Arizona Photos

Main Street in Scottsdale

Poolside in Scottsdale

Climbing Camelback Mtn in Phoenix

Cemeteries in Phoenix have no grass

Main Street in Scottsdale

Beautiful Sedona

Mary Anne and Willie in Sedona

Red Rock Park in Sedona

Jeep tour in Red Rock Park, Sedona

Red Rock Park in Sedona
Sun setting in the mountains

Willie and Mary Anne at the Grand Canyon

Hiking into the Grand Canyon

Colorado River in the Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon at sun down

Will Anyone Catch Gordie Howe?

Gordie Howe played a total of 1,767 regular season games (that doesn't include WHA and playoff games). He played to the age of 52.

Chris Chelios leads all active players with 1556 games played but he is 45 years old. Still Chelios is playing very well and if he stays healthy he might be able to continue playing beyond this season. In fact, if he plays 2.57 more seasons he will break Howe's record at the spry age of 48. There are some notable veterans who based on durability and ability could creep into Howe territory.

Brendan Shanahan 1424 games, needs 4.18 seasons (age 42) to catch Howe
Joe Sakic, 1327 games, needs 5.37 seasons (age 43)
Rod Brind'Amour, 1273 games, needs 6.02 seasons (age 43)
Mats Sundin, 1240 games, needs 6.43 seasons (age 42)
Jaromir Jagr, 1198 games, needs 6.94 seasons (age 42)
Nicklas Lidstrom, 1185 games, needs 7.10 games (age 44)

Halloween is coming

Nicest Goal So Far in the NHL This Season

Caught this goal by Jonathan Toews on the sports news the other day. Sort of reminds me of his coach Denis Savard when he was 20.

What's wrong with the Leafs?

Got back in town last night to see the latest Leaf disaster - and we will see a lot of them until there are some dramatic changes. The things that I have been harping before the season started are mostly coming true. The Leafs are the worst defensive team in the league. That's hard to believe when they have the most expensive defense in the NHL.

Toronto has allowed the most shots on goal per game of any team in the league so far — this after finishing seventh in the category last season. And the one thing that hasn't changed is the team save percentage, which after dipping to a god-awful .888 last year is down to .884. (Los Angeles is the bottom feeder at .862).

Toronto's been bad at even strength (21 goals against, better than only the Kings), and on the penalty kill (13 goals against, better than only Atlanta). They've been shorthanded a league-high 61 times, and the power play's firing at just 11.1 per cent.

The real wonder, come to think of it, is just how this team has managed to get eight points out of its first nine games. Well, that and the fact Nik Antropov leads the league in plus-minus.

At least they've got Atlanta on Tuesday.

Not sure how much longer Paul Maurice will last.

Can we start games in the 2nd period?

Today the Storm again played the Vaughan Flames for the 3rd time but this time the game counted. And once again the Storm had a slow start falling behind 2-0 in the first period only to come on strong in the second half of the game. Which leads to the question - can we start games in the 2nd period?

It was a day of firsts. For a while it looked as if the Storm would go penalty-free for another game but finally in the 2nd period Paitra was took the first penalty of the season. Later in the period the first goal of the season was scored by Genevieve and it was also her first goal as a rep player.

Once the first period was over with, the team continued to show good speed. Early in the 3rd period Mari's aggressive skating forced a couple of Vaughan penalties. The Storm had a 2 man advantage for about 1:30 but couldn't put one over the sprawling Vaughan goalie. Sheri, Kailee, Jackie and Mari all had great chances. The Storm continued to put on pressure for the rest of the period. With the goalie on the bench for an extra attacker, Sheri had a terrific chance to tie the score as time ran out. The Storm lost 2-1 but gained some valuable early season experience.

Poor Joe Torre

I got to tell you, I’m a little annoyed with the sudden Joe Torre love affair going on. Everyone is talking about how Joe Torre was disrespected and how the Yankees gave him no choice but not walk away. This guy was making 7 million a year as the Yankees manager. That is 2.5 times more than the next closest manager is making in the major leagues. In other words, Torre was by far and away the richest manager in the game and it wasn’t even close. So when people say the Yankees insulted him by offering him a pay cut it should be noted that they were still offering to pay him more than anybody else is currently making.

I mean did Torre really think he deserved a raise from the 7 million per year? What has he done to earn that besides getting bounced in the first round of the playoffs the last 7 years in a row? He’s lucky the Yankees even offered him anything. And what’s up with the indignation on being offered an incentive laden contract? Apparently Torre wanted to get paid just for getting the Yankees to the playoffs every year even though a monkey could do that.

At some point you got to earn your money and that’s the way this new offer was set up. No more robbing the Yankees blind. He would have gladly signed this contract and accepted the challenge.

Leave Bryan McCabe Alone!

Message From Arizona: Find McCabe a Partner

I heard about how Bryan McCabe scored the winning goal in last night's game all the way down here in Arizona. Unfortunately he scored it for the Sabres. The Leafs do have a dilemma on their hands (of their own creation). McCabe is the highest paid player on the team and is not performing even close to that level.

The immediate reaction from suffering Leaf fans is to demand that he be traded. That's not so easy. What GM wants to trade for a struggling player with that contract? In fact who has that kind of cap space? Maybe at the trading deadline the Leafs might find a taker but JFJ might not survive that long.

McCabe is a gifted athlete who has yet to put his game together. That contract he signed doesn't make it happen automatically happen. JFJ needs to go out and find a defensive partner that will help McCabe find his game. That player isn't on the Leaf roster. JFJ has created this mess and he needs to now find a solution.

Will be back for the season opener on October 21

Fans to Leafs: All is Forgiven!

The Maple Leafs got their act together tonight with a 8-1 blow out of the Islanders. This followed their embarrassing 7-1 loss to Carolina on Tuesday. Sundin broke Leaf goal and point scoring records and was picked the 1st, 2nd and 3rd stars of the game. Quite fitting since he is their only true star.

Tonight followed the same pattern as last season. A terrible game followed by a great game.

So why can't they play like this every night?

Hey Toskala, did they warn you about this team?

Newcomer Vesa Toskala was left out there on his own for most of last night's game. The result was an embarrassing 7-1 win by Carolina. In fact the score could have been worse if not for some excellent saves by Toskala. The best goalie in the world couldn't have won last night's game.

What is becoming alarming is that the poor play during the preseason has carried over into the regular season. Most people recognize that the overpaid defense is actually quite porous. But what is worrisome is the lack of effort and emotion displayed by the players. Fans are being told not to panic, it's still early. So at what point do you begin to panic? They are playing in front of their own fans but refuse to give them anything to cheer about.

The Leafs had a number of games like this last season in which they appeared to sleepwalk through the game. Now that it has carried over to this season, you have to ask why the lineup has remained intact? I am sure the attitude of visiting team is that games at the ACC are must win games. There are no easy marks in the NHL and the Leafs could become the closest thing to one. Score early, the Leafs will give up and the fans will turn ugly.

One thing for sure, if the coach can't get this team motivated, he will not last another month.

Another Shot at the All Star Game for Rory?

The Philadelphia Flyers announced today that they have signed 6’2”, 210-pound defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick to a one-year contract.

For those who missed it, last year Fitzpatrick played for Vancouver and finished third in All-Star Game voting for defensemen in the West with 550,177 votes, falling 23,000 votes shy of second place Nicklas Lidstrom. He was the object of an Internet campaign to get the most obscure player in the league into the All-Star game. The plot was originally conceived as a humorous campaign designed to show the flaws in the NHL voting system.

The magazine Slate found the final results suspicious due to unlikely numerical coincidences in the final week of voting, and believes that the NHL altered the vote counts.

I love an underdog like everyone else.

Marion Jones Hands Over Medals

I found it very gratifying to see American sprinter Marion Jones give up the five medals she won at the Sydney Olympics and accepted a two-year ban. I'm just disappointed on how long she took to admit it. She made millions on endorsements, race prizes and appearance fees. I doubt she will ever have to give any of that back. So she gave up the glory but not the cash.

I think back on the American media and sport establishment that was so critical of the East German medal machine in the 1970s and 1980s. Back then the German female swimmers were so broad-shouldered and muscle-bound, that there was no doubt they were cheating. At the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, East German athletes won 40 gold medals — twice as many as in 1972 — including 11 of 13 golds in women's swimming events.

But after the Berlin Wall fell, the truth emerged: the young athletes were subjected to a state-run program of heavy steroid use. In 1998 former East German coaches, trainers and officials faced criminal charges. The former athletes continue to face health problems, and lingering doubts about what they thought had been their finest hours.

Not much has changed since then except the flags of the cheaters.

NY Yankee-Haters are Smiling Today

Funny how they always have "Forbes" and "Money" in the waiting room

Is that clear?

Happy Thanksgiving

Not Politically Correct

Leafs Play Poorly but Montreal was Even Worse

I thought the Leafs played better in the two loses to Ottawa but sometimes all you have to be is better than your opposition to win. Last night the Leafs made fewer mistake than Montreal and skated away with an overtime win.

The Leafs would never had gotten to overtime if it wasn't for some awful giveaways by the Canadien defense that lead to 2 goals for Alexei Ponikarovsky. I love Leaf-Hab games but this one was a stinker. Both teams made a ton of mistakes. There were pucks jumping over sticks, defensive zone giveaways, and untimely penalties. Toronto was awful early, while the Canadiens saved their worst for last. This one should have ended in a tie if it could. Neither team deserved to win. But in the new NHL someone has to win.

I thought Matt Stajan and Alex Steen were Toronto’s best forwards. Once Ponikarovsky switched with Jason Blake and joined Mats Sundin and Nik Antropov on the top line, I thought that unit was good. Vesa Toskala silenced his critics with an above average performance. But he was far from great. The usual fickle ACC crowd quickly got behind him.

Pavel Kubina looked terrible. Bryan McCabe’s inability to keep the puck in the Montreal zone in the 2nd led to a shorthanded goal by the Canadiens. McCabe was on the ice for all three Montreal goals. Is that the best you can get for $7 million?

Watch out for the Yellow Line

New Blog Feature

A new feature has been introduced recently to Blogger which allow me to upload videos. So this year the blog will feature post-game interviews. Below is a sample video taken at today's practice.

LeBron James Backs Yankees over Cleveland

LeBron James announced to millions during his recent appearance on "Saturday Night Live" his intention to root against his hometown Indians this week in the American League Division Series.

Man, he wasn't kidding.

In a move that provides quite the dilemma for Cleveland fans, James not only sported enemy gear to Thursday's Game 1 against the Yankees at Jacobs Field, but he even playfully taunted fans by doffing his Yankees cap and raising it in front of a camera during a TV interview. The crowd chanted "Take off the cap!"

Now that's just wrong. And the Yankees of all teams.

Cleveland Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller said he was going to a Cavaliers game and sit right by their bench, wearing a Detroit Pistons cap.

Human Nature

Marion Jones Finally Admits to Cheating

Marion Jones admitted using steroids before the 2000 Olympics in a recent letter to close family and friends, The Washington Post reported Thursday.

Jones, who won five medals in Sydney, said she took "the clear" for two years, beginning in 1999, and that she got it from former coach Trevor Graham, who told her it was flaxseed oil, the newspaper reported. "The clear" is a performance-enhancing drug linked to BALCO, the lab at the center of a federal steroids investigation. Until now, Jones had steadfastly denied she ever took any kind of performance-enhancing drugs.

According to the Post, Jones, who won five medals in Sydney, plans to plead guilty tomorrow to lying to federal agents about her performance-enhancing drug use. In December 2004, she sued BALCO founder Victor Conte, contending he falsely accused her of taking performance-enhancing drugs.

Those cheater sure come up with some wild stories. Flaxseed oil indeed! I still remember the nauseating coverage of Jones' medal wins by the American media while everyone around who was mixed up with drugs. She will likely lose her medals but not the millions she made on endorsements

Sundin Ties Record, Toskala Plays Well, Leafs Still Lose

After 22 games going back to last season, Mats Sundin finally tied Darryl Sittler's record for most goals by a Maple Leaf. Vesa Toskala took over in net and played well. But the Leafs still lost even though they outshot the Senators 43-29.

These 2 games against the Senators were very frustrating to watch because the Leafs played well enough to win but mistakes and sloppy play cost them both games. You don't get away with that against teams like Ottawa.

Well does that mean they will do better against weaker teams? Not necessarily. You can shoot yourself in the foot any time, any place. Missed assignments in front of your own net will cost you goals on any night. Ever team has at least one sniper that will feed off defensive lapses. The Leaf powerplay which should be a strength has been bad.

But the worst part of their game has been bad penalties. Twice last night the Leafs took a penalty less than 10 seconds into a powerplay of their own, thus robbing themselves of a chance to get back into the game. They took 3 consecutive penalties at the end of the game that eliminated any chance of winning and handed the Senators' excellent powerplay enough opportunities to finally score the game winner.

Well said...

Raycroft and Maurice Lay an Egg

Well game one of the new season looked so much like last season for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Andrew Raycroft was decent but not spectacular. In other words not good enough to win. In the new NHL where every lineup has a mix of good and mediocre players, you need great goaltending to win. Certainly the first line of Sundin, Blake and Antropov did their part.

But what was Raycroft doing in the net in the season opener? Didn't the Leafs trade 3 draft picks for a #1 goalie and give him a contract extension of $8 million? Well coach Paul Maurice has already shown a lack of confidence in newcomer Vesa Toskala and put him on the bench last night. Although Raycroft was not outstanding in preseason, he was better than the shaky Toskala. But when the team makes a big commitment to a player like Toskala, you have to stick with him - at least for the start of the season.

So I'm sure Toskala will get the start tonight. But Maurice's plan to have some competition in net may only lead to a lack of confidence for both goalies. What if Toskala doesn't play well tonight? Does Maurice start Justin Pogge on Saturday?

Below is a video tribute to the Battle of Ontario which resumes in Ottawa tonight.

Pre-Season NHL Power Ranking

Several online sports sites have released pre-season power rankings and this is where they see the Maple Leafs going into the start of the season.

TSN - 7th (East), 16th (overall)
ESPN - 8th (East), 17th (overall)
CBS - 12th (East), 23rd (overall)

On paper the Leafs have improved in a few areas. They upgraded in net from Aubin to Toskala. They improved scoring with Blake and Bell. A powerplay made up of Sundin, Blake, Tucker, McCabe and Kaberle will be tough to defend against.

But the Leafs are a team where the wheels can come flying off as was the case with the Flyers last season. The penalty killing is terrible. Their strong skating defense is porous in its own end of the rink. There is no #1 goalie and no one won that battle during preseason. Centre is a weak position behind Sundin who did not score in the final 20 games of last season or during the preseason.

So the best case scenario is the Leafs fighting with about 8 teams for a playoff spot. Worse case is a meltdown, front office changes and rebuilding.

Introducing the New Captain and Assistants

Mini-me on LeafsTV

Here's the link.

British View of Hockey

Read on about the NHL games in London...

Though there are penalties in ice hockey, for high-sticking, for holding and holding the stick, there are no penalties for body checking your opponents at full speed, into a wall. Indeed, that kind of behaviour is rapturously applauded by knowledgeable fans. Such fans will need no explanation of the finer points of the game. Which is just as well. This is a sport of speed, power and violence, played without the inconveniences of offside or touchlines or namby-pamby referees. Indeed, ice hockey referees may well be the least namby-pamby officials in the sports world, since four of them must not only share the ice with two teams of aggressive hulks, but sort out the game's near obligatory brawl.

There was one of those last night, and highly entertaining it was too. The fight ended as an honourable draw, with one player from each side sitting out a five-minute penalty. The match? Oh yes, the match. The Ducks won that 4-1, revenge for defeat by the other home side on the previous evening. That match also finished 4-1, which is curious, and neat. Not entirely unlike exhibition matches after all.

My NHL Quickie Previews

Northwest Division
Colorado: Jose is French for backup?
Minnesota: Wake me up when Lemaire finds some offense.
Vancouver: Well there's Luongo and then there's....?
Calgary: When will Mount Keenan erupt?
Edmonton: Glory years available on Betamax.

Pacific Division
San Jose: No backbone, no Cup.
Anaheim: Don't open till Xmas Day, Teemu, Niedermayer.
Dallas: Play for the shootout.
Los Angeles: JS Aubin, need I say more?
Phoenix: Wayne Gretzky and Mickey Mouse together again.

Central Division
Detroit: Running up score on stiffs.
St. Louis: Best of a bad lot.
Nashville Moving vans packed for KC.
Columbus: Try 7 years out of the playoffs.
Chicago: Wirtz is gone, but same result.

Northeast Division
Buffalo: No Drury, no Briere, no problem.
Ottawa: My favourite choke team.
Boston: Just revoke the franchise.
Montreal: "Heart-and-soul" Samsonov gone.
Toronto: Gilmour and Clarke late camp invitees.

Atlantic Division
Pittsburgh Penguins: This year's Sabres.
New York Rangers: Expensive FAs never worked before.
Philadelphia Flyers: Only when Hatcher "the Anchor" is cut loose.
New Jersey Devils: Team built for a Sutter.
New York Islanders: Still begging for players.

Southeast Division
Carolina: Was Stanley Cup a dream?
Washington: Where is the defense?
Atlanta: Basillie's next target?
Tampa Bay: Who needs goaltending? Not Tortorella.
Florida: Ominous sign: the rats have left.

Leafs aren't the only team with unsettled goalie situation

In Atlanta, Kari Lehtonen and Johan Hedberg are fighting for the number 1 spot. Lehtonen's been struggling with a groin injury, and after an awful turn in the playoffs last year which opens the door for competition,

Los Angeles is a disaster with Jonathan Bernier, Jason LaBarbera, and J-S Aubin competing.

It's rare for a Stanley Cup contender to have no number 1 goalie going into the season but thats Ottawa right now. Emery's offseason surgery has opened the door for Gerber and Emery took some heat for a weak showing in the playoffs.

Phoenix is looking at David Aebischer, Alex Auld, and Mikael Tellqvist. This could be a career killing situation for at least one of them.

Tampa Bay is another contending team with no clear starter with Johan Holmqvist, Marc Denis, and Karri Ramo auditioning.

Hockey Night in England

The NHL is in England to open up the new season (Anaheim vs. Ottawa). No idea why other than maybe Gary Bettman wants to see if there is anywhere on earth less interested in hockey than Phoenix, Arizona. By the way, I will actually be in Phoenix in two weeks and can provide a report back on hockey in the desert.

The Guardian ran an amusing beginner's guide to the NHL today that you can see online here. It truly is worth reading.

Audiences will be in for quite a shock when they realize that American hockey (that's what they call it) has no grass. Hope Canada's hockey goodwill ambassador, Todd Bertuzzi behaves.

Hockey Ads on Fox

Another Reason the NHL is in Trouble

Minnesota defenseman Sean Hill is not permitted to play in the preseason as part of his 20-game regular-season suspension (19 left) for testing positive for steroids.

However, the NHL has permitted Islanders forward Chris Simon to play despite having five games left on his 25-game suspension for swinging his stick at Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg's head in March.

Mark Bell pleaded guilty to drunk driving and leaving the scene of an accident and will serve jail time. He was give a 15-game suspension. He cannot play in preseason games.

In Hill's case no other player was harmed although, in addition to breaking the rules, he tarnished the reputation of the game. In Bell's case, the courts have dealt with his criminal activity. Simon viciously injured a player and may have further tarnished the reputation of the game. Simon is a risk to other players on the ice.

So where is the logic? Well, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said in an e-mail to the Star Tribune, "Terms of suspensions are case specific. Sean Hill's does not allow him to play."

Thanks for clarifying that Bill.

How will the Leafs do this season?

I found it very painful following the Leafs this fall. Usually in training camp there are some developments that give you some optimism going into the season. Something to make you think that this season they can do something special. I just don't have that feeling this year. The Leafs made few changes in the off season other than trade 3 high draft picks for a goalie and sign a free agent scorer. But these moves may not be enough to address last year's weaknesses.

I think the Leafs led the NHL in games lost to injuries last season. This season looks to be a repeat so far, Wellwood had to get surgery, Colaiacovo is not healthy (he rarely is) and Bell is suspended. Let's hope this is it for a while.

The forwards as a group are adequate. I'm puzzled by the Blake signing. Sundin has never had a big scorer on his line so why now. Their big weakness at forward is at centre. Sundin is 36 and has a bad hip. Wellwood has a wonky groin and they did not resign Peca. The Leafs needed to sign an eventual replacement for Sundin because none exists in the organization. So the Leafs may start the season with Kilger as their 2nd line centre. The Leafs offense was 8th overall last season which is pretty good. But to generate offense their powerplay needs to be better than decent. Without Wellwood that is not likely going to be the case.

I think everyone would agree the defense is greatly over-rated and hugely overpaid. The most expensive defense in the NHL is porous. None of the defense are overpowering in the defensive end of the rink. Most are weak on one-one, in particular McCabe since he can no longer utilize his can-opener move. Kaberle stands out because of his skating and puckhandling but he too is easily knocked off the puck on the forecheck. Too many offensive defensemen and not enough defensive ones.

If you have a great goalie then you can often get by with less than stellar defense. However, the Leafs do not have Cujo at his prime or anyone else like that. We all know what Raycroft can do. Toskala has looked shaky in exhibition games. Now these games don't count but his play hasn't exactly been inspiring. I know he is better than Raycroft but he is still unproven at the age of 30.

Special teams make or break you in the NHL. The powerplay will be weaker without Wellwood but it still has Kaberle and McCabe at the point. Tucker and Blake will be dangerous down low. The penalty killing was awful last year and with no Peca I don't see it being any better.

So if you're thinking the 41 year drought will end this year...not likely. Philadelphia and Florida will be stronger this year and push for playoff spots. Tampa Bay upgraded goaltending and Montreal as well. So I just don't see how the Leafs will slip in this year. So perhaps it will be the end of the line for JFJ finally.

Latest Headshot Victim: Dean McAmmond

Why does the NHL allow this to continue?

Senators centre Dean McAmmond left Tuesday night's game against Philadelphia with a concussion after he was sent to the ice by a flying body check by Flyers prospect Steve Downie

McAmmond had lost possession of the puck early and skated behind the Philadelphia net when he was checked hard by Downie. Downie's feet left the ice before the violent collision. Downie isn't even an NHL player.

Hearing Aid is broken

Chief Mascot Knows How to Deal With Unruly Fan

11 Year Old Gets Lost in 1/2 Marathon

A youngster ran after his dad at the start of a half-marathon race to give him a bit of support and then kept on running for the entire 13 miles.

Ian Scoggins, 12, is basking in the glory of his achievement but was in hot water at the time as he didn't tell his parents what he was up to.

His mother said: 'He only went to cheer his dad on and run the first bit with him, but then he vanished. 'After 45 minutes he still wasn't back so I started panicking.'

Dad Ian, who finished in 1 hour 45 minutes, said: 'I saw him behind me after about two minutes, then looked again and he'd gone. I assumed he'd gone back. The frantic parents enlisted the help of police on site to search for Ian.

Then all of a sudden he appeared at the finish line all red-faced. 'We asked him where he'd been and he said he'd run the half marathon. We didn't believe him, then people kept coming up and patting him on the back saying how well he'd done.

Ian said: 'My legs are really hurting now. I thought I might get lost on my way back, so I kept running. Then once I'd started I wanted to finish it.'

Sign in Clothing Store in China

You are not supposed to tell customers they are crazy. Go figure.

Someday it will all be worth it

Spelling 101

Bad spelling and grammar is ruining our society. Instead of warning drivers this sign offered them the opportunity to take the plates, setting construction back days and costing taxpayers millions.

Jewish hockey player to play on Sabbath

I had previously posted a story about Benjamin Rubin, an Orthodox Jewish hockey player who had been dropped by the Quebec Remparts because he had missed so many games because of the Jewish Sabbath. This season he is playing for the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

After initially insisting he would not play on Friday nights and Saturdays, as he had not done in his rookie year in the league last year, 18-year-old Benjamin and his father, Michael Rubin, have decided to accede to his new team’s demand that he play full time, with the exception of major holidays. Rubin did not playing on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. If the team goes into the playoffs, it is also understood Rubin would not play on the first two days of Passover, which the team feels is a sacrifice at such a critical time.

He will continue to keep kosher (which for some road trips has meant taking his own food with him), will be allowed time for prayer and will be assisted by a non-Jew in keeping Shabbat rituals, his father said.

LLFHL Midget B Divisions

It's a shame that teams within 30 minutes of North York cannot be in the same division. As you can the problem with girls hockey is how spread out the team can be. So in order to include in the eastern and northern regions of the league, teams from Toronto are forced to do excessive travelling. The Mid-South division is the more fortunate group.

MIDGET B

East
Cold Creek
Durham West
Leaside
Lindsay
Northumberland
Oshawa
Scarborough
Whitby

Mid-South
Ancaster
Burlington
Flamborough
Guelph
Mississauga
North Halton
West Seneca

North-Central
Aurora
Barrie
Clearview
Etobicoke
North Simcoe
North York
Orangeville
Orillia
Vaughan

West
Belmont
Ilderton
Lambeth
Mt. Brydges
Norfolk
South Huron
Twin Centre

Welcome to Toronto, Vesa

After allowing an unremarkable (but certainly not embarrassing) three goals in his first exhibition game in the blue and white, new Toronto Maple Leaf goaltender Vesa Toskala awakened to these headlines Friday morning:

National Post - Toskala's Debut a Dud
Globe and Mail: Toskala's debut among the worst
Globe and Mail: Toskala shaky in Leafs debut
CBC - Toskala lets first shot through legs and loses 3-2 in his Leafs debut to Coyotes
Toronto Star - Tough start for Leafs' Toskala
Toronto Sun - Welcome to the jungle - Fans show no mercy for the new guy as Toskala hears boo birds in Leafs debut

Talk about being initiated by the hometown press.

Welcome to Toronto, Vesa.

Vaughan 3, Storm 0: Still a Good First Step

Last night's exhibition game against Vaughan was fast paced but lacked intensity which would explain why there were no penalties called. The visitors walked away with a 3-0 win despite some excellent scoring changes for the Storm in the 2nd half of the game. Still, it was a good first step in team building and indicates where the team needs work. With 12 new players this season, people will need some time to become familiar with each other. There are many players either new to rep hockey or the Midget level that will need to adjust to the speed of the game.

Lot of good things were on display on the ice last night: good team speed, very aggressive forechecking by Maryssa, Marley and Sheri, some signs of strong playmaking by Mari and Genevieve and plenty of enthusiasm.

1999 ACURA INTEGRA FOR SALE

...only rolled once.

Coyotes are on MySpace

Phoenix Coyotes Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Michael Bucek announced today that the Coyotes have launched their very own MySpace page. The Coyotes Official MySpace page will allow fans to communicate directly with the club as well as with other Coyotes fans across the country.

You can see the site here, and it's a perfect fit for the attention deficit generation. I think I'm too old for this one.

Impact of the Rising Canadian Dollar on the NHL

In the January 2004 (the midpoint of the pre-lockout season), the Canadian dollar was worth about $0.78 U.S. today it's $0.97 which is a remarkable 24% increase. During that same period the NHL salary cap went from $39 million to $44 million and now up to $50.3 million which is a 29% rise. Since there are 6 Canadian teams the collect revenue in Canadian dollars, what impact does the dollar rise have on the salary cap? Probably lots.

It is a good assumption to make that the cap would not have risen to $50.3 million without the increased value of the Canadian dollar since league revenue is reported in U.S. dollars. So struggling U.S. based teams are having to pay higher player salaries to stay competitive without necessarily seeing an increase in revenue. It is likely that there is a fair amount of price elasticity when it comes to ticket sales so if teams increase ticket prices to meet the higher salary demands it will eventually impact on future sales. At some point in the future (when the Canadian dollar stops increasing or possibly falls) revenues could fall which will create a dilemma for players because it will require a drop in the salary cap. Teams with a lot of long-term contracts will be really be squeezed.

There is another possible impact which will likely appear this season. Canadian-based players have actually be taking a pay cut as the dollar rises. Since Darcy Tucker lives full time in Toronto but gets paid in U.S. dollars, his buying power has been falling. This will likely become more evident to players should the Canadian dollar rise above the American. The CBA prevents agents from negotiating contracts in Canadian dollars so will Canadian teams be a less desirable destination?

Not in use

Harold Ballard's Ghost Must Live at the ACC

The Toronto Maple Leafs have brought to an end their much discussed search for a mentor, seemingly without a satisfactory candidate to guide JFJ through the next NHL season.

At one point Scotty Bowman and John Muckler were both rumoured to be on the short list to offer sage advice to young Mr. Ferguson, as he tries to return the Maple Leafs to some form of respectability. However, in the end they never came to an agreement with the Leafs, nor did the short list of other candidates that the Leafs had cooked up.

The search apparently came to an end a couple of weeks ago, as Richard Peddie, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment closed the file and put the plan back in the filing cabinet.

A ridiculous situation where JFJ was trying to get his team set up for the upcoming season, and a t the same time his bosses seemed to be trying to undercut his managerial strength by suggesting that he might not be up to the job and required a mentor.

While Harold Ballard may be gone, somehow you sometimes get the feeling that his spirit came along when they moved from Maple Leaf Gardens to the Air Canada Centre.

Happy Birthday Genevieve

NHL's Morality Squad

Commissioner Gary Bettman has put the hammer down on Maple Leafs forward Mark Bell today, suspending the troubled forward for 15 regular season games (without pay) for his driving under the influence and hit and run incident in the fall of 2006.

This is an interesting development, especially considering Toronto GM John Ferguson was on sports radio all last week saying he didn't believe Bell would miss any time this season. I also can't recall if the NHL ever even dealt a suspension for off-ice conduct.

It would be incredibly naive to think there's not some connection between this move by the league and all of the off-ice discipline that's occurred in other major-league sports recently (eg., Michael Vicks, etc.), something that's been pointed to as a 'crack down' on the bad boys of sport.

I applaud the NHL for recognizing that off-ice conduct impacts on the league. But I see this developing into a real quagmire. What other types of conduct is deemed to be "dishonorable, prejudicial to or against the welfare of the League or the game of hockey"? How about Rick Tocchet who was involved in an illegal gambling ring? Dany Heatley accidentally killed a team mate because of excessive speeding - doesn't that deserve a suspension? The NHL can't be proud of the drunken brawl (and underage drinking) that the Stall brothers got into this summer? Bobby Hull was a wife beater, isn't that conduct that would be dishonourable to the league? How about cheating on your wife? Punching an annoying reporter? I could go on and on. The NHL has a hard enough time be fair and consistent in handing out suspensions for on-ice conduct. This is going to be a lot tougher.

Leaf Prediction

The following is posted on JFJ's blog.

"We are talking about going into a season where our expectations are making the playoffs and competing for the Cup. Clearly one has to precede the other, but we are not going to solely concentrate on qualifying. We want to consider making the playoffs something we pass along the way to accomplishing higher goals.

Last year was about making the playoffs. Our expectations, my expectations, are higher."

Going out on a limb aren't you Johnny? So adding Toskala, Bell and Blake make the Leafs a Cup contender. With the improvements made by Philadelphia and Florida, it will be a stretch to make the playoffs. But I will hold back any predictions until after training camp.

Canada Dominates Series

In case you weren't paying attention Canada whipped the Russians 7-0-1 in the 8-game series, completely dominating and outscoring the Russians 39-13.

Just a few things ...

1. Canada vs. Russia doesn't have any mystique to it, anymore. Sure, beating up the Russians always feels nice, but it's no longer special. The Iron Curtain is gone, we've played the Russians many times, and there wasn't anything all that different from this game from previous Canada/Russia affairs.

2. "We wanted it more!" - This cliché was actually pertinent as the Russians didn't appear all that interested in breaking a sweat. The Canadians? Sutter had them playing with gusto from the first puck drop, and they just seemed to be a lot more interested in paying the price to win.

3. The only time the Russians seemed to care was in the last game, when they started throwing a few 'sore loser' cheap shots. Canada made them pay with power play goals.

4. Canada and Russia have generally been looked at as the top 2 hockey powers in the world. Well, we know that is a-changing, with the Americans producing many more fine prospects, and the Russians churning out ... not much.

Can't We Play the Ticats Every Week?

Bishop completed 14 of 23 for 261 yards and threw two touchdown passes as the Toronto Argonauts swept their Labour Day series versus Hamilton with a 35-22 win Saturday.

Shcool

A street near Northwood Elementary in Kalamazoo, Michigan, has the word 'school' misspelled on the pavement.

Another Steeltown-Hogtown Showdown Today

New Girls League

The new girls league that is being formed to replace the Central East Girls Hockey League, North Metro Girls Hockey League and South Western Girls Hockey League now has a name - LOWER LAKES FEMALE HOCKEY LEAGUE. It's a little awkward but I'm sure it will grow on you. Here is the new website. http://www.llfhl.ca/index.html

Hockey helmet hazard alert

Health Canada has issued a warning about a vital piece of equipment for any hockey player pro, amateur or recreational.

An investigation by the Canadian Standard's Association has found that WJD Pro Ice goaltender helmets and WJD Pro “Cat Eye” face protectors, failed CSA safety standards.Helmets and face shields worn to protect hockey players may actually cause serious head and eye injuries, the Canadian government warns.

Players should immediately stop using all WJD Pro Ice goaltender helmets and WJD Pro "Cat Eye" face protectors, Health Canada said Tuesday.

An investigation by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) showed the Canadian-made equipment fails safety standards. The helmets do not give enough impact protection from falls, collisions from other players or hits from pucks or sticks.

Is anyone watching?

The Canadians didn't bring their best game to Saskatoon, but as has become apparent in this Super Series, (such as it has been) you suddenly don't need your best to topple the Russians.
In a game which saw the Canadians out shoot the Russians by a huge margin (42-17) the story could have been the missed scoring opportunities by Team Canada.

As the game moved into the third period with the two teams tied at 1-1, Canada finally found the chink in Varlamov and put the game away with three goals on the way to the 4-1 victory.

It's starting to look like a 8 game sweep which would be quite embarrassing for the Russians.

Will Toskala be allowed to continue to use a Montreal stick?

NHL Suspends Bell

Well this was to be expected. Mark Bell has been suspended indefinitely without pay after being placed into stage two of the NHL's substance abuse program. In order to be reinstated, Bell will require the recommendation of program doctors along with the approval of both the National Hockey League and the NHLPA.

Supposedly, Bell's plea encouraged his placement into stage two as outlined by the substance abuse program even though more than a year has passed since the incident took place.

This only illustrates how desperate JFJ must have been to pick up a goalie that he would agree to take Bell as well. Although, throughout last season he repeatedly stated he was satisfied with his goaltending. I guess we know not to believe anything he says about his hockey team this season.

At least it appears Bell does not eat up cap dollars.

But hey, the Leafs also signed Tony Salmelainen (which you can pick up from uncooked chicken). He is 26 years old with a NHL career consisting of 18 points. Hope he can double that this season.

ARRRRRGOOOOOOOOOOOS!

Michael Bishop returned to the Argo lineup today and threw for 321 yards and two touchdowns to snap a five-game losing streak with a 32-14 Labour Day win over the Tiger-Cats at Ivor Wynne Stadium.

The Argos have now won their eighth straight against the Cats and improved to 15-1-1 in their last 16 regular-season games versus the Ticats and 6-4-1 in their last 11 contests in Steeltown.

It's been a long hot summer

...but HOCKEY SEASONS starts for the Storm tomorrow!

Happy Birthday Lauren N

Marketing in the NHL

A friend noticed that the Dallas Stars have a new billboard marketing campaign.

And... the next time the NHL talks about "cleaning up the game," we'll know they really mean it this time:

Canada Leads 4-0 In Super Series

So far, there has been little notice of theJunior Summit Series played between the junior aged players from Canada and Russia. The first four games have already been played in Russia and Canada won all four by a combined score of 17-6.

This week, they return to Canada for the final four games in what looks like a blowout. This series is helping to overplay and possibly burnout junior aged players before they have even entered the NHL and very little interest is paid on it. It appears to be a foregone conclusion who will win before the first game in Canada is played.

The Russian hockey system is currently in disrepair. The somewhat unstable political system has let it fall apart. The Russian system still produces some incredibly talented kids in Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin, but most of the rest of the talent is getting lost in a leaky pipeline. They have not been much of a match for the Canadian kids. It has been made worse due to Russian injuries to top prospects Alexei Cherepanov and Artem Anisomov, who are some of the more talented scorers on the Russian roster.

Wondering What Happened to Pavel Bure?

A few years ago Pavel Bure shent on the Rangers' injured reserve list and then disappeared off the face of the planet. Well he has reappeared - in court.

A Russian court has awarded former Bure 67,000 rubles (C$2,750) in a lawsuit he filed against British Airways after being forced to leave a plane.

Bure filed the suit after he was told to leave a plane at Moscow's Domodedovo airport that was preparing to fly to London in October. The suit said the pilot believed he was a soccer hooligan and refused to take off until Bure left the plane.

The incident occurred a day after Russian soccer hooligans disrupted another flight to Britain, reports said.

Bure filed a suit seeking 20 million rubles (C$822,000) in material and moral damages. The ITAR-Tass news agency quoted his lawyer, Dmitry Ragulin, as saying he would appeal to a higher court to have the award increased.