When I saw this poll question posted on a New York Rangers message board yesterday, it was a stunner. I never thought to this day that such an idea would be discussed.
This 14-year-old kid from Rochester, New York (who is a Buffalo Sabres fan, I may add) was the one who brought the topic up for discussion. It is understandable that this poll question was raised and it is fine that it was. It gets people talking. But in all truthfulness here, there isn't any goalie controversy in New York City.
The Rangers are in a major dogfight to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals and can only get there if they defeat the Washington Capitals tomorrow night at the Verizon Center in Game 7 of their first round series. Their team play has basically followed the trend of their regular season as one of the most consistently inconsistent teams in the entire league. That said, Rangers fans are frustrated with their team's play a lot more often than not.
In the aftermath of the Rangers having lost the last two playoff games of the series to the Capitals, backup goaltender Stephen Valiquette has played the last two third periods in place of Henrik Lundqvist who had looked at best as average. Valiquette held the fort together and has not allowed a goal in 9 shots he's faced. I know, not even a double figure shot total, but still, he did his job in a mop-up role.
Against Washington, the Rangers all but stole the first two games of the series on the road where the Verizon Center has been a house of horrors in recent memory in terms of them simply winning there. New York withstood a Washington rally in Game 1 on April 15th in which they had 3-1 lead, blown it, but still won 4-3 on the heroics of Brandon Dubinsky's game-winning goal in the third period. Lundqvist was excellent in net, but not as spectacular as he was in Game 2 on April 18th before a national audience on NBC. He would make 35 saves in his first career playoff shutout, a 1-0 victory. At the time, the Rangers had a 2-0 series lead and plenty of optimism as they headed home.
But New York would then lay an egg in Game 3 last Monday night at Madison Square Garden with a 4-0 loss. Twenty-year-old Capitals goaltender Simeon Varlamov turned the tables on the Rangers with his own first career playoff shutout with a 33-save effort. He has been in the Washington net since Game 1 after Jose Theodore was not his best.
Varlamov was good enough to have kept his starting job in this series where he had a shutout streak of 126:11 before Paul Mara and Chris Drury's offensive output would just be enough for a 2-1 Game 4 win. Lundqvist appeared to be back on track with one of the most impressive outings of his four-year National Hockey League career with 38 saves on 39 shots, including some brilliant stops in the process.
Along came Game 5 and from the onset, the Rangers looked unprepared, undisciplined and downright abysmal in a number of areas to their game. No offense, no consistent offensive threat and special teams were atrocious. As soon as Matt Bradley scored a shorthanded goal nearly five minutes into the game and later added another goal in which Lundqvist played it very poorly where Washington grabbed a 2-0 lead, many observers knew this wasn't New York's night. It was proven right in another 4-0 loss in which Lundqvist was pulled and Valiquette finished up.
Yesterday, the Rangers lost for the second time in three home games of this series as Lundqvist was again overwhelmed and off his game in a 5-3 loss in Game 6 where he allowed 5 goals on 20 shots before Valiquette once again played a flawless third period.
So do the Rangers throw in Valiquette for Game 7 as Washington did following Game 1?
Why would head coach John Tortorella bench Lundqvist for the most important game of the entire season when he is your MVP that got you into the playoffs to begin with? If it wasn't for Lundqvist, the Rangers would've already been playing golf by now.
I know, Lundqvist was pulled at the second intermission in each of the last two games and Valiquette did not allow a goal in both third periods. But the game was out of reach in each one, so it is not like Valiquette had to save the day for New York. It only proved that Valiquette is plenty capable of stopping pucks in playoff games.
If Valiquette starts tomorrow night over Lundqvist, not only does it mean the Rangers lost confidence in him, but they put out the white flag in surrendering the series and season to the Capitals. No offense to Valiquette, but Lundqvist is the big money goalie here and needs to be between the pipes if the Rangers stand any chance to move on to the second round.
So to anyone that even suggests there is a goaltender controversy is out of his mind. Time to see Lundqvist step up and prove once again why he is among the elite goaltenders in all of hockey. Win a Game 7 against a superior team like Washington, it'll help erase the bad memories of the last two contests and restore some confidence in the team they still have a shot to come out of the Eastern Conference this postseason.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
2009 NHL trade deadline day is here
The day is finally here. This is an fantasy hockey player's wet dream. It's the NHL trade deadline, 2009 style.
Today is the day hockey fans around the world watch closely to see if their favorite team makes a trade... or two... or three (okay, not necessarily that many, but you get my point)... where they are either looking to bolster their roster to make a serious run at a Stanley Cup title or simply to execute a fire sale in building for the future.
This is when NHL owners and general managers pull their hair out and have a couple of coffee pots on standby. The weight of their teams falls on their shoulders to do what is best for their employer. This is the proving ground where their salaries are deserving or not when they were hired.
How many trades will be made by the deadline which is at 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time? No one knows for sure, but there will be some made by then. What will be funny is that if there are so few to make this day not worth getting up in the morning and follow TSN, CBC, Rogers Sportsnet, The Score or even the NHL Network and the league office running NHL.com's trade deadline page, all those employees reporting to work extra early will be just a little bit aggravated. ESPN has a trade deadline blog you can follow. Not to say FOX Sports won't be paying any attention, but if you don't need the extensive marathon coverage those Canadian networks provide, you always have that American source to check out anytime. SB Nation (which just partnered up with Yahoo!) also has their trade deadline page with a number of team bloggers keep us updated.
Additional reliable online sources you can access include:
Spector's Hockey
The Fourth Period
Kukla's Korner
James Mirtle's From The Rink hockey blog
Sean Leahy's Twitter feed
Lyle Richardson (who is a very reputable journalist that runs the Spector's Hockey site) has listed a few more sources you can access for all your trade deadline need for juicy trade rumors and actual deals. But I highly recommend Lyle as someone that will be bringing you instant analysis on his blog that is also accessible at FOX Sports' NHL page.
NHL Network's NHL Live! radio show will be on the air for an extra hour today from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM Eastern Time. Then a special edition of NHL On The Fly will follow at 3:00 PM. For more details, see the NHL's February 27th press release. This is in addition to TSN and Rogers Sportsnet providing their usual trade deadline day coverage.
Here are a few transactions that were finalized since yesterday that likely have made an impact on today's trade deadline:
The Minnesota Wild signed goaltender Niklas Backstrom to a four-year, $24 million contract extension.
The Vancouver Canucks signed forward Alex Burrows to a four-year, $8 million contract extension.
The Ottawa Senators signed defenseman Filip Kuba to a three-year contract extension. TSN reports it is worth $11.1 million.
In addition to that signing, the Senators traded forward Antoine Vermette to the Columbus Blue Jackets for goaltender Pascal Leclaire and a 2009 second round draft pick.
TSN reports that the Buffalo Sabres signed forward Tim Connolly to a two-year, $9 million contract extension.
We'll see how things pan out between now and the end of tonight when any trades made by the deadline are announced. I'd be shocked if more than a few big names get moved today, but again, we shall see. Enjoy your trade deadline day and may your favorite team not disappoint you.
Today is the day hockey fans around the world watch closely to see if their favorite team makes a trade... or two... or three (okay, not necessarily that many, but you get my point)... where they are either looking to bolster their roster to make a serious run at a Stanley Cup title or simply to execute a fire sale in building for the future.
This is when NHL owners and general managers pull their hair out and have a couple of coffee pots on standby. The weight of their teams falls on their shoulders to do what is best for their employer. This is the proving ground where their salaries are deserving or not when they were hired.
How many trades will be made by the deadline which is at 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time? No one knows for sure, but there will be some made by then. What will be funny is that if there are so few to make this day not worth getting up in the morning and follow TSN, CBC, Rogers Sportsnet, The Score or even the NHL Network and the league office running NHL.com's trade deadline page, all those employees reporting to work extra early will be just a little bit aggravated. ESPN has a trade deadline blog you can follow. Not to say FOX Sports won't be paying any attention, but if you don't need the extensive marathon coverage those Canadian networks provide, you always have that American source to check out anytime. SB Nation (which just partnered up with Yahoo!) also has their trade deadline page with a number of team bloggers keep us updated.
Additional reliable online sources you can access include:
Spector's Hockey
The Fourth Period
Kukla's Korner
James Mirtle's From The Rink hockey blog
Sean Leahy's Twitter feed
Lyle Richardson (who is a very reputable journalist that runs the Spector's Hockey site) has listed a few more sources you can access for all your trade deadline need for juicy trade rumors and actual deals. But I highly recommend Lyle as someone that will be bringing you instant analysis on his blog that is also accessible at FOX Sports' NHL page.
NHL Network's NHL Live! radio show will be on the air for an extra hour today from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM Eastern Time. Then a special edition of NHL On The Fly will follow at 3:00 PM. For more details, see the NHL's February 27th press release. This is in addition to TSN and Rogers Sportsnet providing their usual trade deadline day coverage.
Here are a few transactions that were finalized since yesterday that likely have made an impact on today's trade deadline:
The Minnesota Wild signed goaltender Niklas Backstrom to a four-year, $24 million contract extension.
The Vancouver Canucks signed forward Alex Burrows to a four-year, $8 million contract extension.
The Ottawa Senators signed defenseman Filip Kuba to a three-year contract extension. TSN reports it is worth $11.1 million.
In addition to that signing, the Senators traded forward Antoine Vermette to the Columbus Blue Jackets for goaltender Pascal Leclaire and a 2009 second round draft pick.
TSN reports that the Buffalo Sabres signed forward Tim Connolly to a two-year, $9 million contract extension.
We'll see how things pan out between now and the end of tonight when any trades made by the deadline are announced. I'd be shocked if more than a few big names get moved today, but again, we shall see. Enjoy your trade deadline day and may your favorite team not disappoint you.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Has Glendale been paying the Phoenix Coyotes' arena lease?
After we heard National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman's express optimism for the Phoenix Coyotes' future during a January 31st interview on FOX Sports Arizona, we have an interesting development that might have been uncovered as to how dire the financial situation has gotten for the franchise.
KPNX-TV in Phoenix reported yesterday that the neighboring city of Glendale has allowed the team to play in Jobing.com Arena rent free since last July.
Given the team's struggles and now the current economic downturn locally, statewide and across the country, it is the last thing belt-tightened taxpayers want to hear. That would be a local government bailing out a professional sports franchise with their money.
But Glendale mayor Elaine Scruggs told KPNX-TV reporter Brahm Resnik that is not the case.
"I know who is going to pay the Coyotes' rent," Scruggs said. "The taxpayers will not lose any money."
According to KPNX-TV's research staff, Glendale's city records of past payments show the bailout may be worth as much as $4 million. As been reported by the media over the past two months, the NHL has taken over the financial responsibilities of the team's operations.
Scruggs also would not publicly state whether the bailout money has been deposited in her city's coffers. KPNX-TV reports it has not been made.
But what may already upset Glendale residents, members of the city council were taken by surprise with the television station informing them of this development.
"Absolutely I should have been told," said 17-year veteran city councilman Phil Lieberman. "They're using that money for their operating money when it should've been paid to the city of Glendale."
Lieberman's legitimate questions come as Glendale made a 10% cut to close a multi-million budget gap.
Scruggs pointed out in this news report it was up to city manager Ed Beasley as to whether or not the city council were to be told about the lease payments. Beasley was not available to comment on this story.
The Coyotes' lease payments amounted to $4.3 million in 2007, the last full year in which team made them for all 12 months of a calendar year. City documents show payments were up-to-date through July 2008.
The arena rent is a major part of Glendale's $9 million in annual debt payments on money they borrowed to build Jobing.com Arena. Since the NHL has the intentions to rescue the Coyotes from any possible bankruptcy with financial assistance, restructuring the arena lease is viewed as vital to luring new investors into buying the professional sports franchise. The team said last week that several investors have expressed interest.
Another part of what has hurt the team financially has been the fact the team pays the city of Glendale for the use of parking lots around the arena for its patrons. Therefore, the Coyotes don't make money from the parking fees. When Jobing.com Arena opened in December 2003, such parking fees were expected to generate about $18.7 million in revenue. But to date, only about $7.75 million has been earned by this arrangement.
The Phoenix Coyotes have reportedly lost at least $200 million since moving to Glendale in December 2003. While Lieberman is not happy with these bailout funds, he express his desire to help the franchise stay in the Valley of the Sun. Jobing.com Arena is located 13 miles northwest of downtown Phoenix.
"We have to help them in some way make sure they stay there," Lieberman said.
Resnik stated in his report that the Glendale City Council will end up voting on a final agreement the Coyotes make with the city if and when that happens in the weeks to months ahead.
KPNX-TV in Phoenix reported yesterday that the neighboring city of Glendale has allowed the team to play in Jobing.com Arena rent free since last July.
Given the team's struggles and now the current economic downturn locally, statewide and across the country, it is the last thing belt-tightened taxpayers want to hear. That would be a local government bailing out a professional sports franchise with their money.
But Glendale mayor Elaine Scruggs told KPNX-TV reporter Brahm Resnik that is not the case.
"I know who is going to pay the Coyotes' rent," Scruggs said. "The taxpayers will not lose any money."
According to KPNX-TV's research staff, Glendale's city records of past payments show the bailout may be worth as much as $4 million. As been reported by the media over the past two months, the NHL has taken over the financial responsibilities of the team's operations.
Scruggs also would not publicly state whether the bailout money has been deposited in her city's coffers. KPNX-TV reports it has not been made.
But what may already upset Glendale residents, members of the city council were taken by surprise with the television station informing them of this development.
"Absolutely I should have been told," said 17-year veteran city councilman Phil Lieberman. "They're using that money for their operating money when it should've been paid to the city of Glendale."
Lieberman's legitimate questions come as Glendale made a 10% cut to close a multi-million budget gap.
Scruggs pointed out in this news report it was up to city manager Ed Beasley as to whether or not the city council were to be told about the lease payments. Beasley was not available to comment on this story.
The Coyotes' lease payments amounted to $4.3 million in 2007, the last full year in which team made them for all 12 months of a calendar year. City documents show payments were up-to-date through July 2008.
The arena rent is a major part of Glendale's $9 million in annual debt payments on money they borrowed to build Jobing.com Arena. Since the NHL has the intentions to rescue the Coyotes from any possible bankruptcy with financial assistance, restructuring the arena lease is viewed as vital to luring new investors into buying the professional sports franchise. The team said last week that several investors have expressed interest.
Another part of what has hurt the team financially has been the fact the team pays the city of Glendale for the use of parking lots around the arena for its patrons. Therefore, the Coyotes don't make money from the parking fees. When Jobing.com Arena opened in December 2003, such parking fees were expected to generate about $18.7 million in revenue. But to date, only about $7.75 million has been earned by this arrangement.
The Phoenix Coyotes have reportedly lost at least $200 million since moving to Glendale in December 2003. While Lieberman is not happy with these bailout funds, he express his desire to help the franchise stay in the Valley of the Sun. Jobing.com Arena is located 13 miles northwest of downtown Phoenix.
"We have to help them in some way make sure they stay there," Lieberman said.
Resnik stated in his report that the Glendale City Council will end up voting on a final agreement the Coyotes make with the city if and when that happens in the weeks to months ahead.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Rangers to televise two games on WPIX-TV
In a news release posted yesterday on the New York Rangers' official web site, the National Hockey League team announced they will air two MSG Network-produced games on free over-the-air television for the second straight season. This season's slate features one on February 28th against the Colorado Avalanche and the other on March 21st against the Buffalo Sabres on WPIX-TV. Both games will be also be available in high definition.
"We are proud to partner with PIX 11 to bring our award winning coverage of the Knicks and Rangers to their viewers," MSG Networks executive vice president and general manager Dan Ronayne stated in the news release. "This is a great opportunity to find a new audience and promote the teams as well as our other MSG programming."
Last season, two Rangers games were shown locally on WWOR-TV. It was the first time since April 1, 1989 in Pittsburgh that any particular Rangers game was not aired exclusively on cable.
"The Knicks and the Rangers, like WPIX, have a long and rich history with New York and we are excited about our partnership with MSG and the opportunity to expand our programming for New York sports fans," WPIX-TV president and general Manager Betty Ellen Berlamino said.
Both WPIX-TV (the flagship station of The CW Television Network) and MSG Network have been airing promos this week to notify viewers of this broadcast schedule update. Would you like to see any examples? See the two video clips below with a personal word of thanks to NYRParis30 for providing us with the preview.
video courtesy: MSG Network and WPIX-TV
video courtesy: MSG Network, WPIX-TV and NYRParis30
"We are proud to partner with PIX 11 to bring our award winning coverage of the Knicks and Rangers to their viewers," MSG Networks executive vice president and general manager Dan Ronayne stated in the news release. "This is a great opportunity to find a new audience and promote the teams as well as our other MSG programming."
Last season, two Rangers games were shown locally on WWOR-TV. It was the first time since April 1, 1989 in Pittsburgh that any particular Rangers game was not aired exclusively on cable.
"The Knicks and the Rangers, like WPIX, have a long and rich history with New York and we are excited about our partnership with MSG and the opportunity to expand our programming for New York sports fans," WPIX-TV president and general Manager Betty Ellen Berlamino said.
Both WPIX-TV (the flagship station of The CW Television Network) and MSG Network have been airing promos this week to notify viewers of this broadcast schedule update. Would you like to see any examples? See the two video clips below with a personal word of thanks to NYRParis30 for providing us with the preview.
video courtesy: MSG Network and WPIX-TV
video courtesy: MSG Network, WPIX-TV and NYRParis30
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Gary Bettman gives "State of Phoenix Coyotes Address"
The mention of this exclusive interview was first made public during the Phoenix Coyotes' January 31st game telecast on KAZT-TV when the Buffalo Sabres paid a visit to Jobing.com Arena. Many Coyotes fans took note and circled last night's date on the calendar.
National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman conducted a conference call with Coyotes television play-by-play announcer Dave Strader and color analyst Darren Pang on FOX Sports Arizona to basically set the record straight. Rampant speculation over the past two months had suggested the franchise has been in such dire financial distress that it could relocate for the second time in its history or simply be contracted from the league.
During last night's first intermission interview of the Coyotes' 5-4 road loss to the Detroit Red Wings, Bettman assured the fans that negotiations are ongoing to restructure the current arena lease, there are interested investors to become part of a major part of ownership and that an infusion of capital will help get the franchise through its current economic challenges.
"There's been a tremendous amount of speculation and commentary about the state of the Coyotes and most of it has been terribly unfair to the Coyotes, to the players and to the fans," Bettman told Strader and Pang. "Obviously, there are issues we're working on — getting some capital infusion for the club... possibly some new partners for Jerry Moyes or even a possible sale."
Bettman would not reveal any names of potential new investors, but Patricia Best in today's edition of The Globe and Mail in Toronto had already suggested Calgary businessman W. Brett Wilson may be interested, or at least he's being coy about it. It is not certain of whether or not Coyotes Majority Investor Jerry Moyes would retain a minor stake in the franchise or sell altogether.
While much of the talk of whether or not the Coyotes would survive even to the end of this season given how the team has been in the red for much of their existence in Phoenix, Bettman had some choice words for the skeptics.
"The reports of the franchise's demise are just ridiculous," Bettman added. "Jerry Moyes has been committed to Glendale and committed to the Coyotes. All of this blanket characterization of 'hockey doesn't work in the Sun Belt' is just hogwash. I think the Coyotes have a bright future on the ice."
See the video clip below for the entire interview. I plan to post a new blog entry that will have a more in-depth look at the state of the Phoenix Coyotes and provide an overview of the last few months in the coming days.
video courtesy: FOX Sports Arizona
National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman conducted a conference call with Coyotes television play-by-play announcer Dave Strader and color analyst Darren Pang on FOX Sports Arizona to basically set the record straight. Rampant speculation over the past two months had suggested the franchise has been in such dire financial distress that it could relocate for the second time in its history or simply be contracted from the league.
During last night's first intermission interview of the Coyotes' 5-4 road loss to the Detroit Red Wings, Bettman assured the fans that negotiations are ongoing to restructure the current arena lease, there are interested investors to become part of a major part of ownership and that an infusion of capital will help get the franchise through its current economic challenges.
"There's been a tremendous amount of speculation and commentary about the state of the Coyotes and most of it has been terribly unfair to the Coyotes, to the players and to the fans," Bettman told Strader and Pang. "Obviously, there are issues we're working on — getting some capital infusion for the club... possibly some new partners for Jerry Moyes or even a possible sale."
Bettman would not reveal any names of potential new investors, but Patricia Best in today's edition of The Globe and Mail in Toronto had already suggested Calgary businessman W. Brett Wilson may be interested, or at least he's being coy about it. It is not certain of whether or not Coyotes Majority Investor Jerry Moyes would retain a minor stake in the franchise or sell altogether.
While much of the talk of whether or not the Coyotes would survive even to the end of this season given how the team has been in the red for much of their existence in Phoenix, Bettman had some choice words for the skeptics.
"The reports of the franchise's demise are just ridiculous," Bettman added. "Jerry Moyes has been committed to Glendale and committed to the Coyotes. All of this blanket characterization of 'hockey doesn't work in the Sun Belt' is just hogwash. I think the Coyotes have a bright future on the ice."
See the video clip below for the entire interview. I plan to post a new blog entry that will have a more in-depth look at the state of the Phoenix Coyotes and provide an overview of the last few months in the coming days.
video courtesy: FOX Sports Arizona
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Brendan Shanahan returns to where his career began
The Back To The Future ride goes back farther in time to snag yet another former player from the past.
Last summer, the New Jersey Devils brought Bobby Holik and Brian Rolston back into the fold after spending significant time elsewhere in the National Hockey League. Both were members of the 1995 Stanley Cup championship team.
Now enter Brendan Shanahan.
Three Stanley Cups and 17 years later, Shanahan returns to where he started his NHL career. That would be in New Jersey.
Devils president, chief executive officer and general manager Lou Lamoriello announced today that Shanahan has agreed in principle to join the Devils this season. The soon-to-be 40-year-old future Hall of Famer has been an unrestricted free agent since July 1, 2008 after spending the last two seasons with the New York Rangers.
Shanahan was drafted second overall by the Devils in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft at age 18. Only Pierre Turgeon was drafted ahead of him that year. He was in his rookie season when the Devils qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 1988.
But July 25, 1991 would be a key day in Devils history. Shanahan signed a free agent contract with the St. Louis Blues. It was not so much the signing that was significant, but it would be the compensation the Devils would receive for losing him. New Jersey received the rights to Hall of Fame defenseman Scott Stevens and the rest is history in his place in franchise lure.
Following four productive seasons in St. Louis where it included his career season of 52 goals and 50 assists for 102 points in the 1993-1994 campaign, Shanahan was traded to the Hartford Whalers on July 27, 1995 for defenseman Chris Pronger. But the turning point of his accomplished career was after a difficult year-plus in Hartford, he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in a multiplayer deal on October 9, 1996 that included Hall of Fame defenseman Paul Coffey and forward Keith Primeau.
It was with the Red Wings where Shanahan enjoyed the most success as he was a key member of that team's back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 1997 and 1998 and again in 2002. He even won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2003 for being a player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to his community.
Due to not being in the Red Wings' plans as they vowed to cut payroll and get younger following the 2005-2006 season, Shanahan as an unrestricted free agent would sign with the Rangers. In his first season for New York, he scored his milestone 600th NHL goal, but had missed significant time with a concussion as a result of an on-ice collision with Philadelphia Flyers forward Mike Knuble. Last season, he helped the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the second straight year by defeating the Devils in the opening round. But by then, his production had dropped off and New York was looking to go in another direction in terms of the makeup of their roster.
Shanahan had held out hope for a while that he could return to the Rangers and turned down offers from teams such as one of his former clubs in the Blues. The Flyers were rumored to be in the mix for his services, but when all was said and done, he wanted to remain in the New York City metropolitan area and chose to play for the Devils. A contract will be finalized during the upcoming week.
What does Lamoriello see for Shanahan in New Jersey the second time around?
"In our minds, Brendan can be a full-time player," Lamoriello said in today's conference call with the media. "It's no different than any other player. They determine the ice time that they get, and the coaches determine how much they're used within how the games go. He's not being signed just to play on power plays, or just to play (on penalty kills). We feel he can come and help this team be better and have more success."
The Toronto native began his NHL career by totaling 88 goals and 126 assists for 214 points in 281 games for the Devils from 1987 to 1991. Now he has 650 goals (11th all-time) and 1340 points (24th all-time) on his NHL resume. Not too shabby are his 59 goals and 72 assists for 131 points in 177 playoff games.
What factored into Shanahan's decision to play for the Devils in 2009?
"Obviously I have a history with Lou – Lou drafted me," Shanahan stated in today's conference call. "I feel fortunate that a situation like this opened up. I remained patient. I had some really good, tempting offers from good people and good teams, but this to me was about finding the right fit."
Unlike some players at his age, Shanahan still wants to play and win again in the NHL. When he makes his season debut with the Devils has yet to be determined, but will be ready to play soon.
"I feel well-rested and at the same I feel I've got a stronger base than I've had in many years I used the time off to train hard," he said. "How long it takes, I really don't know. But I've got a strong desire to play, and burning desire to get back and help my new team."
Last summer, the New Jersey Devils brought Bobby Holik and Brian Rolston back into the fold after spending significant time elsewhere in the National Hockey League. Both were members of the 1995 Stanley Cup championship team.
Now enter Brendan Shanahan.
Three Stanley Cups and 17 years later, Shanahan returns to where he started his NHL career. That would be in New Jersey.
Devils president, chief executive officer and general manager Lou Lamoriello announced today that Shanahan has agreed in principle to join the Devils this season. The soon-to-be 40-year-old future Hall of Famer has been an unrestricted free agent since July 1, 2008 after spending the last two seasons with the New York Rangers.
Shanahan was drafted second overall by the Devils in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft at age 18. Only Pierre Turgeon was drafted ahead of him that year. He was in his rookie season when the Devils qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 1988.
But July 25, 1991 would be a key day in Devils history. Shanahan signed a free agent contract with the St. Louis Blues. It was not so much the signing that was significant, but it would be the compensation the Devils would receive for losing him. New Jersey received the rights to Hall of Fame defenseman Scott Stevens and the rest is history in his place in franchise lure.
Following four productive seasons in St. Louis where it included his career season of 52 goals and 50 assists for 102 points in the 1993-1994 campaign, Shanahan was traded to the Hartford Whalers on July 27, 1995 for defenseman Chris Pronger. But the turning point of his accomplished career was after a difficult year-plus in Hartford, he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in a multiplayer deal on October 9, 1996 that included Hall of Fame defenseman Paul Coffey and forward Keith Primeau.
It was with the Red Wings where Shanahan enjoyed the most success as he was a key member of that team's back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 1997 and 1998 and again in 2002. He even won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2003 for being a player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to his community.
Due to not being in the Red Wings' plans as they vowed to cut payroll and get younger following the 2005-2006 season, Shanahan as an unrestricted free agent would sign with the Rangers. In his first season for New York, he scored his milestone 600th NHL goal, but had missed significant time with a concussion as a result of an on-ice collision with Philadelphia Flyers forward Mike Knuble. Last season, he helped the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the second straight year by defeating the Devils in the opening round. But by then, his production had dropped off and New York was looking to go in another direction in terms of the makeup of their roster.
Shanahan had held out hope for a while that he could return to the Rangers and turned down offers from teams such as one of his former clubs in the Blues. The Flyers were rumored to be in the mix for his services, but when all was said and done, he wanted to remain in the New York City metropolitan area and chose to play for the Devils. A contract will be finalized during the upcoming week.
What does Lamoriello see for Shanahan in New Jersey the second time around?
"In our minds, Brendan can be a full-time player," Lamoriello said in today's conference call with the media. "It's no different than any other player. They determine the ice time that they get, and the coaches determine how much they're used within how the games go. He's not being signed just to play on power plays, or just to play (on penalty kills). We feel he can come and help this team be better and have more success."
The Toronto native began his NHL career by totaling 88 goals and 126 assists for 214 points in 281 games for the Devils from 1987 to 1991. Now he has 650 goals (11th all-time) and 1340 points (24th all-time) on his NHL resume. Not too shabby are his 59 goals and 72 assists for 131 points in 177 playoff games.
What factored into Shanahan's decision to play for the Devils in 2009?
"Obviously I have a history with Lou – Lou drafted me," Shanahan stated in today's conference call. "I feel fortunate that a situation like this opened up. I remained patient. I had some really good, tempting offers from good people and good teams, but this to me was about finding the right fit."
Unlike some players at his age, Shanahan still wants to play and win again in the NHL. When he makes his season debut with the Devils has yet to be determined, but will be ready to play soon.
"I feel well-rested and at the same I feel I've got a stronger base than I've had in many years I used the time off to train hard," he said. "How long it takes, I really don't know. But I've got a strong desire to play, and burning desire to get back and help my new team."
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Reserves added to full 2009 All-Star rosters
Over the past 24 hours, the National Hockey League filled out its complete rosters for the Western Conference and Eastern Conference All-Star teams.
For those of you that were upset that Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin was not selected by the fans to be a starting forward, fear no more. It would have been an outrage had he not been chosen as one of the reserves for the East squard.
Here are your full rosters for the 2009 NHL All-Star Game in Montréal on January 25th. All the reserves are shown on each list with the starters indicated with a red asterisk.
EASTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS
Jeff Carter, C; Philadelphia
*Sidney Crosby, C; Pittsburgh
Vincent Lacavalier, C; Tampa Bay
*Evgeni Malkin, C; Pittsburgh
Marc Savard, C; Boston
Eric Staal, C; Carolina
Dany Heatley, LW; Ottawa
Ilya Kovalchuk, LW; Atlanta
Alexander Ovechkin, LW; Washington
Zach Parise, LW; New Jersey
Thomas Vanek, LW; Buffalo
*Alexei Kovalev, RW; Montréal
Jay Bouwmeester, D; Florida
Zdeno Chara, D; Boston
Tomas Kaberle, D; Toronto
*Mike Komisarek, D; Montréal
*Andrei Markov, D; Montréal
Mark Streit, D; New York Islanders
Henrik Lundqvist, G; New York Rangers
*Carey Price, G; Montréal
Tim Thomas, G; Boston
WESTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS
Pavel Datsyuk, C; Detroit
*Ryan Getzlaf, C; Anaheim
Mike Modano, C; Dallas
Joe Thornton, C; San Jose
Keith Tkachuk, C; St. Louis
*Jonathan Toews, C; Chicago
Dustin Brown, LW; Los Angeles
Rick Nash, LW; Columbus
Shane Doan, RW; Phoenix
Milan Hejduk, RW; Colorado
Jarome Iginla, RW; Calgary
*Patrick Kane, RW; Chicago
Dan Boyle, D; San Jose
*Brian Campbell, D; Chicago
Nicklas Lidstrom, D; Detroit
*Scott Niedermayer, D; Anaheim
Sheldon Souray, D; Edmonton
Shea Weber, D; Nashville
Niklas Backstrom, G; Minnesota
*Jean-Sebastien Giguere, G; Anaheim
Roberto Luongo, G; Vancouver
At least one player from each of the 30 NHL teams will be heading to the All-Star Game. Some of them are participating for the first time in their careers.
In the East, Jeff Carter as the lone representative of the Philadelphia Flyers and Thomas Vanek doing the same for the Buffalo Sabres.
Over the years, a constant as far as the All-Star face of New Jersey Devils is concerned, you'd likely think of goaltender Martin Brodeur, right? Had he been healthy, it is possible he would've been that guy once again. But since he has been sidelined following a November 1st elbow injury, another Devil has really made a name for himself around the league. Zach Parise got the call to go to Montréal for his first All-Star Game.
Tied for the NHL lead in point scoring among defensemen, Mark Streit makes history as the first player from Switzerland to play in the All-Star Game. The New York Islanders defenseman has 32 points on the season (with 20 from power plays).
Even though he is a three-time reigning Vezina Trophy finalist, Henrik Lundqvist is an All-Star for only the first time as well and will represent the New York Rangers.
Out West, the youngest captain in Los Angeles Kings history will be a first-time All-Star. Dustin Brown is also the first American-born captain to be in that role.
After spending the previous six seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, defenseman Dan Boyle makes his All-Star debut as one of two San Jose Sharks players selected to take part. Boyle is enjoying a great first season with the league's best team with 32 points in 38 games.
Niklas Backstrom will be the only player to represent the Minnesota Wild at this season's All-Star Game and his selection comes on the heels of two very fine performances. His back-to-back shutouts over the Colorado Avalanche and Boston Bruins this week only put a rubber stamp on the All-Star qualifications in which he is fourth in the NHL in wins with 19.
The All-Star reserves were selected by the NHL's Hockey Operations Department after consulting with the 30 general managers around the league.
For those of you that were upset that Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin was not selected by the fans to be a starting forward, fear no more. It would have been an outrage had he not been chosen as one of the reserves for the East squard.
Here are your full rosters for the 2009 NHL All-Star Game in Montréal on January 25th. All the reserves are shown on each list with the starters indicated with a red asterisk.
EASTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS
Jeff Carter, C; Philadelphia
*Sidney Crosby, C; Pittsburgh
Vincent Lacavalier, C; Tampa Bay
*Evgeni Malkin, C; Pittsburgh
Marc Savard, C; Boston
Eric Staal, C; Carolina
Dany Heatley, LW; Ottawa
Ilya Kovalchuk, LW; Atlanta
Alexander Ovechkin, LW; Washington
Zach Parise, LW; New Jersey
Thomas Vanek, LW; Buffalo
*Alexei Kovalev, RW; Montréal
Jay Bouwmeester, D; Florida
Zdeno Chara, D; Boston
Tomas Kaberle, D; Toronto
*Mike Komisarek, D; Montréal
*Andrei Markov, D; Montréal
Mark Streit, D; New York Islanders
Henrik Lundqvist, G; New York Rangers
*Carey Price, G; Montréal
Tim Thomas, G; Boston
WESTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS
Pavel Datsyuk, C; Detroit
*Ryan Getzlaf, C; Anaheim
Mike Modano, C; Dallas
Joe Thornton, C; San Jose
Keith Tkachuk, C; St. Louis
*Jonathan Toews, C; Chicago
Dustin Brown, LW; Los Angeles
Rick Nash, LW; Columbus
Shane Doan, RW; Phoenix
Milan Hejduk, RW; Colorado
Jarome Iginla, RW; Calgary
*Patrick Kane, RW; Chicago
Dan Boyle, D; San Jose
*Brian Campbell, D; Chicago
Nicklas Lidstrom, D; Detroit
*Scott Niedermayer, D; Anaheim
Sheldon Souray, D; Edmonton
Shea Weber, D; Nashville
Niklas Backstrom, G; Minnesota
*Jean-Sebastien Giguere, G; Anaheim
Roberto Luongo, G; Vancouver
At least one player from each of the 30 NHL teams will be heading to the All-Star Game. Some of them are participating for the first time in their careers.
In the East, Jeff Carter as the lone representative of the Philadelphia Flyers and Thomas Vanek doing the same for the Buffalo Sabres.
Over the years, a constant as far as the All-Star face of New Jersey Devils is concerned, you'd likely think of goaltender Martin Brodeur, right? Had he been healthy, it is possible he would've been that guy once again. But since he has been sidelined following a November 1st elbow injury, another Devil has really made a name for himself around the league. Zach Parise got the call to go to Montréal for his first All-Star Game.
Tied for the NHL lead in point scoring among defensemen, Mark Streit makes history as the first player from Switzerland to play in the All-Star Game. The New York Islanders defenseman has 32 points on the season (with 20 from power plays).
Even though he is a three-time reigning Vezina Trophy finalist, Henrik Lundqvist is an All-Star for only the first time as well and will represent the New York Rangers.
Out West, the youngest captain in Los Angeles Kings history will be a first-time All-Star. Dustin Brown is also the first American-born captain to be in that role.
After spending the previous six seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, defenseman Dan Boyle makes his All-Star debut as one of two San Jose Sharks players selected to take part. Boyle is enjoying a great first season with the league's best team with 32 points in 38 games.
Niklas Backstrom will be the only player to represent the Minnesota Wild at this season's All-Star Game and his selection comes on the heels of two very fine performances. His back-to-back shutouts over the Colorado Avalanche and Boston Bruins this week only put a rubber stamp on the All-Star qualifications in which he is fourth in the NHL in wins with 19.
The All-Star reserves were selected by the NHL's Hockey Operations Department after consulting with the 30 general managers around the league.
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