames right winger Jarome Iginla. “I guess my name is on it. I don’t go on it so, I don’t know too much about it. My sister told me she goes on it. I don’t know what can be done, but I’m not on there.”

The problem for some of these players can be obvious. Someone misrepresenting someone else to another person who believes it to be the real deal opens the door for anything.

If one knows some of these players personally, sometimes you can tell when you go on “their” site and see some of the postings. There is no way some of the words used on the most popular Jarome Iginla Facebook site would ever be used by Iginla himself, at least not publicly.

“I don’t know how much I can do about it. You don’t want your identity used.”

Teammate Alex Tanguay agrees if you’re in the public eye, you have to be aware and hope that nothing comes bad out of your name, even if it’s not you posting the information.

“Hopefully people can be respectful of the privacy of the people – hockey players and celebrities. It’s weird to say, but we’re kind of celebrities in Canada in the way that people like hockey. You don’t want to get yourself in trouble with Facebook or anything like that. It’s like anything else. There’s always someone looking to create some trouble for others.”

Ottawa Senators’ Mike Fisher and Toronto Maple Leafs’ Mats Sundin have tried to get their page shut down. However, that is difficult to do. Shut one down and another one opens. And there’s likely no legal recourse until someone tries to use it for financial gain.

But Tanguay, who has a couple of sites listed, insists he has never been on Facebook. “I don’t know what’s going on. I’ll probably start looking into it now that those guys (Fisher and Sundin) are looking. If there’s somebody, it’s not me out there.”

The same can be said for most of the others.

Diary of a Sports Diva October 22, 2007

2007-10-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

Something came to my attention when I watched part of the San Francisco 49er-New York Giants play. The Niners go three and out on a series, where in one play, Trent Dilfer drops back to set up for a pass and slips and falls on the turf, then on the next play he’s sacked.

It got me thinking about how much karma plays into sports. It seems when teams are down on their luck, bad things continually happen. The quarterback slides and is half a yard short for the first down. A hockey defenseman has the puck hit the back of his skate that misdirects into his own net.

Entering his 11th National Hockey League season, San Jose Sharks’ RW Mike Grier has had his taste of when things go wrong with the struggling teams while everything goes right for the winning teams.

“I’m not sure (if it’s karma). That’s just the way it seems to go. Sometimes you get in a cycle. When you’re team is in a funk, it seems you’re not getting the bounces. The calls that you’d hope to go your way don’t.”

Grier suggests when that happens, sometimes you’re not doing the little things you need to do or you might not be working hard enough. You always hope to make your own breaks.

“It’s weird how that works, though. I think some of it is confidence. When things are going well, you’re working hard and you don’t even know you’re working hard. Everyone has confidence in trying to make plays. You’re doing all the right things.”

But there is that feeling of piling on when a team is down. Every officials’ call goes against you. Passes don’t click.

“Sometimes it’s tough (to get out of a funk),” Grier admits. “Sometimes you just need kind of a fluky bounce for a goal to go in, maybe steal a win or something like that and get everyone to feel good about themselves. Then you can slowly start to right the ship.”

© 2007 Debbie Elicksen

Taking a page from Daniel Briere's playbook

2007-10-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

Last week, I was face-to-face with Philadelphia Flyers sensation Daniel Briere. While hockey fans find it hard to believe that since Briere came into his own during the 2006 playoffs, he did struggle earlier in his career. With Phoenix, he was on the bubble -- up and down from the minors like a yo yo, suffered from injuries, and then there was the 2004-05 lockout season. Now he is perhaps one of the top five players in the NHL.

Knowing his career has not been easy to get to this point, Briere admits he was going through the motions.

"Early on in my career, I was just going through the steps – it’s the American league, it’s the NHL – I was just following the steps – this is the way it’s supposed to be. And then when it’s taken away from you for a few years, you realize how much fun it was and how hard it is to get there but even harder to stick there and stay and keep getting better. So when I had a second, third, fourth chance and things really started to turn and get even better, now I just appreciate every single moment that I’m in the NHL, every single game. Because I know it can get away really quick.”

So what made the difference? Turning from mediocre to great doesn't happen overnight and without some concentrated effort.

“It’s not just one thing; it’s a combination of things. Obviously, maturing was a big part of it, finding the love of the game again, my training regiment, mentally getting stronger. It was a bunch of little things over the course of a year, year and a half that helped me get out of the rut that I was in.”

When Briere says he found the love of the game again, that meant he was not having any fun. This is where the real message comes in -- not just for Briere, but for all of us.

“When I realized that I wasn’t having fun, I was scared to go to the rink when I was in the NHL, pouting when I was in the American league, and blaming everything around me. When I kind of realized that and at the same time, I wasn’t enjoying the game. Slowly, I started working on that, stopped blaming everybody else, stopped pouting, and then the love of the game came in, and that’s when I started having fun again. Early on, I would get sent down and blame the coach, blame the players you’re playing with, blame the ice. You’re trying to point around you, except look in the mirror. That’s what I did, just like a lot of young players do. I was lucky that it wasn’t too late. I still had a chance to come back and get out of this. I was fortunate that I found it quick enough.”

Regardless of who we are, what tasks we toil, and what industry we work, we can all take a page from Daniel Briere's playbook.

Diary of a Sports Diva, Day One of Calgary Flames Prospect Camp

2007-09-14T21:38:00.000-07:00

September 14, 2007

After a day of grueling fitness testing, 41 eager young players showed up at the Pengrowth Saddledome on Friday, September 7 with hope and expectation in their eyes. Five goalies (Leland Irving, Kevin Lalande, Curtis McElhinney, Matt Keetley, and Brent Krahn) were all vying for the ceremonious role of backup to Miikka Kiprusoff.

LW/C Dustin Boyd agreed it was good to shake the cobwebs off the skating legs. “It’s good getting back into the flow and getting ready. The (power skating drills) were a bit tough. There were a few turns there in a row where I started getting a little dizzy. For the most part, it was good and it was good to get a really good sweat on today.”

Defenseman Tim Ramholt, who spent two seasons in the Swiss League prior to playing in Omaha last season looks at this camp as an opportunity to show what he learned from his American Hockey League experience.

“Before, I was just thinking too much about getting points and stuff. You’ve got to build up your game, do the little things, and go out and protect your net, do little smart breakout passes. When you get confidence and build up your game, then you step it up to the next level. I made a lot of progress last year. I’m proud the way it’s been. I don’t look back anymore.”

Ramholt knows he has to compete at a high level to make the team and while he believes he’s on the right road to success, he’s not quite there yet. First he has to make the team.

For those who have been here before, they know what to expect. They’re not coming in blindfolded. They’re familiar with some of the testing, know some of the players and coaches.

New coach or returning coach, everyone has to leave everything they have on the ice to prove that they belong on the team.

You’d be hard pressed to find an NHL athlete or prospect who hasn’t worked out and skated over the summer, but there is no doubt that skating in the off-season does not have the same intensity as training camp. And all the practices in the calendar are not going to have the same intensity as a game. But for all these young players, there is one thing they all agree has a huge impact on what kind of training camp they will have: attitude.

“It’s all about believing in yourself, and that’s where it starts,” says LW Eric Nystrom. “If you don’t believe in yourself, you might as well not even go on the ice.”

These young players are on their own at this point. “Out here, there’s nobody coddling you at this level,” Nystrom admits. “My family is a long way from here. You can’t get too up. You can’t get too down. You’ve got to stay level headed. When things are going great, you just have to stay confident. And when things are not going well, you just have to do your best.”

But in talking further with Nystrom, if there was any player that should make the team, it’s him. He has packed as if he would be staying with the club all season. “I pretty much brought every belonging I have.” Now that’s attitude.

What do Michael Vick fans do now?

2007-07-29T11:09:00.001-07:00

Michael Vick was in court today (July 26, 2007) to plead not guilty to the federal charges against him in a disturbing dog fighting venture. No surprise here. And yes, due process is in action and he is innocent until proven guilty. But the evidence leaked thus far is pretty damning.
To read George Dohrmann’s special report “The House on Moonlight Road” in Sports Illustrated, June 4, 2007, it really hits home how Vick’s innocence may be questionable. After all, whether he was on the property or not, it was still his property. It’s like giving someone else the keys to your car. If they get into a wreck and hurt somebody, you’re responsible. You can cry ignorance all you want but your insurance company isn’t going to buy it.

With additional charges looming, even if Vick gets off on a plea bargain or a light sentence, the images are hard to shake. You’d have to think it’s impossible for anyone with any sense of decency or humanity to even watch the clips of dog fighting for more than 30 seconds, less than five seconds if there is sound. It’s why the issue is so volatile.

For the people who were close to him, like Falcons owner Arthur Blank, this behavior is not the Michael Vick they know. They can’t picture how such a warm and generous individual can watch or take part in such inhumane cruelty toward another living being. Some will say it’s because he has such a big heart that he’s involved, helping out his childhood friends. Well, it doesn’t matter how much anyone loves their friends, few would engage in such a venture because their friends were into it. They’d more likely start dissing their friends. And if the company you keep determines your character, it’s not looking very good for Michael Vick right now.

So what if he gets off? He’s most likely done from the Falcons. The club is probably waiting for the right moment to release him so it won’t cost them as much money. Unless the league bans him for life (probably only a possibility if he is convicted), then he could potentially play for the Raiders. (Who else but Al Davis would bring him in? Okay, maybe Dallas.) And if he’s banned altogether from the NFL, you know some team in Canada will try and pick him up. PETA members better start making sure their passports are up to date.

Even with all of these scenarios – guilty, not guilty, acquitted, plea bargain – what are Michael Vick fans supposed to feel? If you want to know how big a Vick fan I was, my friends have been holding off calling me for days because they knew I needed time to digest and mourn.

Regardless of where the trial goes and how it ends, we can’t erase the images, knowing it happened on his property. How can we look at a picture of Michael Vick without thinking about what those eyes have seen and that he might have enjoyed it? But – then there are the highlight reels.

How do we erase the jaw dropping plays that endeared us to him in the first place? The magical runs. The touchdowns. Do we feel cheated? Can we ever enjoy the historic football plays that are forever etched in our minds? Do we all become Vince Young fans and hope that he carries on as the Human Highlight Reel? (So far, from his first season, it’s not too far a stretch.)

What do Michael Vick fans do now that they have been cheated out of some of the most exciting football the league has ever witnessed? Maybe someone can start a support group: Michael Vick Anonymous. But as our initial anger subsides and gives way for mourning – mourning what was and what can never be again – we can only hope that maybe this was a good thing for the American Pit Bull. It’s made our conscious more aware of a disturbing sub-culture – one that we will be paying a lot more attention to from now on. Perhaps we’ll be more vigilant about noticing the condition of our neighbor’s dogs from now on. I suppose we can thank him for that.

© 2007 Debbie Elicksen

Arthur Blank teaches us all a lesson in strength of character

2007-07-24T20:43:00.000-07:00

Just about everything Arthur M. Blank touches turns to gold, or rather, orange. He is a man who believes in strong employee-management relations, and that by investing in his people, he is present and accountable for the community. He is a man of strong convictions and morals.

The co-founder of the home improvement chain, Home Depot, created a company where employees matter and where people could be free to make mistakes -- a philosophy he took to all his ventures. He could never anticipate the costly error made by his most famous employee -- the face of his Atlanta Falcons: Michael Vick.

Vick was federally indicted in a dog fighting scandal, where the operation was said to be funded by him, housed on his property, and taken across state lines. If only that was the worst of it. The 18-page indictment tells graphic detail of the barbaric operation, which included dates, names of dogs, and manner of execution of some of the losing animals. It's not easy reading and Blank noted in a 90-minute press conference today (July 24, 2007) that Vick's name was listed 50 times amongst the pages.

Arthur Blank is a billionaire with six children from two marriages, his youngest being a 10-year-old boy and twin six-year-old girls. Also note, this is a man who considers his dogs as his seventh and eighth children.

Born in 1932, Blank grew up in New York with his brother Michael, father Max, and mother Molly in a one-bedroom apartment in Queens. After his father died (when Arthur was 15), his mother took over the family business: a small mail order pharmaceutical company called Sherry Pharmaceutical. Although she had not worked outside the home, she managed to build the company into a multi-million dollar operation. Her determination and acumen rubbed off on her youngest son.

Blank started up a landscaping company, laundry firm, and babysat at the same time. After a stint with an accounting firm and putting in time at the family business, he took a job as vice-president of finance with Handy Dan, a Daylin division company. He and fellow employee Bernie Marcus helped build the company to over $155 million in sales before they were unexpectedly fired in 1978. As it turned out, it was the best thing that ever happened to them.

Drawing up a business plan on the back of a coffee shop napkin, Blank and Marcus invented Home Depot. They had almost no money to get it off the ground and the company has since grown to $50 billion in sales with over 1,500 stores. He explains it all in his book, "Built From Scratch" (Times Books, 1999).

He bought the Atlanta Falcons in 2002, and in his first year, the team's increase in season ticket sales was an NFL record. He also purchased the arena football team, the Georgia Force, in 2004. That club also set attendance records and won a National Conference Championship.

With all his success, Blank then launched two companies (AMB Group, LLC and The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation) dedicated to giving back to the community via money and personal involvement. He has granted over $220 million through his philanthropic efforts.

In 2000, he was named Georgia Philanthropist of the Year by the National Society of Fundraising Executives. In 2006, the Walter Camp Football Foundation named him Distinguished American. He was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 2006 and named Ernst & Young's National Entrepreneur of the Year in 2005. The list goes on.

So when Arthur M. Blank took the podium during today's press conference, accompanied by team President and General Manager Rich McKay and Head Coach Bobby Petrino, you could see he was a man deep in devastation. It was clear the Falcons were ready to throw the book at Michael Vick, to wipe him from the face of their season. But the maximum suspension a team could impose was four games, hardly enough for such acts so despicable as those laid out in the federal indictment. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told the team to wait before taking action (so the league could assess its next move), then told Vick to sit out training camp, and you have to know with reading between the lines that Vick is done as a Falcon and perhaps as an NFL football player. (My biggest fear, however, is he will end up in Canada in the Canadian Football League.)

Throughout the 90-minute grilling session by the media, the trio held their composure and exuded class, especially Blank. It was so very clear that this whole mess was very personal to him. He pulled no punches and answered every question uninhibited. While he couldn't say everything he was really thinking, the message was loud and clear. And if you look at his own personal history, his leadership, his integrity, Mike Vick's actions were also a direct betrayal towards the man who made his career.

So with all this drama and distraction of continuous telephone calls between Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Players Association President Gene Upshaw (who admits he owns a dog and loves them), imagine Arthur Blank trying to explain to his 10-year-old the meaning of this indictment, what dog fighting is, why people do it, and why Michael Vick. This is a kid that grew up personally with the star quarterback, who was probably his biggest personal hero. How does a kid relate his own dogs to the accusations in the indictment? Exactly. Nobody can. It's not a position anyone should have to be in, especially Arthur Blank.

© 2007 Debbie Elicksen, All Rights Reserved

Right or Privilege

2007-07-24T19:33:00.000-07:00

I guess the question could be asked of all professional athletes, which is the same question being bantered around the National Football League media desks, thanks to the league’s recent scandals: is it a right or a privilege to play in the league?

From covering the National Hockey League for over 12 years, yes, there are exceptional individuals, just like in any other circle or profession. There are probably more good guys than jerks. I can name the All Star jerks on one hand, and they’re not all players.

What is sometimes clear, even with the good guys, is there is an inherent disconnect as to what the media’s role is and why they congregate in the bowls of the arenas and stadiums, waiting for the illusive clip to add to their stories. The media essentially markets teams, leagues, and players to the fans through exposure, and in essence, that exposure is what enables the fans to care (or not) and let the athletes keep their jobs as people continue to buy tickets and support them.

The media is really the voice for the fans. They get inside access to players and staff and see what is really going on behind the scenes. Of course, they can’t always write about everything they see or hear or they may not be allowed back inside the venue. Every reporter uses their own discretion as to what they, or rather their editors and producers, deem a story.

Whether or not one agrees with the message, the media basically takes what happens in the room and on the ice and writes the story. They’ll use different angles to try and get a fresh perspective, but overall, they can only report what they see or their impression of what is happening. It’s the only way the fan can know what’s going on.

Although, it’s not always possible to get the true story. Cones of silence permeate some teams, thus this is how rumors and speculation stem as a result. Getting even a one-sentence answer out some players is like physically pushing a Hummer out of a parking stall singlehandedly when you weigh 110 pounds.

Every reporter in every news organization receives, on average, 150 press releases a day from companies and individuals who want them to do a story about their business, event, or what they’re doing. Getting media attention — good or bad — is great advertising, for free. However, with the good, does comes the bad. You can’t pick and choose. It’s why so many firms hire public relations staff.

Usually, when bad press permeates for, say, a week, after a month or so, the general population forgets. Especially in business. You may forget what XYZ company did, but you remember reading about them somewhere. It’s not alway a bad thing. (That may not be the case for Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, but see Baltimore’s Ray Lewis as an example.)

Bad media can sometimes expose the true character of an individual. Remember Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson’s steroid scandal years back. If he would have owned up at the very beginning, the story might not have gotten so out of control. Anyone who faces the music up front, admits their mistake, and promises restitution will usually garner both the public’s and the media’s respect. We all like to see someone rise from adversity.

There are some media who sensationalize and angle a story to put a player or team in a bad light intentionally (thus they may also believe having a media job is a right, not a privilege). However, if every media decided to boycott a team or a league and there was absolutely no press coverage, you can be sure the attitude of disdain would change in a hurry.

Post-NHL lockout, I’d have to say, given the overall “warmth” towards media in some cases is that some players and team personnel are taught to believe that it’s a right to play or work in professional sports. However, if it were a right, 17,000 people sitting in every single arena would also be employed in the same profession. Translate the same scenario to other sports.

When those particular athletes finally realize it is a privilege is when they retire. Then they seem to want to be in the media.

© 2007 Debbie Elicksen, All Rights Reserved

Feeling violated

2007-07-21T13:05:00.000-07:00

Nobody was a bigger Michael Vick fan than me. Ask anybody. To me, he was the most magical player I had ever seen. The way he ran, the unpredictability of his moves, how he could make three guys miss him in a row. Mike Vick was a football God.

I knew he had his problems off the field. We all recall the Ron Mexico fiasco. Trouble seemed to follow him wherever he went, much like his brother Marcus during his final year at Vi Tech. But this, this is beyond redemption.

Yes, I have had pets all my life, including dogs. Like many pet owners and parents, we all get frustrated and anger at some animal behaviors (like my cat Luke's attempt to run away from his vomit, thus equaling backwards projectile throughout the whole house). But dog fighting, for those who are wondering what the big deal is, is a dehumanizing systematic abuse of dogs, which are bred to tear each other limb to limb while sub-humans cheer them on and bet on the outcomes. There is no affection towards these animals. In fact, quite the opposite. They are void of affection and sometimes food so that they will become more aggressive. Domesticated dogs in heat don't usually need a rape stand for breeding. That's how aggressive they become. It's doubtful any rescued dog can ever be integrated into a family environment, but at least they would be put down humanely. We've all read the indictment about how they are destroyed by their breeders. Sub-human, indeed.

I personally feel betrayed, sickened, and punched in the stomach. How anyone human can be involved in such heinous and systematically abusive acts -- it puts Michael Vick a step down from serial killer (there are scientific links to animal abuse and serial killing). He is in the same pot as a child molester, who do much of the same -- the systematic abuse, breeding, and sometimes killing of smaller humans who are incapable of standing up for themselves or fighting back.

While the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is growing some balls, the Falcons need to suspend him indefinitely -- now -- and permanently should he be convicted. If not, the team might as well mail in all the two points to its opponents because the media circus has just begun. It's the only way for the team to redeem its fans.

I wished it would have been anybody else, even any other team. Nobody wanted to believe Mike Vick more than me. He betrayed me, the commissioner, his team, and is now what I would call box office poison. For the sake of the NFL fans and players as they embark into training camp this week, Mr. Goodell and Mr. Arthur Blank, please end this now.

The NHL Entry Draft Mirrors Life

2007-07-15T10:16:00.000-07:00

Imagine you are 18 years old. Your parents, who truly believe you are the next coming of Mario Lemieux, insist you fly alone to Columbus for the 2007 National Hockey League Entry Draft so you can accept your team’s jersey in person-- against your agent's advice. Preceding scouting reports indicate you’ll likely go in the fourth round. Your parents can only afford the one ticket and stay home with your siblings to watch the draft on TV.

After your plane lands in Columbus and you pick up your bags from the baggage turnstile, there is a van waiting for you and a group of other players who arrived from other destinations. With the belongings all loaded and players strapped in, the van then proceeds along International Gateway, steering towards the 670 West/US-62 West/Cassady Avenue exit. Along the 670, the van turns left on Neil Avenue and pulls in front of the media entrance of the Nationwide Arena alongside Nationwide Boulevard. This will be your home for the next few days.

Draft day comes and you’re sitting in the lower bowl of the arena – by yourself. There is quite a buzz of activity. About two or three whole sections of the stands are set up as a media area, with tables and plug-ins, where some familiar well-known faces are sprinkled in, talking, working on their laptops, and mulling around.

The floor of the arena has no ice. Instead there are 30 sets of tables with numerous chairs and each table has a sign with its team’s name and logo. You can see Brian Burke of the Anaheim Ducks on the phone and several individuals you don’t recognize talking all around him. You see Wayne Gretzky from the Phoenix Coyotes, Jacques Lemaire from the Minnesota Wild, Glen Sather of the New York Rangers, and a host of other familiar faces and legends of the game.

There are people sitting intermittently throughout the stands: groups of people representing a player and his family; others who are probably agents assessing the mood of the floor; and interested bystanders who just want to see what the event is all about.

You took a tour of the building on the first night, when Round One was conducted, and saw the press conference area, where the drafted players have been directed to go after their names are announced, to face the media and questions. There is a podium with a microphone set up in front of a blue backdrop with the NHL logo and the Columbus 2007 Draft logo. The area is basically set up for just the first two rounds.

Your agent checks in on you periodically but he has three other players attending the draft, all touted for the first two rounds and there is an anticipated bidding war for one of them. He does his best to make you feel comfortable and ease your nervousness, but his cell phone is going off every two minutes. It’s almost better without him there.

The first round took the better part of three hours to go through. The second round is almost as long. The whole thing is real long. Because the first round is televised and with there being a set time between picks for teams to make their assessments and put in their order, the day drags. There are a few people you can talk to, mostly rival players in your division. They are at the draft with their families, so it would be uncomfortable for you to sit with them for any length of time. You mostly chat with each other in the concourse.

You sit and wait. Round three rolls by…round four…round five. Your name is still not called. The sixth round comes and goes, and now, your stomach is really starting to clench. Your mouth is dry, regardless of how many bottled waters you drink. Your heart starts pounding. You think about why you’re there. Will you get picked? Why does nobody want you? You love your parents but can’t help but feel a bit of anger towards them for insisting you be here.

It’s the middle of round eight and still no call. You see the hub of tables on the floor area winding down. There are only a few picks left and you can see there are no more deals being made.

The last name is picked and it’s not you. You just want to sink into your seat and hide. You don’t want anyone to see you and know what a failure you are. You didn’t get picked. Out of all those names, yours wasn’t one of them. But what about that scouting report? It said you’d go in the fourth. Did everyone lie to you?

In 2000, I attended my first NHL Entry Draft. It was also the same year that Minnesota and Columbus were accepted into the league, hence the pick announcement for the Expansion Draft was held the night before. It was the year of Dany Heatley, Marian Gaborik, Marcel Hossa, and John-Michael Liles.

Although I filed a report for one of my usual sources, my main assignment was for the New England Sports Journal – to do a story on the players that were from the New England area.

It was exciting, boring, and a fabulous networking event. Everyone who was anyone in hockey was there: general managers, presidents, coaches, agents, scouts, media, and alumni.

From the media perspective, there wasn’t a lot of downtime. After the luncheon on the same day as the Expansion Draft, a media availability of players afterwards included most of the players that were slated to go in the first 10 spots. I remember being able to get in a couple of one-on-one questions with Gaborik.

The entire hockey world was set on its heels on the first pick when New York Islanders General Manager Mike Milbury picked Boston University’s Rick DiPietro. It was the first time in hockey history that a netminder had gone first overall since 1968, when the Montreal Canadiens drafted Michel Plasse. Back then only 24 players were picked altogether.

Of course, for me, the draft was over. My job was basically done in the first pick. What a story. I spent about three quarters of the rest of the first round sitting in the press conference when DiPietro was brought to the podium in the media area and then waded through the scrums, vying for a one-on-one, only getting to pitch maybe two questions total. My story was all about DiPietro with a few footnotes about the other New Englanders who were picked in subsequent rounds.

Over the years I’ve spoken with players about their lives behind the scenes, but not just the NHL guys, the juniors, too. I’ve always had a strong passion for junior hockey, stemming back to my adolescent days in Edmonton. One of the questions I talk to many of them about is the NHL Entry Draft.

The draft story that sticks out the most is the one that has inspired me throughout the last 10 or so years of my career – after Theoren Fleury told it to me. In his first year of eligibility (1986), Theo was at a wedding in Rosetown. He said he must have called his dad about 20 times. Nothing. No calls from anyone.

“I made the last call around midnight and nobody had called,” says Fleury. “It was a real disappointment to not be drafted the first year. I didn’t have a great year but I didn’t have a bad one.”

The following year, he had made the World Junior team and had a great season. He stayed home for the draft and was about to give up when in the final round, he finally got the call.

“It was about 3:00 when (Flames scout) Ian MacKenzie phoned me and told me I was drafted by the Flames. It was nice to be at home and share it with my family. We were all pretty excited. I think the biggest thing was, even though I was really disappointed the first year, in the second year, all I ever wanted was a chance and an opportunity. Fortunately, the Flames gave me that chance.”

He was picked 166th overall by the Calgary Flames. So what’s the big deal? Well, Theo was drafted at a time when teams were looking for size and strength – guys like Eric Lindros – big and bulky with some talent. Guys like Brendan Shanahan, Glen Wesley, Joe Sakic, who went in the first round. Theo was 5’7” and small by the 80s wish list standard.

But the story doesn’t end there. Unbeknownst to Theo at the time, he almost didn’t get drafted. When it came time for the Flames to make its final pick, they weren’t going to pick him. MacKenzie almost had to get on his hands and knees and beg then GM Cliff Fletcher to give this kid a shot. He said they wouldn’t be disappointed. And they weren’t.

To me, that story epitomizes everything that sports stands for. Every situation can be filled with high drama. And then, no matter how bad the odds seem to be stacked against you, anything can happen. And like in life, if even just one person stands in your corner, it’s all you need to get where you’re going.

For all of those fortunate to be chosen, it’s only the beginning. They still need to do the work to get to training camp and they are a long way off from making a team. For those who aren’t chosen or even on the list, it’s not always the end of the line. Some of the league’s undrafted players include Ed Belfour, Curtis Joseph, John Madden, Andy McDonald, Martin St. Louis, and Dwayne Roloson. Some of those names are engraved on Stanley Cups. Then there are those drafted players, even in the first round, who never get out of the minor leagues or they go to Europe and disappear from the radar.

Sports is an emotional roller coaster in every aspect, be it the draft, a shift, a game, and even a career. Some of the best lessons are taught through adversity, but definitely, the easy ones are to learn are from watching others, like athletes, go through their own.

Diary of a Sports Diva July 12, 2007

2007-07-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

Dallas Stars' President Jim Lites posted an "unfiltered" letter from the club, apparently in response to some of the criticism the team has been facing at home.

"There have been a lot of things written and said over the last two weeks, many of which have painted a negative perception of the Dallas Stars as a hockey club and where we are headed in the future. We've been called everything from 'stupid' to 'asleep at the wheel' to 'out of touch,' simply because we did not make a big splash in the free agent market.

"I'm here to tell you that these beliefs, columns, opinions and statements couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, it's downright unfair. Contrary to what some have written or said, we haven't gone stupid overnight and we do have a plan in place."

He reminds the readers the club has been very successful in its last 11 seasons and last year served as one of the best teams in the league with 107 points. Of course, all that was wiped out with a first-round exit.

Lites adds:

"Would we like to add scoring? Yes. But we have to operate under the salary cap and do the best we can with the chips we have to play with at the table. We want to give ourselves the best chance for success, both short and long term. What we can't do is take unreasonable risks on contracts, which was something we could do under the old system. We can't take an extra center on a long-term deal and see if we can make him change positions and make him fit into our system. We tried that with Pierre Turgeon and it didn't work. That was OK when it was just money. We can't take that risk now with the salary cap.

"These might sound like excuses to some but it is the reality of the business model we are in."

Hmm. That with his saying they refuse to mortgage the future on a free agent signing probably doesn't bode well with Dallas fans.

Diary of a Sports Diva July 7, 2007

2007-07-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking that Edmonton Oiler's General Manager Kevin Lowe must think he's in a perpetual bad dream -- starting back at the 2007 Trade Deadline when he practically gave his team's heart and soul player -- Ryan Smyth -- away for practically nothing. Then he figures he has Michael Nylander tied up at the beginning of Free Agent Frenzy. As the Oil prepared to announce his signing, after negotiating an agreement and getting it in writing by Nylander's agent Mike Gillis, they learned that Nylander had been negotiating on his own and signed a four-year contract worth $19.5 million with the Washington Capitals. They can pursue legal action all they want, but chances are only Nylander's signature counts as a done deal.

So then Lowe opens the vault, shocks the hockey community (and at the same time, garnering its wrath -- more on that in a second), and offers Thomas Vanek a seven-year, $50 million dollar offer sheet. Finally! He should win this one. Nope. The Buffalo Sabres, which saw its team instantly plummet out of a playoff spot with losing Daniel Briere and Chris Drury to free agency, quickly matches the offer and re-inks Vanek, whether they want to spend that much or not.

Kevin Lowe is left holding an empty roster spot and an open checkbook.

What is interesting is why now? Why couldn't he have signed Smyth for the now what seems to be a pittance at Trade Deadline? We'll never know. But what he did do was raise the bar back to pre-lockout stupidity.

We saw the salaries increase somewhat prior to the Vanek deal, and what has been the most surprising is the length of some of the deals -- like Daniel Briere's eight-year, $52 million dollar contract with Philadelphia. But for some reason, Lowe's offer to Vanek, from the "small market team," seemingly sends the message that the NHL general managers are back to the status quo. And Vanek, while is a pretty good player, could we really say he's the key guy? The Jarome Iginla, the Daniel Briere? Makes you wonder why we even had to endure the lockout season.

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As if season tickets weren't expensive enough, the Michigan Legislature is mulling over a new tax -- a luxury tax on all professional sports tickets sold in Michigan. It would also include concerts, shows, and movies. According to the Red Wings, what it means is the new ticket tax could cost a family of four season ticket holders anywhere from $597 to $1,900 extra. The club is lobbying its fans to log onto notickettax.com to tell the governor and their legislator to take a hike or voice what they really think.