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NHL: Deliberate blows to head won't be tolerated
By Ansar Khan
November 23, 2008
CALGARY, Alberta -- For a team that has absorbed its share of questionable hits over the years, the Detroit Red Wings welcome the NHL's efforts to crack down on blows to the head.
In a recent memo issued to clubs, NHL senior vice president of operations Colin Campbell stated that the league "will not tolerate blows to the head that are deliberate, avoidable and illegal,'' and promised an increase in suspensions if these type of incidents persist.
"Guys are so big and so strong now, if you get a forceful blow to the head, you know the problems people have had with concussions, so certainly you have to protect the players,'' Red Wings center Kris Draper said.
"It's a fast game, but the (hits) where you can definitely determine whether it was intentional or not, they should definitely have some sort of repercussion other than a two- or four-minute penalty,'' Kirk Maltby said. "A penalty along with a minimum one-game suspension is justifiable.''
Brett Lebda, who was rattled by a flying hit to the head from Dallas Drake a couple of seasons ago, believes all hits to the head should at least result in a penalty.
"As the referee, you have to call it as you see it during the game, but after the game (the league) can go back and review it and decide what the appropriate penalty (suspension) is going to be,'' Lebda said.
Brad Stuart said it's important to protect a player's head but doesn't believe a hit to the head should be an automatic penalty.
"A situation where the guy turns around and his head's down and happens to catch a shoulder, what are you going to do? That's part of the game,'' Stuart said. "If it's deemed intentional -- elbows are unacceptable, leaving your feet is unacceptable -- those kind of situations (warrant a penalty). To make it black and white would be real tough to do."
Former Flames dig Calgary
Darren McCarty and Stuart weren't in Calgary long -- McCarty for two seasons and Stuart for 27 games and one playoff series in 2006-07 -- but both have fond memories of the city and the Saddledome.
"I love this building, I love Calgary. Being able to play here for a couple of years was great,'' McCarty said before Saturday's game. "I have nothing but fond memories of my days in Calgary. I'm very fortunate in the way things worked out for me, to be back in Detroit and win another (Stanley) Cup.''
Stuart hales from Rocky Mountain House, which is between Calgary and Edmonton, and said he would have about 18 family members and friends at the game.
Few buildings in the league have a better atmosphere than the Saddledome.
"It's unbelievable to see out of 20,000 fans, 18,000 red Flames jerseys,'' Stuart said. "They've always had good crowds, good support.''
Holmstrom goes home for tests
Forward Tomas Holmstrom was sent home Saturday to have an MRI on his ailing back, coach Mike Babcock said. Holmstrom experienced back spasms during pregame warmups in Edmonton Thursday and hasn't been on the ice since. He will miss Monday's game in Vancouver as well.
"He didn't feel any better today, so we got to find out what's going on,'' Babcock said.
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Roy returns home to Montreal, watches No. 33 rise
By The Associated Press
November 23, 2008
MONTREAL (AP) — Patrick Roy heard cheers again in Montreal, more than a decade after his bitter divorce from the Canadiens.
All the hard feelings were gone Saturday night, when the storied franchise retired the Hall of Fame goalie's famous No. 33.
"Tonight, I am coming home," Roy said to the raucous, sold-out crowd at the Bell Centre, when his number was raised to the rafters before Montreal played Boston.
Roy won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP twice with the Canadiens, both in years that Montreal captured the Stanley Cup. The first came when Roy was a 20-year-old rookie in 1986 and the other seven years later when he won a record 10 games in overtime.
He retired from the NHL after the 2002-03 season, after a stint with the Colorado Avalanche that produced two more Stanley Cup titles. Roy still holds the career NHL marks for regular-season wins (551) and postseason victories (151).
In Montreal, he is as much remembered for his triumphs as he is for his ugly departure from the Canadiens. On Dec. 2, 1995, Roy was finally pulled from the net by coach Mario Tremblay in the second period after allowing nine goals in an 11-1 home loss to Detroit.
Seething as he stepped past Tremblay — his former roommate — on the bench, Roy turned around and strode over to team president Ronald Corey, who was seated in the front row. He told Corey that he had played his last game for the team.
He was traded to Colorado three days later.
That bitterness was in the past on Saturday night when Roy entered the arena through the front door and was followed through the hallways by a TV crew, that chronicled his arrival on the massive video scoreboard above the ice.
Stunned fans congratulated him as Roy walked past concession stands in the hallway before he was greeted by a standing ovation as he entered the arena.
Shaking hands as he walked down the center aisle behind the Canadiens bench, Roy stopped to greet Jean Beliveau, one of 14 other players whose numbers were retired by the team.
Roy's parents, brother and sister, and his three children were on hand for the ceremony, along with his first three Canadiens coaches, Jean Perron, Pat Burns and Jacques Demers.
Video greetings from former Avalanche teammates Joe Sakic and Ray Bourque, and Luc Robitaille were played.
Drafted by Montreal in 1984, Roy made a brief appearance during the 1984-85 season before making the team for good the following season. A Nordiques fan growing up in the Quebec City area, Roy was nonetheless proud to start his career with the Canadiens.
"Still a teenager, I was entering the NHL through the doors of its most prestigious shrine," Roy said.
Roy thanked his parents and siblings for their support growing up, and former Canadiens GM Serge Savard and Jean Perron, "who gave me my first chance in Montreal."
Francois Allaire, his longtime goalie coach, was praised for helping him perfect his butterfly style that spawned a generation of Quebec-developed goalies.
To underline his influence, the Canadiens brought out 12 minor hockey goalies after he spoke. They were dressed in the uniforms of current Montreal goalies Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak, along with New Jersey's Martin Brodeur, Vancouver's Roberto Luongo, Anaheim's Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Edmonton's Mathieu Garon, Washington's Jose Theodore, Columbus' Pascal Leclaire, Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury, Philadelphia's Martin Biron, Buffalo's Patrick Lalime and former Toronto goalie, Felix Potvin.
Avalanche president Pierre Lacroix addressed the crowd as Roy's invited guest.
Lacroix, Roy's first agent, acquired him from the Canadiens while serving as general manager of the Avalanche. Canadiens captain Mike Keane went with Roy to Colorado in the blockbuster deal, and goalie Jocelyn Thibault, Andrei Kovalenko and Martin Rucinsky were sent to Montreal.
"I've rarely met anyone who devoured life with such intensity," Lacroix said.
Roy made it clear that he had turned the page on the events that led to his departure, "without saying goodbye the way I would have wished."
"Thank you especially to you, the fans, for being demanding, for expecting me to play every game like it was my last," Roy said.
Canadiens captain Saku Koivu, Price and Halak — each wearing Roy's No. 33 — helped him raise his banner as it joined those of Howie Morenz (7), Maurice Richard (9), Beliveau (4), Henri Richard (16), Guy Lafleur (10), Doug Harvey (2), Jacques Plante (1), Dickie Moore and Yvan Cournoyer (12), Bernie Geoffrion (5), Serge Savard (18), Ken Dryden (29), Larry Robinson (19) and Bob Gainey (23).
Roy, inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006, previously had his No. 33 retired by Colorado. He is the sixth NHL player to receive such an honor from two teams.
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Making good points
Bruins are just one of early surprises
By Kevin Paul Dupont
November 23, 2008
A quarter of the way through the NHL season, the Bruins were in Montreal last night, not only chasing the Rangers for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, but putting heat on the Sharks for the best record in the league.
Entering last night's game, Claude Julien's charges were on pace for a 123-point season. Don't go scurrying for the record book. That would be a franchise standard, surpassing the 121 points of 1970-71, when the Bruins went 57-14-7 (78 games was a full season then), the rollicking followup to their 1970 Stanley Cup championship.
Those who have not blocked out the pain and suffering will recall that their run to a second Cup was snuffed out by Montreal goalie Ken Dryden. A 2-0 series lead looked a certainty in the second period of Game 2, with the Bruins nursing a 5-1 lead, but the Habs rattled off six straight goals to bring the series even. It came down to a seventh game, on Causeway Street, and the Habs rubbed them out, 4-2, and went on to win the Cup.
What we've seen thus far, however, is about as good as it gets on Causeway Street. Without question, the Bruins are the No. 1 surprise of the season's first quarter. Where does it go from here? The spring of '71 forever will stand as the reason not to ask. Carpe diem and don't think of Dryden.
A few more surprises, observations, musings, and shots into the second balcony (happy holidays, Bobby Schmautz) as we head into the heart of the season:
The Lightning wasted little time in booting Barry Melrose out the door. Just not sure of the bigger surprise: 1. his hiring or 2. his firing. Thus far, Melrose and Denis Savard in Chicago are the league's only coaching changes. Don't know everything they do in Bristol, but given the state of the media biz, ESPN, Melrose's safe harbor for years, probably had more coaching changes since the start of October.
Yes, scoring is up, and it's most likely the result of the pared-down goalie equipment - even if there is no way to prove it. Through games of early last week, clubs were combining for 5.9 goals per game, up from 5.6 over the same number of games in 2007-08. In 2003-04, the number stood at 5.1 over the same period. Me, I'm good with 5.1, as long as there is plenty of action and at least a little bit of hate.
This isn't the Michael Ryder the Bruins bargained for when they handed the former Canadien $12 million this past summer for the next three years. Three more quarters like the first, and he'll finish with 12-15 goals. He is shooting enough, but he's not following shots with the requisite pluck and havoc it takes to pot rebounds or stray pucks.
Ex-Bruin Brad Boyes could finish with 30 goals in St. Louis. That's the good news. On the flip side, he was a minus-15 yesterday morning and could finish a minus-50 this season. What, did Dave Lewis join that Blues coaching staff?
Brian Burke's stepping down as general manager in Anaheim was abrupt but not unexpected. Look for the ex-Boston agent to get into serious talks in Toronto this week about taking over the Leafs. If there is a hiccup (read: money too light), watch for either the Blackhawks or Senators to get after him. Total dark horse: Habs.
Alexander Ovechkin averaged a fraction below 55 goals his first three years. He carried a total of eight into last night's game in San Jose. A lot of goalies are going to do a lot of paying over the next four months. The Capitals have six games left with the Florida flatliners. Enjoy the winter, Tomas Vokoun and Craig Anderson.
My early candidates for Rookie of the Year: Forwards Derick Brassard (Columbus) and Kris Versteeg (Chicago), and defensemen Drew Doughty (Los Angeles) and Luke Schenn (Toronto). All except Versteeg were first-rounders.
Dave Tippett got himself a new three-year deal as coach in Dallas not long ago, but his Stars are way too dim. Doug Armstrong lost his GM job when the Texans came out flat last year. Now it might be Tippett's turn. As of yesterday morning, the Stars had six wins. They followed five of those wins with losses in which they gave up a minimum five goals. And wait, it gets worse. Brenden Morrow was diagnosed Friday with a torn ACL that will need surgery. Out for six months.
The No. 1 question from out-of-town media members covering the Bruins: Marc Savard kills penalties? Just one of the reasons he's a better player since coming to the Hub of Hockey.
Ex-Maine Black Bear Dustin Penner has turned into the flat tire the Ducks feared he would when the Oilers swept him away in July 2007 for five years/$21.25 million. Oilers coach Craig MacTavish had enough last week (Penner with 5 points in 18 games) and yanked him from the lineup. "I can't watch it," said Mac-T, "certainly not for another 2 1/2 years." Even worse, MacTavish was a year short in his calculations.
Passion of fans is marketing key
The word from NHL headquarters amid these difficult economic times?
Business is good, according to John Collins, the league's chief operating officer. His office in New York trots out impressive growth numbers for October, especially for the league's souped-up website.
Collins figures the NHL fan demographic - young, passionate, and tech-savvy - can be nurtured morning, afternoon, and night by nhl.com. His mission: Use the NHL shield as a "halo," and keep fans hooked, especially on news and features related to their favorite teams.
"No one roots for the league, no matter what the sport," said Collins. "A fan's passion sits with his or her favorite team."
NHL gross revenues, to the surprise of many, actually compare favorably with the NBA's, and have boosted considerably since the end of the lockout.
Collins, meanwhile, remains encouraged about a league initiative to bring more same-day game highlights to center-ice video boards throughout the league. The league also is putting greater emphasis and spending more dollars on its NHL Network.
"We don't want to replicate what our national partners and regionals are doing," said Collins. "We think they all do a great job. But what the fans want, and what the league can provide, is access. The league can drill deeper into teams and personalities, in ways that no third parties can."
Etc. Loose pucks
With Brenden Morrow effectively gone for the season (unless the Stars go deep in the playoffs), Dallas called up ex-Bruin Landon "Of The Lost" Wilson to stuff a shirt. Wilson spent the last four seasons in Europe - a year in Finland and three in Switzerland . . . Bruins senior adviser Harry Sinden will appear at Phil Castinetti's Sportsworld (352c Broadway, Route 1, Saugus) next Sunday for a noon-2 p.m. autograph session, a portion of the proceeds to benefit the Ace Bailey Children's Foundation. Coach of the 1970 Cup-winning Bruins, Sinden, 76, has never appeared at an autograph session in the US, according to Castinetti . . . Dave Goucher, WBZ's exquisite radio play-by-play man for the Bruins, is the subject of an NHL Network
"Voices" episode that re-airs tonight at 6:30.
The series is featuring one play-by-play announcer in each of the league's 30 cities. The Goucher piece aired for the first time Thursday, and tracked Goucher's rise from the Boston University booth, through the minors, to the Bruins. Touching moment: pictures of Goucher's mother, Barbara, who died some 20 years ago while Goucher attended Wilbraham & Monson Academy. "I believe those who go on see all this," said the 39-year-old Goucher. "It feels good to think she's happy with what she sees." . . . The Bruins slipped out of an early 3-1 deficit last Wednesday and pinned a 7-4 loss on the Sabres. They are now 3-2-1 when falling behind by two goals. Their overall record last season in the same situations: 4-24-1 . . . The Oilers were home for only three of their first 15 games. "The Harlem Globetrotters of the NHL," quipped Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock prior to the Oil visiting Columbus last Tuesday. "I hope that doesn't make us the Washington Generals." Final score: Oilers, 7-2. Red Klotz, please report to the Zamboni entrance . . . Claude Lemieux, his nose embedded in the old Garden boards courtesy of Cam Neely, seems to be taking his comeback attempt seriously.
The 43-year-old winger/pest and one-time playoff MVP (1995) signed on for a short hitch with the China Sharks. According to the Denver Post, Lemieux could sign on this week with the Worcester Sharks (AHL). Not a lot of room on that roster in San Jose, but if we follow the teeth marks, it looks as if Claude Percy Lemieux, who last played in the NHL with Dallas in 2002-03, soon will be back in the show. Things that make you feel warm and fuzzy all over, huh?
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