Am I the only one here who is watching this Province put doubt in one of the best players this franchise has had the pleasure of following?

Yes Luongo has not been himself since the Olympic break, looking less like an Olympic gold medalist and more like John Garrett between the pipes but he is still Roberto Luongo. I am sick of reading posts in forums and articles written about how Raycroft is putting up better numbers and should be starting.

Raycroft faces far less pressure than Luongo. Yes he is the best back up we’ve had in the Lu era but he isn’t Roberto. Look back to Lu’s first three seasons here, if he wasn’t the best player on the ice the chances of the Canucks coming out with the W were slim to none. With the emergence of the Sedins, Kesler, Burr, Samuelsson (the list goes on) this team can win when Luongo is just ok. Maybe he has got a little too comfortable being ok.

Is that a problem? I don’t have the answer to that.

I do know however that Roberto is one of the most passionate and emotional players in the league.

Aside from game 6 in the playoffs last year he has been outstanding to date in all playoff competition. I have no reason to believe that Lu will not be ready to lead this team in the playoffs.

This team will go as far as Luongo can carry them. As soon as he picks up his first win in the 2010 playoffs everyone will forget a couple weak goals against the spOilers.

Yesterday I had my first chance to take in one of the games. It was USA against Switzerland in preliminary men’s ice hockey and I was not disappointed.

ZAK PARISE

It was a different feeling than a typical NHL game.

You could sense the bulk of the crowd were not knowledgeable hockey fans, the jumbotron even explained the rules before puck drop. What you could tell however, was the passion that each and every fan in Canada Hockey Place brought to the table. Frequently throughout the game USA chants would begin, the crowd would chant GO SWISS. The two chants would trade off whenever a team would put on pressure and had Canada been involved it would have kicked the experience to a whole new level.

The passion of the game made it feel like the playoffs.

And to the game,

Everyone and their dog was aware that the Americans were the stronger team in this affair, it would have been a disappointment had they lost and it showed in the 3-1 victory. Some people really impressed me in the game though. It was my first opportunity to see Zach Parise live and I thought he looked great, this kid has loads of talent. I thought Ryan Suter and Erik Johnson looked alive on the back end and Ryan Miller was well Ryan Miller.

Being a Canucks fan at heart I found myself watching a lot of Kesler, he looked a little nervous and a little less like he knew where to be but I think he will find his niche and have a strong tournament. The thing about team USA is they have a team built unlike any other in the tournament. They have an NHL style team with every role filled. It is something we haven’t seen in this tournament and I think they could surprise a few people.

I was most impressed in the game by Mark Streit and Jonas Hiller. Streit was such a calming presence over the entire team, he kept his team in check and man is this guy smart with the puck on the point. He has a quick accurate shot and reminds me of a young Mathieau Schneider. Jonas Hiller is going to be up against it in this tournament but he looked great in this game, but that will make about as much difference as Mark Messier made to the Canucks playoff aspirations.

All in all it was exactly what I expected the Americans getting used to one another and the Swiss hanging in on and playing their hearts out.

Like I said team USA is built for the NHL so they won’t blow anyone out, but I love them in a close game.

I hope our boys come to play on Sunday.

*****

photo courtesy of cdn.nhl.com

When discussing the favorites to win a gold medal at winter games this year, the conversation usually creeps toward Team Canada and Team Russia. Mostly everything I’ve read has had them stacked up pretty even, but I think that a lot of experts are underrating the Russian defense.

Now I’m not saying it is as solid as the Canadians, or that it has near the star power. What the Russians have is a solid group that can move the puck up the ice quickly to a star studded forward group. A group that will man the point on the deadliest powerplay in the tournament; Markov, Gonchar, Ovechkin, Malkin and Kovalchuk looks to be scarier than Mike Ricci.

The Canadian D core is the best and the deepest in the tournament but it won’t sneak up on anyone.

The Russian defenseman however, suit the Russian game style perfectly. They might have the most mobile blueline in the tournament, which again will only give the forwards more options. The top pair of Markov and Gonchar stacks up against in the tournament, but it does get a little slim past that. They don’t exactly have the luxury of keeping a Dion Phanuef or even a Willie Mitchell off the roster but I still believe this group is over looked.

Tyutin, Zubov and Volchenkov round out the group solidly. Tyutin has cooled off a little lately but is still a top 4 NHL defenseman. Sergei Zubov is still – well Sergei Zubov – and Volchenkov is a mammoth hitter and is very sound defensively.

This is the kind of unit that can sneak up and surprise you, I think they will catch a few teams off guard with how quick they can be in transition. With the big guns up front, a goalie just as capable of getting hot as Broduer and Lu, and a defence that can move and get the puck up the ice quickly, this Russian team will be some kind of tough to beat.

Lets just hope our boys come ready to play.

*****

picture courtesy of hockeydraft.ca

Wednesday December 30th, a day most Canadian hockey fans have been looking forward to for a few years. Thirteen forwards, seven defenseman and three goalies will be lucky enough to wear red and represent our nation at the 2010 Olympic games and we all find out who they are today. I took the morning off, set the alarm, made a cup of coffee and got ready to watch.

As the introductions began I just couldn’t wait for the selections to be announced, every hockey Canada rep. giving their speech inching closer and closer to Stevie Y.

Now the beauty of being a Canadian hockey fan is the team is so deep that we could make 2-4 competitive Olympic teams.

This also means a lot of players and fans will be disappointed.

*****

To the team.

Goaltenders

It would be more ridiculous than George Parros without his moustache to think that Brodeur, Luongo and Fleury wouldn’t be the three goaltenders on this team. Heading into the season two other goaltenders were invited to the selection camp, Steve Mason and Cam Ward have played themselves out of consideration. Again no surprises here.

Defence

The way most of the analysts hammered things out heading in was that the top 5 of Niedermeyer, Weber, Pronger, Boyle and Keith were locks to make the team. That left 2 spots for Phanuef, Regher, J-bo, Seabrook, Doughty and Mike Green.

Steve Yzerman and Co. decided that Doughty and Seabrook would be the best choices to fill out the D and I can’t disagree with him. As a Canucks fan at heart, I don’t hate the fact that all three Flames hopefuls didn’t make the squad.

Seabrook has developed great chemistry with Duncan Keith, is from BC and is sound defensively. It is interesting to think of whether or not the smaller ice surface to be used at GM place impacted this decision. Had the tournament been set to play on a larger surface I think Mike Green would have gotten more consideration but the young

Drew Doughty is set to step in as the final defenseman and the youngest player on the team. I like the look of this group, a great mix of size, mobility and experience. Let’s just hope the powerplay doesn’t falter with the absence of Mike Green.

Offence

Now if you thought that there were a lot of defenseman in consideration to make the team it fails to compare to the amount of forwards left off this team. Team Canada has the most difficult team to choose and especially on home ice, the most pressure to win. Steve Yzerman and Co. look to have built a strong mix of forwards, with a ton of star power as expected. The biggest surprise to me was Patrice Bergeron, not that I don’t think he’s an excellent player but he wasn’t even talked about 6 months ago. He is a great penalty killer and has proven chemistry with Sid the kid. Let’s hope this was the right decision.

Either way, like most Canadians I am just going to wait and hope that Yzerman is the man for the job. This team looks solid and well balanced. I can’t wait to see them play. I like the choice of more role players that can score as oppose to pure offensive stars (Jason Spezza).

This is the group we’re taking.

Let’s hope it is the right one.

Just fourty-six days remain until the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games hosted this year in beautiful Vancouver. Just fourty-six days until we play host to the arguably the best hockey Vancouver has played host too. My name is Drew Baird, I’m 22 years old and that is about how long I’ve  lived in BC for. I’ve been presented the tremendous opportunity to work at a restaurant in the Olympic Athletes Village during the games.

With such little time left until the games I’d like to weigh in on a few things.

A big question mark still not answered is who should captain team Canada. Now being able to debate with so many potential candidates is quite the luxury to have. It isn’t like we have to debate who shows more leadership Christian Ehrhoff or Jochen Hecht like the Germans. Some people say Jarome Iginla is next in line to lead this team, others say Sid the kid. From the back end Scott Niedermeyer is a stand out candidate as well. These guys have all at the very least captained a team to the Stanley Cup final and would definitely garner the respect of the boys in the room.

I think the best option for this team is Scott Niedermeyer. Scott is the player on this team with the most big game experience as well as the most experience playing on international ice. He has been the captain of two different teams (NJ and Anaheim) and is the most veteran player set to make this team.

Sidney Crosby is the face of the game today. He is the youngest player to be named captain and captain a championship team winning the cup in just his third season.

However, he is still only 22. Sidney will have plenty of opportunity to lead Team Canada throughout his promising looking career, this year is just a bit too soon. He will be one of the younger players on the team, and it will be important for everyone to listen when the captain speaks.

Jarome Iginla is another name tossed around like Mike Sillinger. He has a great shot not just with the puck but at leading this team. He is an absolute force and a do it all forward with a toughness element. Something a few of the forwards on this team will lack. If Scott leads the back Jarome should lead the charge up front. He was one of the teams’ strongest performers in 02 potting 3 big goals in 6 games and learning from the great Burnaby Joe. Although he lead the Flames to the Stanley cup finals on one occasion, it is pretty easy to see Scott Niedermeyer is the option with more experience both internationally and professionally.

Scott Nidermeyer knows what it takes to win and has demonstrated it at every level. He has the experience of losing the big game (96 world cup, 06 olympics) and celebrating the success of winning a championship (He is the only player in history to ever take home every major North American and international hockey title.). He understands the role of being a captain and getting the most out of his players. When he talks I mean who isn’t going to listen to the future Hall of Fame member.

When all is said and done Scott Niedermeyer is the best leader this nation has to offer, no questions asked.

*****

photo courtesy of blogues.cyberpresse.ca

Union Bay Market

At 17, Kolzig joined his family in B.C., playing for Abbotsford and New Westminster in the BCJHL and WHL before finding a home with the Tri-City Americans the next season.

Though Kölzig was born in South Africa, he grew up in several cities across Canada and his family moved to Union Bay, British Columbia, when he was a teenager.

Post

Just got off the phone with Nashville general manager David Poile, and one of the topics we discussed was the retirement of Olie Kolzig. Before joining the Predators, Poile was GM of the Caps for 15 seasons and he the man who drafted Kolzig in the first round of the 1989 draft.

“It is the only time I remember a team taking goalies with their first two picks, and it certainly worked out,” said Poile, who pegged Kolzig and Byron Dafoe with the 19th and 35th selections. “Both guys became very good NHL goaltenders.”

Kolzig re-wrote the Caps record book for netminders and is clearly one of the defining players and personalities in the franchise’s nearly four decades of exsistence.

“The thing I will always remember about Olie was his intensity and fire,” Poile said. “I think he could have played forward with his competitiveness and desire. I almost wish goalies got into more fights, because I think he would have been really good at it.”

Kolzig had said when he was still with the Caps that he planned on moving to Washington (the state) permanently once he retired. He is a co-owner of the Tri-City Americans in the WHL, and he intended to take a more active role with the club.

But he has also raved about his time in Tampa. His family has adjusted well to living there, and his son Carson has particularly taken to the school he attends and the weather. Wherever his family ultimately ends up, expect Kolzig to still have some role in hockey.

And everyone can officially start counting down to “Olie the Goalie” Night at Verizon Center when his No. 37 sweater will be placed in the rafters.

“Having a good goalie for a long time is a great thing and brings so much stability to your club,” Poile said. “He was a big reason why the Caps were able to stay good for so many years.”

*****

Axel Kolzig watched his son win his 20th game of the season earlier in the evening on television and turned on his computer to read about his son’s victory on the Internet. His wife, Renata, discovered him shortly thereafter.

*****

“Minnesota forward Jordan Schroeder says all the speculation about his departure from the Golden Gophers is false.

In a rare response to Internet rumors that he was planning to leave Minnesota, Schroeder committed his future to the team.

‘I am fully committed to this team and university,’ Schroeder said in a statement released by the school…. ‘I have no intention of leaving college early to play pro hockey.’

Schroeder was a first-round draft pick by the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks last season, following a stellar freshman campaign for the Gophers. He posted 13 goals and 45 points in claiming the WCHA’s top rookie honors.

Speculation on his future lingered through the summer, and even after he returned for his sophomore year.

‘It is unfortunate that these rumors continue to come out and I have no idea where they begin,’ Schroeder said. ‘I think it’s important for me to publicly state that I am going nowhere. I am dedicated to this team and plan to help us reach our goals for the remainder of this season and future years.’

link

“If I was a conspiracy buff,” wrote Roman Augustoviz of the Star Tribune,  ”I might suspect that somone was trying to sabotage the U’s recruiting efforts with this gossip.”

The Schroeder rumour – it would appear – is following in the wake of a defection plus another rumour. Sophomore defenseman Sam Lofquist told coach Don Lucia that he was leaving the team to play with the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League.

And then there was the Aaron Ness rumor – that he would be transferring to North Dakota, where his father went to school.

*****

photo courtesy of nahl.com

“…the debate rages on about blows to the head and respect among players.

It is most-heard in the NHL, but is most probably a bigger problem in the AHL, where one referee cannot see everything and young, brash players are willing to do just about anything to make the big time.”

The preceding was written by Winnipeg Free Press columnist Tim Campbell:

It would seem that the NHL will be losing their prospects if they don’t push for the AHL to enforce their rules.

]]> http://crashingthegoalie.com/2009/11/11/head-hits-in-the-ahl/feed/ 0 http://crashingthegoalie.com/2009/11/01/avs-bench-boss-joe-sacco/ http://crashingthegoalie.com/2009/11/01/avs-bench-boss-joe-sacco/#comments Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:53:15 +0000 Ron http://crashingthegoalie.com/?p=13105 by Ron Spence

The Canucks were playing a depleted Avalanche team last season – a squad of mostly AHL callups – and I couldn’t get over their great positional play.

So, I looked up their minor league coach – Joe Sacco of the Lake Eerie Monsters.

He is – of course – Colorado’s new coach this season, and the Avs are 10 wins versus 2 losses, and 2 ties.

This puts them tied with Pittsburgh with 22 points overall – and the Pens have played in 3 more games.

A lot of the credit has to go to Sacco.

What’s his coaching style – I wondered?

*****

Medford, Mass. writer Christopher Hurley talked to Sacco last February.

“The sport of hockey has always been in Joe Sacco’s blood.

From his early days playing at Medford High School to his years in the National Hockey League, the former Mustang legend has always been an avid student of the game.

Today, the student has turned teacher.

Sacco enters his second year as head coach of the American Hockey League’s Lake Erie Monsters, the minor league affiliate of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. Making the move from player to coach has been an interesting transition for the Medford native.

“It’s certainly not the same,” said Sacco, 40….

“It’s been trying and it’s been challenging, but I really enjoy it. I’ve had a passion for the game ever since I was a player and it’s funny how its worked out. I never envisioned myself becoming a coach, but it just kind of worked out that way.”

Originally drafted by Toronto Maple Leafs in the fourth round (71st overall) of the 1987 NHL Entry Draft, Sacco enjoyed a 13-year NHL career playing for five different teams including the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, New York Islanders, Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers. He scored 94 goals and 213 points in 738 NHL games, before hanging up the skates following the 2002-03 season.

Sacco began the next phase of his hockey career serving as an assistant coach for the Lowell Lock Monsters in 2004-05. When the franchise relocated to Cleveland the following year, Sacco was appointed head coach May 7, 2007.

Since that time, he’s taken a proactive role in shaping NHL stars of the future.

“I enjoy working with young players trying to help them further their career and trying to show them what it takes to be a good consistent pro,” said Sacco. “For a lot of them that’s that biggest thing, is learning what it takes, all the little things that goes along with being a professional.

“At the same time, I feel like at times it gets frustrating, because we haven’t had a winning season,” added Sacco…. “Obviously, I take responsibility for that, but at the same time we are here to develop young players.”

Sacco and his staff have done just that.

Over the last two years, the Monsters have sent a handful of their top players up to Colorado. Forwards T.J. Hensick, Chris Stewart, Brian Willsie and defenseman Kyle Cumiskey, have played so well that the parent club opted to keep them. While its been gratifying to see those players graduate to the next level, it’s also been challenging for the club to fill those holes.

According to Sacco, that just goes with the territory.

“That’s the nature of the beast in this league,” Sacco said. “Every team goes through that. Any time you have young players getting called up it’s rewarding not only for them obviously but for coaches. It’s nice to see those guys go up and get an opportunity and be able to contribute to the NHL team. At the end of the day, that’s why we’re here, but I’ve always said it’s always nicer to develop players in a winning atmosphere and that’s why we try to win. But we’ve had some good success with players going up to Colorado and being able to step in and contribute.”

According to Lake Erie General Manager David Oliver, Sacco has brought a lot of intangibles into the organization.

“Joe brings a lot of fire, a lot of passion, a lot of what made him a consistent NHL player,” said Oliver. “Those are the kind of traits we’d like to rub off on our young guys that are coming up through the pipeline.”

Sacco’s lengthy playing career coupled with his keen insight into the game has been very beneficial for the organization.

“I think it’s huge,” said Oliver. “There is an instant respect factor when you’ve got somebody that’s been there, done that, trying to help show you the light, show you the way. At the same time, he’s demanding. He’s a demanding coach and I think the players have a lot of respect for that. It’s been a nice fit.”

[Lake Eerie's] road trip hit a speed bump in Manchester, as Lake Erie blew a 2-0 lead to ultimately fall to Manchester, 6-2.

“We’re running into a tough stretch here right now,” said Sacco. “The last 3-4 games have been somewhat of a disappointment for us. Our special teams is hurting us right now, our inability to kill penalties and our inability to generate chances on our power play right now, it’s probably been the difference.

“We’re a young team, we make young mistakes,” he added. “At times and we were in that game all the way up until 3-2 even thought they were probably out chancing us. Our goaltender gave us a chance up until the end than then we got a little sloppy at the end of the game.”

…Sacco remains optimistic.

“We just have to keep working,” he said. “When you get into a slump you have to work your way out of it. There is no easy answers, just hard work. It’s like anything else in life. When you go through a struggle the easiest way to get out of it is hard work. You’ve got prepare yourself and stay focused. We’ll be okay we’ve just got to try to make sure we keep the guys spirits up and not let them get too down.”

And with Sacco leading the way it should be only a matter of time before Lake Erie starts posting Monster numbers.

by Skip Hall

“Joe Sacco did not need to wait long for his first NHL coaching opportunity.

Sacco, a pro head coach for just two seasons — both with the AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters — was hired…to lead the Colorado Avalanche. His assistant in Cleveland, Sylvain Lefebvre, joins him on the bench.

Sacco, 40, replaces Tony Granato….

The Monsters are Colorado’s top affiliate.

The Avalanche is coming off its worst season since moving to Denver in 1995.

“The American Hockey League has proven to be a valuable training ground for NHL head coaches and we’re confident that Joe’s experience at that level will be vital to his success with our organization at the NHL level,” Colorado’s new GM Sherman said. “Our franchise has gone that route very successfully in the past.”

Sacco, who played 738 games in a 13-year NHL career, has been a coach in the Colorado system for four seasons, all in the AHL. He was an assistant for the Lowell Lock Monsters and Albany River Rats before being named head coach of the expansion Monsters.

Lake Erie went 26-41-6-7 in 2007-2008. It improved to 34-38-3-5 last season despite a roster in constant flux because of injuries and call-ups.

“Lake Erie was a great steppingstone for me,” Sacco said. “I didn’t see this happening as quickly as it has, but I think the way I went through the process helped. Being an assistant coach in the AHL, then a head coach, has prepared me for the next step. I am ready for the challenge.”

After last season, Sacco was named an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2009 IIHF Men’s World Championship in Switzerland.

Lefebvre, 41, was Sacco’s assistant the past two seasons. Lefebvre played in 945 NHL games over 14 seasons and was a defenseman on the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup championship team in 1996.

“These two coaches have been at the front lines of this organization’s development efforts over the last few seasons,” Sherman said. “Joe and Sylvain are familiar with our personnel, especially our young players within the system, and each played a role in implementing the organization’s vision with these players.”

“Benn, who grew up playing hockey and baseball on the Saanich Peninsula,” wrote Cleve Dheensaw, “was just a fifth-round draft selection taken 129th overall in 2007 out of the Victoria Grizzlies of the B.C. Hockey League. Now only 20 years old and not far removed from the Junior ‘B’ Peninsula Panthers, his ascension has been as meteoric as it has been surprising.

In a Canadian junior hockey system simply not designed for the burgeoning number of undrafted or lower-rounds late bloomers now signing pro contracts, Benn went from five-foot-seven in Junior ‘B’ with the Panthers to his current six-foot-two.

“My dad told me to keep working hard and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it,” Benn said recently.

“I wasn’t the tallest guy back in the day. But I kept going with it and it paid off.”

*****

When Dallas Stars rookie Jamie Benn of Victoria scored his dramatic first NHL goal Sunday night at GM Place, with one minute and 33 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the Vancouver Canucks 3-3, mother Heather Benn admitted the family contingent in the stands “forgot where we were.”

After jumping, clapping and hollering, the Benn supporters sat down to find the rest of the building silent and those around them staring.

“But we could hear and see patches of Jamie’s supporters — old high school buddies [from Stelly's Secondary] — in other sections of the arena,” beamed Heather Benn.

About the only time Island hockey fans turn against the Canucks is when one of their own comes into GM Place. That’s when the enemy becomes the home side.

“We were talking before the game about how incredible it would be if Jamie could score his first NHL goal in his home province in front of his family and friends,” said Heather Benn.

“He was coming close and you could see it building. And when it happened, it was simply unbelievable.”

Some of Benn’s nearly 100 family and friends from the Island pressed up to the glass during warm-ups holding signs welcoming the Stars’ prize rookie discovery to his home province.

The six-foot-two left-winger, who has a goal and two assists in his first four NHL games, couldn’t help but notice.

“During the warm-up, they were banging on the end glass,” Benn told reporters, after the game won 4-3 by the Canucks in a shoot-out.

“I tried not to look up so I wouldn’t start laughing but it’s great that I have the support like that. It means a lot. I had a lot of friends and family here so it was a good time to get the goal, too. It meant a lot to me. It took me four games to get it but hopefully I’ll start rolling from here.”

Many of those buddies were the ones Benn played street hockey with in no-holds-barred games that would last deep into the evenings on a Central Saanich neighbour’s tennis court.

It may be in the genes. Dad Randy Benn of Victoria was an outstanding softball player who represented Canada, winning gold medals at the 1976 world championships in New Zealand and 1979 Pan American Games in Puerto Rico. Jamie’s older brother and blueliner Jordie Benn is also a pro hockey player in the Stars system with the Allen, Texas, Americans of the Central League after skating his rookie campaign last season with the Victoria Salmon Kings of the ECHL under AHL contract with the Manitoba Moose.

“Jamie has always had natural ability in any sport he tried,” said Heather Benn. “But he’s never had any big jumps. It’s always been step by step.”

Only after proving himself with the Junior ‘A’ Grizzlies did get Benn get an offer from the Kelowna Rockets of the major-junior WHL, which led to 2009 world junior gold with Canada and now the NHL.

“Those progressive steps were why we thought a year in the AHL would be good for Jamie and better in the long term,” noted mom Heather.

“But, of course, Jamie wanted to make it right from the start.”

So far, that’s exactly what he’s doing.