HockeyNation

Doctor Brady to the consultation room

2012-01-31T14:49:00.000-08:00

You have to think that Sidney Crosby is probably wondering about the state of health care these days, the Penguins start player seemingly going more than a year before someone in the medical world discovered that in addition to the many concerns over his concussed status, there was apparently a wee problem with his neck.

Reports have it that it's a cracked vertebrae in his neck to be exact, C1, C2 for those marking their medical charts at home, which considering how long it took to discover, already puts the home user ahead of the real doctors and technologists in the real clinics and hospitals.

As Cam Cole asked over the weekend in this National Post article, How did doctors miss Sidney Crosby's neck injury.

Indeed, that is a pretty simple question, especially when you count the number of times that Crosby has been in a doctor's office in the last twelve months, not to mention the visits to rehabilitation specialists and any other number of medical professionals, all in a quest to find answers to Crosby's medical troubles.

One of the more intriguing items from Cole's article is that Tom Brady, the New England Patriot's quarterback was the one who recommended that Crosby travel to a specialist in Utah, seemingly putting Brady a few miles ahead of the pack of medical specialists that missed the neck problems.

Brady's next assignment, perhaps to advise Steven Tyler that anthem singing isn't his thing...

The revelation about the neck injury came not from the Penguins or the NHL, but from Sportsnet's Bob McCown, who delivered the diagnosis while taking in the events of the All-Star game, spoiling Gary Bettman's weekend with uncomfortable facts, that being, the league's main marquee attraction has been living with pain for over a year and nobody could figure out why.

The cracked vertebrae reportedly have healed over on their own, without any medical intervention and Crosby has once again taken to the ice with his Penguin team mates engaging in light workouts, but we do not seem to be any closer to his return to the ice and the Penguins seemingly have no idea how far along the path of recovery that their star player is at.

National Post-- Diagnosis of Sidney Crosby's neck injury only produces more questions
National Post-- Sidney Crosby diagnosed with neck injury in addition to concussion
National Post-- Sidney Crosby travels to California to see neurological spine specialist
Globe and Mail-- Crosby may have had fractured vertebrae as well as concussions
Globe and Mail-- Sidney Crosby still playing the waiting game
Toronto Star-- New Crosby neck injury muddies waters
Toronto Star-- Sidney Crosby has abnormality between two vertebrae, doctors say
Toronto Star-- Injury speculation runs rampant after Crosby revelation
Toronto Star-- Sidney Crosby skates but health questions linger
Toronto Sun-- Crosby skates before Penguins practice
Toronto Sun-- Pens need Crosby back for playoff push
Pittsburgh Tribune Review-- Penguins say captain Crosby's diagnosis is promising
Pittsburgh Post Gazette-- Crosby has neck injury
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette-- Crosby joins Despres and Staal on ice

The latest developments on the injury front, once again are providing for thoughts on the future of the Penguin's captain, with more than a few weighing in with thoughts that Crosby may be closer to retirement than a return to the game.

That will be a discussion between Crosby and his agent, both of whom have to be wondering about the Penguins dedication towards the cattle, er the hired help, the lack of diagnosis on the neck injury and the string of concussions that not only Crosby but a few other Penguins have suffered surely food for thought when it comes to contract renegotiation time.

In the end of course any decision on the future for Sidney Crosby will of depend on his health, something which perhaps won't be left in the hands of the doctors around the Penguins igloo these days.

Globe and Mail-- Is it time for Sidney Crosby to retire?

A weekend at Eugene's

2012-01-30T09:22:00.000-08:00

The 2012 All Star celebration has come and gone, the skills competition providing a nice showcase of those skills honed in minor hockey associations over the years, those early morning drills paying off for those selected to participate in this years celebration of hockey.

The general consensus being that Patrick Kane and John Tavares added enough spark to the skills competition to keep it entertaining with an honourable mention to Corey Perry (the Senators gift kiosk thanks you for your patronage)

Kane chose to pay homage to the Dwight Howard school of acting, donning his own personal superman cape in the shoot out competition, though we imagine that Mr. Howard may wish to contact the lawyers, cause while he was fast, Kane never did take to the air, which after all is the domain of Superman.

The Saturday evening competition was beamed across Canada on the CBC, which featured some interesting asides from the participants, though at times some script writing might have been helpful as some of our all stars are a tad reserved it seems (not all, but a good number of them).

Also, we regret that the CBC could not get a satellite hook up to the South Beach, Florida events this All Star break, we understand that Alexander Ovechkin did very well in two of the categories, that of best sun tan in a short period of time and the always popular biggest sand castle on the beach competition. Perhaps next year, the CBC can book satellite time in advance so fans won't miss the crowded field as they do the dirty jobs of all star weekend.

The actual game, as is the case in these things, was about as riveting as a public skate at your local arena, the goaltenders seemingly the only ones that might break into a sweat and that most likely from having to wear pads.

There were no hits and obviously no fights, leaving Don Cherry with little left to do but stoke the fuel to his feud with Brian Burke, which perhaps was the most intense bit of work over the weekend.

The score of the game, oh yeah, for the record it was Team Chara 12, Team Alfie 9, and while his team came up short on the scoreboard this was a weekend of love for the Captain of the Senators, who basked in the gratitude of Ottawa's fans, perhaps the best marketing tool that Eugene Melnyk has for his team, for players looking for a new NHL home after this season, watching the affection that the Ottawa fans have for their captain should be good for a few free agent signings we would think.

Ottawa for the most part played the genial host of the weekend's festivities, the occasional snarkiness showing through for those that wear the Blue and White Maple Leaf of Toronto, but other than that occasional mis-step in the social graces, the weekend was by all accounts (with the papal blessing of Bishop Bettman) a resounding success.

However, while the Commish was saluting Ottawa's fans, one of the main villains for Ottawa fans was putting the end of the weekend into perspective, Dion Phaneuf, he of the hated Leafs best expressed for the National Post, what the all star break means for the players, beyond the relaxing weekend in the nation's capital.

“[All-star weekend is] a lot more relaxed than the day-to-day schedule of the NHL,” Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Dion Phaneuf said. “You’re not … it’s a tough word to find. When you’re playing in the regular season every day, you’re playing big games night in and night out, you look at the standings and there’s a lot of pressure to win nightly. And when you come here, it’s a fun weekend.”

“[Now] you can kind of see the finish line,” Lupul said. “You’ve got closer to 30 games left, and the games really start picking up in intensity, and it’s more meaningful.”

Indeed Mr. Phaneuf, the post all star break divide signals it's time for some serious hockey, where each and every game could be the difference between a playoff appearance and maybe just maybe a Stanley Cup, or for those that don't make the playoff cut, a chance to go see how Ovechkin's sand castles held up over the next three months.

A little bit of boorishness around ole Bytown

2012-01-27T19:14:00.000-08:00

As the invited and nominated take in the sights and sounds of some nightlife around the Capital and prepare for tomorrow's skills competition and Sunday's all star game, a reflective moment back to Thursday night and the "all star selection show" an interesting little bit of television that chose the sides for the big game on Sunday and showcased some of the lesser lights of the Nation's Capital.

Now first off, if you go back through the past passages of our little blog, you'll probably be able to cobble together the idea that we're kind of partial to the Senators, it being the hometown and all that, but really, the reaction of the fans, wait, no really we can't call them that I guess, the reaction of the audience on Thursday took the old Leafs - Sens rivalry to a new low.

Perhaps it was the nature of the forum, what it being a casino in Hull, ooops sorry Gatineau, (excusez moi, old habits die hard), a city where the free flow of refreshments over the decades has probably added to the testosterone and bellicose nature of the bleacher types (just ask the Hull, Oops I mean Gatineau Police about Friday and Saturday nights on the strip), but was all that anger really a requirement for what is basically a mean nothing, PR exercise for the corporate sponsors of the NHL.

While we have as friendly dislike of all things centre of the universe as the next guy, (unless the next guy is in Hamilton which is a whole different level of dislike), the constant booing of any reference to a member of the Blue and White got old pretty fast, the first time it brought a chuckle, after about the tenth one it was frankly a tad embarrassing, cementing to a degree the insecurities of Ottawa at times that seem to manifest themselves whenever anything to do with Toronto comes along.

Tis like the classic moments of the Simpson's where any mention of Shelbyville sets the residents of Springfield into a tizzy, generally making them look worse by comparison, such was the basic theme of Thursday.
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What we don't' get is considering the wait for the All Star game to arrive in Ottawa, what took place on Thursday was as if you decided to throw a huge party and then disrespect some of your guests as they arrive, why bother hosting the party then?

There comes a time when you show that you're hockey fans and not stuck in some ancient mindset of mock anger, or as the folks use to say when I behaved badly as a young one, there comes a time when you have to grow up.

As for the draft, well the captain's of the night chose the safest path of resistance, Team Alfie loading up on Senators for the home crowd and Swedes for the co-hosts for the night, Team Chara holding true to the Bruins for the most part and adding on the Leafs cause every team needs villains it seems.

Still, the player's draft while interesting once seems to be running out of steam already, though at least this time there was no Alexander Ovechkin to play paparazzi for the unfortunate last pick, Ovie of course sitting at home in the dark this weekend with the drapes drawn so as not to be a distraction from the excitement of a weekend at the All Star game.

Oh wait, this just in, Ovie's at the beach, and we don't mean Mooney's Bay beach, Ovie's enjoying the sun and surf of South Beach to be precise, hmmm, smart like a fox that Ovechkin is...

This years last man standing was Logan Couture, winner of the Phil Kessel award for stoicism under fire, who accepted his fate in stride and good humour.

Yet we wonder if this is really necessary, here's our suggestion for the thinkers of the NHL.

First off, maybe shut down the bar at Noon on the day of the draft so the audience won't provide as much participation.

Secondly, instead of scanning a list of available players, how about having all the players in the all start game write their names on a stick, place the sticks face down in a pile on the stage and then have the captains' pick away.

If need be, separate the piles into defence, forward and goalie (though really the latter should be pretty easy to figure out).

That way, everyone has an equal chance of being the last guy on the snowbank, for fun, scrap the idea of the car (really no offence to Honda, but I"m thinking most NHLers probably look for something a little more performance orientated) and instead have the corporate sponsors provide a more sizable cash award to the charity of choice to the last fellow to go onto the depth chart, everyone's a winner.

Of course we're not sure what the more bellicose of fans in Ottawa would do if Phil Kessel or Joffrey Lupul ended up on Team Alfredsson, perhaps by that point they might realize that at the end of the all star game those Leaf's in question will go back to a pretty successful hockey career, while the boors in the crowd will uh, go wherever boors end up at the end of the night.

Official pick by pick list

Ottawa Sun-- Lively all-star draft has a few surprises
Ottawa Citizen-- NHL all-stars shone brightly at packed casino

Oh Hamilton, how hard those dreams are to realize

2012-01-24T19:22:00.000-08:00

We wonder if that chortling sound we swear we heard yesterday was Gary Bettman, snickering away to anyone within earshot as he read the business pages of the New York papers.

There in full view, both on television and in the papers was live time decline of the Blackberry Empire and with it a diminishing a wee bit of the star that was Jim Balsillie, one time technology King and would be White Knight of Hamilton and prospective NHL owner, both prospects a little less stellar these days we imagine.

Hamiltonian's, used to as they are of having their dreams of an NHL franchise dashed, can't be feeling too optimistic these days, the hopeful dreams of a few years ago, when it seemed as though Balsillie was but a signature or two away from delivering them their long desired franchise, once again dashed, this time under the weight of a business story that has rocked the Canadian technology sector.

At the moment and considering his resignation and the downward trend of the value of Mr. Balsillie's now former day job properties, the prospect of any return by him to the battles of the NHL board rooms seems rather remote and with it one suspects goes any chance in the near term of Hamilton floating to the top of any relocation sweepstakes.

Right now when it comes to the idea of a moving van heading north, the current favourite seems to be Quebec City, with a Mayor beating the bushes as fast as he can to secure the elusive NHL nod.

Hamilton has had the rink for any number of years now, they had the prospective owner too, however both are a little faded at the moment, much like the prospect of Hamilton as an NHL home has gone from hot to cold.

Make no mistake we still think Hamilton would be a major improvement over any number of current homes of an NHL franchise, but with setbacks such as these, it's hard to keep the place on the A list for long.

National Post-- Investors still cool to RIM change
CTV-- RIM shares down again after executive changes
Vancouver Sun-- RIM: not bold enough?
Vancouver Sun-- Clock strikes zero for RIM's co-CEO's
Globe and Mail-- Mike, Jim come back, all is forgiven (RIM rout, Part II)
Toronto Star-- RIM continues its irrelevance with 'shakeup'

All Star game no longer so fetchin', for Alex Ovechkin

2012-01-24T14:32:00.000-08:00

He's suggesting all the right things, how he respects the annual get together, enjoys the interaction with the players and the fans and all of that, but, considering it all, Alex Ovechkin is sending his regrets, with his heart apparently not into it, he won't be in Ottawa for this weekend's All Star game.

"My heart is not there. I [got] suspended, so why I have to go there?" Ovechkin said. "I love the game; it's great event. I'd love to be there, but I'm suspended. I don't want to be a target. I feel I'm not deserving to be there right now. If I suspended, I have to be suspended. That's why I give up my roster [spot]."

Ovechkin, who has been suspended for three games by NHL Player Safety Poobah Brendan Shanahan, has decided he doesn't want to be a "distraction" at the weekend event and thus won't take to the ice in the game or the skill competition.

A move that is apparently baked up by Capitals management, who like Ovechkin say this has nothing to do with feeling that Shanahan's discipline was too strong, but rather just something that they feel is best for the All Star game.

And, in related news, swampland is now on sale in Florida... bridges in Brooklyn are available for a reasonable price...

The move to not go to Ottawa leaves you will all the appearances of the Capitals and their star deciding to send a message to the NHL, that if they want to remove the stars from game through suspension then this is the net result of such over bearing enforcement of the rules.

Never mind the fact that in this case Ovechkin, did indeed leave his feet in the incident in question and has been criticized for past behaviour and all of that, somehow the bad is on Shanahan.

Anyways, we're sure he'll keep busy somehow, perhaps Ovie needs to work on his next music video or something.

The NHL seemingly has no interest in picking a fight with their marquee attraction,nor with the Capitals management over the decision to sit this one out (i.e.: with a one game suspension or fine), but one has to wonder if this doesn't really devalue what ever lustre the All Star game (in name only these days it seems) has in the current configuration.

Between players that bow out of the honour, and those that are too injured to compete, we now can add a pass to those who feel just a little bit petulant over the NHL's discipline.

At this rate, those wise fans in Ottawa that were stuffing the ballot box may have been on to something, with the list of "stars" that aren't going to come to the party, at least by picking Senators the Ottawa fans are providing a guarantee that somebody is going to show up for the game...

Globe and Mail-- Suspended Ovechkin to skip all-star game
National Post-- Alexander Ovechkin will skip the NHL All-Star Game, thank you very much
New York Times-- Suspended Ovechkin chooses not to attend All-Star Game
TSN-- Capitals' Ovechkin taking a pass on NHL All Star Game
Sportsnet-- Ovechkin right to skip All-Star Game?
Washington Post-- Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, 2 time NHL MVP, to skip All-Star game...
Washington Times-- Caps' Ovechkin withdraws from NHL All Star Game
Washington Post-- Alex Ovechkin won't attend NHL All-Star Game following suspension
USA Today-- Suspended Ovechkin skips All Star Game
Yahoo Sports-- Alex Ovechkin pulls out of NHL All-Star Game...

Mr. Thomas doesn't go to Washington

2012-01-23T19:02:00.000-08:00

The Boston Bruins visited the White House today, well make that most of the Boston Bruins visited the White House today, accepting the accolades of the Commander in Chief and perhaps wondering to themselves about why goaltenders always want to make things interesting.
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Goaltender Tim Thomas, as has now been widely reported, chose not to attend apparently lodging his own personal protest at the current state of the American government and its policies. An opinion that is making for lively debate on the Twitter feeds today.

It's an Internet location where many famous and not so famous have weighed in with their thoughts on whether he is right or wrong for snubbing the President of the United States and/or not sharing in a team event with his fellow Bruins.

The Puck Daddy blog outlined some background on Thomas' political stance, which would seem to put him into the more Conservative stream of the American political river, though he seems to be an equal opportunity protest party all to himself, suggesting in a statement (manifesto?) on a Facebook page of all places, that both parties at the moment are to blame for what he perceives are America's troubles.

The replies and reactions alone make for interesting reading on the Thomas page, though we're partial to the one line zinger (at least we think it was a zinger?) that suggested he didn't need to "pump up Obama's tires" either.

Somewhere, Roberto Luongo smiled we think...

We're not sure what he did for the day without his team mates, while they were sharing podium space with POTUS, he perhaps was researching a new position paper on the decline of the American Empire, or maybe just have a cup of tea with some like minded friends.

Regardless, try as he might we suspect that his words and deed of the day will make for much in the way of conversation, we're not sure what it is, but it's always the goalies that seem to attract the most attention, whether it's the wonderment's of the universe for Bryzgalov or the travails of the political system for Thomas.

At any rate, when they get around to releasing that "team" photo of the Bruins and the President, it could make for one of those Where's Waldo moments for the Bruins, a trick question if you will, where search and search as you may, Waldo (in this case Tim) never will be found...

Boston Globe-- Tim Thomas skips White House visit, says "government out of control"
Boston Globe-- Obama welcomes Bruins to White House
Boston Herald-- Thomas a no-show at White House
Boston Herald-- Thomas: Politcal Protest?
Boston Herald-- Obama honours Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins
New York Daily News-- Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas skips White House reception...
USA Today-- Bruins' Tim Thomas boycotts White House celebration
NESN-- Tim Thomas declines to attend Bruins' White House visit with President Barack Obama
NESN-- Cam Neely considers White House Visit Special...
ESPN-- Julien, players embrace the moment
Politico-- Bruins goalie says he snubbed Obama because government 'out of control'
National Post-- Bruin's Tim Thomas explains White House snub
Globe and Mail-- Tim Thomas skips White House trip due to "out of control" government
Globe and Mail-- Boston Bruins visit White House
Toronto Sun-- Thomas gives Obama the brush-off
Fox News-- Bruins G Thomas declines White House invite
CNN-- Star goalie snubs White House
New York Times-- Criticizing Government, Bruins' Thomas skips White House Visit

Hockey near, Hockey Far, hockey from everywhere today.

2012-01-21T11:58:00.000-08:00

It's been a festival of puck for hockey fans this Saturday, the morning (afternoon in the eastern zones) kicked off with the latest in the growing theme of outdoor classics, this time from the home of the Hamilton Tiger Cats as the Hamilton Bulldogs and the Toronto Marlies did battle at the ancient yard of Mosca in the Steel City.

The game played under ideal conditions combined the outdoor visuals of a pond hockey game under a bright Ontario Sun, today's outdoor game follows on the heels of the AHL Outdoor classic of earlier this month in Philadelphia, when the Adirondack Phantoms played the Hershey Bears.

Clearly if this ongoing trend of outdoor hockey continues to grip the imagination of both the NHL and the AHL, I think perhaps we should all pick up some stock options with Stanfield's.

For those of us that couldn't make it to the big show in Steeltown, Sportsnet was there to offer up all the drama of the game and the background of the celebration weekend.

The pursuit of the puck continued over at TSN2, where the KHL All Star game was being delivered to North American homes as Team Federov took on Team Ozolnis, live from Riga and beyond.

We'll be honest hear, most of the names on the rosters aren't particularly familiar to us here at the HockeyNation portal, but we imagine they are household names from Moscow to Prague to Riga.

Canadians participating in the KHL all star game included, Chris Holt and Michael Garnett, while Brandon Bochenski flew the American colurs in the game.

TSN2's play by play was kind of interesting, with what seems to have been a soccer announcer doubling down as the hockey play by play caller, we gather Paul Romaniuk wasn't available, or perhaps not under contract to the KHL media conglomerate.

You can review all the festivities from the KHL website.

The NHL continues on with the hockey theme in the afternoon and into the evening, with a string of early afternoon games on Sportsnet, including San Jose at Vancouver and Ottawa at Anaheim, all leading up to tonight's usual CBC offering of the Hockey Night in Canada double header.

Regis le constructeur

2012-01-21T10:08:00.000-08:00

If he builds it, he knows they'll come, and if they want they can arrive even earlier if they so desire.

Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume is busy keeping the profile of the Quebec capital up front and in view as he continues to extol the virtues of what he believes will be a rink to rival the best of the best in the NHL.

Labeaume spoke enthusiastically about the plans for a new 400 million dollar arena in Quebec City, taking advantage of a tour of Pittsburgh's Consol Energy Centre to once again remind the NHL's owners (well at least those in markets where the interest in hockey is shall we say low, bonjour Phoenix, Long Island et al) that Quebec City stands ready to accept the weary masses to their river shore, with the prospect of a brand new building and a hockey mad community to fill it.

The Globe and Mail reviews the Mayor's talking points from Pittsburgh through a Canadian Press story, including the Mayor's thoughts on the option that would be team relocation participants might have to play in the legendary Le Colisee (now known as the Pepsi Colisee), something that the Mayor says could be arranged as early as "tomorrow morning".

The timing for any relocation to Quebec City perhaps could not be better, the province's long time obsession Les Canadiens are simply horrible this year, meaning that unless the new arrivals from wherever they come from are truly atrocious they could already be on level ice with their newfound provincial rivals.

In fact, a Dave Stubbs item from the Montreal Gazette highlights the angst that many in Montreal are feeling over the state of the Canadiens, unless the Habs find a way to turn around what has been an abysmal situation over the last few years, a new team to support just a few hours up river might just add to some of the woes of the Montreal management at the moment.

Though that is the thing of the little picture, the big picture for Montreal and the NHL should be the competition and passion that a team in Quebec City would bring to the province, surely is more important to the game than any inconveniences that the Canadiens might receive with a rekindling of the rivalry of Quebec from the late seventies and early eighties.

The CBC offers up a small glimpse into the possibilities in their question and answer segment called Five Questions though it only actually takes up one of the five, should tide everyone over until the Mayor speaks again we would think.

Mama knows best

2012-01-19T10:29:00.000-08:00

The Edmonton Oilers will be quite happy if Taylor Hall takes the advice of his mama and wears a helmet in pre game warm ups from now on.

Hall, was injured in Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday night, when he stumbled on the ice and collided with team mate Ladislav Smid, then was cut by an errant skate of Corey Potter, who trying to avoid the pile jumped but didn't clear Hall's head, leaving a gash on his forehead requiring 30 stitches and removing him from the line up from Tuesday's game and perhaps for longer.
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The crash on the ice looked like the slow motion version of one of those pile ups you see when speed skaters don't make a turn or those crazy loons of the Crushed Ice series collide on their downhill stretch, without the benefit of a helmet however, the incident was one of great danger for Hall and no doubt left the Oilers with some things to think about.

At one point the twitter universe was alive with reports that the injury was so severe that Hall's season was over, something he was quick to debunk, the Oilers however have yet to announce when he will be able to return to the ice.

There's no real policy in place regarding pre game skates, some teams insist on helmets for their players, others leave it up to the individual player to make that decision, with Hall's near miss, one imagines that more and more teams are going to be reinforcing the safety first policy for before the game.

Though, it seems that there is some push back from current and former players when it comes to helmets in the pre game skate.

Edmonton Sun-- Oilers Hall a scratch after cut
Edmonton Sun--- Oilers helmet policy under review in wake of bloodletting
Edmonton Sun-- Oilers fall without Hall
Edmonton Journal-- Hall 'counting his lucky stars', says his mother
Edmonton Journal-- Edmonton loses Hall, two-goal lead in Columbus
National Post-- Oilers lose to Blue Jackets after Taylor Hall injured in warmup
National Post-- Taylor Hall will wear helmet in Oilers' warm-ups after injury, mon says
Globe and Mail-- Oilers coach says Taylor Hall 'doubtful' for Thursday's game
Globe and Mail-- Oilers' Taylor Hall misses game after cut by teammate's skate in warm up
Sportsnet-- Mom I look like Frankenstein: Hall
TSN-- Oilers Hall cut above eye for 30 stitches,; misses game
TSN-- Your Call: Should Players wear helmets at all times?

Bragging time for the boys of Bytown

2012-01-18T10:34:00.000-08:00

They were considered a team rebuilding at the start of the season, the prognostications of many that this would be a long, cold winter of frustration for fans of the Ottawa Senators, watching as their franchise began the long climb back to respectable standings.

And while the season is hardly over and the playoff seedings far from set, this 2011-12 campaign has been much more than just a pleasant surprise for the Senators, it has been a testament towards the work ethic, buying into a coach's message and that rare combination of youth moving up the curve quickly, while the veterans refuse to disappear into the sunset just yet.

Tuesday night, as has been the case in game after game this year, the Senators battled back in the third period, erasing a two goal deficit to their provincial rivals the Leafs and leaving the Air Canada centre with two more valuable points, leaving them but a couple out of first place in the NHL East, a far cry from that 15th place ranking that more than a few observers had them placed at when the season began.

The results of the season thus far, seem to have made Bryan Murray the Nostradamus of the NHL, when he spoke last year he suggested that the Sens were more a case of tweaking rather than retooling, that despite the twin scenarios of Cory Clouston's removal from his duties as coach and the Sens fishtailing out of the playoffs.

The first step was to find a coach and in Paul MacLean, Murray has clearly hit the jackpot, the long time assistant coach in the NHL has more than hit his stride behind the Senators bench. The players responding to his lesson plan, showcasing the results on the ice, all while exhibiting one of those "this game isn't lost" work ethics night after night.

The rise of youngsters such as Erik Karlsson who has become a dominant force on the Senators blue line has clearly resonated with the veterans on the team, both young and old alike are rising to the occasion hearing the message and the positive vibes coming from behind the bench.

Add into the mix some smart trades and with the Senators,chock a block full of prospects on the farm, a team that is seemingly planning more now that they are in the upper reaches of the standings with the playoffs on the horizon.

The season of surprise comes at almost the perfect time for Sens fans, what with the city hosting this years All Star Game, with the home crowd voting early and voting often in the recent all star balloting to ensure that the home team had more than enough representation on the squad.

And while some may quibble (especially in Toronto) about their starting status, judging by the season the team is having, one suspects that the four Sens on the roster are there on merit, as well as from the passion of the fans.

All of this excitement of January, the All Star game to come and the never say die attitude of the team on the ice bodes well for what may come in April and May and if they dare to dream in the capital in June as well.

National Post-- Kyle Turris trade continues to pay dividends in Ottawa
National Post-- Dion Phaneuf shaken up as Leafs fall to Senators
National Post-- Leafs-Senators rivalry could be heating up again
Globe and Mail-- Sens coach MacLean a turnaround artist
Globe and Mail-- Six-game road swing could determine Senators' playoff hopes
Globe and Mail-- Surprise, surprise... Senators continue their ascent
Globe and Mail-- Surging Senators prove hockey pundits wrong
Ottawa Sun-- Suddenly, Leafs looking way up at Sens
Ottawa Sun-- Sens stick it to Leafs
Ottawa Citizen-- Senators prove resilient again
Ottawa Citizen-- Erik getting hard to ignore
Ottawa Citizen-- East is no beast, much to Sens' benefit

Back to the doctor Sid shall go

2012-01-17T11:03:00.000-08:00

The Sidney Crosby watch is back on hold again, this after news that the Penguins captain is set to return for a visit with his chiropractor Ted Carrick.

Crosby was treated by the doctor back in August, a session which was credited with providing for a quicker return from his concussion of last January, however there have been s one set backs along the way, the most recent being Crosby suffering a return of concussion symptoms after his December 5th appearance in a Penguins uniform.

He hasn't been back in the lineup since and Penguins GM Ray Shero says he won't return until he is concussion free. A timeline for that return still is unknown, Crosby reportedly still suffering from balance and spatial awareness.

The Globe and Mail provided a Canadian Press review of some of Crosby's health issues and the work of Dr. Carrick in the field of concussion therapy.

Since his concussion of January 6th 2011, Crosby has seen limited action, appearing in only eight games since last year.

The ongoing nature of his recovery and the continued effect of his concussion has given more than a few to offer up concern over his future in hockey, making the NHL star exhibit A in the need to increase player safety on the ice and examine the nature of play in today's NHL.

National Post-- Is Sidney Crosby's clock ticking?
National Post-- Sidney Crosby leaves Penguins to meet with concussion specialist
National Post-- Sidney Crosby back on the ice but not symptom free
Globe and Mail-- Sidney Crosby says concussion symptoms improving
Toronto Star-- Sidney Crosby: A lot better, but not symptom-free
Toronto Star-- Sidney Crosby's recovery to include more treatment from chiropractor
Toronto Sun-- Crosby to visit specialist
CBC Sports-- Sidney Crosby to meet with do who helped him in past
Sportsnet-- Crosby visits specialist
Pittsburgh Post Gazette-- Sidney Crosby visits concussion specialist in Atlanta
Pittsburgh Post Gazette-- Crosby leaves team to see concussion specialist
Pittsburgh Tribune Review-- Penguins captain Crosby will meet with chiropractor again

It's got a good beat and you can dance to it...

2012-01-17T09:40:00.000-08:00

Scoring may not be at the top of the charts thus far in the NHL season, but in the world of Russian Rap Music (an interesting version of the genre) Alex Ovechkin is seemingly top of the pops.
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Ovechkin's time on the mic (3:01 to 3:25 for those scoring at home) has become the cause celebrate of the You Tube world, his helpful contribution to the epic musical stylings of Sasha Bely, with their rendition of Champion, as translated for those of us without Russian lessons, thanks to the Puck Daddy blog.

No word on whether Bruce Boudreau is going to download it onto his iPod way out there in Anaheim, the energy level on the video would seem to be a little more enthusiastic than when he and Boudrea were discussing his work ethic prior to Boudreau's dismissal by the Caps, not to mention, when it comes to being a "champion" both came up a little short last year on titles.

There also hasn't been much out of the Capitals camp these days of Ovechkin's part time vocation, though we imagine it's only a matter of time that there may be a bit of a rap on his focus when it comes to hockey, over his new found love of rap music.

Washington Post-- Ovechkin as a rap star
Globe and Mail-- Alex Ovechkin stars in rap video
Sportsnet-- Ovechkin's mid career crisis
Winnipeg Free Press-- Caps star Ovechkin raps, dances (for of ) in Russian music video "Champion"

Please make the following mid game change in your program...

2012-01-13T12:48:00.000-08:00

There's the mid-season trade and now the mid period trade, welcome to the NHL, Pierre Gauthier style!

The tome of craziness that is Les Canadiens 2011-12 edition, added yet another chapter on Thursday night as Montreal's hockey club packed off Michael Cammalleri to Calgary while he was still dressed in his Canadiens uniform in the Canadiens dressing room, providing for a number of topics for any hot stove league conversations in the second intermission.

Topics such as:

Will this be a good trade for Calgary and or Montreal?

Will Cammalleri find happiness in Calgary after what seems to have been a session in Hell in la Province La Belle?

Any other Habs inclined to try the Cammalleri approach to freedom?

And has Pierre Gauthier completely lost it, succumbing to the pressures of hockey's most studied and obsessed about squad?

Perhaps the Habs GM had little recourse to deal off the Canadiens forward, considering his now much quoted thoughts on the culture of losing that seems to have become the norm in Montreal, Cammalleri by going public with his complaints and thoughts more or less ensured that his time as a Hab would be soon over, perhaps laying out the blue print for others that may wish to escape the good ship Titanic, er Habitant (it's PK Subban on line one Mr. Gauthier).

But by trading the guy in between periods, Gauthier has just added item to the list of strange happenings in Montreal, a list (see HockeyNation passim) that was already pretty crowded by badly timed decisions, some of which, like this trade don't' seem to have been particularly well thought out.

So far for those keeping tabs on the Manic behaviour in Montreal, Gauthier has fired an assistant coach (how's it going Perry Pearn) just before game time, sent his old friend and long time compatriot Jacques Martin off into the snow and then promoted Randy Cunneyworth, who may or may not be a great NHL coach one day, but surely must realize that his shelf life in the fishbowl of Montreal is not going to long.

Cunneyworth's appointment of course created much more than hockey conversation in Montreal, it revived the ancient grievances of the past when it comes to language, something that apparently has caught both Gauthier and Canadiens owner Geoff Molson by surprise, either or, a candidate for the Inspector Clousseau award for hockey, seemingly clueless as to the effect of their actions.

Add in some push back from players suddenly benched and not liking it and some actual pushing and shoving between players in practice and well, as they say in Quebec, Merde... Quelle desastre!

The Canadiens players were in a wee bit of shock Friday trying to digest the latest developments from their season of strange, Max Pacioretty seemingly trying to keep an even keel about it all with his thoughts...

“I’ve never seen anything like that in my life,” Pacioretty said. “But, obviously, there’s a reason for everything. We have to trust our management to make the right decisions.”

Uh, ok Max, you keep up a good thought for that outcome... While we have you though, ever give any thought to burying a bridge, swampland or Arctic winter home, cause we have some bargains for you...

Perhaps the calendar can offer us some insight into all this dysfunction, a quick glance at it today for instance shows us the first Friday the 13th of the new year.

We're not sure how the Canadiens got into such a state, but clearly the way this season has gone so far and with no indication that common sense and reason is on the horizon, it seems that every day in Montreal is a Friday the 13th.

Montreal Gazette-- Canadiens get bigger, cheaper by jettisoning Cammalleri for Borque
Montreal Gazette-- Mid-period Cammalleri trade stuns Montreal Canadien players
Montreal Gazette-- Montreal Canadiens trade Cammalleri after comments
Canada.com-- Gone after two periods
Globe and Mail-- Cammalleri trade proves the truth will set you free
Globe and Mail-- Dissecting the Flames - Canadiens trade
National Post-- Michael Cammalleri trade sums up Canadiens' strange season
Calgary Herald-- Cammalleri deal shows Flames taking run at playoffs
Calgary Herald-- Cammalleri pumped about returning to Flames
Calgary Herald-- Flames offer mixed feelings after Borque trade
Calgary Sun-- Cammalleri back with Flames
Calgary Sun-- Flames players shocked, excited at trade
Calgary Sun-- Borque emotional in leaving Flames for Habs
Calgary Sun-- Cammalleri bubbling with excitement
Toronto Star-- Montreal Canadiens ship Mike Cammalleri to Calgary for Rene Borque
Toronto Star-- Choosing Directions
Sportsnet-- Habs lose again with trade
ESPN-- Did trade make Habs better?
TSN-- Would you want your NHL team to rebuild?

You mean they have more than a swimsuit edition?

2012-01-12T09:33:00.000-08:00

“What player votes in a poll like this? What imbecile? Whoever filled out the ballot has a room temperature I.Q. … I get the survey tomorrow, ‘who is the most over-rated GM?’ You think I fill it out and crap all over my peer group? I would throw it in the trash.” -- Brian Burke with a few thoughts on the Sports Illustrated poll on the most overrated players in the NHL.

The folks at Sports Illustrated might want to take Brian Burke off the cold call list when seeking subscriptions this January, the Leafs President and GM isn't particularly a fan of their hockey coverage (such as it is) and he's especially less than impressed with their most recent observations on hockey with the release of their Most Overrated Poll.

Burke, appearing Wednesday on Bob McCown's Prime Time Sports show on Sportsnet and the Fan 590, expressed admiration for the yeoman like work of Michael Farber, dismissed the rest of the magazines coverage of the sport as basically irrelevant, particularly the poll of the most overrated, which incidentally featured two Leafs, with defenceman Dion Phaneuf holding down the magazine's most over rated spot at number 1, his second time at the top of the SI listings, his last appearance as number one coming in 2010.

The poll which is reportedly compiled by player vote, featured fifteen names. The players that don't perform as much as their hype would suggest, at least in the mind of those that contributed to the tabulations.

Needless to say, the election of Phaneuf as the most over rated is making waves beyond the Leafs corner offices, the Toronto based media outlets have begun their own reviews of the poll and are finding the Sports Illustrated poll leaves them wanting.

Globe and Mail-- Dion Phaneuf a victim of perception

Globe and Mail-- Dion Phaneuf voted most overrated NHLer in SI Poll

Sportsnet-- Is Phaneuf the most overrated?

Yahoo Sports-- Is Dion Phaneuf of Maple Leafs really the most overrated player?

Toronto Star-- Leafs' Dion Phaneuf voted most overrated player in NHL; Brian Burke...
Toronto Sun-- Players say Phaneuf overrated
Toronto Sun-- Leafs GM slams 'cretin' voters

National Post-- Leafs' Brian Burke talks trade speculation in radio interview
TSN-- Phaneuf voted most overrated player in NHL Player poll
CBC Sports-- Leafs' Phaneuf most overrated NHLer, according to poll
NBC Sports-- Burke says anonymous player polls are "designed to crap on fellow NHLPA members"

Burke of course, would be expected to defend his players, especially Phaneuf the team's captain and he makes a fairly valid point about the nature of the poll, which isn't seemingly based on any kind of statistical overview or success/failure ratio, but rather on the gut feelings of those 161 players that cast a ballot.

And it's that final statistic that seems to discount the gravitas of the poll, there are 750 players currently on NHL rosters, of that only 161 voted, a number that makes the voting levels of Canadian elections look like full participation.

It's also the key part of Burke's argument against the poll, not so much as a true study but rather as something for someone with an axe to grind to weigh in on. He wonders aloud why the NHLPA would not try to remind it's players that they diminish their unity by allowing fellow members to "crap" on their own membership.

But why paraphrase the man, he does a wonderful job of explanation all on his own, you can listen in on that topic and other items of importance to the Leafs Nation, from the video archive of Wednesday's show.
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Feeding the fuel to the feud

2012-01-11T15:18:00.000-08:00

There's no doubt that at the moment, the NHL's biggest blood feud is that between the Boston Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks, a combustible combination that seems to bring out the nasty in everyone whenever the two teams are mentioned, let along meet.

For a few moments on Saturday, viewers might be forgiven if they thought they had time travelled back to June of 2011 and some of the more heated and uglier moments of the Stanley Cup Final.

Last Saturday was the latest instalment of the Hatfield's and the McCoy's NHL style (or as David Shoalts' in the Globe and Mail puts a revisit of the worst of Iran and Iraq), a match up that provided for the anticipated fisticuffs and inevitable cheap shots.

This time around it was a game that featured Brad Marchand playing the role of grand villain in this episode for his blatantly cheap shot on Sami Salo, a low bridge take out that has left Salo sidelined for an undetermined amount of time.

A nasty little event that has popped up on the NHL radar and as we see above, resulted in Chief Justice Brendan Shanahan providing for a five game suspension for that particular dirty shot.

Shanahan's punishment has done little to mollify the Canucks, nor temper the hostility of the Bruins, in fact four days later, Saturday's game still seems to be one of the main topics of discussion whenever the NHL comes up in discussion.

And as the teams and players opined on the results of Saturday's latest bout of mayhem, the media on both sides of the 49th weighed in, recounting each sentence as though papal encyclicals, anxious to interpret and perhaps invent, all in the cause of good copy and or good ratings and sales.

From north of the line:

Vancouver Sun-- Bruins' Marchand out - but Cancuks' Salo may be out longer
Vancouver Sun-- A bridge to far? Bruin Marchand's Salo submarine not his first...
Vancouver Sun-- Bruins' Marchand suspended five NHL games for "predatory," dangerous...
Vancouver Sun-- Canucks' pushback against Bruins meant more than score
Vancouver Sun-- Vancouver wins game but loses Salo, Canucks furious...
Vancouver Sun-- Canuck power-play beats big, bad Bruins...
Vancouver Province-- Bruins-Canucks brouhaha not likely to settle
Vancouver Province-- Bruins' Marchand and Chiarelli could be fined for comments
Vancouver Province-- Canucks 'posers and floppers': Boston sports columnist
Vancouver Province-- Canucks' Vigneault on Bruins' Marchand: "someday he's going to get it"
Vancouver Province-- Canucks wage hockey "holy war" against Boston
Sportsnet-- Province columnist "ambushed" by Boston media ...
Globe and Mail-- 'Some day he's going to get it" Vigneault says of Marchand
Globe and Mail-- Canucks win Stanley Cup rematch against Bruins
Globe and Mail-- Bruins' Marchand facing hearing for hit on Canucks' Salo
Globe and Mail-- Canucks - Bruins rivalry enters the sandbox
National Post-- Canucks finally get payback
National Post-- Brad Marchand tried to injure Sami Salo: Canucks
National Post-- Canucks win heated Stanley Cup rematch over Bruins
Toronto Star-- Canucks win nasty Stanley Cup rematch in hostile territory

From points due south:

Boston Herald-- Brad Marchand sticks to his story
Boston Herald-- Brad Marchand frustrated by sentence
Boston Herald-- Canucks anger B's brass
Boston Herald-- Marchand suspended for five games
Boston Herald-- Brad Marchand defends self
Boston Herald-- Brad Marchand: My instincts were to protect myself
Boston Herald-- Bruins caught short in feisty Cup rematch
Boston Herald-- Canucks take bite out of Bruins
Boston Herald-- NHL absolves Lucic following wild melee
Boston Globe-- Marchand dirty player?
Boston Globe-- Entertaining matinee lived up to the billing
Boston Globe-- Power punched
Boston Globe-- Poor decisions prove very costly
Boston Globe-- Marchand ban: Five games
Boston Globe: Chiarelli takes Canucks to task, defends Marchand
NESN-- Bad Blood from Bruins-Canucks rivalry bringing out ugly side of sports
NESN-- Canucks expose One of Boston's few flaws that could prove costly in playoffs
ESPN-- Bruins' Brad Marchand disappointed
ESPN-- Neely: Marchand penalty was too harsh
Comcast-- Thornton lays smackdown on Vancouver columnist

It all makes for fascinating copy for the local newspapers and no doubt the thing of a producer's dream for the many sports radio and television shows not only in Boston and Vancouver but across the continent.

Will destiny bring these two malcontents together once again?

Only the Hockey Gods know for sure.

The two teams won't renew acquaintances again this year unless they meet in another Stanley Cup final, an event that, considering the animosity that is being fomented across the board from players to fans, leaves you wondering if the NHL is hopeful of, or fearful of.

Columbus changes the jacket behind the bench

2012-01-11T10:11:00.000-08:00

Scott Arniel is unlucky number seven, the now former Columbus Blue Jacket head coach the latest to join the ex coaches ranks, after Columbus dismissed him late Sunday night.

The Blue Jackets who are to be frank just woeful this year, felt that some of the blame needed to be tagged to the guy behind the bench, though if they were honest upper management might be persuaded to look in a mirror, for the short comings on the Blue Jackets are clearly much deeper than just the guy that was trying to educate and motivate a collection of players that seem to be a little in over their heads.

With a bona fide star in Rick Nash, the Blue Jackets have never really provided him with required on ice assistance to reach that potential that many felt was to be his, it's no wonder that after more than a few years of fumbling in the hockey wilderness the drums of trade bait are starting to bang loudly in Ohio, Nash really one of the few candidates that any other team might be inclined to accept from the fumbling Jackets.

For Arniel, the dismissal probably while stinging at the moment (don't read the Columbus papers though, that sting will be a little harsher if you do) should not be career limiting, most GM's around the league probably understand the bad hand he was dealt by his bosses, the results of the teams on ice performance not quite dictated by the coaching staff.

And while the perception among some of the media in Columbus is that Arniel wasn't getting the job done, there are larger issues for the Blue Jackets to solve other than the coaching acumen of the guy they just dismissed.

The Blue Jackets have long been a cellar dwelling squad, their momentum seemingly ever downward as opposed to where a team should be going considering the bounty of draft picks that their lack of success should have provided for.

To provide for perhaps the most damning indictment of the Blue Jackets blue print, how about this stat, Columbus has been in the NHL for eleven years and made the playoffs but once, as the 2011-12 season begins the back nine, it would seem likely that this will mark year number ten of the Blue Jackets absence from playoff activity.

That is clearly a failing above the pay grade of Arniel or any other coach that has listed Columbus on their resume, Todd Richards now the latest in that select club, though judging by the patience of the Columbus management one imagines he might wish to just pencil that addition in for the moment.

The growing list of the departed can be found here.

Columbus Post Dispatch-- Richards a coach again after Wild fired him
Columbus Post Dispatch-- Change at the top for Blue Jackets
Columbus Post Dispatch-- With Arniel finally gone, players now accountable
Columbus Post Dispatch-- Arniel firing jolts Blue Jackets
Columbus Post Dispatch-- Arniel out as Blue Jackets coach
Globe and Mail-- Blue Jackets fire coach Scott Arniel
National Post-- Jackets' Scott Arniel becomes latest NHL coach to bite the dust
Toronto Star-- Columbus Blue Jackets fire coach Scott Arniel
Toronto Sun-- Blue Jackets fire Arniel
USA Today-- Blue Jackets fire coach; more moves likely

Canada's loss still leaves players, fans in shock

2012-01-05T09:51:00.000-08:00

“If you understand how important winning is, you really feel the value of discipline. It’s about sacrifice and doing things to help you win — it’s not about getting even.” -- Canadian Coach, Don Hay providing the key talking point of Canada's disappointing loss to Russia of Tuesday night.

Don Hay is a rather pragmatic fellow, he understands the emotional attachment that Canadians have with their game, how that emotion can spur a team on to a great victory or work against it to deliver a loss, Tuesday in a second period Canadian meltdown the hockey Gods delivered the second option.

In one of those ever constant classic games on an emotional level if not on the actual level of play, Canada and Russia squared off in the World Junior Semi Final, a much anticipated game that provided for no shortage of sub plots and delivered a roller coaster of emotional angst to last for the next 365 days or so.

The Russians who were full value for their eventual win in the first two periods, suffered the kind of collapse in the third that might have destroyed lesser teams, frankly lucky to survive that third period with a victory, they provided for enough scoring in the first forty minutes to make that Canadian mountain just a little too hard to climb on the final ascent.

Canada's loss could be attributed to goal tending perhaps, though one has much sympathy with Scott Wedgewood who despite the Russian onslaught of the first two periods held them off as best he could, no doubt wishing to have a few shots back, he was more the victim of his team mates undisciplined play in the first two periods than of the dramatic goal scoring machine that the Russians provided.

His exit of the game after being run over in his own goal by a Russian player not even in on the play was certainly not a finger of blame being pointed but maybe a wishful sea change by Hay who needed to turn around the Canadian focus, replaced by Mark Visentin the Canadians continued to pour on the pressure on the Russians, chipping away at their massive third period lead, each goal knocking out a plank of that confidence and cockiness that the Russians had of the first two.

Canada did not aid their cause with their play of the second period, where emotions clearly got the better of them, the pressure of an elimination game weighing heavy on the teenagers we sent onto the ice. Frustrations led to a major spearing penalty and then another glimpse of Canadian frustration a ten minute unsportsmanlike penalty, key moments where control should have won out over action, but instead resulted in penalty situations that helped the Russians.

Still, when you hoist your nation's ambitions upon the shoulders of young adults, the pressure of that can work in two directions, that second period, which proved to be the downfall for Canada is exhibit A in how it works against you.

In a tournament that always features questions on the officiating, leaving your fate to the fortunes of the penalty kill is probably not a great strategy. Though to be fair to the officials, for the most part they handled the game well, Canada got away with almost as many calls as they served, the same for the most part could be aid for the Russians.

In the end, the Canadians ran out of time and ran out of chances, had but one or two of the clanging goal post shots or goal mouth swoops made their way into the Russian net, the talk would have been about another monumental Canadian comeback.

It took them forty minutes, but Canada finally brought that never say die mentality that it has on the ice to the game, making for a frantic twenty minutes that left you on the edge of your couch wondering if indeed this was all really happening on your television screen.

Those that were channel surfing through the second, hopefully checked back in for the third, as it was some of the most emotional play we've seen in a number of years, not diminished by the outcome, but still not the ending that Canada would have wished for.

There's going to be disappointment in the Canadian dressing room and with its program for the next year, Canada expects to win or at least compete in the gold medal game each and every time the puck drops in this tournament, to be playing for bronze is going to be a little strange for the players.

The Russians however, with the exception of their third period floundering (something the Swedes no doubt made note of) were deserving of their win, they outplayed Canada in periods one and two, providing for enough of a cushion to just bring in the victory.

In a tournament that Canada has dominated for many years, it's almost refreshing to see some of the other countries ratchet up their game to contend for the championship gold medal, though it's going to be a little discombobulating not seeing that Maple Leaf sweater on the ice when the final game of this year's efforts takes place later tonight.

For ticket scalpers, it would appear that Canada's early exit is the makings of a financial meltdown that will be memorable for those that engage in such things as hockey ticket speculation.

The National Post's Cam Cole provides one of the more introspective looks at Tuesday's action, followed up by the Globe and Mail's Roy MacGregor who offers up this review of the tournament and some of the dynamics that may have resulted in the Canadian loss.

Their work highlights a strong package of reviews of the world junior (much of which you can look back on here).

The remainder of the Semi Final reviews however can be found below.

Calgary Sun-- Ticket prices for World Junior gold medal match plunge

National Post-- Canada's semi-final loss at world juniors 'not the end of the world'

National Post-- Canada denied again by Russia at world hockey juniors

National Post-- Canada's late rally falls short in semi-final loss to Russia at world hockey juniors

National Post-- Russia conjures up some old magic at world juniors

Calgary Sun-- Canada turns focus to bronze

Calgary Sun-- Kuznetsov still chirping after win

Calgary Sun-- Grow Up, Kuznestov

Calgary Sun-- Deja-lose at world juniors

Calgary Sun-- Wedgewood shoulders blame in loss

Calgary Sun-- Friberg tries to shed villain tag

Calgary Sun-- Tending to Canada's goalie crisis

Calgary Sun-- Team Canada's Walk of Shame

Calgary Sun-- Iginla busted out at world juniors

Calgary Sun-- Boone booted for bronze game

Calgary Sun-- Visentin taking it like a champ

Calgary Sun-- Senators scout proud of picking Stone

Calgary Sun-- Visentin forced to watch this time

Calgary Sun-- Canada comeback falls short

Globe and Mail-- Easy round robin backfires on Canada at world juniors

Globe and Mail-- Canada's goaltending wasn't good enough for gold

Globe and Mail-- Canada looking through bronze-coloured glasses

Toronto Star-- No shame in Team Canada's performance

Toronto Star-- Canadian, Russian suspended for junior medal games

Toronto Star-- Canadian hockey fans stunned by world junior hockey loss to Russia

Toronto Star-- Kuznestov once again helps end Canada's dreams of world junior gold

Calgary Sun-- Canadian heart and soul wasn't enough

Toronto Star-- Canada loses to Russia in world junior hockey finals

Globe and Mail-- Jenner, Isangulov suspended at world juniors

Globe and Mail-- Russian talent too much for Team Canada

Globe and Mail-- Russia cements role as Canada's greatest hockey rival with dramatic win

Globe and Mail-- Canadian rally falls short against Russia in world junior semis

Globe and Mail-- Canada's near comeback makes loss to Russia sting even more

Globe and Mail-- WJC semi-final: Russia 6, Canada 5 (final)

HockeyNation Headlines January 2012

2012-01-02T00:09:00.001-08:00

Our archive of headlines for December 2012

January 29-- Marian Gaborik leads Team Chara to all star victory
January 28-- Kane, Tavares save the day at NHL All-Star skills competition
January 27-- Len Barrie gets the boot
January 26-- Lively all-star draft has few surprises
January 25-- No shame in being the last man standing at all-star draft
January 24-- Capitals' Ovechkin to skip All-Star Game
January 23-- Tim Thomas skips White House trip due to 'out of control' government
January 22-- Bruins' Ference suspended three games
January 21-- Sidney Crosby to undergo tests with neurological spine specialist
January 20-- Canadiens inspiring a clear apathy
January 19-- Casino sues former NHLer for alleged $2M debt
January 18-- Canadiens' woes continue in loss to Capitals
January 17-- Oilers lose to Blackhawks after Taylor Hall injured in warmup
January 16-- Resurgent Winnipeg proves every dog has its day
January 15-- Surprise, surprise... Senators continue their ascent
January 14-- Hitchcock has Blues threatening to join NHL elite
January 13-- Leafs GM Brian Burke: "We are not in trade discussions involving Luke ..."
January 12-- Habs trade Cammalleri to Flames
January 11-- Leafs' Dion Phaneuf voted most overrated in the NHL; Brian Burke not amused
January 10-- Rivalry between Canucks and Bruins makes for hockey at its most electric
January 9-- Arniel out as Blue Jackets coach
January 8-- Iggy second to nobody
January 7-- Canuck power play beats big, Bad Bruins...
January 6-- Time for Flames to start dealing stars
January 5-- Mark Visentin earns his near Hollywood ending
January 4-- Tortorella fined $30,000 for bashing refs after Winter Classic
January 3-- Canadian rally falls short against Russia in world junior semis
January 2-- Classic Flyers loss to Rangers
January 1-- World Junior tournament hasn't really even started yet

Mostly about pride on Saturday night

2012-01-02T00:09:00.000-08:00

Saturday night's showdown between the USA and Canada at the World Juniors wasn't the marquee New Year's Eve bash that perhaps organizers had hoped for.

Rather, the year end game was pretty well an extended practice session for the Canadians who had already clinched a semi final berth, mainly through the American's lack of success against the Finns and the Czechs.

Yet, despite the lack of importance for the game, the Canadians were still referencing past games with the Americans to try and build on the 3-2 victory for the upcoming battles to come in Calgary in the medal round.

Canada jumped out to a 3-0 lead and then basically went into a cruise control mode, allowing the Americans to battle hard through the third period to make a much closer game of it than really should have been.

The USA, suddenly found the missing gear that eluded them for a few of their mis-steps in the tournament, rushing the Canadian end frequently in the third, clawing back two of the three goal deficit and coming close on any number of occasions to pulling even with the Canadians.

By games end, the Canadians had taken the two points, salvaging the victory and holding on to the boasting rights that seemed theirs for the bragging in the first two periods. Canada more or less staggereinh to the finish line, securing the victory to remain undefeated since the opening puck drop, but clearly with a few bad habits to clear up before they meet the winner of the Russia/Czech Republic game of Monday, either of which could provide Canada's largest challenge thus far.

Canada has had the run of the first round collecting 26 goals for and but 5 against in their first four games, mostly against teams that seemed in awe of their host.

However, both the Czechs and the Finns managed to shake out the doldrums and find success against the Americans, a team that many thought would be a contender through to the medal round and now must fight just to avoid the perils of relegation, an unlikely prospect we would imagine though the Americans will clearly have the target on them as they face Latvia and Switzerland on January 3 and 4.

They showed some of that resolve and pride that has made them a most dangerous opponent in tournaments past, they will have to call upon it again in the next few games to try and salvage some kind of forward momentum for their program heading into next year.

As for Canada, they will watch with interest as the Russians and Czechs renew a hockey rivalry that at times is as heated as the Canadian/Russian or Canadian/American version, whichever team comes out of that quarterfinal game on Monday will face Canada with a renewed sense of confidence and maybe a bit of swagger, a dangerous combination that could provide trouble for Canaada who will have been idle since Saturday and really for the most part not tested thus far in the tournament.

It's that focus that Don Hay and his coaching staff will have to try and secure for Canada, putting the opening round routs behind them and knuckling down to the hard work that is yet to come if Gold is to be in Canada's future.

Globe and Mail-- Orr inspires Canada to win over U. S.

National Post-- Canada stifles U. S. comeback for win

Calgary Sun-- Canada-USA meaningless, but memorable

Calgary Sun-- Canada's wild ride arrives in Calgary

Canada.com-- Americans show pride against Canada

National Post-- Russia the real Canadian junior enemy

National Post-- Boys just having fun at world juniors

Canada.com-- Captain Canada leads by example

Canada.com-- Canadians take perfect record into semifinals

Dining on Danish

2011-12-31T00:14:00.000-08:00

By all accounts the Danish team is having a rather enjoyable time of it in Alberta, despite the rather large deficits that they're accumulating on the ice.

Thursday night, Denmark met up with Canada, a game that they probably knew going in was not going to be a mark in their W column, and as the result showed, up agains the juggernaut of the Canadian team it was all the Danes could do to keep it competitive.

If not for a couple of lapses in the third period Canada most likely would have recorded back to back shut outs at the World Juniors, but, as is always the case when you lose your focus the opposition can make a bit of headway at your expense.

Still, with but two goals to collect the Danes were the longest of long shots to stage an upset at the tournament. As they worked their way towards ten, the Canadians really were in no danger of losing, though with such wide margins of victory as collected thus far, it's hard to get a read as to how Canada will compare when they go up against the other teams finding success so far at the tournament.

The first big test was thought to be on the way on New Year's Eve when Team Canada takes on the USA squad, but with the Americans getting shocked in two consecutive games now they find themselves out of the medal hunt already, hardly cause to celebrate the end of the year and the dawning of the new one to come.

Instead, the Americans will now have to battle through the relegation round, just to save themselves the uncomfortable scenario of being removed from the IIHF's A pool and relegated to the B line, a place we imagine Denmark is probably heading after their brief trip to the top level of international junior hockey.

The Americans we suspect will fight through the next few games past the Canadian one to make sure they don't drop off the A level radar, for Denmark, a bit of time on the B list is probably going to work in their favour.

Crowd favourites through their stay, they seem to exhibit the persona of the expression just happy to be here, all good times come to an end however and without a victory or two, we will most likely be bidding Denmark adieu for a year.

Canada plays the USA on New Years Eve, secure in the knowledge that they have already secured a semi final spot, offering head coach Don Hay an opportunity to work his line combinations a bit and get some valuable playing time to the third line, something that may come in handy when the likes of Sweden and Finland appear on the Canadian radar again.

Globe and Mail-- Canada romps past Denmark
National Post-- Canada stays perfect in decisive defeat of Denmark
Calgary Sun-- Canada downs Denmark
Toronto Star-- Canadian juniors hang 10 on Denmark

Canada crosses another team off of its Czech list

2011-12-29T17:23:00.000-08:00

Two games in, Canada's junior squad is pushing the plus side to new reaches, with a combined plus score of 13 goals in their favour and but one against thus far at the World Junior Championships.

Canada's second win came on Wednesday night with a 5 - 0 victory over the Czech Republic that actually was significantly closer than the final score provided for.

The Canadians were holding on to a slim 1 - 0 lead in the second period when goaltender Scott Wedgewood took matters into his own hands, sending a rink long pass from behind his net to Canada's Freddie Hamilton who while missing on his attempt, was able to redirect the rebound over to Ryan Strome who put away the easy gift.

That it seemed, marked the end of the line for the Czechs, who despite the yeoman like work of Petr Mrazek in the Czech nets (the score could have been how high without him?)

Canada while hardly blowing the doors off of Rexall Place, did at that point find their rhythm on the night and began to take advantage of their chances, backed up by some fine goal tending by Wedgewood the Canadians were able to bring another win into harbour at the World Juniors.

The game actually proving to be a teachable moment for Don Hay, who stressed perseverance and attention to game plan as the key to Canada's success in this tournament. A lesson plan that paid off for the Canadians as they faced their first bit of adversity in this tournament so far.

With the win Canada remains unbeaten in this preliminary round with a 2-0 record and a game less than 24 hours later to come against the Danes.

National Post-- Canada overcomes first bout of adversity at world juniors

Globe and Mail-- Canada bounces Czechs at World Juniors

National Post-- Scheifele nets two in Canada's rout of Czechs

Toronto Star-- Scheifele scores twice for Canada's junior team in 5-0 win...

Calgary Sun-- Canada blanks Czechs

3 and out at Spengler

2011-12-29T16:37:00.000-08:00

Canada's time in the spotlight at the Spengler Cup came to a quick and sudden end on Thursday, as Team Canada, still reeling from yesterday's hammering against the Davos squad, lost a pre semi final (something we might call the quarterfinals?) match in shoot outs to a quite motivated Wolfsburg squad.

The IIHF site was almost chortling over the loss to Davos, as Marc Crawford's team suffered what was described on the site as a "humiliation", in that 8-1 loss. The hangover effect of which seems to have carried over into Thursday's must win game against Wolfsburg.

Globe and Mail -- HC Davos hammers Canada at Spengler Cup
Sun Newspapers-- Canada Blown out at Spengler Cup
Canada.com-- Davos flattens Canada at Spengler Cup
TSN-- When was the last time Canada lost this big?

Crawford perhaps offered up some inadvertent foreshadowing on Wednesday when he suggested that Canada needed to get back to the basics if they had any hope of rebounding, with the 3-2 shoot out loss to the Wolfsburg squad, it would seem that parts of that message may not have made it through in time.

Globe and Mail-- Canada eliminated from Spengler Cup
Canada.com-- Canada ousted at Spengler Cup
IIHF-- Wolfsburg with Sensational win against Team Canada

With the loss, Canada was eliminated from further medal contention at the annual tourney, Canada last claimed the Spengler Cup in 2007.

And while the early exit by Canada might make for a dramatic headline or two in Europe and offer up some sense of parity among European squads, the departure of any rooting interests for the folks back on this side of the Atlantic probably will make for a lonely feeling for TSN's Paul Romanuk.

The theme for Paul Romanuk perhaps more Pink Floyd's "Is there anybody out there", as opposed to that fine chorus from Stompin' Tom of "Hello out there, we're on the air it's hockey night tonight, "

Without Canada at least moving forward to the semi finals or even the final itself, we imagine that the sound that can be heard all the way across the ocean to Davos will be that of Canadian television clickers moving on to other pursuits in this very busy sports weekend.

You can follow the remainder of the Spengler Cup progress from our portal, with this link from our right hand column.

Team Canada skates hard out of the gate at World Juniors

2011-12-27T11:09:00.000-08:00

If you like offence, then it would seem that the 2012 World Juniors is going to be your kind of tournament.

Canada started off what became an avalanche of goal scoring in both Calgary and Edmonton on Monday, with a flurry of goals over three periods to set the tone of this years tournament taking their tournament opener by a score of 8-1 over Finland.

By the time that TSN or TSN2 had signed off on the opening day broadcasts there was a total of 39 goals produced over the course of the four games, including an impressive 11- 3 thrashing of Denmark by the Americans and a 9-4 victory by Sweden over Latvia.

Of the four games, the only close contest was Russia's 3-0 win over Switzerland, judging by the volume of goals on Monday, we should congratulate the Swiss on their defensive acumen, clearly Jacques Lemaire's time there many years ago had an impact.

Canada looked good right from the opening puck drop, the game the domain of Mark Stone, who recorded a hat trick for Team Canada, adding on an assist for good measure for a four point night. The line combination of Huberdeau, Strome and Stone seemingly set to have a pretty successful tourney, if one game is to be considered as the benchmark.

The Finns who had a rather nice pre tournament, just never seemed to find the gear required to keep up with the Canadians, frequently out hustled to the puck and far too tentative in the corners. Defensively they were a bit of a mess as well, unable to clear the puck from in front of Christopher Gibson, who would find no sympathetic respite from the onslaught of shots and inevitable goals.

While the game plan on the ice was executed pretty well to perfection, the game was not without its downside, Canada lost the services of Devante Smith-Pelly, who saw his tournament come to an end in the second period when he took a shot off his left leg, fracturing his foot and sending him to the Anaheim Duck's training room for the next four to six weeks.

It will be a missing ingredient to the team that may come to haunt Canada in later games, once the tournament teams revise their strategies a bit and tighten up their defensive play.

Losing someone of Smith-Pelly's calibre and character is a hole that Don Hay will have to try and work with, an unwanted requirement but one of those things that comes along and tests a team from time to time.

The road to the Gold medal is never an easy one, steeped with many potential mis-steps along the way, it's how you handle the adversity that cam dictate the difference between success and watching the other guys collect the gold medal.

Canada makes their next step on that path on Wednesday, when they match up with the Czech Republic.

Edmonton Sun-- Canada 8, Finland 1

Toronto Star-- Team Canada crushes Finland 8-1 in opener at world juniors

National Post-- Canada opens world juniors with rout of Finland

National Post-- Team Canada's top line manufactures instant chemistry

National Post-- Team Canada's Smith-Pelly done for WJC

National Post-- Victory sets positive tone for Canada

Globe and Mail-- Broken foot forces Canada's Smith-Pelly out of world junior tournament

Globe and Mail-- Senators' Zibanejad not your typical Swede

Globe and Mail-- Hats off to Team Canada, goalie Mark Visentin

Globe and Mail-- Sweden, U. S., Russia get wins

Globe and Mail-- Canada opens world Juniors with a resounding win

Les roues tombent l'autobus

2011-12-27T10:22:00.000-08:00

In most years, the normal course of action among Canadian hockey fans is to watch with wonderment at the state of the Toronto Maple Leafs, however there seems to have been a bit of a change of the winds of wonderment these days, for Canadiens and Canadians alike can only sit back and watch what is becoming of the Montreal Canadiens.

The once stable, lynch pin of the NHL, is quickly descending down the rabbit hole of mediocrity and mockery, their handling of the current situation indicative of a team that isn't on message, adrift and clearly proceeding without any kind of plan in place.

Into that mess has wandered Randy Cunneyworth, a rising name among the coaching ranks who surely deserved better than to be tossed into the water as bait for the sharks of the St. Lawrence.

The debate over Cunneyworth's coaching bona fides is getting overshadowed by his linguistic limitations, something that the Canadiens have created all on their own, a management collective that clearly has missed the mark in their own market.

Leaving Cunneyworth to face down a rising mob of Quebecois, media, nationalist and maybe even one or two actual fans of the team, all of whom seem determined to ride the guy out of town before the sun rises on New Years Day.

And while we actually do understand some of the complaints about the nature of Cunneyworth's appointment (probably it would seem having a coach able to converse with the media and a good portion of the fan base is a good thing), the rising vitriolic nature about his appointment is getting a little out of hand.

Those doing the most yelling, the media and the nationalist element, seem to forget that a quick review of the past coaches of Les Canadiens, will show a long list of Francophone employees that left the position, seemingly either considered not good enough to coach the team, or having left the position owing to the pressure and emotional toll that such a position seems to take on them.

Further to that point, the Canadiens vocal critics should look no further than last year's Stanley Cup Final, two coaches of French Canadian background behind the bench, both former coaches of the Canadiens, both highly regarded among the fraternity and both more than likely glad to be away from the incessant glare of the Quebec based media and other social observers eager to make political statements with every shift change.

All of that being said however, the coach of Les Canadiens should have more than just a rudimentary skill in the language and possess the ability to converse with the fans and the media in both languages.

We're not sure how fast a learner Mr. Cunneyworth is, he has said he would like to learn the language and we have no doubt as to his sincerity on that lesson plan.

Then again, when your boss, in this case Geoff Molson, has already seemingly thrown you under the bus, add on the gnashing of teeth and proclamations of outrage from a number of sources in the province and we wonder if you're Randy Cunneyworth, if you even bother putting in the order to Rosetta Stone.

Montreal has long been one of the NHL's most stable of franchises, though the last week or two has been anything but. It seems as though the management cadre of the team has lurched from one mis step to another, using what appears to be a rather tattered and faded road map as opposed to a well constructed blue print for success.

Considering the way they have treated their coaching staff in the last few years, it's a wonder Mr. Cunneyworth even accepted the job, at the moment, the most toxic position in the league would appear to be head coach of the league's most storied franchise...

Good luck in compiling that inevitable short list Mr. Molson, you are going to need it!

Globe and Mail-- Habs' Subban "embarrassed" after being scratched by Cunneyworth
Canada.com-- Cunneyworth hopes to invigorate Canadiens with new line combinations
Canada.com-- P. K. Subban red-faced over scratch
Canada.com-- Language barrier?
Canada.com-- Is December a month to remember, or forget?
National Post-- Speaking French is far more important than winning hockey games
Globe and Mail-- Guy Carbonneau: Habs' coach Randy Cunneyworth needs to learn French
Canada.com-- Time for talking is over, Canadiens Josh Gorges says
Canada.com-- Fifth straight loss
Globe and Mail-- Quebec nationalist protest planned for upcoming Canadiens games
National Post-- Quebec sovereignty, French groups to protest against Canadiens coach
National Post-- Montreal's hockey politics aren't unique
Canada.com-- Insisting on bilingual coach limits Canadiens' options
Globe and Mail-- For the first time in decades, there's no French behind Habs' bench
National Post-- French won't help Canadiens win
Canada.com-- Habs anglophone coach
Canada.com-- Opinion: Anglo coach a gesture of contempt
Canada.com-- The Habs make an exception for an interim coach
Canada.com-- The PQ gets an assist from the Habs
Globe and Mail-- Habs owner stick handles through language debate
Globe and Mail-- Habs strike a nerve in Quebec's language debates
National Post-- Canadiens owner Geoff Molson defends Randy Cunneyworth hiring
CBC Sports-- Habs owner Geoff Molson says speaking French 'very important'
Canada.com-- Montreal Canadiens CEO: Cunnyworth is qualified and experienced
National Post-- Patrick Roy would consider coaching the Canadiens
Globe and Mail-- Habs coaching appointment stokes Quebec nationalist sentiments
National Post-- Canadiens' problems won't be solved simply by trading in Jacques Martin
National Post-- Martin most recent in long line of scapegoats
Globe and Mail-- Pierre Gauthier could be next in Habs' firing line
Canada.com-- Patrick Roy would listen if Habs came calling
Canada.com-- Montreal Canadiens are angling in small coaching pool
Canada.com-- Gauthier fired the wrong guy, says Jack Todd
Canada.com-- Coach takes the fall, but management shares some blame
National Post-- Montreal Canadiens axe head coach Jacques Martin
Globe and Mail-- Habs fire coach Jacques Martin

World Junior Hockey Tournament 2012 Articles of Interest

2011-12-26T16:33:00.000-08:00

World Junior Hockey Tournament 2012 Results page

2011-12-26T16:03:00.000-08:00

Tournament results

Medal round

Gold Medal Game

January 5-- Russia vs Sweden

Bronze Medal Game

January 5-- Canada vs Finland

Semi Finals

January 3-- Sweden 3 vs Finland 2
January 3-- Team Canada 5 vs Russia 6

Quarterfinals

January 2-- Finland 8 vs Slovakia 5
January 2-- Russia 2 vs Czech Republic 1

Relegation Round

January 4-- Latvia 2 vs Denmark 1
January 4-- Switzerland vs USA
January 4-- Czech Republic vs Slovakia
January 3-- USA 12 vs Latvia 2
January 2-- Switzerland 4 vs Denmark 3

Opening Round

December 31-- Russia 3 -- Sweden 4
December 31-- Team Canada 3 -- USA 2
December 31-- Slovakia 6 -- Switzerland 4
December 31-- Czech Republic 0 -- Finland 4
December 30-- Switzerland 5 -- Latvia 3
December 30-- Finland 10 -- Denmark 1
December 30-- Sweden 9 -- Slovakia 1
December 30-- USA 2 -- Czech Republic 5
December 29-- Latvia 0 -- Russia 14
December 29-- Team Canada 10 -- Denmark 2 (Game Review)
December 28-- Russia 3 -- Slovakia 1
December 28-- Team Canada 5 -- Czech Republic 0 (Game Review)
December 28-- Sweden 4 -- Switzerland 3
December 28-- USA 1 -- Finland 4
December 27-- Slovakia 3 -- Latvia 1
December 27-- Caech Republic 7 -- Denmark 4
December 26-- Russia 3 - Switzerland 0
December 26-- USA 11- Denmark 3
December 26-- Sweden 9 -- Latvia 4
December 26-- Team Canada 8 - Finland 1 (Game Review)

World Junior Tournament Schedule

Articles of interest from the tournament

Alberta welcomes the World as tournament opens

2011-12-26T15:58:00.000-08:00

The puck has dropped and the games are underway, with Alberta showing its stuff on the world hockey stage with ten days of hockey madness as only the World Juniors can provide for.

The growth of the World Junior Championship's resonance in Canada can be seen rather easily these days, as where ever the tournament is hosted in Canada it finds success beyond organizer's imaginations it seems.

However, such is the growth of this tournament that gone are the days of the small market hosts, replaced now it seems forever, by the large metropolis centres of Canada.

This years tournament is now under way, with both Calgary and Edmonton playing host to the ten teams of the two groups which take to the ice over the next ten days. The large NHL size arenas the setting of what has become Canada's Holiday time tradition, the buzz in both cities equal to the passion that its fans are bringing to the games.

This marks the last in a string of Canadian hosted events for the World Juniors, they will return to Europe for the next two tournaments of 2013 and 2014, if past precedence is an example, destined to a more subdued presentation for the next few years, the passion for the tournament seemingly not quite as vivid in Europe as it has become in Canada.

So with Hockey Canada bidding farewell to the hosting duties for a few years, we imagine that these next ten days will be a combination Stampede/Klondike Days type festival to set a new benchmark for host cities.

Canada opened up its tournament in Edmonton with a convincing 8-1 victory over Finland, setting their tone for this tournament, which it would seem is one of redemption for last years loss to the Russian squad.

Through the next ten days we'll provide a review of the events of the tournament, the scores and other items of interest, all of which you can find from this page on the portal.

Look for it on the right hand side in our HockeyNation extras section.

The schedule and scores page can be found here.

While our coverage of the background stories and reviews of the game action can be found here.

Enjoy the games, as Canada rings out the old year and welcomes in the new one, perhaps with a gold medal by the time we're five days in to 2012!

Have sticks, will travel

2011-12-26T12:08:00.000-08:00

It's tournament time for Canada once again, and while the majority of our focus will be on the World Junior Hockey Championships set to begin in Alberta, across the ocean, another tournament of note is taking place as those Canadian mercenaries of the puck are now engaged in the annual Spengler Cup competition.

Canada, is represented for the most part by those players that currently find employment among the ranks of the European hockey leagues, gathered together over the Holiday week to wear the Canada crest on their jersey and seek to reclaim some bragging rights for the Maple Leaf among the teams in Davos.

This years compilation is being coached by Marc Crawford, who takes time out from his TSN duties to polish up the resume and no doubt keep his name in the mix for any upcoming NHL coaching opportunities (though we imagine he like many others might have to think a wee bit about events in Montreal).

The Canadians for the most part are names that might be familiar to friends and family or former college or minor pro team mates, this years squad features a smattering of former NHLers, but for those following along at home, the majority of the roster is going to be a collection of names that might sound familiar, but perhaps can't be placed.

Regardless, like any Canadian squad that heads into a tournament, once that sweater gets pulled on, it's all for one and one for all, their exploits beamed back to an audience of the curious over TSN, with Paul Romaniuk, who now calls Europe home, once again picking up some spare cash at Christmas with the play by play duties..

Canada opens up their Spengler experience today against HC Vitkovice Steel, a lower echelon member of the Czech league.

HockeyNation items on the Spengler Cup

December 29-- 3 and out at Spengler

The full Spengler schedule and results can be found from the Spengler home page, though we will provide updates of the Team Canada games below.

December 29-- Team Canada 2 vs GA Wolfsburg 3 (shoot out) (Canada eliminated)
December 28-- Team Canada 1 vs HC Davos 8
December 26-- Team Canada 7 vs HC Vitkovice Steel 1

December 31-- Spengler Final-- HC Davos 3 vs Dinamo Riga 2

December 30-- Spengler Semi Final-- Dinamo Riga vs EHC Wolfsburg
December 30-- Spengler Semi Final-- HC Davos 4 vs Vitkovice 2

For more previews and reviews of the Spengler tournament we've filed below some notes from a variety of portals that are keeping an eye on the tournament.

Globe and Mail-- Canada eliminated from Spengler Cup
Canada.com-- Canada ousted at Spengler Cup
IIHF Website-- Wolfsburg with Sensational Win against Team Canada
Globe and Mail-- HC Davos hammers Canada at Spengler Cup
Sun Newspapers-- Canada blown out at Spengler Cup
Canada.com-- Davos flattens Canada at Spengler Cup
TSN-- When was the last time Canada lost this big?
IIHF website-- HC Davos humiliates Team Canada
TSN-- Canada readies for stiff competition at Spengler Cup
Globe and Mail-- Marc Crawford prepares for new challenge as Canadian coach at Spengler Cup
Winnipeg Free Press-- Crawford anxious to be back behind the bench
TSN-- Turco expected to join Canada for Spengler Cup

Much more naughty, than nice

2011-12-23T08:27:00.000-08:00

As Santa makes his final preparations for liftoff on Operation Christmas Eve 2011, a few NHLers may find that they are on the naughty list this year.

Brendan Shanahan has been a busy fellow in the pre Christmas portion of the NHL season, assessing 79 games of suspensions to less than civil NHLers, part of the crackdown on nasty behaviour by the Department of Player Safety.

He has been praised at times for his decision making speed and of course been questioned by others for perhaps missing a call, or two that some believe should have been punished, but one thing is certain, Shanahan has caught the eye of hockey fans (and no doubt heard the fury of more than a few GM's) with his decisions.

And while the pace of suspension has certainly slowed down from those first few weeks of the season, Shanahan has managed to put a bit of a stamp on the NHL season thus far.

Though despite his best efforts to reign in the head shots, illegal hits and outright brawling, the listings of the league's top players to be lost due to concussion and other injury continues to grow, looming large as the main story of the 2011-12 season.

There's a bit of a surprise on the leader board of the most suspended as the Edmonton Oilers, a team not normally thought of as a particularly nasty team lead the suspension parade with a total of 13 games in suspension, all of which belong to Andy Sutton, who clearly will be atop Santa's naughty list this Christmas Eve, coal is destined for Mr. Sutton's stocking we are sure.

The Columbus Blue Jackets, who have struggled on the ice might find that some of their problems stem from time in the penalty box and on the suspension list as they hold down second place at the suspension time card line with eight.

Bringing up the bottom end of the top three nasty teams, a more familiar squad over the course of NHL history, the Philadelphia Flyers with 7 games in suspensions so far in 2011-12.

All told there are 18 teams that have had to provide representation at a Brendan Shanahan hearing thus far in the season, only 12 of the NHL's member franchises have avoided the list of the suspended, teams that are clearly not on Mr. Shanahan's speed dial.

Some players found themselves out of a little pocket change as opposed to missing time on the ice, Shanahan's office assessed fines of $2,5000 on nine occasions in 2011, penalties that didn't quite reach the benchmark of suspension but still required some form of notice that wrong was done.

You can review the list of the Bad Boys of the NHL from our listings on our HockeyNation portal.

Santa's picks to click for Christmas Day

2011-12-22T10:26:00.000-08:00

Tick, tock, tick, tock, Santa's on the clock.

With Christmas Day and the unwrapping of gifts but days away, a few last minute options for the hockey fan on your last minute shopping list.

As always, the book industry continues to rely on hockey to provide for a press run or two, with a number of interesting items out there for the hockey fan this gift giving season.

Ron MacLean, Don Cherry's faithful consort has cobbled together a few of his observations and such with Cornered, a project co-written with Kristie McLellan Day, it marks MacLean's first time into the writing pool.

Roy MacGregor, one of Canada's most gifted of writer's is back with another addition to his vast library of work, this one Wayne Gretzky's Ghost: And Other Tales from a Lifetime in Hockey, which features a collection of his writing over the course of his 40 year career.

The Devil and Bobby Hull: How Hockey's Original Million Dollar Man became the Game's Lost Legend, is the latest offering from Gare Joyce, examining the lengthy career of the Golden Jet with all the highlights and low lights of that career outlined in a narrative fashion that sheds much light on the events that shaped Hull's career and post career life.

Joyce double dips at the bookstore this year, with another offering this one looking at the World Junior Championships, a topic he has written on many times int he past. In Thirty Years of the Game at its Best, Joyce recounts the history of the World Junior Hockey Championships, a holiday rite of passage for many Canadians and a tournament that has provided much excitement and drama over the years.

Winnipeg Jets fans on your list could find a special offering under the tree this year, with Back in the Bigs: How Winnipeg Won, Lost and Regained its place in the NHL. Randy Turner recounts the dark days of the Jets departure for the desert and the joyous repatriation of an NHL team, when Atlanta's Thrashers migrated north.

Of course, not everyone has the patience for a good read these days, for them the visuals are the thing and they aren't left out this Christmas either.

One option for the hockey fan on your list is the DVD section, where HBO has released season one of its 24/7 series, last years lead up to the Winter Classic where the Penguins and Capitals met on the outdoor pond in Pittsburgh. in NHL 24/7 Penguins/Capitals: Road to the NHL Winter Classic you can relive the curses of Bruce Boudreau, where perhaps we can see glimpses into the trouble that would come his way this season. Beyond the bluer than blue language hockey fans can play CSI workers, with the one scene that Gary Bettman might wish had been edited out, the hit on Sidney Crosby, which of course was the start of his ongoing health concerns.

And for those that like to play the game, all be it on the electronic ice, the annual release of the NHL video games have arrived.

NHL 12 is available for the PlayStation platform, all the thrills of NHL action without those nasty concussions, NHL games are also available for Wii and X-Box platforms. Once you turn on the screen, the hours will fly by, overtime a guarantee with nary a shoot out in sight.

Hurry off now is search of those bargains, the clock she be ticking without much more warning!

A doctor's prescription for hockey: Stop the violence and play hockey

2011-12-21T10:53:00.000-08:00

Rajendra Kale, MD, may be a relative newcomer to Canada, but that hasn't stopped him from weighing in on the great debate among hockey circles of the impact of the violent aspects of the game and the effect that those aspects are having on those that play it.

Dr. Kale, who is the interim Editor in Chief of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, offered up some thoughts on fighting in the NHL, through an editorial that reviews the toll that fighting and the concussion issues have had on the players.

As might be expected, his diagnosis of the condition in the NHL and his suggestion that the NHL bring to an end the era of the hockey fight isn't one that is being universally accepted by the league and its players.

Like many editorial offerings, the doctor's clinical observations into the debate have spurred on a bit of push back from players, Kevin Bieksa of the Canucks speaks for what would seem to be many of the players in the Globe and Mail as one who isn't inclined to take the doctor's guidance.

“Is he on the Board of Governors for the NHL? Then who cares what this guy thinks?” said Bieksa. “Fans have their opinions, but at the end of the day they're not going to change our game.”

“I think fighting is part of the game,” he added. “(Kale's) a doctor and we're making him a little bit of money on the side. He gets to fix us up. We'll let him do his job, and he should let us do our job.”

So far, since the release of the editorial, there has been little to no official reaction from the NHL or the NHLPA, collectively perhaps both are subscribing to the theory that if they don't talk about it, the issue will just fade from view and move off the daily sports headlines.

However, in a year where the daily recitation of the names of played the aren't playing tonight due to concussion issues is becoming a lengthy one, we somehow don't think the NHL and NHLPA's approach is going to be a successful strategy.

In reality, the issue of concussions, fighting and questionable hits is going to remain the elephant in the room for Gary Bettman and the owners for the foreseeable future, a small glimpse of some of the reaction to Dr. Kale's editorial can be found below.

Globe and Mail -- Medical journal editor calls for an end to fighting, head shots in NHL
Edmonton CTV-- U of A concussion expert weighs in on hockey fight debate
CBC Sports-- This was not a good year for hockey
CBC Sports-- Windsor reacts to call for hockey violence ban
CBC Sports-- Hockey fighting ban may be premature, researcher suggests
Vancouver Province-- Fighting is part of hockey, fans argue
Montreal Gazette-- Stop hockey fighting, hits to head: doctors
Canada.com-- The call for banning fighting in hockey will not stop concussions
Los Angeles Times-- Too many brain injuries spark a call to ban fighting in hockey
The Tyee-- Stop the violence and play hockey
Sports Illustrated-- Neurologist: NHL Should ban Fighting, head shots
NBC Sports-- Neurologist calls for ban on fighting
ABC News-- Hockey Hits can lead to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

How to build the perfect outdoor rink (Winter Classic edition)

2011-12-19T09:50:00.000-08:00

The countdown to the Winter Classic on January 2nd in Philadelphia is under way.

The NHL website outlined some of the background on what it takes to turn a baseball stadium into a shinny rink in a short period of time, complete with live streaming video of the transformation of Citizen's Bank park.

And while it's a little more daunting we imagine than just flooding the back yard and hoping for a cold snap, the process of that transformation should give hope to all North American parents that they too can recreate the perfect outdoor hockey experience.

Unless of course should you live in the southern USA or coastal British Columbia, where the prospect of an outdoor rink is but a fanciful thing, unless of course you want to pony up the change for an ice plant.

Follow the live streaming progress of the NHL's Facilities Operations Director Dan Craig here.

NHL.com has a dedicated page to the Winter Classic which you can find here.

We'll update further developments from other sources below:

January 1-- Winter classic game moved to 3 p. m. start
January 1-- Bryzgalov: Bobrovsky to start in Winter Classic
January 1-- Flyers all business for Monday's classic
January 1-- Bryzgalov drops 2012 bombshell
January 1-- Jagr not thrilled to be playing outdoors
January 1-- How the Winter Classic snowballed
December 31-- Clarke emotional over fans' reaction
December 31-- Five memorable moments in Flyers-Rangers rivalry
December 31-- An ice atmosphere
December 31-- Flyers fans give Lindros warm greeting
December 31-- Bobrovsky's play may push Bryzgalov out of the Flyers net for Winter Classic
December 31-- Fans psyched for a special day
December 31-- An always intense rivalry
December 31-- Parent steals show as Flyers beat Rangers in alumni game
December 31-- Hot ticket for a cool event
December 30-- Winter Classic Alumni game start time could be moved
December 30-- Mark Messier ready to lead the NY Rangers' squad against the Philadelphia Flyers...
December 30-- Bob or Bryz: Who should get Winter Classic nod?
December 30-- Rangers try to avoid cracking
December 30-- Go west, Winter Classic, go west
December 30-- 5 things Winter Classic edition
December 30-- Former Flyer Bill Barber keeping it basic for alumni game
December 30-- Flyers - Rangers rivalry spices NHL's fifth Winter Classic
December 30-- The Winter Classic Should Live Up to its name
December 30-- Winter Classic a chance to market Philadelphia tourism
December 30-- NBC airplane cam-ready for takeoff
December 30-- Flyers' greats prepare for alumni game
December 29-- The 7 best Winter Classic jerseys
December 29-- Winter Classic
December 29-- NHL embraces new signature event
December 29-- Real Hockey is Rugged 24/7
December 29-- NHL continues to dream bigger when it comes to taking games outside
December 29-- Flyers Need to Start Sergei Bobrovsky vs. Rangers
December 29-- Classic celebrates hockey's purest form
December 29-- Eric Lindros ready for return to Philadelphia
December 29-- Flyers win EA Sports NHL 12 Classic simulation
December 29-- NHL Network goes live from 2012 Winter Classic
December 29-- Phillies excited with Classic around the corner
December 28-- Versus, CBC to Provide National coverage of NHL Alumni Game...
December 28-- Winter Classic! NHL ready for its big chill
December 28-- NHL readies for big chill in Philly
December 28-- Winter Classic means business
December 28-- Alterations to Classic sweaters proving to be a hit
December 28-- Laviolette steals the show in this week's 24/7
December 28-- Flyers trying for a normal 24/7
December 27-- Past is past for former Flyer Lindros
December 27-- Smorgasbord of food options set for Winter Classic
December 27-- Empire State building to light with Rangers and Flyers colours...
December 27-- Weather not stopping work at Citizen's Bank Park
December 27-- Winter Classic: 'Truly a hockey holiday'
December 27-- HBO turning Brygalov into a 'universal' star
December 19-- Craig's team of ice builders allow for confidence
December 19-- Truck arrives in Philly, and Craig's crew gets to work
December 19-- Looking good- Winter Classic forecast
December 19-- Preparation for spectacle takes shape
December 18-- Flyers and Rangers going skating at Citizens' Bank Park

Gary Bettman's Monday morning reading list

2011-12-19T08:59:00.000-08:00

We imagine like any executive, Gary Bettman arrives at the office in New York, grabs a cup of coffee and begins to look over his day planner, checks his email and such and tries to gauge the events of the weekend in the NHL.

The firing of a coach in Montreal, the remarkable welcome to the returning Teemu Selanne to Winnipeg, a few ugly hits during the weekend's games and hey what's that with the blue flag tag on it, oh, a note, er ok, treatise from Ken Dryden.

The former star of Les Canadiens, renowned author, one time Liberal Member of the Canadian Parliament (and one time candidate for that party's leadership), NHL executive, television broadcaster, Provincial youth commissioner in Ontario and of course a long time and astute hockey observer, has cobbled together some thoughts for the Commissioner to go over (hey hey has a few days off over Christmas for some in depth reading after all) as to the current troublesome items of the NHL.

Like any good author (and Dryden is well beyond good) he offers up praise and criticism through his four page position paper on the state of the game, the majority of which deals with the ever increasing number of head shots and the impact that those hits have had on the game and the peril that they are putting the game into.

As always when it's a Dryden penned item, there is no short cut, no Coles or Cliff's notes here, you need to read the entire tract to fully understand the passion and the concise examination of the issue and how to resolve it, suggestions that carry the weight of a thoughtful observer who has many times in the past put his finger on the issues of the game.

As Dryden points out Bettman has a legal mind, trained in that profession and one imagines more than capable of digesting the various approaches to an argument, seeking to find the useful from the diversions.

In the Dryden article (which you can read courtesy of the Globe and Mail's website here) there is much of the useful and very little if any of the diversions, a read well worth making and if you're the leader of a professional hockey league in North America, some ideas worth taking heed to.

And in Montreal they bid (a fond?) au revior to Jacques Martin!

2011-12-19T07:46:00.000-08:00

The warning shot and sacrificial lamb that was Perry Pearn earlier this year wasn't enough it seems, so on Saturday, with game time once again coming close, Pierre Gauthier, the General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens tossed his long time friend Jacques Martin off the bridge of the SS Canadiens.

The move to replace Martin certainly won't be considered a surprise, a good number of Montreal fans had been anticipating (er, make that praying for) the day for more than a few seasons, the Canadiens tumble down the standings and with a playoff appearance once again in peril, the odds were short on a longer relationship between coach, players and fans.

Still, considering the history of both Gauthier and Martin, most observers didn't really see the move coming when it did, more than a few figured that Gauthier would end up fired first, taking Martin with him upon departure day.

Perhaps with that possibility staring him down, Gauthier chose career path over his friends list, or perhaps the choice was made for him. Things have been rather tight lipped at the Bell Centre under the Gauthier regime, not that the Habs were particularly chatty during the Bob Gainey years mind you.

Still, with one of the NHL's marquee franchises, an original sixes, stumbling badly, something that Montrealers just can't really relate to, change was inevitable, with Randy Cunneyworth the one tapped on the shoulder to lead the floundering Canadiens for the remainder of the season.

A decision, which has of course inflamed emotions among the fan base and stoked the commentators fires across the province owing to the fact that Cunneyworth is not schooled in the French language, he's the first unilingual head coach in Montreal since the days of Bob Berry.

It will provide for an added bit of attention to his coaching situation that makes one wonder how the rest of the season will play out, with five months or more where wins and losses on the ice may be overshadowed by vowels and consonants in the media briefings.

Already, with but two days on the job, the media and political knives are out for Cunneyworth, politicians in the province making political hay over the appointment, the battalion of journalists and reporters that are charged with the Canadiens story already churning out the copy, more than a few expressing their incredulous reaction to the appointment of Cunneyworth to the job, much of that reaction based not on his hockey knowledge but his lack of French.

Cunneyworth it is said hopes to learn French during his time at the helm of the Canadiens, as would make sense if you're going to coach a team in a predominantly French speaking city, the example of Bob Gainey being used frequently in the last 48 hours as someone who conquered the syntax and pronunciation hurdles of the language. Though one wonders how much time Cunneyworth will have at the moment to devote to any Rosetta Stone discs, considering the struggling nature of his hockey club,

The General Manager stressed (make that went out of his way) it seems the temporary nature of the appointment, a term but for the rest of the season with a reassessment to be made at seasons' end. Where he said Cunneyworth would gain consideration for a full time appointment.

Considering all that swirls in Montreal these days, that's a pretty bold declaration and not one that the coach might want to hinge and big life time decisions on.

There's no guarantee that Gauthier himself will be in charge by that point, let alone that Cunneyworth's skills as a coach alone will prove to be enough to secure a position in the NHL's most challenging city. (In other words, don't go buying a house just yet Mr. Cunneyworth)

Though if nothing else, his time behind the bench in Montreal should prove make for a heck of a resume builder, considering the pressure from so many directions that the job holds. Many GM's will be watching how he handles all of the sideshow events of coaching in Montreal, should things go sideways, depending on his success, there are still 29 other teams that will be watching with interest.

Should the slide continue on into January and beyond, neither Cunneyworth nor Gauthier may be there when training camp breaks in September 2012, the list of names of possible replacements no doubt already percolating in the taverns, newsrooms and living rooms of Quebec.

One name to keep an ear open for, Patrick Roy, many in Montreal have long held the belief that Roy would provide behind the bench the competitive fire that Montreal seems to lack on the ice, he would no doubt be a popular choice across the board for many who hold the Canadiens as cultural icons far above a competitive hockey team (though they clearly would prefer the Canadiens become the latter as well).

While Jacques Martin packs up his boxes and exits the Bell Centre, he might be inclined to leave a few empty ones behind, there's a good chance they'll be used before they gather much in the way of dust.

Montreal Gazette-- Jacques Martin's dismissal won't change Habs' fortunes
Montreal Gazette-- Coach takes the fall, but management shares some blame
Montreal Gazette-- Canadiens fans thank Santa for Jacques Martin firing
Montreal Gazette-- Gauthier fired the wrong guy, says Jack Todd
Montreal Gazette-- Basic system will likely stay the same under Cunneyworth
Montreal Gazette-- Were players expected to impress new head coach on first night
Montreal Gazette-- Okay, now what?
CJAD Montreal-- New coach, same old !@!!*?&!!
CJAD Montreal-- Cunneyworth's lack of French not going over well with some
CTV News Montreal-- Francophones decry hiring of unilingual anglophone coach
Globe and Mail-- Habs coaching appointment stokes Quebec nationalist sentiments
Globe and Mail-- For the first time in decades, there's no French behind Habs' bench
Globe and Mail-- Pierre Gauthier could be next in Habs' firing line
Globe and Mail-- Habs strike a nerve in Quebec's language debates
Globe and Mail-- Habs fire coach Jacques Martin
National Post-- Martin most recent in long line of scapegoats
National Post-- Montreal Canadiens axe head coach Jacques Martin
Toronto Star-- Montreal Canadiens fire head coach Jacques Martin
Toronto Sun-- Sacre bleu: New Habs coach unilingual
Toronto Sun-- Will Cunneyworth survive the meat grinder?
Toronto Sun-- Habs GM deserves boot, not well-respected coach
Toronto Sun-- Canadiens fire head coach Martin
CBC Sports-- Jacques Martin fired
ESPN-- Martin firing won't solve Canadiens' woes
NBC Sports-- Another coach bites the dust: Montreal fires Jacques Martin
Sportsnet-- The root of the problems
Sportsnet-- Habs strike nerve of Quebecers
Sportsnet-- All things related

F-bombs away, as HBO returns to the ice with 24/7 Rangers/Flyers

2011-12-15T21:50:00.000-08:00

For those scoring at home, Bruce Boudreau is still the defending champion of NHL cursing, however, it would seem that Peter Laviolette and John Tortorella may have their eyes set on the title.

HBO debuted their second season of the 24/7 series, this one featuring the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers as they make their way towards the NHL Classic on the day after New Years Day.

As season one revealed, NHL coaches and players can at times have potty mouths, as the F-bombs flew out through the speakers on Wednesday night, making sure that the required notice of coarse language was a legitimate warning of what was to come.

The first episode took a bit of a look back at the first few weeks of the season, but kept up to current developments with the concussion of Claude Giroux, who has yet to return to the ice, with tonight's announcement of Chris Pronger's season ending concussion, there will be more drama to reveal next week.

The camera's for HBO were in the right place at the right time for a controversial Rangers moment, the over zealous goal celebration by the Rangers winger Artem Anisimov, for those of us who might have missed the original event the 24/7 version offered up some background on the event that nearly led to an old time NHL brawl.

So far, it seems that Ilya Bryzgalov has found his calling, the Flyers goaltender became the sage of the sport with his ruminations on the universe and our place within it. Confirming the old adage about goaltenders being if not more erudite, at least a little different than the rest of the skaters.

Montreal Gazette-- Philadelphia Flyers' Ilya Bryzgalov's eccentric side revealed on 24/7
TSN-- Bryzgalov's musing on universe the star of first 24/7 segment
USA Today-- Ilya Bryzgalov one of the stars of HBO's 24/7
Vancouver Province-- Ilya Bryzgalove Needs a Spin off
ESPN-- It's Ilya Bryzgalov's time to shine
National Post-- The wisdom of Ilya Bryzgalov

The 24/7 project proved to be a pretty impressive examination of hockey beyond the ice last year, following the Capitals and Penguins to their Winter Classic showdown, which of course resulted in the beginning of the end of Sidney Crosby's season last year and as events have provided, for most of this one thus far as well.

It also made a media star of sorts of Bruce Boudreau, his dressing room sessions, filled with expletives became legendary as the Capitals neared the Winter Classic and as the remainder of the NHL season moved on we can only imagine his language became even more blue as the Capitals floundered their way out of the NHL playoffs.

Had those cameras been in the Capitals room at the start of this season, we can only imagine what we may have learned about the Capitals as the end of Boudreau's time behind the bench arrived. Perhaps a cautionary tale for both Tortorella and Laviolette as the series moves forward.

For those who never saw the original series, HBO has made it available on DVD now, a great gift idea for any hockey fan, though we imagine Mom would have some strong words of her own for any hockey Dad that makes it a gift for the younger ones.

This years series continues on next Wednesday, each week's instalment offering a glimpse of the mindset of the two teams leading up to the Winter Classic in Philadelphia on January 2, 2011.

Globe and Mail-- Rangers vs. Flyers: The profanities, fears and joys are riveting
New York Times-- '24/7' Episode 1: A Victory Dance for HBO
CBS New York-- 24/7 Rangers-Flyers Thoughts
New York Daily News-- HBO breaks ice with first episode of 24/7 Flyers/Rangers
ESPN-- Three Stars of '24/7' -- Episode 1
Philadelphia Inquirer-- Reviewing HBO's 24/7
Philadelphia Daily News-- Stitching together hockey life for all to see

The League of extraordinary, but sidelined, gentlemen

2011-12-15T20:34:00.000-08:00

The Queen once reflected back on a particularly horrible year of her reign as an Annus Horribilis, a catchy phrase that has its roots in Latin, that back in 1992 quickly caught on with anyone who had a rather rough go of things in any given year.

And while the current NHL season is but less than three months old, one has to wonder if perhaps Gary Bettman might be thinking of that phrase today, as the list of stars that won't be playing any time soon continues to grow.

Much has been made of the fate of Sidney Crosby, the leagues marquee of marquee players, who only recently returned to the ice after almost a one year absence, he has once again been added to the list of those that have suffered concussion like symptoms, a term that doesn't really capture the state of health that most are suffering from their full fledged concussions.

Pittsburgh Post Gazette-- Crosby's concussion recovery is back to square one
Pittsburgh Post Gazette-- Crosby out indefinitely again with concussion like symptoms
Pittsburgh Tribune Review-- Headaches put Crosby back on sidelines
Pittsburgh Tribune Review-- Pens' Crosby showing true courage
Globe and Mail-- Sidney Crosby is doing the right thing by sitting out
Globe and Mail-- Concussion-like symptoms force Crosby out again
National Post-- Sidney Crosby's future heads into the unknown
Toronto Star-- Crosby's concussion-like symptoms simply spell concussion, to neurologists say
Toronto Star-- Sidney Crosby suffers setback, and that's no surprise to concussion doctor
Toronto Sun-- Is Crosby the next Orr?

More names have been added to the list as the season progressed Philadelphia is without the services of Claude Giroux who was off to a spectacular start for the Flyers, Milan Michalek is out in Ottawa, the victim of a concussion.

Other stops on the injury merry go round include Los Angeles with Mike Richards, Kris Letang in Pittsburgh, Marc Staal in New York, Boston carries on without Marc Savard, Colorado without Chuck Kobasev. Minnesota which still finds ways to win is doing it without Marek Zidlicky and Josh Harding.

The names are added to the rolls on almost a daily basis, making the NHL's Injury list perhaps the most scoured document to be released by the NHL media office.

Today, the bad news continued on for Philadelphia, as it was announced that Chris Pronger is done for this year and the playoffs, a concussion once again the cause, in this case one so severe that Pronger won't play another game until September, if then.

Philadelphia Inquirer-- Pronger out for season
Philadelphia Daily News-- Flyers pondering Pronger's concussion
Globe and Mail-- Chris Pronger to miss rest of NHL season with concussion
Globe and Mail-- Out for season, is Pronger's career over?
National Post-- Flyers' Pronger to miss rest of season and playoffs due to concussion
Toronto Sun-- Pronger out for rest of the season

It's akin to an epidemic, rolling across the NHL landscape claiming casualties at an alarming rate, and taking away many of the league's premiere attractions, leaving owners, managers , coaches and fans to wonder what should be done to ensure for player safety, while attempting to keep the physical nature of the game intact in some fashion.

There are many solutions to consider, some of them practical, some of them concepts that will be a hard sell to the General Managers and owners of the teams of the NHL.

Whether it's proposals to expand the playing surface (something that would of course reduce seating in many rinks) to reduce the incidental collisions that are resulting in such collateral damage, to the more drastic suggestion (for traditionalists at any rate) that removing fighting from the game will at least reduce the number of needless concussions at the hands of pugilists.

No consensus has been arrived at yet, but clearly the need to keep the league's stars players participating is essential for the health of the players and the health of the game. Whatever it takes, something is needed and rather quickly, far too many of the league's most recognized names are off the ice, in some cases still unable to even attend a light skate.

No one would or should think that they should rush back to the game before they are cleared medically, hockey is just a game, a well paying occupation yes, but hardly a vocation that should result in permanent injury or worse for those who participate.

The onus is on the league's administrators, managers and owners to look at their game and find a way to make it safe for the players that provide the entertainment that the fans await each night, the game shouldn't become a case of last man standing...

As Gary Bettman looks out upon his realm, he must surely wonder when his most popular of subjects will return to the ice, providing the entertainment that fills rinks across the league. At the moment, for far too many of those players, the status line says out indefinitely.

National Post-- Sorry NHL, concussions won't blow over
National Post-- Concussion conundrum
Globe and Mail-- NHL's all-concussion team would be lock for Stanley Cup
Globe and Mail-- From elation to gloom, the NHL spirals into the abyss
Globe and Mail-- NHLers would face 'number of hurdles' in concussion lawsuit
Toronto Star-- "We're losing stars,' Dionne says as head injuries dominate NHL

Not so happy in California!

2011-12-14T16:29:00.000-08:00

Well, it may be host to the "Happiest place on Earth", but for NHL coaches, Los Angeles is anything but a Magical kind of Kingdom, for the second time in less than two weeks, a Los Angeles based NHL team has fired its coach.

With the LA Kings Terry Murray, now having to compete with the recently departed Randy Carlyle for a Mayflower van over the holidays.

The Kings made the announcement today that Murray was gone, replaced on an interim basis by assistant coach John Stevens. Apparently a decision as the LA Times reported on Sunday that GM Dean Lombardi wasn't overly thrilled to have had to make, but perhaps may have been forced to make from pressure further up the executive chain.

Murray won't have to worry about watching those Christmas expenses however, he was under contract until the 2012-13 season.

Los Angeles Times-- Kings' uninspired performance led to Terry Murray's dismissal
Los Angeles Times-- Terry Murray fired as Kings coach
Los Angeles Daily News-- Kings fire coach Terry Murray; GM Lombardi holds players ...
Los Angeles Daily News-- L. A. Kings coach Terry Murray fired
TSN-- Kings Fire Murray as head coach, Stevens named interim
Globe and Mail-- L. A. Kings fire coach Terry Murray after slow start to season
National Post-- Kings looking at Darryl Sutter as new head coach: report
National Post-- L. A. Kings fire head coach Terry Murray after slow start
Toronto Sun-- Kings fire head coach Murray
Toronto Sun-- L. A. Kings offer Darryl Sutter coaching job

Tickets, tickets anyone want tickets?

2011-12-12T06:09:00.000-08:00

With Christmas break almost upon us, perhaps hockey fans across North America are looking for a little puck to go with their Christmas vacation plans, if so, we provide a helpful guide as to where in North America you might find easily available and rather inexpensive seats to watch the NHL.

We can't guarantee that the match ups will be to your wildest dreams mind you, but if just experiencing the pace of an NHL game is on your Christmas list, here courtesy of our Attendance tracker, are some of the hot spots for easy to find seats (in some cases you may feel like the game is being played just for you, your family and your friends)

So grab a map and check your bank balances as we start our tour of the NHL's least popular teams, places where good seats it seems are always available.

Dallas, recently out of bankruptcy hasn't exactly been a place for crowds to gather, ten times so far in this 2011-12 season the Stars have drawn less than 13,000 fans. The LA Kings have been there twice and failed to crack the 13,000 mark, with a mixed batch of NHL teams making up the remaining 8 games where attendance has been low. According to the Stub Hub Dallas Stars ticket site, Dallas tickets between December 15th and January 16th are going anywhere from $10.00 to $27.00, New Yeas Eve however is pretty steep for centre ice and the Bruins at 276.

Long Island, where the Islanders have so far had the largest amount of games with attendance less than 13,000, nine games so far on the Islanders home schedule have featured attendance below that level, including surprisingly games with Montreal and Philadelphia. According to Stub Hub's Islanders ticket site, Islander tickets between December 15th and January 16th range from $5.98 to $14.00. When the Flyers come to town in January, you could be at centre ice low for as low as $53.00

Phoenix continues to find the turnstiles turning rather infrequently, the Coyotes attracting less than 13,000 on eight different nights so far this season. Divisional rivals Los Angeles and Anaheim are among those that surprisingly haven't been able to entice the fans to make the drive to the rink. Frugal hockey fans will like the Stub Hub index where between December 15 and January 21 Coyote tickets are priced at 4.99 at the low end, and for example a club seat at 73 dollars for centre ice low for the Oilers on December 15..

Columbus is next on our tour of the attendance bottom feeders, where the Blue Jackets gate receipts have been on the low side for five games, including an appearance from the Stanley Cup finalists the Vancouver Canucks. Stub Hubs charting from December 15-January 17 features pricing 8 to 15 dollars for the low end, with New Years Eve visit from the Capitals calling for 89 dollars for centre ice tickets.

Colorado has struggled a few times at the turnstile as well, three games with less than 13,000 in the seats have taken place so far in the 2011-12 season, as LA, Phoenix and Dallas proved to be less than an interesting draw for Rocky Mountain hockey fans. The Stub Hub directory features tickets from December 13 to January 18 ranging from $6-$18 dollars. The Capitals are perhaps the best draw of the next month with a December 17th game with the Avs where the high end centre ice seats can be had for 84 dollars.

Other locales that have had games below 13,000 and may make for easily accessible seats in prime locations include Anaheim, Carolina. Florida and New Jersey.

All in all, for a hockey vacation at Christmas time, for a number of destinations, the actual tickets may be the least expensive item on your travel expenses list.

When it comes to discipline, do the stars get a pass? In Ottawa, here's exhibit A!

2011-12-10T13:51:00.000-08:00

When Brendan Shanahan took over as the NHL's Chief Justice, the pursuit of that justice took on the urgency of a gold rush stampede, it was fast, it was furious and it was ever present.

Since those early days, and perhaps thanks to a few intercessions by league GM's, the administration of Shanahan's gavel has dropped in frequency, taking on the cause of justice as more of a working claim as opposed to the mad dash of the early weeks.

All along, as the NHL's B listers and below were dealt with for their transgressions the call was always out there, as fans wondered what would happen if an A list star committed a foul, would Justice Shanahan wield his scythe as required?

In Ottawa, the fans are of the opinion that the answer is clearly NO...

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, we present Exhibit A.

Justice Shanahan has made some good strides this season in trying to rein in the uglier incidents of the game, the main thrust of his jurisprudence thus far dealing with ongoing issue of head shots, spurred on mainly due to the absence of Sidney Crosby for far too many months.

He has been fairly diligent in making sure that the message against dangerous play is heard and that those committing the fouls are reprimanded.

Still as can be seen in the video above, a stick can probably cause more than a few concerns beyond a hit to the head, ask Chris Neil.

By letting Ovechkin get a pass on his stick work from Ottawa, the message seems to be to paraphrase Orwell, that all of the players are equal, but some players are more equal than others.

If his discipline regimen is to be accepted unequivocally, Justice Shanhan needs to be fair and not let the star power of the lineups, nor the sidebars with the GM's get in the way of the opportunity to send a message.

One that reinforces that any incident that could cause bodily harm won't be tolerated and will be duly enforced.

But, will Ontario teachers get free cable and cel phones?

2011-12-10T11:32:00.000-08:00

The Ontario Teacher's Pension Fund took one for the Dominion this week, forgoing the opportunity to transfer their majority shares to a mysterious American Financial Fund (shudder!!) and instead, selling off their investment to those warm and fuzzy Canadians that bring us cable, satellite and cellular phone services. (er, shudder??)

Friday's announcement of the sale of the Teachers shares to a consortium of Rogers and Bell Canada Enterprises, keeps the Leafs, perhaps one of the nations most famous of brands solidly in the hands of Canadians, media barons that can now we imagine fight amongst themselves as to who will broadcast what and when, (be warned CBC, there's a new front forming in the hockey broadcast wars).

Now every time that Rogers, Bell Globe media users make a phone call or click to a television show they can do so with the knowledge that they are contributing to bringing the Maple Leafs closer to the Stanley Cup.

Lets just call the new ownership plan, the ultimate in bundle packages, shall we.

The teachers relinquish their ownership still very much faceless and nameless, just another corporate investor that found the Leafs brand was pretty good for their bottom line. We hope the teachers got free cable and cel phone service out of their deal, membership should have had some benefits.

Still to be determined amongst the details of the deal, will be if Bell can continue to hold shares in the Montreal Canadiens, currently at the level of 18 per cent, if the NHL constitution is to be followed the folks at Bell will have to remove that rouge blanc and bleu in favour of the singular Blue, though not surprisingly, there is the option of the NHL to grant a waiver if deemed appropriate.

Rogers and Bell take on the ownership the most valuable of NHL franchises and with it the passion of a good number of Canadians from coast to coast to coast, clearly this is a deal that has much more importance than say picking up shares in the Predators, Coyotes or any other bargain basement franchise that the NHL might have to offer.

There's history attached to that Maple Leaf crest, some of it good, some of it more than forgettable, yet year after year the Leafs have become a cash machine for whomever owns them, a cash machine that some times doesn't return dividends to the more than patient fan base.

It's a hope we imagine for all those that have the religion of the Leaf Nation, that this grand consortium of Canadian media delivery can squeeze some dollars towards the Leafs and their seemingly never ending quest to reclaim Lord Stanley's Cup, last seen in a Toronto parade back in 1967.

Two very competitive companies, joining as one!

Either a recipe for a new era of Leafs hockey, one that will see a renewed focus on success, an improved product on the ice and deliverance from the playoff wilderness of many seasons past.

OR...

If things don't go so well between the newlyweds, a recipe for a new era of internal bickering that may remind many of the not so halcyon days of the Ballard's and the Smythe's.

If nothing else, it could all play out live and direct on your television, from whatever source you gain your signals.

Not to mention giving those subscribers another reason to rail against their providers, whether it's your cable, your phone or your hockey team the customer service lines are open for you.

Grab some popcorn and keep your clicker in hand, the show's about to begin...

Globe and Mail-- MLSE deal is bad news for sports fans
Globe and Mail-- Leafs fans have every reason to be cautious
Globe and Mail-- Despite MLSE deal, on-ice fortunes of Leafs will remain the same
Globe and Mail-- How the MLSE deal was done
Globe and Mail-- Allure of certainty makes partners out of rivals Rogers, BCE
Globe and Mail-- Bell, Rogers join forces on MLSE deal (video)
Globe and Mail-- Maple Leafs unfazed by new ownership
Globe and Mail-- History of Maple Leafs ownership
National Post-- What the #!%*?: Explaining the MLSE deal
National Post-- Bell, Rogers pause war briefly for MLSE deal
National Post-- MLSE deal: What Rogers and Bell buyout means for fans
National Post-- MLSE must find someone 'special' to take over as boss
National Post-- NADIR avoids his nadir
National Post-- Hockey Night in Canada a target
National Post-- No stone left unturned in search for new MLSE boss
National Post-- BCE, Rogers become Canada's newest odd couple
National Post-- Nadir Mohamed steps out from Ted Rogers' shadow
National Post-- MLSE deal will drive competition between Rogers and BCE: Mohamed
National Post-- Rogers and BCE buy MLSE: The good and bad for investors
National Post-- Rogers, BCE to buy majority stake of MLSE; Competition Bureau to investigate
Toronto Star-- What would Conn Smythe think of the Maple Leafs now?
Toronto Star-- MLSE deal will change viewing habits down the road
Toronto Star-- Here we go Again
Toronto Star-- Meet the starting lineup of MLSE
Toronto Star-- 'Here's to winning,' says Leafs holdover owner Tanenbaum
Toronto Star-- Toronto Maple Leafs empire sold: Now give us winning teams
Toronto Star-- Toronto FC hopes MLSE sale brings stability, broader exposure
Toronto Star-- Toronto Maple Leafs, Raptors management won't change after MLSE sale
Toronto Star-- Toronto Maple Leafs sold, but Competition Bureau will investigate
Toronto Star-- Teachers and consumers win as telecom giants buy iconic Leafs
Toronto Star-- Mega deal for sports empire creates winners and losers
Toronto Star-- Bell, Rogers bank on making money every step of the way
Toronto Star-- BCE, Rogers and MLSE at a glance
Toronto Star-- Twittervese reacts to MLSE
Toronto Star-- Fans speak out on MLSE sale
Toronto Sun-- No details on how MLSE deal will help fans
Toronto Sun-- Nothing in MLSE deal for Toronto fans
Toronto Sun-- Who will replace Peddie at MLSE?
Toronto Sun-- NHL will deal with Bell's ownership of Leafs, Habs
Toronto Sun-- Media giants buy stake in MLSE
Toronto Sun-- What fans are saying about MLSE deal
Toronto Sun-- Burke 'willing to listen' to new Leafs owners
Toronto Sun-- Rogers-Bell Leafs deal best because it's Canadian
Toronto Sun-- Teachers' selling MLSE stake to Rogers, Bell
CBC-- Canada's telecom giants buy the Toronto Maple Leafs
CBC-- Multi-company ownership not new for Leafs
CBC-- Why Rogers and Bell bundled together for MLSE
CBC-- MLSE deal all about eyeballs
CBC-- Hockey fans react to Bell and Rogers buying Leafs
TSN-- BCE and Rogers team up to buy 75 percent of MLSE
TSN-- MLSE deal changes the television landscape (via BNN)
Sportsnet-- Feeding the addiction
Sportsnet-- New rules for a Sens reporter
Sportsnet-- Bell: No effect on Habs interest
Sportsnet-- What will it bring?
Sportsnet-- Rogers, Bell Complete MLSE deal