Toronto Maple Leafs recall Colton Orr, part of an endangered species, for one last swing in the NHL

source : nationalpost.com

The Toronto Maple Leafs share the Air Canada Centre with the Toronto Raptors, but a different kind of dinosaur was back roaming around the arena on Thursday morning.

Toronto Maple Leafs recall Colton Orr: From scraps with George Parros to Brian Burke’s laments, some highlights from the enforcer’s career

Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 222 pounds, Colton Orr still refers to himself as a “role player.” There are other names for what he does: enforcer, fighter, goon. Of course, extinct might be the most appropriate way of describing his role these days.

The last time Orr played in the NHL was on April 12, 2014. Since then, a lot has changed in the hockey world. One-dimensional role players have become an endangered species as more and more teams have decided to fill the fourth lines with players who can skate and score rather than drop the gloves and fight.

Related

• Leafs routed by Blue Jackets in final road game of the season
• From the Senators to the Jets and even (yes) the Leafs, it has been a good year for Canadian hockey fans

And so, while the Leafs recalled the 33-year-old from the minors to play in the final game of the regular season against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday — a classy gesture by the organization — it was mainly so that both he and the NHL could say goodbye one last time.

“I’m not going to think like that,” said Orr, who has not decided whether he will retire after the season. “I’m going to enjoy my last game as a Leaf and try to have some fun.”

Does that mean he has one more fight in him? Maybe not. In 14 games with the Marlies this season, Orr had zero points and zero fights. Part of that is by choice. But even if he wanted to, there are few players around left to fight him.

 

Rich Lam/Getty ImagesColton Orr is not the only victim of a new NHL. Tom Sestito, who led the league with 19 fights last year, has played three games with the Vancouver Canucks this season.

The heavyweights of the NHL, who were so prominent in the last two decades, have been forced out of the league, their knuckles dragging along the ground. And Toronto has largely led the revolution.

When Brian Bruke was hired as the Leafs general manager in November 2008, he promised to build a tougher team that had “proper measures of pugnacity, testosterone, truculence and belligerence.” Burke signed Orr to a four-year, US$4-million contract, making him one of the highest-paid enforcers, and filled out the rest of the roster with like-minded brawlers in Mike Brown, Jay Rosehill, Frazer McLaren and Mark Fraser.

Toronto led the NHL in fighting majors in 2012-13 and 2013-14. But it came at the cost of being a three-line team that typically faded in the second-half of the season. This year, the Leafs gave Orr’s roster spot to 5-foot-8 winger Brandon Kozun in hopes of creating a more balanced four-line attack.

“We threw all the cons on the table and just found that teams that are having more success are having deeper lineups,” Leafs GM Dave Nonis told the National Post in December.

The Leafs, who are tied for 19th with 24 fighting majors this season, have fought half the amount of times as they did last year. But the end result has been mostly the same. Toronto, which may not have been bullied off the ice physically, was certainly outworked and outplayed on most nights.

Having Orr in the lineup would not have changed that, although Horachek said, “I feel like sometimes we’ve missed that (physical presence).”

Orr is not the only victim of a new NHL. Tom Sestito, who led the league with 19 fights last year, has played three games with the Vancouver Canucks this season. Rich Clune (16 fights last year) and Jay Rosehill (10 fights) have spent all of this season in the minors, while Kevin Westgarth (six fights) is playing in Belfast and Krys Barch (13 fights) and George Parros (nine fights) have been without jobs.

 

Claus Andersen/Getty ImagesLast year, Colton Orr had no goals and no assists and averaged just five minutes and 23 seconds per game. On most nights, he spent more time in the penalty box than he did on the ice. It was a luxury that teams can no longer afford.

The game is changing. According to hockeyfights.com, the NHL is averaging .32 fights per game, down from .38 fights per game last season and a significant drop from .48 fights per game in
2012-13. The big change, however, is in the decrease of so-called “staged fights.” Only 44 games have featured more than one fight, which is 34 fewer than last season.

“I think a lot of the teams still have a physical presence,” said Leafs head coach Peter Horachek. “I think that the role of the singular heavyweight fighter is lessening and going away with a lot of the teams. But there’s still a lot of physical players that can play and it’s still a big part of the game.”
Indeed, players are still fighting. But that is not all they are doing.

Colorado’s Cody McLeod, who leads the league with 19 fights, also has six goals and 11 points. Vancouver’s Derek Dorsett (17 fights) has seven goals and 25 points, while Montreal’s Brandon Prust (16 fights) has 17 points and is averaging more than 13 minutes.

Last year, Orr had no goals and no assists and averaged just five minutes and 23 seconds per game. On most nights, he spent more time in the penalty box than he did on the ice. It was a luxury that teams can no longer afford.

“You seen a lot of it this year, a lot of guys get sent down,” said Orr, who scored 12 goals and 12 assists and had 1,186 penalty minutes in 476 career games. “It’s different, it’s changed a little bit. But I don’t think you’ve seen the end of it. I think there’s still a need for role players and guys looking out for teammates.

“It will be around for a little bit.”

NHL : Pittsburgh au bord du gouffre

source : hockeyhebdo.com

Situation impensable il y'a de cela quelques semaines mais qui pourrait se produire ce soir, les Pens de Sidney Crosby pourraient être absents des séries de la Coupe Stanley après leur nouvelle défaite d'hier, au Consol Energy Center, contre les New York Islanders 3-1. Les joueurs de Mike Johnston n'y arrivent plus, n'ayant pas gagné un match ce mois ci (0-4-1) et joueront leur destin contre Buffalo ce soir.

Soyons clair, si les Penguins n'arrivent pas à battre Buffalo, la pire équipe de la ligue dans un match couperet, alors ils n'ont rien à faire en playoffs. D'ailleurs on pourra s'interroger sur leur futur parcours en séries car pour le moment, et même si ils venaient à se qualifier, on ne donne pas cher de leur peau lors d'un premier tour contre les Rangers. De plus et même si on pouvait s'y attendre, Kris Letang, le défenseur numéro un de cette équipe, ne rejouera pas cette saison.

Avec sa défaite d'hier contre Columbus 4-2, qui finit la saison en boulet de canon, les Sabres de Buffalo sont assurés de finir derniers de la ligue et se trouvent du coup en bonne position pour la draft où ils viseront le phènomène Connor McDavid. Ils s'inclinent contre une étonnante formation des Blue Jackets qui a pris des point lors des 12 derniers matchs (11-0-1).

Les Jets en séries, les Kings, champions en titre, éliminés

source : radio-canada.ca

Les Jets se sont qualifiés pour les éliminatoires pour la première fois depuis leur retour à Winnipeg, jeudi soir, à Denver.

Les Jets se sont inclinés 1-0 en tires de barrage devant l'Avalanche du Colorado, mais le point acquis, combiné à la défaite des Kings de Los Angeles 3-1 à Calgary, les a assurés d'une place dans les éliminatoires.

Les Kings, champions en titre de la coupe Stanley, subissent ainsi l'élimination. De leur côté, les Flames obtiennent une place en séries pour la première fois depuis six ans. Ils affronteront les Canucks de Vancouver au premier tour.

C'est la première fois que les champions en titre sont écartés des séries depuis 2006-07, quand cela est arrivé aux Hurricanes de la Caroline.

Dans la rencontre au Colorado, les Jets ont bombardé Reto Berra de 41 tirs, tandis qu'Ondrej Pavelec a fait face à 21 tirs.

Pavelec a cédé devant Ryan O'Reilly et Matt Duchene lors des tirs de barrage, tandis qu'à l'autre bout, Berra a repoussé Blake Wheeler et Andrew Ladd.

Les Jets, qui ont remporté leurs quatre dernières rencontres, atteignent donc les séries pour la première fois depuis le retour dans la capitale manitobaine, pour la saison 2011-12.
Les partisans des Jets n'ont pas vu leur équipe locale en séries depuis 1996.

Toronto's offseason plans; Big changes for Penguins? (Puck Headlines)

source : yahoo.com (Blog)

•Good stuff from Henrik Sedin, giving his 700th assist puck to Alex from the Make-A-Wish foundation. [Canucks for Kids]

• What will the Toronto Maple Leafs do in the offseason? The answers aren’t super clear cut. Peter Horachek is a goner. But beyond him? [Toronto Sun]

• If the Pittsburgh Penguins miss the playoffs, are big changes in store? Amazing that this is a possibility. [National Post]

• What should the Bruins do to beat the Panthers? Claude Julien needs to go back to the lines that created earlier success against Florida. [Big Bad Blog]

• How did Devan Dubnyk go from outcast to the Wild’s savior? [The Hockey Writers]

• Ryan Miller returns … as Eddie Lack’s backup. [Vancouver Canucks]

• Dubnyk will not start Thursday night against Nashville. It will be Darcy Kuemper who has not made a start since Jan. 6. That is not a typo – Dubnyk had 39 straight starts. [Star Tribune]

• How will a new arena help University of Nebraska Omaha in recruiting more top talent to its
hockey program. [Omaha.com]

• Root for Reto Berra if you’re a Kings fan! [Royal Half]

• If you’re the Kings, don’t root for Jonas Hiller, who actually could derail LA’s playoff hopes. [LA Times]

• The Islanders need to pick up Jaroslav Halak after his flub against the Philadelphia Flyers. This play cost the Islanders a playoff spot. [Islanders Insight]

• How and why did Derek Dorsett cash in with his new contract in Vancouver? [Dobber Hockey]

• The Anaheim Ducks are struggling a bit before the postseason starts. And they have few answers as to why. Me thinks it’s the fact Ryan Getzlaf has been hampered with an issue. [Fox Sports West]

• Emerson Etem is the Ducks’ future in many different ways: Born in 1992, Etem is one of only six current NHL players who identify as African-American. But that's not all: He's one of the precious few professional hockey players to come from Southern California, as well as the first local prospect to play for an area team. [OC Weekly]

• The great Eddie Shore and the myth of Jan. 3, 1929. [Greatest Hockey Legends]

• Risers and fallers in Central Scouting’s final list of players for the 2015 NHL Draft. Of course, Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel were No. 1 and No. 2. [Buzzing the Net]

• Many have talked about the Red Wings’ younger players and how they’ve helped the team. But it’s the old guard pushing Detroit into the postseason. [Detroit News]

• The Kings have announced the formation of a high school hockey league. [LA Kings]

• Parts of the Nashville Predators organization will take part at the World Championships, even with the team in the playoffs. This includes Harvard's Jimmy Vesey for Team USA. [Nashville Post]

• India’s hockey team is crowdsourcing funds to play in a tournament in Kuwait. [CBC]

• The Blackhawks are resting some of their guys. The Blues are going for it. Which strategy is the best strategy? [Sun-Times]

• A Curtis Joseph sighting in Orlando? CuJo returns! Sort of at least. [Pro Hockey News]

• Finally, Jimmy Fallon rips on NHL players. And we’re all better for it.

LNH : La muraille de Washington

source : hockeyhebdo.com

Boston avait, hier soir, une bonne occasion de passer Pittsburgh au classement et ainsi se donner un peu d'air dans cette course aux playoffs qui devient irrespirable. Malheureusement pour eux, les Bruins, défaits 3-0 à Washington, sont tombés sur un Braden Holtby des grands soirs qui aura sorti toutes leurs tentatives pour finalement blanchir sur la saison entière les joueurs de Claude Julien.

Dans cette partie, ce sont les locaux qui mèneront assez vite, avec deux buts dans le premier tiers, des défenseurs John Carlson (4.49) et Matt Niskanen (7.06). Les Capitals d'Ovechkin (pas de point hier) sont déjà qualifiés pour les séries tandis que, pour Boston, il ne reste que deux matchs à l'extérieur (Florida et Tampa Bay) pour espérer se qualifier pour les playoffs.


Dans la même division que Washington, Columbus réalise une fin de saison incroyable. En effet, cette équipe reste sur 11 matchs de suite (10-0-1) avec des points et, hier, elle a écrasé Toronto 5-0. Toutes les lignes offensives des Blue Jackets auront marqué un but et 16 des 18 joueurs auront inscrit des points (2 pour Dubinsky et Hartnell). La franchise de l'Ohio pourra avoir des regrets sur sa saison car, depuis quelques semaines, elle balaye tout sur son passage. A noter le 11ème jeu blanc en carrière de Sergei Bobrovski.

Enfin, et c'est une surprise, Anaheim coule à domicile contre Dallas (4-0) alors que les Ducks visent encore le titre de champion de la conférence Ouest. Les Stars auront creusé l'écart dans le deuxième tiers temps avec 3 buts en 11 minutes (Fiddler, Benn, Eaves) et jamais les joueurs de Bruce Boudreau n'ont été en mesure de revenir dans ce match. Pour Antoine Roussel : 9 minutes (plus faible temps de jeu de l'équipe) pour 3 tirs, 1 charge et 2 minutes de pénalités.
 

Ryan Reaves wears heart on sleeve

Ryan Reaves has channeled the memories of fallen friends and feels stronger as a result. John Russell/NHLI/Getty Images

source : espn.com

They're hard to find on a left arm covered with tattoos, but St. Louis Blues forward Ryan Reaves wears the tributes proudly on his forearm.

There's the nickname "Philly Bluntz" for Phil Haiart. Another nickname, "T-Bone," surrounded by water for Trevor Price. And a microphone dangling from a locker for Bruce Oake, who enjoyed boxing and competing in area rap battles.

Three close friends, all gone before getting the chance to truly begin their lives. They still motivate Reaves as he chisels out his place in the NHL.

"It's crazy. For how young I am, I've lost a lot of people. I've lost three really good friends that have been really close to me," Reaves, 28, said. "You can't take anything for granted. Here I am now trying to make a career for myself and I have friends back home that are dying at a real young age and parents who are burying them."

Growing up in Winnipeg, Reaves and his younger brother, Jordan, both came by their athletic prowess naturally. Their father, Willard, was a standout running back at Northern Arizona University who starred for the Canadian Football League's Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Named the CFL's Most Outstanding Player in 1984, the elder Reaves was a local legend when he retired in 1990 before joining the local sheriff's service.

When Ryan and Jordan were young, their dad once locked them in a jail cell for an hour, just to instill in them a healthy appreciation for what could happen should they follow the wrong path. But there was nothing Willard Reaves could do to shield Ryan from the tragedy he would encounter again and again.

Playing for St. John's-Ravencourt School in January 2004, Reaves was days away from his 17th birthday and competing in the Winnipeg High School Hockey League Tournament of Champions. It was there that he first heard that Price had collapsed on the bench while competing for the school's junior varsity squad. Later that day, Price passed away at age 16.

"He had a heart attack playing hockey," Reaves said. "A minor heart attack, I guess, and he never made it."

Price's legacy has been preserved with the Travis Price Classic, a charity golf tournament now entering its sixth year. Reaves makes a point to attend the event, which last year raised $318,000 for a children's summer camp.

St. Louis Blues

Reaves was barely 17 and still coming to terms with the loss when the unthinkable happened again.
It was the 2005 trade deadline day in the Western Hockey League when Reaves, playing for the Brandon Wheat Kings, was summoned by the team's general manager. Assuming he had been traded, he bid his junior teammates a swift farewell.

He was instead greeted by his mother, Brenda, who had made the 135-mile drive from Winnipeg and was sobbing in the GM's office. She shared the news that Haiart, another close friend from St. John's-Ravencourt, had been murdered during a gang shootout in Winnipeg's West End.

Haiart had done nothing more than land in the wrong place at the worst possible time. He was 17.

Reaves grieved in the way that came most naturally. He strapped on his gear and took to the ice. In an empty Brandon arena, Reaves skated alone for close to two hours.

"I kind of broke down on the ice at one point. Nobody else was out there. So it was good to have my
alone time," Reaves said. "I drove in for the funeral two days later and then had to drive back. We had a game that night."

The shocking murder drew considerable attention to a local drug turf war that Willard Reaves had witnessed through his work. The crisis hit close to home following Haiart's murder, culminating at the Winnipeg courthouse where Willard was responsible for escorting inmates from their correctional facility to the courtroom where they stood trial. One fateful day, he found himself escorting Haiart's killer, a gang member named Jeff Cansanay.

"I had to make sure his personal safety was protected," Willard Reaves said. "Being in the elevator with them, I know what I would love to do. But I had to leave that at the door. I had to separate that, and I did."

In the wake of these losses, Reaves threw himself into hockey. All that grit and grief and motivation got the attention of the Blues, who drafted him in the fifth round of the 2005 draft, seven weeks after Cansanay received a life sentence for second-degree murder.

After two brief stints with the Blues early in 2010-11, Reaves was called up again for a late-season playoff push and showed enough to cement a roster spot. Then came the news.

On March 29, 2011, Oake died of a drug overdose at age 25. Ryan and Jordan Reaves had grown up next door to Oake and his younger brother, Darcy. The boys had been practically inseparable their entire lives. When Reaves got married last summer, Darcy and Jordan shared best man duties while Bruce's father, acclaimed CBC sportscaster Scott Oake, was the master of ceremonies.

Again confronted by tragic loss, Reaves had an unimaginable decision to make: continue fulfilling his NHL dream or take a step back in that quest to attend the funeral of a lifelong friend.

"What I said to him was you need to seize the opportunity and we'll see you when you get home at the end of the season. We left it at that," said Scott Oake, who is working to establish a non-profit rehabilitation facility in his late son's memory.

"Bruce wouldn't have wanted him to leave a golden opportunity in the NHL to come home and mourn. We know Bruce's passing affected Ryan. He's got the ink to prove it. There was much more to be achieved by chasing his dream. We had that discussion and everybody was good with it."

The day after losing a close friend for the third time in seven years, Reaves earned an assist in a 10-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings. Through it all, Oake's memory weighed heavily on him.
"It was tough. Especially not being able to go to the funeral," Reaves said. "That made me think about him a lot more, that I couldn't be there for his family."

As the Blues head down the stretch toward the hard road of the playoffs, Reaves continues to play for his three friends. He honors them with his play and his tattoos and with any time he can share with their families. Collectively, the spirit of these young men has guided him through this season, in which he's posted career highs in goals and points while earning the trust of Blues coach Ken Hitchcock.

Ryan Reaves has made it. And Price, Haiart and Oake have been with him the entire time.
"I think about them a lot. Sometimes it's in a weird dream where they pop up. It's fun to see them once in a while in a weird way like that. Just thinking about how short life is, I think that's what keeps you motivated," Reaves said.

"They're really good friends and really close to the family. Guys who were lost too early. It's a tough situation, but it makes me stronger thinking about them."
 

Les Rangers méritent le trophée des Présidents

source : lapresse.ca

Kevin Hayes et Ryan McDonagh ont marqué dans un intervalle de 47 secondes au premier vingt et les Rangers ont filé vers un gain de 4-2 face aux Devils du New Jersey, mardi, obtenant ainsi le trophée des Présidents.

Les Rangers sont assurés de terminer au sommet des clubs de la LNH pour les points, avec 111.

L'équipe a remporté ses cinq derniers matches.

Les hommes d'Alain Vigneault ont signé une 52e victoire, égalant le record de la concession, établi en 1993-94.

Cette même saison, les Rangers avaient totalisé 112 points, une marque d'équipe, chemin faisant vers la dernière conquête de la coupe Stanley de leur histoire.

James Sheppard a ajouté un but d'assurance à mi-chemin en troisième période, puis Carl Hagelin a complété dans un filet désert.

Cam Talbot a bloqué 19 tirs pour les New-Yorkais, qui vont terminer la saison contre Ottawa et ensuite à Washington, jeudi et samedi.

Malgré l'exploit, les joueurs des Rangers ont été très restreints dans leurs célébrations, sachant fort bien qu'il y a encore loin de la coupe aux lèvres.

«Ce n'est pas quelque chose de facile à réaliser, a déclaré l'entraîneur-chef Alain Vigneault. Regardez les équipes qui bataillent toujours pour participer aux séries; c'est un gros défi. Pour notre équipe, il s'agit d'une étape dans la direction où nous voulons aller. Je suis très fier de notre groupe de joueurs, mais nous savons tous que nous serons jugés en fonction de ce que nous allons faire pendant les séries éliminatoires. Il s'agit donc d'un premier pas, et nous allons être prêts pour le prochain.»

«Nous avons bataillé avec vigueur tout au long de la saison pour en arriver à ce point, mais nous savons que le travail n'est pas terminé, a enchaîné Talbot, le réserviste qui a joué un rôle prépondérant dans les succès des Rangers en affichant un dossier cumulatif de 17-5-3 depuis le 4 février.

Patrik Elias et Steve Bernier ont été les buteurs des Devils, qui ont perdu huit de leurs neuf derniers matches. Cory Schneider a fait 35 arrêts.

Hayes a profité d'une rondelle libre à 13:45, quand le disque a bifurqué vers lui suite au travail de Hagelin, derrière le filet.

McDonagh a doublé l'avance en avantage numérique à 14:32, avec un tir des poignets des abords de la ligne bleue. Jacob Josefson était au cachot pour avoir accroché.

Elias a fait mouche avec un tir sur réception à 17:44 au premier vingt, à partir de l'enclave.
Après un échange de buts, Hagelin a mis la touche finale dans un but abandonné, avec 1:48 au cadran.

Hockey News: Penguins Collapse; 700 Assists for Henrik Sedin

                                              (Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports)

source : http://thehockeywriters.com

Tonight’s game between the Penguins and Senators has become a crucial one for both teams, something that a few months ago seemed highly unlikely. Ottawa is playing their best hockey while Pittsburgh is on a terrible slide that could actually see them missing the playoffs. Everyone is offering their thoughts on why the Penguins are collapsing, and I’ll throw mine into the hat.

1. The easy answer is injuries. The Penguins are missing three of their top four defenceman and only just got Evgeni Malkin back on Sunday. But here’s the problem with that excuse. Every season, like clockwork, the Pens’ most important players get hurt, sometimes for long stretches. They have always been able to keep on trucking, but this year for some reason, they haven’t been able to recover. Is it the coaching? Is it the lack of depth? Could be both of those things. Yes the injuries hurt, but even when healthy, the Penguins haven’t been the juggernaut we’re used to seeing. Not being able to admit that is simply denial.

2. The Pens have not won a game all season when trailing after two periods. That is a remarkable stat. And while we can put the blame on other things, their inability to dig deep and find a way to come back is troubling, and suggests to me that even if they do squeak into the playoffs, there is no magical Los Angeles Kings run in them. For whatever reason, this team just doesn’t seem to have the fight in them that’s necessary to find sustained success. Is it a lack of leadership, or heart, or character? It’s easy to spout those words but much more difficult to really prove it. In any case, something big is missing from this group. They aren’t going to figure it out this season, even if they get healthy.

3. And the biggest problem in my mind is the lack of awareness of the Pens management team. The mess of their salary cap aside, the team made moves as if they were a couple of pieces away from contending, which is as laughable as it is baffling. Isn’t a GM supposed to know his team? The Pens have given away draft picks at an alarming rate. They have little-to-no good forward prospects in the system and no way of re-stocking the cupboard. The trades they made haven’t improved the team, not even a little bit. Did Jim Rutherford truly believe his team was good enough, and therefore those trades were warranted? If so, he really shouldn’t be an NHL GM. The Pens are in trouble, not just this season but beyond. As Crosby and Malkin gets older, and the window continues to close, there is no one there to step up and take over. We saw the best of the Penguins in 2008 and 2009 and for this core, that’s as good as it’s gonna get.

More on the Penguins from our own Mike Colligan: [Hockey Writers]
And now onto the rest of the NHL…

Tyler Myers has been the right fit for Winnipeg. [Jets Nation]

Jonathan Benier would like to stay with the Maple Leafs. No idea why, but nevertheless. [The Score]

(Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Who are the most annoying players in the NHL? [Full Tilt Hockey]

The Sharks have wasted a lot of high-end talent. [Today’s Slap Shot]

If coaches chose the winners for the annual awards: [TSN]

Drafting and developing is so much more than simply winning a lottery. [Along the Boards]

Oliver Ekman-Larsson deserves a shot at the Norris Trophy. [Hockey Buzz]



A little Sedin magic. [Canucks Army]

The sad tale of former NHLer Dan LaCouture. [Post Gazette]

Good thing Marc Methot’s shot didn’t go in, because the Sens still wouldn’t have got the win. [Sportsnet]

And finally, great piece about religion and hockey. [Boston Globe]

Hockey hits (Vine) Two others big hits

L'amphithéâtre de Québec sera le Centre Vidéotron

source : radio-canada.ca

Vidéotron, filiale de Québecor, aura son nom sur l'amphithéâtre multifonctionnel de Québec, qui deviendra le Centre Vidéotron.

Québecor, gestionnaire du bâtiment et détenteur des droits d'identification, en a fait l'annonce mardi matin.

En tant que gestionnaire du lieu, Québecor versera à la Ville de Québec 33 millions de dollars pour que le nom de sa filiale soit donné au bâtiment durant 25 ans, sans équipe de la Ligue nationale de hockey (LNH) à Québec. Ce montant atteindra toutefois 63,5 millions de dollars si Québecor obtient une franchise de la Ligue nationale de hockey.

La présidente de Vidéotron, Manon Brouillette, n'a pas dévoilé les détails de l'entente avec Québecor. Elle souligne toutefois que Vidéoton tenait à cette visibilité qui, dit-elle, permet de renforcer la position de l'entreprise dans la région de Québec.

L'entente pour la dénomination de l'édifice n'est cependant pas définitive. Elle pourrait être revue advenant le retour d'une équipe de la LNH à Québec, a mentionné Mme Brouillette.

« Mon rêve ultime, c'est d'être là à long terme, mais on verra le cas échéant lorsqu'un club de hockey va arriver, s'il y a des discussions à avoir, c'est certain qu'on a des dispositions pour avoir des discussions au moment opportun », dit-elle.

L'inauguration officielle de l'amphithéâtre de Québec, construit au coût de 400 millions, est prévue pour le 15 septembre 2015.

Québecor doit annoncer le 14 avril la programmation des événements et spectacles pour les trois premières semaines d'ouverture.

The Top 10 NHL Free Agents in 2015

source : thehockeywriters.com


Although the NHL season is winding down for the majority of NHL teams, the action will once again begin to heat up as the off-season approaches. Not only does this mean the return of the highly entertaining annual NHL Entry Draft, but also the beginning of unrestricted free agency (UFA) come July 1st.

A number of star players who were set to become UFA’s July 1st are already off the market, having been re-signed by their current clubs. Stars such as the Islanders’ Johnny Boychuk, Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and Rangers blue-liner Marc Staal are off the board, however there are a large number of quality players who remain in search of a potential new home.

With that being said, let’s take a quick look at 10 of the top UFA’s come July 1st, 2015, in no particular order.

Antti Niemi

Goaltender Antti Niemi will likely draw considerable interest come July 1st. A veteran goaltender with playoff experience and success, Niemi, 31, has logged a ton of postseason playing time with the Sharks, however both he and the team have failed to secure considerable success in his five seasons in San Jose.

As the 2014-15 trade deadline came and passed, the Sharks chose not to deal Niemi, however the plan seems to have backfired as the Sharks will likely miss the playoffs and receive no return for Niemi come the end of the season.

Niemi has had a solid season, while his $3.8 Million cap hit seems fair for his quality of play. The ideal role for Niemi could be with a young, developing team, as such a situation would draw upon Niemi’s veteran and playoff experience.

Paul Martin

(Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

One of the top defensemen available come July 1st, Paul Martin will likely have a large number of potential suitors. At the age of 34, Martin is known primarily for his strong defensive game, yet he does have the ability to contribute offensively.

Martin, whose previous five year contract carried a cap hit of $5 Million dollars per season, could certainly demand a similar salary in his next contract, as his play has been consistently strong, especially this season.

Having never won a Stanley Cup, chances are Martin would prefer to sign with a guaranteed contender rather than a young team which requires time to sufficiently develop.

Carl Soderberg

As one of the most skilled forwards set to become a UFA, Carl Soderberg finds himself in a unique situation. At the age of 29, Soderberg has only played in the NHL for two seasons. In those two campaigns, Soderberg has scored nearly 50 points in each season, yet has failed to come close to the 20 goal plateau.

At 6 foot 3, 215 pounds, Soderberg will be a highly sought after player given his combination of size
and skill. A bridge deal of two to three years will be the most likely scenario, however one factor guaranteed to change is his cap hit. Currently retaining a $1.008 Million dollar cap hit, Soderberg is slated for a solid raise.

Given his lack of significant NHL experience, a deal any longer than a few years is likely out of the question, yet despite this, Soderberg will be amongst the most valuable players available come July 1st.

Justin Williams

(Ric Tapia/Icon SMI)

In case you weren’t aware, playoff hero Justin Williams is indeed set to become a UFA July 1st.
A pending free agent, chances are Williams will re-sign with the Kings at the conclusion of this season. However, there remains the possibility that he tests free agency, given he has won virtually everything there is to win in Los Angeles.

At the age of 33, Williams is a solid two way player who can contribute offensively as well as secure his own end of the rink. Given his wealth of experience, Williams would be a considerable upgrade for any team hoping to make a deep playoff run.

With a current cap hit of $3.65 Million, Williams’ salary likely won’t fluctuate too greatly, however the fact that he is a Conn Smythe winner will certainly be taken into consideration.

Devan Dubnyk

Devan Dubnyk has been likely the most inspiring story in the NHL this year. After a disastrous 2013-14 season, Dubnyk’s NHL career looked to be coming to an end, however, since being given an opportunity with Arizona and now Minnesota, Devan has established himself as one of the top goaltenders in the NHL today.

Like Soderberg, Dubnyk is also in an interesting situation. Prior to this season, Dubnyk struggled to say the least, making it difficult for a club to reward Dubnyk for one stellar season amid a career of inconsistency.

At the age of 28, Dubnyk has a ton of hockey ahead of him, while his current cap hit of 378K with the Wild, per conditions of his trade from Arizona, make Dubnyk the best bargain in the NHL. His 2014-15 contract, which pays 800K in total, is likely much less than the Wild or any other team will be willing to pay Devan for his services.

Considering Minnesota’s lack of goaltending options, the Wild will likely retain Dubnyk with a one to two year contract, as despite his stellar play this year, it’s hard to see a large number of NHL teams bidding for Dubnyk’s inconsistent services.

Drew Stafford

(Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports)

One of the more underrated players in the NHL today, Drew Stafford has quietly been an extremely effective player since his trade to the Winnipeg Jets .

A former 30 goal scorer and consistent point producer, Stafford has scored at nearly a point per game pace this season with the Jets. At the age of 29, Stafford has a long hockey future awaiting him, however which team it will be with remains up in the air.

Depending on the Jets’ success this season, they could very well hope to re-sign Stafford. In his previous four year contract signed with the Sabres, Stafford’s annual cap hit was $4 Million dollars. As a third or even second line forward, a similar cap hit in a new contract is highly likely, yet his pay could increase given his potential post season performance in the coming playoffs.

Mike Green

A former 30 goal scorer, defenseman Mike Green will be one of the most highly sought after players come July 1st.

Known for his exceptional offensive flair, Green is in the middle of yet another tremendous season with the Capitals, the tenth of his career. A former first round pick by Washington, Green, 29, still has plenty left in the tank and will most likely be on the move this off-season.

With a current cap hit of $6.08 Million dollars, Green would likely hope to once again play for a contender next season, yet will likely have to take a reduction in pay to make such a dream a reality.

Cody Franson

(Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE)

Another high quality defenseman, Cody Franson will be on the move this off-season from a crowded Nashville Predators’ blue line.

A top 4 NHL defenseman, Franson will have little trouble attracting potential teams and has expressed interest in returning to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Not only does Franson have great size at 6 foot 5, 215 pounds, but he is very mobile for a bigger player. On top of this, Franson can pitch in offensively and has set a new career high in points this season, however, it is a trait which he has failed to carry over as a rental in Nashville.

At the age of 27, Franson is still a young player, while his $3.3 Million dollar cap hit is a fairly accurate salary considering his abilities, however he could likely demand more on the free agent market.

Mike Ribeiro

Mike Ribeiro is likely the most skilled player headed to free agency come July 1st. Despite the fact that Ribeiro is in the tail end of his career, he is still a dangerous player, as he has enjoyed one of his most productive years in the NHL this season with Nashville.

At 35, Ribeiro is nearing his 1000th game milestone and will likely play a few more seasons in the league. Currently owning a $1.05 Million dollar cap hit, Ribeiro looks to be headed for a raise, especially so if he inks a multi-year contract extension with the Predators prior to free agency.

Mike Fisher

(Photo Credit: Andy Martin Jr)

Yet another solid potential free agent is Mike Fisher.

At the age of 34, Fisher still has hockey ahead of him, especially so considering he has enjoyed an extremely productive year despite missing a good portion of the season.

A six time 20 goal scorer, Fisher is a big body at 6 foot 1, 215 pounds who plays an excellent two way game, while he could certainly reach the 20 goal mark this season despite missing almost 20 games.

If Fisher were to walk, it would be a huge loss for the Predators, as Fisher is one of Nashville’s top centermen. His $4.2 Million dollar cap hit is average considering his production and influence on the outcome of a game. Despite this, it would be hard for Fisher to walk away from Nashville, where he and his family are comfortably situated, as at this point in his career Fisher likely values term over money. In all likelihood, the Predators will hope to re-sign Fisher before the first of July.

Hockey hits (VINE) Four big hits in a row !!!

Canadiens : «J'ai plus de cheveux gris» - Michel Therrien

source : canoe.ca

Michel Therrien a dirigé dimanche le 400e match de sa carrière derrière le banc du Canadien de Montréal. Le hasard a voulu qu'il atteigne ce nombre contre la même formation, les Panthers de la Floride, qu'il avait affrontée à ses débuts, le 21 novembre 2000.

Il en a coulé de l'eau sous les ponts depuis cette défaite de 4-1 que le CH avait subie à ce que l'on appelait à cette époque le Centre Molson.

«C'est une raison pour laquelle j'ai plus de cheveux gris», a lancé celui qui a également dirigé 221 parties derrière le banc des Penguins de Pittsburgh.

«Sincèrement, c'est un plateau très intéressant, même s'il m'a fallu deux séjours pour l'atteindre», a-t-il ajouté plus sérieusement.

Ces 400 rencontres le placent au quatrième rang de l'histoire des entraîneurs du Canadien derrière des noms légendaires comme Toe Blake (914 matchs), Dick Irvin (896) et Scotty Bowman (634).

Pas lieu de paniquer

Quatorze années et demie amènent son lot de cheveux gris et rendent le toupet plus clairsemé. En contrepartie, elles apportent l'expérience, le calme et la sérénité.

C'est sans doute la raison pour laquelle, pendant que tout Montréal s'apprête à appuyer sur le bouton panique à 10 jours du début des séries, l'entraîneur du Tricolore demeure (presque) zen.

«Au niveau de la discipline, un point qui faisait défaut, nous nous sommes grandement replacés. Maintenant, il y a assurément certaines choses que l'on souhaite améliorer, comme l'attaque massive, mais il ne faut pas oublier que dans nos 10 derniers matchs, nous n'avons subi que trois défaites en temps réglementaire», a-t-il tenu à rappeler, avant la victoire de 4-1 sur les Panthers.

«Un quatre contre trois en période de prolongation et une séance de tirs de barrage sont des situations qu'on ne retrouve pas en séries éliminatoires», a-t-il souligné.

Jeu plus serré

Autre aspect positif, Therrien est particulièrement fier du travail accompli par ses hommes à forces égales.

«On joue de façon serrée, on accorde peu de tirs au but et peu d'occasions de marquer. À mes yeux, ce sont des signes très encourageants.»

Cela dit, une saison de 82 joutes, ça use son homme. Voilà pourquoi Therrien a donné congé à Carey Price et Andreï Markov à Newark vendredi. Voilà aussi pourquoi il a tenu ses joueurs loin de la patinoire à leur arrivée en Floride.

«On a quand même tenu un bon entraînement hors-glace, a-t-il cependant tenu à préciser. Mais c'est important de faire changement de temps en temps.»

Signs point to Nonis returning as Maple Leafs GM

source : torontosun.com

Is the future of embattled general manager Dave Nonis brighter than a lot of disgruntled Maple Leafs fans give him credit for?

Or, more importantly, than they want to see.

There certainly are indications to that end, hints that suggest Nonis will be back.

If Nonis was on the chopping block, critics have wondered why he would be allowed to architect the trade deadline deals last month that are seen as being key to the rebuild of the Leafs franchise?

And if Nonis’ days were numbered with the organization, why would he reportedly be part of the organization’s strategy sessions that have also included team president Brendan Shanahan and other management types?

For what it’s worth, analyst Darren Dreger told TSN-1050 radio on Wednesday that it is likely Nonis returns as GM for the 2015-16 season. We’re not sure if finding a way to get rid of David Clarkson’s albatross contract helped Nonis’ chances of maintaining his position but it certainly couldn’t hurt.

Until a formal announcement is made, nothing is etched in stone when it comes to a Maple Leafs organization that seems to produce more sidebars — and side shows — than any other franchise in the league. Still, at least looking at the entire situation as a whole, there certainly are enough signals to allow observers to conclude that the Leafs are leaning toward bringing back Nonis to run the show one more time.

FARMED OUT

Less than 24 hours after he went fist city with J.T. Brown, forward Sam Carrick was sent down to the American Hockey League’s Marlies on Wednesday.

Carrick certainly would be a boost to a Marlies team attempting to squeeze its way into the postseason. Entering their game against former Marlie Spencer Abbott and the Chicago Wolves at Ricoh Coliseum, the Marlies had 73 points, leaving them three points behind seventh place Milwaukee, and two behind eighth place Chicago and ninth place Hamilton.

Toronto holds games in hand on all three teams.

QUEEN CITY BLUES

Because he didn’t play in the Leafs 6-2 drubbing at the hands of the Sabres back on Nov. 15 here at the First Niagara Center, David Booth was unaware of the trials and tribulations experienced by the Leafs over the years in the Queen City.

Nor had he ever experienced the atmosphere that fills the Sabres home arena when several thousand Leafs fans make the trek down the QEW to watch the Leafs play.

As a result, Wednesday night marked the first time he played in a Sabres-Leafs game in Buffalo. And, make no mistake, he was very much looking forward to it.

“It’s kind of ben the case all year,” Booth said. “In many of our road games, it kind of feels like an advantage because we have so many fans in the building. You have to give it to our fans.”

LAST MINUTE OF PLAY

Interesting to see Hall of Famer Mark Howe in the press box.

Howe is a scout for the playoff-bound Red Wings. Of course, both teams he was watching at First Niagara Center on Wednesday night have long been eliminated from the postseason.

Given the Red Wings interest in Dion Phaneuf prior to the trade deadline, might he have been in the house to scout the Leafs captain?

Just throwing it out there.

Hockey hits (VINE) Danny Markov crush Jarret Stoll

Si les séries commençaient aujourd'hui...

source : 985sports.ca

Évidemment il reste encore des matchs à jouer et le portrait des affrontements au premier tour des séries éliminatoires dans la LNH pourrait changer d'allure d'ici le dernier jour du calendrier régulier, le 11 avril.

Il est toutefois intéressant de jeter un coup d’œil sur ce que seraient les quarts de finale de Conférence si les éliminatoires débutaient aujourd’hui.

Dans l’Est le Canadien, encore premier de la division Atlantique, ferait face aux Penguins de Pittsburgh, première équipe repêchée. Le Tricolore a fait face à la bande de Sid the Kid à trois reprises cette saison, subissant deux défaites de 4-0 et 2-1 (P) à domicile. Montréal l’a toutefois emporté 4-1 à Pittsburgh.

Les trois autres série de la Conférence de l’Est mettraient aux prises, les Rangers de New York, premier la Conférence et premier de la division Metrpolitaine, et les Bruins de Boston, deuxième équipe repêchée.

Les deuxièmes et troisième des divisions seraient les adversaires des deux autres séries. Ainsi dans l’Atlantique, le Ligthning de Tampa Bay jouerait contre les Red Wings de Detroit tandis que dans la Métropolitaine ce serait les Capitals de Washington et les Islanders de New York.

Dans la Conférence de l’Ouest, les Ducks d’Anaheim, premier de la Conférence et de la division Pacifique auraient pour adversaires leurs voisins, les Kings de Los Angeles, deuxième équipe repêchée. Le Predators de Nashville, premier de la Centrale verraient débarquer chez eux le Wild du Minnesota, première équipe repêchée dans l’Ouest.

Comme dans les l’Est les deux autres séries mettraient en scène le deuxième et le troisième des divisions : pour la Centrale, les Blues de St-Louis et les Blackhawks de Chicago et dans la Pacifique, une série canadienne entre les Canucks de Vancouver et les Flames de Calgary.

Kings blowout Oilers to help with final playoff push

source : foxsports.com

The night of his first NHL game, Edmonton goaltender Tyler Bunz became the butt of all hockey jokes, no pun intended.

It was a bad night for Oilers' goalies all around. Former Los Angeles King and short-lived fan favorite Ben Scrivens gave up five goals. But even as bad as his night was, it probably wasn't as bad as that of his replacement, the 23-year-old Bunz.

The Edmonton Oilers rookie goalie made his NHL debut and promptly gave up two goals in the first 3:15 of the third period of Thursday night's game between the Kings and Oilers. It was nearly three after a puck slid between his skates and was cleared out of the crease by defenseman Martin Marincin.

Don't worry, the third came later as the Kings finished off the 8-2 win over the Oilers.

"That second goal is one I would like to have back, but other than that it was a good experience," Bunz said. "You never want to lose like that and you never want to have a debut like that."

All Twitter jokes about his last name aside, all in attendance felt for him.

"To throw him in a game where his team is maybe not playing their best game and losing by quite a bit, it's tough for a young goalie to come in and be put in that situation," said Kings' defenseman Drew Doughty. "Yeah, you feel bad a little bit."

But what did you expect against bottom-dwelling Edmonton? The defense couldn't even touch the puck, and the sad plight of the Oilers' goaltending only served to benefit the playoff-hungry Kings. The victory momentarily puts the Kings back in the final Wild Card playoff spot in the Western Conference.

"This was an important game, coming back after a long road trip, playing at home," said winger Marian Gaborik. "This team has been through a lot and throughout it all, in a situation like this, we know what it takes. Everybody knows how to prepare themselves and how to elevate their game.

Everyone knows the importance of these games, and that's just the way it is in this room."

Gaborik scored twice to bring his season total to 25 goals, marking the eighth 25-goal season of his career. It's no secret that his game has been reinvigorated in L.A., but his first 25-goal season first since 2011-12 only further bolsters that claim.

But Gaborik hasn't suffered from any shortage of goals. There's a few whose offensive wells have seemingly run dry over the last few months, like Dustin Brown (first goal since Feb. 18) and Doughty (first goal since Feb. 7).

"We need them to do it every game," said coach Darryl Sutter. "Brownie is our captain, Drew is one of the top players in the league. When you go double-digits or 20-something games without a goal, I'm sure it wears on those guys because they're used to being successful.

This game could serve as a catalyst to L.A.'s offensive production in the final games of the regular season, and maybe even beyond. If the Kings score enough goals to steal that final playoff spot, maybe they can thank Bunz.

He might need all the kind words he can get right now.

"He hasn't played much in the American League either. That's not an easy situation to go in to," Sutter said. "He's a pro and he will learn from. He'll move forward because he's a good Western Canadian."

Hockey hits (VINE) Scott Stevens destroy Patrick Flatley

Qui affrontera le CH en première ronde?

source : lapresse.ca

Ça se corse dans l’Association de l’Est.

Les Panthers sont virtuellement éliminés à la suite de leur défaite cruelle contre Boston hier (Lucic a choisi le bon moment pour marquer hier).

Les Capitals, à la suite d’une belle série de succès, s’approchent des Penguins de Pittsburgh et des Islanders de New York. Seulement un maigre point les sépare de leurs adversaires. Cette lutte intéressera les fans du Canadien au plus haut point puisqu’elle pourrait déterminer l’adversaire du CH en première ronde.

Tous les scénarios sont ouverts. À l’heure actuelle, le Canadien affronterait les Capitals en première ronde. Un adversaire qui ne sera pas reposant avec Ovechkin et Backstrom à l’attaque, mais aussi, surtout, une défense revampée et un gardien, Braden Holtby, en pleine possession de ses moyens.

Si le Canadien reste deuxième dans l’Est derrière les Rangers, mais que les Capitals montent au classement, l’adversaire pourrait devenir les Islanders ou les Penguins.

Si le Canadien devance les Rangers, qui ont un point de plus et un match de plus à jouer, Boston pourrait se retrouver dans les pattes du CH. Par contre, le Lightning peut aussi devancer Montréal puisqu’il y a un écart de seulement un point entre les deux équipes. Les Red Wings pourraient alors devenir les adversaires potentiels, quoiqu’ils peuvent toujours être devancés par les Bruins… et Détroit deviendrait ainsi l’adversaire du Canadien si celui-ci termine premier dans l’Est. Et il y a toujours les Sénateurs d’Ottawa, toujours en lutte pour la dernière place disponible. Un peu compliqué, vous suivez ?

Pour ma part, je craindrais beaucoup les Capitals et les Bruins. Beaucoup plus que les Islanders ou les Penguins. Long Island serait l’adversaire parfait en première ronde.

McDonald named chair of HHOF

source : Tsn.ca

Lanny McDonald has been a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame since 1992. Now he's the man in charge.

McDonald was named chairman of the board of the Hockey Hall of Fame on Wednesday, succeeding the late Pat Quinn. Although he had a storied playing career, culminating in a Stanley Cup with the Calgary Flames in 1989, McDonald is still anxious about his new role.

"I'd be lying if I didn't say I was a little nervous," McDonald said Wednesday in the Hall of Fame's Great Hall, hours after the board of directors elected him to the position. "But when you have a love for the game and you have a passion for the game and the people in the game, it'll be pretty easy. I look forward to the challenge."

McDonald will take over as chairman on July 1 after fulfilling his duties on the selection committee. The post was vacant after Quinn died Nov. 23.

A nine-year veteran of the Hall's selection committee, the 62-year-old McDonald appreciated Quinn's hands-off approach to leadership.

"He allowed the selection committee to be their own voice," said McDonald. "Then when he had to jump in and maybe tweak some things or throw out some suggestions, he did. That's what a good leader is all about. You look at his playing career, you look at his coaching career and then you look at what he represented as chairman of the Hall, I'm proud to follow him and pick up the work that he'd already started."

McDonald was already acting as an ambassador for the Hall of Fame on Wednesday, taking a moment to shake hands and take photos with fans who were admiring his plaque at the Great Hall before speaking with media about his appointment.

"It's a huge day, huge responsibility, but I'm just proud to be a part of the team," said McDonald. "I look around here, this is like home."

McDonald had 500 goals and 506 assists in 1,111 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Rockies and Calgary. He won the Bill Masterton Trophy for sportsmanship in 1982-83 and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for leadership on and off the ice in 1987-88.

Scotty Bowman, David Branch, Brian Burke, Marc de Foy, Mike Gartner and Anders Hedberg were all re-appointed to another term on the selection committee, up to the 2017 selection process.

Séries LNH : une course très serrée

source : univershockey.ca

Qui des Sénateurs d’Ottawa ou des Bruins de Boston favorisez-vous pour être des séries? (Crédit photo : Marc Desrosiers – USA TODAY Sports) 

Les séries éliminatoires de la Ligue nationale approchent à grands pas et la lutte, tant du côté de l’Association Est que de l’Association Ouest, est plus féroce que jamais. Les deux prochaines semaines seront déterminantes pour certaines formations du circuit.


Dans l’Est, les Bruins de Boston ont retrouvé le chemin de la victoire et par le fait-même, la dernière place donnant accès aux séries, grâce à une poussée de trois gains, après avoir essuyé six revers consécutifs (0-4-2). Bien que la concession du Massachussetts recommence à enchaîner les victoires, c’est loin d’être dans la poche. Les Sénateurs d’Ottawa lui souffle au cou, eux qui accusent trois points de retard en plus d’avoir une partie en moins.

Parlant des Sénateurs…

Les troupiers de Dave Cameron étaient loin d’être de la course il y a environ un mois. Les blessures des deux gardiens réguliers éliminaient pratiquement leurs chances d’accéder à la fameuse danse du printemps, mais c’est tout le contraire qui s’est produit. En l’espace d’un mois, le portier Andrew Hammond a complètement sauvé la saison des Sens et le brio du « Hamburglar » a eu pour effet d’inspirer ses coéquipiers. L’équipe a connu un bref ralentissement la semaine dernière avec trois revers de suite, ce qui aurait pu leur coûter une participation dans les séries.

Il faudra également surveiller les Panthers de la Floride d’ici la fin, mais leur revers contre les Bruins mardi soir risque d’avoir anéanti leurs espoirs d’être du bal printanier, bien que mathématiquement, ils ont encore des chances.

Dans l’Ouest, les champions en titre de la Coupe Stanley, les Kings de L.A., tentent désespérément de s’accrocher à une place dans les séries. Avec encore six matches à disputer avant la fin du calendrier régulier, L.A. peut toujours espérer. Pour ce faire, il doit lutter avec les Jets de Winnipeg et les Flames de Calgary, deux équipes qui surprennent en cette saison 2014-15 bien malgré leurs jeunes effectifs.

Il n’est pas surprenant d’apprendre que les Kings se retrouvent dans cette situation. Pratiquement chaque année, ils connaissent des saisons plutôt ordinaires, avant de tout détruire sur leur passage dans les séries. L’image d’une équipe bâtie sur mesure pour les séries, comme en témoignent leurs deux conquêtes de la Coupe Stanley au cours des trois dernières années (2012 et 2014).

Imagining the Leafs’ Summer Plans

source : http://thehockeywriters.com

The Leafs have been eliminated from the Playoffs and while the season melts down into yet another controversy I don’t feel like wasting my time caring about (Bernier spoke the truth? For shame!

Kessel and the coach are at odds? I doubt we’ll be seeing much of either of them come June, so who cares?) we can now safely turn our attention to the summer and participate in the one thing that is fun about cheering for a bad team: the future.

The Leafs (barring a late-season winning streak by the Oilers or – God Forbid! – themselves) look firmly entrenched in 27th place, which means that they will (barring their own lottery win, or one by a team below them) likely pick fourth in the upcoming draft.

That means a likely choice between Dylan Strome and Mitch Marner.

If I am the Leafs in this position, I’d be kinda mad.  Eichel or McDavid give us the no-miss #1 C the team has craved since Sundin and potentially the type of generational star that Toronto has never seen.  Noah Hanifin as a partner for Morgan Rielly for the next decade is the next best possible outcome, but a consolation prize of Dylan Strome – who I’d take right now based off what I can read about both players at this time – is nothing to scoff at.

Hey, Nice Jersey! Dylan Strome (Aaron Bell/OHL Images)

Strome is 6’3 centre who’ll be over 200lbs by the time he suits up in the NHL. That’s size almost comparable to Joe Thornton, and his pass first, “not a great skater but supreme vision and passing skills” sound reminiscent of Thornton’s own scouting report (although I get the impression that Strome likes shooting a bit more).

Besides Joe Thornton, I’ve heard Nick Backstrom and John Tavares as NHL comparables, with the “aggressiveness of a Perry or Kessler” thrown in for good measure. Since Marner projects as a winger and I’ve had about my fill of a team built around soft forwards, I’ll be very, very happy to pick-up a brand-new Strome Leafs Jersey the day after the draft.(If that sounds like I’m calling Marner soft, I’m not. I just like how aggressive Strome sounds like he is).

There Is At Least 1 More Pick, But First: Trades

The Leafs currently hold the free-falling Predators’ first pick, but before moving on to that pick, I’d like to indulge our collective fantasies in some good-old-fashioned trade talk.
In my opinion, the Leafs need to reboot this entire roster.  Outside of young players like Panik and old players with no value like Robidas, I would be willing to move anyone and everyone, with the exception of Kadri, Gardiner and – of course – Rielly and Nylander.

(Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Phil Kessel:

While I have written in his defense and have also suggested that we not be so hasty to move him out of town, I think that ship has sailed. When it’s all said and done, watching Hamilton have a Norris Trophy worthy season while Seguin competes for the Art Ross makes me sick to my stomach.

Sorry to everyone I ever tried to convince about Brian Burke’s genius or the merits of that trade.
But, that can’t affect our evaluation of the current asset and Kessel’s potential measured against wasting his prime years as the team rebuilds and the fact that he’s coming off more and more as a petulant baby by the day, makes me think he isn’t worth the headache.  Send him to a team that will love his scoring where he can be a complimentary piece like he should have been here.

To that end, I trade him on the draft floor to the Panthers for their first round pick (11th today) Erik Gudbranson (6’5 former #3 overall pick with a 49% CF and being utilized basically as the Panthers 6th D, with the caveat that he does play some tough shut-down minutes) and Rocco Grimaldi (potential superstar if not for the fact he is 5’6, 160).

I believe this is a realistic package for a player who has 50 goal potential and is (removing this year where he was really unlucky as well as in a horrible situation) in his prime. The Leafs get a pick, a failed pick who might turn out to be really good and a prospect with crazy potential in the Theo Fleury mold.

James Van Riemsdyk:

As the pretend GM of the Leafs, I surprise the hockey world by trading both of my star wingers on the draft floor. The reasoning: if you’re gonna rebuild, do it right.  I send JVR to the Islanders (desperate for a star winger to round out the Tavares/Okposo combo after losing in the Conference Final) in exchange for potential star defenseman Griffin Rienhart, a 6’4 200lbs player with massive potential who the Islanders don’t really have a spot for at this time.



Tyler Bozak and Joffrey Lupul: 

I trade Tyler Bozak to whoever wants him for whatever they’ll pay for him and then count myself lucky to be rid of his contract.  The same goes with Joffrey Lupul.  Any 2nd to late round picks these turkeys might bring back are pure gravy.

Jonathan Bernier:

He’s actually better than you think, but the team in front of him is so bad (for example he’s faced 40 shots or more in roughly a quarter of his starts) it’s hard to notice.  I think a team in  need of a goalie would want him and so after the Jets fail to advance past the first round, the Leafs send him west in exchange for Alex Bermistrov.

Bermistrov is a 23 year old former first rounder who couldn’t get a contract done with the Jets and is playing in Russia. He remains an intriguing NHL prospect who is a good skater and above average defensive player, and it would be a coupe for the Leafs to get him.

Dion Phaneuf:

It will make me sad to see the Leafs trade their captain, and who knows – maybe they won’t.  If you move out the rest of the current core group and realize that Dion makes an amazing #3 and a pretty good #2, it’s not the worst idea to keep him.  But, I want to burn this mother to the ground, so I trade him anyway, even though he get’s a bad rap and is a way better player than most Leafs fans are willing to admit.

While Detroit is the obvious destination, they refuse to send me Anthony Mantha and I end up trading Phaneuf to the Stars for the 5’11 defenseman Julius Honka (14th overall last year) and a second round pick.

(Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports)

Back to the Draft

Now that the Leafs have acquired Florida and Nashville’s picks, it behooves us to see who is available at the spots they will potentially pick at.

With Florida’s 11th overall pick, the Leafs take Jakub Zboril.  Zboril is a fast skating defenseman with decent size who can fit the mold of the puck-moving, high possession team the Leafs want to build.  He projects as an above average two-way defenseman with a heavy shot and “high hockey sense” (Craig Button).

With the Predator’s 20th overall pick, the Leafs take Jeremy Roy.  Roy is an offensive defenseman who has an extremely high ceiling, based on everything I can gather about him.  He may be similar to Zboril, but I think hockey teams are built through the blueline, so I take him and hope that one or the other turns into a star puck-mover.

 Final Analysis

Now, I get that it’s easy to be cynical, but this is just a fun activity. Do I overate what teams may pay for the Leafs players? Probably. Are the Leafs likely to make four or five trades leading up to the draft and end up with three first round picks? No.

But who cares? The team has been brutal this year and it’s a fun activity to image what the team might get in return for tearing this thing down. Let us look at what a future Leafs lineup may look like, assuming they could actually pull off anything close to what I’ve proposed here.

Forward:

Bermistrov – Strome – Nylander
Leipsic – Kadri – Grimaldi
Panik –   Holland – Brown
Leivo – Gauthier – Komarov

Defense:

Rielly –  Honka
Reinhart – Gudbranson
Gardiner –  Roy
Zboril

Goalie:  James Reimer

OK, I know it isn’t exactly realistic, but how ecstatic would you be if after this summer, the Leafs rebuild resembled anything close to this?  Phil who?

Thanks for reading.

Le navire des Maple Leafs coule de manière sublime!

source : lapresse.ca

La direction des Maple Leafs de Toronto a réussi sa manoeuvre de tankage à la perfection. Les Leafs ont le pire club de la LNH depuis la mi-janvier.

Ils ont une fiche de 6-25-3 à leurs 34 derniers matchs, nous rapporte le collègue James Mirtle, du Globe and Mail, un effort de médiocrité que les Sabres de Buffalo et les Coyotes de l’Arizona n’ont même pas réussi égaler.

Avec seulement six matchs à faire, ils sont presque assurés de terminer au 27e rang, ce qui leur permettrait d’obtenir le quatrième choix au repêchage, et 9,5% de remporter la loterie Connor McDavid.

Après McDavid et Jack Eichel, des joueurs de qualité comme le défenseur Noah Hanifin, Dylan Strome, Lawson Crouse et Mitch Marner sont disponibles. Marner a obtenu 126 points à London cette saison. Strome, coéquipier de McDavid, a 129 points.

Still scoring after all these years, Ovechkin gets 50th goal

source : salon.com

Alex Ovechkin is 29, and his hair is flecked with gray nowadays. His coaches and linemates keep changing, as have the ways opponents try to stop him.

After 10 years in the NHL, one thing that stays the same about the guy known as Alex the Great: He can get the puck in the net.

Putting his name in the company of such past hockey superstars as Wayne Gretzky, Mike Bossy and Mario Lemieux, Ovechkin is now one of only six players with at least a half-dozen 50-goal seasons.

The Russian wing reached that milestone for the sixth time Tuesday night by scoring in the first period of the Washington Capitals’ 4-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.

“We’re sort of immune to it now, really,” Capitals defenseman Mike Green said with a chuckle. “We don’t expect it, but it’s amazing how he does it every year. It’s one of the most difficult things to do, and he seems to find a way to accomplish that, season after season.”

As the rookie of the year in 2005-06, Ovechkin scored 52 goals. He had a career-best 65 two seasons later, followed by 56, then 50. After three seasons in a row with fewer than 40 goals, he regained his touch a year ago with 51.

“Much different than my first year. They give more attention to where we are. They put the best guys, best defensive line, against us,” Ovechkin said. “Obviously, if you have two or three shots on net, you have to score one.”

On Tuesday, he had four shots, and his goal was the 472nd of his career, pulling even with Peter Bondra for the most by a Capitals player. Later against Carolina, Ovechkin recorded his 419th career assist, passing Michal Pivonka for No. 2 in franchise history, three behind current teammate Nicklas Backstrom.

Ovechkin and Backstrom have spent much of their time in the league as linemates, but with the season heading into its final two weeks, first-year Capitals coach Barry Trotz shook things up last weekend, separating his two best offensive threats.

How did that work out? In two games alongside Evgeny Kuznetsov and Joel Ward, Ovechkin has three goals and one assist.

Trotz also moved Ovechkin moved back to left wing, his primary position for most of his career. A year ago under previous coach Adam Oates, though, Ovechkin played mostly on the right side.

When Oates became the fourth coach to depart the Capitals during Ovechkin’s tenure, whispers resurfaced about whether the player was too tough to deal with. Trotz heard that talk — and says now it was unfounded.

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“It’s way better than expectations coming in. All the things that people were telling me were false and untrue. It’s been a joy to work with Alex and be a part of the same group that he’s with,” Trotz said.

“It’s been really enlightening to me, and I’m trying to make it enlightening to everybody else that this is a good hockey player that can do some special things.”

Only Gretzky and Bossy, with nine 50-goal seasons each, have reached the half-century mark more often than Ovechkin. Lemieux, Marcel Dionne and Guy Lafleur had six apiece.

“I mean, the potential there to put up staggering numbers, all-time numbers, is incredible. He’s almost at 500 before he’s 30 years old,” Capitals forward Brooks Laich said. “And his game has changed, too. Even defenses have changed. He’s done it on the left side; he’s done it on the right side. … He’s a treat to play beside.”