It is almost here! The 2014- 2015 season!!!
The regular season starts on October 8, 2014 and ends on April 11, 2015. The total number of games that will be played by each team is 82. The number of teams, 30! This year should be more exciting and mixed up than ever. Why you can ask? I shall answer you in this column. Read on hockey lovers, read on…
First is the fact that in Canada, Rogers Communication took over the CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada. It is an end to an era. Will it be a big difference in how we watch or what we see? I think so. It might not feel like ours anymore. CBC made the night of hockey Canadian, we felt pride in the game. Will we feel different as the season proceeds? Let me know.
This is the first year of the new draft lottery. This lottery is going to be used to choose the first three overall picks instead of the first only. I am looking forward to checking this new idea out. Too bad they don’t include ticket lotteries. Each team holds a few tickets and has a free lottery for their followers. I bet hockey lovers would love it, who wouldn’t??
Rule changes are in this air! So far I noticed eight different changes to the game. The NHL board voted on this in June and in September 2014 the Player’s Association okayed it. I will not go into the details here. There are too many and well my space is limited. A few did catch my eyeballs, such as:
In overtime, the teams will change sides and the ice will be dry- scraped. Sounds painful! I always thought that in overtime the teams should change sides anyways. Too bad I am not in charge!
The area behind the net in which the goalie is allowed to play the puck (trapezoidal area) will be increased by four feet.
The final item I will mention here has to do with the “Situation Room.” They have been granted more latitude to review plays and such. I think that is a sweet idea when you have a lot riding on it! Okay, a few times I dropped a few coins on a game or two…
I am not finished with the season of revises yet! Believe it or not there are a lot of uniform changes in the NHL. I counted around 12 redesigns this minute but there might be more! Changes to the uniforms include color changes, classic shirt changes and different patches. Overall my favorite change has to go to Phoenix. They didn’t just change uniforms they changed their name also. They are not called the Phoenix Coyotes anymore, their new name is the Arizona Coyotes. I really don’t get the big change in the name but yeah, I don’t make the big bucks either!
One last big readjustment to make is the fact that some teams, do have different coaches. From Carolina to Pittsburgh and towards the north in Vancouver, the style of plays and the feel of them will be different. Who knows if a new coach will help or hinder a team but a team with a new coach will always play differently. Good or bad it is how the game is played!
So, sit back, relax and save me some popcorn- the new season is almost here!
The Washington Capitals have unveiled their uniforms for the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic today at an event at Nationals Park, the location where the game will be played on New Year’s Day 2015.
The location of the game was announced on Sept. 10.
In a press release put out by the team, the uniforms were described as a mix of throwbacks to professional hockey’s Depression-era roots in Washington, as well as new elements with a modern twist.
“The primary color for the Capitals’ NHL Winter Classic uniform is vintage deep red to symbolize hockey’s deep roots in Washington. The stripes on the shoulders, waist and legs bring in elements of Washington professional hockey jerseys from the 1930’s, predating the Capitals’ formation in the 1970s. A large “W” on the front of the jersey, offset in blue to contrast the white Capitals wordmark, offers a unique look never seen before on Capitals jerseys. A large “W” on the front of the jersey is offset in blue to contrast the white Capitals wordmark and features a silhouette of the Washington Monument, offering a unique look never seen before on Capitals jersey in franchise history.”
Reactions to the jersey were decidedly mixed:
Personally? I’m still not sure. While I appreciate the nods to history, it just seems a bit…stripey. Things could be worse!
There are certain things that take place ensuring the world is still properly spinning on its axis. In Boston, once hockey has begun—and yes, the preseason counts as hockey—the dislike and angst displayed by fans when the Boston Bruins stand across the ice from the Montreal Canadiens is one of those things. The disappointing finish to the Bruins postseason, losing game seven of the second round to the Canadiens, despite having taken place some nineteen weeks ago, continues to burn within the Bruins faithful as though they had been stabbed in the heart with a red hot poker just yesterday.
The players must put such things behind them. While they cannot forget what they did wrong as they must address and fix their mistakes, they cannot dwell on, nor wallow in, the defeat. If they did, they would likely never step on the ice again.
After practice on Tuesday, before he headed north, forward David Krejci was asked about how that defeat affects his focus and resolve, and that of his teammates, going into the first preseason game for the team.
David Krejci
“It is what it is—a tough ending, but we’ve been there before,” he responded. “We have lost before to those guys [in] the playoffs since I’ve been here. We’ve won a couple of times. So just kind of forget about it.”
He did not mean that the team simply ignores the games. On the contrary it is important that they understand, as a team and as individuals, what went wrong and look for ways to correct those issues. As Head Coach Claude Julien pointed out when responding to a pained fan at the annual State of the Bruins, that took place on September 18, it did seem, to a degree, that the hockey gods were just not on the side of the Bruins, as the sound of puck on iron rang and rang and rang again. That sound to a Bruins’ fan is probably now worse than the sound of a dentist’s drill or fingers on a chalk board—having happened at least thirteen times in the seven games against the Canadiens.
“Obviously learn from the mistakes, but you gotta move on,” Krejci continued. “It’s a new season, so start fresh.”
Tuesday night, half the current Bruins training camp roster traveled to Montreal to experience playing hockey in the Bell Centre. For the rookies, there really is nothing to prepare them for the noise and energy of playing against the Habs in their home arena. It isn’t referred to as a storied rivalry for nothing.
“It doesn’t get any better than that. It’s a tough building to play at but it’s real fun to play at,” Krejci told reporters. “It’s gonna be a little bit different for those guys, but a great experience for a first preseason game.”
It is important to note that Krejci’s idea of fun flows from his vantage point as a player on the ice who is in control—albeit in a chaotic sense—of what is transpiring in the game. For fans on either side of this rivalry, the fun of the hockey is often overshadowed by the increase in blood pressure, the wringing of hands and the do-or-die mentality that just seems to overtake them as soon as that first puck drops. It doesn’t matter to them that it is a preseason game. Bragging rights begin immediately.
“It’s gonna be a great atmosphere, great tempo,” Krejci expounded. “So [the rookies] should be looking forward to it just like I am.”
And with the first goal coming just 1:17 into the first, scored unassisted by Ryan Spooner, for the Bruins it was immediately a great game. Unfortunately the fans do not take to heart the mantra of the players: Never too high or too low.
Matt Fraser’s power play goal made the Bruins hopes soar all the higher. And then one of those all too familiar events took place—the Bruins allowing a goal with less than a minute to go in the period. From the heights of euphoria to the depths of despair (despite being up one goal), such was the experience of the fans. And every armchair coach and general manager began pontificating on Twitter during intermission. Those not already deciding who to trade or cut were simply crying in their drink of choice.
Ryan Spooner
To those who have been watching the players since camp began though, this looked very much like a first preseason game. Spooner had flashes of good plays and smart choices followed by a give away that shows he’s still learning. However, after his time up with the Bruins last season, management told him to work on getting to the net and making those plays. He clearly was listening because that’s what he did tonight. The other area that he needed to improve was in the faceoff dot, and tonight he was nine for thirteen for an impressive 69 percent.
The preseason is not about points and standings for the coaches and other management staff. The preseason is about evaluation. Who really listened at the end of last season in regard to what should be worked on over the summer? Of those players who were injured, who has come back and who is still showing signs of rust? In the rust department the Bruins have a few players, but perhaps the most notable during the game was Chris Kelly, whose faceoffs were an unfortunate four of twelve for an unacceptable 33 percent. And though he would like to have it back, his fan of a shot on an open net that, had he connected with the puck, would have put the Bruins up and at the very least have left them tied at the end of regulation instead was simply nothing.
The preseason is for juggling of line mates to see who has chemistry and who doesn’t. Hockey is a fast paced game and players need to almost have a telepathic connection to their line mates, as they often must pass the puck without truly seeing the player on the opposite side of the rink or behind them.
Of course most of this gets lost on the Bruins fan who wants two things: goals and a win over Montreal.
The Bruins return to Boston where they will take on the Washington Capitals at TD Garden on Wednesday evening. It is unlikely to be the same players, as there is still an entire other squad full of veterans, invitees and rookies looking to earn their roster spot. But for the student of hockey it will be another chance to concentrate on the completed passes, the successful plays and to identify the breakdowns and miscommunications. For the player who hopes to represent the Black and Gold, it is the time to show that they not only understand but also embody the Bruins’ style of play. And for those who bleed black and gold, it may be another night of stress, happiness and potential anguish.
It’s good to have hockey back.
By Erin Bradley
Nerves can easily get to a player before a game. There are so many things to worry about like not playing well, being pulled, or being responsible for losing the game. With all this in mind, hockey players can become very superstitious. They create their own rituals and routines that they believe help them perform well and ease their minds, and they get ready for a game. There are many popular superstitions almost every team follows, such as not shaving until you win the cup or until they get knocked out of the playoffs, but in this article we are going to look at some of the interesting superstitions of individual players.
(Source: http://thegoalienews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Ron-Hextall.jpeg)
13. Ron Hextall
Hextall would systematically hit the posts with his stick all the time for luck.
12. Daniél Briére
Daniel Briére rotates between the same three sticks. When he has a good game with one he will reward the stick by giving it time to rest and using one of the other two.
11. Ray Ferraro
One day after eating chicken parmesan, Ferraro scored two goals in the game that followed. For two years after, he would only eat chicken Parmesan as his pre-game meal.
10. Karl Alzner
Some people tap their pen or pencil on a desk when they are nervous; Alzner taps his stick exactly 88 times on the ice during the national anthem. Then he continues to draw the outline of a Canadian maple leaf with his stick.
9. Bruce Gardiner
Gardiner was once told by teammate Tom Chorske that he was treating his stick too well and needed to teach it respect by dunking it in the toilet. Gardiner ended up taking Chorske’s advice and ended up pulling out of his slump.
(Source: http://www.sikids.com/sites/default/files/multimedia/photo_gallery/1009/nhl.greatest.players.by.jersey.number/images/14-brendan-shanahan-014282967.jpg)
8. Brendan Shanahan
Many people have a favorite childhood object that they like to hold on to into their adult years and Shanahan is no exception. Throughout his career in the professional leagues, he would wear the same shoulder pads he had in his junior hockey days. He was also known for listening to Madonna on game days.
7. Stephane Quintal
Quintal would not talk to anybody after 1:30 p.m. on game days. He would ignore anyone who called or tried to talk to him. If you have a question for him, you’re going to have to wait until the end of the game to get him to talk to you.
(Source:http://www.hhof.com/graphspot/one_bourque04.jpg)
6. Ray Bourque
Ray Bourque who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004, had a habit of changing his shoe laces before every game and even in between periods. According to Hockey Database, Bourque has a total games played of 1,612. This means that Bourque has used at least 4,836 pairs of laces throughout his career.
5. Stephan Lebeau
You know that friend from high school who always asked you for gum? They look like nothing compared to Stephen Lebeau. He would chew between 20 and 25 sticks of gum before a game and throw it out exactly two minutes before opening face-off. Lebeau played a total of 373 games which makes for over 7,460 sticks of gum chewed.
4. Pelle Lindbergh
Goaltender, Pelle Lindbergh had a lucky orange shirt that he would never wash. He would wear this shirt for every game and when it became too tattered, would have it sewn up. He also would drink Pripps, a special Swedish drink, with specifically two ice cubes. The drink was only allowed to be in his right hand and was delivered by a specific trainer for each game.
(Source: http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1155094/thumbs/o-PATRICK-ROY-facebook.jpg)
3. Patrick Roy
One of the best goalies ever, Patrick Roy, would often stare at the net and imagine it shrinking. He even went as far as talking to the goal posts. According to an article from the Bleacher Report, Roy had this to say about his superstition,
“I started talking to the goalposts by accident, Roy said. We were playing in Hartford, and I started talking to the goalposts during the anthem. They (the goalposts) helped me, and I played a good game. In overtime a guy took a slap shot and hit the post and we won. Asked what he says to the goalposts, Roy said: I say Come on guys, help me out. Before the game I give them direction. I feel every goalie needs a superstition. The goalposts are always with me. They talk back to me. Some nights they say ‘bing.’ But some nights they have a bad night, too.”
Roy has a few other activities on his list:
- He would not talk to reporters on game days.
- He would not step on red or blue lines.
- He would also lay out his goalie equipment on the locker room floor and put the pieces on in a certain order.
(Source: http://www.librarising.com/astrology/celebs/images2/T-Z/waynegretzky.jpg)
2. Wayne Gretzky
Even when you are as talented as the great Wayne Gretzky, you can still be very superstitious. Gretzky had quite a few traditions he performed before every game including:
- He had a ritual that involved drinking specific drinks in a certain order. He would have a Diet Coke first, next ice water, then a Gatorade and finish off back with a Diet Coke.
- He would also never get a haircut when his team was on the road. One time when he did, the team suffered a devastating loss.
- Even further than that, he had a routine when putting on his jersey. He always put the left side on first and tucked in the right side.
- He would put baby powder on the bottom of his stick for luck.
(Source: https://thepinkpuck.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Sidn.jpg)
1. Sidney Crosby
Sidney Crosby is one of the most superstitious hockey players to ever touch the ice. Unlike most players who only have one or two superstitions, Crosby has a laundry list of activities he both must do and must avoid.
- Crosby will never walk past the visiting team’s locker room before games. He will take a special route around the stadium just to avoid passing their door.
- He will only use the home teams tape on his stick, and no one is allowed to touch it after he tapes it.
- He makes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches each game with specific brands of peanut butter and jelly.
- He will not call his mother on game days.
- When his team is on the road and going over railroad tracks, he will lift his feet against the window.
- He is also always second to last in line when going onto the ice (last is always Evgeni Malkin). The two also have a special handshake they do before leaving the locker room.
(Photo: Steve Lundy/DailyHerald.com)
The Blackhawks opened their preseason with a sellout Training Camp Festival at the United Center Monday night, complete with a scrimmage leading to a series of team cuts.
The first “cuts” happened on ice to two major players–Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane–who happened to take a high-stick and a puck to the face amidst all the action.
But the other cuts trimmed the roster to 46. The team sent goaltenders Mac Carruth and Kent Simpson, and released forwards Ryan Schnell, and defensemen Kirill Gotovets, Justin Holl and Zach Miskovic all to the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League.
This leaves the team’s active roster with 26 forwards, 16 defensemen and four goaltenders. Team White, led by Captain Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, and Sharp, faced off against Team Red, with Kane, Brandon Saad, and (for the opening period) Corey Crawford, for the scrimmage.
Jeremy Morin, inspiration of the Twitter #FreeMorin campaign for more ice time last season, struck first to give Team White a 1-0 lead. Ben Smith assisted on the goal.
Drew LeBlanc played the puck to Hossa who passed to Toews, who tallied a second goal for the White Team.
And, during second intermission, the same song was played for all three Shoot the Puck contestants, showing the Blackhawks stayed true to their word that organist Frank Pellico would no longer be playing “The Stripper” for female contestants.
Another change came as well–the female shooter was wearing reasonable shoes on the ice and looked noticeably different from many of the past contestants. Dressed in jeans, flats, and even a Blackhawks shirt, she seemed more like the rest of the fans in the crowd.
In fact, the Ice Crew even wore different uniforms–black shorts with black long-sleeved shirts.
Ben Smith passed to Marcus Kruger to give the White Team a 3-0 lead. Morin earned another assist in the scoring play.
Shortly after, the Red Team got on the board, when Cam Barker scored on a pass from Brandon Saad. Barker has taken some heat from fans recently after a clean check during camp at Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., has left Teuvo Teravainen out day-to-day with an upper-body injury. (Barker has played for the Hawks before–with his last games in 2009-2010.)
Kruger answered Barker’s goal, giving the White Team a 4-1 lead.
With 2:44 left in the game, the Red Team pulled their goalie for the man advantage, but they were unable to capitalize.
Mark McNeill scored an empty-netter, making the final score 5-1. Along with Crawford, the following goalies played: Scott Darling and Mac Carruth (Red Team) and Antti Raanta, Kent Simpson, and Michael Leighton (White Team).
With the United Center sold out and an exciting game of Blackhawks playing against the Blackhawks, fans could relax and enjoy knowing that, for that moment, everyone was a winner.
That is, until the team has to settle their $2.2 million dollar salary surplus. But, for now, the team will take on longtime rivals to start the preseason.
The Blackhawks open their preseason at 7:30 p.m. CT tonight in Chicago against the Detroit Red Wings. Teravainen and Joakim Nordstrom will be sitting out with their upper-body injuries.
“Guys like playing real games, and when I say real games, real exhibition games,” head coach Joel Quenneville told Comcast Sportsnet. “It’s nice to see the crowd here (last night) and then it’s a comparable setting tonight. Detroit’s here, and everyone’s excited to see (the Red Wings). It’s a good opportunity against these guys. I watched some of the games last night. Very intense for preseason games.”
A roster will be set for the regular season’s Oct. 9 start in Dallas.
Total domination from the Max Domi(3 A)/Martin Hanzal (2 G, 1 A)/Henrik Samuelsson (1 G, 2 A) line, that is the only possible way that you could describe the happenings of tonight’s pre-season game against the Los Angeles Kings. Although the team was split in half, some at the Staples Center and some at Gila River Arena (Other team lost 4-3 in shootout in LA), the whole game never had a dull moment.
The debate about who they would put on a line with Hanzal has been some of the biggest buzz during the offseason for the Coyotes. If the Coyotes are smart, they would make this line permanent. They have been playing up against some big names (and big title winners) in LA, including Justin Williams, Jeff Carter and Mike Richards and obviously holding their own. The impact this line has had is blatantly obvious for anyone watching. A shootout victory made possible by goals from Domi and Samuelsson was the icing on the cake (and not on the ice) to finish off the night. The only thing that makes this whole thing even more impressive is that Domi and Samuelsson are prospects for the team.
When Samuelsson was asked about whether or not he was surprised that he was chosen for shootout, he responded with:
“I think I’m pretty good at shootouts. A little bit surprised just ’cause all of the veterans that are here. Happy to go out there, even happier to score”.
He later chuckled when he got the question of whether or not he had a plan going into it to which he said, “No.”
Mike Smith, the Coyotes goalie was also a big part in the shootout win. He blocked shots from the King’s two stars, Jeff Carter and Justin Williams. Not only was Smith solid during the SO, but he stayed focused and had 29 saves, even after the Kings scored early.
Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett was not only impressed with Domi and Samuelsson, but during the post game press conference he said,
“I obviously thought Domi and Samuelsson played well because they were on the scoreboard, but I thought Tobias Rieder was pretty good. I thought Gaudet was real solid in his role; Szwarz did a good job for us, of course those players like that, that I was watching a lot closer tonight, we had real strong efforts out of a lot of them.”
Coach said he was “itching” to try the Domi/Hanzel/Samuelsson line all summer, but it’s the pre-season so it will most likely change.
Overall, the rookie hopefuls proved that they have what it takes to put up points against the players who have proven to be the real deal. What does this mean for their future in the NHL? Well there’s about 16 more days until regular season, so time will have to tell.
Kings Goals: Pearson (A to Toffoli/Carter), Dowd (A Tiffoli/Pearson), Richards (2) (A on 1 Williams/King, on 2 Carter/Pearson)
Coyotes Goals: Samuelsson (A Domi/Hanzal), Hanzal (2) (A goal 1/2 Domi/Samuelsson), Gagner (A Korpikoski/Doan); Shootout goals by Samuelsson and Domi
End Score: 5-4, Coyotes
Photo: The Hockey Writers
By Andrew Bensch of The Hockey Writers
Having played through the college level (2013 grad), yours truly has been a part of a number of hockey locker rooms. When the media aren’t around, homophobic comments are still far too common. In a male dominated, Caucasian dominated, wealthy dominated sport, hockey is arguably the toughest sports environment for a gay player. This isn’t to reverse stereotype all rich white men, but let’s be honest, as a group, they have never been trailblazers for social awareness.
While both the NBA and the NFL have had openly gay players in Jason Collins and Michael Sam, no NHL player has yet to follow suit. Unfortunately, given hockey’s culture, it wouldn’t be surprising if it were to end up being the last of the four major North American sports for this to happen. Minorities don’t exactly make up a large percentage of hockey players. This study didn’t even bother with the NHL when it came to analyzing diversity amongst the top professional sports leagues.
Niche Sport
Ice time isn’t easy to find and it’s not cheap. Therefore, it makes complete sense for kids to flock to other sports. Perhaps the NHL needs to invest in more roller hockey programs in order to grow the game and make it more affordable to everybody. If hockey were cheaper, and spread through different youth cultures, it would do wonders to help social awareness. San Jose Sharks right wing Tommy Wingels is a board member for the You Can Play project, he talked about the difficulty of growing the game he loves.
“Hockey is an expensive sport, you see a lot of people gravitating towards the other sports because they are a lot cheaper. Basketball you [just] buy a pair of shoes and a ball. Baseball, soccer, same thing. I think it’s something as a game that we need to figure out how to get more kids involved. I’m not sure what the answer is but as a league it’s something we can work on.”
Brendan Burke
Wingels, 26, is starting his third season as an established NHLer. Before reaching the NHL, Wingels starred as college player for the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks. The Illinois native captained a team that included the late Brendan Burke. The son of Calgary FlamesPresident of Hockey operations Brian Burke, Brendan was both a player and team manager for the Redhawks. He made numerous headlines for coming out as gay in 2009. According to Wingels, he wasn’t treated any differently than anyone else on the team.
“He just was one of the guys. If we were in the locker room working out, he was in there working out. If it was Sunday watching football with a bunch of guys getting together, he was there sitting with us. Ultimately it didn’t matter his sexuality. As I’ve said a million times it didn’t change anything about him or his relationship with anyone else.”
Burke’s story is the inspiration for the You Can Play project co-founded by Brendan’s brother Patrick. The foundation has done a lot of work to foster awareness and acceptance of all sexualities in the sports world. Local star athletes, including the Sharks’ Joe Thornton,participated in this You Can Play advertisement a few seasons ago.
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This past weekend marked the beginning of San Jose Sharks training camp and the start of a new season of hockey. The Sharks organization had a rough summer; its fans and the media giving Team Teal a collective hard time for past transgressions. It’s time to let the epic meltdown of the the 2014 Playoffs fade into the ether. After Day 1 of training camp, San Jose Sharks defenceman Marc-Edouard Vlasic perhaps best encapsulated the feeling in the dressing room about the Sharks’ tainted past:
“It’s nice to start a new season. Once you lose you can’t do anything about it, you can only work on yourself in the offseason and when training camp starts it motivates you to prove yourself wrong.”
Dwelling on the past isn’t what this team is about. The Sharks are building on their veteran core of Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, and Brent Burns with leadership from their young guns, Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Tommy Wingels. They’ve found hunger in their younger players, Matt Nieto and Tomas Hertl, and they have an eager group of prospects who are ready to prove themselves on the ice. Training camp puts a lot of talent on the ice all at once, with young players fresh out of the OHL and more seasoned AHL players looking to break through to the NHL level. Coaches are seeking chemistry between players and sorting out potential line combos that will best serve the team. Sharks camp featured all of these elements and reinforced how talent deep the team truly is.
Initial observations: Prospects with Speed and a Nose for the Net
Group practices marked the first day of camp and several players stood out on the ice who are poised to make an impression in the Sharks system. The team collectively is in transition, seeking out faster, smarter players in their prospects.
Bryan Lerg, the former AHL Lake Erie Monsters captain, signed with the Sharks in July to a one-year contract. At 5’10”, Lerg was a definite standout, especially sharing the ice with imposing defencemen such as Brent Burns and Taylor Doherty. The center’s small frame gave him an edge around the net. Lerg demonstrated persistence with the puck and a natural gravitation for the slot.
Taylor Fedun, a key piece of the defensive core for the AHL Oklahoma City Barons Calder Cup Playoff run last season, joined the San Jose Sharks over the summer with a one-year contract. He definitely is a defensemen that looks for every opportunity to get the puck to the net. He has good positioning and is a speedy skater when carrying the puck into the offensive zone.
Barclay Goodrow was the standout captain of the Northbay/Brampton Battalion and was signed by the Sharks at the conclusion of the OHL season. It is clear the Sharks were looking at his steady increase in points production while with the Battalion. Goodrow is a creative player and makes his presence known in front of the net.
At the conclusion of Day 1 Goodrow reflected on his time with the Sharks during rookie camp and his first full day skating at main camp. “Prospects camp helps get your legs back and then playing in some game situations in Anaheim I think helps prepare you nicely for main camp. So far it’s just been going over some systems, the first day, it was quick and I got a lot out of it.”
Coming off of five years in the OHL, Goodrow is ready to make the leap to a faster pace of play. “The more you move up the ranks the more it speeds up and the quicker the decisions you have to make. It’s a progression getting better each and every day. This summer I put a lot of work into getting faster and hopefully it pays off for me.”
Goodrow is taking advantage of the talent at Sharks camp and learning as much as he can from the veteran core.”It’s great to skate with Marleau and guys like that. “They are world class players and they’ve been everywhere, the Olympics , so you can really learn a lot from them and learn from their work ethic and their attention to detail. It can really make you a better player.”
Chris Tierney is intelligence on the ice. He was a playmaker and defensive specialist for the OHL London Knights and racked up an impressive 89 points on the season and finished with a +44. His high hockey IQ will bring a depth to the Worcester offense at center and he is poised to make a push for higher level play once he gets a handle on playing at the professional level.
“Coming from the juniors and the OHL, it’s definitely a quicker pace and decisions are made a lot quicker,” said Tierney after his first full day of main camp. “There is less time and that takes some getting used to and new systems. I’m just trying to figure out what we are doing breaking out and special teams and in the o-zone and the defensive zone. It’s a definite change but the coaches are doing a good job helping me out.”
Tierney is taking in as much as he can from sharing the ice with Sharks veterans and finds them to be really approachable and open to explaining things to the younger guys. “Whenever you can pick a guy’s brain who has played in the NHL it’s something… It’s nice to watch them and see what they do, ask them stuff about different plays. I think it’s going to be a big help.”
He wants to build on his previous successes and carry them with him to professional play. “I’m going to try to stick to my game and translate whatever part I took from junior into a pro level game. I want to keep my playmaking abilities and my defensive zone skill and keep my thinking game, that’s what I do best.”
Big D: Taylor Doherty and Mirco Mueller
One of the biggest (pun intended) holes the Sharks need to fill this season is at their blueline. Two defencemen have been waiting in the wings to get a shot and each are ready in their own right to make the leap to the NHL level.
Taylor Doherty is nothing short of imposing at 6’7″ His frame is mostly legs and his ability to cover the whole sheet of ice in just a few strides is an asset for a puck moving defenseman. As is typical for players his size though , he has struggled with his skating speed and finesse in close quarters in the corners. His reach with the stick can throw the opposing team off their game and that is what Doherty wants to continue to improve.
“It’s the little things. I’m obviously a big physical defenseman, and it’s positioning, stick positioning. I’ve been working a lot with the coaches here and the coaches in Worcester. I have such a long reach and sometimes you really gotta focus on using that to my advantage all the time and that’s what I’ve been really working on strong, always being in guy’s faces on the ice and using my size and my skating to my advantage.”
He feels that he has worked hard over the past season and summer to improve his speed on the ice and although he is happy with where he’s gotten, it is something that he will continue to work on, to be quick on the ice.
“I feel like I’ve put my time in the American league to the point where I’ve developed my game where I can be effective at this (NHL) level. I’m battling for a position here, and it’s a big, big year for me and that’s all I’m focused on is making this team in camp, breaking into the NHL.”
Mirco Mueller, picked up in the first round of the 2013 Draft, entered last year’s Sharks camp battling injury and had a decisively smaller frame than his size (6’3″) could carry. He spent most of the 2013-2014 season with the WHL Everett Silvertips before finishing with nine games in Worcester. He has grown both in size, gaining over 30 pounds, and in his ability to think quicker during transition play. He was happy to finally get a chance to show his defensive skill set and skate with the “big boys” at camp. Mueller believes adding the additional weight will help in his battle for the puck, something that he struggled with last season.
“When you go back for pucks, if you try to protect yourself in the corners, you feel strong, you feel that extra weight that helps you win those little battles along the wall or at the net.”
He is considered the frontrunner in the race for the seventh spot at the blueline for the Sharks. Mueller knows that there are adjustments to make, that he has to be faster in his decision making at the NHL level and the need for a strong stick is the key to preventing being stripped of the puck. He is confident that his improved skill will show through at camp.
“I have always the same mindset going into camps, play my best hockey, the rest I really can’t influence, it’s up to other people and I’m doing what I can. ”
The Elephant in the Room: The Captaincy
Not to beat a dead shark, but it was no surprise that the captaincy debacle was fresh in the minds of the media coming into Sharks camp. Who will emerge with leadership for the team on the ice and in the locker room coming out of camp? A likely outcome to who wears the letter may result with three “As” much like the Canadiens just recently announced with the naming of four Alternates.
It was clear from interviews with Marleau, Thornton, Couture, Wingels and Vlasic that it wasn’t a point of concern who had a letter stitched on their chest. Vlasic was confident that leadership would be present in the room, regardless of a letter.
“Everybody was a leader (last year),” Vlasic said. “Everybody had a voice and moving forward everybody will. Obviously we need a captain or three assistants. If I get one, if I don’t, it doesn’t change the way I approach the team, my leadership, nobody else will as well, everybody will have a voice.”
Logan Couture echoed Vlasic’s sentiments when asked how he would feel if he was given a letter for the upcoming season.
“You don’t need a letter on your chest to be a leader, especially on this team,” said Couture. “We have plenty of leaders in this dressing room, a letter on your chest doesn’t really mean anything.”
Whoever has a letter, whether it be those from the veteran core or the emerging stars or some combo of both, the Sharks will be fired up and ready to make an impact come the start of the 2014-15 season.
Only 54 players are left in the Arizona Coyotes training camp. Only 23 players will remain at the end of pre-season, meaning that the race is on for those who hope to make the team for the first time, or even just keep their spot on the roster. After an arduous week of training, the first cuts had to be made. The following 8 players will be moved down to the Coyotes AHL team, the Portland Pirates:
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Dan O’Donoghue, Forward – Portland (AHL)
Dyson Stevenson, Forward – Portland (AHL)
Ryan MacInnis, Forward – Kitchener (OHL)
Christian Dvorak, Forward – London (OHL)
Edgars Kulda, Forward – Edmonton (WHL)
Laurent Dauphin, Forward – Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
Pavel LaPlante, Forward – Victoriaville (QMJHL)
Colin Suellentrop, Defense – Released
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On top of the training camp roster cut, first round draft pick Brendan Perlini is suffering from a hand injury. Perlini, 18, has an apparent broken bone in his hand that was possibly sustained during prospect camp. He will be staying around for a couple more days so that they can determine the severity of the injury. No further reports have been released.
The groups again took to the ice—each group taking two sessions on the ice, with a short break for a an ice cleaning, and no doubt some drinks and protein for the players. Both the players and the ice needed the break, as the competition continues to increase. For the first time in a few years the Boston Bruins roster has some definite slots available and many of the younger players are doing their best to get noticed with each shift they take.
David Pastrnak
Unfortunately during the first half of the group containing forward David Pastrnak went down and slid hard into the boards and then went off the ice and did not return to the ice. Head coach Claude Julien was asked about what happened to Pastrnak. Julien explained that he had tweaked his shoulder.
“I don’t know how serious it’s going to be but very, very doubtful for [Sunday],” he said. “I would think, if anything, he’ll be stiff and we wouldn’t take that chance, but I don’t think it’s too, too serious.”
Considering how determined the young player is, and the effort he had shown to date, the fact that his injury appears to not be too bad is good news.
The line pairings today again included Providence Bruins player Seth Griffith on the line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. And again, Julien cautioned reading too much into that, given that this was only the second day of camp. However, Julien did comment on the hockey sense of the young right winger.
Seth Griffith
Griffith was drafted in the fifth round (131st overall) in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Bruins and he spent the previous season in Providence with Boston’s AHL affiliate. A little slow to begin his year in Providence, he quickly found his stride and by the end of the season he had played in 69 regular season games earning 20 goals and 30 assists for 50 points and then he followed it up with four goals and seven assists for 11 points in 12 playoff games.
On Sunday, forty of the players will suit up and play against each other in the Black and Gold scrimmage. As a result, in addition to the absence of Pastrnak and likely Milan Lucic not playing—still recovering from his wrist surgery and not yet cleared for games—the lines will not resemble what they have been at Ristuccia Arena.
The scrimmage should prove interesting. Julien will not be behind either of the benches. Instead he will be the “eye in the sky” as he called himself. And while the fans will be enjoying a game, for every one of the players the stakes are much higher. They want to be noticed and show Bruins management that they belong in Boston.
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