2008-09 Schedule

Lo and behold, the new NHL schedule has been released. There are a few things of interest in the announcement. Firstly, Europe’s back:

Daniel Alfredsson will return to his native Sweden as the Ottawa Senators open in Stockholm on Saturday, Oct. 4, against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Not only do they go to play in Europe, thus demolishing two teams’ early-season run, but they also highlight a non-European (Crosby) for the fans across the Ocean?

Oh well, at least the Swedes will get a good show. Crosby really has proven himself to be the best in the business for his age, and Alfie is always full of heart. This rivalry has been toted as one of the more intense ones over the last couple years, and the teams should be on more of an even footing than ever before, since the Pens have lost a couple of their elite pieces (Hossa and Malone) while the Sens have retooled their shed (Smith and Ruutu — the latter coincidentally having signed from Pittsburgh). Will the game be all it could be? No, because they’ll be tired from the travels. But it’ll be a good game nonetheless.

The New York Rangers will play the same day in Prague against Vincent Lecavalier and the Tampa Bay Lightning, whose roster includes No. 1 draft pick Steven Stamkos and a host of new players the team has acquired in the off-season.

Prague without Jagr? Sheesh. Almost like the league didn’t anticipate what everyone else thought was inevitable when Jagr left for Russia. And without Jagr, the Rangers will be even more slow and defensive. Woot. The Czechs’ll never invite us back!

Also of importance, and far more exciting for yours truly, is the revision in the scheduling:

For the first time since before the 2005 lockout, every team in the league will play all others at least once next season. The teams had been meeting inter-conference foes once every three seasons.

Canadian teams in opposing conferences will face each other twice, once in each club’s rink.

It’s nice to have more inter-Canadian play. Frankly, it’s a letdown when Vancouver doesn’t get to play Eastern Canadian teams, since most of my friends cheer for those losers. How can I evidence that my team is better than theirs unless we hand them their heads on a platter twice anually? Good move, NHL.

Also, this means that teams in opposing conferences will get to see stars like Ovechkin, Crosby, and Stamkos. That means more money for Nashville on at least one occassion.

Most Canadian teams are playing by the 12th, with divisional rivalries being played up, same as last year. But I can’t say that I will miss the ending last year, where teams had 9 or 10 games straight down the stretch where they only played divisional opponents. It’s a lot easier to get a good hate on for the other team when the meetings are frequent enough to cause bad blood, but not frequent enough to make the games routine.

Oh, and the final stroke of interest? Toronto will be playing a Thanksgiving matinee in Canada. Against the Blues.

I don’t know what the scheduler was smoking, but something had to convince him that watching a game between two non-rival bottom feeders would attract viewers on Thanksgiving. What a joke.

Who’s where and what to make of it

Weeks after the July First free agency spree began, most teams are right back where they started. Although it’s possibly the second-most hyped-up time of year regarding transactions (aside from the trade deadline), I’m always amused at how little a difference Free Agency seems to make on the majority of rosters. That same situation applies right here, right now, in 90% of the league. Which teams are doing well? Which have fallen flat? It’s something that has yet to be fully determined (since there’s more signing to go, as well as more testing of those people signed to take place throughout the season), and yet it’s a critical question.

But, of course, the question isn’t one that you really worry much about — until it’s your team that’s being brought up. And why would you? Aside from judging which one of the perennial losers is likely to move up to a near-playoff position (this year, it’s Tampa Bay), we have little reason to worry about the signings outside of our division. But when it comes to our favorite teams, have they made out the way they intended? Are they going to be contenders with their new additions?

In Vancouver, that’s a resounding “no.” As has been pointed out by Mike over on The Yankee Canuck, there’s not really much reason to expect the Canucks’ signings thus far to carry them to any new heights, as long as the coaching situation remains in jeopardy. As well, it’s worth noting that the Canucks really haven’t improved much. Demitra and Bernier may, if given the chance, outshine their predecessors (Naslund and Morrison), but their success depends largely on Vignault’s coaching, as well as their linemates’ success and their own personal health. Even ideally, Demitra will net at most 30 goals and 70 points, while Bernier may get above the 20-goal count with the Sedins — putting them both just ahead of the Canucks they’re replacing. That won’t put the ‘Nucks in a position to win th Cup unless someone makes some magic.

The Flames are in the same boat. They’ve replaced Tanguay with Bertuzzi, but adding grit at the cost of offense really won’t change much in Calgary. I think that they’re a lot closer to a Cup than Vancouver, since their heart far outweighs their divisional rival, but free agency hasn’t done much for them, really.

The Habs? They’ve let Ryder go, but otherwise they’ve been pretty stable. The Leafs have been watching a lot of roster pieces departing, as well as potentially witnessing the end of Sundin’s tenure in Toronto, and even if the moves may be addition by substraction, there’s no question that the Leafs are much weaker for the short-term.

But one team deserves an A+ for their efforts this off-season. And although I don’t think they’ll be winning a Cup anytime soon, it’s certainly no longer the fault of their GM. After all, Murray’s given the Sens every piece they need to be a success.

Yes, after all the hype about the Sens being a mess of a franchize — and after all the speculation about Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Toronto, and Montreal buying huge-contract players, the Sens have played their hand the best they could, and come away with far more than their native opposition. Adding Smith was a good move to replace Redden, who was slipping in pretty much every aspect of his game. Getting Ruutu helps to add even more grit to a team that already has Fisher and Neil — which proves yet again that the Sens are ready to shake off the mantra they once had of avoiding hard hockey. Returning Sean Donovan may not be a huge splash, but it adds depth. And, of course, getting rid of Emery got rid of one distraction, and although there’s not enough evidence to say that he was the source of all their woes, it’s fair to say that he wasn’t helping and losing him won’t hurt the franchize in the short term.

Ultimately, the Sens’ pickups may be small compared to the signings of Tampa Bay or Detroit. But the addition of solid names to lend playoff experience and grit to their team is a good move, and more likely to help build on past successes than complete remodeling via free-agency, as some teams seek to accomplish. So Murray deserves a hand for his patience in this situation, and hopefully the moves pan out for him.

After all, the Sens are still the most talented club in Canada, and to see them squandering so much in the way of resources is a shame for those fans who wish their team had a 30-goal scorer signed on!

Demitra Fix-all?

From the Canucks official site:

Vancouver Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis today announced that the team has signed free agent forward Pavol Demitra. In keeping with club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Throughout his NHL career, Pavol has proven himself to be an offensive contributor where ever he has played,” said Gillis. “Pavol is a strong two-way hockey player with excellent quickness and finish. His play making abilities will be an asset on our power-play and make him a great addition to our top six forwards.”

This is the first “major” signing by the Canucks this off-season, and has the sense to it that the ‘Nucks are getting other teams’ leftovers. Though Demitra is a talent, he’s liable to not be worth the money — reputedly $4 million according to James Mirtle. As a couple commenters have already pointed out over there, this reeks of “replacing Naslund”, and it should work if Demitra can stay healthy. He’s easily a point-per-game performer, and should be able to make up for the 25 goals lost with Naslund’s departure, but only if he can play 70+ games this year.

But I don’t see much of an alternative, really. The Canucks are in a desperate fix right now, with no high-profile agents being willing to come to a town that looks to be mismanaged. If Gillis can prove that this off-season’s pickups are worth their dough, more may be willing to join the bandwagon. But if the team finishes middle of the pack again, we’ll be hard-pressed to turn out any decent performance anytime soon.

Gillis promised a winning team, immediately. He’s going to find out how hard it is to produce that. For the time being, though, one may as well jump on the wagon and hope that the band shows up.

Welcome aboard, Demitra! Hope you can play trumpet!

Signing Day in Canada

I’ll try to keep up to date with the big Canadian moves throughout the day.

The first team to make a big splash was the Edmonton Oilers, who made two moves to change their lineup today:

The Edmonton Oilers made a splash on Canada Day with a pair of trades that netted the club rugged forward Erik Cole and prospect Gilbert Brule.

[...]

The price for Cole was defenceman Joni Pitkanen, who spent just one season with Edmonton and became expendable after the Oilers acquired Lubomir Visnovsky late Sunday.

[...]

Injuries have hampered the five-foot-10 Brule’s development as an NHL regular, and with Blue Jackets prospects like Derek Brassard and recent draft pick Nikita Filatov in the pipeline, he became expendable in Columbus.

Going the other way is a popular and speedy left-winger who played four seasons with the Oilers.

They’re not as monumental as they sound, really. But the addition of Cole will give them some grit up front if he can stay healthy, and Brule is not much more of a risk than keeping Torres would have been. These won’t make the Oilers contenders, or even playoff-bound IMO, but they’re a good continuation of the moves made last season by Lowe.

A fright for us Canucks fans:

Mats Sundin was offered a two-year contract by the Vancouver Canucks worth $20 million US, a source has told the Canadian Press.

Sundin became an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday for the first time in his career. He is in Europe and has yet to decide whether he’s going to resume his NHL career.

I’m game to hand over the reigns of this team to Gillis if he’s going to make an attempt at restoring the offensive style of game. But to sign on a 37-year old to a $10 million contract is more than a little outrageous. Sundin had a good year, yes. But he still has yet to lead the Maple Leafs to anything close to a Cup, and with that kind of contract, the Canucks would have trouble giving him any more of a core of players to work with than the Leafs did.

When the Canucks were rumoured to be offering for Sundin at the trade deadline, I was somewhat intrigued. Now, I’m hoping he runs back to Sweden. This deal would condemn the team to 2 years of pain. Simply put, the cost is too high.

Meanwhile, ex-Canuck Alex Auld has wound up in the most conflicted Canadian city:

The Ottawa Senators filled a goaltending void by picking up veteran Alex Auld on Tuesday.

Auld went 12-13-5 with a 2.68 goals-against average and .907 save percentage last season, which he split between Phoenix and Boston.

I’m still convinced that Auld will be a starter for some team one of these days. He was a bit of a scapegoat in the first season after the lockout, when the Canucks were a mess. He won’t steal games, but he shouldn’t cost you them. Give him a good team (like the Sens), and he’ll give the team a solid shot at winning.

Some goaltender people, meanwhile, have moved around. The Capitals picked up Theodore to replace Huet, proving that they like ex-Habs. Huet, meanwhile, was taken by the Blackhawks along with the biggest defenseman on the market, Brian Campbell. The Avs, meanwhile, filling the $6 million void, picked up some old Toronto faces:

The Colorado Avalanche have signed a pair of former Maple Leafs, with forward Darcy Tucker and goaltender Andrew Raycroft joining the team as free agents.

Tucker, 33, has signed a two-year, $4.5-million US deal with the club. The native of Endiang, Alta., was bought out on June 26 by the Leafs, who will continue to pay the left-winger $1 million per season over the next six years.

[...]

Raycroft, 28, signed a one-year pact with Colorado worth $800,000 US.

The native of Belleville, Ont., was put on waivers by the Maple Leafs on June 24 and then bought out of the final year of his contract, worth $2.2 million US.

Tucker will be a good face around Colorado. Raycroft is a cheap alternative to Theodore, but they’re likely hoping that he pulls out a miracle and manages to return to his former Calder-trophy form. They still don’t have any real starter, and I doubt that this will return them to Cup form, unless Raycroft has more of a turnabout than Theodore ever did.

The Leafs, on the other hand, seem to have a better grip on the goaltending situation. They scooped up ex-sarter Cujo to back up their new man, Toskala, and added a solid young defenseman as well!

Curtis Joseph became the latest person to rejoin the Toronto sports scene after a lengthy absence, as he was welcomed back to the Maple Leafs on Tuesday.

The goaltender signed a one-year, $700,000 US deal and is expected to be the club’s backup behind Vesa Toskala.

[...]

In a deal with less sentimental value but more importance on the ice, the Maple Leafs signed defenceman Jeff Finger to a four-year, $14-million US deal.

Finger, 28, impressed in his first full season in the NHL, scoring eight goals, 11 assists and a plus-12 rating in 72 games with Colorado.

The Leafs should be getting rid of some of their overpaid defensemen, so to have a two-way guy on the roster with lots of potential is probably a good move. The Joseph move needs no elaboration, since it’s solid emotionally and he should be good as a backup.

The Canucks have made their first “move” of the day, and it’s pretty underwhelming. They signed one Darcy Hordichuck to a deal of undisclosed proportions. He’s never gotten more than 13 points in 74 games. Woot.

And Wade Redden has changed nations, going to the Rangers for far too much. He won’t earn his money there, although the Rangers are kind of strapped for good defensemen right now, so I guess they were willing to overpay. Still, he’s a huge disappointment in the playoffs, year after year. Although, now that Hossa’s clicked, I suppose anything’s possible once you leave Ottawa.

To close off the day, Mirtle is reporting on his liveblog that Ryder has been signed to a $4-million a year contract in Boston. No sign of any link other than Mirtle’s. I’ll keep posted.

Busy Day in Ottawa

The draft just passed, and many new developments occurred for those teams north of the border. In fact, it’s quite arguable that Calgary stole the show with some daring (and complex) deals:

The Calgary Flames were busy at the NHL draft, acquiring center Mike Cammallerii from the Los Angeles Kings in a three-way deal and shipping forward Alex Tanguay to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday night.

The Flames sent their first round pick, 17th overall, to Los Angeles for Cammalleri.

[...]

[then] The Flames dealt Tanguay to the Canadiens, along with their fifth-round pick in this year’s draft, for Montreal’s first-round selection, 25th overall, and a second-round pick in the 2009 draft.

The move is clearly designed to save the Flames a bundle, since Tanguay was on contract for more than they would like. If Cammalleri can continue to develop as a top centre, and Tanguay goes on to prove that his glory years are gone, then the Flames will look like conquerers this day.

Still, it’s hard to argue that they made off better than the desert dogs did with their move of the day:

The Florida Panthers traded captain Olli Jokinen to the Phoenix Coyotes for defensemen Nick Boynton and Keith Ballard and a second-round pick on Friday night during the NHL draft.

[...]

Jokinen had been with the Panthers since the 2000-01 season after brief stints with Los Angeles and the New York Islanders, but according to reports he had recently asked for a trade. The 29-year-old center has two years and $10.75 million left on his contract.

The Panthers have been static for years with Jokinen at the helm. On the other hand, the Coyotes have been on the rise, and looked to have one of the best young talent bases in the league last year. If Jokinen can stand tall, he could be leading an attempt at his first ever playoff berth — if the Dogs can continue to develop. Sadly, they, too, have proven to be fairly unreliable over the years. Jokinen’s not really upgrading his location much, in this case.

Meanwhile, the Sens were mostly silent, with the exception of the decision to terminate a cancerous infection:

As expected, the Ottawa Senators have parted ways with Ray Emery, placing the goaltender on waivers.

[...]

Given the baggage from the previous season and his price tag, Emery will clear waivers. At that point, he will be free to negotiate a deal with any interested NHL club.

Because he’s yet to turn 26, NHL rules allow Ottawa to buy him out for a third of his remaining salary. That amount, just over $2 million US, can be spread out over four years.

I’m still not convinced that Emery’s not just a scapegoat for a faulty franchize. But, as with every season, this one will be a telling one for the Senators. If they fall apart again, we’ll see which of their stars gets the boot this time, to avoid having to do a major overhaul!

And, finally, to cheer up you Habs’ fans out there (this could be taken as sarcasm), here’s the latest attempt by the Habs to make a splash:

The Montreal Canadiens have been given permission to talk to Toronto captain Mats Sundin, Maple Leafs general manager Cliff Fletcher has confirmed.

“We gave Montreal permission to talk to Mats,” Fletcher told the Canadian Press on Friday. “We have no other comment at this time.”

Sundin is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Toronto would require some form of compensation if a deal was worked out between Sundin and the Canadiens before that date.

Yyyep. That’s right. The man who’s been stealing the show for so long in TO may very well be coming east of Ontario. Would it bring the Habs a Cup? Who knows. They could use some size up front, but if Sundin becomes the only performer for the Habs the way he did in Toronto, Montreal could be walking into a whole pile of mediocrity.

Ciao!

2008 playoffs in review!

After a long and arduous season, the playoffs come to an end very much the way they started: With the Detroit Red Wings on top.

That’s right. For the first time in a long while, the team that won the President’s trophy also won the Cup. Except it wasn’t just that the Wings won the President’s trophy. They were first from start to last, and proved that they were the best team in recent memory. Period.

In fact, the only team that kept pace with them in the beginning — the Ottawa Senators — burned out less than a quarter of the way into the season. After that, it was smooth sailing for the Wings, who rarely (if ever) lost more than 2 games in a row and never looked utterly crestfallen once this season.

And that’s one lesson we should be bringing away from this season. The top teams are, in fact, the top teams. The “New NHL” tossed up a couple of surprises in its first season, but in the two most recent, surprises have been few and far between. The Ducks were predicted by many to win the Cup at the beginning of last season, and although they weren’t as dominant as the Wings throughout the season they very much were amongst the elite year-round. The same could be said for the Eastern Conference champions: The Senators were on of the hottest teams in the league for the second half last year, and the Pens were the same this year. The best teams are winning these days, and there’s no need to assume that will change any time soon.

What are some of the other lessons this playoffs revealed? Let’s consider some of them!

1. Rental Players Are Obsolete.

After the Hurricanes managed to set the trend back in 2006, it would seem that the New NHL’s latest fad has faded quickly. The Red Wings hardly touched their roster throughout this season, while the Penguins’ acquisition of Hossa really can’t be seen as a rental move, since they’re hoping to keep him longterm with a considerable contract. Truth is, these past two seasons have revealed that the best teams are those that are building through the draft, not through late-season trades. The Hurricanes were an anomale, showing up on the radar for a split second due to a lack of immediate competition.

Don’t get me wrong. There’ll still be teams who invest in rental players. But I think more and more, we’ll see the young stars moving late in the season, with their new teams trying to sign them long-term. Teams like the Dallas Stars are starting to set a new trend of searching for franchise faces. Those teams that want to invest little in the way of money and time in top players are going to find their wallets empty soon enough — and discover that they haven’t a fan left in the building! Keeping the Hossas and the Richardses around is worth it in the long run, since it means a far stronger fan base and more chance at future Cup runs — if you can draft well!

2. The Draft Is Key!!!

It’s been said for year, but it seems to just finally be settling home. The Red Wings have been a powerhouse since the early 90s because of their drafting prowess, and other teams (like the Ducks) are proving that young horses are still the best source of long-term talent. Teams like the Canucks and Leafs will have their moments of glory, but ultimately as long as the wellspring is dry, so, too, will be their fortunes!

3. Russians are Hot!

I don’t mean physically. I mean simply that Ovechkin and Malkin have renewed faith in Canada’s oversea rival. This may be just a trend — it will remain to be seen based on the continued success or failure of Russian players. But the fact that they won most of the major awards, and then went and stole the World Cup away from the Canadians on home turf, suggests that they’re preparing for a heavy invasion into the NHL.

This mentality is boosted by the fact that the Cup champs were the single heaviest European team in the NHL in recent memory. With 50% of their players hailing from overseas, the Wings have proven time and again that European talent can perform in the playoffs. They have the defensive posterboy in Niklas Lidstrom, and the dynamic two-way duo, Zetterberg and Datsyuk. And as long as they continue to steal the show in both ends of the ice, no one can question the effectiveness of turning to Eurotalent to win the Cup!

4. Goons are Not!

The Hockey News will be happy with the victors of the Cup this year, if only because there wasn’t a goon in sight, really. Guys like Holmstrom and Laraque are physical and aggressive, but the “goonage” was kept to a bare minimum this year. That means that the thought the Ducks generated — that goons can win you a Cup — should fade fairly quickly. The Ducks’ late-season acquisition of goons was a move to reinforce a fourth line that was completely absent; any team that mimics them but does so by removing an actually skilled fourth line is foolish and bound to fail!

Try some talent depth. The Wings’ top players didn’t hog that many minutes, which is surely part of the reason they soared season-round. The Lecavaliers of this league benefit from teams having a fourth line that can actually play. The longer goons compose that bottom echelon of hockey, the more the Lecavs will sweat.

5. Did I Mention Youth?

Let’s face it. Although it’s key to build through the draft, this sport has become a long-term management game, not a short-term one. GMs need to have a vision for 10 years down the road now — most of them can’t stop seeing their next season as key. Truth is, the Red Wings are the closest thing to a dynasty we’ve seen in a while — and they won through experience, not youth! The Stanley Cup finals were a shocker in that regards, and set the tone for the rest of the league in a heavy way.

The Penguins were good. They had a lot of raw talent. But the Red Wings are dominant because they have every age range. Lidstrom is their helm, hailing back from the early 90s, while guys like Franzen are stepping up to give the team depth and strength down the centre. The Penguins came in gunning, but compared to the Red Wings’ Lake Michigan, they were a pond. Once Malkin and co. were shut down, it was left to Crosby to flail around trying to drag the team back to respectability, and although he did so, it wasn’t nearly enough to challenge for the Cup.

Unless GMs are drafting with the goal of consistently pulling players forth for the next 10 years, they can forget any real success. The Tampa Bays may bank on getting their Stamkoses, but it’s the team that can draft well without the top cedes that are going to win through the ages.

Farewell Captain Canuck(s)

Today, the announcement was made that one Trevor Linden was finally retired:

Vancouver Canucks forward Trevor Linden officially announced his retirement today, 20 years to the day, after the Canucks selected him with the 2nd overall pick in the 1988 National Hockey League Entry Draft at the Montreal Forum. Linden spent 16 of his 19 NHL seasons in a Canucks uniform.

“Today is an emotional and exciting day for me as an athlete and a person,” said Linden. “It closes one chapter of my life, my playing career, while opening up another which I am very much looking forward to. The game of hockey has been good to me and I would like to thank my family, former teammates, coaches, managers, support staff and the incredible fans that have been so generous in their support of my career.”

“Trevor has been a tremendous player, leader and ambassador for our club and our city for two decades,” said Chris Zimmerman, President and CEO, Canucks Sports & Entertainment. “His contribution to our team both on and off of the ice, his efforts in our community and his connection with our loyal fans is very special. I have never seen a professional athlete have such a significant impact on a city and province as much as Trevor has had during his illustrious career as a Canuck. Trevor truly epitomizes the phrase Forever a Canuck.”

Until Naslund passed him recently, Linden was the all-time scoring leader as a Canuck, despite having played for a handful of other teams in the 90s. He’ll always be seen as the ultimate Canuck, though, regardless of his contributions in other vistas. His retirement marks the departure of one of the great ambassadors for the game, although his statement makes it sound like it shouldn’t be too long before we see him highlighted in some management or NHLPA position.

He’ll be a face around hockey for years to come. But he’ll be missed out on the ice, where the youth doth roam!

Time to Cry!

A report from AOL Fanhouse:

Something tells me that if NBC had the opportunity to hijack the MNF theme, they’d do it in a heartbeat. And I’m sure that if you asked the folks at ABC/ESPN, they’d tell you that there was absolutely no way they would ever let NBC get hold of a integral element of Monday Night Football’s brand identity.

But in Canada, that’s exactly what just happened. Last week, the report hit the wires that Canada’s national broadcaster, the CBC, had come to an impasse with the rights holder to the theme from Hockey Night in Canada, the network’s, and the nation’s, signature television program.

But now, CTV, the parent company to Canada’s TSN and RDS sports networks, has stepped in and swiped that theme right out from under the CBC. As a result, CTV will now be using that theme music over its telecasts of the NHL beginning this Fall, and as part of its hockey coverage during the 2010 Winter Olympics from Vancouver.

If I didn’t have cable included in my rent, this would be a tragedy. As it is, it’s just going to be disconcerting.

It’s not often a 20-year old can say the world has moved on. But this is a good memory that will be shifting in a very peculiar way. Funny how it’s really only a song, and yet captures the heart of a nation at the same time.

Update:

More from TSN.ca. I find it amusing how they act like they’re doing it for the good of sports, or something:

CTV Inc., together with Copyright Music & Visuals, today announced that CTV Inc. has acquired all rights to ‘The Hockey Theme’ in perpetuity, preserving the song’s legacy and ensuring it will be heard on national television for years to come. ‘The Hockey Theme’ song will now live on CTV Inc. properties TSN, RDS and across Canada on CTV during coverage of the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Olympics as outlined below.

The deal between CTV and Copyright Music & Visuals was agreed to in principle after the CBC publicly announced last Friday at 5 p.m. ET that a deal could not be reached with the rights holders. Due diligence was completed earlier today.

The song, which was created by Vancouver’s Dolores Claman in 1968, will now be used in NHL broadcasts on TSN and RDS beginning this Fall. In addition, CTV will utilize the song as part of its hockey coverage during the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

I, for one, won’t be convinced it’s anything but a money grab. But a good one. *sigh*

Phan-OOF, the Cover Boy!

Dion Phaneuf will be rewarded with a financial bonus for his play this year, as he has been chosen to be the face of the EA Sports NHL series this year:

Calgary Flames defenceman Dion Phaneuf, gaining notices on and off the ice, has expanded his presence to the gaming world.

Phaneuf will be on the cover and act as a spokerperson for NHL 09, game maker Electronic Arts announced on Monday.

Phaneuf is one of three nominees for the James Norris Trophy as top defenceman in the NHL, to be announced at the NHL Awards in Toronto on Thursday night (CBC, CBCSports.ca).

“It is an incredible honour to be named to the cover of NHL 09,” said Phaneuf. “I’ve been a really big fan of the franchise for as long as I can remember and am looking forward to being the face of the game this year, particularly because of the significant improvements that have been made to the defensive game and the new checking engine.”

The game’s worth is to be judged, but it’s nice to hear that one of the most talented players to play in Canada in recent years is going to be recognized in this way.

Phaneuf won’t likely win the Norris as long as Lidstrom is in the way. But he should be a candidate as soon as the old man retires!

Wil-SON!

Big news today for TML fans, as a new coach has seemingly been found:

CBC sources have confirmed it appears Wilson is in, barring unforeseen complications, and that the contract will be four years, $5.6-million, plus incentives.

The Leafs have not commented.

Wilson’s hiring raises speculation Anaheim general manager Brian Burke won’t be far behind, despite his having a year left on his contract with the Ducks.

Wilson and Burke are best friends and former college roommates, and Toronto has coveted having the latter for their president and GM since firing John Ferguson Jr. early this year.

Actually, the news isn’t all that revolutionary. There was lots of speculation about the Leafs taking Wilson when he was fired, and it also basically persists with the general hiring policy of the Leafs.

This decision isn’t based on winning. It’s based on marketing. Wilson’s overall record may be solid, and he can certainly get a team into the playoffs, but he time and again failed to motivate his team to contend in a meaningful way. Three or four straight years now, the Sharks have been one of the top four picks for the Cup, and yet they exited in the second round each and every time… and most often to opponents who weren’t really their superiors. With a star-studded cast, one has to wonder what the problem was, and more than a few people are ready to accept that this really was a case of poor coaching.

So why hire the man to run hockey’s most profitable market? Because he’ll give an exciting product. He likes to coach a high-intensity, physical style of play, and that’ll get the fans cheering. Forget that that strategy seems to wear the team out by the time the playoffs hit. Forget that the Leafs don’t have the scouting crew to maintain talent levels for as long as the Sharks have. This man is the choice because he exudes marketing potential.

If Burke’s smart, he’ll be running away as fast as he can, regardless of his relationship with Wilson!