Jason Chen

So much for breaking off contract talks until the end of the season. Just two hours ago, the Canucks announced that they have re-signed RFA Ryan Kesler to a six-year contract worth $30 million. Mike Gillis has been awfully busy of late, first calling up Michael Grabner in light of Mikael Samuelsson's injury then signing Jordan Schroeder to an entry level contract after a finishing a disappointing sophomore year with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Schroeder is likely to suit up Sunday for the Moose to make his highly anticipated professional debut after winning gold with the US at this year's World Junior Championships and becoming the US' highest scorer in world junior history along the way. Players coming from the CHL must be at least 20 years of age by December 31 of the season or play four years of junior to be eligible to play in the AHL, but because Schroeder is coming from the NCAA, he can start playing anytime after he turns 18 (he's 19 now, and 20 by September 2010). Cody Hodgson was allowed to play in the Moose's playoff run last year because the Brampton Battalion's season ended early, making him exempt from the rule. Contract numbers have not been released for Schroeder, but my guess is that's around the rookie maximum of $900,000 plus bonuses, which could be roughly $1-2 million, making his salary cap roughly in the $2-3 million range, much like the Kings' recently signed Brayden Schenn. For Kesler, a question of simple math means that his cap hit will be $5 million per year (surely, the NHLPA won't reprimand him this time) and will remain a Canuck until the 2015-16 season, making him and Roberto Luongo the only players signed for that season. This is a fantastic signing by Gillis, locking up the Canucks' most versatile pivot for the next six years at a very reasonable price. With 64 points and counting, Kesler has emerged as one of the league's best centres. What he lacks in offensive output he makes up for in defense and energy as he will be considered for the Selke year-in and year-out along with perennial favourite Pavel Datsyuk ($6.7 million) and Philadelphia's Mike Richards ($5.75 million). The Ohio State product has come a long way in the NHL and has indeed been a great find by the Canucks. Not since Trevor Linden have the Canucks drafted (1st round, 2003) and cultivated a player that has won the hearts of many by playing blue-collar hockey. Kesler didn't enter the organization with as much as pizazz and hype as Linden and took a few years before establishing himself as a two-way player but what an incredible journey that has been. Kesler's point totals (23, 16 in 48 games, 37, and 59) has increased in each of the past season's and when everyone thought he had hit his offensive ceiling last year, he (along with Alex Burrows) proved everyone wrong. With Kesler signed, the Canucks have six other RFAs to deal with (Mason Raymond, Jannik Hansen, Alex Bolduc, Tanner Glass, Shane O'Brien, Aaron Rome) and that's not including prized goaltender Cory Schneider. Kesler was the big fish that all teams had been keeping an eye on but now he's off the market. I think it's safe to say that Raymond, Hansen, Glass, and possibly Bolduc will be re-signed while the futures for O'Brien, Rome, and Schneider aren't as clear. In light of these recent movements, here's what the Canucks cap structure will look like for next year (numbers courtesy of CapGeek): <img src="http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h164/jchockey/cap.jpg"class="imageFloatCenterFramed">

You're right, MK, playing comeback hockey requires a high degree of mental toughness. The Canucks put themselves in this position because let's face it, it's been a rare time when the Canucks have played a full 60 minutes of good hockey despite their success. I think this team can be much better than it is right now and playing catch-up doesn't make their job any easier. There were a lot of things that didn't go quite well with the WCE era, but I think a part of their playoff failures was their lack of mental toughness. Whether it's personnel issues or coaching issues or the players themselves, they lacked that extra gear in the playoffs. They had the swagger alright, but when things weren't going well they were prone to beating themselves up. I don't think you have to look any further than Dan Cloutier and Markus Naslund, who really put his team on his shoulders and when his wrist shot disappeared he was more critical of himself than anyone. Chicago's defense is extremely underrated. Asides from Keith and Seabrook, another guy that people should watch more of is Niklas Hjalmarsson. He's going to be a great top four guy soon, probably by next year. The Hawks are young and have one of the better coaches in Joel Quenneville and perhaps the best young captain in Jonathan Toews. On a team full of all-stars Toews was absolutely vital to Canada's success and was singled out by the best coach in hockey. He can really play both ends of the ice and scoring on them will be difficult. He's composed and knows when to buckle down and make his shifts count. For the Hawks, age is an upside.

Shoulder to head shots enters a pretty grey area. Like I said before, what happens when Chara decides to lay out St. Louis? Is he going to have to squat to hit him? The NHL has introduced a potential new rule that eliminates "lateral, back-pressure, blindside" hits and it will be implemented next year. There's also the belief that zero tolerance for head shots might work because it works in international hockey. The Olympics showcased some world-class hockey and head shots were not an issue because of the game misconduct a player could receive. I don't think it'll work at the NHL level though, because there's less talent per team and more grinders and enforcers.

No one can accuse the Canucks of giving up. The Avs struck quickly, with Matt Duchene and budding power forward Chris Stewart scoring just 28 seconds apart. Duchene added another powerplay marker 13:26 into the first period to give them a 3-0 lead heading into the first intermission. Roberto Luongo, who didn't mince any words about his first period performance, said the intermission was the turning point: "once we got back in the locker room, we said 'just keep playing.' We have the confidence. We've done it before." And, boy, did they ever. <img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100310/capt.2b5baf1c6f6a40cea74e192c2b9328de.canucks_avalanche_hockey_codz106.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed"> Mikael Samuelsson opened the scoring for the Canucks, but a turnover by Mason Raymond led to a Peter Mueller score for the Avs to regain their three-goal lead. Mueller has looked absolutely rejuvenated recently after his trade from Phoenix in which Don Maloney publicly stated that it was Mueller who wanted out. Interestingly enough, this is the second Breck High School, Minnesota player that did not want to stay with the organization. The first, of course, was Blake Wheeler, now in Boston. The Canucks responded quickly, however, with Samuelsson completing his hat trick before the end of the period, giving him 27 goals on the year, 3 away from 30. In Samuelsson's past two season with the Red Wings, he TOTALED 30 goals. Needless to say, I think Samuelsson's trying to prove a point to Bengt-Ake Gustafsson for leaving him off the Swedish team. Vancouver just keeps reaping those rewards, and that's not mentioning Ryan Kesler's hot streak of late. The Canucks have benefited from getting balanced scoring from three solid lines this year and they may very well finish with three 30-goal scorers (Henrik Sedin, Samuelsson, Alex Burrows), three 20-goal scorers (Daniel Sedin, Mason Raymond, Kesler), a 100-point man (H. Sedin), two 70-point men (D. Sedin, Kesler), and three 50-point men (Burrows, Samuelsson, Raymond). Alex Edler and Christian Ehrhoff may finish the season averaging more than half a point per game and Luongo could reach 40 wins, the first time he's done so since his first season in Vancouver. No doubt that the comeback was entertaining to watch. There was a time when I was used to turning off Canucks games after they trailed because in the past they've always had a tendency to give up, and even when they had the lead, I've seen them blow too many of them. The Canucks' tenth comeback win when trailing after two periods is the most in the league, a winning percentage of .370. While the act is commendable, it's a little alarming to see that the Canucks have trailed after the second 27 times (10-16-1). Out of the top ten teams in that category that are playoff-bound (if they started today), Washington (17), Chicago (22), Colorado (17), LA (26), Pittsburgh (26), and San Jose (18), have all played less games than Vancouver in those types of situations. The Canucks are a third-best 19-3 when leading after the first and 25-1 when leading after two. They cannot play the same game last night in the playoffs because the margin for error is much smaller. Teams are going to be aggressive and staging a comeback when trialing after two periods will be that much more difficult. Credit to the Canucks for playing hard for 40 minutes, but let's not forget that the Avs also had 13 turnovers. You could argue, however, that those numbers really don't mean anything. Washington and San Jose, two teams that rarely trail after two periods, had disappointing playoff runs last year and San Jose's playoff woes are particularly well documented. For Chicago and Pittsburgh, on the other hand, to say that they've been successful lately is a huge understatement. Both teams are considered to be Cup contenders. I've noted before that should the Canucks wish to make the playoffs they have to finish their road trip with a winning record and even if they lose to the Coyotes tonight. The Canucks are now 18-16-1 on the road (started 10-11-1) and despite a small four point difference between them and the second place Avs, they've pretty much locked up the division title (woooo!!!!). Despite not having played at home for over a month, the Canucks' 23 home wins is still third best in the conference. With a strong home record and 10 of their last 16 games at home, the Avs would be hard-pressed to catch up especially if they play like they did last night. Let's make it road win #19 tonight.

I agree, that was a clean hit. I don't think Matt Cooke deserves a suspension because 1) Mike Richards didn't receive one, and 2) it's well within the rules for shoulder to head contact. It was not an elbow, nor was it dirty in the sense that it was within the rules, but dirty in the sense that it was a hit from an angle in which Savard was in no position to protect himself. It is a fast contact sport in which players are vulnerable to getting hit and injured, but that's the price they have to pay in hockey.

Just in time for the annual GM meetings that are going to be held in Boca Raton this week, Matt Cooke's blindside hit on Marc Savard has drawn the ire of many, many people. Head shots will certainly be a hot topic at the meetings. No penalty was called on Cooke's hit although many, including myself, assume that a suspension is forthcoming. Savard has been flown back to Boston and will be seeing a concussion specialist and will be sidelined indefinitely. Cooke's hit is eerily similar to one earlier this year when Mike Richards concussed David Booth, sidelining for much of the season. When (not if) Cooke is suspended, it will be the third suspension the NHL has dealt this week. I can't help but feel that there is a double standard in play here and judging by the recent suspensions of Derek Boogaard and Maxim Lapierre, I'm not expecting too much from the NHL discipline office. Joe Haggerty from CSN New England has been calling for a lengthy suspension for Cooke, and it's quite clear which side he's on. If you watch the replay, and I think it's almost exactly the same as Richards' hit, Cooke doesn't stick out his elbow. It's clearly a shoulder to the head, and even Darren Dreger thinks so. Greg Wyshynski (Puck Daddy) doesn't go as far as Haggerty to call it an elbow, but he does argue that it's a late, cheap hit. It's also quite clear which side he's on: <img src="http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2010/03/07/savard_stretcher_big_381.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">I am a little disturbed by that statement there, because it does show clear bias. Cooke is a repeat offender and one of the most hated pests in the league, but I don't think that just because of his reputation every questionable call should go against him. Neither Booth nor Savard were aware of who was on the ice, although to their credit both Richards and Cooke came from their blindsides. If Richards doesn't get a suspension, then I really think Cooke shouldn't either. Claude Julien is obviously calling for one because he's protecting his players, while Dan Bylsma claims that he didn't see it. Hits to the head by a shoulder are still perfectly legal and in a contact sport these kinds of things will and do happen. There is a certain "grace period" once a player gets a rid of a puck for his opponent to "finish his check" and that's what Cooke did. If Wyshynski thinks that Cooke's hit was late, then what was Scott Stevens' hit on Paul Kariya? The former Devils captain made a name for himself for his late bodychecks. Dion Phaneuf, perhaps one the league's most fearsome hitters, put it the best: The NHL discipline office has remained mum on the matter, which really isn't out of the ordinary. I thought their 2-game suspension for Derek Boogaard's kneeing on Edmonton's Ryan Jones was a complete joke. It was an obvious intent to injure and you never, ever go after someone's knee. It makes even less sense when they suspend Maxim Lapierre for four games after a shove from the back that sent San Jose's Scott Nichol into the boards. I agree that the play in itself was dirty and showed a clear lack of disrespect, but how can you suspend someone more games for giving an extra shove than an intentional knee? Even Nichol has somewhat softened his stance. Then there's stuff like this in the Edmonton Journal, sensationalizing the story, attempting to raise the disgust factor after listing Nichol as 5'7" (making him the league's smallest player with Brian Gionta) and 170 lbs. even though he's listed as 5'9", 180 lbs. on the Sharks' website. Nichol is expected to be back in 7-10 days while Jones' season is most likely done. So how do we fix the problem? Well, to be honest, I really don't see a problem with the Cooke/Savard and Richards/Booth incidents. Shoulder hits to the head will happen as long as bodychecking is allowed. You can't suspend a guy for that because what happens when Zdeno Chara hits Martin St. Louis? St. Louis' head is at Chara's shoulder height. It's part of the game. Things like these are unfortunate, but given the amount of body contact in hockey the occurrences are actually quite rare. I think in both incidences the refs were right not to call a penalty. A good hit is a good hit - don't let a player's reputation or the media dictate what happens. Props to Booth for showing some great hockey code by going after Richards himself. EDIT March 10th: Matt Cooke will not be suspended, which is a great decision by Colin Campbell, but when he says it's for "consistency's sake" I can't help but laugh. The NHL discipline office is anything but. I guess my logic that Campbell would be illogical and suspend Cooke was flawed. If that makes any sense. EDIT #2 March 10th: Tampa's Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis have spoken out and were both unhappy with the lack of suspension for Cooke. I wonder where Lecavalier and St. Louis were when Richards laid the same hit on Booth... and I really wonder what they have to say about Steve Downie. There have been a lot of readers on TSN that have voiced their displeasure on the lack of suspension for Cooke and have accused the discipline office for being gutless and a joke. Had Cooke been suspended, it would've been a bigger joke. It was well within the rules for Cooke to hit Savard's head with his shoulder. There was nothing illegal about Cooke's play.

First off, a big congratulations to the Big Red Machine, winning gold on home ice. Canada's 14 gold medals, if you haven't heard for the millionth time now, is the most by any country in Winter Olympics history. It's no small feat, and as cliched as it sounds, Canada's success has really united its people from coast to coast. The importance of "Own The Podium" was not lost in the eyes of the government and this is great news for the traditionally under-funded Canadian athletes, with the federal budget expected to double its annual contribution. With such initiatives from the Canadian government expect more and more gold medals for Canada's trophy case. It seems only fitting anyway, amidst the Molson, HBC, and Tim's commercials that we should be good at "conquering winter." Sure, the Americans won more medals, but we can always say we won the most golds, and perhaps the ones that mattered to us most. In both men's and women's hockey the Canadians were victorious over their southern rivals, even though the women's post-game celebrations drew the ire of the IOC. But, as Roy MacGregor says, "so what?"<img src="http://media.nj.com/star-ledger/photo/-da5f91bb0cd558bd_large.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed"> The USA-Canada game was one for the history books and I don't remember Salt Lake even coming close to receiving as much hype as it did. If Gary Bettman still doesn't understand why NHL players need to be in Sochi, then I'm not sure if anything in this world will convince him. Hockey in North America is reaching its peak, with USA Hockey introducing a slew of new stars. Hockey Canada has always had a steady stream of quality talent, but Sidney Crosby has garnered the most attention since Wayne Gretzky. The gold medal game drew the highest TV ratings since the 1980 USA-USSR game and it shouldn't surprise anyone that a vast majority of the American viewers were from the north. However, let's hope that the high viewership in cities without NHL franchises, like San Diego, doesn't give Bettman any funny ideas. Some, however, remain quite pessimistic about hockey's staying power in the States. Of course, it doesn't help Bettman that none of USA's marquee talents play on Southeast Division teams. The days of European dominance, and questions of whether the North American development programs are heading in the right direction or not, are over. Jaromir Jagr, Peter Forsberg, and the stars of yesteryear don't dominate the NHL anymore. Finland and Sweden have probably seen the last of their stars from the '90s, while Russia is re-thinking their strategy and selection process. So disappointing was their performance this year that their Olympic Committee head Leonid Tyagachev has resigned after pressure from President Dmitry Medvedev. Just one day after the Closing Ceremonies, the NHL was right back at it again. I must admit, and I'm sure I'm not alone here, that I was suffering from the Olympic hangover and didn't even realize the NHL had resumed playing until I saw the boxscores. If there was any drawback to the Olympics, and this is a minor one, to say the least, was the somewhat uneventful trade deadline. Despite featuring a record number of players, I felt that most of the moves were lateral moves at the very best, with GMs trading for the sake of trading. Here's some winners and losers... The clear winners, I think, were two playoff teams: the Kings and Capitals. With such a young team, Dean Lombardi made an astute move and got veteran leader Jeff Halpern. The price may have seemed a little steep for the journeyman centre, with Teddy Purcell and a third rounder going the other way, but with the Kings' organizational depth it was something they could afford. I think the Capitals missed some of Chris Clark's presence so they got former Canuck Scott Walker and the underrated Eric Belanger. Milan Jurcina returns to Washington and they also got Joe Corvo as well, and the price wasn't bad. The Capitals really made themselves a contender in this one and I have a feeling they'll top Pittsburgh this time around, despite getting Alexei Ponikarovsky. The Pens just don't seem to be playing as well this year - perhaps the novelty of not having Michel Therrien behind the bench is wearing off a little. Phoenix was surprisingly active during the deadline but I think the bigger story is their success, not their acquisitions. There was, I think, a clear loser on this day and I think that's the Oilers. The 'Canes unloaded what players they didn't need, but at the end of the day the Oilers were still saddled with the same group of players they began the season with. Only two trades materialized for them: shipping Lubomir Visnovsky to Anaheim for Ryan Whitney and then Steve Staios to Calgary for Aaron Johnson and a pick. Unless Johnson impresses, he probably won't be back next year while Whitney's signed through 2013. Whitney perhaps isn't the type of player that brings a new attitude to the locker room, something that Steve Tambellini has been wanting to do, but the Oilers had to take some salary back. Some people wonder why the Oilers struck a trade with the Flames, but I really think that speaks to the futility of the Oilers' position. They obviously didn't have Calgary in its mind as a trading partner, but the lack of interest from other teams, or the reluctance to part with picks and prospects, probably pushed the Oilers to them. They have some immovable assets there. It's a long road ahead for the Oilers. The sweeping changes didn't come and the team will probably make more noise at the draft. Sam Gagner may be the only player really worth keeping but it's a shame he has to toil there. <img src="http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/object2/1850/125/n55157749204_7654.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">The Canucks made some depth moves, acquiring Yan Stastny, Andrew Alberts, and Sean Zimmerman. Zimmerman probably won't see any NHL time in his career, Stastny's a call-up at best, while Alberts is a decent depth defenseman. Seeing as how Kevin Bieksa is still out with an injury and Willie Mitchell's status unknown, Mike Gillis didn't make any moves to shore up the blueline. I was personally pulling for Dan Hamhuis, but the Predators elected to keep him for the rest of the year despite his impending free agency. Gillis' big move last year was getting Mats Sundin, but nothing this year. It's perhaps a vote of confidence from Gillis for this team, but it's still missing some pieces before it's a contender in a tough conference. But of course, I'll still be cheering for the blue and green. Back to the NHL we go!

What an absolutely dominant performance by Canada last night in a 7-3 rout of Russia, the performance we've been looking for since the opening game against the Norwegians. After a close shave against the Jonas Hiller-led scrappy Swiss squad and a disappointing loss against the rough and tumble Americans, the Canadians responded with two convincing wins. The key last night wasn't so much that Mike Babcock completely outcoached Vyacheslav Bykov, or that Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchuk, Alex Semin, and Pavel Datsyuk were next to ineffective, or that the Russian holes on defense were completely exploited, or that Evgeni Nabokov played one of the weakest games in his career (and will no doubt be subject to some ribbing by the Sharks' quadruplets). The key last night was that the Canadians got an extra game to fine tune their chemistry and were able to ice four complete lines. It was quite surprising, but also quite comforting, that even when Sidney Crosby and Scott Niedermayer were held off the score sheet the Canadians were still able to pull of such a convincing win. The Canadians were able to execute, scoring a number of tic-tac-toe plays in which Nabokov had no chance, including a partial two-on-one break led by Jonathan Toews off a Mike Richards pass that led to a beautiful Rick Nash goal. That line was clearly the best line last night, not only completely shutting down the Russians' top line but also scoring. Ovechkin and Semin combined for 6 shots and -4 on the night. It's hard to single out who didn't play well last night, but Patrice Bergeron logged less than five minutes and Chris Pronger continues to play mediocre hockey. He's nowhere near Niedermayer's class. When I did my last pre-Olympics post I did mention, and Pierre LeBrun did as well, that the Russians' KHL contingent could be a drawback. I think last night it was pretty clear it was a mistake. The Russians' KHL players combined for -12 last night, with captain Aleksey Morozov logging just under twelve minutes of ice-time. Sergei Gonchar, Ovechkin, and Datsyuk, all of whom play in the NHL, both logged more than 20 minutes. I thought it was a curious decision not to take the KHL's leading scorer Sergei Mozyakin, instead taking Alexander Radulov and Sergei Zinovyev, both of whom finished in the minus. Zinovyev played just 8:49, the least out of any Russian forward. <img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/8b/fullj.a8f3670ece6600bb7eec1ce1d04972f6/a8f3670ece6600bb7eec1ce1d04972f6-getty-95659033mh128_ice_hockey_qu.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed"> The physical play, once again, was set by the Canadians and the Russians didn't have anybody to counter. While Ovechkin's hit on Jagr was quite entertaining, the Russians couldn't keep up. Before the Olympics began I did see that as a potential problem, and which is the main reason why when I made my picks I made sure Evgeny Artyukhin was on that squad. I do agree that this win, by far, was the most convincing in this tournament even though face-offs could use more work. However, I think more interesting happenings were occurring outside of the Russia-Canada match-up. Didn't I say the Finns would be in the mix? Miikka Kiprusoff made 31 saves for the Finns who will play the US in the other semi-final. The win wasn't an easy one to swallow - Pavel Kubina stopped checking Niklas Hagman to retrieve his helmet only to allow him to score the eventual game-winner. Kubina had lost his helmet during play and under international rules playing without a helmet could result in a minor penalty. The rule created some controversy, including Hagman's own admission that it's a "stupid rule." Either way, from the looks of things the Finns may very well finish with the bronze. The Finland-USA game should be a well-fought one and really could go either way, but I'll have to go with the 1980-inspired Americans and Ryan Miller on this one. I think the biggest storyline of the night, however, was Slovakia's upset of Sweden. The defending champions won't medal in this tournament, despite relying on a veteran squad. Led by Pavol Demitra's three points, who is playing the best hockey I've ever seen him play, and Jaroslav Halak, the Slovaks are have already achieved their highest finish at the Olympics. Henrik Lundqvist made just ten saves in the loss, and coach Bengt-Ake Gustafsson continued to rely on his veterans, even if they're essentially playing on one leg: Daniel Alfredsson logged 19:28, Henrik Zetterberg 18:58, Johan Franzen 17:46, and Peter Forsberg 16:07. On the other hand, the NHL's highest scoring duo was surprisingly limited to secondary roles, to me especially, as Henrik Sedin finished with 13:43 and Daniel Sedin with 13:23. Meanwhile, Patric Hornqvist, Loui Eriksson, and Nicklas Backstrom all logged more ice-time than the twins. Gustafsson's reliance on players based on age seems to be extreme at best. I didn't get to see much of the game, but it seems as though the Sedins played well enough but failed to execute. The Slovaks have an uphill climb with Canada next, especially when they're firing on all cylinders. Halak has been amazing but the Canadians are clearly the best team in the tournament now. Expect the gold medal game to be a re-match between the US and Canada and it will be a barn burner.

Ryan Miller was a brick wall all night. It just goes to show what good goaltending can do in short tournaments. I don't buy that there wasn't any shame in the loss... sure, the Canadians outshot the Americans but I think for the most part they played better when they had to. Rafalski scored less than half a minute after Staal's goal. The Canadians have to use this loss to motivate themselves because too often Canadian teams believe they can walk through the competition. They have to feel shame in order to succeed. That simply isn't the case because the team everybody wants to beat badly is Canada. When Canada loses isn't because of a lack of talent.

Before we begin anything, first, take a deep breath. Okay, now we're ready to go. The game came as advertised, although for Canadians everywhere (or for those who may cheer for Canada) the loss was devastating. It's not the gold medal game, not yet, but it might as well have been. With an electric, playoff-like atmosphere, the US fended off a multi-faceted Canadian attack, who were unable to beat Vezina favourite Ryan Miller, who stopped 42 shots in the win, while at the other end of the ice Martin Brodeur allowed 4 of 23. There is simply no question who was the better goalie tonight and in a short tournament like this, goaltending can be the difference between a gold medal finish and a sixth place finish. It's a good thing that Canada has a great insurance policy. I do believe that Brodeur has played himself out of this tournament. Even though the Swiss and Americans were much tougher opponents than the Norwegians, he didn't come up big in the big game. He played the puck way too much tonight and he is no Marty Turco, that's for sure. Brian Rafalski's goal also came at the expense of Brodeur's puckhanding, as was Chris Drury's goal (more on him later) on a missed poke check. I'm not exactly sure what he's been trying to accomplish with those moves, and most people have been vilifying him already. It's not all on him though - Canada's defense scrambled in their own zone multiple times and a lack of communication seems to be the problem. I'll bet that Luongo gets the start against the Germans on Tuesday and may very well be the man from here on out. The Canadians didn't play terribly - in fact, I thought for the most part they played quite well, but it left people wondering where the hell did the sudden burst of energy in the last two minutes came from. Okay, the answer is obviously desperation, but where was that all game? The Americans didn't generate a lot of shots, but they did pressure the Canadian defense that looked flustered at times and forced Brodeur to make some tough saves, although I don't think he made the game any easier for himself. The Americans played with more desperation and their jubilant goal celebrations are indicative of that. They executed better than the Canadians tonight. Speaking of defense, Drew Doughty is an absolute lock for Canada for every Olympics from here on out. Despite fanning on a potential game-tying goal, he looked great on the ice - smooth, calm, and composed. He was the exact opposite of four-time Olympian Chris Pronger, who logged only 14:05 to Doughty's 23:20. Pronger was a lock for everybody's picks for Canada's this year, but you have to wonder if that really was the right decision. Let's face the facts though: Pronger, at 35, is still one of the better defenseman in this league, but his best days are behind him, having last won the Norris ten years ago. His skating, never a strong suit to begin with, has regressed and he was never a particularly intelligent hockey player either. His size was and always will be an asset, but his lack of mobility was completely exploited by the much smaller but faster American forwards. His veteran presence was not felt in this game at all, unlike Scott Niedermayer's. The loss raises questions, but you really have to wonder if Steve Yzerman should've taken Mike Green or Stephane Robidas instead. It was definitely the kids who had the better night tonight, with a very strong performance from Jonathan Toews and Mike Richards, even though he played less than 13 minutes and finished with a -2. They played with urgency and an extra jump in their game that wasn't seen by the veterans of the team. It again makes you wonder if guys like Steven Stamkos should've made the squad. Ironically, for the younger American squad, it was the veterans that pulled through. It's funny how that works sometimes. <img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/4b/fullj.64cbaf35c88c44bd8dbb35714c4b03a4/64cbaf35c88c44bd8dbb35714c4b03a4-getty-95657025mw057_ice_hockey_da.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">I made my picks for USA, there was one player that I couldn't cut no matter how poorly his season was going: Chris Drury. He was even my pick for captain. Captain Clutch, he of the 47 overtime winners, knows how to win. A lot of people wondered why Brian Burke selected the Rangers centre, but it's easy to see why now. Drury has just 10 goals and 22 points this season, but his veteran presence, face-off ability, and tenacious forecheck really set the tone. He's not the most talented player, but through hard work he gets his stuff done. Along with Miller, there are shades of Mike Eruzione and Jim Craig there. You know USA wants to win gold. Badly. Sometimes I wonder if Canadian hockey players may be just a touch too humble. The Americans generated a lot of scoring chances on individual play, especially Rafalski's goal and some stickhandling clinics put on by Patrick Kane and Bobby Ryan. The best chances for the Canadians came when the big kids, Eric Staal, Rick Nash, Ryan Getzlaf, and Corey Perry drove the puck straight to the net. Too often are Canadians looking for that extra pass instead of taking the shot. There were 45 of them tonight, but if takes 45 just to score 3 on Miller, then shoot 65 times. Ability only goes so far, as I'm pretty sure Miller would've liked that Sidney Crosby goal back, before numbers take over. This is going to sound silly, but the Canadians were a little too unselfish with the puck. Everyone parked their egos at the door, but at the same time someone has to step up and say, "I'm gonna be that guy." Joe Sakic was "that guy" in 2002. Part of the reason a single player hasn't stood out yet may be because Mike Babcock has decided to spread the ice-time around. Only 2 Canadians played less than ten minutes (Brent Seabrook and Patrice Bergeron) compared to the Americans' 4 (Ryan Malone, Joe Pavelski, Phil Kessel, and Ryan Whitney). On the flip side, only 2 Canadians topped 20 minutes tonight (Doughty and Duncan Keith) while there were 4 for the Americans (Brooks Orpik, Ryan Suter, Jack Johnson, and Rafalski). There's a clear hierarchy on Team USA as to who gets the ice-time and who doesn't, while it's not so clear on Canada because there's such a wealth of talent and versatility. I have a feeling that some Canadian players need more ice-time to find their rhythm and be effective. The physical game from the much bigger Canadians was there, but not enough. Neither Dustin Brown nor Ryan Callahan are big players (both stand around 5'11"), but when they're on the ice, they're speeding bullets and will hit anything they see. Neither player hit the scoresheet, but they don't need to get score to have their presence felt. Ryan Kesler also helped in that department, including scoring the empty netter on a lazy backcheck by Perry that iced the game. It was a humbling experience, to say the least, for the Canadians. They didn't make the road any easier for themselves, now having to face Germany before a dangerous Russian squad. Who knows though - maybe the Canadians just planned to do it this way all along.

That's a great point, StrongSide, but none of those guys, except for Backstrom and maybe Eriksson will play significant roles. The players that they will count on will all at least be in their late 20s. Based on average age alone, I believe Sweden is icing the oldest team. The Swedes have just 7 players born after 1980, while Canada, USA, and Russia will all have at least 11 or 12. I believe USA has 16 players born after 1980. You could argue that the skill difference between a 29 year old and a 23 year old isn't that big, but in a short tournament like this I think youth is a plus. Either way, it'll be interesting to see. Guaranteed Sweden won't be one of the faster teams in this tournament. Forsberg was noticeably slower, Ohlund's lost a step, and the Sedins were never that fast to begin with.

Many people have touted this tournament as the "best of the best." Sweden begins their quest to defend gold. It will be Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby's first foray in the Olympics, carrying on their rivalry from their day jobs. It is, for the first time ever, played on Canadian soil with all-stars from the best professional league in the world. It's hard to find arguments to disagree with all these things, and should the two heavyweights, Russia and Canada, face-off in the final, expect a much-hyped, much-awaited re-match in Sochi in 2014, should Gary Bettman and the International Olympic Committee come to an agreement. The key match-ups, including Czech Republic-Slovakia, Finland-Sweden, Canada-USA, and Canada-Russia, will no doubt draw the biggest crowds. The big names have already been spoken for, but here are some other things to keep an eye out for (in no specific order). 1. Sweden's youth... or lack thereof. Head coach Bengt-Ake Gustafsson went with a veteran heavy lineup, hoping that some of the winning experience from 2006 will translate to the same result. While there are no Crosby or Ovechkin-type heavyweights in their lineup on offense, the Swedes always play a smart and complete hockey game. Whenever you have Nicklas Lidstrom patrolling the back end and Henrik Lundqvist in net, you have a good chance of winning. But the youthful enthusiasm of young stars must not be overlooked. True, sometimes the atmosphere can overwhelm and throw inexperienced players off their game, but they also do provide energy and spark on the bench. Sometimes, veterans can develop a bit of a "been there, done that" attitude that is ultimately detrimental to the team. 2. The Sedins... at the top of the world. The Sedins have established themselves as bona fide top liners in the NHL. For that, they deserve a pat on the back for really giving the Canucks really good bang for the buck after signing identical extensions. But now, they're on the top line for the defending gold medalists and will be relied on heavily. No longer can they hide behind the shadows of Markus Naslund, Peter Forsberg, or Mats Sundin. Now is the time to show the world what they can really do. They ended their road trip with their heads in the clouds, including a terrible showing in a 6-2 loss in Minnesota. The pressure on them, especially from hockey mad Sweden, is massive. We'll have to see how they respond. 3. Russia's KHL contingent and leadership roles. I noted before that Russia's promise to take a significant number of KHL players might come back and bite them in the butt, and Pierre LeBrun at ESPN agrees. Leadership has always been somewhat of a problem for the Russians because their individual play is absolutely brilliant, and it did come as a surprise to me when Aleksey Morozov was named as captain. Morozov has not played on North American ice since 2004 and has been penciled in on the fourth line. While Ovechkin and Ilya Kovalchuk will serve as the alternates, it's a little curious to me that key veterans like Pavel Datsyuk, Andrei Markov, Sergei Gonchar, and Sergei Fedorov won't have letters on their chests. The argument is that it's "just a letter" and perhaps Canadians just pay a little too much attention to who wears the 'C', but I wonder who will really lead this team. 4. Finland - the team everyone forgets. The Finns aren't flashy, nor do they wish to attract a lot of attention to themselves. What they do, however, is play a tough, gritty game that always seems to catch other teams off-guard. For Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne, wearing the 'C' and the 'A' respectively, this may very well be their last tournament, and it may be the coming out party for players like Valtteri Filppula and Sami Lepisto, both entering the prime age of their careers. Miikka Kiprusoff and 2006 tournament MVP Antero Niittymaki will man the pipes. Keep in mind that the Finns have won silver and bronze in the past three tournaments. If any team has a shot at upsetting a medal favourite, it's these guys. <img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fw7iF68JR8k/Rx1O6ALIuBI/AAAAAAAAHP8/Ge5SpxoGXKo/s320/nhl_g_gretzkylemieux_195.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">5. The kids are alright. It's been a long, long time since the NHL, and international hockey overall, has showcased this many young and talented players. For Crosby and Ovechkin, age 22 and 24, respectively, this may already be the defining moment of their careers. Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux were only 26 and 22 at the 1987 Canada Cup. The Americans haven't had this much talent since the early 1990s and have just 4 players born before 1980's Miracle on Ice. Brian Burke went on record to say that they picked Jon Quick over Craig Anderson in the end because of his age. Steve Yzerman chose youth over experience with Jonathan Toews and Drew Doughty, the only player born after 1988 in the tournament. This may perhaps be the biggest tournament they will ever play in their lives. Bonus. Flashback: 1996. Remember when Sergei Fedorov scored 107 points and won the Selke? Remember when Ziggy Palffy scored 43 goals? Remember when Jaromir Jagr scored 62 goals and had 149 points? Those numbers are still staggering. 14 years ago, these three players were at the height of their popularity and dazzled the world with their immense skill. Today, they are little more than relics of the old guard, expected to more lead than score. This is their ultimate swan song - the chance to represent their country in the most prestigious tournament in the world. Let the games begin.

Let's not forget that NBC mentioned that the son of Betty Fox was Michael J. Oops.

Matt Cullen would've been a great fit here, but Ottawa's got him now. I have to defend Bernier here because I think his play is better than what his stats show. He's a big body and while he doesn't always bury the pucks he should, he's a great team player. He's not a bad penalty killer and he's still got room to grow. He may never reach that potential but he's a solid 20-25 goal player. Wellwood, on the other hand, should go. I don't think it's exactly fair to compare Vancouver to Chicago or San Jose because on any other team Clowe and Versteeg would be second liners. Also I don't think any of our defenseman can provide the same type of offense Keith or Boyle can and offense really starts from the defensive zone. Not making any excuses for Bernier or Wellwood, they can and should play better, but I don't think their supporting cast is that good either. The team needs more tinkering on the bottom six in preparation for the playoffs. We need guys who can skate, hit, and playoff experience.

It will be only another three days before the Olympic torch enters BC Place and it will be exactly a week today when Canada will step onto the ice to show the world what they can really do after a devastating seventh place finish at Turin. The Games coincide with what has been traditionally the toughest stretch in a grueling 82-game NHL season, in which the travel and general wear and tear catch up to players, resulting in injuries to key players. For the 12 teams that will take part, some of them have already named roster replacements, while others are awaiting word on their original selections' health before making any changes. Szymon Szemberg of the IIHF has notified teams that they have until February 15, the day before the first games, to make changes. <img src="http://cdn.bleacherreport.com/images_root/image_pictures/0002/4984/random_key_38803_file_st.louis.martin.1_feature.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed">The return of Dan Boyle is a big sigh of relief for Canada because he's a truly underrated defenseman with amazing skating and puck-moving ability. A lot of people credit Vincent Lecavalier and Brad Richards for Tampa's 2004 win, but Dan Boyle and Martin St. Louis were equally vital. The big news today, however, is Ryan Getzlaf's sprained left ankle. He is listed as day-to-day and may very well heal in time for the Games but with these type of injuries it is impossible to tell how long he will be out for. Getzlaf was in crutches after the game but X-rays were negative and he will undergo further testing today. Should Getzlaf not be able to make the trip, who takes his spot with Corey Perry? Well, I think it's quite obvious that will be Eric Staal, who has 34 points in 29 games since December and plays a fairly similar game. For those concerned with handedness, Staal is a lefty while Getzlaf a righty, but the new replacement could fill that void. For me, there are two players that Canada can take and they're both from right shots: Steven Stamkos or Martin St. Louis. Jeff Carter (also a righty) may creep into the conversation here and may get the nod because of his size, but Stamkos is having a far superior season. My personal choice would be St. Louis because I think his strong play this season has been overlooked and he is an Olympian vet, so throwing him into this situation won't be anything he can't handle. On a roster that is full of centreman, having St. Louis, a natural winger, could help. Scott Niedermayer isn't having a good season either and all eyes will be on him to right his game and lead the team. As a winner at every single level, Niedermayer isn't a stranger to pressure. With a strong supporting cast that is by far, I think, the best in the tournament, Canada's defense should be one of few worries of the coaching staff. Canada's defense has a little bit of everything - speed, size, skill, strength, and even youth in the highly regarded Drew Doughty. The big head scratcher for Mike Babcock and company is to figure out which players get the big minutes and which ones sit. A lot has been made about goaltending as well, with Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, and Marc-Andre Fleury struggling. Brodeur, Canada's undisputed #1, has allowed more than 3 goals in his last 5 games with a 2-3 record during that stretch. The Devils blew a 2-0 lead last night against Philadelphia. Luongo had a fantastic game in Boston but lost his previous game and was pulled in Toronto. Fleury has allowed 13 goals in his last 3 games and had a save percentage far below his usual .906 mark in that stretch. Is it fatigue? It could very well be with all three goalies heavily relied upon by their respective teams. Some argue that coaches, especially ones with Olympic commitments like Jacques Lemaire, should rest his starters in preparation for the Olympics but that won't happen - the NHL is their day job and they're paid to win, so naturally it's their only focus until the opening game against Norway. Either way, Canada is walking into the tournament with their three best goalies, even if they are currently being outplayed by Steve Mason and Marty Turco. Exactly who the hero will be remains to be seen. <img src="http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/sports/photos/2008/10/30/bogosian-zach-081010.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">USA has already lost two of their original selections. Paul Martin is out with a broken arm and won't be 100% by the start of the Games and Mike Komisarek is going to have season-ending shoulder surgery. Brian Burke swiftly announced Ryan Whitney and Tim Gleason as his replacements. While Whitney hasn't exactly had a stellar season, he is logging almost 25 minutes a night for the struggling Ducks while Gleason will replace Komisarek's defensive zone presence. While I like the majority of USA's roster, I would've picked Matt Greene (Grand Ledge, MI) and Zach Bogosian (Massena, NY) instead, to continue Burke's trend of a youth movement, even though it's not like Whitney (26) or Gleason (27) are that old. Greene has been vital to the Kings' success and is their best defensive player. While Bogosian has really cooled off and has just 20 points with -13, he is the future of USA's defensive corps along with Erik and Jack Johnson. If anything, Bogosian will be USA's seventh man and it would perhaps do him some good to just soak up the atmosphere. The USA are underdogs, but it's the way they like it. Just ask Mike Eruzione and the 1980 squad. <img src="http://www.cbc.ca/sports/columns/newsmakers/gfx/evgeni-malkin-250.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed">Russia will perhaps be Canada's biggest challenge because their offense is, by far, the best in the tournament. When Ilya Kovalchuk and Evgeni Malkin play on your second line, you have an embarrassment of riches in the goal-scoring category. However, there are two things to note. First, I think Russia shot itself in the foot when they announced that half of their roster will be made up of players from the KHL. I think hockey politics took the front seat here because Russian officials were much too eager to show the world that the KHL is on par with the NHL, but let's face it, the world's best players are in the NHL. If the Russians win gold, then they have a point, but if they lose, it shows that the NHL is still the superior league. Second, defense remains the big issues because their top two defenseman, Sergei Gonchar and Andrei Markov, are both known more for their offensive talents than defense. The Russians can outscore anybody, but the question is whether or not they are good enough in the defensive zone. Talented forwards Alexei Kovalev and Alexander Frolov were the notable absentees, and even if their consistency at the NHL level is suspect, they are top performers for Russia - Kovalev has 10 points in 14 games for Russia in two Olympics and Frolov has 15 points in 16 games in two World Championships. Sergei Mozyakin, one of the top performers in the KHL year-in and year-out, was also another omission. Semyon Varlamov has been out since December with a groin injury and his replacement will be Alexander Eremenko, the fourth goalie at camp, but the issue is largely irrelevant because Evgeni Nabokov and Ilya Bryzgalov are the clear 1-2. The Swedes may be hit by injuries the hardest, with both veterans Tomas Holmtrom and Niklas Kronwall questionable for the tournament. Let's not forget that despite his selection to the roster, it is still not 100% sure whether or not Peter Forsberg will play. Assuming that all three will be unavailable, Johan Franzen, who recently returned from injury, will get the first looks. Forget about Mikael Samuelsson - even if he's asked he's already said he'd say no. If Franzen isn't ready, than the Swedes could go with more checking ability in Fredrik Sjostrom, or scoring ability by reaching into their own backyard and pick Johan Davidsson from HV71 Jonkoping of the SEL. The captain and team's leading scorer for the past two years, Davidsson is having another strong season and gives the Swedes another representative from the SEL despite not having played at the international level since the 2007 World Championships. Since former Washington Capital and coach Bengt-Ake Gustafsson (son Anton is in the Caps' system) has been adverse to selecting younger players, Victor Hedman, who wasn't even on the original shortlist, probably won't be picked. Instead it may very well be Alex Edler, who I felt should've belonged in the first place, or another Red Wing in Jonathan Ericsson, or Chicago's underrated Niklas Hjalmarsson. Whatever the case, Sweden will almost undoubtedly be in play during the medal rounds due to their incredible chemistry. Daniel and Henrik Sedin are expected to anchor the top line in front of their home crowd while Henrik Zetterberg and Daniel Alfredsson will form the second. Finland will make some noise because like Canada and USA, they will benefit from a smaller ice surface with their North American style of play. Tuomo Ruutu and Niklas Backstrom are both on the injured reserve and it seems unlikely either will make the trip. While they are very good NHLers, especially Backstrom, it won't hurt them significantly. Miikka Kiprusoff will man the pipes while Antero "Sushi Roll" Niittymaki will back him up and is more than capable of handling the load, having won MVP honours at Turin. Nashville's Pekka Rinne will most likely be the third string. Jussi Jokinen and Lauri Korpikoski would be my first choices as Ruutu's replacement, both versatile players but lack Ruutu's physical play. There will be a good chance that the games will be decided by shootouts and Jussi Jokinen may be the best in the league, along with Jonathan Toews. The scrappy Finns are considered underdogs in this tournament but do have the ability to make some noise. Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu, the leading scorers at Turin with 11 points each, are both returning. Neither the Czechs nor Slovaks have any injuries, the only medal round threats to not have any. It works in their favour, but they face a very steep uphill climb in the tough Group B (Russia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Latvia). The Slovaks, who finished fifth in Turin, are headlined by a healthy duo of Marian Gaborik and Marian Hossa, while Zdeno Chara continues to patrol the blueline. There is no obvious strength on the Slovak squad, but there's no obvious weakness either. If the goaltending holds up with Jaroslav Halak and Peter Budaj, the Slovaks have a good chance of finishing in the bronze medal game. The team is headlined by a big batch of veterans, including Jozef Stumpel, Pavol Demitra, and Miroslav Satan. Gaborik is the Slovaks' youngest forward and he is 28. Like Sweden, the Slovaks will lean on veteran leadership, good goaltending, and timely scoring to get them through the tournament. For 37-year old Ziggy Palffy, who came out of retirement in 2007, this will most likely be his last opportunity to win a medal. A veteran-heavy team may not necessarily be a bad thing - for one, the team could fall flat on its face like Canada in 2006 or be a surprising contender like USA in 2002. Given the talent pool it seems unlikely the Czechs will finish third again, although it's not out of the realm of possibility. Like the Slovaks, the Czechs don't have any weaknesses, but rather just a solid, well-rounded team. What gives the Czechs an edge over rest of their competition, however, is their ability to score. The undersized Tomas Plekanec will be the team's top centreman, but what the team lacks in depth down the middle is more than made up for on the wings with Martin Havlat, Patrik Elias, Milan Michalek, Martin Erat, Tomas Fleischmann, and, of course, Jaromir Jagr. To be honest I though the Czechs would stock up on some more firepower because that's their obvious strength, but instead chose to exclude Jiri Hudler, Vaclav Prospal, and even Milan Hejduk, a curious decision to say the least. Tomas Kaberle, Marek Zidlicky, Filip Kuba, and Pavel Kubina makes up a nice defensive corps, while shot-blocking machine Zbynek Michalek (271 in 2008-09 was 33 more than second place Brett Clark, another underrated defenseman) will be the shut-down man. There will be no Dominik Hasek to confound shooters, although Tomas Vokoun is certainly no slouch. Odds to win Gold: Canada (1:2), Russia (2:1), Sweden and USA (6:1), Czech Republic (12:1), Finland (18:1), Slovakia (40:1) Go Canada Go!

On some days when I can't up from bed in time, or even when I do it's hard to be totally aware of things at the moment, I like to read the recap about the Canucks' effort. From I've read, it sounds like Roberto Luongo did his thing and bailed a dis-spirited team in front of him with some big, big saves. It wasn't until the shootout when you could literally win the game by skating as leisurely as you'd like (which is why it'll never fly in the playoffs) did the Canucks pull out with a win with none other than veteran Pavol Demitra. Good thing we have that guy in net, eh? But anyway, this whole week has really been about players outside of the Canucks organization for once, so, here's a look at the rest of the league, which might be as interesting as the Canucks. <img src="http://media.nj.com/devils_main/photo/ilya-kovalchuk-devils-debut-4c5015598550731b_large.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed">Not really surprising, some say, that in the end it was the New Jersey Devils that ponied up and got the prized Ilya Kovalchuk. So, I guess they weren't surprised when they found out? So why all the hype and speculation before hand? Couldn't they all raise their hands and say "New Jersey" and be done with it? Anyway, a lot of people have ripped Don "The Nicest Guy" Waddell for the package he got, but it really wasn't bad. That pick could be higher but New Jersey didn't have a higher one and it was a first rounder, anyway. In trades like these it's always quantity over quality, so the Thrashers did get two, or three, nice assets. He did try his best to keep Kovalchuk, who had, at times, been quite vocal about staying, and offered him a $102-million contract, which would've made him the highest paid player in the league. A sign of a team having few options is having too trade him to a Conference rival - they don't have the flexibility to ultimately decide where to send him. Dany Heatley stayed with Ottawa, Mark Recchi went to Boston, and Marian Hossa went to Pittsburgh. In the end, I guess it just meant that Kovalchuk's ultimate motive was that he wanted out of Atlanta. There's no other reason why he would turn that contract down. The move brings Kovalchuk to an underrated Devils offense that includes Zach Parise, USA captain Jamie Langenbrunner, savvy vets Brian Rolston and Patrik Elias, big bodied Dainius Zubrus, and the very, very underrated Travis Zajac. The Devils are going to make the playoffs and with Martin Brodeur in net they have a good chance of going far. They may now very well be the favourites in the East. Their defense isn't spectacular on paper but they more than make up for it with Lou Lamoriello and Jacques Lemaire, arguably the best GM-coach tandem in the NHL. I raved about Brian Burke's move for getting Dion Phaneuf and Jean-Sebastien Giguere, but talk about immediate returns. That loss in New Jersey was tough but they did hold the lead for awhile and Giguere's first two starts with the blue and white have both been shutouts. Even if you don't think the Leafs will make the playoffs (and I don't) you have to be pretty amazed how much hope and hype it has created. Not that there isn't anything to excited about, there is with Phaneuf and Phil Kessel, but it's not a bad storyline. Even if they do make the playoffs, it will have to be without Mike Komisarek, who is out for the season. Cody Hodgson is finally back on the ice and has played two games with the OHL's Brampton Battalion and registered three assists. Without either him or Matt Duchene, the Battalion have struggled this year with only 18 wins after recording 47 the year before. It's the first time Hodgson has seen any game action since training camp in September after suffering from a bulging disc that took months of recovery. There was some controversy about the treatment, and Alain Vigneault, who was never one to mince words when it comes to overcoming injuries, didn't exactly have nice words to say. When asked about Vingeault's comments, Hodgson said that he hasn't been in touch with Vingeault since and he's looking forward instead to getting back on the ice. Hodgson says there is the possibility of re-aggravating it or having the pain return but for now he feels good. Canucks management has been equally curt with their answers. It's not exactly sunshine and rainbows when the organization's top prospect doesn't get off on the right foot with the coach, but I don't think there's a whole bunch to be concerned about. <img src="http://www.outcomebuffalo.com/burke.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">Last but definitely not least, our condolences to the Burke family for their loss. Brendan Burke, former Canucks GM Brian Burke's youngest son and student at Miami University in Ohio who is also the team manager for the nation's top-ranked hockey team, was involved in a fatal car accident yesterday. Brendan's announcement that he was gay to his family was the subject of an article that appeared in ESPN by acclaimed writer John Buccigross. Brendan Burke was 21. The Leafs posted a big 5-0 win over the surging Ottawa Senators in an emotional affair.

Kesler's indispensable. He will be signed long-term and it will be affordable. Gillis is using the July 1 deadline to his advantage again. I remain optimistic.

It may have well been the Vancouver Canucks vs. Jaroslav Halak last night. If there was any question of which young goalie La Belle Province liked better, the Slovakian netminder made 45 saves in a 3-2 win. Jacques Martin decided to not start British Columbia native Carey Price amidst rumours of locker room drama, sitting him for the fifth time in their last six games in which the Habs have gone a rather pedestrian 2-2-1. Halak improves to 15-8-2 and is making a strong push to be Slovakia's starter at the Olympics, supplanting Colorado backup Peter Budaj. However, I don't think this game was won and lost in the goaltending department, although it certainly gave Montreal an edge. The Canucks were atrocious in the circle, going only 20-for-54 the entire night. Ryan Kesler, despite his blue-collar goal to pull the Canucks within one, was uncharacteristically awful, winning just 6 of 21. Henrik Sedin and Kyle Wellwood were both below average, while on the other end of the spectrum, Tomas Plekanec won 17 of 25 and Scott Gomez won 9 of 16. For whatever reason, the Canucks couldn't gain control of the puck for long periods throughout the night. They have to win the little battles if they want to be successful, and if it hasn't been stressed enough already, this 14-game road trip is absolutely crucial. <img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/a2/fullj.2c6b64587e9c262408dc39e45b9d8783/2c6b64587e9c262408dc39e45b9d8783-getty-90960808rw008_canu_cana.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">The defensive play was also poor. There were too many errant passes, either because they were too long, too inaccurate, or just a complete lack of awareness of what was going on. A turnover led to Sergei Kostitsyn's second goal of the season, who has been bumped up to the top line in the absence of Mike Cammalleri and played the most inspired hockey I've seen him play in a while. The even-strength marker was the Habs' first in four games. Maxim Lapierre was johnny-on-the-spot with his fourth of the season on a missed assignment by Brad Lukowich, who played just under nine minutes, and Steve Bernier, who hasn't been quite as effective since coming back from a groin injury. Despite some line-juggling from Alain Vigneault, including a great shift from the speed line of Kesler, Alex Burrows, and Mason Raymond, the poor defensive zone coverage around the net led to Tomas Plekanec's 14th of the season who had not one, not two, but three good whacks at it before crossing the goal line. There is only so much Roberto Luongo can do, and while he didn't play a spectacular game, the team play in front of him wasn't any better. The Habs were largely dysfunctional in their own zone, which led to a lot of Canuck opportunities but were turned away by Halak again and again. The first half of the second period seemed to be a microcosm of the Canucks' play the entire night. Poor blueline management that led to numerous off-sides and a stretch of back-and-forth icings, a result of both teams unable to generate any offense. The Habs did score 3 tonight, but it's the most they scored since January 23 in which they scored 6 on the Rangers. Without Cammalleri, the Habs lacked any sort of real finish tonight and expect that trend to continue. I felt at times the Sedins tried to get too cute with the puck and the Habs did do a good job of really taking away the passing lanes. Of the 47 shots the Canucks fired, I can confidently say that over 30 of them were from relatively long range and/or from sharp angles. I didn't think the officiating was particularly good last night either, and it always frustrates me when there are more penalties called in the third period than the first and second combined (6 to 5). I felt Alex Burrows' interference call on Marc-Andre Bergeron was rather weak, as was Kesler's diving call on a Yannick Weber trip. Kesler's 14th gave Canucks fans a slight jolt of hope with a comeback akin to the one last Saturday against the Leafs, but Burrows' goalie interference call made all that come crashing down with a halt. You have to wonder if Burrows and Kesler's reputations for diving and whining came into play last night. Kesler did draw two penalties earlier in the game on a Roman Hamrlik slash and another Weber trip. Let's cue the conspiracy theorists - perhaps referees Greg Kimmerly and Chris Rooney went up and talked to them between whistles? With the win, and considering Halak's performance, it seems as though Martin will go with him for the time being, given his hot hand. Carey Price is quickly losing favour among Montreal's faithful, including rumours that his carefree, nonchalant attitude has given him the nickname "Superstar." There has been a ton of debate over whether or not GM Bob Gainey should trade Halak or Price, and for now the answer is unequivocally Price. I don't think there's any debate - the Habs should keep both, even when both goaltenders are RFA. Why? Because I don't think the market's been better for goalies, it still hasn't been decided which one is undeniably better than the other, and they will get a decent enough return for either. Dallas is in the hunt for a starting goaltender and either of those guys will be better options than the injury-prone Kari Lehtonen, journeyman Martin Biron, and more established than Cory Schneider. They risk here is that the Habs won't get an offer sheet for either goalie, but given the situation I think that seems rather unlikely. If we stay conservative and believe that both goalies are worth roughly $3.5-$4 million on the open market, the Habs stand to receive 2010 1st and 3rd round picks. Personally, I think Price is the better long term option but like any other goalie he will have to go through growing pains. The Islanders made a mistake by trading away Roberto Luongo too early and it's the ultimate cautionary tale when it comes to goalies. Quick rumour hits (because everyone loves them): - The Leafs aren't done dealing and are talking to the Oilers. The Leafs want to get rid of Lee Stempniak and his $3.5 million salary and Alexei Ponikarovsky doesn't seem to be in the long-term plans either. - The Pens are looking for help on Evgeni Malkin's wing and the word is that Ponikarovsky's their top choice. - The Blues have Eric Brewer, Keith Tkachuk, and Paul Kariya on the block. Tkachuk was rumoured to go to Boston last year but ended up with Mark Recchi instead. The Bruins have Michael Ryder on the block and are interested in Peter Mueller. Kariya may head to the Pens, Kings, or even Canucks. - The Sens want to add more depth given their recent surge and playoff hopes. Brian Lee is their big trade chip and they're looking at more mid-level affordable options like Ray Whitney (also linked to the Kings and Flames) or Andrew Brunette. Ray Whitney has not waived his NTC. - The Kings are supposedly dangling a package that includes a mix of Jack Johnson, Wayne Simmonds, Oscar Moller, Brayden Schenn, and picks for Ilya Kovalchuk but it appears as though those rumours are not true. - The sale of the Lightning might mean cost-cutting moves and that includes Vincent Lecavalier and Andrej Meszaros. Cue the Montreal rumours for Vinny. - The Avs are supposedly in "buy" mode given their surprising season but probably won't part with picks or prospects. - Glen Sather will most likely not be the Rangers' GM next year. Mark Messier has been groomed to fill the void, following a trend that includes Joe Nieuwendyk in Dallas. Personally, I hope Messier fails miserably. Yes, I'm still bitter.

UPDATE: Like I said, cue the Tomas Kaberle rumours. But I believe in Burke's word and he won't be dealt until the summer. Kaberle is going to stay a Leaf for the entire season unless he comes forward to Burke himself, and it seems unlikely that he will.

It's no secret that the Canucks want to keep Ryan Kesler. But the other 29 teams in the league want him as well. The Selke nominee becomes a restricted free agent on July 1 and Mike Gillis wants to keep Kesler in the fold, preferably for the foreseeable future... but contract talks haven't gone well and have been put off until the end of the season. Reports indicate that the Canucks have made a pitch for roughly $4 million per season, but Kurt Overhardt, Kesler's agent, and his camp have countered with an offer that is around $5 million. It's not a big discrepancy, but sometimes that $1 million does make a difference - it leaves room for that extra rookie or depth player that is earning close to the league minimum. The Canucks have 13 players signed for next year with roughly $17 million in cap space, meaning that the rest of the roster will make roughly $1.7 million each. The Canucks have the luxury of the Sedins and Luongo signed long-term to affordable contracts, meaning that Gillis is very unlikely to go after the big names in free agency. For Overhardt, the whole ideal has been frustrating: "It's disappointing because based on the marketplace, it's not a difficult deal to get done for a core player like this." <img src="http://vancouverite.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/kesler.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">It's true that Kesler will probably earn more on the open market, UFA or RFA, but that goes for almost any player. The fact that 29 other teams can bid on that player leads to an inevitable inflation of salary. In regards to Kesler's worth, I think $4 million sounds right, but $5 million doesn't sound too far off either. Maybe $4.5 million, Mr. Overhardt? I have every confidence that the Canucks will be able to re-sign Kesler to a long-term deal, because let's give credit where credit is due - Ryan Kesler is a vital cog on the Canucks and everyone knows this. But despite his immeasurable worth, let's not forget that it was less than a year ago when Kesler publicly stated that players should take hometown discounts in order to help their team and it caused a bit of a rift with the NHLPA. It's not as though the Canucks can't afford giving Kesler $5 million, but both sides have to keep in mind the implications of his new extension on the roster as a whole. The Canucks cannot tie up too much money in any position. Willie Mitchell is a UFA this summer and Mason Raymond's due for a raise. Whatever Kesler signs for will most likely be a factor in those negotiations as well. Please stay, Kesler.

I thought I was in for a long night when Phil Kessel scored just minutes apart and Jamal Mayers wired a shot past an uncharacteristically mediocre Roberto Luongo. It always stings to lose to the Leafs on every level, but Vancouver's big line came through and scored 5 straight goals to seal the win. I don't think the Canucks came out flat in the first, but more so that the Leafs really capitalized on what few chances they had. Vesa Toskala was good in net despite letting in four goals and I think this is the first time in awhile the Leafs have played with some jump in their game. The loss shouldn't be attributed to their lack of work ethic but more so the personnel - they couldn't find a single pairing or line that could match up against the Sedins. Admittedly it's difficult for any team to cover the league's leading scorer but the Sedins completely dominated. Andrew Raycroft rubbed it in to the crowd who obviously really relished the win against his former employers and was happy to get some playing time. Don't worry, Andrew, I think we'll see some more of you on this big road trip. The Canucks have started off quite well. There's little to write on on a big win like this, in part because it's easier to criticize after a loss. All hockey teams in Canada know this. <img src="http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Sports/images-2/brian-burke.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">After their monumental collapse, in which the Leafs fell for the fourth time this season after leading in the first (11-4-3), Brian Burke made some sweeping changes. I honestly thought the Leafs would at least be in the hunting for a playoff spot with their upgrades on the back end and with Kessel coming in, but their disastrous season thus far is worth examining. Anyone who thought this re-building process was not going to be painful and slow should have another drink or two, and let me preface this by saying that I'm a fan of Brian Burke - but you have to like his move to get Dion Phaneuf. Blowing a 3 goal lead, especially to Vancouver and the big Sedin line, must've hurt Burke than the other 39 losses. So amidst the rumours that Phaneuf was the block, which was vehemently denied by Darryl Sutter, Burke went out and got the big fish for literally nothing (at least in terms of long-term assets). As much as I criticize Phaneuf for his bone-headed play, he is a remarkably talented player with a big booming shot. He's a one of a kind defenseman but really lacks that level-headedness that separates him from the league's elite. The Flames also sent Fredrik Sjostrom, a serviceable depth player and good penalty killer to the Leafs, but I think the name that everyone should keep tabs on is Keith Aulie. The 116th overall pick in the 2007 draft, the towering 6'6" defenseman was a stalwart for the 2009 Canadian World Junior squad and the Brandon Wheat Kings. He's the type of player that Burke loves - big, strong, and full of sandpaper - kind of like another Robyn Regehr, whom he idolized. I have no idea what made Sutter give up on him. Aulie has appeared in 43 games for the Abbotsford Heat this season, along with 6 points, 32 penalty minutes, and +1. It would've been nice for Burke to stockpile picks, but this package is probably better than that. You get an established player in Phaneuf and a potential blue chipper in Aulie. So what did the Flames get? Quantity over quality in Matt Stajan, Nik Hagman, Jamal Mayers, and Ian White. While I think all four are serviceable players, none of them are what the Flames are looking for - the big playmaking centre for Jarome Iginla. Stajan has the potential to be that guy, especially if he's paired with Iginla, having notched 40 assists in 76 games last season. Inconsistency is a problem here but like Ron Wilson, Brent Sutter demands a lot out of his players and really keeps them accountable. Hagman is a strong two-way player and a hard worker I think Sutter will like, as well as Jamal Mayers who approached Burke about a trade a couple days ago. Ian White is a versatile player and can play defense or wing. White, Stajan, and Mayers are all free agents at the end of the season, although I do believe White is a RFA. The Flames get cap flexibility now that Phaneuf is gone, and you have to wonder if this means more moves are in the works for the Flames, who have been linked to Ilya Kovalchuk. And as I'm writing this, I hear the Leafs have packaged Vesa Toskala and Jason Blake to Anaheim for JS Giguere, who obviously has waived his no-trade clause. The writing was on the wall with Jonas Hiller's recent extension and this move had been rumoured for months. When it becomes a staple in the mill for this long, it was probably bound to happen, much like Burke's departure from Anaheim to take the Leafs job. Despite what anyone says about Giguere being a pads goalie, check his stats - his .922 SV%, a career high, came after the league decided to cut down on pad sizes. He's now re-united with not only Burke, who helped him out with his baby who had eye problems (which led to the no-trade clause), but also highly regarded goaltending coach Francois Allaire. Despite the Leafs having zero offense outside of Phil Kessel and Alexei Ponikarovsky now, Burke has really made progress with these trades. He's building a solid team from the net out. Even if Giguere is not the long-term answer he's a great short-term solution until we can really see what Jonas Gustavsson can really do. The back end is good enough for now, although with Phaneuf you have to wonder if there are more moves coming (cue Tomas Kaberle rumours). Up front it's still a mess, but Burke can address those problems in the off-season. This gun-ho attitude has just landed the Leafs a premium defenseman, a good prospect, and a solid goaltending while giving up players that meant little in the long-term. What does this all mean for Vancouver? Well, for one, we'll really be missing the opportunity to see Phaneuf get completely owned by the Sedins. We also won't be anytime soon either. I don't particularly like the package the Flames got and in the other deal the Ducks mainly benefit from cap relief this summer. Is this a playoff push by Burke? Well, it seems like it, but it also addresses long-term goals as well. If Giguere does re-sign in Toronto, I highly doubt it will be for the same salary he's earning now, which is $7 million. At 33 he's still got some years in him, enough time anyway for Burke to find a more suitable solution. But I think an interesting point to ponder here is Burke. After another playoff collapse, he promised sweeping off-season changes but neither him nor protege Dave Nonis had the opportunity. You have to really wonder what sort of changes Burke had in mind - the big Irishman is no stranger to bold moves.

I think Cory Schneider was already on the block with the acquisition of Roberto Luongo. Since Luongo looks like he'll stay a Canuck for a long time Schneider's our big trade piece but because he sees limited NHL action some GMs are shying away. Dallas is in the market for a goalie but I think they'd prefer to deal with the East first. I imagine one of their targets will be Ondrej Pavelec or Kari Lehtonen, whichever the Thrashers choose to keep, or maybe even a stop gap measure with a guy like Martin Biron or maybe even just stick with Alex Auld. The Stars do have some nice pieces but I don't expect them to part with either Benn or Neal, more likely Fistric, Tom Wandell, or even Ray Sawada.

Even though the animosity on the ice between the Blues and the Canucks is real, it looks like upstairs in the front office it may be quite amicable. The Globe and Mail has recently reported that there is a potential deal in the works, with John Davidson having scouted the Manitoba Moose recently and Mike Gillis taking in the Blues-Habs game rather than the CHL Top Prospects game. <img src="http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2008/1124/fantasy_g_schneider_300.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">There have been no comments from either Gillis or Davidson, but the Globe suspects that the Blues are keeping their eye on Cory Schneider, whose career as a Vancouver Canuck may not last past this season. The former Boston College standout has voiced his displeasure at being stuck in the AHL and the Blues, with Chris Mason and Ty Conklin manning the pipes, may be looking for a goalie of the future. They do have Jake Allen, Canada's World Junior starter, in the pipeline, but he is a couple years away and Hannu Toivonen has turned out to be a flop. The player coming back, however, is speculated to be David Backes, a player that Gillis has targeted previously. Backes has one more year remaining on his contract at $2.5 million before he comes an unrestricted free agent. The big power forward has only 10 goals this year after potting 31 last year, but offensively the Blues have been inconsistent all season long, which has already cost Andy Murray his job. I'm skeptical of this trade because of the role Backes plays in St. Louis. He's a leader, having worn the 'A', and he brings a rare blend of size and skill to the table. St. Louis would be making a mistake by trading away Backes. He has an attractive contract to go with it and I think the only reason the Globe has mentioned Backes is because Gillis had expressed interest before his breakout season. <img src="http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2009/0102/nhl_g_backes_300.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed">Now that Backes' stock has somewhat fallen, he may be easier to pry away from the Blues. Davidson, Larry Pleau, and Doug Armstrong are no fools, however, and the know the value of having Backes in an otherwise smallish (but fairly physical) top six Blues lineup. That being said, as much as Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows and Backes have had http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1angy_kjuk, I would love to see him in a Canucks jersey. League rumour round-up: Asides from Eric Staal, Cam Ward, Tuomo Ruutu, Brandon Sutter, and Tim Gleason, everyone on the Hurricanes' roster can go. I'm a little surprised to see that Joe Corvo isn't on that list. He's one of the few truly underrated players out there and the Sens shouldn't have given him up. Another player of interest is Matt Cullen, a second/third-line forward that is good in the circle and has some offensive ability. Ray Whitney has yet to waive his no-trade clause. Just a note on the captaincy switch - I wonder if it means Rod Brind'Amour's leaving soon? The Caps at least traded away Chris Clark and waited a couple of days before naming Alex Ovechkin as captain, even though everyone saw it coming. It's no secret that the Oilers are going to try and overhaul their roster soon. Sheldon Souray has already said he'll waive his no-trade clause but it's been rumoured that he prefers to stay out west, unless it's a Cup contender. Washington has expressed interest, as have the Rangers, Sabres, and Bruins. The Hawks are reportedly looking for more defensive depth but they'll have to unload Brian Campbell somehow for that to work. Despite reports that Vincent Lecavalier doesn't want to leave Tampa, his name continues to be a staple in the rumour mill. As always he will be linked to the Habs, but given their (ill-advised) splurge this summer they have little room for him. The Rangers are also rumoured to be interested but the Lightning will have to take back significant salary, something I don't think they're too keen on doing given their poor financial numbers. Wade Redden, Matt Gilroy, Michal Rozsival, Brandon Dubinsky, and Ryan Callahan are the names being mentioned. People are still hooked on a potential Tomas Kaberle trade but it's just not going to happen. First, he's the Leafs most valuable player and the only defenseman on that team that can handle the puck with any form of grace and skill. Second, as much as Burke's attitude gets the spotlight, he's a real man of his word and when he says he won't ask Kaberle to waive his no-trade, I believe him. Kaberle's not going anywhere this season. One name that's of particular interest to me is Colby Armstrong. The Thrashers are looking to deal the rugged winger and the Flames and Wild are reportedly interested. I don't know if Armstrong's the solution to the Flames' scoring woes and the Wild have made sideways steps this year at best, but he's a versatile player who can play a physical style suitable for the playoffs. The Wings will probably re-sign Todd Bertuzzi, the Pens would love to have Sergei Gonchar and Kris Letang back but will probably have to pick one, the Stars are looking for a goalie of the future, and the Ducks may become sellers soon. But of course, the Big Tuna here is Ilya Kovalchuk. Sorry Canucks fans, but it's not going to happen. Let's hope he stays out East though. And I'll just end everything with my personal favourite John Tortorella and his post-game interview against Philadelphia last night.

Today, the OHL announced that they have suspended Windsor Spitfires forward Zack Kassian 20 games for his hit on Barrie Colts forward Matt Kennedy. A little shameless plugging but I touched on the issue in my previous blog post. I think this is an absolutely terrible ruling and that there is an obvious double standard here. I think David Branch's ruling just proved how much of a joke the entire process of disciplining a hockey player is. Scratch that, it's not a joke. It's a disgrace. The inevitable comparison here will be Michael Liambas, who was suspended for the rest of the season for his hit on sixteen year-old Kitchener Rangers defenseman Ben Fanelli in October which effectively ended Liambas' junior career. At the time, a lot of people knew Branch would come down hard on Liambas, who had built a reputation as a physical, bruising player, but not this hard. You have to feel sorry for Liambas here because ultimately I think in light of all these situations he's the ultimate victim of a double standard. I do believe that Fanelli turned his back at the last second, but I also believe that Liambas had no intention to hurt him and was reportedly in tears after the hit. Liambas made an effort to visit Fanelli at the local hospital but was denied. He has attempted to apologize to the Fanellis in person, but a bout with the swine flu in December prevented him from going home. My point is, the intent to hurt is obviously not there. Liambas is now playing with the Bloomington Prairie Thunder of the International Hockey League. <img src="http://media.mmgcommunity.topscms.com/images/87/68/1ed451b749748f944e19428877b1.jpeg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">Now onto Kassian. Never mind whether or not he left his feet - Bob McKenzie thinks he did ( ), Branch doesn't - because I think it's a debatable issue that really doesn't have an end. Never mind whether or not Matt Kennedy touched the puck because ultimately I think that's not the biggest issue. The issue here is that this is Kassian's THIRD suspension and he only gets 20 games. I don't understand, Kassian NEEDS to be suspended for the season, especially as a repeat offender for the same offenses. Admittedly the 20 games is a fair amount, but once again this reeks of hockey politics. Kassian is a high-profile player, selected 13th overall in last year's draft by Buffalo. There is a complete lack of consistency in the OHL's ruling. In my opinion, Kassian clearly wanted to hit Kennedy hard and didn't let up even when Kennedy wasn't looking or had control of the puck. I think it's pretty clear that Kassian went for his head. Which now brings to Patrice Cormier (drafted in the second round by New Jersey), who knocked out Mikael Tam a couple days ago with a vicious elbow. Now there's a clear intent to injure there. QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau will announce Cormier's suspension soon but he really has to be careful here. Cormier was Canada's most recent World Junior captain and an all-star in the QMJHL. I think anything less than a season-long suspension for Cormier is too light. There have been reports that Cormier showed a lack of remorse after the hit. Enough rambling - how do we fix the situation? It's been made quite clear that the suspensions handed out by the NHL and OHL lack any form of consistency. High profile players are given preferential treatment while others are merely scapegoats to show how willing hockey wants to crack down on these type of hits and teach respect on the ice. I think a good solution is to introduce a system that suspends players not based on the extent of the victim's injury but rather the act itself. Enough with the provisional "indefinite suspensions." I think those types of things raise more questions than they answer, and a strong case in point was Todd Bertuzzi's infamous hit on Steve Moore and his subsequent suspension. Bertuzzi spent most of the year wondering what was going on, whether or not he could ever play in the NHL again, a stressful time for anybody. He put up with the whole situation and never complained. Same goes for Liambas, who has shown nothing but regret and remorse for hurting Fanelli. If David Branch wants to drive a hard line, that's fine, but his last two rulings have made the OHL look worse than the hits themselves. I think a good solution is to introduce a set number of games for suspension, depending on the hit. A hit in which a player leaves his feet is an automatic three games. A hit to the head or hit from behind is an automatic five games. Obviously in some cases in won't be enough and the league will have the power to tack on more games if necessary but at least the baseline is there and everyone involved knows what's coming. It causes less ambiguity and confusion. Junior-aged players need to understand that their actions will have significant consequences. It's become apparent that these kids need to learn about respect the hard way. Hopefully a swift recovery for Ben Fanelli, Matt Kennedy, and Mikael Tam. The ball's in your court now, Gilles Courteau.

Ron MacLean has since then refused to apologize or retract any of his statements and acknowledges his bias. Needless to say, I think whatever he will have to say won't hold much water anymore. Don Cherry was always the one that needed to be held in check once in awhile but I guess it goes both ways now.