Janssen vs Belak Mar 20, 2007

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Derek

In what can only be described as a classic fight, Wade Belak and Cam Janssen go toe to toe at Air Canada Centre. Who else but legendary Doc Emrick and the always entertaining Chico Resch call the action. Of course, Chico’s right about fighting. “It keeps the game clean.”

It would be a mistake for the league to overreact and eliminate fighting. Enforcers stand in and protect teammates, including stars. If you took it out, there would be dirtier cheapshots and more dangerous stick swinging incidents. Of course, nobody knows the full extent of how much the combatants suffer when blows are exchanged. We’ve seen players KO’d a la when Colton Orr decked Todd Fedoruk, who’s had his own personal issues off the ice, according to close The Program pal Chris Wassel.

The nature of fighting is rough. However, they’ll need to do extensive research on why players are dying. Anxiety/Depression is a serious life issue that can affect anyone. Not just athletes. It doesn’t discriminate. Let’s try to remember Belak, Boogaard and Rypien for what they stood for. Quality individuals who came to the aid of teammates, who were very popular in the locker room.

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Wade Belak vs Derek Boogaard Dec 2, 2009

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Derek

It’s hard to fathom that we’ve lost three enforcers over the summer. Here, we see two big heavies do battle in a rematch between Derek Boogaard and Wade Belak. Not the prettiest scrap but a lot of defense and grit along with a few body shots.

I also stumbled across two bouts between Belak and Cam Janssen that were fun viewing, including a great rumble when Belak was a Leaf with Janssen wearing Devil colors. We’ll try to get that up.

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Belak death latest NHL tragedy

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Derek
Three tragedies in three months. All equally mystifying and horrible for hockey. Yesterday, popular tough guy Wade Belak was found dead at his Toronto condo. The recently retired big man, who made a living with his fists for 15 years was 35. Belak concluded his career in Music City with Nashville. The Predator organization released a statement:
“The entire Nashville Predators organization and family is shocked and saddened by the sudden and untimely passing of Wade Belak. Wade was a beloved member of the organization, a terrific teammate and wonderful father and husband who will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Jennifer and children Andie and Alex. We offer our full support to them at this very difficult time.”

Regrettably, Belak became the third enforcer to die over the summer, joining brethren Derek Boogaard and Rick Rypien. The stunning news passed like wildfire in the early evening on the East coast, sending more shockwaves throughout the hockey world. erhaps former Leaf teammate Owen Nolan summed it up best when he tweeted:

“I’m lost for words. Wade Belak RIP my friend.”

The original Quebec Nordique first round selection in ’94 (12th overall) did it the hard way, playing for five different teams, including the Maple Leafs where he was most popular sticking up for teammates for nearly seven seasons spanning ’00-01 to ’07-08. Belak began his career with Colorado following their first Cup and played parts of three seasons before moving onto Calgary (included in the Theo Fleury blockbuster) where he started to establish himself, putting together consecutive 100+ penalty minute (PIM) campaigns in ’99-00 and ’00-01.

That included a trade to Toronto, who were serious contenders. Over 16 games, he even notched his second career goal (first since ’97-98 w/Avs) while adding an assist along with 31 PIM. Though he didn’t get in a postseason which saw the Leafs go toe to toe with the defending champion Devils before falling in a grueling second round rematch, Belak continued to impress Leaf Nation. In ’01-02, he registered a career high 63 games along with four points (1-3-4), plus 142 PIM. It was that year when they made it to the Conference Finals before losing to Carolina when Belak debuted and scored his only career playoff goal during 16 games that Spring. Not surprisingly, he racked up 18 minutes. The following year (’02-03), he established career bests with three goals, six assists and nine points to go with 196 PIM.
Belak registered at least 100 penalty minutes in seven straight NHL seasons sans the lockout. Of his eight goals, seven came wearing the Maple Leaf. Seventeen of 25 helpers also came with Toronto where he played 318 of 549 career games, including a personal best 65 in ’06-07. The following year, he was dealt to Florida where he had a brief stay before being traded to Nashville, where he spent a majority of his last three seasons before being waived last 2/25. On April 9, he announced his retirement. Belak finished with 1,263 PIM in 549 contests.
“Now I think people will realize the tough job of playing in the NHL and the tough job of being a heavyweight,” former NHLer Georges Laraque said. “It takes a lot mentally. It’s really hard.”


“When you retire after being a heavyweight for as many years as you played, most of those guys didn’t make [much] money, so there’s no options for them after. So, after you have all this pressure of playing and fighting for a living, now you have to fight to live when life after hockey is over.“
Belak’s tragic death leaves more questions than answers. We’re seeing more and more extreme cases of Anxiety/Depression in athletics. Not every single one has resulted in tragedy. However, it begs the question if troubled athletes are getting enough attention. As someone who deals with this important life issue daily, it can be very challenging. Just imagine how it must be for a player, who’s dealing with more pressure along with extensive travel and expectations.
It’s hard to pinpoint the reason(s) why the NHL lost three popular players who all were tough customers. Former troubled star Theo Fleury overcame great obstacles that included a long bout with alcohol and drugs stemming from anxiety and depression due to sexual abuse at the hands of monster Graham James. He had several strong tweets on post-retirement/depression. This was one of the highlights:
“The drug companies make billions on pain meds with no consequences or claim any responsibility for overdoses or deaths.”
This is an epidemic that isn’t covered enough. While it’s probably not the only reason, there needs to be more emphasis on the drug industry so we can prevent future tragedies such as Derek Boogaard’s. It’s important for the NHL to closely examine each case and discover if there are any similarities between Belak, Boogaard and Rick Rypien. What we do know is that Boogaard was an accidental overdose of dangerous painkiller oxycodone mixed with alcohol while Rypien’s is rumored to be suicide. Privacy concerns have kept anything from being official.  
According to an ESPN report, Belak hung himself. At least that’s what one person who had knowledge of the case believes.
“It’s not only about the deaths, it’s the deaths that surround similar type players,” former Calgary GM and current NHL Network analyst Craig Button told The Canadian Press. “It’s not just getting hit in the head, it’s everything that goes with that (enforcer) role. I think that people are paying very, very serious attention to concussions and blows to the head and the role of the enforcer.
“I don’t think anybody can stop until we really understand the impact it has not only physically, but emotionally as well.”

All these factors must be considered along with a way to encourage more troubled athletes to come forward and seek help. Sometimes, it can be a matter of pride. Even for myself, I kept everything buried inside and it finally manifested itself five years ago. Anxiety and Depression can strike at any time. It can be lethal. The sooner you deal with it, the better.

Prayers go out to the Belak family and friends. Our thoughts are with the Boogaard family and the Rypien family. Let us pray.
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Devils switch to tiered pricing for home games

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Derek

In the last few years, ticket buying and ticket selling has changed dramatically with the boom of the secondary market and more and more teams responding to that by going to tiered pricing. What tiered pricing is, in a nutshell, is when a ticket for the same seat is priced differently depending on the game. Rivalry and weekend games, as well as special promotions (say, Retro Night for the Devils) are more likely to sell out than mid-week games against a second-division team from the other conference. Quite frankly, teams like the Devils that don’t sell out every game need a system like this to help maximize profits on the marquee games and sure enough, a few days ago they announced they were implementing such a system for the first time.

Considering the Devils have seventeen different price sections(!) I’m going to explain it as simply as possible by using the sections I know best – the Brown which is the extreme upper corners, the Green which is the rest of the upper bowl and the Aqua which I’m sitting in now in the mezzanine. Each team has 44 home games in a year, including three preseason games. Of the 41 regular-season games, ten now fall into the Premier Game category, which include all three Ranger and Flyer games, two Penguin games (all the Flyer and Penguin games are on weekends including Retro Night) and also a game against the Caps just before Christmas and a weekend afternoon game against the Habs earlier in December. Premier games will get price hikes. In the Green section, last year’s single-game and season ticket costs were $37 and $30, respectively. Now they’re $45 and $41 for those ten games.

For the twenty-one classic games, they’re basically priced the same single game and season ticket prices that they were last year, except in the Brown section which saw significant overall increases on single-game tickets since that’s no longer a $10 ticket section. While the Devils claim (via Facebook) they will still have $10 gameday tickets, the details are still unknown as to how, how many or where. On their chart, they now list the Brown section – which didn’t have very many tickets available anyway – as $35 for the Premier games, $27 for Classic and $20 for the last category, so those tickets will be available to the general public before the day of game.

And the remaining ten regular season games as well as the three preseason contests fall into the ’30th Anniversary Special’ column. Those games will in fact be worth less than they were last year, and considering neither the Devils nor sth’s trying to sell these games were able to get anywhere close to face value for these type of games (all of the regular season games here are Monday-Thursday) this was a neccesary change imo. As was the wide margin between gameday prices and sth prices. Amazingly, my new seats in the Aqua section are priced $52 at the box office but they only cost $12 to the season ticket holder.

Over the last few days on various message boards, I’ve read so many misconceptions about this new system among Devil fans it’s mind-boggling. Refuting point by point:

1) We (single-ticket purchasers) are being priced out of the building with all of these increases! No you’re not…the price went up for exactly ten games, and down for ten games as well. For three-quarters of home games, the prices either stayed flat or went down for day of game purchasers. If you’re being priced out of the building because you purchased only the best games at box office price or in a partial plan, well that just proves the Devils’ point that those games are valued more and more people want them. If you think the Devils are overcharging for these games, take a look at StubHub or TicketExchange for these games, prices will still be way above what the Devils are charging. As one poster on NJDevs summed up succinctly ‘If the Devils don’t price games this way, the secondary market will do it for them’. There will still be a secondary market if you don’t want to pay the Devils’ prices for games, and likely you’ll be able to get tickets there at comparable or lower values to face for half the games.

2) It’s not fair that some games are worth more than others! How is it not fair when you see tiered pricing in all walks of life? You think it’s an accident that plane trips and hotel rooms cost more over the holidays? Or that a meal in a fancy restaurant in Manhattan costs ten times as much as the same dish would in a dinky small-town restaurant? It’s quite frankly good business and to be honest, the Devils did this fairer than most teams would. They didn’t hide a total ticket price increase in a readjustment of the prices, season ticket holders didn’t get their invoices upped and day of game purchasers got discounts on 1/4 of the games from last year and flat prices for half of them.

3) This is the silliest one yet, that somehow season ticket holders still paid the same price for every game, so the value of the ticket didn’t change at all. On an average that’s true, since the Devils structured their prices in a way where it’s really not any different than paying the ‘Classic’ price for all 41 games. My tickets in the Aqua section were $22 per game, but now only half the seats are actually valued at that – but the total still comes out to exactly $22 a game if you factor in my ten Premier games at $35 and thirteen (including preseason) Special games at $12. Psychologically it feels better to waste only $12 on preseason games as opposed to the $22 average and makes it easier to resell the non-essential regular season games at close to cost. It doesn’t matter too much what the Premier prices are, since I’m either going to those games anyway or will still be able to resell them at a profit or face at worst if I have to.

4) As far as eliminating or redistributing the $10 tickets go, I admit I could care less about doing away with the $10 line since I never really had a need for it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for having a set amount of affordable tickets for college students and younger fans and am glad the Devils are apparently keeping some $10 seats available. However, from what I’ve heard in a secondhand fashion about the $10 line, it seemed like it was more trouble than it was worth – especially for the limited number (between 100 and 200) of tickets available. Both because you literally had to stand outside for hours to get tickets to a regular season game and because the line itself wasn’t well-policed and there was rampant cutting and ‘saving spaces’ involved, particularly for the bigger games. If anything, the Devils and the fans would be better off just having an online lottery or some other way of selling $10 tickets that didn’t involve chicanery. Maybe make that an extension of College Night where if you have a college ID you could purchase those tickets to any game on the day of the game.

5) The Devils took care of people that were able to give them a couple grand up front (i.e. season ticket holders) but took a dump on the little people. While I’ve already explained the fallacy of the latter, the fact is season ticket holders DESERVE special consideration. We’re not all born with silver spoons. Honestly, it’s good business to take care of your most loyal customers. I’ve been all over the Devils in recent years as the value of the sth anywhere outside of the Brown section – which is still $15 on average for season ticket holders, with a tiered system of $20-15-11 – had been devalued significantly.

Between the $10 line, a boatload of team discounts/ticket giveaways, the secondary market devaluing sales of tickets that were $30 and up face value and having to pay normal price for preseason games, the market had tilted heavily towards getting tickets on the secondary market and waiting for discounts to get a better price than season ticket holders got. How was that fair exactly?! I can’t say how many times I’ve heard my fellow sth’s in the green section complain that there were discounts for even special games while they got left holding the bag paying more for their ticket.

However, lowering the prices for preseason and the least desirable regular season games help the sth significantly in reselling them. True, the Devils take a chunk out of your profit if you were looking to unload the premier games but real season ticket holders as opposed to broker wannabes will want to go to most of those games anyway. Not to mention giving season ticket holders the ability to purchase any game at sth cost at any time throughout the season helps both the sth and fans who may not have the means to become an sth but want cheap tickets in the building. If you want to get tickets for the best games or really inexpensive tickets for the non-marquee ones, I suggest that non-STH’s buddy up with an STH real fast lol.

That kind of arrangement helps the Devils too, as they’re able to pawn off additional tickets that are not going to sell at face and get some money out of it. Every ticket in the upper deck and behind the net in the mezzanine section is $21 and below for season ticket holders to the Special games, there are still affordable seats. If after all this you still think pricing is unfair, talk to my fellow Ranger fan blogger about their pricing. We don’t have it that bad, folks.

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A Mixed Bag: Drury, Islanders, Zajac, Rick Rypien

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Derek
With less than 10 days left in August, hockey’s around the corner with Traverse City getting underway in the second week of September, just as the U.S. Open finishes. Yes, I’m a huge tennis fan who follows the grand slams and can’t wait for it to kick off next week. Once the first ball is served, you know our sport’s finally on deck. By show of hands, who can’t wait? The #IsItOctober trend on Twitter’s been increasing by the minute. For yours truly, it’s all about September with the big prospect tournament that MSG airs along with training camps and preseason.
With the NFL also two weeks away with the first Sunday set on the Tenth Anniversary of 9/11, it’s going to have extra significance for everyone. There’s so much going on that Opening Night will be here before you know it. Personally, this is my favorite time of year with summer fading away while leaves change colors and school restarts. That might not be so thrilling for some of you. But I’m becoming a substitute teacher and am looking forward to a new challenge just as our hockey teams prepare for their own.
A lot’s happened lately. So, let’s try to cover it:
1.Chris Drury Retires- For most observers, it isn’t a surprise that one of America’s finest hockey players called it a career due to a chronic knee issues. Of course, it came after the Rangers bought our former captain out, clearing room. Whatever happened to Dru the past two years, it’s easy to forget that he was one of our best performers in Years 1-2, averaging a shade over 23 goals with nearly half the production on the power play while also averaging over 56 points. Sure. It wasn’t the 37 markers or 69 points the former Little League World Series Trumbull, Connecticut hero put up in his final season in Buffalo- haunting us with a tying goal in Game Five. However, what gets lost is that was his best statistical year, coming on a much more talented squad that advanced to its second consecutive Conference Final. Drury was never about stats but rather intangibles like winning faceoffs, outhustling opponents on the PK and making the right play. Don’t forget he had a knack for scoring big goals as a good chunk (47 of 255 goals) backs up. The Avalanche don’t win a second Cup without Captain Clutch. A hardworking, well respected player loved by teammates and peers, who poured overwhelming support last week. Over 12 seasons, he handled himself like a true professional. The 615 points (255-360-615) in 892 games are a good measuring stick for any third round pick, originally drafted by Quebec in ’94 (72nd overall). I think everyone will agree that if Brandon Dubinsky or Ryan Callahan come close to those figures, the Rangers just might not wait another 37 years for Cup No.5. Congrats to Chris Drury on an outstanding career!
2.Islanders- No matter what they’re involved in, chaos is the buzz word when it comes to the Islanders. So, Charles Wang’s referendum failed. For now, the Isles were supposed to concern themselves with the upcoming ’11-12 season, commemorating the franchise’s Forty Year Anniversary. One which is filled with promise thanks to a young nucleus led by John Tavares. Instead, the Isles found themselves mixed up in another controversy involving one of their Top 10 games last season. This past Friday, they were expected to hold a Viewing Party to air the club’s 9-3 melee-induced 2/11 win over the Penguins. However, due to opposition from a Pens blog and even the league, the organization decided against showing the bloodshed. Instead, they substituted one of their most exciting wins over the Sabres that occurred two days later- a 7-6 treat that featured a hat trick from Calder runner-up Michael Grabner, who finished third behind Jeff Skinner and Logan Couture. It’s understandable why there was some resentment to showing such a game. While it was quite entertaining with Jack Capuano’s club exacting revenge on the Pens for their cheap antics in a prior match that included laughing from the Pittsburgh bench after Rick DiPietro was concussed by Brent Johnson, the general consensus is that they went overboard- turning the third period into a circus. Given the sensivity to violence, the Islanders made the right decision here. Besides, the combined 13 goals in what was a seesaw battle between two Battle rivals, was a better game.
3.Travis Zajac Injury- The Devils were dealt a significant blow when it was learned that top center Travis Zajac tore his achilles during a training session. He’s expected to miss at least the first month and possibly half of November. Considering the club’s recent history with injuries, figure the Devs to use caution, which could mean Zajac doesn’t return until December. How that impacts them under new coach Pete DeBoer remains to be seen. Considering that they subtracted Brian Rolston to save cap space, New Jersey is pretty thin up the middle with Patrik Elias probably shifting to center the top line. Elias has had success there and could find chemistry with a healthy Zach Parise, who’s in his final year before potentially testing the market. The question is how will DeBoer handle the loss. Last year, Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk couldn’t co-exist. It probably makes sense to split them up, balancing out the lines. If say you keep complement Nick Palmeiri with Kovalchuk and substitute Dainius Zubrus, it would allow Elias and Kovalchuk to perhaps team with David Clarkson, who could provide the meat and potatoes while Swede connection Jacob Josefson and Mattias Tedenby remain on the third line. That assumes Clarkson reestablishes himself. Keep an eye on prospect Adam Henrique, who should get an extended look with Zajac out.
4.The NHL is mourning the loss of Rick Rypien, who was found dead at his Alberta home last Monday. The popular tough guy, who took on all comers despite his smallish 5-11, 190 pound frame, had battled demons off the ice. He took a leave of absence nine months ago to address personal issues. At age 27, another extended member of our family is gone too soon with many questions left as to why. That it came three months after Ranger enforcer Derek Boogaard passed away due to a mix of alcohol and the painkiller oxycodone, has raised concerns about player mental health. Rypien had dealt with depression. It’s unfair to compare the untimely deaths of Boogaard and Rypien even though they were basically the same age with the Boogey Man passing away at 28. The former Canuck was excited to be returning to Manitoba where he starred for the Moose under current Winnipeg Jets Assistant GM Craig Heisinger. Like Boogaard, his death was a shock to the hockey community. To hear Vancouver GM Mike Gillis tell it, it sounded like Rypien was improving.
“Over the course of the last three seasons, we participated in a variety of different initiatives with him and we were all really close with him,” Gillis expressed last Tuesday in Toronto. “We had an understanding of what we thought was going on and had a number of outside agencies involved in assisting us, and we felt we were on course.

We felt he was making progress in a lot of different areas. When he signed with Winnipeg, we were all really happy for him.”
It’s extremely difficult to think that two players we watched and cheered for are gone. The NHL definitely must put more emphasis on finding out why these tragedies happened. It’s not good for the league and sports as a whole. Anxiety and Depression are serious issues that we are seeing more and more of with players taking time off to try to address these matters. Whether it’s Substance Abuse or Mental, we tend to forget that these are people just like us with everyday problems. The more we learn, the better each league will be at helping treat their employees. Preventing future tragedies should be priority. Here’s hoping things improve to the point where we don’t have to eulogize another stunning death. Life’s too short.
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Zajac tears achilles, out three months (at least)

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Derek

This is what technology has done for us…during a boring day at work, I was surfing the internet on my phone and came across a Devils tweet that said ‘Zajac had successful surgery to repair a torn achilles’. WHAT?!?!?! I could do nothing but roll my eyes and shake my head. Yes, the same Travis Zajac that played in 401 consecutive games somehow managed to tear his achillies in off-season training and will now need three months to heal, and with the Devils’ track record in rehabbing guys recently (think: Zach Parise, David Clarkson, Paul Martin) bet on it being longer. The only good news is that the first month and a half is before the season, but that’s also time you lose getting into shape for the season and you have to rehab on the fly.

There is no understating how big this loss is, Zajac was the team’s top center and was competent to good in all areas of the game (offense-defense-faceoffs). To lose him even if it was for only half the season may mean the difference between the Devils being a sure playoff bet and being a borderline eight seed – at best. Although GM Lou Lamoriello said at this point he has no plans to bring anyone in for tryouts or in a trade, with over $5 million in cap space plus the amount saved on the cap from Zajac going on LTIR the Devils could and should eventually make a move…if the budget isn’t factoring in. This might be the biggest acid test yet to see whether the Devils are in fact rebuilding and cutting costs.

If the Devils really do have another non-playoff or even borderline playoff year it also hurts their chances of retaining star winger Parise. Of course that’s a secondary concern at the moment since there’s still the 2010-11 season to be played. But with the black cloud of Parise’s contract already hanging over us, now this injury to Zajac is the lightning and thunder we didn’t need before the coming rainstorm.

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Doughty, Selanne lead remaining FA’s, Devs/Rangers go young on D

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Derek
Believe it or not, there are 16 days left in August. That means hockey’s around the corner. It still is offseason with some names still lingering around like former Ranger captain Chris Drury, who hopes to get a tryout somewhere. That’s probably the best bet. While some familiar faces like Alex Kovalev and Nikolai Zherdev have left for the KHL, vets like Cory Stillman, Sergei Samsonov, Marek Svatos, Marty Turco, Bryan McCabe, Craig Rivet, Nick Boynton, John Madden, Jarkko Ruutu, Mike Grier, Brian Sutherby, Ethan Moreau, Steve Staios and Paul Mara are still available. Finnish Flash Teemu Selanne won’t decide if he’s returning until September. American hero Mike Modano still hasn’t retired.

There are also key restricteds with Drew Doughty still the main headliner. One of the game’s bright stars on the blueline, still hasn’t come to terms with the Kings on a new contract. Considering what Shea Weber was awarded, it probably didn’t help, even though Doughty has hardly achieved that lofty status. Something will get done. Our guess is the closer it gets to camp, they’ll work something out. Other Group II’s of not are Winnipeg’s Zach Bogosian, Toronto’s Luke Schenn, the Isles’ Josh Bailey, Chicago’s Chris Campoli and the Yotes’ Kyle Turris and Mikkel Boedker.
Two players who were signed by the Hudson rivals are both defensemen added for depth. The Devils signed ex-King Peter Harrold to a one-year two-way deal. Considering the Devs’ youth transition, figure Harrold to spend his time in Albany. Meanwhile, the Blueshirts signed former Senator Brandon Bell for essentially the same reason. With Steve Eminger re-signed and the likes of Mike Del Zotto, new Ranger Tim Erixon, plus hopefuls Pavel Valentenko and Tomas Kundratek, Bell should be ticketed for Connecticut.
Indeed, both the Devils and Rangers are now on a similar path with youth served on the back end. New Jersey boasts No.1 pick Adam Larsson, who’s expected to step into the top four. There’s also Andy Greene, Mark Fayne, Matt Taormina, Mark Fraser and Matt Corrente– plus hopefuls Alexander Urbom, Tyler Eckford and Eric Gelinas. That doesn’t include American prospect Jon Merrill, who the club selected in Round Two a year ago. He’s one to keep an eye on.
While the Devils re-load with key cogs Anton Volchenkov and Henrik Tallinder vital to any success, the Blueshirts again will not boast a D over 30 thanks to the core of Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh and Mike Sauer. With Eminger the elder statesman at 27, the Rangers are banking on a turnaround from Del Zotto and key acquisition Erixon to round out one of the league’s youngest bluelines. Figure Valentenko and Kundratek to provide stiff challenges in camp while Bell looks to impress brass. Others to watch for are Sam Klassen, Lee Baldwin and Jyri Niemi, with the latter two taking part in Traverse City next month. Former No.1 Dylan McIlrath will also be included.
Factoring in the up and coming Islanders, youth will be served in the metro area for the future.
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Miller passes up North Dakota for Plymouth

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Derek
J.T. Miller decided to take the quicker route to the NHL. The New York Rangers’ 2011 first round selection will pass up a full athletic scholarship to North Dakota. Instead, the 15th overall pick from East Palestine Ohio, who signed with the Blueshirts on July 28 will opt to play for the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) this Fall.
The 18-year old has his eyes on becoming a Blueshirt earlier than expected. Assuming the Team USA leading scorer, who posted five goals and eight assists for 13 points in helping lead our country to the 2011 IIHF U-18 World Junior Championship (WJC) in Germany- adjusts well in the OHL, he could be developing in Connecticut by next year. In fact, Miller and the Ranger organization could’ve went that route once he signed but that would work against the current CBA, which states that any AHL experience would count towards an entry level deal. Aside from that, it would’ve been rushing him.
If Miller feels skipping a well respected hockey program like the Fighting Sioux won’t hinder his development, then I support his decision. Even if I’m a bit skeptical considering my excitement about UND. As we get to see daily on the other side of the Hudson with Devil tandem Zach Parise and Travis Zajac, North Dakota has a good reputation. I just hope it’s for the best.
Also noteworthy, Miller made the first cut for Team USA at their pre-summer Junior Camp for this winter’s WJC. In fact, they’re taking on Sweden right now. The Swedes lead 2-zip after one. For full coverage, check back on the official Team USA Hockey site. I’ll try to update later or perhaps tomorrow.
Anyway, I did find some cool highlights from a game versus Russia in which JT lit the lamp twice. He definitely has some wheels and knows where to go to score. Hopefully, Garden Faithful will get to see a lot more of that in the future.
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Avery Arrest not encouraging sign

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Derek
Sean Avery is a lot of things. Up till this past weekend, one of the NHL’s bad boys had never been in trouble off the ice. The controversial Ranger antagonist was arrested for pushing a cop while at his Hollywood Hills home in California Friday.
A complaint about the noise level during a party at around 1 AM brought the LAPD to Avery’s door. According to a report, he answered but shoved the cop before slamming the door. However, the 31-year old Blueshirt then opened the door and cooperated fully. He was taken away to the Hollywood police station where he was charged with battery. Avery posted a bail of $20,000 and then indicated, that “it’ll all work out at some point.” He’ll have to appear in court on September 2nd at 8 AM.
Certainly, this is discouraging news for the Ranger organization with an important season approaching. Avery’s situation is being closely monitored by the NHL, including the Behavior Program he once took part in following his remarks on ex Elisha Cuthbert, who was seeing Dion Phaneuf prior to a Dallas/Calgary game. He was suspended by the league and didn’t return until the Rangers brought him back after the Stars had seen enough. Ironically, Brad Richards was one of the most vocal about the incident. Now, they’ll be reunited on Broadway, which bares watching.
What we do know at least is that Avery made a mistake that won’t get resolved until his court date prior to training camp. He also had some unsavory remarks about cops referring to them as, “fat little pigs,” before coming to his senses. There was a party at his place with loud talking and predictably loud music, which disturbed neighbors. However, nothing out of the ordinary happened.
It still wasn’t a good idea even if Sean can do what he pleases away from the rink. He’s entering the final year of his contract. So, the timing couldn’t be worse. Avery has already apologized to owner Jim Dolan and GM Glen Sather. How will John Tortorella react? He’s always been very strict on Avery, which doesn’t bode well. If he’s cleared, will he get a clean slate or might it impact his role? That remains to be seen. He can be a valuable player when he’s agitating opponents and providing energy. In what amounts to the biggest year of his life, he’s already got detention. How will he respond? The Blueshirts can’t afford distractions. Especially with the big Euro-trip to start the season before heading to Western Canada due to the renovation.
There’s already been plenty of sentiment on Twitter about whether Avery should be allowed to return. The last I checked, we don’t know all the facts. Everything we hear is just that. Some of it could be true. I’m sure there’s more stuff that we haven’t heard. As a former juror on a pretty big case out here six years ago, I try to keep a clear head. Until all the evidence is in, you’re presumed innocent. In this case, it looks bad for Sean. Though cooperating should help.
There are plenty of Avery haters who would like nothing better for him to get locked up with a slanted jury. Good thing that’s not how the justice system works. Sometimes, I get the distinct impression that these fans act like Avery hurt them. Regardless of what kind of person he is on the ice, we don’t really know him unless you cover the Grate One. I can’t judge.
At the end of the day, what he does doesn’t affect me. This is the same individual who spoke out in favor about gay marriage. A major breakthrough that saw other athletes also be pro on the controversial issue, which was passed by New York State. There’s a lot more to the man than what we see. Maybe we should check ourselves next time.
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My take on Islanders Arena

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Derek
As many of you already know unless you were living on a different planet, the New York Islanders took a hit seven days ago when a majority voted against the referendum for a new Coliseum complete with a minor league ballpark and sports complex. Fifty-seven percent voted no, dealing another blow to club owner Charles Wang, who wants desperately to keep the team on Long Island.
Just from an outside perspective, it seems Nassau County doesn’t care enough to keep the team. Perhaps another area of Long Island will come to the rescue. Whether that comes to fruition remains to be seen. Currently, the Islanders who are celebrating their 40th Anniversary for the upcoming 2011-12 season, have until the conclusion of ’14-15 to play out the end of their lease. Afterwards, my guess is as good as yours. From now until then, that gives Mr. Wang a small window to get something done. Whether it’s in Long Island or possibly Brooklyn or Queens, I am rooting for the Islanders to find a permanent home that keeps them part of our sportstown.
In a piece I did over on my other blog Hitting Back, I expressed how much the Islanders mean to our Tri-State area. The reason three hockey teams can work is because it’s big enough for each to have their own fanbases. The Devils got their new palace. The Rangers are getting theirs with Madison Square Garden being renovated. The Islanders have remained in Nassau Coliseum throughout their existence. They deserve the same treatment despite Wang not exactly guaranteeing to put his own money on such a project. Something that can’t be overlooked.
In my post, which took literally an arm and a leg to complete, I look at a franchise that’s close to competing once again. It’s the Islanders who boast more talent than either its neighbors. Do we really want to see them leave as things are about to get good? Here are the highlights from No Vote could spell doom for Islanders:
As was previously noted, the idea to push ahead a $400 million project on Nassau County without Mr. Wang coughing up anything aside from picking up the two million tab for a yes vote didn’t make much sense. Especially given the national debt crisis. For one of the heaviest taxed counties, the timing couldn’t have been worse. So perhaps it wasn’t a shock that a majority voted it down- unwilling to have more taken from their pockets for a referendum that could’ve cost as much as $800 million over a 30-year period had it passed.

The reality is 57 percent voted against the new proposal that came on the heels of Wang’s dream Lighthouse scenario which he wasted time/money on before moving forward. While he would’ve ponied up an arm and a leg had there been overwhelming support for the Lighthouse, the Islander club owner was unwilling to spend a nickel for his latest proposal. It was like he expected the public to deliver a new arena with all the trimmings because he lost over $250 million. Part of it’s the existing lease that runs out in 2015, unable to generate concession revenue- leading to higher costs and lower turnout. Combine that with a team that’s had little success since a ’93 Cinderella run and it’s easy to explain why the Islanders are in trouble.

How can Islander faithful get past last week’s defeat and try to look forward to a roster GM Garth Snow’s built? It’s impossible for anyone not to ponder the plight of the franchise. Unless Wang and Nassau County executive Ed Mangano come up with a new plan, the team is done with Nassau once the lease ends at the conclusion of 2014-15. Considering the opposition in a stubborn county, maybe it’s best for Wang to consider alternatives such as moving to Queens or even Brooklyn if Nets’ billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov changes his mind about icing a hockey team. Barclays Center will be an impossible commute unless fans are willing to make the trip on the tracks. Not exactly the easiest choice.

A new arena in Queens next to Citi Field would be a marketing dream which could provide easier driver access with public transportation also available. Would the city be willing to help build it for Wang, preserving a franchise rich in tradition? This isn’t the Yankees, Mets, Giants/Jets or Devils getting their own palaces. Even the Nets knew when it was time to get out of the disaster known as New Jersey Sports And Entertainment Authority (NJSEA). If the lockout ever ends, they’ll play out a second year in Newark and then finally reroute to Brooklyn.

The Islanders seem like an afterthought much like the four consecutive Cups they won from 1980-83, dominating hockey. Maybe it’s cause of where they play. It’s still unfair to forget the impact of the bright orange and dark navy blue, who pushed around the Great One to win one final Cup before the Oilers took the mantle away from Al Arbour, Bryan Trottier, Denis Potvin, Mike Bossy, Billy Smith, Bobby Nystrom, Butch Goring, Clark Gillies, Ken Morrow, Bob Bourne, Duane and Brent Sutter.

Those Islander teams boasted some of the greatest collection of talent to ever lace ‘em up. Imagine losing a franchise that was the gold standard three decades before the Yankees, Devils and even the Giants. The Bronx Bombers never won four straight, narrowly missing in the ’01 Fall Classic on the heels of 9/11. Out of that era, I choose the one my team lost to Arizona over ’96, ’98-00 because of what it meant to New York City and our country.

As a hockey blogger who’s followed the sport since the late 80′s, I can’t imagine life without the Islanders. They’ve always been the Rangers’ biggest rival. From all the classic series when they arrived to the old “19—40 chants,” until 1994 finally erased it forever, Long Island has always been our bitter enemy. As players from both sides have noted, the passion in the stands is what makes it so special. The energy and electricity at MSG or Nassau Coliseum are what make the games compelling. With apologies to the Devils, who have become our most universally loathed rival based on recent history, it’s the Islanders that are still No.1 in my book. When they’re good again, it’ll change instantly.

Rivalries are what make sports great theater. You have it in every sport with the latest installment of Yanks/Red Sox that concluded last night at Fenway. This upcoming season marks the 40th Anniversary for the Islanders. Forty years of hatred between two intense fan bases, whose emotions run high when the two teams take the ice. Whether it’s “Rangers Suck,” at The Coliseum or “Potvin Sucks,” at The Garden, this classic rivalry is one that MATTERS. Toss out the standings, stats or the names on the backs. It’s always been about the logo on the front. Players have changed allegiances. Each fanbase have welcomed a once hated enemy with open arms.

Chris Simon was once ours. A good Blueshirt when suddenly he became Public Enemy number one after his dangerous baseball bat swing connected with Ryan Hollweg’s neck. Thankfully, he was okay. Pat Lafontaine once donned all three New York jerseys, finishing his career on Broadway after successful stints with the Islanders and Sabres. Bryan Berard won a Calder with the Isles, eventually joining up with the Rangers. The list is endless.
The Islanders mean a lot to New York even if a select number of Blueshirt supporters can’t resist taking shots. This isn’t about having them to beat up. Or have we forgotten that the Isles are the grittier, scrappier bunch who bring a lunch pail work ethic to this rivalry? Sure. We have fatter pockets. But that’s never meant much against a classic rival.

The bottom line here is the Islanders are part of the fabric that makes hockey in the metro area special. No matter which way you root, there are always the other team’s fans wherever the games are played. As our Devil blogger Hasan has echoed, Islander fans have invaded Newark. They have a strong following, which often gets overlooked due to the current poor arena situation. Not making the playoffs deters fans into staying away. Ticket and parking expenses don’t help. Unfortunately, we live in tough times.

Amazingly, our run of five in six postseasons after going blank for a decade dwarfs the Isles. If Devil fans were spoiled for so long, then we actually have it a lot better than our No.1 enemy. The Rangers can always attract free agents because we have an owner who will pay top dollar. Until the Islanders get a new arena, they will continue to struggle recruiting UFA’s. Say this for Garth Snow. The man tries. With a questionable future and not exactly a playoff lock yet, it’s a tough sell for the Islanders. Look at the Devils since getting The Prudential Center. While they haven’t been a free agent magnet, Ilya Kovalchuk re-signed last summer, surprising some. Their past success helps. Even if Hasan is not fond of Lou Lamoriello’s post-lockout record, there’s still a perception that you can compete for a Stanley Cup in Jersey. Until Tavares and Co. finally make the big dance, it will continue to be an uphill climb.
 
Hopefully, they’ll get a new arena and continue to be part of our community.
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