All the right words, spoken at just the right time. Ian White may have Dion Phaneuf’s shot but he certainly doesn’t have his gift of gab. And for the Calgary Flames, that’s an important distinction.

The Stampede City side may have saved some face by signing their #1 defenseman to a contract moments before the young rearguard was to placed on the arbitration grill, but the maneuver still raised numerous questions about the tactics used and the motivation behind them.

More than few eyebrows were raised when general manager Darryl Sutter offered White a contract that provided the blueliner with only a slight increase in wages. While everyone realized it was nothing more than a token offer submitted merely to cover the paper trail that guaranteed the club would retain negotiating rights the with restricted free agent, it also seemed to suggest the Flames weren’t willing to commit long term to hard-shooting defender.

Why would a club take such serious measures to bring one their prized commodities to the brink of the brutal and then just as confusingly do an about face and give the guy a $2,999,999 deal? One can imagine the monosyllabic Sutter declaring the offer to be final with what for him would seem like a virtual verbal onslaught, “and not one penny more. We’re not giving you the 3 million you wanted.”

Make no mistake – Ian White will never make fans in and around the Saddledome forget Dion Phaneuf. He doesn’t have that type of overzealous swagger, overstated bravado or punishing physical tools. He may match him on the radar gun but he can’t duplicate the intangibles Phaneuf brought to the table. White is a serviceable, capable blueliner with above average offensive skills and a deft dedication to his craft.

He also keeps his mouth shut. Even though he was virtually insulted by the low-balling Flames, White didn’t belly up to the blog bar and begin dispensing diatribes about his new employers. He allowed his negotiating team to do their work and in the end has (nearly) three million reasons to be thankful his valor overcame his vigor.

An official press conference announcing the Canadian version of the NHL’s 2011 Heritage Classic was held in Calgary on Wednesday, August 4, providing the final details of the Calgary Flames outdoor clash with down-east rivals, the Montreal Canadiens.

The match will be held at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium, home of the Stampeders, on February 20, 2011. By the time the puck is dropped, the Flames-Habs tilt will be the sixth outdoor tussle sanctioned by the league and the second to be scheduled during the 2010-11 season. On January 1, 2011, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals will celebrate the New Year with a cold air battle at Heinz Field, home turf of the National League’s Pittsburgh Pirates.

Calgary defenseman Steve Staios modeled the official jersey the club will wear for the affair, a stylistic combination that honors the familiarity of the current Flames logo and the heritage of the Calgary Tigers, the first professional team to play in the Stampeded City. The Tigers were an integral part of Western Canada Hockey League – a professional loop that challenged for the Stanley Cup from 1921 to 1926.

Mervyn “Red” Dutton, an honored member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and a former President of the National Hockey League, wore the Tigers colors for all five seasons that the Tigers competed for Lord Stanley’s ceremonial beaker. A World War I veteran who was wounded at Vimy Ridge, Dutton is buried in Calgary.

Herb Gardiner and Harry Oliver, who are also members of the Hockey Hall of Fame, both played with the Calgary Tigers in the teams final season in the WHL before the league folded.

I vividly recall receiving my first watch. The year was 1920, and I was ten years old.

After returning home from Mass one Sunday morning, my older brother Harry gave me his watch. He offered no explanation for this timely presentation and I didn’t request one. But, given the circumstances, I often wondered – was it atonement for a committed sin?

I cannot recall the name of the watch but it was a popular brand of that time, an Elgin or a Watham, perhaps? It dangled loosely around my slim limb and still felt like an old friend.

I was the envy of all the boys at St. Joseph’s Preparatory School. How many ten-year old boys owned a watch? I was in Seventh Heaven years before a famous four-star silent movie of the same name lit up the silver screen.

It had its own peculiar characteristics. When I wound it, the turning of the stem sounded like a steamer on the Miramichi River weighing anchor. And the cadence of its resounding tick – tick – tick – announced my presence long before my profile appeared.

Perhaps timepieces are merely metaphors for life. Like us, they have a limited shelf life and although you can adjust the balance wheel, oil the gear train, protect the bezel, crown and dial – even replace the main spring – they will ultimately run their course. And though no blood may show, some tears may flow. Like remembrances of an era, long ago.

Remember the arrival. Respect the departure.

Finia

Leslie J. Duplacey
06/25/1910 – 07/23/2003

“When I spoke with Olli today, he was thrilled at the thought of returning to Calgary” - Darryl Sutter

Olli Jokenen has 6 million reasons to be thrilled.

There’s a trend here. An unsettling one at that.

First, Darryl Sutter uses two of his limited draft resources to select a Reinhart and a Ramage – the sons of two former  Flames. Nothing wrong with that. The draft is a crap shoot anyway, especially when you don’t begin rolling the dice until the 63rd toss of the bones.

Next, he uses most of his free agent budget re-signing two former Flames who were unceremoniously shoved through the door and both sides had strong comments and opinions about the situation. That’s alarming.

It’s a case of been here. Been done here. Be done here again.

This is simply not very funny. Oh, the jokes have started. You’ve probably heard them already. Theo Fleury is coming out of retirement – again, followed by Jim Peplinski, Oleg Saprykin and Martin Gelinas. In fact, any and all former Flames with a heartbeat and an agent are expected to re-sign with the team.

The Calgary Flames, a team that has exactly zero post-season series victories since their exaggerated Stanley Cup run in 2004, have become the laughing stock of the NHL by re-signing Olli Jokinen. Talking heads from coast-to-coast are roasting the team and the city with remarks that – politely put – are dripping with sarcastic symbolism.

The less-than-flashy Finn was an underachieving forward whose brief tenure with the club was marked by mediocrity and sealed with bitterness and acrimony.

In a move that has shocked the sporting fraternity in around the Stampede City, the Flames have brought back Jokinen with a two-year, $6 million deal that is as puzzling as it is confusing. The monosyllabic Darryl Sutter, who rarely uses two words when one will suffice, has remained mute on his reasoning for making such an odd maneuver but even the most optimistic Flame follower cannot be confident in the mental stability of the front office.

According to reports, Sutter and the Flames were anxious to sign Jokinen and were the first team to contact him. It’s been suggested that Sutter explained to him and his agent that he was wanted by the coaching staff, the players and the ownership. The fans may have a different opinion.

For a team that has failed to win a playoff series in six years and didn’t even earn a ticket to the post-season dance last year, the failure to address the team’s most obvious shortcomings – a front line center, a scoring forward and a dependable back-up goaltender – is alarming.

As such, we have to trust that Mr. Sutter knows what he is doing, even if the evidence suggests otherwise.

Riddle me this. How can a 25-year old forward who had a productive 14-goal, 32-point season and proved, on occasion, that he could be a formidable force on the ice not be worthy of fitting into the future plans for his employer? How can a 14-goal player not even be worthy enough to be dangled as trade bait?

That is the question on the minds of many Calgary Flame fans this morning when it was revealed the club had placed Nigel Dawes on waivers with the intent of buying out his contract, scheduled to cost the team less than a million dollars next season.

It’s true that Dawes scored only one goal in the final eight games of the season – games that determined the club’s post-season fate – but if that were the criteria used as a deciding factor in keeping or releasing, half the Flames club would be facing the exit sign. He was defensively responsible and made contributions on the powerplay. However with only 18 penalty minutes and a reputation for being reluctant to drop the mitts, he failed to hit the radar on the rugged registry.

Maybe it’s just me, but I would have thought a player still in his developing years with two 14-goal NHL seasons on his resume would be considered a bargain at $850,000 a season. If no team claims him and he fails to generate interest as an unrestricted free agent, there is obviously more to the story than the statistics on the score sheet

Instead of retaining Dawes, Calgary was signed free agent Alex Tanguay to a $1.7 million deal with a no trade clause tacked on in case Sutter gets a case of the shakes and unloads half the team like he did last season.

Tanguay is still a talented playmaker who delivers the puck with precision and enjoyed his finest moments as a NHL professional while wearing the flaming “C” on his chest. If he can get the puck to Jarome Iginla and generate offense, this is a signing that will prove beneficial to both sides.

In a minor move, Calgary nabbed forward Logan MacMillan as well as a contingent 7th round draft choice in 2013 form the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Jason Jaffray and a contingent 7th round draft choice in 2013.

Before the annual NHL tradition of overspending on free agents begins in earnest on July 1, the Calgary Flames have to take care of the business of balancing the budget, setting responsible financial goals and deciding which restricted free agents fit into their future plans.

The Flames have already tied the can to Ales Kotalik, placing the underachieving forward on waivers with the intent of buying out his contract – which still has a whopping $6 million remaining. The club has already informed Vesa Toskala that he will not be tendered a contract offer for the 2010-11 season.

As of this writing, the team has $7.25 million in cap space – on a projected NHL salary cap ceiling of $59.4 million. If the club does the expected and buys out Kotalk – still not a guarantee considering the hefty amount still owed – the team has $10 million and change to play with.

Before we analyze what free agents the team may attempt to sign, let’s examine the eight restricted free agents still on the roster.

Ian White – The team enters the 2010-11 season with six of their seven main defensemen signed, sealed and delivered. Ian White, the blue chip backliner acquired in the Dion Phaneuf deal, is the most important restricted commodity, despite the disappointing numbers (four goals, 12 points in 27 games) he achieved with the club. Calgary has made a qualifying offer of $997,500, an extremely slim raise that is expected to be rejected by the White camp. White is the only restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

Henrik Karlsson – The newest member of the Flames organization, goaltender Karlsson was expected to join Dynamo Riga of the KHL but it appears he was signed in name only. The Sharks surrendered him for a 163rd selection in the 2010 draft so it’s unwise to expect him to be the second coming of Pelle Lindbergh. He was qualified on Monday.

Matt Pelech – Pelech spent the 2009-10 season with Abbostsford collecting 10 points in 42 games. He was qualified on Monday.

Gord Baldwin- The hulking blueliner spent the 2009-10 season with Abbotsford, registering four goals and 24 points in 67 games. He was qualified on Monday.

Brad Cole – Signed as a free agent in 2007, he was not tendered a contract for the 2010-11 season.

Brett Sutter – The Flames remain hopeful the junior Sutter will develop into a useful third line player. He went pointless in 10 games with the NHL club in 2009-10 but did have a productive and inspiring playoff with Abbotsford, notching 11 points in 13 post-season games. He was qualified on Monday.

Kris Chucko – Sidelined for most of the 2009-10 campaign with a concussion suffered in a december game against the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, Chucko is still on the Flames radar. He was qualified on Monday.

J.D. Watt – The pugnacious forward spent the spent the 2009-10 season with Abbotsford, registering eight goals and 267 penalty minutes. His toughness is still appealing to Calgary and he was qualified on Monday.

Matt Keetley – Although he hasn’t made an NHL appearance since 2007-08 and split the 2009-10 season between Abbotsford and Victoria of the ECHL, the Flames remain committed to his development. He was qualified on Monday.

The Calgary Flames completed their 2010 NHL Entry Draft tour of duty with three selections in the final three rounds of the draft and a nifty trade with San Jose that may deliver some much-needed support between the pipes.

With the 108th selection – a pick acquired from the Nashville Predators in the deal that sent Dustin Boyd to Music City, the Flames chose Bill Arnold, a graduate of the US development program who has signed a letter of commitment to attend Boston College.

A 6’, 218-lbs. center who spent the 2009-10 season with the US Under-17 team, Arnold registered 23 points and +15 rating on the plus/minus ladder in 26 games. He has size and strength and a propensity for scoring goals in the dirty areas of the ice. What he lacks in speed and finesse he makes up for with grit and grime.

With their first selection in the fifth round of the annual talent hunt, the Flames plucked left-winger Michael Ferland off the roster of the Brandon Wheat Kings. A standout midget prospect with the Brandon AAA Wheat Kings, Ferland collected 28 points in 61 games with the WHL Wheat Kings during the 2009-10 campaign.

A feisty, competitive winger with a nose for the net and a willingness to drop the mitts and exchange fistic greetings, Ferland is defensively responsible forward with potential and purpose.

Since the club has already informed Vesa Toskala that he is not in their plans for the future and the competitive status of Leland Irving still very much in question, the Flames traded their first pick in the sixth round (163rd overall) to San Jose for goaltender Henrik Karlsson.

An undrafted free agent who was expected to spend the 2010-11 season with Dynamo Riga of the KHL, Karlsson spent the 2009-10 season with Farjestad of the Swedish Elite League, compiling a 2.45 goals-against-average and an a lofty .914 save percentage. He’s a veteran netminder with size (6’5”) and experience (ten years of service in Sweden). The contract situation with Riga will pose some problems.

Calgary used their last pick in the draft (193rd overall) to select Patrick Holland, a right winger from Lethbridge, Alberta who spent the 2009-10 campaign with the Tri-City Americans. Slight in size but swift on his skates, Holland had a productive rookie season in the WHL, notching 16 goals and 36 points in 59 games, adding another 10 points in the playoffs. This kid could surprise.

Once again, the Calgary Flames chose pedigree over perspective and selected Kootenay Ice center Maxwell Reinhart with their first pick (64th overall) in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. The son of former Flame defenseman Paul Reinhart, Maxwell was ranked as the 179th in the NHL’s mid-term analysis of prospects and made considerable strides to climb the ladder to make the top-75 in the rankings.

The Vancouver, BC native collected 21 goals and 51 points with the Ice during the 2009-10 campaign, a 24-point improvement on the 27 points he registered as a WHL freshman in 2008-09.

There will be considerable debate among Flame fanatics as to the quality of this selection since other established names, such as Jordan Weal and Kirill Kabanov were still available. However, all reports suggest that Reinhart is a capable playmaker and a relentless worker who has shown improvement in every season he has played and has a solid understanding of the game, even if his physical skills haven’t been the equal to his mental strength.

Obviously satisfied with the wares the Ice have to offer, the Flames decided to stay within that organization and selected Wadena, Saskatchewan defenseman Joey Leach.

A rugged, defensively-responsible blueliner who can toss the mitts and show some grit, he collected 26 points and 77 penalty minutes in his first full season in the WHL in 2009-10 while compiling an impressive +33 on the plus/minus ledger.

With their first selection in the fourth round (103rd overall), the Flames nabbed continued to keep it all in the family, nabbing defenseman John Ramage, son of former NHL blueliner Rob Ramage.

A graduate of the US-Under 18 development program, the junior Ramage spent the 2009-10 season with the University of Wisconsin, collecting 12 points in 41 games, impressive statistics for a freshman defender.

The Hockey Hall of Fame opened its doors to one of Calgary and Alberta’s most esteemed citizens and benevolent philanthropists when Darryl Kenneth “Doc” Seaman was awarded with an honored berth in the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Builders category. Mr. Seaman, who passed away in 2009 at the age of 86, touched many lives during his life as a decorated war veteran, sports enthusiast, engineer, oilman and rancher.

Mr. Seaman was instrumental in establishing and maintaining the Calgary Flames franchise, serving as one of the original six owners who purchased and relocated the Atlanta Flames from the Big Peach to the Stampede City. He was also played an influential role in bringing the 1988 Winter Olympic Games to the Canadian prairie and was a founding Governor of the Hockey Canada Foundation.

As prominent as Doc was on the playing field and in the front office, he was even more inspiring as a charitable caregiver and tireless community-orientated sponsor and supporter. He received the Order of Canada and the Alberta Order of Excellence and was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.

Remarkably, some pundits in Ontario questioned the inclusion of this renowned sportsman into hockey’s hallowed Hall. Their argument seems to be based on the fact that Mr. Seaman was merely a part of a community owned team and his contribution to the sport of ice hockey on the NHL level was marginal. Their criticism is as shallow as their knowledge of the man.

Obviously, those critics have not taken the time to explore the magnitude and magnificence of Doc Seaman’s service to the game and the sport. The builder’s wing of the Hockey Hall of Fame has its share of financial felons and mismanaged manipulators so its refreshing and rewarding to see a gentleman and scholar of Mr. Seaman’s status given the honor he so richly deserves.

Joe Nieuwendyk, the third player in NHL history to register 50 goals in their rookie season and the second member of the Flames to win the Calder Trophy as the league’s top freshman, wore the Flaming “C” on his chest with purpose and pride for nine seasons. Nieuwendyk missed out on this opportunity to join teammates Lanny McDonald, Joe Mullen and Al McInnis in the Hall. With 500 goals and 1000 career points on his resume, it’s only a matter of time until he is awarded the ultimate honor.

If the Calgary Flames are to make any kind of impression at the 2010 Entry Draft, they are going to have to do it by making clever trades on the draft floor. The Flames aren’t scheduled to make a selection until the third round of this year’s annual talent tussle. By that time, 63 other prime prospects will have been chosen by Calgary’s adversaries.

It’s unlikely the club will attempt to move up in the drafting order since they have few bargaining chips at their disposal and the possibility of Darryl Sutter orchestrating another draft day deal like the one that delivered Jay Bouwmeester seem slim. The Flames have seven selections in the last four rounds of the draft.

The club traded their first round rights (13th overall) to Phoenix in the deal that brought Olli Jokinen to the team at the 2009 trade deadline – a transaction that eventually proved to be a calamitous move by the team. Jokinen never adjusted to the Sutter system and was eventually dispatched to Broadway for another under-achiever Ales Kotalik, who still has another full year on his contract, so he’ll be wearing the flaming “C” next season.

Calgary also traded their second round selection (43rd overall) to the Chicago Blackhawks in the deal that brought Rene Bourque to the Stampede City, a trade that has paid rich dividends for the club. In actuality, the team also swapped their third round selection as well, sending the 73rd overall choice to Edmonton for Steve Staios. The Flames did receive a third round pick from Columbus for Anton Stralman.

I’ll provide a peek at the “best of the less” – those players residing deep under the radar that may provide a spark to the club – later in the week.