Another bang-bang play earlier this week involved a big hit between Raffi Torres of the Phoenix Coyotes and Marian Hossa of the Chicago Blackhawks. Hockey fans can make their own judgement on whether the hit was clean or not, but it sure has stirred the pot on sports radio air waves this week. Coyotes broadcaster Tyson Nash got himself in some hot water for calling Torres’s hit a clean play. Nash has no problem defending himself in the following interview.

Tyson Nash joined ESPN Chicago with Waddle & Silvy to discuss his call of Raffi Torres’s hit on Marian Hossa, getting a better look at  Torres’s hit on Hossa after looking at replays,  Torres leaving his feet to hit  Hossa, if he regrets saying that Torres’s hit on Marian Hossa was clean, receiving death threats for his opinion, Raffi Torres being rattled after the game by his hit and talking with NHL security about death threats he received on twitter.

Tyson, you heard the call from last night. There are a lot of angry Hawks fans now regarding the hit. The floor is yours now, twelve hours later:

“I did go over it a few times with Eddie O, and when you’re the visiting team’s broadcast, it makes it tough because you’re basically fourth in line when you have all the big networks there. We didn’t have the views, I’m sure that Eddie had and those guys, and it happens fast. Let’s face it. You got one chance to look at the replay and then make your opinion and I definitely had an opinion by the call. It’s a real tough thing because hockey is so intense and it’s so fast, and that to me was such a bang-bang play. When you break down any play in hockey like this play is going to be broken down or that it already has been broken down, I mean, you can find fault in a lot of hits, and for the fact that Marian Hossa was hurt, which we did not know to that extent at the time, obviously it makes it that much worse. With all the emotions running high, you see that stretcher some out and man, I’ll tell you what, that’s a very sobering thing to see. And let me also say that Raffi Torres is not a liked guy. He’s obviously got a reputation; he’s done this sort of stuff in the past. When you look at this hit, I mean, this isn’t just going to be that easy for Brendan Shanahan. I can say that, this is definitely going to be a tough one for him. The thing is you got to look at the facts: Did he leave his feet completely? Was it late? Those are going to be the things looked at.”

Well what do you think now Tyson after getting a better look?

“Yeah, I do think that he did leave. Both feet are off the ice for an inch. He explodes into his hit, which is what good hitters do. That’s how you get leverage, that’s how you create momentum. Did he charge? Absolutely not, he did not charge him. Was it late? You know, when you look at it full speed, it’s a bang-bang play. From what I understand, it’s .83 seconds after he got rid of the puck. That, in my mind, is going to be the biggest thing Brendan Shanahan looks at: How late was it? And then you throw in the fact that yeah, both his feet did leave the ice. How high was he? Was it half an inch? Was it an inch? Those are the facts, and that’s all that really matters. Obviously, when I had one chance to look at that replay and then make an opinion? It’s tough. I’m not getting cut any slack, but there is no way…I 100% believe that Raffi Torres did not want to injure Marian Hossa. He plays on the edge, and that’s the thing and that’s what makes it tough.”

Tyson, you played this game a long time. Once you leave your feet and your skates are in the air and off the ice, aren’t you inviting something like that because now your shoulder becomes on level with the head of the guy you are hitting? So, can we discern that once you leave your feet, the intent is to hurt the guy the guy you are going after?

“Yeah, all bets are off when you leave your feet, and I 100 % agree with that. But again, when you’re a hitter, and that’s how I played, you got to explode. Did he explode with his feet off the ice before he made contact or was it after or when was that? That’s also what Brendan Shanahan is going to be looking at. If he left his feet and then hit the head of Marian Hossa, then that’s going to be another issue in itself. You know, those are all the little things and the milliseconds that we’re talking about here. And also, it’s Raffi Torres. The most passionate fans I’ve ever seen in Chicago and when you see that stretcher come out, I mean that just throws everyone off kilt. If Mike Smith goes off in a stretcher the other night, I mean, people are going crazy. You look at [Henrik] Sedin when he got hit by [Dustin] Brown. That was a little late. No, Brown didn’t leave his feet at all, but because Sedin gets to the bench unconscious basically, and he comes back to play in that hockey game, it’s not talked about nearly as much as this Hossa hit because of the stretcher. But let’s also not forget too that Raffi Torres is just back checking. He does not have Hossa in his sights until Hossa turns back with his head down. You also have to put some owness on the fact that Hossa did those two things.”

It sounds like you sorta regret saying what you did, but now you’re making a lot of cases for the hit. Point blank: Do you regret saying “You won’t see a cleaner hit than that”?

“Oh, definitely not. Yeah, I’m saying that was offside, totally offside, because this is going to be looked at, and it’s already been looked at. So it really doesn’t matter what I say or what I did say, but if I could take that back? I mean, this is so on the line and on the edge, you know, that that wasn’t fair to say. But again, I was caught up in it. You know, you’re fired up, it’s a big game. The crowd’s going crazy, and it’s been a real physical series, and you know when I see it for that half a second with the replay that we saw, I mean, that’s what came out.”

You were originally leery to come on today. How much flack have you taken since the game ended?

“Oh, it’s crazy. It’s crazy. I’ve got death threats, I mean it’s unbelievable the passion here with these fans. You know, they love their team. Again, the worst thing about it was that Hossa was hurt, and that was tough to watch. When that stretcher comes out, I’m telling you what. And Raffi Torres, nobody feels sorry for Raffi Torres, but Raffi Torres might as well just went in the locker room and didn’t play the rest of the game because he was so worried, in my mind, about Hossa and how he was doing that he couldn’t even focus on the game.”

Did you speak with Raffi at all after the game?

“I did, and he seemed like he was pretty rattler. He got showered up, went straight to the bus and out of the rink.”

Well, he’ll be out of the rink for a while too. So, death threats: Did people call? Was it through twitter?

“You gotta love the twitter world. I had a few people mention that they’ll be meeting me for breakfast, so we’ll see how that goes.”

Did you talk to NHL Security about that?

“I mentioned it to a guy. It’s fine. It’s fine, it is what it is. Like I said, I wish I didn’t say what I said. You got to pick more of a middle ground, and you know obviously when you see Hossa laying there longer and longer, you’re like ‘Oh geez, let’s really take a closer look at this.’ You know, I thought he was going to get right back up, but obviously that wasn’t the case.”

Listen to Tyson Nash on 1000 ESPN Chicago here

Another bang-bang play earlier this week involved a big hit between Raffi Torres of the Phoenix Coyotes and Marian Hossa of the Chicago Blackhawks. Hockey fans can make their own judgement on whether the hit was clean or not, but it sure has stirred the pot on sports radio air waves this week. Coyotes broadcaster Tyson Nash got himself in some hot water for calling Torres’s hit a clean play. Nash has no problem defending himself in the following interview.

Tyson Nash joined ESPN Chicago with Waddle & Silvy to discuss his call of Raffi Torres’s hit on Marian Hossa, getting a better look at  Torres’s hit on Hossa after looking at replays,  Torres leaving his feet to hit  Hossa, if he regrets saying that Torres’s hit on Marian Hossa was clean, receiving death threats for his opinion, Raffi Torres being rattled after the game by his hit and talking with NHL security about death threats he received on twitter.

Tyson, you heard the call from last night. There are a lot of angry Hawks fans now regarding the hit. The floor is yours now, twelve hours later:

“I did go over it a few times with Eddie O, and when you’re the visiting team’s broadcast, it makes it tough because you’re basically fourth in line when you have all the big networks there. We didn’t have the views, I’m sure that Eddie had and those guys, and it happens fast. Let’s face it. You got one chance to look at the replay and then make your opinion and I definitely had an opinion by the call. It’s a real tough thing because hockey is so intense and it’s so fast, and that to me was such a bang-bang play. When you break down any play in hockey like this play is going to be broken down or that it already has been broken down, I mean, you can find fault in a lot of hits, and for the fact that Marian Hossa was hurt, which we did not know to that extent at the time, obviously it makes it that much worse. With all the emotions running high, you see that stretcher some out and man, I’ll tell you what, that’s a very sobering thing to see. And let me also say that Raffi Torres is not a liked guy. He’s obviously got a reputation; he’s done this sort of stuff in the past. When you look at this hit, I mean, this isn’t just going to be that easy for Brendan Shanahan. I can say that, this is definitely going to be a tough one for him. The thing is you got to look at the facts: Did he leave his feet completely? Was it late? Those are going to be the things looked at.”

Well what do you think now Tyson after getting a better look?

“Yeah, I do think that he did leave. Both feet are off the ice for an inch. He explodes into his hit, which is what good hitters do. That’s how you get leverage, that’s how you create momentum. Did he charge? Absolutely not, he did not charge him. Was it late? You know, when you look at it full speed, it’s a bang-bang play. From what I understand, it’s .83 seconds after he got rid of the puck. That, in my mind, is going to be the biggest thing Brendan Shanahan looks at: How late was it? And then you throw in the fact that yeah, both his feet did leave the ice. How high was he? Was it half an inch? Was it an inch? Those are the facts, and that’s all that really matters. Obviously, when I had one chance to look at that replay and then make an opinion? It’s tough. I’m not getting cut any slack, but there is no way…I 100% believe that Raffi Torres did not want to injure Marian Hossa. He plays on the edge, and that’s the thing and that’s what makes it tough.”

Tyson, you played this game a long time. Once you leave your feet and your skates are in the air and off the ice, aren’t you inviting something like that because now your shoulder becomes on level with the head of the guy you are hitting? So, can we discern that once you leave your feet, the intent is to hurt the guy the guy you are going after?

“Yeah, all bets are off when you leave your feet, and I 100 % agree with that. But again, when you’re a hitter, and that’s how I played, you got to explode. Did he explode with his feet off the ice before he made contact or was it after or when was that? That’s also what Brendan Shanahan is going to be looking at. If he left his feet and then hit the head of Marian Hossa, then that’s going to be another issue in itself. You know, those are all the little things and the milliseconds that we’re talking about here. And also, it’s Raffi Torres. The most passionate fans I’ve ever seen in Chicago and when you see that stretcher come out, I mean that just throws everyone off kilt. If Mike Smith goes off in a stretcher the other night, I mean, people are going crazy. You look at [Henrik] Sedin when he got hit by [Dustin] Brown. That was a little late. No, Brown didn’t leave his feet at all, but because Sedin gets to the bench unconscious basically, and he comes back to play in that hockey game, it’s not talked about nearly as much as this Hossa hit because of the stretcher. But let’s also not forget too that Raffi Torres is just back checking. He does not have Hossa in his sights until Hossa turns back with his head down. You also have to put some owness on the fact that Hossa did those two things.”

It sounds like you sorta regret saying what you did, but now you’re making a lot of cases for the hit. Point blank: Do you regret saying “You won’t see a cleaner hit than that”?

“Oh, definitely not. Yeah, I’m saying that was offside, totally offside, because this is going to be looked at, and it’s already been looked at. So it really doesn’t matter what I say or what I did say, but if I could take that back? I mean, this is so on the line and on the edge, you know, that that wasn’t fair to say. But again, I was caught up in it. You know, you’re fired up, it’s a big game. The crowd’s going crazy, and it’s been a real physical series, and you know when I see it for that half a second with the replay that we saw, I mean, that’s what came out.”

You were originally leery to come on today. How much flack have you taken since the game ended?

“Oh, it’s crazy. It’s crazy. I’ve got death threats, I mean it’s unbelievable the passion here with these fans. You know, they love their team. Again, the worst thing about it was that Hossa was hurt, and that was tough to watch. When that stretcher comes out, I’m telling you what. And Raffi Torres, nobody feels sorry for Raffi Torres, but Raffi Torres might as well just went in the locker room and didn’t play the rest of the game because he was so worried, in my mind, about Hossa and how he was doing that he couldn’t even focus on the game.”

Did you speak with Raffi at all after the game?

“I did, and he seemed like he was pretty rattler. He got showered up, went straight to the bus and out of the rink.”

Well, he’ll be out of the rink for a while too. So, death threats: Did people call? Was it through twitter?

“You gotta love the twitter world. I had a few people mention that they’ll be meeting me for breakfast, so we’ll see how that goes.”

Did you talk to NHL Security about that?

“I mentioned it to a guy. It’s fine. It’s fine, it is what it is. Like I said, I wish I didn’t say what I said. You got to pick more of a middle ground, and you know obviously when you see Hossa laying there longer and longer, you’re like ‘Oh geez, let’s really take a closer look at this.’ You know, I thought he was going to get right back up, but obviously that wasn’t the case.”

Listen to Tyson Nash on 1000 ESPN Chicago here

I hope to attend and post a full review!

Clinic Classroom – Gateway Church in Gilbert
Friday, May 18th
6pm – 10pm

Field Day – 37B north of Florence
Saturday, May 19th
9am – 5pm

Whether you’re a newcomer to predator hunting or an experienced caller, this
clinic will help you to get more fur in front of your gun!

Topics and events include:
*Stand selection and terrain hunting
*Skinning techniques and demo
*Call sounds and calling sequence
*Firearms and gear selection
*How to hunt competitions
*Hands on accuracy training (please bring a .22 rifle and ammo)

Adults $145 or $80 for one day -
- Kids ages 10-17 just $60 -
$80 for prior students
$15 discount for current military

Please wear your camo or hunting clothes and bring your calls!
Custom hand calls and call lanyards will be available for purchase at a discount price!

To Register or for More Information:
Call Glen Stilson 520-831-3683
Or Email Glen@IndependenceTraining.com

For Full Details, Please Visit: http://RizzoIsReady.BlogSpot.Com

The Coyotes announced today that they have re-signed forward Viktor Tikhonov to a one year, $826,875 two way contract. (Contract numbers via Renaud Lavoie of RDS)

The 6-foot-2, 190 pound Tikhonov set new career highs in assists (23), points (33) and penalty minutes (26) in 60 games with the San Antonio Rampage (AHL) during the 2010-11 season. He also recorded a career-high three points in a game (1-2-3) at Texas on March 4 and finished the month of March with nine points (2-7-9) in 15 games.

According to Renaud Lavoie of RDS in Canada the contract includes a ‘European Assignment Clause’ which basically means that if Tikhonov doesn’t make the Coyotes roster out of camp, he can head to the KHL (Russia) and play next season.

If this ‘European Assignment Clause’ wasn’t in place and the Tikhonov didn’t make the Coyotes roster on opening night, he would have been exposed to waivers before being re-assigned to the Portland Pirates. Furthermore, if Tikhonov did indeed head off to a European League he would not be exposed to waivers if the Coyotes recalled him from said European League. Great move by Coyotes General Manger Don Maloney to give Tikhonov that clause.

As I see it, this is a make or break year for Tikhonov coming into training camp. He has to show THIS YEAR that that he is near or at NHL readiness. Fans shouldn’t expect the second coming of Joe Sakic or something to that effect. Fans should be looking out for a base skill set that, in the very least, has the potential to grow into the NHL skill set that he is projected to become.

Here’s the latest with the Coyotes ownership saga….

On Monday, Lisa Halverstad of the Arizona Republic posted this article stating that there are two new offers for the Phoenix Coyotes but both parties were not named for privacy reasons.

This afternoon, Roc and Manuch posted the following Tweet revealing more details about the two new offers. As you can see below, Jerry Reinsdorf has re-entered the picture.

The details about the out clauses or offers are not known at this time.

The City of Glendale will meet next week for a workshop next Tuesday. The first public city council meeting will be August 23rd.

During the off-season, things slow down across the board so I want to get your input as to how you rate the Coyotes lineup as of today. Use the comment area below to expand on your answer.

So how did you rate the Coyotes signings and current lineup? What areas do the Coyotes need to address to become a solid lineup?

Feel free to put your answers below.

The Coyotes announced today that they have signed forward Patrick O’Sullivan to a one year (two way) $625,000 contract. The contract will pay O’Sullivan $105,000 in the AHL.

O’Sullivan has played for four NHL clubs in his six NHL seasons including Los Angeles, Edmonton, Minnesota, and Carolina.

Coyotes fans may or may not remember that O’Sullivan’s contract was bought out by the Coyotes last summer as part of the Jim Vandermeer trade to Edmonton.

This means that O’Sullivan will be paid this new contract salary AND the money the Coyotes are paying him as part of his standard player contract buyout. According to section 13d of the NHL collective bargaining agreement, O’Sullivian’s buyout is spread over two seasons in semi monthly payments. O’Sullivan is owed $397,917 this season as part of the buyout.

If O’Sullivan makes the Coyotes roster this season he will be paid $1,022,917, including his buyout. If he’s sent to the Portland Pirates he will be making $502,917 including his buyout.

According to the press release from the club…

Last season, the 26-year-old native of Winston-Salem, N.C., appeared in 31 NHL games with Carolina and Minnesota registering 2-6-8. He also helped lead the Houston Aeros to the AHL Calder Cup Finals by posting a team best 18 points (4g, 14a) in 24 playoff games. He recorded 19-29-48 in 36 regular season contests with Houston.

As I see it, O’Sullivan will be given the chance to make the Coyotes roster.  If he doesn’t, this signing will greatly help the Portland Pirates roster improve on their last seasons successes. It’s a win/win situation for the Coyotes.

The Phoenix Coyotes announced today that their first round draft pick (20th overall) in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, defenseman Connor Murphy, has signed a three year $2.775 million dollar entry level contract.
 
“We are happy to sign Connor to an entry level contract,” Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney said. “He is a terrific talent and we look forward to seeing him in a Coyotes uniform in the future.”
 
The 18-year old native of Boston, Mass., led all U.S. defensemen with three goals and a plus-seven rating in six games at the 2011 IIHF U-18 World Championship. He was named Player of the Game after he scored the gold-medal winning overtime goal, his second of the game, helping Team USA defeat Team Sweden 4-3.

Here’s how his salary breaks down:

He gets a $90,000 signing bonus before even playing hockey.

2011-12 Season:

AHL Salary $70,000
NHL Salary: $925,000
Performance Bonuses: $212,500
Signing Bonus: $92,500
Cap Hit: $1,137,500

2012-13 Season:

AHL Salary $70,000
NHL Salary: $925,000
Performance Bonuses: $212,500
Signing Bonus: $92,500
Cap Hit: $1,137,500

2013-14 Season:

AHL Salary $70,000
NHL Salary: $925,000
Performance Bonuses: $212,500
Signing Bonus: $92,500
Cap Hit: $1,137,500

Numbers via Capgeek.

Yesterday, the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League announced that they have hired David Burke as President of the Club. The Aeros are an affiliate of the NHL Minnesota Wild.

Burke was the Vice President of Ticket Sales and Service for the Coyotes, a position he held since 2007.

Yesterday, Burke took to his Twitter account to announce the deal and make a few comments.

Excited 4 the new opportunity w/the #Aeros. Thank you to all the amazing people with the #Coyotes organization that have helped me get here

He also made sure to note that this decision had nothing to do with the current ownership saga in Glendale.

Thank you all 4 the congratulations. Coyotes situation had zero to do with my decision, opportunity had 110%. #Coyotes will prosper in AZ

“We’re pleased to welcome David Burke into the Minnesota Wild family,” Wild Chief Operating Office Matt Majka said. “His experience and energy are key assets that will help lead the Aeros off the ice.”

A New York native, Burke lived in Houston from 1987-1995 and attended Klein High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Corporate Communications from the College of Charleston in 2003.

“This is a dream come true for me,” Burke said. “Not only is it a fantastic organization, but getting the opportunity to run the business operations of a team in my hometown is both exciting and challenging.”

Besides the Coyotes, Burke’s background also includes stints with the Dallas Stars (NHL), Texas Motor Speedway, New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets (NBA) and Charlotte Bobcats (NBA).

Burke will officially begin his new post on August 8.

Following the end of the 2010-2011 regular season, the Phoenix Coyotes have slowly been making key changes to their hockey operations staff. First there was the full assistant coaching staff turnover, then came the promotion for Sean Burke, now it’s the scouting department’s turn.

Today Don Maloney truly put his full stamp on this Coyotes team by announcing that Rick Knickle has been named Director of Amateur Scouting, replacing Keith Gretzky. Knickel was a North American scout with the Nashville Predators focusing on the Western Hockey League (WHL). He has been with the organization since the team’s inception in the 1998-1999 season until his departure following the 2010-2011 season.

For those of you who don’t have your search engines handy, here’s a list of players the Nashville Predators drafted out of the WHL:

Scott Hartnell
Jordin Tootoo
Dan Hamhuis
Brandon Segal
Scottie Upshall
Shea Weber
Cody Franson
Mark Santorelli
Jonathon Blum
Taylor Aronson

Knickle replaces Keith Gretzky who will be moving on to another organization.

If you want to get a feel for who Knickle is, here’s an interview with him recorded in July of 2009 on the ‘Pipeline Show‘ out of Edmonton, Alberta.

Audio Download Link

Glen Zacharias was also hired by the Coyotes and will serve as the amateur scout for the WHL. According to the Coyotes press release, Zacharias “was with the Lightning franchise when they won the Stanley Cup in 2004.” With 20 years of experience, Zacharias’s draft record with the Lightning indicates that talented players were drafted but their development in the NHL sometimes took a nose dive into the lower rungs of professional hockey. He was out of a job following the Lightning’s front office shake up when current General Manager Steve Yzerman was hired.

I wouldn’t read too much into the ‘front office shake up’ as it’s seems to be more of a statement of Yzerman wanting his own people in place than anything. The more I read about the pre-Yzerman Lightning, the more I see that talented players were drafted by the Lightning but were mishandled by the hockey operations staff of that era.

In addition, Rob Pulford will serve as a U.S. amateur scout for the Coyotes covering the United States Hockey League (USHL) and Minnesota High School Leagues.

Current amateur scout David MacLean will now become a pro scout covering the Western Conference.

The Coyotes also announced that Bob Teofilo has been promoted to Hockey Operations Video Coordinator.

“We’re still working on that second goaltender for Portland.” – Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney on July 5th via conference call.

Today the Phoenix Coyotes signed that second goaltender when Justin Pogge agreed to a one-year, two-way contract. Pogge’s contract will pay $575,000 in the NHL and $80,000 in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Portland Pirates. Pogge will slot in as the 4th goaltender on the Phoenix Coyotes depth chart and as the 2nd goaltender on the Portland Pirates depth chart.

What he can do with this opportunity in Portland is up to him. Remember what happened to the last goaltender who was #4 on the Coyotes depth chart? Al Montoya was traded to the New York Islanders and played solid hockey as their starting goaltender in last part of the 2010-2011 season.

Pogge’s salary numbers via capgeek.com:

GLENDALE, ARIZONA – The Phoenix Coyotes announced today that due to a scheduling conflict, the team’s home game at Jobing.com Arena on Monday, February 13, 2012 versus the Vancouver Canucks has now been moved to Tuesday, February 28, 2012. Start time for this game is set for 7:00 p.m. (Phoenix time). The Coyotes also announced that their road game at Vancouver which was originally scheduled for Tuesday, February 28 has now been moved to Monday, February 13. Start time for this game is 8:00 p.m. (Phoenix time).

Click here for the updated 2010-2011 Phoenix Coyotes regular season schedule.

Yesterday, the City of Glendale and Goldwater institute met in Maricopa County Superior Court to discuss the matter of the City of Glendale releasing documents to the Goldwater Institute.  This seemed to be more of a procedural day in court as there is a new judge on the case and he seems to be starting over from scratch.  Lisa Halverstad of the Arizona Republic spent the day in court and Tweeted the play by play of what went down.

http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95537683320934400

 http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95538130400190464

 http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95538475734024192

 http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95538711600705537

 http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95540019900588032

 http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95541168103895040

 http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95541820796313600

 http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95542038761705472

 http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95543143692386304

 http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95544839529185280

http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95545449351618560

 http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95545709591400448

 http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95547560890081280

 http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95549228385968128

 http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95550547146457088

http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95550747558690816

 http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95551072051019776

 http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95551636189102080

 http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95552136447934464

 http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95553283745251328

 http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95554006188953603

 http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95554827291070465

 http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95555124319092736

http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95555395631857664

 http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95556457059196929

http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95556571312033793

http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95558994172710913

 http://twitter.com/LisaHalverstadt/status/95560545477996546

Earlier today Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic, talked with injured Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Kurt Sauer.  Sauer provided an update on where he’s at health wise.

http://twitter.com/azc_mclellan/status/95581897962426368

http://twitter.com/azc_mclellan/status/95582104217325569

Sauer suffered a potentially career ending injury in the early stages of the 2009 season and has pretty much been out of the Coyotes lineup since.

According to this tweet from NHL player Ryan Whitney (Edmonton Oilers) earlier this evening, Mr. and Mrs. Keith Yandle welcomed their first child, a girl named Mila, into the world.

Whitney seems to be Keith Yandle’s press secretary this summer after breaking Keith Yandle’s five year contract extension earlier this month via this Tweet.

The Coyotes have confirmed this news as well.

Here’s the final 2010-2011 home attendance numbers for the Phoenix Coyotes including the playoffs.

Regular Season

Total attendance – 487,543

Average attendance per game – 12,189

Playoffs

Total Attendance – 34,444

Average Attendance per game – 17,222

 
Back from Vacation.
 

Strader to NBC/Versus/Universal next season

 
As you may or may not have heard by now Dave Strader, Phoenix Coyotes television play by play announcer, has essentially been called up to the big leagues for next season. According to this report in the Arizona Republic, Strader has accepted a play by play position with NBC/Versus/Universal for the 2011-2012 season.
 
Many people saw the broadcast side of Strader during his time in Phoenix and on NBC/Versus. However, most never got a ‘behind the scenes’ look at the work Strader does leading up to games during the regular season and playoffs. Rich Nairn, Head of PR for the Coyotes, once called him the hardest working man in the business (paraphrasing). However, it’s tough to relay how hard Strader works during a given season without some documentation or video.
 
As I was putting this article together, I stumbled across this video on Hulu about Strader and the work he’s done throughout his career. Granted, this video is really dated (Gretzky era) but it shows a glimpse into how Strader approaches his job at the local and national levels.
 

 

Daryl Jones of Ice Edge Holdings responds to Glendale Mayor Scruggs news interview – Part 2

 
If you remember my last article before I went on vacation, I noted one time potential Phoenix Coyotes owner Daryl Jones of Ice Edge Holdings had some pretty strong remarks towards the City of Glendale. Some of his comments were aimed specifically at City Manager Ed Beasley as the source for the lack of progress in the sale of the Phoenix Coyotes to a potential owner. In addition to Daryl Jones, US Senator John McCain (R-AZ) AND the Arizona Republic have also pointed fingers of blame in the direction of the City of Glendale.
 
After all this, you have to wonder if the people who were voted in to run the City of Glendale realize that if the Coyotes leave town, they just might be out of a job.
 

Korpikoski signs a two year deal

 
On the very day of his arbitration hearing on Wednesday, Phoenix Coyotes forward Lauri Korpikoski signed a two year $3.6 million dollar contract (cap hit $1.8 million dollars per season) that locks up the forward at a time where he is on the verge of having a breakout season.
 
“We are very pleased to sign Lauri to a two-year contract,” said Maloney. “Lauri is an excellent skater, a versatile forward and an important player on our team. We are happy to avoid arbitration and finalize a contract.”
 

Coyotes sign four forwards

 
On Tuesday, the Coyotes signed four forwards all to one year, two way contracts.
 
(Salary info via via capgeek.com)
 
Brett MacLean will make $65,000 in the AHL and $735,000 in the NHL ($735,000 is also his cap hit)
 
Kyle Chipchura will make $550,000 in the NHL and $105,000 in the AHL. The cap hit is $550,000.
 
Marc-Antoine Pouliot will make $105,000 in the AHL and $605,000 in the NHL. The cap hit is $605,000.
 
Mathieu Beaudoin’s AHL Salary will be $95,000 his NHL Salary (and cap Hit) will be $525,000.
 

Tippett to participate in NHL Research, Development, and Orientation Camp

From August 17-18, Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett along with Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Dan Byslma will lead three dozen of the top prospects eligible for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft in the 2011 NHL Research, Development and Orientation Camp. The Camp will take place in Etobicoke, Ontario and will test many of the proposed rule changes, rink markings, and strategies in scrimmage situations. Tippett will lead one bench of players and Byslma will lead the other during the camp.
 
More information, along with the schedule of events and rules under review will be released at a later date.

The following players have confirmed their participation in the camp:

Name                     Pos.    Club (League)               Height, Weight
 
ALTSHULLER, DANIEL       G       NEPEAN (CCHL)               6′ 2′, 194 lbs
 
ATHANASIOU, ANDREAS      C       LONDON (OHL)                5′ 11′, 157 lbs
 
BEAUVILLIER, FRANCIS     LW      RIMOUSKI (QMJHL)            6′ 1′, 170 lbs
 
BUSSIERES, RAPHAEL       LW      BAIE-COMEAU (QMJHL)         6′ 1′, 183 lbs
 
CAMPAGNA, MATTHEW        C       SUDBURY (OHL)               5′ 10′, 170 lbs
 
CECI, CODY               D       OTTAWA (OHL)                6′ 2′, 203 lbs
 
CURCURUTO, GIANLUCA      D       SAULT STE. MARIE (OHL)      6′ 1′, 191 lbs
 
DARCY, CAMERON           C       U.S. UNDER-18 (USHL)        6′ 0′, 185 lbs
 
DI GIUSEPPE, PHILLIP     LW      U OF MICHIGAN (CCHA)        6′ 0′, 185 lbs
 
DRIEDGER, CHRIS          G       CALGARY (WHL)               6′ 2′, 172 lbs
 
DUMBA, MATHEW            D       RED DEER (WHL)              5′ 11′, 171 lbs
 
EBERT, NICK              D       WINDSOR (OHL)               6′ 0′, 195 lbs
 
FRASER, JEREMIE          D       ACADIE-BATHURST (QMJHL)     6′ 1′, 200 lbs
 
FRK, MARTIN              RW      HALIFAX (QMJHL)             6′ 0′, 192 lbs
 
GALCHENYUK, ALEX         C/LW    SARNIA (OHL)                6′ 0′, 185 lbs
 
GAUNCE, BRENDAN          C       BELLEVILLE (OHL)            6′ 2′, 205 lbs
 
GIRGENSONS, ZEMGUS       C       DUBUQUE (USHL)              6′ 1′, 182 lbs
 
GUDBRANSON, ALEX         D       KINGSTON (OHL)              6′ 1′, 200 lbs
 
KERDILES, NICOLAS        LW      U.S. UNDER-18 (USHL)        6′ 1, 183 lbs
 
KOSMACHUK, SCOTT         RW      GUELPH (OHL)                6 0, 182 lbs
 
LAUGHTON, SCOTT          C       OSHAWA (OHL)                6′ 0′, 174 lbs
 
MAIDENS, JARROD          C       OWEN SOUND (OHL)            6′ 1′, 169 lbs
 
MATHESON, MICHAEL        D       DUBUQUE (USHL)              6′ 0′, 170 lbs
 
MARCANTUONI, MATIA       C       KITCHENER (OHL)             5′ 11′, 185 lbs
 
MURRAY, RYAN             D       EVERETT (WHL)               6′ 0′, 182 lbs
 
OLSON, COLLIN            G       U.S. UNDER-18 (USHL)        6′ 3, 189 lbs
 
POULIOT, DERRICK         D       PORTLAND (WHL)              5′ 11′, 185 lbs
 
RIELLY, MORGAN           D       MOOSE JAW (WHL)             5′ 11′, 189 lbs
 
RYAN, ANDREW             LW      HALIFAX (QMJHL)             6′ 3, 193 lbs
 
SCHMALTZ, JORDAN         D       SIOUX CITY (USHL)           6′ 2′, 175 lbs
 
SISSONS, COLTON          RW      KELOWNA (WHL)               6′ 1′, 182 lbs
 
SIWAK, DAULTON           C       RED DEER (WHL)              5′ 11′, 190 lbs
 
SUBBAN, MALCOLM          G       BELLEVILLE (OHL)            6′ 1′, 178 lbs
 
TIERNEY, CHRIS           LW      LONDON (OHL)                6′ 0′, 170 lbs
 
TROUBA, JACOB            D       U.S. UNDER-18 (USHL)        6′ 1′, 175 lbs
 
YAKUPOV, NAIL            RW      SARNIA (OHL)                5′ 11′, 180 lbs

Some quick Coyotes news before I go on vacation….

Coyotes hire Anderson as Assistant Coach

The Coyotes have hired John Anderson as their new assistant coach. Anderson, who has a championship resume in the AHL, will focus on reviving the one dimensional Coyotes offense and power play units.
According to the coyotes press release:

During his head coaching career, Anderson won five championships, most recently guiding the Chicago Wolves to the American Hockey League’s 2008 Calder Cup Championship. He spent 11 seasons with the Wolves, the Thrashers primary minor-league affiliate, earning a 506-283-99 regular-season record and a 105-60 postseason record. He guided the Wolves to the playoffs in 10 of his 11 seasons. During his tenure with Chicago, he led the team to two Calder Cups (2008, 2002) and two Turner Cups (2000, 1998) when the team was a member of the International Hockey League (IHL).

 

Before joining the Thrashers organization, Anderson spent the 1996-97 season as head coach of the Quad City Mallards of the Colonial Hockey League (CoHL), leading them to a 51-20-3 record and the Colonial Cup Championship. The previous season (1995-96), he began his coaching career with the Winston-Salem Mammoths (SHL), leading them to the Southern Hockey League finals and a 30-23-7 regular-season record.

“We are very pleased to have John join our coaching staff,” said Coyotes General Manger Don Maloney. “John has experience as an NHL head coach in addition to having won several championships as a head coach in the American Hockey League. He sees the game from an offensive perspective and he will be counted on to help improve our offensive performance. Both he and Jim Playfair will be great additions to Dave Tippett’s staff.”

Daryl Jones of Ice Edge Holdings responds to Glendale Mayor Scruggs news interview

Last week you may or may not have seen an interview with City of Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs. Scruggs paints a picture that the City is preparing to get ready for life without the Coyotes.

In case you haven’t seen the interview, here it is:

Later that day, one time potential Phoenix Coyotes owner Daryl Jones of Ice Edge Holdings took to Twitter to respond to this interview. These tweets paint a picture of where blame is to be assigned in this matter.

http://twitter.com/HedgeyeDJ/status/89393978193088514

http://twitter.com/HedgeyeDJ/status/89394816407965696

http://twitter.com/HedgeyeDJ/status/89395587379765248

http://twitter.com/HedgeyeDJ/status/89419704027979777

http://twitter.com/HedgeyeDJ/status/89420785311162369

Coyotes/Stars Pre-Season Game in Houston cancelled

The Coyotes and Dallas Stars were originally scheduled to play a pre-season game at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas on September 23rd. The Dallas Stars announced that the game has been canceled due to the high costs of putting on the event and that the game will not be played at another venue.

No on-sale date for Coyotes license plates

As you may or may not know, the State of Arizona has approved the sale of custom Phoenix Coyotes license plates. As of press time, there is not a set ‘on sale’ date for these plates.

Edwards turns down Jets job

According to the Maine Hockey Journal, Portland Pirates head coach Ray Edwards turned down an assistant coaching job with the Winnipeg Jets yesterday and will remain in Maine.
 

http://mainehockeyjournal.com/2011/07/13/edwards-declines-winnipeg-job-staying-with-portland/
 

Coyotes still below cap floor

As of press time, the Phoenix Coyotes are approximately $2,781,250 below the cap floor. The NHL set the cap floor last month at $48.3 million dollars.
 

King steps down as assistant coach

Dave King has stepped down from his position as assistant coach to become a development coach for the Coyotes. King will oversee all pro player development including working with coaches and players in Portland (AHL) during the season. In addition, he will help with special assignment scouting and assist the coaching staff in Phoenix when his schedule permits.

“Dave King is an outstanding coach and one of the best teachers in the game,” said Maloney. “We look forward to utilizing Dave to help our pro players develop and also to assist our coaching staff with scouting support. We are excited about Dave’s new role with the organization.”

For the past two seasons, King served as an assistant coach with the Coyotes after being named to the position on Sept. 21, 2009.

Sean Burke promoted

Coyotes Goaltending coach Sean Burke was promoted to Director of Player development/Goaltending coach and will be responsible for all off-season amateur player development including overseeing the Coyotes development Camp and monitoring amateur player development during the season. He will also continue in his role as goaltending coach for the Coyotes.

“We are very pleased to announce Sean as our new director of player development/goaltending coach,” said Maloney. “Sean has great knowledge of the game, outstanding communication skills and untapped potential. He will assist us in several areas of our hockey operations with direct responsibility for player development and goaltender coaching.”

Latest Free Agent Signings

(Salary numbers via Capgeek)

Goaltender – Curtis McElhinney – One year, two way, contract. He will make $625,000 in the NHL and $225,000 in the AHL. McElhinney will start the season in Portland.

Defenseman – Tyler Eckford – One-year (two-way) $525,000 contract

Defenseman – Nathan Oystrick – One-year (two-way) contract. He will make $525,000 in the NHL and $105,000 in the AHL.

Defenseman – Dean Arsene – One-year (two-way) contract

Forward – Matt Watkins – One-year (two-way) contract. He will make $550,000 in the NHL and $55,000 in the AHL.

As you may have heard by now, Keith Yandle signed a five year deal that locks the defenseman up for a stretch of time that will give him the opportunity to take the next step in his career. This will be the step that will set him on the path to potentially becoming an elite defenseman. In addition, this signing also sent a message to the rest of the NHL that the Coyotes now have a solid cornerstone and leader in Yandle to build a winning franchise around.

When Yandle’s new contract was first announced, it sent a message to the rest of the league that the current Coyotes ownership saga isn’t as big of a detractor to potential free agents now or in the future. Even during a conference call for the media Tuesday, Yandle was eager to take the reigns as a team leader and help the Coyotes build a winning tradition in the desert.

“You like to be the guy that maybe if I do sign, obviously I did sign, if I stay then maybe more guys will come, said Yandle. “If they see that a young guy and myself and maybe other players will want to come play for them (the Coyotes).”

Coming off a career year in 2010-2011 with 59 points (11 goals and 48 assists) in 82 games making the playoffs for the second straight season along with playing in his first ever All-Star Game, Yandle set the bar pretty high for himself. Sure he’s taken a huge step forward with his overall game last season. Now that his contract is signed, his on-ice responsibilities and expectations for next season will be even greater than before. One of the biggest expectations for Yandle next season will be to take that next step and become a top ten defenseman in the NHL.

But does Yandle have the skills and potential to be one of the best defensemen in the NHL?

“Absolutely,” said Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney in a Conference call on Tuesday. “I think he has that potential.”

“When we tighten up his defensive game where less is more sometimes in your own zone then he’ll legitimately, I think, he’ll be up in the top ten bracket of defenseman in this league,” said Maloney.

A ‘top ten bracket’ defenseman in the NHL is the kind that can not only eat up minutes in the regular season but can eat up 30 or more minutes per game in the playoffs, playing in key situations. Yandle clearly wants to become an elite player that the Coyotes can depend on at any given moment in the game.

“You want to be that guy. You want to be the guy your team can depend on in all areas of the game at all times of the game whether it’s up by a goal with one minute left you want to be on the ice keeping the team from not scoring.”

During the media conference call on Tuesday, Yandle was eager to tackle this opportunity right away.

“You know, that’s my goal to play more minutes, play more key situations, get some penalty kill and stuff like that. You just want to play more.”

When the Coyotes signed Yandle to his new contract, they not only kept a defenseman who is on the verge of becoming an elite player but they also kept a player who is destined to become the future face of the franchise. Now we get to see what Yandle can do with this opportunity.

Earlier today, restricted free agent defenseman Keith Yandle, signed a 5 year/$26.25 million dollar contract with the Phoenix Coyotes. Below is audio and transcriptions of conference call media availability with Keith Yandle and Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney.

Audio and Transcription courtesy of my laptop and a pot of Dunkin Donuts coffee

Keith Yandle Conference Call

Audio Download Link

On why he signed a five year deal

Well obviously I’m very excited to get it done today and have the rest of the summer to focus on what we need to accomplish next year. Gettin it done now is I think is the best thing that could have happened. You know, signing the five years just showing how much I believe in the team and how much I want to be in Phoenix and how much my experience already has been so great in Phoenix that I want to be there and I want to be there for a long time.

Hopefully we’re in a good position where we keep getting better. Obviously we need to make moves you know with the cap I think we have room to be a really good team and obviously with a great coaching staff with Tip (Phoenix Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett) and Jim Playfair coming in this year. Its going to be good, it’s going to be a good test for us this year especially losing Bryzzy (Ilya Bryzgalov), signing Mike Smith and having Jason LaBarbera and having those two battling every night to win us games. It’s going to be a fun year. I think because we’re so well coached I think we’re going to always be in games and it’s going to be fun in the next few years.

On the rumors that he wouldn’t sign with the Coyotes due to the Coyotes ownership matter and if the rumors were true or not:

I remember my brother had forwarded me an e-mail that it was a blog or something ??? something like that. And he was like “Is this true?”, you know, asking me And I was like “No, I haven’t even heard of that. Neither me or my agent”. I never said that to anybody and it was a thing that, you know, certain times when summertime I haven’t been signed yet. People just ??? conversation I guess.

On where Yandle’s overall game is right now:

I think I’m just taking strides every year to where I want to be eventually. I think offensively, I’ve got to keep producing, keep playing well helping the team five on five and on the power play. Defensively obviously is a big part of winning, you know, especially the way Coach Tippett plays his system. We’re a defensive style team. You gotta be strong in your own end that’s something I try to clean up every day. With Ulfie (former associate coach Ulf Sammuelson) over the last four or five years, helped me greatly on that. I’ve heard nothing but great thing with Jim Playfair coming in I heard he’s just a great defensive coach he’s really good at helping guys out doing video and stuff like that. I think I can definitely use that to my advantage and get a lot of help with him.

On specific areas Yandle is working on defensively:

I think everything. I think just being simple in my own end and not running around. I think when me an Mo (defenseman Derek Morris) didn’t play the first few games together maybe the first handful of games and then after me an him got really comfortable playing with each other, I thought we were better off. I think knowing next year coming in I’ll be playing with Mo, hopefully, just things like that when you have the certainty knowing who you’re going to play with. It makes it a lot easier when I have a guy like Mo that I can read off of and how much he helps me out there.

On Yandle’s wanting a five year deal:

The first offer that they came at us with was also a five year. We kind of hadn’t you know really heard much with obviously free agency and Maloney and Brad trying to get our team better with other guys and, you know, they still had me we hadn’t talked for a little while. So then today actually I was working out and then skating, I talked to my agent quick in the morning and he said ‘Are we still comfortable on a five year deal?’ I said ‘Yeah, the more the merrier’. The longer I can get locked up especially to be in a place like Phoenix and raise a family, you know, obviously my wife is comfortable there. It’s a great place to live and it’s a great place to play too.

If Ed Jovanovski’s departure increases Yandle’s responsibilities:

I think so, absolutely. When you have a guy like Jovo (former Coyotes defenseman Ed Jovanovski), he was there for 6-7 years just the respect he had in the locker room and playing against other teams and other teams top lines playing a lot of minutes I want to be in that position where I am ??? Obviously, an assistant captain and I want guys to come me, talk to me I want to lead on the ice and in the locker room. Obviously, I did play a lot of minutes last year but, you know, you look at other guys and you see other guys play lots of minutes and I want to be right up there as one of those guys who does play the maybe the most minutes in the league, if not, close to it. I think playing all kinds of minutes that what’s fun for me every shift and helping out your team.

If Yandle, as a team leader, has talked to the new players on the roster yet (Raffi Torres, Mike Smith, Alex Bolduc, etc) to acclimate them to the system and their surroundings:

No I hadn’t because I wasn’t signed up yet and maybe something would have happened. I didn’t want to make friends with the guy and then maybe something happened. Thankfully, I wasn’t traded or offer sheeted but I’m sure I’ll reach out to them now and get in touch with those guys and see if there’s anything I can do to help and from what I’m hearing the hockey community is a small community so everybody knows everybody and I’ve heard great things about those guys and I’m very excited to meet them and play with them.

If Yandle got any assurances that the team will stay in Phoenix for the length of his contract and if he searched any of that out during negotiations:

Yeah, I think so. I think obviously, that is a big question. You like to be the guy that maybe if I do sign, obviously I did sign, if I stay then maybe more guys will come if they see that a young guy and myself and maybe other players will want to come play for them and we can turn the franchise around, stay there forever and everybody will be happy. That’s the thing, You want to stay in the team, especially ??? you get drafted by Phoenix, you want to play, they’re the one who gave me a chance. You want to play there forever you always always want guys to come and play with you and be competitive every year.

If the Yandle was told that would lead him to believe that would be the case:

Yeah, everything that we’ve heard it’s ‘we’re in Phoenix now we’re going to stay there’. You know, obviously with (Matthew) Hulsizer dropping out who knows what going to happen if someone else is going to step up. From our end, all we hear is good things about the team staying, that’s what we’re going with.

On if Yandle sees himself as or aspires to be Captain of the Coyotes or an NHL team:

Yeah, absolutely. You want to be a guy on the team that’s a leader and can help your team, help guys whether or not ??? it’s hockey stuff, off the ice issues. You want to be the guy that guys can come to and talk to just the way Doaner (Coyotes Captain Shane Doan) is. Being a captain last year, obviously I’ve learned from the best and Doaner he’s always up for leader of the year and those type of awards. He’s recognized as such a great leader and a great man, obviously it’s a privilege almost being under him and learning his ways and kind of stealing some of his ways. You want to be a guy, obviously I’d love to be Captain of the Coyotes when Doaner retires maybe working in the media or something for the Coyotes I know he’ll still be around all the time.

On making it a goal to be a #1 defenseman position:

Yeah, absolutely. You want to be that guy. You want to be the guy your team can depend on in all areas of the game at all times of the game whether it’s up by a goal with one minute left you want to be on the ice keeping the team from not scoring. If you’re down a goal you want to be out on the ice trying to score a goal. You know, that’s my goal to play more minutes, play more key situations, get some penalty kill and stuff like that. You just want to play more. Every year you look at the end of the year, you’re happy with what you did but you always want to do more.

On former Phoenix Coyotes goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov leaving, his not being able to succeed in the post season, and if his teammates thought it was time for a new start with a new goaltender:

I don’t think it was him necessarily I think obviously we all failed because we didn’t win the series last year or the year before that losing to Detroit both years. I don’t think you can pin that on just him losing. Obviously, it’s a team effort. Losing Brzzy (Former Coyotes goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov) he’s probably one of the best goalies in the NHL. Just because he’s on another team, you can’t say he’s a bad goalie. You would like to have him but the two guys we’ve got now are just as capable. Obviously, I haven’t played with Mike Smith but with Barbs (Coyotes goaltender Jason LaBarbera) and seeing how hard he works I think he’s gonna be pushing to be a starter and be the the guy we can depend on and lean on to win games.

Don Maloney Conference Call

Audio Download Link

How the Contract came about today (0 -2:02):

Brad Treliving, the (Coyotes) assistant (General) Manager, had a number of conversations with Keith’s agent prior to the entry draft to sort of set a base of different term and everywhere from short to longer to much longer. But between the entry draft and the free agent prep last week we really had a couple week period where we didn’t have much dialogue so we went back after him today and really, Keith is an important part of our team he’s an assistant captain, he fits into our culture, he fits into our future. So I thought if we looked at the term and even the dollars spent, I thought it was a good value for a top young Norris Trophy potential defenseman that I believe still has upside to his game. I think his defensive game will improve with age and maturity and yet for much of the year I felt he drove our offense with the way he can carry a puck and jump in the offensive zone and get pucks to the net. So for us a key guy to put in the bank and lock away for five years and hopefully we can make him even better.

On if the the concern with the gap that existed in contract talks and if it was because of lack of communication or something else (2:02 – 3:30):

Some of the rumblings we heard out in hockey land on some of the other potential restricted free agents, the top players were concerning in the level that they were going to be in, knowing where Keith was thinking at one point. I think at that point when we talked this morning and spent some time with his agent he came back at a five year number. All of a sudden, that made sense to us. When he came back down to sort of a more neutral level and was talked about the past then it seemed to make more sense to see if we can push something through. So, all in all, a week ago I was very, very concerned. We all know that these signings in the last few days have nothing to do with Keith Yandle in a sense of ??? for arbitration purpose. However, you can look at him now and three years from if he’s unrestricted and he hit the market ?????? you can imagine the level of contract he’d be looking at. So, all in all I thought it was a fair deal.

On Keith Yandle’s potential (3:34 – 5:13):

He’s a unique player, and I liken him to a Dan Boyle and a Duncan Keith. Once Keith becomes better in his own zone where he’s a guy that you want to throw out in last minutes of play in periods. I think that will come. That will come with maturing, and growing. I even saw it this year where in the past every time Keith touched the puck he’d want to paint a Rembrandt. A lot of times if you watch a Lidstrom out there he makes a simple play every time again and again and again. He makes the smart, easy play. So, I think a lot of that comes with growing and maturing and I think once Keith has that realized, just get the puck and move the puck and then when the opportunity presents itself to jump in the play or lead a rush. Now that might not be on a point basis where we’re asking him to score 70-80 points. But it just might be a guy that can match up against the speed of the game and the talent of the game. It’s interesting he can (?) play all game long if you let him. He’s got unbelievable capacity to stay on the ice and eat up minutes. Those guys generally get paid a lot of money.

On Lauri Korpikoski filing salary arbitration (5:14 – 6:07):

We talked to his agent today. We’re going to talk again tomorrow. I think we’re fairly close. But again, fairly close…it may get to arbitration but I’m not as worried about Lauri I think he’s a good player and we’ll get something done either now or in arbitration. I think there’s a range that we’re probably talking in but we hope to have a little more clarity of where he’s at or if there’s a deal to be made now or is it a day before arbitration or does an arbitrator decide. We’ll get him signed ????

On what it means for Yandle wanting to stay long term now as opposed to when he first became General Manager (6:07-7:39):

I think it shows people we’re willing to spend on good players that are here for the long haul. The players here are committed to winning. We get can get all kinds of players to play here. It’s getting the player that want to be here to win here and not just collect a paycheck. That’s why Keith is really important. I hate to fight with your other players all the time on a contract I really am conscious of that. We really didn’t want to get into it because arbitration proceedings can be adversarial and its business and we know it, the agent knows it and we have to go into arbitration, hypothetically, with Keith Yandle (and) start pointing out his flaws, and every player has flaws, it gets personal. Sometimes it gets so personal you can’t take it back. So all in all, I think it’s a statement for us in Phoenix and our community. Here’s a top, top young defenseman that we’re committing long term and a very, very lucrative deal and we’ll continue to spend on good players until we get a championship team here.

On Yandle’s leadership and possibly moving into the Captains role (7:40-8:43 ):

Well I hope Shane Doan is here for 15 years.

In all seriousness, I think Keith is really the voice of that younger group of players that we have whether it’s Turris or Boedker or even Hanzal. He’s a very charismatic player in the locker room, on the ice he has fun in practice.

Can I see him being a Captain? Absolutely somewhere down the road.

But we’re very, very happy with Shane and hopefully that he’s here for many, many years. I think Keith is a player that Shane will continue to lean on when it comes to the ability to communicate with some of the younger players and continue building this franchise.
On how the free agent market has worked over the last five days in terms of reaching the cap floor (8:44 – 10:54 ):

Well every year it seems like I have the same refrain – I’m stunned by what’s going on. But I really think this year is the perfect storm and I really can’t imagine seeing this on a regular basis. And when I say that obviously you had a number of teams…you have the cap going up number one, a number of teams that had to spend money even to get to the floor. And then you have the teams with ownership that wanted to become a top team and wiling spend top dollars to get the best available players. And the pool being the high talent level, the pool of talent players was minimal. There’s good role players and secondary players, but when it came down to that front line, top two line, top four defenseman it was limited. So, there’s a lot of money in the marketplace a lot of money to spend, we’re a perfect example. We’re well positioned contractually, to add a front line player and stay well within our budget yet there’s no players out there right now that we feel warrant that type of contact, so we’ll sit and wait until we find something that makes sense to us. And I think there’s other teams along that line. I can’t imagine this happening again. (laughs) I say that every year but this to me was extraordinary circumstances that resulted in teams needing to spend to get to a certain floor. Consequentially, a lot of money in the marketplace and a limited supply. So ultimately, players that you might have thought were worth ‘X’ amount you probably had inflated thirty to forty percent just to get in the door and start talking.

On filling the open center spots and if the search will intensify for a center now that the Coyotes position needs have been locked up (10:55 – 12:15):

Yeah that’s fair. That’s still an area that we have to improve. We’re going to need to acquire a center-man before we drop the puck in October, I know it. And yet we were able to come up with a center late last summer in Eric Belanger who ???? a good value for us. I’m ???? optimistic. We will find somebody we hope that somebody of a higher end quality, a high end quality if we can do it. That’s our real need right now and yet as I look at this team guys I still want to make room for growth, expanded growth of (Mikkel) Boedker, (Kyle) Turris, (Brett) MacLean, and Andy Miele who is really a good play making prospect who has to show he can play in the NHL. We really like who we have coming but I’m realistic enough to know that to be a playoff team and a good team in this conference, we’re going to have to be better at center.

On Curtis McElhinney and where he fits in the Coyotes organization (12:20 – 13:44) :

Well right now Curtis, he’d be number three on our depth chart. He’s been in the NHL the last few years. He’s a big goaltender and we’ve had great success developing and making goaltenders better. We’re excited that Curtis signed with us because we think he has the potential to be an NHL goaltender and will provide great service in Portland and be available when we need him. We’re still working on that second goaltender for Portland. We’ve also made some very good signings of some depth players for Portland and call up players for us. All in All, Brad Treliving has done a terrific job filling most of the holes we see just to get some established core players that in all likelihood will start in Portland and will be available to us in call up roles.

On why their ECHL affiliate will be on the East Coast next year (13:45 – 14:34):

It only makes sense to be closer to the east. Las Vegas was ????? for us in Phoenix here and even from a location to San Antonio with lots of flights. It makes absolutely no sense to have an affiliation with a team in the West when the players you’re calling from have a potential to play in Portland. We’ve had some discussion. We’re looking to develop a relationship with some (ECHL) team on the east coast.

On whether he was afraid Yandle would have opted for arbitration (14:35 – 15:53):

We weren’t afraid of arbitration at all. In fact, that was fine by me. In my mind we had a two year deal we thought we knew where the arbitration would end up, which was something we were very comfortable with. However Dan, it was a combination of hearing the whispers of ???? group that some other RFA players were talking contract right now and where their salaries may be going and how Keith may be dragged up. And then again, locking into a guy that you think is a core player. You know, you like to do that in a negotiating fashion where there’s no animosity going into an arbitration procedure and potentially souring the player on some of the things you have to say to get the best deal possible which we’re all looking to do. So all in all, we were very very happy with the result of this negotiation.
If Don Maloney thinks Yandle can become a bonified number one defenseman over the course of his contract (15:54 – 16:51):

Absolutely. I think he has that potential. I think Keith right now, on an ice time basis, is our number one by a long shot. As I mentioned earlier, when we tighten up his defensive game where less is more sometimes in your own zone then he’ll legitimately, I think, he’ll be up in the top ten bracket of defenseman in this league. I really believe he has that potential. But it’s going to take work and work. Jim Playfair is coming in as assistant coach this year and has an excellent reputation for developing defenseman. And we think with Jim’s tutoring and Keith’s willingness to learn he wants to be the best, as they all do, but I think Keith has it in him to be a top number one defenseman on a winning NHL team and that’s what we’re all about here.
Update on Turris and Bodker’s contract negotiations (16:52 – end) :

They’re a little different status because they don’t have arbitration rights. We’re going to get after them this week and chat. Generally speaking, those contracts are relatively routine but as I’ve learned, nothing’s routine. We haven’t had very little dialogue but we’re going to go after them this week and see if we can ???? some more things up here.