Thursday, February 26, 2004
More stability?
In today's chat for ESPN.com, Bill Clement made the following comment:
San Jose, CA: What is your opinion of a salary cap in the NHL?
Bill Clement: I think it needs to happen to create stability in the sport. Otherwise, the owners will continue to eat their young. It can't be a hard cap. It has to be something tied to revenue, and I think that truly is fair for both sides. Naturally the players would like to keep it the way it is but teams will start dropping like bloop singles if something isn't done.
Stability?
If we're talking cities the only league that has had fewer franchises moving around is Major League Baseball and it doesn't have a salary cap. The NBA and NFL have salary caps but it hasn't helped Vancouver, Charlotte, LA (twice), St Louis, Cleveland, Houston, Baltimore, San Diego, etc.
If we're talking players, what other league can keep a player tied to their organization for 13 years? The NHL rosters are among the most stable in pro sports. Has an NHL team ever lost a 24 year old superstar for nothing like the Orlando Magic did when Shaquille O'Neal went to the Lakers?
As for teams dropping like bloop singles, there hasn't even been one that's dropped yet. It's like extrapolating a nationwide epidemic from a few people getting frostbite. There hasn't even been patient zero yet and they're already sounding warning bells about the illness. (0) comments
San Jose, CA: What is your opinion of a salary cap in the NHL?
Bill Clement: I think it needs to happen to create stability in the sport. Otherwise, the owners will continue to eat their young. It can't be a hard cap. It has to be something tied to revenue, and I think that truly is fair for both sides. Naturally the players would like to keep it the way it is but teams will start dropping like bloop singles if something isn't done.
Stability?
If we're talking cities the only league that has had fewer franchises moving around is Major League Baseball and it doesn't have a salary cap. The NBA and NFL have salary caps but it hasn't helped Vancouver, Charlotte, LA (twice), St Louis, Cleveland, Houston, Baltimore, San Diego, etc.
If we're talking players, what other league can keep a player tied to their organization for 13 years? The NHL rosters are among the most stable in pro sports. Has an NHL team ever lost a 24 year old superstar for nothing like the Orlando Magic did when Shaquille O'Neal went to the Lakers?
As for teams dropping like bloop singles, there hasn't even been one that's dropped yet. It's like extrapolating a nationwide epidemic from a few people getting frostbite. There hasn't even been patient zero yet and they're already sounding warning bells about the illness. (0) comments
Almost pure evil
The fine folks at Vancouver Canucks Open Ed have pointed out the work of the Gematriculator in determining evil in websites or passages. According to it, I'm only 29% evil. I would think that living in the same city as all those Liberal MPs would make me a hell of a lot more evil.
Anyways, the site must be pretty accurate because it recorded a 99% evil rating for the Toronto Maple Leafs official website. Of course this comes as no surprise to anyone who isn't a Leafs fan. In contrast, the Senators official site is only 36% evil.
(0) comments
Anyways, the site must be pretty accurate because it recorded a 99% evil rating for the Toronto Maple Leafs official website. Of course this comes as no surprise to anyone who isn't a Leafs fan. In contrast, the Senators official site is only 36% evil.
(0) comments
Tuesday, February 24, 2004
Hometown officiating
Ottawa lost to Montreal tonight 4-2 with Montreal native Stephane Auger assigned to the visitor end of the ice.
Montreal took the lead with 40 seconds left in the game when Steve Begin redirected a shot from the point while he was standing in the crease and in contact with Patrick Lalime. To make matters worse, there was another Hab in the crease when the goal was scored as well. The goal shouldn't have counted according to Rule 78 (g) of the NHL rulebook:
If an attacking player establishes a significant position within the goal crease, so as to obstruct the goalkeeper's vision and impair his ability to defend his goal, and a goal is scored, the goal will be disallowed.
(NOTE 6) For this purpose, a player "establishes a significant position within the crease" when, in the Referee's judgment, his body, or a substantial portion thereof, is within the goal crease for more than an instantaneous period of time.
Maybe Auger wasn't familiar with the rulebook or maybe he was too busy looking for his friends in the crowd when this took place.
Another horrible call in the third period was a delay of game penalty on Zdeno Chara. Chara was racing after Richard Zednik on a breakaway when he dove to try and pokecheck the puck away from Zednik. He misses but his momentum propels him into the net and he takes the net off its moorings. At this point, Lalime had already made the save on Zednik. However, Auger decided to call a penalty for something I had never seen called in all my years of watching hockey. (0) comments
Montreal took the lead with 40 seconds left in the game when Steve Begin redirected a shot from the point while he was standing in the crease and in contact with Patrick Lalime. To make matters worse, there was another Hab in the crease when the goal was scored as well. The goal shouldn't have counted according to Rule 78 (g) of the NHL rulebook:
If an attacking player establishes a significant position within the goal crease, so as to obstruct the goalkeeper's vision and impair his ability to defend his goal, and a goal is scored, the goal will be disallowed.
(NOTE 6) For this purpose, a player "establishes a significant position within the crease" when, in the Referee's judgment, his body, or a substantial portion thereof, is within the goal crease for more than an instantaneous period of time.
Maybe Auger wasn't familiar with the rulebook or maybe he was too busy looking for his friends in the crowd when this took place.
Another horrible call in the third period was a delay of game penalty on Zdeno Chara. Chara was racing after Richard Zednik on a breakaway when he dove to try and pokecheck the puck away from Zednik. He misses but his momentum propels him into the net and he takes the net off its moorings. At this point, Lalime had already made the save on Zednik. However, Auger decided to call a penalty for something I had never seen called in all my years of watching hockey. (0) comments
Monday, February 23, 2004
In the Black, In the Red, In the Pink
A must read article at Ordinary Least Square for those interested in the upcoming CBA battle. It is lengthy and claims to be only the first of three parts but it is worth reading.
Click here for Part 1 of In the Black, In the Red, In the Pink (0) comments
Click here for Part 1 of In the Black, In the Red, In the Pink (0) comments
A giant candidate for the Norris
The hockey media has started taking notice of Zdeno Chara as a potential Norris candidate. And for good reason too. After a shaky start to the season, Chara has made some of the brightest NHL stars like Joe Thornton, Ilya Kovalchuk and Jarome Iginla invisible when they match up against him. When Chara has been on the ice against these players, they've been lucky to get a shot on net. He's been an absolute monster to play against in his own zone.
His play has made the hockey writers across North America notice. Bruce Garrioch revealed on Ottawa radio recently that Chara for the Norris was discussed when the professional (ha!) hockey writers of North America met during the All Star weekend tomake sure all their stories match discuss who should be considered for awards. He's only been more impressive since then.
The best plus/minus in the league, an absolute force in his own end, tied for third in goals for defencemen, fourth in penalty minutes among defencemen. He's a pretty good shot. (0) comments
His play has made the hockey writers across North America notice. Bruce Garrioch revealed on Ottawa radio recently that Chara for the Norris was discussed when the professional (ha!) hockey writers of North America met during the All Star weekend to
The best plus/minus in the league, an absolute force in his own end, tied for third in goals for defencemen, fourth in penalty minutes among defencemen. He's a pretty good shot. (0) comments
The power of Toronto
Normally sensible Globe and Mail columnist Eric Duhatschek gets caught up in overhyping Maple Leaf players in his Saturday column. From the column, which is speculating on Toronto acquiring Sergei Gonchar:
Few teams could match the Leafs' top four of Gonchar and Klee, Bryan McCabe and Tomas Kaberle and then it wouldn't much matter who played as their No. 5 and 6 defencemen, because the first four would be playing between 22 and 25 minutes per night anyway.
Since when did Ken Klee become such a valuable defenceman? He's always been considered an average defenceman at best. But now he's on the best top 4 in the league? Only the power of playing in Toronto can elevate an average blueliner to such status.
And about that top 4, except for the average Klee, none of them are great in their own end. The Leafs would have three top 4 defencemen who can make major mistakes in their own end. Neither Gonchar nor Kaberle are guys who lay the body on their opponents every chance they get.
Even if the Leafs were to get Gonchar, their top four would still be behind Detroit, Colorado, New Jersey, Vancouver, the Islanders and Ottawa's top four. Plus who knows if those teams will add additional blueliners before the trade deadline. (0) comments
Few teams could match the Leafs' top four of Gonchar and Klee, Bryan McCabe and Tomas Kaberle and then it wouldn't much matter who played as their No. 5 and 6 defencemen, because the first four would be playing between 22 and 25 minutes per night anyway.
Since when did Ken Klee become such a valuable defenceman? He's always been considered an average defenceman at best. But now he's on the best top 4 in the league? Only the power of playing in Toronto can elevate an average blueliner to such status.
And about that top 4, except for the average Klee, none of them are great in their own end. The Leafs would have three top 4 defencemen who can make major mistakes in their own end. Neither Gonchar nor Kaberle are guys who lay the body on their opponents every chance they get.
Even if the Leafs were to get Gonchar, their top four would still be behind Detroit, Colorado, New Jersey, Vancouver, the Islanders and Ottawa's top four. Plus who knows if those teams will add additional blueliners before the trade deadline. (0) comments
