Formerly published in The Other Press. Apr. 9 2013

NHL’s lacklustre trade deadline

By Elliot Chan, Staff Writer

“I’m proud to be a Vancouver Canuck,” were Roberto Luongo’s words after the trade deadline on April 3. “I love it here and I love my teammates. I would love nothing better than to win a Stanley Cup here.”

There was no way for Canucks general manager, Mike Gillis to give a discount for one of the top goalies in the league, even if he is currently a backup. Early in the season, rumors about Toronto and Florida’s interest for the Canucks’ goalie surfaced, but Gillis refused to consider his team as one selling away players. Luongo is the ace in Gillis’ hand, and it would be a shame if he simply folded. “It was tough to make trades today,” Gillis tweeted moments after the deadline.

The Canucks managed to make one significant move, adding 29-year-old centre Derek Roy from the Dallas Stars for young prospect and former Vancouver Giant Kevin Connauton. Roy should be able to give a solid contribution on the third-line when Ryan Kesler returns from his injury.

Elsewhere, trade deadline day was anti-climactic, since Jarome Iginla was shipped out of Calgary to Pittsburgh earlier in the week. The New York Rangers were busy prior to the deadline landing highly-touted forward Ryane Clowe from the San Jose Sharks. Clowe is full of intangible talent that any playoff team could use in the playoffs. The Rangers also dealt Marian Gaborik to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Since grabbing Rick Nash from the Blue Jackets in the summer, the Rangers have been going through a revolving door of forwards. Perhaps they finally have the championship team they were looking for, but with a constant flux, the Rangers should be wary of their team chemistry.

The Boston Bruins also made a move, picking up veteran forward Jaromir Jagr from the rebuilding Dallas Stars. Jagr has been trade bait for many years and for good reason. Not only does he have more experience than any other play in the NHL, he was also the scoring point leader for the Stars. The Stars are in a clear rebuilding state since trading away captain Brendan Morrow to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Another rebuilding team who lost their long time captain are the Calgary Flames, who many expected were also going to trade goaltender Mikka Kiprusoff or defensemen Jay Bouwmeester. Turns out it was the defensemen that had to go. St. Louis Blues acquired Bouwmeester for draft picks, a defenseman, and a prospect goaltender.

The teams vying for the championships also turned out their pockets on trade deadline day. The Anaheim Ducks snatched up speedy winger Matthew Lombardi from the Phoenix Coyotes while the Chicago Blackhawks added to their offensive depth with Michal Handzus from the San Jose Sharks. And the Minnesota Wilds, a team sliding under the radar, picked up Buffalo Sabres’ captain, Jason Pominville.

The theme this year is team captains jumping ships for a chance to win the Stanley Cup. Although fans usually feel the heartbreak, players understand that deadline day is all business.

“I wish we had more success over the past few years,” said Iginla, as he reminisced about his time in Calgary. “I know it wasn’t lack of effort from the organization.”

Often torn between loyalty and regret, team captains have to step down as the face of an organization to win the cup. The worst thing that can happen is for a player to over stay their welcome. All eyes are on Gillis, wondering what status Luongo will be in next season.

Formerly published in The Other Press. Apr. 3 2013

NHL plans to reduce size of goalie pads

By Elliot Chan, Staff Writer

On March 20, NHL general managers gathered in Toronto for the annual spring meeting. With discussions aimed at improving the game, plenty was on the agenda. But a key topic was about the shrinkage in goalie pads. For the past decade, executives in charge of the sport have been avidly trying to increase the hockey entertainment—in other words, they want to produce more goals.

Since the days of Tony Esposito and Patrick Roy, goaltenders have adapted a new form in stopping pucks, thus changing the equipment. Goalie gears are currently built to give players an advantage when they go into the butterfly position. Dropping down to their knees, goalies are able to cover up their five-hole with the help of their pads, which takes up 55 per cent of the space between the knees to the pelvis. The present debate is to decrease 10 per cent of the space, which is approximately the size of a hockey puck. While some managers are tired of arguing the topic, others believe it is unavoidable if NHL wants to increase goals and heighten entertainment.

“When we’ve done it in the past, you’ve got to make sure we don’t expose goaltenders to injury,” said Colin Campbell, the league’s senior executive vice-president of hockey operations. “They play now to their equipment and how their equipment is fitted. That’s what we want to attack. It’s a frustrating project, but it’s something that’s really affected the game the last 10 years.”

Hockey should be a showcase of athletic ability, so it is arguably cheating if a player has an upper hand because of their equipment. Former goalie and current goaltending supervisor, Kay Whitmore, suggested that safety was not a big factor, “I watch games every night,” he said. “You see goalies playing [with] well under what they are allowed. Some of our best goalies are playing in that size equipment and they’re playing safely.”

While some players choose smaller pads for flexibility in the stand-up position, others require heightened safety for their style of play. Winnipeg Jets’ goalie, Ondrej Pavelec believes that it is the different styles and options that make the game interesting. “How many times are they going to change the rules? I don’t think it’s that fair,” said Pavelec. “If you take something away from the goalies, you have to take something away from the players too. Okay, so we’re going to get small gear, we [should] give players wood sticks.”

Decreasing the size of pads might increase more goals, but many believe that fans are more interested in rivalries and competitiveness, rather than high scoring games. “I think it’s the speed, the skill, the passing. As long as the game is fast, I think it’ll be exciting,” said Chicago Blackhawks’ Corey Crawford. “Just because we get 10-8 hockey games doesn’t mean it’s going to be an exciting game.” He also added, “Shots keep getting harder, but for some reason, goalie equipment has to go down. Whatever. Whatever they do, just try to adjust to it.”

If fair is fair for Pavelec, Crawford, and other NHL goalies, then nothing will change. But until the day modern goaltenders go back to wearing those hotel pillows around their shins to stop pucks, few are going to have sympathy for them. So the debate continues and the new rule is developing and may be in effect as early as next year.

By Elliot Chan, Staff Writer

On Sunday, March 17, the Buffalo Sabres benched 26-year-old Patrick Kaleta after he served his five-game suspension. Irritated about being a healthy scratch and his team’s under achievement, Kaleta spoke with the media before the game against the Washington Capitals.

“They don’t need me right now, I guess. I’ve been pissed off watching for the past couple weeks,” said Kaleta. “No matter if you’re a fan or a player, you guys know what’s going on. You should be pissed off. You should play with a little piss and vinegar. You shouldn’t be happy. We’re not in position we want to be in. We have to work harder, come in, and do something about it.”

Ryan Miller, Buffalo’s goaltender, was not pleased by his teammate’s comments after losing 5–3. “That’s just drama and he needs to just grow up,” said Miller. “He doesn’t have to go to you guys and say that stuff. I’m addressing it now and I’ll go and talk to him about it. There’s no reason to say that.”

Dressing room conflicts are a common aspect of sports. But are peer disciplines helpful for team and player development? Miller is a well-respected leader, but when it comes down to it, he has no great superiority over Kaleta. They might as well be two co-workers in an office firm bickering over sales. Two wrongs don’t make a right. Although Kaleta should have sucked up his pride when benched, Miller should also know his role, which is to stop pucks, not authorize his teammates’ comments.

Relocation is an easier solution to resolution. If you’re not a good teammate, you’re a good opponent. Kaleta’s negative comments toward his teammates might have just bought him a trip out of Buffalo, but with the way things are looking, that might be exactly what he wanted.

The game is full of selfish players, but their dirty laundry doesn’t need to be aired out for the public to see. We don’t notice the problems occurring behind the scenes of our favourite restaurants, our local market, or even our classrooms. Not everyone reacts obediently to judgment and helpful criticism; sometimes those guiding actions can cause a defiant reaction.

On the same night as Miller and Kaleta’s war of words, Nashville Predators’ forward Sergei Kostitsyn lost control of a puck during a game against the Edmonton Oilers. The play caused an odd man rush heading the opposite direction, and instead of chasing after the opposition, Kostitsyn opted for a line change. The Nashville bench was livid with his indolence and he knew it. “I made a mistake. I went to change, I should have back-checked, but didn’t see the second guy was coming there,” said Kostitsyn after the 3–2 loss. “Even if it was a one-on-one, I should go back, it doesn’t matter if I was tired. I should have gone back and pressured him from behind.”

Hockey is a team sport, and it requires players to take onus of their own actions, whether it is on or off the ice. It might seem like a good strategy to point the finger and command someone to do better, but pointing out errors is counterproductive. Growth comes from communication and trust, and no team will fully develop by playing the blame game.