So I seen an interesting article showing the Vegas over/under odds for the next NHL season. They predicted the point totals for all the teams. I'm not a gambling person (because I'm awful at it), but its interesting to see predictions like this.
I made my own predictions a few months ago, if one would like to compare, go here. But for your convenience, I'll put my rank of the teams in parenthesis in these rankings.
Really? Carolina AND Columbus ahead of New Jersey? I think New Jersey deserves much more credit than last here. Columbus is banking on a repeat performance from their young starter in Bobrovski. If Brodeur can't live up to expectations in New Jersey, Schneider surely will. Neither have a great team ahead of them, but NJ shouldn't be in the basement. Also, I guess Washington warrants more love than I gave them. I want Ovie to succeed, but in this division he's going to have a difficult time getting open compared to when he regularly played against Florida, Tampa, and Winnipeg. Maybe I'm wrong though.
Atlantic Division
Boston Bruins -- 102.5(4)
Detroit Red Wings -- 97.5(1)
Toronto Maple Leafs -- 96.5(2)
Montreal Canadiens -- 94.5(3)
Ottawa Senators -- 93.5(5)
Tampa Bay Lightning -- 88.5(7)
Buffalo Sabres -- 83.5(6)
Florida Panthers -- 75.5(8)
Fairly close to mine, I'll take it. I gave Boston less of a chance because they lost some key pieces this off-season. But I think any team 1-4 has a good shot of winning the division this year. This will easily be the most exciting division in hockey. I think everyone can agree that Florida is the worst team in the division, Tampa Bay and Buffalo will struggle, and Ottawa will be one of the dark horse teams that could very well sneak into the playoffs.
Central Division
Chicago Blackhawks -- 105.5(1)
St. Louis Blues -- 99.5(2)
Minnesota Wild -- 94.5(4)
Colorado Avalanche -- 86.5(3)
Dallas Stars -- 86.5(5)
Nashville Predators -- 84.5(6)
Winnipeg Jets -- 82.5(7)
Besides switching Colorado and Minnesota, I pretty much called this division 100%, according to Vegas. Chicago should easily win the division, but it will be interesting to see how the rest of the division shapes up, because each team in here besides Chicago and Winnipeg are filled with question marks that will determine their season. This division could be flipped upside down by the end of the year. I still think Winnipeg is missing a few parts to be a contender though.
Pacific Division
Los Angeles Kings -- 98.5(1)
Vancouver Canucks -- 95.5(2)
San Jose Sharks -- 94.5(3)
Anaheim Ducks -- 90.5(5)
Edmonton Oilers -- 89.5(4)
Phoenix Coyotes -- 85.5(6)
Calgary Flames -- 74.5(7)
Gah, so close again! Vegas switched Anaheim and Edmonton, putting them only 1 point apart. That's a fair assessment, both teams are young with lots of firepower that could have an excellent season or fizzle out if not handled correctly. LA should win the division this year, but Vancouver has a good enough team to keep close. Unfortunately, Flames fans are once again given the bad news for next year by being predicted to have the lowest point total in the league. Embarrassing, but probably accurate.
Hello everyone! I apologize for my absence the last few days. I had a temporary night-shift job that basically eliminated any chance I had to sit down and focus on writing during the day. But now I'm back.
And yes I know, I promised on Twitter I would have a post yesterday, and that didn't happen either. I ran out of daytime to write anything and this is the first chance I got, so I'll likely have a couple of posts today, one now and one later.
For now, I'm going to talk about the 5* coolest hockey-related people I've had a chance to meet in my lifetime. I haven't had a chance to meet most of my hockey idols growing up, such as Iginla and Hasek, but I have been able to meet and even play with some of the NHL's biggest names. Some of these players were some of my first favourite NHL players, and were the first players that I really got to idolize.
5. Ray Ferraro / Wade Redden
I put these two together because I met them in the same fashion, in the same place, and idolized both growing up. I got to go to the Okanagan Hockey School, where Redden and Ferraro were both mentors. I went when I was really young in my hockey career, and had the most troubles skating. Redden and Ferraro were both known for their skating abilities, and helped me plenty with fine tuning my technique. At the time, these were two really big names in hockey, one was an established veteran, the other a young star in Ottawa.
4. Brian Burke
Also at the Okanagan Hockey School, I got to meet Brian Burke, the well-known NHL General Manager. Although, for the most part, I disagree with his management style and decisions, it was really cool meeting a real-life NHL executive, and learning what it takes to make it as a pro from someone who actually scouts for pros. Pretty neat.
3. Dion Phaneuf
He's probably the biggest name on this list now, but I wouldn't put him higher just because of the circumstances I met him. He was doing some sort of tour of Canadian Tire stores, and stopped at my hometown's store to sign autographs and meet fans. Yes, it was totally awesome to meet a star player like Phaneuf, but I had to wait in line to see him, saw him for about a minute, then left to let hundreds of others get the same brush with fame. Still was a really cool experience though.
2. Jason Krog
Conversely, he's probably the least known on this list, but anyone who shares my hometown probably knows him as well. He was another Fernie, BC product, who made it to the NHL and was a big part of Anaheim's Stanley Cup run in 2003. He's been the AHL's MVP and scoring leader numerous times, and has played all over the world. I believe he's currently playing in Sweden, and doing very well for himself there too. Anyways, he was the first person to taught me how to skate (after a few months in a figure skating program), and I attended his hockey camps in Fernie on a yearly basis. We chatted quite a bit, talked occasionally on the off season, and got to know each other well. His rookie NHL card, autographed, is still one of my favourites in my hockey card collection, and he was my first real mentor to the game of hockey.
1. Scott Niedermayer
Phaneuf is the biggest name on the list right now, but of all time Niedermayer is definitely the biggest. I actually got the chance to meet him several times in my life, some with the company of hundreds of others, and some in more personal quarters.
I got to meet Niedermayer, from Cranbrook, BC, first at one of our year-end hockey banquets, when he attended as a guest speaker. I was young, and didn't get much of a chance to talk to him, so it was hard to really get to know him, but it was really cool to meet someone who was, at the time, as big as he was.
The second time was when he and brother Rob won the Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2006. Since Scott Niedermayer currently made his home in Fernie, he brought the Cup to the city, so I got to meet both brothers and the Stanley Cup for the first time. It was honestly life changing to be with the Stanley Cup, and in the presence of an Olympian, Stanley Cup champion and (now) Hall of Famer.
But the third biggest meeting between the two was a really cool experience. My family was selling the house in Fernie, to move to Lethbridge, AB (where I live currently), so we had visitors regularly looking at the house. Jason Krog showed up to take a look at the house as well, which was cool in itself. But one day, in the summer of 2010, after reading in the local paper that he was vacationing in Canada, we had a couple come in to look at the house. I didn't notice until about halfway through the tour, and even then I wasn't 100% sure, but he looked so similar to the guy I met back in 2006, sans beard. I looked at my dad, who had the look of curiosity that I'm sure I had while thinking of the possibility of such a player in our house. We decided not to say anything, distracting from the tour and being rude if they chose to stay private. But at the end, before they left, I shook his hand and said "Thanks for stopping by, Scott". He chuckled a bit and gave me a smile, the same smile I know I saw with the cup 4 years prior. That was definitely the coolest brush with hockey fame I've had.
So now its your turn. Who was the coolest hockey player you've meet? How did you meet them? Share your stories with me or leave a comment below, I'd love to hear your own brushes with hockey fame.
So I'm glad I'm back to writing again, and as promised I'll try to leave another post later today. Goodnight everyone, and thank you for reading!
Before I get to today's topic, a few little things I'd like to share.
First, I have to say that I absolutely love Jay and Dan from TSN FoxSports1. I was really sad to see them leave TSN, but watching their first episode on American networks makes me feel like they're in good hands. I'm still a fan.
But you know who isn't a fan? Regis Philbin. He was on one of the sports channel's segments this morning, and had a few things to say to the Canadian duo:
Not sure if trolling, or just mad. Why you heff to be mad, Regis? Either way, this definitely made me laugh.
Second, I'll give a quick shout-out to Team Canada at the Little League World Series. They were eliminated earlier today after losing to Panama. It got kinda ugly, lasting only 4 innings in a 12-0 blowout. The Canadians leave the tournament with a 1-2 record.
Despite the blowouts to both Panama and Taiwan in the first game, they played hard and deserved to represent our country on the world stage. Expectations, as usual, weren't very high on our team, but we were well represented nonetheless. Congrats to the remaining teams and good luck for the rest of the tournament.
Third, I created a couple of new concepts that I'd like to share.
This first one is of the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL. Named after famous wrestler Bret "The Hitman" Hart. He also founded and part-owned the team. Like his wrestling outfit, the Hitmen's original jersey made black and pink badass, something almost impossible in the world of sports. Since then, the team upgraded their logo and look, changing the colours along the way. Well fooey with that, I like what the Hitmen pink stood for. So I brought back the pink, kept their new cleaner logo, and gave it more Calgary flavour by giving it the Flames' style of the mid-90's.
This was made for a contest at HockeyJerseyConcepts.com. The Hawthorne, California police department wanted to set up a youth hockey organization that would give the sport of hockey to youth that cannot afford to be in sports or activities. They got an equipment grant from the NHLPA, and wanted an artist to design their jerseys to show city spirit, pride of the police force, and to be a "badass" cool jersey for these kids to wear. I'm all for that. So I created the logo using a police badge outline, stars, sticks, and wings to give this jersey a unique flair of pride. I kept the main colour a "police blue", while adding light blue, black, and white. I also gave them the Anaheim Ducks' jersey style because, well its just that cool of a jersey, but deserved to be in better colours. I mean, double blue, thats the best colour combination a jersey could have!
So finally to what I wanted to talk about, which is the question:
Who won the game of Musical Coaches?
This off-season had a lot of coaches fired, hired, moved, traded, etc. Which team got the best deal out of it?
Buffalo Sabres:
Fired: Lindy Ruff
Hired: Ron Rolston
Lindy Ruff in my mind is a legendary coach, but his time in Buffalo was over when players stopped listening to his messages. That tends to happen to any coach, good and bad, at some point. Unless you're Barry Trotz apparently. His replacement, Ron Rolston, has a ton of NCAA coaching experience, but only 2 years experience coaching in the AHL. He was signed during last season in Buffalo, and had a .565 winning percentage, not a bad start at all. Still, his inexperience is going to be the downfall of a struggling Sabres franchise for a few seasons yet.
Dallas Stars:
Fired: Glen Gulutzan
Hired: Lindy Ruff
Interestingly enough, Ruff landed with the team that effectively stole a Stanley Cup away from him in 1999. A veteran, no-nonsense coach that can lead a young group of players (and possibly straighten Seguin out for good) to great heights.
Tampa Bay Lightning:
Fired: Guy Boucher
Hired: Jon Cooper
I never really liked Boucher as a coach. His style really didn't jive with the roster he had, who (besides goaltending) should have been a highly competitive team during his tenure. He is replaced by Jon Cooper, an inexperienced coach in the NHL, but has had wild success in the AHL for the few seasons he's been there, winning the Calder Cup in his 2nd season in Norfolk, then the following year leading Syracuse to the best record in the league until he was hired by Tampa Bay. Despite his success, his leash will be short, given the expectations of this team.
Vancouver Canucks:
Fired: Alain Vigneault
Hired: John Tortorella
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I don't like the sounds of this. I love Tortz as a coach, but his hard-nose, physical style of play, along with the short leashes he gives to younger players, will not fit well with the Canucks, unless he has a total change of heart when he's there. AV is a great coach, but his message wasn't getting across to the Canuck players, and he couldn't spark them to playoff success.
New York Rangers:
Fired: John Tortorella
Hired: Alain Vigneault
To complete the coaching trade, we have AV replacing Tortz in New York. Unlike Vancouver's situation, I'm really excited to see what Vigneault can do with a dependable cast in NY.
Edmonton Oilers:
Fired: Ralph Kruger
Hired: Dallas Eakins
Kruger was a smart, savvy veteran coach, but couldn't adapt to the NHL game from his home in the Swiss league. Eakins is getting his first stint as an NHL coach in Edmonton, and has been coaching the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, with reasonable success. His style will benefit Edmonton, but lack of experience will hinder this young team.
Colorado Avalanche:
Fired: Joe Sacco
Hired: Patrick Roy
This is my favourite coaching hire since Anaheim nabbed Boudreau. Sacco's coaching record has been mediocre at best, barely making the playoffs once out of 4 seasons. Patrick Roy was brought in to single-handedly reform the team, being head coach and head decision maker in Colorado. He ran the whole show in Quebec in the QMJHL, winning the Memorial Cup in his rookie year and keeping Quebec a dominant team since. His experience will no doubtedly be questioned, as will his antics. But he's the kind of guy that can fire up a young team like Colorado and get them playing full-hearted hockey, and thats something the league seems to be missing right now.
So who do you think won the off-season for coaches? My say would be New York, but potentially Colorado. Anyway, let me know what you think, and thanks for reading!
First of all, just wanna let you know that my Baltimore Blades concept has been featured and reviewed on hockeyjerseyconcepts.com, and it got a pretty solid review. If you'd like to check that out and view the other concepts of the day, check out Monday's article and have a looksie.
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Okay, so a simple concept for today's post. With next season creeping closer and closer each day, here are 10 things that could happen next year that could make the year even more exciting. In no particular order:
1. Selanne leads the league in scoring.
It's not even confirmed that he is playing next year, but most signs point towards he will be. His numbers have been declining to more human-levels as of late. But his work ethic is matched by no one, and is a smart enough player that he could figure out a way to compete with the best. He has a good team in Anaheim this year, and I think that this is possible, a longshot, but possible. It would be cool to end his career with the same flair as the start of his career.
2. A Maple Leaf leads the league in scoring.
So if Selanne can't win it, then this would be good too. Hear me out on this one, as most of you are probably scratching your heads. Presumably this would be narrowed down to Kessel or Kadri. Both would be able to stick it to somebody good if this was to happen. If Kessel won, then Toronto would have a huge monkey off their back from the backlash of the infamous Kessel trade, which now seems to be leaning in favour of TO anyway. If Kadri won, Brian Burke would look more like a schmuck than ever, and I'm in favour of anything that accomplishes that. Plus I really like Kadri as a player, so with all bias intended, I'd like to see him do well.
3. The Winter Classic sets the all-time hockey game attendance record.
This is almost a sure thing to happening. The 2014 Winter Classic has Detroit hosting Toronto in Ann Arbour. This is where the record currently stands for a game between NCAA's Michigan vs Michigan State. Over 100,000 people attended the game, and the official record will almost surely be topped when 2 of hockey's most popular teams hits the ice.
4. Winnipeg makes the playoffs.
Poor Winnipeg, here I give Toronto and Anaheim such lofty goals, while I sit here merely hoping Winnipeg can be better than almost half of their division. But this is a hope for me because I can see playoff hockey in Winnipeg getting outright insane. The building is extremely loud to begin with, and the fans are really behind the team their. Honestly, they still have a pretty weak team. But if they make the playoffs, I'd be excited to see it.
5. Edmonton goes on a playoff run.
I want this strictly because I'm sick of Edmonton fans saying "this is our year" for the last decade. Seriously though, their window of opportunity is closing fast and they'll have major cap issues after this year, so I hope they can pull it together and make all those 1st Overall picks count for something.
6. Vintage Brodeur ends his career in style.
This is most likely Brodeur's last year, and I'd be surprised if he stays starter for the entire year. However, despite his age, there is still legendary skill to be had by the netminder, and it would be nice for him to end his career on a high-note. Another cup run, perhaps?
7. Dominic Hasek comes out of retirement, again.
Sadly no chance for that happening, at least at the NHL level. But I'd be so excited to see the Dominator back on the ice. He's a colourful character, and easily my favourite goaltender of all time. He's talked about coming back every year for the last few years, but the lockout pretty much dashed those plans last year for good. Unlike most post-retirement comebacks, I think this would be worth it.
8. Minnesota and Detroit play an exhibition game in Ottawa.
And as an added bonus, the team with the loudest boos for Heatley or Alfie get bonus goals. Okay... Now I'm just making stuff up.
9. New Jersey gets a new jersey.
Since they're part of the Stadium Series games in New York, and New York has said new uniforms will be incorporated into the games, then this should be a sure thing. But I don't want them just to go red and green. Lets have something new. They're one of the only teams to stay the same and not have a 3rd jersey ever (besides their throwback green ones), along with teams like Detroit and Montreal. New Jersey isn't a historic franchise, so lets see something new. Devils is such a cool name to work with. Now, Im not saying I'm against their current logo. I love their look, and it's one of my favourites in the league. I just want to see something original from one of the league's blandest teams.
10. A team from Florida wins the Stanley Cup
Lol jk, I'd be pissed if I seen that. No, what I'd really love to see is an all-Canadian matchup for the Cup. The league would love this, the fans would love this, and I would really really love this. But problem: the western Canadian teams don't really look that good. Vancouver might be a good team, but I'm still iffy on Torts. I'd almost bet the farm on Calgary and Winnipeg not making the playoffs, let alone a cup run, and Edmonton might finally have their year, but I don't see them as a cup contender.
Meanwhile, I like the way Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa is shaping up, and I wouldn't be shocked if one of them made a cup run of their own this year.
Alright, so enough of my jibber jabber. What are you excited about maybe happening next year? Any thoughts on my ideas? Let me know! Thanks for reading.
