“When you have a family, this is important for you if you know you can stay in the same place. If your family loves this place, and if I love this place, there is no other option.”
Vladimir Tarasenko is officially a St. Louis Blue for the next 8 years, folks. Making a hefty $60 million over that span of time doesn’t seem too rough, either.
Tuesday afternoon, the club announced that they had agreed upon a contract to keep the 23-year-old Russian forward in St. Louis for 8 more years.
Tarasenko has had an exciting few days, to say the least. Getting married 5 days ago and signing a multi-million dollar contract that will keep him with the Blues through 2023 isn’t a bad way to go about the offseason.
“This is not about the money,” he said when talking about team leadership. “This is about your personality, how you can talk to the guys, how you can help the guys. I think money is important, but in the leadership terms, this is nothing. You can sign a $50 million-dollar contract in one year, but teammates can hate you. I work hard the last three years to make the leadership group. My teammates, my coach, and my general manager trust me. I will try to make them happy.”
Tarasenko had a phenomenal 2014-2015 season with the Blues and was not only a top player in the league, but also around the league. In 77 games, he recorded 73 points (37 G, 36, A) and a +27 rating.
“For me, we need to have one goal. It’s not about points, it’s not about goals, it’s not about whatever. It’s all about the Cup,” he said. “If 26 guys do the same thing, I think we can make it.”
Tarasenko gave the credit for his success to his father and grandfather. When asked about his leadership role on the team, he said, “my father and grandfather tell me I need to be a leader everywhere.”
On Tuesday, July 7, the Boston Bruins’ latest acquisitions—Matt Beleskey and Jimmy Hayes—had their first media scrums representing their new team. They are both extremely happy to be playing in Boston—and each has a different emotional connection to the team and the city.
“Yeah, this has been a dream come true for me, to be able to come home to my hometown and my family and to be able to have this opportunity to win another championship for this city is a dream come true,” Hayes said. “It is going to be a great opportunity for me, to be able to wear a jersey that I dreamed of wearing is a dream come true.”
For Hayes, who was born and raised in Dorchester and went to college at Boston College, where he was part of teams that won a couple of Beanpot Tournaments as well as a couple of Hockey East tournaments, this is not only coming home to where his family is, but also were he has played the most hockey.
“It’s the Boston Bruins. It’s an extremely attractive place to be,” Beleskey said when asked what made Boston so attractive. “It’s an Original Six team. You know, the Big Bad Bruins. They’ve always been a team I’ve liked watching. It’s been a team that I’ve always been drawn to.”
Beleskey and his wife have already taken a tour of the city and he’s been very happy with his experience of the city.
He and Hayes went to Tuesday’s Red Sox game.
Emotions of coming to Boston though don’t win hockey games. What is it that both of these players are going to bring to the Bruins?
Principally, they are both power forwards, though clearly Hayes has six inches and 17 pounds over Beleskey.
“I’d hope they’d describe me as [a power forward] at 6’6”. Hopefully… I like to play that game. I like to throw my body around,” Hayes laughed. “I just try to play a north-south game and add some skill around the net.”
“I’m going to play my same game, be a power forward and the forecheck and go to the net hard, that’s what I’m going to do,” Beleskey described. “I don’t think I’m here to fill anyone’s spot. I’m here to be Matt Beleskey and play my game and that’s what I’m going to do.”
Both of the players are coming off of good years this past season on their previous teams; Anaheim Ducks for Beleskey and Florida Panthers for Hayes. For each, their goals are to continue to improve. Perhaps more importantly, their style of play fits with the identity that the Boston Bruins lost this past year—that of the Big Bad Bruins.
This isn’t meant to say that they will be crossing the line and physically hurting the other team, but the Bruins are a team that plays better when they can be a little more physical, and they lost some of that identity this past season.
“They’re known as the Big Bad Bruins, so it’s always a heavy game when you’re playing against them,” Hayes explained. “It’s a team that always had a ton of size and a lot of power forwards as well. I think that we’re gonna continue to try and go in that direction; adding a guy like myself and Beleskey. There’a a lot of skill players up front as well.”
And perhaps this is partly where things broke down last season. The skill players were targeted by other teams—especially the young phenom, David Pastrnak—with little retribution in the form of a check in response by the Bruins. Adding Hayes and Beleskey to the lines will undoubtedly offer their linemates some space, and as a result could increase scoring opportunities.
Both players have stressed that they intend to bring their games to their new team. They are looking forward to slotting in wherever head coach Claude Julien feels they belong. At the very least, watching them gel with the core group will certainly be interesting when training camp gets underway later this fall.
When general manager Don Sweeney had finished answering media questions after day one of free agency, one thing was abundantly clear. Sweeney expected, perhaps was even demanding, one thing from those players anticipated to don a Spoked-B jersey this season—excitement.
In his discussion of newly acquired players Matt Beleskey and Jimmy Hayes, he mentioned how excited they both were to be Boston Bruins. This was certainly clear in Beleskey’s case, as his deal was reached. By 7:16pm (Eastern time) on July 1, Beleskey had already changed his Twitter avatar to the Spoked-B, thanked the Anaheim Ducks and their fans for his seven years there and told Boston publicly how happy he was to be “part of such an amazing organization and hockey town!!”
A contract with Jimmy Hayes had yet to be ironed out when the media call took place, but it was announced on Monday, July 6, that Hayes had been signed to a three-year deal. Acquired from the Florida Panthers earlier on July 1 in a trade deal that saw Reilly Smith—who had signed a new two-year contract at the end of the 2014-15 season with the Bruins—and Marc Savard heading south.
In the case of Savard, it’s his contract that goes to Florida. Sadly, Savard hasn’t played a game in the NHL since he received his second concussion in less than twelve months on January 23, 2011, in a game against the Colorado Avalanche. To this day, Savard continues to suffer from symptoms of post-concussion syndrome. The movement of his contract helps the Panthers raise their salary cap (to stay above the cap floor) and freed up needed cap space for the Bruins to use during the off-season.
Sweeney was also asked about the acquisition of Zac Rinaldo—which was announced a week ago—in exchange for a third round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft; a move that many fans were vocally against. Specifically, Sweeney was asked his thoughts on what Rinaldo brought to the team, especially with the acquisitions of Hayes, Beleskey and others.
“My conversation with Zac right away turned toward him expanding his role as a player, getting better. I told him we’d send him clips on the penalty kill and the way he skates,” Sweeney said. “Really, we love his energy. We love the fact that he’s going to go and track down pucks. He doesn’t always have to run someone through the end boards.”
Rinaldo has had his share of issues where the rules are concerned. In the last two seasons, he has been suspended twice: April 7, 2014 (4 games for an illegal check to the head of Chad Ruhwedel) and January 27, 2015 (8 games for a head shot to Kris Letang). This is an obvious concern in adding him to the Bruins roster. It is always possible that, like Brad Marchand has in the past, he will be called by a referee for a “reputation call.”
“I want him to understand where the line is and whether it’s Brad Marchand or other players in the National Hockey League that cross that line and they get back on it,” Sweeney said. “And we’re not going to stop preaching that to Zac. If he wants to continue to expand his game, and have an impact in all areas, and grow as a player, then he has to embrace that as well.”
One of the things that Sweeney did like in what he heard from Rinaldo was his attitude about being a Bruin.
“I loved his enthusiasm,” Sweeney told the media. “He was jumping through the phone to say how excited he was to be a Boston Bruin.”
Over the course of the conference call, the word excite or one of its variations was used 21 times.
“I’ve identified, our group has identified a player like Matt Beleskey and Jimmy Hayes…,” Sweeney said. “The first conversations you have with those players is… obviously they’re excited and I think that’s infectious and …. We’ve got a lot of younger players that are gonna come through the door here for development camp. They’re going to be equally excited about their being drafted, identified, and development begins.”
“It’s a dream come true for me. I grew up a Boston Bruins fan, and having the chance to play for the Boston Bruins is a dream come true,” Hayes said at his acquisition. “It really hasn’t sunk in yet, but it’s probably one of the most exciting moments I’ve had in a while.”
In addition to letting it be known on Twitter, Beleskey went on to describe his thoughts on being signed by Boston—after having weathered his first free agency frenzy stress.
“Boston’s always been a team that I’ve watched. Obviously, the Big Bad Bruins has been something I’ve loved as a player and as a fan of the game. You know, guys like Cam Neely you watch as a kid, you look up to,” Beleskey explained. “An Original Six team with an amazing fan base. I actually got to play there for the first time in my career last year and it was just a great feeling playing in that building, and I’m extremely excited to wear the ‘B’ on my chest this season and for the next five years.”
Last season the buzzword among the Bruins seemed to be the word “trust.” This off-season, that has been replaced with the word excitement. Sweeney wants his players to feel that excitement so that they become motivated on the ice. And he could be right about it being infectious.
On Monday, July 6, the Bruins announced that in addition to the three-year deal for Hayes, they had come to a contract agreement with Brett Connolly—who was acquired at trade deadline last season from the Tampa Bay Lightning—for a one-year deal.
“Obviously it’s exciting. I’m very, very excited for this season,” Connolly said. “Obviously it’s a fresh start, so I’m looking forward to the opportunity and I should be in a pretty good situation here this year, so I’m excited to get going. I can’t wait to get down there.”
October is still quite some time away and it will be the culmination of the decisions taking place through trades, re-signings, free agency and development. Many believe that the Bruins will be in rebuild mode this season, but if Sweeney has his way, the excitement will take the skill he already has among his players and push it to the next level.
“To be honest with you, we want players that have the skill, that have the will, to go out and battle and win.” — Don Sweeney
The transition to life after hockey wasn’t always easy, but the former Los Angeles Kings player has triumphed in not one – but many – post-playing careers.
Jim Fox remembers a day when the transition from professional hockey player to a career off the ice seemed beyond reach.
“I remember about two years after retiring, sitting upstairs in my house and starting to cry because I realized I’d already done what I wanted to do and I was only 29 years old,” Fox said. “You have to find something else.”
Mission accomplished. Today, the 55-year old Canadian native juggles a remarkably full plate of responsibilities that would challenge even the most energetic. Fox is entering his 26th season as the Los Angeles Kings’ television color commentator, serves as commissioner of the Kings’ newly-created High School Hockey League, is co-founder of the wine label, Patiné Cellars, and serves as a Special Ambassador for many of the Kings’ community development and charitable efforts, as well as a board member for a number of other charitable organizations. But life off the ice wasn’t always this full.
For Fox, the need for a post-hockey career came sooner than he had expected. After 10 years playing right wing for the Kings, a knee injury ended his career.
“It was kind of sudden. I missed a full season and I asked the Kings if I could work for them in community relations, anticipating I’d play the following year, but that didn’t happen,” he said.
What started as an interim job became a full-time career for Fox who has since received a number of accolades for his broadcast work including being named “Best Analyst in Hockey” by Sports Illustrated in 2006. But ask Fox and he’ll tell you that broadcasting didn’t come naturally.
“It was difficult jumping into broadcasting; it has to do with ego. Being on top of my field as a professional athlete to getting involved in something I had no experience in, didn’t understand and considered ‘less than’ what I was doing before, was tough. I was embarrassed and not able to feel successful.”
Fox credits the Kings organization, Fox Sports and Prime Ticket with having the patience to allow him to learn his craft and train on the job. “I think about it now,” he said. “It was way more difficult than being a rookie hockey player.”
Fox also had help from key individuals in his transition to broadcasting. A couple of years into his new gig, the Kings brought in a media consultant name Andrea Kirby, whom Fox credits with giving him a “step-by-step approach” to tackling his on-air duties. He also credits his wife, Susie, not only for her support throughout his career both on and off the ice, but for the assistance she provided during his early days as a broadcaster.
“She would have her legal pad out while watching the games from home. I’d call her and ask her and she’d rattle off a list of things that I could work on,” Fox laughed.
One of the primary reasons Fox has received so many accolades for his work as a broadcaster is the unique level of analysis and objectivity, that both he and his on-air partner – play-by-play announcer, Bob Miller – bring to the games. According to Fox, the Kings organization deserves credit for allowing the impartial commentary for which he and Miller have been applauded.
Courtesy of lakings.com
“First, I would hope that everyone would realize, we’re local broadcasters. We’re not national and there’s a big difference,” Fox said. “Bob has helped with his style and experience. He was given the opportunity by the team to be as objective as possible. And the Kings gave me the same. Some organizations make the decision to have a more controlling factor over their broadcasts and I’m fortunate that I’m part of an organization that allows me to be objective.”
Fox also brings his on-ice experience to his broadcasts, taking pride in his ability to use his expertise as a player to break down plays as a broadcaster. “I’m more of an analyst, not a color commentator,” he says. “I’m more technical and I think that fits this market better.”
While being the Kings’ broadcast analyst keeps Fox busy enough, he somehow finds time to participate in a number of charitable organizations and community activities that are important to him. His community roots go back to his days as a player in the mid-1980s when he remembers talking with then-teammate, Phil Sykes, in the Kings’ locker room about why the Kings didn’t have a charity golf tournament.
“The Kings didn’t have anything going on in the community at the time,” Fox said. “It was just a conversation, but then when I was injured and working in Community Relations, it changed”. And the reason it changed? “It’s very simple: Wayne Gretzky is the way to explain it.”
Fox is referring, of course, to the arrival of “The Great One” to Los Angeles in 1988. According to Fox, Gretzky’s arrival was a turning point in the Kings’ community relations efforts – and in Fox’s next career move.
“Before Wayne arrived, no one cared what the Kings were doing around the L.A. sports scene. Wayne came and all that changed. Part of it was selfish – we had some people working on community relations, but it wasn’t a full time job and suddenly we needed it. People were calling and asking us and I felt I could fill that role.”
Fox essentially acted as an intern for his first year heading up the Kings’ Community Relations department since he was still receiving his player’s salary and hoped he would return to the game the following season. When it was clear he’d no longer be playing, he took on the role full-time, working from 9am-4pm daily in the Kings’ offices at the Forum, then heading down to the ice to prepare for his broadcast job at night.
During his tenure with the Kings’ Community Relations, Fox is credited with starting the Kings Care Foundation, as well as a number of the Kings’ annual fundraising events including the team’s charity golf tournament and the Tip-A-King event which raised more than $300,000 last year – a huge increase over its humble beginnings. According to Fox, the inaugural Tip-A-King event raised about $80,000, with even the players and their families purchasing tickets to participate and ensure the event’s success.
Although community relations is no longer a full-time job for Fox, he remains heavily involved with Kings Care and its associated events. He is also involved with Long Beach-based, The Guidance Center, a provider of comprehensive mental health treatment to disadvantaged children and their families struggling with mental illness and abuse. The Center’s executive director, Patricia Costales, is a close friend to Fox and his wife, and the couple work with the center to put on an annual “Sunset Sip” event to raise funds for the children and families the Center serves.
“I have a keen interest in that area,” Fox says. “Throughout my playing and broadcasting career, the mental aspect comes up quite a bit.”
The Sunset Sip event also allows Fox to pair his charitable work with another passion of his – wine. Three years ago, Fox decided to turn his long-time love of wine into yet another career path, starting the wine label, Patiné, with his wife, Susie, business partner, Dean Nucich and winemaker, Mike Smith.
“It offered me something I didn’t really experience in pro sports. Sports is only about the final score – and it should be, but the wine business, as our winemaker, Mike Smith, says, is the ‘crafting’ of a wine. There is more gray area, more nuance and art.”
Fox says that living in Southern California where we have “more access to a larger range of good wines than anywhere else in the world” helped him develop his love of wine. He and Susie have frequented a Hermosa Beach restaurant called The Bottle Inn for years where Fox says the wait staff would always bring them new wines to try. “I started taking classes, traveling around wine and learning about it and the next step to take was to see if I could create a brand.” Patiné (which fittingly means “to have skated” in French) was the result.
Courtesy of Patine Cellars
Said Fox about Patiné’s naming, “The association with skating is obvious, with my playing history, but when we thought about it, there are two things you need in hockey: power and balance. That’s exactly what we have in our wines. California offers more of a ‘powerful’ style of Pinot Noir and the ultimate in a great wine is balance. So the name was a perfect fit.”
As if all this wasn’t enough, Fox’s post-playing career now includes acting as Commissioner of the Kings’ newly created High School Hockey League, which hopes to pick up where the successful Lil’ Kings program leaves off and develop a league of competitive, high school players. Fox said when Kings’ President of Business Operations, Luc Robitaille, asked him to get involved, he simply couldn’t say no.
“From the moment Luc brought it up, I could tell how important he felt this program was to the Kings,” Fox said. “The Lil’ Kings program has become hugely successful – doubling every year – but the high school hockey league might be the first time that the Kings are getting involved where they’re not teaching the game to someone. They’re getting kids that are already playing the game and tying that to the high school passion and experience. When I saw Luc’s plan for it, I felt I couldn’t say no. It’s right up my alley.”
Any fan who has watched Fox in the broadcasting chair for the Kings knows that his excitement for the game is palpable and he seems to carry that same enthusiasm to his work with the High School Hockey League.
“There’s still a lot of work to be done. But there will be a day when kids are as passionate about their high school hockey team as they are about their football and basketball teams.”
Between his broadcast responsibilities, charitable duties, the Kings’ High School Hockey League and Patiné, Fox may be busier in his post-playing career than when he took the ice every night. But he says the discipline he learned as a professional athlete informs his work today.
“When you’re a pro athlete, you’re on a timetable. You don’t show up when you want to, but when the team wants you to. That helps prepare you, gives you the structure to stay on top of things.”
Beyond this, Fox confesses to being “Type A” and emphasizes the importance of hard work, personal responsibility and preparation.
“Not to be cliché, but nothing good comes easy. A little bit of hard work never hurt anyone. You have to be prepared to do more than the next person – bottom line. Some are more talented and more highly skilled, but you’ve gotta find a way to be confident and get there. My experience, particularly with broadcasting, has led me to understand the importance of preparation – what to worry about and what not to worry about. Preparation equals confidence.”
Fox says that one of the key challenges of moving to a career off the ice has been the fact that his other jobs are not physical but, rather more cerebral, endeavors.
“There were times when playing games, if things were going wrong, you could just go out there and work. I wasn’t a physical player, but I could hit. You can’t do that in this world. You can work longer hours, but you’re directing the lack of physicality into something that’s more mentally challenging.”
Fox’s multi-faceted career has kept him close to the hockey world and close to the team that drafted him in the first round, 10th overall, back in 1980. Though the first few years of transitioning to his roles in community relations and broadcasting were tough, there were also many rewarding moments including the two Stanley Cup wins in 2012 and 2014.
“We weren’t working that night, but we did the DVD for the fans. During the first parade, we were doing the complete coverage on Fox Sports – pre-parade, post-parade and rally. I just thought that was the best thing: to be on TV but not have to worry about who would win or lose, to recap and look at highlights and go back to top moments. There was a bit of analysis to do, but it was all part of enjoying it. To me, that was a great moment.”
With his continued excitement for the game of hockey and the Kings’ organization, his desire to continue giving back to the community, and his wine passion-turned-business, it’s unlikely that Jim Fox will slow down anytime soon and that suits him just fine.
“I don’t see myself as a person who will ever retire from anything.”
The Philadelphia Flyers have signed defenseman Ivan Provorov to a three year entry level contract. The contract has a $925,000 cap hit per season.
Provorov was taken seventh overall by the Flyers in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. The defenseman is 18 years old and played last season in the Western Hockey League. He helped the Brandon Wheat Kings to reach the WHL finals, where they lost to the Kelowna Rockets. In 60 regular season games last year, Provorov had 15 goals, 46 assists, 61 points and 42 penalty minutes. The 61 points led all rookie WHL defensemen and ranked him fourth in scoring among all WHL defensemen.
In 2013-14, he played for the Cedar Rapids Roughriders of the USHL. During that season with the Roughriders, Provorov had six goals, 13 assists and 19 points in 56 games played. Provorov represented Russia in the U18 World Junior Championships. He also played for the U20 World Junior Championships, where he won a silver medal.
Provorov was ranked seventh among North American skaters heading into the draft according to the Central Scouting Final Rankings. He was ranked second among North American defensemen in the NHL Central Scouting Final Rankings. The defenseman has good hockey sense and sees the ice well. He can score some goals, but will also setup his teammates to score. Provorov plays a physical game and is good on his skates.
He is composed with the puck and is accurate with his shot, creating chances either on the power play or the penalty kill. He plays an all around game and doesn’t just focus on his offense. The 18-year-old is a complete defenseman, who can score goals and executes plays. Provorov also knows how to use his teammates to create something or get out of trouble, according to eliteprospects.com.
Provorov will get a long look at both the Flyers development camp and throughout training camp. He’ll be competing with defensemen that are older and have more experience than him. The Flyers blue line is a little crowded with eight guys that have NHL contracts. If Provorov doesn’t make the Flyers this season, then he will have to spend the entire season with the Wheat Kings since he isn’t eligible to play in the American Hockey League. If he spends the season with the Wheat Kings then his contract would slide to the next year.
The fans can see the new defensive prospect at the Flyers Development Camp, which will be held in Voorhees, NJ from July 7-July 12. He’ll be joined by some of the Flyers top defensive prospects such as Travis Sanheim, Samuel Morin, Shayne Gostisbehere and Robert Haag.
The Minnesota Wild has only been a franchise since the 2000-01 NHL season. Even though that is the case, they have managed to make many memorable moments for their fans, including six playoff berths, in three of which they made it past the first round. Of course, to make these memorable moments happen, there had to be many trades and signings. Here, in my opinion, are the ten best acquisitions the Minnesota Wild have ever made; between free agent signings, and trades with other franchises.
(In order from earliest to most recent)
Wes Walz – Signed
Wes Walz began his NHL career with the Boston Bruins, after being drafted by the team in the third round during the 1989 NHL Draft. He was spending most of his time on the farm teams of the four franchises he played for (Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings), before he spent five seasons in other leagues, including Swiss-A and the IHL. When the 2000-01 season came around, the Minnesota Wild were building a roster as an expansion team, and Walz would be one of the players that they chose. He would go on to spend six seasons on the Wild roster, before retiring. Walz was a consistent player, posting a career high of 37 points in the 2005-06 season, and would be around for the Wild’s first playoff berth in 2002-03.
Manny Fernandez – Traded from Dallas Stars alongside Brad Lukowich to the Wild for round 3 pick in the 2000 draft and round 4 pick in the 2002 draft
Manny Fernandez was acquired in a trade between the Minnesota Wild and the Dallas Stars, in which the Wild only had to give up a third and fourth round draft pick. This trade happened during the summer before the Wild’s debut season, so Fernandez was part of the original team. Fernandez would go on to post solid statistics with the Wild, splitting net time with Dwayne Roloson for his first few years with the team, but then would take over as the starting goaltender in his later seasons.
Dwayne Roloson – Signed
Dwayne Roloson would join the Minnesota Wild for the 2001-02 season, after being signed by the team. Although he shared net time with Manny Fernandez, Roloson posted excellent statistics, which would help his team make their playoff debut, and even earn him a spot on the NHL Western Conference All-Star team.
Willie Mitchell – Traded from the New Jersey Devils with a conditional pick for Sean O’Donnell
Willie Mitchell was traded to the Minnesota Wild during the middle of the 2000-01 season, as the Wild needed a solid defenseman, and he would be just that. Mitchell would spend five seasons with the Wild, and even though he didn’t score a lot, he would play the role of a great shutdown defenseman. He was a great leader for the Wild on and off the ice, helping the team to their first playoff berth, and was even named team captain.
Andrew Brunette – Signed
Andrew Brunette would join the Minnesota Wild for their second season, after being signed by the team. Brunette, or as fans called him, “Bruno”, would make a large impact on the Wild’s roster, posting a total of 321 points during his time in Minnesota. Brunette would be responsible for one of the most memorable moments in Wild history, when he scored the series winning goal during game 7 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals, ending Hall of Fame Goaltender, Patrick Roy’s, career. This goal was scored during the Wild’s first ever playoff berth, and the team would go on to make the third round of the playoffs that year.
Brian Rolston – Signed
Brian Rolston was signed by the Minnesota Wild as a free agent during the 2003-04 offseason, but did not make his debut with the Wild until 2005-06, due to the 2004 NHL lockout. The fan favorite known for his explosive slap shot spent three seasons in a Wild jersey, posting a total of 202 points. His leadership earned him captaincy with the Wild, and he would be one of the main reasons for the Wild’s playoff runs during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons.
Pavol Demitra – Traded from the Los Angeles Kings for Patrick O’Sullivan and a first round draft pick in the 2006 NHL Draft
Pavol Demitra would put on a Wild sweater for the 2006-07 season after being dealt from the Los Angeles Kings. Demitra only spent two seasons with the Wild, but made a large impact while on the team. During his time with the Wild, they would make the playoffs both seasons, and he would wrack up a total of 118 points. Demitra was known for his lethal chemistry with teammate, Marian Gaborik, as the two could find each other almost anywhere on the ice, which would, most of the time, end in a goal.
Zach Parise – Signed
Zach Parise is one of the biggest, if not the biggest signing in Wild history. The Wild have made the playoffs every year since Parise has worn their jersey, and even made it past the first round twice. Parise can put the puck in the net, as he has scored a total of 156 points during his three seasons with the Wild. He is known for his fearless grit, as he is not afraid to battle for the puck, no matter how large the other player is. He is also known for his great leadership, earning the title of captain for Team USA at the Olympics. The Wild have Parise signed through what will most likely be the end of his career, so it will be interesting to see if he will be able to lead his team to the ultimate goal, the Stanley Cup.
Ryan Suter – Signed
Signed alongside current teammate, Zach Parise, Ryan Suter has also made a large impact on the Minnesota Wild system. As a defenseman, he is constantly saving goals from being scored, but he also has the ability to set up plays, as he has posted 113 points during his three seasons on the Wild; 99 of them being assists. Known for his veteran leadership, Suter has helped develop many young players, such as teammates Matt Dumba and Jonas Brodin. Suter will definitely be another key factor if the Wild win a Stanley Cup in the near future.
Devan Dubnyk – Traded from the Arizona Coyotes for a round 3 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft
Although he has only spent half of a season on the roster, Devan Dubnyk has made a huge impact on the Minnesota Wild. Before he was acquired, the Wild were having a disastrous year, and their goalie situation was the main problem. Dubnyk would help turn around their season, allowing the Wild to make a second round run in the playoffs. A fan favorite known as Dub, he was able to post a goals against average of 1.78, and a save percentage of 93.6% during the regular season. This performance would earn him a nomination as a Vezina finalist, and would win him a Masterton trophy. The Wild recently re-signed Dubnyk to a six-year contract, and he will be an important piece of his team’s quest to capture a Stanley Cup.
“This is my career, and this is what I do for a living. It’s what I’ve dreamed of doing. I’m super excited to be going to a great city and great organization.”
Free agency and trading is an inevitable part of hockey, but for Brandon Prust, he never thought this past season with the Montreal Canadiens would be his last.
When asked about if he had any feeling that he was going to be traded after exit meetings with the Canadiens, he said, “not at all…It was a pretty positive meeting, and I didn’t think that I was going to be traded.”
While on a trip to Italy where he proposed to his now fiancé, Quebec T.V. personality Maripier Morin, Prust got news that he thought would not be coming this summer: he had been traded to the Vancouver Canucks.
“From a career perspective, and for myself this is a great move for me. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity. This is a business. The other side, the relationship side, and being away from Maripier will obviously be a little different. On a personal level, this is my career and it’s very important. I’m looking forward to coming to Vancouver and doing some great things”
While trades are normal and the players, more often than not, don’t get a lot of say, Prust was slightly blindsided by his sudden departure from his role in Montreal. He was getting ready to leave for dinner on his last night in Italy when he got the news.
“I was kind of following along on Twitter, seeing some of the signings and the moves [in the league] when I see a call from Marc Bergevin,” Prust said about how he found out about the trade. “I saw that name on the phone, I was like, ‘alright, something is going on here’.”
Brandon Prust
Prust, who still had a year left on his four-year contract with the Canadiens, understands the way things work in hockey, and that it really is more than just going somewhere new to play.
“It is a business and this stuff happens; guys get moved all the time. With the salary cap right now, sometimes it’s all about numbers. There is nothing we can do. You can’t really sit back and wish that you were treated with a little more loyalty.”
Prust, who turned 31 in March, is considered more on the older side for hockey players. Many questioned his age and whether or not that would be effecting his play.
“I don’t show any signs of slowing down. I’m [going to] work my butt off this summer, to make sure that I go into camp next year in the best shape I’ve ever been in and make sure I continue to turn heads”
“For me, I’m excited. I’m looking forward to it.”
Vancouver General Manager, Jim Benning, said that getting rid of Kevin Bieksa meant the team needed a physical, and tough player, and Brandon Prust is that perfect fit.
“This is a great team; great goaltending. We’ve got a lot of good players and a lot of young guys that are going to be great players,” Prust said about his excitement for his new team. “I’ve obviously done some research the last couple days, looking up what we’ve got. It’s a pretty impressive lineup. I think we’re going to do a lot of good things”
Prust plays with character, and though he might get on opponents nerves, he’s the type of guy that boosts the morale of a team. With Vancouver losing Bieksa, Prust will be the best guy to fill that role.
“At my best,[I can bring] just showing up every night and working your butt off and creating some energy for the boys. Always keeping the guys going. Sticking up for teammates. Obviously, the fighting part will always be there, but doing everything that got me here. Killing penalties and just being a positive role out there. With me, it’s just meat and potatoes. I think the Vancouver fans will see quickly what they are going to get.”
Things happen, and Brandon Prust is very aware of that.
“I don’t really try to plan my hockey career, I just let it happen”
Prust set a career high in points during the 2014-2015 playoffs with 4 points in 12 games. He played in 82 games total with 18 points (4 G, 14 A) in the 2014-2015 regular season with the Canadiens.
The Philadelphia Flyers have finally named the team’s new goaltending coach, and his name is Kim Dillabaugh.
Kim Dillabaugh
Dillabaugh came over from the Los Angeles Kings organization where he spent the past eight seasons in a goaltender development role. He has contributed to the development of NHL goalies such as, Jonathan Quick, Jonathan Bernier and Martin Jones, who all played for the Kings at one time. Ron Hextall, the Flyers general manager, is familiar with the work that Dillabaugh has done because he worked with him during his six years in the Kings organization.
Dillabaugh has worked with amateur to professional goaltenders throughout his career. He has never been a full time NHL goaltending coach, but has a lot of experience helping goalies develop. Dillabaugh has also worked with the Manchester Monarchs, the Kings’ American Hockey League Affiliate, who just won the Calder Cup this past season. The Kings won two Stanley Cups and reached the Western Conference Final while under the eye of Dillabaugh. The Monarchs won a Calder Cup and reached the Eastern Conference Final two other times.
He played three seasons in the Western Hockey League (WHL) from 1994-1997 with the Kelowna Rockets & the Calgary Hitmen. In 2004, he became both the assistant and goalie coaches to the Rockets. The Rockets won the championship the same season as Dillabaugh took over as the goalie coach. While he was with Kelowna, the team won two championships before Dillabaugh decided to step down and join the Kings organization full time. Dillabaugh also has some international experience because he served as the goalie coach for Canada’s Under 18 Team.
As the Flyers goalie coach, he will work with the goaltending tandem of Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth.
Photo: NHL.com
Kings May Have Lost More Than They Gained During This Week’s Free Agency Period
The excitement of July 1st evaporated quickly for many Los Angeles Kings fans when the flurry of activity seemed to leave more questions than answers for the team. After struggling with fatigue and missing the playoffs last season, then battling a number of unsettling off-ice issues including Slava Voynov’s domestic abuse trial and Jarret Stoll’s arrest in Las Vegas for possession of cocaine, Kings fans were hoping when the dust settled on the draft and free agency, the Kings would be in a better position to take on the 2015-2016 season. Arguably, that hasn’t happened yet.
Instead, the Kings are dealing with another off-ice distraction, terminating Mike Richards’ contract under a strange set of circumstances that have yet to be fully revealed. On the ice, they’ve watched their number two goalie, Martin Jones, go to their Pacific Division rivals, the San Jose Sharks, by way of the Boston Bruins, failed to secure last year’s deadline pick-up, D-Man, Andrej Sekera, which sent him packing to the newly recharged Edmonton Oilers, and probably most dishearteningly, lost Justin Williams – aka Mr. Game 7 – a gritty, talented fan-favorite who helped lead the team to two Stanley Cups and was the Conn Smythe recipient in 2014.
First came the bizarre revelation that the Kings had terminated Mike Richards’ contract. Richards’ performance had been steadily declining over the past two seasons and in a leap of faith, GM Dean Lombardi, declined to use a compliance buyout with Richards last summer, hoping the center would make a comeback. But after being sent down to the AHL for 16 games last season, it was a foregone conclusion that the Kings would try to offload Richards come trading time. Presumably, the Kings were ready to swallow the bitter pill and buyout Richards’ contract, which would have left them with an annual cap charge of $5.75 million, when the news hit that instead, they had terminated his contract for “material breach”. Many facts have yet to emerge in this case, but what we do know is that allegedly, Richards was stopped at the US-Canadian border on June 17th for possession of Oxycontin, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are involved (though no charges have been filed) and that, as usual in termination incidents, the NHLPA is reviewing Richards’ case and will likely appeal the termination. Regardless of the outcome, the incident is another off-ice distraction and the last thing the Kings needed heading into the new season.
The Kings did make a few positive moves in the past two weeks; one was the acquisition of Milan Lucic from the Boston Bruins. Lucic, a power forward whose style could fit in well with the Kings, was traded to Los Angeles for back-up goalie, Martin Jones, the 13th overall pick in the 2015 draft and prospect Colin Miller. As Kings fans tried to get used to the idea that a player they’ve likely developed a distaste for (given his feisty demeanor, hard hits and sometimes less-than-sportsmanlike behavior) would be joining their team, they simultaneously said goodbye to a popular goalie who most certainly helped the Kings win the Cup in 2014 by filling in admirably for Jonathan Quick when Quick was injured.
Then came the twist: Boston had retained Jones for just four days when they traded him to the San Jose Sharks for a 2016 first-round draft pick and prospect Sean Kuraly. Kings fans now face the possibility of an opening night where they’ll have to vehemently root against the popular former Kings goalie.
The Kings made a second, positive move when they filled the back-up goaltending vacancy Jones left with Swedish goalie, Jhonas Enroth, signing him to a one-year contract for $1.25 million. Enroth played for both the Dallas Stars and Buffalo Sabres last season and notably, as a Sabre, shut-out the Kings in a 1-0 game in Buffalo on December 9, 2014. The Stockholm-born Enroth has played 131 games in his career, has a .909 save percentage and 2.88 goals against average. While it remains to be seen if Enroth can be the able number two that the Kings had found previously in Jones, the contract is short and the Kings have two excellent developing goaltenders in the AHL with J-F Berube and Patrik Bartosak.
Unfortunately, the relative gains of Lucic and Enroth have been offset by two additional losses – one of which, like Jones, goes to a Pacific Division team. Andrej Sekera, a left-shooting veteran defenseman who joined the Kings from the Carolina Hurricanes at the trade deadline last season, looked to be a great fit in the 16 games he played with the Kings. Though injured during a game against Chicago near the end of the season, Sekera showed that he could fit in nicely on the blue line, demonstrated a calm and commanding presence and recorded one goal, four assists and a +4 rating in his short stint with the Kings. Unfortunately, with the uncertainty of Voynov’s status, the controversial Richards situation and the need to retain the services of franchise player, Anze Kopitar, next season, the Kings couldn’t offer Sekera the six years at $5.5 million average and no-move clause he received to join Edmonton. In a Pacific division where previously struggling teams like Calgary and Vancouver made vast improvements and entered back into the playoff picture for the first time in years, a bolstered Edmonton team could be dangerous for the Kings this season.
Finally, the biggest loss to the Kings this week – and the hardest to swallow for Kings fans – was undoubtedly Justin Williams. After 500 regular season and playoff games, two Cups and a Conn Smythe trophy, Williams is leaving Los Angeles to join Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. This is a tough goodbye for the Kings, but in this salary cap era, little could be done to retain Williams’ services. The Kings had warned of this at the end of last season, fans knew it was likely to be and yet, the loss was still stunning and hit the LA Kings community hard. “Mr Game 7” will be tough to replace and as of yet, the Kings have done little to find that replacement.
Though there is still a long summer ahead and many days until October, the Kings seem to have some soul-searching to do. Solving their off-ice issues is critical, but also shoring up their defense has to become a number one priority. With the Voynov situation still unresolved, Robyn Regehr’s retirement and the loss of Sekera, the Kings – traditionally, a defense-first team – must find a way to strengthen the blue line and get some much-needed help for defensive leader, Drew Doughty.
Now please excuse me while, like many Kings fans, I watch videos of Justin Williams on repeat and have a good cry…if you’d like to join me, just watch the following video.
CTE=Chronic Traumatic Encephelopathy
Or for people like me, degenerative brain disease.
Scientists think there is a link between CTE and concussions. Steve Montador, who played most recently for the Chicago Blackhawks and the Buffalo Sabres, had a few concussions during his career, and after his death there were findings that his brain was riddled with CTE. Many scientists believe there might be a link between the two. Research and testing are ongoing, with players in contact sports like hockey and football being examined in the research.
April 20th, 2015
Gary Bettman — a man who just happens to be the NHL Commissioner, and a lawyer — stated to the press that there is no real evidence to connect concussions to CTE.
Okay, you might agree with the lawyer. But make no mistake, a lot of the deaths associated with CTE have been associated with past concussions. You don’t have to look far… I have seen players get smacked into the boards at high-speeds. One fell like a rag doll and he couldn’t get up, he kept on falling down on his knees. This is what a concussion looks like. Watching this player was akin to watching a concussion form — and that was witnessed by myself and thousands of others. I am a layperson with no medical experience, but to watch the player try to get up like that… I didn’t need to be a doctor to believe something was wrong with his head, not only in that moment, but possibly for later in life. I don’t have the experience to know that much, but I do know it wasn’t so nice to watch him struggle to get up.
Perhaps there is no true proven, tangible example of the tie between the concussions and CTE, but it is not a huge leap to trust that there might be a link.
You may ask, why the questions?
The answer is that the NHL is being sued by former players and families. The players and grieving families are suing the league for knowing in advance that brain traumas like concussions really do lead to medical problems like CTE, and not taking enough measures to protect the players.
The big question in all of this is: Can a concussion ‘necessarily’ or ‘always’ lead to CTE?
Channeling the lawyer within, Mr. Bettman is trying to set up the defense for the NHL. First by asking professionals if other things can cause CTE, such as depression or other health problems. Scientists will tell you they need more studies. The good news is the NHL has already started to make the game safer for players. All players have baseline testing done, stricter return-to-play protocols have been implemented, there have been changes to the rules making it illegal to check to the head area, and research is being done to to see if equipment can be made safer. Another big step by the league is the formation of the new Department of Player Safety.
Who knows what will happen with the NHL and the court case? Can hockey ever be truly safe?
I believe it can be safer if we start teaching our kids the art of safe icing and high sticking. Or we change the rules and stop all the icing and high sticking. We might teach our kids less physical ways of winning (or losing) a game, and help them to learn better sportsmanship.
We definitely need to teach them that the head is one of the most important parts of the body.
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