World Junior Hockey Tournament 2012 Results page

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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!

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

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

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!

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?

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!

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?

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