Happy Hockey Season, all you pretty Pink Puck readers!
After the absolute longest offseason ever for us NorCal kids due to watching the Sharks totally tank–see what I did there–it’s finally time for training camps and preseason play.
Which also means: Busting out my arsenal of stockings!
Unfortunately, the weather outside and the conditions at the rink do not coincide; just because hockey season has started does not mean that the California heat is going to quietly bow out for the late-summer-early-fall months.
That means layering, and lots of it.
Those of you who read my game-day log last season know that I’m a huge fan of layers and proportions and what-not. So then, you would also figure that this seemingly conservative ensemble is not so “librarian” as it looks. I took a sweet, black, high-waisted skater skirt and black-and-white checked halter top from Brandy Melville, which is incredibly summer-y and not at all work appropriate. However, BM’s separated are soft and light-weight and perfect for layering. So for the first day of camp, I paired the ensemble with basic black tights, a long black button-up cardigan and my ballet flats. I was covered up enough to be professional at work–well, and warm, that’s kind of important–plus I was able to shed a few layers afterwards before heading over to the bar for a glass of wine!
We’ve just hit the tip of the iceberg, fellow fashionistas. There is a long season of hockey and haute outfits ahead of us. We’ll chat again as preseason play gets underway.
Until the next puck drops,
The Girl In The Black Tights
September 24th, 2014 will mark a significant day for Sylvan Lake, Alberta. As the winners of Kraft Hockeyville 2014, the small town of Sylvan Lake will be hosting a nationally aired NHL preseason game between the Arizona Coyotes and the Calgary Flames. This is ginormous news for the minuscule town of only 13,015 (2013 Census).
CBC Sports will be broadcasting the came all over Canada, and you will be able to stream it live over at CBCsports.ca. The game starts is on Wednesday night. The live airtime’s in Ontario, and the east are at 7 p.m. ET on CBC-TV , and 7 p.m. local time in Manitoba and to the west. Sportsnet 360 will also carry CBC’s broadcast of the game live across Canada beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
Jeff Orridge, the executive director over at CBC Sports said;
“CBC is proud to continue to support and celebrate the spirit of community and grassroots hockey across Canada with the Kraft Hockeyville broadcast from Sylvan Lake. Initiatives like Kraft Hockeyville and the Hockey Night in Canada Help Fund have long been an important part of CBC’s support of amateur and grassroots athletics at the local level, and to see the product of these efforts shared with viewers across the country is always rewarding.”
On top of the honor of having this preseason game in their hometown, Sylvan Lake will get the generous donation of $100,000 in arena upgrades . This is provided in part by the Hockey Night in Canada Help Fund, who has donated more than $163,000 to small community hockey leagues, team and organizations since the start in 2006.
To add to the fun, Ron MacLean will be the host of the Broadcast, along with a play-by-play crew of Rick Ball and Kelly Hrudey. To accompany the play-by-play team is Cassie Campbell-Pascall who will be reporting from ice level. Don Cherry will join Ron MacLean during the first intermission to provide a special program of Coach’s Corner. Canadian fans can follow in on all of the action by following @hockeyville on Twitter and facebook.com/krafthockeyville.
Tune in on September 24th for this very special event!
Friday saw the 53-man roster take the ice in two groups at the Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington, Massachusetts, for the first day of on-ice training of the Boston Bruins. Through the drills and the scrimmages the Bruins management watched over the ice, making notes of what they liked and didn’t like about the efforts, skills and competition playing out on the icy surface below.
Of course, with the mix of veterans, rookies, Providence Bruins and a few individual invitees, it will take a few days of interaction on the ice before systems are understood and communications and chemistries begin to make invisible connections between possible line mates.
Some of the line combinations that were displayed on the ice included Patrice Bergeron and his frequent “liney” Brad Marchand with Providence Bruins hustling forward Seth Griffith. As the camp continues it will be interesting to see who else plays along these two Stanley Cup-winning veterans.
And for David Pastrnak, the Bruins’ first round draftee this past summer, who has made it known that his hero is fellow countryman David Krejci—signed to a new and lucrative six-year contract. And while there may be idol worship from the eighteen-year-old Pastrnak for Krejci off the ice, during today’s one-on-one drills, Pastrnak had no issues with making sure he crowded Krejci in the corners.
For some of the players, this is a new experience, and may not be their only training camp while with the Bruins organization. As general manager Peter Chiarelli and head coach Claude Julien said numerous times on Thursday evening, the hard part begins now and will likely take the majority of the camp. And as Krejci pointed out after practice, the number of open slots this season ensures that everyone is bringing their competitive spirit. He was also quick to point out that just because he and some of the others have their contracts, does not guarantee them a spot on the roster. They must prove that they have the right to remain just as the younger ones do their best to perhaps push someone out of a roster spot.
Unlike Development Camp, where the players felt each other out on day one, the drills and scrimmages on Friday showed a new level of intensity from most of the players—those who understand what is truly at stake. And for those few who didn’t seem to bring their full game, it will be interesting to see over the next couple of days—including Sunday’s Black and Gold Scrimmage to be held in Providence at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center—if they ramp up their performance. If they don’t, they will certainly make the jobs of Chiarelli, Julien and the rest of the coaching staff much easier.
On Thursday, September 18, the complete roster of the Boston Bruins training camp arrived for their off-ice strength and physical fitness testing. For hockey fans this means that the season is closer. For the Bruins’ management it means some additional tough decisions in the next few weeks as they whittle the roster of 32 forwards, 17 defensemen and four goalies down to the final roster for the 2014-15 season.
During the “State of the Bruins” event that was held for the season ticket holders, a few of those present brought up the disappointing finish to the past season—made all the more bitter by a defeated handed to them by their arch rivals, the Montreal Canadiens. One small boy even asked captain Zdeno Chara if he believed the team would make it to the playoffs in the coming season. And, while promises shouldn’t be made, Chara told the boy that he did. And actually, it is clear that, to a man, the Bruins believe that they will be in the postseason once again.
Niklas Svedberg
Earlier in the day, after being put through their fitness tests, many of the players were made available to the media. Some of the players have been retained from the recent rookie camp—11, to be precise—and there are a number of invitees as well, including veterans Ville Leino and Simon Gagne. However, just like the young guys from rookie camp and those from the Providence Bruins, as head coach Claude Julien stressed today, these two veterans will have to push for a spot as hard as everyone else.
While talking with goaltender Niklas Svedberg, The Pink Puck asked him about his mindset going into camp.
“As I’ve said before, you gotta earn your spot and I’m coming in this year with the goal to make the team and that’s the same goal I had last year,” Svedberg said. “So hopefully this year I can do it a little bit better and make the team.”
It isn’t just those who are more recognizable in a Spoked-P rather than the Bruins jersey that understand this facet of training camp. Johnny Boychuk—about whom there has been much written in regard to his potentially being trade bait, something that general manager Peter Chiarelli would not elaborate on—also talked about the competition for spots.
Johnny Boychuk
“Everybody wants to play in the NHL, but you have to take it away from somebody to accomplish it,” Boychuk told those congregated. “It’s a hard feat but it makes for healthy competition.”
Boychuk expanded on the thinking of all those attending training camp, which in some ways echoed what Svedberg had already said.
“You have to work for your spot, nothing’s given to you and we know that,” he said. “You have to work for everything you get. It’s going to be fun.”
And while there is definitely competition for spots—four forward spots were mentioned by Chiarelli, in addition to determining the final defensemen roster—the players all admit that there is fun; fun and guidance.
During rookie camp some of the players who had been there before could be seen offering some advice to those who for whom it was their first experience at this level of the profession. The Pink Puck talked to Bobby Robins about that. He mentioned that while there was definitely competition—healthy, as Boychuk called it—that the team is also a family. He described those who had helped him when he was coming up and that now it was his turn to help others. The hockey version of paying it forward.
During the next couple of weeks, the players will be put through drills, scrimmages, team bonding and more as management evaluates each player’s strength along with the chemistry that comes from different line combinations. In the end though, as Chiarelli promised, he will ice the best roster for the fans and for continuing a winning tradition in the city.
In a little over three weeks, the Lightning will be playing their home opener against cross-state rival, the Florida Panthers, but in less than one week they open their pre-season against the Nashville Predators. With training camp opening on Thursday, September 18th, the over forty players attending are arriving in Tampa, ready to start the season.
On Tuesday, the Lightning made their announcement of 64 players who would be taking the ice on Thursday morning. Current Lightning players, Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Matt Carle, Ben Bishop, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Valtteri Filppula, Radio Gudas, and Ryan Callahan are among some of those names. Training camp will also be fans first look at the newly signed Anton Stralman, Jason Garrison, Brian Boyle, Evgeni Nabokov, and Brenden Morrow in a Lightning sweater.
The training camp roster will see 22 forwards, 13 defensemen, and four goaltenders attending. Four of those are either an invitee or have an AHL contract with the Syracuse Crunch. Seventeen players were also acquired via free agency, 11 through the draft, and seven by trade.
After finishing the 2013-2014 season with 46 wins and 101 points, placing them second in the Atlantic, the Lightning are entering the 2014-2015 season with high expectations. The Lightning have come up with five major storylines that will play a part in the team’s success this season.
1. Can Goalie Ben Bishop Stay Healthy?
Picked in 2005 in the third round by the St. Louis Blues, Ben Bishop really showed what he was made of last season. He set a Lightning franchise record of 37 wins, a .924 save percentage, and a 2.23 goals-against average, getting him on the list of finalists for the Vezina Trophy.
In early January, Bishop was placed on injured reserve, and missed several games due to a right wrist injury, an injury that was operated on over the summer. Bishop’s season ended just a week before the playoffs, when on April 8th, he dislocated his elbow, putting an end to the goalie’s season.
When the Lightning signed Evgeni Nabokov, New York Islander’s starter for the previous three seasons, on the first day of free agency, it was with the idea that he would back up Bishop.
2. Is Jonathan Drouin Ready to Make the Leap?
The youngster was upset when he didn’t make the Lightning roster last season, and spent most of the offseason conditioning and building up his muscle, to make his run for a spot in the big league’s.
“Last year didn’t work out the way I wanted it to,” Drouin said. He was a first round pick (third overall) in the 2013 draft. “This year is a different story. I want to be on this club. I’m a step closer than I was last year.”
Drouin skated for the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last season. He amassed 29 goals and 108 points in 46 regular season games. In the postseason he averaged over 2.5 points a game and tallied 13 goals and 41 points in 16 games.
3. Raising Expectations
Last season the Lightning were the runner up in the Atlantic Division and were a top three seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. It was a huge turnaround from their 2012-13 season were they were next to last in the division. Head coach Jon Cooper sees the increase in expectations placed on the team as positive.
“To be honest, I actually kind of like the expectations,” Cooper said to Lightning director of radio programming Matt Sammon. “I’d rather be the team that people are expecting to do well. That just means you probably have some pretty good players around.”
4. Avoiding the Sophomore Slump
Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson surpriseed many with how they played in the 2013-14 season. They were both finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy last season. Palat had 23 goals and 59 points in 81 games, and Johnson had 24 goals and 50 points in 82 games.
“We expect Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat to be better players than they were last year,” Cooper told Sammon. “And if they are better players then they were last year, we’re going to be a better team.”
Both Palat and Johnson have played under Cooper for three seasons now, with the Norfolk Admirals, Syracuse Crunch, and Tampa Bay Lightning. This fact could help them avoid a sophomore slump this season. The boys and their coach have been winners with every team. In Norfolk they won the Calder Cup, made it to the finals with the Crunch, and the NHL playoffs last season.
5. Can the Lightning Improve Their Penalty Kill?
The team’s penalty kill remained a consistent problem last season. They ranked 23rd in the NHL, with a penalty-killing percentage of 80.7%.
With the signing of veteran defensmen Anton Stralman, Jason Garrison, and the towering 6-foot-7 Brian Boyle, the Lightning are hoping to improve this coming season.
Last week, the NHL announced rule changes for the 2014-15 season. One rule that was updated was the goalkeeper’s restricted area, Rule 1.8, which has a relatively short history. In order to fully understand the impact and significance of the rule change, let’s take a look at the rule, how it came to be, and its history to-date.
The designated area in which a goalkeeper can play the puck behind the net is aptly and commonly called the “trapezoid.” This area started six feet from each goal post; now, with the updated rule, the area is extended to eight feet from each goal post. From those two points, a line extends to the boards, thus creating the trapezoid-shaped area in which a goalkeeper can play the puck. Goalkeepers are limited to this area behind the net and theoretically keeps them from making defensive plays, such as passing to a teammate in the corner (the forbidden area outside of the trapezoid) or clearing the puck out of the zone during an attack, essentially becoming a bonus sixth skater. After the American Hockey League’s testing of the proposed trapezoid area, the rule was enacted in the 2005-06 season.
During the 2011 NHL Research and Development Camp, the trapezoid was removed and went back to pre-2005 times to experiment whether players could adapt to the older rule and if there was still a goalkeeper’s advantage. But just as the camp’s title implies, this was for research and development, and as Shanahan noted, “It’s what many companies do, what many corporations do. That’s what we’re doing. It’s not a knee-jerk reaction to anything that we feel is wrong with the game.” Obviously the trapezoid remained after the R & D. And most recently, in its nine-year existence, two more feet were added to the area for the 2014-15 season, thus enabling even more space for goalkeepers to play the puck. Is the extension a compromise between having the trapezoid and eliminating it altogether? Does the trapezoid add interest to the game, is it a distraction, or is it completely useless?
Today, the expansion is great news for goalkeepers with good puck-handling skills. But back when the rule was first introduced, it was bad news for Martin Brodeur, the famed New Jersey Devils’ goalkeeper for whom the rule is supposedly inspired by.
Brodeur’s perspective on the rule: “Now I have to sit and watch all the time. It’s dangerous.”
(photo: Bill Kostroun / AP)
In the photo, you see Brodeur saving a puck from his net, almost on the boundary line between the allowable and forbidden areas.
Brodeur and other goalkeepers might have been able to “rescue” teammates by obtaining the puck and clearing the zone in the otherwise forbidden area; on the other hand, he did say giving goalkeepers all this added flexibility on the ice opens up room for mistakes, and might prevent them from their one job: protecting the net. He called it “havoc” when goalkeepers are given the freedom to roam.
In a way, the updated rule is a compromise – the trapezoid area is widened by two feet, therefore allowing more puck-play action for goalkeepers, while also keeping the “forbidden” area so that goalkeepers will stay in their net and not necessarily skate around with the puck and try and make plays.
A goalkeeper can and will make defensive plays, but because the space is limited, it shows their athleticism. In the pre-2005 world where no trapezoid existed, it’s worthy to note that because they are protected by interference rules, goalkeepers might have used those rules to their advantage behind the net, essentially being protected.
It’ll be interesting to see what the additional two feet will add to the sport, if anything, and hear feedback from goalkeepers. All eyes on Brodeur!
The San Jose Sharks may not have a Captain, but they do have Justin Braun as a defenseman for another six years. The Sharks announced today that the 27-year-old will be with the team through the 2019-20 season, a five-year, $19 million contract that begins next season.
Even though his contract does not include a no-trade or no-movement clause, Braun seems satisfied. “It’s great. You don’t have to worry about it for six years, including this year,” Braun said. “We’re happy with how everything turned out. Came to a pretty good mutual agreement.”
Also pleased is General Manager Doug Wilson: ”Justin has emerged as one of our most well-rounded and dependable defensemen. He’s an excellent skater who excels in matching up against the opponents top players on a nightly basis and fits in well with our core group of younger players. We feel Justin has just scratched the surface of his talent and we are excited to have him under contract for the next six seasons.”
Braun was drafted by San Jose in the seventh round in 2007. Along with his 46 points (8 goal, 38 assists) in his 217 regular season games, Braun has also posted 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) in 24 playoff games, all with the Sharks. Last season, he set a career-high of 17 points (4 goals, 2 assists) and, impressively, was one of only four Sharks to play in all 82 games.
Truly a valuable part of the team, the Sharks community is happy to have him.
The night of the week where you would rather get knocked out by a puck instead of making dinner, this night happens for all of us. Ultimately, dinner is a priority and our Spicy Stuffed Peppers are a quick and easy, puckin’ awesome dinner solution for the budding chef in all of us.
Ingredients
1 package Ground Meat (hamburger or turkey work best)
1. Dice 1/2 onion and brown with meat and garlic salt in frying pan on medium heat.
2. While meat in browning, chop the pepper tops off and place to the side, de-seed the peppers and place in shallow baking dish. 3. Once meat is browned, add in rice package and sauce, thoroughly stir the mixture until combined.
4. Spoon mixture into peppers until completely filled, sprinkle with cheese and place a pepper top on each pepper.
5. Fill the bottom of the baking sheet with approximately 1/2 inch of water.
6. Place peppers in oven at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass., has secured its first four recruits for its inaugural season in 2015-2016. The team will play a club schedule until they join Hockey East in Women’s Division I NCAA hockey in 2016-2017.
The recruits are forwards Jillian Battista of Tonawanda, New York; Marie Delarbre of Fussen, Germany; Jackie Pieper of Edina, Minn.; and goaltender Chaislyn Burgio of Quincy, Mass. All four have signed National Letters of Intent and are already on campus starting their academic careers at the school.
The recruits will train and practice together as the school continues to piece together its squad.
“We are excited to bring the first wave of women’s ice hockey student-athletes onto the Merrimack College campus this fall,” said Head Coach Erin Hamlen in a press release. “In the year prior to our inaugural season, we are fortunate to be able to bring four student-athletes to campus to redshirt and train with our staff. These student-athletes are quality players, but more importantly, quality people. Our staff expects this small group to lead a young squad into competition in the fall of 2015.”
Delarbre is a transfer from the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where she played more than 60 games for the Bulldogs. She also spent three years with Germany’s National U18 team.
“(Delarbre) is a highly skilled forward who will bring a level of experience to a new program,” said Head Coach Erin Hamlen. “Marie has incredible hands and our staff is looking forward to working with her this year to continue her growth in Division I hockey and help her reach her goals with Team Germany.”
Burgio is a graduate of Thayer Academy. She posted a .969 SV% and .67 GAA at the 2013 North American Hockey Academy Labor Day Tournament for her team, the Bay State Breakers, which advanced to the USA Hockey Tier I National Tournament.
“She brings work ethic and potential,” said Hamlen. “She is a self-motivated athlete who will challenge players around her to be better.”
Battista lead her high school hockey team to the New York state tournament all four years, 2008-2011, earning national tournament appearances as well. She played juniors for the Burlington Barracudas and most recently Brampton Junior Canadettes, where she had 6 goals and 8 assists in 38 games.
“Jill is a highly motivated student-athlete whose dedication included a four-hour round-trip drive every day to play for the Brampton, Ontario Canadette last season. She is a two-way forward with the ability to be a play-maker,” said Hamlen.
Pieper, a power forward, played for two years at Benilde St. Margaret’s before transferring to Edina High School, where she graduated in May. During her senior year she tallied 15 goals and 17 assists in 28 games.
“She is a physical player and often comes out with the puck in one-on-one battles. Jackie has great net-drive and plays with a level of maturity,” said Hamlen.
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