Raps get Ripped

There has long been the belief amongst Raptors fans that their team gets hosed when it comes to the referee's benefit of the doubt. That being in Canada and not being a superstar laden team, they don't get the breaks. and that may have never been more evident than the final seconds of last nights game to the Hawks. The Raps didn't get the foul call with a few seconds on the clock and therefore lost by 1 even though Demar Derozen pretty well got mugged under the net trying to put the shot up. This was an embarrassing missed call and the normally reserved Dwayne Casey came out and said what many of us feel. That the league simply wants them to go back to Canada and take it quietly. Now in fairness have the raptors had the stars the NBA so covets who get these calls? Not since the days of Vince Carter who most certainly would have 10 years ago. Have they ever been a contender? Uh, no. Have they ever done anything but be good citizens of the league, represent the city and country well (with the odd exception) or caused major problems? This is a team in a large market but because it's north of the border and gets little attention south of it the league doesn't give a damn. They don't draw players to the city, one of the best in North America, for whatever reason and therefore a like the kid who has to just accept because I said so from their parents and live with it. In David Stern's tenure as commissioner teams like Miami, Los Angeles, Boston, Dallas, Chicago, Detroit and San Antonio have won titles. These are all big market teams who had stars. The Spurs aren't a big market team, thought they have star players, even though there is seemingly still a lot of animosity to them from Stern. The other teams are glamorous and draw well and it's no coincidence the league likes it when they succeed. Any league would. They can market these players and teams and it's great for everyone, except their opponents. Many people will argue that the refs call should decide the game. Well, if by decide the game you mean he should have done his damn job then I agree. A foul is a foul, weather it's in the first few seconds or the last, and ought to be called that way by anyone with any kind of character. The Raptors have a long way to go as they are a young team and have to pay their dues but this blatant example serves to show that not all things are equal in the NBA. 

Weekend Wrap

With the first weekend of the NHL season wrapped up, lets take a look at some of the more interesting storylines coming out of it.

Goalie Gaffs:

It can't be a huge surprise that many goalies are not in mid-season form yet, especially those who haven't been playing, but a number of top tier goalies were lit up like a cheap cigar on the weekend. Henrik Lundqvist, Jonathan Quick, Jimmy Howard, Cory Schneider, Jaroslav Halak and Cam Ward were all pulled from games after less than stellar performances. The worst may be for Schneider as this only further complicates the situation in Vancouver. The season is early so they will bounce back but with the games meaning so much they'd better not take long or they will find themselves looking at the outside of the playoff picture.

Old Time Hockey:

The veteran guard was certainly present with both Teemu Selanne and Jaromir Jage racking up four point games in their season debuts. Alex Kovalev and three point is Florida's season opener and Ray Whitey all chipped in in Dallas showing that age really is just a number.

Slow Starts:

The Flyers and the Rangers both went 0-2 over the weekend. They each lost to the Penguins and the Flyers fell 5-2 to the Sabers and the Rangers lost to the Bruins. Sure they lost to good teams but this is not the start they were hoping for, nor was it expected from their fans. They will need to turn it around soon. Elsewhere Vancouver was shelled 7-3 in their home opener by Anaheim then blew a 2-0 lead to Edmonton on route to a shootout loss Sunday. The Canucks do have injury problems but need to end this skid quickly.

Running out of the Gate:

St. Louis, Chicago, Ottawa, Minnesota, Pittsburgh and Anaheim are all off to 2-0 starts after strong openers. In Ottawa Craig Anderson has been solid and Kyle Turris has added 3 goals in two games for the Sens. The Wild have had solid goaltending from Backstrom and Harding and look to stay hot tonight against Nashville. St. Louis and Chicago have been impressive, especially the Blackhawks, but something has to give as they face each other tonight. Malkin has lead the charge for the Penguins who have gotten solid goaltending from Marc-Andre Fleury which he'll need to continue to prove this team is a true favourite.

Sloppy Play:

It has to be said that while there were some great highlights over the weekend, there was a lot of sloppy hockey, I mean did you see the Leafs Habs game Saturday? This is to be expected as teams are just starting the season and didn't have much of a training camp but the teams that are able to pull it together quickly and  avoid the dreadful turnovers that lead to quality chances will obviously stand a better chance at making a playoff appearance.


Who or what stood out to you over the weekend?

NHL Season Predictions

The puck (finally!) drops on the NHL season tomorrow afternoon, with the Kings raising the banner in LA against the Blackhawks, the battle of Pennsylvania in Philly and the Sens visiting the Jets in Winnipeg, so I figured why not take a look at the season ahead with some predictions for which teams should succeed as well as some individual players awards.

Eastern Conference:

The East seems to be top heavy this year in the sense that there are a few strong teams and then the rest. Pittsburgh, the NY Rangers, Boston and Philadelphia seem to be a cut above the rest and the road to the Stanley Cup will likely go through one of them. That said not many were picking New Jersey to make the run last year so what sleeper teams could jump up and surprise this year? Well I would hardly call Washington a sleeper per-say they are a team that could be a difficult out in the playoffs. Adam Oates now has to seemingly find a balance between the all out offense of Bruce Boudreau that continually ran out of gas in the playoffs and the defense first strategy of Dale Hunter that didn't seem to fully utilize the weapons he had. Oates is a sharp hockey mind so he may well be able to do so.

Other teams that may surprise could be Carolina, Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Ottawa. For this to happen they each need to get a lot of great goaltending. Cam Ward has proven he can carry a team and Carolina underpreformed in front of him last year. With the addition of Jordan Stall and Alex Semin they have more firepower but will miss Tuoomo Ruttuu until he returns from injury. In Tampa they already have the offense so it will be up to the revamped defense and new goalie Anders Lindback to prove he is worthy of being a starter. In Ottawa Craig Anderson will have to step to the plate again and the Sens will need contributions form everyone including youngsters like Jakob Silfverberg if they want to make the playoffs again. Buffalo made a run at the end of last season and much of their slow start had to do with Ryan Miller's injuries and poor play. Back and healthy he looks to regain top form and lead them into the post season.


Western Conference:

Out west the competitive balance is closer with teams like St. Louis, Chicago, Vancouver and Los Angeles poised to lead the pack. Others like San Jose, Detroit and Anaheim are looking to make a run while Phoenix and Nashville always seem to surprise. The question is, can they this year? They have the goaltending but will they be able to score enough goals to put them into the playoffs in the wild wild west?

Anaheim has two big name players, Getzlaf and Perry who will be free agents at seasons end and who both need a bounce back year so the Ducks look to improve upon last seasons disappointment. Detroit is a team that has lost several players and will need Jimmy Howard to step up big for them to get near the playoffs. You cannot replace Nick Lidstrom and it will be a challenge. Mike Babcock said after last year "A seond round loss, a second round loss and a first round loss, does that sound like a team going in the right direction?" He may well be on to something.

San Jose has been one of those teams with talent for a lot of years but has failed to do so. It may be time for the Sharks to sink or swim with this core before major changes are made.

In Edmonton the young Oilers look to surprise and their youth and chemistry may serve them well in a shortened season if they can get decent goaltending...sense a theme here...In Dallas and Minnesota big roster changes meant that the teams will be expected to make the playoffs this season and they well could if the moves pay off. 

Heart Trophy/Art Ross: Sidney Crosby - Pittsburgh

The time off looks to have rejuvenated Sidney Crosby and the rest of the NHL will suffer for it. Crosby will be determined to prove injuries haven't slowed him down and will return to dominant form.

Rocket Richard: Steven Stamkos - Tampa Bay

The best sniper in the league right now, Stamkos will use his quick release to torment opposition goalies.

Vezina Trophy: Jonathan Quick - LA

He won the Conn Smyth as playoff MVP and easily could have won this last year. Now being more of a household name should help him as people appreciate just how good he is. LA wouldn't have made the playoffs without him last year.

Norris Trophy: Shea Weber - Nashville

Erik Karlsson had a year for the ages and this shortened season will mean a lot more minutes and a lot of teams focusing on him. Shea Weber may have lost his defense partner but play with Suter may have cost him votes in the past where now people will see how good he is.

Calder Trophy: Justin Schultz - Edmonton

The offensively talented rookie already has chemistry with many of his teammates from their time in Oklahoma City and will be given every opportunity on a young club to showcase his talents.

Let me know who you think makes the run this year.

Buy Bye...NHL buyouts

With the NHL's and NHLPA reaching a new collective bargaining agreement there was the option give for teams to buy two players out without penalty, basically a way to dump bad contracts and help the team clear cap space moving forward. This will be especially important next season when the cap drops from 70 million to 64.3 million. Teams will have to be much more cautious about giving big money to middle of the lineup players, the stars will clearly still get theirs, but this will no doubt lead to some sleepless nights from many GM's. However, the buyout option will help alleviate some financial pressure on teams. So, with help at the guys at cap geek (capgeek.com) lets take a look at players who have and may be bought out moving forward.

Scott Gomez - Gomez and his huge contract were originally signed by the Rangers but the dealt to the Habs.
                       They were hopeful he could help the offense but well, let's just say it didn't go as planned.
                       With the league allowing one accelerated buy out, meaning the team takes the cap hit for this
                       season but can go ahead and buy the player out, he has been given an opportunity to play for
                       someone, for a lot less money, but this beats being sent home or sitting in the press box.
                       There are rumours he may return to New Jersey, but there will likely be a number of clubs
                       looking for a veteran presence like Gomez.

Wade Redden - Another member of the 'Ranger Rule' club, Redden left Ottawa for the bright lights and big
                         bucks of Broadway but never showed the skills he displayed in the capital. Now with a new
                         lease on life he, like Gomez, will likely find a new home in the NHL at a much lower salary.
                         He would be a solid addition as a depth defense man and there are a number of teams
                         who will likely be interested.

Mike Komisarek - Komisarek is fortunate that the Leafs have lots of cap space next year so it's no
                             guarantee he'll be bought out, but if he doesn't have a bounce back year his over 4
                             million dollar cap hit may be moved out to make room for the Leafs up and coming
                             prospects or perhaps for them to make a splash in the trade market.

Shawn Horcoff - The Oilers signed their captain to a big deal ($5.5 cap hit per) so with a lot of young stars
                          coming along who will need to be signed, there is a chance his contract may be moved out
                          to make room for them. He's another proven veteran who would be a good leader on any
                          team and many would be interested provided  it's at a lower salary.              

Ilya Bryzgalov - Filed under the crazy but you never know category, Bryzgalov has been a solid netminder at
                         at times and terrible, by his own admission, at others. It's been a long time since the Flyers
                         have had any kind of consistent goaltending but if he's not able to turn things around one
                         never knows, even if his cap hit of 5.66 million per is under contract until 2019-20.

Rick DiPietro - It what may be one of the worst contracts in NHL history, Rick DiPietro the very injury
                        prone goalie of the New York Islanders is still under contract until the 2020-21 season with
                        a cap hit of 4.5 million per. This is a lot of money for a guy who has hardly played the last
                        few seasons due to injury problems. Again this would be a huge chunk of money but may be
                        the best for all involved moving forward.

On the Bubble

While there are many teams that we can safely assume, or so we'll think anyway, that will make the playoffs like Pittsburgh, the Rangers, Vancouver and others, there are many teams who will be on the proverbial bubble, fighting for those last few playoff spots. There are also a few like the Blue Jackets and the Islanders who, well, likely won't be, so why don't we take a look at some of those teams and what can put them over the edge and into the playoffs.

Eastern Conference:

Tampa Bay: The Lightning have retooled added Sami Salo and Matt Carle on the blue line as well as
                   Anders Lindback in net. The Lightning had a tough time keeping the puck out of their net last
                   year, so if they can step it up in their own end they already have the offense to get them there.

Ottawa: A surprise playoff appearance last year was great for Sens fans, but it may be hard to repeat. In
             order to do so they will need more goals from their young players and stellar net minding from
             Craig Anderson, Robin Lehner or Ben Bishop as well as to sort out their blue line issues.

Montreal: The Habs performed below everyone's expectations last year, including their own, which is why
               there was a big shake up in management over the summer. With a healthy Andre Markov, Carey
               Price in net and lots of young talent, the Habs should make a push for the post season.

Carolina: Much like Montreal the Hurricanes are coming off a sub-par year that wasn't necessarily reflective
              of the talent they have. The have solid goaltending in Cam Ward and the additions of Jordan Stall
              and his two way game as well as mercurial sniper Alex Smein may give Kirk Muller's boys the
              edge they need.

Florida: The Panthers surprised many winning the south east last year, but will they be able to repeat? They
             have a solid top line but will rely on a lot of young players after that. They lost Jason Garrison in the
            off season and haven't added many new pieces so may drop off this year.

Buffalo: The Sabers made a push at the end of last season and fell just short. With a healthy Ryan Miller who
             looks to have a bounce back year, they have a shot at making the post season.

New Jersey: The Devils made it all the way to the Stanley Cup finals last year, but have lost some pieces
                    from that team. Martin Brodeur while impressive in the playoffs, isn't getting any younger so it
                   will be interesting to see what happens in the swamp this year.

Winnipeg: The Jests added size up front to try and give them some more offensive presence but it will be on
                Andre Pavelic to keep providing stellar goaltedning if the Jets want to make the post season.

Toronto: The Leafs started out great last year then fell like, well leaves. They need to shore up their defense if
              they have any hope of making a serious run for the post season. Randy Carlisle has some young
              talent to work with but they will have to step it up for it to work.


Western Conference:

Calgary: The Flames also fell short of a playoff birth last year and once again find themselves relying heavily
              on Jerome Iginla and Miika Kipprusof if they have any hope of making the post season. They have
              young talent coming along but lack a front line center that could put them over the top.

Dallas: GM Joe Nieuwendyk went out and  added veterans Jaromir Jagr and Ray Whitney to help the Stars
           return to the post season. He also brought in Derek Roy in a trade from Buffalo. If he can resign
           Jamie Benn and they get solid goaltending from Kari Lehtonen the Stars have a shot.

Colorado: The Avalanche have really built up an impressive core of young players and have the youngest
                captain in league history. They will need these young stars to take the next step if they are to make
                the post season.

Minnesota: The Wild made the biggest splash in free agency, now it's time to see if it was worth it. They have
                 played a defensive style for years so they will rely on Zack Parise to help them up front. If they
                can find a way to manage more goals they could very well make the playoffs.

Edmonton:  The young Oilers will likely be one of the more exciting teams to watch this season. They have
                  an extremely impressive crop of young talent up front and Justin Shcultz on the back end but
                  they need to  keep the puck out of their own net in order to have any chance. Mark Fistic was
                 signed to help shore up the back end but it will have to be done by committee.

Phoenix: I know they won the pacific last year, but the Coyotes are an enigma at the best of times. They
              always seem to find a way to succeed, often because of stellar goaltending, so it will be interesting
              to see how it plays out in the desert with new ownership seemingly solidified.

Detroit: For the first time in a long time the Red Wings will not be considered a lock to make the post
            season. That's not to say they can't. They will however need stellar performances from Jimmy
            Howard and they defense to step up if they want to compete in the west.

Anaheim: The Ducks had an off year last year but with stars Ryan Getzlaf and Cory Perry in contract years
               you can bet the Ducks will step up and make a serious run. They have a solid goalie in Joans Hiller
               and Teemu Selanne returns for another year.

Youngblood

With the new NHL season poised to begin this weekend let's take a look at some of the up and coming young players who will be making a name for themselves before long, and a few who already have.

Nail Yakupov - 'Fail for Nail' was a success as the Oilers again had the first overall selection and picked the
                         talented Russian from the Sarnia Sting. He joins an impressive group of young forwards
                         poised to make sure it's a long time before the Oilers are picking first overall.

Alex Galchenyuk - Another talented young star from the Sting, he was drafter third overall by Montreal
                         despite missing most of last year with an injury. He has impressed Habs brass at training
                         camp with his skill set and brings them some much needed size up the middle.

Jonathan Huberdeau - The Panthers product is looking to crack the lineup and help the Panthers make
                         another playoff run. He size, speed and play making ability will be welcomed to a young
                         team stockpiling talent.

Shawn Coutrier - Coming off a solid rookie campaign, he is looking to help lead the Flyers on a serious
                           playoff run. His size is something that will be difficult for opposing defenders to handle
                          once he matures.

Adam Henrique - He helped the Devils make a run to the Stanley Cup finals last year and with Zack Parise
                           leaving for Minnesota he will counted on to contribute more this year.

Ryan Nugent Hopkins - His season cut short by injury he likely would have won the calder trophy as rookie
                          of the year had he been healthy. He has already had playing time this year in the AHL with
                          other young Oilers so should be poised to play well from the get go.
 
Gabriel Landskog - The Calder trophy winner was named captain of the Avalanche, the youngest captain in
                            league history, but there is no doubt he is one of the core members for the future of this
                            franchise and his two way game is already well developed.

Jake Gardiner - The Leafs believe they have a blue chip prospect in this young blue liner, and thought he is
                         still recovering from a concussion he will be relied on heavily to help stabilize a back end
                         that is in need of help.

Justin Schultz - The Oilers were able to sign the highly coveted college player and if his stint in the AHL is
                       any indication he will be an impact player. There is little question about his offensive upside
                       but the Oilers are hoping his defensive game will develop as well.

Mikka Zibinijad - The Sens may have him split time between the big club and Binghampton again this season
                       but the talented Swede is poised to make a difference in the capital.           

Ryan Strome - The Islanders young center played for Canada in the world juniors and is looking to make the
                       jump to the big club from Niagara. He is young but so are many on the Islanders roster.

Morgan Reiley - Being at Leafs training camp will no doubt give his a boost, but how long he is around the
                      big club remains to be seen. With injuries he may get a chance to play but the Leafs are likely
                      to take their time with the highly regarded blue liner and not burn a year of his entry level deal.

Michael Grigorenko - The Sabers big center would certainly give them help up the middle. He is a creative
                      player who would add size and speed to the line up.

Mark Scheiffle - Having already played seven games with the Jets last season he got a taste for what the
                     NHL is all about and now looks to make the jump full time.

Boone Jenner - The Blue Jackets are rebuilding and Jenner is one of their up and coming young stars. He
                     has a well rounded game and brings a physical edge as demonstrated by several big hits he
                     dished out for Canada at the World Juniors.

Dougie Hamilton - The Bruins defenceman could stick around with the big club depending on how things go.
                      He will certainly have a great teacher in Zedeno Chara when he arrives.

Going Camping

NHL camps officially opened yesterday after the players ratification of the new CBA over the weekend, so FINALLY, it's back to business as usual. In many cities the teams wisely decided to open up camp to the fans to come watch for free. In fact in some Canadian cities, Winnipeg and Ottawa, there may have been more fans at practice then there are at games in some US markets *Cough"Phoenix*Cough. This is certainly a prudent move on the part of these teams, but just one step they need to take in order to win back many fans.

In Toronto and Vancouver the big news is still who is at camp and where they may be soon as the Roberto Luongo saga has dragged on like a bad winter cold. The will he won't he has become reminiscent of the Ross and Rachel saga on Friends and while there is no doubt the Leafs need and upgrade in net, should they really mortgage the farm for him? And what would happen to Cory Schneider's psyche if he is constantly having to look over his shoulder this season? I think in a shortened season Vancouver may be wise to keep them both, share the workload, make a serious run for the Stanley Cup and trade him in the off season as I doubt his value will drop significantly, especially if he should help them win.

Elsewhere injuries to players like Ryan Kessller, Jerome Iginla and Jared Cowan have them perhaps missing time to start the year. And restricted free agents PK Subban, Ryan O'Reiley and Jamie Benn still haven't signed new deals yet. The Rangers locked up RFA Michael Del Zotto the other day two a two year contract and I think the clubs will likely lock up these young cornerstones before too long.

In Montreal Scott Gomez was told to stay at home as he will be bought out by the club after the season and injured players cannot be bought out so rather than risk this they've essentially sent him on a 7 million dollar holiday. While I'm sure his pride will likely take a blow this is a shrewd move on behalf of the organization for them though I feel bad for Gomez..or at least as bad as you can for a guy make millions to do nothing. It is likely Wade Redden will be in the same boat but he is currently in Hartford so the Rangers will have to make that decision soon.

As the schedule kicks in Saturday teams with a lot of new faces like Dallas or Tampa Bay will have to make the most of this week to get acclimatized and try to very quickly generate some chemistry as teams with continuity or a group who have already been playing together, like the Oilers young guns in OKC, I think will have an advantage to start the season.

Let me know where you're camping out.

NHL Storylines

With NHL training camps set to open this weekend, thought I'd take a look at some of the bigger storylines going into the season, as well as a few of personal interest.

March of the Penguins??
The Penguins were unceremoniously bounced from the playoffs by the rival Flyers last year, their defense resembling a series of strategically placed pylons, and look to return to the Cup finals for the first time since winning it all in 09. With a healthy Crosby and Malkin, they will be among the favourites but its up to Marc Andre Fleury to return his stellar form if they have a serious chance to win it all.

Sharks: Sink or Swim
San Jose has long been one of those teams that has been hanging around as a contender for years, and killed more than one of my hockey pools. They have a lot of talent but have yet to make it count in the post season. New addition Brad Stuart should help of defense, so it's up to Joe Thornton and co. to step up their game or this team as constituted may undergo big changes in the off season.

Broadway Bound?
Is the Stanley Cup destined to return to the bright lights of MSG? The Rangers haven't been there since Mark Messier helped them end a very long drought back in 1994 and with the addition of Rick Nash and a loaded roster this may well be the year.

Victory Lap
Both Teemu Selanne and Daniel Alfredsson are back for at least this season, maybe more, but it's great to see that they didn't slip quietly into retirement like many players after the last lockout. They will be given their chance to have a send off from fans and shown the gratitude they deserve for their years of outstanding play and leadership.

Bobby Lou
The Brian Burke firing has been widely speculated to have had something to do with his refusal to trade for Roberto Luongo. It will be interesting to see what happens under new GM Dave Nonis. Toronto is one one of the possibilities as is Florida, his seemingly preferred choice, and Philidelphia for who the seemingly hundredth year in a row are looking to solve their goaltending situation. Luongo may be wise to ried out this shorter year in Vancouver with a contender then move in the off season. They have a legitimate shot at making a run and there's no shame in being part of a tandem with Cory Schneider to make that happen.

He's Back
The Montreal Canadiens  brought in new GM Marc Beregevin and he subsequently went out and brought back former Habs coach Michel Therrien. Therrien is known as a no nonsense coach and will expect a lot from this young team. He has a lot of talent to work with and if he can get the most out of them Montreal should challenge for a playoff spot.

Restricted Free Agents
There are a number of talented young players who are not under a  long term contract, including Montreal's PK Subban, the New York Rangers Michael Del Zotto, the Avalanche's Ryan O'Reiley and Dallas's Jamie Benn. When and for how much money they get signed will likely impact similar signings and it will be paramount that teams get them inked as they will be highly regarded if offer sheets are allowed to be made.

Nordiques?
There is no doubt fans in Quebec City want a hockey club. In my opinion they deserve one. There are currently a number of bad markets in the league who are not making money, where people simply don;t have the interest of love for the game, and that would certainly not be the case in La Belle Province. Plans to build a new arena and an outpouring of community support should help to persuade the league to get franchises where they belong, a la Winnipeg, and help boost that already record revenue.

Scheduling Conflict
The NHL revealed it's schedule and while they did what they could there will no doubt be some teams crying foul. The schedule calls for teams to play two of their division opponents five times and the other two four times. This will obviously affect some teams strength of schedule as Detroit may play Columbus and St. Louis may play Chicago that extra game. An advantage, sure, but this is an unfortunate result of the lockout and something teams will have to deal with.

There are plenty more story lines going into the year. Let me know which ones you're most interested in. 

End of an Era??

The Baseball Writers of America announced the result of the Hall of Fame voting today and nobody, not a single person, was elected to baseballs hallowed hall. To be enshrined in Cooperstown is the ultimate honour and while many on the ballet may be worthy for their performance on the field, it's the nature of that performance, or what may have been behind it, that has likely kept out these otherwise deserving inductees. The two names that stand out are 'Rocket' Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds. They have long been suspected of using PED's of some kind and as such a shroud has been cast over their careers. If one was to go solely by the numbers they are first ballot inductees. Bonds is (technically) the home run king (762) and has 7 MVP awards. Clemens won 2 World Series, 7 Cy Youngs and the 1986 AL MVP award. This is simple isn't it? How can guys who so dominated the sport be kept out? Well, pardon me for uh, injecting some reality here but the fact is character is on the description for qualifications of induction into the Hall and well lets face it, these aren't sterling examples. They were crusty with the media and have stuck to their guns vehemently denying any use of banned substances on their part. And, to be totally fair, neither has ever been proven definitively to have used them, Clemens even won a court case to that effect, but the suspicion is still there and as such voters are clearly reluctant to let them in. The so called steroid era lingers over everyone who played in that period and guys like Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa and others will all be painted, rightly or wrongly, with that same brush. Even next year with guys like Glavin and Maddux on the ballot, guys never linked to such things, their percentage may go down. Baseball for it's part has done little to take a stand on this issue and in fact seemed to turn a blind eye in 1998 when Sosa and McGuire were chasing records. I remember watching this as a teenager and thinking how cool is this? I remember after the fact the revelations that they may have been cheating and been disappointed, even disillusioned. I remember as more and more news of cheating leaked out that naivety one has as a youth faded and I became upset about the reality then eventually almost numb to it. How could they let them do this? My parents had always taught me to play fair and now not only was cheating not punished, it was seemingly acceptable. Now, baseball had no set rules at this time but the law prohibits steroids and morally this is as far from right as it gets. Other guys like Craig Biggio who have decent numbers (3060 hits, 1175 RBI's) but not first ballot stuff will probably eventually get in but it's sad to think that a pall has been cast over an entire generation. What about guys like Ken Griffey Jr. or John Smoltz? Will people look at them the same? I for one don't think cheaters should prosper and I applaud the writers for taking a stance. That said I think that because of the circumstances, there needs to be some exceptions. Put an asterisks beside their records, their names on their plaques and clearly state what happened or what was suspected, but they should be mentioned among the best to ever play the game because letting them in won't change their records, won't take away their awards or the fact that they went out there and performed, but mostly it's not fair to punish and entire generation because of the wrong doings of some.

Turning Over a New Leaf - Bruke Gone

So the Toronto Maple Leafs, perhaps sick of the Blue Jays stealing all the headlines in TO, have fired GM Brian Burke. This has to come a somewhat of a surprise given the timing. I mean why not in the fall or earlier? Why wait till now? His record and the state of the franchise may certainly have justified this but it still seems to have come out of left field, especially as he was under contract till the end of the season. why not wait till then to reevaluate? Whatever the reason there will be a press conference later today. All I can say is I will miss his snippy quotes. 

From Russia with, Love?

Another day, another issue for the NHL. With the end of the lockout looming and players reporting back to training camp later this week many are already back and raring to go including most of the guys who went over seas. Most. There are now some players who have decided to stick around for a little while or perhaps longer in the KHL. Lubomir Visnovski has stated that he has no intentions of leaving and returning to the New York Islanders. Now, granted long gone are the glory days of Mike Bossy, Denis Potvin and co. on the Island, but that doesn't give him the right to renege on his contract simply because his team isn't a contender. They have a lot of young talent and could use a veteran like him. If he were reporting to the Detroit Red Wings I have a feeling the situation may be very different. The biggest name who may still defect is Ilya Kovalchuck. Not one known for character on the ice, Kovalchuck is thinking of staying in Russia for the season. What must be going through Lou Lamarillo's head if he loses him after losing Parise? Some of his jersey 'boys' may go knocking on some doors. KHL president Alexander Medvidev came out with a speech that was reminiscent of a James Bond villain stating that the NHL has "such a high opinion of it's self...let them get drunk on their power, see how many euros go their way...We will help those who want to stay." Obviously this makes sense for his league but this attitude has caused a lot of tension between the NHL, KHL and IIHF. After the Alexander Radulov debacle when he defected on Nashville, the leagues were supposed to work together to honour each others contracts. So much for honour. Other stars like Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malikn have returned but Ovechkin made it quite clear that if his salary would have been rolled back he'd have no issues staying in Russia. I understand the appeal for these guys, playing at home in front of family and friends in one of the best leagues in the world, but it's not the best. The NHL owes it's status as the world best league because it draws the best players from around the world. There is no denying that, but players have signed and agreed to come here of their own volition because they want to be the best and this sends a very mixed message to other players and leagues around the world. Clearly the NHL is not without fault for the labour dispute but the fact is that you have to honour you commitments and this guys either should or should have their contracts voided by the league immediately, not that it will do much good to the teams who need them.

Where are they now?

So, since the lockout has ended and some of us may be a bit rusty on what transpired before hand, here's a quick look at the new faces in new places. Check out the actual NHL website for a complete listing.

Montreal - New GM Marc Bergevian, Coach - Michel Therrien, Colby Armstrong, Brandon Prust
                 The Habs added some grit and brought back Therrien for another go around. New GM
                 Beregivian will have his hands full trying to get the most out of this team who have a lot
                 young talent, among which PK Subban who needs to be resigned. But a healthy Andre Markov
                 will certainly help on the back end.

Ottawa - Guillaume Latendresse, Mark Methot, Mike Lundin
               The Sens may lose Sergi Gonchar so depth on the blue line is a bit thin with Jared Cowan hurt
               they will be heavily reliant on Norris trophy winner Eric Karlsson to lead the way. Daniel
              Alfredsson is back and looking to make the playoffs again in what may be his final season.

Toronto - James Van Riemsdyke, Jay McClement
               The biggest story in TO is who may be going there as the Roberto Luongo rumours continue to
               swirl. Coach Randy Carlisle will have his first, sort of full, season to try and improve a lacklust
               defense as the leafs try to make the playoffs for the first time since the last lockout.

Winnipeg - Olli Jokinen, Alex Ponikarovsky
                The Jets added size and experience up front with these two veterans in order to help boost the
                offense. Zack Bogosian is still hurt and may miss some time to start the season.

Edmonton - Justin Schultz
                 The addition of Schultz who has been tearing up the AHL with Oklahoma City is a big plus
                 for this talented young club who will be looking to take another step forward as they needed
                 help on the back ended.

Calgary - New Coach Bob Hartley, Dennis Wideman, Juri Hudler
               Hartley is a strict coach who has a veteran team to work with and they added to more veterans
               in the off season. Once again it will be up to Jerome Iginla and Mikka Kiprusoff to lead the way.

Vancouver - Jason Garrison
              Garrison was signed to replace Sami Salo but the big question remains in net where Corey
              Schneider and Roberto Luongo are both legitimate starters so likely Roberto will go.

Anaheim - Sheldon Sourray, Daniel Winnik, Bryan Allen
               Bruce Boudreau gets a full season behind the bench with a team that under performed last year.
               Teemu Selanne is back for another year so Anaheim should contend for the playoffs.

Boston - Tuuka Rask is now the starter as Tim Thomas takes a uh, lets call it a sabbatical. Chris Kelly
              was resigned, Joe Corvo and Benoit Pouliot are now out. Boston is still a threat in the east.

Buffalo - Steve Ott, John Scott
              Buffalo also added some size sending Derek Roy to Dallas for Ott and signing Scott as a free
              agent. The Sabers will once again rely heaving on Ryan Miller to shoulder the load in net and will
              need him to get off to a quicker start this season than last.

Carolina - Jordan Stall, Alex Semin, Joe Corvo
              Carolina added another Stall brother and the enigmatic enigma that is Semin to a talented roster.
              Joe Corvo is also back so Kirk Muller will have to put the new pieces together quickly to have
              success. With the likes of Cam Ward, Eric Stall and Jeff Skinner he has talent to work with.

Chicago - Sheldon Brookbank, Michael Rozsival
              The Blackhawks added a couple of defencemen and if they can get decent goaltending from
              Cory Crawford they could be a threat in the west.

Colorado - P.A. Parenteau, Greg Zanon, John Mitchell
                Colorado is still a relatively young team, their captain Gabriel Landeskog is the young in league
                history, but they have talent with the like of Matt Duschene and Ryan OReiley.

Columbus - John Davidson: Hockey Operation, Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Tim Erixon
               These players were added as part of the Rick Nash trade and John Davidson inherits a
               team rebuilding in the tough western conference.

Dallas - Derek Roy, Ray Whitney, Jaromer Jage, Aaron Rome
            Joe Nieuwendyk was busy in the off season adding veterans to his lineup. Time will tell if they
            have anything left in the tank.

Detroit - Carlo Colaiacovo, Jordin TooToo, Jonas Gustavsson, Damien Brunner, Mikhael Samuelson
            The loss of Nick Lidstrom will obviously be a big one in the motor city, and they have tried to
            plug the caps but it will have to be done by committee if there is to be any success. Brunner lead
            the Swiss league in points last season.

Florida - Peter Mueller, Filip Kuba, George Parros
             After making the playoffs last season Florida added some depth and role players to help them
            get back. The Roberto Luongo saga hangs over them as well with Stephen Weiss being
            rumored to go the other way.

Los Angeles - What do you get the team that has a Stanley Cup? Nothing apparently. Aside from siging
           Jonathan Quick, Dustin Penner and Dwight King to extensions the kings are status quo and ready
           for another cup run.

Minnesota - Zack Parise, Ryan Suter, Torrey Mitchell, Zenon Konopka, Jake Dowell
            This was a game changer. At least the Wild hope so. Fans in Minnesota have much to be excited
             about with these two additions signed long term. After getting off to a great start last season they
             faded terribly down the stretch so are looking to bounce back, especially after spending all that
             money, nearly 200 million.

Nashville - Scott Hannon, Chris Mason
             Having to watch Suter go was hard, and watching Shea Weber play hard ball even tougher but
             the Preds resigned their captain along with Paul Gaustad, Sergi Kostitsyn and Colin Wilson.

New Jersey - Bobby Butler
             Jersey resigned leader Martin Brodeur to a two year deal and added Butler to ideally help the
             offense. Bryce Salvador was also resigned but replacing captain Parise will be tough.

New York Islanders - Brad Boyes, Lubomir Visnovski(??)
             Yes there is a question mark beside Lubomir as he may stay home and play in Slovakia in the
             KHL. This is currently under discussion. The big news was the teams plan to move to Brooklyn
             for the 2015 season.      

New York Rangers - Rick Nash, Jeff Halpern, Aaron Asham, Taylor Pyatt, Michale Haley
             The Rangers made a big splash acquiring Nash to help boost an anemic offense and look poised
             to make a serious cup run if they stay healthy.

Philadelphia - Luke Schenn, Bruno Gervais, Ruslan Fedotenko
             The question again remains about goaltending. Luke Schenn will get a chance to play with his
             brother Braydon and Fedotenko was brought in to help replace Jaromir Jagr. Daniel Briere may
             miss some time with an injury to start the year.

Phoenix - Zbynek Michalek, Steve Sullivan
             The Coyotes ownership situation looks a bit more stable and after winning the division last year
             much will be expected of captain Shane Doan, who was resigned for 4 years, and his team.

Pittsburgh - Brandon Sutter, Tomas Vokoun, Ben Ferriero, Phillipe Dupuis, Tanner Glass, Dylan Reese
              The Penguins look ready to make another cup run with a healthy Crosby back in the lineup.
              The Stall trade brought back Sutter to fill the gap so as long as Marc Andre Fleury plays up to
              par they deserve to be a favorite.

San Jose - Brad Stuart, Adam Burrish, Assistant Coach Larry Robinson
              The Sharks have been one of those teams on the verge for quite a while now so it will be
              interesting to see if they can finally make a serious run in the playoffs.

St. Louis - The Blues resigned TJ Oshie and David Perron to keep their core together. They are a talented
               team with good goaltending who could be a threat in the west.

Tampa Bay - Anders Lindback, Sami Salo, Matt Carle, Matt Taormina, Benoit Pouliot, BJ Crombeen,
                The Lightning definitely reloaded and GM Steve Yzerman will expect a lot out of his club this
                season. After missing the playoffs last year, Steve Stamkos and co will look to make a serious
                run this time around.

Washington - New Coach Adam Oates, Mike Ribiero
               Dale Hunter returned to London so Adam Oates steps behind the bench. The Caps have an
               offensively talented group but can they hold it together defensively in the playoffs?
           

And We're Back!

And just like that it's Game On! Words NHL fans have longer to hear for months...At least some of them. Many, and rightfully so, are still bitter wondering why this news was announced January 6th and not Sept or October 6th. Why men in suits and meeting rooms were bickering away seemingly oblivious or just simply indifferent about the loyalty of the fans. Of the people who have made their game such a financial success padding their bank accounts while emptying our own. I agree that, for the overall health of the league, the players and owners needed to divide the pie in an equitable and fair way for everyone involved, but what's fair about all this to the fans? To the guy running a sports bar or souvenir shop? Working the concessions at the rink? What about the guys playing in Europe whose job was taken by an NHL player? A guy making a lot less money then his temporary substitute, who needs this income and now gets to watch this player return to the glamor of the big leagues and a seven figure salary. What about the kid who worships his favorite star player and wants nothing more than to watch him on a Saturday night? These are the people truly affected by the lockout and the NHL and NHLPA, if they have any common sense (not something they've demonstrated thus far) will have the PR machine working overtime to apologize to them. Unlike in 2004-05 there seems to be much more ambivalence, much more animosity towards the league and the players. People are simply fed up, sick and tired of feeling like they're being used, taken advantage of by millionaires and billionaires who seem to care about little more than lining their pockets. This isn't to say that they don't care about and love the game. That they have no emotional investment in it. They wouldn't have reached the games highest level without that drive and passion for it, but what this has really shown is the true nature of sport in the modern world. It's drawn back the curtain and revealed that sports entertainment and business are one in the same. The players are professional athletes, men who play a game for a living, and make a very good one. They may only have a short time to earn such an income so can hardly be blamed for wanting to maximize that opportunity. The owners are businessmen and making money is the name of the game. However, the fact remains that it is getting very hard to tell where the game ends and the business begins. They've seemingly blended into one another seamlessly and leave the rest of us wondering what it's all about. When that much money is involved, a reported 3.3 billion per year, there will undoubtedly be people lining up to grab their share, but how is that supposed to sit with the people contributing to that income? The cost is such that an average family can hardly afford to go to a game in a large market and it's as if the players and owners are seeming detached from the reality of how fortunate they are to make such exorbitant sums. Yes, the fans are the ones who drive demand, buy the jerseys and tune in for every game so we have to shoulder our fair share of the blame. Will we stay away? Will will tune out the TV? Some undoubtedly will, and good on them. Perhaps this is the only way they will learn, but I fear it will only fall upon deaf ears. The saddest realization is that many of us won't because the game means that much to us, despite the way those in charge have treated it. But the reality is we do it for the love of the game...We can only hope this rubs off.