Former Mississauga Derbys owner charged in hockey scam

Peel Police have arrested a 41-year-old Mississauga man, alleging he bilked players from as far away as the U.S. and Australia out of $100,000 for the privilege of joining the fake Brampton-based organization. It was called the Walton Gates Academy, a part of an organization known as The Canadian Junior Elite Hockey League. The $100-grand allegedly came from the tuition and fees the league charged.

Cops accuse Randy Gumbley, the former owner of the Streetsville Derbys, of going to elaborate lengths to continue his hockey league scam. They allege he spent months attracting 'prospects' using an elaborate website and took them around to arenas and community college facilities, claiming they were associated with the league and his academy.

Last Night's Stars

Evgeni Malkin, Penguins:

Hard to say who is the top Penguin is Sid or Evgeni? Every team should have this problem. Not a bad day for the 21-year-old Russian, whose day started with news that he was a finalist for the Hart Trophy, and ended with a three-point night and a 3-0 series lead for this Pittsburgh Penguins. Malkin took over sole possession of first place in the postseason scoring race with a pair of power play goals, including the game winner, and an assist in Pittsburgh's 5-3 win over the Rangers.

Brenden Morrow, Stars:

The captain's name won't be found on the scoresheet, but he played with a purpose in Dallas's 2-1 OT win over the Sharks. When Morrow wasn't plastering a Shark into the boards (or each other) with one of his 11 hits, he was planted in Evgeni Nabokov's grill, making life miserable for the San Jose netminder. Both of the Stars goals can be at least partially attributed to the effectiveness of a Morrow screen.

Pavel Datsyuk, Red Wings:

Detroit's most dynamic forward was at his crafty best tonight, tearing holes through the Avalanche defense with his speed. He scored twice, and chipped in an assist as the Red Wings won 4-3 and took a commanding 3-0 series lead.

Toronto's Only Winning Team

The Toronto Marlies beat the San Antonio Rampage 2-1 last night to take the 1st round series 4-3. Let's face it, the Marlies may be the only Toronto team to win any playoff series this year. But only 1,982 fans were at the Ricoh Coliseum to watch it.

The Marlies now advance against the Syracuse Crunch, 3-2 overtime winners over Manitoba last night.

Getting top star billing last night was 30-year-old goaltender Scott Clemmensen, who turned back 37 shots in anchoring the Marlies to their first-ever playoff series triumph. He started in all 7 playoff games. That's right - the Leaf's goalie of the future, Justin Pogge is glued to the end of the bench. Top Marlie goal scorer in the series was John Mitchell with 3 goals.

Maybe Carey Price Isn't the Next Patrick Roy

That's the collective "Uh-Oh" coming from the good folks in Montreal after Carey Price channeled his inner Andrew Raycroft last night in Philadelphia, allowing three goals on only 12 shots.

More and more is Price beginning to look like the 20-year-old kid he is. The pressure in the Stanley Cup playoffs is immense and Philadelphia is a tough building to play in. Well I guess they will have to switch to Cristobal Huet. Oh wait, they traded him.

Dancing Kittens

Can a team when a Cup after changing goalies in the middle of the playoffs?

Any coach will tell you that you need a great goalie to win a championship. Detroit who had won the President's Trophy was one of the Stanley Cup favourites. It was expected that Detroit would depend upon future Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek in net in their Stanley Cup run. But Hasek has been awful and is now parked at the end of the bench.

Detroit has moved to Chris Osgood in goal and he has played well. His .947 saves percentage is the best in the playoffs among anyone who has as much as two complete games played. He has a 1.09 goals against average, which is again the best in the league among goalies with two complete games played. Osgood is providing Stanley Cup calibre goaltending so far. Osgood has won the Stanley Cup before (in 1998). That Red Wings team likely won the cup despite a lack of elite goaltending. They won because the team in front of Osgood was the best in the league. It is ten years later now and there is no reason to imagine Osgood is a better goalie today then he was in 1998.

There is a recent example of a team changing goalies during the playoffs in a successful playoff run. In 2006, the Carolina Hurricanes began the playoffs with Martin Gerber in goal and switched to Cam Ward, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy and the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup.

Go Habs Go!

...while back at the ACC...

Leaf Nation! Brian Burke is not the Messiah!

The level of angst across Leaf Nation was incredible over the past week after Brian Burke announced that he would be completing the term of his current contract and staying in Anaheim for another season. Then to top it off, the ever vigilant media did 48 hours of nonstop analysis.

If Brian Burke really wanted to come to the Toronto Maple Leafs he could get out of his contract. If he expressed a strong enough desire to leave Anaheim, his employer would let him go. Afterall, who would allow someone to be in charge of their organization who didn't want to be there. Burke may want to move out east to be closer to his family but in his mind it doesn't have to be the Leafs. Then again, he does like his situation in Anaheim so he may even be persuaded to sign a contract extension. So forget the nonsense about waiting out the year for Burke. He's not that interested in Toronto.

But don't despair Leaf Nation. Burke is not a hockey Messiah. He has a good track record but he is not at the top of the heap. As GM of the Canucks, Burke’s teams missed the playoffs two of six years, went out in the first round three times and were eliminated in 7 games by the Wild in their lone second round appearance in 2003. He had some awful draft picks with the Canucks and traded R.J. Umberger for Martin Rucinsky - a move that just reeks of JFJ/ MLSE level incompetence: a first round prospect exchanged for an oft-injured mid-pack vet who played all of 13 games for the Canucks. Burke traded away a Canucks’ first round pick to bring Trevor Linden back to Vancouver. And what became of that first round pick? The Caps used it to select a guy by the name of Alexander Semin. The ridiculous Bertuzzi signing. I could go on and on to point out terrible draft picks, signings and trades made by Burke but why bother. He's not coming to Toronto anyway.

Though the top executives are just not available and likely not interested in moving here. However, there are some good executives who just as good as Burke who might be interested in the Leaf job. Don't ask me who they are. However, the media just can stop speculating who might get the job and quite a few swear to have inside information. Somehow I doubt Gord Kirke knows himself. With 8 teams still in the playoffs, he may still need to wait to get permission to talk to some candidates.

But if I was asked to come up with a name of a guy who would do a great job and would also be available, it would be Doug Armstrong. He apprenticed under Bob Gainey and was an Assistant GM when the Stars one the Stanley Cup. He built the current Stars team that just knocked off the Ducks and could do the same to the Sharks. You could do a lot worse.

Last Night's Stars

1. Johan Franzen, Red Wings

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound center - known as ''Mule'' - redirected a shot in front of the net early in the game, scored on a wraparound in the second period and whacked a rebound out of the air in the third. It was his first career hat trick in the NHL, and first since the Swede was a teenager.

2. Martin Biron, Flyers

Biron made 34 saves in a game the Flyers could have easily lost. Not only did he have to stop a barrage of pucks but the Canadiens were running the little goalie all night.

3. Daniel Briere, Flyers

Briere, booed throughout the first two games at the Bell Centre, got his seventh goal of the playoffs 13:33 into the second to restore the Flyers' two-goal lead after Koivu scored on a power play late in the first. Although it was his only shot on net, he was a constant threat throughout the game.

2008-09 Storm Midget B Lineup

Forwards
Alicia (1993)
Kailee (1992)
Lauren F (1992)
Mari (1991)
Gabby (1993)
Genevieve (1991)
Sheri (1991)
Maddy (1991)
Jackie (1991)

Defense
Madeleine (1993)
Lauren N (1993)
Sarah-Kate (1991)
Amanda (1991)
Paitra (1992)
Allie (1993)

Goalies
Bianca (1992)
Asia (1991)

AHL Marathon Game

Ryan Potulny’s first goal of the playoffs, 2:58 into the fifth overtime, ended the longest game in American Hockey League history, lifting the Philadelphia Phantoms past the Albany River Rats, 3-2, at the Times Union Center.

Potulny scored on the Phantoms' 101st shot of the game, beating Rats goaltender Michael Leighton with a 15-foot wrist shot from the slot and ending the game at 12:39 this morning after 142 minutes and 58 seconds. Leighton finished with an AHL-record 98 saves.

The previous AHL record for longest game was 134:56 set in Game 2 of the 2003 Calder Cup finals, where Hamilton beat Houston,

More of the Buried Red Sox Jersey

You may recall a Yankee hating construction worker buried a David Ortiz Red Sox jersey in wet concrete in the yet to be completed new Yankee Stadium. Yankee officials spent thousands to dig it up. So this shredded jersey that had the Yankees quaking in their cleats has officially sold on eBay--for $175,100. So what would an intact jersey bring in?

Last Night's Stars

1. Johan Franzen, Red Wings
The 28-year-old forward had two goals and an assist to help the Red Wings earn a tough Game 1 win over the Avalanche. His blast in the second period (fourth goal of the playoffs) ended up being the game-winner. Franzen, not known as a scoring machine, had just three two-goal games during the regular season.

2. Martin Biron, Flyers
Biron had a better game than the line score shows. He had 30 saves and should've been in line for a regulation win, but Alex Kovalev's questionable short-handed goal in the second period tied the game at 2-2 and seemed to give the Habs some extra energy.

3. Alex Kovalev, Canadiens
Kovalev delivered -- notching a game-tying goal with just 0:28 left. Of course, this shouldn't come as a huge surprise considering that he scored 17 PP goals and five game-winners during the regular season. The guy comes to the forefront when needed most.

ESPN's Fan Satisfaction Rating

ESPN has published their fan satisfaction rating and the Maple Leafs did even worse than last year. In 2007 they ranked 99th out of 122 pro teams. This year they rank 121st. Only the awful and scandal-ridden New York Knicks did worse.

This is how the Leafs broke down:

Bang for the Buck (wins over the past three years per revenues directly from fans) 120th
Fan Relations (ease of access to players, coaches & management) 113th
Ownership (loyalty to players and city) 108th
Affordability (price of tickets, parking and concessions) 122nd
Stadium Experience (friendliness of environment; quality of game-day promotions) 96th
Players (effort on the field; likability off it) 117th
Coach/Manager (strong on-field leadership) 106th
Title Track (titles already won or expected -- soon) 121st

As for other Toronto teams:

Raptors 44th (45th last year)
Blue Jays 67th (41st last year)

Sarah Rides the Behemoth at Wonderland

Last Night's Stars

1. Jeremy Roenick, Sharks

Roenick was benched for Game 6 because of lack of production. But the 38-year-old veteran rose to the occasion in Game 7 when he was re-inserted in the lineup. Roenick tallied two goals and two assists -- in the Sharks' series clinching win over Calgary. His four points were the most scored in a Game 7 since 1993.

2. Joffrey Lupul, Flyers

If at first you don't succeed... The Flyers winger was stymied 19 times over seven games by Cristobal Huet, but he made the 20th shot count. Lupul buried a rebound of a Kimmo Timonen shot past Huet in overtime to give Philadelphia a 3-2 win and propel Philadelphiai nto the second round date against the Montreal Canadiens.

3. Alexander Ovechkin, Capitals

The NHL won't get its dream second round matchup of the Capitals and Penguins, but it's through no fault of Ovechkin. Despite being subjected to blanket coverage by the determined Flyers, Ovechkin still managed nine shots on net, threw three hits, set up Nicklas Backstrom for the opening goal and then beat Martin Biron with a wrist rocket for Washington's other goal. What more could the guy do?

Leafs Need Fabian Brunnström

Cliff Fletcher has to get this guy. He is a 23 year old Swede who is a free agent. Probably the best player outside the NHL.

Lame Fan Drops Ball While Celebrating Catch

Have some pride. Once you drop the ball don't sit there and beg for it back. Just cut your losses and sit down.

Last Night's Stars

1. Alex Ovechkin, Washington:

After going scoreless for four games and 250-plus minutes, Ovechkin awoke with two third-period goals on Monday -- the former clinching the Capitals' 4-2 road win in Philly; the latter serving as a warning shot to those who doubt whether Ovechkin can carry Washington to its second-ever Game 7 playoff victory on Tuesday night.

2. Carey Price, Montreal:

The rookie goalie did not buckle under the weight of Game 7 pressure, stonewalling all 25 Bruins shots in the Habs' series-clinching 5-0 home win. The 20-year-old Price, who had allowed 10 Boston goals in Games 5 and 6 (both Montreal losses), rebounded to post his second playoff shutout and once again remind Hab fans of the last time a rookie Canadiens netminder dominated his competition in the playoffs -- Patrick Roy in the Cup-winning season of 1986.

3. Alexander Semin, Washington:

Ovechkin, understandably, will grab the lion's share of headlines from the Caps' Game 6 win. But Semin, hardly a second-fiddle performer throughout the series, produced the game-tying goal late in the second period, deftly converting a rebound-save off Philly goalie John Erskine into his third goal of the playoffs. Earlier in the period he set up a goal by Backstrom to bring Washington to within one goal of the Flyers.

Last Night's Stars

1, Phil Kessel, Boston Bruins:

He chipped in with a pair of goals to power the Bruins to a Game 7 confrontation Monday with the Habs, including an ankle-breaking move early in the second period that left veteran defender Francois Bouillon scrambling for his cup while Kessel deposited the equalizer behind a Carey Price.

2. Cristobal Huet, Washington Capitals:

For the second consecutive game, Huet gave the Capitals a chance to win one they could easily have lost. While his mates floundered against a demonstrated third-period assault by the Flyers, he turned in a remarkably composed performance, highlighted by 20 saves in that furious final period.

3. Jose Theodore, Colorado Avalanche:

His counterpart, Niklas Backstrom, might have been more spectacular, but Theodore did exactly what he had to do — allow one less goal in a 2-1 Colorado victory. Arguably the year’s best comeback story, Theodore stopped 34 of 35 shots as the Avs eliminated the Wild and moved on to the second round.