Monthly Archive for July, 2005Page 5 of 5

Lewis out, Babcock in?

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Matt Saler
on July 6, 2005
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David Naylor, of Canada’s Globe and Mail, is reporting that the Wings are looking at replacing head coach Dave Lewis with Mike Babcock, the latest coach of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Both men had contracts that expired last week (30. June) and are currently unsigned. Babcock, however, has a one-year contract offer from new Anaheim GM Brian Burke and he has until tomorrow to take it, after giving himself a week to think about it.

(UPDATE 7/7, 8:04 am: Mike Babcock turned down the Mighty Ducks’ one-year offer, and rumor is that he has a multi-year deal with the Wings in place.)

Babcock coached in the AHL (interestingly enough, he coached the Cincinatti Mighty Ducks, a former affiliate of the Wings, between 2000 and 2002. Jiri Fischer played for him in that time.) and WHL before coming to the NHL in 2002 to take the top spot with the Ducks. He then went on to ride the success of JS Giguere all the way to the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals, in the process handing the Wings one of their more embarrassing playoff eliminations in recent memory (4-game sweep, allowed just 6 goals). The Ducks took the Devils to 7 games but did not complete their Cinderella story. The next year, Anaheim fell to 12th in the Western Conference, despite the added services of Sergei Fedorov and Vaclav Prospel.

Lewis has been with the Red Wings organization for 18 years, mostly as an assistant coach. He finally got the head coaching position with the retirement of Scotty Bowman in 2002. He had two successful regular season runs with the Wings, coaching them to 48 wins in both the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 season but disappointed many with his inability to get the team past the second round of the playoffs.

I, for one, have never been a huge, huge fan of Dave Lewis. I think the Wings would have been better off listening to Bowman, who wanted his job taken by Barry Smith. While under Scotty, Dave coached the defensemen, a good fit because he played that postion during his NHL career. When he became head coach, however, he took up the traditional role of coach of the forwards and head of the offense. He effectively switched jobs with Smith, who always had the offense before. Maybe I’m reading into it too much but it just didn’t seem to work, not when it counted anyway. I was unimpressed with Dave’s line combinations in the playoffs as well. He seemed to stick with combinations that worked during the season instead of lines that were working right then. I had higher hopes for him. Regular season success is great but I’ve seen the Wings stomp the Blues enough to know that winning in the playoffs is even better. I would not be all that sad to see Lewis coaching somewhere else.

That said, I’m not sure how I feel about Mike Babcock. His success against us in the playoffs was more due to a dominating goalie and a suffocating style of clutch-and-grap than to his ability to coach excitement and skill. Still, the Ducks were not the most skilled team and he obviously worked with what he had. I’m a little concerned with his ability to coach stars, however. The situation with Sergei Fedorov in Anaheim did not go very well and, although they don’t have such a prima donna on the roster now, the Wings are a team with more skill as well as one set in its ways. He will also have to face up to a lot more pressure from the fans here in Detroit. He does have youth over Dave, however. He’s 42 and Lewis is 52.

I think the Wings would be better off keeping Barry Smith around and giving him the head coaching spot. He’s been around the organization long enough to make a transition smooth. Some may say the Wings could use a new face but I think they have enough maturity in the lockerroom with all of their veterans that a totally new coach is not necessary.

It surprises me a little that the Wings are looking at signing anyone at the moment. Their General Manager, Ken Holland, had said previously that the team would not negotiate contracts with anyone until the new CBA is signed.

We’ll find out in the next couple days whether Dave will be on the bench next year or not. According to TSN, the Wings have told Lewis they will get back to him by the end of the week. If Babcock does not accept Burke’s offer tomorrow, he will be heading somewhere else in the league, though not necessarily Detroit.

Miscellaneous note: if all goes as planned, I will be living in an apartment building named “Babcock” this coming semester. Weird.

Thanks for Carole Lee Sussman for the G&M link.

Also, as if we Wings fans needed any more reminding, NHL.com has a niece piece about Detroit’s drafting prowess.

UPDATE: Brian poses this question: How would Babcock effect who the Wings bring back or buy out? I don’t know enough about the guy to say but it definitely would add a whole new dimension to Holland’s decision making process in the coming months.

Glenn Healy: “This will be a better deal than the one in February”

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Brian List
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Glenn Healy, TSN NHL Insider and staunch NHLPA supporter, on whether the players are getting a bad deal (transcript of TSN video clip):

“If I was a player, I wouldn’t be doing cartwheels over this deal. But, [if] you want to play hockey, this is what you have to do to get the game back on the ice. It’s basically a money transfer. Players made hay for ten years, now it’s the owners’ turn…Well that is probably the biggest myth that is out there [that the deal is worse]. The deal they are negotiating and are about to sign is a better deal than the one in February, and for three reasons. It is now a full partnership, and by full partnership what I mean, revenue sharing all the way through the deal and it goes up as revenues go up. The players now are part of the competition committee. They have a real hand on driving those revenues up. And when those revenues go up, the cap doesn’t stay at $42.5 million like the deal in February. It goes up to $50 million, and maybe upwards of $60 million - whatever the revenues dictate. There’s a floor on the deal- teams have to spend a minimum. The biggest thing, the guts of the deal, are the December 9th, basically, player’s proposal. Better qualifying offers, better arbitration, better minimums, better pension, and better free agency. We were born with two ears and one mouth, and we should use these a little bit more [points to ears]. This will be a better deal than the one in February.”

Interesting…but it’s a big IF how the revenues dictate the cap. And, while the NHLPA might’ve won on other issues, the main issue and concession was for them to accept a cap at $36-38 million. It could be the difference between Nick Lidstrom making $10 million or $5 million. But Healy is right that the deal is more of a partnership, and it was a huge victory for the players to get equal seats on the competition committee, taking that sole responsibility from the GM’s. I doubt we’ll hear players saying this deal is better than the one in February though…they just lost last season’s salary and a major chunk of the rest of their career salaries under this CBA. I don’t think a pension increase will make up for that…they could’ve possibly won on the most issues but lost on the biggest one.

Former Wing Sean Avery: “We Were Brainwashed”

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The next player to bash Bob Goodenow and the NHLPA, Sean Avery:

“We were brainwashed. We burned a year for nothing. We didn’t win anything. We didn’t prove anything. We didn’t get anything. We wasted an entire season…I am furious at Bob (Goodenow). Bob thought he was bigger than he was. Bob brainwashed players like me…To be honest with you, most of us didn’t know what was going on. Guys had no control over the situation. Guys were out there giving interviews and we didn’t know the real story. Bob embarrassed a lot of guys. We underestimated how rich the owners were. Nobody thought they would be willing to burn a season. They won. They beat us. The saddest thing that happened to me during the lockout was the two or three times that fans asked me what was going on. I wished I could have apologized to them then. I apologize to them now. We owe the fans everything, we need to get them back, we need to cross our fingers that they will come back…Can you please tell all the fans that we’re sorry? We’re really, really sorry.”

Bill Plaschke of the LA Times first broke this story, after receiving a call from Avery yesterday afternoon to express his regret and frustration with NHLPA leadership. I think all sane players should be angry at the NHLPA leadership, and coming out like this is only going to win back the support of a lot of fans. No matter what ratio of fault existed between the sides for the lockout, the players are going to take a beating in the coming weeks. Bob Goodenow will likely re-sign or be forced out by the players.

I have a hard time buying that the players “were brainwashed” when most every NHL fan knew this was coming and that it was inevitable for the NHL to win this time around. So the players either had no grasp of reality or stayed silent for fear that the NHLPA Enforcers would show up with bats on their doorstep. And, considering that most every player who spoke out against leadership during the lockout retracted their statements soon after, the latter is a likely reason why the lockout didn’t end in February. Sure, some were brainwashed: the militant, hard-liners probably are still eating up Goodenow’s message. But I have a hard time believing guys didn’t doubt Goodenow until last week. So I blame those players for letting the owners drive off that cliff when we all saw it coming and knew they were crazy enough to do it. I encourage more players to come out and speak against the NHLPA, not because I enjoy seeing them at the low-point of total defeat, but because it will help win back the fans who want to think “hey, he’s one of us now!”

More Speculation on Nick Lidstrom

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Brian List
on July 5, 2005
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With the media still silent on the issue of Nick Lidstrom’s $10 million ($7.6 million post-rollback) salary for 2005-2006, I turned to Ansar Khan of Mlive.com, who recently wrote an analysis of the Wings’ payroll for next season. Here is his response via email on what to do with Nick:

“The Red Wings will definitely ask Lidstrom to defer a portion of his salary ($7.6 million after the 24 percent rollback) in exchange for a longer term IF, under the new CBA, it gives them cap relief. That apparently is still being determined.

If his salary is still going to cost them $7.6 million towards the cap, then there’s no point. However, it would help them if, instead of taking $7.6 this season, he signed a three-year extension for something like $5 million a year, knocking off $2.6 million from their cap this season. But teams don’t know yet if the league will allow this.”

I agree with Ansar on pushing for Nick to defer part of his salary, especially if it could go towards a long term deal. Lidstrom, 35, will become an unrestricted free agent for the 2006-2007 season, and the main question is, does he want a long term deal? He has always been cautious not to sign long term contracts in case he decides to return to Sweden, where he has always wanted to raise his children. Is that still in his plans? And it’s not like a long term deal is enough of a favor to Nick for him to defer the money (like it would be a favor to a guy like McCarty), in fact it’s more of a favor to the Wings who have always wanted Nick signed long term. And, when you think about it, it really won’t be a deferral but money forfeited, as the Wings will never be able to live up to that “extra chunk of cash deferred,” so it’s basically a contract re-negotiation we’re after.

If Nick refuses to defer any salary or make room for the Wings in any other possible way, the Wings have two options. One, shop Nick around and look for a mutli-player trade acquisition. Not that it’d be smart for anyone to take up a $7.6 million contract, but a few teams who are starting . Two, buy out his contract at two-thirds, not counting towards the cap mark. But, since buying out Nick’s contract means the Wings wouldn’t be able to sign him for a year, that’s obviously the last option we’ll exercise. And I doubt Nick would let it come to that, after 13 seasons and three Stanley Cups with the team who drafted him.

UPDATE 8:25 pm

Post-lockout Red Wings ticket prices: “To be determined once new CBA in place,” while some teams guarantee price-cuts.

Chris Yzerman Interviews Senators GM John Muckler

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Brian List
on July 4, 2005
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Chris Yzerman, the younger brother of Red Wings Captain Steve Yzerman, has a very interesting interview with John Muckler in the Canadian Press. Senators GM John Muckler, 71, recently was given a three-year contract extension, and has outlined his plan for the team in post-CBA chaos:

“I don’t know what the new economic order is. We had a team that we feel could win the Stanley Cup, we still feel that way and we’d like to keep it together.”

Currently, the Senators are looking at $23.6 million of post-rollback salary for the ten players signed for 2005-2006. While he is looking to bring back key players such as Marian Hossa, Martin Havlat, Mike Fisher, Todd White and Jason Spezza, Muckler says he is also considering bringing up six or seven AHL Binghamton Senators to fill in the rest of the roster:

“There are about seven teams that I would call buyers, and the rest of us are trying to hold on to what we have. If you look at our numbers, we don’t have money to spend.”

That’s something that might ring true for all 30 teams. Replacing aging veterans who command a legacy/reputation salary with AHL up-and-comers. To me, for the Wings, that means guys like Brendan Shanahan (36), Chris Chelios (43), Darren McCarty (33), and Steve Yzerman (40). While it doesn’t mean the Wings will drop any or all of those guys, those players should consider re-negotiating/accepting less money because the Wings won’t have space for legacy/reputation contracts anymore, especially with $16.34 million post-rollback locked up between Hatcher / Lidstrom / Lang.

One interesting name Muckler dropped was Dominik Hasek. The Senators plan to pick up their $2 million option for Hasek next season (up to $6.1 million if they win the Cup), and Hasek, 40, ‘wants to play’ as long as a CBA is in place by September. Says Muckler:

“I spoke to (Hasek’s agent) Rich Winter the other day. Dom in ready to play, he’s excited to play and he thinks he can play three more years.”

Haha. That’s funny. Three more years? The Senators should sign a good backup, because Hasek is a huge question mark.

With disappointing playoff losses - the legacy of Jacque Martin - there’s obviously talk of stirring things up on the Senators. Last summer the Senators fired Martin, and brought longtime coach and GM Bryan Murray on board. But on Wednesday, Muckler stated that Daniel Alfredsson will continue to wear the C.

Former Red Wing Bob Probert Charged with Assault

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Brian List
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It’s not the first time this headline has been used. After another run-in with the law, Bob Probert, 40, appeared in court today charged with assault and intent to resist arrest. Police arrived on the scene Friday morning at a house in Lakeshore, Ontario after receiving reports of Probert damaging property and being violent. Probert resisted arrest and was taken in to the Lakeshore police station, then released on bail. Probert has a history of drug and alcohol related problems off the ice, and ranks fifth all time in career penalty minutes with 3300.

Other Wings-Related News

Brendan Shanahan had two goals and an assist in the Team 1990s’ 5-3 win over Team 1940s in NHL.com’s Quest for Canada’s Best tournament. I don’t know how much of you even go to NHL.com anymore…heck, I barely go there when there’s actually hockey being played. But there is so little acknowledgement that the lockout is even going on when you visit NHL.com, like the Quest for Canada’s Best tournament is enough hockey coverage to make us forget what we’re missing. Oh and Go Team 1990s! Wahoo!

Players May Sabotage New CBA

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Brian List
on July 3, 2005
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Stan Fischler reminds us that a new CBA, even when agreed on by the negotiating groups from either side, is not a done deal. It must be ratified by the NHL Board of Governors and the NHLPA membership. And of course the NHL Board will give it the thumbs up because all indications point to it being their CBA. The question is, what will the NHLPA members do? And, according to Fischler’s sources close to the players, “hyper-militant union members” are determined to sink the deal.

This hard-line faction reportedly includes an NHL goon and a retired enforcer close to the union. They have been talking with players and are looking to circumvent the current negotiation process, which does not involve Bob Goodenow. That key fact sets up “Goodenow’s Last Stand,” where he will rally for support among respected rank-and-file members who may be able to pull in more “no” votes.

I do not think this effort will work. More and more players are coming out to publically trash Goodenow and the NHLPA’s sudden softening on stances. Jaromir Jagr, Jeremy Roenick, Manny Legace, among others, as well as Chris Pronger, Jarome Iginla and Robert Esche, who were a part of the February Faction who attempted to save the season by bypassing Goodenow. Sure many of these players would’ve wanted to keep those hard-line stances, but at this point they distrust Goodenow and are likely ready to throw the towel in.

According to a high profile player:

“If it wasn’t for Goodenow’s ego, this deal would have been a slam-dunk already. I’d say there are at least 80 percent of the NHLPA furious with Bob over his handling of this.”

Which gives us hope that Goodenow’s Last Stand will fail and will become a transition to his resignation or termination from head of the union.

And why is the progress so slow? Why are they meeting 75 hours a week and still need more time? According to a team executive:

“This won’t be like 1995, when the owners rushed to get the deal done and we didn’t read the fine print. This time, it won’t be signed until every word is in its proper place.”

And according to one of the CBA architects:

“In a legal sense, this is like re-inventing the wheel.”

So stay patient. A deal by July 15 seems to be the unoffical deadline.

UPDATE 7:54 pm

“This is going to be a tough sell to the players and a bitter pill to swallow.”

The players certainly won’t like what else their leadership has given up. According to what sources from both sides have told the Ottawa Sun, this is the framework for the new CBA:

-Hard cap set at 54% of revenues ($24-$39 million range)

-Dollar-for-dollar luxury tax starting at $30 million

-15-20% of player salaries put into escrow every year, to cover team costs if revenue marks aren’t met, in addition to 24% rollback

- Entry-level salaries capped at $850,000 for three years, maximum signing bonus of 10% per season, meaning Crosby has no reason not to sign in Europe

-Qualifying offers kept at 100%, without 10% raise for players below the league average

-Contracts from last season will not be honored, meaning an influx of free agents

-Unrestricted free agency at age 30 in 2005-06, age 29 in 2006-07 , and age 28 in 2007-08

-One-time, two-thirds buyout of existing contracts, not counting towards the cap

-If a team buys out a player, it can’t re-sign him for another year

-Commissioner Gary Bettman may have absolute power to fine and suspend players

-Maximum fine will be more than the current $1,000

-Minimum salary increased from $175,000 to $400,000

Kevin and Derian Hatcher playing in Detroit Roller Hockey Association

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Brian List
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If you live in the Detroit area and want to see some good roller hockey, you might want to check out the Detroit Roller Hockey Association’s 30 & over Gold Division. Specifically, a team called the Hatchys. You guessed it, Derian and Kevin Hatcher are on the team, and they play at Joe Dumars Fieldhouse in Shelby Township on Thursday nights, time variable. This Thursday, game time is 8:20 pm versus Team Travesty at Rink A.

The Hatchys are leading the 30 & over Gold Division through seven games with a 4-3-0 record. Kevin and Derian each have 26 points in 6 games played. Derian wears #2 and Kevin wears #99.

Also on the team are Mike Lalonde from the MSU hockey team, Matt Koleski, a former Alaska Gold King of the WCHL, as well as members of the Detroit Mission Bulldogs and other local inline hockey teams.

NHL Competition Committee Set

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Brian List
on July 1, 2005
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With a deal in sight, the sides took today off in honor of Canada Day, but will resume marathon talks Monday in New York. But the real story is that members of the long-awaited NHL Competition Committee have been chosen. Comprised of four active players, four GM’s, and one owner, the committee will include players Trevor Linden, Brendan Shanahan, Jarome Iginla, and Rob Blake, GM’s David Poile (Nashville), Bob Gainey (Montreal), Kevin Lowe (Edmonton), and Don Waddell (Atlanta), and Flyers owner Ed Snider. The committee will replace the GM’s as the body to discuss and recommend all rule changes.

Looking at that committee, I first recognized that the league ultimately gets the deciding vote, with 5 owners/GM’s versus 4 players. Then I noticed how Canada gets an equal say in the committee despite only having 6 of 30 NHL teams. Two players from Canadian teams (Linden and Iginla) and two GM’s from Canadian teams (Gainey and Lowe). It’s also nice to see Shanahan’s name on the list, and Iginla is a guy I’d trust to make the right calls.

And everyone, expect a lot of changes. The marketing slogan for next season will be “A Whole New Game,” and, living up to that, Bob McKenzie explains some of the rule changes we’ll see next season:

‘For Sures’

-Goalie Equipment: 11-inch goal pads, smaller blockers and catching gloves. More form-fitting jerseys and pants.

-Tag up offside

-Goal line moved 2 feet back towards the boards

-More interference penalties, especially on stickwork and pinning along the boards

‘Highly Probable’

-Shootouts

-Four minutes 4-on-4 OT, then three minutes 3-on-3, then shootout

-3 points for regulation win, no points for losing in OT/shootout

-Fatter blue lines

-No red line

-Goalie puck handling

-No touch icing, no icing allowed on penalty kill, no line change for team icing puck, linesmen discretion,

-Bigger nets

-Penalties for illegal defense/trap

UPDATE 7/3

Well, as would be expected, the GM’s don’t like their power being taken away. They were informed via an NHL memo earlier this week. Said one GM:

“A lot of guys (GMs) aren’t happy at all. In fact, they’re furious. This competition committee could have been integrated with the GMs, but it looks like it’s a replacement type of thing. It’s going to be very interesting to see how this dynamic is going to work.”

Oh boo hoo. You should’ve never held that sole responsibility. That this competition committee has players as well as management shows an early sign of a partnership between the trenches. One GM was more open to changes:

“Let’s give it a chance. But a lot (of GMs) aren’t happy, that is for sure.”