Mom Breaks up Fight! [Video]

These mites were ready to totally throw down until mom scolded them from the stands. In all seriousness, after playing hockey from a young age, I’ve heard some amazingly bloodthirsty parents who probably didn’t care much about the overall safety of everyone involved, so it’s nice to at least see a few parents who have their heads screwed on straight. Although, part of me wanted to see how this ‘fight’ would have ended up. At least the kids seem to have the glove drop down so early in their careers.

It’s never fun when Mom breaks up a good time. Case in point:

{from Deadspin}

Alexander Frolov Headed to NYR

Arguably the second-best forward in the UFA pool, Alexander Frolov appears to be on the move in the next few days, as his agent claims Frolov will sign a one-year contract with the New York Rangers.

“Alexander Frolov will soon put his signature on a contract with the New York Rangers. He made a decision that he will play one more year in the NHL,” he said. “And then it will be clearer where he will continue his career.” {Puck Daddy from SovSport}

It wasn’t really a huge surprise that Frolov wouldn’t be playing for the Kings, but like Kovalchuk, his asking price was simply out of the question for most teams, and the only way to handle players like this is to clearly skip over the cap with a long front loaded deal, or see if they’ll bite on a one-year deal instead of a lengthy commitment.

More than anything, Frolov’s night in, night out effort has come into question, but by all appearances, he was far from happy in Los Angeles.

“And the Kings marred Alexander’s last season by criticizing him, shifting him from the first line to the third, by benching him. You can’t show a good game like this.

Don’t you know how people are treated in the NHL? If a player has a year left on his contract it is necessary to spoil his season in order not to sign him for big money. That’s what happened with Frolov.

It was somewhat tough. You, as an agent, realize that Frolov’s price on the market dropped.

Of course. That’s why the contract with the Rangers is signed only for one season. And actually this situation is similar to the one Maxim Afinogenov(notes) had last year when he signed his contract with Atlanta.

A forward worth a few million dollars for $800,000.

It’s clear. But you need to give up something to gain something in the future. I think that Afinogenov had an excellent season. And now his price on the market rose.

Frolov probably didn’t have a great desire to play for Los Angeles when being treated that way.

There were no talks like that, that’s why I cannot say something definite to that effect. Moreover, right now Frolov is almost in New York. He left from one major US city to another, now in the East. It’s a huge city with a lot of temptations.” {SovSport, translated by Dmitry Chesnokov}

I’m not totally sure I buy into this front office sabotage – good play and consistent numbers beget more ice time, and Frolov put up some of the worst numbers of his career in 2010. The Kings weren’t exactly a Cup threat, but they could have had a deep playoff run in them, and I don’t think GM’s are willing to throw away chances for incredibly profitable home playoff games because they want to drive the price of a star player down. It’s an interesting angle to consider, sure, and it’s possible that it does happen more often than we’d like to think, but in this case, I think it’s safe to say Frolov got cranky and wanted to get his shots in before he walked out the door.

Either case, the combination of Marian Gaborik and Frolov will make the Rangers a much more dangerous team in the offensive zone, and with Lundqvist as the backbone in net, New York could become a force in the East.

Best Fight of 2010 – Janssen vs. Leblond

NHL.com compiled a top-ten list of the best fights of the 2009-2010 (don’t worry, I’ll release my own top ten list on TPD this week), and this scrap between Cam Janssen and Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond came out on top. After watching this epic, it’s hard to disagree. I’m a Blues fan, and like I’ve said in the past, I’m not really a fan of his, but this fight is an entertaining and even-sided bout.

I think I’d have to give the decision to Janssen, but it’s a close finish in my opinion. Who do you think won this fight?

Will Chicago Re-Sign Niemi?

Chicago’s Cup-winning goaltender Antti Niemi will head to arbitration in a few days (barring a contract agreement before the 29th), and the Blackhawks front office is desperately trying to retain their talent while struggling to fit their roster under the cap.

“Niemi made $827,000 last season and is slated for a raise after helping the Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup championship in 49 years.

The team and Niemi have not been actively discussing a contract recently, according to a person familiar with the situation, making the date with an arbitrator more and more likely.

“We’re still negotiating with Antti,” Hawks general manager Stan Bowman said. “It’s a back and forth. We’re trying to get it done so we’ll keep at it. “It’s a negotiation. Both sides have their points of view so hopefully it works out.” {ESPN}

The Blackhawks are up against the salary cap (third-highest total salary in the NHL behind only the Canucks and the Devils), and while they’ve still got some options with some of their troublesome contracts, they’ll be hard-pressed to accommodate the raise Niemi will likely get from the arbitrator. Christobal Huet’s $5 million dollar hit will probably come off the books when Chicago buries him in Rockford, and while they’ve shopped Brian Campbell, they’ve yet to find any team willing to take his huge contract. Patrick Sharp was rumored to be on the block as well, but GM Stan Bowman flatly denied any trade rumors, saying that Sharp would stay with the team for the 2011 season.

So where do the Hawks go from here? They could trade Niemi if the organization doesn’t want to pony up for his new contract, they can walk away from the arbitrator’s decision, and sign a veteran goaltender like Marty Turco. This option seems a bit far fetched for me, but if the two parties can’t reach an agreement, Chicago might not have any other choice. Realistically, I think Chicago wants to retain as much personnel from last year’s roster, and they will probably find a way for Niemi’s contract to work.

Antti Niemi deserves the same kind of deal Jaroslav Halak got in St.Louis – somewhere in the neighborhood of $3-$4 million per year, but the Hawks might be able to get away with a one year deal for $2-$2.5 million:

“The Hawks can’t seek a two year arbitration ruling because Niemi will be eligible to be a free agent next July 1. (Stick taps to well informed reader RJF who corrected my mistake on the CBA.)

Zito knows all about the risks to his client, and because Niemi has a short resume there are many. From what I have heard the negotiations are proceeding at a snail’s pace.

My guess is Niemi signs a one year extension for less than $2.5 million and stays with the Blackhawks, but my confidence is waning. He would still get a nice raise although probably not as much as before Niklas Hjalmarsson’s offer sheet. But if the Hawks didn’t win the Cup, Niemi would probably have settled for an extension in the $1.5 million range, so it isn’t all bad.

By re-signing with the Hawks before arbitration Niemi accomplishes a few things which are very important. He stays with a pretty good team and goal tender coach who has helped him improve. In 2010-2011, Niemi will have a great chance to prove he is a legit number one goal keeper over an entire season.

If Niemi improves, and I believe he will, the money will be there for him next summer. Maybe it won’t be with the Blackhawks but Niemi will get a large contract somewhere as long as he proves to be a dependable starting goal keeper. Mr. Zito realizes the same and will most likely agree to a contract extension for his client by early next week.” {Hockey Independent}

The defending Cup champions have a solid core of players – between Toews, Kane, Hossa and Keith, they can acquire or develop the more marginal pieces necessary to make another deep playoff run this year, but in net, there’s still some question marks, and the next few days should give us all some answers.

Winnipeg Jets Fan Calls 911

Winnipeg saw its last NHL game in 1996 – the Jets were forced to move to Phoenix because of ownership issues. Fourteen years later, Winnepeg is still the same kind of hockey hotbed it was back in the 90′s. Case in point:

“Well, for one individual, the frustration finally boiled over. This particular soul, a 32-year-old resident of nearby Lundar, Manitoba, reached the point of no return and realized he was mad as hell and he wasn’t going to take it anymore. As any sane person would do when facing a similar issue, he called 911 to air his grievances regarding the Jets leaving town in 1996 and demanded that RCMP officers do anything in their power to get the Jets to move back to Winnipeg. He has been charged with “public mischief, false messages, harassing phone calls and obstructing justice.”

Interestingly, this incident occurred over a year ago and it wasn’t until the intrepid reporters at the Winnipeg Free Press recently uncovered court documents depicting the sordid tale of betrayal, a twisted sense of provincial vigilantism and the dream of righting the wrongs done upon a humble Canadian community.

“He began the conversation by saying he wanted the Jets back. He was quite upset about it,” a justice source told the Free Press on Wednesday.

The emergency dispatcher politely told the angry caller there was nothing she could do to help him and reminded him that he was tying up a valuable resource before hanging up. But the man continued to phone back, claiming he had a lot on his mind.

“He had apparently been drinking and told police he hadn’t slept in days. He started talking about world conglomerates, things like that. He was hallucinating, obviously,” said the source.

I imagine 911 operators routinely have to deal with the fringe elements of society who do not understand that 911 should only be called for, you know, real emergencies, but it wasn’t until the caller became verbally abusive that the boys in blue (or whatever color cops where in Canada) were called in for assistance.

The final straw came when the man began insulting the 911 operator, eventually calling her a crude name. She warned him that his number had been traced and police were being sent out to arrest him.

“If you’re coming to get me, can you bring me some smokes,” was his reply.” {Sportress of Blogitude}

Hilarious. I think the best part is that he made multiple calls to the operators wanting to talk about the Jets, before finally demanding that the cops force the Jets back to Winnepeg. And if the cops are coming to arrest you, I guess a pack of smokes might make the whole thing a little better, right?

Zetterberg’s Strange Wedding Pics

Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg married Swedish model and TV host Emma Andersson this week, but the real story coming out of this wedding is the off-the-wall dress code:

“So why’s everyone wearing a prison-striped onesie? First and foremost, Molle’s a southern Swedish town overlooking the Baltic Sea, and as a resort town (and Emma Andersson’s hometown…with the pre-wedding dinner taking place at a restaurant just a short walk from her home), and it’s apparently known for the fact that its “baths” were public and open to both men and women as early as the late 19th century.

And at once guests were ordered to go to their hotel rooms–to change.

They all had the same clothes, the old classic striped swimsuit and white robes.

Then the 120 guests were bused to the venue of the first Swedish communal baths, Ransvik, and everyone laughed out loud at the uniform dress code.

“It’s wonderful to be here and I look forward to the wedding,” said Pavel Datsyuk, Zata’s teammate on the Detroit Red Wings.

“Feels fantastic”

Then the guests mingled and ate hors d’oeuvres, and the couple arrived to the rocky beach in a rowboat. Even then several friends and relatives were bathing.

“It feels great to get going. And everyone looks so nice in their swimsuits,” says Emma.

Many of the guests have access to the couple via the hockey rink.

Besides “Zata’s” Russian teammate, Pavel Datsyuk, he also invited Finn Valtteri Filppula and all the Swedes on the Detroit Red Wings.

Even Jonathan “Jonte” Hedstrom, a friend of “Zata” since they played together on Timra, and Mikael Samuelsson, a former Detroit player, are there.

“All weddings are fun but this is going to be extremely exciting with all the hockey players here,” said Mikael Samuelsson.

Last night the celebration continued at the Grand Hotel with a barbecue and live bands.

Today, the couple will be married in a church in Brunnby.

“Now bang it [let's get started]!” said Emma Andersson.

You might want to note in the group photo that some of the attendees are wearing fake moustaches, fake Coke bottle glasses and vintage-1900 hats. It’s a big gag on tradition, and Hank and Emma obviously sprung it on the wedding guests. A very knowing joke.” {MLive}

I got nothing to add here, except that I wish Mr. and Mrs. Zetterberg all the best, and as a Blues fan, these photos make me smile.

Iraq Vet Loses Leg, Still Plays Hockey

Retired US Army Sergeant Joseph Bowser was seriously wounded during his service in Iraq back in 2004, but he hasn’t let his injury diminish his love for hockey:

“After he was wounded in Iraq, Joseph Bowser was told he could keep his right leg or have it amputated. If it were amputated, he was told, he would be able to keep doing all things he used to do. The first thing that came to his mind was ice hockey. “So,” Bowser said, “I guess I’m the only guy you’re going to meet who had their leg amputated so I could play hockey.”

The retired Army sergeant stood proud on his prosthetic left leg Thursday as the NHL, the Washington Capitals and Verizon Wireless donated equipment to the USA Warriors Ice Hockey Program.

After a ceremonial faceoff featuring Hall of Fame goaltender Grant Fuhr and Capitals assistant coach Bob Woods, about two dozen wounded veterans from Walter Reed Army Medical Center took to the ice for a clinic. There are 40 service members from the Army and Marines in the program, including 15 who play sled hockey.

“A lot of them never played hockey before,” said Bob Banach, president of the program. “But once they get out there, they realize how much fun they have. It’s all about the camaraderie.”

Bowser has been playing since he was a child on ponds and creeks in Toledo, Ohio. He was wounded from shrapnel from a rocket that landed inside Camp Anaconda north of Baghdad in April 2004.

A week later he was at Walter Reed and was told his left foot was “a drop foot”—essentially useless. It would require a brace and cause him pain the rest of his life. The alternative was to amputate just below the knee.

“I said I wanted to play hockey,” he said.

A year later, he was back on the ice for the first time.

“I went out there and had an absolute ball,” Bowser said. “Who would have ever thought? I just passed the puck around, having a good time. I would never guessed in a million years that I would be right here. To me, hockey season’s all year long, so my wife calls herself a hockey widow. But I told her, when I’m on the ice, that’s when I feel normal. I feel like everybody else. I play with two-legged people all the time.”

The 50-year-old Bowser now lives near Baltimore and plays in various local leagues, and some of his opponents don’t realize he has a disability. When he got knocked over in a game, he asked someone to help twist his leg back into place. The player wouldn’t touch it because he thought he had broken Bowser’s leg—not realizing it was a prosthetic.

“I must be pretty good,” Bowser said with a smile, “for them not to even know.”

Bowser helped launch the Walter Reed hockey program, which began in earnest about 2½ years ago. As with other sports programs for wounded veterans, the purpose is to get the patients out of the hospital and boost their spirits.

“Anything we can do to get them out and active and be a part of the team and back out in the world and back out into society,” Banach said. “It’s a whole new skill for them that they didn’t realize they can do, because a lot for them were never even exposed to the game. But it really helps them out, not just for hockey, but to get out and forget about the hospital setting.” {THN.com}

I saw this story while I was clicking through THN, and I really couldn’t help but run it here as well. It’s both incredible and inspiring that Bowser is still able to play after losing his leg, and that his competitors often cannot even tell that he’s disabled at all. Really goes to show the kind of devoted and resilient community our sport has.

NHL Rejects Kovalchuk Deal

The National Hockey League has reportedly rejected the blockbuster contract the New Jersey Devils signed Ilya Kovalchuk with. The league is claiming his 17 year, $100 million dollar deal circumvents the salary cap, because both parties are aware that Kovalchuk won’t play until the end of the contract:

“The NHL has rejected Ilya Kovalchuk’s 17-year, $102 million contract with the New Jersey Devils on the grounds that it circumvents the NHL’s salary cap.

Kovalchuk was slated to earn $95 million over the first 10 years of the deal and then just $7 million over the last seven seasons. That would translate to an annual cap hit of $6 million per year.

TSN Insider Darren Dreger explains that the deal was rejected due to the fact that the NHL does not believe that either Kovalchuk nor the Devils expected the 2004 Rocket Richard trophy winner would be playing near end of the contract and that it is a case of artificially lowering the annual average value of the contract. The Devils must now either file the contract once again or the Players’ Association can file a grievance.

Should the NHLPA decide to file a grievance, the contract would remain dead until an arbitrator determines otherwise. The current CBA explains circumvention as the following in section 26.3:

(a) No Club or Club Actor, directly or indirectly, may: (i) enter into any agreements, promises, undertakings, representations, commitments, inducements, assurances of intent, or understandings of any kind, whether express, implied, oral or written, including without limitation, any SPC, Qualifying Offer, Offer Sheet or other transaction, or (ii) take or fail to take any action whatsoever, if either (i) or (ii) is intended to or has the effect of defeating or Circumventing the provisions of this Agreement or the intention of the parties as reflected by the provisions of this Agreement, including without limitation, provisions with respect to the financial and other reporting obligations of the Clubs and the League, Team Payroll Range, Player Compensation Cost Redistribution System, the Entry Level System and/or Free Agency.

Should the deal have been approved, the 17-year pact would have been the longest contract in NHL history, topping the 15-year deal that the New York Islanders handed goaltender Rick DiPietro and the 13-year offer agreed to by two-time Hart Trophy winner Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. The contract was to include a no-movement clause for the first seven seasons and a no-trade clause for the last nine.

The 27-year-old rejected a $101 million, 12-year extension from the Atlanta Thrashers before being dealt to the Devils in February.

Kovalchuk had 41 goals and 44 assists last season, including 10 goals and 17 assists with the Devils.” {TSN.ca}

Still more details emerging, but it looks like the contract will at the very least have to be reworked. The contract was an extension of the trend we’ve seen with the big-name players in the NHL – guys like Marian Hossa and Chris Pronger signed similarly backloaded deals to minimize their yearly cap hit on their respective teams.

I’m not surprised at all that the NHL put their foot down on this loophole. If they didn’t draw the line at 17 years, where would they? 20 years? 30 years? It’s an issue the league knew they would have to look at in the next CBA, but Bettman and company decided not to let this one slide. No word yet on what implication this has on Kovalchuk’s decision, or if voiding this contract means he’s free to leave Jersey. More details as they come out.

Kovalchuk to Sign with the Devils on Tuesday

After months of speculation, Ilya Kovalchuk finally pulled the trigger on a deal with the New Jersey Devils, signing (supposedly) a seven year, $60 million dollar contract. signing a 17 year, $100 million+ contract to stay in Jersey.

“It looks like Ilya Kovalchuk is staying in New Jersey.

According to the team’s official Twitter account, the winger has signed a contract and will have a press conference to announce the deal on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Kovalchuk’s agent Jay Grossman said on Twitter: “Ilya Kovalchuk will make his decision today (for sure, this time!)”.

The 27-year old Kovalchuk, was the best forward available when free agency opened on July 1, and had been rumoured to be heading to either the Los Angeles Kings or the Devils.

In fact, talks with the Kings have reportedly started and stopped three times in the last 19 days, as the two sides tried to come to an agreeable salary.

The New York Post reported on July 5 that Kovalchuk and the Devils were close to an agreement on a seven-year, $60 million contract.

Kovalchuk scored 41 goals and 44 assists last year in a season split between the Devils and the Atlanta Thrashers. He was dealt to New Jersey on Feb. 4 along with Anssi Salmela and a 2nd-round draft pick in exchange for Niclas Bergfors, Johnny Oduya, Patrice Cormier, as well as New Jersey’s first and second-round 2010 draft picks.

“This was a long arduous process that has taken frankly a little longer than I thought,” agent Jay Grossman said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. “But you know what, nothing is worth anything unless you work for it.

“I can tell you he is very happy to be with the New Jersey Devils.”

The Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders, Devils and SKA St. Petersburg of Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League talked with Kovalchuk since free agency started July 1.

The final decision came down to the Kings and Devils. New Jersey will officially reintroduce Kovalchuk to New Jersey at a news conference Tuesday.

Grossman refused to say Kovalchuk decided to stay because he felt the Devils had a better chance to win the Stanley Cup.

“This was so far complex that I don’t want to get into those questions,” Grossman said. “Obviously his goal is to win the Stanley Cup.

“If he didn’t think there was an opportunity to do that, then he would not have gone there.”

Neither Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello nor star forward Zach Parise immediately returned telephone messages seeking comment.

The team’s only major loss during the off-season was defenceman Paul Martin, who signed with the Atlantic Division-rival Pittsburgh Penguins.

Kovalchuk, 27, was traded to the Devils by Atlanta in February after rejecting a 12-year, US$101-million extension offered by the Thrashers.

Kovalchuk had 41 goals and 44 assists last season while earning $7.5 million. But he posted only 10 goals and 17 assists with the Devils.

When the trade with the Thrashers was completed, Lamoriello felt his team finally had the goal scorer it needed to make a run at a fourth Stanley Cup title since 1995.

It didn’t work out that way. Kovalchuk had two goals in the post-season, but the Devils were eliminated by the Philadelphia Flyers in five games in the opening round. It was New Jersey’s third straight exit in the first round.

Kovalchuk has won only one playoff game in his NHL career.” {TSN.ca}

Absolutely stunning news coming out of Jersey, as all signs were really pointing toward the Kings landing him, but this news is coming from the Devils official Twitter account, so it’s definitely legit. I’ll update the details as they come in.

Five Ways I’d Change the NHL

Last week, I read an article from ESPN columnist Pierre LeBrun where he listed five changes he’d make to the NHL. I wanted to riff off his ideas, and submit my own list of suggestions I’d make to the Commissioner.

#5 Kill the All-Star Game

LeBrun mentioned this in his original article, and I couldn’t agree more. The All-Star Game is inarguably a meaningless game – the players clearly don’t like losing some time off, and a couple years ago, Pavel Datsuk and Nik Lidstrom didn’t show up at all, citing ‘injuries’. It doesn’t draw in new fans, and to that end, the NHL has created something much better for raising its profile with the casual viewer – the Winter Classic.

I remember going to Mexico with my family for a vacation, and while I was on a tour bus, I met an older married couple from Montreal. We talked about hockey most of the ride, and surprisingly, they didn’t talk about the Cups the Habs won during their lifetimes, but the Summit Series between the Soviets and the Canadians. They claimed it was the ‘best hockey’ they’d ever seen, and if you watch some of those games, the quality of play is unreal. Like LeBrun suggested, why not try and capture some of that if the league wants to keep the All-Star Game? Let’s have an NHL vs. KHL matchup. Anything to keep this stagnant event progressing.

#4 Add a Dedicated Head-Check Penalty

No, I don’t want to have a ‘sissified’ NHL, and I don’t want to add more rules to our bloated rulebook, but undeniably, the game is getting progressively quicker and faster, which in turn, makes our sport much more dangerous. If you take a look at some of the more vicious hits we saw last season, a majority of them are shots (intentionally or unintentionally) directly at the opponents head. It’s not about erasing the physical aspect of our game, but it’s about the safety of the professionals who play it.

Do you remember the tragic death of Brittanie Cecil? She was struck in the head by a errant puck at a Blue Jackets game, and the NHL responded by adding netting around the end boards. Why should the league wait until someone is seriously hurt or worse before taking some action on this issue? Add a simple major-penalty for head checks, and at least add some measure of deterrence to the hitting in our game.

#3 Get Rid of the Loser Point

Since the NHL introduced the shootout, the debate has raged on – is it good or bad for the game? Should the league just scrap the whole idea and return to the tie system? I don’t want to deal with that whole question, but I do think the NHL should get rid of the point in the standings awarded to the losing team in the OT or shootout period. Teams don’t deserve a bump in their division and conference just for getting to overtime.

#2 Relocate Teams to Canada

Just by the numbers alone, another team in Canada would improve the profitability and profile of the NHL by quite a bit. Currently, the NHL makes close to 31% of its total revenue from the six teams located in Canada, and adding a seventh team up north in a receptive and viable market would be a great step forward for the game.

The key would be a solid and dependable market that could support a franchise completely, and as Bettman has said in the past, already has an NHL-caliber arena. The only city that meets all of those requirements right now would be Winnepeg, but Quebec City could soon have an arena, and the league has expressed interest in returning if the time is right.

For too long, the NHL has financially supported weak teams in the US. They straight-up controlled the Phoenix Coyotes, and gave the Tampa Bay Lightening cash so they could meet their own payroll last year. Instead of trying to force the game into markets that clearly don’t want it, bring the sport back to its receptive base.

#1 Add a ‘Challenge System’

It’s completely absurd that the NHL lags so far behind other sports in the utilization of technology to ensure accurate and fair officiating. Professional Tennis uses specialized computer programs that precisely determines the position of the ball, completely removing the human aspect from critical plays. The NHL uses a single ‘war-room’ in Toronto that handles all controversial calls, and as we’ve often seen in the past, they frequently drop the ball on obvious penalty and goal calls.

I’ve written about this topic in the past, and I’ll always get a slew of comments defending the on-ice officials, saying how difficult it is to get calls right in such a fast paced game. Listen, when your job gives you a computer instead of notepad, they’re not impugning your handwriting ability, they’re just giving you the best tools possible to succeed. The NHL could implement technology that would help the on-ice officials make the most accurate and fair calls consistently, but now, the referees only get a single set of headphones to listen to the ‘war-room’ tell them what really happened on the ice. Add a challenge system to the NHL – allow each team two challenges per game, and give the on-ice officials a monitor (just like the NFL) to view each replay in detail. It’s not that difficult to implement, and would improve the quality of the officiating by leaps and bounds.

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