SBNation.com - NHL From Our Editors

Stealing A Page From Major League Baseball: The NHL Summer Meetings?

2009-12-10T14:53:44Z

Pierre LeBrun at ESPN.com has a fascinating proposal this morning.

I suggest we gather all 30 NHL front office staffs, player agents and media in a hotel June 29-July 3 and let the fireworks go off baby. Buzz city!

[...]

The start of NHL free agency is July 1, but there is a lot of chatter on June 29-30 as teams try to re-sign players before the market opens.

Somebody please tell me how this is isn't a great idea?

This is basically identical to what Major League Baseball is doing this week with their widely publicized Winter Meetings. The hype and attention that the event brings to baseball is second to none. During an otherwise quiet time of the baseball year, SportsCenter and the Internets are abuzz with MLB rumors. I mean, seriously, major news outlets are liveblogging the events. Why shouldn't the NHL steal a page from baseball's book and start up the "NHL Summer Meetings?"

Gary Bettman and company would be smart to give themselves a similar platform. Besides, it's no secret that, as one agent told LeBrun, "the best way to consummate deals is, and always has been, face to face." Putting everybody in the same hotel for three days would likely boost the amount of activity surrounding the opening of free agency on July 1, and hockey could gain some exposure at the same time.

Mr. Lebrun, it is a great idea.

Is Size A Disadvantage When It Comes To Hitting A Player High?

2009-12-10T00:11:26Z

Phoenix Coyotes player Ed Jovonovski was suspended two games for his hit on Minnesota Wild's Andrew Ebbett due to hitting him in the head with his forearm as he finished his check. Some people believe that Jovonovski was targeted unfairly due to the fact that he is taller that Ebbett and it was an accidental shot to the head. Darren from Silver Seven believes that the excuse is just that, an excuse. Here is what he has to say on the situation:

The problem with this argument is that Jovanovski didn't hit a player that was taller. He hit a small player, and could see that he was hitting a small player. This argument is akin to getting undressed in front of a coworker and, during your wrongful dismissal claim, trying to argue, "Come on! If she was a man it'd be okay!" You can't argue that something is fine in other circumstances, you have to take the circumstances as you find them. Jovanovski found himself defending a short player, and he has to handle that situation accordingly. He's not less blameworthy, nor is he exonerated, simply because he's a big player.

Darren is right in this situation in that every player should be accountable for all body parts and where they land on another player. No matter how tall or short the player is that someone is defending, proper body position is needed so they don't kill them.

Brian Burke Needs To Clarify When Talking To The Vancouver Media

2009-12-09T00:02:30Z

The Toronto Maple Leafs were fined for tampering this offseason when head coach Ron Wilson made comments about his desire to have the Sedin twins on his team when they were still under contract with the Vancouver Canucks. When Ron Wilson and Brian Burke met with the Vancouver media today to talk about USA Hockey and the roster for the Olympic games, they had to clarify about being able to talk about Canucks player Ryan Kesler:

"Well, it's not tampering," explained Burke, who is Team USA' s general manager. "It's the same as if any of the guys address player personnel issues for Team Canada. Because of the nature of the management teams, the North American teams have traditionally been [run] by management people who are active in the game and working for clubs. They are expected and allowed to discuss a player vis-a-vis his Olympic role so there is no tampering issue in that respect."

What Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun doesn't realize is that Burke is really just cracking on the Vancouver media. If Pap didn't realize that talking about players that could make the American roster wasn't tampering, someone should brush up on their definitions.

Brendan Witt Hit by SUV; Will Play Tonight

2009-12-08T18:39:48Z

Islanders defenseman Brendan Witt got hit by an SUV crossing the street in Philadelphia Tuesday morning. He will supposedly still be the lineup when the Islanders play the Flyers on Versus tonight.

The obvious comment here is that he’s playing because he’s a hockey player…but I’m wondering if the driver of the SUV was on a hit to help the struggling Flyers? Course realizing that Witt’s plus/minus is an abysmal -15, maybe they would’ve been helping the Islanders.

Flyers Carcillo Suspended Four Games For Actions In Fight

2009-12-06T21:59:01Z

During Saturday night's game between the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers, Matt Bradley took a couple of shots at Philadelphia's Daniel Carcillo. Carcillo took offense to it and cross checked Bradley a little while trying to get him to fight. As soon as Bradley agrees, Carcillo grabs him and one-punches him to the ice. Bradley was injured with the punch and left the game. Here is the video of the fight:

After looking at the video, you have to suspend Carcillo for something. Carcillo does not give Bradley the chance of a fair fight and for that he gets four games. Flyers GM Paul Holmgren had this to say about the suspension:

"Decisions come down from the league. Do I agree with them all? No. I certainly do not agree with this one," general manager Paul Holmgren said. "We do not have a lot of recourse in this situation, Dan will serve his suspension and we will move on."

Alex Who: Capitals Net 14 Goals In Two Games

2009-12-06T03:00:13Z

In the two games that superstar Alexander Ovechkin has been suspended for his knee-check on Tim Gleason, the Capitals have scored fourteen goals (six against Florida, eight against Philly). So much for the Capitals' offense being a one man band.

Of course the Capitals have been helped by the fact that in both games opposing players have racked up significant penalty minutes from one incident. In the Florida game, Mike Duco gave the Capitals seven consecutive minutes of powerplay time (and Bryan Allen gave the Caps a full two-minute 5-on-3); in the Flyers game, Dan Carcillo gave the Capitals nine consecutive minutes of powerplay time. In both cases, the Capitals made their opponents pay, scoring twice on Duco's penalties and three times on Carcillo's.

The Capitals are showing what the Red Wings did for years: a team does not necessarily need a "tough guy" to be successful. A team just needs a powerplay capable of punishing the opposition for dumb penalties.

Keith Ballard Officially Hates Goalies

2009-12-03T15:38:34Z

Just one game after using his own goalie's head as the "ball" part of "tee-ball," Keith Ballard decided he should try taking out the other team's goalie instead.

Yep, with under a minute left in overtime, Ballard skated hard down the right wing side, got around his defenseman, and as he met Colorado goaltender Craig Anderson, he ducked in an attempt to beat him, but instead wound up hitting the guy in the face while skating through him.

As you can see, Adam Foote met him with some proper vigilante justice. Might be the only way to stop this maniac from taking out every goalie in the league. Anderson left the game and Peter Budaj came in before losing in a shootout.

Ovechkin Suspended For Two Games; Wheel Of Justice Is...Broken?

2009-12-01T21:39:16Z

Just when we thought we had the NHL Wheel of Justice figured out, it throws us for a loop. Tarik El-Bashir, Washington Post Capitals' beatwriter, reports via Twitter that Alex Ovechkin has been suspended two games for his knee-check on Tim Gleason.

According to our previous formulation of the rules of the Wheel (did the hit cause a serious injury?, does the player have a history?, is the player a star?), Ovechkin should have been pardoned because of his star status. In Ovechkin's case, however, it seems that he has enough of a history that Colin Campbell's patience has run out. Although many have differing opinions on the severity/relevance of the issues, a knee-check on Sergei Gonchar from last year's playoffs, a slew-foot of Rich Peverly, and a boarding on Patrick Kaleta, all of which occurred in less than a season's worth of time, make up quite the laundry list of incidents.

In Ovechkin's defense, none of the aforementioned incidents were malicious; he doesn't play to hurt his opponents. He plays at a very high speed and with a high level of physicality and at times gets reckless. Capitals' coach Bruce Boudreau acknowledged that earlier today. This suspension is the league telling him to slow down and try to avoid putting himself in situations that can lead to nasty hits (even if they are accidental).

Hockey fans everywhere stand to benefit from this. Ovechkin supporters can hope that he will slow down, preserve his body (because there is no way he can continue his current style of play indefinitely), and avoid injuring himself. Ovechkin detractors, who have been calling for him to be suspended for a while, can say "I told you so," and hope that he learns his lesson and stop his "dirty" play.

Joe Corvo On IR With Leg Laceration: Skates Are Sharp

2009-12-01T16:55:21Z

Carolina Hurricanes' defenseman Joe Corvo was placed on the IR and is expected to miss 8-12 weeks as a result of a leg laceration he suffered in a collision with Capitals' defenseman Karl Alzner. Corvo becomes the second Hurricanes player to miss time this season after being cut with a skate: Cam Ward still has not returned from a leg laceration suffered in early November.

Luckily such injuries are relatively few and far between in the NHL because they have the potential to be very serious. Two seasons ago, linesman Pat Dapuzzo suffered 10 facial fractures and required 40 stitches after taking a skate to the face. Also two seasons ago, Richard Zednik suffered a scary injury, taking a skate to the neck. In 1998, Vancouver Canucks center Josh Holden severed tendons in his wrist to the point that he could only move his baby finger. Donald Audette suffered a similar injury in 2001 and needed emergency surgery to save the use of his arm. Dan Boyle missed more than a month of time when a falling skate in the locker room severed tendons in his wrist in 2007. Probably the most horrifying incident came in 1989 when netminder Clint Malarchuk, like Zednick, took a skate to the neck (WARNING: video is graphic).

Fortunately given the severity of the injuries that can occur, no players have suffered permanent damage from skate lacerations; in all the aforementioned cases, the individuals made a full recovery.

As long as hockey players use skates, which are essentially knives strapped to boots, similar injuries remain a real concern -- and somehow, I don't see skates going anywhere.

Panthers' Defenseman Keith Ballard Attempts To Decapitate Own Goaltender

2009-12-01T13:39:19Z

Our own Florida Panthers blog, Litter Box Cats, says there isn’t much of a story here, but, um … well, this is still must-see stuff.

After Atlanta’s Ilya Kovalchuk scored on a breakaway goal, Florida’s Keith Ballard swung his stick with both hands in frustration at the net. Only problem: His own goaltender’s head got in the way:

Tomas Vokoun, the man nearly decapitated there, was taken to the hospital with a cut on his ear, but is apparently going to be fine.

St. Louis Blues Allowing Rookie Alex Pietrangelo To Play In World Juniors

2009-12-01T02:15:51Z

In an odd move for a team, the St. Louis Blues are going to allow rookie Alex Pietrangelo to attend Team Canada's selection camp for the World Junior Championships. Most teams make their players stay with the team if they are playing for the main club and they are still eligible.

This adds another layer to the debate about whether the St. Louis Blues are going to keep Pietrangelo on the roster this season or send him back to his junior team. Pietrangelo has played in nine games this season, with one goal and one assist. The scary part for the team is that Pietrangelo is a -9 in those nine games as well.

Here is what General Manager Larry Pleau had to say about the situation:

"We haven't really made a decision yet," Pleau said before Saturday's game. "(Pietrangelo) has only played nine games and he's not in the lineup tonight. We're still talking. I talked to J.D. (Saturday), so we're still discussing the situation.

"We want to make the right decision for everyone involved, 'Petro' and the team itself. It's still up in the air."

As The Wheel Of Justice Turns: Penguins' Matt Cooke Suspended

2009-11-30T14:29:44Z

The NHL has just handed down its latest suspension, this time nailing Matt Cooke with a two-game suspension for hitting Artem Anisimov. He will also forfeit more than $29,000 dollars in salary which will go to the players' relief fund. Here is the hit:

Cooke clearly leaves his feet and leads with his shoulder to Anisimov's head. Let's check the Wheel of Justice criteria to see if the suspension was merited:

1) Does the hit cause an injury? Yes, Anisimov left the game and is questionable for the Rangers' next tilt with the Penguins on Monday night.

2) Does the player have a history of questionable hits/is it a star? Yes, Cooke was suspended two games last year for a headshot on Scott Walker. Cooke is not a star player.

With all the Wheel of Justice criteria met, it would appear as if Cooke did not have a chance to avoid being nailed with sanctions.

The NHL Wheel Of Justice Is Starting To Make More Sense

2009-11-28T22:08:49Z

The NHL Wheel of Justice has spun for Buffalo's Patrick Kaleta and it has landed on a two game suspension. The incident in question was the boarding major that Kaleta took during Friday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Kaleta boarded Jared Ross 9:28 in the first period. Kaleta was ejected while Ross did not return.

The Wheel of Justice is making sense just due to the fact that borderline hits are going to be punished when they cause an injury and happen from a player that either has a history of questionable hits or is not a star player. The Sabres should be alright without Kaleta in their lineup, they face the Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs over the next two games.

The Toronto Maple Leafs Get Called For Everything, Even If It Isn't Their Fault

2009-11-28T04:04:37Z

During Friday night's Toronto Maple Leafs game against the Florida Panthers, Francois Beauchemin gets called two minutes for interference on Rostislav Olesz. Small problem is that Beauchemin didn't commit the penalty. No, seriously watch the video:

You know when you have screwed up the call when the offended player tries to lobby for the right call. Blame linesman Pierre Champoux for not manning up on that call and taking responsibility for it.

Hockey Players Are Not Like You Or I

2009-11-28T03:16:04Z

This is a prime example of why hockey players are another level of nuts:

The happy-go-lucky Laperriere lost four teeth and received between 50 and 100 stitches when he blocked Jason Pominville's slap shot with his mouth _ and returned to play in the third period.

After the game, Laperriere's mouth was so swollen that he looked like a cartoon character. Yet, he is expected expected to play Saturday in Atlanta.

That's right, Laperriere took a puck to the mouth, lost teeth and came back to play an hour later. If it were a normal person, they might have missed work for a week just for the swollen mouth.

Alex Ovechkin Will Not Face Suspension For Controversial Hit

2009-11-27T18:28:51Z

After NHL uber-star Alex Ovechkin was awarded a boarding major and game misconduct for hit on Patrick Kaleta Wednesday night, there was an impassioned outcry that the league must suspend him or face further accusations of favoritism. Word comes today that the NHL has decided not to suspend the star, despite a hit that was similar to the ones that led to James Neal and Tuomo Ruutu suspensions.

Here is video of the hit. Just watch the play, and try not to allow the Buffalo announcers to sway your opinion.

The Wheel of Justice has spun, and it's outcome is sure to fire up even more talk that the NHL cares more about it's stars than the safety of it's players. Japers' Rink says that while this is controversial, the NHL got the call right:

Kaleta has the puck. He’s positioned just about a foot away from the boards, when he glances up and to the left. We can’t see him at home, but there’s no way Kaleta misses Ovechkin barreling toward him. And instead of getting rid of the puck quickly and moving away…he turns. He stupidly puts himself in a vulnerable position, and yet Ovechkin still manages to catch him with a shoulder – no hit from behind, no elbow to the head. Just speed, power, two inches and 53 pounds on Kaleta that propel him into the boards.

It’s maybe - maybe - a two-minute minor for boarding. We can't be so blind in our loyalty as to ignore the fact that Ovechkin often straddles the line between legal and illegal checks, and this was right in that gray area. Even giving Ovechkin a five-minute major for the hit is somewhat understandable (albeit wrong) given the fact that the referees had a split second to make the call, that there’s been increased pressure to crack down on borderline hits, and that Kaleta was injured on the play.

Worthy of a suspension, though? Not even close.

Milan Lucic Injury News Not As Bad As Originally Feared

2009-11-27T16:18:30Z

When Milan Lucic went down in the third period Wednesday night against the Wild, the fear was that he had seriously injured his knee in the awkward fall. After the Bruins delayed updates on the severity of the injury for more tests, speculation arose that Lucic had a ligament tear and would miss significant time this season.

Now word comes that Lucic has suffered an ankle sprain and will miss just four weeks. While this is still a significant injury it’s far better than the potentially season-ending injury some feared he had.

On top of that, Tim Thomas is reportedly suffering from a broken hand although he is still practicing with the team. Officially he is the current backup but has not played since injuring his hand on November 14. Thomas is listed as ‘day to day’ with the injury.

Brayden Schenn To Make NHL Debut Tonight With Kings

2009-11-27T02:10:54Z

2009 5th overall draft pick Brayden Schenn will make his NHL debut tonight with the Los Angeles Kings, after signing a “One-Day NHL Regular Season Amateur Tryout Agreement.” Since Schenn has yet to sign an entry-level contract with the Kings, it seems that they have are using a rare contract to get Schenn up to the NHL for just a game.

Brayden Schenn is a highly touted offensive prospect from the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL, and leads his team this season with 39 points in 24 games. To make room for Schenn, the Kings placed Andrei Loktionov on injured reserve.

According to TSN the CHL and WHL both had to agree to the tryout, which will not affect Schenn’s amateur status. It’s an agreement that is very rare, and it will be interesting to see how Schenn responds while playing significant minutes tonight.

The Kings take on Vancouver tonight at 10:00 p.m. EST.

NHL Fans Have One Thing To Be Thankful For Today

2009-11-26T21:23:01Z

On this American Thanksgiving, hockey fans across the country should be adding this to be thankful for. On this day 92 years ago, the National Hockey League was formed. The complete history lesson on the start of the league can be found on NHL.com but here is an excerpt from the piece:

A group that included S.E. Lichtenhein of the Montreal Wanderers, G.W. Kendall of the Montreal Canadiens, T.P. Gorman of the Ottawa Senators and M.J. Quinn of the Quebec Bulldogs, along with NHA secretary-treasurer Frank Calder, met at Montreal's Windsor Hotel. The NHA owners had had repeated problems with Eddie Livingstone the owner of the Toronto Blueshirts, and decided to exclude him from the NHL.

The NHL is still around due to the hard work of many people but these five gentlemen were the pioneers for the league.

Alexander Ovechkin Has Eventful Night In Washington

2009-11-26T03:41:13Z

Alexander Ovechkin was busy for the Washington Capitals tonight as he scored what ended up being the game winning goal and then received a game misconduct for a boarding penalty later in the game. The boarding penalty came at the 3:38 mark in the third period as he checked Buffalo's Patrick Kaleta into the boards when Kaleta had his back to Ovechkin. Kaleta was bloodied up a little but eventually returned to the game. Here is what Ovechkin had to say about the situation after the game.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a Buffalo Sabres fan and while the play definitely warranted the boarding call, I was surprised the referees gave Ovechkin the game misconduct penalty.