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Home / Archive: 16. March 2009
By Mark Ritter…
Don Cherry is a Canadian icon, he is the reason to stay tuned during the first intermission of a hockey game, he is controversial, he is opinionated, he is entertaining and he just might be ready to pack it in.
Cherry recently turned 75, he is remembered by some for his play in the AHL as a tough Defenseman for the Rochester Americans, Springfield Indians, Tulsa Oilers and Hershey Bears. Cherry would play one game in the NHL for the Boston Bruins a team he would later coach, with great success, mentoring the likes of Bobby Orr, Wayne Cashman, Gerry Cheevers and Brad Park, amungst others. Cherry also coached the upstart Colorado Rockies, with little success, but he did bring tons of piss, vinegar and headlines. For all that Cherry was not he certainly was entertaining, which would later lead to Cherry earning a shot on Hockey Night in Canada.
After his last game in Colorado Cherry’s thoughts undoubtedly turned to how he could remain in the game, he was unwanted as a coach and badly in need of work. In 1980 the CBC hired Cherry as an analyst for the playoffs, he did well along side Dave Hodge, but he was outspoken and known to route for certain teams, notably the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins; this became an issue to some, and as such he was let go. This didn’t sit well with everyone, Cherry was so popular that the CBC found another assignment for him, Coach’s Corner was born and the rest, as they say, is history.
Now, if you need an introduction to Coach’s Corner you have been living on another planet. Cherry, over the years, has walked the walk and definitely talked the talk during this segment. He has touched on controversial political issues, called out anyone and everyone in hockey, he shows his patriotism, wears his heart on his sleeve and has captured the biggest hockey audience in the history of broadcasters, he is Canada’s voice of hockey, often controversial, always entertaining, Cherry is, as he says, “A Beauty”.
It’s hard to think of Hockey Night in Canada without Don Cherry as a contributor. We may not always agree with what Cherry says, or the way he says it, but Canadians continually tune in en mass just to hear what Cherry will say, which leads me to my fear, what would Hockey Night in Canada be without Don Cherry? Who could possibly fill his shoes?
Well, I have given the matter a ton of thought. When and if Cherry retires or is asked to leave, his replacement, if there is one, will have to be ready to endure huge criticism, Cherry would leave behind massive shoes to fill, there are not too many people that could even dream of replacing him, in fact, it’s damn near impossible. Is there a candidate? Well, not really, but I did do some thinking and I did come up with one name that, on the surface might just work.
Who could possibly fill the void left by Don Cherry, well the reality is you cannot replace Don Cherry, but you can find someone to proudly carry on the tradition and idealism of Donald S. Cherry, his name is (Drumroll please) Denis Leary. Leary is a well known Comedian, Actor and HUGE hockey fan. Leary, much like Cherry, is a rabid Boston Bruin’s fan; he loves to lace up the skates, is not afraid to voice an opinion and he has been controversial at times. He is used to the spotlight, loves attention, has been spotted at numerous awards shows and hockey charity events and has a realtionship with numerous players. Does he have Cherry’s knowledge? Nope. Does he have Cherry’s stories? Nope. Is he Canadian? Nope. Could he capture the nation and get them to watch Coach’s Corner? Probably not. What Leary would do is create a new following, one that has the ability to attract the average Joe hockey fan, a guy that wouldn’t take hockey too seriously, a guy that could be excused for not knowing the game inside and out yet somehow making up for it with his humor and quick whit. Leary is an American, he is certain to have a unique perspective on the game, perhaps one that would appeal to Americans and novice fans, something the NHL needs dearly.
Am I delusional? Probably! But, if there is anyone out there that could take the reins and run with Coach’s Corner it is the likes of Leary. No question he would be entertaining, no question he would be unique, no question he has the star power and, most importantly, he is a fan and a student of the game. For a League that is struggling to attract fans from otherwise non-hockey markets a guy like Leary could attract these “Simple folk”, leading to bigger ratings and more saturation. What’s not to like about that?
God forbid that Cherry is asked to leave or has the desire to retire, it would kill me as a hockey fan and it would diminish Canadian culture; after all, Cherry did rank 7th overall in the CBC’s “Greatest Canadian” contest, obviously he is important to us all. His departure would be a sad day, an end of an era, but hockey would live on and in Cherry’s absence the NHL would need to consider a candidate to continue what Cherry started, hockey needs the entertainment factor that is Don Cherry and Coach’s Corner.
(With all due respect) I hope they take Donald S. Cherry out of the arena in a box, deep down inside I think Cherry would like it that way too!
by Brian Oswald… Lyoto Machida will finally get his long awaited title shot against Rashad Evans at UFC 98.
Now that Machida is within striking distance, it’s the perfect time for hardcore Anderson Silva fans to start rooting against the elusive and undefeated Brazilian.
Anderson Silva has publicly proclaimed he feels Machida is the rightful heir to the 205 pound title.
Thus, Silva has remained resistant about diving head first into the deep waters of the light heavyweight division.
But what if Rashad hands Lyoto his first loss?
What if, unlike King Arthur, Machida is unable to pull the proverbial sword from the stone? Then, what fate would the MMA gods have in store for the vaunted light heavyweight division?
If Machida does in fact falter, he would be at least two or three fights removed from another title shot. Assuming Yves Lavigne isn’t referring and he stops the fight before it starts.
Silva would have the perfect aperture to make his run at the 205 pound title with a Machida loss. Perhaps, “The Spider” is the one with the actual birth right to sit atop the light heavyweight throne.
Timing will play a part in all of this. If Machida loses at UFC 98, Silva will be waiting in the wings, coming off his UFC 97 win over Thales Leites.
The UFC could then put together a fight between Anderson Silva and the winner of Chuck Liddell vs. Shogun Rua, who also fight at UFC 97. At the same time, a fight between Rashad Evans and Rampage Jackson would be come together.
If Silva were to beat the winner of Liddell-Rua then the UFC would justify a title shot for him agaisnt the winner of Evans vs. Jackson.
Who else would deserve a shot ahead of Anderson Silva? Perhaps Forrest Griffin or Luis Cane would have the most audible gripes.
While this scenario is widely speculative, perhaps Silva fans can begin fashioning their Lyoto Machida voodoo dolls and commence with the “pin sticking” about a week prior to UFC 98.
And for those that are both Silva and Machida fans, perhaps you can continue to dream about a fight between the two, which is less likely to happen than the preceding scenario.
By Louis “King of Roncesvalles” Pisano… 
The league leading Manitoba Moose rolled into the Ricoh Coliseum to face the division rival Marlies having won six of their last seven games. There were no goose eggs on the score board by the end of the game, but there sure were a couple on the faces of some of the Manitoba players. The Marlies seem to be headed in the right direction as the playoffs creep closer, they have been clamping down on the defensive portion of their game which is paying dividends, having won three of their last four while only giving up seven goals including the 3-1 win against the AHL’s top team Sunday, the Manitoba Moose. Justin Pogge got the start and stopped 21 of 22 shots in the win.
The tone for this game was set right from the get go, as these possible first round playoff opponents and division rivals came out throwing the body around with no regard for self preservation, and as Alex Foster came barrelling out of the penalty box and thumped defenseman Nolan Baumgartner, the first of two fights erupted as RW #41 Guillaume Desbiens took exception to the hit and threw down with Mr. Foster, who from the crowd’s reaction after the fisticuffs was the clear victor. Desbiens received 2 for instigating, 5 for fighting and a 10 minute misconduct for instigating, because after all the hit by Fossy, (Alex Foster) as they call him, was clean. Forster voiced his opinion about the incident to me after the game saying “I just got out of the box as you saw, and then, it’s kind of like the perfect storm, he was pulling the puck and he was on the trolley tracks I guess it was just easy for me, it was a good thing he turned so it was a clean hit, and then I knew something was going to happen, and if you’re going to hit guys like that I guess you got to be ready, so yeah its part of the game.”
Before the end of the period, another fight broke out between Marlies new comer 6’3 215lbs left winger #10 Jay Rosehill, and Manitoba’s 6’2 200lbs #44 right winger Tom Maxwell, a definite heavy weight tilt, and as in the first altercation the outcome was a clear win for the home side. Jay talked to me about his new digs here in Toronto and about being with a new group of guys who he has stepped up for twice in the four game played so far saying “Yeah ya know it’s just a role I play and they needed a gap to be filled here, so I came over and I think it’s going to be a really good fit.”
With twelve seconds left in what was a rambunctious first period Toronto’s Ryan Hamilton scored to take a 1-0 lead into the second. In the next frame the tight checking continued, with the teams trading goals. One minute in Manitoba’s RW #40 Michael Grabner notched his 26th tying the game at ones, to which the Marlies responded halfway through regaining the lead again on a goal by rookie LW #16 Stefano Giliati. In the third, Toronto’s power play, which has been non-existent as of late, came to life. RW #19 Jeremy Williams scored on a rocket from the point to seal the deal.
John Ferguson Jr. was there at the Ricoh Coliseum as he is now a scout for the San Jose Sharks, and I had to feel kind of bad for the treatment he’d received over the last few years here in Toronto, so I asked him about some of the positives that have been working out for the Toronto organizations including the Marlies and the Leafs, that he had a hand in and he told me “Yeah ya know these players whether its Ondrus or Sifers, or you mentioned Oreskovic and others obviously Tlusty has had a real good run down here and ya know Anton Stralman’s played very well here and lately up top, sometimes it just takes some time for some of the players to really develop and come up through the ranks and the people here with the Marlies have done a magnificent job developing. There are a lot of real good drafts made by a number of different people, and ya know I said at the time that there was a lot more here than we might be getting acknowledgement for and it’s a credit to the players and the development system.” Mr. Ferguson was actually quite pleasant about the whole situation and I thanked him for the interview after which he shook my hand and thanked me.
The Marlies have seven games left in the season to solidify their playoff berth, and the win over Manitoba was a definite step in the right direction. Their next game at home is on Sunday March 22nd where they will host the San Antonio Rampage, see ya at the game!
Is this chick hot, or what? I have to put her in the top 10 “Smoking HOT sports chicks of all time”. On that note, time to tell everyone about the TOsports Octagon, say what?. The TOsports Octagon is a weekly radio show hosted by The King of Roncesvalles, Louis Pisano. The King will be joined by other TOsports personalities including Mark Ritter”The Hard Hitter” and Mike “The Truth” Henderson plus many more, including The Captain.
Join The King live today at 8 pm, with guest Mike Henderson, as they brake down the up and coming March Madness for ya. The Captain is working on getting some hot chicks on the show. The T.O. Sports Octagon Radio Show can be heard every week at 8pm, Thursdays.
by Martin Avery… The Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins and a dozen other teams must be having second thoughts for sloppy decisions about signing Sean Avery.
Now, that he is scoring a goal a game and leading the New York Rangers into the playoffs.
After Sean Avery was selected first star of the game with two goals, a Gordie Howe hat-trick, an unofficial dime, drawing a couple of penalties, getting a few hits, and re-energizing his team, the Pittsburgh Penguins and several other teams must be kicking themselves for not claiming Sean Avery.
From re-entry waivers and getting him at half price from the Dallas Stars before the New York Rangers signed him up again, New York walked away with a good deal.
The Dallas Stars must be frothing at the bit.
The Pittsburgh Penguins could have taken Avery ahead of the Rangers when they had the chance.
Crosby with Avery on the wing would have turned both of them into much bigger scorers and points-getters.
The Dallas Stars are still blaming Avery for their problems. They call it The Avery Curse.
First they made him their scapegoat when the Stars and Avery got off to a slow start this year.
They called him a cancer in the locker room. He sat in the hall listening to alternative music on his iPod and texting on his BlackBerry instead of joining in whatever hockey players do in the locker room.
They could not stand the words he yelled at their opponents’ fans or did his trash talking on TV.
When they dumped him and went on a winning spree they said it was, because they were free of Avery.
When Avery returned to the NHL with the Rangers, months later, the Stars started losing again. It was a coincidence, of course, but they blamed it on Avery and called it The Avery Curse.
First there was The Avery Rule for unsportsmanlike conduct and then there was The Avery Curse.
Meanwhile, Avery has had good luck with the Hartford Wolf Pack and in New York, he appears to have brought good luck to the Rangers.
It must have hurt Dallas when Avery was selected the first star of the game in a New York win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
His goals and his new role as first line inspirer instead of third line agitator must give them sleepless nights.
Brett Hull had egg on his face, they said, when the Stars sent Avery packing. It was the Stars’ new co-GM Hull who was responsible for taking Avery from New York to Texas.
Now, Hull is looking golden again.
Maybe they misunderestimated him in Dallas.
It must hurt the Stars on payday, to think they are still paying half of Avery’s salary, while he leads a different team into the playoffs, while their own playoff hopes diminish day by day.
Of course, this could be a blip or fluke or temporary insanity.
Avery was never a goal a game shooting star before.
I mean, it’s not as though the Stars are going to pay him to play like this for the next three years, is it?
Oh! It is?
Sorry, Stars.
by Stoker Dafire… On Jan.24th Shane Mosley put on a brilliant display of boxing skills at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
This left little doubt in anyone’s mind that he is now the true king of boxing’s welterweight division.
Well…anyone that is, except Miguel Cotto.
Cotto defeated Mosley at Madison Square Garden in November 2007, then lost to Antonio Margarito in July 2008, this was Cotto’s first professional defeat.
So far, 2009 has belonged to Mosley.
The Sugar man gave Margarito a “bouncer style” thrashing in January–knocking the tough Mexican fighter right off the pound for pound list–awarding himself the WBA welterweight championship of the world.
Margarito’s trainer, Javier Capetillo, lost his license following his loss to Mosley for wrapping Margarito’s hands with an illegal substance.
Mosley has been outspoken in defense of his opponent saying Capetillo is more at fault than Margarito for the illegal wraps.
“He’s the one who should be blamed,” Mosley said. “He was the one wrapping Margaritos hands.”
More recently, Mosley’s concerns have been focused toward his own future options.
Although an attempt to avenge the loss against Cotto may still be an option, the new welterweight king has also voiced his desire to face the winner of the upcoming Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight.
Those two warriors will meet in Las Vegas on May 2 for Hatton’s junior welterweight belt and it’s a fight that is causing quite a stir.
The 140 pound “spring showdown” has the potential to be the “fight of the year” in this writers mind.
Mosley could have been reading the news this week about the May super-fight and perhaps the 37-year-old Mosley is finding it lonely at the top.
At any rate he decided that this weekend was as good a time as any to let the fans know that he was next in line.
“The only three fights out there right now are Pacquiao, Hatton and Cotto,” Mosley said Friday. “That’s what I’m looking at right now.
“I feel like I have about four more years of fighting left, so I don’t care how long I have to wait.” Mosley said.
Those are “serious words” from a serious champion.
As a vocal supporter of what I consider to be the best welterweight division in history..I’ll be sure and wait right along with him.
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- Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.
- Henry David Thoreau
US Transcendentalist author (1817 - 1862)
by Thomas Moreland… This week was a good one for golf fans.
I can’t remember the last time three players shot four sub-70 rounds on a good course like Doral. The weather in South Florida was fantastic and the scoring showed that conditions were ideal.
Phil Mickelson held off Nick Watney to win for the second time this season. Both players already had one win, so Phil jumps up to number one for the season.
Geoff Ogilvy will be right there, this season, and now everyone waits to see if Tiger comes back strong as well.
Tiger shot eight under par the last two days, and just needs to get the rust off his putter.
My fantasy team which included Tiger, this week, did pretty well. My other three guys, Rory McElvoy, Steve Stricker, and Ian Poulter, notched up a 20th, a 13th, and a 13th, along with Tiger’s ninth place finish.
I may finally catch a expert, with my point total of around 1250 points and my 36,000 ranking. Look out, Michael Arkush.
In the Puerto Rico Open, Michael Bradley came out on top, and with it an invite to the Master’s in April and other majors in the future.
Next week the PGA plays at the Westin Innisbrook-Copperhead Course in Palm Harbor, Florida.
I have selected some hot players to try and up my fantasy points next week.
My A player will be Jim Furyk, who was the other player this last week to shoot four rounds under 70 and capture third place at the WGA Golf Championship at Doral, behind Phil Mickelson and Nick Watney.
My B players will be Nick Watney, who is hot, and Zach Johnson who is playing pretty well this season also.
My C player will be Ben Crane, who does have a second place this season.
On the bench for back-ups or missed cuts (not likely with these four) will be Kenny Perry, Charlie Hoffman, Steve Stricker, and Kevin Streelman.
This line up looks very good to me, this coming week.
Our next Tiger appearance should be the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where Tiger defends his title, near his home in Orlando, Florida, at Bay Hill.
Yes, I will take Tiger on my fantasy team that week also, as I expect a wire to wire victory on Tiger’s home turf.
Enjoy it while you can, Phil, but all good things come to an end. A Tiger is lurking down the path and he grows hungrier by the hour.
Good golfing to everyone, may the hole seem huge, and the fairways wide.
by Mike Allder… Over the course of one’s life, many historic world events can be recalled just by inquiring as to what a person was doing, for example when President Kennedy was assassinated?
Do you remember where you were when man first landed and walked on the moon? How about the many recollections as to what people had been busy doing that Tuesday morning on Sept. 11, 2001? Dozens of memories frozen in the mind for life easily thawed in a split second, never to be forgotten.
As a 12-year old boy attending Lawrence Heights Junior High School on what would be a historic monumental day for my country, Canada, Sept. 28, 1972, would be a day that I know I can never forget. Nor would I want to.
Game eight, the final game of the historic Summit Series would be played today in Russia, and Canada would come to complete stop this afternoon. People took the day off work, employers let employees leave early, and for the few who had to work, a television or radio was very close by.
Students filled gymnasiums and auditoriums, where big televisions on high stands were wheeled in while pupils and staff waited anxiously for the big game to start. It was unforgettable, the energy and excitement that was in the air that beautiful fall day.
At Lawrence Heights, most the students would assemble in our gym, sitting legs crossed on the newly waxed hardwood floor, they’re heads tilted upwards, they’re hands clapping and they’re voices all cheering for Team Canada.
I was lucky enough to be able to watch the game in a classroom at the other end of the school where one of my teachers had brought in a small portable black and white TV from home. A dozen or so students, myself included, preferring to witness history in a more confined, less hysterical atmosphere.
The Summit Series would mean more to Canada than any other sporting event prior to and since that September in 1972. With the Soviets continually dominating international hockey it was their “commie” given right to believe that they were the supreme hockey nation.
And who would argue?
But there was a nation that did take exception to the Soviets claim. It would be the country where hockey had been born, where hockey was more than a sport, hockey was religion, Canada.
Now the world or at least the two largest countries by land mass would find out once and for all who would have bragging rights for hockey supremacy, Canada or the Soviet Union.
The series had started with much fan fare twenty seven days earlier when the Soviets faced off against the mighty overly confident Team Canada squad at the Montreal Forum. Prime Minister Trudeau had dropped the puck for the ceremonial face off and within thirty seconds Canada was up 1-0.
Canada would score again quickly. It seemed laughable that these Russians would be able to compete with our professional players who had heeded their country’s call of duty to battle this unknown cold war enemy.
The Russians would come back and win the first game 7-3 and Canada was in a state of shock. The following three games would also be played on Canada ice and by the time game four had ended in Vancouver on Sept. 8, Canada was actually trailing in games 2-1 with one tie prompting the now famous post game television dialogue with Phil Esposito in front of an angry, pissed off nation.
In Russia, Team Canada was the victim of many uncontrollable circumstances. From bad food, late night crank phone calls to player’s rooms, bad refereeing and the utmost sin, stealing Team Canada’s Canadian beer. It just seemed Canada was up against insurmountable odds and heading into today’s finale Canada needed a win.
Canada must win.
A win and Canada would win the series and for at least a few years claim title to worldwide hockey supremacy. Lose and it would be an embarrassment for the players, the coaches and the Country that had expected so much more from them.
I could only imagine the pressure Team Canada felt heading into the final game.
There would be 60 minutes of hockey left to play and going into the final minute after the previous 59 minutes had been nothing but nail biting, edge of your seat excitement the score was tied 5-5. The tension, sweaty palms and stomach knots were almost too unbearable and with just thirty-four seconds left to play it happened.
Paul Henderson scored the winner on a rebound and Canada rebounded from embarrassment and disappointment to all out cross country jubilation, sending me screaming, running down my school corridor like I had just won the lottery, to my gymnasium, which mirrored the rest of the country that afternoon.
Canada was delirious, finally claiming back the title as the best hockey country on the planet. It was like nothing this country has ever seen before and probably never will again.
Paul Henderson had scored what most hockey fans who witnessed the game to this day label as the greatest goal in Canadian history. Although many great goals have been scored since and I am positive many more will follow I would have to agree.
Paul Henderson’s goal sent Canada into a coast to coast celebration on the exact same day that all of Canada had stood still. It truly was an amazing game, an amazing series and an amazing memory.
Teams from Canada would go onto win many more International events from Canada Cups, World Juniors to Olympic Gold. Canada dominates the world hockey scene in both men`s and woman`s events, from juniors to the pros Canada is always the team to beat.
Hockey Canada`s Program for Hockey Excellence will make sure the future is bright for future generations to come. For me that future began when Paul Henderson scored with thirty-four seconds left in game eight of the greatest hockey series ever played. What a great day for hockey and for Canada.
by Aaron Neely… Every year general managers create a team that they feel can win the Stanley Cup.
Players on these teams are not simply the best of the best, but players who can fit within a team system. They have to be players that do not cause problems and have instant chemistry with their line-mates.
As well, these teams are never simply all veterans who have all played a thousand games and have spent more time in the playoffs then many players will ever spend in their whole NHL career.
Teams need to have a bit of everything.
Experience, youth, grit, skill, speed and a whole lot of luck are needed to win the Stanley Cup.
Finally, they also have to fit within the NHL’s hard cap of $56 million.
A general managers job has never been harder.
Luckily for me, I have the chance of picking 21 guys out of the near 700 that currently play in the NHL.
However, what I am going to do is take goalie pairings, line combinations and defensive pairings that actually exist on teams today.
Let’s start with what wins championships!
Martin Brodeur: Duh.
If anyone is going to argue this decision they need to go check the record books.
As of today, he sits tied with Patrick Roy with the most wins ever by an NHL goalie and with at least three years left he is going to set a new standard that will never be reached by any other goalie.
He wins on the international stage, the regular season and in the playoffs. He has records that goalies would not even dream to obtain and over his 15-year career, he has three Stanley Cups.
Not to mention he comes cheaper then many goalies of his caliber at a very reasonably $5.2 million a year.
If you don’t agree with this, you have to do some research and then agree with this.
Scott Clemmensen: One of the most sought after back up goalies at this years trade deadline, Scott Clemmensen is one of the best goalies to come in and play at a seconds notice.
There very well could be better backup goalies in the NHL but as I said, none that can come in and play whether you tell them they are playing after warm-ups or give them 30 games a year.
This year, when Brodeur went down with his injury, Clemmensen came in for 39 games and posted a staggering 25 wins, 2.39 GAA and a .917 save percentage.
What’s his cap hit you ask?
A very easy half million. Talk about a nice investment.
Total goalie price: $5.7 million
First line: Calgary Flames (Cammalleri, Jokinen, Iginla)
Every team’s first line has to score them goals.
That is an obvious statement that will never be argued.
They log your most minutes, take the credit when things go well and have microphones stuffed in their face demanding answers when things go badly.
So, what do you need from a first line?
Well, everything that the Calgary Flames have.
When you talk about the perfect hockey player, whom do you think of?
Alex Ovechkin?
If hockey was only played in two zones…
Sid the kid?
Is he really as mentally tough as you need to be…?
Jarome Iginla?
…Exactly…
Jarome Iginla does everything; he hits, fights, never takes a shift off, will score 50 goals in any given year and plays in every zone and makes everyone on his team a much better player.
He is the closest thing to a Mark Messier type captain that we have in today’s game and aside from being my team’s leader on the first line, he also is my team’s captain.
Joined by Mike Cammalleri and Olli Jokinen they have combined for 104 goals and 204 points.
What?
All three of these guys are veteran hockey players who have been around the block once or twice.
Even though Jokinen has never played in the playoffs, I like his chances of success playing alongside Iginla.
Overall, I cannot say enough good things about Jarome.
He leads everyone and can succeed with a whole city on his back. Pressure does not faze him and he just might be the most feared hockey player in the NHL.
He does it all.
First line cap hit: $15.8 million.
Overall cap hit, so far: $21.5 million
Second Line: Boston Bruins (Lucic, Krejci, Ryder)
A second line has to be defensively aware as well as capable of putting the puck in the back of the net. They need to be guys who can score more than 60-points a year but at the same time make sure they are not making costly mistakes.
Where better to find your second line from one of the best teams in the NHL.
Boston has always had one of the best defensive teams in the NHL and at the same time has been well known for being able to score with the best of them
The Boston Bruins have always had a team that scares the crap out of just about anyone, but not since the days of Cam Neely have we seen a player like Milan Lucic.
A good western Canadian hockey boy, Lucic, is feared league wide for his size, speed and skill level.
His defensive awareness is also obvious based on his +12 rating.
He also has posted 102 PIMS and can fight anyone and everyone. This year, Mike Komisarek thought he would drop the gloves with Lucic and had his face rearranged. Enough said.
Lucic also allows Michael Ryder and David Krejci to play the game they are known for.
To this point in the season they have contributed 43 and 62 points and more importantly the two of them have a combined +58. Talk about two-way hockey players.
Any team would love to have a second line like these guys. As mentioned, they score, hit, fight and do not give up chances to the best offenses in the NHL.
Perhaps more importantly, two of them are still under their rookie contracts. Bringing this lines cap hit to a whooping $5.4 million.
Overall team cap hit: $26.9 million
Third line: Minnesota Wild (Clutterbuck, Shepperd, Boogard)
When you look at your team’s third line, what is the first thing you see?
The most annoying, irritating, undisciplined, nut job of a hockey player that always seems to be bordering on the line Sean Avery has brought us to know?
Every team hopes so.
Every team hates these players and almost every player has something to settle from years past. Whether it is Sean Avery or Claude Lemeiux, these guys are known league wide.
Point is, everyone reading this knows why Minnesota was chosen for the third line, they just might have the most annoying hockey player in the NHL.
He has already gotten under the skin of almost every single player he has played against and even had some face time on Hockey Night In Canada with Don Cherry.
And Cherry didn’t have friendly words for him, is there a better compliment for an agitator?
The worst things about his actions are the fact that skating on the other wing is the most feared fighter in all of hockey.
Known as the boogieman to most, Derek Boogard’s presence is enough to keep Clutter buck in one piece.
The reason I chose them for my third line is not because of this, but because of the fact that all three of these guys can actually play some hockey despite their side antics.
Boogard might be the only debatable one here but he does his job and opens up the ice for the other two guys without being a defensive liability.
Joining these two guys is also a young promising rookie in James Shepperd.
He scored 19-points in his rookie season and should surpass that in his sophmore year. Think those stats are little for a “promising” rookie?
Well he does play in the most offensive restricting system in hockey so give him some credit for getting to that point while being on the third line.
Once again, because of the new NHL salaries must be looked at and considered when choosing players and because these guys only take up $2.5 million a year they are easily included.
Total team cap hit: $29.4 million
Fourth Line: Detroit Red Wings (Maltby, Draper, Leino)
Who can play seven minutes a hockey game, be productive and contribute as much as possible?
Two of the classiest veterans in the game and a 26-year-old who is finding his way in the NHL.
Fourth line hockey players are not going to play a lot, they are not going to see powerplay time and they are not going to score many goals, but what they are going to do and make sure that team chemistry stays high, make sure guys are doing what they should do and put an arm around a young rookie who just can’t put the puck in the net even though he should be doing so.
These guys are not young and they are not new to the game of hockey.
The reason why I chose the Detroit Red Wings fourth line is because Maltby and Draper have played almost 350 NHL playoff games and have both played in excess of 2000 NHL regular season games.
Basically, nothing is going to happen they haven’t seen before and they know their better days are behind them.
Leino on the other hand has a total of 13 regular season games, however has posted nine-points.
He will one day crack the top six forward spot on the Detroit Red Wings but recently has just been used on the fourth line to learn and see how the game is played.
Because of their age and reputation they make a little more then a lot of fourth lines but their $2.7 million is well worth the price based on what they bring to the table.
Overall team hit so far: $32.1 million
First Defensive Unit: Detroit Red Wings (Lidstrom, Rafalski)
Quite possibly the most demanding role on any NHL club and one of the top two most important is the number one defensive unit and Detroit boasts the number one unit in the whole league.
These guys are going to log around 28 minutes, play on the power play and kill penalties. They play against the best forwards in the world every shift and have vision that instant replay does not even compare to.
Nik Lidstrom is a future Hall of Famer and has been named the captain of the Detroit Red Wings ever since the Great Steve Yzerman retired.
He is a class act and is respected around the league.
He is, maybe, the best defenseman ever with his stick work and will become one of a few defenseman ever to accord 1000 points throughout a career and is today’s Bobby Orr and that is something that you may never hear again.
Point is he is the best.
Combine him with 36-year-old Brian Rafalski and you get two guys with a combined +39 and 101 points.
Can’t get much better than that no matter what generation you look at.
At 13.5 million for the two of these guys, it is well worth the price.
Total team salary: $45.6 million
Second Defensive Unit: Vancouver Canucks (Kevin Bieksa, Willie Mitchell)
When you look at a role like this one, you want two guys who can play about 22 minutes a night.
Guys who can put a few points on the board but most importantly, do the dirty work you do not want your best defenseman doing too often.
Blocking shots and big hits are in the job description and anything that will contribute to the title of warrior, because that is what you have to be.
This job is not for the weak, not for the faint hearted and not for anyone who has issues with the physical therapist.
The reason I chose these two is because they are everything that I just described above. They battle and they are not afraid of anyone.
Most importantly, they are big and strong guys who are defensively aware. Both of them are over six feet and well more than 200 lbs.
They are rocks on the blue line and rarely ever make mistakes in their own zone.
Combined cap hit: $7.3 million
Overall cap hit: $52.9 million
Third defensive Unit: Ottawa Senators (Jason Smith and Chros Schubert)
Just like the fourth line of the forwards.
The third defensive unit cannot be young, cocky, ego driven hockey players.
They have to be able to understand their role and play a role like Hal Gill did for the Penguins in last year’s playoff run.
Whether they play 10 minutes or 20 minutes or something in between, they cannot let themselves be a step down from the second unit.
They have to play to their skill set and do things defensively and let whatever offense they have come later.
Just like the three and four defense man the most important thing they need to do is block shots and hit bodies.
They have to let the team know when they are on the ice and cannot be afraid to drop the gloves. Never is this job pretty but on my hockey team being physical will always beat out simply skill.
My final defense pairing needs to be an intimidating force and that is why I chose these two guys.
Jason Smith and Schubert are mammoths on the line. They are veterans and Jason Smith has been around the league long enough to know what it takes to get things done.
Playing the majority of his career in Edmonton, he is aware of what hard-nosed hockey is. He is the ultimate warrior and no one is going to argue that.
Schubert on the other hand has only played about 250 games in the NHL but playing with Smith will have tons of guidance when things get tough. He is also a big body at 6′3”, 220 lbs.
Better then that, he can also play forward when injuries come.
Total cap hit: $3 million
Overall team cap hit: $55.9 million
That’s That
Making it under the cap was hard but leaving out guys like Crosby, Ovechkin and other possibly future Hall of Famers was even harder.
I did not leave them out, because they lack skill but because their lines that they play on just do not compare to Calgarys first line.
Guys like Phaneuf and Green were left out because they don’t and never will compare to Lidstrom.
Overall, I believe that this team would be The Perfect Hockey Team.
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