Ok peeps - I've got some catching up to do here with my quotables so let's get to it...
''If I could go back in time, I'd slash my cap number in half. But, hey, that's the way things are, and I have no control over that situation.'' -
Boston's Blake Wheeler
During the last week of camp, there was a lot of speculation as to where Wheeler would start the season - Boston or Providence. Consensus was that he had earned a spot on the team, but his nearly $3 million cap hit (rookie base salary with the rest in bonuses) was a major hindrance for a team that finds itself up against the cap. Fortunately for him, the Bruins seem to have figured the cap issues out and Wheeler will start the season with the big club - well deserved!!
Unfortunately, Bobby Ryan was the victim of a similar situation in Anaheim...
"It would be tough to take, that when all is said and done, it comes down to the business side of it and not your play on the ice. It would be a bitter pill to swallow...You just want to warn guys that it (bonus laden contracts) could be something that comes back to bite you. I'd waive 'em in a heartbeat if I could – take it down to the league minimum or whatever it would be. When it's right there in front of your face and it's a couple hundred thousand dollars that's hurting you, it's tough." -
Bobby Ryan about his situation
I feel for this guy...being ready for the NHL and good enough to make the team, but sent down because you'd have the potential to make too much money. Quite simply...that sucks! But,
in another article, Brian Burke reaffirms why he's one of my favorite GM's, saying he'd call Ryan up if he dominates in the AHL OR he'd be willing to work out a trade so Ryan could have a shot with another team without the cap issues. For the record...I hope he kicks butt and takes names in Iowa and is playing with the big club sooner rather than later! BUT...both of these instances bring up an interesting discussion topic. I know most of this is due to the cap cushion that was removed this season and we know most teams can't operate under the cap with out the rookie contracts, but is this a trend that we'll see more and more often with top tier rookies with bonus laden contracts? or is this just two unique situations coincidentally happening within the same year?
Here's a fun article about
Mike Green...how his new place has a TV in every room (is that really necessary?), how he thanked his mom and dad for their part in making him the player he is today and how his move impacted his relationship with teammate Brooks Laich, plus some hockey talk....
"It is funny - Florida really is where all the old people go between me, [Mark] Recchi and [Gary] Roberts. At least I'm not the oldest." -
Olaf Kolzig on his new location as he talks about his move from Washington and what he hopes to experience in Tampa
In keeping with Tampa...
"We have no alternative. These are our guys. It's not like we can airlift six veteran D in here tomorrow. As a coach, we know that. Hopefully, every game we get better and better. Are there going to be some bumps along the way? Yeah. But I told them, as long as you guys compete, I'm there with you. That's all I ask, compete every night, work hard in practice." -
Barry Melrose on his young defensive core
Whats funny about this is I read it soon after attending a Flyers practice last week. GM Paul Holmgren addressed the media about the status of injuries and one reporter asked if he was going to dress the defensive players he wanted come opening day. Holmgren kind of looked at him and said, "The players I want? No." We all got a chuckle out of it and the reporter rephrased the question to include only the players currently on the Flyers roster.
We sit here and talk about our fantasy rosters and who we want and it's crazy to think that this is actually their job!! Talk about a keeper league!! LOL But, it also emphasizes that even with a full roster, GMs are always looking for ways to improve their club and have their eyes on certain players for the future.
Remember what I said last week in my College Hockey Spotlight about how Ivy League athletes blow my mind?? Noah Welch - a Harvard grad and Panthers defenseman - is living up to that as
he agrees to donate his brain to science. I hope more athletes follow suit.
Much was made in the media about how Erik Johnson injured his knee and last week
EJ addressed those rumors...
"First off, I can understand why people would think (it's a lie), just because how weird the accident was, but it really bothers me when people make assumptions, people who have no idea about the situation. The only guys that know were the guys that were with me, and they didn't even know (Johnson got injured) until we got back and my knee was hurting. I played the next three or four holes of the round...It really bothers me when I hear things that are just so stupid. Don't assume things until you have the facts. The facts are what we said. Obviously it's weird ... I'm the first one to say it's a freak accident. As much as I would have loved to have it happen on the rink, it just didn't happen that way. People can have their thoughts, but what's happened, happened. We've said how it happened and there's no reason for people to make up anything."
All true - the bottom line is that he's hurt and out for the year. They guy's embarrassed and disappointed about it enough...he doesn't need more drama caused by people who don't like the answer they're given. The good news is that he seems to be looking at this with a very positive approach and is going to stick with the team as much as he can. It will be interesting to talk with him next year and see what he's learned throughout this experience...as I always say and as he says in the article - everything happens for a reason!
Sticking with the Blues and their youth movement...Here are some great articles about their top three young guns - David Perron, Patrik Berglund and T.J. Oshie.
Youth Express
"I've started to understand how different it is for a Swedish player to come to the NHL," Berglund said. "I always thought it wouldn't be that hard ... I got the talent and blah, blah, blah.
"But when I came here, it's not just the hockey ... it's the language, the food. You have to get used to that stuff to enjoy living in the U.S. ... if you're willing to spend 10-15 years in the U.S. (to play in the NHL)."
Oshie has been roommates with Berglund for a couple of months and has noticed one difference between Americans and Swedes.
"They wear things a little bit tighter than would be comfortable for me," Oshie said, laughing.
Positive Signs Abound
"We've got such a young team, it's hard to say," Murray said. "We believe that we can challenge ... it's just hard to know. It's hard to put a finger on our team right now, more so than maybe any other year I've coached, just because we're so young. But that brings excitement, too."
Blues Rookie Looking Like He Belongs
"At the last training camp I didn't have as much confidence at all, I was just shy and standing over in the corner," Berglund said. "Now I've made a lot of good friends and I've gotten to know the game over here. I love being here and I want to be a part of the St. Louis Blues."
But beyond the information in the articles...check out these awesome photos that go with them...
Both from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
I think Ken Hitchcock is one of the coolest people in hockey...who else would allow a
56-year old Catholic Bishop from Chicago to man the pipes in an official NHL practice?? Although, he did have one complaint about the avid hockey fan..."He blessed us, except against the Blackhawks, which was a little disappointing."
Sticking with Columbus - RJ Umberger is a quality individual not to mention a heck of a hockey player and
the folks in Columbus have known it for years as the former Buckeye returns to Ohio...
Sometimes, it's really irritating when a coach states the obvious, but sometimes players need a reminder...
"The NHL means that you have to play hard every game for your team and you have to play the best every game. It's not playing one good game, and three games average, one bad one, one good one. It doesn't work like this. Not in the NHL." -
Jacques Lemaire during the preseason as some of his players were fighting for roster spots.
This is the best league in the world for a reason boys...don't forget and definitely don't take it for granted...
Goalies helmets are by far the most interesting piece of hockey equipment in my book as they always seem to tell a story. Minnesota's Josh Harding, known for his creative mask designs,
unveiled his new mask last week depicting he and his friends - six of whom are specifically recognized - playing a game of pick up outside his childhood home in Sasketchewan.
This goes beyond way cool and easily catapults to my favorite mask in the NHL even though I haven't seen all of them...This one will be tough to top!
Still with Minnesota...Turns out James Sheppard is a funny guy!! The quite rookie from a year ago is feeling
more and more at home in Minnesota.
"I'm a pretty outgoing guy. I like to joke around and be pretty funny," Sheppard said. "I'm young. I like to act like a kid. When I'm around my buddies, I love to goof around. But last year, when you meet new people, you want to learn first, and I believe first impressions are big. It wasn't like I was uncomfortable, but this is more my home now and I feel like I fit in."
He's been sleeping on Harding's futon while he looks for his own place and while Harding is the first to tell you the kid is beyond messy, he more than makes up for it in laughs...
"He's been bragging to me for months about how good he is at guitar now because he's been playing all summer," Harding said. "So he picked up the guitar finally and was like, 'So, do you like Eric Clapton?' I said, 'You know what, I don't really like Eric Clapton. Let's hear something else. He's like, 'You sure you don't like Eric Clapton?' He was going on and on hours on end about how good of a guitar player he was and he knows one song and he only knows the first two chords!"
Sheppard also worked on his Blue Magnum as he tried his hand at modeling this summer as a representative of Under Armour in Canada...
"It was fun. It's something I'd love to do again, especially because with a computer, they can do a lot of stuff to make me look pretty."
Pretty...exactly what every NHL player wants to be described as LOL There are some other good nuggets in the story and I highly suggest that you all read it.
It's no secret that I love my Mountain Men from Minnesota not only for their phenomenal jerseys, but also for their gritty play.
Owen Nolan looks to live up to that reputation and even take it up a few notches.
In Phoenix, the kids reign supreme, but it's the
veterans who keep things light and fun in an attempt to keep the pressure to make the playoffs for the first time in seven years of their rather slight shoulders.
The battle scars aren't supposed to surface until afterward but that's not always the case for Peter Mueller. During pregame warm-ups, Shane Doan is frequently shooting pucks at his teammate's feet or checking him into the boards.
"Yeah, what is that?" the Coyotes young forward mused. "I guess that's his way of getting me ready."
"Let's be clear: He's not an innocent bystander in all this," Doan said. "Plus, this is a kid's game. I enjoy having fun on the ice."
Many teams are doing things differently this year between new owners, new GMs or new coaches and
Dallas is making some of the biggest adjustments under the guidance of co-General Mangers Les Jackson and Brett Hull. There are a lot of things I like about what they're doing and most are highlighted in this article...
One of the biggest trends, yet most often overlooked, I'm seeing this season is a return to fun. Several overbearing coaches have been replaced in favor of those more calm and patient and
Los Angeles is no exception.
Dustin Brown said the team has been getting accustomed to Coach Terry Murray's patient approach, a big difference from the often blistering comments delivered by former coach Marc Crawford.
"It's just a different feeling behind the bench, much more calm, and that maybe trickles down to players," Brown said.
"It seems like we're not panicking as much when things don't go right. We get back to basics. I think the defensive zone coverage we're trying to change a little bit is helping that."
He said he appreciates being corrected without being constantly screamed at.
"A guy like me might be a little less intimidating," he said. "For younger guys just coming in I'm sure it's nice to come back to the bench and if you make a mistake acknowledge it and see how you can do better, which wasn't always the case. Here, it's all about learning, which I think is good with a young team."
Philadelphia's John Stevens is
very much the same way...
"He's pretty low-keyed but, at the same time, he's pretty demanding - like he should be," veteran defenseman Kimmo Timonen said. "But he's a pretty easy guy to talk to. As a player, if you have something on your mind and want to talk to him, you can go in his office and talk. I've been with some coaches who you can't do that with. Some are like he's the boss and it's only his way, but with John you can talk. Obviously, he has the last word, but you can at least talk about it, and I like that."
After a preseason game between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames that featured seven goals and ten fighting majors, one of the players quipped that the Battle of Alberta was back on. The question is...When was it ever off?!?!
In case you forgot how much these two teams love each other...here's a reminder...
Fight Club Returns
Alberta Fued Renewed as Flames, Oilers Square Off
Flames Fire Up Battle of Alberta
The fun part is that this was just preseason...every single game between these two is highlighted on my calendar!!
During this break between preseason and Opening Night, many teams are participating in team building trips/activities...the
Oilers have their own ideas of team building...
"You can go to West Point. You can go out in the woods and catch each other falling, but when the gloves come off and the fists are flying and everybody is involved, it's a pretty good process. It only looks easy from above. When you're in the middle of something like that, it takes a lot of courage. Everybody is pretty proud of the way they conducted themselves and that's good for team chemistry and team building." - head coach Craig MacTavish
Have I mentioned that I love him?? He played with passion and he coaches with passion and if this team adds some nastiness to their speed and skilled style of play, they will definitely be one of my favorite teams to watch this season. One of the guys looking to provide that touch of nasty is Steve MacIntyre -
you can read about him here.
With so many prospects working their way onto NHL rosters sooner than expected, going to the AHL for some "seasoning" has developed some sort of negative connotation. Sometimes it's a matter of being ready and some times it's just a matter of not having a position available for the role that player fills - can't ask a checker to play a top six role or vice versa and expect the same level of success. Two players who have received a lot of criticism in this regard are Montreal's
Max Paccioretty (whose name I can now spell without looking it up any more) and Philadelphia's
Claude Giroux.
I talked with Danny Briere after last night's game between the Flyers and Phantoms who said he shared some words of encouragement with Giroux on the ice after the game. Briere has been there done that and told the promising winger to keep his head up. Acknowledging that it can be mentally tough for a guy who's been "the man" at every level, Briere explained that there was nothing wrong with playing in the AHL as long as you go with the right attitude and use it as a learning experience to develop not only skills but confidence.
I have no doubt that these two will develop into NHL stars in the not too distant future and sometimes I think fans need to take a step back, put things into perspective and stop freaking out about it...but that's just me...
The Canadiens visited St. Jovite, a small town in Quebec, for their annual two day retreat for team bonding and it seemed like
the whole town was there to show their support...
"Only in this province do they let you out of school to watch a practice, you know?" Canadiens forward Christopher Higgins marvelled, shaking his head. "We're rolling in and we see a couple hundred kids walking from school to the rink and I'm thinking: 'Come on, isn't there a math quiz or something that should be going on? Hockey's not that important, is it?' "
Um...yeah it is!! Where have you been? lol
A few weeks ago, Ek and I discussed the growing concern of hockey burnout for today's young players as the sport gets more and more competitive at younger ages. Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson is noticing it as well as he recalled his involvement in youth hockey while
visiting his hometown in Sweden...
"My son (Hugo) is five and he's going to be starting initiation hockey, and I hear all these stories, well, you've got to go here and there and try out for this. And I'm like, 'is there nowhere he can just play hockey for fun twice a week?'"
The story also includes an interesting story of how he lost his Calder Trophy in a fire - seriosuly...can't the NHL replace that?!
Last year, it was a story out of St Louis as then Blue, but now Canuck Ryan Johnson explained where or rather who all his bumps and bruises came from. This year, the
story comes from Toronto and reaffirms why the selfless actions of shot-blocking machines like Jason Smith, still rock my socks!
Here's one of their stories...
"I got hit on the inside of my leg from Chara, and the whole inside of the leg from my groin to past my knee was black and blue," Toronto defenceman Mike Van Ryn said. "It must have popped something in my leg. The shot was a bomb. That was the biggest bruising I've ever had."
The Canucks made waves in the NHL this past week as they
named Roberto Luongo Captain - the first goalie since 1948 to have the honor...
"The league was very supportive, providing Roberto doesn't wear the 'C', doesn't leave the crease and doesn't take faceoffs," quipped Canucks GM Mike Gillis.
Personally, I like the move...Being captain is not always about what you do on the ice, but more importantly what you do off the ice and I think Luongo brings a level of commitment and determination that should serve his teammates well.
Meanwhile, in Buffalo,
the Sabres are still without a permanent captain.
“We’ve discussed it as a staff but still haven’t come to a conclusion.
I think the guys liked it. Each month when I awarded the captaincy, guys gave a little speech and it was something they looked forward to." - head coach Lindy Ruff
You sure about that Lindy??
“I have no clue what they’re going to do but I think we should have one captain,” said defenseman Jaroslav Spacek.
“If it was my decision, I would probably name one or two and go that way," said Jason Pominville.
“It’s up to Lindy, but consistency is always good from my side of things,” said goaltender Ryan Miller.
Mind you these quotes all came from the same article...
Here's a
good article on Cam Ward who at the ripe old age of 24 struggles to regain the form that earned him the Conn Smyth Trophy just three season ago.
"I'm not going to complain about people expecting me to be like I was in the Stanley Cup," he said. "Because obviously that was a good thing, that people have those expectations, because that means I was there and did it. I know I'm capable of getting back to that level. I think a big part of it is that consistency. Looking back to the Stanley Cup playoffs, I can remember how relaxed and how much fun it was, how I enjoyed it. Where sometimes you get caught up in everything and get a little bit too serious, you've got to realize at the end of the day it's a game and you're here for a reason and you've just got to do the best you can."
In case you don't know, I love to travel and someday I hope to live out my own "Amazing Race" expereince, which is why I loved reading about
what Atlanta's Garnet Exelby did over the summer...
Excellent article about
Ovechkin in the Washington Times...
Evidently, the husky hockey player is also somewhat of a fashionista.
"He's definitely a Dolce & Gabbana clothes hound," Johnson says, shaking his head. "No Wrangler jeans for him."
Ovechkin does sport a pair of hybrid trousers Johnson coined "sweat jeans" because of their peculiar "half sweatpants, half jeans" pattern.
While they have come to admire his affinity for fashion, his teammates drew the line when Ovie morphed drawstrings and denim.
"It's embarrassing," center Dave Steckel says of the pants. "He has a unique style, that's for sure. He doesn't care what anybody thinks of him. He's Ovechkin. He's the MVP of the league. He can do what he wants."
Sticking with the Capitals and their Russians...
Federov is a hit in Washington for more than his offensive talents...
Bruce Boudreau didn't get the reaction he expected when he approached Sergei Fedorov about spending a couple of days as a defenseman during training camp.
"He was way too excited to want to play there," Boudreau said. "'I love it' were his exact words. I said, 'Slow down here - you're my No. 2 center right now.'"
That is typical Fedorov: He is Mr. Versatility for the Washington Capitals, whether it is second-line center, power-play quarterback, leader extraordinaire or, yes, even top-six defenseman when the circumstances call for it.
Nashville's Jordin Tootoo (5-9, 194-pounds) fought 6-7, 230-pound Atlanta defenseman Boris Valabik on Friday night...
"You've got to stick up for your teammates,''
Tootoo said. "(But) I couldn't reach his face.''
Trotz had told Tootoo not to fight during the preseason.
"The ban was lifted,'' Trotz said. "Toots did a great job against him.''
As we learned from Dan Ellis yesterday on the Hockey Buzzcast, Toots mannaged to land a few and hold his own..."He's a lot stronger than he looks"
Didn't take long for
Sean Avery to stir things up in Dallas...
"It was one of those things where Ott said to me, 'I'm going to go after [Hawks forward Jack] Skille,'" Hawks coach Denis Savard said "I answered back to him, 'If you go after Skille I'll send everybody after you.' Then Avery jumped in there kind of mouthing off. For me, being an ex player, he shouldn't be talking to coaches as a player. It was a heated game. There were a lot of battles and that's part of the game, I guess. I just don't like when a player says 'I'm going to come after one of your players.' I know one thing, Jack Skille can take care of himself but if you're going to threaten one of my players you better be ready to face the whole team."
In case you were wondering, their first regular season match up is in Chicago on October 31st...
And last, but ceratinly not least...A fabulous article on
Jiri Fischer as he reflects on his near-death experience...
Enjoy!
I'll be back soon with a preview of this weekend's college hockey action in Boston.
Till then...
Jules
[email protected] 
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