Hockey Now Blog

Top 10 NHL Movember's

2011-12-02T10:17:00.000-08:00

Check out this years top Movember mustaches!

1.) Nate Thompson – Tampa Bay Lightning

2.) Claude Giroux – Philadelphia Fylers

3.) Vernon Fiddler – Dallas Stars

4.) John Scott – Chicago Blackhawks

5.) Derek MacKenzie – Columbus Blue Jackets

6.) Chris Butler - Calgary Flames

7.) Brent Burns – San Jose Sharks

8.) Teemu Selanne – Anaheim Ducks

9.) Carey Price – Montreal Canadiens

10. Kenndal McArdle - Winnipeg Jets

The Comeback Kid- Crosby's Return

2011-11-29T16:52:00.000-08:00

Did anyone think Sidney Crosby would make such an outstanding return after playing for the first time in nearly 11 months? The Pittsburgh Penguins Captain's return to the NHL has made a huge impact on the game, almost as great an impact as the concussion he attained during the 2011 Winter Classic. Crosby was named the NHL's first star this week after earning 9 points (2-7) in his first 4 games back in the league. There was no adjusting for Crosby as he picked up right where he left off before his injury. Upon his return to the game against the Islanders on Nov.21, it took him just over 5 minutes to score his first returning goal with a classic backhand, earning 2 goals and 2 assists that night. It's clear that Crosby doesn't plan on wasting anytime and is jumping right back into the game, helping his team swiftly move up in the standings. His much anticipated return was a night to remember making headlines everywhere, leaving us to ask the question, will he continue to play and perform like a superstar for the rest of the season? I personally think so! What are you opinions?

The Grand Finale: Anything You Can Do, Cullen Does Better

2011-11-20T21:28:00.000-08:00

What a ride! It's been a very crazy three weeks, and I've enjoyed every minute. I have to thank The Province for the opportunity, the former KB'ers for gracefully giving up their spot so a hack like me might have a chance to fill it, and a sincere thank you to all 14 other competitors, who gave it their all and pushed me to be a much better writer and forced me to be the most creative I have been in a long time.

To cap it all off, I've made a video highlighting the reasons why I think I'm the best blogger in this competition. Anyone who has been following the competition should recognize a few of these highlights from some of the other bloggers, and even for those who haven't, I think you'll find a few gems. Enjoy, and thank you all again from the bottom of my patronizing, tiny, cold blogger heart.

Did they really have to pick that face out of a 4:39 video for the still? Ouch.

The All-Time Canucks Mancrush Team: Centers

2011-11-19T12:09:00.000-08:00

This is the final part of a six-part feature that will run through the duration of the competition. Thanks for keeping up!

What is a “mancrush”? Glad you asked. For the uninitiated, a mancrush is a product of “bromance”, when a man possesses a feeling for another man whereby he strongly desires to BE that man. He may not necessarily WANT said man, but when watching the other man play sports, he is moved in some fashion.

When watching hockey and the Canucks in particular, you will no doubt cheer for every member of the team to succeed(except that one guy you just can’t stand, even if he is wearing your team’s colours), but there’s always those few guys that make you just that little bit more excited when they make a nice play, dole out a nice hit, or say that exact right thing in an interview to make you feel like, “hey...that guy could be my bro.”

The criteria for a hockey player, you ask? Well, the player must look dashing(note: ‘dashing’ is different than ‘good-looking) when skating up the ice, which means the equipment choices, from a straight-cut visor to a flashy stick, are incredibly important. Second, he must have excellent skills on the puck. I love me a sniper. Third, he must be unafraid to mix it up when necessary. There won’t be any sissies on my mancrush team. To sum, physical looks are not the most important characteristic, but I’m not going to have the ginger twins’ chinstraps or Todd Bertuzzi’s tobacco-stained mouth ruining my list, no matter how great they’ve been for the squad over time.

Each day, I will cover the first and second All-Time Canucks Mancrush Teams, featuring players from each position over the years. On this fine Saturday, we will be taking a look at the centers.

Second Team All-Time Canucks Mancrush Center

Ryan Kesler

Age: 27(In his 7th season as a Canuck, 2005-Present)

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 202 lb.

Hometown: Livonia, Michigan

Could you imagine if Ryan Kesler played for the Flyers? Bobby Clarke infamously offered Kesler $1.9m a season coming out of his entry-level contract, and it was a bit contentious among Canucks fans as to whether or not they should match it. 4 years and 244 points later, it’s clear that Kesler could end up being a player forever associated with the Canucks, and the organization is all the better for it.

Kesler is the type of player you “go to war” with, the second-line centre who flawlessly combines speed, skill, and sandpaper(I’m surprised Don Cherry hasn’t trademarked this set of words as the 3 S’s and made a video series about it) into a dynamite package. He’s a player that few teams in the NHL are lucky enough to carry, and it’s almost always the most successful ones who do.

Not sure what's better: the butt grab,
or the matching sleeveless and shorts.

And sure, he’s got that boyish flip haircut and that smile, and he has that clothing line that manages to distort the letters “R” and “K” and the number “17” into a logo that's barely distinguishable, but what really cemented Ryan Kesler as a mancrush was his playoffs a season ago. He notched 19 points in 25 games while amassing 47 PIM, he scored some beauteous goals(especially this one against Nashville), but what really got my attention was his hard work and effort.

It was incredibly telling that the only guy left on the ice trying when the Canucks were down 4-0 to the Bruins was Kesler. I can remember watching the game with 5 minutes to go(probably right around the time the first car was being tipped over), and there was Kesler, steaming into the Boston zone, not caring that his teammates had given up, not caring that Boston had 2 defensemen who were more than capable of standing him up at the blue line, and not caring his team was down. There was not a more poignant on-ice image in the aftermath than Kesler being wracked by sobs post-game, being forced to watch the Boston players steal his dream away from him. Some might call that weak, but I call that 100% heart, baby.

First Team All-Time Canucks Mancrush Center

Trevor Linden

Age: 41(Canuck for 17 years, 1988-1998, 2001-2008)

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 220 lb.

Hometown: Medicine Hat, Alberta

DUH.

To the Biggest Canucks Fan I Know

2011-11-16T17:25:00.000-08:00

BY / JOHN CULLEN
Hockey Now Blogger

Just over a year ago, we lost our friend Jill. Well, we lost her in body, though we certainly didn't lose her in spirit. And we never will. She was absolutely, without question, the biggest Canucks fan I have ever known. Personal highlights for her included a trip down to Anaheim to watch the Canucks play the Ducks(pictured above), and meeting Trevor Linden after the Canucks game he treated her to(which she got to watch from the press box). She was a massive hockey fan, too. Spent virtually the entire 2.5 weeks of the Olympics downtown, supporting Canada in their run to the gold. Traveled long distances to see a good friend of hers play junior hockey, and embarrassed the hell out of him with signs, screaming, and general insanity(you know how teenage girls are) in the stands.

She also had cancer. Four times. By age 20. It finally took her life last September after a battle that I have trouble defining as a "battle" because she was the type of person who never made it about her. Make no mistake, she gave it one hell of a fight(she beat it three times!), but it was never "Jill vs. Cancer". It was "I am Jill. I'm a person, not a disease, and I refuse to let this define me." And it never did. She was full of life, she took advantage of every day that she got to live on this planet, and set an example for me and a hell of a lot of other people, too. Those are all clichés, but you know what? Sometimes, clichés are true, and Jill never tired of doing what she loved.

Her jersey? Old-school Linden. Girl knew what
was up.

I met Jill when I was 14 and she was 9, just about to be diagnosed with leukemia for the second time. I had befriended her brother Ryan at school(now my best friend of 10+ years), and we immediately bonded because, well, she loved her hockey. You're never quite sure how much a 9 year-old girl knows about hockey and when she first started to take me to task, I shook her off. That was a pretty big mistake. I had the privilege of attending a few games with her over the years, and she was one dedicated little Canucks fan. She could talk circles around anyone about Canucks stats, her favorite players, every team in the NHL, and she never missed a game. When we were all incredulous that the Canucks games were on pay-per-view and we had to start paying for them, she was too busy to care because she was thinking up schemes to get her parents to pay for them. And they paid for every single one of them. I know this because I was there, watching them right along with her.

I'm writing this because, as a blogger and a member of a larger hockey blogging community, I think we get too down about the game sometimes. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in it, we forget that it's a game, being played for our entertainment and our enjoyment, and we let it rule our lives far more than we should. Jill understood that hockey was something to have a passion for, something to love, and I will forever miss the back-and-forth we had over everything the game had to offer. She was someone who appreciated the little things about hockey like I did: the smell of the rink before and after a game. The personalities of the players, the best and most humble athletes in sports. A good goal, no matter who it was scored by. At the end of the day, we're all just hockey fans, and whenever I get my head buried a little too deep in an article or I get a little too upset at a game, I think about Jill, about the smile on her face after Canucks wins, the gleam in her eye when she described meeting Trevor Linden("HE WAS SO HOT! And nice. BUT ALSO SO HOT!"), and I know more than anyone, she would have adored the Canucks' recent Stanley Cup run--even if they lost. So take a step back, and take a moment to realize that we're lucky to be fans of the greatest game in the world, and appreciate it by playing it, watching it, and if you're so inclined, blogging about it. Because it really is the best.

I'm also writing this because Jill was an extremely avid fighter against cancer as a disease, and she was the type who would do anything to raise money for the cause. She'd walk, bike, climb, sprint, sing songs, visit kids, give talks, do anything to raise awareness of the cause. And I'm doing the same.

I'm trying to stretch it out. It's not working.

When Movember first began to gain traction as a trend, I thought it was kind of stupid, though I think I was mostly just jealous of those who could grow way better 'staches than I could. Then I realized that I was in fact the stupid one, and it has nothing to do with me, or you, but the greater good. When you have someone to fight for, it makes it even more worth it, and I truly appreciate everyone who "donates their face" at this time of year.

Though I recognize Movember raises money for prostate cancer awareness, I know Jill would be proud of me all the same. Actually, she'd probably be horrified at the state of my lip sweater, but she'd appreciate the gesture, even if it scared her(and babies). So if you haven't donated, please take some time and visit my Movember page over at http://mobro.co/jojoco and donate to the cause. I just set the page up a couple days ago due to the previous horrid quality(see: lack of visibility) of my stache, so my donations are looking pretty shabby. I NEED YOUR HELP! And you can help a whole lot of others in the process. I'm going to be auctioning off Canucks tickets at my school to help the cause, as well as host a stand-up comedy night in the new year in support of Jill. Everyone has been affected by cancer in some way, and there's never been a better time than now to step up.

Thank you all so much for reading and supporting me throughout this competition. It's been a truly humbling experience and this is an article that means more to me than any other. Thank you.

Writer's Note: In the wake of Jill's passing, Jill's friends at BCIT(where she graduated just before her passing) set up an amazing charity called "Go Jill Go". Jill was a proponent of always living your dreams, so her friends set up a challenge where you choose one thing you've always dreamt about doing but we're too afraid to do(sky-dive, put on a benefit concert, cook a family dinner for 20, ANYTHING!), and you collect pledges to do it. Then during Dream Week in February, you make the dream reality! Check it out at http://www.gojillgochallenge.com to learn more about the challenge and about Jill. Thanks.

"Policing the Game": More Romance Than Reality

2011-11-16T10:13:00.000-08:00

BY / JOHN CULLEN

Hockey Now Blogger

The police just ain’t what they used to be.

In the wake of the Lucic-Miller aftermath, which has been written about, parodied, and dissected faster than a stray cow’s eye in a high school science lab, there were a lot of cries of “well, the game needs to start policing itself again.” Paul Gaustad called on his teammates to come to the aid of Ryan Miller(despite being on the ice himself), Lindy Ruff lambasted his team in the media(and rumors of closed-door tongue lashings abounded), and even Mark Howe, gaining attention for the first time in years for something other than his last name, said to the media that in his day, Lucic running Miller(he absolutely, 100% ran Miller. This is the only comment I’m making on the actual incident itself) wouldn’t have happened because other players would have taken care of it. I somewhat doubt this claim, however, since the players in his day couldn’t “take care of” wearing Cooperalls, which have been the not-so-secret shame of the Philadelphia Flyers and the ESPN Classic network for years.

I'm embarrassed FOR him.

I’m getting really tired of the whole “the game should police itself” argument, because when was the last time the game actually policed itself? Nowadays, the only time guys drop the gloves in response to attacks on teammates are open-ice hits. It seems when a dirty hit or play happens, the referees make the call before the players have a chance to do anything, or they all stand around in shock at what just happened, and a scrum ensues(much like what happened to Lucic).

Another major problem I have with the argument is that the game simply isn’t able to police itself like it used to. In the old days, the game policed itself because if you did something, you PAID THE PRICE. And not “ooh, a $2,500 fine on my $7.5m salary” price, you paid a PHYSICAL, PAIN-FILLED PRICE(pain-filled sounds like a delicious donut). Someone didn’t step up to fight you for 30 seconds, someone smashed their stick over your head and didn’t care how many pieces they left you in when you were finished. Eddie Shore was a player famous for his violence. He had an ear stitched up without anesthetic(an ear he lost fighting a TEAMMATE in training camp because the guy did something he didn’t like), and he ended Ace Bailey’s career with a hit from behind after he felt Red Horner(a teammate of Bailey’s) hit him dirty. So get that: Horner hits Shore, Shore doesn’t like it, nearly kills Bailey. The punishment? A 16-game suspension. He literally ended a man’s career, and he only got 16 games and Ace Bailey shook his hand months later at a benefit game. A benefit game for Bailey. Because his career was over. Which Shore was allowed to play in.

Maurice Richard was one of the greatest players to ever play the game and was supposed to be a goal-scorer, yet he criticized the league in the newspaper, punched a linesman, slapped a referee, and purposely slashed Bill Ezinicki IN THE FACE because the Leafs were pissing him off. Result? A one game suspension. The NHL let guys police the game, and that’s a key aspect that so many people are missing when they say “let the players sort it out”.

One of my favorite personal stories from this era comes from Frank Bathe, a journeyman defender who played 9 seasons for the Flyers and Red Wings. He lived in a cottage near mine and had a scar that ran from the tip of his nose up his forehead. When asked how he got it, he said that he had been bugging Bob Nystrom during a game(father of Eric, winner of 4 Stanley Cups with the Islanders in the 80s) and Nystrom told him, “bug me one more time and I will open you up.” Sure enough, Bathe bugged him one more time, and Nystrom opened him up just before this fight with his stick, then during this fight to the tune of multiple stitches and a lifetime scar. I love YouTube.

This pattern continued throughout history. You hit a guy dirty, you didn’t have to do a square-off dance around centre ice with them and that was the end of it. You got hacked, slashed, high-sticked, insulted, sucker-punched, hit hard, and generally tormented until you stopped being a dirty player. Coaches would even bench players for doing stupid things during a game because they were “disrespecting” it. Now they encourage that sort of play. It’s hard to compare the two forms of “policing”. Even if Gaustad dropped the gloves with Milan Lucic following his hit on Miller, does Lucic care? Does that actually curb Lucic from doing that again? He’s laid a number of questionable hits in his career, and has been challenged on a number of occasions for it. He often wins those “challenges” where he is being “policed”. The argument that those things would stop if we let the players “police the game themselves” is garbage because there’s nothing a player can do now to curb someone from doing something again, when all they can do is drop the gloves with them and hope for the best.

Let’s look at the list of guys who have been suspended this season, those who have doled out questionable hits where they might have been “policed” by players, instead of the league.

Is this the face of a man
afraid to fight? Umm...no.

Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond(334 PIM in the AHL last season)

Jody Shelley(career fighter)

Brad Staubitz(173 PIM for the Wild last year)

J-F Jacques(career fighter)

Tom Sestito(over 280 PIM for three teams last season)

Brendan Smith(124 PIM last year in the AHL)

Andy Sutton(6’6”, 245 lbs., not afraid to fight)

Daniel Carcillo(career pest/fighter)

Patrick Kaleta(ditto)

Do you think any of those guys care about getting into an NHL fight after a dirty hit? They could care less. The other players suspended were James Wisniewski, Brad Boyes, Clarke MacArthur, P-M Bouchard, and Kris Letang. Boyes and MacArthur’s hits were largely accidental, the jury is out on whether or not Bouchard high-sticked Matt Calvert on purpose, and neither Wisniewski nor Letang would be much affected if they had to drop the gloves.

The idea of the game policing itself has become a romantic notion, espoused by Don Cherry, Mark Howe, and other guys from the game’s past, when the reality is that now, that feat is nearly impossible. With cameras catching absolutely everything, dirty plays(and players) are protected now even more than before, and unfortunately, the only true weapons the NHL has against these sorts of plays are fines and suspensions. Then there’s the whole matter of the instigator penalty, too.

The game hasn’t policed itself in years, and it’s not going to ever again. So it’s time we stop thinking about what players can do on the ice to protect themselves and each other, because it’s clear they don’t fear the consequences. The NHL has made themselves the new police of the game, and they are the ones who need to take responsibility for stupidity on and off the ice, because with HD cameras recording every game from every angle, the media watching every move, and 4 referees skating around with watchful eyes, the days of players policing the game are long since past.

The All-Time Canucks Mancrush Team: Right Wingers

2011-11-13T18:43:00.000-08:00

This is Part 5 of a six-part feature that will run through the duration of the competition. Look for the centres next week!

Each day, I will cover the first and second All-Time Canucks Mancrush Teams, featuring players from each position over the years. On this fine Sunday, we will be taking a look at the right wingers.

Second Team All-Time Canucks Mancrush Right Wing

Stan Smyl

Age: 53(Canuck for 12 years, 1979-1991)

Height: 5’8”

Weight: 190 lb.

Hometown: Glendon, Alberta

I have to admit that I was very torn between Stan Smyl and Alex Mogilny for this spot. Mogilny had all the flash, he scored 76 times in a season, he formed an unbelievable Russian partnership with Pavel Bure, and as far as mancrushes go, I loved him as a kid, before I even understood what a mancrush was.

However, it’s impossible to talk about all-time Canucks without talking about Stan Smyl. He played for the team for 12 years and was captain for 8 of those seasons, playing with some phenomenal players in the process, leading the Canucks on their surprising Cup run in 1982, and held almost all team records until they were broken after the turn of the century by fellow mancrushes Trevor Linden and Markus Naslund.

So many jokes. SO many jokes.

Smyl was a product of those hard-working Canucks teams of the 80s, as he scrapped for all his points and often put up more penalty minutes than he did tallies. He was a hard-nosed, two-way player, lauded as much for his defense as for his offense, and you know I love me a two-way specialist. Smyl shockingly topped 100 PIM in 9 of his 12 seasons in the league(once even topped 200!) while still managing to notch 673 points in 896 games. He was the first Canuck to have his number retired, and still works for the team in an office capacity.

If you love a team, there will always be certain players you feel for because they become tied to the fabric of the team. You can’t imagine them playing for someone else, and indeed, Smyl retired rather than wear the jersey of another squad. Loving the Canucks goes hand-in-hand with loving Stan, and it’s clear he still loves Vancouver as well.

First Team All-Time Canucks Mancrush Right Wing

Pavel Bure

Age: 40(Canuck for 8 years, 1991-2000)

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 191 lb.

Hometown: Moscow, U.S.S.R.

I have to admit that I have a hard time writing about some of these mancrushes given how little I actually saw them play. I can understand their meaning to the franchise, I can watch their highlights, read about them, and get a sense of what they meant to the team, and I can appreciate them in that sense.

Pavel Bure, however, was the man who invented mancrushes for me. I remember being a kid and being absolutely dazzled by Bure’s skill. My little cousins loved him so much they asked for matching Mogilny/Bure sweaters for Christmas, despite the fact we lived in Toronto and had 8 PM bedtimes, so we missed most Canucks games. I can remember really enjoying being home sick from school, because TSN used to replay hockey games they showed on national TV the night before, and I could lay on my couch and watch the skill of Bure.

I probably kissed this picture
when I was 14.

There was something about him. He always just seemed so RUSSIAN. He defined what a Russian was to me. He looked different, he played hockey differently, and he possessed so much natural talent that it was impossible to look away nearly every shift he took. The people who back Bure for the Hall of Fame are people my age: people who grew up watching Bure when they were a kid and dreaming that he was ACTUALLY a Rocket, that his skates possessed jet fuel and his skating oftentimes suggested that. As Jeff Angus said in his excellent piece this week remembering Bure’s 20th anniversary of signing with the team, he could make moves at top-speed that most of us would struggle to make standing still. His highlight reel is extensive and I can remember vividly to this day seeing his goal against Calgary for the first time, and trying to recreate his skate-to-stick gem against Boston, even though he did it at ten times the speed I ever could. I still do it now when I’m fooling around with buddies on the ice, because he made it look so damn cool and my 26 year-old self still wants to be my 9 year-old self so desperately.

And dating Anna Kournikova didn’t hurt his mancrush status, either. Who DIDN’T want to be that guy?

Coming up: I name the first and second team centres, posted this week! Have any suggestions for your ultimate Canucks mancrush? Leave them in the comments and they will be considered to crack the list!

5 Players You Hate That I Just...Don't

2011-11-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

Corey Perry

Right Wing, Anaheim Ducks

Why You Hate Him: He’s whiny, he has been known to embellish a play or two(though shouldn’t that endear him to fans of the Canucks? I kid.), his body hasn’t managed to tell his face that he’s not 14 any more, he’s quiet, and there’s a pretty massive amount of incredibly likable Ducks players he’s constantly put up around. Seriously. Name another player on the Ducks you don’t like. I’ll wait.

Why I Don’t: I’ve always liked Corey Perry. I thought he was unbelievable with the London Knights, he was incredible on a line with Patrice Bergeron and Sidney Crosby on the greatest Canadian World Junior squad of all-time, and he sure scores some damn beautiful goals. He also manages to mix toughness and being a pest with being one of the best players in hockey, which is no easy feat. Kesler had to get rid of his pesky side to become great, and while Perry did that to an extent, I don’t think there are too many players who can mix the sandpaper and skill like he does. And two of the only ones are not only on his team, but on his line.

I also have a really hard time hating someone who was so instrumental to the Team Canada gold in 2010, and a really hard time hating someone who wins the league MVP and has to quit his speech because he gets choked up when he starts to talk about his family. And before HBO 24/7, he was responsible for the greatest Mic'd Up moment in hockey history. Well, aside from that Trottier thing, but that’s so good it can’t even count, can it?

Sidney Crosby

Centre, Pittsburgh Penguins

Why You Hate Him: Because he’s a so-called diver/whiner(see: “Cindy Crysby”), and....I don’t know. Because he doesn’t play for your team? The hate of Crosby perplexes the hell out of me, and the argument that Ovechkin is the best player in the league over him is even worse. That’s for another time. When we’re all less bored of it. Or the gap becomes so far we can’t even talk about it, as defenses continue to shut Ovie down.

Why I Don’t: He’s one of the best players I’ve seen. If you play the game, you appreciate the skill it takes to make the plays that he makes, and he does so many of the little things right that make every shift he’s on the ice a pleasure to watch. He also was huge in Canada’s ascent to the gold medal in 2010, and once he heals from his concussion, there’s even more coming.

Chris Pronger

Defence, Philadelphia Flyers

Why You Hate Him: He’s a bit of a sarcastic smart-ass with the media(and by a “bit”, I mean a whole heck of a lot), he does weird things like stealing the puck after games, if you’re a Flyers fan, his presence may or may not have led to the departure of Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, he has a tendency to be a dirty player, he refuses to put on a visor despite nearly losing the vision in his eye, and he just has that smirk. You know the one.

Man, that's easy to hate.

Why I Don’t: He’s a bit of a sarcastic smart-ass with the media. We criticize players all the time for giving vanilla answers to questions, but an interview with Pronger is comedy gold. I can get past the inherent arrogance and just appreciate how FUNNY Pronger actually is, and the repartée he has with some of the Philly beat reporters is fantastic. He’s also an incredibly good defenseman, one of the few players left in the NHL who legitimately scares opponents, and he eats a LOT of good minutes, particularly in the playoffs. I also feel like he’s actually a bit underrated, as aside from the Hart Trophy season he had in 2000, he has quietly been one of the best defenders of our time, with the focus seeming to be on his antics rather than his ability. He’s a throwback, and when he retires, with all the changes the league has undergone, he might be the last truly scary defender the league ever sees.

Patrick Kane

Right Wing, Chicago Blackhawks

Why You Hate Him: He’s young, brash, and arrogant, he grows a stupid mullet in the playoffs, he has his mouthguard hanging out of his mouth constantly, he punched a cab driver over less than the amount of money he makes jumping over the boards(literally just the time it takes him to hop the boards), he’s cocky, he plays for the Chicago Blackhawks, he did that "heartbreaker" celebration in the playoffs a few years ago, I mean, the list is endless.

Why I Don’t: I think he acts the same way a lot of us would act in the same position as him, and that’s why it bothers people even more. He has a ton of money, fame, and success, and he plays the part. He’s like the hip-hop artist of the NHL: he brags about his wealth and is clearly very pleased with himself, yet to me, his talent is undeniable(like some rappers) and he’s still a hell of a lot of fun to watch play. His emergence as a playmaker this year has been something to watch, as he’s taken his talent for sniping goals and added an amazing chemistry with Marian Hossa in this early part of the season. I don’t condone the whole cab driver ordeal, but we also weren’t there, so who knows exactly what happened, and the fact he made fun of himself over it in front of a million people was a pretty solid piece of atonement. Drunk, drunk atonement. And once the disappointment wore off, I loved the heartbreak celly. I’m just a celebration fan, and that was one for the ages.

Brad Marchand

Left Wing, Boston Bruins

Why You Hate Him: He destroyed Vancouver in the Stanley Cup Final this season, he punched Daniel Sedin in the face a million times, his chest comes out to his chin, his nose can double as a ski jump when it snows outside, and he’s also riding pretty high on the Patrick Kane Arrogance Train(that rhymes. I smell a sitcom.)

Why I Don’t: Is this too fresh of a wound? I don’t know, but I just can’t help but love the way this guy plays. Those silky smooth hands emerging out of nowhere in last year’s playoffs and his continued upsurge as an elite power forward in the game this season has been great to watch. He recently fought PK Subban and was asked about it after the game, since him and Subban were Team Canada teammates, and he said “there’s no friends on the ice.” More hockey players should share this opinion, as it’s getting too damn friendly out there. He was also instrumental in two Team Canada World Junior gold medals, and his national pride was out there for all to see. And I’m a sucker for patriotism.

Okay, he’s kind of a douche.

On Why You Should Be Paying More Attention to the BCHL

2011-11-06T21:59:00.000-08:00

BY / JOHN CULLEN

Hockey Now Writer

The British Columbia Hockey League is celebrating its 50th season this year as BC’s only Junior A hockey league, and I’ve been to probably 50 games in the 12 years or so I lived here, which begs the question: where the hell have YOU been?

While the BCHL certainly records fairly decent attendance numbers, particularly considering the size and age of some of the buildings in the league, it still bothers me to go to many games around the league and see buildings that aren’t full to capacity. Make no mistake about it: this is great hockey, and this is hockey that’s worth your time.

I moved to Vancouver from Ontario in 1999, and ever since I’ve lived here, I’ve noticed that Vancouver(and the Lower Mainland) is a Canucks town. Or should I say, Vancouver is an NHL town. Fans here live and breathe the Canucks, they care about the league, and they are incredibly well-versed about their squad.

One thing I’ve also noticed is that when it comes to hockey happenings outside the NHL, fans can be lukewarm. I’m trying to avoid sweeping generalizations here, but it seems that the general indifference of the game can stem from a lack of playing the game growing up(BC has some of the lower participation rates in hockey across Canada, with only the Interior of the province showing a participation rate greater than 6.2%, compared with many areas across the country showing 7.7% or higher), and what that can entail(i.e. less interest in the game at a grassroots level).

When people can’t make it to a Canucks game for a variety of reasons(affordability and access to tickets being a prime one), their immediate thoughts turn to the Vancouver Giants, and there’s no question that the WHL and the CHL in general is a fantastic breeding ground for hockey. For those who live in Vancouver, it’s not a tough choice to make, but for those who live outside the city centre, there’s still the matter of making it to that NHL-sized building, parking, and getting the kids to bed a little later than you’d like. However, the BCHL is generally right around the corner, and if you live in the suburbs, there’s not too much better hockey you’re going to see for $10-12 a ticket.

The BCHL boasts a number of graduates that you’d recognize(Brett Hull, Paul Kariya, Milan Lucic, Kyle Turris, Scott Gomez, the list is lengthy), but watching the games isn’t necessarily about finding the next diamond in the rough, it’s about watching a bunch of kids work their asses off for a dream. That dream might not end with an NHL career, but these kids are working so tirelessly and are so blissfully uncaring about the end result that you get excited right along with them.

Yes, that's Brett Hull in Cooperalls.
At least he scored 105 goals in them
for Penticton.

I love the Giants(in fact, I cover them for the Hockey Now), but there’s a community vibe you get every time you walk into a BCHL arena that you just simply don’t get anywhere else in junior hockey. You’re sitting right on top of the ice. Too close, in fact, as once you step inside most BCHL buildings, you can smell the hockey players before you can see them. You can smell the popcorn too, and it’s still reasonably priced so you don’t have to buy just one bucket for the whole family to share, causing sibling strife in the process. Programs are $2 and they’ll probably win you a gift certificate to a local business you’ve always wanted to patronize but never had the chance. Oh, and all proceeds from those programs? They go right back to the minor hockey association the team is affiliated with. It’s a great place to bring your kids if they play minor hockey(or even if they don’t), because the arenas are ridiculously kid-friendly and chances are good their friends are already at the game. There’s no ushers there to poo-poo excited screams and frantic running up and down the aisles. There’s scores of kids throwing frisbees around well before the frisbee toss at second intermission, and you’d think the frisbee toss was more important than the hockey game happening. But the hockey game is happening, and the quality is GOOD.

A lot of these players are vying for scholarships. Many will get them. Some won’t, and that’s okay. Many(BCHL graduates haul down between 80 and 100 scholarships a year) will get those scholarships and it starts a road down to pro for them, where some will simply use the education to become a productive member of their community. The fact is, more and more players are getting concerned about life after hockey, and so more and more are turning to leagues like the BCHL where NCAA eligibility is not forfeited, unlike the CHL, which is considered to be a “pro” league(a discussion for another day). It’s made the league a heck of a lot better, and it’s a rare occasion at a BCHL game where I’m not entertained. The playoffs are an unbelievable spectacle, with these players literally pouring everything they have into winning the Fred Page Cup(the 4OT marathon I saw the Surrey Eagles and Powell River Kings play last season being the best example), but the regular season is no slouch either, particularly if you’re lucky enough to see a game go into overtime, where players play 5 minutes at 4-on-4 and then 5 minutes at 3-on-3 in a free-for-all that is often as entertaining a 10 minutes as you’ll see in hockey.

I have to admit that I’m a bit biased. I grew up watching Junior A, as my father always took me to see my hometown Newmarket Hurricanes play in Ontario, and then my hometown (South) Surrey Eagles out here in BC. I knew guys who played on those teams when I was in school, and now, as a high school teacher, many of my students play on those teams. I see the sacrifices they make on and off the ice to be successful hockey players(and people), and it’s special to see them succeed at something they love to do. I have a lot of great memories associated with going to BCHL(and OJHL) games, and I can’t imagine a season where I won’t make it out to several games, cheering loudly for the goals, hits, and fights, as I did when I was a much younger boy. And I look forward to taking my kids to the games with me too, and showing them what it means to play the game the right way, giving them something to strive for. And just think, all of this is happening in your backyard right now. You’d be foolish not to do something about it.

Okay, shoot. That last paragraph got insanely nostalgic and way too romantic for a supposedly sarcastic blogger. But just do yourself a favor and go see a game, okay? I have to wipe my eyes and spend the next 48 hours before my next blog day trying to get both my masculinity and my internet superiority complex back.

For more, check out http://www.bchl.ca.

The All-Time Canucks Mancrush Team: Left Wingers

2011-11-06T11:30:00.000-08:00

This is Part 4 of a six-part feature that will run through the duration of the competition. Look for the next position tomorrow!

Each day, I will cover the first and second All-Time Canucks Mancrush Teams, featuring players from each position over the years. On this fine Sunday, we will be taking a look at the left wingers.

Second Team All-Time Canucks Mancrush Left Wing

Tony Tanti

Age: 48(Canuck for 8 years, 1982-1990)

Height: 5’9”

Weight: 185 lb.

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

Tony Tanti was a pint-sized scoring machine for the Canucks in an era of pretty bad(no, wait, REALLY bad) Canucks squads, and is someone who is often brought up by those who sat through the Canucks dreadful play in the 80’s as a guy who could have done so much more with a better supporting cast.

Named the Canucks’ “Most Exciting Player” by the fans for 5 years in a row, Tanti racked up 3 40-goal seasons as a member of the Canucks(and two seasons of 39 goals in the same span), and in each of those seasons, had his goal totals outnumber his assist totals, because as everyone knows, assists are for the weak. The most glaring example of this is in the 1985-86 season, where Tanti had 19 more goals than assists(39 goals to 20 assists), the lone down year in the midst of 5 seasons where he had 72 points or more.

The best part about this shot?
I found it at a website called
"bangsalon.ca". True story.

Tanti’s size put him at a disadvantage, but the way he found the net was special, and anyone who can dig for goals at the rate that Tanti did deserves a place in many a man’s heart. Aside from Tanti’s scoring ability, he was also not afraid to drop the gloves despite giving up a lot in size to many of his opponents. There were three seasons where Tanti had more than 70 points and more than 80 penalty minutes, and that’s a combination of skill and toughness that lands you on mancrush lists.

Oh, and there’s that whole matter of having sicker flow than the Fraser River. If you can’t appreciate that, well then, I can’t help you.

First Team All-Time Canucks Mancrush Left Wing

Markus Naslund

Age: 38(Canuck for 12 years, 1995-2007)

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 191 lb.

Hometown: Ornskoldsvik, Sweden

Markus Naslund is just a straight-up good-looking man. I can admit that. We all can. And when you combine his overt blond-haired, blue-eyed Swedishness with his ability to snipe goals, there was never a man more tailor-made for a mancrush list than Naslund.

Opinion on Naslund seemed divided when he was here: some felt he didn’t deserve the captaincy, many felt he didn’t deserve to have his number retired, and the few major injuries and subsequent spurts of poor play he had during his time here got many upset. But the reality is that Naslund is the all-time scoring leader for the team, he received the club’s MVP award 5 times and was the leading scorer on the team 7 times(both records), and it was hard not to love him when he was utilizing that gorgeous wristshot to make NHL goalies look pedestrian night-in and night-out. Let’s also not forget that Hart-worthy season in 2002-03, where he put up 104 points, narrowly missing out on the Art Ross to Peter Forsberg and Milan Hejduk, and the his part in the formation of probably the best line in Canucks history, the Westcoast Express, with Brendan Morrison and Todd Bertuzzi.

I'd like to see Bertuzzi pull this off...

Oh, and he got to Vancouver in a one-for-one trade that is often regarded as one of the worst trades EVER for Alek Stojanov. Who? Yeah, exactly. He was also extremely classy off the ice, having a suite for kids at Canucks game, working with the NHL’s Goals and Dreams foundation, and just generally seeming like a nice chap. He was soft-spoken, which earned him some critics as he donned the “C” for the Canucks, but it's a tough job to be the captain in a city that demands so much from their team, and Roberto Luongo’s disastrous tenure as captain that followed made Naslund seem like Winston Churchill in comparison. Naslund also paved the way for the Sedins to take over the team, as the twins often cite Naslund as a mentor and mention how much he helped them adjust to NHL life from playing for MoDo in Sweden, the squad where all 3 played their hockey before coming across the pond.

As I say in the opening, I loves me a sniper, and Markus Naslund was one of the best of this generation at putting it where the goalie isn’t.

Coming up: I name the first and second team right wingers, posted on Tuesday! Have any suggestions for your ultimate Canucks mancrush? Leave them in the comments and they will be considered to crack the list!

The All-Time Canucks Mancrush Team: First Team Defence

2011-11-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

This is Part 3 of a six-part feature that will run through the duration of the competition. Look for the next position tomorrow!

Each day, I will cover the first and second All-Time Canucks Mancrush Teams, featuring players from each position over the years. On this fine Saturday, we continue with the defensemen, picking up where we left off with the first-team pair.

First Team All-Time Canucks Mancrush Defenseman

Harold Snepsts

Age: 57(Canuck for 12 years, 1974-1984, 1988-90)

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 210 lb.

Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta

A mancrush list involving the Canucks is simply not complete without Harold Snepsts’ mustache. Striking fear in both men and women alike, the mustache has taken on a life of its own in recent years, making even Dave Babych wonder what he grew his for.

Snepsts’ is the Canucks’ Canuck, someone who will be forever associated with the squad, and someone who gets mentioned any time a discussion of most memorable Canucks is brought up. A lot of the mancrushes on this list will make it based on sheer skill, their grace and elegance on the ice making many a man jealous, but Snepsts forces his way onto this list out of sheer will and determination, much in the same way he played the game of hockey.

Movember was named after
Harold Snepsts.

He played over 1000 NHL games despite battling injuries, and wore three different iterations of Canucks jerseys, spanning two decades. He’s a legend. He once was suspended for fighting Doug Risebrough UNDER THE STANDS at Pacific Coliseum. I’d love to see that happen in today’s NHL. I can’t imagine the taunt, “yeah, meet me under the stands after this,” would be taken too seriously by too many players. He has a punk song written about him by a band called the Dik Van Dykes. And the Dik Van Dykes were from Hamilton. ONTARIO. Steel Town. A hard-working suburb of Toronto. It was clear that Snepsts’ bruising style of play made people uncomfortable across the nation, and it was uncomfortable in the best way possible.

Any literature you read about Snepsts talks about his downright inability to play the game. When asked about his skating, coaches said “his running on ice is fantastic,” and he averaged just over 0.1 points-per-game while averaging over 2 minutes in penalties, spending the equivalent of 33.5 DAYS in the Sin Bin.

But he was and is loved. He mentored Trevor Linden in Linden’s rookie year in the league, no doubt telling the young man of the importance of being a mancrush for youngsters to look up to and grown men to idolize, and Linden didn’t quit doing that for over 20 years, many of which wearing the colors of the Canucks. I still fear that mustache.

First Team All-Time Canucks Mancrush Defenseman

Kevin Bieksa

Age: 30(Canuck for 6 years, 2005-Present)

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 200 lb.

Hometown: Grimsby, Ontario

It shouldn’t be too surprising that I have two bruising defensemen at the top of my mancrush lists, as really, they are supposed to provide defence. Protection for the team. Keep the puck out of the net, make opposition scared to play in their zone, and generally strike fear into anyone who crosses their path.

He can even read.
WHAT A PLAYER.

While Bieksa might not be as naturally frightening as Snepsts, he has his off-ice persona to back him up. Bieksa acts like I’d like to think most of us would want to act, as though he’s truly grateful to be in the NHL, and is enjoying every moment. Already possessing one of the best Twitter accounts in hockey only weeks into signing up, Bieksa is an affable guy, known for his sense of humor off the ice and his niceness around the general public. He also played a huge role in the life of Rick Rypien, and was a fixture during the team’s recovery from Rypien’s death. It’s clear that he is a very valuable member of the Canucks’ locker room and a fantastic teammate.

On the ice, however, Bieksa is able to flip the switch, possessing that “mean streak” my dad always told me I never had. I’M JUST NICE, OKAY? Anyway, Bieksa never shies away from a fight, or losing his clothing during it and despite his sometime lapses in concentration at the back(he’s been known to give the puck away on occasion), Bieksa is a ridiculously stable defender who makes even the most ultra-conservative of commentators question their masculinity.

He also steps his game up in the playoffs, averaging nearly a half-point a game in the post-season, scoring huge overtime winners and elevating his play to a point where his place on any list shouldn’t be questioned.

Honorable Mentions

Sami Salo
Looks like a Martian.

Mattias Ohlund
Softer than a baby lamb.

Dennis Kearns
Possibly purchased hair at
Value Village.

Dave Babych
Lost dedication to mustache
post-career.

Coming up: I name the first and second team left wingers, posted on Sunday! Have any suggestions for your ultimate Canucks mancrush? Leave them in the comments and they will be considered to crack the list!

On Why It's Time to Bury the Hatchet with the Leafs

2011-11-01T15:08:00.000-07:00

Jersey: $150. Tape: $3. Completely wasting said jersey: Priceless.

I was born in Oakville, Ontario, in 1985. I didn’t move to Vancouver until 1999, so I grew up in a Toronto Maple Leafs market, and ever since I moved, the Vancouver-Toronto rivalry has perplexed me. Two teams separated by not only geographical distance, but separated by division and conference in the NHL, and yet, so much hate. To my eyes, so much unnecessary hate. I think that now is the perfect time for Canucks fans to start to look at the rivalry a different way, and it might just be time for our own Treaty of Versailles between Canucks and Leafs Nation.

First of all, I have to admit that I have a whole lot of trouble calling it a “rivalry”. While rivalry is defined as two teams competing for the same object or goal as one another, and both teams are theoretically competing for the Stanley Cup, I think the best rivalries in sports are the ones founded on mutual hatred. And I don’t know if you Vancouverites have noticed this, but...Leafs fans could care less about the Canucks. Not because they hate Vancouver, not because “Toronto doesn’t care about the West or anyone”, they just simply care less because, well, that’s what makes sense. And it makes sense that we should care less about them.

I fully understand that a large portion of this hate that Canucks fans have for the Leafs comes from the city’s massive chip on its shoulder about Toronto’s high opinion of itself--”the centre of the universe”, as it were--and I get that a statement like “Leafs fans could care less about the Canucks” seems to fuel that fire. But it’s the truth, and face it: that’s how it should be.

In the grand scheme of things, the two teams play each other once or twice a year(if that), and that’s really only because the Toronto game in Vancouver is such a hallmark on the calendar that the NHL scheduling gods throw Vancouver a bone every year and give them a hot ticket(and the arena is half-filled with Toronto ex-pats anyway). Most Eastern and Western Conference teams meet once each, regardless of location. The two teams will never meet in the playoffs unless it’s the Stanley Cup Final(which is highly unlikely), and even when they could meet earlier in the playoffs, it only happened once, during the Canucks run to the Cup in 1993-94. The closest the Leafs and Canucks have come in recent years is when aging Leafs captain Mats Sundin signed here for the most meaningless half-season played since the lockout in 1994-95.

No matter what happens...I am also bald.
And look like Nosferatu.

Given that, this hate that Vancouver fans have for the Leafs seems not to stem from number of games played, playoff history, or anything else other than their inherent hatred of Toronto as a city. But Toronto is still in Canada. Washington is in the States, and we hate the U.S. more than Canada, surely? So why don’t we hate the Capitals? I mean, we play them the same number of times a year as the Leafs, AND there’s an excellent chance we might see them in the Stanley Cup Finals, certainly far sooner than the Leafs. You’re sitting there saying, “hate Washington? But they have Ovechkin and Backstrom and jeez, Cullen, that really makes no sense!” To me, the overt hatred of Toronto makes almost as little sense.

While columnists were penning columns across Canada last year saying that fans in Toronto and other cities were not adopting Vancouver as “Canada’s Team” in the Stanley Cup Finals, I can assure you that was not the case. I have a ton of friends still living there and they love Vancouver, picking even the most bargain-barrel Canucks(Dan Hamhuis in fantasy? Love the guy, but come on) in playoff fantasy pools and watching games with the rapt attention they’d normally pay to the Leafs. The fact remains the Leafs haven’t been a good team for quite some time, and during that time, the Canucks have not only been a fantastic team, but have been great to watch with the Sedins putting on a puck movement clinic night in and night out and Ryan Kesler vaulting to the top of hockey mancrush lists worldwide.

People in Toronto are jerks. Well, so says Mr. and Mrs. Lululemon from Kits, drinking their $5 Americanos while buying a dog sweater. That’s the general perception, and it’s not too far from the truth. If nothing else, people from Toronto think that their city is the greatest place on Earth. Don’t you think YOUR city is the greatest place on Earth? Why get mad at someone for that? I feel we can all agree that Canada is the best place on Earth, and it seems that no matter what city I chose to live in in this country, I’d think it was the best.

Even given all that, you say Toronto looks down on everyone, but guess what? They don’t even look down on Vancouver! In fact, very few people in Toronto outwardly hate Vancouver as a city. Like the rest of the world, many fell in love with it during the 2010 Olympics, and you can hardly walk down the street in Vancouver without bumping into someone who is either visiting or moved from Ontario, much like myself. Toronto has a lot of rivals already: they battle with Ottawa for Ontario, the history between Montreal and Toronto is well-documented and originally started due to language discrepancies; hell, Toronto even has a fight over a highway that connects it to Buffalo. And this is not to mention that Toronto has all its Original Six rivals to worry about.

I think now is the perfect time to bury the hatchet. The Leafs don’t need another rival, and if they did, it’s not us. All we do when we hate them is foster a poor reputation for our city, and if we really want to look like the class of the league both on AND off the ice, it’s never made more sense to quit the insane hate of the Leafs. I’m not ever suggesting you should like the Leafs, God forbid. But if you’ve paid any attention at all, the Leafs are finally, FINALLY showing signs of life as a team and are fun to watch again, and the Canucks have been successful for so long and show no signs of slowing down. It’s time to stay classy, Vancouver. It’s time to make the right choice.

Besides, that Bolland is a complete a-hole, you know?

The All-Time Canucks Mancrush Team: Second Team Defence

2011-11-01T09:39:00.001-07:00

This is Part 2 of a six-part feature that will run through the duration of the competition. Look for the next position on Saturday!

Each day, I will cover the first and second All-Time Canucks Mancrush Teams, featuring players from each position over the years. On this fine Tuesday, we begin our first look at the defensemen, starting with the second team pair. The first-team pair will be revealed on Saturday!

Second Team All-Time Canucks Mancrush Defenseman

Jyrki Lumme

Age: 45(Canuck for 9 years, 1990-98)

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 205 lb.

Hometown: Tampere, Finland

I can remember being 9 years old during the Canucks Stanley Cup run in 1994. I lived in Ontario at the time, so with the Canucks playing in the Pacific Time Zone, I didn’t see much of that Canucks final, or the Canucks in general. However, when you’re 9 years old, things tend to stick out for many different reasons. I always knew who Jyrki Lumme was simply because of his name. I couldn’t believe someone would name their kid “Jerky”(I was 9...pronunciation not a strong suit), and his last name sounded like a foreign candy that you might find at the dollar store beside other weird candy oddities like gummy hamburgers and gummy fetuses(wait, what?).

Once I was old enough, I was able to look past Lumme’s quirky name and it was very easy to appreciate Lumme’s skill as a defensive anchor for Vancouver, as he won the Babe Pratt award as the club’s top defenseman for 4 of the 9 seasons he was here. He also led the team in all-time defensive scoring right up until Mattias Ohlund passed him for the title in 2009, and remains second on the list, only 4 points behind Ohlund with 321 points in 579 games, 200 games less than Ohlund.

Someone Photoshop Potter/Letterman together.
Tell me you don't end up with this. I DARE YOU.

Lumme’s skill was what set him apart as a certifiable mancrush, his shifty speed and seeing-eye wrist shot marking him as an offensive talent, even though he was certainly more than capable in his own end as well. An underrated talent in an era where Vancouver was overshadowed due to playing so many games in Western time zones, Lumme’s natural talent was undeniable. It was a good thing, too, as off the ice, he looked like a weird combination of David Letterman and Harry Potter, looking more like your history professor uncle who got drunk at family gatherings and tried to tell you about the numerous failings of the government before passing out.

With nerds increasingly taking over the world, it’s no surprise Lumme sneaks onto this list and it’s hard to imagine a time when he won’t be on it, as his defensive dominance made him one of the 90’s surest defensive players.

Second Team All-Time Canucks Mancrush Defenseman

Ed Jovanovski

Age: 35(Canuck for 7 years, 1999-2006)

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 210 lb.

Hometown: Windsor, Ontario

Ed Jovanovski was sent to Vancouver in the first of many lopsided deals the Canucks have made with the Florida Panthers, with the latest of course being the dealing of Marco Sturm’s horrid contract and Mikael Samuelsson’s injured body parts for former 30-goal stud David Booth. While I feel that most Canucks fans have a rather mild opinion of #55 following two less-than-productive final years in the city and his laundry list of injuries, let’s not forget that when the Canucks acquired Jovanovski, he was less than two years removed from his star-making 1996 playoff run, where he led the Panthers to the Cup Final(their only one to date) by shutting down Eric Lindros and Mario Lemieux in back-to-back series, scoring 9 points and establishing himself as one of the game’s premier hitters and back-end threats.

Yes, this existed.

Despite being labelled a “disappointment” in Florida after a 22-point season following that vaunted Cup run, Jovanovski quickly discovered his offensive game in Vancouver, having three seasons of 47, 48, and 46 points, and Jovanovski remains the Canucks all-time defensive leader in points-per-game scoring, averaging over a half-point per game while donning the Orca.

What made Jovanovski a mancrush was that the “JovoCop” played defense like you always imagined you would play defense, and that’s what made him a fan favorite for most of his years in Vancouver. He would lay a crushing hit in his own zone, move the puck out into neutral ice, then trail the play and clap a booming slapshot into the net, and his exciting plays brought the Vancouver faithful to their feet many a time. He was also the only Canucks member of the victorious 2002 Canadian Olympic squad, bringing Canada’s first gold medal in over 50 years back to Vancouver, a moment that made everyone proud to be Canadian.

While his declining play in his last few years in Vancouver and his near-invisibility in the desert playing for Phoenix have tarnished Jovanovski’s legacy a little bit in B.C.’s largest city, there’s no question that Jovanovski made many a man excited about Canucks hockey in the time he was here.

Coming up: I name the first team for the defensemen, posted on Saturday! Have any suggestions for your ultimate Canucks mancrush? Leave them in the comments and they will be considered to crack the list!

The All-Time Canucks Mancrush Team: Goaltenders

2011-10-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

By / JOHN CULLEN

Hockey Now Blogger

This is Part 1 of a six-part feature that will run through the duration of the competition. Enjoy.

Each day, I will cover the first and second All-Time, All-Mancrush Canucks Teams, featuring players from each position over the years. Today, we’ll start from the net and work our way out. I present to you, the All-Mancrush Goalies!

Second Team All-Time Canucks Mancrush Goaltender

Name: Roberto Luongo

Age: 32(Canuck for 5 years, 2006-Present)

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 217 lb.

Hometown: Acadie-Bathurst, QC

Roberto Luongo isn’t your typical mancrush. He’s been vilified by nearly everyone in the city at some point, he’s a bit of a whiner, and if he wasn’t an NHL goaltender, his second career choice, pumping tires, seems viable, as he doesn’t look all that different from the guy who does actually pump your tires down at the local Fas Gas.

"It's a style, Hans." "Well, you look like
just got out of the shower."

Luongo is the one-night stand of mancrushes, that guy you met at the Roxy and you sort of want to forget about, even though when you look back on it, you realize that night was special, and he was actually a really great guy you might have let get away, even if it didn’t seem like such a great decision the next morning when you saw the grease stain his hair left on the pillow.

And that’s how we will look back on Luongo. No matter what happens from here on out, the fact remains that Luongo has been a Top-5 NHL goaltender the entire time he’s been here. He’s kept the team in games, he has won the team numerous playoff games(even though he’s lost a few for us, too), and some of the stretches he’s had with the Orca on his chest are the best of any goalie in the league. Love him or hate him, he deserves this spot on the list and will no doubt find a way to weasel his way back into our hearts over the next little while.

First Team All-Time Canucks Mancrush Goaltender

Kirk McLean

Age: 45(Canuck for 11 years, 1987-1998)

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 182 lb.

Hometown: Willowdale, Ontario

Despite playing for 4 other teams over the course of his career, Kirk McLean is forever thought of as a Canuck. Remembered as much for this 1994 Cup run-saving save against Calgary as he is for the iconic photograph featuring the most bromantic moment in NHL history he shared with fellow Mancrush Trevor Linden during their heartbreaking seven-game series and eventual loss to the New York Rangers, McLean was one of the last stand-up goaltenders to be as effective as he was, posting great numbers in an era where butterfly goaltenders like Patrick Roy started to make headway.

There are not too many fanbases where you can walk up to just about any fan and say “remember The Save?” and they know exactly what you’re talking about. There’s no doubt as to what the best save in team history was, and there’s absolutely no question that McLean’s contribution to the 1994 Stanley Cup run was the most memorable individual effort by a Canucks player ever.

Doesn’t hurt that even in his mid-40’s, McLean still has a sharp sense of style and that boyish “yeah, I did it all” look that made us love him so much in the first place.

Coming up: The Second Team for the defenseman, posted on my next blog day, which is Tuesday. Have any suggestions for your ultimate Canucks mancrush? Leave them in the comments and they will be considered to crack the list!

10 Things I Promise Not to Do While Trying to #ReplacetheKB

2011-10-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

By / John Cullen

Hockey Now Blogger

I don’t want to say it too loudly for fear of being memed, but over the past few years, blogging has become an art form unto itself. Bloggers tend to write differently than regular “writers” or “journalists”, and unfortunately, with every art form comes people who overexpose certain aspects of that art form, and we see it in blogs all over the place.

Much like blogs, the Vancouver Canucks and hockey in general in this city are also overexposed. It’s very common to find a stranger on the street, your bus driver, or the cashier at your grocery store asking you about the game last night, and all that chatter about Luongo’s horrendous play or Schneider’s viability as a starter can really get to you. What made the Kurtenblog special was their ability to think outside the box, and bring a fresh take to issues that were happening all around them.

I want to try and do the same, and I think it’s best you get to know me, and know what I am all about. So this post is my commitment to you, my loyal readers and followers of the competition. Here are 10 Things I Promise to NEVER Do in the #ReplacetheKB Competition.

I WILL NEVER.......

1. Reference Ryan Kesler’s nude photo.

It’s like the comedy gift that keeps on giving. Hip surgery scars, a fake rock, and Ryan Kesler’s permanently flip-gelled hair with that stare that won’t quit. I feel like people should never, ever stop making fun of Ryan Kesler for this, much in the same way I’m surprised The Province doesn’t still just put this photo of Darcy Hordichuk in the paper every week for laughs.

I just wouldn’t be able to handle being the guy that causes the Kesler gem to jump the shark.

2. Use the hashtag “#realtalk”.

I’m not nearly hard enough. I eat turkey sandwiches for lunch every day on 12-grain squirrel bread and enjoy NBC’s Thursday night comedy line-up. Sigh.

3. Utilize advanced stats.

I’ve played hockey my entire life, and there’s something about the game that just feels more qualitative to me than quantitative. I think advanced stats have a place in the game, but I also know Cam Charron and Thomas Drance are way better at using them effectively than I am, and I’m not about to talk to you about Relative Corsi, Fenwick, PDO, or whatever other abbreviations they’re throwing out these days because I still prefer to watch a game and subjectively judge. I’M A JUDGER, PEOPLE. I’d rather use words like “AMAZE-BALLS” and “TOTAL SUCKTITUDE” than “zone starts” and “quality of opposition”.

(See also: I’m absolutely brutal at Math. 59% in Math 11 and then a quick exit from that subject altogether.)

4. “Occupy” anything.

Except your girlfriend’s heart. And my parents’ spare bedroom.

5. Talk about how the “Vancouver” on the sweater still bugs me.

But while we’re on the topic and I have a larger platform due to this contest...I mean, seriously. Awful. One of the best color schemes in sports and one of the worst logo/typeface/whatever sweater combinations there are. Make the thirds the permanent sweaters already Aquilinis, kthx. If the Edmonton Oilers can figure it out....

6. Patronize You. Yes, you.

I’m optimistic, but really, who am I kidding? It’s a blog. This job exists solely because of people’s love for patronizing other people. Slash my own individual love for patronizing people.

7. Reference the old Kurtenbloggers.

Okay, so we’re having a contest to replace them and all that, but seriously, who? They write about hockey for an American company now. Let’s get serious here for a minute. I’ve filed them both away in my “High Treason” folder and will make no further reference to either from here on out.

8. Make jokes about mistaking the Sedin twins for one another.

It’s been what, 12 years now? I think we’re all over it at this point. And if we’re not, we should be.

9. Talk about the Canucks only.

The Canucks belong to this league, you know? You’ve heard of it, right? The National Hockey League? The one with the 29 other teams in it?

It seems that sometimes, in this city, we can lose sight of all the other amazing things happening in the league because we’re so wrapped up in our own drama. And who can blame us? Ridiculous stuff happens to the Canucks all the time. It’s awesome. I think all 7 Canadian NHL cities are guilty of this to a certain degree(Montreal to the highest without even the most remote question), but it’s always great to look at the wider picture, and I’ll be doing lots of that over the course of this competition. I also have very soft spots in my heart for Junior hockey(I’m the Giants beat writer for Hockey Now and always root for my hometown Surrey Eagles), and you shouldn’t be shocked if I talk about either over the next 3 weeks.

10. Discuss Roberto Luongo and(or) Cory Schneider and(or) the Canucks goalies in general.

HAHAHAHAHA. Riiiiiiiiiight. This is a competition in which the winner gets to blog about the Canucks. If you can’t blog about their goalie situation, you can’t win this contest.

This is a dead horse. And we’re going to beat it. To death. In fact, we all met last night and secretly prayed Luongo would get traded in the middle of this contest to REALLY give it some verve. Province Sports, you guys can make that happen, right? Because that’s what the public really wants. Make it on a weekend too, so all 15 of us can sound off in the 2.5 minutes it’ll take us to rush and write a column/make a video/cry about it.

MAN that would be awesome. Pray with us, too?

Why the Smart Money is on a Trade of Kyle Turris

2011-10-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

BY / JOHN CULLEN
Hockey Now Blogger

I applaud Don Maloney. I do. So rare it is in this day and age that a GM will stand up to his player, utilize the options available to him, and simply come out and say “if you’re not playing for me, you’re playing for no one.” In the wake of the Dany Heatley havoc, the Sheldon Souray saga, etc., it’s interesting to see a GM put such an iron fist down, and it sets a precedent for players in the future who are looking to play in the desert.

That said, I think Maloney should absolutely pull the trigger and deal Turris. Why? It’s in his best interest to do so. While any trade would make it seem that Maloney is simply kow-towing to the player and going back on his original statement, the reality is that a trade of Kyle Turris favors Don Maloney more than it favors Kyle Turris.

Kyle Turris has had a very underwhelming start to his career as an NHL player. Originally drafted 3rd overall in 2007 after a sterling junior career in the BCHL, Turris took his first year of NHL eligibility at the University of Wisconsin, where he had committed to playing before being drafted. He averaged nearly one point-per-game there, and expectations were high for Turris coming into his first year with the Coyotes, which could only be called a disappointment. The main knock on Turris was his size coming out of junior, and he did very little to remedy that problem, consistently getting knocked off the puck in his first two seasons in the NHL and at times, looking lost in the Coyotes line-up. The Coyotes have played a largely defensive system in the past few years built around stronger forwards like Martin Hanzal, Taylor Pyatt, and Shane Doan, and Turris has struggled to find himself in that system.

Some also question Turris’ heart and attitude. Him requesting a trade comes as no surprise given all the different sorts of steps he’s taken on his road to the NHL. His rights were owned by the Vancouver Giants in a year where they lost the WHL Final and won the Memorial Cup as the host squad, but chose not to play for that team(where, presumably, he would have grown in leaps and bounds and made better adjustments to physical play), instead choosing to play Tier II Junior for the Burnaby Express of the BCHL. While it obviously didn’t hurt his draft standing, still selected in the top 3 picks of the draft, one has to wonder how, looking back, that choice might have hurt his development. He followed that up by making it clear to all NHL teams drafting him that he had committed to playing a year for the University of Wisconsin and wouldn’t go back on that promise to the school, a strange move given how many 18 year-olds these days--particularly those selected in the Top 3 picks of a draft--hope and even assume they will make their NHL squad the fall after being selected.

That said, he’s still a 3rd-overall pick and Phoenix has done a lot for his development. So why is it in their best interest to trade him? Potential. The fact is, Turris’ price is still high(or at least highER) because of potential. He’s still a high draft pick. He still has that potential to break through and be an elite goalscorer. He’s still only a 22 year-old with less than 150 games of NHL experience under his belt. I saw Turris play in the BCHL numerous times and his vision and presence on the ice, especially at that level, was unparalleled. Definitely the best player I have seen on that circuit. And in the NHL, he’s shown flashes of brilliance, but when the #1 highlight of your career is a shifty shootout goal, you might be in some trouble.

The bottom line is, if Turris signs a one-year deal in Phoenix and bolts next summer(as many are predicting), the price could get lower. Three seasons are more of a talking point than two. There’s no question right now there are GMs who believe Turris will right the ship, but it’s hard to imagine if he has another clunker for half the year that GMs will be willing to shell out. Will a fresh start be what Turris is looking for, and will a team benefit?

Hello. We're Still Here.

2011-10-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

Hello loyal 3 followers of the Hockey Now blog,

John Cullen here. We apologize for the lack of content updates as of late, we were overturning our entire website and were waiting to hook up RSS feeds and all that other cool back-end stuff. But it's now done! And we(I) have something pretty cool to announce...

I've been selected as one of 15 Canucks bloggers to participate in the "Replace the Kurtenbloggers" Contest. Both Jason Halford and Mike Brough have taken off for greener pastures and left their insanely popular Canucks blog/baby/illegitimate love-child behind, so it's open for business!

The Province plans on adding anywhere from 3-5 new bloggers, and I'm hoping to be one of them. So the best thing you can do over the course of the next month is tune in here for a wide range of posts covering the Canucks, the NHL, and just me being silly in general.

And you can follow the whole competition over at Province Sports. You can also get in on the discussion on Twitter at any time by using the hashtag #replacetheKB.

It should be a ton of fun and I'm really looking forward to it! Thanks for all your support!

John.

From polite young man to polite young first overall superstar?

2011-06-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

Only three years ago, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was in the Hockey Now office as a 15-year-old.

He was here with his parents to informally receive his BC Minor Hockey Player of the Year award.

We also went for a walk around the lower Lonsdale area in North Vancouver and I took Ryan on a brief photoshoot for the cover.

We knew he was good... but No. 1 overall good?

That could very well be the case come June 24...

Good luck Ryan, from all of us at Hockey Now...

-Andrew (Editor)

The White-Out Returns

2011-05-31T15:38:00.000-07:00

1994 vs. 2011

2011-05-24T15:12:00.000-07:00



By Andrew Chong The Vancouver Canucks are competing in ‘the final four’ for the first time since their magical ’94 run to within one goal of the Stanley Cup. And there are similarities between the ’94 team and this year’s group: a battle-scarred centreman leading the way, a Jack Adams Award-winning coach behind the bench, and a steady backstop wearing No. 1. But there are some differences, too: twin superstars instead of just one, a first seed team instead of an eighth seed, and a Canuck nation instead of just a proud province. So while the ’94 run will always be iconic in Canuck lore, the 2011 team has a chance to do something even greater. Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the team that almost did it, and the team that might just do it: HEART & SOUL Trevor Linden \| Ryan Kesler Linden was a playoff monster and Kesler is emerging as one. Both players are lauded for their hunger and work ethic more than their talent, even though both are NHL All-Stars. Linden and Kesler both possess the individual ability to carry a team on their back—at their best, they are all over the ice, they are beasts along the wall, and they raise heck by muscling their way to the net. They both play in all situations, they both score big goals, they both take big faceoffs, they both hit hard, and they both take it all to a higher level in the playoffs. Kesler still has work to do to reach Linden heights, but a Cup and/or a Conn Smythe would be huge—and Kesler already has a video game cover. STAR POWER Pavel Bure \| The Sedins The Russian Rocket is the most explosive and dynamic forward in Canucks history. But despite their lack of explosive speed, the Sedins’ Hart and Art Ross achievements cement Daniel and Henrik as legitimate NHL superstars. The twins need to continue to elevate their game against the Sharks to rival Bure’s superstar offensive output in ’94 (1.3 points per game). Perhaps the most important thing to consider when comparing Pavel Bure with the Sedins is something quite simple: the ’94 Canucks had one superstar; the 2011 Canucks have two. SECONDARY SCORING Cliff Ronning \| Alex Burrows Geoff Courtnall \| Mason Raymond Greg Adams \| Chris Higgins Ronning, Courtnall, and Adams are among the more beloved forwards in Canucks history. And it has a lot to do with the fact that each made a significant contribution in the ’94 run. Today, Alex Burrows is similarly beloved, while Raymond and Higgins are still working on it. Raymond can redeem a slightly underwhelming regular season with a couple of big playoff goals in Round 3 (or 4). Meanwhile, the newly acquired Higgins has been a pleasant surprise as a solid component of the second line—will he have a hero’s moment, this year? THE BLUELINERS Jeff Brown \| Sami Salo (canNon from the point) Jyrki Lumme \| Alex Edler (smart, all-around D-man) Dave Babych \| Dan Hamhuis (reliable, consistent) Gerald Diduck \| Kevin Bieksa (tough as nails, snarly) Bret Hedican \| Christian Ehrhoff (smooth skater) Dana Murzyn \| Aaron Rome (big body, solid in own end) Though the D unit has some similarities, the 2011 unit has more to offer. The current group is so deep that $4 million man Keith Ballard is in the press box, most nights. Alex Edler has evolved into a near-elite player in the NHL and the duo of Hamhuis and Bieksa has been an excellent shutdown pair, thus far. THE NO. ‘1’ Kirk McLean \| Roberto Luongo McLean’s steadiness and sticklanding separate him from Luongo. At the same time, Luongo’s athleticism and unparalleled work ethic probably separate him from McLean. Both goalies have never won a Vezina or a Cup, but both were/are consistently considered to be in the upper echelon of NHL goaltenders. Even with all the dung flung Luongo’s way for past inconsistencies and occasional stickhandling gaffes, most would probably still consider him the most naturally gifted goaltender in Canucks history. But fans are still waiting for ‘Luooo’ to be more McLean-like by outright stealing a few playoff games. SUPPORTING CAST Martin Gelinas \| Jannik Hansen (responsible, tireless worker) Sergio Momesso \| Raffi Torres (bang & crash on the wall) Murray Craven \| M. Samuelsson (playoff veteran) Gelinas and Hansen are ideal third-line playoff performers: consistently hard-working, gritty, defensively responsible, and able to chip-in every now and then to take some pressure off the top two forward lines. They are both low-maintenance, dependable, and seem to embrace playoff-style hockey. KEY ROLE PLAYERS N. Lafayette \| Max Lapierre (third line, two-way centre) John McIntyre \| Cody Hodgson (fourth line centre) Tim Hunter \| Tanner Glass (tough, character guy) As third line centres, Lafayette and Lapierre have one key objective: don’t get scored on. In other words, be a plus-player, no matter what. Lafayette finished his playoff run with a remarkable plus-13 rating. Lapierre’s numbers are not as stellar but he is still a plus-player (plus-2 at press time). BENCH BOSS Pat Quinn \| Alain Vigneault Both have a Jack Adams Award on their coaching resume and both seem to get a very consistent effort throughout their lineup. What happens in the locker room is never exactly clear to the public, but both coaches appear to be the type of leaders that the players enjoy playing for.

Shots! (Kevin Bieksa refers to an LMFAO song)

2011-05-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

Kevin Bieksa is the king of casual in his interviews. Hockey Night in Canada, national audience, playoffs...no big deal, right?

Here, he refers to the chorus of the dance party song, "Shots" by LMFAO.

Scott Oake tweeted the next day that he finally figured out what Bieksa was talking about:

@ScottOake tweet (the next morning): "As the hippest man on HNIC i have the lyrics down now. 'When I walk in the club all eyes on me' (cause I look like a liquor inspector!)

-Andrew (Editor)

Ontario Hockey Federation bans bodychecking at house level

2011-05-10T16:15:00.000-07:00

By globaltoronto.com

TORONTO

- The Ontario Hockey Federation's decision to ban bodychecking will likely draw more players to the game and keep others from dropping out, experts say.

The federation is making the change - which affects players between the ages of six and 21 - in an effort to create a safer environment for new players to develop skills.
"Probably the hottest topic over the course of the winter was concussions and some of the injuries that were occurring in the game," said Tony Martindale, executive director of the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario. "I think the biggest concern is we all have to look at ways of keeping kids in the game longer."
The rule change, which was announced Wednesday, affects house league and select players in most of the province, though Ottawa and Thunder Bay aren't governed by the OHF. House league includes players of all skill levels while select teams are made up of the top house league players.
York University health professor Alison Macpherson, who was among the first researchers to call for bodychecking to be disallowed in recreational hockey, calls it a great first step.
"I know some parents keep their kids out of hockey, especially out of competitive hockey, because they worry about the injuries that might ensue when kids are allowed to bodycheck," she said Thursday.
OHF spokesman Phil McKee says parents have been calling on officials to ban bodychecking for years.
"Bodychecking's been a debate at every level for the past 3 years," he said. "It's been discussed since 1981."
Until now parents who wanted their child to play non-contact hockey didn't have many options, said Macpherson.
"There is pretty good scientific evidence that bodychecking, especially under the bantam level (age 13-14), leads to injury in youth ice hockey," she said.
A study published last year found kids who were bodychecked were about 2.45 times more likely to suffer an injury than kids who didn't play with body contact and 1.7 times more likely to suffer a concussion, she said.
"Kids are more likely to play if they think they're not going to get hurt," said Macpherson. "Which is great because we have an obesity epidemic."

© Copyright (c) CW Media Inc.

Agree or disagree?

--Andrew (Editor)

Who's going to win the Conn Smythe, this year?

2011-05-09T10:36:00.000-07:00

Let us know your thoughts and the best comments will appear in the paper...

--Andrew (Editor)

1964–65	Jean Beliveau	Montreal Canadiens	C	1
1965–66	Roger Crozier^[A]	Detroit Red Wings	G	1
1966–67	Dave Keon	Toronto Maple Leafs	C	1
1967–68	Glenn Hall^[A]	St. Louis Blues	G	1
1968–69	Serge Savard	Montreal Canadiens	D	1
1969–70	Bobby Orr	Boston Bruins	D	1
1970–71	Ken Dryden	Montreal Canadiens	G	1
1971–72	Bobby Orr	Boston Bruins	D	2
1972–73	Yvan Cournoyer	Montreal Canadiens	RW	1
1973–74	Bernie Parent	Philadelphia Flyers	G	1
1974–75	Bernie Parent	Philadelphia Flyers	G	2
1975–76	Reggie Leach^[A]	Philadelphia Flyers	RW	1
1976–77	Guy Lafleur	Montreal Canadiens	RW	1
1977–78	Larry Robinson	Montreal Canadiens	D	1
1978–79	Bob Gainey	Montreal Canadiens	LW	1
1979–80	Bryan Trottier	New York Islanders	C	1
1980–81	Butch Goring	New York Islanders	C	1
1981–82	Mike Bossy	New York Islanders	RW	1
1982–83	Billy Smith	New York Islanders	G	1
1983–84	Mark Messier	Edmonton Oilers	C	1
1984–85	Wayne Gretzky	Edmonton Oilers	C	1
1985–86	Patrick Roy	Montreal Canadiens	G	1
1986–87	Ron Hextall^[A]	Philadelphia Flyers	G	1
1987–88	Wayne Gretzky	Edmonton Oilers	C	2
1988–89	Al MacInnis	Calgary Flames	D	1
1989–90	Bill Ranford	Edmonton Oilers	G	1
1990–91	Mario Lemieux	Pittsburgh Penguins	C	1
1991–92	Mario Lemieux	Pittsburgh Penguins	C	2
1992–93	Patrick Roy	Montreal Canadiens	G	2
1993–94	Brian Leetch	New York Rangers	D	1
1994–95	Claude Lemieux	New Jersey Devils	RW	1
1995–96	Joe Sakic	Colorado Avalanche	C	1
1996–97	Mike Vernon	Detroit Red Wings	G	1
1997–98	Steve Yzerman	Detroit Red Wings	C	1
1998–99	Joe Nieuwendyk	Dallas Stars	C	1
1999–2000	Scott Stevens	New Jersey Devils	D	1
2000–01	Patrick Roy	Colorado Avalanche	G	3
2001–02	Nicklas Lidstrom	Detroit Red Wings	D	1
2002–03	Jean-Sebastien Giguere^[A]	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	G	1
2003–04	Brad Richards	Tampa Bay Lightning	C	1
2004–05	2004–05 NHL lockout No winner	—	—	—
2005–06	Cam Ward	Carolina Hurricanes	G	1
2006–07	Scott Niedermayer	Anaheim Ducks	D	1
2007–08	Henrik Zetterberg	Detroit Red Wings	C	1
2008–09	Evgeni Malkin	Pittsburgh Penguins	C	1
2009–10	Jonathan Toews	Chicago Blackhawks	C	1

Player is still active in the NHL.

(From Wikipedia)

Hitmen take Abbotsford, B.C.'s Virtanen with No. 1 pick

2011-05-05T16:02:00.000-07:00

Round 1

1. Calgary Hitmen, Jake Virtanen, RW, Abbotsford, B.C.; 2. Swift Current Broncos, Brycen Martin, D, Calgary, AB; 3. Lethbridge Hurricanes (from Regina), Ryan Pilon, D, Duck Lake, SK; 4. Kamloops Blazers, Jordan Thomson, D, Wawanesa, MB; 5. Lethbridge Hurricanes, Reid Duke, C, Calgary, AB; 6. Seattle Thunderbirds, Ryan Gropp, LW, Kamloops, B.C.; 7. Everett Silvertips, Ty Mappin, C, Big Valley, AB; 8. Prince Albert Raiders, Reid Gardiner, C, Humboldt, SK; 9. Edmonton Oil Kings, Aaron Irving, D, Edmonton, AB; 10. Prince George Cougars, Jordan Harris, D, Prince Albert, SK; 11. Brandon Wheat Kings, Kord Pankewicz, D, Drayton Valley, AB; 12. Victoria, Joe Hicketts, D, Kamloops, B.C.; 13. Swift Current Broncos (from Vancouver), Zach Gonek, D, Sturgeon County, AB; 14. Moose Jaw Warriors, Brayden Point, C, Calgary, AB; 15. Kelowna Rockets, Rourke Chartier, C, Saskatoon, SK; 16. Moose Jaw Warriors (from Tri-City/Regina), Miles Warkentine, C, Melfort, SK; 17. Kootenay Ice, Collin Shirley, LW, Saskatoon, SK; 18. Medicine Hat Tigers, Blake Penner, C, Medicine Hat, AB; 19. Spokane Chiefs, Tanner MacMaster, C, Calgary, AB; 20. Vancouver Giants (from Portland), Thomas Foster, C, Slave Lake, AB; 21. Red Deer Rebels, Connor Bleakley, C, High River, AB; 22. Brandon Wheat Kings (from Saskatoon), Jordan Papirney, G, Edmonton, AB.

Round 2

23. Calgary Hitmen, Josh Thrower, D, Vancouver, B.C.; 24. Swift Current Broncos, Dakota Odgers, C, Spy Hill, SK; 25. Regina Pats, Adam Brooks, C, Winnipeg, MB; 26. Lethbridge Hurricanes, Kolten Olynek, C, Saskatoon, SK; 27. Seattle Thunderbirds, Austin Douglas, D, Winnipeg, MB; 28. Vancouver Giants (from Kamloops), Payton Lee, G, Cranbrook, B.C.; 29. Lethbridge Hurricanes (from Everett), Carter Amson, LW, Radisson, SK; 30. Vancouver Giants (from Prince Albert), Jake Kohlhauser, D, St. Albert, AB; 31. Edmonton Oil Kings, Mitchell Walter, RW, South Delta, B.C.; 32. Brandon Wheat Kings (from Prince George), Jayce Hawryluk, C, Roblin, MB; 33. Moose Jaw Warriors (from Brandon), Josh Uhrich, RW, Rosetown, SK; 34. Portland Winterhawks (from Victoria), Zach Paterson, D, Edmonton, AB; 35. Vancouver Giants, Ryan Simpson, C, Abbotsford, B.C.; 36. Regina Pats (from Moose Jaw), Dane Schioler, RW, Winnipeg, MB; 37. Kelowna Rockets, Austin Glover, RW, Clavet, SK; 38. Vancouver Giants (from Tri-City), Reid Zalitach, D, Winnipeg, MB; 39. Swift Current Broncos (from Kootenay), Cavin Leth, C, Taber, AB; 40. Everett Silvertips (from Medicine Hat), Dawson Leedahl, C, Saskatoon, SK; 41. Spokane Chiefs, Rhett Gardner, C, Moose Jaw, SK; 42. Portland Winterhawks, Tyler Sandhu, C, Richmond, B.C.; 43. Red Deer Rebels, Hayden Fleury, D, Carlyle, SK; 44. Regina Pats (from Moose Jaw/Saskatoon), Bryar Ortynski, RW, Edmonton, AB.

Round 3

45. Calgary Hitmen, Ben Thomas, D, Calgary, AB; 46. Swift Current Broncos, Jordan Wittman, RW, Stewart Valley, SK; 47. Regina Pats, Griffin Mumby, D, Calgary, AB; 48. Lethbridge Hurricanes, Bryton Sayers, D, Prince Albert, SK; 49. Seattle Thunderbirds, Michal Holub, RW, Mission, B.C.; 50. Kamloops Blazers, Connor Clouston, D, Medicine Hat, AB; 51. Kelowna Rockets (from Everett), Riley Stadel, D, Surrey, B.C.; 52. Prince Albert Raiders, Tim Vanstone, C, Swift Current, SK; 53. Prince Albert Raiders (from Edmonton), Rylan Parenteau, G, Saskatoon, SK; 54. Brandon Wheat Kings (from Prince George), John Quenneville, LW, Edmonton, AB; 55. Victoria (from Brandon), Michael Bell, RW, Kitimat, B.C.; 56. Victoria, Ryan Gagnon, D, Quesnel, B.C.; 57. Edmonton Oil Kings (from Vancouver), Dyson Mayo, D, Victoria, B.C.; 58. Prince Albert Raiders (from Moose Jaw), Landon Welykholowa, C, Calgary, AB; 59. Prince George Cougars (from Kelowna), Carson Bolduc, LW, Salmon Arm, B.C.; 60. Calgary Hitmen (from Tri-City), Braden Oleksyn, LW, Saskatoon, SK; 61. Kootenay Ice, Jordan Steenbergen, D, Sylvan Lake, AB; 62. Medicine Hat Tigers, Chad Butcher, C, Kamloops, B.C.; 63. Spokane Chiefs, Markson Bechtold, C, Strathmore, AB; 64. Portland Winterhawks, Dominic Turgeon, C, Cherry Hills Village, CO; 65. Vancouver Giants (from Red Deer), Shaun Dosanjh, D, Richmond, B.C.; 66. Saskatoon Blades, Landyn Hickmott, C, Mission, B.C.

Round 4

67. Victoria (from Calgary), Chris Wilkie, C, Omaha, NE; 68. Edmonton Oil Kings (from Swift Current), Derek Mazil, G, Calgary, AB; 69. Medicine Hat Tigers (from Regina), Nathyn Mortlock, D, Medicine Hat, AB; 70. Kootenay Ice (from Lethbridge), Matt Murray, D, Kamloops, B.C.; 71. Saskatoon Blades (from Seattle), Nelson Nogier, D, Saskatoon, SK; 72. Kamloops Blazers, Mitch Friesen, LW, Surrey, B.C.; 73. Everett Silvertips, Michael Zipp, D, Edmonton, AB; 74. Prince Albert Raiders, Kristjon Finnson, D, Stonewall, MB; 75. Tri-City Americans (from Edmonton), Brian Williams, C, San Diego, CA; 76. Prince George Cougars, Sam Ruopp, D, Zehner, SK; 77. Brandon Wheat Kings, Dallas Starodub, LW, Selkirk, MB; 78. Prince Albert Raiders (from Victoria), Taylor fisher, D, Winnipeg, MB; 79. Medicine Hat Tigers (from Vancouver), Alex Mowbray, RW, Calgary, AB; 80. Moose Jaw Warriors, Logan Hermus, D, Big Valley, AB; 81. Tri-City Americans (from Kelowna), Brandon Hickey, D, Leduc, AB; 82. Tri-City Americans, Tyler Mrkonjic, C, St. Albert, AB; 83. Kootenay Ice, Kyle O’Connor, RW, Calgary, AB; 84. Seattle Thunderbirds (from Medicine Hat), Carter Folk, C, Regina, SK; 85. Spokane Chiefs, Corey Dambrauskas, D, Calgary, AB; 86 Portland Winterhawks, Mitch Skapski, LW, Abbotsford, B.C.; 87. Red Deer Rebels, Vukie Mpofu, D, Saskatoon, SK; 88. Prince Albert Raiders (from Saskatoon), Spencer Meyer, C, Surrey, B.C.

Round 5

89. Calgary Hitmen, Chase Lang, C, Nanaimo, B.C.; 90. Kelowna Rockets (from Swift Current), Thomas Spence, G, Moose Jaw, SK; 91. Saskatoon Blades (from Regina), Ryan Graham, LW, Calgary, AB; 92. Portland Winterhawks (from Lethbridge), Michael Fortin, C, Souris, MB; 93. Calgary Hitmen (from Seattle), Logan Franz, C, Medicine Hat, AB; 94. Brandon Wheat Kings (from Kamloops), Brett Kitt, LW, Brandon, MB; 95. Kamloops Blazers (from Everett), Rylan Freed, C, Melfort, SK; 96. Brandon Wheat Kings (from Prince Albert), Ryley Lindgren, C, East St. Paul, MB; 97. Edmonton Oil Kings, Brett Pollock, C, Sherwood Park, AB; 98. Kootenay Ice (from Prince George), Jake Dube, D, Cochrane, AB; 99. Brandon Wheat Kings, Riley Van Horne, D, Calgary, AB; 100. Victoria, Brayden Park, D, Lumsden, SK; 101. Lethbridge Hurricanes (from Vancouver), Tyler Wong, C, Calgary, AB; 102. Kelowna Rockets (from Moose Jaw), Ryan Donaldson, RW, Langley, B.C.; 103. Kelowna Rockets, Justin Kirkland, RW, Camrose, AB; 104. Swift Current Broncos (from Tri-City), Alec Dillon, G, Victoria, B.C.; 105. Kootenay Ice, Zachary Zborosky, C, Regina, SK; 106. Regina Pats (from Moose Jaw/Medicine Hat), Nathan Churchill, G, Lafayette, CA; 107. Spokane Chiefs, Kyle Clayton, D, Abbotsford, B.C.; 108. Portland Winterhawks, Ryan Norman, LW, Maplewood, MN; 109. Red Deer Rebels, Grant Naherniak, G, Lumsden, SK; 110. Saskatoon Blades, Ryan Rewerts, G, Cut Knife, SK.

Round 6

111. Calgary Hitmen, Ryan Duret, C, Prince Albert, SK; 112. Vancouver Giants (from Swift Current), Taylor Vickerman, LW, Kennewick, WA; 113. Regina Pats, Erik Donald, D, Edmonton, AB; 114. Lethbridge Hurricanes, Roman Melzer, D, Canmore, AB; 115. Saskatoon Blades (from Seattle), Ross Hnidy, D, Saskatoon, SK; 116. Prince Albert Raiders (from Kamloops), Lance Yaremchuk, LW, Tisdale, SK; 117. Everett Silvertips, Dylan France, G, Edmonton, AB; 118. Saskatoon Blades (from Prince Albert), Nick Gomerich, C, Nanaimo, B.C.; 119. Edmonton Oil Kings, Logan Mick, LW, Vernon, B.C.; 120. Kamloops Blazers (from Prince George), Evan Tordiff, RW, Ft. Saskatchewan, AB; 121. Kootenay Ice (from Brandon), Jackson Waniek, RW, Surrey, B.C.; 122. Victoria, Zachary Riauka, RW, Edmonton, AB; 123. Edmonton Oil Kings (from Vancouver), Riley Simpson, C, Edmonton, AB; 124. Medicine Hat Tigers (from Moose Jaw), Zac Robidoux, G, Morden, MB; 125. Kelowna Rockets, David Dunn, D, Russell, MB; 126. Tri-City Americans; Kaleb Denham, D, Innisfail, AB; 127. Kootenay Ice, Carter Forsyth, D, Swift Current, SK; 128. Medicine Hat Tigers, Steve Owre, C, Rocklin, CA; 129. Spokane Chiefs, Justin Loepker, C, Spokane, WA; 130. Moose Jaw Warriors (from Portland), Jaden Sveinson, C, Red Deer, AB; 131. Red Deer Rebels, Rod Southam, RW, Saskatoon, SK; 132. Prince George Cougars (from Saskatoon), Ben Sowa, D, Edmonton, AB.

Round 7

133. Vancouver Giants (from Calgary), Lucas Mercer, D, Port Moody, B.C.; 134. Swift Current Broncos, Chris Koukis, LW, Redwood City, CA; 135. Regina Pats, Nikolas Koberstein, D, Barrhead, AB; 136. Everett Silvertips (from Letbhridge), Kyle Raymond, RW, Langley, B.C.; 137. Swift Current Broncos (from Seattle), Jake Debrusk, LW, Edmonton, AB; 138. Kamloops Blazers, Connor Hamonic, D, Winnipeg, MB; 139. Spokane Chiefs (from Kootenay/Everett), Jacob Cardiff, C, Wilcox, SK; 140. Prince Albert Raiders, Taran Lacquette, D, Waterhen, MB; 141. Edmonton Oil Kings, Mitch Meek, D, Victoria, B.C.; 142. Prince George Cougars, Mitchell Lipon, C, Regina, SK; 143. Seattle Thunderbirds (from Brandon), Nolan Kruizenga, G, Leduc, AB; 144. Victoria, Brendon Benson, C, Lethbridge, AB; 145. Kamloops Blazers (from Vancouver), Jesse Shynkaruk, C, Saskatoon, SK; 146. Moose Jaw Warriors, Royce Rossignol, D, Surrey, B.C.; 147. Kelowna Rockets, Gordon Wasteste, C, Fort Qu’Appelle, SK; 148. Kelowna Rockets (from Tri-City), Johnny Walker, D, Phoenix, AZ; 149. Kootenay Ice, Ryley Risling, LW Medicine Hat, AB; 150. Medicine Hat Tigers, Michael McEachern, D, Westside, B.C.; 151. Spokane Chiefs, Matthew Sozanski, D, Calgary, AB; 152. Portland Winterhawks, Josh Blanchard, C, Kelowna, B.C.; 153. Red Deer Rebels, Earl Webb, RW, Calgary, AB; 154. Saskatoon Blades, Clayton Kirichenko, D, Sherwood Park, AB.

Round 8

155. Prince George Cougars (from Calgary), Tyler Busch, C, Lloydminster, AB; 156. Swift Current Broncos, Victor Dombrovsky, D, Burnaby, B.C.; 157. Regina Pats, Kienan Scott, LW, Spokane, WA; 158. Lethbridge Hurricanes, Jonathan Hogue, G, Lethbridge, AB; 159. Seattle Thunderbirds, Reid Fritzke, D, Swift Current, SK; 160. Kamloops Blazers, Kyler Nachtigall, LW, Calgary, AB; 161. Everett Silvertips, Kyle MacDonald, RW, Nanaimo, B.C.; 162. Prince Albert Raiders, Kevin Yaskinski, C, Fairview, AB; 163. Edmonton Oil Kings, Trevor Posch, RW, Leduc, AB; 164. Prince George Cougars, Matt Jones, RW, Peoria, AZ; 165. Brandon Wheat Kings, Mackenzie Bauer, C, Three Hills, AB; 166. Brandon Wheat Kings (from Victoria), Jason Miller, RW, Stony Plain, AB; 167. Vancouver Giants, Tyler Leicht, D, Grande Prairie, AB; 168. Moose Jaw Warriors, Ben Duppereault, C, Wilcox, SK; 169. Kelowna Rockets; Lien Miller-Jeannotte, C, Fort St. John, B.C.; 170. Tri-City Americans, Jeremy Briscoe, D, Phoenix, AZ; 171. Kootenay Ice, Jared Virtanen, RW, Abbotsford, B.C.; 172. Medicine Hat Tigers, Josh McCulloch, C, Calgary, AB; 173. Lethbridge Hurricanes (from Spokane), Colby Chartier, RW, Calgary, AB; 174. Portland Winterhawks, Ryan Collins, D, Minneapolis, MN; 175. Red Deer Rebels, Chase Thudium, C, Sylvan Lake, AB; 176. Victoria (from Saskatoon), Austin Larochelle, C, Swift Current, SK.

Round 9

177. Calgary Hitmen, Travis Sanheim, D, Elkhorn, MB; 178. Swift Current Broncos, Cameron Hughes, LW, Edmonton, AB; 179. Regina Pats, Patrick Gora, G, St Albert, AB; 180. Lethbridge Hurricanes, Reid Nemeth, LW, Calgary, AB; 181. Seattle Thunderbirds, Jordan Ross, RW, Kronau, SK; 182. Kamloops Blazers, Liam McLeod, G, Kamloops, B.C.; 183. Everett Silvertips, Nicholas Pouliot, LW, Weyburn, SK; 184. Spokane Chiefs (from Prince Albert), Trevor Martin, G, Ardossan, AB; 185, Edmonton Oil Kings, Jesse Mitchell, D, Anola, MB; 186. Prince George Cougars, Ty Edmonds, G, Winnipeg, MB; 187. Brandon Wheat Kings, Dominic Thom, D, Calgary, AB; 188. Victoria, Michael Herringer, G, Comox, B.C.; 189. Kamloops Blazers (from Vancouver), Eric Krienke, LW, Calgary, AB; 190. Moose Jaw Warriors, Tanner Lewis, C, Virden, MB; 191. Moose Jaw Warriors (from Kelowna), Brandon Delgrosso, LW, Burnaby, B.C.; 192. Tri-City Americans, Ryan Tait, RW, Santa Clarita, CA; 193. Kootenay Ice, Bronson Ammeter, G, Starbuck, MB; 194. Medicine Hat Tigers, Nolan Martens, D, Gretna, MB; 195. Kamloops Blazers (from Spokane), Riley Hummitsch, D, Chino Hills, CA; 196. Portland Winterhawks, Layne Viveiros, D, Edmonton, AB; 197. Red Deer Rebels, Jake MacLachlan, D, Fernie, B.C.; 198. Saskatoon Blades, Kaelan Wall, D, Hepburn, SK.

Round 10

199. Calgary Hitmen, Skylar, Canada, C, Boissevain, MB; 200. Swift Current Broncos, Riley Welsh, LW, Oakbank, MB; 201. Regina Pats, Kenny Nordstrom, D, Terrace, B.C.; 202. Lethbridge Hurricanes, Phoenix Worth, D, Delta, B.C.; 203. Seattle Thunderbirds, Kevin wolf, D, Cuomo, MN; 204. Spokane Chiefs (from Kamloops Blazers), Sebastien Barrette, LW, Cranbrook, B.C.; 205. Everett Silvertips, Ryan Rensby, C, Langley, B.C.; 206. Spokane Chiefs (from Prince Albert), Mitchell Barker, LW, Kamloops, B.C.; 208. Prince George Cougars, Sam Houston, D, Boissevain, MB; 209. Brandon Wheat Kings, Liam Gregor, LW, Beaumont, AB; 210. Victoria, Cole Jones, D, Oakbank, MB; 212. Saskatoon Blades (from Moose Jaw Warriors), Wyatt Hinson, C, Meadow Lake, SK; 213. Swift Current Broncos (from Kelowna Rockets), Cole Bevan, D, Surrey, B.C.; 214: Tri-City Americans, Brandon Carlo, D, Colorado Springs, CO; 215. Kootenay Ice, Braden Jakubowski, RW, Leduc, AB; 216. Medicine Hat Tigers, Patrick Normandeau, D, Ste. Anne, MB; 217. Spokane Chiefs, Colton Bobyk, D, Rimbey, AB; 218. Portland Winterhawks, Rhett Wilcox, C; 219. Red Deer Rebels, Blake Weyrick, G, Ojai, CA.

Round 11

221. Calgary Hitmen, Kyle Michalovsky, G, Kamloops, B.C.; 225. Seattle Thunderbirds, Mark Nelson, D, Morden, MB; 227. Everett Silvertips, Maverick Rafter, LW, Winnipeg, MB; .230. Prince George Cougars, Francis Barnford, C, Abbotsford, B.C.; 236. Tri-City Americans, Matthew Forchuk, C, Okotoks, AB; 237. Kootenay Ice, Joseph Leonidas, D, Calgary, AB; 238. Medicine Hat Tigers, Matthew Donnelly, C, Denver, CO; 242. Saskatoon Blades, Evan Polei, C, Wetaskiwin, AB.

Round 12

249. Everett Silvertips, Darien Head, D, Salmon Arm, B.C.; 258. Tri-City Americans, Shane McMahan, C, Irvine, CA; 259. Kootenay Ice, Jack Thomas, D, Calgary, AB.

Round 13

280. Tri-City Americans, Kody Ichinga, LW, Torrance, CA; 286. Saskatoon Blades, Ryan Pruden, RW, Winnipeg, MB.

Round 14

302. Tri-City Americans, Austin Mayton, RW, Richland, WA.

A Hockey Fan's Guide to UFC

2011-04-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

By www.downgoesbrown.com/

The NHL playoffs won't have a monopoly on Canadian sports headlines this week, thanks to the UFC's long-awaited debut in Toronto with a Saturday night card that's expected to draw a record crowd of 55,000.

Many hockey fans have been looking forward to the event for months. But for others, this week's hype will serve as an introduction to the entertaining but often confusing world of mixed martial arts and the UFC. So in an effort to make the event as accessible as possible to Canadian sports fans, here's a hockey fan's guide to how the UFC stacks up with the NHL.

UFC: There is a common misconception that the sport is a vicious free-for-all where anything goes no matter how brutal, when in fact it is governed by a clear set of strictly enforced rules.
NHL: There is a common misconception that the sport is governed by a clear set of strictly enforced rules.

UFC: A fighter signals that he has lost his will to win and no longer wishes to compete by "tapping out".
NHL: A player signals that he has lost his will to win and no longer wishes to compete by signing a contract extension with the Ottawa Senators.

UFC: "The World's Most Dangerous Man" was the nickname of UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock.
NHL: "The World's Most Dangerous Man" is what Flyer fans call whoever is starting in net for that night's playoff game.

UFC: The action takes place inside a caged structure called an octagon, which many critics have called the most dangerous structure in all of sports.
NHL: The action takes place inside a rink which has been carefully designed to ensure the safety of all oh good god look out for that stanchion!

UFC: "Ground and pound" is a fighting style that aims to take an opponent to the mat and then employ a striking attack from a dominant position.
NHL: "Ground and pound" is Bruce Boudreau's answer to the question "What is your favourite type of beef, and how much of it have you smuggled into the arena tonight in your pockets?"

UFC: If a match does not end in regulation time, it goes to the judges' decision; in especially even and hard-fought contests, the contest can be declared a draw.
NHL: The league knows that real sports fans don't enjoy ties, and would be much happier if the UFC moved to deciding matches with a rock-paper-scissors contest.

UFC: If a girl in a bikini holds up the number one to the crowd, it signifies that the first round of a fight is about to begin.
NHL: If a guy in a Bruins jersey holds up the number one to the crowd, it signifies that his glove got stuck. Why, what did you think it meant?

UFC: Competitors know that it's time to start throwing punches when they hear those four words: "Let's get it on!"
NHL: Competitors know that it's time to start throwing punches when they hear those four words: "Hello, I'm Matt Cooke."

UFC: Fans are encouraged to watch "The Ultimate Fighter", a made-for-TV production that is occasionally entertaining despite the results holding little actual importance.
NHL: Same concept, but they call it "the regular season".

UFC: Canadian star Georges St-Pierre employs a methodical style that is highly effective but is often criticized for not producing exciting or dramatic moments.
NHL: Georges St-Pierre has been offered the head coaching job in New Jersey.

UFC: Popular commentator Joe Rogan is also one of his country's best-known standup comedians.
NHL: Popular commentator Don Cherry is also one of his country's best-known standup comedians, although he doesn't seem to realize it.

UFC: A hyper-extended elbow and broken arm can be the result of a competitor not tapping out quickly after the successful application of an armbar.
NHL: A hyper-extended elbow and broken arm is an acceptable reason to miss one or two shifts during the playoffs while the trainer tapes it up.

UFC: A "choke" is a legal manoeuvre in which a competitor cuts off his opponent's air supply in order to secure a quick submission.
NHL: Insert your own Vancouver Canuck joke here.

UFC: Occasionally schedules events in Toronto in late-April.
NHL: Not that anyone can remember.

10 Thoughts for Sunday, April 17

2011-04-17T23:54:00.001-07:00

by John Cullen
Staff Blog Writer

Hey hockey fans, I apologize deeply for having missed the last two weeks. I was inflicted with a mystery ailment, ended up in the hospital, and spent a lot of time on my couch watching hockey but not feeling up to writing about it. I apologize. I'm getting excited to talk about the playoffs, so I'll dedicate one thought per series so far, and then wrap up with some Canucks thoughts for you Vancouver fans out there! Let's get rolling.

1. Vancouver v. Chicago: I'm not sure what's happening in Chicago right now, other than a whole lot of mis-management. Joel Quenneville continues to ride his stars into the ground, and it's been 3 games of it not working. Chicago is really missing David Bolland at the moment, and you can say whatever you want about how Vancouver's playing, but they're lucky Luongo's been in it, as they have some flaws. I'll elaborate in #9.

2. Washington v. New York Rangers: Washington's been doing so many things they refused to do a year ago: get dirty, work hard for the puck, and score ugly goals. Figuring they'd dance around Montreal, they got shut down by a superior defensive system, and now playing a team that's once again set on line-matching them and ready to depend on their goaltending to win, the Capitals are finding ways to score and that's why they have a series lead. The Rangers have looked good, but can't reasonably expect to play better than they have so far, and Washington still has room to improve. I could see the Rangers winning one more, but Washington should take it.

3. San Jose v. Los Angeles: An all-California match-up has seen possibly the most bad blood in a series so far, and I think a lot of people are surprised with the way L.A. has played so far, but it shouldn't be much of a shock. They have one of the deepest bluelines in hockey and with Jonathan Quick looking much more confident between the pipes, this series could be tighter than many expected. However, I'm surprised I haven't heard more about how Joe Thornton is playing. Despite L.A. largely controlling the play Saturday, Thornton has looked better than ever(in my opinion), and if he's poised to lead this team, they could do some serious damage.

4. Philadelphia v. Buffalo: Buffalo was the early "upset darling" of prognosticators, pointing out how well Buffalo played leading up to their #7 seed in the playoffs, and how poorly Philly had played. What these prognosticators forget is the playoffs is a new game, and many teams have been able to shake off poor performances leading into the playoffs. The reality is Philly is such a deep team, and Ryan Miller is only one man. Philly won game 2 and their depth, and if Chris Pronger sees any ice in this series, it's over. Even though it's over anyway.

5. Detroit v. Phoenix: Poor Phoenix. They're a great team with great coaching and phenomenal leadership. Shane Doan doesn't get talked about enough in the "best leaders in hockey" discussion, and it's clear he dominates his squad and nearly single-handedly brought Phoenix back in game 2. That said, Detroit is just TOO good. I think Phoenix is a second-round team that's had to face a Stanley Cup contender for the second year in a row. If Phoenix draws any of the bottom 5 teams they win and even San Jose, it's possible they upset. Pavel Datsyuk though? Wow. Too good and too much for the Coyotes.

6. Boston v. Montreal: Is this deja vu? As good as Boston's line-up looks on paper is about as bad as they've looked on the ice. They've shown absolutely none of the characteristic(or Chara-cteristic) toughness that brought them to the dance, and they're searching intently for a spark. Tim Thomas has regained his pedestrian 2009-2010 form and is it possible we're looking at replacing him? Boston is nearly at grasping-at-straws points, and is Jacques Martin one of the best coaches in hockey? This is the third series out of the last four he has completely gameplanned the heck out of the other team. Speed kills.

7. Anaheim v. Nashville: This series is the battle just about everyone predicted. So many character guys on each team. Perry, Getzlaf, Koivu, Selanne on Anaheim, Weber, Suter, Fisher on Nashville. It's going to be a battle right until the end, and is a series a lot more people should be watching because it's been the best entertainment value so far by far. Controversy with Bobby Ryan's skate stomping only makes it better, and this has all the makings of a 7-game classic. Also, is there a more valuable player in the NHL than Corey Perry? Guy does everything, and is now doing it when it matters. Unbelievable.

8. Pittsburgh v. Tampa Bay: Marc-Andre Fleury is only one man. Sure, Pittsburgh has some great tools, but take away the best player in the league and a top-10 talent, and what are you left with? Not a whole lot. It's a shame that this series will always exist with this storyline, because I think even with those two players, Tampa competes. They're a really underrated squad and there's a reason they absolutely killed Pittsburgh IN Pittsburgh coming off a disappointing loss. They're that good.

9. Okay, Canucks talk as promised. It's hard to say if Vancouver's effort is directly related to how little Chicago's given them, but they still have many of the same mistakes present that they had last year, and I think a better team would really be pushing the Canucks right now. Even as it is, I think Chicago has outplayed Vancouver for 6 of the 9 periods so far(excepting Period 1 in Game 1, Period 3 in Game 2, and Period 3 in Game 3) and Luongo has been the difference. Kesler says he's being counted on to play more defensively, which is why he hasn't scored, but he leads the NHL in shots in the playoffs so far, ahead of even Ovechkin. His donut on the scoreboard is a scary trend. The Sedins also continue to disappear for huge portions of games(can you remember them doing anything outside of their goal Sunday?), and the Canucks go through long lapses, both in their on-ice play, and mentally, as they've taken some critically awful penalties at bad times and the long story short is, they need to be sharper. I still think they're one of the best teams in the playoffs, but they will need to get better to get out of the West against the Detroits and San Joses of the world.

10. Enough will get written on it, but let me say this: Seabrook should've had his head up, but that's still charging AND interference, and he still made contact with ONLY Seabrook's head the game after he got suspended for exactly the same thing. Use the brain, Raffi.

Thanks for tuning in, and sorry again for the weeks off! I am excited to be back, bringing thoughts on the playoffs throughout, and I have a special feature planned for the conclusion of the season, so get excited for that! Also look for me in print, as I've been featured in all 3 editions of Hockey Now! across the country recently. Thanks everyone, til next week....

In honour of Corey Perry's recent goal-scoring prowess, the top 10 goals of all-time (TSN)

2011-04-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

10 Thoughts for Sunday, March 27

2011-03-28T03:17:00.000-07:00

by John Cullen
Staff Blog Writer

Hey hockey fans, we're coming to you late, late this Sunday as I've had a very busy weekend hockeying myself. I've played 2 games and reffed 2 in the last 2 days, which leaves me tired and up late finishing this column for your viewing pleasure! Enjoy!

1. As many of you know, I've been following the Jr. A Surrey Eagles' playoff run quite closely, and have to say it was quite the week. The triple overtime Game 4 contest between the Eagles and the Powell River Kings was quite possibly the best Junior A game I've ever seen(and I've seen a lot). It had phenomenal goaltending at both ends of the rink, some amazing chances by both sides, and three great goals, ending in a 2-1 win for Powell River, who went on to take the series four games to two. It's games like that which make the BCHL absolutely worth your money every time. If you haven't been to a game, be sure to hit one next season, or find a way to Powell River or Vernon for the Fred Page Cup!

2. One issue the BCHL needs to address is the time off in between games for the series. The distance to travel between Surrey and Powell River is between 6-8 hours dependent on traffic and the ferries, and the BCHL had scheduled the two teams to play 7 games in 9 days, allowing only a day off between games 2 and 3 and games 4 and 5. Games 5, 6, and 7 were all scheduled to be played on back-to-back-to-back nights. This is absolutely ludicrous. It's tough on the players and tough on the fans too, as the quality of the games ultimately suffers. I firmly believe Surrey lost because they ran out of gas, as they're simply not used to that kind of travel like Powell River is. The BCHL even acknowledges this might be a problem, as they have a poll on their website currently asking fans what change they would make to the BCHL playoff format, and "more days between games" is an option. Fix it, now, BCHL. There's no reason not to.

3. One thing I did like about the Conference Finals was the introduction of the two-referee system. I found fewer penalties were called and the pace of the game was much better. While it might seem like two referees would equal more penalties, I find that with the one referee system, the onus is on the referee to try and see too much, and they tend to respond to loud noises during collisions, dives, and are forced to assess plays based on results, rather than events. This culminates in far more penalties, and oftentimes, far more questionable ones. With two referees, the refs are way more comfortable and are far more equipped to deal with the fast pace of the game, which was a nice change.

4. Surrey might be losing their starting goalie and top scorer, but they're not losing much else. Look for them to have a hell of a team next season.

5. In the WHL, it's weird to see the Giants not appear to be a contender for the title for the first time in a long time. What a program, and one that's spoiled us with very few off years. I like Portland for the WHL title, as they have a lot of weapons and seem built for the playoffs with their combination of excellent goaltending, sandpaper, and scoring.

6. A friend in New Brunswick likes the Saint John Sea Dogs for the Memorial Cup, and with the way they ran roughshod over the Q this season, it's hard to disagree. They led the regular season with an absolutely ridiculous 58-7-1 record, and have outscored their first-round opposition, the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, 17-1 over their first two games. Led by Jonathan Huberdeau(he of the 105 regular season points), they seem a force to be reckoned with.

7. My friend and former OHL scout loves Mississauga for the Memorial Cup, as they are the hosts this year and have stocked the team in their hopes of winning both the OHL Title(justifying their inclusion in the Mem Cup as hosts) and the Memorial Cup. Led by World Junior coach Dave Cameron, the team relies on system-first(read: boring, trapping) hockey and that has many teams in Ontario worried. Let's just hope they don't end up with a 3-goal lead heading into the third in the final and they should be fine.

8. Oh, the NHL? What's that? With the playoffs just around the corner, the main thing catching my eye is just how scary the bottom of that Western Conference is. With teams like Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington eying first-round matchups with pincushions like Montreal and Buffalo, it has to make Vancouver and Detroit worried when they look down the table and see the likes of Anaheim, Chicago, and Nashville. L.A. could creep low with the losses of Justin Williams and Anze Kopitar, and out of the group, they'd have to be the most desirable match-up right now. Anyone else(outside Calgary sneaking in) would terrify me were I a top team.

9. I know it's 7 games out from the end of the season, but the Canucks have given us great reason to support the argument that stars should be rested and often once they clinch playoff spots. It's a common practice in the NFL, but has long been thought of negatively in the hockey world. With Dan Hamhuis possibly out for an extended period of time(two concussions in two months probably spells some significant time but we'll see Monday), the Canucks can ill-afford to lose any more of their important pieces, particularly ones who penalty kill. While resting stars 7 games out is a little ridiculous, as we approach the playoffs, resting guys is something no one should have an issue with.

10. What was shaping up to be an awesome race in the East has all been settled a few weeks from the end of the season, and it's thanks to the unbelievable play of both Ryan Miller in Buffalo and Henrik Lundqvist in New York. Lundqvist is playing well enough to get talk of Vezina and Hart Trophies and making the Rangers into a real playoff threat. Outside of Thomas' unbelievable first half of the year, Lundqvist has put together one of the finer runs of goaltending in recent memory, and Miller isn't too far behind. Perhaps all the teams underpaying drastically for goalies after last year's Niemi v. Leighton Stanley Cup Final got it wrong?

Thanks for reading everyone! I just got into the print edition of the Hockey Now! for the first time this past weekend, and I really appreciate all the support. Enjoy your week!

Wearing a visor makes way too much sense

2011-03-24T16:43:00.000-07:00

By Andrew Chong, editor

In the wake of Manny Malhotra’s season-ending eye injury, the visor debate is back in the spotlight.

And it’s a classic battle of personal preference versus safety.

Players who don’t wear visors are usually too used to it to change and they say they have better vision without the visor. You’d think they’d want to protect their own face but in the midst of a full-throttle NHL game to which most of us will never fully grasp the extraordinary speed of, every little equipment advantage matters. And the equipment standard in the NHL is that comfort often trumps safety—i.e. the overall lack of neck guards, mouth guards, goalie throat protectors, etc.

Advocates of making visors mandatory will simply tell you that if Malhotra were wearing one, he’d still be in the lineup. Additionally, there’d be no blood, there’d be no eye surgery, and there’d be no possibility of permanent vision impairment. And that’s just the hockey perspective. There’s a whole other (more important) layer of concern for Malhotra’s safety as a husband, father, friend, and loved one.

It’s been said many times before: these guys play with either full-face protection or half-visors for basically their entire pre-pro careers, why can’t they just leave the half-visor on when they enter the NHL?

It’s no great revelation, but if the NHL and NHLPA simply grandfathered a rule mandating rookies to play with a visor, who could argue against that?

From a business perspective, imagine being an NHL owner and your precious multi-million-dollar assets tell you they are not going to wear visor because they are not used to it and it somewhat degrades their performance.

At a certain point, personal preference is a ludicrous justification.

And the visor issue is one of those situations where logic, safety, good business, and winning all trump personal preference.

You have to admire the players for putting their bodies (and faces) on the line because they want to be at their best at every moment. And visors are not mandated so the players who don’t wear one aren’t breaking any rules.

But if guys like, Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, the Sedin twins, Corey Perry, Henrik Zetterberg, Jonathan Toews, Jarome Iginla, Patrick Sharp, Patrick Kane, Ryan Kesler, Brad Richards, Danny Briere, Rick Nash, Duncan Keith, Drew Doughty, and Steven Stamkos can wear one, they can’t be that uncomfortable or vision-degrading.

I’m fine with players having a million personal preferences: change your gloves every period, use eight sticks a game, wear tiny old-school shoulder pads, chew gum, wear a gold chain, grow a handlebar moustache, tape your blade with black & white zig-zags like Petr Klima in the ‘90s—do whatever.

Just be smart and put the stupid visor on.

Andrew Chong is the editor of Hockey Now, Canada's most widely distributed hockey publication, delivering 930,000 copies per year to 2,000,000 readers.

How to do the puck scoop

2011-03-24T16:33:00.001-07:00

CHL vs. NCAA: What’s The Better Route?

2011-03-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

By Andrew Chong, editor / Chicago Blackhawks teammates Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have a lot in common: NHL All-Stars, Stanley Cup champions, Olympic medalists, video game cover-boys—the list goes on and on. But perhaps the most distinct difference between the two is where they played when they first launched themselves onto a path of stardom. Toews, a Canadian, played U.S. college hockey in the NCAA. Kane, an American, played Major Junior in the Ontario Hockey League. Go figure. The debate around which is better – the Canadian Hockey League or the NCAA’s Division I ranks – is as hot a topic as ever. And Toews and Kane represent the tension between the two factions. Simply put, there are 60 teams on Canada’s Major Junior circuit (the Western Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League, and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League) and 60 teams within the NCAA’s multiple conferences—and they are all fighting over the same group of elite players. Both the CHL and the NCAA have impressive alumni to boast about when pitching their case. The CHL has Crosby, Stamkos, Nash, Getzlaf, Weber, and Luongo. The NCAA has Heatley, Parise, Kesler, Sharp, Keith, and Miller. So with so many good players having played for both sides, does it matter which path you take? Well, if you’re as good as Toews and Kane, it probably doesn’t matter. But only six per cent of all players in the CHL and NCAA actually end-up making the NHL. So for the majority of elite young players, there are a multitude of pros and cons to weigh in the CHL vs. NCAA debate. THE ELIGIBILITY ISSUE Since the NCAA views the Canadian Hockey League as “professional,” if a player suits-up for even a single game in the CHL, they become ineligible to ever play in the NCAA. And with players being drafted into the CHL in their second-year of Bantam, many young players are faced with a potentially life-altering decision before they’re even old enough to get their full driver’s license. As it stands, eligibility issues are largely a one-way street. You can’t go from the CHL to the NCAA but you can go the other way around. And that includes CHL teams nabbing NCAA players mid-commitment—and that’s a whole other issue in itself. THE HOCKEY EXPERIENCE In the debate’s simplest form, the CHL offers arguably the best training ground for the NHL, while the NCAA offers the chance to pursue a second-career in addition to pursuing pro hockey. Overall, the CHL experience is more NHL-like: a lot of games, a draft, an all-star game, fighting, trades, and half-visors. In contrast, the NCAA has a shorter schedule, no fighting, no trades, full cages, and strict academic standards (i.e. a successful S.A.T. score). One aspect of the NCAA that is more NHL-like than in the CHL is the larger spectrum of ages between players (about seven years), and the fact that there are many physically mature 20-something-year-old players. Some who choose the NCAA route cite this fact as an important developmental benefit. In terms of arena atmosphere, both routes have their share of raucous buildings. But the hype and electricity in some of the major NCAA centres is like nothing most young Canadian players have ever seen before—rambunctious school chants, live bands, cheerleaders, a sea of team colours, and jam-packed stands, night-after-night. THE DEVELOPMENT MODEL Usually, about 50 per cent of the players in the NHL Draft are from the CHL and about 30 per cent are from the NCAA. So when it comes down to it, both routes work. But in general (very generally speaking, I might add), players who are further along physically and abilitly-wise might be better off to jump into the CHL while still in high school. They may be ready for this fast-track to the pro game. And by the time their 20-year-old “over-age” season rolls around, they could be well on their way to a pro career of some nature. On the other hand, sometimes late-bloomers can really benefit from a few years of Junior A, followed by a four-year NCAA career that spans well into their early 20s. They have more time to develop and to demonstrate skills. In the end, from a development standpoint, the appropriate route really depends on the individual player. THE EDUCATION FACTOR A University of Alberta newspaper article notes that approximately 84 per cent of NCAA players earn a degree, while only about 16 per cent of CHL players earn one. Still, both routes offer the student-player a significant academic opportunity should the player choose to pursue it. While the NCAA’s typical $100,000-plus scholarships go hand-in-hand with their hockey programs, the CHL offers a year of Canadian post-secondary tuition per year played in the CHL (up to five years), to be pursued once the CHL career is over. But if a CHL player goes on to sign a professional contract, the scholarhips is lost. Ultimately, as the business side of the game ramps-up, so too will the aggressive nature of recruitment at the preceding levels. And in turn, young players will experience more and more pressure when it comes to choosing between the two main streams.

10 Thoughts for Sunday, March 20

2011-03-20T22:11:00.000-07:00

By John Cullen
Staff Blog Writer

Hey hockey fans, welcome back to 10 Thoughts! I'm returning with a "normal" week of opinions after my playoff preview last week. I want to thank all my contributors for doing that for me, and expect to see some of them back in future columns as we look toward the best part of the NHL season on the horizon! I'm continuing again this week with my shorter format, so I look forward to any feedback you may have on the column or the column size. Let's get to it!

1. Minnesota reached the nadir of the pre-playoff destruction today, with an 8-1 loss at the hands of the Montréal Canadiens. I had Minnesota as a team I liked to make the playoff behind excellent goaltending and defensive play, and it's strange to see them collapsing so violently. A playoff miss would be hard to take positives from, as the line-up won't see much help anytime soon with Minnesota's famed lack of system depth.

2. Matt Cooke was at it again today. Hard to say much that hasn't already been said, but the guy was a really solid player here in Vancouver and a fan favorite. Not sure exactly what's degenerated for him since, but he's probably the dirtiest regular player in the league and you can talk suspensions, fines, whatever, I'm still just shocked that outside of Evander Kane's one-punch KO of him last season(which wasn't really provoked by a dirty play on Cooke's behalf) that no one has taken liberties with him. A Tie Domi-like attack has to be on the horizon, one would think. That'd be infinitely more gratifying than any suspension.

3. Anyone want to bet Mario Lemieux has no comment on this incident? Twitter and other news sources have been aflame with expected responses from Lemieux and Penguins' GM Ray Shero--who has decried headshots in the NHL--but I'd assume nothing will be forthcoming. Lemieux has never been one to speak up unless it's to his benefit or it's making him look good, and he won't start now. Do have to love Dan Bylsma, the quintessential coach, coming out and representing the organization with class post-game.

4. Another shocker: no Penguins teammates coming out against Cooke. He essentially cost them a game on Sunday, and it wasn't the first time. It's unfortunate to see that no one will speak their mind. I know that you never want to divide a room, but players HAVE to be frustrated.

5. Martin Brodeur with a 12-save shutout on Sunday. Hard to say the Devils aren't back now, as that's vintage Devils and vintage Lemaire. Could Lemaire possibly be in the talk for the Jack Adams Award despite only coaching half the season, or was John MacLean just THAT bad?

6. Speaking of trophies, some alternate Hart candidates emerging with surefire winner Sidney Crosby now having been out 10 weeks and Daniel Sedin and Steven Stamkos leading scoring but doing so with unbelievable supporting casts: Jonathan Toews and Corey Perry. Perry's got an outside shot at 50 goals for the season and has played unbelievable with and without Ryan Getzlaf all year. He's a clear leader on the Ducks squad with a whopping 9 GWG(T-2nd in the NHL), including back-to-back OT winners this weekend. And Toews is making a case for the best captain in hockey not named Nicklas Lidstrom, as the Blackhawks ship continues to be righted and they continue to look like a very scary Western Conference playoff team after a first half of the season plagued by mediocrity.

7. Is relocation possibly the most boring thing ever reported on in the NHL? Until someone is actually moving somewhere, I don't care. At all. Put the "Jets Meter" away, stop talking about this team going there and that one going there, it's all just a bunch of wasted words. Bettman will do just about anything to prevent a 7th team in Canada. Why, I don't know. Let's just accept it and move on.

8. Personal hockey recommendation for the week: BASE Hockey. A relatively new company out of Burnaby, BC, and co-owned by ex-NHLers Cliff Ronning and Al Iafrate, they custom-build high-end sticks for a fraction of the price. I was tipped off to them by a friend, and I have to say, I absolutely love my BASE Savoy Special. You e-mail BASE, they send you a catalogue, and you can customize everything on your stick from curve to flex to color to nameplate to grip to lie and back again. A base model of their stick runs at $154.99 and they're said to perform like high-end sticks from other brands, which, so far, I can definitely agree with. I've only used mine for two games, but love the performance and the feel of it. My main concern with sticks after performance is durability, and so far, mine feels like a tank without the weight of one. Highly recommended. Check out mybasehockey.com for more.

9. As you know, I've been following my local Surrey Eagles through their BCHL playoff run. Was able to watch Game 5 of their quarter-final series against Langley, which was a highly entertaining, high-scoring affair, as both teams play a very similar run-and-gun style. Surrey ultimately won the series 4-2, and this time I feel like their depth made the biggest difference. Captain Tyler Morley continues to impress with his physical and smart play, and linemate Daniel Gentzler is one of the better players I've seen at this level in some time. Excited to see them play Powell River, the top-ranked Junior A team in the country, as they match up very well. Series is tied 1-1 and heads to Surrey for Games 3 and 4 tomorrow and Tuesday. I'll be checking out Tuesday's match-up and reporting back.

10. Cool story from the OHL today, as the Kitchener Rangers' Jason Akeson and Ottawa 67's Tyler Toffoli were neck-and-neck in the scoring race heading into the season's final day. Toffoli had 4 goals and 1 assist in his game to win the goal-scoring title from Christian Thomas, who he was trailing to start the day, and to get a two-point lead on Akeson heading into Akeson's night game, where he himself was able to notch 2 assists to share the title with Toffoli. Always great to see players duking it out on the last day for accolades.

11* Thoughts Playoff Preview: Part II

2011-03-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

by John Cullen
Staff Blog Writer

Welcome back, hockey fans, for Part II of 10 Thoughts' Playoff Preview. I've enlisted my friends to join me this weekend in getting ready for the best part of any hockey fan's year. To read Part I, CLICK HERE.

Today, we're going to take a look at some teams who are either on the outside looking in when it comes to this year's playoffs, or teams who are hovering around the bottom few seeds in each conference, hoping for a repeat of Montreal's storied run last season. Let's take a look!

7. Los Angeles Kings
Current Record: 39-25-5, 83 Points, 4th in Western Conference
By: Eric Kveton, Los Angeles, CA, life-long L.A. Kings fan and UCLA Student

The Kings went into a season-defining road trip after the All-Star Break with a little momentum, following up a horrendous 2-10-0 stretch with three straight wins and a good showing by Anze Kopitar in the All-Star Game. Despite the adversity of ten games on the road, the Kings earned fifteen of a possible twenty points, and since then the Kings have moved back into a playoff spot led by Kopitar's strong play.

The Kings are one of the few teams that met their biggest need at the deadline; the signing of Dustin Penner has not provided huge offensive fireworks, but he has chipped in at a point per game pace since joining LA, while fitting nicely onto the Kings' top line with Kopitar and the consistent Justin Williams.

With the top-six wing spot filled, the Kings need to maintain what has driven their recent success, goaltending and discipline on defense. Jonathan Bernier's capable backup play has given Terry Murray the flexibility to rest Jonathan Quick, a necessary step to combat the cause of LA's downfall last season. In the meantime, the defensemen have remained healthy since Willie Mitchell's return from a broken wrist. While Drew Doughty's play has been spotty, the other defensemen have been solid, with young Alec Martinez providing a spark and Jack Johnson coming into his own.

The issue for the Kings remains offense, though scoring from the top two lines has been fairly consistent. If the Kings can stay healthy and start getting more production from Wayne Simmonds and the quiet third line, as well as from their struggling power play, they should be able to solidify their hold on a playoff spot in the tight Western Conference.

8. New York Rangers
Current Record: 36-30-4, 76 Points, 8th in Eastern Conference
By: Tim Daily, Belmar, NJ, New York Rangers Season Ticket Holder for 5 years

The Rangers are in rebuilding mode and have struggled since the All-Star Break, but they will make the playoffs for the same reason they made it from 06-09: Henrik Lundqvist. Night in and night out Lundqvist gives the Rangers a chance to win the close games and clamp down leads when they're up. The Rangers are a league best 24-0-0 when taking a lead into the 3rd period.

New York will have to get better at putting a full 60-minute effort together if they want to make a run in the playoffs - especially when rookies like Mats Zuccarello, Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh are logging big minutes - but the relative success of the Rangers' youth movement will be enough to boost them into the playoffs and establish this season as a success.

9. Minnesota Wild
Current Record: 35-27-7, 77 Points, 11th in Western Conference
By: Nathan Wells, St. Paul, MN, Minnesota Wild Blogger(http://www.firstroundbust.com) and fan of all things Minnesota Hockey

After staying pat at the trade deadline, injuries to captain Mikko Koivu and Cal Clutterbuck have hampered Minnesota's playoffs chances. Currently(as of Sunday) four points out of eighth place, Minnesota has to overcome a lack of depth and continue their outstanding road play this season to have any hope of making the playoffs, as they only have seven home games left.

Most teams would be struggling without one of their top two players but losing scoring on a team which is tied for 24th in the league in scoring hurts more than most. In addition, Koivu is counted on in all three zones of play and is able to get the most out of his linemates Andrew Brunette and Antii Miettinen, who have struggled in his absence.

So with all that said, the Wild's playoff chances are going to go right down to the wire. The team has gotten as far as they have this season based on outstanding goaltending from the duo of Niklas Backstrom and Jose Theodore along with special teams play (7th in PP% and 9th in PK%), but with the season winding down it will take more help from Martin Havlat, Brent Burns and a healthy Koivu and Clutterbuck if Minnesota wants to play postseason hockey.

10. Toronto Maple Leafs
Current Record: 30-29-10, 70 Points, 10th in Eastern Conference
By: Andrew Harvey, Kitchener, ON, life-long Leafs fan and former OHL Scout

The annual stretch where the Leafs play very well in the last quarter of the season may actually mean something this year. Although the playoffs are slipping away(6 points out with 13 games remaining), every game still feels like a playoff game. The introduction of the extra point for the overtime loss has kept the Leafs in the hunt. Ten times this year they have lost in either the shootout or in overtime. At this time of the year, as the games get tighter, teams have a tendency to play for overtime. The Leafs can't afford to do this now, especially with key games this week against Buffalo and Carolina, the two teams they are chasing for the 8th spot. Regulation wins are a must(NOTE: The Leafs did win the first of these games against Buffalo in regulation, 4-3 on Saturday night. They play Carolina this Wednesday, and the Sabres again on March 28.)

That said, playoffs or not each and every win knocks the Bruins' pick down a few places in the draft, which might finally stop a lot of the negative talk about the Phil Kessel trade. Even with no playoff berth, if the Leafs can avoid giving the Bruins a lottery pick and the emergence of Clarke MacArthur, Nikolai Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski continues, there can be a lot of positives taken from this season going into next when the Leafs will be one of the biggest players on July 1st.

11. New Jersey Devils
Current Record: 32-32-4, 68 Points
By: Perry Padilla, Newark, NJ, New Jersey Devils Season Ticket Holder and member of the Devils' Marketing(Social Media division) Team

After what seemed like an endless punishment from the hockey gods for the first half of the season(thanks a lot, Kovalchuk!), the New Jersey Devils have become the team most expected them to be from the start of the season(thanks a lot, Kovalchuk!). They have somehow climbed back into playoff contention, pulling off a 20-3-2 record since trading then team captain, Jamie Langenbrunner. What's more is that they're doing this without Zach Parise, arguably the team's best player in the past few years. Hell, they were even without Martin Brodeur for 2 separate stretches of time. Can they complete the Miracle on Mulberry and sneak into the 8 spot?

If this team has hopes of playing in their 13th straight playoff season, the offense needs to producing even more. The defense and goalies have done their job, holding teams to 1 or 2 goals most nights. The Devils seem to take a 1-1 game into the third and then have Ilya Kovalchuk score the go-ahead goal and then hold on for the 2-1 win. This team is very talented up front and should be scoring more than two goals a game. The biggest opportunity for improvement would be the power play. It's been getting better lately but the Devils are still squandering chances to score goals at key points of the game while on the advantage.

I believe the Devils can somehow pull off the best run for a playoff spot and finish 8th. It's going to take a better effort from the offense but this team is finally hungry. The Devils will also need help from other teams, but fans hope the hockey gods can repay us for that torturous first half.

I'd like to thank all my contributors, who did an amazing job. Please let me know in the comments how you feel about this feature, as it would be something I would definitely look into doing again. I'll see you all next week, when 10 Thoughts returns in its usual format!