Kohma's Blog

The King and I

2011-12-23T03:54:00.000-05:00

I was in attendance at the ACC with my father on Monday night to watch the Leafs take on the Kings. He had given me the tickets for my birthday, so I insisted he accompany me. As we walked to Union station after the game, he mentioned that every time we go to see a game together, the Leafs seem to lose, and while this was certainly true of recent times, we had seen our share of victories.

One victory immediately came to mind, and I reminded him of a 10-8 barn-burner we'd witnessed against the Chicago Blackhawks, way back when, in Maple Leaf Gardens. I had to do some research to find out more about the game, and stitched it together with my own youthful memories.

I was two months shy of my 8th birthday on October 15, 1983. It wasn't my first live NHL experience, but certainly my most memorable. Mike Palmateer and Tony Esposito were the starting goalies in what would end up being the final NHL season for both.

The Hawks iced a relatively skilled squad, led by Denis Savard. He was accompanied by Darryl Sutter, Doug Wilson, Bob Murray, brothers Steve and Jeff Larmer, and future Leaf Al Secord.

The Leafs countered with Captain Rick Vaive, in the third consecutive and final 50+ goal season of his career. Joining Vaive were linemates Bill Derlago and Dan Daoust, Borje Salming, John Anderson, Jim Korn, Walt Poddubny, Bob McGill and Garys Leeman and Nylund.

This game is notable historically, as it set records for fastest 3, 4 and 5 goals by two teams which still stand, during an 84 second span in the second period. Goals by Gaston Gingras and John Anderson served as bookends for a trio of Blackhawk scores, by Savard, Steve Larmer, and Savard again, completing his hat-trick.

Noted pugilist Al Secord likely left an impression on Harold Ballard that evening, taking on Bill Stewart and Jim Korn in separate bouts. John Anderson and Miroslav Frycer put two apiece past the ageing Esposito, securing the victory. In all, 6 Hawks and 8 Leafs registered goals that evening, including Vaive's 5th in 5 games.

That season saw the demise of Palmateer, the dawning of the brief Bester era, and the emergence of rookies Ken Wregget and Russ Courtnall. It's sincerely amazing how thoroughly Ballard and GM Gerry McNamara ruined that team with absolutely terrible roster management.

My father and I reminisced about the game; the shoddy defensive play, the lousy goaltending, the ever-present sense that a bench-clearing brawl was imminent. We sat behind the visitor's goal, up in the blues, and we barely sat due to the rapid-fire scoring. My father recalled smacking his knees off the railings incessantly.

He took me to my first game, at MLG, and has been with me at the majority of the games I have been at since. In fact, since I never played the game on ice, I was made keenly aware on that evening that my love of the game came from those visits to the Gardens, from watching him yell at the TV screen and from watching him play goal for his men's league teams. That passion for the sport led me into officiating and, eventually, into blogging.

Watching Reimer that evening brought out the keeper in my father, long lost to a very badly broken leg many years ago. He picked apart Reimer's ability to handle the puck, and became livid as he completely lost the puck behind the net, unable to find it for an eternity in goalie time. Reimer did eventually acquit himself, and by the end of the game we agreed that he was the reason we had gotten the undeserved charity point.

The Leafs were hemmed in their own end for much of the game by the Kings, and failed to convert on many quality scoring chances. They also performed poorly in the shootout, Kessel being the only one to put a breakaway shot on goal. Still, it was hard not to come away from the game feeling like a winner.

Leaf Pics and Video, Dec 19/20, 2011

2011-12-21T02:55:00.000-05:00

Caught the game vs. LA Kings on Monday, then the Fan Appreciation practice/scrimmage night. I'm no photographer, and the video was shot on a digital photo camera, so don't expect production value, but, at least for the fan appreciation event, I had great seats and took a number of pictures. Enjoy.
Pictures at Flickr
Video #1 and #2 at YouTube

MLSE Sold Into An Unholy Alliance

2011-12-11T02:29:00.001-05:00

On the morning of December 9th, a hastily planned press conference was called to announce that Canadian media arch-enemies Rogers and Bell Canada would be purchasing equal parts of a controlling share of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment from the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan in a whopping $1.32 billion dollar deal.

MLSE holdings consist of the Maple Leafs, Raptors, Marlies and TFC, the Air Canada Center, and control of BMO Field and Ricoh Coliseum. They also include the MasterCard Center for Hockey Excellence, stewardship of Lamport Stadium and Maple Leaf Square, housing RealSports bar and grill, RealSports Apparel and e11even restaurant. 3 specialty channels, Leafs TV, NBA TV Canada and GOLTV, and a recent deal to stream these channels to Xbox.

OTPP has agreed to sell its 79.53% share to the two media titans and The Kilmer Group, a firm which already held the remaining 20.47% of MLSE and is owned by MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum. The deal sees Kilmer increase its share to 25%, with Bell and Rogers taking 37.5% each. Bell will divide its share between BCE (28%) and the Bell Canada Pension Fund (9.5%). Bell and Rogers are paying $533 million each, and financing the balance.

This is where the details become murky, though not necessarily nefarious. The balance, $254 million dollars, may include Tanenbaum's own expenditure, or not.

In exchange for letting Rogers and BCE control the TV rights to Leafs and Raptors games, Mr. Tanenbaum will increase his stake to 25 per cent of the company when the deal closes. Sources say he will contribute some of his own funds to the deal, but his increased share in MLSE comes at a significant discount to what he would have otherwise had to pay in a traditional sale. - The Globe and Mail, Dec 9, 2011

Despite my best efforts, I am unable to ascertain how much Tanenbaum is doling out in this deal. The official OTPP press release confirms the sale of its stock, in full, to Rogers and Bell only. Tanenbaum's increase in ownership stake is an as-yet-unpublished side deal with his new partners. Part of this increase can be attributed to assurance that Tanenbaum will not exercise his right of first refusal and essentially block the deal.

The Globe and Mail estimates the savings accrued by Bell and Rogers not having to buy rights to Leafs and Raptors games at auction to be some $80 million. Given the sale price, one could theoretically value the price of Tanenbaum's increase in stock to approximately $75.2 million dollars. If based on enterprise value, that figure jumps to roughly $95.1 million.

Tanenbaum will also retain the position of Chairman at MLSE and will continue as governor for MLSE's respective teams in the NHL, NBA and MLS, including the NHL governor's executive committee. It's safe to say that Rogers and Bell both investigated their ability to buy the team outright, but found the cost prohibitive. Tanenbaum clearly benefited from his role as chairman, having insight regarding all offers made for the team when it was listed, and OTPP's requirements for sale. I would speculate that Tanenbaum pitted these competitors against each other in the bargaining, only to unite them in order to reach his own plum.

Savvy in business and media companies, Tanenbaum likely saw the writing on the wall in 2000, when Rogers acquired 80% of the Blue Jays, which it now owns outright. Tanenbaum, held a stake with the Leafs since 1996, and in 1998 engineered a deal with Steve Stavro to buy the Raptors and their arena project from John Bitove. The conglomerate was renamed MLSE, and the arena was redesigned to include hockey and opened in 1999 as the Air Canada Centre. MLSE launched Leafs TV and Raptors NBA TV in 2001.

The Raptors had familiarity with the Skydome, having played there since inception, and though the ACC was brand new and world class, the Skydome was capable of much greater seating. Rogers bought and renamed the stadium the Rogers Centre in 2005, while the Leafs bought their AHL affiliate and moved them to into the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto. A year later MLSE was awarded an expansion franchise in the MLS, and the Toronto FC was formed, and would play in a newly built city facility adjacent to Ricoh Coliseum. BMO Field opened to host TFC's inaugural match in 2007.

MLSE had 4 teams in the Toronto market, and 3 of the city's 4 major teams. They also had two fledgling sports channels. It's likely they considered purchasing the Blue Jays and the Skydome in order to consolidate Toronto sports under one umbrella, an undeniable advantage, but likely found the returns on a floundering team diminishing, the costs of a stadium prohibiting, and a wealthy and powerful adversary in Rogers, which aired their channels and had the lion's share of the local television broadcast service provider market.

It is worthy of note that in 2005, a dedicated soccer channel named GOL TV was launched by Insight Sports, of which Kilmer Enterprises is a stakeholder. It is also worthy of note that in 2006, OTPP purchased 20% of CTVglobemedia, which had owned 15% of MLSE since 1993, and in 2007, led a group in an attempted $35.1 billion takeover of BCE. This deal, which would have been the world's largest, was eventually cancelled. In 2008, CTVglobemedia sold half its share in MLSE to Tanenbaum, and the balance to OTPP the following year, before being swallowed into BCE in 2010. Insight Sports sold their interests in GOL TV to MLSE in 2009.

Rogers had diversified its services before and throughout its ownership of the Blue Jays, extending from cable TV into high-speed Internet, cellular service, home phone service and home monitoring systems. Additionally, they operate some 51 radio stations in Canada, including the CHFI, SportsNet Fan590, JackFM and 680News, a literal horde of corresponding websites, and own or co-own 19 television channels (I believe) plus the Viewer's Choice pay-per-view channels. Interestingly, it was Bell that sold Rogers many of its assets, including the SportsNet networks, due to redundancy and CRTC competition regulations upon BCE's acquisition of CTVglobemedia.

Bell has done much of the same. From its roots in home phone service it has added cellular, Internet, satellite TV and new IPTV services. Bell owns or co-owns a staggering 59 (if I counted correctly) Canadian television channels, including the CTV line, MuchMusic and MTV, and TSN, no small clutch of websites and 35 radio stations, featuring TSN Radio, Flow and the Bob stations. Not to be outdone, Bell comes to the table as 18% owners of the Montreal Canadiens.

If these two companies sound alike, it's no coincidence. Both enjoyed monopolies while they were laying communications infrastructure, which eventually (and not coincidentally) became adaptable to carry each other's services, and what good is a conduit without content? Bell and Rogers have driven the local television station to near extinction, and have consolidated between them the majority of the airwaves as well. They control the medium and the message.

And now they control sport in the country's largest city. Competitors? To a degree, but with no small amount of collusion. You can find most Bell channels on Rogers TV, and vice-versa. Service prices are as similar as the services provided. Remember the Olympic Broadcast Consortium? Bell and Rogers networks, along with the CBC, as a kind of government funded stepchild. That stepchild will be shown the door as far as hockey broadcast rights go once their contract expires in 2 years, and not just for the Maple Leafs. In fact the only non-subsidized television network still able to realistically compete is Global, owned by Shaw. Rogers and Shaw have had long standing regional boundary agreements in order to maintain monopolies territorially.

There is definitely a pattern here. But it goes even deeper. Remember Insight Sports, and their shareholder, Tanenbaum's Kilmer Group? They own Game TV, a game show station, and the World Fishing Network. They also co-own the NHL network, with the NHL and Bell media. Tanenbaum has deftly manipulated his greatest competitor against one of his strongest allies in a game of media brinkmanship and has rendered them equals while advancing his own interests. Neither Bell nor Rogers lose, but Tanenbaum wins.

It's no surprise Tanenbaum told TSN that he guarantees a championship from the Leafs, Marlies, TFC, or the Jays, a team he has no authority over. If we have learned anything about Tanenbaum, it's that he builds empires and uses every opportunity to cross promote. I firmly believe the Jays and Rogers Centre will eventually join the MLSE fold. MLSE would be foolish not to pursue them and control the city's major sport and venue markets. Rogers would likely be enticed to join for increased promotion, greater network co-operation from Bell and perhaps pieces of Bell holdings like their stake in the Canadiens.

And Tanenbaum will preside over it all, increasing his wealth, power, stature and scope with the wealth of his competitors-turned-partners. Though Tanenbaum is the minority partner, his share is enough that he can sway to vote against Bell or Rogers well enough to keep them subservient towards him, if only to prevent one another from gaining an advantage. The CRTC would never permit the two to merge to topple him, and neither can afford to allow the other to buy their share of MLSE.

This is truly an unholy alliance. We will have nearly no choice in our selection of media. The same people will package the same content, streamed through the same networks to the same devices, for the same price. All the consumer will need to decide is if they prefer red or blue. City TV or CTV. Dreger or Millard.

Forget that, you'll just watch The Score, right? Think again! Kilmer, Rogers, Bell... it's all the same.

Leafs Trade Deadline Preview

2011-12-02T11:01:00.001-05:00

The NHL trade deadline is set for February 27, 2012. This day is easily one of my favourite days of the year, along with the day that free agency begins. On these days teams make acquisitions that affect the future of their franchise, both short and long term. This day has spawned the terms "rental player" and "pump and dump" into the hockey lexicon. Leafs GM Brian Burke has made significant gains through these methods, but the Leafs have been out of the playoff picture for the entirety of Burke's tenure, and find their fortunes reversed this year. The Leafs brass must continuously be contemplating if this team can contend for the Cup, and though the Leafs rank highly in the standings, they should still be considered relative underdogs.

The Leafs continue to struggle with goaltending. Keeper James Reimer has been injured, and has yet to prove himself beyond his breakout year. It's one thing to excel when your team has no hopes of post-season action, entirely another when each game carries significant gravitas, never mind the post-season. Jonas Gustavsson has proven that he is inconsistent and requires further development. The lack of speed of certain defencemen and the inexperience of others at times is cause for concern. The forward corps delivers feasts or famines, depending on the evening.

Further concerning is the inability to beat divisional opponents with reliability. The defending champion Boston Bruins have the team's number, and the Sabres have imposed themselves upon the Leafs for the last few years. The common thread there is stellar opposition goaltending. Even the Ottawa Senators are currently leading the battle of Ontario series this year.

Boston and Buffalo are truly contenders in the East, as are the Rangers, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Burke and company must find a way to purchase players to improve the team to approximate parity with these opponents, or continue to sell whatever assets that have demand and value in order to improve the team for the future. The playoff picture is still relatively opaque, and will become more translucent the closer we get to the deadline. We can, however, look at the team and see what pieces may become commodities.

Maple Leaf unrestricted free agents at the end of this year include Mikhail Grabovski, Joey Crabb, Philippe Dupuis, John-Michael Liles and Jonas Gustavsson, with Finger, Boyce, Zigomanis and Hamilton in similar positions with the Marlies. Amongst restricted free agents are Nikolai Kulemin, Matt Frattin, Jay Rosehill, Cody Franson and Keith Aulie, with Ben Scrivens, Jussi Rynnas, Marcel Mueller, Simon Gysbers, Dale Mitchell, Korbinian Holzer, Matt Lashoff, Juraj Mikus, Richard Greenop and Luca Caputi rounding out a sizeable list for the Marlies.

Typically, the players moved on deadline day tend to be UFA's at the end of the season, but it is important to note the Leafs RFA's due to the amount of players on the list, and the names.Teams looking to solidify their rosters may find potential additions like Grabovski, Liles and Dupuis tantalizing, and for the right returns Burke might deal them. Burke may also find useful pieces or draft picks by packaging some excess depth to an organization in need of prospects.

If Brian Burke is not able to make a move prior to the trade deadline, it's likely he will try to make a couple on that day. He cannot renew every expiring contract, nor should he. He also has a crop of players that will be coming out of junior, like Brad Ross, Greg McKegg and Sam Carrick. It will certainly be nice to see the Leafs in the playoffs this year, but Burke must avoid temptation to spend too much to try to contend this year, and damage the team's ability to remain in contention for the future.

Bobby Ryan Trade Watch

2011-12-01T09:17:00.001-05:00

Bobby Ryan being shopped by the Anaheim Ducks has created a massive storyline that nearly every hockey writer and blogger is discussing. At 24, the 6'2 winger is a three time 30-goal scorer, and easily one of the most valuable commodities to have hit the market in recent times. The insiders have linked Ryan to half the league's teams, to no surprise. The Islanders, Rangers, Carolina, Calgary, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Montreal and Toronto have all been considered heavily interested, depending on who you ask.

@incarceratedbob tweeted earlier this morning that the Rangers had a deal on the table, sending Ryan and an unidentified prospect to MSG for Michael Del Zotto, Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov and a #1 Pick. He goes on to say that Rangers GM Glen Sather nixed the deal because of his love for Dubinsky. Say what you will about rumour mongers and their reliability, it's not my intent to defend or tout them. What interests me is the package being considered, and using it as a benchmark for the value of the trade.

First, let's consider the money. Ryan makes $5.1 million a year. The Ducks still have some cap space, but the reasoning for this trade isn't savings, it's to spread the wealth amongst the line-up. The Ducks are top-heavy, as I mentioned in my previous post, and they lack depth. The Rangers, on the other hand, are right up against the cap, and would need to move salary in order to take on Ryan's contract. Dubinsky at $4.2 million, Anisimov at $1.875 million and Del Zotto at roughly $1.1 million certainly offsets the value of Ryan's contract, and in fact gives the Rangers some breathing room. The 25 year old Dubinsky and Ryan are under contract for the same amount of time, giving the Ducks a savings of $900k for roughly 10 goals and 16 points if compared equally. Anisimov has another year after this one under contract, is 6'4 and 23 years of age, and registered 10 fewer points than Dubinsky, but is definitely on the rise. He offers good value for his contract, but will be due for a raise. Del Zotto is in the final year of his ELC, and at 21 he is controllable as an RFA, and has the pedigree of a skilled offensive defenceman.

The Rangers would be giving up 3 players 25 years of age or younger, two big forwards worth 98 points combined last year, and a gifted young defenceman who put up 37 points in his rookie campaign, plus a 1st round pick. That is a staggering amount of talent for a 71 point player last season, but players of Ryan's calibre are rare. The Ducks are also due to throw in a prospect, which makes the proposed deal all the more interesting. Neither of these teams is really in a position to be moving a defenceman. The Rangers made a move earlier in the season to sign Anton Stralman, and though they have Erixon and McDonagh in the system, they will feel the loss of Del Zotto. Anaheim does not have a prospect on defence worthy of New York's interest. They'd likely target forwards Kyle Palmieri or Emerson Etem.

There are certainly variables to be considered. Are Ryan's numbers a true indicator of the player he is, or the product of playing on a line with Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf? The Rangers are definitely placed to be a contender in the East, especially having signed Brad Richards. There is a finite window of opportunity here, and a player like Ryan might enable them to compete with the Penguins this season and next for certain. Would the loss of 3 players be a disruption large enough to cause detriment to the team's identity?

We won't get the answers to those hypotheticals because Glen Sather backed out before it came to fruition, and late last night the Ducks fired coach Randy Carlyle, opting to sign Bruce Boudreau 48 hours after having been fired by the Washington Capitals. Is Bob Murray still eager to move Ryan after hiring Boudreau? A new coach certainly breathes new life into the team, but won't give the team the depth it needs now, much less next year when it loses players like Selanne, Koivu and Blake. Anaheim will have money to blow, but the free-agent pool isn't exactly flush with talent in the coming off-season, and they don't have enough prospects to rely upon heading forward.

I think Sather made the right move in not overpaying for Ryan, if this deal was in fact on the table. I also feel that the Ducks will still deal Ryan in order to restock the team with depth and talent. I think at the end of the day they will not receive quite so big a ransom for his services, but I could see a deal similar to this one, perhaps without the first-round pick and/or the prospect joining Ryan out coming to fruition.

Some Hockey Talk

2011-11-27T10:53:00.001-05:00

The Leafs sent Rick Dudley to scout a game between Florida and Tampa Bay last week. I find this little tidbit fascinating. Naturally, teams scout other teams on a consistent basis, to keep track of systems and players, habits, inconsistencies and whatnot. Looking at the upcoming schedule, the Leafs don't play either of these teams for at least a month, in Florida on Dec. 27th and home to Tampa on Jan. 3rd. It seems a touch odd to see the Leafs scout this team so far ahead of either game, given how much can change in a month. My sense is that there are specific players being scouted with respect to the possibility of a trade. But who those players may be is where it gets baffling. Tampa is considered to be relatively weak on D, especially since Matthias Ohlund went down very early in the season, but Ohlund is practicing with the team again, and will return in the not too distant future. Meanwhile Florida has nearly completely restructured in the last 12 months, and the results are nothing short of phenomenal. The Panthers sit 3rd in the East, and first in a division boasting Washington and Tampa Bay. Interesting times.

Two coaches were fired and replaced today with two former players who are first time head coaches in the NHL. The Boudreau firing was foretold the night he and Alexander Ovechkin chirped each other on the bench. Statistically, there are maybe only 2 current NHLers in the league currently that can rival Ovie's skill level, and maybe 30 players historically. You cannot trade Alexander Ovechkin and ever receive fair market value for him. If someone had to go, and someone did, it was going to be Bruce Boudreau. We've not seen the last of him though. Paul Maurice's firing caught me by surprise a bit, I will admit. Carolina is an enigma to me, front-office wise, in the same way Calgary is. They seem content with rosters that frighten their fanbases. The Hurricanes are littered with ex-Leafs in a scene lifted from "Hoarders". There was no issue there between coach and players, however, and this group, or one very similar to it, has done damage in the playoffs, thanks to great goaltending. This group needs a roster shake-up more than it needed a new head coach, but it probably needed this as well. Dale Hunter takes over a talented Capitals team and should make an immediate impact simply for not being Boudreau. I foresee a near immediate resurgence of the Great #8. I wish luck to to Kirk Muller, though, and I hope he and Jim Rutherford have a good working relationship, because this is a team in need of some roster correction, and that isn't something Muller can fix on his own.

Lastly, Bobby Ryan is on the trade-watch radar. Some say he is being shopped by Anaheim, others claiming Anaheim is simple more seriously considering offers made for the 6'2, 216 lb, 24-year-old forward. He is a perennial 30 goal scorer, and some believe he could flirt with 50 a year. He is a left-winger by trade, though he has spent some time at centre, to diminishing degrees of success. It's relatively certain that Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf would be untouchable on the current roster, and Koivu and Selanne are the walking dead. Nobody would want Hagman or Blake, and Cogliano is one of the only young pieces they have moving forward. They are top-heavy, need greater depth, and they need to move an expensive piece for some cheaper pieces who are greater by volume.

It's interesting to Leaf fans because Burke drafted this player and is known to covet his own projects. Certainly Ryan would be a boon to this lineup. However, the thought is that Anaheim wants young talent in return, with likely a prospect and/or a draft pick. I'd say a package of 3-4 players would be a sufficent return to make the deal happen. Toronto is also pretty stacked in young talent, and has surplus in every area, top-six, bottom-six, defence and goal. These two teams could easily make a deal, but I'm sure Bob Murray is feeling the sting of the Beauchemin trade, regardless of how good Francois has been for them. I'd imaging Murray will play hard-ball with Burke, and I don't think Burke will bite. Burke has the pieces to make this deal, a centre, a defender, and any two of a prospect, a draft pick and a bottom-sixer. If Burke can live with the deal, it'll get done, but I wouldn't hold your breath.

Revival

2011-11-23T21:03:00.001-05:00

So I've decided to resurrect the old blog. Why? Because I have enough time to write, occasionally, and because I am being encouraged to write by my family. I'm going to start off slow, and not totally Leaf-centric.

Speaking of the Boys in Blue, terrific game in Tampa Tuesday night. I'm happy for Gustavsson, because I see him as a truly capable keeper who is subject to a lot of hate. Yes, his detractors will always shove his GAA and SV% in your face, but as I've pointed out, he has never been able to get a consistent situation in which to learn and demonstrate consistency. Ablations, the rise of Reimer, Scrivens' skill all have victimized the career trajectory of this young keeper. I'm not about to proclaim Gus as starter material at this point, or perhaps ever, but I do believe Scrivens is best served starting for the Marlies, Reimer will be back and will regain his form, and Gustavsson will be given the opportunity to take ~25 starts this year and develop into a confident and consistent keeper. Any effort to bring in a veteran backup now will sap any semblance of confidence accrued to this point, and I don't foresee Burke doing that to the Goose just yet. I will admit that Jonas has a scant few opportunities left to fail and remain in the fold.

As predicted, injuries to the squad have created opportunities for the young prospects to shine, and shine they have. Matt Frattin has finally found the scoresheet, and looks every bit NHL ready. Jumbo Joe Colborne potted his first in big Blue, and has offered a tantalizing look at the future. I think if you throw Kadri on that line you have successfully concocted an explosive compound. I worry about keeping Kadri on the farm much longer. I sense that he is feeling as though he is being sent out to pasture. If the brass has no confidence in him, please move him along. A far better fate than he has earned thus far.

Lombardi seemingly needing surgery will offer the Leafs a bit of a reprieve from their musical chairs routine at C. Too many players, not enough slots. Likewise with Komisarek's injury. There have been a lot of rumblings about a trade, perhaps Franson moving, perhaps Gunnarsson. Gardiner's rise certainly has left Franson as overstock, but I'm not certain that he'll be the one to move. The recent signing of Percy and having Aulie and Holzer on the farm indicate, to me at least, that perhaps more of a defensive defenceman is a trade piece. Phaneuf isn't going anywhere, I don't believe Komisarek is movable at this moment, and Lord help us if Gunnarsson is moved. That leaves Schenn. Now, before you call your hitman, hear me out. Schenn is a 22yr old 4 year vet, a punishing hitter, and an extremely valuable commodity. He has also struggled with his game this year, and though he is improving, he is also somewhat slow. To me, he just seems to be the most valuable trading piece on the back end, and his value to the team is at an all-time low. If this isn't the epitome of cashing in on value, I don't know what is. I'm not suggesting they should move him, and I'd miss him if they did, but he'd bring back something I'm sure we'd all love.

Lastly, Phil Kessel is an absolute BEAST this year. Good on ya Philthy Phil!

Propagator 110!!!!

2011-02-18T14:20:00.001-05:00

Check this out! Lou Dobbs gets his wish?? http://ping.fm/NFR0w

NHL All-Star Revamp

2011-02-01T18:36:00.000-05:00

Watching the All-Star weekend ensue in Raleigh this past weekend, I got some great ideas for how to hold them in the future.

- Each team sends 6 players, minimum. 3 forwards, 2 defenceman, and a keeper. These players will be the fantasy draft stock list.
- Using the above list, continue to select players using existing system (1 from each team, same number of each position, etc.) This makes being an All-Star an actual boon, and not being chosen more of a sleight.
- Additional players should be encouraged to attend, for rookie/sophomore games, skill competitions and such. Injured stars should also attend, unless detrimental to their injury. Coaches, GM's, mascots, refs, linesmen, media, sponsors, everyone.
- Style the entire weekend as a sort of Comic-con. Have events all over the city, and allow the players interaction time with the people. GM meetings, coach clinics, ball hockey tourneys and NO to the idea of having the trade deadline then.
- For the game, have sponsors up the ante by betting each other, proceeds to charity. Eliminate all hitting from the game, and watch a nice flashy hockey game that means something! Either that or have the Winter/Heritage Classic at this event.

Share your thoughts below!

On Pat Burns...

2010-09-16T20:34:00.000-04:00

Pat Burns has apparently taken a turn for the worse. I can't say that I will miss Pat, having never met him. I can say that I will never forget him. His career as head coach spanned 14 years with 4 teams, tallying 501 wins, 2 shots at the mug, winning it once with the Devils in 2003.

Pat is known to be a fiesty character, this former cop-turn-coach has been a fighter all his life. Pat fought cancer 3 times dating back to 2004, the last, lung cancer, sadly incurable.

"I know my life is nearing its end and I accept that." - Pat Burns w/Rosie DiManno, Apr. 9, 2010, Toronto Star. A great read, that article.

May you know peace.

New Kohma @ maplestirup.com

2010-09-16T03:01:00.001-04:00

New Kohma at maplestirup.com --> http://wp.me/pVhkz-9K

Propagator 102 - Zen with an X [ strange media satire / surreal comedy /...

2010-09-14T17:04:00.000-04:00

Que Souray?

2010-09-14T01:05:00.000-04:00

From Mark Spector, Sportsnet.ca , Apr 12th 2010

Though Oilers trainer Ken Lowe was exceptional in keeping daily tabs on Souray’s medical progress, Souray said he never once heard from GM Steve Tambellini. Not even a courtesy call from the GM, who did not respond to a request to speak with sportsnet.ca Sunday evening.

"Maybe they think I’m a black sheep," Souray said. "But it’s not about me — it wouldn’t matter who it happened to. You’d think someone would want to check on the asset, wouldn’t you?

"The Oilers always prided themselves in being a family. Whatever happened to that? I haven’t talked to (Tambellini) since mid-January."

Tambellini will be actively peddling Souray this summer, something he couldn’t do at the trade deadline because of the hand injury. Souray would welcome a trade, but realizes he may have to open the season in Edmonton if Tambellini can’t find a satisfactory deal.

"I still have two years left on my contract. I made a commitment to come here when other guys wouldn’t," he said. "But you talk about Prongs (Chris Pronger) and guys like that, and it should raise an eyebrow when players who leave town are skipping out with a smile on their face."

To this, from Mike Brophy, Sportsnet.ca (for consistency), Sep 13th 2010

Souray said he was told by the Oilers he would not be invited to camp because the team is worried the situation will be a distraction to the other players.

"It's disappointing, but at the same time it's not exactly unexpected," Souray said. "I plan to continue to skate with the guys at our informal skates in preparation for the season."

Souray's being vocal here, both times, whereas Tambellini has been reserved, his silence deafening. Tambellini will be very business-like here, but he's made moving Souray even less profitable with this snub. Edmonton reeks of desperation.

A healthy Souray would bolster any team in contention, notching 20+ goals in the last two full seasons he's played, however, $5.4mil in cap hit for two years worth of an injury-prone, 34-year-old "distraction" isn't exactly tantalizing. Edmonton would need to recoup a defenceman in any deal.

Any team you know with a defenceman or two to spare, known for making big deals to get disgruntled players away from bad situations? If I wasn't certain Kevin Lowe and Brian Burke hated each other, I'd almost be worried.

Propagator.TV - COMING SOON

2010-09-11T18:40:00.000-04:00

More Roster Shaping

2010-07-25T21:11:00.000-04:00

Another Leafs post for you here at K Ω A. I couldn't stay away, what can I say? I'll try to keep this short and sweet.

Jeff Finger will not be buried in the minors unless he becomes a detriment to the team with his play. As this is not the case currently, don't expect him to be buried simply because his paycheck is too large. Not going to happen. I'm getting tired of everyone taking it for granted that he will be buried.

That said, having 8 NHL-capable d-men is obviously untenable. Kaberle is the obvious move here, but may not be the only one. Francois Beauchemin at 3.8 mil for 2 years would be an attractive commodity to many teams. Luke Schenn and Carl Gunnarsson are especially attractive because of their RFA status at the end of the coming season. Given the makeup of the current defense and the pending trade of Kaberle, one would figure the best thing to do would be to keep the more mobile and offensive defensemen, and parlay some defensive d-man depth into a skilled forward. Brian Burke is reknown for preferring tough, truculent players, however, and may see it differently.

Goaltending and bottom-six forward positions seem to be adequately filled. The only position that seems necessary to be filled is a top-six left winger. Trust Burke to address this with the Kaberle trade.

There is one last argument to be made. We have 3 centremen vying for 2 top-six positions in Bozak, Kadri and Grabovski. Coming from junior, Kadri has to make the team in training camp, and force the coaching staff to make a decision. If he does, then Grabovski will become the odd man out. You can't have both of your top centers be small, opposing teams will walk all over you. Bozak could play on the third line while Burke makes something happen, but isn't suited to the role. Grabbo could be shifted to the wing. Is Kadri better than Grabbo right now?

Breaking the Sexuality Barrier

2010-07-05T16:44:00.008-04:00

The other day, I read an article over at Pension Plan Puppets, posted by the incomparable Wrap Around Curl. It was a spectacularly written piece in the National Post by Bruce Arthur, and it told the story of Brian Burke's walk in the Pride parade this past weekend, but the real story here is the short-lived tale of his trail-blazing son, Brendan. Please read the Arthur piece, it is very moving and worth the read. Also worthy is the John Buccigross piece, mentioned in the post.

I posted the following at PPP:

Wow. Stellar piece by Arthur. Incredibly moving.
Things seem to happen for a reason, whether fate, or act of God, or by the natural order of the universe, believe what you will. So many twists of fate later, from Burke being signed here, to Brendan coming out when he did, the Buccigross piece, the accident…
This tragedy has brought the attention of the sporting world upon the issue of gay athletes, and homosexuality in general. While it’s of little solace to those mourning Brendan this day, I believe that that particular young man would consider the price paid good value.
There is no greater primordial soup than this city, this hockey club, this date in time, and this family in which to give new life to this movement. Toronto hosts the largest Pride parade of it’s kind in North America, in a country renown throughout the world as a bastion of human rights and freedoms. The Maple Leafs are arguably the most successful franchise in North America, with the most ardently loyal fan base.
This millenium, short tenured as it has yet been, has shown time and again that the public at large is ready to accept LGBT people in all ways, even as unfamiliarity makes then uncomfortable. It had furrowed it’s brow disapprovingly at those whose sensitivities have not yet matured accordingly.
Is there a more prominent family in all of sport than the Burke’s? More affable? More loyal? More respected? Is there a more outspoken and bombastic figure than Brian Burke? You’d be hard-pressed to find a family comparable in these aspects.
This moment, captured and fostered properly, can grant Brendan the calalyst ever-lasting life, and the family a legacy that no bevy of Stanley Cups could rival.
This movement already had wings, now it has a very prominent public figurehead, and a compelling narrative. I’ve witnessed progress first-hand. I work in a Toronto-area high school, and for the first time ever I’ve witnessed an openly gay teenage boy attend, no small feat in the image and hormone driven microcosm that is high school. Good friends of mine have informed me of their sexuality, and been accepted as readily as they were before. In fact, this year I was in attendance with them at Pride festivities, my first time ever.
I sincerely hope that the fuse is lit, that teams and organizations will begin to support LGBT activism, by donating to the cause, being visible at events, and most importantly, by fostering environments of individuality, acceptance and inclusion.
I hope that gay athletes find the courage to be the people they are, and completely unapologetic. I also hope straight athletes find the courage to realize that acceptance begins by acting on the strength of their convictions, and standing side by side with their gay teammates. It’s long past due.
Sorry to wax, but this issue has moved me.

And it has moved me. Being a child of mixed race in the seventies and eighties left me keenly aware of the injustices and emotional damage wrought by the insensitivites, the ignorance and even the hatred given by those who see you as different, and therefore bad, because of something completely beyond your control. That's what this is really about. People are so much more than their color of skin, their sexual preference, their religion, their language, etc. These are largely determinations they had absolutely nothing to do with.

The athletic world is fraught with misogyny and homophobia, as it was with racism before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. In locker rooms full of highly competitive men, every edge is seized upon, and every potential weakness is exposed. It is time for LGBT people to cast aside the mindset that being different is a weakness, where that mindset exists, and it does, and to begin to educate and expose their teammates and peers to the reality of the situation. Being LGBT has never helped or hindered anyone's ability to throw or catch, run or skate, shoot and score, win or lose. Ever. In this day and age, I think they will have more support than they will have trouble, and where there will be trouble, there will be the mindful eye of the populace. The LGBT community has more support than it knows. It's time for gay athletes to be themselves.

For more info about PFLAG: http://community.pflag.org/

Help make a difference, get involved.

G20 hosting benefits us...how?

2010-06-21T00:25:00.009-04:00

So, the leaders of the 20 richest nations on the globe converge on Toronto this coming weekend, after the "in crowd" huddle up at the G8 summit in Huntsville.

I've heard both sides of the story here: Canada does benefit from being a partner in these privileged ranks, for now. Our way of life is guaranteed to be above average because of economic unions like these. Conversely, globalization is a worrisome phenomenon. All that wealth, power, and information in the hands of one entity should be a concern. Two mantras come to mind here; the cream always rises to the top; and absolute power/wealth corrupts absolutely.

Feel free to think how you want to about this issue, because either way, you're right. None of this, however, has stirred me to write this post.

My concern is that we have been told that this will be a tremendous economic boon for the city of Toronto, the province of Ontario, and Canada overall. I sincerely fail to see how this is so.
While the city of Huntsville will likely reap the rewards of having many high profile guests and media attention, I don't believe this will happen in Toronto.

A large chunk of the downtown core will be completely off-limits for the duration of the summit, including the Rogers Centre, the Air Canada Centre, Union Station, the CN Tower, Harbourfront, and swathes of the entertainment district and the financial district. The area being cordoned off is at least 20 times greater than the area actually needed for the summit.

Thousands of commuters will have to make provisions to work around this blockade, and they are the lucky ones. Many businesses will be shut down completely, and many more employees will have to miss a week of work or so to accomodate this intrusion.

Will these businesses be re-imbursed the losses they will incur for shutting down for this length of time? We're talking prime real estate here folks. Rent isn't cheap, and it's always due. This is prime time for businesses too. Some of these venues, like the Rogers Centre and Harbourfront don't make a whole lot of money in the winter. If they are being reimbursed, by who? By the government? How is that a positive for us economically?

What about the people being kept away from their livelihoods? Are they going to be reimbursed as well? How can we afford to pay people to stay home? How will the greater part of them survive without their pay if we don't?

And 1.3 billion dollars to keep this area secure? Way more spent than at the Olympics, and for way less time and fewer people to protect, albeit, more important people. This is the biggest fiasco I have ever witnessed!

It seems to be that the only people who will benefit from this whole ordeal are the Police/Army/CSIS/FBI/Secret Service/Security personnel, and the people who will feed and lodge them. They should have left this all to Huntsville, where it would have been cheaper and more beneficial to the city. I want to know how all this is being paid for!

Comprehensive Overview of the 2010 Toronto Maple Leafs

2010-06-01T02:36:00.009-04:00

Brian Burke, Dave Nonis, Dave Poulin, Claude Loiselle and Dallas Eakins, the five-headed hydra managerial conglomerate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, have a busy summer ahead of them. I'm quite comfortable having this group calling the shots, and I have confidence that this group will not waste time in their efforts to improve the quality of the team and the depth of the organization.

First up is the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, June 25-26th, in Los Angeles. Leafs select 62nd, 112th, 122nd, 144th, 182nd, 202nd. No picks in the first, second or sixth rounds, one in the 3rd and 4th rounds, and two in each of the 5th and 7th rounds. I don't buy for a second that Burke and company will allow 61 players to be selected before they make their first podium appearance. Look for them to target a late first round pick, Phoenix's 22nd or Atlanta's 24th, as both have two first rounders, and parity in this draft sets in midway through the first round. Also, the top tier is dominated by defencemen, after Hall and Seguin, and Burke has no pressing need for defencemen. Burke isn't afraid to make deals, and does have some value on his roster which he can parlay for picks. More on that later.

Burke will add his new picks to an impressively deep prospect pool. HF Boards has the Leafs ranked at 6th for prospect depth, though that number will vary, because many of the players listed will graduate to the Leafs full time for next season, and some are yet unlisted.
Top 20 at HF Boards: 1. (1) Nazem Kadri, C 2. (2) Jonas Gustavsson, G 3. (4) Tyler Bozak, C
4. (18) Carl Gunnarsson, D 5. (5) Viktor Stalberg, LW 6. (NR) Keith Aulie, D
7. (6) Jimmy Hayes, RW 8. (8) Jesse Blacker, D 9. (11) James Reimer, G
10. (10) Christian Hanson, C 11. (13) Jerry D'Amigo, LW 12. (3) Mikhail Stefanovich, RW
13. (9) Chris DiDomenico, C 14. (NR) Philippe Paradis, LW 15. (7) Kenny Ryan, RW
16. (NR) Juraj Mikus, D 17. (NR) Korbinian Holzer, D 18. (14) Phil Oreskovic, D
19. (15) Jerome Flaake, LW 20. (16) Matt Frattin, RW

Of course this list doesn't include Jussi Rynnas, G or Ben Scrivens, G, Burke's most recent signings, giving us unprecedented depth in goal. It also doesn't include Brayden Irwin, C, Luca Caputi, LW, Joel Champagne, C & Jamie Devane, LW. I'm actually quite surprised Luca Caputi isn't further up the depth chart, as he played out the end of the season from the trade deadline, and was selected in lieu of a second round draft pick, which would have been 50th, had they not acquired Jordan Leopold from Florida. Brayden Irwin was won over to sign in Toronto with the promise of playing the remainder of the season with the big club, but needs time in the AHL to develop. Champagne has bottom-six potential, and Devane is a heavyweight, so both have the potential to become serviceable NHL'ers in the Burke system, a la Jay Rosehill.

Burke believes greatly in allowing for player development instead of rushing prospects along and potentially ruining their progress. I expect the first 5 on the list to make the Leaf roster, and Hanson, with the rest being sent to the Marlies, though any still eligible to play junior will likely return to that environment. My prediction: Kadri is a lock for the NHL this year. On to the current roster.

Signed: Phil Kessel, C, Mikhail Grabovski, C, Tyler Bozak, C, Colton Orr, RW, Viktor Stalberg, LW, Fredrik Sjostrom, RW, Luca Caputi, LW, Jay Rosehill, LW, Nazem Kadri, C, Mike Komisarek, D, Tomas Kaberle, D, Francois Beauchemin, D, Jeff Finger, D, Luke Schenn, D, Dion Phaneuf, D, Carl Gunnarsson, D, J.S. Giguere, G, Jonas Gustavsson, G, James Reimer, G.

The general assumption here is that Kaberle has played his last game in blue and white. Other players I consider movable are Grabovski, Rosehill, Komisarek, Beauchemin, Schenn and Reimer. Grabovski might go to make room for Kadri in the top-six, and might return the 2nd round pick paid for him, a decent exchange. Rosehill may pique interest from teams looking to add muscle to their lineup. I've never been sure how Komisarek and Dion would get along, considering their history with Elisha Cuthbert, but this may be moot, and with Komi coming off of injury, interest won't be great. Beauchemin may be worth more traded than he is on the roster, given the pricetag on our defense. Schenn is no longer spoken of as "the future face of the franchise" or "our next captain", and for good reason. He has yet to establish his forecast potential. A change of venue may be a boon to all parties involved. Reimer is the only goaltender I could see Burke moving, as everyone else is too new, too valuable or too expensive to move. Look for any of these names to be involved in a trade to get the Leafs into the first two rounds of the draft, or some top-six talent for the roster. If only we could move Jeff Finger....

RFA's: Nikolai Kulemin, LW, John Mitchell, C, Christian Hanson, C.

Of these, I'm hopeful all will be re-signed cheaply, though Kulemin is demanding more than Burke would like to pay. If he balks, Burke has quite a valuable trade commodity, and the RFA pool is more attractive than it's UFA counterpart, if a more expensive endeavour. I wouldn't mind moving John Mitchell, but I don't think the return would be worth it.

UFA's: Wayne Primeau, Tim Brent, Jamie Lundmark, Andre Deveaux, Mike Van Ryn, Garnet Exelby, Jonas Frogren.

Rickard Wallin has already signed in Sweden. Mike Van Ryn will get a tryout with the team, and that's a class move by the brass. I don't think any of the others merits a new contract, though Primeau was a useful player at times this year, and Lundmark, Frogren and Deveaux would all be great Marlies. It really depends on Burke's needs in filling out the affiliate's roster, and if he wants the space to test unknown commodities or use players he already knows the value of.

Free Agent Frenzy begins July 1st, and while there are useful pieces to be had, this year's crop is not laden with offensive prowess, which is what the Leafs desperately need. While I wouldn't rule out a veteran acquisition, I'm assuming that Burke sticks to the gameplan here and signs players under 30. Find a list of all available UFA's by position here, and all RFA's by team here.

Burke will find a way into the top two rounds of the draft somehow, I believe. I also foresee at least 2 big UFA signings, like Matthew Lombardi, Colby Armstrong, or Raffi Torres, and one move for RFA rights should Kulemin not re-sign with the club, David Clarkson or James Neal heading the list of those I covet here. I also predict one more trade on the horizon, either before the season starts, or within the first 30 games, to obtain the pieces necessary for roster balance and special teams improvement.

As always, your input is encouraged, and appreciated. Tell me what you think will happen, where you agree with me, or where I am completely out to lunch. Thanks for reading!

GO HAWKS GO! 2-0 Series Lead!!