-
Posts
10,799 -
Joined
-
Days Won
8
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Blogs
Gallery
Everything posted by SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME
-
And even more players coming out with supporting statements regarding abuse. So far, we have (1) Dan Carcillo and Garrett Taylor https://thehockeynews.com/news/article/more-explosive-and-shocking-allegations-against-junior-hockey-in-newly-filed-lawsuit (2) Ryan Munce https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4924124 (2018) (3) Charles Amodeo https://toronto.citynews.ca/2018/11/28/more-sarnia-sting-alum-open-up-about-alleged-hazing-in-early-2000s/ (4) Eric Guest https://london.ctvnews.ca/mobile/ohl-to-investigate-after-london-area-hockey-player-details-alleged-hazing-in-online-video-1.4986071 (5) David Pszenyczny https://thehockeynews.com/news/article/im-just-lying-on-the-table-taped-and-im-thinking-did-that-just-really-happen-carcillo-teammate (6) an unnamed former WHL player (this one is a tough read) https://www.tsn.ca/whl-investigating-abuse-claims-by-former-player-1.1489379?tsn-amp&__twitter_impression=true (7) Dan Fritsche https://theathletic.com/1889350/2020/06/25/dan-fritsche-says-he-was-also-abused-in-junior-hockey-will-join-daniel-carcillo-lawsuit/?amp#click=https://t.co/XdIgYOreDj (8) Rich Clune https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/rich-clune-hockey-nhl (9) an anonymous player who was a perpetrator of abuse (10) Additional players mentioned by agent Allan Walsh: So far, we have the Sarnia Sting, Kitchener Rangers, Lethbridge Hurricanes, the unnamed WHL team, and other unnamed CHL teams. And also the Akim Aliu story re: player abuse and racism with the Windsor Spitfires. Plus the allegations out of Red Deer, and the resulting “circling of the wagons” to shut down the story and protect the Sutters. I’ve also heard similar stories out of Erie and London, although nothing on the record yet (that I’ve seen anyway). I’m sure there are others I’m missing, and more that will come out in the coming weeks.
-
If we’re talking “defensive” players, I’d much rather have seen Claude Provost finally get into the Hall, instead of Lowe. Provost played over 1000 games, won 9 Cups, appeared in 11 all-star games, won the first ever Masterton (1968), and, had the Selke actually been around in his day, he probably would’ve taken home a handful of them over his career (since he’s arguably one of the greatest “shutdown” players of all time). Provost won the most Cups of anyone not in the Hall. And every other player with 8 or more Cups is already in.
-
I just hope that Vancouver being out of the running doesn’t mean that the West ends up in Vegas. Honestly, the main reason I wanted Vancouver to be chosen was to guarantee that our boys wouldn’t be forced to go to Vegas. Sure, most healthy, young people will do fine with a SARS-CoV-2 infection, but not everyone. Death or long-term respiratory issues (which would be career ending) are very possible outcomes from COVID-19. And I really don’t see how the Vegas hub makes sense, no matter how tight their bubble is. Unless they’re literally going to move everyone into the bubble, including the food service people, cleaners, delivery people/suppliers, etc, there‘s just too much risk putting a hub in that city (given their current numbers and trends).
-
Vasily Podkolzin | #92 | RW
SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME replied to GoldenAlien's topic in Prospects / Farm Team
-
The Fred J. Hume Award is always interesting. What is an “unsung hero?” Like on Twitter today, I’ve seen a couple people (and they were being serious) suggesting J.T. Miller. That guy’s pretty “sung” if you ask me. He’s already guaranteed one of the awards, and a serious contender for a couple others. Problem is that if the player is legitimately underrated and under-appreciated, then we can’t really expect the average fan to elevate them to a “hero.” They don’t sing songs about the unsung. But if we could somehow acknowledge real “unsung heroes,” who fits the bill? Guys like Sutter come to mind. Definitely a player that gets dragged because of his contract (plus the whole “foundational” thing with Benning). But few people realize that Sutter was one of our top-six GAR (goals above replacement) forwards this past season, and he had the largest positive impact defensively of any player not regularly lining up alongside Petey. Or what about Leivo? He’s pretty much an afterthought when most fans talk about re-signing free agents this year. But he’s been one of the team’s best play-drivers since arriving here, and last season, despite the injuries, he (like Sutter) ranked top-six in GAR among our forwards. Definitely an under-appreciated contributor. Or how about Adam Gaudette? Maybe he doesn’t jump out as “unsung,” people fans love the Hockey Gaud (and for good reason). But how many fans realize just how good he was this year? I still see some people saying he’s not an effective 3C option going forward. 33 points and 0.56 points per game while playing just over 12 minutes a night? Those are some strong numbers. And his underlying profile is also very impressive. Our fourth best forward by GAR measures and one of the best net game effect profiles on the team. But if we really want to talk about “unsung,” the name that comes to mind for me is Troy Stecher. Year in and year out, Troy shows up ready for taking that next step, and promptly gets relegated to the third pairing. And year in and year out, injuries hit, and Troy gets pressed into basically first pairing duties alongside Edler (at least at evens), and he doesn’t miss a beat. Just plays effectively, whether it’s at the top or the bottom of the lineup. This past season, he’s the only Canucks Dman not named Quinn Hughes who had positive impacts across the board, when it comes to GAR measures. Even strength offence and defence, special teams, penalty differentials, whatever the category, Stecher’s on-ice impact has been positive. In total, he’s 2nd on the D, behind Hughes, in goals above replacement. Yet this is the guy that most fans seem OK with just letting walk out the door this offseason. Troy Stecher: local kid made good, one of the best human beings you could hope to meet, a player who wears his heart on his sleeve, and just gives everything each night—that’s the guy most fans seem to be OK losing? Talk about “unsung.” I know know he won’t get too many votes from Canucks fans this year, but I think Stecher has mine.
-
I think depth on defence is certainly a weakness. Even the healthy defence is a weakness on this team. Not a fatal one, but probably the main one that will limit how far we can go. I’m not worried about the inexperience factor. “Playoff DNA” is a little overrated anyway. Same with Cup winners, although I’m glad we have a few guys who’ve “been there” on the roster. Generally though, I think pretty much every one of our players has played on big stages and had to elevate their game at crucial moments. Many of us watched Petey’s run in the SHL championship and got a taste of what he’s capable of in playoff hockey (and the others teams went hard at him physically, arguable just as hard as NHL playoffs, and Petey just shrugged it off, or he got the “death stare” and almost singlehandedly destroyed the teams that went after him). Not worried about Pettersson. More excited to see what level he can bring his game to. Similar for our guys who’ve been through World tourneys or NCAA Frozen Four, etc. They’ve been through “the wars” and proven themselves. I think they’ll be able to do the same for the Stanley Cup Playoffs (assuming we get past the play-in, or even have the play-in).
-
Certainly not as fun as being in Vegas or Chicago, but that fun comes with being in cities that are reporting hundreds of new COVID-19 cases daily. And the families don’t even get to be “inside the bubble” with the players, so I’m not sure I’d want to bring my family any of the other proposed hub cities. Maybe Toronto. Although I’m not exactly encouraged by their numbers either. I agree that Edmonton sucks, but maybe the plan to have the families in the Rockies is workable? Jasper, Banff, Lake Louise, etc are all stunning during the summer, and I’d be happy with having my wife and kids getting to share in those experiences, while being only 3-5 hours away (by road). Definitely Vancouver looks like the premiere hub destination. Well, assuming the league has any sense (which is a very big assumption).
-
They should just do Edmonton and Vancouver. East goes to Edmonton. Set the whole bubble inside that hub on Eastern Time. It’s summer in the North, and the 5am (MT) sunrise in Edmonton is happening at the same time as a 7am sunrise in Miami. Just keep the whole works running on Eastern Time, so the players aren’t having to really adjust, and it will be natural to play and broadcast all those games at times suitable for the Eastern market. Of course, having midnight (ET) sunsets in Edmonton will be a little weird, but that’s what blackout curtains are for. The West is in Vancouver, of course, and that hub runs on local, Pacific Time.
-
Journalist Gloats Over Jordan Peterson's Troubles
SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME replied to Timbermen's topic in Off-Topic General
Why stop at Jesus? Classical Liberalism was the dominant political theory of the British Empire, which between the early 19th century and outbreak of WWI, was responsible for around 50 million deaths worldwide. Time to cancel John Locke. And somebody really should build a website that tracks any form of Classical Liberal content in university courses. Gotta save today’s students from these terrifying “indoctrination cult” classes. Never mind the neo-Marxists. We should really go after anyone who dares to call themselves a “classic British liberal.” After all, these monsters are promoting a “murderous doctrine” that wiped out an equal or larger percentage of the world population than Communism did. -
NHL's "Super 16" goaltender list has Markstrom at 13
SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME replied to cuporbust's topic in Canucks Talk
I think this list is mostly based off two things: (1) traditional goalie stats and (2) past playoff performances. Markstrom doesn’t really impress in either category. Of course, when you get into some of the more advanced and proprietary goalie stats, he’s almost universally regarded as a top-10 NHL goalie for 2019-20, and often ranked top-5. -
Even when your job includes a morals clause and the “private conversation” is taking place on a platform where the law has been pretty clear that you don’t have a reasonable expectation of privacy? NHL players are subject to the CBA, which includes Article 18-A: Commissioner Discipline for Off-Ice Conduct, which states the following: “Whenever the Commissioner determines that a Player has violated a League Rule applicable to Players (other than Playing Rules subjecting the Player to potential Supplementary Discipline for On-Ice Conduct), or has been or is guilty of conduct (whether during or outside the playing season) that is detrimental to or against the welfare of the League or the game of hockey, he may discipline such Player in any or all of the following respects: (a) by expelling or suspending such Player for a definite or indefinite period; (b) by cancelling any SPC that such Player has with any Member Club; or (c) by imposing a fine on the Player not exceeding the maximum permissible fine under Section 18.7(b).” Leipsic also signed an NHL Standard Player Contract, which includes the following language: “[The player agrees] (e) to conduct himself on and off the rink according to the highest standards of honesty, morality, fair play and sportsmanship, and to refrain from conduct detrimental to the best interest of the Club, the League or professional hockey generally.“ No “virtue signalling” here, just business. Leipsic clearly conducted himself in a manner that was detrimental to the interests and welfare of the Club and the League. It was well within their rights to terminate the contract on this player.
-
So Vegas is decided. Maybe the league will look to their next expansion darling for the second hub? Seattle and Vegas just makes so much sense. Bettman could negotiate with Raz Simone over use of the Capital Hill Autonomous Zone. Maybe the protesters could lay some more cardboard down in the park and then liberate some ice blocks from local gas stations to construct a beautiful outdoor rink.
-
I’m more wondering what the COVID-19 conditions will be like in Vegas by August? Clark County (Vegas) reported 1018 new cases in just the last seven days! To-date: 8314 cases total. 377 deaths. http://www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/covid-19-dashboard/ Just for comparison, Vancouver Coastal Health serves a similarly sized population to Clark County. Our numbers? 922 total cases. 87 deaths. And since as far back as May, new cases for Vancouver Coastal have been running at <10 per day (some days at zero). https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/a6f23959a8b14bfa989e3cda29297ded (And here are some graphs, just for a quick visual comparison) I know which city I’d rather be in right now. Vancouver remains a front runner for the second hub. Hopefully our boys will get to play in the city with the second graph.
-
I don’t think he’ll go, but if he did, I could see Boucher having a Nigel Dawes level career in the KHL.
-
[Report] Chris Tanev, Canucks want new contract
SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME replied to peaches5's topic in Trades, Rumours, Signings
Get Tanev to sell Markstrom on the merits of a one year deal, and at a discount? -
[Report] Chris Tanev, Canucks want new contract
SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME replied to peaches5's topic in Trades, Rumours, Signings
Yeah, kinda hard to say “let Tanev walk” when the guy is willing to take a discount, accept as short term as a one year deal, and he’s working on new recipes to feed our young players. -
No pics this time, but just have to say, my gastrique was on point tonight! (Also no pics because I made a mess in the kitchen, lol) My happiest moments as a home cook are when I get my sauces just right. Tonight, we’re having thick cut, bone-in pork chops, pan fried, with a balsamic apricot gastrique. Also on the menu: nugget potatoes, rice (kids wanted rice), corn on the cob, peas, broccoli, and some fresh French bread. And eating at this ungodly early hour (5pm) because kids were almost starting to gnaw on my leg with their hunger.
-
Agreed. The longer Juolevi can be kept out of action, the better. He may be “recovered” to the point where he’s able to play, but he’s a long way from being 100% when it comes to overall function and performance. You don’t have to be a medical expert to understand the biomechanical connections between back, hip, and knee injuries, nor do you need to be a hockey expert to see how Juolevi struggles with his mobility, especially when it comes to his pivots and the explosiveness in his first strides. There’s a big mobility issue right now, and IMO (and I’m not a doctor) it’s not one that’s really going to be fixed by just playing through these issues, and putting even more strain on the parts of his body that need to recover. He needs time (and expert supervision) to properly train, rehab, and strengthen those parts of his body, and he probably needs some form of bodywork and movement analysis (and from the best people money can buy), so that he can finally get his body where it needs to be. Juolevi has an NHL brain (in that he sees and understands the game at a very high level). He does not, at this point (mostly due to the injuries), have anything close to an NHL body.
-
Gonna come back and write this post later, but just wanted to jot down an optimistic mock draft for the Canucks. 3rd round pick: Sam Colangelo (RW) 4th round pick: Ian Moore (RHD) 5th round pick: Evan Vierling (C) 6th round pick: Wyatt Kaiser (LHD) 7th round pick: Dmitri Ovchinnikov (LW) Calling this my “optimistic” mock, because some of these guys are slated to go higher than I’m predicting, but I have some reasons (hopefully I’ll actually remember to come back and add them here) why I think they might slip, and still be available around those rounds.
-
[Report] Canucks to part ways with Judd Bracket
SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME replied to -Vintage Canuck-'s topic in Canucks Talk
I think when JB talks about first and second round picks, he’s probably speaking more the rumours flying around on places like Canucks Twitter than to the real disagreement. I highly doubt Brackett was asking for full autonomy over the draft, in addition to his department. If he was asking a guy with Benning’s CV to just zip it and sit on his hands, and let Brackett run the whole show as “Uber-scout,” then there’s probably a padded room somewhere waiting for Judd. I think it’s more likely that Brackett simply outgrew his role. When he was promoted, he went from a little known USHL scout, working part-time for much of his career, to being elevated to the director of amateur scouting. At that time, he must’ve felt he was being handed his dream job. And he probably didn’t care much about issues of “autonomy.” But five years in, and after the successes he’d enjoyed, I’m sure Brackett was looking to expand his role. If for no other reason than to prove he wasn’t merely a good judge of talent (and a good company man), but a guy who can really manage a department, on his own. I think he probably wanted the training wheels taken off. And for management to trust him, when it comes to decisions on personnel and process. I agree that Benning likely involved Judd in new hirings. To what extent, we can’t really know. But it also seems clear that the firings in 2019, and the moves in 2017 and 2015, were mostly (if not entirely) coming from the top, and there hadn’t ever been much in the way of letting Brackett independently pick and choose his own scouts, or for him to really take the lead the process, before making a final group decision, in consultation with upper management, on the scouting staff. I believe Brackett felt he was ready for a larger role, and probably felt that it was necessary for him to take on more responsibility and control, to prove that he’s not just a good scout, but a guy with real management potential and a candidate for advancement, whether within the Canucks organization, or moving on to join the front office of another team. It’s quite possible this was always heading toward Brackett having to move on, if he wished to continue to advance his career. A guy like Benning, with scouting running in his veins, from a multigenerational family of NHL scouts, with 28 years in the business, and who’s advanced to the highest position possible, on the strength of his record as a scout, this isn’t the type of GM who’s going to just completely hand off a scouting department to his director, and take a backseat role in all decisions involving scouting and the draft. I just can’t imagine JB ever doing that. Scouting and drafting are two of the things he loves most about his job. (And, probably rightly, I could see JB believing that he just knew better than Brackett. It’s not outrageous to think than a guy with JB’s bona fides would be a better director of scouting than any guy working under him. And as GM, it’s Benning prerogative to be as active as he wants in any department within hockey operations, to make any decisions he wants regarding the running of the team, and to expect loyalty and respect for the chain of command. This isn’t to say that I believe JB acted as a dictator or tyrant—or that Brackett was somehow acting improperly or insubordinate—but just that Benning probably felt, and still feels, that it would be a little ridiculous for a guy with his record to not to play a very active role in the Canucks’ amateur scouting). But for Brackett, I would imagine that he was quickly realizing that he was starting to rub against the ceiling of his role within the Vancouver Canucks organization. And Benning either needed to somehow create more space for Brackett to grow, or Judd needed to move on and find somewhere else where he can actually break through. EDIT: small clarification, and probably no one cares about this but me, but when I refer to Judd Brackett as having been a “part-time scout,” I’m not throwing shade, just saying he was scouting part-time, while doing other things with his life. He’s a successful restauranteur, with his brother, owning two restaurants in Harwich Port, Cape Cod, The Port (est 2004) and Ember (est 2008). So even before he started earning a wage from scouting, Judd was doing quite well with his life. Pretty impressive to co-own two successful restaurants by age 31, and then pursue an NHL scouting job in your spare time. -
Certainly a guy with potential to be around when we pick in the 3rd round. The lists are still finalizing, but I’m seeing him ranked anywhere between the middle of the second round to the late third round. Gonna be interesting to see where other RHDs like Justin Barron and Helge Grans end up. I’m seeing so much volatility in the rankings right now, with Barron and Grans ranging from first round picks to falling down into the third round on some rankings. If either of those guys is somehow available, they’d seem to fit in well with the future D we are building (especially if it includes both Hughes and Rathbone on the left side). Adding a RHD with very good NHL size/projectable frames, excellent skating/edgework, capable puck-moving (although probably not “lead the rush” types), and a really solid defensive component, would be a great compliment to our smaller, dynamic, nimble, offensive, puckmoving/puckrushing LHDs. Here’s hoping a guy like that slides down to us. Also, among RHDs, Michael Benning is interesting. Not just because he’s JB’s nephew, but because some rankings suggest he might be available when we pick, and he looks to have steal potential, if he’s still there in the third round. But Benning is also on the “undersized” side, and I’m not sure we’ll be looking to add many more Dmen in the 5’10ish range, assuming we’re already penciling in at least a couple smaller guys in our future D group. (Mitchell Miller is also sub-6’, but he looks to be built like a tank, listed at 5’11, 194 lbs, wide at the shoulders, low centre, and very strong on his skates. Not undersized and probably a guy who could play at 200+, if he makes it to the NHL.)
-
[Report] Canucks to part ways with Judd Bracket
SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME replied to -Vintage Canuck-'s topic in Canucks Talk
Just some thoughts today about the whole Brackett affair. I think I’ve been pretty strong in my earlier arguments for why “autonomy” in the scouting department would be an unreasonable ask, and unprecedented within NHL organizations. But today, just wanted to consider what level of autonomy Brackett may have been seeking. Was he demanding full control on hiring/firing decisions within his department, or was he just asking for Benning to take the training wheels off, and let him build the department he wants to run, while knowing that ultimately he reports to his GM and understanding that he can be overruled? Because that would have been a reasonable ask, and one that Benning should have granted. The Canucks have made three significant changes to the scouting department, under Benning. The first was just after the 2015 draft, when Eric Crawford was fired, and Brackett was promoted. The second was about a month after the 2017 draft, when several scouts were fired, and several replacements were hired. And the most recent was 2019, again just following the draft, and again a handful of scouts fired and hired. Common to each of these changes in personnel is the fact that they were actions taken by management, and not internal changes made by the scouting department (and its director, Brackett). And I would say that that is a little unusual, perhaps more than a little unusual. We’ll never really know how much input Brackett had in these personnel decisions. Maybe he was consulted, maybe he was closely involved, or maybe he was excluded and forced to just accept dictates from management. What the reality is, is important to understanding who’s “on the right side” in this argument. I’ve said that it’s not unusual, in fact it’s the norm, for GMs to feel that they have the right to hire and fire any subordinate. And certainly they have the right to make personnel decisions within a scouting department. But it is unusual to see a management group making every personnel decision in a scouting department. Especially if the scouting director is being excluded from this process. That would also be nearly unprecedented. Especially when we’re taking about changes being made in the summer following the most successful draft in recent memory (2017). And again in the summer (2019) following what’s arguable the best three years of drafting we’ve seen in this era of the team (2017-2019). At some point, Judd Brackett would have rightly felt that he’d proven himself worthy of being consulted on these decisions, and being “in the room” when they were taking place. We probably won’t ever know for sure, but if the 2017 and 2019 changes were made without Brackett’s involvement, then he’s more than right to have a beef. It’s highly unusual for a scouting director to have full autonomy (in fact, I’ve never heard of such a thing), but it’s also highly unusual for a scouting director to be excluded from the personnel decisions in his department, especially when that department is enjoying great success. Normally, when a scouting department is humming along, and producing drafts like 2017-2019, it’s left alone, and the director is allowed to run things, or at the very minimum, he’s directly involved in the decision making processes. GMs generally step in and exert themselves when there’s a clear issue, because the GM takes the heat for major failures, and if the scouts aren’t producing results, then the GM steps in an does a major “reshuffle,” and the scouting director is often sidelined in such a process. But that’s not what we had in Vancouver. We had one of the most successful drafting periods in team history. And while it may be true that a big part of that success was the decisions made by Benning, including the personnel changes in 2015, 2017, and 2019, there’s also a point where a guy like Brackett is eventually going to think “if they don’t trust me with these decisions now, they’re never going to.” If Judd Brackett wanted “autonomy” to makes some of the hirings/firings in his department independently (although ultimately with management approval), and to at least be part of the discussion when management wanted to direct changes, then he was definitely within his rights. And if all the personnel decisions in amateur scouting, from 2015-2020, have been coming from Benning, and with Brackett sidelined, then Brackett is right to want to demand a change or move on. Under that scenario, Brackett would rightly feel that there was little opportunity for him to advance his career in Vancouver, and that, compared to his peers, he was enduring a lack of “autonomy” that would be considered fairly unusual. I don’t know if this was the case. But I’ve written some posts that might be considered “defences” of Benning, through this whole affair, and I figured Brackett at least deserved some “devil’s advocate” consideration as well.