NHL Preview: Part Three

We’re now at the end of the preview period of things. It’s down to the last two divisions in the Southeast and the Pacific Division. The basic premise is still there and everything like that. We should get through this rather promptly.

SOUTHEAST DIVISION

Atlanta Thrashers: The Thrashers are coming into the season with some good off-season pick-ups by getting Bobby Holik from the free agent market and acquiring Marian Hossa and Greg deVries from the Senators. On top of that, the Thrashers signed Peter Bondra as insurance, in case Ilya Kovalchuk doesn’t re-sign in time. The forwards outside of that should be great role players. Guys like Marc Savard and Patrik Stefan are out for break-out seasons if they are able to listen to Bob Hartley’s plan.

The blue line is a silent bunch with a lot of youth grit Jaroslav Modry will anchor this crew as the Thrashers try to mold Braydon Coburn and Garnet Exelby into all-star caliber defensemen. The ability to have Niclas Havelid on the back line to carry the puck more into the offensive zone will help the Thrashers in the long run.

Kari Lehtonen will be tested as the #1 starter this year. With a very successful stint in the AHL, it seems Lehtonen is ready for the big time. Having a veteran like Mike Dunham behind Lehtonen allows the Thrashers to give Lehtonen the playing time, knowing that if the rookie were to falter, there would be someone there to pick up the pieces.

Carolina Hurricanes: If ever there was a team that could have a big issue getting wins, it could be the Hurricanes. They made little dents into the free agency market, getting Cory Stillman and Ray Whitney into the line-up. Eric Staal will have to have a huge breakout season to help lick the wounds in Carolina. The ageless Rod Brind’Amour and Erik Cole will be around to help the scoring, but after that—all bets are off.

The back-line is going to be another question mark. Getting Oleg Tverdovsky and Mike Commodore in the span of the past off-seasons will help a little bit, but not enough to allow them make a push as they did in 2002. Glen Wesley and Bret Hedican will be the stalwarts on the backline; and they’ll have plenty to do in order to get respect from the rest of the league.

The goaltending will be the huge question mark. There is no veteran presence in between the pipes. With Martin Gerber slated as the #1 goalie, the Canes will have an uphill battle to keep the pucks out of the net. Cam Ward is coming off a stellar season in Lowell, but he will still be a few more years away from getting those numbers in the NHL.

Florida Panthers: There’s going to be a strong veteran presence in the locker room this year. With the addition of Martin Gelinas, Gary Roberts, and Joe Nieuwendyk, the Panthers should have great teachers for the young guns. With the speed they have in Nathan Horton, Kristian Huselius, and Anthony Stewart; the Panthers should have a great mix of grit, speed, and experience.

The blue line will have the same mix of youth and experience. With Jay Bouwmeester advancing his development, along with Mike Van Ryn—the youth of the Panthers defense is bright. Sean Hill and Eric Cairns will bring a veteran voice and rugged play back in the blue line.

Roberto Luongo should be expected to see a lot of rubber in this season, just because he plays for the Panthers. Now, if he and the front office could settle their squabbling and worry about the on-ice task that would be even better. If not, Jamie McLennan will be able to carry the load as he did in Calgary last season when Miikka Kiprusoff went down.

Tampa Bay Lightning: The title defense finally begins for the Lightning. They have pretty much the same team and they did in ’03-’04. The question is can they do it again?? They have the horses upfront to do it, but they will have to repeat what they did by scoring at will and making the game look easy. It’s time for Vincent Lecavalier to have a breakout season instead of relying on others to carry the load. Martin St. Louis and Brad Richards will be solid again up front with Fredrik Modin and Vaclav Prospal adding markers here and there.

The top defensemen of Pavel Kubina and Dan Boyle should be able to contribute as well and help abundantly on the power play. If Darryl Sydor can get his offensive form back, he should be a force to be reckoned with as well. However, the best part about this blue-line is although they have the scoring touch, they don’t often let the puck get past them. That could change with the new rules, but I doubt something like that will happen.

Now, the goalie debate will be on for the Bolts this season. With Nikolai Khabibulin heading to Chicago, John Grahame was supposed to be in the spotlight. However, the Bolts went out and got Sean Burke just in case. Grahame should be able to get the starting role as Burke will probably allow him to see what he can do and then get his time when needed.

Washington Capitals: Starting from scratch will be the theme for this year’s Capitals line-up. After gutting the team for the past five season, the Caps are taking the “wait and see” approach to the salary cap. Alexander Ovechkin will be the cornerstone to the offense this year. Without much punch in the forward position, the Caps will rely on the superstar Russian to take the brunt of the workload. Alexander Semin and Dainius Zubrus will add to the scoring, but outside of that—the youth will be a factor.

Brendan Witt is going to be the old guard on the blue-line; however, how long he will be in DC is another question. The Caps are going to rely on the size factor. Getting towering defensemen like Mathieu Biron and Ivan Majesky to help compliment Jeff Schultz’s size—the Caps will have at least that in their favor. Steve Eminger should make the team and be a playmaker on the backline if he can stay healthy all season.

The workhorse will be Olaf Kolzig in net. He’ll get at least 60 starts if he stays healthy, but he probably won’t have the wins for the Caps. He’ll see a lot of pucks and should have a great save percentage, but if you just going on wins, he’ll be hard-pressed to get those. Should Kolzig go down, Maxime Ouellet will be there to show his stuff.

PACIFIC DIVISION

Anaheim Mighty Ducks: The Ducks made a splash in this off-season. Not only did they get new ownership, a new GM, but they got both a new and old face to show off the new team philosophy. Scott Niedermayer was a huge pickup in getting the Ducks more respect. Niedermayer will anchor the defense alongside Sandis Ozolinsh and Keith Carney. This should help the Ducks get some meaningful help for their goaltending.

In addition, the Ducks got back Teemu Selanne from free agency. Selanne will be one of the few options the Ducks have to put the biscuit in the basket. Sergei Fedorov and Petr Sykora will be the other options for the Ducks. Newcomers Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry will be getting a lot of time for the new look Ducks, as they will be the future of this team leading into the next decade.

The person who should be most effected by the goalie pad reduction should be J-S Giguere. If he wants to be an elite goalie in this league—Giguere will have to show that he actually has skill and didn’t just rely on his oversized pads. There’s not much to help him out either as this will be Ilya Bryzgalov’s first real taste at the NHL limelight.

Dallas Stars: Not much has changed in the lone-star state. They’ll still have Bill Guerin and Mike Modano up front with Jason Arnott and Jere Lehtinen helping on the second line. Though there may not be the scoring punch as the other teams, there’s enough grinding forwards to help muck it up in the corners. If need be, there can be plenty of player contributing.

On the blue line, Sergei Zubov is back and will be he voice-of-reason for the defense. Having new guys like Stephane Robidas, Martin Skoula, and Trevor Daley put into the mix should help the diversity of play. The Stars lost a lot in the means of experience, but are going a different route all together.

Marty Turco will be the man back in net for the Stars. His ability to outsmart shooters could be his advantage this year. He should get plenty of wins for the Stars and if not, Johan Hedberg is ready to take some of the pressure off of Turco’s back.

Los Angeles Kings: Los Angeles has a new outspoken star in Jeremy Roenick. The Kings hope Roenick can get the Kings back into the playoffs. With assistance from Pavol Demitra, Alexander Frolov, and Craig Conroy, that dream can become a reality. However, the Kings will have to hope that their young guys are able to contribute as well. Dustin Brown, Mike Cammalleri, and Noah Clarke will be deep on the depth chart, but could contribute if called upon.

The Kings have a solid defense, which will help them. With all of the top four defensemen staying in LA, the chemistry should be there. Mattias Norstrom and Lubomir Visnovsky will be the top line and should put up some nice power play numbers if given the chance to shoot more often. Having rugged defensemen like Aaron Miller and Nathan Dempsey onboard will help balance out the load on the blue line.

Mathieu Garon is hoping that his season last year in Manchester will translate into instant success in LA. This will be his first season to be a starter after a couple seasons backing up Jose Theodore in Montreal. Along with Garon, Jason LaBarbera will hope that his time in Hartford and in the AHL will translate into pushing for the #1 spot into the season.

Phoenix Coyotes: Wayne Gretzky is the new bench boss in town and he has a nice arsenal to help him get plenty of wins this season. With Mike Comrie, Petr Nedved, and Shane Doan all ready to play—the Great One should get plenty of scoring. Add Ladislav Nagy, Mike Johnson, and the ageless Brett Hull, and the top six for the Desert Dogs are looking very nice.

The defense for the Coyotes will have very few holes in it—if they are able to stay healthy. Derek Morris and David Tanabe should be the top line, but guys like Paul Mara, Sean O’Donnell, and Denis Gauthier could be shuffled around along with Cale Hulse. The pressure to perform could come from Keith Ballard, Rick Berry, and Brad Ference; who are looking for a spot on the big league club at the start of the season.

There’s a new top dog in Phoenix. Curtis Joseph turned down offers from the Penguins and Red Wings to go to Phoenix. A new surrounding and knowing that he could have the #1 job for the majority of the time, should calm down the nerves of Joseph. Joseph had a difficult time of playing well with the threat of Dominik Hasek hanging over his head. Backing up CuJo will be Brian Boucher, but youngster David LeNeveu is going to make a push in order to get a taste of the NHL experience.

San Jose Sharks: There’s a lot of fans of the Sharks who have been asking me about why the Sharks didn’t go out on the market to pick-up some veteran leadership and scoring punch. Personally—I don’t see why they needed to. The Sharks have a great team without getting someone outside the organization. If Marco Sturm can stay healthy; he can be deadly with the puck. Patrick Marleau is turning into a great on-ice leader, Jonathan Cheechoo is adjusting from the AHL to the NHL very nicely, and they have stacks and stacks of talent that they molded through the Draft.

The forward line is not the only one who has talent. The rear guards on San Jose have talent that is proving their worth and showing what they can do. Kyle McLaren and Scott Hannan can bring the punishment, while Brad Stuart is the quarterback on that team and can pass tape-to-tape with the best of them.

In net, Evgeni Nabokov will be the incumbent #1 with Vesa Toskala as the back up. Nabokov had a great year last year leading the Sharks to a Pacific Division title and will have to be on his game again to repeat that performance. He should be getting the majority of the starts and should be getting several wins this year, so he’s a good bet on any team.

So that’s all she wrote. That’s the end of the preview. Be on the lookout for the Fantasy Rankings brought to you by the boys at “Face Off Hockey Show”, as we try to break down the positions and do our best to make your fantasy team reign supreme.

Remember, if you agree, disagree, or want to check my psychological background when it comes to these previews, please email the Show with anything you have to ask.

This has been ScottyWazz. Take care of yourself and someone else. PEACE!!

NHL Preview: Part Two

Well—with the training camps not too far away, we continue our look at the divisional settings in the new look NHL. This week, we’ll go up North and take on the Northeast and Northwest. Both division should be highly contested with the possibly of a majority of the division getting into the playoffs.

NORTHEAST DIVISION

Boston Bruins: With only four players under contract when the new CBA was signed, you could expect the Bruins to be one of the smarter teams out there when it came to planning for the new look NHL. They have made some noise in the free agent market by getting Alexei Zhamnov, Shawn McEachern, and Brian Leetch to help get a veteran presence in the locker room.

However, the big thing that the Bruins did was to get their superstars under contract. By getting the likes of Glen Murray, Joe Thornton, and Sergei Samsonov under contract for the long-term; they Bruins will have their building blocks for seasons to come and they don’t have to worry about losing them early in their careers. Not only that, but they can also won’t have to worry about getting them signed when trying to get Patrice Bergeron re-signed in a couple of seasons.

Between the pipes, Andrew Raycroft has proven he could be a quality number one goalie. With the defensive corps the likes of Hal Gill, Leetch, Jiri Slegr, and Ian Moran, you have a mix of scoring ability and positional play.

Buffalo Sabres: With the recent problems with getting revenue into the Sabres franchise, it is obvious that the Sabres will be at the lower limit of the salary cap. The team did not make much noise in the off-season, but did gain a veteran voice in Teppo Numminen to help guide and mold a very young team.

The upside for the Sabres is that they actually have a good team at a young age. Both Chris Drury and Daniel Briere helped the Sabres save some kind of face last season, but they’ll have to do a lot more work to do the same this year. However, lucky enough for them; they’ll have help in the way of Derek Roy, Ales Kotalik, and Tomas Vanek, all young talent who have proven they belong on the big squad. The back line of defense is a young, but they’ll be able to learn from Numminen and grow together as a squad, hopefully helping Buffalo in the future.

The Sabres do have an interesting situation in net. It seems they’ll have a logjam at who will be staying. Ryan Miller had an amazing season in Rochester last year and could push to be the #1 or #1a goalie. Martin Biron will be under the spotlight and will have one-year to prove that he belongs long-term for the Sabres. Mika Noronen is the quiet one that could make the most noise trying to save his job and stay on the team. It will be a dogfight for #1 spot, but you can bet that regardless of who wins, they’ll have to stand on their head to get things done.

Montreal Canadiens: There should be nothing new about the Habs come this season. They have pretty much the same core of players they had at the end of last season. With the pick-up of Mathieu Dandenault to help bolster the defense, the Habs should be in the running for another playoff run next season.

Up front, Alexei Kovalev will have to actually play during the regular season and not wait until it is too late to get his scoring streak. Saku Koivu will be back and should be good with having another year off to get all his wits about him. Add Radek Bonk and Mike Ribeiro to the fold, you can bet the Habs should be pretty set up front.

Jose Theodore should be getting most of the work this year. Cristobel Huet should get some work here and there, but since he’ll still be trying to adapt to the workload in the NHL, Theodore will be the workhorse for the team. The only thing that Theodore will have to worry about is not slipping back into his old habit of alternating good and bad years. To be an elite goalie, he’ll have to consistently have quality seasons for the Habs.

Ottawa Senators: One of the more interesting things about the Senators in the new CBA is trying to make sure that they have their key players under contract for years to come. One of those shoes fell, when the Senators traded away Marian Hossa to Atlanta for Dany Heatley. The debate goes on about who got the better of the deal, but both players will be key for their respective teams.

Outside of the lost of Hossa, the Sens are the team they have been in the past few seasons. You can expect Daniel Alfredsson and Zdeno Chara to get about the same ice time they have in the past years. The defense will be as strong as it has been in the past and the offense should benefit from the new rules to open up the game. If they can score 262 with a lot of clutching and grabbing, you can bet they’ll match or exceed that mark this year.

The one question mark is between the pipes. The Sens will go as far as Dominik Hasek’s health. There’s no doubt that Hasek could help the team out for the better, but the stat that he’s played only 14 games in 3 years; that could be the one that alarms Sens fans most. Plus, even though they have a great crop of young talent in net, none of them seems ready to carry the workload and pressure of being a full-time NHLer.

Toronto Maple Leafs: The Leafs could be the most interesting team to watch for the fact that they have two guys on the team who probably couldn’t comb their hair for the threat of going back on the IR. The signings of both Jason Allison and Eric Lindros were something that had some pundits scratching their heads; but you can bet that if they do actually contribute, it will come at a low cost to the team, as they both will be at no more than $1.55M against the cap each.

All that aside, the addition of Jeff O’Neill could help the Leafs up front, as they lost Alexander Mogilny to New Jersey. The other players look oddly familiar as the Leafs have tried to keep the team together as much as possible. The one thing that could be a distraction is the spat between Owen Nolan and Leafs management over Nolan’s contract. The team will be rather strong on the blue-line with Bryan McCabe, Ken Klee, and Tomas Kaberle taking the brunt of the load.

In the net, the Leafs almost have the same situation as their Provincial rivals in Ottawa; they’ll only go as far as Ed Belfour’s health. Now, the 40-year old Belfour should have some left in the tank, but the main concern is how he’ll be able to comeback from back surgery in the last off-season. Like the Sens, the Leafs don’t have anyone ready to take the workload if Belfour were to go down.

NORTHWEST DIVISION

Calgary Flames: The Flames will be hard pressed not to follow in the footsteps of the one-hit wonders like the Carolina Hurricanes and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. However, with the players they in their system, it’ll be hard to believe they will be like the previous runners-up of the Stanley Cup. Getting players like Tony Amonte and Darren McCarty this off-season at bargain-basement prices will help Jarome Iginla shine once again in Cowtown.

The defense for the Flames should be very strong. With Jordan Leopold, Andrew Ference, and Robyn Regehr all back to the Flames, along with the addition of Roman Hamrlik, plus the rising prospect that is Dion Phaneuf—the Flames should be very strong along the blue line this coming season.

In net, the Flames only hope that Miikka Kiprusoff can rekindle the magic he had during last season’s playoff run. Much like many teams, there’s not much experience in the back-up position. The Flames have Brent Krahn in their system and acquired Phillipe Sauve from Colorado in the summer. Both have had minimal to no success in the NHL, but hope to turn that around, should something happen to Kiprusoff.

Colorado Avalanche: The landscape has been unkind to the Colorado Avalanche. They lost players like Adam Foote and Peter Forsberg to the free agency market and have gotten very little back on the market themselves. Though they picked up utility players like Pierre Turgeon and Patrice Brisebois, they will still miss the play of two original Avalanche players.

However, lucky for the Avs, they have players like Milan Hejduk, Alex Tanguay, and Joe Sakic to provide the offense while Rob Blake and top prospect John-Michael Liles will help garner the blue line. If anything will be the downfall for the Avs, it will be the lack of depth on the blue-line. Losing someone like Foote hurts the landscape of a team’s blue-line and makes the void hard to fill.

In net, David Aebischer will have to prove himself even more this year than last year. Though the Swiss native posted a 32-win season, he did have some great talent in front of him. He should be thoroughly tested with the new wide-open NHL. He’ll get a lot of time in the net too because both Peter Budaj and Tom Lawson lack NHL experience.

Edmonton Oilers: If there is a team who loves the new landscape, it’s the Oilers. They were able to pick up Chris Pronger and Mike Peca, a feat that would not have happened under the old system. The fans of Edmonton are very excited about the new season and they have a right to be. When you go from almost losing a team to getting a premier defenseman and forward—you can’t help but like the odds.

The causalities of the trades were Eric Brewer, Jeff Woywitka, Doug Lynch, and Mike York; all who have promising careers ahead of them. Yet, even with those losses, the Oilers have been able to keep the likes of Jani Rita, Raffi Torres, Ales Hemsky, and Shawn Horcoff from getting away from them. Along with Jason Smith, Radek Dvorak, and Ethan Moreau; the Oilers have a great mix of young and experienced in their line-up.

Between the pipes, Ty Conklin did pretty well in his rookie season; but there is going to be a better set of defenders in front of him to help fend off some of the attack. But if Conklin is unable to get the job done, the Oilers will have Jussi Markkanen to help push the sophomore along should the road get bumpy.

Minnesota Wild: The youth movement is obviously the way the Wild front office wants to go, as they did not even make a dent in the off-season when it came to pick ups. Their biggest move was picking up tough guy Andrei Nazarov. However, looking at the crop of talent that the Wild have been able to accumulate over the years—I wouldn’t be surprised if they were able to make some noise in the future.

As for the present, it should be interesting to see if Alexandre Daigle can keep his game the way it is. The Former 1^st Overall Draft Pick lead the Wild in goals and points in ’03-’04; but not having Marian Gaborik for the first part of the season didn’t hurt his cause either. But how well will Gaborik do this year?? The Wild hopes he’ll regain his form and get the lead out for the season. If not, they know that Brian Rolston will whip him into shape and push him to become the star he knows he is.

With Manny Fernandez and Dwayne Roloson making the same amount of money—the 1a and 1b tags will be on them once again—but for some reason I think Roloson will be able to over take the #1 position outright.

Vancouver Canucks: The biggest pick-up for the Canucks has been the reinstatement of Todd Bertuzzi into the NHL. That will help reform their top line of Bertuzzi, Markus Naslund, and Brendan Morrison and hopefully let that line rack up the points they did before the work stoppage.

The Canucks were able to get some key role players into their line-up via free agency. Anson Carter was picked up from Los Angeles and will probably play with the Sedin twins, which not only helps their stock, but Carter’s as well. Richard Park was picked up from Minnesota and will be a key player on the third of fourth line as a grinder or role player on the penalty kill.

Defense and goaltending should be fairly solid. Ed Jovanovski, Mattias Ohlund, and Sami Salo will be anchoring the corps, which Dan Cloutier will be getting most the work in net with Alex Auld and Brent Johnson battling for the back-up role. If the Canucks want to show they can be a dominate team year after year—this is the year to start doing it.

So that’s another two divisions down with two more to go next week. Remember, if you agree, disagree, or want to check my psychological background when it comes to these previews, please email the Show with anything you have to ask. Next week, we end out with the Southeast and Pacific Division.

This has been ScottyWazz. Take care of yourself and someone else. PEACE!!

NHL Preview: Part One

With the NHL Pre-Season just around the corner, I figure I would start giving a preview of the league, two divisions at a time; one from the Eastern Conference and one from the Western Conference. It's your basic premise of a season preview with off-season pick ups, chemistry of the team, and all the other fun stuff that you usually see with the season previews. So without any further adu, I present the preview for the Atlantic and Central Divisions.

ATLANTIC DIVISION

New Jersey Devils: This off-season, the Devils got hit hard with the loss of Scott Niedermayer to Free Agency. Not only that, but at the time of press, Lou Lamoriello will have to find a way to drop 5 million dollars from their payroll. Regardless of that, the re-acquistion of Alexander Mogilny will give more speed and scoring ability to the top-6. Vladimir Malakhov will try to fill the gap that was left from Scott Niedermayer, though that will be a daunting task to say the least.

Aside from Mogilny, the re-signings of Scott Gomez, Jeff Friesen, Jamie Langenbrunner, and Brian Rafalski will keep most of the core of the team together. Of course, anyone of those players could be dealt in order to get under the cap; but there will be plenty of leaders on this team no matter what.

Not only that, but you have to consider the Devils as a contender for one reason: Martin Brodeur. Having 9 straight season with over 30 wins; you can rest assured that they can expect that kind of performace again from the 2-time Vezina Trophy Winner.

New York Islanders: It seems "Mad Mike" Milbury has been busy this off-season. With the acquistions of Miroslav Satan, Alexei Zhitnik, Brad Lukowich, Brent Sopel, and Mike York; the Islanders look like they could try and counteract the loss of Michael Peca and Adrian Aucoin.

In any case, the Islanders will have to find a way to get into the playoffs and actually have some longevity in them. With early exits to Tampa Bay last year and Ottawa the year before; they will need to get some kind of playoff presence or else heads will roll next summer.

Between the pipes, Rick DiPietro is due for a breakout eventually; at least the Isles brass hopes so. He's been improving little-by-little and should do just fine for the Isles this season, even in the new look of the NHL. If DiPietro falters, they can only hope that Garth Snow can pick up the slack, but after the rules change-- who knows if Snow can adapt to the smaller pads.

New York Rangers: For a team that has abused the salary flow for so long, the Rangers have actually been pretty go in ways of money for this new CBA. With pick-ups like Marek Malik, Martin Straka, and Ville Nieminen; it seems that the Rangers will combine speed, defense, and hard-nose play all in one.

Looking up front, with Jaromir Jagr's disillusion for the new CBA, you have to wonder if he'll give his whole heart out there or if he'll slack off like he has in the past couple of seasons. You have to think with former teammate Martin Straka with him, that he will be able to be the player many are accustom too. Picking up Steve Rucchin to be a leader out there on the ice, the Rangers offense could be turning a corner when it comes to production.

The goaltending should be an interesting site to see. Kevin Weekes has never had a winning season in his tenure in the NHL, Alvaro Montoya is just coming out of College, and Henrik Lundqvist coming over from his first North American season; the last line of defense could be the Achilles' heel for the Blueshirts.

Philadelphia Flyers: Wow-- that's pretty much all you can say when it comes to talking about the Flyers. They picked up Peter Forsberg, probably the biggest UFA out there this summer, Derian Hatcher, Mike Rathje, and all they had to part with is Jeremy Roenick. Add to that, the young guns in Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, the Flyers look like they're good for now and for the future.

The mentality of the Broad Street Bullies seems to be there with big guys who can hit and take a hit, plus they seem on paper they could take over the Eastern Conference for years to come....but that's on paper. We have seen weirder stuff happen.

With Robert Esche, Keith Primeau, Sami Kapanen, and Kim Johnsson all returning; the Flyers are poised to make a return trip to the Eastern Conference finals, but this time hoping to change the result at the end of the series.

Pittsburgh Penguins: For a team that was almost send into obscurity last year; they have sure made a huge comeback; and that's using the term loosely. When they won the Draft Lottery, you could tell that not only was the team amped up, but that the city was amped up as well. Along with the Drafting of Sidney Crosby, the Penguins got some kind of blue chip to help lure some Free Agents over to the Steel City.

It must have worked because they were able to get Sergei Gonchar, Ziggy Palffy, and John LeClair. Granted, someone like LeClair is a risk, but if it pays off in the Penguins favor, all the better for the team. Outside of those pick-ups, guys like Mario Lemieux, Dick Tarnstrom, and Mark Recchi will be able to help out along side of the pick ups. However, the big issue is injuries. With Lemieux bad hip, LeClair's bad back, and Jocelyn Thibault's legs, that could be the only thing that would hinder the Pens.

Speaking of Thibault, it looks like he'll be the mentor to Marc-Andre Fleury. Having both of them being French-Canadian and both being QMJHL graduates; this could be the best thing of someone like Fleury to learn more about the NHL game.

CENTRAL DIVISION

Chicago Blackhawks: Bill Wirtz has been known as a cheap owner. He didn't want to put home games on TV, he won't sign players to keep them in Chi-town, and he never would pass up on a bargain. However, he seems to be content with the new NHL and has been doing some shopping that he had longed for. Most notably getting the Stanley Cup winning goalie in Nikolai Khabibulin from the Tampa Bay Lightning and Adrian Aucoin from the Islanders to beef up the back-lines.

What's more important is that the Hawks are hoping that Eric Daze will stay healthy the whole season and that the pick-ups of Matthew Barnaby, Martin Lapointe, along with the stallwarts of Mark Bell, Tyler Arnason, and Tuomo Ruutu will be effective in the season to come.

The Hawks will be starting fresh with a new coach behind the bench and a completely new outlook on the upcoming season. The Chicago fans should be very excited to get out to the United Center because this year, the Hawks could actually rival the Wolves in the AHL this season.

Columbus Blue Jackets: In the past few seasons, the defense has been the biggest downfall of the Blue Jackets. It seemed that Doug MacLean finally got the message and went out and signed Adam Foote and Bryan Berard to help mold younger guys like Rostislav Klesa and Radoslav Suchy into better players than they are now.

Up front, the "Rick and Nik Show" seems like it will be in full effect. With Rick Nash signing a multi-year deal after coming off a terrific season in Switzerland and Nikolai Zherdev coming off a good season in Russia, these two look like they could be clicking once again in the Nationwide Arena.

With the signing of Martin Prusek as a back-up, this could take a lot of pressure off the starter Marc Denis and maybe make him play a little harder knowing that someone like Prusek could take over the Number One Spot should he falter.

Detroit Red Wings: There has not been much movement in Hockeytown. The only big name signing was getting Chris Osgood back in a winged-wheel jersey. Outside of that, they had to deal with the departing of Darren McCarty and Derian Hatcher via buyout. However, the Red Wings always seem to find a way to do a lot with a little.

Up-front the aging players the likes of Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan could actually benefit from the year off and could rest up and be on their game again. Add Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby to the mix; the Wings do a lot with a little. They will need to get their two young guys, Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, under contract in order to balance the old with the new.

With Mike Babcock behind the bench, the Wings could get a shot in the arm and actually make it further in the playoffs than they have in the previous campaigns. However, for that to happen, they'll need to make sure nothing go wrong, or else they could be in for an uphill climb.

Nashville Predators: With their big addition of Paul Kariya to the mix, it actually gives players like Steve Sullivan and David Legwand a linemate that will know what to do in a high-tempo situation. Scott Walker, Martin Erat, and Scott Hartnell will have to show that they can produce like they did in '03-'04 for the Preds to be taken seriously.

The backline for the Preds will be a mix of young and old. With Danny Markov added into the mix, it will give guys like Kimmo Timonen, Dan Hamhuis, and Ryan Suter someone to learn from and someone who can help them out on the depleted back line.

Tomas Vokoun will probably be under the microscope again should his blueline falter. He has played very well in the past couple of seasons and coming off his first winning season in the NHL, he will be heavily tested to help get the Preds to another playoff berth.

St. Louis Blues: The Blues seemed to have been hit hard in the new outlook. With Keith Tkachuk and Doug Weight tying up $13 million; they had to cut ties with Chris Pronger by shipping him to Edmonton. In return, they got Eric Brewer and two prospects (Jeff Woywitka and Doug Lynch); but it left a huge hole on the back line. With Al MacInnis looking toward retirement, they'll have to lean on their young blueliners to carry the load left behind.

Outside of Tkachuk and Weight, there's not many players on the team with the big scoring touch. Guys like Dallas Drake, Eric Boguniecki, Dean McAmmond, and Mike Sillinger will need to step it up big time in order for the Blues to have a productive season on the score sheet.

With the departure of Chris Osgood, the Blues will rely on Patrick Lalime to help backstop them to a playoff spot. With Reinhard Divis slated as his back-up, you can rest assured that Lalime will be a workhorse for the Blues. They can only hope he can bounce back from his dismal performance in the '04 playoffs and help them get deep into the playoff chase.

So that is the way I look at the two Division starting off our preview of the upcoming NHL Season. Next week, I'll focus on the Northeast and Northwest Divisions and what you can look forward to seeing when the puck drops on October 5th.

If you have some comments or questions; feel free to email the Show and we'll talk about it.

This has been ScottyWazz. Take care of yourself and someone else. PEACE!!

New NHL TV Deal: Hitting the Mark or Fishing Without Bait??

As many of you know by now, the NHL has decided to form a new agreement with Comcast and it's Outdoor Life Network for at least two-years with $135 million in that span. The move was because of ESPN leaving the NHL saying that, "given the prolonged work stoppage and the league's TV ratings history, no financial model even remotely supports the contract terms offered." Which leaves people wondering what will happen with the OLN/NHL agreement. Will it be a blessing in disguise or will it be a continuation of the disaster as ESPN??

Well-- if you read the OLN/NHL Press Release, then it seems like something that will actually work for the fans of the NHL and make the game more enjoyable to watch. For instance, the changes that the NHL and OLN is looking at putting into the broadcast:

• VOD (Video-On-Demand) game highlights and library footage of hockey’s greatest moments with full fast-forward, rewind and replay capability
• HDTV game coverage in a crisper, faster-moving, more exciting game for hockey fans every week
• Online streaming of two live games per night (subject to local blackout), broadband highlights, commentary, and library footage
• Round-the-clock coverage on the NHL Network, to be launched in the US in the future
• Comcast will have the ability to carry and/or syndicate additional games on Comcast’s regional sports networks where it has the consent of the local team and team’s rights holder

Looking at that alone, it looks to be that OLN is taking this new deal very seriously, calling the NHL its cornerstone for the upcoming fall season. No pressure for the NHL, huh?? Yet, even with all this new stuff coming out about the new US TV deal and how it could possibly help the game of hockey in the lower 48, there is plenty of people that are still unsure about the union.

Some in the New York area will be blacked-out from the Rangers-Flyers season opener because of the OLN Rights. MSG Network, who would regularly carry the game, is blackout because of the fact that OLN is going to show the game as it's top billing. If fans in the New York Metro area want to see the Rangers, Devils, or Islanders; they will have to shell out the extra five buck a month on digital cable to get OLN as a regular channel.

One far more pessimistic approach comes out of Toronto of all places. Bill Lankhof goes on to talk about how this new deal is not progress at all. Also criticize the way Americans think of hockey players and the game itself. What can you expect from a guy who lives in a city with a Napoleon Complex.

In the end, will this whole thing work out?? Well, it depends if OLN is very serious about doing the NHL right. Though ESPN would have been a nice fit, what has the "Excellence in Sports Performance Nightly" channel done for the NHL in the past 2 or 3 years?? ESPN treated the NHL like the red-headed stepchild of the sports spectrum. There's only so many times you can see the Red Wings take on the Avalanche before you want to shoot yourself in the head after hearing "Thornegasm" after "Thornegasm."

If OLN wants to make the NHL their cornerstone then they better stick to what their promising. They have to make sure that every bulletpoint is hit and that everything will be for the betterment of the game and not just the betterment of the network. The people will flock to OLN if they realize that the coverage is good, but if there is word out about how the coverage is equal or worse than ESPN was, then the network has gained an enemy in the eyes of the hockey public. Hockey fans are a small, but powerful group. They are vengeful, vindictive bunch that will remember every screw-job that has happened along the way.

That being said-- I think that the NHL will be a good fit on OLN and OLN will treat the NHL with the utmost professional respect. This is a union that should go a long way....just so long as neither side effs it up.

This has been ScottyWazz. Take care of yourself and someone else. PEACE!!

What the NHL Needed

Usually in August, the NHL takes a back seat. By this time, all the key free agents are swept up by the big money teams and all we're waiting for now is just for the training camps to start and then the season. This year, however, is the bizzaro-world of the NHL Free Agency period. We're not even a week into the new Cap-Era of the NHL Free Agency and the teams who could compete for the big name players are now signing them at bargain basement prices.

For instance, the Nashville Predators signed Paul Kariya to a two-year deal. A name like this that some people in Nashville could recognize will be on their team and in the building for two-years, something that after the lockout-- what the Nashville fans need.

Another one is a team like the Blue Jackets getting some defensive talent out the wazzo. Big time guys like Adam Foote and Bryan Berard join a squad who has been dismal at best on the blue line. Couple that with Rick Nash and Nikolai Zherdev up front; they could be a team that could make a boat load of noise in the West.

Only in the new Cap NHL will the Penguins, with Sidney Crosby, be able to pull players like Sergei Gonchar and possibly Curtis Joseph into the Steel City, when a couple of years ago that thought would be laughed at and mocked.

The Flames getting Tony Amonte and Darren McCarty, the Oilers getting Chris Pronger and Michael Peca, the Kings getting Pavol Demitra and Jeremy Roenick, the Flyers throwing caution to the wind and signing Peter Forsberg, Derian Hatcher, and Mike Rathje, and the often closed-wallet of Bill Wirtz's Chicago Blackhawks getting players like Martin Lapointe, Adrian Aucoin, and Stanley Cup winning goalie, Nikolai Khabibulin-- a goalie who won't get injured at the sight of a goal crease....that's right, I'm talking to you Jocelyn Thibault.

All of this is just a brief glimpse into how the "good" came out of this new CBA. With the ability of the smaller market teams to be on a level financial ground as the bigger market teams, the parity of the NHL as a whole will be even better than before. This whole deal will make players who probably wouldn't even look at a small market as an option, realize that it could be the best choice for them in the grand scheme of things.

The excitement carries onto the fans as well. I've been getting emails from fans about where could the next player be going and how their team will look in the future when the puck actually drops. I've seen people post on message boards about how excited they are that their team is getting some big players on the roster. Heck, even people whose favorite team is losing some big players are excited to see how the season pans out because of these wholesale changes that the new CBA is making.

You can nitpick through the CBA and see what kind of damage it could do and you could speculate on how the CBA will have loopholes and all that jazz; but that's life. There's always going to be loopholes in everything.

What people need to do now is to look at the NHL and realize now that this is the time for the rejuvenation of the league. The playing field is level and everyone will have a shot now instead of writing their team off in the pre-season. The fact of the matter is that people are buzzing, people are excitied, people are ready for the new NHL and what it could become starting now and going for the next few years. It's time to tie the laces tight, tie the jersey down, and time to drop the puck.

This has been ScottyWazz. Take care of yourself and someone else. PEACE!!

Even a Resolution Doesn't Shed Negativity

So, I know you hockey mad readers understand there's a resolution forthcoming on Thursday the 21st, of course pending ratification; but that's not stopping those jobbers at most of the papers in the US to have a full on negative spin on things. There's plenty of culprits out there who are starting to talk down about the "slam dunk" view most have when it comes to the players' side of ratification.

I think Erin Nicks of the Ottawa Sun nailed it on the head when she said:

"When the news broke on Wednesday that the league and its players' association had reached a tentative agreement, it was easy to assume what the reaction in Canada would be. Watching the story emerge across the border -- where the majority of teams and significant income emanate from --was a different matter.

Who exactly has been broadcasting the lockout information to American fans -- ESPN or Fox News?

The sensationalistic "reporting" has been delivered with unwavering opinion, and the message is clear: The NHL, regardless of its imminent return, is a lost cause.

This is a loser's league that isn't worthy of anyone's support. The NHL is making its first attempt to climb out from the massive hole it created, but the American media is not content to simply throw dirt on them. They're trying to beat the league down with the shovel.

After being force-fed these negative opinions for nearly a year, you would have to assume that being a fan of the NHL in the U.S. is a highly covert operation."

Personally, if you read the headlines coming out of the woodworks, you'd feel the same way. All over the newspapers and websites of the newspapers, you see headlines like "Hockey's Back; Are Fans??", "NHL's Return: Do Fans Really Care??", and "When (if?) Players Ratify Deal, Game's On For NHL."

Now, let's face facts here, most of these jobbers (especially in Bakersfield and Toledo) haven't covered the NHL at all, much less the happenings of the Lockout. I said it when the whole Todd Bertuzzi situation happened and I'll say it again: It's amazing how many people are coming out of the woodworks thinking they are an expert of the game and the happenings that surround it. I mean, if there were this many people coming out claiming they know something about the game, why is it in so much trouble??

I'll tell you why, because they only report on what they hear from second and third hand sources. Hell, watch "Pardon The Interruption" and "Around the Horn" and you'll see that even most of the top sportswriters don't give a damn about a game; mainly because they don't understand it. It's quite sad that these ignorant people have the airwaves to promote stupidity, but our show promotes the game as something that is a must see and we can't get a syndicated deal. Odd how that works, eh??

Another main culprit in this whole ordeal is former Atlanta Journal Constituation beat writer and ESPN.com whore extraordinaire, Scott Burnside. He seems to just beat down the new CBA, what it's all about, and insults the intelligence of the fans by telling them that it won't work, rather than letting you go out and take a look for yourself.

In the end, we're not sure how it is going to work, but the people who matter think it will all be something that will benefit the game rather hurting it moreso. However, you would never know this from what you read, the insulting of YOUR intelligence, people who have probably never covered a NHL game deciding what you should or shouldn't see. It's almost like most papers would like to see the game be demolished so they can focus on the seven-month NBA playoffs, or game 64 of the MLB season.

I'd be naive to say that hockey isn't a second-class citizen in the US sports outlet, but it doesn't have to be. If the fans turn out to see hockey, then people will have to take notice. They'll probably notice and spin it into a negative, but they'll notice all the same. But, for them to notice the NHL, NHLPA, and fans need to make them notice. They need to show them a new look game, a more fan-friendly, edge-of-your-seat, game that will entice the fans to come back and entices the sponsors to get on-board.

Papers will depict hockey as a regional sport that has no place South of the Mason-Dixon line or West of the Mississippi. It's funny because they pretty much generalized NASCAR in the same light and now, NASCAR is the fastest growing sport on the planet with a multi-billion dollar empire to boot. Seems like you can't always judge a sport by its cover.

This has been ScottyWazz. Take care of yourself and someone else. PEACE!!

Out of the Woodworks; Into the Fire

It started with Brendan Morrison, moved over to Jaromir Jagr, progressed to Manny Legace, and now is coming to a head with Sean Avery. The NHLPA Members are far from happy campers when it comes to the possible new deal that is going to be delivered in the next week or so. But over the last week, it was interesting what was to be said by people like Legace and Avery, whom are among the middle of the road players, voice their opinion of Bob Goodenow and the NHLPA Executive Committee.

Legace put it a little more softly by saying that sitting out was a mistake and a "farce." Of course, in his comments, he didn't sell out one person for being at fault. He basically said that it was the work of Goodenow and the Executive Committee. He did say that the intentions were good at the time, but in hindsight; probably not the best idea to mess with the ownership. Legace went onto say how it's not just him and the players who lost out on a season-- the businesses around the arenas and the fans were hurt more than he could ever imagine.

Fast forward almost a week later to today when Legace's former teammate, Sean Avery, made his move to become the next Brett Hull. When talking to the Los Angeles Times, Avery says that he and the rest of the NHLPA was "brainwashed" into thinking that sitting out was the best thing to do. Avery then went on to lambaste Union Head Bob Goodenow saying that he (Goodenow) thought he was bigger than he was. Avery claimed also that he never knew the "real story" when it came to the progress of talks and what happened at the meetings. Avery went onto apologize to the fans for wasting a year and he hopes they come back to the buildings.
When you look at this, you can see where guys like Avery and Legace are coming from. You heard it at the beginning of the Lockout with players like Mike Commodore and Andrew Ference said that sitting out was something that probably wasn't in the best interest for the players.

However, the Players thought that the Owners would fold like they did in '94. Unfortunately for them, the owners were stronger than they appeared and worked the well better than the Association. The NHL Owners are hardly "winners" coming out of this whole ordeal. No one won this battle, it was a matter of who could be less of a loser coming out of it.

Will we see more players come out either for or against the PA?? Time will tell, but I think plenty of players will come out saying both negative and positive things. Probably more of the negative than the positive. If the "lunchpail" players were treated like Avery described, then you can bet your bottom dollar that plenty more will come out against the brass of the NHLPA then for it.

Licking of the wounds seemed to have begun and it seems that when the NHL comes back, there could be plenty of ruckus in the NHLPA side of things. Possibly with the installation of a new Union Boss and divided factions amongst the players after this whole mess is done with. However, I'm sure that as long as there is NHL hockey on the ice with NHLPA members-- everyone will be somewhat happy with that.

This has been ScottyWazz. Take care of yourself and someone else. PEACE!!

To Fight or Not To Fight.....That is the Question

As many of you may know, promoter Darryl Wolski is trying to get the "Hockey Gladiators" fight event into a local arena, wherever it is. They seemed to have found something in Prince George, British Columbia a few week back. However, at first the Prince George city council decided 5-3 that the event could not go on. So, Wolski then threatens to sue the city because he claims too much has been put into this event. That led the City to re-vote and voted 8-1 that it could happen. Of course, it wasn't the pressure of the lawsuit-- it was the fact they didn't want to waste the taxpayers money to fight a suit that has no merit.

If you remember right, both Winnipeg and Fargo, Minnesota were going to have this last year, but because of legal issues and the threat of the fighters getting arrested; the show was cancelled. I wouldn't be surprised that something like this happens again before the event happens in Prince George.

The City Council also rules that anyone in attendance for the event must be over 18 years old. The Jobber, Wolski, took a snipe at the City by saying something to the effect that "many kids see fights in the WHL, but whatever."

I think Wolski forgets that fighting DURING an actual hockey game is different than having washed up "players" fight in a boxing-esque match.

If you want more about Wolski and why he's gone insane-- check out an article posted by the good folks at BeerLeagueHockey.com and learn why he is the way he is.

So, this brings up the age-old question-- are you in favor of an event like this?? Well, if you listened to the show in the past, you know that Jonny P is against it, while Marc "with a 'c'" is for it. Sean is on the fence with me. However, I'm in the "on one hand" camp. What do I mean??

Well, on one hand, this event shows what these guys were signed in their leagues to do-- fight. It's a skills event for the pugalist in hockey to show off what they can do with other pugalist. They have skills events for guys who can skate, score, and save-- why not have one for the fighters. Plus, hockey is a unique game. It's the only sport to allow fighting in the game as part of the "norm." Why not show off one of the unique parts of the game??

That being said, on the other hand, this is a gongshow-- plain and simple. It's a money grab for the promoter and the fighters alike. I'm not against making money for what you're good at-- but to show the sport as this is something that happens all the time and this is what makes the money in hockey-- it's ludicrous. Not only that, but this part of the game creates the more ire when it comes to people not wanting violence anywhere in the world. The game has enough bad publicity as it is-- it doesn't need this "dog-and-pony-show" mucking up the works of the game more so.

So, you could probably put me more on the "No, sir I don't like it" portion of the fence. But with good reasoning. With the NHL the way it is-- there's not need to have this sort of garbage in the hockey world. Sure, for people who only like the fighting aspect of the game above all else, it's they heaven, but for people who like the game as a whole-- it's a bit of a smack in the face. Sure-- the act of fighting is a part of the game-- but not as frequent as we would like to think. Plus-- to glorify someone in the UHL for being the best fighter in the game is a smack in the fact to guys like Bob Probert, Tie Domi, Donald Brashear and so on.

If this event were to be taken really seriously and not just a money grab-- how come more NHLers haven't show interest in this event?? I mean, wasn't Tony Twist going to be highlighting his event 18 months ago-- where is his now?? Probably sitting back and laughing at this mockery of the game like most of the hockey world is doing.

This has been ScottyWazz. Take care of yourself and someone else. PEACE!!

The "Snubbed From the Hall Of Fame" Team

A couple weeks ago, the Hockey Hall of Fame announced the inductees for the class of 2005. Needless to say, many people were talking about who DIDN'T get in, rather than who did get in. Which made me think-- what other great players should be in the Hall. So, being the inventive person that I am, I decided to make a list of the players who I would like to see in the Hall of Fame, who is not in there already. So, this is going to be by position with no set limit-- and away we go:

Ron Hextall: Now, I was never one for rooting for the Flyers, but Hextall was in a class by himself. He had the skills of a great goaltender, he was the franchise of the Flyers for the better part of the '80's, and he was the first "third defenseman", as he ushered in a new breed of goaltenders who could be a rock in net and an offensive threat at the same time.

Rogie Vachon: It's a shame that one of the key cogs in putting Los Angeles on the NHL is not in the Hall of Fame. In a time where "firewagon hockey" was the norm, Vachon maintained a GAA of under 3.00 for his career (2.99 to be exact). Plus, he had only three losing seasons in 17 NHL seasons. Add that to his participation in the first Canada Cup, helping the Canucks win the tournament should be more than enough to get him into the Hall.

Kevin Lowe: The man who anchored the Oilers back line for the better part of 15 years, defined the way "stay-at-home" defensemen should play. He was the perfect contrast to the free-wheeling Paul Coffey and gave the needed help out to Grant Fuhr, Bill Ranford, and Mike Richter get Stanley Cup rings in the process. The Hall of Fame is chocked full of defenseman, but Lowe is one who's contribution to the game still goes overlooked.

Dale Hunter: He could score, he could hit, he could fight, but most importantly, he could lead. Hunter was always someone that the youngers could look up to, ask for help and imitate, but you could never dupicate what he could do out there on the ice. With over 1,000 points in his career and over 3,500 PIM's, the Hall needs to give the devil his due-- Hunter was one of the dominate face-off men in the business, he was never a flashy player, but he got the job done.

Brian Propp: Probably most remembered for getting his skull cracked by a Chris Chelios hit, the style of play that Propp possessed is almost a lost art-form. He was a grinder to the max and that helped him get over 1,000 points in his career and helped the Flyers maintain their "Broadstreet Bullies" mentality after the 1970's. But, like Hunter, he was never a flashy player, but got the job done just the same.

Steve Larmer: Another grinding forward who had over 1,000 points in his career. Best known for being with the Blackhawks, Larmer and Jeremy Roenick could have been considered one of the best "1-2" punches in the league at the time. His ability to see the ice and amazing passing skill, let him flourish in Chicago and New York.

Dino Ciccarelli: Here's a guy who you could considered to be a "black listed" player. He has 1,200 career points, he's 12th on the All-Time Goals list with 608, but he's not in the Hall. Sure, he's had some off-ice problems, but it should be overshadowed by the remarkable career he had in the NHL. There are very few right-wingers who were as effective as Ciccarelli in his hay-day, but because of the debacles off-ice; he's not in.

Glenn Anderson: Here's another guy, who like Ciccarelli, is a "black-listed" player because of off-ice issues. He has six Stanley Cup rings, he has 498 career goal and is one point shy of 1,100 for his career. He helped out the Oilers in their dynasty years and was one of the main players in the Rangers '94 Stanley Cup. He got the job done, helped who he needed to, but still cannot get any respect.

I know there are some others I'm leaving out, but this is my main list that I have put out there for the time being. Now, looking at this list, there are some pretty impressive people who have been overlooked. This means one of two things: (1) these players got lost in the shuffle of the whole voting process or (2) the Hall of Fame needs to look at maybe expanding the number of players who could be voted in.

I'm sure many people would choose the latter than the former. The fact of the matter is that sometime, four inductions is often not enough. At least have the ability to carry five or six at a time. That's not to say they need to be used up all the time, but to consider that would be key in the grand scheme of things. Until that happens, we will just have to sit around and bicker about who got overlooked, rather than who gets the great honor of being the next in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

This has been ScottyWazz. Take care of yourself and someone else. PEACE!!

Minor Leagues, Major Movement

If you have listened to the show in the past month, you will realize we pride ourselves in our coverage of minor league teams demise. Sure, it's a little cynical to think about that as one of our bright spots, but we're a little on the cynical side. In any case, that trend will continue this week as a couple teams in the AHL have decided to say good-bye to their AHL affiliate.

The Edmonton Roadrunners will suspend operations for the '05-'06 season and there are rumors that the San Antonio Rampage will suspend their operations as well. For the AHL, they will be down to 26 teams for next season as of right now. Along with Edmonton and San Antonio, Utah and Cincinnati will be done for next season. Even with four new cities coming in (Peoria, Omaha, Des Moines, Toronto), the AHL loses those four other cities and Worchester, who will move to Peoria. This coupled with the unknown fate of the Cleveland franchise wouldn't make Dave Andrews a happy camper. However, this does show that going that far West didn't work out for the better of the AHL's long-standing future.

The ECHL is in a little better shape-- albeit barely better. They will lose the Pee Dee (SC) franchise only to have them move to Myrtle Beach. However, we don't know if that will be the real story or if it'll all fall apart. In addition to Pee Dee, the Louisiana Ice Gators have suspended operations for the next season, the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies will move to Stockton (CA) for next season, the expansion Gulf Coast Swords needed another season to get their stuff together, and the fate of the Toledo Storm is still up in the air. However, the ECHL is going to Phoenix (AZ) for the next season.

Staying with the ECHL, it would almost make sense to have the league split into two different factions again, then play for the Kelly Cup in the end of the regular season. When you look at the geography (not to mention the budget as well), it would seem that for the betterment of the league and AA hockey that the league split up. Granted, there is only 11 teams now, but there is rumors around that the Utah Hockey Contingent is looking to get into the ECHL for '05-'06. If that were to happen, you would have 12 teams (6 in each Division), and then at least 14 for the Eastern side of things, then in the final; West faces East. However, that would be too simple for the grand scheme of things.

Moving to the UHL-- you want to talk about an odd situation for the league-- the Port Huron Beacons will be moving to Roanoke Valley and becoming the Vipers. All is lost for Port Huron, right?? No-- they will get an expansion team and name it the Flags. So, instead of losing another team, along with the Kansas City Outlaws, the Port Huron community gets a new team and seemingly a new start with new owners and all. Of course, Elmira (NY) is rumored to be demising soon, but that's been around for a while.

The UHL is an interesting animal because of the fact that the league started out as a Midwest hockey league which would be a just one rung below the ECHL on the AA level of the game. However, because the want to make a name for themselves, they expand to the Northeast and to the Mid-Atlantic. This could spell doom for the teams who don't have the major money that some other owners have in ways of transportation and such. The UHL hasn't had the best of luck in the past few years (see Columbus Stars incident), but maybe they could turn things around and have people take them truly seriously.

Moving onto the CHL, this could be the weirdest movement ever. The New Mexico Scorpions suspended operations for the '05-'06 Season so they can wait for their new arena to be built. So instead of the team playing and getting some sort of revenue into their system to build for the next season-- they'll lie dormant and try to start up again. Along with New Mexico, the San Angelo Saints will not continue their stint in the CHL because of money issues. The Topeka Tarantulas shut the doors just after one season. You could see this trend continue with the addtion of the Youngstown (OH) Steelhounds to the mix.

Finally, the SPHL did reasonably well in the first season, but not enough to save them from losing some teams. The league runners-up, the Macon Trax, suspended operations; as did the lowly Winston-Salem Polar Twins. That, along with the threat of Ashville (NC) being kicked out if they cannot sign a lease with their arena, puts a damper on the arrival of the Pee Dee (SC) and the Florida teams. The SPHL had a great design for the league, much like the CHL did. They have a centralized base for teams to not have much travel. However, much like the CHL, they could commit business suicide if they continue to expand outside of their financial boundries.

Now, it may seem like I'm pointing out the downfalls of the minor league hockey and bashing it for going outside it's bounds. Not exactly. Sure, leagues like the AHL, ECHL and UHL have made mistakes in where they would put their teams and how much the travel would have to work into the budget, but that's just my common hockey sense coming through. All the leagues have exceeded the expectation that their forefathers thought of when they started their leagues.

There are some teams in trouble, but that's because they don't get enough support to make ends meet. People need to get out and SYLHT (Support Your Local Hockey Team) if you want to keep them for generations to come. The game itself could rival that of the old NHL we have seen and it could actually be more exciting than you would expect hockey to be.

However, if you don't go out and SYLHT, then you may never get a chance to see how good the game play really is. No one is exempt from losing out. Most of the teams I named have a various history when it comes to minor league hockey. That not withstanding-- they still had to pull out of their respective leagues for one reason or another. It's a crying shame in the long-run. Just SYLHT and show them you really care. They won't disappoint.

This has been ScottyWazz. Take care of yourself and someone else. PEACE!!

Lights, Camera, Action

This past week, the show talked to Chris Toltzman and Jason Ralph from RoadHogs: The Other Side of the Season. The movie takes a look at life on the road in the UHL and shows fans what they may not se when their favorite team is on the road. Personally, I can't wait to see the movie because of the fact that it'll be a good hockey movie to see. There hasn't been many great movies about hockey, and it's a damn shame. For that reason, I have decided to compile a list of Scotty Wazz's top movies about hockey.

1. SlapShot: This has to be the top movie when it comes to hockey. The movie is a look into a podunk team that has several players past their prime. The cast of characters, led by Paul Newman, are looking for one last grasp at greatness, all the while trying to get over the fact that the team will be sold off by the stingy owner. The movie overall is not cineomatically great, mainly because it was worked on with a small budget in the 1970's. However, that aside, it's probably the funniest movie about hockey there is out there today. It's a must in any hockey players and/or fans collection.

2. The Mighty Ducks: Now, I'm just talking about the original. Though Mighty Ducks 2 is great in it's own right, the fact of the matter is that it all got it's start in the first movie. Emilio Estevez really has his character defined in this movie, where the big city lawyer gets caught with a DWI and is sentenced to coach the D-5 hockey club, which is full of misfits and jokers. Plus, the fact of the matter is that the other two movies are sappy pieces with craptastic jerseys. The First Mighty Ducks flick had the vintage D-5 Duck on the jersey. I still think Anaheim should have used that jersey as their own.

3. Mystery, Alaska: What more could you want from this movie?? An underdog hockey club, Russell Crowe as the captain of the team, Burt Reynolds, and the Rangers winning a game. That's the definition of a fantasy event. This movie is about the hockey crazed city in the darkest of Alaska which eats, sleeps, and lives hockey. The scenes of the game on the pond and in the game against the Rangers are some of the best I've seen. It's almost like a toned down "SlapShot", but has some of the same events in the ordeal.

4. Youngblood: Now, when you get the star power of Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, plus Keanu Reeves as a French Canadian goalie, it makes the story of Lowe as the can't-miss-kid that much better. Lowe is the new kid, Swayze is the old guard-- it's the basic "changing of the guard" movie. Though it is a little rough, the storyline of the kid trying to make the big time-- it's a "feel good" movie if you like that kind of thing.

5. MVP- Most Valuable Primate: Come on-- you can't have a list without a hockey playing monkey. This movie is so bad, it's good. This is the story of a deaf girl, her star hockey playing brother, and a monkey from a lab who loves hockey. The monkey escapes, befriends the girl, and somehow gets his way out onto the ice surface when he sneaks into the arena during a game. It has everything you could love in a movie-- monkeys, hockey......monkeys. It's a goofy flick, but something good for the kids.

So that's my top five. I know, I'm missing the classic SlapShot 2, but I still haven't found it after I took it and chucked it from the deck of my apartment complex. If you have any suggestion about movies I should look into that should have been on the list; go ahead and comment there down below.

This has been ScottyWazz. Take care of yourself and someone else. PEACE!!

Kids will be Kids....but for how long??

In the past few weeks, the junior hockey world has been a buzz over the decision made by the Ontario Hockey League to allow John Tavares to be drafted into the league at age 14. The rule was changed in the draft process to allow an "exceptional" 14-year-old to be drafted into the OHL without any problem. However, there are many out there that are calling foul to it.

I think when you look at what the OHL is trying to do, they meant to do it in good will, but it got twisted and turned to look like they want to push all the young kids into the league. I think the many thing Commissioner Rod Branch was trying to do is to keep the talent in Canada to stay in Canada. With Tavares, he could have easily went to Tier I Junior Hockey in the States by way of the USHL. They allow players to be Drafted as young as 14. The OHL thought it would be better to keep the best players all to themselves. That has it's good and bad points.

With keeping all the young talent in Canada, you make the best for the future of the league and see that the OHL keeps getting the talent from their area. However, this destroys the ever-growing hockey culture in the United States. You would think everyone would like to see Junior Hockey healthy everywhere, but it seems by this move, it's a simple case of Darwinism.

But, when is enough enough when it comes to the younger generation?? You look at professional sports as a whole, the ages for some stars are getting younger and younger. Most of these kids are losing out on most of their childhood for the sheer fact is that they are being pushed (whether it be by their own motives or some outside source) to become a big name at such a young age. With Tavares, he's 14 and will be playing with guys 6 years older than him in a high level of competition. He did play in Junior "A" last season and did pretty well, but I'm sure that the OHL and Junior "A" will be a big wake-up call for him in way of game play.

I understand that there are rules in every league when it comes to age limits and how many games a certain age can play (ie: WHL will allow 15 year olds to play a limit of 7 games before they lose their "rookie" status), but maybe that's not enough. Of course, he will be playing in the OHL, which could be better than playing in a league like the QMJHL or the WHL. The OHL, with all due respect, isn't as big as it use to be. It's been overshadowed for many years and probably will be moreso as the years go on.

The John Tavares experiment could go either way right now. We haven't seen him in an OHL uniform yet, so it's a tad early to judge. It's something that will be under the microscope, for sure, when he does hit the ice in the OHL.

However, with all this going on, it poses the question: will there be a time where we see some league change a rule so that an "exceptional" 11-year-old is able to play in a big Junior league?? I don't know the answer, but at least Bobby Orr and I are on the same wavelength.

This has been ScottyWazz. Take care of yourself and someone else. PEACE!!

Bertuzzi Overload

Unless you have been in a coma or living under a mountain, you should have heard that the circus which is the Todd Bertuzzi v. Steve Moore saga came to a stop in New York this past week, in hopes that the NHL will reinstate Bertuzzi.

Now, the fact of the matter is that Steve Moore is still in traction suffering from Post Concussion Syndrome. His agent is saying that it's too soon to reinstate Bertuzzi because his client is still far off from attempting a comeback. I think the fact he's suing for monetary damages against most of the Canucks organization blackballs him for life, but that's another story entirely.

The vast majority of people would like to see Bertuzzi stay out until Moore is able to come back. That is not only absurd, but horribly out of the question. The NHL doesn't want to this to continue to be open-ended, for the fact it could look bad on them because they can't make a decision on an amount of time something like this should entail. The fact of the matter is that the NHL probably wants this black eye to heal as much as the people involved.

But what's going to happen to Todd Bertuzzi??

Many have said he has paid his dues and should be reinstated. Other, like I said above, do not think the same way. The reality of the thing is that the NHL will have to cover all it's bases when it comes to making people happy. I would not in the least be surprised if the NHL suspended the Canucks forward for at least 10 more games, but no more than 20 games once the NHL starts playing their games again. That way-- Bertuzzi is allowed to get in shape to play again and maybe seek employment in Europe and Moore's camp is happy because they see that the NHL is punishing the combatant for the crime; though they are out for blood.

But why is everyone feeling sorry for Steve Moore in all this?? Here's a guy who is a victim of the laws of Karma. He gave a head-shot to Markus Naslund (which sparked this whole debacle) and then, not long after that, he cross-checks Martin St. Louis into the boards from behind, and skates around like he's king of the world. This is why the NHL needs to relook the whole Instigator rule. If someone like a Dave Semenko-type player would have been able to get his; then I do believe this whole ugliness would have not happened.

Face it, when you have a guy like Steve Moore, a fringe player at best (let's not joke here, folks; facts are fact), who is going after star players like Naslund and St. Louis-- you know things have gone too far.

Then, Bertuzzi takes Moore up and down the ice, chirping at Moore, hooking him for a good 30 seconds waiting for him to turn around and go-at-them, but then Moore doesn't "cowboy-up" to the challenge. Moore is no angel-- he's a scrappy player. Why didn't he decide to go?? Why now, out of all the times he has before, does he decide not to drop them and at least turtle to get this whole situation behind them?? I mean, it was their last meeting of the season and if they tried to do something like this in the playoffs, it would have been too risky to even attempt.

I'm not condoning what Bertuzzi did-- but Karma sucks. You live by the cheap-shot and you die by it too. Bertuzzi will have his come-upping, too when he comes back. It's the ways of life in the world today-- you do something wrong, then you get it back to you.

In the end, this whole situation is going to leave an even bigger black mark on the sport the longer it goes on without knowing what the final decision is going to be. That is where we are at in this juncture. We're waiting for the end of the great unknown. Will things be better when all is said and done?? No, probably not. You can't make everyone happy. You'll see all the people who support one side or the other complaining that the penalty is too harsh, not harsh enough, or something they are too angry to talk about.

This has been ScottyWazz. Take care of yourself and someone else. PEACE!!

No New Keanu Reeves' Movie....Yet

Well, the NHL's Board of Governors meeting in New York on Wednesday produced the result that some people are confused by. The NHL has gone on record saying the League would not put a product on the ice if they did not have an agreement with the NHLPA. Now, that put to rest, at least for now, the idea of replacement players for the NHL.

Now, the big question is-- who has the leverage??

The NHL is committed to having a deal with the PA, but did they show all their cards too early. I mean, let's face it-- without the threat of replacement players, you have to think that the NHLPA has a reason to stall on getting a new deal done. Now that they don't have to worry about scabs taking their jobs-- they can wait all they want because they won't get a cheque until October. Granted-- the PR idea is a great move for the NHL and they should be commended for showing they want to get something done with the players' union.

On the flip side, there are some people who think that the NHLPA is now behind the 8-ball. I don't see how that is possible, but one can guess how they can be considered it. Many think the "trump card" Bob Goodenow held is now gone with the thought of the replacement players. The Players have been told to wait out the replacement players and the NHL will be back bargaining. Since that's the case no longer, one can think that the NHLPA has the upperhand.

Without hockey, no one has the upper hand. The NHL loses out on sponsorship that was there and the revenue that could have been coming in. The Players lose out on the fact that they would have to go across the world to get a job to play the game they are skilled at playing.

All that aside-- would have people seen replacement hockey?? I'm sure if the price was right and the curiousity grew enough that you just sat in your house and screamed to yourself, "ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT-- I'LL GO SEE A BLOODY GAME!!" Granted, after an outburst like that you could be put into somekind of home.

I think replacement hockey would have been enjoyable to see. Sure, it wouldn't have been the NHL and wouldn't have been the same as having the "real" NHL on the ice, but it would have been fun to watch. With hockey, they have a great minor league system with players talented enough to make the replacement league an exciting one to watch and something people would be curious to go see.

Would it have worked in the long run??

No, not at all. But it would have been fun to see how it went. It could have gone one of two ways: (1) It worked brilliantly and the NHL actually wins out on it or (2) It would have failed horribly and the game would have been destroyed for the future. Either way, it would have been more exciting that what's going on in the boardroom.

So, we just wait out moreso and see what they can do. They can elect a Pope in three days, but can't sort a CBA out in 7 months-- go figure.

This has been ScottyWazz. Take care of yourself and someone else. PEACE!!

Is Bigger Necessarily Better??

The great debate in hockey right now is whether or not the nets should be bigger to compensate for the lack of scoring in the NHL. Forget the truth that the NHL hasn't iced a game since June of '04, move past the fact that the Collective Bargaining talks have gotten nowhere since September of '04-- we need to fix the scoring on the ice now when no one is on the ice.

Aside from that, the debate started when the Buffalo Sabres brass developed this net pictured below:


The idea was to make the nets bigger because the goalies have been getting bigger. Sports Illustrated super-imposed Roberto Luongo with a goalie from the past whose name escapes me, and Luongo took up 26% more of the net than goalie TBA. Now, that could be a cause of concern. With the NHL down an average of two-goals-a-game in about 20 season, that could be chalked up to the fact that it's more of a defensive game and the talent pool has thinned out. Not only that, but the NHL officials haven't been calling the clutch-and-grab as much as they should have. Of course, in defense of the officials, they are damned if they do call them and damned if they don't.

Back to the matter at hand though, the NHL took the "Buffalo Net" and decided to bring that to the Players and GM meeting on April 8th and 9th, as well as two of their own. This will be examined, talked about, and probably voted upon on the meeting on the 8th. Now, this idea has already been shot down by the goalies, surprise, but some others don't seem to have a big deal with the idea.

Is this idea all this bad?? Probably not. If you don't evolve, you die. It's as simple as that. With more space-aged technology and more advancement in equipment, we have seem before our eyes that this evolution is coming to a head. The big nets are just a compensations for the goalies pads and the goalies themselves are getting bigger and bigger. The goalies are also getting better. While the hard-core fans can appreciate the idea of a 2-1 game or a 2-0 game, the NHL doesn't need the hard-core fans approval because they have it. It's the casual fan who doesn't know any better that cannot enjoy the defensive NHL and wants more scoring. While it'll probably bite the NHL in the rear if it happens, they need to get new money in the business because they are losing the old money.

The fact of the matter is that people complained with the goalies started to wear a facemask, they complained with sticked started to be made out of anything but wood, and they died a little inside when all the expansion teams and some floundering Canadian teams went into non-traditional markets. There's always going to be someone to complain about the changes that go into hockey. No matter how little it is, no matter how much it won't effect the actual game play; they will still bicker. They were bitter when the useless "Rover" was taken out of the game, but that's neither here nor there.

I would say that they should try it out in the minors, but the AHL has been a guinea pig enough for the the NHL. They NHL needs to hold some exhibitions with the nets, if indeed they do vote it into law, then decide from there whether or not to use it. Then, and only then, will we see if there is more scoring chances, scoring, and better play all around. Until then, it's just a bunch of rhetoric, which is a welcome change from the rhetoric coming from the CBA debacle.

This has been ScottyWazz. Take care of yourself and someone else. PEACE!!

If a Tournament Happens, and no one cares....

Does the tournament really happen??

That's the question I have been posing to some people about the upcoming World Championship in Austria. It seems that the talk of Canada is mainly who isn't going to partcipate in the Worlds as opposed to who is actually going to Austria to play for Canada. Of course, some of the reasons for not going can be excused like in the case of Jarome Iginla and Steve Yzerman, but I'm still skeptical about some of the guys not going like Jose Theodore.

However, that's neither here nor there. The question at hand is does anyone really care that this is going on.

I mean, let's face it. Below the 49th parallel people don't seem to care about it. Amazingly enough, the tournament is not going to be televised in the States and it doesn't seem that there's a wide spread outcry to get it on any network what-so-ever, so using the transistive property, no one in the US cares about the Worlds.

Of course, I know this is not true, but I think the shock that this event isn't going to be the afterthought of the Stanley Cup playoffs like it has been in years-past hasn't set in yet. Usually this event is a sidebar to the nights happenings in the Playoffs and at the end people are like, "Oh, wow-- how amazing is that."

All of this could still be an after effect to what the NHL and NHLPA did to hockey fans by cancelling the season. People probably have moved onto other sources of entertainment and could care less if Canada or Kazakhstan won the Worlds. The grand population wouldn't bat an eye to whoever one. That's a little bothersome, but it's completely understandable. For the most part, the backlash to this could be something that the NHL and NHLPA will look at and realize far too late that they together have destroyed the game many people cherish.

In the end, what happens at the Worlds will not effect people and it will not get the attention that a tournament of this magnitude would usually garner if it were to happen in the Playoffs. Sadly, it's a great tournament and it should prove to be a good event with the North American teams and Team Sweden being in the dumps with the players not playing and the rust that will be on some of the players taking to the ice, someone like Russia or Slovakia could be a surprise of this and make some noise on the international level of things.

This has been ScottyWazz. Take care of yourself and someone else. PEACE!!

Don't Believe the Hype-- Hockey is alive and well in Canada

So, last week-- Jeremy Roenick played the role of the crusader mouthpiece as he talked about the upcoming Bobby Hull invitiational that the new WHA is proposing. Now, there are plenty things wrong with this happening when it is happening. First, the "tournament" is during the Memorial Cup. Do you think people will drop everything to watch some NHLers in an OSHL type hockey game over the juniors who are playing for the precious Memorial Cup?? I don't think so. Second, the WHA is saying that they will play in Vancouver and Hamilton for this. However, the problem with Hamilton is that the AHL Bulldogs are in year 7 of a 13 year exclusivity contract with the city of Hamilton and allowing the WHA to play is a breach of contract. Wonder if the WHA knows that little tidbit. Third, JR went on to say that he was the spokesman for two reasons: (1) to get some money into some guys pockets and (2) JR had the testicular fortitude to say: "People are dying to see some hockey in Canada."

Could JR be further from the truth?? I believe not.

If you remember the OSHL, it was a barnstorming league that had NHLPA members playing against each other so that people in Canada would be able to see NHL caliber players on the ice. After seeing that scores resembled that of pond hockey, the league failed horribly and many people have yet to been paid.

But outside of that, people are not missing hockey in Canada. Why, you ask?? It's because they have hockey in Canada. Suffice to report after report in the local fishwrap, there is plenty of hockey in Canada and it's going pretty strong. Whether it be the AHL, ECHL, all the way through the Major Junior ranks and Junior "A" ranks, the game of hockey is alive and very healthy in Canada. In fact, attendance figures couldn't be better in most of the Canadian cities that house NHL teams as well.

Starting in the Major Juniors, attendance for the QMJHL is up 7.15% for the year with many teams up in the double digits in attendance leaps for the year. Though there is not a team in Montreal any more, surrounding areas like Victoriaville (+25.20%) and Drummondville (+28.41%) reaping in the benefits of the Lockout.

The Ontario Hockey League has seen a steady increase of 5% go through the gates this season. Of course, with the London Knights remarkable season, you can bet that had a lot to do with it. As for the teams in NHL cities, Ottawa has always been a good pull from the gate. They increase their attendance 6.81% for the season with the absence of the Senators. However, the most surprising number comes out of Toronto. The St. Michael's Majors has seen a whopping 35% increase in attendance from last season for the year. The Lockout, coupled with the fact the Toronto Roadrunners left for Edmonton, helped the Majors get their people in the building.

Of all the Major Juniors, the Western Hockey League has gotten more people in the gates from last year to this year than any other league at 9.68%. That can be thanks to the cities like Calgary (32.92%) and Vancouver (69.49%) getting more and more people interested in the Major Junior game.

All of these debunk the issue of JR saying people are missing hockey in Canada. In fact, I don't think people would come out to the WHA games even if they were given the tickets from some guy on the street just wanting to get rid of them.

We haven't even gotten to the AHL's Roadrunners (averaging 8,884 in 32 games played in Edmonton), but I'll spare you because it's proof positive that JR needs to do a little research before spouting off at the mouth.

Though he may be right that people could miss the NHL caliber of player on the ice, but it seems they don't miss it enough to get out in droves and get tickets for the WHA tourney. I think it'll all take a page out of the Original Stars Hockey League and fail horribly. As much as people miss the NHL, I don't think they miss the players all that much. At least, according to public surveys, people in Canada say that the players are to blame in this labor mess. So what makes the WHA think they would want to see the NHLPAers at all??

This has been ScottyWazz. Take care of yourself and someone else. PEACE!!