The decision has been made regarding Sidney Crosby’s medical treatment. He has decided not to have surgery on his injured wrist. So far, the only information that they have said is that they will just be monitoring him.
He is getting treatment in alternative ways, as opposed to undergoing surgery. The surgery was almost guaranteeing him a limited range of motion. They will continue to watch him through training. We’ll see what this means for #87.
Though the Columbus Blue Jackets were among the quieter teams during the first hours of free agency, General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen has certainly been busy. In the days before and after, the Blue Jackets added several new names and faces to the roster while extending the contracts of some of his biggest players (though Ryan Johansen has yet to be signed).
For the most part, the Blue Jackets seem to be sticking with what works; in addition to retaining their coaching staff, many of the moves they’ve made have been extensions, building on a strategy that got them farther in the playoffs last year than the club has ever been.
Extensions
Far and away the biggest move Kekalainen and the Jackets have made so far is the re-signing of centerman Brandon Dubinsky to a six-year contract extension. Dubinsky, a cornerstone of the Blue Jackets’ core, expressed his excitement at staying with the team in a press conference held shortly after the announcements. He has registered 99 goals and 184 assists in 498 NHL games, and led Columbus in assists (tying for second in points_ in six games during the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Dubinsky, notable both for his excellent play and for what Kekalainen called “tenacity” (though “temper” wouldn’t be far off as a fair substitute), has also registered 631 penalty minutes in his NHL career (37 in last year’s postseason).
Among the Blue Jackets’ first order of business was extending the contract of defenseman Dalton Prout, who finished last season with a +9 and 62 penalty minutes. He has also totaled 3 goals and 10 assists in 82 career NHL games and finished seventh on the Blue Jackets last season in blocked shots (65 in 49 games). Prout signed a two-year, one-way contract with Columbus days before he would have been eligible for restricted free agency.
Forward Corey Tropp, who played 44 games with the Blue Jackets last season, signed a two-year contract extension with the club. Tropp tallied two goals, eight assists, 37 penalty minutes and a team-high +11 plus/minus in his appearances. The Jackets have built a roster around the idea of consistency and depth, and Tropp certainly fits that bill.
On a shorter-term contract–one-year, two-way–the Blue Jackets re-signed defenseman Cody Goloubef. He appeared in only five games with the Jackets in the 2013-2014 season, but registered 7-21-28, 98 PIM, and a +9 plus/minus for the AHL’s Springfield Falcons in 62 games.
Finally, the Blue Jackets signed centerman Sean Collins to a one-year, two-way contract for 2014-2015. Collins appeared in six games for the Blue Jackets last season, tallying one assist. In 67 games with the Springfield Falcons, Collins registered 16-25-41 and 34 penalty minutes.
Aquisitions
The Jackets also signed forward Brian Gibbons away from the Pittsburgh Penguins on a one-year, two-way contract after Gibbons entered free agency. Gibbons has bounced back and forth between the NHL and the AHL for Pittsburgh, tallying five goals, seven assists, and a +5 plus/minus rating in 41 games for Pittsburgh in 2013-2014. Gibbons appeared in eight games during the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, registering 2-1-3 and 2 PIM; in the 10 Calder Cup playoff games he registered 1-2-3 and 18 PIM. Gibbons is notable for his speed, which could provide the Blue Jackets with some of Pittsburgh’s notoriously fancy stick-work up front.
Trades
On the other side of things, the Blue Jackets sent Matt Frattin back to Toronto in exchange for forward Jerry D’Amigo and a conditional seventh round draft pick. D’Amigo appeared in 22 games with Toronto last season, his first in the NHL. In 70 appearances with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, he tallied one goal, two assists, and 17-12-29 and twice represented the United States at the IIHF World Championships, winning gold in 2010 and bronze in 2011. D’Amigo plays right wing.
As we all know, it is common for teams to alter the looks of their uniforms. All teams have done it in one way or another. During the 2014 offseason, some teams have announced they will add a new jersey to their lineup. So far, two different teams have shown designs for new uni’s. Those two teams are the St. Louis Blues and the Anaheim Ducks.
For the St. Louis Blues, their additions are not entirely a new thing. In fact, their rumored new home uniform looks an awful lot like the uniforms that they donned from 1998-2007. Icethetics gives the lowdown on what is changing and what is staying the same. Pictures of a new away jersey have not yet been revealed, but take a sneak peek at the new home threads:
(Photo credits to icethetics.co)
As for the Ducks’ new getup, their uniform is a more contemporary take on their old uniforms. The new sweaters feature the team’s logo (the webbed “D”), a change from the past uniform that spelled out the Ducks name on it. Recently acquired Ryan Kesler was one of the first to model the new design. Check it out here:
Earlier this week, it was announced that Russia is forming a new women’s ice hockey league. Ten women-only Russian teams are going to form what Alexander Medvedev (president of the KHL) called “KHL-girls”. Unlike the KHL, which now includes teams from seven other European countries, the RWL (Russian Women League) will contain teams only based in Russian cities (although there are plans to expand to Belarus and Kazakhstan as early as 2015).
Which is awesome! After the huge uptick in visibility for women’s hockey after the behemoth Canada/USA gold medal game at Sochi, and news of expanding the CWHL, women’s hockey is getting bigger and better, and a brand new women’s league in one of the biggest hockey markets in the world can only be a good thing.
But here’s the kicker:
Only three foreign players will be allowed on the ice per team, and there are motions to ban non-Russian goaltenders from the 2015-2016 season onward. How Russian, right? Excluding other nations who don’t have the same privilege, who don’t have the funds or the population density to have their own women’s league. That can’t be good for women’s hockey as a whole, and the league will suffer as a result.
Except the import rule is an excellent rule, and here’s why:
If the RWL doesn’t have foreign players to rely on, then where do they turn? To the women hockey players in their own country. The import rule will force growth in the youth leagues, and there will be more girls learning to play hockey in Russia than ever before. Of the top ten men’s ice hockey leagues in Europe, only the Swedish Hockey League has no import rule, and while no leagues are quite as low as the proposed three non-Russian players per of the RWL, the numbers really speak for themselves. To grow the sport for adults, you have to create room for the kids.
An excellent example of what happens otherwise is the EIHL (Elite Ice Hockey League) in Great Britain. They have an import rule, but they allow up to eleven players per team. That’s over half the roster, in most cases, or one hundred and ten import players out of two hundred, and next year (for the 2014-15 season, it’s increasing to twelve). If 55% of your league is populated by foreign players, where do your youth players go? There isn’t a single British player in the KHL or the NHL, or even the AHL.
Some people argue that it’s the other way around, that the reason there have to be so many imported players is because of the lack of youth players. However, speaking as someone who’s hometown team folded (the Newcastle Vipers, in 2011) because of a lack of funds (which stems from a lack of interest; people aren’t willing to pay for a sport/team they don’t care about) it’s obvious that the problem starts in the pro league, and trickles down to the youth league. It seems to me that the way to get the country to care about the sport (and to get kids interested in the sport) is to fund the youth leagues and to put a stricter limit on the number of imported players you’re allowed to dress for each game.
Women’s hockey is still in it’s infancy, and putting limits on such a young league at first looks like a terrible idea, but by allowing these leagues to exist in a bubble, I believe that in the long run, we’ll see the kind of youth depth in the women’s game that we see in the men’s in North America, and then maybe we can think about expanding the leagues out to smaller markets in Western Europe.
The San Jose Sharks entered free agent frenzy with less of a splash and more of a toe dipped slowly in the water. It was, apparently, part of GM Doug Wilson’s plan for a “rebuild” this coming season. He made it clear that they did not intend to participate early in free agency to find that one big name. Instead, they planned on focusing the team on the younger players already in the system, according to Doug Wilson.
Have they gotten younger? They traded the rights to defenseman Dan Boyle before free agency and bought out Marty Havlat. However, they then signed veteran enforcer John Scott in a move that had many scratching their heads. On day 8 of free agency, the Sharks announced two players had been re-signed. Then today, day 10 of free agency, San Jose announced two more players had been re-signed as well as two new signings.
With the two moves announced on July 8th, San Jose kept rolling with the idea of turning the team over to younger players. Tommy Wingels and James Sheppard, both 26, will return for next season.
Tommy Wingels signed a three year deal to stay in San Jose. The forward out of Miami (Ohio) posted 38 points and 7 game winning goals during 77 games in the 2013-2014 season. He set a franchise record for most hits in a game (12) and had a career high season in points, goals, and assists. He has become a staple in the Sharks line up after coming to the organization as a 6th round pick in the 2008 draft. Over the course of the next three seasons, Wingels will have a cap hit of $2.475 million.
James Sheppard signed a one year deal that will pay him $1.3 million next season. Sheppard surprised in the Sharks short postseason run this year, registering 6 points in 7 games. He finished tied for second in points, goals, and assists. After suffering what could have been a career ending knee injury, Sheppard came to the Sharks in a trade and has fought his way back to the NHL.
San Jose has followed that up by re-signing two defensemen and splitting the idea of veteran leadership and younger players. The Sharks have resigned Scott Hannan, 35, to a one year contract. He skated in 56 games during 2013-2014 and will likely act as a veteran influence for the younger players on the team. One such player could be Matt Tennyson, who the Sharks came to terms with on a two year contract. The 24 year old has only appeared in 4 NHL games so far, but the Sharks believe he will be able to crack their line-up.
In addition to these moves, San Jose signed a pair of 28 year old forwards that are likely headed to the AHL. The first move was the sign Micheal Haley. So far, he has registered 114 points and 940 penalty minutes in 369 career AHL games. He has 52 games of NHL experience and will bring grit wherever he plays. Haley is definitely a player that teams look out for after having played him.
Finally, the Sharks signed Bryan Lerg. He has had 154 points and 100 penalty minutes in 280 AHL games. Last season, he served as the captain of the Lake Erie Monsters but only appeared in 35 games. However, during the 2011-2012 season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Lerg registered 27 goals in 70 games.
The AHL is having their annual Board of Governors meetings down in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Yesterday, the league announced the new division alignments along with the playoff format for next season. Today, we find out that the Board of Governors have approved a few rule changes for the next season.
The first rule change impacts overtime during the regular season. Last season, if there was a tie at the end of regulation, the teams took a one minute break before playing a 5 minute overtime period. Full strength during the overtime was 4 on 4. Now, the overtime period will follow a dry scraping of the ice (previously only done before a shootout) and the teams will switch sides. The overtime period will now be 7 minutes long and full strength will start at 4 on 4. However, following the first whistle after the 4:00 mark, the teams will switch to a full strength of 3 on 3.
This might seem kind of complicated. It also does seem a little arbitrary. But, there might be a benefit of this. With a longer overtime, teams will have more of a chance to end it without going to a shootout. Then, spending as much as four minutes playing 3 on 3 will open up the ice more, giving more room for skaters and less protection for the goalies. There are a lot of people out there, myself included, that think games should not be decided by a shootout. This could help that.
The second rule change involves major penalties. Any player that gets two fighting majors or three majors of any other kind in the same game will automatically be assessed a game misconduct. This is likely to discourage players from taking dangerous actions. In all likelihood, this is aimed at making the game safer. The AHL frequently has more fights than the NHL, but players will have to be conscious of their actions.
The third and final rule change adds a new minor penalty. The new rule makes it a minor penalty to play without your helmet. If a player’s helmet comes off during play, he has two options to avoid ending up spending 2 minutes in the penalty box. He can either immediately skate to the bench or put his helmet back on, fastening the strap properly, before starting to play again. This would appear to be another rule change aimed at safety. For some players, it seems their helmets come off a lot during the course of the game. Usually these players continue without a second thought. But, if they were to get checked into the boards, it could possibly be dangerous. Unfortunately, this could also punish players and teams for things that are sometimes beyond their control.
So what do you think about the new rules? Will the NHL be next?
In just about every other “arena” of life–hockey puns!–being unhappy with having two months off of work makes you a “workaholic.”
But in sports, we call two months without work “the off-season” and, believe me, I have wanted nothing more than to be bundled up with hockey games to cover.
Developmental camps give a nice relief to the long summer off. And the second I knew the date of the San Jose Sharks prospect scrimmage, I was RSVP-ing for a spot up in the box.
Of course, a big part of the excitement of heading back to the rink is so I can plan out what I’m going to wear. That excitement then turns into a mad-as-a-hatter fashion show in my room as I try to piece an off-season outfit.
Black tights in July? That’s a bit extreme, right?
Thankfully, I have too many clothes to choose from and too much time on my hands, so putting together a more casual ensemble really isn’t that difficult. The theme? An outfit that would transition effortlessly between the cold arena and the warm weather outside, and be work-appropriate albeit a bit less dressy:
FOOTLESS BOTTOMS: Being that the scrimmage is more casual than an actual game, I chose to break my streak of strictly wearing strictly black tights to games, and opted for a fancy pair of leggings.
A thick pair of dark brown footless bottoms that I snagged from DSW a few years back are perfect for keeping me warm at the rink without sweltering in the South Bay heat on the way to the Tank.
LIGHT-KNIT TUNIC: This mushroom tunic is almost long enough to double as a dress. It, like the leggings, will keep me snuggled above ice level, but still be breathable when I step out into the summer temps.
LIGHT MOTO JACKET: In contrast to my heavy leather jackets, this black number is a heavy cotton blend that fits the season better. Plus, the asymmetrical zipper and buckles are adorable.
THE BALLET FLAT: I’ve written about these little black chaussures before. Every girl should have one in her shoe arsenal. They go with everything!
PUNKY ACCESSORIES: A more paired-down ensemble calls for fun jewelry and such, in my opinion anyways.
I opted for rustic-looking faux gold rings that matched the zippers on my jacket.
Typically I carry a more utilitarian purse to games. But since this isn’t your average game and I’m not lugging around as many things, I pulled out this musical tribute that I received as a gift on the 20th birthday; album cover on the front, A-side (not pictured) on the back.
Next time we meet it will be pre-season, and I promise my tights arsenal will be back in full force. But for now…
In what’s becoming an annual event, the American Hockey League once again had to realign their divisions as teams moved around. While the schedule will not be out until August, fans can now look to see if their teams have changed divisions and speculate about which opponents they will face. The divisions are as follows:
The Adirondack Phantoms have relocated from Glens Falls, NY and will now be playing as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in PA. With the move, they are now in the East Division.
The Abbotsford Heat will now be playing as the Adirondack Flames in Glens Falls. They will be in the North Division of the Western Conference.
The Iowa Wild will move into the West Division from the Midwest Division to replace the spot vacated by the Heat.
The Lake Erie Monsters will move to the Midwest Division from the North Division.
The Syracuse Crunch will join the Northeast Division while they were in the East Division last season.
The playoff format has also been approved for next season. It will follow the same as it did in 2013-2014. The three division winners in each conference will be seeded 1-3. Then, the next five teams in the conference with the most points (regardless of division), will earn spots 4-8. The first seeded team will play the last seeded team in each conference, and so on.
Stay tuned for the announcement of the regular season schedule later this summer!
Chicago Blackhawks’ dynamite duo, Captain Jonathan Toews and forward Patrick Kane, have extended their contracts with the team for another eight years, the maximum permitted in the post-lockout era.
Keeping Toews and Kane forever has been General Manager Stan Bowman’s biggest post-season priority. The two had signed through 2014-2015 with $6.3 million each, pretty low for players of their caliber.
Their contracts Wednesday were extended eight years–taking them to the 2022-2023 seasons. Media is reporting a $10.5 million cap hit for each, but further details will be formally released in a press conference at the United Center next week. Negotiations began a couple weeks ago, with an original asking price of $12 million each.
“Jonathan and Patrick have become cornerstones of this franchise during their time in Chicago,” Bowman said in a statement. “We are excited to ensure they will continue to lead our organization for years to come.”
Keeping the Captain
Toews, 26, has led the team to two Stanley Cup victories (2010 against Philadelphia and 2013 against Boston) since becoming the franchise’s youngest captain (the NHL’s third-youngest) at just 20 years old in 2008. He was drafted third overall in 2006. In his first season, 2007-2008, Toews was a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy for the league’s best rookie. He was the second-youngest player to win the playoff MVP Conn Smythe Trophy following the team’s 2010 win–the Blackhawks’ first Cup in 49 years. In 2011 and 2014, Toews was a finalist for Frank J. Selke Trophy, which is awarded to the best defensive forward in the league. He won the award in 2013. He was also a finalist for this year’s Messier Leadership Award.
He was named to the NHL’s All-Star roster in 2009, 2011, and 2012 and the Second All-Star Team following the 2013 run. In addition to all of this hardware, the Winnipeg, Manitoba native has two gold medals for Team Canada in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics. He earned a gold medal in 2007 and a silver in 2008 representing Canada in the World Championships. He brought home gold medals in 2006 and 2007 in the World Junior Championships. In his two seasons with the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux, Toews reached the NCAA Frozen Four twice, recording 85 points in 76 games.
As a professional, Toews has 195 goals and 245 assists in 484 regular season games since joining the Blackhawks in 2007. He has 29 goals and 52 career postseason games, ranking sixth in franchise history–seventh in assists and ninth in goals. He leads the team with 10 postseason game-winning goals.
Toews shares fifth on the franchise’s all-time list in game-winning goals (six), is 20th in goals, 22nd in points and is tied for 27th in assists. He has recorded 81 points (29g, 52a) in 94 career postseason games with the Blackhawks, ranking sixth in franchise history in playoff points, seventh in assists and ninth in goals. He is also the all-time franchise leader with 10 postseason game-winning goals.
“I could not be more grateful for the amazing moments and opportunities I’ve been given by the Chicago Blackhawks. There’s no organization in sports that cares more about the overall experience of their fans and the success of their players,” Toews said. “To have the chance to continue with this amazing group of teammates and people throughout the organization is an incredible honor. There’s nothing we want more as players than to continue to win Stanley Cups for the best hockey fans on the planet.”
The Blackhawks have nicknamed him Captain Serious, not just because he is seriously skilled, which he undoubtedly is. Instead, the moniker comes from his focus, determination, and leadership on and off the ice. And, maybe, for a little playful ribbing by teammates like Patrick Sharp.
The Buffalo, N.Y. native was drafted first overall in 2008 and won the Calder Memorial Trophy for that year as well as being selected for the All-Rookie team.
Kane has helped the Blackhawks to two Stanley Cup championships, scoring the series-clinching goal in Game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final and winning the Conn Smythe Trophy following the 2013 title. He was a finalist for the 2013 Lady Byng Trophy. Kane captured the 2008 Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year and has been selected to participate in the NHL All-Star Game three times: 2009, 2011 and 2012. Kane was also selected as an NHL First-Team All-Star in 2010 and named to the All-Rookie Team in 2008.
In his 515 regular season games as a Blackhawk, Kane has 178 goals and 315 assists, ranking him 12th in assists, 15th in points and 21st in goals for the franchise. He also ranks 11th for tallying 30 game-winning goals. In the postseason, Kane has 37 goals and 54 assists in 93 games–fifth in team history in points and goals, and sixth in assists. He’s tied for second with two playoff hat tricks and takes third with seven postseason game-winning scores.
He has trademark fast hands.
Kane took home a silver medal for the U.S. Men’s team for the 2010 Winter Olympics and appeared in both the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2008 World Championships. He took home a bronze at the 2007 World Juniors.
Before being drafted, he played one season of junior hockey for the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights in 2006-2007, when he was named the OHL Rookie of the Year and selected for the OHL All-Star and All-Rookie Teams. He had an OHL-leading 62 goals and 83 assists in 58 games. From 2004-2006, he played with the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich., according to the Blackhawks’ team page.
“It’s great to be able to continue my career in Chicago. Playing with the best organization in sports and the best fans in the game is a blessing,” Kane said. “Since I was drafted by the Blackhawks, the people of Chicago have really embraced me and treated me with nothing but respect. I look forward to many more years of success with the Blackhawks.”
Where They Sit with Cap Hits
The two will continue their $6.5 million salaries with $6.3 million cap hits for the 2014-2015 season, with the increase coming in 2015-2016. Despite their accolades, they don’t rank in the top 25 for salaries or cap hits next year, according to spotrac.com.
Leading the league in cap hits is Alexander Ovechkin with $9.53 million. He led the league in regular season goals with 51, but was a -35 (884th) and the team didn’t make playoffs last season. The next two are with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Sidney Crosby was signed with a cap hit of $8.7 million through 2024-2025, and Evgeni Malkin at $9.5 million through 2021-2022 before the lockout contract restrictions.
There’s no doubt Kane and Toews deserve a raise. There are expectations for the cap to grow, especially with Canadian TV’s help, which will give the team mobility with its roster for upcoming seasons.
“The commitment we have made to these incredible young men is equal to the commitment they have made to our team, our fans, our entire organization and the city of Chicago,” said Chairman Rocky Wirtz. “We are excited for our future and proud that they will continue to be a part of that commitment and success for years to come.”
And, while the duo’s cap hit jump from $6.3 million this upcoming season to $10.5 million the following and beyond will likely mean some serious roster adjustments (I’ll make some suggestions in a future post) starting next year, Chicago can celebrate a bit for now. The city has gotten pretty good at that in the past few years.
Penn State completed its first Big Ten Division 1 season last year. After an 8-26-2 record, they sent six players to NHL development camps.
Nittany Lions attending camps include:
Casey Bailey: Bailey is attending the Calgary Flames development camp. He has played two seasons with Penn State and notched 23 goals and 17 assists in those two years. The 23-year-old forward is from Anchorage, Alaska. Before Penn State, he played for the Omaha Lancers in the USHL.
Patrick Koudys: Koudys is attending the Washington Capitals development camp after being drafted by the Caps in the fifth round of the 2011 NHL draft. He played three seasons at Penn State as a defenseman and recorded 4 goals and 9 assists. The 22-year-old is 6’3″ and 210 pounds. He is from Smithville Ontario.
Zach Saar: Saar is also attending the Washington Capitals camp. Saar has spent one season with the Nittany Lions. He had 5 goals and 6 assists in his 33 games played. At 6’5″ and 236 pounds, the 21-year-old was ranked 11th in the Big Ten for freshman. Saar is from Richland, Michigan.
Matthew Skoff: Skoff is attending the San Jose Sharks camp. The goaltender has been with Penn State for two seasons and has played 41 games. He accumulated a 2.75 goals against average and a .913 save percentage. The 22-year-old is from McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania.
Eric Scheid: Scheid is attending the Minnesota Wild development camp. The Blaine, Minnesota native has spent one season with Penn State and notched 11 goals and 9 assists. The 22-year-old was one of only four players to appear in all 36 games last season. Before going to Penn State, Scheid played for Anchorage Alaska in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association where he had 6 goals and 9 assists.
Eamon McAdam: McAdam is attending the New York Islanders camp. The goalie was drafted by the Islanders in the third round of the 2013 draft. He only played ten games for Penn State in the one season he has been there. In those ten games he accumulated a 4.09 goals against average and a .882 save percentage. As a 19-year-old going into his sophomore year, he has time to develop. Before going to Penn State, he played for the Waterloo Black Hawks in the USHL where he earned MVP honors.
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