Friday, March 4, 2011
Isn't it time for hockey to begin looking after its players?
The recent revelation that retired NHL players have suffered brain damage comes as no surprise to me. It is consistent in what has been observed in former NFL players and boxers. I love the sport of hockey. I enjoy playing the game, coaching children and just being a fan. To be honest the growing awareness that players are sacrificing their health, their family and social relations and their future quality of life bothers me.
Brain injuries aren’t like physical injuries. A retired athlete with a bad knee or hip can be helped. Bobby Orr has had knee replacement surgery and leads a relatively normal life. He works, plays golf and interacts with his family. You can’t fix or replace a damaged brain. It can create a barrier to employment, enjoying the company of others, and basic recreational activities like reading, watching tv or playing cards. Overtime your disability will worsen and your life expectancy is shortened. Do you think anyone willing signs up for this type of future?
There are a number of reasons why there is an epidemic of concussions in hockey. There is marked increase in awareness of the concussions in sports. No one talks about having their bell rung anymore. Yet in a recent game, Maple Leaf Mikhail Grabovski took two hard hits to the head from 6’9” Zdeno Chara without missing a shift. The rationale was that the team was following the league concussion protocol and he showed no signs of a concussion. Shouldn’t the team have considered the players health and safety over all other considerations and pulled him from the game as a precaution? It’s not like he underwent a thorough examination by a physician. A trainer took a look at him on the bench.
We need to recognize how much the game has changed. Players are bigger, weigh more, and wear protection equipment and pads that can also hurt opponents. What hasn’t changed is the anatomy of the skull and brain. A blow to the head causes your brain hit the inside of your skull. A good analogy is a big hunk of jello flopping around inside a bucket. What you get is a big mess. Better helmets aren’t the answer either. Helmets won’t prevent you brain from banging against the inside of your skull.
There is only one way to prevent brain injuries in hockey. Change the way the game is played. You can’t entirely eliminate these types of injuries because some are the result of unintended collisions. I’ve coached players who suffered concussions from incidents like running into a teammate during the warm up, losing a skate edge and falling head first into the boards, and toppling out of the rink when a gate was accidentally left open. But there are two important changes that can drastically reduce brain injuries:
- Ban fighting
- Ban any hit to the head
Opponents will tell you this will ruin the game. They will refer to it as pussification. They will accuse the league of giving into pinkos, commies and…OMG…the international lobby. Sounds like a conspiracy. There is no question that the game will change considerably. So will the makeup of the league. In fact big players might become more of a liability because they are more likely to hit someone in the head. The two hits that Grabovski took from Chara were not aimed at his head but the Bruins defenseman is about a foot taller than the Leaf forward. Someone players will not be able to adapt. Smaller players will become more effective. Fighters who cannot contribute to a team without dropping their gloves will disappear. The game will likely become less physical but other skills will likely dominate. But who says the games won’t be as entertaining. Maybe they will be more entertaining.
If you have compared today’s game with the NHL of the 1940s, 1960s and 1980s you will notice that hockey has been constantly evolving. These changes would just contribute to that ongoing evolution. We all will adjust.
Even if the game is worse off, it is still unconscionable to allow players to risk their health for the entertainment of others. There needs to be a balance between the risks for players and the needs of fans. Remember what goes on at the NHL level filters down to youth hockey. What are the long term impacts of a concussion on a child who is still developing physically, emotionally and intellectually?
Did I hear the fat lady warming up for the final act of the Phoenix Coyotes?
The fat lady you hear about likely refers to an overweight soprano, perhaps Brünnhilde singing the final arias from Die Walküre. It’s a signal pack up your belongings and head for the exit. I’m not an opera fan and I’m sure you’re not either. Watching events play out in Glendale, Arizona is as painful as sitting through an opera, unless you live in Winnipeg. Former Jet fans who are observing the situation in the Arizona desert remind me of a flock of vultures circling their prey waiting for it to expire.
Despite denials from everyone the Coyotes appear to be done. The only party to show any interest in the Coyotes has been Matthew Hulsizer. Except he’s not going to pay $170 million for a franchise when is likely worth about half that price. That price is what the NHL needs to allow the owners to get back all their money they provided the NHL to keep the Coyotes afloat.
Glendale which was suckered into funding an arena for the team is literally caught between a rock and a hard place. Without a tenant for their $180 million arena there will be not rent or tax revenue coming in to pay the mortgage. So Glendale worked out a deal with Hulsizer where they would provide him with something in the neighbourhood of $100 million in exchange for the parking revenue at the arena. I bet you’re thinking that sounds like a lot of money to pay for the rights to parking revenue in an arena in the middle of a desert. The city must sell $116 million in bonds to provide Hulsizer with money to complete the transaction.
It turns out the Goldwater Institute also thinks that’s too much money. They are a conservative public policy research organization established in 1988 that advances public policies with emphasis on lower taxes and limited government spending. Goldwater suspects that the deal may violate the “gift clause” in Arizona’s state constitution, which reads: “Neither the state, nor any county, city, town, municipality, or other subdivision of the state shall ever give or loan its credit in the aid of, or make any donation or grant, by subsidy or otherwise, to any individual, association or corporation.”
Goldwater believes that the City already owns the parking rights and if even if they don’t the rights are not worth $100 million. They see this as a subsidy to Hulsizer so that he will buy the team which is a contravention of the state constitution. Goldwater is threatening a lawsuit if the City go ahead with the bond issue which will scare off investors. Without that money the sale falls apart but the NHL cannot go back to square one anymore. As the team continues to lose money it becomes less likely that the NHL owners get back their money. If the Coyotes can’t be sold for $170 million then there is no way a buyer will be found to pay $200 million. So we are weeks or maybe a few months away from a relocation decision. Clearly these need to be resolved before work begins on next season’s schedule.
That explains the vultures wearing Winnipeg Jet jerseys.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Holy shit house mouse, Leafs win again!
I'm now a believer.
Sure the Flyers were down a three players with the flu. Meanwhile the Leafs played with five players who were in the AHL last season. Besides the Flyers have owned the Leafs at home. The Leafs haven't won in Philadelphia in 3 years. Kris Versteeg did his best to get revenge against his former teammates. But two goals just wasn't enough.
On top of it the Leafs could barely score on the powerplay with Tomas Kaberle. Since he was shipped out, the Leafs might as well concede the man advantage. Tonight was no different as they went 0-7. But it doesn't matter because they are monsters at even strength.
The team who earlier in the season had no chance at coming from behind has won two straight games late in the contest. But let's not kid ourselves, it wouldn't be happening without James Reimer. He was a game changer again especially in the first period when the Flyers were dominating.
With the Rangers losing and the Sabres losing in overtime to Carolina, the Leafs suddenly find themselves just 1 point behind the Sabres, 3 points behind the Rangers who fall to 8th place and still 4 points Hurricanes. It's still a long shot but with no regulation loss in 9 games, the odds keep getting better.
The icing on the cake was Keith Aulie's first NHL fight against Scott Hartnell.
The highs and lows of Dion Phaneuf
Last night's overtime win against Pittsburgh is a classic example of the highs and lows of Dion Phaneuf. In the second period Phaneuf was caught flatfooted and allowed Chris Connors to get behind him to score a goal. Then in overtime he did an incredible job to control the puck in the Penguins zone and set up what was eventually the winning goal.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
What it will take for Maple Leafs to make the playoffs
Now while the cynics are laughing out loud (better known now as LOL) you should know that since the All-Star break the Leafs have gone 8-2-4. That is 20 points in 14 games or a winning percentage of 71.4%. It’s a stretch to expect the team to keep up this pace for the remaining 19 games but if the hot goaltending continues then it certainly isn’t impossible.
It certainly would be considered progress if this young Maple Leaf team could get a taste of playoff action. Even if it meant an early exit at the hands of the Flyers.
Monday, February 28, 2011
The Butch Goring trade began the tradition of trade deadline frenzy
Almost all deadline deals are flops. The majority involve minor players changing hands who have little impact on their new teams. But the tradition to find a player to put you over the top and help get you a Stanley Cup began in 1980.
In the 1980 season, Butch Goring was traded by the Los Angeles Kings in March to the New York Islanders in exchange for Billy Harris and Dave Lewis, and was widely regarded as being one of the key elements that pushed the Islanders over the top to become champions. That season, he scored 19 points in 21 playoff games to help the Islanders to the first of four consecutive Stanley Cups. He was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy as the playoff MVP.
Since that time almost no one has had a similar impact yet each year there is a flurry of trades on deadline day. Every GM would love to land the next Butch Goring. So why did it work out so well for Bill Torrey's Islanders? Goring was one the King's top scorers but he was a complete player who could play in his own end, win faceoffs and kill penalties. The Islanders already had some top offensive stars in Bryan Trottier, Mike Bossy and Clark Gillies. On the Islanders Goring was a role player and his work ethic allowed him to fit in instantly with New York.
Since that time many GMs have landed impact players at the deadline to push their teams over the top in the playoffs only to be disappointed. Without the benefit of much practice time, many players fail to integrate well with their new teams. With new linemates, coaches and roles, most stumble early on and never have enough time to adjust before the playoffs arrive. Often traded players put a lot of pressure on themselves and set themselves up for failure.
Just consider over the last few seasons late trades involving Ilya Kovalchuk, Marian Hossa and Keith Tkachuk. These trades never really worked out as well as expected. Yet the trade keep coming.
Phil Kessel named NHL's first star of the week
Against the Islanders on February 22nd
First goal against the Canadiens on February 24
Second goal against the Canadiens on February 24
Incredible goal against the Thrashers on February 27
There is a concussion epidemic in hockey
I’m not trying to sound like an alarmist but head injuries have become an epidemic in the NHL and in all levels of hockey – even when there is no body checking. Why this is happening is complicated but well documented. There is certainly more awareness of head injuries. Equipment changes have contributed to the problem. Better protective equipment can also be used when hitting another player which has lead to more recklessness. The game is faster now and players larger. I coached girls’ hockey for 10 years and some teenage girls today are the size of NHL players from the 1960s and 1970s. While players are faster and larger, their skulls are unchanged and therefore more vulnerable.
By December 1, there were as many head injuries (33) the NHL as there were all of last season. So obviously rule changes made last year have not helped. The NHL has more or less stopped reporting numbers but you can figure out the stats based on teams’ injury lists which are publicly available. Currently there are 23 players out with head injuries which is about 3% of players on NHL rosters. The total number of NHL players that have had a head injury this year is likely between 60 and 70. That means perhaps 10% of NHLers have been out of the lineup this season with a head injury. There is still the playoffs to come where hitting increases. Players who have already been out this season with a head injury will be at greater risk during this season’s playoffs.
If 10% of players had contracted measles this season, the NHL would be taking extraordinary measures to protect players from infection. But the response from the league has been muted to date despite the growing debate. The likes of Don Cherry and Mike Milbury are out of touch on this issue and not contributing anything useful to the debate. Furthermore, their insulting rants against advocates for more action to protect players are counter-productive.
Currently some very talented players are sitting in dark, quiet rooms waiting for their fog to lift from their brain, their careers and their social and family life. Who knows how much their careers will be shortened by their conditions. You only have to look at ex-players like Pat Lafontaine, Eric Lindros, Brett Lindros and Adam Deadmarsh. Players who recover and continue to play are often not the same player afterward. Just look at Eric Lindros and Paul Kariya. No study has been conducted to determine what the impact of repeated head injuries have on quality of life after a players career is over.
You only have to have experienced this yourself or by a family member to know this is a crisis not being addressed.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Jonas Gustavsson's game returns while playing for the Marlies
The good news is what ever had been bothering Jonas Gustavsson, whether lack of confidence or his technical game, it seems to have been resolved. In the 5 games played with the Marlies (interrupted by another heart procedure) he is 3-1-1. Very encouraging is his GAA of 1.14 and a SAVE% of .955.
The return of his game couldn't have come at a more important time. With Reimer getting bonked in the head and Giguere's wonky groin, we may be seeing Gustavsson back in a Leaf uniform pretty soon.
But with a group of crippled goalies, a run at a playoff spot might be a stretch now. Unless help is on its way.
Kessel critics will need to quiet down after this goal
Can Reimer keep up this pace?
The Behind the Net Blog has an interesting analysis of James Reimer's early NHL performance. He has put up stellar numbers in his first 15 games in the NHL. But can we draw any conclusions from his .932 save percentage to start his career?
Since 1995, there have been 13 goalies who were called up and posted a .925 save percentage or better in their first 15 games. But over their next 60 games, they posted a decent but not exactly eye-popping .906 save percentage. Quite a disappointment considering how these goalies started their NHL careers. So 15 games is not a large enough sample size to be confident in a goaltender's abilities - one out of every six .900 (replacement) goalies will out-perform a .920 (All-Star) goalie over a 15-game stretch.
| Games | 1-15 | 16-30 | 31-45 | 46-60 | 61-75 | 76-90 |
| Reimer | .932 | |||||
| 13 Other Rookies | .931 | .909 | .906 | .903 | .906 | .914 |
The conclusion is that it's too early to be handing the Leaf starting goaltending job to Reimer just yet. Let's see at the very least what happens in games 16 to 30.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Maple Leafs finally in a playoff race
About 20 games ago I suggested that the Maple Leafs were essentially eliminated from the playoffs since they needed to win about 65% of their remaining games to to finish the season with 90 points and the last playoff spot. At the time the Leafs' winning percentage was just a little over 45% so that dramatic of a turnaround just didn't make sense.
Yet a turnaround has occurred. The Leafs earned 24 points over the last 20 games which works out to a 60% winning percentage - below the pace I had quoted earlier. However, since that time the play of Atlanta, Carolina and Buffalo has deteriorated to the point that less than 90 points might get you into the playoffs. If the Leafs finish with 88 points that just might do it. That requires a winning percentage of 64% the rest of the way which considering their last 20 games just might happen.
The other positive is that at the mid point of the season they need to leapfrog five teams to make it to the playoffs. Now it's just two teams, Buffalo and Carolina. Most people are focused on the fact that there is only 6 points separating the Leafs and Hurricanes but that is a lot of points when teams earn a point on a regular basis for losses (in overtime or a shootout).
Now here is the bad news. The Leafs need to win 14 out of their remaining 21 games to make it to post-season. However, 9 of their remaining games are against the top 10 teams in the league. Only 8 games are against the bottom 10 teams. So winning 14 games will be quite a challenge. And although James Reimer has been terrific, let's not forget that Cam Ward and Ryan Miller can win a few games for Carolina and Buffalo.
Despite how it turns out, it will be an exciting finish which is something Leaf fans haven't experienced in a number of years.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Too early to write off Kessel
He will likely never be considered good enough to justify giving up two 1st round and one 2nd round picks. It doesn't matter because that is in the past. Instead fans should enjoy what he brings to the team and not worry what went the other way.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Toronto Maple Leafs after 60 games
So here are my player report cards after 60 games. Some players like Francois Beauchemin and Kris Versteeg have dropped off the chart for obvious reason.
| MAPLE LEAF REPORT CARDS | |||
| PLAYER | AT 20 GAMES | AT 40 GAMES | AT 60 GAMES |
| Luke Schenn | A | B | B |
| Tomas Kaberle | A | B | - |
| Jonas Gustavsson | A | C | D |
| Clarke MacArthur | B | B | B |
| Mikhail Grabovski | B | A | A |
| Phil Kessel | B | B | B |
| Nik Kulemin | B | B | B |
| Mike Brown | B | - | B |
| Fredrik Sjostrom | B | B | C |
| Kris Versteeg | C | A | - |
| Francois Beauchemin | C | B | - |
| Dion Phaneuf | C | B | B |
| Colton Orr | C | B | - |
| Carl Gunarsson | C | D | C |
| J-S Giguere | C | C | C |
| Tyler Bozak | D | C | C |
| Mike Komisarek | D | D | D |
| Tim Brent | D | D | C |
| John Mitchell | D | D | - |
| Brett Lebda | D | D | D |
| Keith Aulie | - | B | B |
| Nazem Kadri | - | C | - |
| Colby Armstrong | - | C | C |
| James Reimer | - | - | A |
| Joffrey Lupul | - | - | B |
| Darryl Boyce | - | - | C |
| Joey Crabb | - | - | C |
Wow, spin-o-rama move during breakaway!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
I'm a perfect 6-0 this season at Leaf games
Nov 18 - Toronto 3 New Jersey 1
Nov 22 - Toronto 4 Dallas 1
Jan 6 - Toronto 6 St. Louis 5 (SO)
Feb 1 - Toronto 4 Florida 3 (SO)
Feb 7 - Toronto 5 Atlanta 4
Feb 22 - Toronto 2 Islanders 1
Now to be honest the Islander game wasn't too pretty. Seeing Tim Brent playing the point on the powerplay in place of Tomas Kaberle says it all. The Leafs only managed 5 shots in the third period and had Phil Kessel not danced through the Islander team to score the winner, I'm not the Leafs would have earned the 2 points.
Again James Reimer was spectacular and continues to nail down the starting job next season. I had great seats for the game and caught Reimer making one of many great saves (above) with my phone.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Colorado Eagles assistant Greg Pankewicz strips half naked, throws clothes on ice
In the third period, one of the Colorado Eagles was roughed up by a linesman during an escalating brawl on the ice. Assistant Coach Greg Pankewicz was enraged by the official's behavior, and began vehemently arguing from the Colorado bench: yelling, screaming, tossing things on the ice.
Then, as a last resort, Pankewicz did something I have never seen before and hope I never will again. He hurled his tie, his shirt and his undershirt in frustration, before being sent to the dressing room shirtless.
A disgusting display of poor sportsmanship and lack of control. Way to go shithead.
Turns out Tomas Kaberle was always a Bruin fan
Kaberle is wearing no. 12 because his No. 15 isn’t available. The long-time Leaf and four-time All-Star defenseman spoke about his feelings prior to joining the Bruins for their game against Ottawa. As it turns out the Bruins were his team as a kid and Ray Bourque was his hero growing up in the Czech Republic.
Now as I recall, Bourque played 21 years with Boston without winning a Cup. He finally agreed to a trade and was able to hoist the Cup in a Colorado jersey. Is history going to repeat?
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