NHL: 20ish games in

Well what an exciting season it's been so far. Suspensions galore, Cherry offends, again, the Leafs off to a hot start only to see them falter, again, and the brand new old Winnipeg Jets are back. I've heard a great deal of negative feedback about the new Jets' logo, but I'm rather partial to it, not that I'm going to buy one or anything.

I like that the NHL is trying to cut down on headshots, but I'm not entirely sure they're going about it the right way, especially when it comes to goaltenders. I wouldn't say that Brian Gionta deserved a suspension for giving James Reimer 'concussion like symptoms', but Milan Lucic probably deserved one, he probably deserved a big one. The point of these suspensions is to prevent injuries. When Lucic is allowed to throw a bodycheck like the one he threw on Miller, who is still supposed to be protected while outside of the crease, it sends a message that the NHL is only looking to appear to care about head injuries. Had three NHL players not died in the off-season after new science was revealed about concussions leading to depression, would the NHL have instigated this 'crack-down'? The NHL puts on a fine show, but as fans we either have to get used to guys like Sidney Crosby playing limited years or hope the NHL gets much better in their attempts to stop players from rattling their co-workers' brains in the skulls like a six year with a Christmas present.

On a similar note, Don Cherry, whom I have come to dislike (mainly because of his asshole-like support of Rob Ford, Mayor of Toronto), had it all wrong when he called guys like Chris Nilan a puke. Personally I could do without fighting in the NHL, granted I'm not a fan of boxing or the UFC either. If I want to watch violence, I'll watch a Texas Chainsaw Massacre flick, where it's far more violent and nobody actually gets hurt. However, I understand arguments about how without fighting we'd see even fewer players of Crosby's talent on the ice, but then again where is Crosby, and Marc Savard, and Ryan Miller, and James Reimer, and well you get my point. Did you see Lucic's smile after concussing Miller? There's a puke for you Cherry. If fighting was just about two guys battling all night long, or even over a couple games in a playoff series, that get fed up with one another and drop the gloves I would prefer that it stay in the NHL, but that's not what it is. There are players in this league that stage fights with other 'fighters' and when they're not doing that they're looking to hurt people. Get those guys out of the game, and if you want to keep fighting, restrict it to emotional events that inspire teammates and fans, not this bullshit we see in today's game. Need help finding a solution? Here's my suggestion. Suspend every play that fights. I'm not talking ten games, just one or maybe two. Make it like a red card in soccer. Problem solved. Think Arron Asham would be making those gestures if he was about to be docked two games pay? Think they would have fought in the first place?

What's there to say about the Leafs? I love them, but man do they piss me off. They played Phoenix the other night and the announcer made a comment along the lines of the Coyotes being one of the hardest working teams in the league. Why the hell can't the Leafs be that team? I still have high hopes for them this season, specifically that a long overdue return to the playoffs will happen, but after losing five of their last six games, my concern and blood pressure are both rising like the mercury on Mercury.

The Anti-fan

In the wake of the Toronto Maple Leafs missing out on center Brad Richards when he signed with the New York Rangers on July 2nd, a friend of my girlfriend posted on Facebook that he was ending his 20 year fanship of the Maple Leafs. It's not the first time I've heard such a claim, although in fairness, I've not noticed a fan coming back to the flock after ditching the team. If and when the Leafs win the Stanley Cup, we'll all have a better picture of these fair weather friends.

There are two things I want to question about those who abandon their teams. I question whether they really are sour fans, or anti-fans as I like to put it, or if they have a legit reason, and the other thing I ponder is what will they do when the their former team returns to glory. Of course former Leaf fans have yet to actually face the latter.

In this particular instance, the anti-fan was upset about the lack of the team signing Richards, but from what I gather there was never really much of a chance for the Leafs to sign Richards. He wanted to play in New York, he likes John Tortorella (the head coach of the Rangers whom Richards played for in Tampa Bay), and his second option was his former team, Tampa Bay. It seems clear to me that the Leafs were never in the running. So is it Burke's fault they didn't sign him? Does it qualify as a straw that broke a proverbial camel's back? Of course I must also mention that Burke's trip to Afghanistan was probably a factor, but considering the moves they made after Richards was signed, trading for Cody Franson specifically, is that really a significant point of concern? The team does have three former, top-tier GMs working under Burke.

Personally, I think the Leafs are one big trade away from being a legitimate playoff team. What will this anti-fan do if Burke goes back on his philosophy of not trying to steal an RFA, and they do manage to acquire Steve Stamkos? Will he rejoin the flock?

Every team has ups and downs, and the Maple Leafs have reached four conference finals since 1993. Many good teams don't win the Cup. It doesn't mean they're not trying, and I believe the Leafs are trying pretty damn hard. Maybe they weren't trying very hard in the 80s, but it's hard to argue they aren't trying these days. And what more can you really expect from a sports team?

Even if the Leafs don't make the playoffs this year, or next, or until 2015. They're sure to make the playoffs again, and they may very well win the Cup at some point in the next ten years. What about the anti-fans that gave up on the Boston Red Sox in the 70s? Were they cheering for the team when they won the World Series in 2004, in 2007?

It's hard to win championships, and being a sports fan means living with the team you love through ups and downs.

I'm not a Leaf fan because they win, obviously, I'm a fan because I grew up in Toronto. Management, players, and even owners will come and go. It's only the fans that stay constant, usually.

Bruins win the Cup, Vancouver don't like it none.

It was 3-0 late in game 7 when my girlfriend Kate turned to me and said, "What's a Bruin anyway?" We were in a bar in Montreal full of patrons which were obviously cheering for Vancouver, but not enough to be upset with the pending Bruin Cup win. Laughter filled the air as those with Canuck t-shirts began shifting their attention to things other than hockey. I figured it was safe to answer Kate.

"It's a bear," I told her. Then I looked it up on dictionary.com. "A bear from a child's fable, a European Brown Bear to be exact." Funny, I thought, the Bruins are represented by something decidedly European, yet they have more Canadians on the team than the Canadian Vancouver team. In fact, every team the Canucks played this year had more Canadians on the roster than they did. Why are Canadians cheering for them?

Of course they were cheering for the city as much as the team, and that made the Canucks more Canadian than any American team no matter how many Canadians are on the roster. But then they ruined it all. Of course not all Vancouver residents are to blame for the disgusting riot that happened after the Canucks lost, not all Canuck fans either. But I don't buy for one minute that it was a bunch of criminals pretending to be Canuck fans. I'm sure there were a few, but the pictures and video's I saw were of people causing damage with no gain to themselves. Real criminals don't do that, drunk fans and ignorant children do.

Videos of people smashing cars with skateboards, burning jerseys, smashing windows, and robbing stores were all over YouTube and the Internet in general. I saw a city disgracing itself.

I know similar things happen in Montreal, although not to this degree, and there are people that argue that Toronto would do the same thing, although I don't believe that. I can't believe that every Canadian city is the same, I refuse to. I'm also going to choose to believe that Vancouver learned a lesson this time around, one they failed to learn in 1994. Losing isn't the end of the world.

Of course it may actually be the end of the world for Vancouver in some sense. Roberto Luongo was exposed in Boston in three separate games as a comme ci, comme ça goaltender, and they have the 32 year old signed until the 2021-22 season. That's not a typo, neither the age nor the contract length. FYI, the cap hit per year is north of 5 million.

The Sedin's and Ryan Kesler add up to 17.2 million per year, which isn't too bad, except for the lingering doubt that must remain in the minds of Canuck fans, where were they in Game 7?

They're also got Dan Hamhuis and Keith Ballard at 4.5 and 4.2 million respectively.

Their UFA/RFA list is longer than Santa's naughty list. Maxim Lapierre, Chris Higgins, Raffi Torres, Jeff Tambellini, and Kevin Bieksa top the list, but one good thing to note for Canuck fans is that they've got Cory Schneider under contract for next year at 900k. Too bad he won't play very much behind Luongo, who will be desperate to prove himself all over again.

The Bruins have a tough question to answer themselves. Should they resign Tomas Kaberle? He wasn't the force they wanted him to be after acquiring him from Toronto, but he was a +8 in the playoffs, and was no slouch in the finals. Will it be enough? If not, I wouldn't be surprised if he returned to Toronto. After a top line centre, a puck moving defencemen is tops on the Maple Leafs list of needs.

The NHL Playoffs continue

Well, I went 5 for 8 in my first round selections, but then 0-4 in my second round predictions since I didn't actually make any. That doesn't mean I haven't been watching though.

I wasn't surprised to see Vancouver beat Nashville after such a building series against Chiacgo in round one. The Canucks got a monkey off their back by beating the team that had knocked them out the two years previous when they beat the Blackhawks in sever games. I thought for sure the Blackhawks would win that game seven after coming back from a 3-0 deficit, but the Canucks held fast for the series win.

I was suprised to see Washington bow out in four games to Tampa Bay, I expected the Capitals to make it all the way to the final and maybe even win it all.

Rather than linger on the conference finals, I'm just going to come right out and call a Boston Bruins Stanley Cup victory. I know my Montreal friends won't be excited to hear me say that, but the team has made it all the way to the third round (currently tied at two games apiece with the Lightning) without much from the all-star defenseman they added at the deadline, Tomas Kaberle.

If Kaberle can show fans in Boston what he showed fans in Toronto, the Bruins are going to be a very tough team to beat. If he doesn't rise to the challenge, the team still has a very strong group that can rival any team. Only time will tell for sure.

I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend, Victoria Day for most in Canada, but National Patriot's Day here in Quebec. I'm looking forward to watching young pitcher Kyle Drabek try to improve his record to 4-2 against the Houston Astros before settling in for game four of the Western Conference Finals. One can't ask for much more than that on a Sunday afternoon.

PuckLife Magazine: Emerson Etem

I forgot to post my last PuckLife Magazine article. I have to admit that getting a chance to talk to these players is pretty exciting. I get nervous before each phone call, although now that I have a couple under my belt, I'm more confident, which makes for a much more relaxed interview.

California Dreaming

In California, kids look up to basketball players, football players, even volleyball players before they look to the rinks to find a role model. Anaheim Ducks' prospect, Emerson Etem, is looking to change that. Not only is Etem on a short list of players from southern California, he’s also one of only a handful of African-Americans to be drafted to the NHL.

He’s currently in his second season with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers. He made an immediate contribution in his first season with the team, scoring 37 goals and adding 28 assists in 72 games. His numbers this season are even better; in 54 games he has 35 goals and 26 assists.

Etem knows that as a minority in the NHL he will be looked up to by many across the country, not just Californians. Since scoring is something that he seems to have little trouble with, he focuses on improving his physical game and displaying winning attitude.

“Lead by example, first of all go out there every night and focus on the team winning,” he said. “I think if I lead by example, game in and game out, that would draw a lot of diversity into the game.”

Leading by example and inspiring others is something that Etem has already proven himself capable of. After watching Sidney Crosby lead the Shattuck-Saint Mary's Sabres to a Tier I 17&under National Championship in 2003, Etem moved to Minnesota to play for the Sabers himself, at the tender age of 14. Following in Crosby's footsteps, Etem won the 2007-2008 Tier I 17&under National Championship. He was the only sophomore on that team.

“It was tough leaving friends and family... but it was all hockey, all the time, I had two great coaches, Tom Ward and Murray Eaves,” said Etem about his time with the Sabres. “They were able to shape my game as far as a physical game, wanting me to get stronger, and I still put that in my game today.”

One characteristic that's going to set him apart as a role model, at least off the ice, is his brutal honesty. Not only did he admit to PuckLife that despite being drafted by his home town Ducks, he's been a life-long Los Angeles Kings fan; but in his interview, he also dispelled a rumor that his friend and fellow NHL prospect, Matthew Nieto (also born in Long Beach and a visible minority himself), once lived across the street from rapper Snoop Doggy Dog.

“One of my best friends, Matt Nieto, he's from Long Beach, he's Mexican and he's coming up the ranks,” says Etem. “He's eligible for next year's draft and we were able to push each other every practice.”

A friendly rivalry between a couple of talented players from California is exactly what hockey needs to gain interest in a market that pays more attention to basketball, football, baseball, and even volleyball than hockey.

Before the 2010 NHL entry draft, Etem was ranked eighth by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau, but he was only drafted 29^th overall. Etem chooses to look at the unexpected fall in the draft order as a blessing.

“I'm glad I dropped that low to [be drafted by] such a great organization like the Ducks,” he said.

Playing in his home town, a place void of natural occurrences of ice, is an ideal location for him to make a lasting impression on the younger generation. Canadian and European hockey fans have more role models than California has beaches. In a year or two, California will have their own home grown hero to look up to.

Baseball doping

It's disturbing how what is released in the media an what actually is happening behind the scenes are often two vastly different things. I of course remember the two Blue Jays World Series victories, but I also remember the very next World Series was cancelled because of a strike/lock-out. The stoppage turned me off baseball for a few years, like many other baseball fans, and also like many other baseball fans, I eventually returned to the sport.

Roger Maris hit 61 home runs in the 1961 season, a mark that lasted until 1998 when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa both broke that record with 70 and 66 home runs respectively. Since then that mark of 61 home runs has been broken four more times, most recently in 2001 when Barry Bonds hit 73 (the current record). The drive the point home a bit further, before 1961 the record was 60 home runs. Babe Ruth achieved that mark in 1927. Only once in 70 years with a player hit over 60 home runs, since the World Series was cancelled in 1994 it's happened six times.

It wasn't the home runs that brought me back to the game. For one it's the pitching that interests me most. I just eventually missed the game, but how many of us consider the increase in home runs to be a calculated move by the owners and MLB to bring fans back to the game?

We all know there is doping in baseball, Bonds and Roger Clemens head the list of scapegoats, but what people don't know is that there are many more people to blame, people that somehow skirt responsibility. When people began to take note of steroid use in baseball, Bud Selig claimed that he knew nothing about it and then proceeded to try and stop it. This of course cam after fans had returned to the game. In 2005 he said "I never heard about it."

What people don't know is that when Selig owned the the Milwaukee Brewers, he did know about it. Brent Starr, a former Cleveland Indians trainer, said that he was at a meeting in 1988 between the owner's group and the Players' Association in which team physicians told the owners that there was a doping problem that needed to be addresses. Selig was there too, but 17 years later he claimed to be hearing about the problem for the first time.

So what happened? The only thing that makes sense to me is that the owners always knew about doping, and once they saw attendance fall, they encouraged it, or turned an even blinder eye, although I don't see how that could be possible. Once fans were back in the seats, they condemned doping. If it wasn't already public knowledge that doping existed, they probably wouldn't ever have done anything about it.

I'm not saying the players aren't at fault, but if you ask an average fan who the culprits are, they would probably respond with Clemons, Bonds, or maybe they'll say some trainers were at fault. All of those people are at fault, but so are the owners who are capatalizing on the players using steroids, but few fans point any of the blame at them.

The "Mitchell Report" is a farce, aimed at putting all the blame on players that aren't able to make them money anymore.

George Mitchell wrote the report when he was  on the board of the Boston Red Sox. It makes sense that David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez were both not included in the Mitchell Report. The Red Sox needed them to win the 2004 World Series, so of course Mitchell excluded them.

I would also note that while the Mitchell Report ruined the careers of many players, it was all based on hearsay, and none of that hearsay affected Bud Selig or any of the league's owners.

Owners need to be brought into the spotlight. They need to be questioned by grand juries about how much they knew about doping, but I doubt that will ever happen, and that is a crying shame.

Leafs out of playoffs again

The one thing I noticed about Toronto sports writers is that other than the odd word against the coach and the team in general, most of them only say negative things about the fans. As if we have anything to do with the team's futility. These "journalists" seem to have a hate on for fans. I would like to remind them that for the most part the people booing former players at the ACC are not fans, they are corporate slugs that need the Leafs to win to look good in front of clients. Let's remember that the average Leaf fan can't afford to go to the games. Why don't they talk about the huge ticket prices for a team that hasn't made the playoffs in six years? Why don't they talk about the huge profit the team makes? Instead they blame the fans for giving the team all that money. Again, it's not the fans giving them money, it's the corporate slugs. The only guy I know with season tickets has admitted to hating the Leafs since he was a kid, but it's a good way to show potential investors a good time.

Anyway, enough of all that. I live in Montreal anyway so I don't even have the option of going to the ACC, and really the prices in Montreal, while cheaper, are also quite expensive. I did manage to see Halak's 55 save performance against the Washington Capitals in last year's first round, and how did I get those tickets? Through Kate's work of course.

The Maple Leafs again finished the season strongly after a terrible start, but it wasn't enough to squeeze into the playoffs. In other years, these strong finishes have done much to encourage the fan base for the following year, and this year is no different.

High Hopes

Next year may end up being another wasted year, but there are more positives than usual, and one glaring question that must be answered before the Leafs can do anything close to winning a playoff game.

The Leafs' strong finish was longer than usual, giving the impression that it might carry over till next season.

The team had four 20 goal scorers, two 30 goal scores (Kessel and Kulemin) and Graboski just missed 30, finishing with 29. Macarthur had 21.That's not bad if these four can reproduce those numbers, and the Leafs can add another scorer with their 20+ million in cap space.

The biggest question, actually there are two, is goaltending. Will Reimer be able to reproduce his season? If so I think the Leafs will be a good bet to make the playoffs, if not they'll be hoping to win the lottery (at least they have the first round pick in 2012.

Goaltending is going to make or break next year unless the Leafs can drastically improve on special teams, especially the penalty kill. If you trust your penalty killers, players can play more aggressively without worrying that a penalty will result in a goal against. Since Burke wants to build a rough-and-tumble team, the penalty kill must be among the best in the league if the team has any hope of success.

I'm looking forward to the off-season  moves Burke make. I wouldn't expect Richards to be a Leaf, but Burke may be able to pull off a blockbuster nonetheless.

As far as the teams that are in the playoffs, here are my predictions. Yes, I know five games have already been played, but one game does not a series make.

Eastern Conference
(1) Washington over (8) New York in four
(2) Philadelphia over (7) Buffalo in seven
(3) Boston over (4) Montreal in six
(4) Pittsburgh over (5) Tampa Bay in six

Western Conference
(8) Chicago over (1) Vancouver in seven
(2) San Jose over (7) Los Angeles in six
(3) Detroit over (6) Phoenix in five
(4) Anaheim over (5) Nashville in six

Matt Cooke apologizes

Matt Cooke, possibly the most violent player in the NHL's modern era, has apologized for his elbow to the head of Ryan McDonagh. The apology came after he was suspended the remaining ten games of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs. Forgive me if I find it hard to believe his sincerity.

"I realize and understand, more so now than ever, that I need to change," Cooke told Pittsburgh reporters Monday night. "That's what I wanted my message to be.

"I'm fortunate that Ryan McDonagh wasn't hurt," said Cooke. "I don't want to hurt anybody. That's not my intention. I know that I can be better. ... I made a mistake, and I'm the one who's accountable for that. And I take full responsibility for it."

How can you not intend to hurt someone when you deliver a flying elbow to their head? Of course he meant to hurt McDonagh. When Cooke meant to say is that he didn't intend to end McDonagh's career, although he must have known it was a possibility. McDonagh did not actually sustain significant injury, but that shouldn't matter anyway, and who knows if he's hiding concussion symptoms to continue playing. What should matter is the intent, the elbow, and the player's repeated violent activities that fall outside of the rules and expectations of the sport.

The suspension is deserving, and Cooke's words are meaningless.

NHL fumbles on Chara hit

It's been an interesting week in Montreal since Boston Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara rode Canadiens' forward Max Pacioretty into that hazardous part of the glass between the benches. Some people say Chara was just finishing his check like all good NHLers do and some say he intentionally pushed Pacioretty into the wall of glass at the end of the Bruins' bench. It's impossible to know what Chara was actually thinking so let's look at some of the facts.

The game is fast, but Chara's hit was late and surely a Norris trophy winner is thinking quick enough on the ice to know that he was putting Pacioretty in danger.

The Bell Centre is not known for being one of the safest rinks to play in. The padding that Pacioretty hit looked like it was about an inch think, and when you travel as the speeds hockey players travel at a one inch think piece of foam is as useful as using a pillow to catch a skydiver whose chute failed to open.

Chara isn't known as one of those players that goes around hurting people, but he is a giant and it takes less effort from him than others to do damage to people. I saw a lot of him when he played for the Senators, and while I agree he is not a violent offender, nor is he going to be a Lady Byng candidate anytime soon.

The NHL is desperately trying to reduce head injuries in the NHL. Air Canada has threatened to pull their sponsorship and who knows how many other companies will follow suit if the problem is not resolved. I know NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman's response to Air Canada was that there are a line of potential sponsors, but even so it's just bad business to look weak on the head injury front. With this in mind it becomes difficult to understand why the NHL would not suspend Chara.

Suspensions should not be decided on the damage caused. The body is both frail and durable at the same time which makes it capable of sustaining great damage from minor collisions and minimal damage from major collisions. Suspensions should be decided based on the act and the intent. Chara pushed Pacioretty's head into a wall of glass while travelling at high speeds long after Pacioretty had passed the puck, even if he didn't mean to hurt him a suspension is warranted. And why should it be no games or 20 games, as was suggested by Don Cherry?

I think they should give him five for hitting Pacioretty into a dangerous part of the boards well after he had passed the puck. It's not going to hurt the team significantly, and it lets fans and sponsors know the NHL is working on reducing injuries, and it lets the players know that they have to try to avoid hurting each other out there.

Probably as a result of the NHL's decision to not suspend Chara, the Montreal police are now investigating the hit. It's a typical passionate response, but not one that I think will lead to anything further.

Instead the Canadiens, who could meet Boston in the first round of the playoffs, will take matters into their own hands and either start a number of fights with the Bruins when they next meet, or they'll hurt one of the them.

I've said it before on this very blog that the NHL's system with dealing with offenders is poor. Here once again they have failed, and who knows what the repercussions will be in the long run this time.

PuckLife magazine: Ben Maxwell

In December I wrote a piece on the Hamilton Bulldog's Ben Maxwell for PuckLife magazine. Just a few days ago, the Montreal Canadiens' prospect was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers for Brent Sopel and Nigel Dawes.

This month I'v been assigned Emerson Etem, an Anaheim Ducks' prospect currently playing the the Medicine Hat Tigers. Let's hope Emerson has some sticking power, so I don't see all the players I interview get traded.

Here is the original version of the Ben Maxwell article. The published version, which you can read if you subscribe to PuckLife magazine, had some changes. I'm not posting the updated version for two reasons, one) I can't figure out how to copy the article out of the pdf-type file PuckLife magazine is distributed in and, two) as most writers will tell you: I didn't like the editor's changes.

Here, unaltered, is the Ben Maxwell article.

Ben Maxwell's master plan

Despite being stuck in the AHL with a two-way contract,
Maxwell's got the talent and drive to become a fixture in the NHL

There are a number of differences between the AHL and the NHL, many of them financial. Those financial differences often decide which league a player will start the season in. For North Vancouver
native Ben Maxwell, who was drafted 49th in 2006 by the Montreal Canadiens, a group of players with one-way contracts is the biggest reason he's putting in a third season for the Hamilton Bulldogs.


“I was looking to make the team this year, obviously it didn’t work out. There weren’t a lot of spots,” explained Maxwell. He has played only 20 games in the NHL in the past two seasons, despite his escalating success in the WHL and AHL since 2003. The key is that Maxwell has shown a solid ability to improve. He's averaging more than a point per game this year for the Bulldogs.


Another year in the AHL is probably not going to hurt Maxwell's development, but it's not going to do much for it either. Every game is now a try out for Maxwell, a chance to show the big club what he can do. The 22-year-old centreman definitely knows what they’re looking for. He spends his time in the AHL practising all the things his coaches – three in three years with Hamilton – preach. “Hockey players who are most effective in the NHL are usually the guys who are the two-way players, and can also put the puck in the net, and that’s what I strive to be,” says Maxwell, who's dreamed of the NHL since he was six years old, watching Pavel Bure play for the Canucks.


The Canadiens will give Maxwell a chance eventually, there's little doubt about that. The numbers he's putting up in the AHL must have Canadiens' GM, Pierre Gauthier, thinking about ways to make space for him. But like many young players on the Bulldogs, there's no rush for the Canadiens to bring Maxwell up. They're not looking to rebuild: they're coming off an improbable playoff run that saw them reach the Eastern Conference semi-finals and hope to continue that momentum this season.


So what's Ben Maxwell master plan? He's continuing to work, adding the strength and confidence that's needed to play full-time in the NHL. “Every young guy’s goal is to get a little stronger because in the NHL the guys are that much bigger and stronger,” says Maxwell. “I’ve got a little more confidence, and I think that’s a big thing in pro hockey, just finding your calm and cooling down out there and playing your game.”


He's has got the knowledge and the experience, the drive and the raw talent, now Ben Maxwell just needs some consistent playing time with the Canadiens to prove it. As he himself said, “There’s only a certain amount that the minor leagues can do to prepare you for the NHL.”

Jose Bautista signs 5-year contract with Blue Jays

Good? Bad? Ugly?

There are going to be opinions all over the place on this one, and the truth is we're not going to know if this was a good or bad deal for a little while yet. That doesn't mean everyone, including me, isn't going to speculate.

So far the Jay's GM, Alex Anthopoulos, has done a fine job. He's restocked the team's prospects, gotten rid of a couple of hefty salaries, and he's made the team a contender in the toughest division in baseball.

Few people thought Bautista would hit 54 home runs last year, setting a Blue Jays record and winning the Hank Arron Award in the process, and the bigger question is can he do it again. The frank answer is no. He's probably not going to hit 54 home runs this year, he probably won't even break 50. But that's not because he was a one-hit-wonder (or maybe 54-hit-wonder). Teams are aware of him now, they're gong to pitch him outside, walk him, throw at him, and generally try to avoid throwing him fast balls down the middle of the plate. That doesn't mean he can't hit 30 or 40 home runs. He may not match last year's success in the long ball, but he's going to earn his paycheck, that you can count on.

Not only is Bautista reputed to be one of the hardest working players on the team, he's well liked by management and the players around him.  Anthopoulos has earned my respect and, aside from what I already know about Bautista, if the Jay's GM says he's good enough to earn 64 million dollars over five years, I believe him.

Critics will say that one year does not make a player, and they're right, but those with a close eye could have predicted a break out year for Bautista last year. Firstly, he had finally settled down and was given consistent playing time in 2010. Between 2004 and 2010 Bautista played for five different teams. Secondly, his success started at the end of the 2009 season.

At the start of 2009, Bautista was on the bench, but during the season Alex Rios was claimed off waivers, Adam Lind move to the DH role, and Marco Scutaro was injured. By the end of the campaign, Bautista was a regular player.

Many fans are moving onto football by September since two of, Boston, New York, and sometimes Tampa Bay, have often clinched the playoff spots available to the Jays by fall, so it's no wonder that many didn't see Bautista hit 10 home runs in September of '09.

Consider also that the Jay's staff was pretty good about helping hitters find their swing in 2009. This year the coaches may be a bit more capable helping out pitchers than hitters, with Cito Gaston moving on and John Farrell coming in, but Bautista has already profited from Gaston and his crew's hitting advice. A couple adjustments to his swing and Bautista is putting up numbers that may see him considered for MVP this year.

If his numbers do decrease, how far do they have to drop before he's not worth his pay? He's not in the top 25 paid players in MLB, and he still makes less than Vernon Wells (now with the California, Los Angeles Angels of Anahiem). If he hits 30 home runs, keeps his great attitude, and keeps working hard he'll be well worth his pay. If he hits another 50 home runs, he'll be the best bargin in baseball.
This deal has worked out in both the player and the club's favour. Now Anthopoulos needs to get back at it and finish building a team around Bautista (and a few others already with the team of course) that can challenge the likes of the Yankees, Red Sox, and those rhyming bastards, the Rays.

Versteeg to Flyers

So the Toronto Maple Leafs have regained a first round draft pick for the 2011 draft after trading their own away for Phil Kessel in a deal that left a sour taste in many fans' mouths. This first round draft pick is probably going to be a very late round pick whereas the Leafs' original pick is probably going to be around tenth overall.

The Leafs acquired Versteeg for Victor Stalberg, Chris DiDomenico, and Philippe Paradis. Stalberg was a free agent Burke lured into the organization, DiDomenico was a sixth round pick and Paradis was chosen in the first round by the Carolina Hurricanes and traded to Toronto for another first round pick, Juri Tlusty, who has logged AHL time this season and last, and has 9 points in 32 games this season for the 'Canes.

Any first round pick is good and this trade seems like it will be a good fit for both teams, but unless Toronto GM, Brian Burke, uses this first rounder to acquire another player it will look like a step backward. Not in the overall sense of the team's assets, but in will not help the team win now. What the Leafs lost in Kris Versteeg was a 24 year old, 50 point scoring, Stanley Cup veteran who possibly wasn't fitting in as well as Burke may have liked. What they gained was a pick that could turn into an equal or better (or worse) player in about two or three year's time, and a third round pick. A fine trade if the mandate was to rebuld.

Sure the team could wait another three years, Dion Phaneuf is only 25, Nazem Kadri is only 20, and any one else that really matters is younger than Phaneuf, but Burke isn't going to wait. There's already talk that he's got a buyer for that third round pick, and the first round pick may not survive long in this Cup challenged city either.

With the trade deadline coming it will be an exciting time for Leaf fans, as it almost always is. Burke has also stated that he intends to be active on July 1st, the first day of free agency. While Versteeg may not have worked out in the Blue and White, let's hope that Burke can find someone who can survive in Toronto and let's also hope he gets enough time to meld.

Islanders score 16 times in two games?

The most important news to come out of the NHL this past weekend was the New York Islanders miraculously scoring 16 goals in two games. Unfortunately, that's not what most sports writers decided to pay attention to on Monday morning. And why should they pay attention to hockey when there are more entertaining things to write about, like fighting.

This is basically what I saw happen Friday night in on Long Island in a game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Islanders: Trevor Gillies of the Islanders goes in for a hit on Eric Tangradi of the Penguins. As Gillies uses his elbow to give Tangradi a concussion, Tangradi pushes Gillies to the ice. Gillies, upset by the fact that he's been thrown to the ice, gets up and starts punching the concussed Tangradi in the head. So basically Gillies gives Tangradi a concussion and then tries to make it worse by punching and taunting the injured player.

This sets off a brawl in which many of the players square off including the Penguins's goalie, Brent Johnson, and Islanders's centre, Michael Haley. This fight has significance for two reasons: goalies rarely fight, and when they do it's usually other goalies, although not in this case; and Pittsburgh's Eric Godard came off the bench to protect his goalie from Haley.

Godard got a ten game suspension for coming off the bench automatically. I don't think coming off the bench is any near as despicable as using an elbow, but I understand the set suspension. What I fail to understand is Gillies only getting nine games for elbowing and punching his victim. Could you imagine if someone did that to someone else on the street? They would serve jail time, have a permanent criminal record, and have to go to anger management counselling.

It seems like head shots should be a very easy problem to solve, yet the NHL is reluctant to take appropriate action. Gillies used his elbow to concuss a player, and the sad thing is that it happens all the time. Matt Cooke did his best to end Marc Savard's career, and because he plays for the Penguins, the team isn't allowed to complain about Friday night's actions without looking hypocritical.

Penguins's owner, Mario Lemieux, said the league failed when they handed out their suspensions.

"The NHL had a chance to send a clear and strong message that those kinds of actions are unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport. It failed," he said. "We, as a league, must do a better job of protecting the integrity of the game and the safety of our players. We must make it clear that those kinds of actions will not be tolerated and will be met with meaningful disciplinary action.

"If the events relating to Friday night reflect the state of the league, I need to rethink whether I want to be a part of it."

He's not only being called a hypocrite due to these words, he's also being called a whiner.

Lemieux called the NHL a garage league in 1992 because of the hooking and holding. After that, the NHL successfully worked to get rid of the hooking and holding. Maybe people are scared that Lemieux is going to help rid the game of fighting. If they bad mouth him and make it look as though he's being a hypocrite the NHL is less likely to take what he says into consideration. Sounds like a good plan, the only problem is that Lemieux is right.

Matt Cooke may play for the Penguins, but they don't pay him to elbow people, Lemieux certainly doesn't. Teams like having rough and tough players, they perform a role that is necessary to winning, but they also have a negative side.

When you pay a player 8 million dollars a year to score it means you have fewer players on that team capable of scoring at a regular pace. When the 8 million dollar superstar becomes mired in a slump, the team suffers because they don't have adequate backup scoring. That's the downside to a highly payed sniper. The downside to a rough checker is that once in a while he throws an elbow. Teams should be allowed to employ them without wanting the elbows just like teams employ snipers without wanting the scoring slumps.

There is one sure fire easy way to stop this nonsense, yet the NHL is perhaps a bit too weak to do it. Don't suspend Gillies for 9 games, he'll be back in three weeks, head hunting again. Instead suspend him for the rest of the year. If he sits out the remaining 20 something games he'll probably be less likely to elbow someone in the head next season and someones career will be saved.

Fighting is one thing, although every time there's a fight all I can think about is which one is going to smash his head on the ice, but elbowing and head shots are deplorable. The NHL thinks so, at least that's what they say, but putting words into action, in this case, doesn't seem to be one of their strengths.

Is there a game this Sunday?

Not every Super Bowl is an exciting game, but every Super Bowl is exciting. Especially for corporations and celebrities who use the game as a popularity contest. How much does ad space cost this year? Which ad will be viewed the most on youtube? Which celebrity will flash the crowd a part of their body they didn't pay to see?

I look forward to seeing these ads, among other things, of course, but more importantly I look forward to what should be an awesome game.

There are no Cinderella teams this year, sorry Seahawk fans, just two tough teams, the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, that should keep the game close and exciting.

Arron Rodgers of the Packers and Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers are among the best quarterbacks in the league with ratings of 101.2 and 97 in the regular season respectively. Pittsburgh has an advantage in the running game on both sides of the ball, but Green Bay's secondary will be looking to make up the difference.

Both these teams have played well in their playoff games so far. Pittsburgh beat the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Jets to win the AFC, and Green Bay beat, the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, and the  Chicago Bears to win the NFC.

Aside from the commercials, the half-time show, and the game itself, there is also the gambling. Other than a few bucks on game day among friends, I don't put any money down on the game even though you can bet on just about anything you can imagine. Will Fergie pull a Janet Jackson? There are probably odds on that somewhere, but it's not a bet I would take.

I will of course make extensive and bold predictions that I will proudly brag about if I get right and totally ignore if I get wrong. So here goes:

Although I am a Packers fan and will be cheering for them while eating copious amounts of cheese on Sunday, I'm going to call a 34-31 Steelers victory.

I'm also going to call three interceptions, two from Big Ben and one from Rodgers.

Rashard Mendenhall will rush for between 85 and 95 yards and score at least two touchdowns.

There will be only one fumble all game, and it will be made by a wide receiver.

There will be three successful field goals and one missed attempt.

There will be one touchdown scored by either a kick off return or an interception. No punts will be returned for more than 10 yards.

The half time score will be 17-20.

And finally, I have to call something bizarre, an offensive lineman will catch a touchdown pass.

Depending on how many of these predictions I get right I will be revisiting this post next week.

Have a fun Sunday.

The blundering Maple Leafs of Toronto

Of course my first article should absolutely be about my beloved Maple Leafs who unfortunately are mired in the worst display of ineptitude in franchise history. So I guess I can't write about how they could win the Cup this year or even who they should draft next year since they don't have a first round pick. Nuts. I suppose I'll have to write about just how much they suck.

The truth is they actually don't suck. They also don't win as many game as most of the other teams in the NHL, but really they're a decent hockey club. They're young, they have star players and they have a Stanley Cup winning goaltender. It's hard to ask for much more than that. The problem, if it can be considered a problem, is that there is little difference between professional hockey teams. Certainly there is a wide gap between the best team in the league and the worst team in the league, but between the 11th team and the 8th? Not so much. Luck and one or two players can really be the difference between making the playoffs in the NHL and not.

The Leafs haven't made the playoffs in five years, this year will mark the sixth straight year. Before this current stretch of non-playoff years the longest the team had gone without making the playoffs was four years. Add the lockout year and there hasn't been a Leaf playoff game in six years and 277 days (if my calculations are correct). That's 2467 days since a Leaf playoff game, thankfully there's only been one leap year in that time otherwise the number would be even bigger. Assuming they don't make the playoffs this year that number will be close to 3000 days by the end of the 2011-2012 season, and they're not guaranteed to make the playoffs that year either. Yes it's hard times for Leafs fans indeed.

The organization has tried a number of things to get the Leafs back into the playoffs since the lockout, of course using the draft isn't one of them, but just about everything else is. Slow expensive forwards (Jason Allison comes to mind) that thrived in the hooking and grabbing era of the NHL were employed after the lockout which ensured that skill and speed would be required to win. That didn't work for the Buds. Who could have possibly guessed that? They tried throwing money at an old goaltender (Ed Belfour) before the lockout hoping that they could grandfather his salary, that didn't work and neither did having an expensive goalie will past his prime. They tried signing average players and players with one good season (Jason Blake) to huge contracts hoping they would suddenly become defensively responsible and start scoring more goals. That, surprisingly, didn't work either.

The most recent attempt to improve the team's fortunes looked good on paper, but hasn't turned out very well for the the team. At least not in the standings part of the game, the only part the fans really care about. Phil Kessel was traded from Boston for two first round draft picks and a second. It wasn't a bad move. Who knew the Leafs would finish second last and hand Boston the second overall draft pick? That pick would have been the second highest pick in franchise history. Once they had the first overall pick and once the third, but never the second. Oh by the way the guy they drafted with that first overall pick was Wendel Clark. The Bruins won't be getting quite as high a pick this year, but they've already replaced Kessel with Tyler Seguin (the player they drafted with the Leaf's first pick last year). Seguin may not ever be as good as Kessel, but he's expeceted to and he probably will be.

So that trade didn't work out as well as they had hoped, Kessel still has 49 goals in 119 games for the Leafs, that's not too bad. It just isn't helping them win. The same can be said about the Phaneuf trade. No one doubts that the Leafs won that trade, but it wasn't quite the fleecing it was when Cliff Fletcher stole Doug Gilmour from the Calgary Flames, and more importantly the team is still not winning. Unlike Kessel however, Phaneuf isn't putting up the numbers he was expected to, 21 points in 59 games.

There are a host of other players that are under performing this year, Tyler Bozak, Jonas Gustavsson, Mike Komisarek among others, but there are also a number of players over performing like Mikhail Grabovski and Clarke MacArthur. There just aren't enough over performers to compensate for the under performing.

There's no immediate fix for the team, no magic pill that will get them winning. They're young and they should improve, but that doesn't mean they'll make the playoffs next year. For that to happen both veterans and young players need to play their best hockey at the same time. It doesn't help much if Kessel scores four goals if the goalie lets in five, nor does allowing one goal help if the team is shutout. This team needs time to grow.  The problem is no one wants to wait that long, I certainly don't, and if Brian Burke takes a risk and loses, the wait will just be that much longer.

Where's the puck?

Until I find a paying gig writing sports I'll be trying to put as much sports related content as I can on this blog. Not only is it good practice, and I must say fun, but hopefully I'll be able to use it as portfolio of sorts. Or maybe I'll get the job I applied to today and this blog won't last longer than a day. Personally I hope I get the job and this blog fails. The job posting said applicants must be willing to travel. Perhaps to Dallas? Perhaps to the Super Bowl? Highly unlikely, but a guy can dream can't he?