Honouring A Regional Great

It's always a great night when a player is remembered for how important he was to a franchise, especially when he made large contributions in bringing greatness to that franchise. Rod Brind'Amour had carved out a pretty good career in the NHL before he got to Carolina, but then led the Hurricanes to new heights as he helped to guide the young squad to a Stanley Cup championship. Tonight, the Carolina Hurricanes paid respect to a respected veteran hockey player, and the Flyers also showed their support of the former Philadelphia Flyer centerman.

Let's go way back to September 22, 1991. A promising young centerman by the name Rod Brind'Amour is traded by the St. Louis Blues, along with Dan Quinn, to the Philadelphia Flyers for defenceman Murray Baron and forward Ron Sutter. It was here that Brind'Amour really blossomed as a player, becoming a high-scoring, defensively-reliable centerman on Philadelphia's second line. Finding himself playing behind Eric Lindros for most of his time in Philadelphia, Brind'Amour became Philly's second scoring option. Known for the great shape he kept himself in, Brind'Amour soon developed the nickname "Rod the bod" around the Philadelphia locker room.

As a result of his playing behind Lindros, Brind'Amour saw a lot of ice-time. In 633 games with the Flyers over nine seasons, Brind'Amour scored 235 goals, added 366 assists, and spent 544 minutes in the penalty box. His leadership was vital, especially in the Flyers' run to the Stanley Cup final in 1997. In 19 playoff games that season, Brind'Amour recorded 13 goals and eight assists. However, his time in Philadelphia would come to an end through another trade.

January 23, 2000 saw the Flyers deal Brind'Amour, goaltender Jean-Marc Pelletier, and a second-round pick in the 2000 entry draft to the Carolina Hurricanes for Keith Primeau and a fifth-round pick in the 2000 entry draft. After playing 12 games with the Flyers in the 1999-2000 season, he was heading south down the coast to Raleigh, North Carolina. It was here that the veteran Brind'Amour really helped pave the way for some of Carolina's current stars such as Eric Staal and Cam Ward.

In 693 games with the Carolina Hurricanes, Brind'Amour continued scoring at a solid pace, but became a much stronger force on the defensive side of the puck as the younger Hurricane players contributed on the scoresheet. He still scored 174 goals, added 299 assists, and spent 398 minutes in the penalty box over his ten seasons with Carolina. In their run to the Stanley Cup, Brind'Amour scored 12 goals and added six assists in 25 games in helping Carolina to their first Stanley Cup championship.

Clearly, Brind'Amour has had some significant impact on two teams during his NHL career. Tonight, the Hurricanes paid respect by having each player wear Brind'Amour's famous #17 on their shoulders. They also wore his name and number on their chests just as they have done for other honoured players such as Glen Wesley. In a classy move, the club also donned Brind'Amour jerseys for the warm-up. While it may have looked like a Brind'Amour family reunion hockey game, the Hurricanes changed into their properly-named jerseys for the game.

The visitors this evening were the Philadelphia Flyers, and they also took to the ice in warm-ups with Brind'Amour jerseys on. While Brind'Amour never actually wore the jerseys seen in these images, it's still a classy move by a franchise that played a large part in Brind'Amour's career. Kudos for the Flyers for actively participating in tonight's honouring of Rod Brind'Amour.

I'm not saying that Brind'Amour is a sure-fire hall-of-famer or anything, but the man could play hockey. He won a Stanley Cup, he has 1000+ career points, and he has hardware behind his name in the Selke Trophy. I think that he's done well enough to be mentioned as a possible name on the nomination list, but is he a HoF player at this time?

Regardless, Brind'Amour will always be remembered by this writer as a great player, a great teammate, and an all-around great person. There may not be a Hall of Fame for athletes who make everyone around them and the teams they play on better, but Rod Brind'Amour could certainly be an inaugural inductee if there was a Hall of Fame like that.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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I'm Living Another Life

So I spent the weekend away from the desk and the computer and all its bells and whistles like email, news, and everything else that happens to bask in the sun and actually enjoy a long weekend for once. The problem? I apparently have no clue what timezone I live in. I went back and checked and re-checked all the posts for the correct dates, and everything was correct. I had been fiddling with some of the settings on this blog, and I guess I somehow changed the timezone away from my current locale. Just another reason why I sometimes can be a dumbass. Either way, though, everything is reset, and we're back on-track. Here are some updates from stories I wasn't tracking during my weekend away from being online.

• It appears that Detroit is going to try to add another marquee player, but have him play in the same role that Steve Yzerman adapted to so well. Mike Modano will reportedly be signed by the Red Wings to center their third line, and, according to Freep.com, will wear #90 for the Winged Wheels. I like this signing as Modano brings a great veteran presence to Detroit's lineup, is a proven winner and leader, and can score if given the chance. I'm quite certain that Mike Babcock will put him in a situation where he can thrive rather than pinning him to the bench.
• The Buffalo Sabres, in a rather odd move, have placed winger Tim Kennedy on waivers after Kennedy won his arbitration case. Because of the $1 million awarded to Kennedy, the Sabres were forced to accept the ruling in the arbitration case as it was lower than the pre-determined $1,611,180 mark needed for teams to walk away from a player. I get that the Sabres may not have been excited about giving a million bucks to a player entering his second season in the NHL after he posted 26 points on the third-line, but it's not a significant pay increase. Personally, if I had the cap room as an NHL GM, I'd go after Kennedy.
• The Boston Bruins have signed the second-overall pick from this year's draft. Tyler Seguin will have a shot at making the Bruins out of camp, but GM Peter Chiarelli feels he may be a better fit on the wing than down the middle where he normally plays. Either way, getting Seguin signed is a great move by the Bruins, and they didn't have to move anyone to make it happen. I see Seguin as a major part of this team by next season.
• The Atlanta Thrashers and New York Rangers swapped a few players as the Thrashers sent centerman Todd White to the Rangers for Patrick Rissmiller and Donald Brashear. I'm a little shocked that Atlanta would swing a deal that does nothing to help them, especially when you consider that they are reportedly going to buy out Brashear. That buyout will count against Atlanta's salary cap! Rissmiller may earn a spot with the Thrashers. White should be a decent fit in New York, but this seems like nothing more than two teams trading salaries they no longer want. I guess that's the moral of this story.
• Glen Metropolit is moving across the pond. Metropolit has signed with EV Zug in Switzerland after posting 16 goals and 13 assists last season for the Canadiens. I always like Metropolit as a good grinder with decent scoring ability, and his willingness to go to the front of the net with the Canadiens, especially on the powerplay, made him invaluable to the Canadiens' scoring. I'm not saying that 29 points can't be replaced, but the intangibles are a lot harder to replace, and Metropolit's hole in the lineup will be felt by the Canadiens for part, if not all, of the season.

There are some quick updates for Tuesday. I'll be back tomorrow after setting myself up in the right timezone (again)! Is there such a thing a bloglag? Y'know, like jetlag for blogs?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Brand-New Forgotten Looks

I was speaking to a friend today who is a pretty big AHL fan, and he seemed pumped that Darren Haydar is heading back to the Chicago Wolves. I asked him what he would equate the change to, and his response was "Remember when Hulk Hogan joined the NWO". As I stared at him with some confusion, he proceeded to inform me that it was the biggest coup in wrestling history, and how he went from the biggest hero in wrestling to one of the biggest heels ever. He didn't seem impressed that I had little knowledge of such a historic event, but it got me thinking about hockey players who played in cities after being so iconic in a previous city. There are a pile of players that can be included here, but I want to run through the few that seem to jump to the front of my mind.

• We'll start with the most iconic player in Wayne Gretzky. We all know of his exploits in Edmonton and Los Angeles, so when he was traded to the St. Louis Blues, it left a lot of people puzzled. Including Wayne. He signed in the off-season with the New York Rangers after appearing in a mere 18 games with the Blues.
• Guy Lafleur was a star in his home province of Quebec, racking up Stanley Cup victories with the Montreal Canadiens before not playing for three years between 1985 and 1988. However, Lafleur in a New York Rangers jersey just doesn't seem right. Lafleur would spend a mere 67 games on Broadway before heading home to play for the Nordiques.
• Another player who appeared on Broadway had a long career in a different city where he is hailed as a hero. Marcel Dionne's tenure with the New York Rangers lasted all of 67 games in 1988-89 after spending his entire career in Detroit and Los Angeles. Of course, he is a legend in Los Angeles for his work there.
• This list will never be completely correct if it didn't include Bobby Orr. Orr had a phenomenal career with the Boston Bruins before knee injuries caught up to the legendary defenceman. Orr spent all of 26 games with the Chicago Blackhawks before retiring. Orr had previously played 631 games with the Bruins where he carved out a Hall-of-Fame career while redefining a position on the ice.
  
• Another Bobby who played with the Blackhawks will make this list. Of course, Bobby Hull was a much more vivid Blackhawk, and he will always be remembered for his time as a Winnipeg Jet when he jumped to the WHA for $1 million. But Bobby's career basically came to an end in Hartford with the Whalers where he played a mere nine games. Not quite going out on top, but Hull had himself a very impressive career.
• There's a player who won three Stanley Cups with three different teams that made two cameos on two different teams. Mike Keane spent time with Montreal, Colorado, and Dallas in winning his three Stanley Cups, but he also spent 70 games with the New York Rangers and 56 games with the St. Louis Blues! I have scoured the Interwebs for a Mike-Keane-St.-Louis-Blues image with no success. However, there is evidence of him in a Rangers uniform. Keane most recently retired after playing for his hometown Manitoba Moose where he is still spoken about with Winnipeg legends like Hull, Selanne, and Hawerchuk.

There are probably a pile more, but these players represent the iconic players who jumped to new teams through free agency or moved through trades. Gretzky, Lafleur, Dionne, Orr, and Hull all had Hall-of-Fame careers with their previous teams, and Mike Keane is one of nine players who won a Stanley Cup while suiting up for three different teams.

Is there anyone you think that should be added to this list? Leave names in the comments!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Wednesday Before The Storm

The biggest shopping day each year comes on July 1 for thirty men with deep pockets. The NHL Free Agency Market opens tomorrow, and there will be general managers across the league looking to fill holes, change directions, and stock the cupboards as contracts are offered to players. Some players are of the "game-changing" nature: Kovalchuk, Gonchar, Hamhuis, and Volchenkov. These players, it seems, will attract the richest offers, and several teams have the salary cap to make those offers. But before any new players can be brought in, teams must first get their houses in order. HBIC is no different, and tonight I want to do a little clean up on the blog before the storm of free agency hits. There will be a number of items covered, so let's get to the organizing and cleaning.

• The first of two major summer projects will run on Saturdays throughout the summer. The Saturday Funnies will literally be a page of hockey-related comic strips that runs weekly on, as its name suggests, Saturday. I have begun contacting several authors of some of the better comic strips I've read that deal in hockey matters, and I'm hoping they'll climb aboard for some free advertising compliments of HBIC. If, for whatever reason, the authors decline and there are not enough strips to make it worth the effort, I'll announce a change in this project. The Funnies page will make its debut by next Saturday at the latest.
• The second summer project, as suggested by Ben, will be a look at advertising around the boards in NHL arenas. As you may know, there are a lot of advertisements pasted on the boards in NHL rinks, but they have changed throughout the years from more local advertising to league-wide advertising. I plan on featuring at least a few rinks per week throughout the summer as I embark on a very ambitious project. If you have any images of your local rink, please send them to me and I'll get them in order. I plan on having the first rink posted by next week.
• There was lots of coverage of the passing of one of the most dedicated men I've ever read about a couple of weeks ago. Manute Bol, former NBA player, passed away at the age of 47, and his work to help the people of Sudan was incredible. His charitable work alone would be reason enough for me to pay my respects to him, but it was his one night as a member of the Indianapolis Ice of the CHL that many in the hockey community will remember of the seven-foot-seven gentle giant. Rest in peace for eternity, Mr. Bol. I'll always look up to you for your amazing humanitarian efforts.
• There have been a number of trades as teams prepare for the free agent blitz tomorrow, but the Blackhawks were shedding salary again today. This time, they dealt Kris Versteeg and Bill Sweatt to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Viktor Stalberg, Philippe Paradis, and Chris DiDomenico. Getting Versteeg is not exactly the first-line centerman that GM Brian Burke may be after, but he's the kind of gritty player that Burke likes. With another salary off the books, it appears that the Blackhawks are serious about signing Antti Niemi and Andrew Ladd in the coming days.
• For all of your off-season trades thus far, check out the TSN Trade Tracker.
• Lastly, I am pushing forward with the HBIC prizes. I'm not waiting days for people to respond anymore. Jim W. and Tom O. should contact me ASAP in order to get in on the prize action. I'm moving on starting tomorrow, and everyone on the prize list is now being notified that they have 24 hours to respond. No exceptions will be made.
  

I'll be back tomorrow with the rundown of all the Free Agency moves by each team. I'm almost certain that there will be a few teams who avoid the blitz on July 1, but you never know what may happen on the biggest shopping day in the NHL.

Until tomorrow, 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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One And Done?

Today marked the first day of the official Stanley Cup Champions' dismantling. The Chicago Blackhawks, deep in red ink when it comes to the salary cap numbers, shed five players in an effort to bring their payroll in line with the NHL's mandate. It was known before the Stanley Cup Final that this day would come. The only question that Blackhawks fans had was who would be the first big name to go? And, slightly less important to Hawks fans, where is he going? We got the answer today in two trades. And one of those two trades was clearly a salary purge.

The Chicago Blackhawks reportedly made a deal with the Atlanta Thrashers yesterday, but the deal needed league approval due to the salaries being moved between the two teams. With the NHL's blessing today, Chicago sent forwards Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Eager, and Akim Aliu along with defenceman Brent Sopel to the Atlanta Thrashers for the 24th and 54th picks in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and forwards Marty Reasoner, Jeremy Morin, and Joey Crabb. Later in the day, the Blackhawks shipped forward restricted free agent Colin Fraser's rights to the Edmonton Oilers for the 151st pick in this year's draft.

Obviously, the big piece in this trade was Dustin Byfuglien. The Minnesota native became nearly a legend in Chicago with his play during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and his big body and work ethic were cheered at every chance by the Hawks' faithful. Atlanta will be getting a player who knows what it takes to win the Stanley Cup while being in the spotlight, and Byfuglien will be expected to be the bruising power forward for the Thrashers that everyone saw in this year's playoffs.

Second City Hockey, a fabulous Blackhawks blog, spoke candidly about how Byfuglien's recent success on the ice may have gotten the Hawks more in return than what he was seemingly worth. Said McClure:

"While no one can coach Byfuglien's size, the fact of the matter is that there are far more willing wingers on this team to go to the net in most situations, and all of them are more mobile than Buff. While yes, he has been a playoff 'killer', keep in mind he did that killing against very inferior defensive corps in Vancouver and San Jose. The instant someone with as equal skill wants it more than Buff, he disappears, as evidenced by Games 1-4 of the finals, and pretty much every regular season game. I'll be thankful for his contributions, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it."

Wow. The hardest part in accepting McClure's sobering look at the big man is that he's exactly right. Byfuglien was seemingly a fringe player during the majority of the regular season, and has recorded no more than 19 goals and 36 points in any of his three full seasons in the NHL to date. There's no denying that Byfuglien's efforts in this year's playoffs were instrumental to the Blackhawks' successes, but there has to be more shown in the regular season by Byfuglien if he wants to make the Hawks regret moving him. 36 points at his salary leaves them with no regrets at this point in time.

Brent Sopel, whose antics with his sock stripes won him no fans on this blog, was an easy choice on the blueline as his $2.2 million salary was extremely pricey for a fifth defenceman. Yes, the Hawks will lose a player who ate major minutes while killing penalties, but, like Byfuglien, Sopel's stock rose in the playoffs with his performance. Should that be expected through 82 games next season? I'm betting on "no".

Coming to the Hawks in return is Marty Reasoner, a player who will most likely end up filling the fourth-line centerman position next year. He's fairly inexpensive at $1.5 million, and will replace the departing John Madden as he will demand more money on the open market than Chicago can offer. Reasoner is a decent face-off man, but his comparisons to Madden will end there. Don't expect this guy to be a defensive shadow like Madden was, Hawks fans. It just won't happen.

With a couple of larger salaries off the books for next season, there are still a few more players who shouldn't get too comfortable in the Windy City. One of Andrew Ladd or Kris Versteeg could and probably will still be moved, and it also means that the Hawks will not be dipping into the free agent market for any major names this July. Cristobal Huet should start looking for an apartment in Rockford next season as it is almost a given that his salary will be buried in the AHL.

Growth, it seems, will have to come from within just as it did four years ago.

Now this begs the question: can the Blackhawks be as competitive as they were this year while cutting salaries all over the place? As I stated last Friday, are you interested in seeing your team take one big run at the Stanley Cup, or would you rather have them build gradually over the course of a few years so that a potential dynasty can be born?

The salary cap has changed how hockey dynasties are shaped. The Detroit Red Wings, who constantly replaced expensive, departing talent with younger, cheaper talent, demonstrated how a dynasty can be built and maintained. Chicago, on the other hand, have all the makings of a one-and-done thanks to their salary purges.

So which would you, the fan, rather have: a solid team that has the capability to go deep in the playoffs each year, or a team that has all the makings of a Stanley Cup Champion, but is forced to scuttle that team once their playoff run is over?

For me, I choose the first option. You may not win, but you're seeing a lot of playoff hockey every year. With apologies to San Jose Sharks fans, the Stanley Cup is the ultimate prize, but remaining competitive over the course of a decade is good for the team's bottom line. Which, in turn, should be good for the fan.

This one is a tough decision, but which would you choose?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Rewarding One of the Greats

The Boston Bruins will reportedly hold a press conference on Wednesday to announce that they have filled their vacant team president position. It is expected that long-time Bruin great Cam Neely will be promoted from his current position of team vice-president to the position once held by Harry Sinden. To me, this move will pay off in spades for the Bruins in a number of ways. There's no doubt that Bruins fans hold the power forward dear in their hearts. For the longest time, Bourque and Neely were synonymous with the Boston Bruins as both men proudly wore the spoked "B" for the better part of their careers. And now it appears that Neely will continue to ply his trade, albeit off the ice, for the team to which his name is forever linked.

There is a lot that Cam Neely has done as a member of the Boston Bruins:

• Became a mainstay in Boston after Vancouver shipped him and a first-round draft pick to the Bruins in exchange for Barry Pederson.
• Led the Bruins in goals seven times, and in points twice.
• Currently sits fifth in Bruins goals all-time, and ninth in points all-time.
• Has the most playoff goals of any Bruins with 55, and is seventh in playoff points with the Bruins.
• Neely became just the fifth Boston Bruin to hit the 50-goal plateau when he did so in 1989-90, and set a club record for goals by a right winger with 55.
• Neely became just the second Bruin to score 50 goals in consecutive seasons when he scored 51 in 1990-91.
• Neely was the second fastest player in NHL history to score 50 goals when he scored 50 in 44 games in 1993-94.
• Thanks to his amazing season in 1993-94 after returning from serious thigh and knee injuries, Neely was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for his dedication to the sport of hockey.
• In 1995, Cam Neely helped found the Cam Neely Foundation in honour of his parents, Mike and Marlene Neely, after they passed away from cancer. Through his foundation, Cam Nelly has been able to help thousands cope with cancer, and is working towards finding a cure for this disease.
  
• Neely's injuries continued to hamper his game, though, and he retired from the NHL as a member of the Bruins in September 1996.
• Neely saw his number raised to the rafters on January 12, 2004 in a retirement ceremony held by the Bruins.
• Neely was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005 as a member of the Boston Bruins.
• On Wednesday, Cam Neely will be named as the eighth Team President of the Boston Bruins.

Over the last decade, we have seen a number of retired NHL players take prominent roles with various NHL teams: Mario Lemieux owning the Pittsburgh Penguins, Wayne Gretzky coaching the Phoenix Coyotes, Garth Snow taking the general manager reins with the New York Islanders, and Steve Yzerman becoming the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning. You can add Cam Neely to the list as well as he was mentoring as the team vice-president since September 2007.

The differences between some of these players-turned-executives is in their training and preparation for their new roles. Steve Yzerman worked alongside Ken Holland in Detroit for several seasons before accepting the Tampa Bay position. The jury is still out on his job, obviously, but there is a strong feeling that he will succeed thanks to Ken Holland showing him the ropes.

Much like Yzerman, Neely has had the opportunity to work in Boston's front office in a lesser role before moving into the larger office. While Neely didn't specifically have anyone who mentored him for his new role, Neely worked with Charlie Jacobs and general manager Peter Chiarelli over the last season, getting a bird's eye view of how the hockey operations run.

There are clear and concise differences between being a general manager of an NHL club and the team president of an NHL club, but the fact that both men learned from arguably some of the best in the business gives them an advantage in adapting to their new roles.

With that being said, congratulations go out to Cam Neely on his appointment to Team President of the Boston Bruins! It's nice to have a familiar face steering the ship!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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TBC: Now Is The Winter

Teebz's Book Club has had this review on the burner for some time now, but today seemed appropriate to bring it forth with a number of leagues determining their respective champions. Rarely do these kinds of books come along in the sporting world where a number of excellent essayists pen their thoughts about life, society, and sports with such intelligence, but Now Is The Winter: Thinking About Hockey, edited by Jamie Dopp and Richard Harrison and published by Wolsak and Wynn, is one of those books. This collection of essays look at a wide variety of topics in and around the sport of hockey, and present very intelligent viewpoints on these topics that may go unappreciated by even the most dedicated fan. It is with this thought in mind that I began to read Now Is The Winter: Thinking About Hockey, and I'm proud to say that I have considerable admiration for the ideas and thoughts brought forth by the essayists.

From the Wolsak and Wynn website: "Jamie Dopp is an Associate Professor of Canadian Literature at the University of Victoria. He has published a variety of articles on Canadian fiction, poetry, and culture, as well as one novel and two books of poems. In 2004, during a very rare cold spell in Victoria, he stayed up all night to build a backyard ice rink and managed to have three blissful days of outdoor hockey with his family."

Richard Harrison is a freelance editor and teaches English and Creative Writing at Mount Royal College. He has published five books of poetry, and has earned numerous nominations for literary prizes, winning a Milton Acorn Prize and the City of Calgary/W.O. Mitchell Book Prize. He has infused poetry into the world of hockey by reading at places like the Calgary Booster Club’s annual Sportsman-of-the-Year banquet, the Hockey Hall of Fame, and the Pengrowth Saddledome. Richard lives in Calgary with his wife Lisa and their two children, Emma and Keeghan.

It's hard to put this book into one category since the essayists featured in this book delve into a wide-range of categories with their works. What I will do, however, is touch on each of the essays within the book as there are some excellent looks at the game of hockey in the contexts in which it is framed by each author.

Stephen Hardy and Andrew Holman examine a way to periodize hockey much like historians do with the world's history. In terms of the globalization of the planet, historians have been characterizing periods of time for centuries, but sport, in its own microcosm, needs some clarity as well. Hardy and Holman do a great job in breaking down the various periods that hockey has seen with respect to the global game.

Michael P. Buma looks at how hockey has been claimed and lost by Canadians as "our game" through politics in two books - George Grant's Lament for a Nation: The Defeat of Canadian Nationalism, and Bruce Kidd's and John Macfarlane's The Death of Hockey. Mr. Buma's look at how the game has evolved from a Canadian pasttime to an American business is in part due to the passion for the game changing in society. It's a very interesting look at how the game hockey moved from its humble roots into its billion-dollar industry.

Andrew Holman tackles the literary world in staking a claim over the portrayal of hockey, Canadians, and American heroes in fictional sports stories from 1890-1940. More often than not, hockey was a foreign sport played by the more talented and evil Canadian antagonists to the American protagonists. It was also portrayed as a violent, brutal sport that had no semblance of American values. Holman does an excellent job in bringing these points to light through numerous examples.

Richard Harrison draws a phenomenal comparison between the Stanley Cup and Superman - two Canadian creations that have been globalized. Both Superman and the Stanley Cup have experienced changes, seen dramatic reshaping of their worlds, and have remained as an icon in society through their histories. Honestly, this is one essay that should be read by all simply due to how both iconic figures seem to live in the same timeframes when speaking of their transitions and adaptations.

David McNeil brings to us a story of how photography in the 1950s really made hockey a more nationalized game thanks to the work of some early sports photography pioneers. The Turofsky brothers and Scotty Kilpatrick are two names that should be synonymous with sports photography, and we, as fans, should be thankful that these men pioneered some of the best camera rigs to capture the most timeless moments in hockey history. Mr. McNeil's story even includes his father's defining moment - goaltender Gerry McNeil of the Montreal Canadiens stopping Detroit's Gordie Howe. McNeil tells an impressive story of how these photos came to be, and it should be mandatory reading for photojournalists.

John Soares presents an interesting topic in his examination of international hockey from 1957-62 in looking at how hockey, and sports, can build bridges between politically-opposed nations. Soares looks at the dynamics between the Soviet Union and the United States as his example of two nations that forged friendships on the ice despite their respective nations staring one another down during the height of the Cold War. Very interesting essay, to say the least, and a compelling look at sports during a time of political unrest on the globe.

Sam McKegney delves into the mass media world in their look at Jonathan Cheechoo's Richard Trophy-winning season, and how Cheechoo was made into a sidekick of Joe Thornton rather than earning merit on his own for his goal-scoring prowess. McKegney feels that the media plays a large part in Cheechoo's mythological status by turning him into a sidekick. Another part is this unknown world that Cheechoo comes from called Moose Factory, Ontario - this "exotic" locale that makes Cheechoo seem foreign despite being Canadian. McKegney looks at a lot of different reasons for Cheechoo not getting the credit it seems he should have received, and, when looking back on it, McKegney may be right.

Anne Hartman has a long and interesting essay about the lack of women's shinny hockey in Toronto, and the uphill battle the women face year-in and year-out when it comes to claiming ice-time at various arenas. Hartman talks to all sorts of female hockey players in her quest to find why the women don't get the same chance to play as the men, and there are some very interesting comments made. An excellent piece by Hartman shows that while the women's game has never been more popular, they still have a long way to go for equality.

E.W. Mason looks at hockey in New Zealand, and how the sport is working to gain a foothold in a not-so-common hockey country. Mason shows that, despite big wins in international tournaments, the game is still being referred to as "new" by the media in New Zealand. Hockey has a deep tradition in New Zealand, so the "new sport" that the media speak of seems odd to Mason. Mason's work is literary genius, and it certainly deserves a read.

Brian Kennedy looks at hockey spectating, and compares the hoopla surrounding the game to that of a carnival atmosphere. He draws a lot of excellent comparisons, and really hits the heart of the matter when talking about the carefully-scripted hockey games and sensory overload that we experience today at games in comparison to those thirty years ago when the breaks in action gave the man at the organ something to do. A very well-written piece on what might be the biggest reason that some fans no longer enjoy the game.

Craig G. Hyatt, William M. Foster, and Mark R. Julien thoroughly examine the relationship between player and fan, and what is expected in this relationship from each side. In particular, they use the Chris Pronger trade demand out of Edmonton as their example, and the wrath of the Oilers fans after Pronger went public with his trade request. If you're a hockey fan, this is a must-read essay in terms of trying to determine who owes whom what in the player-fan relationship.

Kelly Hewson ends the collection of essays by looking at how hockey has worked its way into pop culture such as music and television, its effect on the Canadian psyche, and what each letter in the acronym "NHL" means to Miss Hewson. The writing is witty and humourous, but Miss Hewson really hits the nail on the head with her meaning of NHL.

The twelve essays are not arranged in any particular order that I can see, but they read very well. I liked the topics they brought forth, and there wasn't an oversaturation of one particular league or topic. From hockey media in New Zealand to the political views of Soviets and Americans in the Cold War to black-and-white hockey photographers in the 1950s, there are essays here for anyone interested in hockey at a more intellectual level.

While I wouldn't say the 140-page book is meant for anyone but adults, some advanced high school readers could tackle this work. There are some points of language that would push the book into a PG-rating, but the usage of this language is timely and appropriate by the authors. The content alone, however, is simply outstanding, and Now Is The Winter: Thinking About Hockey is more than worthy of the Teebz's Book Club Seal of Approval due to the intelligent writing that Dopp and Harrison brought forth in this collection.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Narrowing Down The Freshmen

This isn't going to be some story about college hockey, although it could be with the NCAA's Frozen Four getting ready for this weekend. Instead, there are a number of excellent rookies in the NHL as we speak, and it's time to highlight some of them here with the year-end awards approaching. I get no vote on who will win the Calder Trophy, so I won't speculate as to who I think should win. What I will do, however, is narrow it down to my favorite rookie from either conference, and see where my guess stands when the awards are being handed out.

I plan to throw out a bunch of names of rookies who I've been impressed with this season. I'll help you identify these rookies by linking pictures to their respective names, and I'll talk a little about why they may be considered for the Calder Trophy. There have definitely been some amazing rookie performances this season, so let's get right to it.

John Tavares - New York Islanders: Tavares came in with all the fanfare of being a dominant player, but he was joining a team that was extremely short on talent. However, Tavares has made lemonade out of lemons by scoring 22 goals and 49 points with the Islanders. Both totals put him second-place in those respective categories. Tavares looks to be a blue chipper for the foreseeable future, so there should be no doubt that he may garner some rookie-of-the-year votes. If GM Garth Snow can assemble a solid team around him, Tavares might be the best pure goal scorer to arrive on Long Island since Mike Bossy.

Tyler Myers - Buffalo Sabres: The American-born, Canadian-trained Myers is a tower of power on the Sabres' blueline. Standing 6'8" tall, Myers is currently leading all rookies in assists with 36, is third in points with 47, and is tied for the lead for rookies in plus/minus with a +15 rating. Rookie defencemen normally don't have this kind of impact, especially a kid trying to fill out a 6'8" frame. However, Myers leads his team in ice-time, proving how important he is to the Sabres, and how highly-regarded he is by head coach Lindy Ruff. Myers will definitely get votes for the Calder Trophy - the kid is a workhorse, and he is very good at what he does.

Tuukka Rask - Boston Bruins: Aside from the video last year with the AHL's Providence Bruins where Rask lost his mind after a shootout, it appears the former Leafs draft pick has ice in his veins. Rask leads all NHL rookie goaltenders in shutouts with five, and sits second amongst rookies with 20 wins. Perhaps most importantly, Rask leads the entire NHL in GAA at 1.99, and save percentage at .930. For a team that has struggled this season, Rask has stepped up. While it's tough to imagine a rookie knocking the reigning Vezina Trophy winner out of the starting position, it appears that Rask has done that in Boston. There's no doubt that Rask will garner some votes for his statistics alone, and he may be the reason the Boston Bruins make the playoffs this season.

Niclas Bergfors - Atlanta Thrashers: Rarely do you find a Calder candidate being traded mid-season, but the New Jersey Devils gave up this highly-promising rookie in exchange for Ilya Kovalchuk. Bergfors currently sits third in goals amongst rookies with 21, and sits fourth amongst rookies with 44 points. Bergfors has quietly been a bright spot for two teams despite neither of those teams getting a lot of mainstream press. The speedy Swede may be at a disadvantage because of his lack of attention playing in a non-traditional market, but there's no denying that the youngster has put up a solid rookie campaign.

Jonas Gustavsson - Toronto Maple Leafs: The "Monster" came in with a ton of hype, and found himself in the center of the hockey universe. It took a little time for Gustavsson to adjust to the NHL game after spending his previous season in the Swedish Elite League, but he has started to come around. Toronto isn't a very good team, so it made life a little tougher on the rookie netminder, but he has still the third-most wins amongst rookies with 16, has the fourth-best GAA amongst rookies at 2.82, and the fourth-best save percentage amongst rookies at .904. Not bad at all for a team that will miss the playoffs. While Gustavsson will benefit from playing in a major hockey market, it's hard to make a case for him as a better Calder candidate than Tuukka Rask as Rask's numbers as simply superior. However, he may get a few votes just because of where he plays.

Matt Duchene - Colorado Avalanche: It was expected that Duchene would make the Avalanche out of training camp, but no one expected him to have the season he is having. Duchene leads all NHL rookies in goals with 23 and points with 54, and has been a driving force behind Colorado's success this season. He's sitting second amongst rookies in assists with 31 as well. It was expected that Colorado would miss the playoffs, but Duchene's rookie campaign appears to be leading the Avalanche to a Stanley Cup Playoff berth. Duchene's numbers will make him one of the favorites for the Calder Trophy this year, and it's hard to argue with those stats.

Jimmy Howard - Detroit Red Wings: Howard, like Rask, supplanted the veteran starter when Howard took Chris Osgood's job early in the season. After spending five years with the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins, he ran with his opportunity in the NHL. Howard leads NHL rookie goaltenders in wins with 34 - 14 more than second-place Tuukka Rask! Howard sits second amongst rookies in GAA, at 2.30, and save percentage, at .923. And, just for good measure, Howard ranks third in shutouts amongst rookies with two blankings this season. Perhaps more importantly, Howard has been the main reason for the Red Wings climbing out of ninth-place in the Western Conference standings to their current sixth-place ranking. And they have a shot to move into fifth-place before the season ends. If Howard isn't the Red Wings' MVP this season, I don't know who else should be. Jimmy Howard should be a major contender for the Calder Trophy.

Jamie Benn - Dallas Stars: Benn would be the Western Conference's darkhorse in the Calder Trophy race. Benn plays for a non-playoff team, yet has put up some very good numbers. He is tied with Niclas Bergfors in rookie goal-scoring with 21 goals, and sits fifth in rookie scoring with 39 points. What hurts Benn is the struggle that Dallas has faced this season. There's no denying that Benn's numbers are fairly good for a rookie on a team that struggled all season long, but he won't get many sympathy votes.

While it's tough to decide who will emerge as the favorite from either conference, my money is on Tyler Myers in the Eastern Conference and Jimmy Howard of the Western Conference.

Myers has been one of the key cogs in Buffalo's second-place standing in the East, and his stats are amongst the tops in every category. He has played veteran minutes, averaging 23:47 of ice-time per game, and logs the most shifts-per-game out of all the NHL rookies. Those factors should make him one of the favorites for the Calder Trophy.

Howard, as stated above, is certainly Detroit's MVP this season, and his play has been the entire reason that Detroit has gone from also-ran to one of the most dangerous teams in the playoffs. Howard, like Myers, has statistics that rank him at the top of every category, and those factors should make him a favorite as the best rookie in the NHL this season.

The third player who I think will be a finalist will be the leading scorer amongst rookies. Matt Duchene's leadership and scoring have turned the Colorado's "rebuilding" season into another playoff appearance. Statistically, he is the best rookie this season when it comes to scoring, and that, combined with Colorado's pre-season expectations, have to make him a finalist for the Calder Trophy as well.

The race for the Calder Trophy is almost done as the last week of the NHL season winds down. Who is your Calder winner? Maybe it's someone not on this list? Let me know in the comments who your Calder Trophy winner is!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Antler Banter: Volume 19

Antler Banter returns to its usual Wednesday spot this week, and there are some personnel changes to highlight thanks to the NHL trade deadline occurring just one week before the AHL roster deadline was set. Three games highlighted the schedule from last week as Worcester Sharks and Grand Rapids Griffins were the Moose's opponents. We'll also look forward to this week's games as the Moose start the stretch run to the Calder Cup Playoffs. Don't forget to get all of your Manitoba Moose news and information on the Moose website. If you're interested in attending a Manitoba Moose game, please click here for seating information, ticket pricing, and availability. Here is this week's edition of Hardcore Hockey!

We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat

After handing the Sharks a 3-1 loss on Tuesday night at MTS Centre, the Moose and Sharks hooked up again for Game Two of the two-game set in Winnipeg on Wednesday. Honestly, the Tuesday night game was one of the best games that I've seen this season by the Moose, so there was hope for another solid 60 minutes on Wednesday. Alex Stalock was back in the water for the Sharks, while Daren Machesney was sent out to the nets for the Moose.

Before the ice was dry, the Moose were on the board. Just 29 seconds into the first period, Matt Pettinger fired a low shot from the left half-boards that Stalock kicked out into the slot area. The problem with Stalock's rebound is that it found the stick of Marty Murray. Murray snapped the puck into the open side of the net, and the Moose were out to the 1-0 lead on Murray's tenth goal of the season.

The rest of the first period was a collection of penalties on both teams, highlighted by a scrap between Worcester's Brett Westgarth and Manitoba's Dusty Collins. The Moose finished the period trailing in shots by an 11-9 margin, but they held the lead on the scoreboard with a 1-0 advantage.

Mario Bliznak took a goaltender interference penalty at the 4:25 mark of the second period, and that sent the Sharks to the man-advantage. 29 seconds after Bliznak sat down in the box, he was released. Steven Zalewski carried the puck down the left wing, and found the trailer, Dwight Helminen, in the slot. Helminen made no mistake as he buried his 11th goal of the season high over Machesney's glove, and the powerplay marker even the game at 1-1 just 5:14 into the middle frame.

Just 2:20 later, the Sharks struck again. Winnipegger Frazer McLaren's initial shot was stopped by Machesney, but defenceman Nathan McIver fell over top of Machesney as the rebound went out to Machesney's left side. With the interference, Machesney didn't have time to recover as McLaren jumped on the rebound. McLaren slid the puck along the ice into the crease, and Matt Jones banged home the loose puck. Jones' fifth goal of the season at 7:34 put the Sharks ahead by a 2-1 score.

To say the Moose didn't play well in the second period would be a huge understatement. The Sharks outshot Manitoba 22-6 in the period to lead 31-17 after two periods! Had it not been for Daren Machesney, the game could have been out-of-hand with the amount of shots that Manitoba saw in that period.

The Sharks added to their lead just 1:30 into the third period. With Logan Couture standing squarely in front of Machesney, TJ Trevelyan fired a puck under Machesney's glove that found the back of the net. Machesney had little chance of making the save with Couture being a perfect screen, and the Sharks had the 3-1 lead on Trevelyan's 18th goal of the season.

4:16 later, a two-on-one developed as Worcester's Ryan Vesce and Trevelyan broke in against Nathan McIver. With McIver giving Vesce the shot, Vesce broke on in the left side and fired a low wrist shot towards the right post and into the back of the net. Machesney should have had that shot from Vesce, but it dented the twine. Vesce's 11th goal of the season put the Sharks up 4-1 at 5:46.

2:12 after that goal, the Sharks had another. Evan Oberg turned the puck over in the right corner after falling, and Dan DaSilva picked up the loose puck. Manitoba's Jeff Waugh and Worcester's John McCarthy were all over the blue paint around Machesney as DaSilva pulled the puck out front to his backhand, and DaSilva buried the backhander past both Waugh and Machesney. Again, another goal that Machesney had little to no chance of saving, and Manitoba's bad game continued. DaSilva's 14th of the season gave the Sharks a 5-1 lead at the 7:58 mark.

It took almost seven minutes for the Moose to respond, but they did add to their total. Travis Ramsey's slapshot from the right point found a seam through Alex Stalock, and Ramsey's second goal of the season made it a 5-2 Sharks lead.

However, time was the enemy, and there wasn't enough time for the Moose to get any closer. The final total in shots was a ridiculous 43-29 for Worcester - a perfect example of why this game went poorly for the Moose. I can't fault Machesney as he did all he could in stopping 38 shots, but the Moose still take the loss. Their record falls to 31-27-5-1.

Griffins Are Mythical Creatures, After All

It has taken a long time for the Moose to meet up with their former IHL rivals, but the Moose and Griffins battled for the first time this season on Friday night. It's hard to believe that divisional teams haven't faced each other by this point in the season, but such is the case in the AHL. Daniel Larsson got the start for the Griffins against Manitoba's Cory Schneider at Van Andel Arena.

Hard-working teams can't take penalties when they struggle to score, and the Moose displayed perfect examples of this in the first period. Manitoba opened the game with five minor penalties, and the Griffins capitalized.

Newcomer Yan Stastny was sent off for hooking at 3:12, and the Griffins opened the scoring 49 seconds later. Doug Janik fed Jeremy Williams with a pass, and Williams roofed a wrist shot over Schneider on the left side. Just 4:01 in, and Williams had his 22nd goal of the season with the powerplay marker, and the Griffins had a 1-0 lead.

Geoff Waugh earned two minor penalties at 7:18, and the extra unsportmanlike conduct penalty he earned after the hugging match against Justin Abdelkader put the Griffins back on the powerplay. At 8:26, Jeremy Williams struck again after Patrick Rissmiller made a gorgeous cross-ice pass to the sniper. Williams had no trouble finding the back of the net as Schneider couldn't get across, and Grand Rapids had a 2-0 lead on Williams' 23rd goal and second powerplay marker on the night.

The second period looked much like how the first ended: tighter checking and more disciplined play. However, the stalemate in the second would be broken at the 18:18 mark. Manitoba's Lawrence Nycholat fired a shot from the point that found its way through a maze of players in front of Larsson, and the puck found the twine past Larsson's glove. Nycholat's third goal of the season cut the Griffins' lead to 2-1.

However, just 45 seconds later, the Griffins restored the two-goal lead. Logan Pyatt was in the right place at the right time as Schneider made the stop on Justin Abdelkader, but couldn't hold on to the rebound. Pyatt poked the puck across the line for his ninth goal of the season, and the Griffins led 3-1 with just 56.1 seconds left in the second period.

In what seems like a recurring theme this season, the Moose trailed 25-15 in shots by the second intermission. Honestly, Schneider and Machesney have seen more vulcanized rubber this year than Goodyear and Bridgestone combined. If there's any wonder why this team continues to struggle to put together strings of wins, it might have something to do with being outshot in every game. And, in most cases, by large margins.

The third period seemed to be fairly uneventful outside of a Guillaume Desbiens-Jamie Tardif scrap. Desbiens picked up the victory in the bout of fisticuffs, but the Moose couldn't manage any other offence against the Griffins. With Schneider on the bench for the extra attacker, Patrick Rissmiller scored his 17th goal into the empty net, and the Griffins secured the 4-1 win.

Full credit to the Griffins for playing a very balanced and thorough game in earning the win. With the loss, the Moose drop to 31-28-5-1, and really need to pick up two points against the Griffins in Saturday's game.

Slaying The Beast

Saturday night saw the Moose and Griffins battle again at Van Andel Arena. The Moose need to get back on-track against a lower-ranked team, and start winning games they are supposed to win. A sellout of 10,834 fans were on-hand for the game as Daniel Larsson and Cory Schneider took to the nets for the second night in a row.

Both teams limited chances early on as each team seemed a little more defensive than the night before. However, the Moose got on the board just past the halfway point of the first period. Sergei Shirokov ripped a shot past Larsson from the right circle at the 10:55 mark for his 20th goal of the season, and the Moose were out in front by a 1-0 score.

Neither team dented the twine before the horn sounded, giving Manitoba the 1-0 lead as the intermission began. Grand Rapids had a modest 9-8 lead on the shot clock, but the Moose seemed to be matching their opponents shot for shot for the first time in a long time.

But then the second period started. Cory Schneider, proving that he is Manitoba's MVP this season, stopped all 15 shots that he faced in the second period. Grand Rapids' Daniel Larsson, on the other hand, stopped all five shots he faced. After two periods, Grand Rapids had the 24-13 lead on the shot clock, but still trailed 1-0 due to Schneider's incredible goaltending.

However, the 25th shot of the game for Grand Rapids found its way past Schneider. Justin Abdelkader streaked down the left wing and found a hole with his wrist shot between Schneider's pad and the left post. Abdelkader's seventh goal of the season came just 20 seconds into the third frame.

The Moose didn't fold after Abdelkader's goal. The stingy defensive play by both teams continued despite Grand Rapids' growing shot total. Larsson and Schneider stood tall, and neither team could solve the tie in 60 minutes. Off to overtime!

Both teams had chances, but it was Manitoba's third shot of the extra period that ended the game. Logan Pyatt had the puck take a bad bounce in front of him in the high slot, and the puck found its way behind the Griffins' defender. Mario Bliznak picked up the loose puck, and he stuffed it through Larsson's five-hole for the game-winning goal. Bliznak's seventh goal of the season gave Manitoba the 2-1 overtime victory, and a great celebration for Bliznak as he scored on his birthday!

Despite Manitoba's win, they were badly outshot again. Grand Rapids ended the game with a 43-26 lead in shots. However, I'm not looking in the mouths of any horses. A win is a win is a win. With the victory, Manitoba improves to 32-28-5-1.

Controlling Your Own Destiny

It's safe to say that Manitoba would like to avoid a first-round series with division-leading Hamilton, so it's time for Manitoba to buckle down and start grinding out some wins. As it stands, Manitoba is fourth-place in the North Division. They trail third-place Abbotsford by four points and second-place Rochester by six points. The good news is that the Moose have a game in-hand on the Heat, but the Americans have a game in-hand on Manitoba.

With two more games against last-place Grand Rapids, two against the Heat, two against the Marlies, and four against the Hamilton Bulldogs before the end of the season, the divisional games become paramount in terms of their importance. Each one of those games essentially can be a four-point swing, so winning the divisional games is the only option for the Moose at this point.

If they want to avoid Hamilton in the opening round of the Calder Cup Playoffs, the Moose need to beat teams within their own division. It's that simple.

Taking Attendance Is Mandatory

After the NHL trade deadline and the AHL roster freeze deadlines passed, the roster of the Manitoba Moose looks significantly different. I'll run down these moves on a per-player basis.

• Mathieu Schneider - traded by Vancouver to Phoenix. It was a well-known fact that Schneider's stay with the Moose would be temporary. And it was.
  
• Nick Boynton - traded by Anaheim to Chicago. Boynton adds depth for Chicago's playoff run in the NHL, but he'll be back in Manitoba this week. Boynton was assigned to the Rockford IceHogs by the Blackhawks.
• Pierre-Cedric Labrie - traded by Vancouver to St. Louis. Labrie was a rugged competitor who performed fairly well before the trade in a checking role. However, his choppy skating style may have limited his development, and it appears that Vancouver wanted a change.
  
• Marty Murray - loaned by Manitoba to Milwaukee. Murray was disappointed about leaving his home province, but he'll be a good veteran presence on a young Milwaukee team.
• Brad Lukowich - re-assigned by Vancouver. Lukowich, who had been playing with the Texas Stars for most of the season in order to be closer to his family, was scheduled to be in Manitoba for this weekend's games against the IceHogs. However, the veteran defenceman opted for shoulder surgery to cure a wonky shoulder, and will not play again this season.
• Nolan Baumgartner - recalled by Vancouver. Baumgartner is back up with the big club, but the impending return of Kevin Bieksa should mean that Baumgartner will return soon.
• Peter Olvecky - loaned by Milwaukee to Manitoba. Olvecky, a Slovakian, is a big body who isn't afraid to get dirty in the corners. He has a great shot, and will most likely play on a line with former teammate Marco Rosa and Matt Pettinger this weekend against the IceHogs.
• Yan Stastny - traded by St. Louis to Vancouver. Stastny is a decent scoring forward who should help the Moose with his speed and hands. He was a scoring threat in Peoria, and has NHL experience. Stastny will be relied on to generate offence in Manitoba.
• Andy Brandt - signed to PTO. Brandt, a 22 year-old forward, had been playing with the ECHL's Victoria Salmon Kings before the Moose came calling. Brandt had a few good shifts in his debut against the Griffins, and is looking to continue his strong play as he works to earn a spot with the Moose.
  

Coming Up Next

The Moose have a weekend set against the Rockford IceHogs on Friday and Saturday. Rockford currently sits in second-place in the West Division with a 38-24-3-3 record for 82 points, so the Moose will need to play well in both games to have a chance at earning some points.

Bracken Kearns leads the team with 47 points, two better than Mark Cullen. Kyle Greentree leads the team in goal-scoring with 22 goals on the season. Jack Skille is the next highest goal-scorer with 20 markers. The IceHogs upgraded their goaltending at the NHL trade deadline when they acquired Hannu Toivonen. Along with Corey Crawford, the IceHogs boast a fairly good tandem in the nets. With both goaltenders have fairly unimpressive records, Crawford's 2.79 GAA and Toivonen's 2.72 GAA indicate that Rockford's goaltending has been steady all season long. The Moose will need to score more often than they have in their recent games if they hope to down the IceHogs.

Antler Branches

There have been a few interesting notes from the Herd that need to be brought to light.

• Sergei Shirokov will miss the Friday game of the Rockford series after he was suspended by the AHL after kneeing Ole-Kristian Tollefsen of Grand Rapids. The AHL announced the suspension today.
• Head coach Scott Arniel confirmed today that he has asked the Anaheim Ducks about Luca Sbisa. Sbisa is currently playing for the WHL's Portland Winter Hawks. When the season ends for Portland, Arniel is hoping that Anaheim will assign the big defenceman to Manitoba for the Moose's playoff run. Getting a player like Sbisa would be huge for the Moose. Sbisa, as you may know, suited up for Switzerland at the 2010 Winter Olympics, and he would bring a big shot to Manitoba's blueline. Stick tap to Joshua for catching my error on Sbisa's WHL team!
• Both Dan Sexton and Nolan Baumgartner were placed on "paper waivers" today by the Ducks and Canucks, respectively. This allows Manitoba to include the two players on their 22-man roster for the Calder Cup Playoffs. Both men will be vital in Manitoba's quest for the Calder Cup this season.
• Cody Hodgson, who played for the Moose in last season's Calder Cup Playoffs, suffered a hairline fracture when he blocked a shot last week for the Brampton Battalion. It is expected that Hodgson will be out until the OHL Playoffs start, but the Moose have expressed an interest in bringing Hodgson back when Brampton's season comes to an end. Honestly, his offensive abilities will be more than welcomed in the Moose dressing room.
• Saturday night's game against the Rockford IceHogs will be a special night. The Manitoba Moose are honouring the three divisions of the Canadian military on Military Salute night. The Moose will wear these beautiful uniforms in honour of the men and women who bravely put their lives on the line for all Canadians. This should be a great evening of hockey for the bravest men and women in the world!
  

There's your Moose update for this week. With all the changes that happened last week, there's hope that everything will settle for the Moose, especially with their roster. As it stands, 50 players have worn the Moose uniform this season, and the opening night roster hasn't been together since opening night.

Rockford invades MTS Centre this weekend, so get your tickets and get downtown to cheer on the Moose as they begin the stretch run to the Calder Cup Playoffs!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Swap Shop Time!

Every year, the NHL trading deadline looms before general managers as teams tinker with chemistry and line combinations in order to strengthen their chances in the NHL Playoffs. Teams trade players and draft picks with crazy regularity on this day, but this year was a little different. With a large number of teams sitting on playoff bubbles, there was definitely less action in terms of general managers burning up phone lines. There were some bigger names that moved, but I don't know if any of the moves made will significantly make any of the teams better. Time will tell, of course, so let's check out who's in and who's out for each NHL team since March 1.

In: Petteri Nokelainen, Lubomir Visnovsky, Aaron Ward, Curtis McElhinney, Joey MacDonald, Nathan Oystrick, 2010 4th-round (BOS) and 2011 conditional picks (ATL), future considerations (CHI).
Out: Steve Kampfer, Ryan Whitney, Justin Pogge, Vesa Toskala, Nick Boynton, Evgeny Artyukhin, 2010 4th-round and 2011 7th-round pick, conditional pick.

In: Clarke MacArthur, Evgeny Artyukhin, 2010 4th-round pick (BUF).
Out: Nathan Oystrick, 2010 3rd-round pick, 2011 conditional pick.

In: Steve Kampfer, Dennis Seidenberg, Matthew Bartkowski Cody Wild.
Out: Derek Morris, Craig Weller, Byron Bitz, Matt Marquardt, 2010 2nd-round and 4th-round picks.

In: Raffi Torres, 2010 2nd-round (CBJ) and 2010 3rd-round (ATL) picks.
Out: Nathan Paetsch, Clarke MacArthur, 2010 6th-round pick.

In: Vesa Toskala, Steve Staios, Andy Delmore, 2010 4th-round pick (NAS).
Out: Curtis McElhinney, Dustin Boyd, Aaron Johnson, Riley Armstrong, 2010 3rd-round pick.

In: Brian Pothier, Oskar Osala, Cedric Lalonde-McNicoll, Justin Pogge, 2010 2nd-round and 7th-round (WAS), 2010 3rd-round (VAN), 2010 4th-round (ANA) and 2010 6th-round (COL) picks.
Out: Aaron Ward, Scott Walker, Andrew Alberts, Joe Corvo, Stephane Yelle, Harrison Reed.

In: Nick Boynton, Hannu Toivonen, Danny Richmond.
Out: Joe Fallon, Future considerations.

In: Kevin Porter, Peter Mueller, Stephane Yelle, Harrison Reed.
Out: Wojtek Wolski, Cedric Lalonde-McNicoll, 2010 6th-round pick.

In: Greg Moore, Nathan Paetsch, Chad Kolarik, Matt Rust, 2010 6th-round pick (WAS) and 2010 conditional (LAK) picks.
Out: Raffi Torres, Milan Jurcina, Fredrik Modin, Mathieu Roy, Alex Picard, Dylan Reese, 2010 2nd-round pick.

In: No roster moves made.
Out: No roster moves made.

In: Jordan Owens, Riley Armstrong.
Out: Kris Newbury, Andy Delmore.

In: Ryan Whitney, Aaron Johnson, Matt Marquardt, 2010 2nd-round (NAS), 2010 3rd-round (CAL) and 2010 6th-round (ANA) picks.
Out: Lubomir Visnovsky, Steve Staios, Cody Wild, Denis Grebeshkov.

In: Craig Weller, Byron Bitz, Mathieu Roy, 2010 2nd-round (BOS) and 2010 2nd-round (PIT) picks.
Out: Dennis Seidenberg, Matthew Bartkowski, Matt Rust, Jordan Leopold.

In: Jeff Halpern, Fredrik Modin.
Out: Teddy Purcell, 2010 3rd-round and 2010 conditional picks.

In: 2010 2nd-round pick.
Out: Eric Belanger.

In: Aaron Palushaj.
Out: Matt D'Agostini.

In: Dustin Boyd, Denis Grebeshkov.
Out: 2010 2nd-round and 4th-round picks.

In: Martin Skoula.
Out: 2010 5th-round pick.

In: Dylan Reese, 2010 2nd-round (OTT) pick.
Out: Greg Moore, Andy Sutton.

In: Kris Newbury, Anders Eriksson.
Out: Jordan Owens, Miika Wiikman, 2010 7th-round pick.

In: Andy Sutton.
Out: 2010 2nd-round pick.

In: No roster moves made.
Out: No roster moves made.

In: Derek Morris, Wojtek Wolski, Mathieu Schneider, Lee Stempniak, Matt Jones, Alex Picard, Miika Wiikman, 2010 7th-round (NYR) and 2010 conditional (ANA) pick.
Out: Peter Mueller, Kevin Porter, Petteri Nokelainen, Sean Zimmerman, 2010 4th-round, 6th-round, and 7th-round picks, 2011 4th-round pick.

In: Alexei Ponikarovsky, Jordan Leopold, 2010 6th-round (TOR) pick.
Out: Chris Peluso, Luca Caputi, Martin Skoula, 2010 2nd-round pick.

In: No roster moves made.
Out: No roster moves made.

In: Matt D'Agostini, Pierre-Cedric Labrie, Joe Fallon.
Out: Aaron Palushaj, Yan Stastny, Hannu Toivonen, Danny Richmond.

In: Teddy Purcell, 2010 3rd-round (LAK) pick.
Out: Jeff Halpern.

In: Martin Skoula, Luca Caputi, Chris Peluso, 2010 4th-round and 7th-round (PHO), 2010 5th-round (NJD), 2011 7th-round (ANA) picks.
Out: Martin Skoula, Lee Stempniak, Matt Jones, Joey MacDonald, Alexei Ponikarovsky, 2010 6th-round pick.

In: Yan Stastny, Sean Zimmerman, Andrew Alberts, 2010 6th-round (PHO) pick.
Out: Pierre-Cedric Labrie, Mathieu Schneider, 2010 3rd-round pick.

In: Scott Walker, Eric Belanger, Milan Jurcina, Joe Corvo.
Out: Brian Pothier, Oskar Osala, 2010 2nd-round, 2nd-round, 6th-round, and 7th-round picks.

Pittsburgh and Washington bulked up for another extended playoff run for both teams, while I'm confused as to the direction that both Phoenix and Anaheim took. Colorado dealt away an underachieving youngster for another underachieving youngster, so it will remain to be seen how this trade shakes out. In fact, we'll see how all these trades shake out.

In other rumblings, there are two major announcements coming tomorrow. The first apparently has Albany making noise about a potential move of a franchise to that city. As you may be aware, the River Rats are moving to Charlotte, North Carolina as the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes would like their AHL affiliate closer to home. The prevailing rumour is that the Portland Pirates may be on their way out of Portland, Maine and heading to upstate New York. Portland, of course, is the AHL affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres, and the Sabres would like their players closer to Buffalo as well.

The second? That Thrashers-to-Winnipeg rumour just will not go away. It's been killed by every hockey prognosticator across North America, but there were reports of Gary Bettman being in Winnipeg today. The press conference is scheduled for tomorrow at MTS Centre, and there seems to be a very strange ambiance at MTS Centre tonight amongst a few key Moose people. Something is definitely up, kids. And it sounds like this might be the best-kept secret in the industry right now.

I'll dig some more before the evening is up, but I'm getting nowhere fast right now. All I know is that it appears there is a lot of whispering going on. If deals are being struck, they are being done discreetly.

Until I find out more, keep your sticks on the ice!

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