NHLPA Player opinion poll on coaches, franchises, rule changes and peers

Recently the NHL Player's Association and CBC network in Canada conducted a survey amongst current NHL players.  Less than half responded and those who returned surveys did not necessarily answer every question.  But here are the results.

What team would you least like to play on?

New York Islanders – 27%
Edmonton Oilers – 20%
Buffalo Sabres – 8%
Atlanta Thrashers – 7%
Toronto Maple Leafs – 5%
Montreal Canadiens – 5%

What team would you most like to play on?

Detroit Red Wings – 14%
Vancouver Canucks – 11%
Chicago Blackhawks – 11%
New York Rangers – 9%
Tampa Bay Lightning – 6%

What rink has worst ice?

Bank Atlantic Centre (Florida Panthers) – 20%
Madison Square Garden (Rangers) – 14%
St.Pete Times Forum (Lightning) – 12%
Honda Center (Anaheim Ducks) – 10%
Staples Center (Los Angeles Kings) – 9%

What rink has best ice?

Rexall Place (Edmonton) – 37%
Bell Centre (Montreal) – 15%
Joe Louis Arena (Detroit) – 13%
Xcel Energy Center (Minnesota) – 8%
Rogers Arena (Vancouver) – 7%

What is your favorite rink to play in?

Bell Centre (Montreal) – 40%
Madison Square Garden – 9%
United Center (Chicago) – 7.4%
Joe Louis Arena (Detroit) – 7%
Rogers Arena (Vancouver) – 6%

COACHES

Which current assistant coach should be the next head coach?

Kirk Muller (Montreal) – 9%
Bob Boughner (Columbus) – 8%
Tony Granato (Pittsburgh) – 6%
Adam Oates (New Jersey) – 5%
Brad McCrimmon (Detroit) – 4%

Which coach demands the most of his players?

John Tortorella (NY Rangers) – 28%
Mike Babcock (Detroit) – 24%
Guy Boucher (Tampa Bay) – 7%
Brent Sutter (Calgary) – 6%
Dan Bylsma (Pittsburgh) – 4%

Which coach is the easiest to play for?

Bruce Boudreau (Washington) – 21%
Barry Trotz (Nashville) – 12%
Dan Bylsma (Pittsburgh) – 8%
Dave Tippett (Phoenix) – 8%
Terry Murray (Los Angeles) – 5%

Which coach would you most like to play for?

Dan Bylsma (Pittsburgh) – 21%
Mike Babcock (Detroit) – 18%
Dave Tippet (Phoenix) – 9%
Guy Boucher (Tampa Bay) – 8%
Joel Quenneville (Chicago) – 6%

Which coach would you least like to play for?

Ron Wilson (Toronto) – 24%
John Tortorella (NY Rangers) – 15%
Marc Crawford (Dallas) – 14%
Brent Sutter (Calgary) – 10%
Mike Keenan (UFA) – 9%

ON-ICE TOPICS

Should the Instigator rule be abolished?

No – 66%
Yes – 33%
Depends – 0.3%
Don’t care – 0.3%

Should fighting be banished from the NHL?
No – 98%
Yes – 2%

Which Canadian city deserves an NHL franchise (Hamilton, Quebec City, Toronto or Winnipeg)?
Quebec City – 53%
Winnipeg – 25%
Toronto – 16%
Hamilton – 5%

PLAYER OPINIONS

Which rink has the worst boards/glass?

Joe Louis Arena – 12%
Bell Centre – 11%
Pengrowth Saddledome – 9%
Madison Square Garden – 8%
Nassau Coliseum – 8%

Who has the toughest forward to play against?

Sidney Crosby – 29%
Pavel Datsyuk – 19%
Alex Ovechkin – 11%
Ryan Kesler – 4%
Henrik Zetterberg – 3%

Who is the best referee?

None – 15%  (Apparently 15% of those polled have the comprehension skills of your average internet keyboard warrior)
Kelly Sutherland – 13%
Bill McCreary – 10%
Wes McCauley – 9%
Tim Peel – 7%
Paul Devorski – 7%

Which team is underrated?

Nashville Predators – 18%
Dallas Stars – 16%
Phoenix Coyotes – 9%
Atlanta Thrashers – 8%
St. Louis Blues – 6%

Which team in overrated?

Washington Capitals – 35%
Vancouver Canucks – 12%
Montreal Canadiens – 11%
San Jose Sharks – 10%
Pittsburgh Penguins – 4%
Philadelphia Flyers – 4%

Who is the toughest defenseman to play against?

Zdeno Chara – 20.3%
Nicklas Lidstrom – 20.3%
Chris Pronger – 20.0%
Shea Weber – 7%
Duncan Keith – 3%

Which active player would you select to start a franchise?

Sidney Crosby – 69%
Nicklas Lidstrom – 6%
Steven Stamkos – 5%
Jonathan Toews – 3%
Alex Ovechkin – 2%
Pavel Datsyuk – 2%

Who is the cleanest player?

Pavel Datysuk – 28%
Martin St. Louis – 10%
Nicklas Lidstrom – 8%
Henrik Zetterberg – 6%
Kyle Wellwood – 4%

Who is the most-underrated player?

Loui Eriksson (Dallas Stars) – 5.4%
Frans Nielson (NY Islanders) – 5.0%
Patrick Sharp (Blackhawks) – 3.5%
Travis Zajac (New Jersey) – 3.5%
Tomas Plekanec (Montreal) – 3.1%

Which active player is the best role model?

Sidney Crosby – 26%
Nicklas Lidstrom – 20%
Jarome Iginla – 11%
Shane Doan – 9%
Martin St. Louis – 3%

SKILLS

Skaters only: Which goalie is the most difficult to score on?

Roberto Luongo – 17%
Ryan Miller – 16%
Tim Thomas – 15%
Henrik Lundqvist – 14.8%
Mikka Kiprusoff – 4%

For goalies only: Which player is the most difficult to stop?

Alex Ovechkin – 27%
Sidney Crosby – 24%
Steven Stamkos – 14%
Pavel Datsyuk – 5%
Alexander Semin – 5%
Brad Richards – 5%

Who is the toughest to play against?

Sidney Crosby – 18%
Zdeno Chara – 17%
Pavel Datsyuk – 16%
Alex Ovechkin – 8%
Chris Pronger – 7%

Who is the hardest to take the puck off of?

Pavel Datsyuk – 36%
Sidney Crosby – 24%
Joe Thornton – 8%
Rick Nash – 3%
Henrik Zetterberg – 3%

Who is the smartest player?

Sidney Crosby – 29%
Pavel Datsyuk – 24%
Nicklas Lidstrom – 19%
Henrik Sedin – 6%
Martin St. Louis – 4%

Who is the toughest player?

Derek Boogaard – 23%
Colton Orr – 9%
Matt Carkner – 6%
Zdeno Chara – 5%
Milan Lucic – 4%

Who is the best skater?

Marian Gaborik – 26%
Sidney Crosby – 17%
Patrick Marleau – 9%
Duncan Keith – 4%
5 players tied at – 2%

Who is the league’s fastest skater?

Marian Gaborik (NY Rangers) – 37%
Patrick Marleau (San Jose) – 11%
Darren Helm (Detroit) – 8%
Jason Chimera (Washington) – 6%
Michael Grabner (NY Islanders) – 5%

Who has the hardest shot?

Zdeno Chara – 44%
Shea Weber – 41%
Milan Jurcina – 3%
Ales Kotalik – 2.5%
Steven Stamkos – 2%
Dustin Byfuglien – 2%

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Niemi Number, Amonte Turns 40 and tonight's TTMI~Radio preview

First off, a reminder. Tonight on TheThirdManIn~Radio, I'll be pleased to welcome John and BlackhawksBob, writers over at the outstanding Blackhawks blog, FifthFeather.com.

Tonight's show airs live at 8pm (central) and you can listen live at BlogTalkRadio.com/TheThirdManIn. And if you can't join us live, the show will be posted on this site and at BTR shortly after we go off the air.

We encourage your phone calls, emails or Tweets as well. The number to call into the show is listed on the show page during the stream.

I'm sure its rather obvious the main topic of tonight's discussion, so I don't feel the need for a teaser here. But we'll also cover how the many alterations to the Cup Champions roster will impact the Blackhawks chance at a repeat; this weekend's Blackhawks Convention; how the Blackhawks still managed to lose money in 2010 and the McDonough Monologues.

-- Saturday, we learned of the arbitrator's decision in the contract case between the Chicago Blackhawks and their Stanley Cup champion goaltender, and restricted free agent, Antti Niemi. By lunchtime today, we'll know what the Hawks think of it.

Niemi was awarded a one-year $2.75 million deal for the upcoming season. Next summer he will be scheduled to become an un-restricted free agent.

Over the weekend rumors surfaced of the Blackhawks allegedly having made an unofficial side-agreement with Dallas Stars UFA goaltender Marty Turco for one-year and anywhere between $1.5 to $2.0M. Turco, a nine-year NHL veteran, turns 35 on August 13th.

Turco, a Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario native and University of Michigan graduate, has seen his numbers decline in each of the past two seasons with the Stars and has not led his club to the playoffs since 2008.

On Sunday night, WGN-TV's Dan Roan reported the Blackhawks have come to terms with Turco and a deal, as reported by Roan, would be made official today.

Quickly news spread of Turco's "signing" across social networking platforms but several reporters, including Chicago Tribune Hawks' writer Chris Kuc and the Sun-Times Adam Johns, refuted WGN-TV's report saying they were unable to confirm the signing or that their sources had denied an agreement, as of last night, with Turco exists.

Everything will become clear and we'll know soon enough.

Until then, there's really nothing to comment on.

I highly doubt the Hawks will let Niemi walk entirely without getting any compensation for him. $2.75M is a figure the Hawks can manage under their cap with a little creativity.

The easiest solution would be to trade Tomas Kopecky for a minor leaguer or draft pick. With his $1.2M (Kopecky is a UFA next summer) off the books, and a player with a contract of about 850k or less, Niemi fits in many scenarios in which the Hawks carry a 21 man roster.

Of course, Stan Bowman would prefer more flexibility. The above mock roster would all but guarantee Kyle Beach would be stuck in Rockford barring injuries. Turco coming in at $1.75, as Dan Roan reported Sunday night, would give Stan Bowman a little more comfort and players like Beach and Lalonde renewed chance at making the big club out of training camp.

As we discussed on last Thursday's TTMI~Radio, declining Niemi's arbitration reward would be a statement by the organization that they value a third line center over a vastly-improving 26 year old goaltender whose poise and athleticism helped win the organization its first championship in 49 years.

If Niemi were to move on, a signing of Turco or Washington Capitals UFA goaltender Jose Theodore would not only lead to a drop-off at the position this season, it would also be a step backwards for the organization.

In Niemi, the Blackhawks lucked into a quality number one when Cristobal Huet faltered. Without Niemi, the organization is re-forming their situation of a year ago. No matter Turco or Theodore, you have a goalie on the decline whereas Niemi showed improvement all throughout last season. The pressure on an outside netminder to perform every outing will be tremendous. While his body of work is only that of a rookie, those are still some sizeable footwear Niemi would leave behind.

Which brings us to the greater question. Is Corey Crawford ready or capable of repeating Niemi's path should Marty Turco be unable to shoulder the load. That determination is where Stan Bowman's decision should be made.

Walking away would put the Blackhawks right back on the market for a franchise goalie next summer no matter how well Turco plays this season. If Turco turns in a huge year, he'll be looking for a contract the Hawks won't be willing to hand a 36-year old goalie, just as they didn't in 2009 when they were in talks to retain Nikolai Khabibulin on a one-year term. Edmonton called, offered three and Khabibulin was gone.

Unless Crawford sees 40 games and playoff time, Stan Bowman would likely be understandably reluctant to hand the reigns off to him, so he'd be in the same situation Dale Tallon was in 2008 - burning the phone lines on July 1st with a blank check in his hand, pleading for a number one goalie.

Isn't that what got us into this mess?

If you don't believe in Corey Crawford, the Hawks do not appear to have another goaltender in the system anywhere near ready to start behind a championship contender. If the Hawks are forced to house Huet in Rockford, his presence will only further inhibit the enhancement of young prospects at the position.

All the more reason to stick with Niemi. If the Finnish backstop hits a rough stretch or struggles from time to time, fans and Quenneville will give him more rope than they would afford to an outsider.

Perhaps difficult negotiations with Niemi and agent Bill Zito will factor into Stan Bowman's final decision? If he figures there's little chance he'll have the resources to satisfy Niemi's demands on the open market, trading Niemi now for a prospect and a high draft pick might be his best move.

Bowman could also be appraising this season as a rebuilding year. Yes, the Hawks will be a very good team with as good a chance as any to win the Central, but with the depth lost and the inexperience of those who will be asked to replace Ladd, Byfuglien, Versteeg, Sopel, Eager, Madden and Huet - it could take a season to reshape the Hawks into Cup contenders. If that is the case, and he sees Niemi's demands as impossible, Bowman's focus should be on giving Crawford a full audition at the NHL level and keeping two goalie spots open in Rockford for youngsters he needs to evaluate properly.

Whatever the case, we'll have a good indication very soon.

This day in Chicago Blackhawks history.....

- First off, Happy Birthday to Tony Amonte, who turns 40 today.

- 5 years ago today, Dale Tallon signed defenseman Adrian Aucoin to a 4-year, $16M contract.

- Today is not a good day to remember free agent signings. But then again, how many good free agent signings in Blackhawks' history are there? On this day in 1999, Bob Murray signed LW-Wendel Clark (apprx three months shy of this 33rd b-day at the time) to a one-year deal worth $1.4M. Clark was signed after finishing the 1998-99 season with Detroit, a year he posted 32 goals in stints with the Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning. Clark would skate in just 13 games with Chicago, scoring 2 goals. Not even two months into his stay with the Hawks, Bob Murray waived Clark and negotiated a buy-out of the veteran's contract (reported to be about $1M, so the Hawks wound up paying most of his guaranteed salary) clearing the way for Clark's return to Toronto, where he had his glory years and to this day remains a legend. Clark did not leave on good terms or have much nice to say about Murray, or head coach Lorne Molleken, who both believed Clark was a 3rd liner at best on that year's team after seeing him in camp and at the start of the season. They weren't wrong. Clark retired after the 1999-00 season. He scored 2 goals and 2 assists in 20 games with the Leafs. And another goal and one assist in six playoff games before hanging his skates for good.

-- We'll return with another report later today with reaction to the Niemi decision and much more.

ChrisBlock@TheThirdManIn.com

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Setting the Leddy Record Straight

-- Before we get started, as a reminder, or for those who don't know, the NHL Network tonight will be airing Game 4 of the 1992 Stanley Cup Final between the Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins at 7pm central time. This is a continuation in the network's Raising the Cup series. At the time, this was the greatest game I had ever seen live and still would rank in my top 3 or 5. This is the Dirk Graham hat-trick game. Pittsburgh shut out the Hawks 1-0 in Game 3 two nights prior. Again, tonight, 7pm, NHL Network. It replays at 12:30am Thursday, and again at 8am tomorrow morning.

-- Look for the next edition of TTMI~Radio with Dieter Kurtenbach and myself late tomorrow. It appears will be in Antti Niemi/arbitrator waiting mode by that time, but there's much more for us to discuss.

-- Antti Niemi's arbitration hearing is tomorrow. No progress, apparently, has been made in talks between the Hawks and his agent to elude this process. The Hawks can only afford to give Niemi so much under their current salary cap constraints. Anything more than $2.5M would trigger another trade. While its true the Hawks will have cheaper options in free agency should the arbitrator's decision come down in Niemi's favor, letting your rookie Stanley Cup Champion goaltender walk without receiving any compensation in return is a tough sell to 90% of the fan base. Its possible a ruling could come as early as Friday, which would mean a decison on whether to accept the arbitration reward would have to come down before the convention closes. Letting Niemi walk is not a good way to climax John McDonough's sacred creation. And for that reason and a few others, I just don't see it as a real option.

Nick Leddy leaves Gophers, signs contract with Blackhawks

On Tuesday, news broke that Blackhawks prospect Nick Leddy would be leaving the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers as he has signed a professional contract with Chicago.

The contract Leddy signed is a standard three-year, entry-level contract that would pay him at a rate of $900,000 with the Blackhawks, or $67,500 while in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs.

Let's first be clear on something - just because Leddy has signed this contract does not necessarily mean he's turning pro.

Young players sign entry-levels all the time and return to their junior teams. In Leddy's case, he's left college and could turn pro if that were his best option. Well, it won't be.

I'm sure as you read this, general managers across junior hockey are contacting Leddy's agent and the Blackhawks pitching their teams as a great place for Leddy to continue his development.

Currently, the Tri-City Americans own Leddy's WHL rights.

Leddy, 19, posted 3 goals and 8 assists in 30 games in his freshman year with Minnesota in 2009-10.

At the conclusion of this month's Prospect Camp, general manager Stan Bowman was glowing over Leddy's performances, touting him as one of the most impressive players in the week-long assessment camp.

"(Leddy) is really smooth out there and I think he's going to be a Blackhawk for many years," Bowman told assembled reporters on July 12th. "This is the first time we've seen him here in Chicago. We saw him perform during the (09-10) season, but boy he's really smooth out there. I think he's going to be with the Blackhawks for many years. It's exciting to see that."

As a player, Leddy projects long-term as a solid two-way defenseman with a strong offensive upside. He resembles Duncan Keith in many ways and watching him, it doesn't surprise you Leddy himself has said (before he was ever traded to the Hawks) he models his game after two Blackhawk blue liners, Keith and Brian Campbell.

There is an agreement in place between the American Hockey League and the CHL (the sanctioning body that overseas major Canadian junior leagues such as the OHL, WHL and QMJHL) that prevents players under the age of 20 from leaving their junior organizations to play in the AHL. Since Leddy is leaving the NCAA, this rule would not apply to him. Unless he does at some point, report to a junior team.

However, one would have to question whether or not Canadian junior would be a better fit for the 19-year-old at this time? While Leddy was one of the better players at the Hawks prospect camp, he was paired with Shawn Lalonde (who is a year older and is ready to make the transition to pro hockey) and Lalonde was distinctly the better of the two. Dylan Olsen was never paired with anyone near the ability as Leddy or Lalonde, and he was still one of the most consistently impressive defenseman in the camp. Had Leddy been paired with scrubs or non-organization invitees, we probably wouldn't be having this discussion to begin with.

Another peculiar side-note to the Leddy signing directly relates to Olsen. Dylan Olsen, 19 (who turns twenty on January 3rd, or 2 1/2 months before Leddy) was selected 28th overall by the Hawks in the same 2009 Draft that Leddy went 16th overall to the Wild. Olsen is significantly bigger and further developed. His game is more aggresive and at this point he's more assertive than Leddy. Olsen's size and nastiness would suit the Hawks needs more than anything Leddy could bring at this stage. And many times we've heard Olsen may not be the best student yet the Blackhawks seem to be in no rush to get Olsen away from Minnesota-Duluth and into a Hawks' sweater.

With Leddy only having skated in 30 games in all of 2009-10, transitioning to a league where he'd be asked to play in 70-plus against players much bigger and faster than he saw in college might be asking a bit much. While the AHL is a developmental league, teams and coaches are still under significant pressure to put the best possible product on the ice. Leddy shouldn't have left Minnesota if there is a good chance he'll sit a significant amount of Rockford's games or spend more time in a weight room than he will on the ice.

According to fitness tests completed this month, Leddy is apparently in terrific physical and cardiovascular condition according to the Hawks. Yet, at the end of scrimmages on the final two days of prospect camp, Leddy was noticeably spent at the end of shifts late and visibly exhausted on the final day. This, facing suspect competition.

At 19, and not turning 20 until late March, this is a crucial year of development for a young blue liner. At the same age, Duncan Keith left Michigan State at the half-way point of the collegiate season to get more ice time playing for the Kelowna Rockets, the Western Hockey League team that held his Canadian junior rights. Keith saw the ice he sought and played in twice the games in Kelowna than he would have in Lansing. Keith was a dominant player with the Rockets and turned pro the next season, playing for the Norfolk Admirals, the Blackhawks AHL affiliate at the time. Keith probably would have made the jump to the NHL in 2004-05 had the league not been shut down, unable to come to terms with the NHLPA on a new collective bargaining agreement.

Leddy will report to Blackhawks training camp in September and theoretically be given an opportunity to make the NHL team just like anyone else. Of course, the trouble with that is Leddy's cap hit comes in at a little under a million dollars. As currently assembled, there is very little chance Leddy would get a spot on the Hawks roster even should he cash in on the long odds and earn it. And even if he did, playing a maximum of 10-12 minutes a night on the Hawks' third pairing is hardly the best thing for Leddy. The Blackhawks should be looking for him to become the next Duncan Keith, not the next Jordan Hendry.

As of this writing, the Blackhawks have been mum publicly on the Leddy signing. This could, as we suspect it to be, a dramatic choreography to get Leddy out of Minnesota and into a better situation for development. Leddy is not alone as a recent Gopher exiting the program early for greener pastures and there have been plenty of rumblings from amateur scouts questioning the developmental abilities and system that of Gopher head coach Don Lucia. Transferring collegiate programs would cost Leddy a year on the sidelines. He could play in the USHL in the meantime, but that's a step backwards. By signing his entry-level contract with the Hawks, Leddy and the Hawks have two options. Throw him into the fire in a professional league, or allow him to experience a full season as someone's horse in major Canadian junior hockey.

The man who has a lot of influence behind this decision and the acquisition of Leddy is Norm McIver, the Hawks director of player development. McIver lives in Minnesota and naturally does a lot of scouting in that region.
Ironically, Justin Holl, the defenseman who the Blackhawks selected in the 2nd round (24th overall) of the 2010 Entry Draft, will be joining the Golden Gophers for his freshman season in the fall.

Should yesterday's move prove to be true as its being presented and Leddy is turning pro and not turning back at the behest of the Blackhawks, this will be the first true barometer of Stan Bowman's leadership skills.

I'm sure Bowman sees what I, and I'm sure many others, saw at prospect camp, and that's a young Duncan Keith in Leddy. Its very accurate to say Leddy is almost a mirror image of Keith - the 19-year old version.

It's easy to forget the pain in Keith's progression. Even two full seasons, logging tons of minutes in the AHL (after a season and a half at Michigan State and another 56 games in that sophomore season in Kelowna) there were still moments in his first two years in the NHL many wondered if Keith would ever put it all together.

Fast-tracking Leddy based on a week up against collection of un-drafted or un-signed college players and expired junior hockey burnouts is either a ballsy move, or the work of an inexperienced GM allowing his emotions to get the best of him. A short-coming, by the way, you can legitimately criticize Tallon for.

Nick Leddy will always be Stan Bowman's first significant NHL acquisition. The Eden Prairie, MN native was the rookie GM's "baby" so to speak. Bowman's first big trade as an NHL general manager came on February 12th when he sent Cam Barker to the Minnesota Wild for defenseman Kim Johnsson and the rights to Leddy. Although Johnsson was brought in to provide insurance and even-more depth to what was already the league's best defensive six, Leddy was the golden piece of the deal. In continuing the model Dale Tallon set, Leddy possesses the same tools as Keith and Campbell and has since that day been touted as a potential replacement for the latter.

So, it was no surprise Bowman was in a rush to heave praise in Leddy's direction this month. Leddy made it easier, but its to be expected Bowman would be pushing his "baby" to the front of the pack of prospects and ahead of the lot Tallon left behind. While the Blackhawks have racked up wins, accolades and a Stanley Cup championship, Bowman has sat aside for months with ears ringing, listening to how great of a team Dale Tallon and Rick Dudley left him. Who could blame Bowman if he were eager to earn his keep? He's inherited a bit of a mess, but its not the Florida Panthers. And he's not filling holes and still trimming cap space in Toronto. Stan Bowman has a really great GM job. Contrary to popular belief, he's envied. Not pitied. He's a Stanley Cup Champion but still, his Cup is half empty. The 2009-10 Blackhawks weren't his creation.

However, Bowman should tread carefully with Leddy. A wrong move here could possibly do irreparable damage to the kid's future, and the Blackhawks' defense.

I watched Leddy at prospect camp and I have since digested what Stan Bowman has said about his prospect. While I agree Leddy can become a Blackhawk I disagree with anyone who suggests that time is upon us. I have vividly recall Duncan Keith in years three and four of his professional career and many nights he couldn't find the net in his own zone if you led him to it by the hand. Defenseman need more time to learn the position and adjust from one level to the next than forwards usually do. Freaks like Drew Doughty come around only once in a great while. Leddy is no Doughty.
Keith was lucky to be with a bad team with little to no expectations in his first two seasons in Chicago. Had the Hawks been contenders, Keith would have been ridden out of town or buried in the minors.

If Leddy is in fact a Keith-clone, he should follow a similar path. And so should Bowman.

ChrisBlock@TheThirdManIn.com

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J.R. owes Bryan McCabe an apology

Puck Daddy @ Yahoo! spells out the details of Roenick’s interview with Steve Cofield and Dave Cokin of ESPN Radio’s Las Vegas affiliate.

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Bob Probert, Tie Domi to star in CBC Reality-TV series

I watched the CBC broadcast of Tuesday’s Game 6 instead of NBC. During a first intermission commercial, Tie Domi and Bob Probert appeared on my screen promoted a new fall CBC reality series named “Battle of the Blades.” The twosome pop on the screen wearing figure-skating tights before Domi says “Wait until you see our pants.” Apparently teams of popular former Canadian hockey players and figure skaters will be matched in weekly elimination challenges. The promo I saw can be seen on YouTube here. More on the show here.

YouTube

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Rocky Wirtz interview with Score 670 Chicago

Interview done on Monday May 18th, the day after Wirtz was in Detroit for Game 1 of the Conference Finals, is broken into three parts. In part three, Wirtz addresses rumors of his general manager, Dale Tallon's job security.

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Blackhawks Burish nearly has throat sliced by teammate Eager's skate

Video from YouTube of Game 1 incident in Detroit on Sunday.

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Huge Ratings News for NHL

VERSUS enjoying 31% increase in playoff viewership MediaLife Magazine

Versus has been posting sizable year-over-year ratings increases for NHL
semifinal games.

Its audience for these games is up 31 percent from last year, to an
average 806,000 viewers, based on 19 games over 12 days, compared to 616,000
viewers for 15 games over 11 days last year.

Its household rating for the same time period is up 33 percent, to a
0.8 rating.

Versus is also up in its core male audience.

Among men 18-34, semifinal games are up 19 percent. Versus is posting a
29 percent increase among men 18-49 and 38 percent among men 25-54.

CSN Chicago Sets All-Time Blackhawks Ratings Record of Game 6 Coverage Press Release

Citing Nielsen Media Research, Comcast SportsNet-Chicago, cable broadcast partner of the Chicago Blackhawks, Monday night’s Game 6 set the all-time ratings record for a Blackhawks telecast on the station (including previous incarnations FSN-Chicago, Sports Channel, Sportsvision, etc).

Monday’s game drew a 7.82 household rating (a average of 273,145 households) with the peak quarter-hour coming in at a 12.6 rating (440,095 households) from 10:30-10:45 (the game ended at 10:40).

To show how big Monday night’s game played to the Chicagoland audience, the telecast nearly doubled the network’s average for the previous nine Hawks’ playoff games shown on the network. Overall, the ten CSN games drew a 4.82 average. The Vancouver series itself (4 telecasts, games one and four were exclusive VERSUS) drew a 5.27 rating.

The CSN press release also claimed the Blackhawks-Blues 2002 playoff opening-round series (the last time the Hawks participated in postseason hockey) drew an averaging rating of 1.93 for then Fox Sports Net. Of course


-- From George Malik's Snapshots at MLive.com, on the heels of a record-setting rating on FSN-Detroit for the Red Wings/Ducks Game 5 on Sunday, Tuesday’s late night Game 6 (aired locally in Detroit from 10pm to 12:45am) drew a 13.5 rating (averaging 260,145 Metro Detroit households). Sunday’s Game 5 registered a 17.1 rating, the highest ever for a Red Wings game on Fox Sports Detroit.

Game 6 out-pointed all other Tuesday evening programming in Detroit (though only hour two of The Biggest Loser ran directly opposite the game) including American Idol on Fox (13.2), The Biggest Loser on NBC (10.2) and Dancing With The Stars on ABC (9.6).
Tuesday’s Ducks/Wings broadcast peaked at a 15.8 rating during the second period (11-11:30pm).

Fox Sports Detroit is averaging a 12.0 rating for its seven playoff telecasts. As noted in the article, that’s a 32% increase from last spring’s playoffs in which the Wings average a 9.1 rating for five telecasts on FSN Detroit.

Pens/Caps Game 6 draws record rating in Pittsburgh SN/SportsBusiness Daily

Coyotes move would have little impact on TV deals Phoenix Business Journal

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Coyote Ugly?

This means war

Perspective new Phoenix Coyotes owner Jim Balsillie has launched the website Make it Seven aimed at gathering support for a seventh NHL franchise in Canada, specifically far suburban Toronto or Hamilton. Remember, it was Balsillie who started accepting season-ticket deposits for a proposed team in Hamilton when he was negotiating to buy and relocate the Nashville Predators before he ever had a deal.

Read the Balsillie call to action letter here.

Meanwhile, Balsillie doesn't need to convince Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Balsillie has also reportedly made an advance to Coyotes’ coach and limited partner Wayne Gretzky of a 10-15% stake in a potential southern Ontario franchise, in addition to suggesting he’d name a new arena after Wayne’s father. Gretzky told the CBC in February he had no intention of moving his family away from Phoenix should the franchise relocate. But that was before his team filed for bankruptcy and his ownership partners agreed to sell the team to Balsillie on the condition he could move the team to Ontario. Gretzky has made no new comment on this issue since it resurfaced on Monday.

More on Gretzky’s personal dilemma in today's National Post.

On the other side of this issue, Comcast SportsNet last night reported NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman again reached out to White Sox and Bulls owner, and Phoenix-area resident, Jerry Reinsdorf over the past few days in an effort to peak Reinsdorf’s interest in buying and keeping the Coyotes where they are in Glendale, a suburb of Phoenix not far from the White Sox new spring training facility. If you recall, Bettman approached Reinsdorf, as well as a few other groups, earlier this year about the Coyotes and at the time Reinsdorf left the meeting feeling such a move didn’t make business sense. More on Reinsdorf's possible involvement from Dave van Dyck in today’s Chicago Tribune. Reinsdorf's son Michael owns the Stockton, California ECHL franchise (Thunder), one of the most, if not the-most, successful teams in the ECHL.

The potential Reinsdorf deal was rumored to be an asset takeover and not a purchase since the Coyotes aren’t worth much these days since the franchise has reportedly lost 200 million dollars and is more than $80M in debt to creditors. They also owe the NHL for an influx of cash to meet payroll payments this season. Balsillie’s $212M offer was formed specifically to stave off objections from the NHL in bankruptcy proceedings figuring the league would not be able to conjure up a better offer from a party they approved of.

NHL-Moyes-Glendale drama to get Coyote Ugly Arizona Republic

The paper is also reporting in bankruptcy the Coyotes can essentiallly tear up their existing lease with Jobing.com arena and the city of Glendale. That lease was a killer for the franchise since they receive no revenue from area parking facilities (parking is free) and a portion of each ticket sold, in addition to regular entertainment taxes, goes back to the city to repay the cost of building the arena. As reported by the AZ Republic, the Coyotes’ annual lease payments are $4M in addition to the $9M a year the team owes the City of Glendale for building Jobing.com. Should this bankruptcy hold up in court and Balsillie seize control of the Coyotes, the court would satisify any past debts to the city and Glendale would receive just $500,000 per the lease termination agreement. You’d expect the city will be at least as fiercely opposed to this bankruptcy and relocation as Gary Bettman, who can’t stand Balsillie and will do anything seemingly to keep him out of his league.

Also, understand that in bankruptcy court, all financials pertaining to Phoenix Coyotes’ operations will become public record, something that a private business like the NHL, and the other 29 owners, absolutely do not want.

ChrisBlock@TheThirdManIn.com / PuckChatter@gmail.com

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The Save

It's the save that had Sidney Crosby practicing lifting his shots on an empty yet yesterday.

Call it luck, desperation or whatever you'd like, it still counts the same. The best save of the postseason thus far from Saturday's Pittsburgh-Washington game one.

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Halak gets whacked by Slovakian teammate at World's

Montreal Canadiens goaltenders haven’t had much luck lately. From Carey Price wilting under the pressure last season to suffering the consequences in standing behind a completely inferior Habs bunch in this spring’s first round match up with the Bruins, and hearing the wrath of Montreal fans as a result, now his back up is getting some too. But not in Montreal.

Slovakian netminder, and Montreal Canadiens back up, Jaroslav Halak entered Saturday’s IIHF World Championships qualifying round game against the Czech Republic midway through the second period with his team already down 7-0. He relieved Jan Lasak (who’s also the goalie of HC Pardubice, the team Dominik Hasek is coming out of retirement to play for next season) who had allowed seven goals on thirty shots in just over thirty minutes of action.

Eight minutes later Halak would allow a Patrick Elias goal and the colossal deficit increased to 8-0.

Frustrated, Slovakian forward Tomas Surovy swung his stick angrily towards his net, suspected with the intention of taking out his frustrations on the goal post, but hit Jaroslav Halak in the back of the head instead. Seconds later Surovy spikes his stick on the cross bar.



The final twenty-two minutes of the game went on scoreless and Halak made ten saves in all. Minor fisticuffs between Boris Valabik of Slovakia and Peter Cajanek of Czech Republic late in the third period was about as close as the game came to getting out of hand.

In the game, the Czechs outshot Slovakia 41 to 18 at the Zurich-Kloten Arena in Switzerland. Jaromir Jagr scored twice. San Jose left winger Milan Michalek and Edmonton Oilers winger Ales Kotalik also scored.

Slovakia has a number of skaters with NHL experience on this year’s team; Michal Handzus (current LA King), Peter Olvecky (Wild), defenseman Boris Valabik (Thrashers) and Andrei Sekera (Sabres) as well as former NHLers Ladislav Nagy, Branko Radivojevic, Milan Bartovic, Marcel Hossa (brother of Marian) and Lubos Bartecko. However, Slovakia is overmatched by a stacked Czech roster including Jaromir Jagr, Patrick Elias (Devils), Ales Hemsky (Oilers), Milan Michalek (Sharks), Tomas Plekanec (Canadiens), Ales Kotalik (Oilers), Rostislav Olesz (Panthers), Marek Zidlicky (Wild) and Roman Polak (Blues). Other notables include Petr Cajanek (now with Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Jaroslav Hlinka (Linkopings), Karel Rachunek (Dynamo Moscow) and Josef Vasicek (Yaroslavl Lokomotiv).

Slovakia responded to Saturday’s trouncing by defeating Norway in overtime on Monday 3-2. Ladislav Nagy scored the game-winner on the power play in extra time. It represented their only win of the tournament as they finished with a 1-2-2 record.

Relegation games in this year’s IIHF World Championship begin on Wednesday with the quarter-finals matchups. Winners in the quarter-finals games Wednesday and Thursday will face off on Friday. Gold and Bronze medal games take place on Sunday in Berne at the PostFinance Arena.

While the host team managed to defeat the United States quickly in overtime on Monday night, Switzerland was eliminated from the tournament on points Monday.

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On-Ice Officials assigned to work NHL Conference Semi-Finals

The following is the list of officials assigned to work the conference quarter-finals released by the NHL Wednesday. As in the opening quarter-finals round, officials will work throughout the round as assigned pairs. NHL News Release

Referee Combos (Playoff games officiated), Total NHL years experience

#7 -Bill McCreary (270), 26yrs
#27-Eric Furlatt (31), 10yrs

#10-Paul Devorski (155), 21yrs
#14-Dennis LaRue (41), 19yrs

#11-Kelly Sutherland (34), 9yrs
#25-Marc Joannette (59), 15yrs

#8 -Dave Jackson (59), 19yrs
#33-Kevin Pollock (86), 11yrs

#20-Tim Peel (29), 13yrs
#23-Brad Watson (99), 15yrs

#3 -Mike Leggo (29), 12yrs
#13-Dan O’Halloran (67), 16yrs

Linesmen Combos (Playoff games worked), Total NHL years experience

#68-Scott Driscoll (116), 16yrs
#89-Steve Miller (37), 8yrs

#54-Greg Devorski (104), 15yrs
#74-Lonnie Cameron (39), 12yrs

#57-Jay Sharrers (120), 18yrs
#86-Brad Lazarowich (169), 22yrs

#80-Thor Nelson (20), 14yrs
#97-Jean Morin (142), 17yrs

#65-Pierre Racicot (92), 15yrs
#75-Derek Amell (54), 11yrs

#55-Shane Heyer (104), 20yrs too many
#93-Brian Murphy (181), 20yrs


-- Dismissed from duty after serving as referees in the opening round (with their partner still active in the second parenthesis):

#21-Don VanMassenhoven, 16yrs exp – Sorry to say about a guy who returned after taking such a horrific shot to the face a couple years ago, but CanMassenhoven had an awful year.
#30-Mike Hasenfratz, 8yrs exp
(these two worked together in the 1st round)

#4-Wes McCauley, 7yrs exp (Furlatt)
(I was somewhat surprised at this. McCauley has been one ref officiating head Stephen Walkom has been very high on in the past and with McCreary out after next year he must have done something wrong I missed in the first round)

#5-Chris Rooney, 12yrs exp (Watson)

#28-Chris Lee, 9yrs exp (O’Halloran)

#29-Ian Walsh, 12yrs exp (Devorski)

#34-Brad Meier, 14yrs exp (McCreary)

#42-Dan O’Rourke, 9yrs exp (Joannette)

-- Referees not working as on-ice officials this playoff. Some have served as the extra, emergency official on call for games in round one. (NHL experience in parenthesis)

Stephane Auger (14), David Banfield (1), Chris Ciamaga (2), Gord Dwyer (5), Kerry Fraser (35), Greg Kimmerly (15), Don Koharski (31), Tom Kowal (10), Steve Kozari (5), Frederick L’Ecuyer (2), Dan Marouelli (26), Rob Martell (16), Dean Morton (9), Brian Pochmara (6), Kyle Rehman (1), Rob Shick (24), Francois St. Laurent (5), Justin St. Pierre (5)

Don Koharski is now officially retired. This was Shick’s last year as an on-ice official. Actually last year was supposed to be but they persuaded him to come back one more year. He’s working for the league these playoffs as a supervising official in the arena video booth and such.

Next year is the last for Kerry Fraser, Dan Marouelli and Bill McCreary.

Adam Gretz at AOL Fanhouse posted a first round referee report Wednesday night. Notice only two (Anaheim, Vancouver) of the eight teams on the wrong side of the PP/SH differential are still around. But looking at their second round opponents numbers and considering how those two teams (Detroit, Chicago) power plays are going right now, they may not be for long.

Also notice from that article three of the four referees responsible for calling the most first-round penalties (Hassenfratz, VanMassenhoven and Rooney) are now gone.

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Maggie the Monkey predicts the second round....

This isn't something I would normally consider newsworthy, but let's face it, Maggie's getting a little long in the tooth.

Click the link below and watch and as TSN's chief prognosticator uses her highly scientific methods to predict the NHL's Conference semi-finals winners and losers.

http://watch.tsn.ca/nhl/clip166720#clip166720

Caps, Canes, Wings and Nucks fans beware, Maggie predicted just two of the eight first round series correctly. Also notice Maggie cheat on her Wings/Ducks prediction.

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NHL Announces Conference Semi-Final Schedules

Here are the official line ups rundown and lifted straight from NHL.com this evening.

CBC predictably is taking the Canucks-Hawks and Penguins-Capitals as their two featured series. Somewhat surprisingly, NBC will broadcast just two of a potential twenty-eight second round contests, both this weekend.

All Times Central

SERIES I #1 vs. #6 NETWORK
Friday, May 1 at Boston, 6:30 p.m. VERSUS (JIP), TSN
Sunday, May 3 at Boston, 6:30 p.m. VERSUS, TSN
Wednesday, May 6 at Carolina, 6:30 p.m. VERSUS (JIP), TSN
Friday, May 8 at Carolina, 6:30 p.m. VERSUS (JIP), TSN
*Sunday, May 10 at Boston, 6:30 p.m. VERSUS, TSN
*Tuesday, May 12 at Carolina, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, TSN
*Thursday, May 14 at Boston, TBD TSN

SERIES J #2 vs. #4 NETWORK
Saturday, May 2 at Washington, 12:00 p.m. NBC, CBC, RDS
Monday, May 4 at Washington, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS
Wednesday, May 6 at Pittsburgh, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS
Friday, May 8 at Pittsburgh, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS
*Saturday, May 9 at Washington, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS
*Monday, May 11 at Pittsburgh, TBD VERSUS, CBC, RDS
*Wednesday, May 13 at Washington, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS

SERIES K #2 vs. #8 NETWORK
Friday, May 1 at Detroit, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, TSN2
Sunday, May 3 at Detroit, 1:00 p.m. NBC, TSN
Tuesday, May 5 at Anaheim, 9:30 p.m. VERSUS, TSN
Thursday, May 7 at Anaheim, 9:30 p.m. VERSUS, TSN
*Sunday, May 10 at Detroit, 6:00 p.m. TSN
*Tuesday, May 12 at Anaheim, TBD VERSUS, TSN
*Thursday, May 14 at Detroit, TBD VERSUS, TSN

SERIES L #3 vs. #4 NETWORK
Thursday, April 30 at Vancouver, 8:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS
Saturday, May 2 at Vancouver, 8:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS
Tuesday, May 5 at Chicago, 7:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS
Thursday, May 7 at Chicago, 7:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS
*Saturday, May 9 at Vancouver, 9:30 p.m CBC, VERSUS
*Monday, May 11 at Chicago, 8:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS (JIP)
*Thursday, May 14 at Vancouver, TBD CBC, VERSUS

* - if necessary

-- Schedule by Day --

Thursday, April 30 at Vancouver, 8:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS

Friday, May 1 at Detroit, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, TSN2
Friday, May 1 at Boston, 6:30 p.m. VERSUS (JIP), TSN

Saturday, May 2 at Washington, 12:00 p.m. NBC, CBC, RDS
Saturday, May 2 at Vancouver, 8:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS

Sunday, May 3 at Detroit, 1:00 p.m. NBC, TSN
Sunday, May 3 at Boston, 6:30 p.m. VERSUS, TSN

Monday, May 4 at Washington, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS

Tuesday, May 5 at Chicago, 7:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS
Tuesday, May 5 at Anaheim, 9:30 p.m. VERSUS, TSN

Wednesday, May 6 at Pittsburgh, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS
Wednesday, May 6 at Carolina, 6:30 p.m. VERSUS (JIP), TSN

Thursday, May 7 at Chicago, 7:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS
Thursday, May 7 at Anaheim, 9:30 p.m. VERSUS, TSN

Friday, May 8 at Pittsburgh, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS
Friday, May 8 at Carolina, 6:30 p.m. VERSUS (JIP), TSN

*Saturday, May 9 at Washington, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS
*Saturday, May 9 at Vancouver, 9:30 p.m CBC, VERSUS

*Sunday, May 10 at Detroit, 6:00 p.m. TSN
*Sunday, May 10 at Boston, 6:30 p.m. VERSUS, TSN

*Monday, May 11 at Pittsburgh, TBD VERSUS, CBC, RDS
*Monday, May 11 at Chicago, 8:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS (JIP)

*Tuesday, May 12 at Carolina, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, TSN
*Tuesday, May 12 at Anaheim, TBD VERSUS, TSN

*Wednesday, May 13 at Washington, 6:00 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS

*Thursday, May 14 at Boston, TBD TSN
*Thursday, May 14 at Detroit, TBD VERSUS, TSN
*Thursday, May 14 at Vancouver, TBD CBC, VERSUS

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RJ Umberger - Human Crash Test Dummy

In cased you missed Tuesday’s Detroit-Columbus series game three, we’re here to make sure you don’t miss possibly the hit of the playoffs so far.

R.J. Umberger has been on the wrong end of a few of these in his career. He has a reputation for pumping his legs the first few strides with his head down watching the puck. Trouble.

Tip of the hat to Kukla's Korner for the assist here with the video.




Here’s the FSN Detroit feed




Now we rewind almost three years to the day, April 22, 2006, to this near R.J. Umberger destruction video. Brian Campbell, then of the Buffalo Sabres, draws Umberger and unloads on him 12 minutes into overtime of the Flyers and Sabres opening round series game one. Danny Briere would end the game fifteen game minutes later in the second OT in the first of four wins that series for Buffalo. Just as in last night’s game, Umberger, despite appearing pretty rough immediately after the hit, would return to play in all but one game that series. He was officially diagnosed with a stiff neck back in ’06.

RJ Umberger – Brian Campbell – Game 1 – 2006 1st round Flyers vs. Sabres on OLN (Remember the Outdoor Life, VERSUS Network?)



Double ouch!

PuckChatter@gmail.com

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For the record... Block's AHL Calder Cup Playoff Predictions

Atlantic Division Semi-Finals

Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR) Atlantic-1: 46-27-3-4 (99pts)
(vs)
Worcester Sharks (SJ) Atlantic-4: 42-35-1-2 (87pts)


Providence Bruins (BOS) Atlantic-2: 43-29-2-6 (94pts)
(vs)
Portland Pirates (BUF) Atlantic-3: 39-31-3-7 (88pts)

---------------------------------
East Division Semi-Finals

Hershey Bears (WAS) East-1: 49-23-2-6 (106pts)
(vs)
Philadelphia Phantoms (PHI) East-4: 43-30-2-5 (93pts)


Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI) East-2: 49-23-3-5 (106pts)
(vs)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT) East-3: 49-25-3-3 (104pts)
** Games 1 and 2 of this series will be played at Nassau Coliseum in Hempstead (Uniondale, Long Island), New York

-----------------------------------
North Division Semi-Finals

Manitoba Moose (VAN/DAL) North-1: 50-23-1-6 (107pts)
(vs)
Toronto Marlies (TOR) North-4: 39-29-5-7 (90pts)


Hamilton Bulldogs (MON) North-2: 49-27-4-0 (102pts)
(vs)
Grand Rapids Griffins (DET) North-3: 43-25-6-6 (98pts)

----------------------------------
West Division Semi-Finals

Milwaukee Admirals (NSH) West-1: 49-22-3-6 (107pts)
(vs)
Rockford IceHogs (CHI) West-4: 40-34-0-6 (86pts)


Peoria Rivermen (STL) West-2: 43-31-2-4 (92pts)
(vs)
Houston Aeros (MIN) West-3: 38-31-2-9 (87pts)

----------------------------------

** Block’s Picks **

Hartford Wolf Pack vs. Worcester Sharks -- Hartford in 5

Providence Bruins vs. Portland Pirates -- Providence in 7

Hershey Bears vs. Philadelphia Phantoms – Hershey in 5

Bridgeport Sound Tigers vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton – Bridgeport in 7

Manitoba Moose vs. Toronto Marlies – Toronto in 6

Hamilton Bulldogs vs. Grand Rapids Griffins – Grand Rapids in 6

Milwaukee Admirals vs. Rockford IceHogs – Milwaukee in 5

Peoria Rivermen vs. Houston Aeros – Peoria in 7

Division Finals

Hartford vs. Providence – Providence in 5

Hershey vs. Bridgeport – Hershey in 5

Grand Rapids vs. Toronto Marlies – Toronto in 6

Milwaukee vs. Peoria – Milwaukee in 5

AHL Conference Finals

East: Hershey vs. Providence – Providence in 6

West: Milwaukee vs. Toronto – Milwaukee in 6

AHL Calder Cup Final

Milwaukee Admirals vs. Providence Bruins – Milwaukee in 5

Block’s AHL 2009 Calder Cup Champion prediction: Milwaukee Admirals

There aren’t many teams in the AHL as balanced and defensively-sound as the Milwaukee Admirals. Manitoba, yes. But Toronto is a team that’s underachieved all year long and Justin Pogge, with his future in the Maple Leafs’ organization possibly on the line, is poised for a strong run coming off up and down abbreviated NHL stints this year. Providence will be led by Tuukka Rask, quite possibly the best goaltender not in the NHL right now. He’ll be Tim Thomas’s back up next season, but not before he leads Providence on a march to the Calder Cup Finals.

However, Milwaukee is stacked with size and speed up and down their lineup. Cody Franson and Alexander Sulzer are just steps away from patrolling the Predators’ blue line. The addition of Jed Ortmeyer will aid Geoff Peters in leading this group deep into the playoffs. Look for Mike Santorelli and Nick Spaling to have strong postseasons. This should also serve as Ryan Jones and Patric Hornqvist’s coming-out parties. Hugh Jessiman is a giant American-born forward who’ll score some big goals as well.

Peoria is an interesting team to watch out for. They’re unbeaten regulation in their last ten (7-0-0-3) and have NHL veteran Manny Legace and 23-year old Chris Holt (6-3, 221), both very good netminders playing well down the stretch. The addition of 2008 1st rounder Alex Pietrangelo will strengthen a capable, but offensively-lacking defense core.

In the AHL, you also have to factor in the parent clubs having advanced, and still competing in the NHL playoffs. In particular this will affect Grand Rapids early as both Ville Leino and Darren Helm, two of Grand Rapids’ top forwards, are both traveling with the Red Wings at least as of Wednesday. The Griffins are deep, but neither of their goaltenders, Jimmy Howard or Daniel Larsson, is overwhelming between the pipes.

Of the sixteen Calder Cup contenders, only five (Bridgeport, Houston, Milwaukee, Portland and Toronto) are affiliates of NHL teams eliminated from post season play.

PuckChatter@Gmail.com

Below are each team’s projected starting netminders and key players….

--Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Goalie: Peter Mannino, 17-12-2, 2.94, .900 …. Nathan Lawson 19-9-2, 2.16, .927
Top Scorer: Mike Iggulden 72gp, 25g, 40a, 65pts, +3
Key Players: RW-Jon Sim, LW-Jesse Joensuu, C-Jeremy Colliton, D-Joe Callahan, D-Jack Hillen, *Kyle Okposo has been optioned to Bridgeport for this weekend’s game, but will then depart to join Team USA at the World Championships in Switzerland… Bridgeport also recently signed North Dakota graduating senior Ryan Duncan (C, 5-6, 165) to an amateur try-out contract. Duncan was awarded the Hobey Baker Trophy as the NCAA’s top player in his sophomore season at ND….

--Grand Rapids Griffins
Goalie: Jimmy Howard, 21-18-4, 2.54, .916 … Daniel Larsson 22-12-2, 2.76, .907
Top Scorer: Darren Haydar 79gp, 31g, 49a, 80pts, -22
Key Players: LW-Ville Leino, C-Justin Abdelkader, C-Evan McGrath, RW-Francis Pare, C/W-Darren Helm, D-Jakub Kindl, D-Garrett Stafford, D-Jonathan Ericsson, *Darren McCarty and Aaron Downey are also on this roster. ** Leino, Helm and Ericsson are all currently up with the Red Wings….

--Hamilton Bulldogs
Goalie: Marc Denis, 27-18-0, 2.46, .920 … Cedrick Desjardins 16-12-0, 2.55, .919
Top Scorer: Yanick Lehoux 80gp, 19g, 41a, 60pts, +6
Key Players: LW-Max Pacioretty, C-Kyle Chipchura, RW-Mike Glumac, D-Yannick Weber, D-Mathieu Carle, D-Doug Janik, C-Ben Maxwell, *Weber is currently on recall with Montreal….

--Hartford WolfPack
Goalie: Matt Zaba, 25-10-0, 2.33, .920
Top Scorer: Artem Anisimov 80gp, 37g, 44a, 81pts, +12
Key Players: RW-Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, LW-Mark Bell, D-Bobby Sanguinetti, LW-Patrick Rissmiller, D-Corey Potter, D-Brian Fahey, LW-Brodie Dupont….

--Hershey Bears
Goalie: Daren Machesney, 19-12-1, 3.24, .876 … Michal Neuvirth, 9-5-2, 2.70, .913
Top Scorer: Alexandre Giroux 69gp, 60g, 37a, 97pts, +23
Key Players: C-Keith Aucoin, LW-Chris Bourque, RW-Graham Mink, D-Sami Lepisto, D-Staffan Kronwall, D-Karl Alzner….

--Houston Aeros
Goalie: Nolan Schaefer, 26-17-5, 2.52, .903
Top Scorer: Corey Locke 77gp, 25g, 54a, 79pts, -16
Key Players: RW-Jesse Schultz, LW-Benoit Pouliot, C/W-Krys Kolanos, D-Tomas Mojzis, D-Maxim Noreau, D-Clayton Stoner, also Chicagoan Robbie Earl and former Blackhawks’ center and recently un-retired Tony Hrkac skate with the Aeros….

--Manitoba Moose
Goalie: Cory Schneider, 28-10-1, 2.04, .928 … Curtis Sanford, 7-3-3, 1.73, .936
Top Scorer: Jason Krog, 74gp, 30g, 56a, 86pts, +25
Key Players: RW-Michael Grabner, RW-Guillaume Desbiens, LW-Michel Oullet, LW-Jason Jaffray, D-Mark Fistric, D-Nolan Baumgartner, D-Shaun Heshka and veteran captain RW-Mike Keane….

--Milwaukee Admirals
Goalie: Drew MacIntryre, 34-15-4, 2.30. .921 … Mark Dekanich, 15-10-2, 2.09, .923
Top Scorer: Mike Santorelli 70gp, 27g, 43a, 70pts, -1
Key Players: LW-Ryan Jones, RW-Patric Hornqvist, C-Cal O’Reilly, RW-Ryan Maki, RW-Jed Ortmeyer, D-Cody Franson, D-Alexander Sulzer….

--Peoria Rivermen
Goalie: Manny Legace, 14-7-1, 2.00, .935 … Chris Holt, 10-6-2, 1.73, .931
Top Scorer: Steve Regier 73gp, 22g, 28a, 50pts, +18
Trent Whitfield 69gp, 20g, 30a, 50pts
Key Players: C/W-Yan Stastny, D-Jonas Junland, D-Alex Pietrangelo, D-Steve Wagner, D-Justin Fletcher, D-Danny Richmond, C-Julian Talbot, LW-Chris Porter, C-Jori Lehtera, RW-Aaron Palushaj, RW-Carl Corazzini….

--Philadelphia Phantoms
Goalie: Scott Munroe, 31-19-4, 2.46, .926
Top Scorer: Jared Ross 64gp, 29g, 40a, 69pts, +17
Key Players: LW-James van Riemsdyk, RW-David Laliberte, RW-Andreas Nodl, C-Jonathan Matsumoto, LW-Boyd Kane, D-Danny Syvret, D-Lasse Kukkonen, D-Sean Curry…. ** Jared Ross is currently on recall with the Philadelphia Flyers….

--Portland Pirates
Goalie: Jhonas Enroth, 26-23-6, 2.75, .914
Top Scorer: Mark Mancari 73gp, 29g, 38a, 67pts, +9
Tim Kennedy 73gp, 18g, 49a, 67pts, -2
Key Players: LW-Mathieu Darche, C-Nathan Gerbe, RW-Colin Fretter, D-Chris Butler, D-Mike Kostka, D-Cliff Loya…..

--Providence Bruins
Goalie: Tuukka Rask, 33-20-4, 2.50, .915
Top Scorer: Martin St. Pierre 61gp, 15g, 51a, 66pts, +10
Key Players: RW-Brad Marchand, C-Vladimir Sobotka, C-Zach Hamill, C/W-Jeremy Reich, LW-Peter Schaefer, RW-Mikko Lehtonen, D-Johnny Boychuk, D-Ryan Stokes, D-Andrew Bodnarchuk….

--Rockford IceHogs
Goalie: Corey Crawford, 22-20-3, 2.59, .917 … Antti Niemi, 18-14-3, 2.43, .913
Top Scorer: Tim Brent 64gp, 20g, 42a, 62pts, -5
Key Players: LW-Pascal Pelletier, RW-Jack Skille, C-Evan Brophey, LW-Bryan Bickell, W-Pete MacArthur, W-Rob Klinkhammer, D-Jordan Hendry, D-Logan Stephenson, D-Tim Hambly, LW-Kyle Beach, RW-Akim Aliu….

--Toronto Marlies
Goalie: Justin Pogge, 26-21-5, 2.70, .895 … Adam Munro, 12-11-2, 2.42, .913
Top Scorer: Tim Stapleton 70gp, 28g, 51a, 79pts, +9
Key Players: RW-Jeremy Williams, LW-Bates Battaglia, LW-Jiri Tlusty, LW-Ryan Hollweg, D-Anton Stralman, D-Jaime Sifers…..

--Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Goalie: John Curry, 33-15-1, 2.38, .916
Top Scorer: Janne Pesonen 70gp, 32g, 50a, 82pts, +13
Key Players: C-Jeff Taffe, LW-Luca Caputi, RW-Bill Thomas, LW-Tim Wallace, C-Connor James, D-Ben Lovejoy, D-Alex Goligoski, D-Andy Wozniewski…..

--Worcester Sharks
Goalie: Thomas Greiss, 30-24-2, 2.47, .907
Top Scorer: Ryan Vesce 67gp, 24g, 47a, 71pts, +4
Key Players: LW-Lukas Kaspar, C-Cory Larose, RW-Riley Armstrong, C-Logan Couture, D-Patrick Traverse, D-Kyle McLaren, D-Brett Westgarth, D-Derek Joslin….

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Is this how the Blackhawks prepare for playoff hockey?

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New York Islanders win lottery, right to draft John Tavares

Results from the NHL's 2009 Draft Lottery are in and the league's most futile 2008-09 franchise retained the right to draft atop this summer's amateur draft.

The New York Islanders, for the fourth time in their 37-season history, will draft carry the first overall selection into the NHL Entry Draft when teams conviene on Montreal June 26-27 at Bell Centre.

This year's lottery drawing served to be as anti-climactic as could have been imagined. No team moved up or down from the position their regular season finish positioned them.

Here's how the first fourteen draft positions shook out:

1. New York Islanders
2. Tampa Bay Lightning
3. Colorado Avalanche
4. Atlanta Thrashers
5. Los Angeles Kings
6. Phoenix Coyotes
7. Toronto Maple Leafs
8. Dallas Stars
9. Ottawa Senators
10. Edmonton Oilers
11. Nashville Predators
12. Minnesota Wild
13. Buffalo Sabres
14. Florida Panthers

As stated above, the final order remained unchanged as the Islanders apparently won the secret drawing held in New York City prior to the announcement of the order on a television broadcast tonight at TSN's studios in Toronto.

Of the teams listed above, only the Islanders, Lightning, Avalanche, Thrashers and Kings had a chance at the first overall pick. Since winning the lottery could only propel a team a maximum of four spots, teams listed six through fourteen above could not win the first overall selection regardless of tonight's draft result. Below were each team's chances of winning the lottery, followed by the highest position they could have selected.

Islanders (48.2), Lightning (18.8), Avalanche (14.2), Thrashers (10.7), Kings (8.1), Phoenix (6.2), Maple Leafs (4.7), Stars (3.6), Senators (2.7), Oilers (2.1), Predators (1.5), Wild (1.1), Sabres (0.8), Panthers (0.5)

Islanders (1, no lower than 2), Lightning (1, no lower than 3), Avalanche (1, no lower than 4), Kings (1, no lower than 6).... Had these teams won the lottery; Phoenix could have jumped from 6 to 2, Toronto (7-3), Dallas (8-4), Ottawa (9-5), Edmonton (10-6), Nashville (11-7), Minnesota (12-8), Buffalo (13-9), Florida (14-10).

The consensus number one pick at the moment is the London Knights (OHL) John Tavares. Tampa Bay will take no issue with who'll fall into their laps at number two, six-foot six Swedish born defenseman Victor Hedman has been playing professional hockey for MODO in the Swedish Elite League for the past two seasons and is ready to step into the NHL next season. Hedman boasts Nicklas Lidstrom-like qualities as a calm pace-setter and minimal wasted energy. He doesn't use his body as much as scouts would like consider his frame, which has detered early comparisons to Chris Pronger.

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AHL team seeks to capitalize off Michael Phelps misfortune

Whacky promotions have been present across the American Hockey League and it's former competitor International Hockey League for as long as I can remember, but there's something exceptionally rich in the Milwaukee Admirals' press release highlighting this Thursday's promotion when the Rockford IceHogs visit Bradley Center. Rather dubi-ous you might say.

Admirals Present "Don't Be Like Mike" Night
All DARE Graduates Get in for Just $2

Milwaukee, WI—Michael Phelps has done a lot of things in his life that he is proud of. Eight Olympic Gold Medals from last year’s summer games is just the start of a long list of accomplishments that anyone would want to emulate.

Unfortunately, the limelight that currently shines on him is not for any of his athletic achievements, but for an act that is a bit more dubious. Thus, the Milwaukee Admirals present “Don’t Be Like Mike” Night at their game on Thursday, February 19th at 7:00 pm versus the Rockford IceHogs.

All fans who are graduates of a DARE program (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) can get into the game for just $2 by bringing their DARE graduation certificate to the Admirals’ office or the Bradley Center box office. In addition, anyone with the name Michael, Phelps, Mary Jane, Cheech, Chong, Weed (Wied) or anyone who has won an Olympic Gold Medal can also get their ticket for only $2.

“I, along with Nancy Reagan, want to encourage people to not do drugs,” said Admirals President Jon Greenberg. “As an organization the Milwaukee Admirals don’t condone or encourage the use of illegal drugs, including, but not limited to marijuana, or anabolic steroids for that matter.”

The Ads will also be giving away a weed wacker, courtesy of National Ace Hardware, that will be signed by the team and if the Admirals score with 4:20 left on the clock in any period one lucky fan will win a season ticket for the 2009-10 season. The number 420 is often known as the police code for illegal drug use.

Plus, to ensure that no one ends up in the same predicament as Michael Phelps, the team will provide a document shredder at the DigiCopy Information Table outside section 225 so fans can bring any embarrassing or incriminating photos to be destroyed.

Fans can order tickets for the 19th, or any Admirals game, by calling Ticketmaster at (414) 276-4545 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Groups of ten or more people receive a minimum of $2 off of each ticket. For more information or to order group tickets call the Admirals office at (414) 227-0550.

http://www.milwaukeeadmirals.com/home/news/0209mike.html

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Team USA announces 2010 orientation camp for August in Chicago

USA Hockey announced officially on Thursday it will be hosting it’s 2010 Winter Olympic Games Team USA hockey orientation camp at Seven Bridges Ice Arena in west suburban Chicago this summer.

The three day competition camp comprised of the United States’ premier hockey players will take place on August 17-19th at Seven Bridges Ice Arena in Woodbridge, IL. The camp will go a long way to determining the final roster for the 2010 Winter Games next February in Vancouver, British Columbia.

This squad that does skate next February won’t resemble the Turin 2006 Olympic Team much. Only three (Rafalski, Liles, Drury) figure to be sure-bets to return from the ’06 team. Gone will be Chris Chelios, Derian Hatcher, Mathieu Schneider, Bret Hedican, and likely Bill Guerin and Doug Weight. If Mike Modano continues his current play into next season, I’d expect he’ll be a part of the team as the resident Olympic veteran and team captain. Others from 2006 who will contend for next year’s spots are Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez, Mike Knuble, Brian Rolston, Craig Conroy, Erik Cole, Jason Blake and Rick DiPietro. While Guerin, Weight, Keith Tkachuk and Robert Esche figure to be long-shots.

Below is the unofficial pool of sixty-five, U.S. officials, which include Thrashers’ GM Don Waddell, Toronto boss Brian Burke as well as coach Ron Wilson, will have to choose from.

LW: Zach Parise, David Booth, Ryan Malone, Patrick O’Sullivan, Erik Cole, Brian Rolston, Chris Higgins, Paul Gaustad, Drew Stafford, Keith Tkachuk, R.J. Umberger

C: Paul Stastny, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Mike Modano, Brandon Dubinsky, Joe Pavelski, Craig Conroy, Ryan Kesler, Tim Connolly, Jeff Halpern, David Legwand, Matt Cullen

RW: Patrick Kane, Phil Kessel, Brian Gionta, Dustin Brown, Jamie Langenbrunner, David Backes, Jason Pominville, Mike Knuble, Blake Wheeler, Bobby Ryan, Bill Guerin, Peter Mueller, Lee Stempniak, Mark Parrish, Jason Blake

LD: Paul Martin, John-Michael Liles, Ryan Suter, Ron Hainsey, Tim Gleason, Brooks Orpik, Alex Goligoski, Jack Johnson, Brett Lebda, Keith Yandle

RD: Brian Rafalski, Ryan Whitney, Mike Komisarek, Mark Stuart, Tom Gilbert, Jordan Leopold, Jeff Finger, Paul Mara, Erik Johnson

G: Ryan Miller, Tim Thomas, Rick DiPietro, Ty Conklin, Craig Anderson, Scott Clemmensen, Jonathan Quick, Brent Johnson, Robert Esche

The team will carry three goalies, seven defenseman, thirteen forwards plus three alternates in case of injury.

Since there will be a lack of true top-echelon talent, expect U.S. execs to go with speed and checking. Team USA won’t have the guns to compete with Canada, Russia or even Sweden, so they’ll have to strategically form a roster aimed at countering those teams’ offenses with tight defense and strong forechecking. Because of that, players like David Backes, Patrick O’Sullivan and either Joe Pavelski or Brandon Dubinsky likely have spots to lose. Backes has been a terrific perfomer for the U.S. during the IIHF World Championship tournaments of late. It’s also the reason for the inclusion of Buffalo Sabres’ forward Paul Gaustad, who could be spotted as a utility-player of sorts. Gaustad is a reliable two-way forward who can play all three forward positions and win face-offs.

The only “for-sures” from a forward standpoint are Zach Parise (undisputedly the best U.S.-born NHLer right now), Paul Stastny, Patrick Kane, Dustin Brown, Chris Drury, Phil Kessel, David Booth and perhaps Jamie Langenbrunner. Everyone else will have to win their spot.

Defensively, at this point, I’d expect Paul Martin to be paired with Brian Rafalski; Ryan Whitney with Ryan Suter and John-Michael Liles with Mike Komisarek. One thing the U.S will have going for them is a mobile defense, but so will four other countries.

Paul Stastny, Mike Knuble and Jason Pominville are all Canadian-born players with dual-citizenship who’ve represented the U.S. in the past. Knuble at the ’06 Olympics and Stastny and Pominville at the World Championships.

PuckChatter@gmail.com

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