The New Jersey Devils have announced the re-signing of right winger Jaromir Jagr. Lou Lamoriello, Devils President and General Manager, made the announcement yesterday afternoon. This will be Jagr’s second season with the Devils. He led the team this past season in points with 67, and also led the team with 43 assists. He finished second in goals with 24.
Jagr has appeared in over 20 seasons with seven different teams including the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, and of course the New Jersey Devils.
Jagr made many accomplishments this season with the Devils, including moving up the list of all-time scorers. He is now seventh on the all-time scoring list with 705 goals, joining the likes of greats Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Brett Hull, Marcel Dionne, Phil Esposito, and Mike Gartner. Not only is he featured on the all-time scoring list but he also takes eighth in assists (1,050), is tied for sixth in points (1,755), and the list doesn’t end there. The next list that features him is quite impressive — coming out as the league’s all time leader in game-winning goals with 124, 18 of those goals scored in overtime.
Besides being featured on these lists, Jagr has quite the collection of awards from over the years. In the 1998-99 season, he received the Hart Memorial Trophy which is awarded to the player who is seen as most valuable to the team. He has also won the Art Ross Trophy, awarded to league scoring champion, and has starred in nine NHL All-Star Games.
Jagr has even taken his talents to the international level. The Czech Republic native has been in five Winter Olympic Games, winning Gold in 1998 and Bronze in 2006. He has played for the Czech Republic in World Cup of Hockey tournaments, the Canada Cup, nine World Championships, and the World Junior Championship.
Jaromir Jagr was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1990 NHL entry draft, and was chosen fifth overall. He won back to back Stanley Cups with the Penguins in the 1990-1991 and 1991-1992 seasons. He would have been an unrestricted free agent this summer had he not re-signed with the Devils. Jagr has commented on his signing, saying that he is excited to stay in New Jersey, and will continue his impressive hockey career. Jagr’s hockey resume and performance this past season prove how key a player he is for the Devils, who are in need of strong offensive players.
Devils and Jaromir Jagr fans — get ready to continue watching #68 in action and see how high up on the NHL all-time leading lists he can climb.
There was absolutely no reason that I shouldn’t have been decked in all black on Wednesday to match how tense and angry I was that the Sharks and Kings series had gone to Game 7.
Listening to the previous tilt on the radio, the tension was so thick you could hear it through the airwaves.
Besides, after being up in the series 3-games-to-none, all of my nerves were shot and I was geared up to be just as furious as the guys on the ice.
So then why didn’t I rock some angry goth girl look on the final game of the series?
Because it was the 10th anniversary of “Mean Girls.”
And nothing–absolutely nothing–was going to keep me from making fetch happen and sporting pink:
Here ya go, Pink Puck Land: $11 cotton-spandex neon pink tunic dress, paired with black tights and flats and a long black button-up cardigan so old that I couldn’t tell you where it came from or how much it costs.
Hopefully this isn’t my last post. I love sharing my wardrobe with all of you. So (crosses fingers)…
Playoff Hockey. It’s what we wait all season for. We expect the games to be exciting and some to push to an overtime thriller. How about four overtimes? An epic game. One for the record books in the ECHL. Game 6 between the Colorado Eagles and the Idaho Steelheads went into the early hours of the morning before Steelheads forward David de Kastrozza fired the puck past Eagles goaltender Marc Cheverie to end it with a little more than two minutes left in the fourth overtime of a 2-2 draw.
“I couldn’t believe how open of a net I had,” said de Kastrozza about the goal that ended the game. “When I got it, my leg kind of seized up trying to get to that spot and I just shot it in and was grateful that the snow didn’t stop it.”
The Steelheads now move on to the semifinals of the Kelly Cup playoffs after eliminating the Colorado Eagles 3-2 in what is now the longest ECHL game in it’s 26 year history. The previous ECHL record, held by a four-overtime game held between Elmira and Trenton in 2009 was beat by over 10 minutes with a total game time of 137:18.
Colorado took the lead early in the second period with goals by Alex Hudson and Luke Fulghum to give them the edge 2-0. The Steelheads could not answer back until the third period with two goals of their own to tie the game.
“They gave us everything we could handle, they had a great start to the game, we were a little flat,” said Steelheads Coach Brad Ralph. “It was good to see our team rebound in the third. We believed we could still win the hockey game.”
Idaho’s Gaelan Patterson got the puck to the back of the net after a scramble in front of Eagles netminder Cheverie to cut the lead in half 2-1. Sixteen seconds later, Justin Mercier caught a pass from Brett Robinson at the blueline to tie the game 2-2 and send the game into overtime. The Steelheads Luke Judson nearly got the puck past Cheverie on a rebound in the first five minutes of overtime, but both Cheverie and Eagles Mark Nemec dove to keep his shot from finding the back of the net. The game then turned to an epic goaltending duel between Josh Robinson and Cheverie as both goalies made save after incredible save to keep their team alive.
“They made some unbelievable saves to keep this game alive, both goalies,” said Steelheads Coach Brad Ralph on the goaltending efforts. “Josh Robinson stood on his head and made some acrobatic saves. Both those guys should be credited with that game.”
Both goalies combined to face a record 151 shots. Josh Robinson broke the record for most saves in an ECHL game with 83 while Cheverie saved 63 of the 66 he faced. Robinson said that his saves became a blur after a while and he knew he didn’t want to come back the next day and play a game 7.
“I just focused on the puck and I wasn’t thinking at all,” Robinson said about his mindset during the overtime periods. “It was the only way to do it. You can’t let yourself get in your head.”
Late in the fourth overtime, as both teams’ energy waned, Steelheads forwards David de Kastrozza and William Rapuzzi still had a spring in their skate stride. Idaho made a series of shots, sending Cheverie to make some quick saves. de Kastrozza took advantage of an open chance and made a soft pass to the back of the net to put an end to the insanity.
“What a testament to both teams, everyone fought hard,” said Steelheads Head Coach Ralph. “I don’t think you saw one player take a shift off, everyone was playing for each other and we were glad to get the win.”
As the Idaho team celebrated to close out the series, the Eagles team literally collapsed on the ice, from the mental and physical exhaustion of being eliminated in the first round.
“It’s a disappointing way to go out, but I’m not disappointed in the players, ” said Eagles Head Coach Chris Stewart. “They worked really hard and I am proud of them.”
The Steelheads will next face the Brabham Trophy Winner Alaska Aces in the Kelly Cup semifinals which begin on Thursday up in Anchorage. Idaho will hopefully get in some rest before taking on the offensive talent of Aces Peter Sivak, Brendan Connolly and Captain Nick Mazzolini along with Brent Findlay and Jordan Morrison.
On Saturday night, the Kings‘ young guns were the talk of the game after LA’s victory over San Jose. On Monday night, however, the veterans carried the team to victory, particularly one Clutch right-winger, who, unsurprisingly, got the game winning goal–again.
Following losses in their last two games due to slow starts, Sharks’ Coach Todd McLellan decided to start rookie goaltender Alex Stalock instead of Antti Niemi. It screamed panic move but in reality, goaltending had little to do with the predicament the Sharks were in so the move was probably going to make little difference. Save for a key moment in the third period, it looked like the change would pay off.
Most of the game was as tight and intense as previously expected. The Sharks definitely came ready to play, but the stubborn Kings refused to back down. After a hotly contested first five minutes, Drew Doughty was afforded ample time and space along the left-wing boards. He threw the puck at the net and Justin Williams tipped it in. The two teams spent the rest of the period trading some chances, getting few shots on goal and mostly locked in a dead heat.
In the second period, the Kings took three penalties in a row. First Robyn Regehr took an interference minor, Jarret Stoll was nailed for high sticking on the PK and that was followed by a Doughty high sticking penalty. The Kings were excellent on the 5-on-3. They didn’t prevent many shots, but they did block a lot and allowed Jonathan Quick to get clean looks.
The Sharks finally broke through when James Sheppard tipped in Justin Braun‘s shot from the blue line. It ended up as a double deflection after it hit Regehr’s skate.
Tie game. The next goal would obviously be huge. The first ten minutes of the third period were pretty even, with the ice slightly tilted in San Jose’s favor. Then Williams broke the stalemate with a controversial goal.
At first it appeared as though the puck was still loose, which allowed Williams to jam away at it. But on the replay, it seemed as though Stalock had covered it and got pushed into the net. The Situation Room reviewed the play and deemed it a good goal.
Williams’s goal came with 8:04 left in the game. However, the Kings didn’t give San Jose any time to regroup. Roughly 90 seconds later, Anze Kopitar tipped the puck in on a 3-on-2 and then drew a hooking call on Tommy Wingels. It only took 45 seconds on the ensuing power play before Kopitar scored.
Tension between the teams had been high to that point. Things got chippier as Logan Couture took on Mike Richards. Both received fighting majors and left the game. Twelve seconds later, Raffi Torres tried to take out Williams with a clean, legal body check, but missed and dragged him down to the ice. Williams didn’t appreciate that so he took a couple of shots at Torres. Both men received 10 minute misconducts and roughing minors.
The animosity cooled for a few minutes until Joe Thornton pushed Doughty down in front of his own net. The ref was about to assess a minor penalty on Thornton when Quick went after him. The boiling point had officially been reached.
(Skip to 9:13 for the Couture/Richards scrum and 10:08 for the last fight)
During this time, several sections were chanting “Quick!” exuberantly. Sorting out the penalties took far longer than it would have to play the rest of the game. It took over five minutes before the referees were ready to continue and somehow the Kings ended up with an extra power play. Both teams combined for nearly 100 PIM, including five 10-minute misconducts and four fighting majors.
Whew. It was quite the game by the end.
Some abbreviated notes:
It was an interesting night for both teams as the ice conditions were pretty terrible. Due to recent warm weather, humidity in the building was up, which caused the puck to bounce a lot. Neither team was able to cleanly handle the puck for long stretches as the ice quality deteriorated.
In his first NHL playoff start, Alex Stalock was fantastic. He exuded a calm, confident demeanor and kept his team in the game. He didn’t seem to ever get too scrambly out or of position. He went toe-to-toe with Jonathan Quick, who was great in his own right. It’ll be interesting to see who Todd McLellan chooses to go with for Game 7, where winner takes all. Does he choose long time veteran Antti Niemi or rock solid rookie, Alex Stalock? My guess (based on nothing at all) is that he goes back to Stalock.
The Kings have become only the ninth team in history to force a Game 7 after being down three games in the series. They will try to become only the fourth team to come back and win the series. There are two things that will be key to their success: the first is Jonathan Quick.
After posting a save percentage below .900, Quick has rebounded and is playing up to the level of expectation.
Quick is 3-0 in the last three games with a 1.33 GAA and .958 spct
The other key will be team discipline, especially in staying out of the penalty box. San Jose has an absolutely lethal power play and the Kings will have an uphill battle if their PK is over abused. Case in point, this chart from Extra Skater.
When they got into penalty trouble during the second period (as noted by the long, flat grey line), San Jose was able to pepper LA with several quality shots.
But team discipline goes beyond just avoiding penalties. It means staying focused, supporting each other (especially Quick) and working together as a five man unit while they’re on the ice.
If San Jose wants to move on to Round 2, they have to simplify their game and stay focused. For two periods on Monday night, it looked as though they would be able to finish the series and return home winners. However, adversity caused them to lose their cool. They got caught up playing in LA’s defensive system and a victory on home ice will need to include supreme discipline.
Ultimately, Wednesday will come down to the goaltenders. Whoever emerges from this battle will be bloody and bruised but could have a mental edge on Anaheim.
Yet, if anyone has the Will to Win, the LA Kings might just be able to steal this series.
On Jonathan Toews‘ 26th birthday Tuesday, he was named a finalist for the Mark Messier Leadership Award.
The NHL Leadership Award, presented by Bridgestone, is awarded “to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season.”
Toews, the youngest player to serve as captain for the Blackhawks when he was selected in 2008, has been a leader for the team on-ice and a charitable leader for the Blackhawks in the community. The Olympic gold medal winner and two-time Stanley Cup champion’s resume also has work that often focuses on children; and he can be seen at different rinks in the Chicago region. More poignantly, Toews volunteers to make wishes come true for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
Most recently, Toews helped Make-A-Wish Foundation to grant 4-year-old Nicholas Skretkowski’s wish at the Stadium Series game in March at Soldier Field. Skretkowski, from Milton, Ontario, has a medical condition called Wilms’ tumor, as well as strabismus.
Toews annually participates in the Four Feathers Golf Invitational–the team’s largest charity event of the year. He also routinely helps out with fundraisers, either through the donation of autographed memorabilia or personal appearances.
Toews, a Winnipeg, Manitoba native, is also very active in the Chicago group Misericordia, which offers a community of care that maximizes potential for persons with mild to profound developmental disabilities. He has volunteered with the group and brought the Stanley Cup to tour the campus and visit with residents after the 2013 season.
According to the NHL, Dustin Brown from the LA Kings was also nominated.
Brown has been with the Kings for his entire 10-year career, and served as captain for six years. A very physical player, Brown uses his hits as a way to give back. He donates $50 per hit to a different charity each season. For the past two seasons, he chose the Newborn and Infant Critical Care Unit of the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. Before that, Brown and his wife worked with the nonprofit KaBOOM!, raising $70,000 to build a new playground in Carson, Calif., that hosts more than 100 kids daily. The 29-year-old from Ithaca, N.Y. has been nominated for the past two seasons.
Anaheim Duck Ryan Getzlaf, 28, of Regina, Sask., is a first-time nominee.
He had a phenomenal season this year, scoring a career-high 31 goals–second in the NHL, with 87 points–and leading the Ducks to the best season in franchise history. In his third year as the Ducks’ captain, Getzlaf has lead in charity. He hosts the annual Getzlaf Golf Shootout, which in its third running raised more than $300,000 for CureDuchenne this year. CureDuchenne is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness and funds research for the progressive muscle-wasting disease that impacts one in every 3,500 boys, according to the NHL.
According to the NHL, Mark Messier solicits suggestions from Club and League personnel as well as NHL fans to compile a list of potential candidates. However, the selection of the three finalists and ultimate winner is Messier’s alone. The winner will be announced Tuesday, June 24, during the 2014 NHL Awards from Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas. The 2014 NHL Awards will be broadcast by NBCSN in the United States and CBC in Canada.
While Toews was also a finalist last season, Daniel Alfredsson won the award.
Toews is also a contender for the Selke Trophy, awarded to the best defensive forward.
(Photo by Jana Chytilova/HHOF-IIHF Images, usahockey.com)
After finishing with the top seed in their group, and advancing through the elimination rounds, Team USA won Gold at the 2014 IIHF Men’s Under-18 World Championship over the weekend. The United States clinched the championship with a victory over the Czech Republic, 5-2. This is the eighth gold medal Team USA has taken home since the tournament began in 1999. The win also clinches a record of 11 consecutive medals for the United States, who tend to dominate in World Championships (except, perhaps, at the Olympics). Louie Belpedio, Jack Eichel and Alex Nedeljkovic were named the best three players of the tournament for Team USA.
It didn’t take the Americans long to get into the gold medal hype, as Jack Dougherty scored just 33 seconds into the game. Auston Matthews extended the lead to 2-0 at 6:55, and less than two minutes later, Sonny Milano made it 3-0 for Team USA. The Americans would not escape the period without allowing one, however, as the Czech Republic scored a goal of their own with only 34 seconds remaining in the first.
Dylan Larkin reclaimed the three-goal lead 1:13 into the second period, making it 4-1 in favor of the United States. Matthews scored again at 6:57, extending the advantage to a commanding 5-1. On the power play, the Czechs would cut the deficit to 3 goals, making it 5-2 at 13:20 of the second period.
The United States was not outshot at any point during the entire tournament, and only allowed 3 shots on goalie Alex Nedeljkovic during the third period. After a scoreless third, the game remained 5-2 and Team USA celebrated their 5th gold medal in 6 years.
Coming back from a 2-0 series deficit, the Blackhawks eliminated the Blues Sunday night with a four-game win streak. The powerful 5-1 victory shut the door on a tumultuous first round.
The Game 6 home win sent the Blues back to St. Louis with the Windy City’s own blues ballad, Sweet Home Chicago.
This makes the Blackhawks 11-2 in series-clinching games since 2009.
While the series didn’t start strong, this game certainly did.
That score would hold through the second period, despite three Blackhawks penalties (including a double-minor high-sticking call against Marian Hossa) and two Blues penalties. Shots favored St. Louis 28-11 by second intermission.
A Bouwmeester tripping penalty benefited the Blackhawks, who returned from the break hot.
Just 44 seconds into the third, Captain Jonathan Toewsscored with a wrister (Keith, Seabrook) on the power play. With that momentum in their favor, they didn’t look back.
Patrick Sharp broke his postseason dry-spell with a gritty breakaway goal, complete with a stick to the face, about a minute later (his score negated what likely would have been a penalty shot.) The other Patrick, Patrick Kane, was credited with the assist.
“The third goal was really a back-breaker for us,” Blues Coach Ken Hitchcock said. “That was really the one that hurt because we’ve been chasing all series and been able to catch up in games, but the third goal really took the wind out of our sails. We earned the power plays. We earned the power plays because of the way we worked and battled. We played a great first two periods. I thought the third goal, you could see a big sag on the team after that.”
“This was a tough series,” Shaw said. “They’re a physical team. They’re a great team over there and obviously got a lot of big bodies they’re going to throw around, but we just kind of tried weathering the storm every game and used our legs and brains instead of our shoulders.”
And, for a little more insurance in these playoffs where no lead can really be high enough, Keith fired a wrister on a pass from Shaw (also assisting, Marcus Kruger) for the final score of 5-1.
“As the series progressed we had to raise the level of battle and perseverance,” Blackhawks Coach Joel Quenneville said. “You needed every shift to get through this (Blues) team because they’re heavy, strong and relentless. Every game was more challenging and they played their best game today. We were fortunate to come out of it the way it ended up.”
The Blues led, again, in hits for the game–at 43-22.
Defense was prominent this series for the Hawks, who took the lead in blocked shots, 20-13, thanks to Niklas Hjalmarsson, Michal Handzus, and Keith.
“I’ve been around six years with Duncs, that may have been the best game I’ve ever seen him play,” Quenneville said. “We’re not just looking at his point production but his quickness, his patience and he defended well. He did everything well. We’re very happy for him and the way he played. It was a special, special night for him.”
Keith is a James Norris Trophy finalist. He won the award, given to the defenseman who “demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-around ability in the position,” in 2010.
“To a certain degree, we want to act like we’ve been here before and show respect for how good that (Blues) team is and how well they’ve played,” Toews said. “But getting out of the first round doesn’t mean you’ve done anything yet. We can enjoy this win for the next few days and feel real good about it and let our bodies heal, but maybe that’s just us saying we’re not satisfied and we’re going to keep working for more.”
The Blackhawks will play the winner of the Minnesota Wild-Colorado Avalanche series as they advance in the playoffs.
This gives the Hawks a “magic number” of 12. It would take 12 wins for their “One Goal.”
On Monday, April 28, the Calgary Flames announced the naming of a new general manager–Brad Treliving.
“I’m pleased to announce Brad as our general manager,” said Flames President of Hockey Operations, Brian Burke. “He has been identified as the top young guy in the business and it’s evident that he has prepared carefully for this day, acquiring extensive front office experience in all areas.”
From December 12, 2013 until Monday, Brian Burke had served in dual roles with the team, acting as interim General Manager after the relieving of Jay Feaster from his duties in December. Feaster’s tenure hadn’t lasted long, as he had been appointed when Darryl Sutter stepped down in 2010, and it was hoped that Feaster would be able to do for the Flames what he had done with the Tampa Bay Lightning, who won the Stanley Cup under his guidance in 2004. Feaster was certainly given a chance, serving for just shy of three years before he was let go.
Treliving is coming from the Phoenix Coyotes where he just finished his seventh season as Vice President of Hockey Operations and Assistant General Manager. In his role with the Coyotes, he worked closely with GM Don Maloney. He also served as General Manager for Phoenix’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Portland Pirates.
Before coming to the NHL in his capacities with the Coyotes, Treliving spent a number of years in management for other hockey leagues. He was President of the Central Hockey League (CHL) where, under his guidance, the league saw the inclusion of a number of expansion franchises—many of them successful. In 1996 he co-founded the Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL) where he served as Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations for the league for five years. He played a pivotal role in May 2001 in the WPHL and CHL merger, and he would then serve as President of that league.
Brad Treliving
Undoubtedly he will be expected to help make the Flames a contender in the NHL. It will be interesting to see what changes take place during the offseason. Treliving will report directly to Burke. His responsibilities will affect all aspects of the team—including players and staff—and he will manage both the amateur and pro scouting personnel, as well as having responsibility for any player personnel assignments to the Flames’ minor league affiliates.
“I’m excited to be in Calgary. To work in the hockey business in a Canadian city is truly an honor,” said Treliving, a Penticton, B.C. native. “I’m proud to be a western Canada guy so it’s especially exciting and a homecoming for me. I look forward to getting started and working with Brian and the entire staff.”
The Calgary Flames are in rebuild and it will be interesting to see what changes they make in the coming couple of years. With a new general manager, is it possible that other front office replacements will be coming in addition to player changes? After all, in the 130 games that Bob Hartley has coached he is 54-65-11 for a .458 win percentage. This is the first time since the 2001-03 seasons, under Greg Gilbert, that the team has dipped below that .500 mark in wins.
From a media perspective, game nights involve business attire, practices are casual and Monday morning pressers are a free for all. Okay, maybe not a free for all, but they have more of an anything goes mentality. Sure, abiding by some rules are necessary, but jeans are usually acceptable — shorts, at least in the eyes of Bruins Head Coach Claude Julien are not, so beware. This morning, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli addressed the media from TD Garden in Boston and the media bombarded Chiarelli with questions all while adorning comfortable attire and sipping coffee from Dunkin Donuts. Myself included.
Breakdown:
White tank top, Forever 21, $1.80
Long sleeve white t-shirt, Target, $7.99
Grey jeans, Forever 21, $25.80
Nude pumps, Target, sale, $22.99 Bobby Orr Statue, Priceless
Media Tip: Professionalism is a key component to success, we all know that. But don’t forget to take a minute here and there and remember that on occasion it’s still okay to be a fan. Today for example, I had an nice little coffee break with Bobby, obviously, I did the majority of the talking. In all seriousness, I’m usually running to and from the Garden as media. So, taking a moment to be a fan and pose for a photo with a Boston landmark was a tiny joy.
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