Monthly Archive for July, 2004Page 3 of 3

Chelios to stay in Detroit

Published
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Matt Saler
on July 7, 2004
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The Red Wings and defenseman Chris Chelios are all but finished working out a deal which will bring the NHL’s oldest player (42) back for another year, reports the Detroit Free Press today. According to to the man himself, a base salary has been agreed upon and all that’s left is to decide on what his bonuses will be. He is expected to earn a little less than $3 million, after getting $6 million last year.

Chelios was aquired at the trade deadline in 1999 and has become an important part of the Red Wings’ defense. Although is age would cause most teams to avoid him, the Wings recognize the good of keeping him around as a veteran leader for the younger defensemen on the team. He is still in great shape and is considered to be one of the toughest players on the team by the coaching staff.

Right now, he is in California at his off-season home training hard and staying in shape. Wings fans last saw him on the ice in during Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals against Calgary when he went down with a shoulder injury.

Chelios said that the only reason it took this long for a deal to be made was because the Wings’ first priority was to bring back Kris Draper.

I’m happy with this news since I know Cheli is still valuable and that it’s not a waste of Wings’ money to bring him back. He won’t play as much next season because he is getting old and that will force his minutes to go down, great shape or not, but that’s not where his greatest value comes in to play. At this point, he’s not being brought back so much for his playing ability but for what he can teach guys like Jiri Fischer, Niklas Kronwall and Jamie Rivers. It was much the same case with Igor Larionov being a mentor to Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. I think it’s a good choice by the Wings, though after this year, Chelios should retire.

NHL Playoff Format

Published
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Brian List
on July 7, 2004
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In my opinion, the NHL playoff format needs to be revamped. Why? The current format has 16 of 30 teams headed to post-season play. Not only do the six division leaders make the cut, but 10 other teams make it. It’s too easy to make the cut. The Presidents’ Trophy winning team is given no special treatment other than home-ice “advantage” throughout the playoffs. Advantage is in quotations because it can be a factor but is many times an overestimated facet of a seven game series. The most important thing about home-ice advantage is having Game 7 in your own building. Other than that, it’s really a toss up whether or not it helps your club. In addition, the top teams from each conference are not rewarded enough for their successful seasons.

My idea is to give more importance to the divisions. In my prospective playoff format, I’d give automatic playoff bids to the six division winners, and have 6 at large/wildcard seeds to split between the East and West. Conference winners and teams that finish second in points will get a first bound bye. This gives teams a reason to play hard and stay second in points in their conference even though they really may be a forth seed.

In the first round, the 1 and 2/4 seeds will have a bye. Facing off is 3 versus 5 (if 4 seed has bye) or 6 (if 2 seed has bye). Then, either the 2 seed plays 6 (if 4 seed has bye) or 4 seed plays 5 (if 2 seed has bye). A major premise of this bye system is to reward teams for placing second in points in their conference even if they are only getting the forth seed based on being in a tough division. This is a situation that has played out before when the Wings and Blues were close division rivals. The following is a mock playoff example for the West to illustrate how things would pan out under my playoff format:

* = first round bye
(#) = seeding

Central
(1)* Wings 100
(4)* Blues 99
Predators 82
Blue Jackets 75
Blackhawks 68

Northwest
(2) Canucks 95
(5) Avalanche 93
Flames 86
Oilers 83
Wild 72

Pacific
(3) Sharks 94
(6) Stars 89
Kings 84
Mighty Ducks 75
Coyotes 71

For this hypothetical standings, the Wings (1) and Blues (4) would get the first round byes, even though the Blues took a forth seed. The first round wildcard matchups would be Canucks (2) versus Stars (6), and Sharks (3) versus Avalanche (5). In panning out the winners, I’d take Canucks (2) and Sharks (3). Still holding the forth seed, the Blues would be somewhat punished for not taking first in their division, but not overly-so, as they had a first round bye to reward their efforts. The second round would consist of Wings (1) versus Blues (4), and Canucks (2) versus Sharks (3). And so on…

If Only…

So, for this year’s standings, the following would’ve happened in the West if my playoff format was instituted:

* = first round bye
(#) = seeding

Central
(1)* Wings 109
Blues 91
Predators 91
Blue Jackets 62
Blackhawks 59

Northwest
(3) Canucks 101
(4) Avalanche 100
(6) Flames 94
Oilers 89
Wild 83

Pacific
(2)* Sharks 104
(5) Stars 97
Kings 81
Mighty Ducks 76
Coyotes 68

My playoff format cuts out the Blues and Predators, the 7 and 8 seeds, from the 2004 playoffs. 7th and 8th seeds in the Stanley Cup playoffs are often push-overs and have never won a Cup.

So the 2004 playoffs according to me proceeds as follows:

The Wings and Sharks get a first round bye as the top two point-getters and, as it happens, first and second seeds.

Canucks (3) versus Flames (6)
Avalanche (4) versus Stars (5)

The Flames (6) would beat the Canucks (3), and the Avalanche (4) would beat the Stars (5). That would make for a second round looking like this:

Wings (1) versus Flames (6) –> as it happened anyways
Sharks (2) versus Avalanche (4) –> as it happened anyways

The Flames (6) would beat the Wings(1), and the Sharks (2) would beat the Avalanche (4). This creates the same 2004 playoffs (at least when I look at it in this vacuum, not considering how the bye affects the Wings and/or Sharks), and gives the Wings a first round bye, much-needed rest instead of having to play the Predators. In addition, the Sharks don’t have to play the Blues (who they easily beat 4-1).

Realizing that the East was insanely tight this past season, let’s take a look at how my playoff format affects the coastal teams:

* = first round bye
(#) = seeding

Atlantic
(3) Flyers 101
(6) Devils 100
Islanders 91
Rangers 69
Penguins 58

Northeast
(2)* Bruins 104
(4) Maple Leafs 103
(5) Senators 102
Canadiens 93
Sabres 85

Southeast
(1)* Lightning 106
Thrashers 78
Hurricanes 76
Panthers 75
Capitals 59

Eliminated are the Canadiens and Islanders. Notice that the six 100-pt clubs all make post-season action. With the Lightning and Bruins owning first round byes, the first round would be:

Flyers (3) versus Devils (6) –> as it happened anyways
Maple Leafs (4) versus Senators (5) –> as it happened anyways

Philly and Toronto win their series, and the second round is as follows:

Lightning (1) versus Maple Leafs (4)
Bruins (2) versus Flyers (3)

And who knows what would’ve happened from there…

The main point of showing the Eastern Conference playoff bracket is that you see how the main contenders play and wallowers (Canadiens, Islanders) are rooted out.

Gary Bettman’s Communism

Now I realize that the NHL is all about inclusion, from their efforts to help the needy teams with a future salary cap, to allowing 16 of 30 teams in with the current playoff format, to creating tropical teams which harbor hockey but produce no stars (that’s a whole different article!). In addition, the NHL would hate to lose the revenue of four 7th and 8th seed teams participating in the playoffs. While my format keeps with three rounds and a Cup Final, it eliminates four teams and gives four others a bye round. Not exactly following Gary Bettman’s Law of Inclusion, but making more sense for teams, like the Wings, who play amazing in the regular season but are given nothing in return. Home-ice is no longer enough “reward” for leading the league in an 82 game season. Like the NFL, the top teams should be given a bye round to rest after their break-neck seasons. And as for teams like the Flames that would narrowly make the post-season under my format, I say this: Make your playoff push earlier!! The Flames were a hungry enough team this past season to make the cut in a chopped-down bracket like I’m offering. And if “deserving” teams miss the cut, they need to learn from the tough experience and make the extra push the following season.

If you don’t follow my points about NHL Inclusion, read up on the league’s history of playoff formats. If you think 16 of 30 making the playoffs is good odds, in 1979-80, the league included 16 of 21. That was when four WHA franchises entered the league (Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Hartford Whalers and Quebec Nordiques). I used Origins of the Game as reference to my study. By the way, Al Arbour’s New York Islanders won the Cup in ‘80, the first of four straight Cup wins.

Here’s a list of Cup winners and their seed, if you’re interested in how eliminating the 7 and 8 seeds would affect the past. Realize that the playoff formats changed a lot, as did number of teams in the league at any given time. But my main point is that, despite the league’s efforts to give underdogs a chance at winning, they rarely or never do.

2004 Lightning (1)
2003 Devils (2)
2002 Wings (1)
2001 Avalanche (1)
2000 Devils (4)
1999 Stars (1)
1998 Wings (3)
1997 Wings (3)
1996 Avalanche (2)
1995 Devils (5)
1994 Rangers (1)

Below I change from seed to overall conference ranking in points, as the playoff format changed drastically after the 1993 Cup Finals. And looking at those old seedings to our current ones is like apples and oranges.

1993 Canadiens (4)
1992 Penguins (4)
1991 Penguins (3)
1990 Oilers (2)
1989 Flames (1)
1988 Oilers (2)
1987 Oilers (1)
1986 Canadiens (5)
1985 Oilers (1)
1984 Oilers (1)
1983 Islanders (4)
1982 Islanders (1)
1981 Islanders (1)
1980 Islanders (2)
1979 Canadiens (1)
1978 Canadiens (1)
1977 Canadiens (1) –>notably Scotty Bowman’s 60-8-12 season
1976 Canadiens (1)
1975 Flyers (1)
1974 Flyers (1)
1973 Canadiens (1)
1972 Bruins (1)
1971 Canadiens (3)
1970 Bruins (2)

Need I continue? This breakdown of the past 35 Stanley Cup winners clearly shows that the top 5 teams in a given conference are the teams that win the Cup. This past year, the Flames were one game away from being the first sixth seed in the modern era to win the Cup. Other than that, Cup winners are most likely division winners or close by. So I am still comfortable axing the 7 and 8 seeds.

Other Leagues

Let’s look to other professional leagues, such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB, and see what percentage of regular season teams make the cut for the post-season. Maybe we’re being too harsh on 7 and 8. Or not…

NHL currently: 16 of 30 (53.3%)
NHL under my format: 12 of 30 (40%)

NBA: 16 of 29 (55.2%)
NFL: 12 of 32 (37.5%)
MLB: 8 of 30 (26.7%)

As you can see, it’s not exactly unprecedented to make the post-season a more special feat. I see the NHL’s current system as a sort of grade inflation, allowing teams like the St Louis Blues to make the playoffs 25 straight seasons and not win a thing. Sure, part of it is choking, but I also see some of their failures as simply not warranting a playoff spot. This past season, as a seventh seed, they were smoked by the Sharks 4-1. The Blues didn’t deserve to be there, and the Sharks deserved a rest. See where I’m going with this bye system?

Motivation

In an 82-game season, a team’s motivation is what keeps them chugging from October to April. With the current playoff format, I honestly don’t see what gets the Wings excited about becoming a conference leader. In these days of ever-increasing parity, seeding is not a perfect measure of talent. Just look at the Eastern Conference standings after this past season, and you’ll see seeds one through six separated by six points. In the current format, I really don’t want the Wings to win another Presidents Trophy and outskate teams for seven months of regular season play, because it really doesn’t pay off as for the playoff picture. My format makes a great season pay off by awarding the first round bye.

Admitted Weaknesses

The only weakness of this playoff format is that it guarantees the bye to the team second in points, so they will not be pushing as hard to pass the team in first. But it also gives a reward to these teams that have been screwed over with the current format. In addition, while it helps the 4th seed that may be second in points, it punishes the 5th seed or any other team that comes short for not making that extra push at the end. In the end, there will never be a perfect system, but we should at least push for a system that better rewards top teams for playing well for 82 games through seven months. With a bye system, I believe teams will play harder to try to earn the all-important week-or-more rest. In addition, the current 16 team playoff participants often know they have their spot clinched a month or more in advance. This system cuts the field down to 12 and gives teams who have earned to clinch their spot that much more to play for. I don’t believe that my system would slam the door on teams like the 2004 Flames, as they could just start their runs to make the playoffs earlier. And if Bettmanites scoff at my system as intrinsically flawed for cutting down the number of playoff series and thus revenue, I say this: then why the heck are you considering a chopped-down 72-game season? I’m sure the NHLPA would love my playoff format, as our stars can play less and make the same.

In conclusion, we should no longer reward garbage teams playoff seeds and ignore the success of conference champions. The playoffs are not about teams that merely survive the regular season (as in 16), but teams that excel in the 82 games (as in 12).

Dominik Hasek now a Senator

Published
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Brian List
on July 6, 2004
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No, the former Red Wing has not been elected to the Canadian Parliament following the June 28 election. But Dominik Hasek has been signed by the Ottawa Senators after going on the market July 1.

The Ottawa Senators introduced their new goaltender at a press conference 10 am EST in Ottawa. Hasek agreed to a one-year contract with an option for a second. The structure of the deal is such that Hasek will have a base salary of $2 million the first year and $3 million in the option year, along with a $4 million bonus if the Senators win the Cup. Hasek was set to earn $6 million last season before he stopped accepting paychecks.

Happy Hasek:

“Ottawa was my first choice and I was very excited when my agent called back and said they were very interested in me. And today I’m here.”

“I know this is a very good team and I believe with my help this team can win and that’s why I made the choice to become an Ottawa Senator.”

To make space for Hasek, the Senators traded Patrick Lalime to the St Louis Blues, leaving Ray Emery and Martin Prusek as backups.

The Senators were Hasek’s first choice, due to their skilled roster and his relationship with GM John Muckler, who worked in Buffalo when Hasek was a Sabre.

The Wings had no interest in signing Hasek, who’s failed attempt at a comeback nearly had them trading Cujo to make space for the Dominator that never showed up. In the end, the Wings see Hasek as a liability, and want nothing more of the goaltending controversy that plagued them last season.

After 14 games-played last season, Hasek finished 8-3-0, with a 2.21 GAA and .907 save percentage.

Dom and Dumber

The stupidity snowballs. Not only did Hasek’s decision to return to the game produce an injury-plagued 2003-2004 season (only 14 games played), but he has decided to further ride the storm and join the Ottawa Senators for the theoretical next season. I see part of his decision to play next season as an attempt to salvage his return from retirement. He has too much pride to allow last season’s debacle to be the last chapter of his professional hockey career. In deciding to come out of retirement, Dominik Hasek was playing dice with his legacy. Instead of going off into the sunset of retirement as a 2002 Stanley Cup Champion with the Wings, he returned to the game over a year later, playing only Czech roller hockey as a forward in between. He promised the Wings and their fans that he would be ready, that his physique and endurance were still there.

Reliving a year of hell…

As an avid Wings fan, I remember listening to the press conference when Dominik announced his return last summer:

“I now feel that I have achieved a better balance in my life, and I have more to contribute to the game. My batteries are recharged, and I have the fire for competing for the Cup again.”

In hindsight, I must ask, just what kind of batteries did he employ? Just so I don’t ever make my own use of them.

After the initial seconds of delight, I began to question whether he would be ready to play in the NHL again and why exactly he was returning. He had only been playing inline hockey the past year, and as a forward. There were reports that his business ventures were doing poorly, and he was in need of quick money. Then, Hasek’s legal problems came to light later in the summer, the result of an altercation in his inline hockey league in the Czech Republic. The prosecutor dropped the charges for lack of evidence of cause of bodily harm, but the black cloud remained over his head.

Hasek played only 14 games during the 2003-2004 regular season due to a nagging groin injury, and ended up throwing in the towel on the season and having groin surgery in late April. Hasek hurt the Wings in not living up to the high expectations, throwing Cujo into a blender, and hurting locker room chemistry that pitted Hasek supporters against those of Cujo. There was no goaltender certainty for the Wings in a season that had Dominik Hasek, Curtis Joseph, Manny Legace, and Marc Lamothe all taking turns between the pipes.

And with Dominik Hasek forcing himself on the Wings, who didn’t want to risk him playing for the rival Avalanche, management breached the trust of Curtis Joseph, who left Toronto with tears in his eyes to become the number one goaltender in Hockeytown. Cujo went from pre-season ankle surgery, to the trading block as he recovered, to the Grand Rapids Griffins, back up to Detroit to step in for a wounded Hasek, to more ankle problems, to Manny Legace starting the 2004 playoffs, to allowing only 2 goals in 2 games, but taking two losses in Games 5 and 6 of the Wings/Flames series.

This year of hell ends in the present, with a bittersweet divorce. After the Wings were hungry for another season with Dom following the 2002 Cup win, they are now totally uninterested in his services. I was at the 2002 Cup parade, and remember the “one more year” chants when Hasek’s car went by. In Hart Plaza, Ken Daniels answered more of the chants by calling Hasek to come to the microphone and say “yes.” Unfortunately, he declined to commit to anything, and soon after, retired. The 2003 playoffs left the Wings winless in a four-game sweep by the Mighty Ducks, and Dominik finally gave us the “one more year.” Too bad it was a year late. The aura of Dominik Hasek is now largely lost.

Goalie Formerly Known as Dom

After retiring in 2002 as an immortal goaltender who just won the Stanley Cup, the also six-time Vezina winner decided to return to the game. Unfortunately, in doing so, he has returned to Earthly-stature. Although he could still be the greatest goaltender in the world, if the game were played in a vacuum free of age and injury, this has been called into question as a direct result of the 2003 return. His reputation and image were tarnished, and now he drives on the bumpy road of return, in search of his previous stature. His pride keeps him from throwing in the towel again.

I partially understand why he is coming back for another season, since he doesn’t want the last chapter of his professional career to be an embarrassing 14 game season in which he spent more time in the press box than on the ice. For his sake, I hope that he gets in top shape before the theoretical 2004-2005 season, as #39 is now 39 years old and he can’t afford another injury-plagued outing.

Man of Honor

The most honorable thing Hasek did during the whole debacle was refuse his inflated salary after being unable to play for months. He didn’t pull a Uwe Krupp and gut the Wings for all they were worth based on contract legalities. He made a honest and moral decision, and gave the Wings back the money he felt he hadn’t earn.

Hard Feelings Aside

Although I am bitter for what Hasek did to the Wings most recently, I do not forget what he did for us in 2002. I wish Hasek well and hope that he is able to regain some pride. I wish that he could’ve either came back for the 2002-2003 season or stayed retired, but it’s time to move on now. Good luck Dom!

The End of the Hasek Saga (for Detroit anyway)

Published
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Matt Saler
on July 5, 2004
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The Ottawa Senators will officially announce their signing of former Red Wings goalie Dominik Hasek tomorrow at 10 ET, Canadian sports news outlet TSN is reporting. The terms of the deal are not known but that will likely come out tomorrow during the conference. Hasek was set to earn $6 million last season with the Wings but stopped accepting his pay in just before announcing he was done for the season due to a groin injury after playing only 14 games. It is highly unlikely he will make that much this coming season and it is believed that his salary will be in the range of $2 million.

Dominik did have surgery on his groin in May and has had to pass physicals for the Senators, who obviously think he’s fit to play. They are confident enough that they traded away their previous #1 goalie, Patrick Lalime, to St. Louis, a move which once again resulted in the disruption of Chris Osgood’s career at the hands of Dominik Hasek. The first time, if you don’t remember, was in 2001 when he set himself up to be traded to Detroit from Buffalo, thereby forcing Osgood out. Hasek pulled a similar move in 2003 when he announced his un-retirement despite the fact that the Wings already had a #1 goalie, Curtis Joseph. That decision created a cloud of controversy which hung over the Detroit lockerroom for most of the year.

Like I’ve said before, I think the Sens are taking a dumb risk with Dominik and I think they would have been better off making a trade for a top goalie if they really thought they needed one. Dominik was supposed to be healthy for last season and we all know how that turned out. He says he’s in good condition but that’s exactly what he said last summer. I remember listening to the phone conference in which he announced his return. Forgive me if I’m a little skeptical but I don’t think he’s capable of playing consistently at the NHL level any more. Obviously, if his surgery really did fix the injury, I’m likely wrong but I think the question of his health is big enough to warrant leaving him be.

Although I disagree with his recent career choices, I do want to thank Dominik for coming to Detroit in 2002 and helping the Red Wings win the Stanley Cup. I have a lot of good memories from that year and many of them consist of some action by Hasek. It’s too bad things didn’t work out differently last season. Just goes to show, Dom, we fans were right after all. You should have stayed after 2002.

Boyd Devereaux leaves Detroit, signs with Phoenix

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Matt Saler
on July 5, 2004
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Boyd Devereaux has signed with the Phoenix Coyotes, a one-year, $650,000 deal (with an option for another year) that could earn him up to $1.6 million if he reaches certain performance marks. Devereaux had been a restricted free agent but because the Red Wings did not give him a qualifying offer, he became unrestricted on July 1.

The 26-year-old forward earned $1.6 million in Detroit last year, scoring six goals and notching nine assists while playing 61 games during his fourth season with the Wings. While not known for his offensive ability, the Coyotes are confident his experience gained while a part of the Red Wings organization will make him valuable to them. Phoenix GM Mike Barnett said

“We believe that Boyd can take on a more expanded offensive role with our hockey club after having played alongside many future Hall of Famers in Detroit. He brings the work ethic that it takes to win consistently in the NHL.”

I don’t think Boyd “De-void” Devereaux (the nickname he somewhat unfairly earned here in Hockeytown) will be all that missed by the fans in Detroit. He had his bright spots on the original “Two Kids and an Old Goat Line” during the 2001-2002 season as well as during the following year’s training camp but a broken hand turned him into a shell of a fourth liner after that. Most of us have been waiting for him to get “it” back but it hasn’t happened. The Wings were looking to bring him back for next season but at a lower price and it’s likely that he didn’t wait around because he knew he was not a priority like players such as Mathieu Schneider and Steve Yzerman are. I do think the Coyotes have overblown his talent a bit and that saying he has “elite speed” is a little ridiculous but they know what they’re doing.

It’s sad to see him go but only because he’s been in the Winged Wheel for long enough to have some nostalgia attached to him. Other than that, all I can say is good luck in Phoenix, Boyd. I hope you can get your game back.

Meet the Detroit Gladiators

Published
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Brian List
on July 3, 2004
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Although it is unclear who will even play in Bobby Hull’s World Hockey Association come this October, it is certain that Detroit will have its own team. Meet the Detroit Gladiators, the name chosen after weeks of online voting. Gladiators got 32%, Cougars 28%, Demons 19%, Speed 13%, and Dynamos 8%. I voted for the Cougars, simply because “Gladiators” is too similar to the Spartans (ie Michigan State University), and I’m a student at the University of Michigan. And my family owned a Mercury Cougar automobile way back when. Case closed. The following is a breakdown of what is going on for the WHA and the Gladiators:

Draft

The WHA draft, originally scheduled for July 10 and July 11, has been pushed back to July 17 and July 18. This reflects the disorder of the league, which isn’t even sure if it will have enough teams to compete. The league will likely be similar to the Original Six of the 1926 NHL.

Another reason for the schedule change is that NHL free agents go on the market on July 1. The WHA is unsure of how many NHL players will suit up in their league.

The WHA draft will take place at the Fallsview Casino Niagara. The plans are that 30 NHL/AHL free agents be picked on July 17 and 30 entry level free agents on July 18.

The minimum draft age of 17 makes QMJHL phenom Sidney Crosby eligible. Crosby will otherwise be the first pick of the 2005 NHL draft, as minimum draft age is 18 in the NHL. Crosby joining the WHA before his first shift in the NHL wouldn’t be unprecedented: the old WHA did the same with Wayne Gretzky in 1978. The Great One made his step to the NHL when the Edmonton Oilers of the old WHA became a NHL franchise in 1979.

Regular Season

Scheduled to begin in late October. There will be 76 games, beginning October 29. But take this with a grain of salt, as the WHA has also said that there will be a minimum of 10 franchises, when only four are currently confirmed.

Salary Cap

Franchises will be under $15 million dollar salary cap, which includes a $5 million dollar marquee distinction. This terminology means that each team will be allowed to shell out no more than $5 million total for one or two high-end players (ie a franchise player clause).

With the NHL lockout partially due to teams’ poor business management and loss of money, the WHA needs to make sure that they are a league that practices sound business. That means make profits. The London Free Press calculates, in Canadian Dollars, that

“At an average ticket price of $50, it will take 38 crowds of 10,000 to come close to covering the players’ salaries alone, without factoring all the other overhead. Arena leases, travel and front-office salaries all have to be covered as well. Given the sorry history of most new hockey leagues, an average crowd of 10,000 in any of the markets will be an amazing success. To do it, the WHA will have to score an almost unprecedented marketing coup.”

Rules of Play

Some rules differences include the removal of the center red line, no-touch icing, touch up offside, and three on three overtime, which will be followed by a sudden death shootout to eliminate ties in league standings.

Board of Governors

Mario Frankovich (Hamilton) Chairman
Rick Munro (Dallas) Vice-Chair
Jean-Paul Boily (Quebec)
John Marshall (Halifax)
Gino Naldini (Toronto)
Jay Patel (Detroit)

WHA commissioner

Bobby Hull, Brett Hull’s controversial father, is the commissioner of the re-born WHA. He has the fastest recorded shot (116.3 mph), scored 610 goals for Chicago, and led the Blackhawks to the 1961 Stanley Cup.

In June 1972, Bobby Hull changed The Game forever. He was the first player to earn a $1 million dollar salary with a 10-year, $2.75 million dollar contract with the WHA’s Winnipeg Jets. This had him leaving an Original Six city in Chicago for the uncharted waters of the WHA. Hull has said that he regretted the decision months after taking the road less traveled (for all you Robert Frost fans).

Bobby Hull made the WHA a credible league, paving the way for Wayne Gretzky to join the WHA in 1978.

Amazing Bobby Hull quote on Gordie Howe:

“Before I went to the WHA, folks asked me what I’m going to do when I approach Gordie. I said that I’m going to score one less goal than Howe, then retire. I don’t think I could have gone by the great old man.”

Trading Cards

Pacific Trading Cards was awarded an exclusive license to be the league’s manufacturer of trading cards.

League resurrected

The WHA operated from 1972 to 1979, and is now coming back for the 2004-2005 season. Bobby Hull, the first $1 million dollar contract visa vie the WHA, is a large part of this resurrection. Also, the widely known NHL lockout plays a factor. The WHA hopes to capitalize on the void of hockey in the mainstream market, and again become a major rival league of the NHL.

Tentative Teams

With teams slated for Jacksonville and Orlando bowing out, the WHA is down to an Original Four of confirmed teams: Detroit, Dallas, Halifax (Nova Scotia), and Quebec City. Toronto and Hamilton (Ontario) are franchises in “good standing” pending the completion of business terms. Other possibilities include Vancouver and Miami. Future teams could end up in Birmingham, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Montr�al, Phoenix, and Toledo. But, as it looks now, the WHA will at best have its own version of the Original Six.

This news comes as an obvious disappointment. The WHA had anticipated a minimum of 10 franchises, which was recently decreased to seven.

If you followed my article regarding the contributions to The Game based on regions of North America, mark the loss of Florida teams as another sign of the bad state of hockey in the South.

Website

The World Hockey Association website is found here. The league can’t even afford to get a .com domain name, has only a few major sponsors, and is in a dream-world thinking that things will go smoothly four months from now.

WHA affects AHL?

The re-birth of the World Hockey Association could hurt the AHL, and, thus, the Grand Rapids Griffins. Red Wings’ minor-league talent, such as Nathan Robinson, Jiri Hudler, Darryl Bootland, Matt Ellis, Tomas Kopecky, Eric Himelfarb, Danny Groulx, Brett Lebda, and Joey MacDonald, could end up joining the new WHA team in Detroit or elsewhere if they can get significant salary increases or want to take a big career gamble by joining the new league.

Moe Mantha, Gladiator Coach

Moe Mantha, former NHL player, was the first head coach to be confirmed in the WHA. He has most recently been working with the US national team based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Gladiators’ Home Ice

The Gladiators will play their 38-game home season in the now-defunct Pontiac Silverdome, which used to be the home of the Detroit Lions before they built their new stadium, Ford Field, in the heart of Detroit.

Gladiator Ownership

Senticore Inc, based in Hollywood, Florida, purchased the Detroit franchise. If you followed my article regarding the contributions to The Game based on regions of North America, mark this one up for the South.

Gladiator Players

TBA. Red Wings players such as Manny Legace, Brett Hull (notice this as one of the last times Brett Hull will be named as a Red Wing), or any third-tier players like Jason Williams or Mark Mowers, who want to stay in shape, are possible participants. And, as stated before, AHL players could make the jump (which could very well be off a cliff).

Ex-Wing News

With some Wings fans hopeful that GM Ken Holland could bring ex-Wing Mike Knuble back home, that is now a pipedream. Knuble, formerly of the Boston Bruins, where he joined Martin Lapointe as a defector from Hockeytown, has signed a three-year deal with the Philadelpia Flyers. Knuble is a huge physical presence at 6-3, 230 pounds, but can also score, adding 21 goals and 25 assists in 82 games last season.

The Wings drafted Knuble on June 9, 1991 as a 4th round pick (76th overall). In addition, Knuble was around for the Stanley Cup wins in 1997 and 1998. At the time, the divorce of Knuble and the Wings was a good move for both sides. The Wings just couldn’t give him the ice time to flourish, and Knuble has had an offensive surge since leaving (notably 2002-2003: 30 goals, 29 assists, +18).

Touring stars

Similar to when Wayne Gretzky organized a tour of all-stars during the 1994 NHL lockout, it is again possible that such a tour could take place sometime this winter. This is all reliant on whether the NHLPA and/or player agents allow it, but the International Management Group, which represents Joe Thornton, Mats Sundin, and Jaromir Jagr, has been looking into the possibility. The main purpose of the tour is to keep players in shape and keep The Game alive and well with the absence of regular NHL play.

Where NHL Players Come From

Published
by
Brian List
on July 3, 2004
in Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

The following is a list of the places of origin for all current NHL players, based on the active rosters on espn.com as of 6/23/04. This data is intended to give a general idea of where players are coming from. I do not vouch for the numbers to be precisely accurate, as some players were not on the active rosters listed on espn.com when I researched the subject, and I did not feel the need to search these players out individually.

Europe/Other

Czechoslovakia: 79
Russia: 58
Sweden: 44
Finland: 28
Germany: 5
Switzerland: 3
Poland: 2
Brazil: 1
Brunei: 1
France: 1
England: 1
South Korea: 1
Austria: 1
Northern Ireland: 1
South Africa: 1

Total Europe/Other: 227

United States

Massachusetts: 21
Minnesota: 19
Michigan: 15
New York: 15
Rhode Island: 4
Ohio: 4
Connecticut: 4
Indiana: 4
Illinois: 4
California: 3
Colorado: 2
New Jersey: 2
Virginia: 2
Alaska: 2
Delaware: 1
Washington DC: 1
Oklahoma: 1
New Hampshire: 1
Utah: 1
Florida: 1
Texas: 1
Washington: 1
Georgia: 1
Maryland: 1
Pennsylvania: 1
Missouri: 1
Vermont: 1
Nebraska: 1
Iowa: 1

Total United States: 116

Canada

Ontario: 146
Alberta: 66
Quebec: 64
Saskatchewan: 35
British Columbia: 35
Manitoba: 17
Newfoundland: 6
Nova Scotia: 6
New Brunswick: 3
Prince Edward Island: 2
Northwest Territory: 1

Total Canada: 381

Total NHL players documented: 724

Percentages:

Canada: 52.6%
United States: 16.0%
Europe/Other: 31.4%

As seen in the data, the majority of NHL players come from Canada, which only has six teams. This is because Canada boasts a top-notch minor league hockey system, and hockey is the beloved national pastime of Canada.

The United States is home to the other 24 teams in the NHL. Even though nearly all corners of the continental United States harbor hockey, there are only localized niches of the country that actually produce NHL players.

During his reign as NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman has made a strong effort of trying to diversify the NHL fanbase. This has led to expansion clubs springing up well below the Mason Dixon Line, something that hockey traditionalists are hard-pressed to accept.

Hockey in Paradise

Even though Florida can only get credit for one current NHL player, the state hosts two teams in the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. Florida’s lone player is Dan Hinote of the Colorado Avalanche. Hinote was born in Leesburg, Florida, but raised in hockey-rich Minnesota, in a city called Elk River, just north of Minneapolis. This phenomenon leads to my main thesis:

Can the NHL broaden its market to tropical states and hockey-deficient communities, which produce no NHL talent, and expect to survive there? And is it in good standing with The Game to import players without producing any talent locally?

I don’t want to single out Florida as the microcosm of what many states are in the NHL, but the fact that the Lightning won the Stanley Cup in 2004 makes the Sunshine State fair game.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Looking at the Tampa Bay roster, 15 players come from Canada, 3 from Czechoslovakia, 3 from Russia, 3 from the United States (New York, Colorado, Minnesota), and 1 from Sweden. Imported talent from the north won the Cup for the Lightning. Heck, they even have to import their owner in Detroiter Bill Davidson.

Note: European players are imported no matter what team you are, so I will subtract them out of my equation for the time being.

When a team like the Wings win the Cup, I find it more acceptable that the imported talent is merely across the Detroit River. In addition, the city of Detroit produces its own NHL talent (Michigan: 15 NHL players), so it’s not like Detroit is only importing players for its team. If you take from The Game, you must give, and that means produce NHL talent.

And something about hockey reminds me of ice. Wait, the game is played on a rink of ice, something that is meteorologically impossible in tropical locations. The simple fact that Floridian kids aren’t able to go to the local pond and skate hurts the chances of the Sunshine State ever becoming a significant producer of NHL talent. It’s kind of like expecting Canadians to become world-class surfers and compete with Hawaiians and Californians. And would it really make sense for Canada to organize its own surfing league and import southern talent? The culture of certain regions of the United States just doesn’t fit ice-sports, just as Canadian culture doesn’t fit surfing. Yet Gary Bettman is attempting what appears to be the impossible, thinking that the imported ice will never melt in the South. I’m no pessimist, but I’m starting to see slush…

Rat Race

Sure, the 1996 Florida Panthers made the Stanley Cup Finals, and even though they were swept by the Avs in 4 games, it seemed like a hockey craze began in Miami. The whole throwing the rats on the ice bit was a play on the Wings’ tradition of throwing the octopus. It looked like the state of hockey was strong in Miami. Wrong. When the team slumped in seasons after, the bandwagons of fans left the Panthers. And with the Tampa Bay Lightning victorious as Stanley Cup champions, look for the same to happen to them if the 2004-2005 season proves a bust. Interest is quickly lost in these southern expansion teams, a volatility that may end up sending these businesses down the tubes. It is more of a fad than a fabric of their culture. Remember Beanie Babies?

Take, but not Give

The idea that the state of Florida is mooching the hockey talent of the north without producing any of its own talent is a sticking point for me. While I will give the southern states some time, as the impact of the expansion teams hits, I do expect a reflexive participation in the game. To be in good standing with the game, these new enclaves of hockey must work harder at getting minor league teams going and making their own impact on the game. If the fans take The Game solely as entertainment, and the kids aren’t emulating their hockey heroes on the local rink, hockey is not doing well down south.

If hockey is going to become bigger in the United States, particularly in certain states like Florida, more talent has to be produced at home. For perspective, all areas of the United States are way behind these foreign countries in producing talent. But in comparing production from hotbeds like Michigan, Massachusetts, New York, and Minnesota to these other states, I find myself dissatisfied. Now I’m not saying at all that I’m against European or Canadian players, these are some of the best players in the league and the NHL couldn’t function without them. With that said, and considering that 24 NHL teams have homes in the States, I think it’d be positive for more players to come from the United States. Interest in hockey at all levels, not only NHL, but pee-wee, minor league, and NCAA, will get the gears rolling on more talent production in the States.

In fact, it almost seems like there are more teams located in the United States where hockey isn’t produced than where it is. Here’s an objective list of producers and non-producers for states that have a current NHL team:

Producers (5+ current NHL players)
New York - Sabres, Rangers, Islanders - (15)
Massachusetts - Bruins - (21)
Michigan - Red Wings - (15)
Minnesota - Wild - (19)

Non Producers
(Pennsylvania - Penguins, Flyers - (1)
New Jersey - Devils -(2)
Florida - Panthers, Lightning - (1)
Washington DC - Capitals - (1)
Missouri - Blues - (1)
Tennessee - Predators - (0)
Ohio - Blue Jackets - (4)
Illinois - Blackhawks - (4)
Colorado - Avalanche - (2)
California - Mighty Ducks, Kings, Sharks - (3)
Texas - Stars - (1)
Arizona - Coyotes - (0)
Carolinas - Hurricanes - (0)
Georgia - Thrashers - (0)

Among the non-producers, I’ll give a temporary pardon to states that have only recently received the game: Arizona, Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Carolinas. But this pardon is only on the condition that the fans in these states not only support their NHL teams but a grassroots effort to get hockey going on lower levels of the playing field. This is how talent is produced.

Clearly, the hotbed of NHL talent in the United States is coming from a swath of states in New England and the Midwest. This is partially because of the weather conditions of the region, but also because Canada lies close to the north and Original Six cities of Detroit, Chicago, Boston, New York were where the league started in 1926.

Now, I don’t ever expect Florida, or any other hockey-new states, to become Ontario’s or Michigan’s of hockey production. I understand the constraints of their weather patterns, and how the culture of the South works against them playing the “Yankees’ game.” I would just like to see these states work at increasing their NHL talent, because it is their responsibility to The Game to produce talent if they are importing it. To be truly successful in the South, NHL teams must transcend their business as entertainment and become a part of Southern culture.

Behind the Jersey: No. 33

Published
by
Christy Hammond
on July 1, 2004
in Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

    He just signed a four-year deal for $11.25 million with the Detroit Red Wings. He recently won the Selke Trophy for best forward defenseman. He has three Stanley Cup wins to his name. He�s blessed with two adorable kids and a loving wife. He works hard and plays hard. His name is Kris Draper.

    Draper grew up like any regular teenager in Toronto where he hung out with friends at the movies and participated in sports. Early in high school, he played football but when his grades started to suffer due to the overlapping seasons (of football and hockey), his dad made him pick a sport. Draper�s obvious choice was hockey. �Obviously, it was a no brainer at what sport I was going to pick. Yeah I enjoyed playing football but hockey was something I wanted to do at any opportunity that I had,� Draper said. His weekends were mainly consumed with Friday and/or Saturday night games and practices. �I wanted to be surrounded by hockey and I was able to do that by playing high school hockey and then also by playing in a different league as well. Everything was busy with hockey,� Draper said. During the summer, he did make the time to play golf and tennis with friends.

    Back in the �87-88 season, Draper played for the Don Mills Bantam Flyers in the Metropolitan Toronto Hockey League (MTHL). In 40 games, he notched 35 goals, 32 assists, and 46 penalty minutes. At the young age of 17, Draper played 122 games in two seasons with the Canadian National hockey team. In �90-91, he played with the Ottawa 67�s (a major junior hockey team) and also played seven games for the Moncton Hawks (an AHL squad). During the next season, he participated in 61 AHL games and achieved 29 points. While playing in his second year with Canada�s World Junior Team, he led the team to the gold medal in 1991.

    In the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, the Winnipeg Jets selected Draper making him the 62nd pick overall. He scored a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs in his NHL debut on October 4, 1990. During his first three seasons in the NHL, Draper played a total of 20 games. He was then traded to the Detroit Red Wings for a whopping one dollar on June 30, 1993.

    Since joining the Red Wings, Draper has won three Stanley Cups (1997, 1998, and 2002). Each one had special memories; �Anytime you win the Stanley Cup its special, its just that each one has its own special memories,� Draper said. The first one was the most memorable because the city had been going on a 42-year drought and everyone was excited about the Stanley Cup win. The second time around, it was a very inspirational victory after the Vladimir Konstantinov and Sergei Mnastakanov limo accident. Draper was especially touched when captain Steve Yzerman presented Konstantinov with the Stanley Cup �because that is something you�re never going to forget as a professional athlete.� He treasured the third win because he had a wife, Julie, and two kids to celebrate it with. He put his son, Kienan, in the Stanley Cup and he ate Fruit Loops out of the Cup with his daughter, Kennedi. �Just the little things like that was special since I hadn�t been able to do with the first win,� Draper said.

    As seen with his favorite memories from the third Stanley Cup, Draper adores his family. As much as he enjoys hockey, he admits that there are some stretches during the season that can get rough being away from his wife and kids. His daughter understands the concept of a road trip, but his son doesn�t understand why his dad is always leaving and wonders when he is going to come back home. He admits that his wife takes the brunt of things and is the one responsible for balancing family and work. �Every guy here is lucky to have a wife to take care of the kids and kids that understand that Daddy has to go to sleep or Daddy has to go play hockey. My wife realizes the sacrifices I make to play hockey and she makes a lot of sacrifices to make sure everything works out as a family,� Draper said. And while no hockey player wants a longer summer, he does enjoy his free time where he stays in Toronto with his family. �I love summers since I can hang out with my wife and kids and everything is family-orientated,� Draper said.

    Draper also spends his free time involved in the community. He is the spokesman for D.A.R.E. and after the 2002 Stanley Cup win, he brought the Cup to Children�s Hospital. Draper realizes how fortunate he is as a person and a professional athlete. �You know as we wake up in the morning, while you guys go to school and I go play hockey; these parents go to the hospital everyday to visit their kids. To have an opportunity like this and to give it back to the community and to the children, it was tough there. Being as fortunate as I am and to go in there and see all the sicknesses and illnesses and be able to put a smile on a kid�s face and if you have the opportunity to make kids forget about their illnesses for even just 10 minutes; you know you�ve done something good. It�s very rewarding to go in there and to do that,� Draper said.

    Draper is a man of ritual and superstition. When it comes to road trips, roommates Darren McCarty and Draper sleep in certain beds depending on whether the team won or lost the last game. �With Darren and I, if we�re winning then he�ll have the bed closest to when you walk in the room and I�ll have the window bed. And if we lose, we�ll switch it up,� Draper said. Like many hockey players, he has a strict pre game ritual. He drives his daughter to school and then goes to Sonny�s Restaurant for breakfast and what he eats depends on if they are winning or not. When they are winning, he eats egg white omelets. If they lose, Draper has oatmeal. �Then I just drive down to the rink for our pre game skate for like half an hour where we skate and just loosen up. It�s just like a crammed in practice, you get the goalie shots and get your sticks ready for the game,� Draper said. For most pre game meals, his wife cooks him a meal so he can hang out with his kids. If he eats with some of the guys, it is at Andiamo�s (an Italian Restaurant). Sleep is something very important to Draper so he�ll then take a nap typically from 2 o�clock to 4 o�clock. Once he wakes up, he�ll get coffee and his lucky chocolate chip muffin from Tim Horton�s. Usually, he gets to the rink about 2.5 hours before the game to get his sticks ready, stretch, and make sure he is fully warmed up. However, there really isn�t a strict routine after the game. �It depends on the schedule. If we have an opportunity, we�ll grab our wives and go out to dinner. Like right after tomorrow night�s game we have to leave to head out on the road for our game the following day. Usually if we don�t play for a couple of days or have the night off we�ll go up for dinner. But usually by the time we get out of the rink its 11:30 or 12 o�clock already so you might just grab something to eat and then head home,� Draper said.

    Draper started the 2004 season with a bang after helping Canada win the 2003 World Championship in the summer and then getting a bigger role after Sergei Federov left for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. “The world championship really helped me. Anytime you play a large role in winning a championship, obviously, it builds up your confidence,” Draper said. As the playoffs drew near, people noted Draper�s strong shot at capturing the Selke Trophy until he injured his rotator cuff. �It has been a fun year for me obviously personally because I�ve reached new heights. Anytime you get mentioned to win a National Hockey Award is pretty special. It would be a tremendous accomplishment to win the Selke. I just hope that the 65 or 66 games that I have played will carry me into that,� Draper said. Draper finished the 2004 season with a career-high 24 goals and 40 points. He had a 56.9 faceoff winning percentage, which ranked eighth in the NHL and he tied for second in shorthanded goals (he had 5). As a result, Draper was decisively voted to take home the Selke Trophy at the NHL Awards held in his hometown Toronto. “I’d like to thank my friends, my family. I don’t think anyone would be here right now without great teammates. And that’s exactly what I have in Detroit,� Draper said in his acceptance speech.

    Another result of an outstanding season occurred when Wayne Gretzky announced Team Canada�s roster for the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. Draper discovered that he made the roster while vacationing in the Bahamas. After checking his messages on his home phone, he heard a message from Gretzky. “I still have it saved. I called my buddies and they’ve listened to it. I was always hopeful that something would happen but it is a big thrill,� Draper said. He has league-wide approval from both players and coaches. “He is deserving of all the accolades. He is a good player and when you play with that kind of speed, he will be effective,� San Jose Coach Ron Wilson said.

    Draper recently signed a contract to play four more years with his team, the Detroit Red Wings. �I’m just thrilled. This is what I really wanted. It was an interesting process but I signed a four-year deal with the team I really wanted to stay with. [the no-trade clause] was big. I’ve played 15 years [1993 through 2008] with the same team, the no-trade clause means a lot to me. That’s why I wanted to get this done before testing free agency,� Draper said. General manager Ken Holland had similar thoughts: “We are all very pleased to have Kris signed for the next four seasons. He has been a vital part of this teams’ success over the years and having him back will help our club remain competitive for seasons to come.”

Sources:
- All Draper quotes (except for the last two) were from my personal interview with Draper back in November or from a press conference I attended.
- All other sources have been linked to.

Wings sign Draper

Published
by
Brian List
on July 1, 2004
in Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

After reports that a deal had been made Tuesday night via sportsnet.ca, Kris Draper called a local radio station Wednesday afternoon to disprove that statement. But it is now official: Kris Draper has signed a four-year, $11.2 million dollar contract with the Wings. And to cement his status as part of the inner-core of the team and a potential future captain, the contract includes a no-trade clause that will keep Draper, 33, in Hockeytown through his 37th birthday.

The Wings acquired Draper from the Winnipeg Jets in 1993 for one dollar. Draper’s past three seasons for the Wings have produced 30, 35, and 40 point season totals, all career years. This past season, Draper had 24 goals and 16 assists (thus 40 points), and won the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s top defensive forward.

News of the deal is relief to Wings fans that Draper will not take a career-season and jump boats. In 2001, after a career-season of 27 goals and 30 assists, Martin Lapointe signed a blockbuster contract with the Boston Bruins. And similar to Draper, Lapointe was considered by many to be the Wings’ next captain.

Still, it was hard to think of Draper ever leaving the Wings. Publicly, Kris has said he didn’t want to leave Detroit. And the Wings expressed similar views. So, 15 minutes before midnight Wednesday, Draper got the call that confirmed the deal was done and he would be staying with the Wings. The deal was inked at approximately 11:40 PM Wednesday night.

Draper earned $1.475 million last season, and will make $2.8 million each of the next four seasons, with the possibility for performance bonuses.

Draper comments on the deal:

“I’m just thrilled. This is what I really wanted. It was an interesting process but I signed a four-year deal with the team I really wanted to stay with. [the no-trade clause] was big. I’ve played 15 years [1993 through 2008] with the same team, the no-trade clause means a lot to me. That’s why I wanted to get this done before testing free agency.”

General Manager Ken Holland’s feelings on the deal:

“We are all very pleased to have Kris signed for the next four seasons. He has been a vital part of this teams’ success over the years and having him back will help our club remain competitive for seasons to come.”

And for those north of the border, Happy Canada Day!

Remaining Players to Sign:

Brendan Shanahan
Mathieu Schneider
Chris Chelios
Boyd Devereaux
Mathieu Dandenault
Jiri Fischer
Steve Yzerman
Jason Williams
Pavel Datsyuk