Brian Burke's Biggest Mistake: Jumping the Gun

By now everyone has heard that Brian Burke was fired as General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs and has been replaced by his long-time friend and assistant GM Dave Nonis. For Brian Burke and most Leaf fans this move came as a major shock- sure the Leafs hadn't made the playoffs under Burke, but he preached patience and everyone seemed to buy-in. Most knew Burke's days in Toronto were numbered and thought he may get the axe if the Leafs failed to make the playoffs again in 2013, but to fire the GM a week before training camp? All speculation over why Burke was let go aside- Burke is out and Nonis is in, eerily similar to what happened in Vancouver no?

The legacy Brian Burke has left on the Leafs may be a legacy that lasts forever- He took over the laughingstock of the NHL, was able to get rid of the"Muskoka 5" who held the team hostage, brought in some solid prospects, landed both Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf and turned the Leafs from a joke into a respectable team. But despite all Burke's wheeling and dealing the Leafs still fell short of the playoffs during his 4 year tenure and that is why he is no longer the GM of the Maple Leafs. There may be things now that Burke is kicking himself for doing while GM, but Brian Burke's biggest mistake was jumping the gun and trading the future for the present.



Part of Burke's philosophy was patience, he told Leafs management he would need time to "gut" the 2008

Leafs and would need to rebuild their prospect pool before they become an elite team. He told fans that he would need to re-build the team and it would take time, but once he had top notch prospects the Leafs would be a force to be reckoned with. While fans and Leaf brass bought into his system and patiently waited Burke decided things weren't moving fast enough.

Burke sent 2 first round draft picks and a 2nd rounder to the Boston Bruins in exchange for the streaky Phil Kessel. Those draft picks turned out to be Tyler Seguin, Dougie Hamilton and Jared Knight. Burke believed that the addition of Kessel would help propel the Leafs into the playoffs, he was wrong. Instead of patiently waiting and perhaps ending up with Seguin and Hamilton Burke jumped the gun attempting to put a bandaid on a leak. All that talk about saving prospects and building for the future, got wiped away when the future was traded to Boston- problem was the Leafs weren't ready to make a run when the deal was made.

By trading away draft picks for a proven player, there is an expectation that the playoffs are within reach, but the Leafs were still far away from a playoff birth. Fans began to get impatient seeing who the Bruins drafted with the Leafs picks and seeing the Bruins succeed while the Leafs still failed to make the playoffs. The re-build that Burke had preached time after time was in a sense over- Next came Phaneuf, Komisarek, Lupul, and Giguere and instead of patience and re-build fans were fed with truculence and hard work. I remember a press conference before the season where Burke stood up and declared "This will be the hardest working team in the league". Yet they still couldn't work their way into the playoffs.

If Burke had followed his own advice and remained patient there's no telling where the Leafs could be right now. They'd likely have Seguin and or Hamilton in the organization if not on the roster and maybe they would be able to make the playoffs. Bottom line Brian Burke jumped the gun by trading the future for the present when the Leafs weren't ready for present success- and that was ultimately his biggest mistake as Toronto Maple Leafs GM.

 

How Donald Fehr Won The Lockout

It's the four words every hockey fan has been waiting to hear; The lockout is over! After 113 gruelling days of CBA talks and PR battles, Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr decided to call a truce and get the game we all love back on the ice. On Sunday morning around 5 am Bettman and Fehr stood side by side for the first time to announce they had agreed to a new CBA structure and had a tentative deal done to end the lockout.

After the long process where neither the NHL or the NHLPA wanted to give into the other side there will be a lot of speculation over who "won" the lockout. The players were never going to win on things like salary cap, length of CBA and contract terms, but the fact they- led by Fehr lasted this long and literally drove Bettman to the brink is a huge testament to the NHLPA's win in the lockout. But the reason Fehr was able to have success compared to other heads of the NHLPA is his ability to rally the players together as one for a greater cause.

For the most part the NHLPA was completely united in their fight against Bettman and the league. Time after time you saw players send out tweets about how they supported Donald Fehr and were united in the lockout battle. While none of them really enjoyed not playing hockey they were determined to work together and not let the NHL run all over them like in 2004. Fehr managed to bring the players together for the greater good and keep them together through the lockout, especially when things got tough and seemed like there was no hope. Every player that was involved in this process bought into the Fehr system, thats the reason they were able the last so long and not be beat up by the league. Heck the league even offered the players a fairly decent deal in an attempt to get a deal done while Fehr was out of the room. The way Fehr was able to keep the players motivated was simple- "There's a better deal coming", is what he told the players time after time and he was right.

In addition to buying into the "Fehr system" the players were also united in their hatred of Bettman, they were determined not to get weaseled by the weasel. The owners and Bettman did everything they possibly could to get to the players union and make them turn on their leader. From threatening the season, to taking him out of the room- to the PR battles in the media to even writing letters to the players. But every time the NHL tried something the players just stood firm behind their leader. Not an easy decision for players who weren't getting their paycheques and even tougher for free agents who didn't have a team to return to. Not once did the players blink at one of the league's take it- or - leave it offers. You have to tip your hat to Fehr for rallying the players and making sure they stuck together like glue.

Fehr played this one very strong- he knew the NHL and the owners couldn't afford to play anything less than a 48 game season as a fully scraped season would set the game so far back it may not have bounced back. The owners were putting pressure on Bettman to get a deal done and save the season at any costs, so Fehr was able to push through the phony threats from his opposition until their backs were up against the wall and they had no option other than to make a deal. It was a catch 22 for the league, they wanted to give the players as little as possible to retain their dominance but they couldn't push the players to far or they would refuse to cooperate and potentially disband. Fehr knew that when push came to shove and the owners backs were against the wall they would have no choice but to offer the players a respectable deal. Despite playing a very dangerous game of chicken that nearly resulted in the season being lost, Fehr was able to force the owners hand in a deal.

But most importantly- and entertainingly for fans, is the fact Fehr was able to drive Bettman absolutely crazy! In 2004-2005 the lockout was pretty much a walk in the park for the owners. The players didn't have a strong negotiator to stand up for them and ended up losing in the long run, but bringing notorious negotiator Fehr ahead of this years CBA expiration indicated the players were looking for a much tougher battle this time around. Bettman tried every trick in the book to get Fehr to fold and take the offer he was shoving down the players throats, but still Fehr refused to budge. Every threat the league said ended up making them look stupid as none of it came true because of Fehr's perseverance. It got to the point where it seemed Bettman had no answer for Fehr- he didn't know what to do next, he became so uncomfortable knowing that Fehr had stymied his plan of driving the players into the ground.

The point it became evident to me that Bettman was losing it was the press conference after Fehr had gone back into the room after the owners had presented the players a new contract. Fehr went back into the room despite being warned not to by Bettman and told the owners what they could do with that offer, then stormed of with his players. That night Bettman left him an angry voicemail saying they were done negotiating- something uncharacteristic from the league commissioner, then the players association went to the media to show that Bettman was upset. Bettman then held his own press conference to tell everyone he wasn't pleased and negotiations had taken a step back and had in fact been stalled. During that press conference from Bettman, I've never seen him so annoyed, agitated and down right angry at anything that much before. Seeing true emotion from Bettman is rare and seeing so much from him- anger, frustration, confusion and flat-out annoyance, proved that Fehr was able to get under his skin during this lockout.

Donald Fehr came into this lockout with a game plan; He knew he couldn't let the league walk over the players again and was willing to play hardball until the owners gave him a pitch he could hit. He was able to see through Bettman's smoke screens to know he was bluffing on almost all his threats- that no deal was ever "off the table" and he was able to drive Bettman nuts. There was no question the players were going to bleed during this process, Fehr's job was to limit the bleeding and protect the players. Fehr was able to stop the bleeding at minimal damage and work out a deal that should truly help the players for years to come plus he had a little fun with Bettman along the way- it's a win-win for Donald Fehr and the NHLPA.

Interview With USA Womens National Team Goalie Coach Mandy Cronin

Got another interview for you guys today, this one is extra special as it's with my former goalie coach Mandy Cronin. Cronin began her goaltending adventure at the University of Maine where she was given a 4 year scholarship and became a all american athlete and scholar, proving that her knowledge went beyond the ice. After her time at Maine she headed to Canada to further pursue her hockey career and goals. After a very successful career in the National  Women's Hockey League and Canadian Women's Hockey League, she turned her love of hockey into a coaching career. Today she is helping coach and scout for the USA national team and USA hockey.

I had the opportunity to talk with the USA national team goalie coach:

1. How did you get started in hockey?

My family (my parents, an older sister and 3 older brothers - I'm the baby!) moved from Ohio to Maine when I was 3 or 4 years old. When we got there the youngest brother, who is 4 years older than me, started playing hockey, and me being the tomboy I was, I followed in his footsteps! I fell in love with hockey and played forward/defence from age 5-12. At 12, I tried out for a previously all-boys Select team in NH, the Seacoast Spartans, and got cut as a F/D, but was offered the opportunity to tryout as a goalie. I had never tried goalie before, and quite frankly was a bit scared of the puck, but I really wanted to be the first girl on the team, so I tried out and beat out 4 other boys for the spot! The rest is history!

2. What made you move from Maine to Toronto?

While I was playing at the University of Maine from 1998-2002, I had heard a bit about a women's pro league in Canada. So in my Jr year at Maine I started doing a bit of research into the league - where the teams were, coaches names, etc. I called a few coaches and talked to them about trying out after my Sr. year. I just knew that I was not yet playing my best hockey and I wanted a chance to play at that level and see what the league was all about. So after I graduated, I spent the summer at home and then in mid-August, after talking to some coaches in Vancouver and Edmonton, I was about to take a road trip on my own out west to see if I could earn a spot on one of the squads out there. Then I got a call from Pete Perram of the Durham Telus Lightning in Toronto. He wanted to sign me! Although I was really looking forward to the road trip and the sights on the west coast, it was a no-brainer to stay closer to my family, and to have a spot right away instead of having to tryout. So I drove to Buffalo with my parents to meet Pete and sign! I moved up to Toronto in late August of 2002 and have been up here ever since.

3.What was it like to play in the CWHL, the first professional women's league?

It was a great honour to have been able to play at such a high level for so long (2002-2003 was my 1st season in the NWHL and 2011-2012 was my final season in the CWHL - 10 full seasons). It has been so great to see the level of talent improving more and more in the younger generations of CWHLers coming into the league each year. We have had some great history-making moments like the first-ever Women's Hockey Draft held at the Hockey Hall of Fame; games at NHL arenas with upwards of 5,000 fans, etc. Overall, it was an experience that shaped the last decade of my life.

4. What was it like winning back to back National Championships with the Brampton Thunder? Was it tough to repeat?

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300"] Mandy with her goaltending partner after winning the National Championship[/caption]

It was a great experience! And yes, it was definitely an uphill battle to be able to win it the 2nd time. As I mentioned previously, the NWHL/CWHL improved

every season I played, as the younger generations of female hockey players came in very strong, so our opponents were increasingly tough competitors.

5. What has been the highlight of your playing career?

I have 2:

1. Team USA tryout camp personal invitation - in 2004 I was personally invited by Ben Smith (US Olympic Coach) to attend the 4 Nations Cup pre-camp. I would be the only player coming into camp for an evaluation, as everyone else was on the team already. It was the most amazing experience flying into Lake Placid, NY and staying at the Olympic Training Centre for a week, training with many of the women who I had grown up playing with/against. The most memorable moments of that week:

- Walking into the Team USA dressing room and seeing the #1 USA jersey sitting in a stall with my name on it! Even the grey practice jersey was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen because I had earned the right to wear it!

- After the last skate, while I was stretching on the ice, Cammi Granato came over and shook my hand and told me that no matter what happened, I deserved to be there. I ended up being released and that was absolutely devastating, but looking back, that was a dream-experience and I was proud to have made it that far.

2. Boston vs Montreal game in 2010 -  out of every team I played for in the NWHL/CWHL, I would say the most memorable was the 2010-2011 season when I was the goalie in the inaugural season for the Boston Blades. I got to play in front of my entire family for the first time in over a decade (I'm from Maine, about 50 minutes from Boston), and our team had the most amazing chemistry. There were so many great games and experiences with the Blades, but the best memory was from a weekend road trip to Montreal to play the Stars - the best team in the league at the time. I believe they were undefeated, 11-0 at that point. We had quite a few Olympians on our team but most of them were missing that weekend for various reasons, so we went up there with 9 players total. The first night we lost something like 9-1 or 10-1. It was a brutal game, but our team was able to let it go and regroup overnight. We came back the next day pumped up and ready to go. I faced 74 shots during that game and we ended up winning 3-2! My team played amazing in front of me (despite what the shots might show!).. my D were helping me as much as they could and the forwards scored some beautiful and timely goals. It was such a rush to blow Montreal's undefeated streak with such few players, especially after losing so badly the night before! Those are the moments that make me miss playing competitively - but they will always make my heart smile!

6. How did you get started in goalie coaching?

I had done a bit of coaching my whole life for all of the sports I played. I found a passion for coaching when I worked at my former prep school, New Hampton during my high school and college summers. I was a counsellor and administrator for the SPORTS P.L.U.S. (Positive Learning Using Sports) camp, which was

 created by NHS's former headmaster, Jeff Beedy. From then on, I knew I wanted to work with kids - to help improve the outlook kids had on life. Then duringmy 2nd year of playing in the NWHL in 2004, I met Jamie McGuire who became my goalie coach. He was a great mentor, and working with the goalies at his goalie school helped me realize that I had a passion and a knack for helping kids become not only better goalies and athletes, but more confident people. I have been enjoying my career very much since starting M-Power Hockey in 2007!

7. Whats the biggest difference between playing and coaching?

Well, one major difference - the most obvious answer - is that I am not playing competitively anymore. I don't travel to participate as goalies in practices & games multiple nights per week anymore. Now I am on the ice about 15 hours per week coaching goalies and occasionally playing in some rec/pick-up hockey games. I am now able to enjoy some other aspects of life that I have not been able to partake in during my NWHL/CWHL career: traveling, family/friends time, and more time to work.

8. Whats it like coaching for the US national team?

My experiences working with/for USA Hockey and Team USA have been life-changing. I have been able to travel all over the US and Europe and work with not only the best female goalies in the US, but also from all over the world (the IIHF Camp in Finland last summer). It's a great feeling to be able to wear your country's logo on your track suit and help shape the future of the girls who are dreaming the same dreams I dreamt many years ago. I hope that I will continue to be a part of USA Hockey & Team USA's goalie coaching staff in the future. The young female goalies coming up are very talented and I value every time I am able to get on the ice with them

9. Whats one thing you tell all goalies?

As for real life advice for my goalies, I always tell my kids that they have to be their own agent and represent themselves well - the best of the best will be sought after by top teams, colleges, and the national team, but everyone else (the majority) have to make themselves known to those scouts, and make sure they always put their best foot forward so they are always getting another step closer to their dreams.

10. Whats one thing you wish people knew about women's hockey?

Female hockey players for the most part are very educated, intelligent women. We don't get paid a penny so we have police officers, lawyers, entrepreneurs, students, etc, all paying their own way to play. It's a shame that we can't figure out how to pay CWHL players - I'm not talking the millions the NHL'ers make, but just enough to equal at least an entry level professional job - $30-40k. NHL teams could spare one or 2, 4th liners and pay our entire league with their salary. This pay would allow elite female hockey players to focus on their hockey careers and be able to train regularly like NHL'ers and escalate the level of our game to a place where we could draw even more fans and sponsors. Someday, I hope!

11. Who is currently your favourite NHL goalie?

Well, considering there's no current NHL goalies to watch, I'd have to reflect back on last season! I don't have one absolute favourite but I have a few that I really like watching for various reasons: Timmy Thomas (he's not a great positional goalie but he just gets it done.. and I am a Bruins fan so it's a given that I'd be a fan of his!); Jonathan Quick - he's tiny, but he doesn't care - he's lightning fast and such a tenacious athlete; Ryan Miller - very positional and disciplined; Pekke Rinne - again, very disciplined but also very smart and just seems like a great guy; I did jump on the Holtby bandwagon as well, even though they were playing against the Bruins in the playoffs!

12. If you could work with any one professional goalie: male or female who would it be?

I've never thought about that. I don't have anyone in mind that I've always wanted to coach... but I guess it would be fun to work with someone like Johnny Bower and see if we could teach an old dog new tricks!

If you want to learn more about Mandy Cronin and her M-Power goaltending school you can visit her website: M-Power Hockey. Her goal is to "empower" all young goalies and help them reach their true potential- and I know from personal experience she really knows her stuff and is a fantastic goalie coach. Since we wont see NHL hockey for another week, why not take this opportunity to check out your local NWHL/CWHL hockey team?

I'd like to thank Mandy Cronin for taking the time to sit down with us for an interview!

Team USA Brings Home Gold From WJC

I just want to say how awesome it was to actually watch live hockey again, despite having to wake up at 3 in the morning it was worth it to watch these young players battle it out and leave it all on the line. After all the blood, sweat and tears of the tournament two teams stood above the rest; Team USA and Sweden. The powerhouse and defending World Junior Champions team Sweden vs. the underdog Americans.

Going into the 2013 World Junior's not many people gave the Americans a fair shake at winning the tournament after their 7th place finish in 2012 and having

only 3 returning players on the roster. But defenceman Seth Jones believed in his team when no one else did stating "We're the best team!". People scoffed at his comments, but it turns out the draft-eligible defenceman was right- the Americans really were the best team in the 2013 World Junior Championships and to prove it they skated away with the gold medal.Team USA came into the tournament with little pressure, other than themselves no one expected them to make it to the medal round. But they worked hard and battled to the end in every game to advance to the semi-finals.

[caption id="attachment_1868" align="alignright" width="300"]
Team USA celebrates after wining the 2013 World Junior Championships[/caption]

In the semis they beat a Canadian team that they had earlier lost to and surprised the Canadians who thought it would be a easy victory. The Americans earned their spot in the gold medal game. They then relied on strong goaltending and heroics from lesser known prospects to get them the win over the Swedes.

Besides goaltender John Gibson- who was hands down the best player in the tournament, the best player in the finals was American forward Rocco Grimaldi. At the beginning of the tournament the NCAA freshman had been placed on the Americans first line, then a few games later he found his butt glued to the bench after head coach Phil Housley benched him. After getting let out of the "dog house" Grimaldi did not disappoint scoring 2 big goals for the Americans in finals- including their first goal which gave them life and the go-ahead goal. After Grimaldi gave them the lead Gibson was able to shut the door the rest of the way, leaving Sweden stymied.

Now lots of things had to come together for the Americans to claim the gold medal- team chemistry, good coaching, staying out of the box, timely goals and timely saves. But the two of the biggest reasons they were able to capture their 2nd gold in 4 years is because they didn't have politics when picking their roster and the emergence of Gibson as a elite goaltender.

I touched about the lack of politics when picking the team in my last post, but it goes deeper than just cutting big name players. Housley showed faith in NCAA players and they didn't disappoint. Jake McCabe was an excellent captain leading the Americans to a win over rivals Canada in the Semi's and ranked

[caption id="attachment_1863" align="alignright" width="300"]
John Gaudreau celebrates after scoring.[/caption]

3rd among defenceman with 6 points. For his efforts he was also named to the all-star tournament team. Next to McCabe, the biggest forward for the Americans turned out to be one of their smallest- John Gaudreau. Gaudreau had a fantastic tournament and really showed how valuable he can be to a team. Johnny hockey had 3 multi-point games in a row leading up to the semi's including 7 goals in 3 "must-win" games and led the tournament in scoring, proving it doesn't matter how "big" a player is as long as they can score! Of course we already talked about benefit that Rocco Grimaldi had in the finals, heck if it wasn't for his 2 goals the Americans may be wearing silver around their necks. Jones also stepped up playing a major leading role on the blue-line despite his inexperience, he showed maturity with the puck and may have solidified top spot in the 2o13 draft.

But the biggest story for the Americans was the play of John Gibson. When watching the Anaheim Ducks prospect throughout the tournament you just sit back and marvel at some of the big time stops he was able to make. Finishing the tournament with the best Save Percentage (.955) and Goals Against

[caption id="attachment_1865" align="alignright" width="300"]
John Gibson makes a save in the finals against Sweden[/caption]

Average (1.36) which also gives him the highest Save Percentage of any American goaltender at the World Juniors. To say Gibson stood on his head would be

an understatement, he led the Americans to victory and stood tall against the opposition time after time. His play earned him tournament MVP, top goaltender and a gold medal. His play was somewhat reminiscent of Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller during the 2010 Olympics. The Americans were the underdogs in the Olympics much like this tournament but the strong play of Miller between the pipes led the team right to the gold medal match against Canada- closer to a gold medal than anyone thought the Americans would come. The only difference between the two is Gibson was able to lead his American squad to a gold medal where Miller fell just short in OT.

Congrats to team USA on winning gold in the 2013 World Junior Championships, it was a well deserved championship that reminded everyone never to count the Americans out.

Team USA Beats Canada Advances to Gold Medal Match

For the fourth straight year Canada will be leaving the World Junior Tournament without a gold medal after losing to team USA 5-1 in the semi-finals. The game was completely dominated by the Americans and the confused Canadians were left just watching their opposition skate around them, so much for the "dream team" assembled due to the lockout.

The Canadians got off to a slow start and were quickly left in the dust of the Americans who came out ready to play and with something to prove. With 2 first period goals by American captain Jake McCabe they found themselves in a deep hole, needing to score 3 goals on the red hot John Gibson. Going into the 2nd period the Americans scored the next 2 goals and the game was quickly put to bed before Canada was even able to show up. Whether it was the 2 days off after earning the quarter final bye or they were to over confident, they just didn't show up ready to play when the puck dropped and that's what killed the Canadians.

Team Canada

The Canadian players played with no heart or passion during the tournament and the reason is they have a sense of entitlement. They believe because they're star Canadian players and wear the maple leaf on their chest they should immediately be in the gold medal game. The star players on the Canadian team were just given a spot on the team and weren't forced to work hard and actually make the team. Just look at the games during selection camp, every player who had already made the team (after only 1 practice) got to sit in the press box and eat wings while the fringe players (many of whom got cut) had to fight like crazy for a chance to represent their country.

[caption id="attachment_1834" align="alignright" width="300"]
Canadian players upset after loss to Team USA[/caption]

When watching Canada in the tournament you could tell that players like Jonathan Drouin who had to battle to earn the honour to put the Canadian jersey on, were the better players and they actually seemed to care. For the first round draft-picks who were given a spot on the roster before touching down out West, the tournament becomes almost a "right of passage" that they must compete in before making the jump to the NHL. It seems like they don't put their full heart into the tournament because they know they're already headed to the NHL.

When push comes to shove Canada just expects to win gold, so much has been made about hockey being their game and how dominate they used to be that they just expect to wind up in the gold medal game. You could see today that was the mindset they brought into the semi-finals, they just expected to be in the finals but team USA had other plans.

Thanks to the lockout Canada had the added benefit of some very talented players including first overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. With so many stars suiting up for Canada there are 2 things to take away. The first is the fact that all the star players are used to being the star players, it's hard for 5 guys who are used to be being "the guy" to come together and mesh as a unit and thats what happened. When watching them play it truly looked like 5 individuals out on the ice instead of a team as each guy wanted to be the hero and tried to do to much. The second thing to take away is the coaching from head coach Steve Spott, I have no clue where they drew his name from, but he had absolutely no clue how to coach the players. One thing that really stood out for me was the fact he didn't even go into the room before the semi-final game, what kind of coach doesn't at least talk to his team before a big game like this? He was unable to get the right lines together and flat out did a horrible job managing the players.

Now moving onto the underdogs of the tournament Team USA.

After a disappointing 7th place finish last year at the World Juniors, Team USA has rebounded nicely and will now be going home with at least a silver medal. Not a bad turnaround by the Americans who chose a fine mix of CHL players and NCAA players. The best part of the Americans roster going into the tournament was the lack of politics. They were comfortable cutting first round draft picks Stefan Matteau and Brady Skjei because they didn't perform as well as other players during the selection camp. That's a team that is willing to take the best players instead of the biggest names.

Their decision to take college players John Gaudreau and Rocco Grimaldi payed off in the end as Gaudreau scored 2 big goals in the win over Canada and is 2nd in scoring with 9 points (7 goals and 2 assists). When you have 3rd and 4th liners who are able to produce at the rate Gaudreau has been able to it makes scoring a lot easier. All 5 goals scored by the Americans against Canada came from players playing in the NCAA (Gaudreau 2, Jake McCabe 2, Jim Vesey) proving that you can win with players from anywhere.

But perhaps the biggest story and the number 1 reason they're in the finals is due to the play of goaltender John Gibson. He has been absolutely phenomenal throughout the tournament and if it wasn't for a questionable whistle would have recorded his 2nd straight shutout. The Canadians had many golden chances where players were left alone in front of the goaltender but Gibson stood strong and shut the door time after time. With his strong play he ended up getting into the Canadians heads forcing them to miss the net trying to pick corners or shooting right at him. When a team is able to get the strong type of goaltending team USA has gotten, it does wonders for the confidence of the team. Going into the tournament their main goal was defence but against Canada they managed to generate offence and let Gibson take care of the rest.

The Americans knew they had something to prove after last years tournament and their satisfactory play during the round robin, beating Canada who they had lost to earlier would be a huge step for them. They came out for the semi-final game on fire, ready to play and with a chip on their shoulder. They were a determined team and right from the start they showed they weren't going to roll over.

During the semi-final match team USA was the better team, period. They out-played Canada in every aspect from skating, to scoring to goaltending. After their effort they were the team that deserved to advance to the gold medal match not Canada. At the end of the day you have to earn your way into the gold medal match not just show up. While I stand by the Canadian hockey team, their effort today in the semi-final was pathetic and an embarrassment to themselves and Canada. They didn't bother to show up until the 3rd period and by then the game was over, they allowed themselves to become impressed by who they were and believed they couldn't be beat.

Top 10 NHL Stories of 2012

For the majority of 2012 there hasn't been any actual NHL hockey and as the final seconds ticked off the clock into 2013 there was still no sign of hockey. With the deadline for the season just 2 weeks away no one knows whether we will actually see NHL hockey or not. Hockey fans and frankly the hockey world in general is in a fragile place as fans are slowly losing hope for hockey. But since there's no present NHL stories, beside the lockout, to talk about let's take a look back at the most memorable moments from 2012. While the lockout has certainly been dominating the news as of late, there is more to remember from 2012, so here are the top 10 NHL stories of 2012.

Top 10 NHL Stories of 2012

10. Shane Doan's Future

There has been a lot of drama surrounding the Phoenix Coyotes over the last couple of seasons. But this off season the pot thickened when long time Coyotes captain and franchise player Shane Doan announced he would test the free agency markets once July 1st hit. Immediately this news sent the hockey world into a buzz and sent Coyotes fans into a tail spin. If it wasn't bad enough that their star player was considering leaving the desert, he held the league and the organization hostage by not making up his decision until he knew the certainty of where the Coyotes would be next season. He forced the NHL to make up their mind about the Coyotes being in Arizona, he made it clear he wanted to stay but only if he knew what was happening.

It appears Doan found the answer he was looking for and signed a 4 year $21.2 million deal to stay with the Coyotes, wherever that may be, on September 14th 2012. Both the Coyotes organization and their fans were able to breath a sigh of relief as their captain decided to stay with the team. Did he ever really plan on leaving the dessert, we'll likely never know but he did turn down a 4 year $30 million offer from another team earlier in the summer.

9. Tim Thomas Says No to Obama

When news of this story hit the media it got completely blown up and there was so much drama surrounding the Boston Bruins they got lost in the middle of it all and ended up going 5-7-1 afterward the incident and it ultimately drove a riff between Tim Thomas and his teammates. As is tradition the championship team gets an invite to the White House to visit with the President of the United States, it's a great day for the team, the players and the president get's some more air time, everyone wins. Only problem was one key member of the Bruins was not in attendance during the visit to the White House.

Thomas, who won the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP, Vezina Trophy and was the biggest key in the Bruins winning their first Stanley Cup in 39 years decided he would not accompany his teammates to the White House to celebrate their victory. The goaltender stated political beliefs as the reason for him not

[caption id="attachment_1774" align="alignright" width="300"] Tim Thomas taunted by Obama Signs[/caption]

attending the event as he wasn't in favour of the presidents policies. The event shamed both the Bruins and the NHL but also opened up the media and the fans to the political side of the goaltender.

Thomas skipping the event had major consequences and virtually put an end to his career in Boston as he declared he would be taking the 2012-2013 season off from hockey to "re-evaluate" and "find himself". But it appears Thomas can see into the future as all NHL players are taking a break from playing.

8. Sam Gagner goes Gretzky-esque

Imagine a feat so rare that only 11 players have managed to accomplish it, a feat that neither Sidney Crosby nor Alexander Ovechkin have been able to claim and a milestone that hadn't been reached since Mario Lemieux in 1989. On February 2nd 2012, Edmonton Oilers forward Sam Gagner recorded 8 points (4 goals and 4 assists) to add himself to an exclusive list of players. Gagner became just the 12th player to record 8 points in a single game, a feat Wayne Gretzky himself accomplished twice.

Gagner was 22 at the time and tied the Oilers franchise record shared by Gretzky and Paul Coffey, not bad for a guy whose name was being tossed around in rumour after rumour leading up to the trade deadline!

7. Detroit Red Wings Defend Home Turf

Home ice advantage has become a thing of the past, in today's game great teams can go into any arena and grind out the win. But the Detroit Red Wings made a case that the Joe was a scary place for the opposition to play. The Red Wings put together a streak that lasted 4 months and saw them win 23 consecutive home games at Joe Louis. It was an awesome story for the Wings, who have been one of the NHL's elite for the last decade but still play the game "the right way" so it was awesome that they were able to break the record for consecutive wins at home.

Just how dominate were the Wings during their win streak? During those 23 games, they won 19 of them in regulation, outscored their opponents 89-34 and the last 6 games of the win streak came with the help of their back-up goaltender! Sure anyone can get lucky while playing at home but away from the Joe the Wings were a loess than stellar 13-11-1 during that same time.

6. Penguins/ Flyers rivalry

For any hockey fan who likes old time hockey the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers rivalry is for you. If you remember the days of the Broad Street Bullies you know the Flyers have always played a style of hockey where they like to intimidate or beat up opponents. The 2011-2012 Flyers went back to their roots and once again became the Broad Street Bullies during their playoff series against the Penguins. The Penguins are a team of

[caption id="attachment_1775" align="alignright" width="300"] Crosby and Giroux go toe-to-toe in the 2012 Playoffs[/caption]

finesse, they don't get involved in the rough stuff as they focus on pretty scoring plays and beating opponents on the scoreboard. During their first round playoff match, the Flyers drew the Penguins into playing the Flyers rough style of hockey, a style completely out of the Penguins element.

The most memorable game in the series was game 3 in which tempers finally boiled over and the Penguins fully lost it. The Flyers won the game 8-4 and both goalies have had better games but that wasn't the main storyline. The two teams racked up 158 penalty minutes including 4 10 minute misconducts! Even Sidney Crosby and Claude Giroux mixed things up during the game which proved the Flyers had officially got under the Penguins skin. To follow up the 158 PIM game, the Penguins returned the favour and won game 4 by a score of 10-3, that game featured 100 PIM. The Flyers would take the series 4-2 but would fall in the 2nd round as all their emotion was thrust into the Penguins series.

It was some great old time hockey, that featured fights and players who really didn't like each other. One of the most memorable moments, Giroux hit Crosby into the boards and while Crosby was still getting up, Giroux had scored a goal for the Flyers. When the NHL eventually gets back it will be interesting to see these two teams square off again!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tit_fbYnmLc

5. Phoenix Coyotes Best Season

The Coyotes are kind of like the orphans of the NHL, they don't really have an owner and there's always talk about moving them from their current home to a new home with a new owner. With so much un-certainty following the team it can be hard to focus on the hockey, but the Coyotes players put aside all the distractions and made the 2011-2012 season their best!

Throughout the regular season the Coyotes earned 97 points which ranked them 3rd in the Western Conference poised for a playoff birth. Going into the playoffs the Coyotes franchise had never won a playoff series, but the Coyotes managed to win not just 1 but 2 against the Chicago Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators. From phenomenal goaltending by Mike Smith to the veteran leadership of Shane Doan something clicked and the Coyotes worked their way to the Western Conference Finals where they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions the Los Angeles Kings. With their best season ever the Coyotes managed to win over the support of the fans and played in front of sold out crowds in the dessert during the playoffs.

4. Steven Stamkos Scoring Sensation

Other than maybe Evgeni Malkin there is not a more natural, consistent goal scorer in the NHL than Steven Stamkos. He is already on his way to have a career for the record books and he's only 22, but seems to improve every season. In his 4 years in the NHL he has scored 179 goals including the 60 he scored in 2011-2012. Yes Stamkos reached the mark of 60 goals in a single season becoming just the second player to reach the feat since 1996. With the average first liner

[caption id="attachment_1780" align="alignright" width="300"] Stamkos Celebrates His 60th Goal[/caption]

scoring between 25-35 goals, Stamkos being able to reach the coveted 60 is a tremendous achievement and with his team being out of the playoff race he managed to keep things interesting. Of his 60 goals, 48 of them came while playing at even strength, showing he can still dominate at 5 on 5.

Stamkos became just the 19th player in history to score 60 goals in a single season and he accomplished it in game 82 on the road in Winnipeg. His 60 goals were enough to earn him his 2nd Rocket Richard Trophy. If Stamkos can stay healthy over the next 10 years he may become one of the most prolific goal scorers in NHL history. With his surging popularity and improvement each season, the NHL will look to him to help dig themselves out of the lockout hole with the fans.

When talking about Stamkos you also have to give a little stick tap to his new off-season trainer Gary Roberts, who Stamkos credits for taking his game to the next level. With Roberts help who knows where his development would be.

3. Nicklas Lidstrom Calls it Quits

May 31st, 2012 one of the saddest days for Red Wings fans and hockey fans, the day legendary Nicklas Lidstrom announced his retirement from the NHL. It came as a surprise to many as he was still one of the best defenceman in the league and had talked about retiring for a few years but always came back. But after 20 seasons Lidstrom decided enough was enough and he had accomplished enough in his career to call it quits. 

Just like that one of the games all-time great deafenceman and all-around class acts was gone from the game, but he remained in the hearts of Red Wings fans after playing his entire career with the wings. When the dust cleared on Lidstrom's career he had racked up 1,142 points, 4 Stanley Cups, 1 Conn Smythe and 7 Norris Trophies. He will no doubt one day be a first-ballet Hall of Fame Inductee and is arguably one of the best defenceman to ever play the game. He will be missed by everyone but will never be forgotten.

2. Wild Offseason

The two biggest names during free agency were Zach Parise and Ryan Suter who had both made it clear they would be leaving their teams and testing the free agency market. At first teams were sending offers to each player depending on which they could afford and what they needed. But the longer free agency lasted some teams started to offer a deal to both players, which started the rumour that Parise and Suter would like to play on the same team if at all possible.



That of course would come with a major price tag which in turn knocked out a lot of the smaller market teams. Near the end of the saga it was rumoured Parise was headed to Pittsburgh to join forces with Crosby and Suter was headed to Detroit, but the two players had other ideas. They signed identical 13 year $98 million contracts with the Minnesota Wild.

Looking at their singings and the immediate turmoil of the NHL CBA, it's wouldn't be a a far stretch to say this deal was what jump-kicked the NHL lockout. As owners felt they were paying too much for their big stars and as a result losing money.

1. Kings Get Their Crowns

I refuse to let the lockout be the biggest hockey story of 2012, for the true fans of the game the biggest story needs to be the Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup victory, that's hockey not all this silly CBA talk. The Kings were able to make history with their Cup win, entering the playoffs as the 8th seed in the Western Conference they not only knocked off the 1st seed Vancouver Canucks but also the 2nd St. Louis Blues and 3 Phoenix Coyotes, to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. 

The Kings jumped out to a early 3-0 series lead over the New Jersey Devils and once the Devils had brought it back to a 3-2 series the Kings closed the deal with a dominating 6-1 victory in game 6. Throughout the playoffs the Kings went a remarkable 16-4 including a 10-1 record on the road on their way to turning Los Angeles into a hockey city. The victory meant a lot of things for different players: for Jeff Carter and Mike Richards it meant redemption after being traded away from the Flyers after they were deemed as not being the "right guys" to make a cup run, for Trevor Lewis it meant celebrating with family.

There you have it folks my list of the most memorable and best moments from the NHL in 2012. Right now the NHL is in limbo but you can still look back on what was one of the best NHL seasons in the history of the game.