Will Shane Doan Leave the Desert?

The title of this post is a straight forward question. Unfortuntly the answer to this question is not as straight forward. There are many factors which are contributing to Doan's decision. Will the Coyotes stay in Pheonix? Can the Coyotes win a Cup? Does he want to play in a bigger hockey market? Will the team have a legitimate owner? These are all questions he is pondering while trying to make his decision.

Doan is the biggest free agent left on the market. Right from July 1, he made it clear his decision would not come quickly. He originall said he'd wait till the 15th, then he said he'd wait till July 27th for the Coyotes to make up their mind. He's now starting to meet with other teams such as the Rangers, Canucks, Flyers and Predators. In total 16 teams are in on the "Doan sweepstakes".

One of the reasons he is still on the market is his asking price. Doan has said if he were to leave Phoenix he wants a 4 year deal worth $30 million. While he may be a top notch players, he's not likely to get a deal like that from many teams. First of all Doan is 35 and will be 36 by the start of the 2012-2013 season. In another 4 years Doan will be 40. Will he still be playing at age 40? Will he still be a dominate player? Will he be able to help his team? What team would give a 35 year old a 4 year deal worth $30 million? Doan would have a better chance getting a 2 year deal.

The Phoenix Coyotes have roughly $7.5 million in cap space left. Interesting how Doan has asked for 4 years at $30 million which works out to just over $7 million a year. Adding to the question, does Doan really want to leave the desert?

"I've made no bones about the fact that I want to go back to Phoenix if the situation works out" ~ Shane Doan

Doans first objective is to return to the Coyotes, the team he has spent his entire 16 year career with. He's been the captain for the last seven seasons and is the franchise player. If you ask someone to name a player from the Coyotes 9 time out of 10 its Shane Doan. Losing Doan would be a major setback for the Coyotes and would leave many a fan with a broken heart.

Doan averages around 20 goals and 50 points a season. But it's more than his ability to put points up on the board that makes him so valuable. He's a great leader both on and off the ice. Each and every night he comes to play, battle and stick up for his teammates. He has respect from around the league and won the Mark Messier Leadership award in 2012. He's the type of player you want on your team, if you can get him for the right price!

After the Coyotes made it to the Western Conference finals and came just a couple wins shy of a Stanley Cup Finals appearence, why would he want to leave? If winning a Stanley Cup is his main objective for leaving (and many believe it is) then why freely leave a team that got you within two wins of making it to the big show?

Back to the original question: Will Shane Doan leave the desert? I think it's highly unlikely. Despite him starting to meet and take other offers from teams his heart, his home and his family are all in Phoenix. If I was a betting man I'd place my money on him staying in the desert.

So why hasn't he signed on the dotted lines yet? Like every other hockey player Doan is human. Greed and self pride get in the way. He's been a part of the Coyotes franchise for a long time, he's been the captain and has lead the team. He's convinced himself he's worth all the money and attention. He's letting the Coyotes know, if a deal is to get done it will be done by his terms. While Doan wants to stay loyal to his team, he wants to squeze every last penny he can out of them. But I'd be ready to see him back in a Coyotes sweater next season.
Does he deserve it? You be the Judge..

What You Need to Know July 27

Welcome to another edition of "What You Need to Know". You know the drill, I take you through all the important stories from the world of hockey over the past week and get you guys caught up. I'm also catching myself up this week, as I've been a little under the weather. Here we go!

• Shea Weber

Let's start off with the biggest story. The Nashville Predators decided to match the offer sheet Weber had signed with the Philadelphia Flyers. This means Weber will be staying in the music city for the next 14 years and with $110 Million chasing out a major pay check as it is the 2nd highest contract in the league. (Behind Alexander Ovechkin). This was a huge deal and a must happen move by the Predators. They already lost their 2nd best defenceman in Ryan Suter, and they stood on the verge of losing their number one defenceman and captain. The Predators said it best

"The most important hockey transaction  in franchise history"

It was sign Weber and maintain a team capable of making the playoffs or lose Weber and begin a long rebuild. But it dives deeper than just the effect this signing has on Weber. The Predators have in turn sent a positive message to all remaining Preds showing the team is not afraid to sign a long term deal, money is no issue and they are committed to keeping their captain. It also shows other teams around the league the Predators will not be "bullied" by owners with deep pockets, stealing away their players.

Another detail that many forget is the fact Weber didn't really want to leave the Predators. When news broke originally that he signed an offer sheet with the Flyers, many instantly started saying he was bailing on the team. The reason he signed the offer sheet with the Flyers was to push the Predators into giving him a deal. Weber is their captain, no way he'd want to bail on the team. Weber was after some security and perhaps even a bigger pay day. In August of 2011 Weber was awarded a one year contract worth $7.5 million. He didn't want the Predators to toy around with his rights, he forced them to make up their mind. Thankfully this deal worked out for both the Predators and Shea Weber.

• Rick Nash

Did I mention it was a crazy week for players signing and changing teams? The Rick Nash saga is finally over. The Blue Jackets traded Nash along with a third round draft pick and Steven Delisle to the Rangers in exchange for Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky and Tim Erixon. Talk about highway robbery.

The thing I love most about this deal, has nothing to do with the deal itself. It's the fact the Rangers were able to give up "little" to get a fairly skilled player in Nash. Which will translate to the rest of the league and make the asking "prices" for other players (especially those who ask for trades) much cheaper. Hopefully this deal will reset the market and get asking prices back to normal.

I do feel bad for the Blue Jackets who were put in a catch 22 scenario, as Nash wanted out but would only go to select teams. Ultimately they lost this deal, but that's what happens when you ask for the moon.

• Alexander Semin

Free agent Alexander Semin has finally chosen a destination, and he's joining a team poised to make a serious Cup run next season. No it's not the Pittsburgh Penguins who were rumoured to be in on the Russian sniper, it's the surprise Carolina Hurricanes. The two sides agreed to terms on a one year deal worth $7 million. While the Hurricanes may have over payed for the former Capital who was stuck in Ovechkin's shadow, they are certainly making all the right moves to make a solid run next season. Semin joins Jordan Staal who was also acquired this offseason and other elite players in Cam Ward and Jeff Skinner.

Eric Staal, Jordan Staal, Alexander Semin, Jeff Skinner, and Jussi Jokinen.... Should I become a Carolina Hurricanes fan?
— Neal Burgess (@Porkn7) July 26, 2012

Teams in the Eastern Conference have gone to great lengths to improve their teams. The Flyers although missing out on Suter and Zach Parise are throwing contracts at every player who can skate, the Hurricanes are poised for a solid season, the Rangers may have added that one key piece they were missing and the Sabres added two solid prospects in the draft. Maybe the Penguins will have some competition as the Eastern Conference power houses.

The Carolina Hurricanes have added Jordan Staal and Alexander Semin this summer.. I think there's a new force in the East #Canes
— Michael Martin (@OhMyReeses) July 26, 2012

With both Nash and Semin off the market the biggest fish left is Shane Doan.

• Horton Cleared for contact

Huge news for Boston Bruins fans Nathan Horton who has been out since January due to a concussion has been given medical Clarence to begin participating in contact drills. Not having Horton hurt the Bruins offensively last season and by getting a healthy version of him back would be like adding a top 6 forward. Horton played a major part in the Bruins Stanley Cup victory and without him in the lineup the Bruins went 18-16-2 compared to 31-13-2 prior to his concussion.

This was Horton's 2nd concussion in six months, so the Bruins wanted to take extra care while waiting for him to become fully recovered. Huge news for the Bruins and a sigh of relief for Horton.

• Claude Julien sticking around

Sticking with the Bruins, they announced on Monday they had extended the contract of head coach Claude Julien. While the Bruins refused to say how long the extension was, GM Peter Chiarelli stressed how important it was to keep the core that won the cup in 2011 and that included the coach.

"We feel we've come a long way toward keeping the critical mass together for this team, because we feel it's a strong team and continues to be a strong team. One of the core components in this critical mass is sitting beside me, our coach, Claude Julien."

Yakupov signs with Oilers

The first overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft has signed his three-year entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers. The deal insures he will stay in the NHL and not depart for the KHL (if there was any doubt). Yakupov joins Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as the Oilers trio of first round draft picks.

• NHLPA vs. NHL

Let's talk about the big boys, if they don't get their issues worked out in time we wont have a chance to watch stars playing for their new teams. The NHLPA is bringing some of their concerns to the table.

NHL/NHLPA met yesterday. Player pensions, length of training camp and ice conditions were topics of conversation.NHLexpertpicks.com
— NHL Expert Picks (@NHLexpertpicks) July 27, 2012

Some of the issues discussed haven't been addressed sing the 90's and the players feel they need to change in the next CBA. There is also talk that NHL veterans don't want to participate in all the pre-season games.

That'll do it for your update this week folks. Remember there are just 76 days until the puck drops!

Who Won the Rick Nash Trade?

After spending his entire NHL career (9 seasons) with the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets and only making the playoffs once (2008-2009) captain and former franchise player Rick Nash went to management and told them he would be open to them trading him. Immediately talks started about the Nash sweepstakes and who would be willing to give up what Columbus wanted.

But like most star/franchise players Nash was given a No Trade Clause with his last contract, which prevented the Blue Jackets from trading him without his permission. But after the Blue Jackets started the year off 2-12-1, the worst start of any team in 19 years. Nash decided he would accept a trade out of town. The only catch, it had to be a trade to one of his "approved" teams. There was rumoured to be six teams that Nash would be willing to waive to go to: Boston, Detroit, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh, San Jose and Philadelphia. Can you tell he wants to be in the playoffs?

After many months and being accused of wanting too much in return for Nash, GM Scott Howson finally settled for a trade. It was announced Monday afternoon that the Blue Jackets had traded Rich Nash to the New York Rangers in exchange for Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Tim Erixon and a first round draft pick in the 2013 Draft. The Blue Jackets also included a 2013 3rd round draft pick and a minor league defenceman.

Who won the trade? The New York Rangers.


After the fantastic Playoff run the Rangers went on last season, many said they were just one "piece" away from being a true Stanley Cup contender. Technically they were just one win away from the Stanley Cup Finals, but acquiring Nash could only help right?
Imagine this:

With Gaborik, Richards, Nash, Stepan, Kreider, Hagelin, Callahan at FW, Rangers can avoid oppositions best D assignments. Maybe Doan too?
— Alex (@aj_ranger) July 23, 2012

The Rangers are stacked on offence right now, not including Henrik Lundqvist. With the acquisition of Nash, the Rangers new top line will likely include Richards at centre with Nash and Gaborik on the wings. The top line will be worth over $21 million. With Nash the Rangers are now considered legitimate cup contenders. (Like they weren't before).

Unfortunately for the Blue Jackets and Howson they got the short end of this deal. Howson said many times he was looking for quite a hefty return in exchange for Nash as a player with Nash's talent does come up often. But apparently other teams didn't have the same feelings, and there wasn't exactly a real bidding war over him. There is talk that Howson could have gotten more in exchange for Nash at the trade-deadline in February. But realistically his hands were tied. Nash controlled his fate with his NTC, other teams knew he wanted out, and Howson could only bargain with half a dozen teams.

By looking at this deal, it doesn't appear that Howson was able to get all he wanted. Although he'd never admit it, he got ripped off in the deal and many people are now saying the Blue Jackets are virtually an AHL team with the loss of Nash.

You know a trade is sad when people are debating who the best player headed to the Blue Jackets even is. Dubinsky has all the skill to be a top line players but tends to disappear during the playoffs and key moments. When Erixon was with the Flames he was considered a top prospect, but now being traded to his third team his value seems to have dropped off. While only time will tell who truly wins the deal as players can over perform and under perform but right now the Rangers got the better part of this deal.

Howson asked for the moon and because of that, anything that wasn't the moon only meant disappointment. It's never easy to replace a five time all star like Nash, but the Blue Jackets will miss his  scoring and leadership. In 9 seasons he scored at least 30 goals 7 times. Due to his lack of success with the Blue Jackets Nash is most remembered for his international play. He won the gold with Team Canada in the 2010 Olympics and was named best forward of the tournament. He has donned the Red and White maple leaf 7 times and has racked up 2 gold medals and 3 silvers. Most recently he captained team Canada at the 2012 IIHF Championship.

It was a trade that left many people speechless and wondering why Howson expected a great return when he got a rather week return. But who do you think won the trade? Also bonus question, who do you think will be the next Blue Jackets captain?

What You Need to Know July 20

Welcome to another edition of What You Need to Know. This edition is coming to you from the mountains just outside of Montreal. It's been a crazy week around the NHL so let's get you caught up.

Today we'll start with the biggest move and a scenario that would pretty much ruin the Nashville Predators. Chances are you've heard of Shea Weber, the heart and soul of the Predators and their captain. On Thursday morning news broke that Weber had signed an offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers. The good news for Predator fans, is Nashville still has an opportunity to match that offer sheet and keep their captain in the music city. Only problem, the offer sheet is huge. How huge? 14 years $110 million. What makes this even worse for the Predators is they just lost Weber's friend and defence partner Ryan Suter to the Wild. The Preds stand in danger of losing both of their top two defenceman (ones already gone) and their captain, not a scenario you want to face. Of course they could always match the offer sheet, but do they really want to spend all that money on Weber?
If the Predators fail to match the offer sheet, they will receive four draft picks in exchange. Could this be the start of a massive rebuild?

Not a major surprise but unrestricted free agent Shane Doan has still not made up his mind on whether he will return to Phoenix or "take his talents elsewhere." Whats he waiting for? He is waiting for some clearer information on the ownership of the Coyotes. News that could take months to come! Doan has spent the last 16 seasons in Phoenix, and has been the captain since 2003. He has submitted a list of teams, and received a $30 million offer from one team (rumoured to be the Sabres). Only time will tell if Doan stays in the desert.

Stepping away from free agency and signing for a minute. More news on the 2013 Winter Classic. Leafs alumni Mats Sundin and Tie Domi both announced they will play in the Winter Classic alumni game. The two will join former Leaf Darcy Tucker. All three donned the blue and white together for several seasons.

What is Gary Bettman doing right now? His sole focus right now is trying to get a new collective bargaining agreement in place and avoid the third lockout under his control.  Bettman said he was "Focused on making a deal"and that he wants the deal done with the NHLPA prior to September 15th. But NHLPA head Donald Fehr wasn't as fond of the deadline his counter part set. Fehr commented that business can stall go on even after the deadline:

"The law doesn't require that the industry shut down if you don't have an agreement. Somebody has to chose to shut it down. At the moment, I see no reason to do that. Hopefully they don't either." ~ Donald Fehr

Talk about a loaded gun. This is basically Fehr's way of saying "If there is a lockout, it wasn't my idea". It will be interesting to see how much of a fight the NHLPA is willing to put up. But do the players really want to take a year of hockey?

Back to the signings. Buffalo Sabres first round draft choice Mikhail Grigorenko has finally signed his three-year entry-level contract. Grigorenko is now Sabres property and can not go and play for the KHL. But here's the kicker, if Grigorenko fails to crack the Sabres roster out of training camp he can't go play for the Rochester Americans because of his age. Grigorenko would have to go back and play in the QMJHL.

Tis the season to add coaches.
Next to free agency one of the busiest things about July is teams switching assistant coaches.

The New Jersey Devils have added Scott Stevens as an assistant coach. Stevens played 13 seasons in the NHL and was one of the most feared defenceman. He captained the Devils to three Stanley Cup championships and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007. Decent resume eh?
Stevens will be in charge of the Devils defence.

The Chicago Blackhawks have added Jamie Kompon to their coaching staff. Kompon brings along a Stanley Cup ring from his days behind the Los Angeles Kings bench, where he spent 6 seasons prior.

Modano Return?
How much of an impact did the signing of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise have? It was big enough to convince Mike Modano to possibly come out of retirement and play one more season. Is there any truth to this rumour? Well Modano did start working out again on Monday, and didn't rule out the possibility of returning when he was asked.

"I don't know," he said. "You look at things and you wonder, 'What's the worst thing that could happen?' I mean, I get in better shape, one more year? That kind of intrigues me."

Mike Green returns to the Capitals
Mike Green is going to be seeing a lot of green after signing a three year extension with the Capitals. The two sides agreed to a three year deal worth $18.25 million, which will see him make $6 million for the next two years and then $6.25 million in the last deal. What do you think, is Mike Green worth the money?

That'll do it for this weeks update. Catch ya'll next week!

Can Gary Bettman Survive Another Lockout?

While there is no guarantee there will be a lockout next season, as of right now there is no collective bargaining agreement in place. If the NHL and NHLPA are unable to reach an agreement on the new CBA the NHL will likely enter into a lockout. A lockout should be the last thing NHL commissioner Gary Bettman wants.

Since taking over as the head of the NHL in 1993 Bettman has had his critics. He's made some great decisions and helped grow the game but he has also made some rather poor choices. A third lockout may put the final nail in his coffin.

The first lockout under Bettman came in his first full season as commissioner and resulted in the 1994-1995 season to be cut down to 48 games. The main issues during the lockout were the league wanting to add a salary cap and adjust the free agency rules. The lockout got so bad Bettman was even threatened by former player Chris Chelios. who claimed "a fan or even a player might take matters into their own hands to get Bettman out of the way."
The lockout eventually ended in January of 1995. The two sides had not agreed on the salary cap issue, but had decided to put a cap on rookie contracts, start salary arbitration and change the free agency rules, so no players would become UFA until they turned 31. Bettman won over the owners as many believed the owners won the lockout.

The next lockout came in 2004-2005. I remember this lockout, and was extremely disappointed when the season got cancelled. I even did a speech about the lockout and why it should end in 5th grade. It was also right around the time I became a Buffalo Sabres fan. The big issue surrounding the second lockout under Bettman was the players salaries and how much revenue they were making. The players were making 75% of all revenue earned by the league (only making around 57% now). The owners were upset with the contracts and that they players were earning more money. It was announced in September that the players had been "locked out" and then announced three months later the whole season had been cancelled. Making the NHL the first North American league to cancel a season over a labor stoppage. After cancelling the entire season Bettman quickly gained the reputation for being one of the worst business managers.
Eventually the two sides came to an agreement and a hard salary cap was brought in. Also included in the new CBA: Players revenue shares reduced by 24% and the right to be a free agent after 7 years.

Another reason Bettman is so unpopular (especially north of the border) is his insistence on expanding the NHL south of the border and putting NHL teams in markets that can't support. Take Phoenix for example. The city of Glendale can't afford the team, heck Gary Bettman even owns the team. They're in some series trouble. Bettman could pull the plug on the coyotes and move them North of the border to Quebec or another hockey hungry market. The majority of people living in Phoenix don't care about hockey! 

Another prime example: There are three hockey teams in Bettman's "backyard" while there is only one team in the largest hockey market in the world (Toronto).  It's sad to think of the 30 NHL franchises only 7 of them call Canada home, considering the game originated from here. Americans love football and basketball, the NHL has done their best to pump hockey into Americans, but they're not going to win them all. Bettman needs to wake up and realize their are markets north of the boarder just dieing for a hockey team. Quebec City and Markham (outside of Toronto) are both building new arenas that are big enough to shelter an NHL team.

The biggest question of all is Can the NHL survive another lockout? Forget about Bettman for a minute, let's focus on the game we all love. While us die hard hockey fans will cry ourselves to sleep if there is a lockout the majority of Americans or fringe hockey watchers will just find another sport to watch. No hockey, no big deal there's basketball and football. If the NHL starts losing fans to other sports. who says they'll come back to support the NHL?

So back to the original question, can Gary Betman survive another lockout. One would have to think the answer would be no. It will be the third lockout under his control, you have to think the owners and players are getting sick of it. The only way the way we would get rid of the dictator would be having more than 15 NHL owners vote against him. But what kind of league goes through three lockouts or work stoppages in less than 20 years? Could it be three strikes you're out for Gary Bettman?

NHL CBA Setting the Battle Grounds

How many of you are holding out hope or are optimistic that the 2012-2013 NHL season will start on time? Unfortunately those hopes took a major blow on the weekend after the NHL offered their new CBA proposal to the NHLPA. By the terms of the first offer it's clear this is going to be a battle fought to the bitter end.

Let's get right to the bottom of the CBA "negotiations". NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA head Donald Fehr don't like each other. Both are power hungry guys who wont backdown and don't like to lose. Bettman may not be interested in playing nice with Mr. Fehr to save the season, and in the end it may come down to who blinks first.

What Gary Bettman has proposed

• Reduce player revenue shares from 57% to 46
• Limit the lengths of contracts to 5 years
• Players have to wait 10 years to become Unrestricted Free Agents
• Get rid of signing bonuses
• NHL Entry level contracts extended to 5 years (instead of 3)
• End future salary arbitrations
• To get rid of front loaded contracts, the money must be the same or less in each of the 5 years.

Can you spell trouble? Out of the points the NHL has offered, I can see only 1 being approved by the NHLPA and that's the length of contracts can only be 5 years maximum. Players and owners have mentioned in the past they aren't fans of the long term 12 year deals that seem to be all the rage right now. Yes it's nice for a team to lock up a franchise player, but if you have multiple players tied up for 8 years how are younger players supposed to break into the league?

But the real hinging point around the CBA is the revenue between the league, players and owners. The players want more revenue while the league wants to give them less. A recipe for disaster. While I am in the boat that says the players are already making for too much money to play hockey, the reduced revenue proposal is ludicrous. Look at it this way; The league revenue right now is at $3.3 billion which has sky rocketed since the last lockout where revenue was $2.2 billion. During the last CBA/lockout the players had a revenue percentage of 75, and that was a much smaller cut as opposed to them making that amount with todays revenue. But here's the kicker since the lockout out each NHL team is making $47.3 million as opposed to $18.3 million before the lockout. Some teams are crying poor and instead of sorting the revenue out amongst the other owners they have decided to take it out against the players. But the players have a different idea, they want a bigger piece of the pie. Considering the players are the major reason the NHL has revenue they should be getting a little more of the revenue they are making the NHL. 

While this was just the first proposition and the revenue for players will end up being different in the end. The NHL needs to be careful about losing players to the dreaded KHL. As of right now the KHL doesn't have any issues throwing large sums of money to lure players away from the NHL, and it may work. Especially with young rookies who if this CBA gets passed will have to wait 5 years before getting a half decent contract. So if the Mr. Bettman isn't careful the KHL will end up with a lot of young talented hockey players that had their sights on the NHL. 

But the good news for hockey fans is this is just step one in a very long process. What the two sides are doing right now are offering their versions of what they want in a perfect NHL. There is still a lot of debating ahead before October and one side has to cave. 

What You Need to Know July 13th

Welcome to the second edition of my summer series "What You Need to Know" where I catch you up on what has happened during the past week. 

Free Agency

The free agency frenzy has quickly turned into a free agency fizzle. News about free agent signings is trickling in ever so slowly. Of all the players who signed this week, only 5 of them got a contracts worth a million dollars.

Teemu Selanne signs 1 year deal with Anaheim

The future Hall of Famer has decided he is healthy enough and wants to play one more season before hanging up the skates. The 42 year old announced on Thursday that he and the Ducks had agreed on a one year deal, which will bring Selanne back for his 20th NHL season. The ageless wonder is coming back. After a season that saw his team start the year 10-21-6  and turn it around in December to finish 24-15-6. Selanne showed he still had game finishing the year leading his team in scoring with 66 points and tied for third with 26 goals. 

In 19 seasons Selanne has racked up 663 goals and 1,406 points in 1,341 games. He also the Ducks all time leader in goals (466), assists (501), points (937) and games played (856). 

There is no question that when it does come time for Selanne to hang up the skates he will one day be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He is a NHL legend and it's a fantastic thing for both the Ducks and the NHL to have him back for another year. 

Marc-Andre Gragnani signs 1 year deal with Carolina

The former Sabres is on the move again. After being deal to the Canucks at the trade deadline Gragnani has moved on to another team. The Hurricanes signed the young defenceman to a one year deal worth $800 thousand. 

Peter Mueller signs 1 year deal with Florida

The Panthers and Mueller agreed to a one year deal worth $1.725 million. 

Jamie Langenbrunner signs 1 year deal with St. Louis

While he scored just 6 goals for the Blues last season, GM Doug Armstrong says he's veteran leadership in the dressing room is worth keeping around. The two sides agreed to a one year deal worth $1.25 million. 

Parise and Suter both receive "A's" in Minnesota

After the long drawn out process that resulted in the two biggest fish during free agency signing with the same team. The two players got their official "Wild" welcome on Monday. Suter will wear his familiar number 20 while Parise will switch to his fathers old number 11. Both players donned new Jerseys that had an A sowed on them, making them both alternate captains. Parise was the New Jersey Devils captain and has great leadership capabilities. Parise will likely become the face of the franchise for the next decade. 

Brett MacLean improving

After a scare last week for Coyotes forward MacLean during a recreational scrimmage in which he went into Cardiac emergency. He is currently recovering in hospital and has began walking up and down the hospital halls. The doctors are still running tests to figure out what caused the Cardiac emergency and MacLean will stay in hospital until they know exactly what happened. After collapsing his heart was shocked three times and eventually they were able to restart his heart. 

Pierre Gauthier is back in action

After being scene at a Blackhawks training session rumours began to swirl about Gauthier now working for the Blackhawks. For once the rumours were right. Gauthier will become the director of player personnel for the Blackhawks. He also works in the front offices for the Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa Senators. Could Gauthier be the future Blackhawks GM?

Winter Classic Alumni take 2

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings are such historic teams that they are need two alumni games at the Winter Classic. For fans that's double the fun and twice the all-stars they get to see. Tickets which will begin selling August 1 (season ticket holders) will feature the opportunity to attend both games. 

Some key names attending one of the Alumni games for the Leafs include: Wendel Clark, Darryl Sittler, Darcy Tucker, Felix Potvin, Dave Andreychuck, Doug Gilmour and Johnny Bower.

Notable Red Wings include: Mickey Redmond, Luc Robitaille, Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby, Mark Howe and Chris Chelios.

Two notable Red Wings missing from the list of confirmed attendees include recently retire Nicklas Lidstrom who has yet to decide if he will participate and Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman who has declined his invitation to play but may make an appearance at the festivities. 

James Van Riemsdyk at centre?

One of the biggest needs the Leafs needed this offseason was a number one centre. To date Brian Burke has failed to bring his team a number centre. Head coach Randy Carlyle is taking maters into his own hands and is going to try newly acquired forward Van Riemsdyk at centre during training camp. With the Flyers there was little to no opportunity for him to play centre, but he did play centre at the University of New Hampshire so he does have some experience. 

In 43 games with the Flyers last season Van Riemsdyk scored 11 goals and added 13 assists. 

Derek Roy to undergo shoulder surgery

Sabres fans can take a sigh of relief. The injury prone Derek Roy is no longer their problem. Roy was traded to the Dallas Stars in exchange for Steve Ott and Adam Pardy. The surgery was an optional choice but the Stars have said they "want the best Roy they can get". Roy had the surgery on Wednesday and will be out till at least November. Some bad luck and a tough break for Roy who played through the shoulder injury last season with the Sabres. 

 Honouring the French Connection

If you're a Sabres fan you have likely heard of the great French Connection line. One of the most famous lines in Sabres (and NHL) history will be honoured in the Sabres new Alumni plaza outside of First Niagara Centre. The statue will be unveiled October 12th to honour the 40th anniversary of the trio. Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin and Rene Robert all three players were french Canadian and were dubbed "the French Connection Line" after a movie in 1971. In Buffalo's third season in the NHL the trio were put together and led the Sabres to their first ever playoff birth. All three players are members of the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame and have had their numbers retired by the organization. The new Alumni plaza will be a walk down memory lane for older fans and history lesson for younger ones as each member of the Sabres will be honoured in some way. As a Sabres fan I can't wait to see it!

That's all she wrote this weak around the NHL. At the end of each week I am ticking down the days till October when the greatest game is back. If you ever want to talk hockey feel free to tweet me @Hockeylife30.

10 Games to Watch

As you can see thanks to the handy countdown clock to the right, they're roughly 93 days until the puck is dropped on the 2012-2013 NHL season. Hockey fans need to plan their hockey watching schedules ahead of time, there are just too many distractions during the season. So here are 10 must see NHL games for the upcoming season.

*Please note these games are not in order of when they occur*

10. October 11, 12 and 13
Guess what happens on October 11th? Hockey is back and the regular season gets kicked off, hopefully with a bang. Unfortunately the NHL likes to draw out the process and teams like the Sabres and Leafs have to wait till the 13th to play their first games. But make sure you check the schedule to see when your team kicks off their season. You don't want to miss the first game of the season, it's your first chance to see your team play in a meaningful game.

9. November 15th Kings vs. Blue Jackets
Everyone is still talking about the Jeff carter trade and how it effected the Kings and how he ultimately won a Stanley Cup with long time friend and teammate Mike Richards. But what people forget is the player that lost out on the deal being sent from the Cup winning Kings to the lottery picking Blue Jackets, Jack Johnson. It will be the first time Johnson faces his former teammates who are now Stanley Cup Champions.

8. New Jersey Devils vs. New York Rangers October 16th
A rematch of the Eastern Conference final. A rematch between two of the best goalies in the league Brodeur vs. Lundqvist. The Devils were able to prevail in the series long playoff match, but who will be able to win the one game battle?

7. New York Rangers vs. Los Angeles Kings October 12th
The second night of opening games will see the match up everyone was hoping for in the Stanley Cup Finals. Rangers vs. Kings Lundqvist once again will have a tough challenge 200 feet from him in Jonathan Quick. Which goalie will come out victorious? The Kings will also see their Stanley Cup banner raised to the rafters before the game.

6. Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens October 16th
The Bruins vs. Habs rivalry will be kicked off with a home and home set between the two teams. It begins in Montreal and ends in Boston two days later. But that will be just the start to the rivalry for the season. What would make this game/rivalry perfect? If the Bruins would be willing to play Malcolm Subban in one of the games against the Canadiens. P.K Subban taking slapshots from the point at his little brother, could anything be more entertaining?


5. Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers October 18th
Perhaps one of the most exciting games to kick off the season. Everyone remembers the drama following these two teams in the playoffs. Heck the Flyers won their "Stanley Cup" after they beat the Penguins in round one. In a 6 game series the two teams combined for 56 goals over 300 PIMS and some coach yelling. The Flyers and Penguins will meet an additional 6 times this season, grab your popcorn and make sure you catch at least one of the hard fought battles. Plus we get to hear Sidney Crosby talk about how "He doesn't like them, not one guy on their roster".


4. Hockey Day in Canada February 9th
This isn't just one game it's a big event and for Canadians it's important. Hockey is our game, we need a day to remember it and honour it. There are festivities all around Canada to honour the great game. All 7 Canadian teams will be in action and playing fellow Canadian teams. Including the Leafs against the Canadiens and the Canucks against the Jets. It's a celebration of hockey, make sure you join in the party if you're Canadian. If you're American just wait a week, February 17th is your hockey celebration.

3. Winter Classic January 1st Detroit Red Wings vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Who doesn't love a good Winter Classic battle where the teams take the game outdoors where it all started. Every year I tune into the Winter Classic and watch the excitement. While it isn't always the best quality of hockey (Due to the weather) it's a fun game and a fun experience for players. Who better to have play in the Winter Classic than the Toronto Maple Leafs the centre of the hockey universe, the biggest hockey market in the league. The fact they're playing the classy Red Wings and they may have the opportunity to face Jonas the Monster Gustavsson just makes the game that more exciting. Not to mention two original 6 teams will be battling it out and it's the only game being played that day. I'm already excited, can you tell?

2. Los Angeles Kings vs New Jersey Devils February 9th
This game may overshadow Hockey Day in Canada, however it is the first and only meeting between the two Stanley Cup finalists. Who will win the rematch? How different will both teams look by then? How badly will the loss of Parise affect the Devils? All key questions that will be answered when these two teams square off.

1. Last Chance Saturday April 13th
As hockey fans we love to watch hockey games. We can sit down on the couch all day and watch hockey, and the best games to watch are ones that have playoff implications. So what better day to spend lounging around your house than the last day of the regular season while teams are battling for playoff spots and series' are decided? While it would be near impossible for the NHL to fit all 30 teams in one day, they did their best and have scheduled 14 games which adds up to 28 teams. Talk about excitement!

Right now hockey fans are holding their breaths and hoping the season starts on time and these 10 exciting game are able to happen. Let's stay positive, here's to the 2012-2013 NHL regular season starting on time! Be sure to mark these games on your calenders, call in sick, break your phone whatever you have to do, to be able to watch these games.

What You Need to Know July 6th

What You Need to Know is a segment or series I like to do during the summer when news isn't trickling in at such a fast pace. To sum it up it's a post I make on Fridays (when there is enough news) about whats happened over the past week regarding the NHL. I'll talk about trades, contract extensions, CBA, new rules, basically if it has to do with hockey it will be in one of these posts. It's the best way to get you the news you want to know during the summer. Here we go!

Free Agent Signings

We'll kick today off with some more talk about free agents, see what other names you can cross off your wish list.

Matt Carle signs a 6 year deal with the Lightning

Can't remember if this was in my last update or not but it's worth mentioning again. Arguably one of the most sought after defenceman on the market (after Suter). Carle signed a 6 year deal worth $36 million with the Lightning. This is a good signing for the Lightning and may inch them closer to a deep playoff-run. 

Al Montoya signs 1 year deal with Winnipeg

Montoya is heading North to play with the Jets. After the Jets let Jonas Gustavsson walk they needed to find another goalie and that goalie in Montoya. The two sides agreed to a 1 year deal worth $601 thousand. 

Philippe Dupuis signs 1 year deal with Pittsburgh

The Leafs are losing one of their centres. Dupuis and the Penguins agreed to a 1 year deal worth $600 thousand.

Kevin Porter signs a 1 year deal with Buffalo 

The Sabres have signed another free agent who will have little impact on the team. Expect Porter to begin the season in Rochester and be used as a call up for when the injury bug bites. Porter agree to a 1 year 2-way deal with the Sabres.

Nick Foligno signs 3 year deal with Columbus

After the Senators traded their restricted free agent to the Blue Jackets, he decided he'll stick around to play some hockey. Foligno signs a 3 year deal worth $9.25 million.

The Dallas Stars have signed their 13th overall pick from the draft Radek Faksa

Faksa was signed to the standard 3 year entry level contract.

CBA Talk:

The NHLPA and the NHL (Gary Bettman) had their second meeting on Thursday, and the talks are "Business like". Both sides remain confident they can get a new CBA worked out before the season kicks off. 

New Coach:

The Red Wings have hired former Edmonton Oilers head coach Tom Renney as an associate coach of the Wings. Renney will join Mike Babcoock's staff for next season. In two seasons as the head coach of the Oilers Renney had a record of 57-85-22 and failed to make the playoffs. Although the Oilers success or lack there of was not a direct result of his coaching. They had a very young team that needs time to develop.

Cardiac Emergency:

Brett MacLean had a major scare as he had a cardiac emergency while playing a pick up hockey game in Owen Sound. He was taken by air ambulance to a hospital in London were he was admitted into cardiac ICU. The second round pick of the Coyotes from 2007 is improving as he is conscious and talking. The doctors are still running tests to see what caused him to collapse. 

Team USA U-18 Roster:

The roster for the next the United States at the next U-18 tournament was announced earlier this week. Of the 22 players on the roster 12 of them were apart of the team that led the US to a U17 championship. 17 of the players named to the team are or will be draft eligible for 2013. For a complete look at the roster click here. 

Suspension reduced:

The NHL has reduced Phoenix Coyotes forward Raffi Torres' suspension from 25 games to 21. NHL league disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan had originally handed out the 25 games but League owner Gary Bettman decided to reduce it. Torres will now miss only 8 games during the regular season but will be ineligible to play in pre-season games. Torres was suspended initially for a late hit delivered to the head of Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa. 

Thats all that went down this week in the NHL (apart from free agency) be sure to check back here every Friday to stay up to date with news over the summer. 

The Crosby and Parise bromance is over

News broke Wednesday afternoon the Zach Parise had agreed to a 13 year deal with the Minnesota Wild. In the process of signing a deal with the Wild Parise broke a verbal agreement he had with the Pittsburgh Penguins and his good friend Sidney Crosby. Turns out Crosby isn't taking the news so well.

Source: "Crosby is RAGING right now. Said he'll never talk to Parise again. Lied to him and to organization and broke promise." #Pens
— Hockeyy Insiderr (@HockeyyInsiderr) July 4, 2012

 Everything that @HockeyyInsider says needs to be taken with a grain of salt, a lot of it is false. While his tweet may have blown things out of proportion, there has to be some truth to this. It was reported that Crosby called Parise 3 times to try and convince him to join the Penguins. Crosby also excepted less money on his contract extension, so they Penguins would have enough money to get him a solid winger like Parise. Unfotunetly for Crosby a "verbal agreement" in this day and age means nothing. Unless there is signed paperwork nothing is written in stone.

Parise chose to return home to finish out his hockey career where it began in Minnesota. His father played for the Minnesota North Stars and Parise lives in Minnesota during the offseason. Parise chose to be close to home instead and instead of playing with long time friend Crosby, he chose to join forces with another friend and fellow free agent Ryan Suter. Suter and Parise signed identical contracts with the Wild worth $98 million over 13 years. Parise said it was important to him that his friend Suter was treated fairly and offered a solid amount of money.

You have to hand it to Parise. It was a risky decision to turn down an opportunity to play with long time friend and arguably one of the best players in the world and join a Stanley Cup contending team to go and play on a team that will have a difficult time just making the playoffs!

But here's what really rubs me the wrong way about the 13 year $98 million deals that Parise and Suter signed:

Let me see if I get this, Crosby is the best player on the planet and is worth $104M, Parise/Suter are top 25-30 and get $98M #MakeSense
— Ryan Moynes (@ryanmoynes) July 4, 2012

While I may be in the majority of people who think this way but Parise and Suter are no where even close to being worth that much money! In my ranking Parise is not inside the top 5 forwards, heck he's not even inside my top 20 and don't even get me started about Suter. Unfortuently for the Wild and Penguins and other teams that were in the running, this is a very weak free agency class there aren't many markee players. Which makes the prices for players go through the roof because they see teams are throwing money at them, they think they deserve it.

If NHL teams keep throwing absolutely ridiculous amounts of money at players who don't deserve that type of money the league is going to be bankrupt. In order to make up for the money the Wild spent they now have to raise ticket prices. Eventually when ticket prices get extremely expensive people stop buying them! Here's a quote from non other than the Minnesota owner Craig Leipold:

“We’re not making money and that’s one reason we need to fix our system. We need to fix how much we are spending.” – Craig Leipold April 11, 2012

Maybe if you didn't spend $196 million on two players, you could make some money! Talk about hypocrisy.

To make matters worse for the Penguins, who lost Crosby's current wing Steve Sullivan to free agency just before news broke they lost Parise as well. The Penguins weren't even one of the final two teams he was looking at. The two teams he was debating between were his current team the New Jersey Devils and Minnesota Wild. I guess the only thing Crosby can sell is tickets.

While Parise may not be getting any more calls from Crosby he will be heading home to play in his hometown, a homecoming of sorts. Guess winning wasn't all that important to him.
The way the media treated Parise and Suter joining forces you would think all the news was about Crosby and Ovechkin joining forces. Maybe one day?

P.S- I don't have anything against Crosby, Suter or Parise. This was more of a humours article poking a little fun at the players. What good is hockey if it's all serious even in the off season?

Free Agency Update July 4th

It is with great pleasure that I announce the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter drama is now behind us. On July 4th also known as independance day, the two stars signed away their independance to the Minnesota Wild. NHL Free Agency may officially begin as the two guys holding everything up are now off the market.

Zach Parise and Ryan Suter sign 13 year deals with Minnesota
Yes you read that correctly Parise and Suter the two biggest names on the market this free agency have decided to join together and play on the same team. The Wild and the two superstars have agreed on 13 year identical contracts worth $98 million. The contracts will keep them in Minnesota until the 2024-2025 season. Parise the former Devil got the most attention during the free agency fenzy, having been reported to have a verbal negotiation with the Red Wings and being harrassed by Sidney Crosby to come and join the Penguins. Suter flew under the radar and stayed quite right up until signing with the Wild. Both players are 27 and joining just their 2nd NHL team in their careers. Despite these two massive signing the Wild will still be in a dogfight for the 8th and final playoff seed in the West next season. (yes the West is that good)

We view this as a rare opportunity for us to transform our franchise by adding two marquee players, who are both in the prime of their careers, at the same time.”

Now that these two are off the market expect talks to heat up around other free agents who are looking to offer their services to the 29 other teams that lost out of the Parise and Suter sweepstakes. Only time will tell if this turns out to be a solid deal.

Jaromir Jagr signs 1 year deal with Dallas
The Russian star is heading to the Stars for next season. The Stars believe the 40 year old still has gas left in the tank and can help their team take the next step. The two sides agreed to a 1 year deal worth $4.55 million.

Steve Sullivan signs 1 year deal with Pheonix
The Coyotes went after the veteran forward to help improve their power play. The two sides agreed to a 1 year $1.85 million contract

Taylor Pyatt signs 2 year deal with the New York Rangers
Pyatt is a player I have always been a fan of, don't ask me why i've just always liked to watch him play.   He spent last season in the desert with the coyotes. The two sides agreed to a 2 year $3.1 million contract.

Bryan Allen signs 3 year deal with Anaheim
One of the top defenceman on the market agreed to a 3 year deal worth $10 million with the Ducks.
He will be joining veteran Sheldon Souray who signed a 3 year deal worth $11 million. 


Top names still available


Matt Carle- Played last season with the Flyers and is one of the top defenceman available after Suter. Carle was waiting till the end of the Suter/Parise sweepstakes to go to a team that missed out on them.
Alexander Semin- Still no word on where Semin will go, but much like Carle he wanted to wait until after the two big dogs were out of the way. 

Free Agency Update July 3rd

It's officially been 2 days since Free Agency began on July 1, we've seen a dozens of players sign new deals with new teams and even some return to their old teams. While we are still waiting on the big fish Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. Once these two decide where they want to spend the rest of their career Free Agency will really kick into a frenzy as teams who lost the bid on the big two will be looking for second best.

 P-A Parenteau signs 4 year deal with Colorado
One of the top free agents this offseason Parenteau went off the market on the first day. Signing a 4 year $16 million contract with the Colorado Avalanche.

Jonas Gustavsson signs 2 year deal with Detroit
It's been a crazy week for Gustavsson. The Toronto Maple Leafs traded his rights to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a 7th round draft pick. Gustavsson then decided he didn't want to stay in Winnipeg and was signed to a 2 year $3 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings. A fantastic opportunity for the young goaltender. He gets out of dodge with the media, gets the backup role on a solid team and will get to face against his former team in the Winter Classic.

Paul Gaustad signs 4 year extension with Nashville
This one pains me to right a little bit. Sabres fans were hoping that their beloved Gaustad would return to Buffalo after the season, unfortunately he's staying in Nashville. Gaustad signed a 4 year $13 million contract extension to stay with the Predators. Smart signing by the Preds who will be losing many players through free agency.

Justin Schultz signs 2 year deal with Edmonton
Finally the drama surrounding a kid who has never played an NHL game is over. Schultz made his decision and decided to head to the Oiler to "grow old" with their star young players. The Oilers have young skilled players, that are going to be extremely talented when they hit their prime. Look out for the Oilers in the future.

Colby Armstrong signs 1 year deal with Montreal
Much like Gustavsson the Leafs were hard on Armstrong this week. The Leafs decided Armstrong just wasn't going to work out in Toronto after two injury plagued seasons, that limited him to just 78 games.
The Leafs bought out the rest of Armstrong's contract and placed him on waivers to become a free agent. Armstrong didn't wait long signing a deal with the Canadiens for $1 million.

Ray Whitney signs 2 year deal with Dallas
The ageless wonder is at it again. At 40 years of age many teams were hesitant to give Whitney the extra year he wanted. So when the Stars agreed to give him 2 years worth $9 million he signed on the dotted line.

Brad Boyes signs 1 year deal with the New York Islanders
As a Sabres fan I am perfectly fine with Boyes leaving town. He had one good year and has not been productive or helpful for the Sabres in the last couple of years. It was time for him to go. Boyes signed a 1 year deal worth $1 million.

Zenon Konopka signs 2 year deal with Minnesota
Was interesting to see Konopka leave Ottawa. Konopka signs a 2 year $1.85 Million contract with the Wild.

Dustin Penner resigns with the Los Angeles Kings
After winning his 2nd Stanley Cup ring, Penner has decided he will stay a King for the next year.
Penner and the Kings agreed to terms on a 1 year $3.25 million contract. Smart move for both parties.

Matt Carkner signs 3 year deal with the New York Islanders
The Islanders made quite a few moves on July 1st, one of whihc was landing tough guy Matt Carkner. The Islanders and Carkner agreed to a 3 year $4.5 million contract.

Brandon Prust signs 4 year deal with Montreal
The Canadiens felt they were too weak and needed to add some character players. In addition to the signing of Armstrong, they signed tough guy Brandon Prust to a 4 year deal worth $10 million. Prust is a solid addition to the Canadiens, although he'll be missed in New York.

Filip Kuba signs 2 year deal with Florida
Ottawa had a rough time during the start of free agency as they lost a lot of their "role" players. Kuba is another player they lost. Kuba signed a contract with the Panthers and cashed in on a deal worth $8 million.

Olli Jokinen signs 2 year deal with Winnipeg
It had to be tough for the Flames to lose Jokinen. The Jets needed a centre so they found their man in Jokinen. The two sides agreed to a 2 year $9 million contract.

Joey Crabb signs 1 year deal with Washington
Crabb has left Toronto and as a result is getting a nice pay day. The Capitals signed the defenceman to a 1 year $950 thousand contract.

Jack Hillen signs a 1 year deal with Washington
Considering the fact I have never heard of Jack Hillen I wouldn't normally post his name here. But big news from me, I will be on a conference call with him later this afternoon!

Martin Brodeur signs 2 year extension with New Jersey 
Raise your hand if you thought Brodeur would leave the only team he's ever known. Now kindly lower  your hand and get your head examined. The reason he hired an agent and said he wanted to "Test free agency" is because he wasn't getting enough attention. There is another Devils player by the name of Parise who is tying up all the contract talks, Brodeur wanted to make sure he got a fair shake. He agreed to a 2 year $9 million contract, so he may finish his career as a Devil.

John Scott signs 1 year deal with Buffalo
The Buffalo Sabres wanted to get tougher this offseason, so in order to that they needed to sign a 6 foot 8 defenceman. Scott joins Tyler Myers and Joe Finley as the trio of 6 foot 8 players on the Sabres roster. Scott and the Sabres agreed to a 1 year deal worth $600 thousand.

Jiri Hudler signs 4 year deal with Calgary
The long time Red Wing is on his way north of the boarder. The Flames wanted to shake the team up this offseason to try and make the playoffs. The signing of Hudler helps that for sure. The Flames agreed to a 4 year $16 million contract.

Jason Garrison signs 6 year deal with Vancouver
The last signing I'll talk about in this post, which just so happens to be the biggest (in terms of length). The Canucks and Garrison agreed to a 6 year deal worth $27.6 million.

Who knows maybe by day 4 we will have a decision on where Parise and Suter have decided to play out there careers and then Free Agency can really get kicked into a frenzy!