Alright as round one of the NHL Playoffs are winding down I felt it time to talk a bit about the state of Canadian hockey. Well, to be more specific, the state of hockey within the six NHL franchises based in Canada.
We had a 50% success rate in making the playoffs, although we were really really close with two others, and currently appear to only be leading the NHL in General Manager searches, Vancouver, Toronto and can Ottawa be far behind ?
There is very little coming out of the Toronto media regarding the ongoing search for MLSE's new whipping boy. Personally my money is on Colin Campbell with Brian Burke a dark horse. Ottawa has not actually fired a General Manager in almost a whole calendar year but given their stunning fall from grace this season you have to figure Bryan Murray has his resume updated.
Then there is the Vancouver situation, but I'll get to that later.
Of the three Canadian based teams that made the post season tourney Ottawa is already gone in four, Calgary are trailing San Jose 3-2 and Montreal leads Boston 3-2. Calgary have played great hockey against San Jose, using their speed and physicality to stay even with a more talented squad. Strangely Calgary's downfall has been goaltending, Mikka Kiprusoff has been solid but he needs to be spectacular if the Flames are to advance, still I think it's even money heading into game six.
Sadly I also think it's even money for Les Habitants over Boston after Montreal's brutal collapse in game 5. With a chance to advance, on home ice, Montreal played one of the worst periods of hockey I've seen in a while to give the Bruins new life. Still, if nothing else, this series has given me new appreciation of Alexei Kovalev.
Of the four teams eliminated Edmonton has the brightest future, but I'm sure they'll find a way to screw up.
Now on to the saga of the valiant Vancouver Canucks. After they coughed up a virtual lock on the playoffs by losing a bunch of games, often in embarrassing manners, down the stretch there was much wailing and moaning about how to fix the squad. Personally I knew that Francesco "rhymes with wienie" was going to fire Dave Nonis. How did I know this you ask ? Well on the last night of the regular season I shared a beer with our sous chef at a local Hotel watering hole and was apprised by the waiter that "A couple of hockey guys were in here tonight and they said Nonis is done". If you think that a comment from a waiter in a hotel bar isn't much to go on then you are sadly unaware about the workings of:
A) Waiters
B) Bars in General
C) Hockey Guys
Sure enough a little more than a week later Nonis is canned and the search is on. Now much has been made in the local media praising Aquilini for moving forward so quickly to find a replacement. Excuse me but when you fire the top guy in the company don't you always look for a replacement pretty quickly ? In fact in most business environments wouldn't you already have a replacement selected ?
A couple of points about how "L'affaire Nonis" has been handled by the local media.
1) Francesco Aquilini's asshole called me yesterday to see if I could come over and remove Tony Gallagher's tongue.
I mean seriously could the fawning by the "pale white Duke" be anymore embarrassing. Given the way Gallagher writes you'd think the Aquilini family were modern day Rothschilds, what with Tony waxing on about their business acumen when we all know they made their money as slum lords. It doesn't take great acumen to make money as a slum lord, just greed and a general disregard for the well being of your fellow man so stop with kissing up.
2) Apparently Francesco is unhappy with the way The Province is treating him in the press.
This despite the fact that Cam Cole blasted him on the front page of The Vancouver Sun in much more scathing ways than anyone in the tab has. I guess Francesco has trouble with all that folding and arranging you have to do with the "big boy paper" so doesn't bother with it.
In fact I think firing Nonis was a bold stroke, and probably the right one. The Canucks are simply not very good and the current management group must be held responsible for that but please let's keep it in perspective. The long term future of this club is almost entirely in the hands of Francesco Aquilini, and if I was a Canucks fan that would make me very, very nervous.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
The Dream is over and MisPlaced Charity
The dream died last night in Toronto. It wasn't much of a dream to begin with (just making the playoffs) and didn't have much chance for success but it official ended with the Bruins 6-2 butt kicking of the Maple Leafs last night.
The offseason promises to be interesting.
Will the upper management of MLSE actually hire a new General Manager and give him full control over hockey operations ?
Will the new GM have the stones to eat some contracts, Raycroft, Tucker and maybe Blake spring to mind, and move in a new direction ?
History tells us no and regardless the Leafs will continue to be a huge cash cow but as fans we can only hope.
My plan sees a new 2 year deal for Sundin at 4 million a year, a couple of small signings along with buy outs of Tucker, Raycroft and maybe even McCabe. Bring back Clemmenson at 500K, play Toskala 65 games and play Pogge 60 games in the AHL, resign Deveraux, Moore and look to deal McCabe (with the threat of a buyout if he won't waive his no movement), Bell and Wellwood.
That's a start at least, and if they can pry Kulemin free from Mother Russia they have three solid lines and five reasonable D Men (Kaberle, Kubina, Colaiacovo, White and Stralman) and whatever they get for McCabe/Bell/Wellwood.
If anyone is interested I'd be happy to take an assistant GM position for 200K and a moving allowance.
On another note I awoke this morning to see the Vancouver media rallying around the plight of David Scholfield and DJ Kearney whose house burned down on Tuesday. Both the local TV outlets and the Vancouver Sun were calling out for support for the couple and their two teenage children.
Excuse me ?
Yes the loss of one's home and many personal possessions are tragic and I feel for them but Mr. Scholfield was the former director of purchasing for the BCLDB, drawing down six figures prior to his early retirement and 50K+ per year pension and Ms. Kearney is a sommelier of some note so I'm assuming that they:
1) have some financial resources
2) had insurance on the house they owned.
I should, at this point, mention that I've known Mr. Scholfield for many years and do not like him but, that notwithstanding, if we are going to "rally around" the plight of people in the hospitality industry how about the single moms working double shifts at White Spot or the dishwashers working 10 hour days to take home $300 a week without benefits.
It is unconscionable to me that prominent people in my industry are asking for assistance for a couple earning six figures a year when we can't get dental plans in 75% of the restaurants in the Province and the drive to view the burnt out Scholfield/Kearney residence will likely take you over the Second Narrows Bridge, under which people live in cardboard boxes.
I'm sure I'll draw some heat for this but I can't believe that this is the way the hospitality industry should provide a "wave of support" for the unfortunates in the industry.
The offseason promises to be interesting.
Will the upper management of MLSE actually hire a new General Manager and give him full control over hockey operations ?
Will the new GM have the stones to eat some contracts, Raycroft, Tucker and maybe Blake spring to mind, and move in a new direction ?
History tells us no and regardless the Leafs will continue to be a huge cash cow but as fans we can only hope.
My plan sees a new 2 year deal for Sundin at 4 million a year, a couple of small signings along with buy outs of Tucker, Raycroft and maybe even McCabe. Bring back Clemmenson at 500K, play Toskala 65 games and play Pogge 60 games in the AHL, resign Deveraux, Moore and look to deal McCabe (with the threat of a buyout if he won't waive his no movement), Bell and Wellwood.
That's a start at least, and if they can pry Kulemin free from Mother Russia they have three solid lines and five reasonable D Men (Kaberle, Kubina, Colaiacovo, White and Stralman) and whatever they get for McCabe/Bell/Wellwood.
If anyone is interested I'd be happy to take an assistant GM position for 200K and a moving allowance.
On another note I awoke this morning to see the Vancouver media rallying around the plight of David Scholfield and DJ Kearney whose house burned down on Tuesday. Both the local TV outlets and the Vancouver Sun were calling out for support for the couple and their two teenage children.
Excuse me ?
Yes the loss of one's home and many personal possessions are tragic and I feel for them but Mr. Scholfield was the former director of purchasing for the BCLDB, drawing down six figures prior to his early retirement and 50K+ per year pension and Ms. Kearney is a sommelier of some note so I'm assuming that they:
1) have some financial resources
2) had insurance on the house they owned.
I should, at this point, mention that I've known Mr. Scholfield for many years and do not like him but, that notwithstanding, if we are going to "rally around" the plight of people in the hospitality industry how about the single moms working double shifts at White Spot or the dishwashers working 10 hour days to take home $300 a week without benefits.
It is unconscionable to me that prominent people in my industry are asking for assistance for a couple earning six figures a year when we can't get dental plans in 75% of the restaurants in the Province and the drive to view the burnt out Scholfield/Kearney residence will likely take you over the Second Narrows Bridge, under which people live in cardboard boxes.
I'm sure I'll draw some heat for this but I can't believe that this is the way the hospitality industry should provide a "wave of support" for the unfortunates in the industry.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
The Importance of Being Mats
Let me preface this by stating that I have no empirical proof that Scott Burnside's parents and grandparents are 1st cousins, but it is at least an explanation for the drivel he writes.
In his latest column Burnside proposes that should Mats Sundin not waive his no trade clause the Leafs should:
Strip him of his Captaincy
Make it clear that they will not give him a new contract
Send him to his room
Okay I'm an acknowledged Leafs fan and Mats lover and I really believe the best interests of the team lie in trading the captain at this time, however a "no trade clause" is a commitment that should be upheld. What Mr. Burnside is saying is basically that the team says "Yeah we'll give you a no trade clause but if we want to trade you you better waive it or we'll treat you like a pariah". Given that Mr. Burnside resides in Atlanta it's entirely likely that he is unaware that some athletes wish to stay in the city where they have played for a considerable length of time.
Sundin, and other players like him, have no trade clauses in their deals because they don't wish to have their personal and/or business lives uprooted every spring. No trade clauses are not handed out to journeyman and third year players they are rewards for veterans who have roots in the community they play in, and who are generally solid leaders within those communities.
Burnside further smears Sundin, and Tomas Kaberle, by stating that their only reasons for the "no movement clause" is that they don't want to play in the playoffs. Of course Burnside has no evidence to back this up but hey he's a columnist so it's his opinions that count, not facts or journalism.
The fact of the matter is Mats Sundin has earned the right to decide his future and where he finishes this season, and MLSE put that right in in his contract. In my perfect hockey world Sundin would be traded for two solid prospects and a #1 pick, win the cup with Detroit/Anaheim/Dallas and then return to Toronto in the offseason but that decision is Sundin's, and Cliff Fletcher's, to make not anyone else.
Given his stated contempt for legal boundaries and his desire to punish someone for just doing what is rightfully their due I can only imagine how the discipline runs with the children in the Burnside household.
In his latest column Burnside proposes that should Mats Sundin not waive his no trade clause the Leafs should:
Strip him of his Captaincy
Make it clear that they will not give him a new contract
Send him to his room
Okay I'm an acknowledged Leafs fan and Mats lover and I really believe the best interests of the team lie in trading the captain at this time, however a "no trade clause" is a commitment that should be upheld. What Mr. Burnside is saying is basically that the team says "Yeah we'll give you a no trade clause but if we want to trade you you better waive it or we'll treat you like a pariah". Given that Mr. Burnside resides in Atlanta it's entirely likely that he is unaware that some athletes wish to stay in the city where they have played for a considerable length of time.
Sundin, and other players like him, have no trade clauses in their deals because they don't wish to have their personal and/or business lives uprooted every spring. No trade clauses are not handed out to journeyman and third year players they are rewards for veterans who have roots in the community they play in, and who are generally solid leaders within those communities.
Burnside further smears Sundin, and Tomas Kaberle, by stating that their only reasons for the "no movement clause" is that they don't want to play in the playoffs. Of course Burnside has no evidence to back this up but hey he's a columnist so it's his opinions that count, not facts or journalism.
The fact of the matter is Mats Sundin has earned the right to decide his future and where he finishes this season, and MLSE put that right in in his contract. In my perfect hockey world Sundin would be traded for two solid prospects and a #1 pick, win the cup with Detroit/Anaheim/Dallas and then return to Toronto in the offseason but that decision is Sundin's, and Cliff Fletcher's, to make not anyone else.
Given his stated contempt for legal boundaries and his desire to punish someone for just doing what is rightfully their due I can only imagine how the discipline runs with the children in the Burnside household.
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