Something happened this morning that really confused me, and I’m still not sure how to process it. I was at the post office at 9 a.m. to pick up a parcel (in and out in 56 minutes, thanks USPS!), and was waiting in line behind two Korean women. They had a large box with them that they were sending to a relative in Brownsville, Texas, and had placed the package on the floor to write the address on it.
Before I go any further, let me provide some figures to help paint the picture. Both women were approximately five feet tall. The box was about a foot in height. There was a table to our left that was around four feet high. Ladislav Smid is 6-foot-3. The square root of 144 is 12. Got it? Good. Moving on.
Shortly after the women had written the address on the package, they were approached by a white man in his mid-70s who was wearing overalls and a John Deere hat. The man was straight out of Green Acres, which struck me as slightly odd because the San Francisco Bay Area’s primary bumper crop is marijuana, and he didn’t fit the standard profile.
Addressing the two women, he tapped on the table and said, “Here in America we have these things called tables, so you could have used the table rather than writing on the floor.” They glanced at the man, but didn’t respond at all. Apparently he took that as a cue to continue. “I spent a few years in China, Korea and Japan,” he said, “so I understand why you’re used to the floor.”
Nobody said a thing in response. As he walked away, my first thought was, “Hot damn, that was some racism! Wait, was it racism? What was that? I don’t know what just happened.” I’m still not exactly sure what to think. I suppose I’ll just chalk it up to an old man who was either trying to be extremely helpful or extremely racist. Either way, it happened. Sometimes things just happen.
Something happened last night that really confused me, and I’m still not sure how to process it. Kicking off the Young Stars Tournament in Penticton, B.C., last night, the Edmonton Oilers rookies fell to the Calgary Flames rookies by a score of 5-2. It was a mess of a game from the opening faceoff for the Oilers, and the team’s much-ballyhooed defense looked shakier than an Abe Vigoda signature.
Judging from last night’s performance Oscar Klefbom – a first-round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft who’s generally regarded as the Oilers’ most NHL-ready defensive prospect – can’t work the point on the power play, handles the puck like a live grenade, and often looks as awkward and clumsy as a Diana Ross sobriety test. Toss in the fact that 2013 first-round pick Darnell Nurse (Klefbom’s defensive partner) looked hopelessly out of his element, and you might think it’s time to rebuild the rebuild.
Just relax and calm your troubled minds, Oiler fans. I learned a long time ago that preseason rookie tournaments matter less than the social ramifications of Miley Cyrus twerking. Don’t worry, because these tournaments (and the performances of those who participate in them) don’t mean a thing. I hate to date myself, but way back in September 2009 I had the opportunity to attend a rookie tournament hosted by the San Jose Sharks. Here are some of my notes:
Nick Petrecki recorded a Gordie Howe hat trick by the second intermission and made a huge statement in his bid to earn a roster spot with the Sharks. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound rearguard stood head-and-shoulders above the rest, scoring as the trailer on a heads-up play in the second period and dishing out several punishing hits that left the crowd buzzing. Putting everything in perspective, it was just one game against talent far below anything he’ll see at training camp, but Petrecki put himself on the map last night and it will be interesting to track his progress over the next month.
On the flip side, Logan Couture has been a bust after his first two games against Anaheim’s rookies. the 20-year-old pivot has failed to record a point in two games. The current setback is the latest in a long list for Couture, who has battled mononucleosis and concussion issues, faced character and work ethic questions which regularly prevented him from being invited to Canada’s selection camp for the World Junior Hockey Championship, and failed to impress during either Sharks training camp or a late-season stint with Worcester last season.
Daniel Erlich had to be the star of the tournament. Standing only 5-foot-6, 160 pounds, “Rudy” cemented himself as a fan favorite in the first game but saved his best performance for the third. The undrafted 18-year-old recorded a goal and three assists Wednesday night, keeping the crowd buzzing with his speed and tireless work ethic. Erlich made the play of the night assisting Corey Quirk’s goal in the third period, deking through the legs of an Anaheim defender and sending a cross-ice pass to Corey Quirk for the one-timer.
Fast-forward four years and we find that Petrecki is a middling AHL defenseman who hasn’t shown the ability to earn a sustained NHL audition, despite playing for an organization that’s woeful thin along the blueline. After five seasons in the OHL and a 16-game stretch in Austria, Erlich starred for the University of Western Ontario Mustangs last season. Meanwhile, Couture is coming off a 37-point season with the Sharks, just inked a new five-year, $30 million contract extension, and is expected to contend for a spot on the Canadian Olympic team.
The moral of the story? A September rookie tournament performance, either good or bad, doesn’t mean much in the overall scheme of things. Just remember that as the tournament progresses – Edmonton plays Winnipeg tomorrow night and Vancouver on Sunday – and try not to overreact. Sure I could have confronted the helpful/senile/racist farmer I encountered at the post office this morning, or apologized for the perceived slight against the women he addressed, but sometimes things just happen.
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