Careful jumping off the Maple Leaf bandwagon

The Maple Leaf organization became obsessed in early 2008 with Brian Burke. He was literally anointed their messiah and pursed despite the fact he was under contract with Anaheim. It seems no other candidates were seriously considered. The day he was actually hired, he became the face of the franchise. He also created quite high expectations in Leaf Nation. He declared the Leafs would not be rebuilding and would make the playoffs this coming season.

So what’s with Toronto’s obsession with Brian Burke?

Now I understand that the Maple Leafs haven't provided much to cheer about on the ice and haven’t for a while. I know that fans of the team have turned their teary eyes toward this blustery native New Englander with a Stanley Cup ring on his finger in the hope that he can bring them out of the wilderness after 42 years of futility. It's also well known that Burke never saw a microphone he didn’t like and the Toronto news media is malnourished when it comes to good hockey news so this was a perfect marriage. Just look at what occurred in the past week when the Leafs played no games for 5 days. The media began reporting the score of dodgeball games played during a practice in the week.

His credo, stated upon his hiring — “We require, as a team, proper levels of pugnacity, testosterone, truculence and belligerence. That’s how our teams play,” said Burke — has been aped by so many Leaf followers that everyone can now recite the requirements by heart. Those qualities may describe Burke as well, but all the pugnacity, testosterone, truculence and belligerence has thus far gotten the Leafs is the most fighting majors and the worst penalty killing percentage in the NHL and chances of immediate improvement or an overhaul could be iffy.

In all his maneuvering for John Tavares, then Brandon Schenn, and finally Phil Kessel, Burke failed to secure a good first string goalie. No team in hockey can succeed without a great goalie between the pipes. You build a winner from the net out. Truculence won't stop pucks from going in the net.

So with each loss more and more fans are jumping off the Maple Leaf bandwagon. There are stories circulating in the media that tickets are no longer hard to come by - at any price. And the messiah has become strangely silent. So after 42 years of wandering in the desert, we seem to be farther than ever from the Promised Land.

Storm goes winless in Clarington

Game 2 and 3 in Clarington did not go much better than the opening game. The Storm outplayed their opponents and in both cases came up short. Game 2 was against Blenhein and the Storm lost 3-1 dispite outshooting their opponents 20-11. In the final game against Clarington the Storm lost 4-1. In the first game the lone Storm goal was scored by Caitlin and in the final game it was scored by Madeleine L.

It was a far cry from a year ago when the team went undefeated in the tournament over 5 games. This year it was a learning experience for the young Storm team. Certainly there was a lot of positive things displayed during the game. The fast-skating Storm team dominated games at times but were unable to capitalize on numerous scoring opportunities. This will change over the course of the season.

Strong effort at Clarington comes up short

Game 1 for the Storm at the Clarington Tournament was against the Orangeville Tigers. He was a hard fought battle but a goal at the mid point of the second period was all Orangeville needed as the Storm was defeated 1-0. The experienced Tigers played a strong positional game but the Storm used their speed and physical game to create some excellent scoring chances. It was a very evenly matched game as both teams had 12 shots on net.

In the first period, Gabby broke through the Tiger defense for a breakaway and range a shot off the inside of the post but the puck bounced out. It turned out to be the difference in the game. The defense and penalty killers were solid. The Tigers had only 2 shots on net in 3 powerplay opportunities. Paulina had a strong game and came up with some great saves when she had to.

The other Pool A game had Blenheim and Clarinton playing to a 0-0 tie.

The Bool B results were:

Durham West 2
North York 0

Peterborough 0
Parry Sound 0

Sharks devoured in Storm home opener

The 48th Highlander wasn't available for the Storm home opener but that didn't dampen spirits as the Storm whipped the Sharks 3-1. It was another physical game by the Storm who crashed the net and created good scoring opportunities for much of the game. They dominated the second period outshooting the Sharks 14-3. However, as in past games, the ran out of gas in third period taking a series of penalties. Fortunately the penalty killers have been perfect so far this season.

Scoring for the Storm was Caitlin who fired a low shot between the goalies legs in the slot just 2 minutes from the start of the game. In the second period Gabby beat the Shark goalie on the powerplay but shortly after that Scarborough scored to make it a one-goal game again. The final goal was scored by Genevieve later in the period as she broke in down the left wing and fired a shot in the top corner of the net.

In addition to scoring a goal, Caitlin had a strong game with 3 breakaways and she continually powered her way past the Shark defense. Madeleine Amestoy stood out in the third period on the penalty kill as she ate up long periods of time off the clock ragging the puck. As well, a newly formed line of Phyllis, Genevieve and Amanda created numerous scoring opportunities.

Brian Burke's next free agent signing?

Toronto Maple Leaf Relief Plan

Toronto Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment announced today plans to resolve the Maple Leaf slump that has Leaf Nation totally in knots. As all Leaf fans are well aware, the team has begun the season winless after 6 games. The media and fans have been rushing to the aid of the team with all types of helpful suggestions.

Damien Cox of the Toronto Star has suggested waiving Jason Blake and Vesa Toskala to free up $8 million in cap space.

Once commentator on Sportsnet says the Leafs should install Jonas Gustavsson as their number one goalie - as soon as he recovers from his groin pull. Another one claims expectations are just too high so the team should just stay the course.

Some say fire the coach. Some say fire all the players. Advice is coming from everywhere and the Leafs are concerned they may miss the right solution without an organized plan to review on the suggestions. So MLSE has announced the following plan.

1. Fans are encouraged to call MLSE (416-872-5000) with their suggestions. A call centre has been set up to record every suggestion.

2. One hundred suggestion boxes have been set up around the ACC for fans to drop written suggestions off during games. The boxes will be reviewed after each intermission and any urgent advice will be run down to the coaching staff so that they can be implemented during the game.

3. Ron Wilson and his assistants will be stationed at Union Station all next week during rush hour to chat with commuters about hockey strategies.

4. During game breaks, the team will dispense with "Kiss Cam", the "T-shirt Toss" and other promotions and use the time instead to project live fan comments on the replay screen.

5. Damien Cox will be appointed acting GM one day each month to make as many player personnel changes as he can in a 24-hour period.

6. MLSE will hold focus group sessions in arena throughout the GTA. There will be separate sessions held for season ticket holders and other fans.

7. Dick Button and Sandra Bezic have been hired to evaluate each member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Each will be scored using a 6 point rating system.

Lost in the translation

Toronto Maple Leafs by the numbers

So how bad has it been? Let’s look at the numbers.

It should come as no surprise that the Maple Leafs are last in goals against average (4.67) and save percentage (.441) with Toskala leading the way with an ugly 5.57 GAA and .812 SV% - worst in the NHL. With those kinds of numbers you could do just as well with no goalie and an extra defenseman. Specialty teams are similar to last year with the powerplay ranked 8^th overall (27.8%) but the penalty killers ranked 29^th (58.3%) The opposition is scoring on almost 1 out 2 chances.

The offense at even strength has been impotent. The Leafs are scoring only 2.17 goals per game which ranks them 27^th overall. They have only scored 8 even strength goals in 6 games. So goaltending isn’t there only problem. After playing three hundred and sixty-four minutes and forty seven seconds of hockey this young season, the Leafs have held a lead for all of six minutes and forty seconds. So who is the worst performer? Well Jason Blake is a -6 which ranks him 3^rd worst in the NHL but he gets some credit for shoving Chris Drury into Toskala this week and partly addressing the goaltending problem.

So how are the Leafs doing in the truculence department? Well they are 1^st overall in fights per game (1.5) and 7^th in penalty minutes (17.8) but considering the penalty killing situation fewer penalties might be a good thing right now. Orr and Komisarek and 2^nd and 3^rd in the league in penalty minutes. Komisarek is also 3^rd in the NHL in hits (23) and 21^st in blocked shots (12) so he has more or less provided the sandpaper Burke was looking for.

With just a single point the Maple Leafs are last in the Northeast Division, last in the Eastern Conference and last in the NHL overall. That must be making the Bruins very happy. With 76 games remaining, to hit the 94 point mark (the presumed cut-off to qualify for the playoffs) the Leafs have to play .612 hockey for the balance of the season.

The Maple Leaf organization is clueless

I was at the Maple Leaf game this evening to watch the latest debacle. This is a team that at the moment is tentative at best. Their confidence is shattered. They look lost. So what does management do to give the team a boost? Not much but they sure know how to give the opposition a big boost.

Let me explain. About 5 minutes into game during a stoppage in play, they play a video tribute to Darcy Tucker who was returning to the ACC for the first time since management ran him out of town. It was a strange thing to do considering his salary is still being paid by the Leafs and will rob them of cap space for another 4 years. At the end of the clip much of the crowd provides Tucker with an extended standing ovation.

I turn to my friend and immediately state that the tribute was a huge mistake. He replies what do you mean Tucker was a great Leaf. I indicated I didn't want to debate the contribution he had made in the past but he is playing for the opposition. The last thing this fragile team needs is an opposing player being given a boost by the crowd. Within two minutes Tucker sets up the first goal of the game. He goes on to score one himself and is named the second star of the game.

Will this team ever get it right?

Battle of the Blades - week 2

Kurt Browning stole the show tonight when he did a skating program in hockey skates. He even did a salchow which is possible in hockey skates since you jump from an edge rather than a toe pick. Don Cherry had no idea what was going on and jumped all over Dick Button for being critical of Anderson and Dubreuil. Both Monday night and Sunday night he yelled out scores at the wrong time. Hey Cherry can get away with it.

Glenn Anderson/Isabelle Brasseur and Stéphane Richer/Marie-France Dubreuil landed in the bottom two which led them to battle for the opportunity to return next week. Overall, the judges were happier with Anderson and Brasseur’s performance from last night. They had removed the footwork routine that caused Anderson to fall (see below). Richer and Dubreuil would go on to win over the judges with a routine that was filled with difficult lifts and smooth skating.

Phil Kessel for 2 first rounders not looking so good right now

Not much to say positive about the Maple Leafs right now. Goaltending has been as bad as I've ever seen it. Penalty killing has been pathetic. Nothing is going right. Are they really this bad?

The highlight on Saturday night was Jay Rosehill's first NHL goal and a decent hit on Goligoski. That was about it.

Happy Thanksgiving

We got som bad spellurs

Storm wins first game of the season

Madeleine A. first goal as a Storm turned out to be the winning goal as the Storm defeated Mississauga 3-1. Maddie's goal wasn't quite a highlight reel goal, in fact she never shot the puck. A mix up in front of the Chief's net ended with the puck behind the goal line and since Maddie was technically the last person to touch it, she got credit for the goal. Other goals were scored by Genevieve and Alexa. The Storm came out skating hard and jumped into a 3 goal lead by the middle of the second period. However, they ran out of legs in the third period and struggled to get through a rash of penalties. It was a physical game with the Storm taking 7 penalties, four in the final period.

Next game is the home opener on Thursday at Habitant arena.

Leafs aren't the only ones to have a slow start to the season

The Storm began the season with some hope and optimism but the first game ended in a disappointing 4-1 loss to the Durham West Lightning. The score wasn’t indicative of the play but certainly reflects some weaknesses that need to be addressed. Against a weak skating team, the Storm had some difficulty finding their legs which eliminated a major advantage. Where the Lightning were able to capitalize on a small number of scoring chances by crashing the net, the Storm were ineffective in front of the opposition goalie. Although the Storm had a 26-13 advantage in shots on net, their shots were largely off the Lightning goalie’s pads. As well, no one was there to intercept some big, fat rebounds. The Storm also had a significant territorial advantage and won 22 out of 30 faceoffs.


The line of Caitlin-Alicia-Maddie continues to control the puck and create good scoring chances. Caitlin scored the Storm’s only goal on a breakaway with an excellent deke over a sprawled goalie. In fact the game was close until 2 late Lightning goals put the game out of reach.

Why the Maple Leafs have had a slow start

It seems many Leaf fans have been shocked by what they’ve seen from the Leafs over the first 3 games of the season. My Leaf poll on the side bar reflects much of that optimism. High expectations were created by team’s preseason record, the free agent signings, and management’s declaration that this was a playoff bound team. Truculence has been an overused description over the summer in Toronto so it must come as a surprise that the Leafs have been out hit in each of their first three games of the regular season. Against Ottawa it wasn’t even close – 45 hits for the Senators and only 26 hits for the Leafs.

Now you can’t read too much into three games. You would rather want to see a strong start as opposed to a bad start. Still, there are some realities that fans need to keep in mind:

· This was a soft team last season. However, most of the toughness added this season is coming from marginal players like Exelby, Rosehill and Orr. If they only average 5 minutes per game, then last year’s soft players are eating up the other 55 minutes. It’s not like Burke added a forward like Milan Lucic who is getting close to 20 minutes of ice time per game.

· During the preseason, many regulars did not see much ice time. Their contract situation more or less guaranteed them a spot (at least in the short term). Management used those games to evaluate younger players – Stulberg, Bozak, Kadri, Hanson, Rosehill, Gunnarsson, Tlusty, Deveaux. Reimer and Macdonald were in net for many of those games. Now most of these players are with the Marlies and we are seeing a lineup that is more similar to last season’s – which wasn’t very good.

· The defense has 3 new players who are not familiar with their partners and the team’s defensive approach (assuming they have one). They are going to get better but it’s going to take time.

· Goaltending is about the same as last year – bad! I thought at the end of the preseason Joey Macdonald would be the starter by Christmas and nothing has made me change my mind. Toskala has about month to straighten out his game. In mid-November Phil Kessel comes off the injury list which will create a cap problem for Burke. He could dump some underachieving forwards to create cap space or just waive Toskala. The way he is playing, he won’t be missed.

· Every GM has to announce to their fans that their objective is to make the playoffs. Doesn’t mean they actually believe it.

Krispy Kreme donut burger may be a sign of the Apocalypse

Bob Probert the figure skater

Watching Probert figure skate made me both laugh and cringe at the same time. He just looked so awkward though he was mobile enough as a hockey player. Perhaps he just looked like a pylon skating next to Katrina Lenko. Though he was a brave man just trying it.

Battle of the Blades - Tie Domi

Tonight's highlight in CBC's Battle of the Blades had to be Tie Domi doing a figure skating routine with Christine Hough to the Rolling Stones' Satisfaction. He was grinning like a kid all alone in a candy store through the entire program. One thing Domi has always enjoyed is being in the spotlight. Surprisingly he was willing to share it with Hough. But then as a hockey player Domi once in a while was willing to share centre stage with Mats Sundin.

We got som bad spellurs

Phil Kessel jersey makes its first appearance at the ACC

Obviously fans are already buying Kessel jerseys. This one was picked up during the CBC telecast last night. Isn't it early to be wearing these things? He has yet to even practice with the team.

Storm beginning to come together

The third and final exhibition game had the Storm face the Georgina Golden Hawks in Keswick. The Hawks had a distinct advantage in conditioning since this was their ninth game in the preseason. Yet it was the Storm that came out strong. In the first minute of the game Kailee snapped a shot from 20 feet out past the Hawk goalie for a very early lead. Later in the period Allie blasted a wrist shot from the point into the top corner to increase the lead to 2-0. Georgina was able to get one back several minutes later but with just 1 second remaining in the period Amanda powered her way to the net from the boards and lifted a backhand shot over the sprawled goalie.

The Storm played a strong physical game against a larger and better conditioned team. However, by the third period, Georgina began to take command as the Storm players began to run out of gas and began making a series of mental errors. The Hawks capitalized on the opportunities and tied the game with just 2 minute remaining. The game finished in a 3-3 tie. Beyond the mental errors there were a lot of positives coming out of the game. The Georgina goalie faced some very difficult shots and had Storm players crashing the crease throughout the game. The passing and team play was also improved. It is apparent that the team is slowly getting in form for the start of the season.

Komisarek goes off the scale on Truculence Index

Mike Komisarek must have been pretty hyped up for his first game as a Maple Leaf. To boot the Leafs were up against their historical rivals and his former team. But he's going to have to reign in his emotions just a tad if he intends on surviving the season. The official position of management was that they were "happy with his play". But were they really? He had 5 minor penalties and a fighting major. At this rate he will finish the season with 1230 penalty minutes (the NHL record is 472 minutes by Dave Schultz). He is too important to be spending a quarter of the game in the penalty box. And while he was killing time in the box, the Canadiens scored 2 powerplay goals. Playing physical and intimidating hockey does not mean playing stupid hockey.

But the most annoying part of last night's game for me was the fight between Colton Orr and Georges Laraque at the 1:51 mark of the first period. Talk about staged fights. What could have triggered a fight with only 1:51 gone in the first period in the first game of the season? They both looked light dumb stooges fighting over nothing. I can except signing physical players to make your team tougher if they can play hockey. However I'm not so sure Orr fits into that category. If he really is a hockey player, then why did the coach only give him 1:28 minutes in ice time? You hand out a $4 million contract to a guy who spend less time on the ice then the guys who scrape the snow away during commercial breaks?

We got som bad spellurs

Coach Bruce is doing fine

Coach Bruce had successful bypass surgery on Tuesday and is doing fine. Thank you for all of you who have expressed concern. He expects to be home by the weekend and will be back at the rink before you know it.

Just one cautionary note - defensemen no giveaways in front of our net for a while. We're not sure if Coach Bruce will be able to handle the stress.

Storm stumble in Stouffville

The second exhibition game of the season was an improvement over the first game. The skating and positional play was better although puck control and passing could be improved. There were moments where the Storm maintained pressure but couldn't finish plays. The Storm did get a goal in the second period as a result of some good puck control by Alicia who got the puck to the front of the net where it was banged by the Stars goalie by Alex. Her second goal in two games. Phyllis and Maddie L had several good chances in the third period but wasn't able to capitalize. The Stars pulled their goalie for an extra attacker late in the 3rd period. With less than 10 seconds Emma was holding the puck against the boards to kill the clock but the puck squirted loose. A Stars player got a desperation shot on net that was stopped by Bianca but then she lost sight of the rebound in the crease. It was banged into the net with just 1.9 seconds remaining. A tough way to lose a shutout.

Jim Balsillie's loss was expected and deserved

No one should be surprised by Jim Balsillie's failed attempt to acquire the Phoenix Coyotes. He went about it the wrong way from day one. He liked to characterize the NHL as conspiring to keep him from purchasing a team to move to Hamilton. But really it has been Balsillie who has been conspiring to undermine the league rules.

Balsillie could have spent the past 3 years shmoozing the league owners and executives. Afterall, you need 20 or so Governors on your side to purchase a team. Or he could have positioned himself to be first in line for an expansion team. All he had to do was prove that he was a great guy, with lots of money and a love for hockey that was willing to play by the rules. He did the opposite. He has developed so much animosity that there is no chance that he will ever get a team now.

Craig Leipold, the previous owner of the Predators at one point was willing to sell Balsillie his team. Now the owner of the Minnesota Wild, Leipold was testifying as part of the high-profile bankruptcy proceedings of the Phoenix Coyotes, recalling the six months of fractured negotiations in 2007 when he’d tried to sell the Predators to Balsillie. For two years, Leipold had kept his feelings about the Canadian billionaire largely to himself. Now, he is ready to be first in line to tar and feather Balsillie. Leipold isn't alone. This is not Gary Bettman conspiring to keep the NHL out of Canada. Balsillie made himself an NHL pariah.

In the end, Judge Baum had no choice. He gave Balsillie every opportunity to make peace with the league. Instead he continued to antagonize the owners who he needed on his side to purchase a team. The Judge understood that it would be too disruptive to force Balsillie on the league. After all, this was not just a bankrupt company looking for a white knight. This was a sports franchise that is part of a network of 30 franchises that must cooperate with each other

Video tribute to Mats Sundin

Mats Sundin has finally retired. It was a "quick" decision compared to last season where he agonized for months before returning for one more kick at the can. He does finish after 18 seasons with 564 goals and 785 assists in 1,346 games -- tied for 20th on the all-time goals list with Joe Nieuwendyk and 25th on the all-time points list. Not bad for a guy whose prime was in the trap years.

He only logged 91 playoff games in that time but scored 82 points in the postseason, retiring without his name on the Cup. But he did win Olympic gold for Sweden, so he's got that going for him, which is nice. There will be a lot of debate about how good player and leader he was. Are his accomplishments magnified by being a Leaf? We will never know how good he was because he played in a mediocre organization for most his career. Leaf fans hold Doug Gilmour in such high regard but Dougie never won a Cup in Toronto and he posted big numbers for a shorter period of time. But Gilmour visually demonstrated his passion for the game while Sundin was much more stoic.

The Maple Leafs aren't younger or bigger; they are tougher

If you compare last year's opening lineup and what you might expect on Thursday it shows a similar lineup with respect to age, height and weight. That's not to say this year's lineup won't be tougher. Replacing Antropov with Primeau may reduce the size of your average player but not toughness. Kubina and Komisarek are the same size but Komisarek adds a lot of agression.

2008-09 Opening Lineup

Blake – 35
Mayers – 34
Antropov – 28
Ponikarovsky - 28
Hagman – 28
Moore – 28
Hollweg – 25
Grabovski - 24
Stajan – 24
Steen – 24
Mitchell – 23
Kulemin – 22
Tlusty – 20
Kubina – 31
Kaberle – 30
Van Ryn – 29
Finger – 28
Frogren – 28
Colaiacovo - 25
White – 24
Schenn – 18
Joseph – 41
Toksala – 31

Average age: 27.3
Average height: 6'1"
Average weight: 202 lbs


Projected 2009-10 Opening Lineup

Blake – 36
Primeau - 33
Ponikarovsky - 29
Wallin - 29
Hagman – 29
Orr – 27
Stempniak - 26
Grabovski - 25
Stajan – 25
Mitchell – 24
Rosehill - 24
Kulemin – 23
Stalberg – 23
Kaberle – 31
Van Ryn – 30
Beauchemin - 29
Finger – 29
Exelby – 28
Komisarik - 27
White – 25
Schenn – 19
Toksala – 32
Gustavsson - 25

Average age: 27.3
Average height: 6'1.5"
Aveage weight: 202 lbs

Looks life the Maple Leafs finally landed some young talent

Last night's 2-1 win over Detroit Red Wings helped finalize the Leaf lineup. The win was over a Red Wing team devoid of stars but the doesn't take away from the performance of some key personnel.

I have been very skeptical up to now of the prospect that Jonas Gustavsson would help the Leafs this season. I thought he would certainly be heading to the Marlies for some seasoning. Everyone quotes his stats in the playoffs last season in Sweden but he wasn't facing NHL calibre shooters. People talked about how great he was at the World Championships but overlooked the fact that when he faced teams with NHL players, he didn't look that great (gave up 5 goals in 2 periods to Team USA). But in the 3 periods he played on Friday and Saturday he has already convinced that he can play in the NHL. He uses his large frame so well to fill the net yet moves from side to side so quickly. At 6'3", he is exactly the same size as Justin Pogge but that is where the comparison ends. Based on the preseason, both Gustavsson and Joey Macdonald look better than Vesa Toskala but the reality of how NHL training camps and guaranteed contracts work, Toskala still makes the team.



For the same reason all the rookies in camp are headed to the AHL or back to their Junior team. As much as they excited Leaf fans with their play, they all have wholes in their games which will become even more glaring as the number of games pile up. Both college and Junior players play far fewer games than the NHL. Leaf management has pointed out that the rookies would have to beat out a veteran on one of the top two lines to make the team. Part of the reason is there are contract issues. Veterans must clear waivers before getting sent to the AHL but rookies do not. However, the one exception may be Viktor Stalberg. He has demonstrated that he has the size, speed and scoring touch to be one of their top 6 players right now. He is strong on the forecheck and crashes to net although his defensive game is below par. Still he appears to me to be ahead of Nikolai Kulemin and Jiri Tlusty and with Phil Kessel still rehabbing from shoulder surgery, he will likely be in the lineup on Thursday for the season opener.

Storm Nation returns for another season

The Storm had their first exhibition game today against the Leaside Wildcats at Moss Park arena. Moss Park is one tough neighbourhood - even the squirrels in the park were carrying knives for protection.

The game didn't go that well either as the Storm fell 4-2. Everyone was showing their rust from goal to forward. There were missed passes, pucks over skated and misfired shots. The most embarrassing play had to be the defenseman carrying the puck from behind the net who fell leading to a turnover and Leaside goal. However, there were some good work out there as well. The line of Alicia, Caitlin and Madeleine L was clicking right from the start of the game. Kailee had a strong game switching from the wing to centre. Genevieve had some excellent scoring chances.

The first goal was scored by Alex on a shot fired from the point that went through a few legs including the Wildcat goalie. The other Storm goal was scored by Phyllis late in the game on a powerplay.

On a sad note was the news that Coach Bruce will be out of action for a little while. Bruce suffered a mild heart attack earlier in the week and is scheduled for some surgery this coming week. We all wish you a speedy and full recovery.

Presenting your next failed NHL franchise...Kansas City

Last night the NHL held an exhibition game at the spanking new Staples Center in Kansas City between Los Angeles and the Islanders. This game was heavily promoted to get a crowd out. A couple of days ago prices were dropped to as low as $10 (original prices $50 - $150) in the lower bowl to fill the seats. Can you imagine seeing an NHL game for $10? So how many of those 17,500 seats did they fill? Just 9,792.

This is the town that the NHL will eventually move the Phoenix Coyotes to. Sounds like a great place to duplicate the whole Coyote experience.

Speaking of the Coyotes. They have just announced a promotion for the home opener. All lower bowl seats are available for just $25 while all upper level seats are on sale for only $15.

Moss Park Arena Parking

Nazem Kadri's shootout goal from last night

Last night Kadri showed a glimpse of how good he will be one day.

Phil Kessel vs. Leafs Highlights

Recent history of Maple Leaf first round draft picks

Well let's hope that the Leafs do not end up with a high pick in Amateur Draft next June. That's because like many years they won't have a pick in the first round. And as it stands now they won't have one in 2011 either. Below is a 25-year history of Leaf first round picks.

Year, Prospect, Rank
2011 - Traded for Kessel
2010 - Traded for Kessel
2009 - Kadri (7)
2008 - Schenn (5)
2007 – Traded for Toskala
2006 – Tlusty (13)
2005 – Rask (21) trade for Raycroft
2004 – Traded for Leetch
2003 – Traded for Nolan
2002 – Steen (24)
2001 – Colaiacovo (17)
2000 – Boyes (24) traded for Nolan
1999 – Cereda (24)
1998 – Antropov (10)
1997 – Traded for Clark
1996 – Traded for Yushkevich
1995 – Ware (15)
1994 – Fichaud (16)
1993 - Jonsson (12)
1992 - Convery (8)
1991 - Traded for Kurvers (turned out to be Niedermayer)
1990 - Berehowsky (10)
1989 - Thornton (3), Rob Pearson (12), Bancroft (21)
1988 - Scott Pearson (6)
1987 - Richardson (7)

Even Jason Allison has become trunculent

In 4 exhibition games the Maple Leafs have rung up 39 penalties and have already been involved in 12 fights. Last season the Leafs averaged 13.5 minutes in penalties per game. In the 4 exhibition games the average has been 28.5 minutes. But when Jason Allison gets into the act it just shows how the message has gotten through to the players. But here is something you don't always see, Allison has grabbed Darrol Powe's helmet and ripped it apart.

Leaf roster just got smaller

The Maple Leafs have cut 22 players which leaves the following players still in camp:

Forwards: Jason Allison, Jason Blake, Tyler Bozak, Tim Brent, Jamie Devane, Andre Deveaux, Alex Foster, Mikhail Grabovski, Niklas Hagman, Ryan Hamilton, Christian Hanson, Nazem Kadri, Nikolai Kulemin, John Kurtz, Jamal Mayers, John Mitchell, Ben Ondrus, Colton Orr, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Wayne Primeau, Jay Rosehill, Viktor Stålberg, Matt Stajan, Lee Stempniak, Jiri Tlusty, and Rickard Wallin

Defence: Francois Beauchemin, Garnet Exelby, Jeff Finger, Jonas Frogren, Carl Gunnarsson, Tomas Kaberle, Mike Komisarek, Todd Perry, Luke Schenn, Barron Smith, Mike Van Ryn, and Ian White

Goalies: Beau Erickson, Jonas Gustavsson, Joey MacDonald, Vesa Toskala

If we assume the Leafs will be leaving camp with 2 goalies, 8 defenders, and 13 forwards, that means that half the forwards still have to be cut, 4 defenders will be chopped, and 2 goalies will be working elsewhere when the season starts. To help I have listed the players who I think can be sent to the minors (or back to the Juniors) without having to clear waivers in italics. So a player that can be sent down has to be a lot better than a roster player to make the team because it gets messy getting rid of the veteran player. Some will clear waivers but not all. Also, you aren't going to replace a 4th liner like Jamal Mayer with a skill player like Tyler Bozak but you might give Andre Deveaux his spot on the roster.

Maple Leafs finally land Phil Kessel

The media is reporting that the trade between the Leafs and the Bruins for Phil Kessel has been consummated. The Leafs are shipping the 2010 first round pick, the 2011 first round pick and the 2010 2nd round pick. It's a deal Peter Chiarelli absolutely did not want to make. There is no way he wanted to see Kessel playing for a divisional rival but none of the other bidders were offering as much as Brian Burke. In addition, by the end of the weekend Burke was going to give Kessel an offer sheet that would likely have been front end loaded and therefore difficult for Boston to match.

Kessel is still recovering from shoulder surgery so we won't be seeing him in a Leaf jersey until November. The debate will now begin as to whether the Leafs paid to much to land Kessel. Certainly the price was very high. I know some people will be comparing this deal with all those other deals involving Leaf draft picks. I still remember when the Leafs picked up Tom Kurvers from the Devils for a first round pick. The Leafs collapsed the following season and that pick turned out to be Scott Niedermayer. But this trade is different. Instead of dealing picks for a veteran on the downside of his career, the Leafs have picked up a 21 year old who is still a few years from his prime.

The college free agent signings this summer allowed this trade to happen and I expect more signings this coming summer. The Leafs now have prospects that didn't come out of the draft and created some flexibility. Nashville was the other leading contender but they were offering a mix of prospects along with the NHL rights to Alexander Radulov. No one knows when Radulov will return to the NHL if at all.

The other consideration is that Kessel was a 5th pick and during his draft year was at one point considered for the first pick overall. The jury is still out whether he will be a franchise player but if the 2010 and 2011 picks are in the middle of the round, they won't be players as good as Kessel. However, if the Leafs crash and burn then the will be much angst in Hogtown.

At 21, Kessel finished 12th in the NHL last season in goals scored, ahead of Malkin, Iginla, Datsyuk and Crosby while playing 10 fewer games than most of these players. There are some concerns about his attitude but both Burke and Ron Wilson are very familiar with Kessel through Team USA and do not seem to have any concerns.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that this one finally works out.

Battle of the Blades

My guess is that everyone will be watching Battle of the Blades beginning in a couple of weeks. Can you imagine Bob Probert figure skating? Will they make the hockey players wear sequin outfits? And when did Tie Domi learn to skate? Some of the hockey players actually tried to skate with figure skates but went back to hockey skates after taking some bad falls (no pads between you and the ice). The reality TV show was filmed at Maple Leaf Gardens.

Participants:

Hockey Players: Tie Domi, Bob Probert, Glenn Anderson, Craig Simpson, Stephane Richer, Claude Lemieux, Ken Daneyko, Ron Duguay Figure Skaters: Jamie Sale, Barb Underhill, Shae-Lynn Bourne, Isabelle Brasseur, Marie-France Dubreuil, Christine Hough-Sweeney, Jodeyne Higgins, Kristina Lenk0

What ever happened to that souvenir ball?

Burke’s belligerent band battles Bruins but are still beaten

The new look Maple Leafs sure looked different – they are so big. Not since the obstruction days when Pat Quinn threw in the towel and began collecting heavyweights has the team looked so bulky. In the first exhibition game we saw 2 goals, 4 fights and a loss.

The first goal was scored by rookie Tyler Bozak at 13:38 of the first period. It was a highlight-reel goal (see below) but by that time there had already been two fights – one involving Andre Deveaux (also below) and the other involving Jay Rosehill. Later Phil Oreskovic “outperformed” his teammates by getting into 2 fights. Deveaux tried his luck at a second fight but was only assessed a roughing penalty. Garnet Exelby at one point wanted to get into a fight with Brad Marchand but he wouldn’t bite. I hope both players get brownie points from Brian Burke for at least making the effort.

So how was the Leaf power play? Not so good – they only killed off 2 out of 4 chances. But the linemen earned their pay breaking up the numerous combatants. However, be prepared for longer games this year as they sort out the penalties after each scuffle.

Coyotes draw flies (and that's about it)

Coach Wayne Gretzky wasn’t at the Phoenix Coyotes preseason opener in Glendale Tuesday, and neither were many hockey fans.

About 1,000 people were at the 17,800-seat Jobing.com Arena for the Coyotes preseason 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings, according to stadium personnel and others. As a result some seating sections and some food stands were closed. However, the team did not promote the game. Still they may not draw more fans than protest signs for opening night.

Bobby Orr vs. Wayne Gretzky

Younger fans will tell you that Gretzky was the all-time best. I've watch almost 50 years of hockey and I've never seen anyone as good as Orr. His end to end rushes were electrifying. He had the most accurate shot I've ever seen. He was the puckhandler I've seen. And I don't think I've seen a faster skater. When he was on the ice, the puck was always on his stick. No defenseman ever won the scoring title until Orr and it will likely never happen again.

An incredible shot by Roger Federer

It wasn't a hockey shot but it was amazing. Roger Federer delivered one of the greatest shots in tennis history. Not only was it a through-the-legs trick shot, it went by a stunned Novak Djokovic for a winner.

Things you should know about Phil Kessel

A must-read is the recent blog post by Elliotte Friedman of CBC Sports, who has some strong comments about Phil Kessel's reputation.

Friedman says he is an incredible talent, but an exasperating one.

He's a walking contradiction. An almost total non-talker in public, but phenomenal when it comes to charity efforts in private. A guy who beat testicular cancer, but wouldn't play through last season's shoulder injury until teammates pointed out they were playing through worse.He suggests that the Bruins are concerned about shelling out $4.5 million a year to a player that hasn't bought into the team concept. He are the other points made in the post:

• Kessel needs a playmaking centre like Marc Savard to succeed.
• He needs strong teammates around him.
• He does not respond well to criticism and needs to be treated softly (not quite Ron Wilson's style).

The bottom line is this: It is a mistake to acquire Phil Kessel without proper structure. The structure he already has in Boston.

So you think soccer players are tough?

It's auction time in Phoenix

September 10^th and 11^th are the dates of the long awaited auction to determine who will own the Phoenix Coyotes. Judge Baum has indicated that he will not announce his decision this week but will make his decision known before the start of the NHL season. The judge plans to take his time writing up his decision with the full knowledge that however he rules, it will be appealed.

Now that Ice Edge has dropped out of the bidding it is down to Jim Balsillie and the NHL. Though the battle for control of the franchise has always been between these two antagonists even when a surrogate such as Jerry Reinsdorf was involved. I would be very surprised if Judge Baum orders that the team be sold to Balsillie but here are the considerations for both sides.

Jim Balsillie

· His bid is currently $100 million more than the NHL’s. That is a lot of money and will satisfy the largest proportion of creditors and the judge’s obligation is to the creditors and not the NHL.

· The latest bid now offers cash to the City of Glendale. The NHL has only indicated that a settlement would be worked out in the future.

· Balsillie is offering compensation to current owner Jerry Moyes who claims to have sunk $300 million into the franchise. However, Moyes is not really a creditor.

· He has now indicated a willingness to keep the team in Phoenix for one season which creates less of a disruption to the NHL schedule.

· He has indicated a willingness to pay a relocation fee although his appraisal is much lower than the NHL’s.

NHL

· The NHL is willing to keep the team in Phoenix until a suitable owner is found whether it is local or in another city.

· The NHL insists that the court has no right to impose an owner on the league. The league governors rejected Balsillie as an owner in July. However, since the NHL has now submitted a bid, that puts them in a conflict of interest position.

· The NHL insists it has the right to decide where a franchise is to be located. Unilateral franchise transfers will play havoc on sports leagues. A decision against the NHL would impact on all sports leagues.

· The league would lose out on a large expansion fee if the Coyotes were allowed to move into the lucrative Southern Ontario market.

· If Balsillie is allowed to purchase the Coyotes, it may trigger other owners into filing for bankruptcy in order to dump their money-losing franchise.

2009 Rookie Tournament - Maple Leafs vs. Penguins

It appears that Jonas Gustavsson has a pretty good glove hand. And Richard Greenop has pretty good fists (I guess we will see a lot more of this). Other than that there wasn't much going on at this game.

Burke still after Phil Kessel

The hockey news is buzzing with news that Brian Burke is going to provide Bruin's restricted free agent Phil Kessel with an offer sheet. The speculation came about because the Leafs made a trade on the weekend to reacquire their 2010 2nd round pick from Chicago. The NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement requires compensation for signing restricted free agents in the form of draft picks. The higher the value of the contract signed, the more picks that must be handed over.

Here are the offer sheet compensation tables:

$994,433 or below None
Over $994,433 to $1,506,716 3rd round choice
Over $1,506,716 to $3,013,434 2nd round choice
Over $3,013,434 to $4,520,150 1st round and 3rd round choice
Over $4,520,150 to $6,026,867 1st round, 2nd round and 3rd round choice
Over $6,026,867 to $7,533,584 Two 1st round choices, one 2nd and one 3rd round choice
Over $7,533,584 Four 1st round choices

A team must own the draft picks before making the offer sheet. The trade gives the appearance that Burke needed that 2nd round pick to sign Kessel. Kessel is looking for about $4.5 million but the Leafs would likely have to go higher to dissuade the Bruins from matching their offer and taking the Leafs' picks instead. And why wouldn't the Bruins just match the Leafs' offer? Well right now the Bruins only have about $1.7 million in cap space so that's a lot of cap space they made need to clear. However, they just might have to find it somehow.

Is Phil Kessel worth it? Most people think so. He is just turning 22 next month and scored 36 goals last season after a disappointing first two seasons in the NHL. Prior to the NHL he was a goal scoring machine for the U.S. National Under-18 team and Boston took him 5th in the 2006 Draft. The Leafs badly need a sniper and perhaps handing over these 3 picks is a smaller price than giving up a 1st round pick and Tomas Kaberle.

Boston GM Peter Chiarelli has said he will match any offer and then make trades to create cap space. Is he bluffing? Or maybe Burke is bluffing about the offer sheet and is only trying to nudge Chiarelli back to the trading table. We will soon find out.

Can the Maple Leafs veto a franchise move to Hamilton?

The NHL executives have repeatedly said no. Gary Balsillie is suggesting that the Leafs insist they have a veto. Of course, MLSE has been silent through all this.

Article IV of the NHL Constitution seems to be pretty clear. Each time has exclusive control of hockey games in its territory. A team's territory extends 50 miles beyond the city's limits. For the Maple Leafs that clearly includes Hamilton. Notice the last line "No franchise shall be granted for a home territory within the home territory of a member, without the written consent of such member." That appears to be a veto to me.

Storm Nation training camp comes to an end

Storm training camp at Fierce Hockey ended today with a team that is definitely more cohesive and game ready than a week ago. Today the aches and pains weren't as prominent as a Monday. They have a slogan for the season: GH43. Sorry I can't tell you what it stands for.

Coach Willie joined the team for their off ice drills today and barely survived. But I promised that the girls will continue to do some off ice workouts throughout the season.

Thanks to Annie, Jessica and all the staff at Fierce Hockey for a great week.

Can't wait to get on the ice!