| FORWARDS | |||
| Player | Position | 2014-15 Team | Acquired |
| Andreas Athanasiou | C | Grand Rapids (AHL) | 2012 4th Rd. (110th overall) |
| Tyler Bertuzzi | LW | Guelph (OHL) | 2013 2nd Rd. (58th overall) |
| Christoffer Ehn | C | Frolunda (Swe-Jr.) | 2014 4th Rd. (106th overall) |
| Axel Holmstrom | C | Skelleftea (SHL) | 2014 7th Rd. (196th overall |
| Dylan Larkin | C | Michigan (B10) | 2014 1st Rd. (15th overall) |
| Anthony Mantha | RW | Grand Rapids (AHL) | 2013 1st Rd. (20th overall) |
| Adam Marsh | LW | Saint John (QMJHL) | 2015 7th Rd. (200th overall) |
| Mike McKee | LW | Western Michigan (NCHC) | 2012 5th Rd. (140th overall) |
| Hampus Melen | C | Karlskrona (Swe-Jr.) | 2013 7th Rd. (199th overall) |
| Zach Nastasiuk | C | Owen Sound (OHL) | 2013 2nd Rd. (48th overall) |
| Evgeny Svechnikov | LW | Cape Breton (QMJHL) | 2015 1st Rd. (19th overall) |
| Chase Pearson | C | Youngstown (USHL) | 2015 5th Rd. (140th overall) |
| Dominic Turgeon | C | Portland (WHL) | 2014 3rd Rd. (63rd overall) |
| Julius Vahatalo | LW | TPS (SM-Liiga) | 2014 6th Rd. (166th overall) |
| Jin-Hui Ahn | RW | Korean National Team | Camp Invite |
| Michael Babcock | LW | Fargo (USHL) | Camp Invite |
| Nick Betz | RW | Erie (OHL) | Camp Invite |
| Bryce Gervais | RW | Minnesota State (WCHA) | Camp Invite |
| Alex Globke | C | Lake Superior State (WCHA) | Camp Invite |
| Anthony Greco | RW | Ohio State (B10) | Camp Invite |
| Alex Kile | LW | Michigan (B10) | Camp Invite |
| Adam Lidstrom | LW | Vasteras (Swe-Jr.) | Camp Invite |
| Conor McGlynn | C | Kingston (OHL) | Camp Invite |
| Evan Polei | LW | Red Deer (WHL) | Camp Invite |
| Tyson Spink | LW | Colgate (ECAC) | Camp Invite |
| Jerome Verrier | RW | Quebec (QMJHL) | Camp Invite |
| DEFENSEMEN | |||
| Player | Position | 2014-15 Team | Acquired |
| James de Haas | D | Clarkson (ECAC) | 2012 6th Rd. (170th overall) |
| Joe Hicketts | D | Victoria (WHL) | Signed Free Agent |
| Patrick Holway | D | Boston Advantage (T1EHL) | 2015 6th Rd. (170th overall) |
| Vili Saarijarvi | D | Green Bay (USHL) | 2015 3rd Rd. (73rd overall) |
| Jalen Chatfield | D | Windsor (OHL) | Camp Invite |
| Grant Gabriele | D | USNTDP (USHL) | Camp Invite |
| Won-Jun Kim | D | Korean National Team | Camp Invite |
| Kevin Lidstrom | D | Enkopings (Swe-3) | Camp Invite |
| Kevin Lough | D | Colgate (ECAC) | Camp Invite |
| Marc McNulty | D | Kamloops (WHL) | Camp Invite |
| Jarett Meyer | D | Owen Sound (OHL) | Camp Invite |
| David Nemecek | D | TPS (Fin-Jr.) | Camp Invite |
| Travis Walsh | D | Michigan State (B10) | Camp Invite |
| GOALTENDERS | |||
| Player | Position | 2014-15 Team | Acquired |
| Jake Paterson | G | Kitchener (OHL) | 2012 3rd Rd. (80th overall) |
| Chase Perry | G | Colorado College (NCHC) | 2014 5th Rd. (136th overall) |
| Joren van Pottelberghe | G | Linkoping (Swe-Jr.) | 2015 4th Rd. (110th overall) |
| Tomas Kral | G | Litomerice (Cze-2) | Camp Invite |
Tag: Ice Hockey
The Beauty of Hockey (clip, youtube)
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman must offer testimony
Via The Hockey News:
A U.S. federal court judge Tuesday ordered that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman must offer testimony in a lawsuit by former league players who allege they’ve been adversely affected by head injuries suffered during games.
The group of players – whose numbers have grown to approximately 60 (including notable names Bernie Nicholls, Butch Goring, Joe Murphy and Gary Leeman) since the lawsuit first was filed in November of 2013 – accuse the league of not adequately protecting them from or informing them of the effects of concussions. Attorneys for the former players contacted the NHL in late February requesting a time and location to question Bettman, but the league rejected the request because, it argued, any information the commissioner might offer could be gleaned from other sources. The players’ lawyers then went before a judge asking that Bettman be compelled to testify prior to July 1 of this year.
In an eight-page ruling released late Tuesday, Judge Susan Nelson ruled Bettman may be deposed in July, but no sooner. She also ruled Bettman “possesses unique or special knowledge” relevant to the lawsuit and pointed to several media interviews he conducted between 1993 and 2015 demonstrating his insights into the NHL’s efforts to deal with head injuries.
“We are pleased the Court has denied the NHL’s motion to delay the deposition of NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, finding that he ‘possesses unique knowledge concerning concussion injuries’,” the players’ co-lead counsel said in a statement released after the ruling. “This is particularly timely given the Commissioner’s recent statements continuing to deny the long-term risks of repetitive brain injuries. We look forward to deposing the Commissioner so retired players can learn the full extent to which the League deliberately ignored and concealed this information.”
The former players behind the lawsuit allege the NHL failed to protect them from head injuries prior to the 1997 creation of a head trauma study committee – and that, even then, the committee’s findings weren’t adequately shared with players. The league contends it has acted appropriately and that players were aware of the risks involved in the sport.
Come cell with me!
Women’s World Championships
So while many fuss over the mens NHL action and others what have the been happening with the Women’s championships that are slowly winding up? Let’s take a look!
Here are the standings after the preliminary rounds:
Preliminary Round
| R | Team | GP | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF:GA | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group A | ||||||||
| 1 | USA |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:5 | 9 |
| 2 | CAN |
3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:6 | 6 |
| 3 | FIN |
3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6:12 | 2 |
| 4 | RUS |
3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4:16 | 1 |
| Group B | ||||||||
| 1 | SWE |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10:6 | 7 |
| 2 | SUI |
3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:5 | 6 |
| 3 | JPN |
3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6:6 | 5 |
| 4 | GER |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2:11 | 0 |
From there we move onto quarter finals and the up coming games are:
Faceoff 16:00 GMT+2
FIN0 – 0SUI
Quarterfinals – Game 13Malmo Isstadion
Faceoff 18:00 GMT+2
JPN0 – 0GER
Relegation Round – Game 14Rosengards Ishall
Faceoff 20:00 GMT+2
RUS0 – 0SWE
Quarterfinals – Game 15Malmo Isstadion
There’s gonna be smoke epic games right there particularly that last one between Russia and Sweden. You think its’ already competitive when the men play….don’t doubt these ladies will be just as intense!
Pre-judging the Wings?
Sure the deadline trades are just part of expanding the team in its playoff push but just because certain results haven’t fallen on the positive side since doesn’t mean people should just jump to the ultimate conclusion. Or should they? Here are some interesting quotes nonetheless so read into them whichever way you want.
“It’s interesting to me; we added depth to our lineup and we play worse,”
“So we obviously got to get that fixed because we haven’t been anything close to what we were prior to (thetrades).
“(Sunday) we didn’t compete hard enough. You got to give them credit. They were light years better than us.”
“It all has to do with we’re not doing our jobs,”
“Lack of preparation, obviously from a coaching end. Anytime you look like you don’t play hard enough and you’re not organized enough, the players got to look after how hard they play and how they prepare, so that’s on them. But us not having them ready to go is on us.”
Greatest NHL Deadlines
That time of year is coming around again, and no we aren’t talking about Christmas or Stanley Cup Playoffs…at least not yet!!
No, no the NHL trade deadline is approaching and this is when sometimes the most unlikely situations popup for teams looking to find a missing puzzle that will hopefully take them all the way. While there have been many great moments of trade deadline hockey tot all about, we came across the Top 10 as rated by Sportsnet so if you haven’t seen their list here it is.
10. Stevie Yzerman hijacks Ben Bishop from Ottawa
The Tampa Bay Lightning general manager took Bishop off a Senators team flush with goaltending in 2013. The return? Small centre Cory Conacher, who went from Calder Trophy candidate to the waiver wire. The 24-year-old is now plying his trade for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Bishop, meanwhile, earned a Vezina nomination in 2014 and will be integral to an exciting Tampa team’s playoff run this spring.
9. Gaborik gets hot at right time for right team
Marian Gaborik had begun to phone it in a bit for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2014, so getting Matt Frattin and a couple of picks (a second- and third-rounder) from L.A. seems like a decent return for the streaky Slovak. Then the guy went ape in the playoffs — 14 goals, 22 points and 24 hours with sport’s sexiest hunk of hardware. Even better? The three-time all-star, thought to be a rental, committed to the Kings for less than $5 million annually. Frattin is a Toronto Marlie.
8. Washington and Minnesota strike a heck of a hockey deal
In a 1989 deal that benefited both sides, the Minnesota North Stars swapped Dino Ciccarelli and defenceman Bob Rouse to the Washington Capitals in exchange for Mike Gartner, a 50-goal scorer, and defenceman Larry Murphy. Ciccarelli’s impact on the contender was immediate, scoring 12 in his first 11 contests with the Caps; he would go on to post 41-goal and 38-goal seasons in the U.S. capital. Gartner threw up 84 points in 80 games for Minnesota before being flipped to the New York Rangers midway through their 1989-90 campaign, and Murphy contributed 68 points from the North Stars’ blue line in 1989-90.
7. Thrashers find a good home for Hossa
By adding dangerous rental Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis from the Atlanta Thrashers at the 2008 deadline to a Penguins club already stacked with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, GM Ray Shero booked his ticket to the Cup final. The Penguins sent a package of Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, prospect Angelo Esposito and a first-round pick (Daulton Leveille) the other way. Usually the team that gets the best player wins the deal; Shero got the two best players. Hossa, who would have walked for nothing, led the Penguins in playoff goals (12), though Pittsburgh lost a six-game series to Detroit in the Cup final. In the ultimate irony, Hossa joined the Red Wings the following season only to lose to Pittsburgh in the 2009 final.
6. St. Louis lands hockey’s last 80-goal guy
Calgary fans savour their 1989 Stanley Cup, but would there have been even more championships had the Flames held on to a young sniper named Brett Hull? Hull and Steve Bozek were sent to the Blues at the 1988 deadline for Rob Ramage and goalie Rick Wamsley — a move that helped Calgary on the back end. Hull, of course, was lightning in a bottle. The Hall of Famer is the NHL’s third-highest goal scorer ever, peaking in 1990-91 with a Nintendo-style 86 goals and 113 points.
5. Avalanche rent Cup-chasing Bourque
At the 2000 deadline, the Boston Bruins traded one of their all-time greatest players, Raymond Bourque, and Dave Andreychuk to Colorado in exchange for Brian Rolston, Samuel Pahlsson, Martin Grenier and a first-round draft choice (Martin Samuelsson). Bourque, 39, was on the verge of retirement but stuck around one more year, scoring 59 points and sipping from the Cup for the first time. Rolston, meanwhile, would average more than 30 goals a year during his four seasons in Boston.
4. Vancouver lands its all-time goal-getter
Alek Stojanov seems like a reasonable price to pay for your franchise’s all-time goal-scoring king. That’s who the Canucks dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins at the 1996 deadline for Markus Naslund, whose all-time Vancouver marks are just now being eclipsed by the Sedin twins. Naslund, who was 22 at the time, led the Canucks in scoring for seven straight seasons and finished his career as the club’s all-time leader in goals (346) and points (756).
3. Lightning makes most of stockpiled draft picks
In a pair of sell-off deals with the San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames in March 1998, the Tampa Bay Lightning secured first- and third-round draft picks, respectively, in that spring’s draft. Without that first-rounder, Vincent Lecavalier, and that third-rounder, Brad Richards, Tampa Bay fails to create the forward core that would lead to the franchise’s Stanley Cup victory in 2004.
2. Islanders give Goring second life 
At the 1980 deadline, the Los Angeles Kings dealt four-time 30-goal scorer “Butch” Goring to the New York Islanders for Billy Harris and Dave Lewis. Goring went on to win four Stanley Cups as a significant member of the Isles’ dynasty. The guy Mom named Robert averaged a point a game through his first 39 playoff contests in New York.
1. Penguins add much-needed Ulf to their lineup
Acquiring Ulf Samuelsson, Ron Francis and Grant Jennings from the Hartford Whalers at the 1991 deadline for John Cullen, Jeff Parker and Zarley Zalapski was a stroke of genius. Though Cullen and Zalapski would go on to produce just fine in Hartford, Pittsburgh’s deal resulted in consecutive Stanley Cup championships. Samuelsson, who was unhappy with the Whalers and considering a move back to Sweden, scored the Cup-winning goal in ’91 and Francis did the same in ’92. Not too shabby.
Wild Forsberg??
When the name Peter Forsberg gets mentioned in hockey circles many fans will always associate him for his playing time with the Colorado Avalanche (previously known as the Quebec Nordics). However, in hockey or any sport of that matter there is a line most commonly used….
‘Nothing lasts forever’.
What that means is you can feel associated with a team or player for several years but eventually at one point or another that individual (more common, then teams though it does happen) the lost-lasting relationship must come to an end. Well back in the old days of hockey that was rare because franchise players were a little more common and them players aren’t likely to be seen playing in another uniform. I am making a bit of a generalisation on this however.
Anyway back to the topic on hand, season 2007-2008 was shaping up as a great one for the Wild. Their performances put them in a good position and had many people looking their way. But for a team that was showing promise how do they find a way attracting the right sort of talent? Sometimes if it fits a team (if money and cap space allow) can make a bit of a splash and go the big guns, other times it can only take a bit out of the big sea. There are also other areas to take into considering, the team unity as it stands and how a newcomer especially a big name will fit in, egos and upsetting others are all part of the factors to take in.
So where does Forsberg fit into the picture? Well the guy was getting on age wise (35), staying healthy (foot issue) and a few bad experiences. Don’t forget players especially great ones have a certain expectation that must be met, money is one huge motivating factor if they choose to go somewhere but success is also very important to them on a personal level. No doubt all players in the NHL (or any league for that matter) wants to win a championship and that in itself is a target not all of them are able to achieve.
The only thing with Forsberg is, how much has he left to deliver and can he really be a difference maker? Lot of questions. But despite what obstacles were in the way there is no doubt he can be a match-winner and that was enough for a team like the Wild, a team who was looking upwards and heading in the right direction it didn’t seem like a bad idea. But will the promise or idea they present to Forberg be enough to convince him? Let’s not forget; he’s already had some great success at NHL level and while part of him wants to continue with it; he probably knows it doesn’t have to be his main priority. He can enjoy a team environment with less pressure and expectations and just help groom the younger generation for the bigger picture. Also consider that the NHL is perhaps one of the highest level of domestic hockey there is (excluding internationals) and the other leagues around the world while also have their championships, is more about the money then anything else, and with less competitive leagues for a player in his age it might be more enjoyable.
Eventually though that idea failed to bring much but if things had worked out right between the Wild and Forsberg who knows what could happened?? I don’t know about you; but seeing Forsberg playing in another jersey (even seeing him play for the Flyers and Preds was uncomfortable) would just seem too strange…always will see him being an Ave forever though.
Aussie U20 bronze medal run quotes
The Australian U20s team won a bronze medal recently at the Division 2 Group B league overseas recently so here are some quotes from the happy campers.
“The experience we gained this year was that with all the hard yards and good preparation prior to worlds, anything is possible,”
“It’s good to see that we can compete at this level. We have been in a medal race for the last two years so its positive to finally gain a medal this year.”
“It is important to understand that our success came due to the goaltender being the best penalty-killer on the ice and players sacrificing their bodies by taking the hit to make the play or blocking shots at all times,”
“Yucca Reinecke never missed an opportunity to block a shot while Jordan Williams is probably the best penalty killing machine within his age group at the moment.”
“As a coach it’s so impressive to see these individuals plus others do everything for the benefit of the team,”
“The power play was a struggle at the start of the tournament but was in full swing towards the end. The trio of Kubara, Pataky and Fedor were instrumental in power play success; their puck movement was excellent and their consistency only improved over the duration of the tournament.”
“We tried to keep the opponents to the outside and let them take low percentage shots from the perimeter,”
“We knew that we wouldn’t have too many opportunities to score during any given game. We felt that if we can get at least 3 goals for, we can or come close beating anyone in the tournament, due to amazing goal-tending and talented scorers on the team.”
“His movement on the ice looked effortless; he looked comfortable, relaxed and in total control,”
“Charlie’s presence on the ice, his energy and calm personality transferred throughout the whole team. Charlie’s lateral movement and coverage of the net was stellar and this frustrated opponents greatly and gave opposition teams very little goal scoring opportunity.”
“After spending three seasons overseas, to finally play for Australia again felt amazing, and to face as many shots as I did per game just made it that much better,”
“For me, I think the biggest difference was my confidence and my ability to keep a level head throughout a game and the entire tournament.”
“The tournament has definitely made me more consistent in net and I hope to be playing in Europe or in college in the next couple of years,” Smart said. “I’d love to be able to play at home in the AIHL between seasons but it’s been hard to play with import goalies filling up the spots.”
NHL Standings to date.
So what’s been happening with teams in the NHL so far? Who is up and performing and who has fallen down the cracks? Let’s take a look at the table.
Eastern Conference:
Lightning – 73 points
Canadiens – 71 points
Red Wings – 71 points
Islanders – 69 points
Penguins 68 points
Capitals – 66 points
Rangers – 65 points
Bruins – 63 points
Panthers – 57 points
Flyers – 54 points
Devils – 51 points
Maple Leafs – 50 points
Senators – 49 points
Blue Jackets – 49 points
Hurricanes – 45 points
Sabres – 35 points
Western Conference:
Predators – 76 points
Ducks – 75 points
Blues – 72 points
Blackhawks – 69 points
Jets – 64 points
Flames – 63 points
Sharks – 63 points
Canucks – 61 points
Wild – 58 points
Kings – 58 points
Stars – 56 points
Avalanche – 55 points
Coyotes – 47 points
Oilers – 39 points
Are there any surprises in this listing?? The one to jump out is the Predators, since when have we seen them sitting on top of the West? Not in recent times. God on them though they are a team to always keep an eye out on. The Sabres are struggling but you can never judge a team based on the points they have and the same can be said for the Oilers. These two sides have shown in games, generally speaking they are capable of keeping with the best and if things go their way they could spring out a win or two.
We will continue to monitor how these games go in the coming months with playoff positions are up for grabs.
Legion of thunder Creations 