Karlis Skrastins Held the Key to Longevity

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. 

Just Ducky

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."

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

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.

  

Brad May on Making it to the NHL

"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."

Scrappy Lappy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brandon Prust:

“This is the ugly part, you could say.

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

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

Olli Jokinen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All Is Not Well in Oilerville

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

The words of Ethan Moreau say it all.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Untouchable Defenceman is Touchable After All

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The First Team to Blink Wins

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Interview with Peter Bondra

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Key to longevity?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How has your role changed as a player?

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

What has the game taught you personally?

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

What’s your passion outside of hockey?

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

Nothing But Cup

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

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.

Shane Doan on the Phoenix Situation

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.”

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

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.

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

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.