Quietly Carving Out A Niche

I was at school the other day, and someone asked me if I had ever heard of the Canadian Women's Hockey League. I have, in fact, heard of the league as I had done a story on the draft that took place to get the inaugural five teams up and running. It was then that I realized that I have seriously neglected the highest professional hockey league that women can compete in against other women. Because of this oversight, today is all about the Canadian Women's Hockey League, how each team is doing, what they are wearing, and where you can catch a game or two if you're interested.

I want to preface this article with this statement: if you spend the time telling me that no one cares about women's hockey through comments or email, your comments will not only be denied entry on to this article, but I'll categorically go back and delete any and all comments you have ever made. And any future comments will be denied entry as well. I'm tired of hearing "hockey fans" crap all over women's hockey like it means nothing. If that's the case, your kid's Timbits hockey or any minor hockey in general is just as meaningless. As a true hockey fan, this won't fly with me. Capisce?

First off, there are a lot of recognizable names playing on the five teams in the CWHL. The five teams are based out of Brampton, Burlington, Toronto, Montreal, and the lone American-based team in Boston. These teams were assembled through a draft that happened in early August of 2010, and the teams have been battling since the season started.

If you're a fan of Burlington Barracudas, you want to keep your eyes on Danijela Rundqvist, Becky Kellar, Ashley Riggs, and Shannon Moulson. Burlington has had a rough start in the inaugural CWHL season. They currently sit fifth out of five teams with a 4-17-1 record, including being 1-11-1 away from the friendly confines of the Appleby Ice Centre.

If you cheer for the Brampton Canadettes-Thunder, Jayna Hefford, Gillian Apps, Cherie Piper, and Lori Dupuis are probably household names. Brampton has been on a major tear recently having won eleven straight games, and this streak has propelled them into second-place in the CWHL with a 17-6-0 record! Brampton is pretty consistent when it comes to their play as they are 9-3-0 at the Cassie Campbell Comnmunity Centre and 8-3-0 away from home. Hefford is the CWHL's all-time leading scorer in the previous incarnation of the CWHL, so there's some history there too!

The Toronto Aeros are sitting in fourth-place in the five team CWHL, but trail third-place by only two points at the time of writing. Their 8-12-3 record sees them playing well at home where they are 5-3-0, but Toronto needs to be better on the road with their brutal 3-9-3 record. Jennifer Botterill leads the team in scoring, and she's joined by familiar faces Tessa Bonhomme and Sami Jo Small. The Toronto club is stocked with former NCAA players, so this young squad is coming along nicely as they mature through this season.

The Montreal Stars are the class of the league at this point, leading in wins and points in posting a record of 18-2-2. Caroline Ouellette is dominating the league with 58 points in just 22 games. Joining her on the Montreal squad are Emmanuelle Blais, Julie Chu, Sarah Vaillancourt, and Kim St-Pierre. Montreal is 11-2-1 on home ice at Aréna Étienne-Desarteau, but has yet to lose in regulation on the road with a 7-0-1 record.

The lone American-based team is the Boston Blades, and they currently sit in third-place in the CWHL. Boston is 10-13-1 through 24 games thus far, but are significantly better on American soil. The Blades have a 7-6-1 record at the University of New Hampshire's Whittemore Center Arena, but have struggled to a 3-7-0 record while traveling through Canada. Led by Angela Ruggiero, Caitlyn Cahow, Erika Lawler, and Kacey Bellamy, the American-based team recently put an end to Montreal's undefeated season thanks in large part to a 74-save effort by by goaltender Mandy Cronin!

Just so you're aware, the Blades will play 16 of their 26 games at “home” – six apiece at Harvard and UNH, and single games at Providence College, Kennedy Memorial Rink in Hyannis and Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. Essentially, the "New England" Blades are making the tour through the NCAA circuit!

As you can see, some of the best women to ever lace up the skates are playing regularly in the CWHL. This will, of course, make the women's game much better as the women will regularly get to play at a high-level, and I commend the CWHL for its commitment to the teams, cities, and women who are putting their best game forward day in and day out.

In terms of recognizing the teams, there are some clear similarities between the CWHL and a few NHL teams. The first jerseys put forth were clearly designed from NHL templates. As you can see, the Aeros look like the Maple Leafs, the Stars look like the Canadiens, the Thunder are wearing the colours of the Ottawa Senators, and the Barracudas are shown in the colours of the Buffalo Sabres. All of them have the Dallas Stars' treatment on the front in this image.

Well, there were a few teams that stuck with those similarities, but one team decided to stick with their original colours and their original logo that they wore in a previous league. I have to say that there are very few images of CWHL players in comparison to other leagues. In saying that, here are how the teams look today.

Toronto is definitely blue at home and white on the road. The roster photos shown on their roster page have the players in this mock-up, but I have not seen this uniform used in any picture where the players are playing. I also have yet to see the alternate uniform proposed above, so I'm on the hunt for some of those images still.

Montreal proudly wears red at home and white on the road. Again, no sign of the alternate uniform, and I'm thinking this may be a cost-saving measure. Why create a third uniform in your first year of existence? Or when your uniforms look extremely sharp already?

Montreal should go down in the CWHL as the first team to wear a promotional jersey as well as the team wore pink jerseys on February 1 to help promote breast cancer awareness and to raise funds for the Fondation du cancer du sein du Québec to battle the disease. After the game, the Stars and their moms took to the ice for a photo! The Stars raised over $5000 for the charity on the night! Good on the Stars for helping this charity, especially since it hits close to home for a number of women playing in the game!

The Boston Blades look very familiar as they wear black with yellow at home and white on the road. Much like the Stars and Aeros, I have yet to see a third yellow jersey being worn by Boston, but I am still looking.

The Brampton Canadettes-Thunder have gone opposite to the norm, adopting the black third jersey as their home jersey while wearing white on the road. Instead of going red like the Senators do, the Canadettes-Thunder are wearing black. For a five-team league, you would think that Brampton could choose a different colour, but I'm not going to rain on their parade.

Burlington is the wild card in this five-team league as they decided to go with the template of the New York Islanders instead of the Buffalo Sabres. This may have been due to the fact that they wore orange and navy blue in their previous seasons, so this keeps their colour scheme intact. As you can see, the Barracudas wear white on the road while going navy at home. As you can see, Burlington has opted to keep their logo as they display it proudly across the front of their jerseys.

So there's your introduction to the Canadian Women's Hockey League. I'll be following these teams and players as the season progresses, and we'll have a full run-down of how well each team did at the end of the regular season along with a synopsis of how the players did in the race to win the scoring title!

I'd just like to point out that some of these amazing photographs were taken by Pasquale Stalteri and used with his permission. Please respect the copyright this amazing photographer has done, and I encourage you to check out his website or his blog where all of his amazing photography can be seen. I am truly thankful for the work Monsieur Stalteri has done with the CWHL, and for his generosity in allowing me to use some of his fantastic photography! A link to his site can be found on the menu to the right!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Rosters Are Set

There was some pretty good buzz about the team selection in the old schoolyard known as the NHL. The 2011 NHL All-Star Game Fantasy Draft, presented by Cisco because you can't undersell yourself, was held, and Team Staal and Team Lidstrom began to assemble as the two captains and their alternate captains went back and forth picking teammates. There were many big questions - who would go first, who would be selected last, would there be teammate versus teammate situations, will the Sedins be broken up for the first time in their careers - and each one would have an answer at the conclusion of the Fantasy Draft. So without further adieu, let's look at the rosters for both Team Staal and Team Lidstrom.

Team Staal

Team Staal, led by captain Eric Staal and alternate captains Ryan Kesler and Mike Green, were given the right to draft first in the Fantasy Draft. With names like Ovechkin, Nash, Toews, and Stamkos available, Eric Staal had a number of superstars to choose. With the first overall pick, Team Staal chose... Cam Ward? Alright, I get it - a little nepotism here as the Carolina Hurricanes superstar chose the Carolina Hurricanes goaltender for the hometown fans. No complaints there, I suppose.

Team Staal continued the nepotism theme as alternate captain Mike Green chose teammate Alexander Ovechkin with the third pick. And Ryan Kesler got in on the action as he chose teammate Daniel Sedin with the fifth pick of the draft. It appeared Team Staal was all about teammates early on, but the seventh pick was one made purely on talent. Zdeno Chara was added to Team Staal, and the ninth pick was another smart one as they added Rick Nash to the team.

Teammates and family played a role in the next two picks as goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was chosen with the 11th pick. Following him was another New York Ranger as Eric Staal chose brother Marc Staal with the 13th pick. Patrick Sharp, Dan Boyle, and Carey Price were selected next by Team Staal before Eric went back to the Hurricanes' roster by selecting teammate Jeff Skinner with the 21st pick in the draft.

Team Staal rounded out their roster with Kris Letang, Claude Giroux, Erik Karlsson, Corey Perry, Patrik Elias, David Backes, and Paul Stastny. If you're keeping tabs on repeat player numbers, Team Staal should have two instances of #10 (Sharp and Perry), two instances of #22 (Sedin and Boyle), and two instances of #30 (Ward and Lundqvist).

Team Lidstrom

Niklas Lidstrom was joined on stage with his alternate captains Patrick Kane and Martin St. Louis as they had the second overall pick in the NHL Fantasy Draft. With Cam Ward already off the board, that left a myriad of NHL superstars to choose from, and Lidstrom jumped at one of the league's best goal scorers in choosing Steven Stamkos with his first pick.

Lidstrom, like Team Staal, decided to use a little nepotism as alternate captain Patrick Kane chose defenceman Duncan Keith with Team Lidstrom's second pick. Martin St. Louis threw a little controversy into the 2011 NHL All-Star Game with his selection of Henrik Sedin at the sixth overall pick. That, of course, means that the Sedins will be playing against one another tomorrow afternoon.

From there, it was all about talent on Team Lidstrom. Shea Weber, Tim Thomas, and Daniel Briere were chosen with the next three picks before Patrick Kane had some say on the 14th and 16th overall picks. Team Lidstrom selected former Blackhawk and current high-scoring Thrashers defenceman Dustin Byfuglien at 14, and then added Blackhawk Jonathan Toews at 16. Team Lidstrom rounded out their goaltenders with the next two picks as Marc-Andre Fleury and Jonas Hiller were selected.

Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos got to bring back one of the Lightning alumni with the 22nd overall pick as Brad Richards joined Team Lidstrom. Keith Yandle and Brent Burns rounded out Team Lidstrom's blueline with the next two picks. Burns' teammate and Kane's former teammate Martin Havlat was chosen at 28th overall, and he was followed by Anze Kopitar, Matt Duchene, and Richards' Dallas Stars teammate Loui Eriksson. So who was the last man chosen?

Phil Kessel of the Toronto Maple Leafs. For his wait, Kessel received a Honda CR-Z car and $20,000 to donate to a charity of his choice - not too bad for being the last man chosen. Kessel stated that he will donate the money to a cancer charity after having beaten testicular cancer in 2006. As for being chosen last, what did Kessel think of that honour?

"I don't care one bit at all," said Kessel of being chosen last to The Canadian Press. "When I was a kid, I would never have dreamed of being here. Hopefully the fans in Toronto are happy to see me in the game. I'll play well in the game for them."

If you're keeping track of those players with repeat numbers, Team Lidstrom will have two sets of numbers that will appear twice: #91 (Stamkos and Richards) and #33 (Sedin and Byfuglien).

Just as an added note, Jeff Skinner will officially become the youngest player in any of the four major sports to appear in an all-star game. Skinner is 18 years, 259 days. He officially knocks off Steve Yzerman's 1984 All-Star Game debut by eight days under the current format of the All-Star Game. When the NHL Stanley Cup champions earned the right to play the NHL All-Stars, there are two players who would be younger than Skinner: Toronto's Fleming Mackell in 1947 (18 years, 166 days) and Detroit's Larry Hillman in 1955 (18 years, 239 days).

Teammates that will face one another include Daniel Sedin and Ryan Kesler against Henrik Sedin; Zdeno Chara against Tim Thomas; Kris Letang against Marc-Andre Fleury; Claude Giroux against Daniel Briere; Corey Perry against Jonas Hiller; and, Patrick Sharp against Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, and Jonathan Toews.

The NHL Skills Competition gets underway later today, so get ready for some fun and excitement as your 2011 NHL All-Stars show off their stuff!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Building Great Talent

With the emerging trends in the NHL of teams keeping and developing their good, young talent on a regular basis, Hockey Canada is beginning to find itself in a quandary, albeit a very good one. The World Junior Championships are a hallmark event for the Canadian hockey body in which they have seen unparalleled success from the rest of the world. A lot of this has to do with the excellent development programs in the Canadian Hockey League, but this is leading NHL teams to keep their high draft picks on their rosters in order to develop that talent at a faster rate. Because of this, the Canadian World Junior team sees its roster missing a lot of its top-tier talent every Christmas.

While this may sound like a complaint, it's not. It's great to see players such as Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin, and Jeff Skinner suiting up for Canada, but the NHL is a business and the teams need to continue to develop their talent if they wish to remain competitive. While sending young players to the World Junior Championships would be a nice luxury for some teams, reality sometimes limits what teams can do.

The luxury that Hockey Canada has in this country is that Canada is deep in hockey talent thanks to a phenomenal major junior system and a passion for the game. Canada will have some solid returning players to man their blueline as Ryan Ellis, Calvin de Haan, and Jared Cowen will return for Canada. Up front, there is only one returnees, but there is some significant talent, and Team Canada's strength will be depth.

The return of Brayden Schenn to the Brandon Wheat Kings yesterday opens all sorts of doors for Hockey Canada. Schenn had spent considerable time with the NHL's Los Angeles Kings and the AHL's Manchester Monarchs before being returned to the Wheat Kings before his 10-game option ran out. This, of course, gives Team Canada a big boost as Schenn will be the lone returnee, but the Los Angeles Kings feel this is the best way for Schenn to develop as they have the talent to compete without keeping Schenn in their lineup.

"My candid opinion would be sure, that would be a great thing to be able to go play for Canada in the world juniors like that," Kings' GM Terry Murray told the Times. "It’s great competition and valuable experience."

Add in other notable draft picks such as Erik Gudbranson (Florida), Ryan Johansen (Columbus), Brett Connolly (Tampa Bay), and Zack Kassian (Buffalo, 2009) shows that Canada will have some solid talent assembled in Buffalo. For Kassian, it's a chance to show the team that drafted him that he's ready to make the jump from Windsor in the OHL to the bright lights of the NHL. So while the blue-chip names like Hall, Seguin, and Skinner remain with their NHL clubs, Team Canada still has themselves a very competitive roster.

Canada's major test will most likely come from the Americans once again. Team USA had nine players returning from their gold medal team one year ago for their evaluation camp, including goaltender Jack Campbell, defensemen Cam Fowler and John Ramage, and forwards Ryan Bourque, Jerry D'Amigo, Chris Kreider, Jeremy Morin, Kyle Palmieri and Jason Zucker. Fowler, though, appears to be staying with the NHL's Anaheim Ducks, but the other eight men have every opportunity to make the team and defend their gold medal.

It's a credit to the NCAA and the USHL for helping to develop young men in America into solid hockey players in the same way that the CHL does in Canada. These two developmental leagues are putting America on the map as a World Junior Championship power when they weren't even considered an also-ran as recently as a decade ago. Because of their work, there are a lot of excellent American-born players in the NHL, and that trend should continue with the work these two leagues are doing.

It should be an interesting camp in Toronto, Ontario for the Canadians as they prepare for the 2011 World Junior Championships. While the star power may not be there, Canada has a number of top-tier players who should provide a lot of exciting moments during the holiday season!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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TBC: Hockey Is A Battle

Teebz's Book Club has primarily been keeping readers up-to-date on a lot of the newer books being published. However, there is a lot that one can learn from older books that may now be out of circulation, and I encourage you to seek out some of these books at bookstores. I was lucky enough to discover one such book at a little bookstore in a small town as I passed through this summer during a road trip, and Teebz's Book Club is proud to bring you Hockey Is A Battle, written by Punch Imlach and Scott Young, and published by Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster Limited. The paperback version I have of this book is even older than the image to the left, and it's still in great condition! And much like Imlach's stories in the book, this book is a timeless classic.

While Punch Imlach is a fairly well-known name in hockey circles, Scott Young may not be. Young was a Canadian sportswriter and journalist who wound up writing more than 45 books for readers throughout his career. Young was born in Cypress River, Manitoba on April 14, 1918, and was hired as a copyboy for the Winnipeg Free Press in 1936 before becoming a sports reporter. In 1940, he married Edna "Rassy" Ragland, the two had two sons: Bob Young, born in 1942, and Neil Young, in November of 1945. Young moved to Toronto shortly before World War II had started, and worked for a number of publications as a short-story writer and reporter, including the Globe & Mail on a number of occasions.

In 1988, Young received hockey's highest honour for a writer as he received the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame as selected by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, and was also inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame. Young passed away on June 12, 2005 at the age of 87.

Hockey Is A Battle is somewhat unique as it is written in Imlach's own words in a stream-of-consciousness style. Reading the book feels like listening to your grandfather or father tell stories of "old-time hockey" and the way it used to be in hockey. However, make no mistake in that Imlach's personality and insight into these stories are not conveyed. If anything, Young brings the stories to life by keeping Imlach's personality intact throughout each chapter of the book.

The chapter I found most interesting was Chapter 12 where the Maple Leafs and Punch Imlach prepared for the 1967 NHL Expansion. In this chapter, Imlach discusses how the Expansion Draft would affect each of the Original Six teams, and how difficult it was to keep the Maple Leafs together after winning the 1967 Stanley Cup. This entire chapter was extremely interesting to read in terms of the historical aspects of the game, and Imlach's insight as the General Manager and Coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs provides amazing information for the reader.

There are many fascinating stories in the book besides what is found in Chapter 12, though. From the proposed Frank Mahovolich trade to Chicago that fell through in 1962 to Andy Bathgate's falling out with Imlach to how George Imlach got the nickname "Punch", it is all chronicled in Hockey Is A Battle. He talks of coaching Jean Béliveau with the Quebec Aces, how his minor-league career got him into Maple Leaf Gardens, and where he decided coaching was his lot in life. Again, Young's conversational style of writing makes it seem that Imlach is speaking directly to you, giving you some great insight on Imlach's thinking.

There's no doubt that I would have never been able to read some of these stories had I not been able to find Hockey Is A Battle. While the book itself might be hard to find in a local bookstore, I highly recommend purchasing a used copy from Amazon if you have the means. Hockey Is A Battle is an excellent book to read, and really shows off Young's writing talents. Because of Imlach's great stories and Young's abilities, Hockey Is A Battle certainly deserves the Teebz's Book Club Seal of Approval!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Before Legein, There Was Oreskovich

I'm sure we all remember the outrage that some people had over Stefan Legein's decision to quit hockey all of sudden in August 2008. It shocked Blue Jacket fans, and the story was broken by my good friend and colleague Bethany at the time. But before Stefan Legein shocked the new NHL world and the word had spread like wildfire on the Internet, there were others before him who simply walked away from the game at a time that seemed almost too good to be true. One such man will wear the antlers for a portion of the year this season as Victor Oreskovich will start the season with the AHL's Manitoba Moose. And yes, Oreskovich quit hockey shortly after starting his professional career with the Colorado Avalanche with little to no fanfare of his decision.

Oreskovich was a solid player with the OHL's Kitchener Rangers. He had put up decent numbers with the USHL's Green Bay Gamblers in 2003-04 before jumping to the NCAA's Notre Dame Fighting Irish to continue both his education and his hockey career. However, after nine games in 2005-06 with the Fighting Irish, Oreskovich jumped to Kitchener where he could kickstart his career after wallowing at Notre Dame.

He had been noticed, though, by one NHL team. The Colorado Avalanche liked the work he did with the Green Bay Gamblers, and they selected him in the second-round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft at 55th overall. There was hope that the 6'3" winger would develop into a scoring, speedy forward who could boast some size along the boards. The plan got derailed, though, when the Avalanche assigned Oreskovich to the AHL. Oreskovich, however, was finished.

“At the time, I was a little burned out from hockey,” Oreskovich admitted to Jim Bender of The Winnipeg Sun. “I didn’t plan to come back to the game, but I took a step away and it made me realize how much I missed it... I finished all my schooling and it made me realize the importance of hockey in my life.”

Oreskovich had quit the game he grew up playing in the midst of his young career. He went back to South Bend, Indiana to finish his Finance degree at Notre Dame University, turning his back on the game he loved to play. He worked in a mall while working his way through his degree, but began to feel that itch to play again.

Knowing he needed a break, Oreskovich called his former Kitchener Rangers coach Peter DeBoer in 2009. DeBoer, who had been hired to coach the Florida Panthers, went to Randy Sexson to see if his former player could get a shot on a tryout with the Panthers. DeBoer liked what he saw, but assigned the former OHL Ranger to the AHL's Rochester Americans for a little more seasoning. He had, after all, been out of the game for two years.

Oreskovich took the opportunity his former coach had given him and ran with it. He played 34 games with Rochester before being called up to help the Panthers. And he never saw Rochester again last season. Oreskovich spent 50 games with the Panthers, scoring two goals and adding four assists - nothing to be overly optimistic about, but quite an achievement for a man who one year earlier was sitting in a university classroom.

After being traded to the Vancouver Canucks this season, Oreskovich knew that his shot at making the NHL club was long. The Canucks boast talent on all four lines, and head coach Alain Vigneault decided to send Oreskovich to the Moose where he can play with energy and chip in a few goals along the way.

"It was surprising but, at the same time, I was pretty excited," he said of the trade to Vancouver. "Florida’s a good organization and they were great to me, but I think Vancouver is a special spot and Manitoba is one of the best AHL franchises out there. When it happened, I was thrilled, I really was."

Honestly, I'm thrilled to have Victor Oreskovich playing for the Moose this season. The Moose have had some very skilled wingers before in Jason Jaffray, Lee Goren, and Alexandre Burrows, but Oreskovich brings both size and skill to the table. The Moose need a big-bodied winger who can cut to the net hard, and it looks like Oreskovich might be that player.

“He’s had a good camp,” head coach Claude Noel said. “I like the way he works and let’s see how he does here. My understanding is he’s an energy guy who has the size. I watched him in Vancouver and I liked him a lot. He was strong on the puck, reliable defensively, played with some energy, played with some physicality so, is that what we’re going to see?”

I hope so. If Oreskovich can play with the up-tempo, never-say-die attitude he brings to life, he'll be a fan favorite in Manitoba.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Shinny Shootout Goal

For those of you who play hockey - and I'm hoping there are more than a few of you - the end of the game is normally reserved for the shinny shootout. It doesn't matter who wins or loses the game because individual bragging rights are on the line during the shinny shootout. Who had the best move, who had the sickest goal, who got stonewalled... all these questions are answered. There's always something to be said for a player's creativity in this event, though, and it's amazing to see when the professionals pull off some shinny shootout magic.

The AHL still employs the shootout for the fans during their rather meaningless preseason games. There are no points or playoff spots on the line, and the players are really playing for only a roster spot. But whe you factor in how important the shootout is in the overall standings, a shootout whiz can really go a long way in an AHL season. It appears that the Binghamton Senators may have found a shootout magician in Kaspars Daugavins for this upcoming season, almost guaranteeing him another roster spot this season. Here's the trickery he pulled off earlier this afternoon against the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Not bad, eh?

The Riga, Latvia native played his junior hockey in the OHL with the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors, and posted his best season in 2007-08 when he scored 40 goals and added 34 assists. He was drafted in the third round at 91st overall by the Senators in 2006, and has since played in both the AHL and the NHL. His 109 AHL games thus far have seen Kaspars Daugavins score 25 goals and 27 assists, and his lone one-game appearance in the NHL has resulted in no points. Yet.

There's something to be said about being entertaining, but the shootout is the one place that players can really show off their personalities. As long as they score while making some ridiculous move, the fans will remember the move for a long, long time.

Kaspars Daugavins is a name you'll probably hear a few more times this season if his preseason shootout goal is any indication of his talent.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Two Major Stars From The Lone Star State

In spending time examining the hockey history of Houston, I began to wonder why there aren't more hockey players from Texas. Of course, they have a burning passion for football, both NCAA and NFL, and they love their Rockets and Astros like any fans should. However, I've only seen one rink oustide the Toyota Center since arriving here, and that might be part of the reason. There have been a couple of high-profile players who have made their mark on the NHL, and these two men, besides both being from Texas, are also world-class defencemen. While Texas may not produce many NHL-caliber players, there have definitely been two that should make the state proud.

The one man that stood out as one of the best defencemen ever born in the United States is Brian Leetch. Leetch was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, and starred mostly with the New York Rangers as an offensive threat from the blueline. Leetch was the first American-born player named as the Conn Smythe Trophy winner when the Rangers captured the Stanley Cup in 1994, and he represented the USA internationally on a number of occasions. Leetch also captured two Norris Trophies as the best defenceman during his career, and was the NHL's top rookie in 1988.

While Leetch was born in Corpus Christi, his training came elsewhere. Leetch's father was a flight instructor, and the Leetch family moved to Cheshire, Connecticut when Brian was just three months old. Brian's father would continue the flight instructor business, but also managed an ice rink when the winter rolled around, giving Brian unrestricted access to skating opportunities.

While Brian grew up playing and excelling in both baseball and hockey, he truly shone in the sport of hockey. He earned All-State honours while in high school, putting up ridiculous numbers as a defenceman. At Avon Old Farms, Leetch scored an incredible 70 goals and added 90 assists in a mere 54 games!

In 1986, the New York Rangers, impressed by his remarkable scoring ability, chose Leetch ninth overall. However, Leetch followed the footsteps of his dad by enrolling at Boston College where he would be an All-American in 1987. He would only spend one year with the Eagles, though, as he jumped at an opportunity to play with Team USA in 1988.

On February 29, 1988, Leetch made his debut with the New York Rangers in St. Louis. He would record his first point that night, drawing an assist on a Kelly Kisio goal. While playing in only 17 games, Leetch looked right at home as he recorded 14 points. One year later, Leetch captured the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie after scoring 73 points in the 1987-88 season.

Leetch would continue to impress the hockey world with his abilities. In 1992, he became the first American-born defenceman and only the fifth NHL defenceman to record 100 points in a season. His 100-point season prompted the NHL to award him his first Norris Trophy as the league's most outstanding defenceman. Leetch's 100-point season is the last time that an NHL defenceman has reached that pinnacle to date.

Leetch's 1994 season saw the Rangers captured the President's Trophy as the NHL's top regular-season team, the Stanley Cup, and he was named as the first American-born player to receive the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Stanley Cup Playoff MVP. He is still the only American to have won the award.

After Mark Messier left the team, Leetch was named as the captain of the Rangers in 1997. He would carry that honour until he handed the captaincy back to Messier in 2000 once he returned to the Rangers. But along with the captaincy, Leetch earned his second Norris Trophy in 1997 as the league's top defender.

While Leetch bounced around the NHL in the twilight years of his career, he formally announced that he was retiring from the NHL on May 24, 2007. That September, Leetch was one of four recipients of the 2007 Lester Patrick Trophy for his contributions to the US hockey program. January 24, 2008 saw the New York Rangers retire Leetch's #2 to the rafters of Madison Square Garden alongside the other legends. In October 2008, both Leetch and former Rangers teammate Mike Richter were inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in Denver, Colorado. In November of 2009, Leetch was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Ontario to sit alongside the game's greatest names.

Brian Leetch, in my estimation, might be the greates hockey player to have been born in Texas. His resume of work is second-to-none, but there is one young man who broke into the game in Texas after having been born in Houston.

Tyler Myers was born in Katy, Texas just outside Houston, and lived in the city until he was ten years-old. Myers moved to Calgary, Alberta at that point with his father and stepmother. However, Myers became smitten with hockey after attending Houston Aeros games as a child with his father when he was six. Moving to Calgary allowed Myers to pick up the game he watched in Houston.

Myers played minor hockey at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, and followed an outstanding period there by jumping to the WHL's Kelowna Rockets. Myers was a towering defenceman in the league, standing at 6'7" tall, and routinely delivered bone-crushing hits while playing excellent defence.

Myers was just coming into his own when the Buffalo Sabres came calling in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. With the 12th overall pick, the Sabres added Myers to their team, and both GM Darcy Regier and head coach Lindy Ruff were excited to get Myers.

"There are two oddities to Tyler," Regier told USA Today. "One is size, and one is that he is a right-handed defenseman. (Coach) Lindy (Ruff) says find us a right-handed defenseman. But when I call up the rosters and look at every team's right-handed defensemen, there aren't many out there."

While the Sabres returned Myers to Kelowna, Myers stirred up a little controversy by choosing to play with Team Canada instead of Team USA in 2009. Hockey Canada began the controversy by naming Myers to their U20 team, and Myers' decision to accept the invitation was a slight role reversal in terms of Canada grabbing talent from the US Hockey Program.

"It was tough, I was born in the States," Myers told The Hockey News in 2010. "I based my decision on, if I hadn't of moved to Canada, I probably wouldn't be where I am today. I don't even think I'd be playing hockey right now.

"I just feel I owe Canada a lot and it feels good to put on the red and white."

The 2009 Team Canada World Junior team went on to capture the gold medal in Ottawa, and Myers was on the lists of many NHL scouts. That same year, the Kelowna Rockets went on to capture the 2009 Ed Chynoweth Cup as the WHL Champions, and he was named as the WHL Playoff MVP after scoring 20 points. Both tournaments allowed Myers to grow and mature as a player, and the Sabres were anxious to bring the young man back to training camp.

May 11, 2009 saw Myers sign a three-year, entry-level contract with the Sabres, and it was apparent through training camp that the young man was light years ahead of the Sabres' development plans. Because of his impressive camp, the Sabres chose to keep Myers with the club for the entire 2009-10 season. And what a season it was for Myers!

Myers recorded his first NHL point with an assist against the Phoenix Coyotes on October 8, 2009. His first NHL goal came eight days later as a Myers' blast found its way behind Dwayne Roloson of the New York Islanders on October 16. Myers hit another first eight days after his first goal by netting his first shootout goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning on October 24. Myers recorded his first multi-goal game on January 8, 2010 against the Toronto Maple Leafs when he scored a pair of powerplay goals.

What made the transition of Myers from junior player to NHL player impressive was his growth as a top player. He logged the most ice time of all NHL rookies last season, and played on Buffalo's top pairing on the blueline for the majority of the season. He finished third in rookie scoring last season, and his incredible play earned him the 2010 Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie.

Myers looks to have a long and successful career ahead of him, and he got his start by watching the IHL Aeros in Houston! While he has chosen to play for Canada, he is still one of the two best Texans to come out of the Lone Star State to play in the NHL.

With Leetch and Myers, Texas is beginning to produce quality hockey players despite not having a lot of places to play!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Girls Being Drafted

This is not going to be an article about women in the military, although I would like to point out that HBIC is a big supporter of equality. That being said, the very first draft was held on Thursday evening at the Hockey Hall of Fame for the newly-founded Canadian Women's Hockey League. While only three of the five teams took part in the draft, it was seen as a success for the fledgling league as they look to break new ground in women's professional hockey.

The idea behind the draft was to create better parity in the league. Normally, teams fill out their rosters with the best layers they can find, and player movement within the league is minimal at best. In order to shake the teams up and create some parity for the newer expansion teams in Toronto and Boston, the CWHL decided to employ a draft to move players around. The only catch was that each team could protect five players from the draft.

"In other professional leagues, people get place on different teams and people get traded and we in women's hockey have never really experienced that," goaltender Sami Jo Small explained to The Canadian Press. "It's been your choice as to where you want to go.

"Now you go where you are drafted and you have to make it work there and you really have to work hard to make it work."

With that knowledge, the woman pictured above, Tessa Bonhomme, was selected by Toronto as the very first CWHL draft pick. The former Ohio State Buckeye captain will suit up on the blueline for the as-yet-unnamed Toronto squad alongside current and former Canadian National Team members such as Sami Jo Small and Jennifer Botterill. Both of those players were on Toronto's five-player protected list.

Bonhomme is a self-described "offensive defenceman", and that should prove to be valuable in the new league when trying to attract fans to games. The 24 year-old's hockey skill has provided her opportunities with Team Canada, so you know she has the skill to back-up the lofty draft position.

The second overall pick went to Burlington, and they chose forward Ashley Riggs. Riggs was a member of the Niagara University Purple Eagles, and was a dynamic scorer for the school. Riggs holds the single-season school records at Niagara for points (51), goals (29), shorthanded goals (6), plus-minus (+29), and hat tricks (4). She's third all-time in scoring for Niagara, so Burlington is getting a very accomplished scorer in Ashley Riggs. Burlington protected four-time Olympic defenceman Becky Kellar to strengthen their squad.

The third overall pick went to Toronto again, and they opted to choose Brittney Smith. I have no information on Miss Smith, but I'm going to go ahead and assume she's a fantastic hockey player. That seems safe.

There is absolutely no news on the results of the draft results anywhere on the Internet, so I can't tell you who Brampton chose with their first selection. I can tell you that Brampton protected Olympians Cherie Piper, Jayna Hefford and Gillian Apps on their roster, so they'll start with an excellent foundation of experienced players.

Montreal and Boston did not participate in the draft due to costs of having players travel and potentially move to a new city to play hockey. The league felt that they were not in a position to tell the women where to play based on the fact that players in the CWHL are not paid a salary to play. Travel costs and ice-time during the season are covered by the league and teams, but the players receive no pay to play. To compensate Montreal and Boston, those two teams are able to recruit and sign players from their respective regions.

"We're not paying enough money to make a woman move from [Toronto] to Boston," CWHL executive director Brenda Andress said from Toronto. "It's not feasible or logical at this point."

Essentially, it's like the NHL circa-1920 for the CWHL where players from various regions are recruited and play for their local teams. To ensure that the players from the Greater Toronto Area are spread out evenly, the draft was devised to create parity amongst the southern Ontario teams.

The CWHL is smaller by one team this year. Last season, the league featured the Mississauga Chiefs, Brampton Canadette-Thunder, Burlington Barracudas, Vaughn Flames, Montreal Stars and Ottawa Senators. While Montreal, Burlington, and Brampton were retained as teams for the 2010-11 season, there were a few losses.

Ottawa was having problems drawing enough elite players to compete with Montreal and the Toronto-based teams in the CWHL, so they withdrew from the league. The league made an executive decision to shut down the Vaughn team in order to prevent a "watering-down" of talent amongst the GTA teams.

In their places are a team based in Toronto and the first non-Canadian team in Boston. The Boston team has already committed to practicing at Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington, and to play their home games in the greater Boston area.

Boston has already announced that American Olympians Kacey Bellamy (UNH), Caitlin Cahow (Harvard), Angela Ruggiero (Harvard), Erika Lawler, Karen Thatcher (Providence College) and Molly Engstrom will be a part of their team. Tryouts have been extended to defenceman Cherie Hendrickson, former UNH standouts Micaela Long and Sam Faber, and former Boston University goalie Melissa Haber. Hendrickson suited up for Brampton last season, so her experience will be counted on for this expansion season.

Canadian Olympians Caroline Ouellette, Kim St. Pierre and Sarah Vaillancourt have announced that they will play for Montreal next season.

For more information on which players were protected by each team, please click this link that will take you to the CWHL website.

Pretty cool idea in the CWHL, and I'm happy to see that the league is starting to gain ground. The "fantasy draft" is a very novel idea in the world of hockey, and it may prove to be the best way for this league to survive. Well done, ladies, and good luck in the upcoming season!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Uniform And Patch Updates

If there is one thing that the summer brings for the NHL, it's all the summer makeovers the teams seem to do. There are at least two teams that have already shown off their new uniforms, and we had two looks at patch placements for two of the three teams that have confirmed they will wear patches for the 2010-11 season. Like wandering through a clothing store, new looks will be seen this season, and different looks will be seen through accessorizing. It's almost like NHL teams are teenage girls with the number of times they change their outfits.

I need to point out a video before we begin looking at the changes. The New York Islanders have put together a video of their jersey history, and it's a pretty good look at a former dynasty that has undergone a number of changes over the last twenty seasons. From the Mike Bossy days to the Fisherman logo to the wave jersey design to the throwbacks, it's all covered in the video. Check it out if you have five minutes or so:

These are the kinds of videos that hockey historians and hockey fans should appreciate. Well done, Islanders, on this video project!

The reason this video is important is because the Islanders are once again changing their uniforms. Gone are the crazy Rbk EDGE designs for a more traditional design that looks a lot like their original designs. While the blue home jersey has yet to be seen outside of the video above, it appears this jersey will win over a large number of fans.

Personally, I have no problem bringing back the traditional design. The original sweater was very unique to the Islanders. While they have remained with the darker navy blue over the last number of years as their home colour, I'm still hopeful they will return with the lighter blue as well. That would be great! The font on the back is traditional blue-on-orange, so that's a plus as well. Well done, Islanders!

The other team that debuted their new uniforms for next season were the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs went back in time as well as they brought back a more traditional design to their jerseys by adding the hem stripes and by using the vintage Leafs shoulder logo. Also added are the lace-up collars which gives the new jerseys an "old-time" feel.

Again, this is precisely what the NHL needs to encourage: lose the "futuristic" look that the EDGE jersey tried to force upon everyone, and embrace the hockey sweater as it should look. The hem stripes? Perfect. The traditional shoulder logo? Perfect. The Leafs even killed off their silver outline for their name and number! Only the alternate jersey will remain as it was.

Why was this change made? It appears the Leafs are listening to their most important asset: the fans.

"Our fans have been quite vocal since 2007. They have wanted the stripes and shoulder patch back on the sweater," said Tom Anselmi, executive vice-president and chief operating officer for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. "We listened to them, and we hope they are as excited about the new, classic look as we are."

I, as a born-and-bred Leafs hater, actually like this look, and appreciate the change back to something that seems so right. Well done, Maple Leafs!

As for patches, we got to see the placement of the tenth anniversary patches for both the Minnesota Wild and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Minnesota will sport their patch on the front of the right shoulder, and Columbus will have their patch in the same spot.

The one team that handed out jerseys at the draft that didn't feature a patch was the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks will be wearing this patch to celebrate their twentieth anniversary this year, and the patch will reportedly be worn between the shoulder number and the elbow stripes on the sleeve of the jersey. I took it upon myself to create a rendering of that very idea.

This is the first time that I've ever seen a patch worn in the space between the numbers on the sleeve and stripes on the sleeve, and it appears that the Sharks are starting to look a little European with all those patches on their sleeves. It just seems too busy. Perhaps they need to swap the twentieth anniversary patch with one of their current ones for one season. That would make more sense to me.

Vancouver apparently will be wearing a fortieth anniversary patch this season, but they had no first-round picks in this year's draft, so no jerseys were handed out with Vancouver's logo on them. There is a throwback game reportedly being planned between the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks to commemorate the very first game the Canucks played in their history. That game, incidentally, was also against the Kings. The date of that game is Saturday, October 9, 2010. It is thought that both teams may be wearing patches that night for the significant event.

The full schedule of the Canucks' "signature events" for their fortieth anniversary will be unveiled on July 7, 2010 at the club's annual "Canucks Summer Summit". I'll be checking out the information on that day to ensure that HBIC has all the anniversary info covered.

The one thing that I did notice, however, is that Derek Forbort, the first-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings, was given a throwback gold jersey rather than one of their current uniforms. The other picks outside of the first round received the Kings' current home uniform. Perhaps the Kings have big plans for this season as well?

All in all, there are a pile of updates for Sunday. The NHL will look a little different next season, but it should look better based upon the Islanders' and Leafs' new looks. Hockey teams might actually look like hockey teams once again!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Quiet Draft Day

The 2010 NHL Entry Draft went tonight in Los Angeles, California. It's the first time the NHL has had a draft hosted in the state of California, and the fans in the City of Angels seemed enthusiastic when it came to supporting the NHL. Commissioner Gary Bettman didn't get the rain of boos that he normally hears in the northern cities, at least not in the length of time that he normally hears them anyway. The city of Edmonton, Alberta was abuzz with anticipation as the Oilers held the first overall pick for the first time in their franchise history. And in the crowd, thirty young men sat waiting for their names to be called to claim the title of "first-round draft pick".

Let's run through the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. I'll include my comments below about the first round, as well as a recap of the few trades that actually did happen this evening. Here are the first thirty men who will hopefully suit up in an NHL uniform one day:

1. Edmonton Oilers - Taylor Hall, Windsor Spitfires (OHL).
2. Boston Bruins via Toronto - Tyler Seguin, Plymouth Whalers (OHL).
3. Florida Panthers - Erik Gudbranson, Kingston Frontenacs (OHL).
4. Columbus Blue Jackets - Ryan Johansen, Portland Winterhawks (WHL).
5. New York Islanders - Nino Niederreiter, Portland Winterhawks (WHL).
6. Tampa Bay Lightning - Brett Connolly, Prince George Cougars (WHL).
7. Carolina Hurricanes - Jeff Skinner, Kitchener Rangers (OHL).
8. Atlanta Thrashers - Alexander Burmistrov, Barrie Colts (OHL).
9. Minnesota Wild - Mikael Granlund, HIFK (Finland's SM-liiga).
10. New York Rangers - Dylan McIlrath , Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL).
11. Dallas Stars - Jack Campbell, USA U-18 (USHL).
12. Anaheim Ducks - Cam Fowler, Windsor Spitfires (OHL).
13. Phoenix Coyotes - Brandon Gormley, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL).
14. St. Louis Blues - Jaden Schwartz, Tri-City Americans (WHL).
15. Los Angeles Kings - Derek Forbort, USA U-18 (USHL).
16. St. Louis Blues - Vladimir Tarasenko, HC Sibir Novosibirsk (KHL).
17. Colorado Avalanche - Joey Hishon, Owen Sound Attack (OHL).
18. Nashville Predators - Austin Watson, Peterborough Petes (OHL).
19. Florida Panthers - Nick Bjugstad, Blaine High School (Minn).
20. Pittsburgh Penguins - Beau Bennett, Penticton Vees (BCHL).
21. Detroit Red Wings - Riley Sheahan, University of Notre Dame (NCAA).
22. Montreal Canadiens - Jarred Tinordi, USA U-18 (USHL).
23. Buffalo Sabres - Mark Pysyk, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL).
24. Chicago Blackhawks - Kevin Hayes, Nobles High School (Mass).
25. Florida Panthers - Quinton Howden, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL).
26. Washington Capitals - Evgeny Kuznetsov, Traktor Chelyabinsk (KHL).
27. Phoenix Coyotes - Mark Visentin, Niagara IceDogs (OHL).
28. San Jose Sharks - Charlie Coyle, South Shore Kings (EJHL).
29. Anaheim Ducks - Emerson Etem, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL).
30. New York Islanders - Brock Nelson, Warroad High School (Minn).

I'll admit that I found a few things surprising in this draft class.

First, only one NCAA player was taken in the first round. The Detroit Red Wings went collegiate in selecting Riley Sheahan, and I was surprised that more NCAA players weren't called in the opening round. The NCAA has been producing some excellent players in recent years, and it seems odd that there weren't more players selected from that pool of talent.

Second, I was surprised - no, make that shocked - that the Islanders used the fifth overall pick to select Swiss-born right winger Nino Niederreiter. I get that the Islanders may have been targeting Niederreiter, but why didn't they offer up the pick in a trade to move down a couple of spots? I'm quite certain that Niederreiter would have been there at the eighth or ninth pick.

Third, Cam Fowler drops to the Anaheim Ducks at pick #12, and suddenly the Ducks have a budding young offensive star on their blueline to replace the retired Scott Niedermayer. Not only are they able to select the best offensive defenceman this draft has to offer, but they don't have trade to move up to get him. Why the New York Rangers didn't scoop up Fowler at tenth spot is something that Glen Sather may only be able to answer.

Fourth, the Atlanta Thrashers get Alexander Burmistrov with pick #8, and they may have themselves a new, dynamic scorer much like they had before Ilya Kovalchuk opted to leave. Burmistrov, unlike some of his Russian counterparts, has stated time and time again that he has no interest in playing in the KHL any time soon, and that should be phenomenal news to GM Rick Dudley's ears. I really like this pick, and I think Atlanta may have selected one of top-three players in this year's draft.

Fifth, Minnesota and Washington continued to build with international stars that are close to home. Minnesota went back to Finland to draft Mikael Granlund, while the Capitals continued their Russian roster building with their selection of Evgeny Kuznetsov. Both of these players appear to be highly skilled, and the other countrymen on the two teams' rosters should make these two youngsters a little more comfortable at their respective training camps.

Sixth, Pittsburgh selected Beau Bennett with pick #20, and Bennett became the highest player chosen from the state of California. What is more impressive is that ten Americans were selected in the first round of the draft, including goaltender Jack Campbell who was the highest American-born player selected at pick #11 by Dallas. It just goes to show that the American development system is growing stronger and stronger each year. Take note, Canadian teams.

The one trade that happened that actually involved current NHL players saw the Western Conference welcome back a tenacious defenceman. The Vancouver Canucks sent Steve Bernier, Michael Grabner, and the 25th overall pick to the Florida Panthers for Keith Ballard and Victor Oreskovich. Ballard provides the Canucks with a good puck-moving defenceman who doesn't shy away from the physical side of the game - something they sorely needed against the Blackhawks in last season's playoffs. For as much as they were given opportunities, both Bernier and Grabner appeared to be spare parts for the Canucks, but they will be given bigger opportunities in Florida.

The Penguins decided to relieve Philadelphia of their Dan Hamhuis problem by trading for his rights. Reportedly, Hamhuis has no interest in signing with the Flyers and was prepared to test the free agency market. However, with Pittsburgh and Sergei Gonchar seemingly at odds in their contract negotiations, Hamhuis may get some decent coin to play in Pittsburgh in place of Gonchar.

Hamhuis is reportedly looking for $4 million per season for four seasons, according to his agent Wade Arnott. The Penguins have approximately $11 million in cap space, and still need to sign a few players from last season. Dan Hamhuis, Bill Guerin, Mark Eaton, Alexei Ponikarovsky, and Jordan Leopold should attempt to be signed, especially if Sergei Gonchar doesn't return. And I would rank them in that order of importance in terms of their signings. Otherwise, Ben Lovejoy may have a roster spot next season by default. Lovejoy is no slouch, but the Penguins could upgrade to have Lovejoy as the seventh man.

All in all, it was a rather uneventful draft outside of the Taylor-vs-Tyler debate. As seen above, Taylor Hall went first overall, Dallas took the first goaltender and American in Jack Campbell, and we're on to Round Two of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft tomorrow.

Let's just see if tomorrow remains quiet as well.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Hardware Handed Out

Las Vegas, Nevada was the place to be tonight to see all of your favorite NHL stars dressed like a million bucks. Or, if you're an NHL player, dressed like pocket change. There were a number of Hollywood B-listers who were on-hand for the event tonight as well as the NHL Awards ceremony took place in Sin City. Comedian Jay Mohr hosted the soiree from the Pearl Concert Theater inside The Palms Hotel, and the NHL had a number of big names on the roll call: Mark Wahlberg, George Stroumboulopoulos, Snoop Dogg, Jamie Kennedy, and Jerry Bruckheimer but to name a few. But the reason everyone was there was to see which NHL stars went home with a new addition for their mantle.

I'm not going to draw this out or make this a profile on each NHL star. You know who each of these players are, so I'll just post the list of winners below. After all, you should know all of these players by name simply from their phenomenal seasons this year.

For information on each of the trophies and how they are awarded, check the "History of NHL Trophies" drop-down list on the right! Without further adieu, here are your 2010 NHL Award winners:

• Hart Trophy - Henrik Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks.
• Ted Lindsay Trophy - Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals.
• Calder Trophy - Tyler Myers of the Buffalo Sabres.
• Vezina Trophy - Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres.
• Norris Trophy - Duncan Keith of the Chicago Blackhawks.
  
• Art Ross Trophy - Henrik Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks.
• Jack Adams Trophy - Dave Tippett of the Phoenix Coyotes.
• Jennings Trophy - Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils.
• Selke Trophy - Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings.
• Masterton Trophy - Jose Theodore of the Washington Capitals.
• Lady Byng Trophy - Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
• King Clancy Trophy - Shane Doan of the Phoenix Coyotes.
• Richard Trophy - Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
• NHL Foundation Award - Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres.
  
• Mark Messier Leadership Award - Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Conn Smythe Trophy was already handed out at the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks was the winner of that award.

There are your award-winners for the 2009-10 NHL season!

Just before I go, I want to bring something to the attention of the HBIC Playoff Pool winners. For those of you who are one of the twenty-two winners, start checking your email. I've had a number of people who apparently are on holidays or away from civilization, and I've been waiting for up to four days for a response. I can't stress this enough: CHECK YOUR EMAIL.

For the eight people I've already contacted, your prizes are officially being mailed tomorrow. I know I said I'd have them out last weekend, but I'm not making repeated trips to the post office because others are not checking their email. They will officially be in the mail tomorrow (barring any unforeseen circumstances), and you should have them by next week. Any questions on this, fire me an email. And yes, I do check mine.

That's all for tonight as I've got a pile of stuff I need to get done. Take it easy, and let's get ready for the NHL Entry Draft on Friday night from Los Angeles, California!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Russian News Break

Meet Tamara Urushadze. Miss Urushadze is not a correspondent for HBIC in any way, but she is a reporter from the former Russian country of Georgia. She also has nothing to do with hockey, but this is one tough reporter. You see, she was shot while filing a live news report in 2008. That's right: shot while on camera live. While the bullet grazed her arm, opening a wound, she continued to report on the tensions between Russia and Georgia. For as much as we talk about hockey players being tough, that's one reporter who redefines professionalism and toughness. Wow.

I am happy to report that the 34 year-old is doing well today after her close encounter with a bullet, and is still reporting for the Georgia's nationally-funded television station. That's the background on why I chose Miss Urushadze for the image up top. So let's segue from a tough Georgian reporter to the KHL where things are tough for some teams.

The KHL has voted to include three new teams for the 2010-11 season. Joining the KHL will be HC Yugra from Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia; HC Budivelnyk located in Kiev, Ukraine; and HC Lev based in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. The addition of the three teams brings some stability back to the KHL after it was revealed that Lada Togliatti would be excluded from the KHL next season, and Moscow Dynamo would cease operations.

HC Yugra plays along the Irtysh River in Arena Ugra in Khanty-Mansiysk. The city is approximately 750 kilometers northwest of Kazan in central Russia, and 1900 kilometers from Moscow. The city is situated in western Siberia, and has temperature fluctuations much like that of the Canadian prairies. HC Yugra looks fairly good in their uniforms, and should be a good addition to the KHL's Kharlamov Division.

HC Budivelnyk is based in Kiev, Ukraine, and is the vision of the Dnipropetrovsk-based PrivatBank who founded the Budivelnyk basketball club. HC Budivelnyk may not have many recognizable stars on the ice, but former NHL forward Dmitri Khristich will be behind the bench as an assistant coach for this upcoming season. HC Budivelnyk looks a little like Team Sweden in yellow-and-blue, but they do have an impressive logo. Honestly, how cool is that logo? I'm hoping you said, "Very". HC Budivelnyk will replaced Moscow Dynamo in the Tarasov Division in the upcoming season.

HC Lev is based in Hradec Kralove in the northwest Czech Republic. The city was founded in 1225, making it one of the oldest settlements in the Czech region. HC Lev was founded in 1926, and has undergone several name changes over its history. The club has made it past the first portion of the expansion process, and it is assumed that they will play in the KHL next season. They have some pretty unique uniforms, so there might be some changes needed before they begin play in the fall in terms of the advertising.

There were awards handed out in the KHL as well. Much like the NHL Awards, the KHL Awards highlight the outstanding players and teams from the past season. Your winners in the 2009-10 KHL season were as follows:

• Vsevold Bobrov Trophy - Salavat Yulayev Ufa. This trophy is awarded to the best team in the KHL regular season, similar to the President's Trophy in the NHL.
• Top scorer - Sergei Mozyakin of Atlant Mytishchi. Mozyakin wins this honour for the second season in a row. Mozyakin recorded 27 goals and 39 assists for 66 points.
• Top goal-scorer - Marcel Hossa of Dinamo Riga. The former NHLer recorded 35 goals this season as the KHL's top sniper.
• "Most Useful Player" - Patrick Thoresen of Salavat Yulayev Ufa. His +45 rating was tops in the KHL, making him the "most useful player". No, I didn't name that honour.
• Cherepanov Memorial Award - Anatoly Nikontsev of Avtomobilist Uralets. The rookie forward was the best freshman this season, winning the award named after the late Russian sniper.
• Top goaltender - Petri Vehanen of Ak Bars Kazan. Vehanen's trophy case gets a little more crowded after he helped Kazan win the Gagarin Cup this season.
• Regular season MVP - Alexander Radulov of Salavat Yulayev Ufa. Radulov was awarded the prestigious "Golden Hockey Stick" for being named as the MVP.
• Playoff MVP - Ilya Nikulin of Ak Bars Kazan. Nikulin seemed to be on every scoresheet in the playoffs, and helped Kazan to their second consecutive Gagarin Cup.

The KHL held their second amateur draft to help stock the KHL teams with some new talent. Russian forward Dmitry Yashkin was selected by HC Sibir as the first overall pick. The youngster played last season with Slavia in the Czech Republic, but will be coming back to Russia to continue his professional career.

The KHL Draft went seven rounds, resulting in 188 players from 13 countries being selected. Those countries included Russia, Belarus, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Canada (Tyler Toffoli, #169, Tractor Chelyabinsk) and the USA (Jerry D’Amigo, #155, Lokomotiv; Jack Campbell, #170, Dinamo Minsk; Jarred Tinordi, #184, Metallurg Magnitogorsk).

And then there's that $3 million investment in over-the-hill goaltending.

Spartak Moscow decided to "upgrade" its goaltending by bringing in 45 year-old Dominik Hasek for one-year at $3 million. Hasek will certainly be a draw for the fans, but it remains to be seen if he can play a full season without blowing out a groin in one of the premier leagues on the planet.

As the list of aging, past-their-prime former NHLers grows in the KHL, the league gains some serious credibility in terms of being a twilight-of-your-career league. It's kind of like when you see the fifty year-olds at the local rink in the men's elite division: they probably had the legs a decade ago, but now they just look old when playing against men half their ages.

I wish Hasek nothing but the best, and I hope that he and Spartak have a great season in 2010-11, but something tells me that Spartak will see only a marginal improvement over this past season.

Oh, and that money stuff? Apparently, SKA St. Petersburg offered up $42 million over three years to free agent Ilya Kovalchuk, but the Russian sniper wants to explore his NHL possibilities first. Honestly, $14 million tax-free per season is a lot of money to turn down. I respect Kovalchuk for wanting to stay in the NHL, but it's hard to imagine any NHL team offering anything close to that kind of dough.

And St. Petersburg wasn't done there. They have also offered a contract to free agent Alexander Frolov. Frolov's asking price is apparently higher than what Los Angeles Kings' GM Dean Lombardi is willing to spend on the forward, and this may prompt Frolov to look elsewhere for employment next season.

If St. Petersburg is throwing around double-digit dollar figures in the millions for players, one of either Kovalchuk or Frolov will end up there next season. That kind of money can set a player and his family up for life.

So there's your KHL update from the past month. New teams, awards, lots of money on contracts, and some player movement makes for an entertaining off-season, and the KHL is bringing all of that to the table. More updates will follow as they happen, and I want to thank Tamara Urushadze for showing everyone what true courage is.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Panthers Find Hawks' Tallon

Recognize this guy? If you say no, that's ok. He just got a new job after being "reassigned" to a position with another club that limited his abilities. If you're wondering who this mystery man is, his name is Dale Tallon. You may know him due to his recent success at the draft table, on trade day, and on free agency day in rebuilding the Chicago Blackhawks into a high-octane, well-oiled machine. While Dale has been filling the office of "senior advisor of hockey operations" in Chicago, you could almost sense that he missed the work he had done as general manager. According to reports, one team has noticed his recent success and wants to offer him the position of general manager. Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to Dale Tallon, General Manager of the Florida Panthers hockey club.

Reportedly, the Panthers will announce the hiring of Tallon to be their GM on Tuesday at a press conference, and you'd have to think that Tallon would be excited with the talent that Florida has already amassed both in Miami and in Rochester. Players like David Booth, Nathan Horton, Stephen Weiss, Shawn Matthias, Keith Ballard, Dmitri Kulikov, and Rostislav Olesz are the perfect building blocks with which to start a youth movement. And, unlike in Chicago, Florida has two pretty solid goaltenders in Tomas Vokoun and Scott Clemmensen.

Of course, the Panthers do have a few needs in this off-season, and there's no doubt that Tallon may find himself overpaying for free agents in order to attract them to come to South Florida. However, some players might make the jump to play on an up-and-coming team for a pay raise.

Current Chicago Blackhawk Adam Burish is a player that Tallon knows quite well, and is available this summer. A player like Burish won't put the Panthers over the top by any means, but Burish would be the kind of sandpaper player that Tallon loves and that teams desperately want to sign. Burish is also 26 years young, meaning he'd fit right into the youthful core of players that Florida has built.

While I could sit here and speculate on what Tallon may do as GM, there is no doubt that he brings a air of respect, credibility, and a demonstrated tireless work effort to make his team better on the ice. He took a risk on Patrick Sharp, and it paid off in spades. He took a risk on Martin Havlat, and it paid off for the better part of Havlat's time in Chicago. If there's one thing that Tallon seems to have, he and his staff in Chicago could recognize emerging talent. Whether or not he has the same success in Florida will remain to be seen, but there's no reason to doubt him at this point. Your 2009-10 Chicago Blackhawks are proof of that.

All in all, I really like this hiring. Ownership should be cautious in throwing bags of money at him to attract free agents, though, as Brian Campbell and Cristobal Huet would be considered misses in Tallon's era in Chi-town. Long contracts with high price tags are dangerous for a team, and here's hoping that Tallon learned the dangers in those previous signings.

However, players like Kane, Toews, Seabrook, Keith, and Niemi would lead me to believe that Tallon did his homework in drafting these players. With this in mind, I feel confident in saying that the Panthers will make the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs within the next three years.

Panther fans, he's no Messiah, but he should conceivably set you down the right path. And that's exactly what every good team needs: someone at the top steering the ship in the right direction.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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The European Canadian Team

There's another Team Canada that is celebrating the holiday season by defeating teams from all across the planet. The Spengler Cup is being played in Davos, Switzerland, and Canada is looking to better their second-place finish from last season's tournament. You'll probably recognize the majority of the names on this team as they are former NHL and AHL stars, but this collection of Canadians are currently playing in Europe for a variety of teams.

Canada is led by former Islander Wade Dubielewicz and former Coyote David Leneveu in net. Dublielewicz is currently playing for the AHL's Houston Aeros, and sports a 7-7 record with a 2.21 GAA for the AHL club. Leneveu is playing with EC Red Bull Salzburg, and most recently welcomed his second daughter, Hannah, to the family. David and his wife, April, and his two daughters, Ashlynn and Hannah, are with Salzburg on a one-year deal.

On the blueline, the Canadians are led by former St. Louis Blues defenseman Jamie Rivers, former Maple Leaf Ric Jackman, and former Thrasher Yannick Tremblay. Rounding out the seven defensemen are a few former AHL stars: Micki DuPont, formerly of the Peoria Rivermen; Mike Siklenka, formerly of the Philadelphia Phantoms; Curtis Murphy, formerly of the Houston Aeros; Shawn Heins, formerly of the Chicago Wolves; and, Travis Roche, formerly of the San Antonio Rampage.

Up front, the collection of forwards include a former first overall NHL draft pick, a former Stanley Cup winner, and a number of recognizable former NHL players. The first overall NHL draft pick is none other than Alexandre Daigle, who is currently starring for SC Langnau Tigers in the Swiss Elite League. The former Stanley Cup winner is Boyd Devereaux, who is currently playing for Lugano in the Swiss Elite League.

Other notable names include former Shark and Sabre Curtis Brown, former Penguin and Lightning Michel Ouellet, former Blue Jacket and Thrasher Serge Aubin, former Avalanche and Panther Brett McLean, former Shark and Maple Leaf Mark Bell, former Thrasher JP Vigier, and former NHL nomad Randy Robitaille. Rounding out the forwards are former AHLers such as Cory Pecker, Kurtis McLean, Dale McTavish, Brendan Brooks, Blaine Down, and Jean-Guy Trudel.

While the lack of apparent star power that this team has, don't be fooled by the lack of success these players had in North America. Brendan Brooks, for example, leads the SC Langnau Tigers in scoring with 17 goals and nine assists in 34 games this season. Serge Aubin leads Fribourg-Gottéron with 12 goals and 17 assists in 32 games while Shawn Heins sits third on the team in scoring with eight goals and 15 assists in 33 games. The players selected for the Spengler Cup team have had a lot of success in their respective European leagues.

Leading the team behind the bench is former Oilers coach Craig MacTavish. He is joined by last year's Spengler Cup head coach Sean Simpson and former NHL forward Doug Shedden. Simpson is the head coach for Zurich in the Swiss Elite League, while Shedden is the head coach for Zug of the Swiss Elite League.

Yesterday was the opening game for Canada as they squared off against HC Energie Karlovy Vary from the Czech Republic. While Canada had only been together since Christmas Eve, they faced Karlovy Vary who has been struggling in the Czech Extraliga. Currently, they sit 12th out of fourteen teams in the Extraliga.

Both teams were a little shaky with lots of turnovers. Michal Dobron opened the scoring for EKV with three minutes to play in the opening period, but Mike Siklenka responded for Canada with one minute to go. Both teams took a 1-1 draw into the first intermission.

Jaroslav Kristek scored his first of two on the day just six minutes in. Consecutive goals by Shawn Heins and Travis Roche put Canada up 3-2. Kristek evened the score just a few minutes later with his second goal. Kurtis McLean put the Canadians back up by one, but the Czech squad responded with two goals before the end of the period. Former NHLer Dmitry Zyuzin and Lukas Pech gave EVK a 5-4 lead after 40 minutes.

The third period saw both teams doing all they can to try and steal a victory. Mark Bell notched a goal in the opening seconds of the period to even the game at 5-5. Alexandre Daigle gave Canada the lead just before the halfway mark of the third period, but EVK responded with a goal from Jan Kostal just three minutes later. Both teams battled to the final buzzer, and overtime solved nothing as neither team gave an inch.

In the shootout, Dubielewicz stopped former NHLer Zigmund Palffy, Lukas Pech, and Jaroslav Kristek. Serge Aubin scored on Canada's second shot, and the Canadians earned a hard-fought but sloppy 7-6 shootout win.

Canada will be in action again tomorrow as they play the host HC Davos club from Switzerland. Davos defeated HC Dynamo Minsk from the KHL last night by a 3-2 score, and defeated EVK today by a 5-3 score. Canada will need to play better in their own end to keep pace with the speedy Davos players. Former Blackhawk Reto Von Arx leads Davos in points with four (2-2) and former Panther Juraj Kolnik leads Davos in goals with three.

With the World Junior Championships and the Spengler Cup happening at the same time, this is the best time of year to be a Canadian hockey fan!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Another Christmas Tradition

I hope you're all having a wonderful Christmas Day, and that all of your Christmas wishes have or are coming true. People always say that it's a magical time of year, and I have to agree. There is no season like the holiday season as everyone around the world, regardless of their beliefs, looks to celebrate. Traditional practices such as family feasts, the exchanging of gifts, and inviting loved ones to a family gathering are all seen during this season. I'll just point out that the feast at my locale was delicious, and certainly deserving of a culinary award. Gifts were exchanged, so everything about the holiday season has gone to plan. And now, we prepare for another popular tradition in Canada: the World Junior Championships.

There are a couple of teams that probably will be overwhelmed when they step on the ice against the top-six teams. There are a couple of darkhorses that, if given the opportunity, can pull off an upset and possibly find themselves in a medal game. There are also the tournament favorites who will most likely find themselves battling with each other for tournament supremacy.

Today, HBIC will take a look at the teams in the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championships, and rank them in inverse order as to their final standing.

AUSTRIA: The Austrians will be hard-pressed to avoid relegation this year as they come in with only one player who has played in North America. Defenseman Stefan Ulmer will be representing his country after suiting up for the WHL's Spokane Chiefs this season. The majority of the team comes from European leagues, so Austrian players will simply be getting their names out there for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft. Like Michael Grabner, this tournament could help them out in achieving a bigger dream.

LATVIA: The Latvians always come in as an upset choice as they seem to have just enough moxie to steal a game from one of the unassuming favorites. After shocking both Germany and Kazakhstan in last year's relegation round, the Latvians look to build on their success this year. The majority of their team comes from the junior Dinamo Riga team. Dinamo Riga is the only KHL team in the Eastern European country, but having this junior squad has allowed the team to build continuity. Roberts Bukarts, who is suiting up for the senior Riga team this season, should be a player to watch as he seems to have a nose for the net. In a pre-tournament game against Russia, Bukarts scored twice in a 3-2 Latvia victory. While there are players who are currently playing in North America, none are playing in an upper-tier junior program.

SLOVAKIA: As much as I like this team, I feel that the Slovaks may play well below their potential again this year. It's not to say that they don't have the talent; rather, they never seem to reach their full potential. They'll be missing goalie Jaroslav Janus, so their best junior player isn't on this team. Tomas Tatar of the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins should be their offensive catalyst as he's looked good for the Red Wings' minor-league affiliate. Richard Panek of the OHL's Windsor Spitfires, Adam Janosik of the QMJHL's Gatineau Olympiques, Andrej Kudrna of the WHL's Red Deer Rebels, and Marek Viedensky of the WHL's Prince George Cougars are all North American-trained, and should provide some scoring. The majority of this team, however, comes from HK Orange 20, a junior team based in Puchov, Slovakia that plays in the Slovak Extraliga. This is essentially the national training team for players aged 20 and under in Slovakia, and was formed after 2007 when the Slovaks finished dead last at the WJC tournament. We'll see if they can improve on my prediction this season, but they may find the competition slightly better than the Slovak Extraliga.

SWITZERLAND: The Swiss have an interesting team this year, but they always seem to run into problems scoring against the upper-tier teams. They have talent from top leagues - Luca Sbisa of the WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes, Alain Berger of the OHL's Oshawa Generals, Lukas Stoop of HC Davos, and Tim Weber of Modo. They normally get solid goaltending, although there are no clear-cut top goalies this season. Again, secondary scoring and defensive zone coverage will determine how far this team goes. Make no mistake, though, in that Switzerland could challenge for a medal if they get hot.

CZECH REPUBLIC: The Czechs performed admirably against Canada in their pre-tournament game, but the defensive shell that the Czechs are forced to employ may only carry them so far. Injuries to their best players will limit this team's success if they aren't near perfect every night. The Czechs have a number of excellent players out of Canada's junior system, including Tomas Vincour of the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings, but there simply is the lack of a star to carry the offensive load. Jaroslav Hafenrichter, who plays for HC Slavia Praha, is injured and will miss the tournament after he put up 62 points in 44 games for the Czech Extraliga team last season. The team already is missing his scoring.

FINLAND: It's always tough to have Finland finishing out of the medals, but they may not have the firepower that is needed to make a serious run in this year's WJC. They do have solid scoring from the likes of Jyri Niemi of the WHL's Saskatoon Blades, but, like other Finnish teams, this is a group of players who will simply attempt to wear other teams out with gritty, physical play. Defensively, they play a hitting game in their own zone, and finish all checks in the offensive zone. The lack of scoring will hurt the Finns in games against teams like Sweden, USA, Russia, and Canada, so they must do all the little things right to outwork their opponents if they hope to capture a medal in this tournament.

USA: The USA is one team that legitimately could turn this entire tournament upside down. What they lack in experience they could make up for in effort and energy. John Carlson of the OHL's London Knights and Cam Fowler of the OHL's Windsor Spitfires should lead the offensive attack from the blue line, and both play extremely responsibly in their own zone. Up front, Jordan Schroeder from the NCAA's University of Minnesota, Danny Kristo of the USHL's Omaha Lancers, and Jeremy Morin of the OHL's Kitchener Rangers should be prominent in the USA's scoring stats. Mike Lee will tend to the nets, but he hasn't been a standout for St. Cloud State in the NCAA at this point. If he suddenly gets hot, however, the Americans could be looking at one of the top-two medals.

SWEDEN: The Swedes, like Canada, seem to suffer from having their best players in the NHL. Victor Hedman is leading the Tanpa Bay Lightning and Erik Karlsson is sticking with the Ottawa Senators, so the torch will have to be passed to others. Jakob Markstrom is good enough to be the best goaltender in the tournament, and should provide quality backstopping to get Sweden a medal. Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson should be a force in this tournament as the speedster from last year is rounding into his bigger frame. Marcus Johansson, Andre Petersson, and Mattias Tedenby should provide lots of goals for the Tre Kronor. Defensively, this team would be scary if Hedman and Karlsson were in Saskatchewan, but, as it stands, David Rundblad and Tim Erixon will lead the way. Sweden plays hard, but they may get bullied by some of the more physical teams. This may be a concern during the playoff round.

RUSSIA: Despite the lack of NHL draft picks on this team, you can't be fooled by the Russian talent. If it weren't for the lack of a transfer agreement, the majority of the Russian squad would heading for NHL rinks near you in the immediate future. Nikita Filatov of the Columbus Blue Jackets/CSKA Moscow teams should be near the top of the scoring lead. He has immense talent and will look like a man amongst boys in the majority of games. Alexander Tarasov and Kirill Petrov should be decent players in this tournament as well, but because the majority of players are playing in Russia, scouting is tough. The Russians are missing two top players - Dmitri Kulikov is staying with the Florida Panthers, and Kirill Kabanov is out with a wrist injury. Despite these absences, the Russians have a deep team that should challenge for one of the top medal colours.

CANADA: Now, some may call this homer-ism in terms of me awarding Canada the gold medal before the tournament. I'll tell you right now that this is not the case. Canada is deep, solid, and well-coached. Jake Allen appears to be everything that Canadians have come to expect from their goaltenders - reliable, consistent, and athletic.

On the blue line, the Canadians may have the best collection of defensemen in the tournament with Alex Pietrangelo, Ryan Ellis, and Colten Teubert all returning from last year's gold medal-wining group.

Up front, Canada has grit, size, skill, and speed. Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Brayden Schenn, and Brandon McMillan have shown incredible skill and speed in the pre-tournament games, while Nazem Kadri, Luke Adam, Jordan Caron, and Patrice Cormier have taken the body at every opportunity.

The one place that Canada may run into problems is in their physical play, though. Cormier has spent considerable lengths of time in the penalty box, and good teams like the Russians and Americans will hurt the Canadians on the powerplay. Discipline will need to be preached at all times with this Canadian sqaud, but they have looked solid. Canada will also have to match their opponents' tenacity when it comes to playing against Canada. The Czechs threw checks with reckless abandon, and it seemed to rattle the cages of the Canadians just a little.

Overall, this looks to be an exciting tournament as the Canadian prairies welcomes the world. It all gets started tomorrow, and Canada squares off against Latvia at 3:30 EST in a game that might get out-of-hand if the Canadians are firing on all cylinders. The entire tournament schedule is here, and I encourage you to try and catch as many games as possible. Tomorrow, HBIC will announce the WJC Contest, so head back here tomorrow to get the details!

Until then, keep your sticks on the ice!

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