From The Rink

I want Oklahoma City to have the best brand of hockey that it can support. I feel like we're a...

2009-12-19T15:29:54Z

I want Oklahoma City to have the best brand of hockey that it can support. I feel like we're a really good hockey market, we've supported hockey in the past and I think our market has matured to the point where we deserve and can support a higher level of play. We almost got an NHL franchise in 1998. We came right on the edge of getting one, but I think Columbus got the franchise. We were in the final running for it but didn't get it. I think that was reflective of the growing market and the fact that we've supported hockey. In 2005, when I was seeking a major league sport, I was in New York meeting with Commissioner Bettman and Commissioner Stern, then Katrina occurred and ultimately things took off in a different direction. I was seeking an NHL franchise or an NBA franchise at that point, but hockey was in a work stoppage at the time.

— Oklahoma City mayor Mick Cornett on pursuing an AHL franchise

Concussions and Reggie Fleming

2009-12-18T07:00:31Z

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If you haven't yet seen it, there's a lot of great coverage today of a new concussion study related to a deceased hockey player, Reggie Fleming, and the head trauma he suffered during his career.

From Friday's Globe and Mail:

Researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine have determined the former NHL player, who endured multiple concussions during his career, suffered from degenerative brain disease at the time of his death. This marks the first time a hockey player has been diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and adds to the growing concern about the long-term effect of concussions in hockey and the price exacted by the game’s physical nature.

It's scary stuff, along the same lines as what we've seen in football and boxing already.

Fleming's story initially came to light through a series of YouTube videos put together by his son, touching tributes that made the rounds in the hockey blogosphere near the time of his death in July.

Yes, he played in an era without helmets and was a fighter and all of the other caveats people are bringing up, but the concussion picture in the current NHL is not all that rosy. The question we have to ask is: Will current players end up in a similar predicament to Fleming, suffering early memory loss and other health issues in their 50s and 60s?

And, if so, what should be done about it?

"I’ll tell you right now, the thing that’s unacceptable about tonight’s game — and we’re trying to s...

2009-12-17T16:04:39Z

"I’ll tell you right now, the thing that’s unacceptable about tonight’s game — and we’re trying to stay positive around here, trying to work out way through it — but when we play like (poop) like that for 20 minutes, in a game like this, in a back-to-back situation, it’s unacceptable . .. it is simply unacceptable. And there has to be something done. We’ll see, along the way here, before tomorrow night’s game, where we go with it. It’s simply unacceptable how we start that game. I wish I could give you a (firetruckin’) explanation for it. I can’t."

With that he stormed out, nearly knocking a chair off the podium platform.

— Rangers coach John Tortorella in fine form

Shane Doan: A Coyote for life

2009-12-17T15:30:04Z

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

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Phoenix Coyotes Captain Shane Doan is scheduled to appear in the 1,000^th regular season National Hockey League game of his career tonight when the Coyotes visit the Columbus Blue Jackets at 5 p.m. at Nationwide Arena. Doan has spent his entire career with the Coyotes/Winnipeg Jets franchise.

Doan, 33, will become just the second player in franchise history to appear in 1,000 games with the organization, joining retired defenseman Teppo Numminen, who holds the Club record with 1,098 games played. Doan will also become the 24^th player in NHL history to play 1,000 games for the team that drafted him and the 42^nd player to appear in 1,000 games with one franchise.

>> team release

One thousand games isn't much of a milestone anymore given it's the equivalent to about 12 full seasons. In fact, 32 active players are ahead of him on the GP list, but how many either (a) did it with just one team or (b) are only 33 years old?

Doan should be able to crack into the top 20 in games played all time if he hangs around into his late 30s, having been a relative iron man in obscurity and in the league since right out of junior at age 18. It was interesting yesterday listening to him slip on the well worn cap as that troubled franchise's leader and star player, a spokesman who about 30 media members waited patiently to hear from on all things Coyotes.

He's gotten pretty good at defending his market and making the plea for more time in the desert.

"The fans – that’s a lot of ask of them to come out to the building when they don’t know if the team’s going to be back," Doan said, as the group of media whittled down to only two reporters and the dressing room emptied out.

"I was in Winnipeg when we went through it the first time and that’s a great hockey market, Canadian town, everyone loves hockey there, and there wasn’t a lot of fans there that [last] year either. That was tough. It’s a difficult situation for anyone to go through when your team is leaving."

At this point, it's Doan's team, too. He's been there since he was a teen, 14 years, maturing in the desert even as all the various Coyotes-related fiascoes all unfolded right in front of him.

Doan was a marvellous player in junior, and I can't help but wonder — after seeing him then and seeing him now, perhaps winding things down — if his career couldn't have been a whole lot brighter in another market and on better teams. As it is, we'll probably remember him for his longevity in the desert more than anything, as a 25-goal man who got the call for Team Canada more often than not (and often due to a sterling reputation around the league more than his production in it).

It's interesting how it can happen, where, in a 30-team league, players fall to franchises that are in holes they never quite climb out of. Doan's played 999 games, sure, but just 32 in the postseason — the last of which is a nearly eight-year old memory.

It's that mediocrity he points to in defending the fan base in Phoenix, but it's also that mediocrity that has kept him from the spotlight, on the sidelines every April. And, meanwhile, he wants the team to stay as much as anyone.

They don’t own the Phoenix Coyotes yet, but the partners in Ice Edge Holdings have already drawn up ...

2009-12-17T07:20:59Z

They don’t own the Phoenix Coyotes yet, but the partners in Ice Edge Holdings have already drawn up a detailed plan they say can produce a profit in five years.

The group’s plan includes playing five regular-season Coyotes games in Saskatoon as early as next season, boosting revenue by about $15-million (all currency U.S.) and slashing costs by about the same amount. They also want to buy an American Hockey League franchise, move it to Thunder Bay as the Coyotes’ farm team and help build a new 5,500-seat arena in that city.

— Paul Waldie, The Globe and Mail

Canada names world junior team

2009-12-16T19:41:06Z

More photos » by Ryan Remiorz - AP

Brayden Schenn was one of 22 players named to Team Canada today.

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Name	Hometown	2009-10 Team	Pro status
Goalies
Jake Allen	Fredericton	Montreal (QMJHL)	STL '08 (2, 34)
Martin Jones	North Vancouver	Calgary (WHL)	LA '08 (FA/JA)

Defencemen
* Colten Teubert	White Rock, B.C.	Regina (WHL)	LA '08 (1, 13)
Travis Hamonic	St. Malo, Man.	Moose Jaw (WHL)	NYI '08 (2, 53)
Marco Scandella	Montreal	Val d'Or (QMJHL)	MIN '08 (2, 55)
* Ryan Ellis	Freelton, Ont.	Windsor (OHL)	NSH '09 (1, 11)
Jared Cowen	Allan, Sask	Spokane (WHL)	OTT '09 (1, 9)
Calvin de Haan	Carp, Ont.	Oshawa (OHL)	NYI '09 (1, 12)
* Alex Pietrangelo	King City, Ont.	St. Louis (NHL)	STL '08 (1, 4)

Forwards
Taylor Hall	Kingston, Ont.	Windsor (OHL)	2010 Dft/Rep.
Gabriel Bourque	Baie-Comeau, Que.	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	NSH '09 (5, 132)
Nazem Kadri	London, Ont.	London (OHL)	TOR '09 (1, 7)
Brayden Schenn	Saskatoon, Sask.	Brandon (WHL)	LA '09 (1, 5)
Adam Henrique	Burford, Ont.	Windsor (OHL)	NJ '08 (3, 82)
* Jordan Eberle	Regina, Sask.	Regina (WHL)	EDM '08 (1, 22)
Brandon McMillan	Delta, B.C.	Kelowna (WHL)	ANA '08 (3, 95)
Greg Nemisz	Courtice, Ont.	Windsor (OHL)	CGY '08 (1, 25)
Brandon Kozun	Calgary	Calgary (WHL)	LA '09 (6, 179)
* Stefan Della Rovere	Maple, Ont.	Barrie (OHL)	WAS '08 (7, 204)
Luke Adam	St. John's, N.L.	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	BUF '08 (2, 44)
Jordan Caron	Sayabec, Que.	Rimouski (QMJHL)	BOS '09 (1, 25)
* Patrice Cormier	Cap-Pelé, N.B.	Rimouski (QMJHL)	NJ '08 (2, 54)

As usual, Canada will have an exceptionally strong team in this tournament, and has a good shot at winning its sixth consecutive gold. With the event in Saskatchewan this year, Buffalo next and then in Alberta for 2012, it's going to be interesting to see how often they go to Europe in the future.

The world juniors has become so successful in this country, on the ice and in terms of profitability, that Canada really owns the thing. It'd be great to see more countries start to take an interest, but I'm not so sure that's coming.

In terms of this coming year's draft (i.e. you 'Canes fans out there), Taylor Hall is the man you'll want to watch. He has a chance here to solidify his spot atop the rankings just as John Tavares did in this tourney last year.

Here come the Coyotes

2009-12-16T14:59:00Z

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

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Busy day here, as you can imagine, with our friends the Phoenix Coyotes in town to face Toronto. My preview story is here, with some good thoughts from Adrian Aucoin on playing to an empty house and how the organization has been run amidst the turmoil.

He also says the reason they've been so successful this season is (1) the play of Ilya Bryzgalov and (1a) coach Dave Tippett. Given their statline this season, I'm expecting a strong defensive effort from Phoenix tonight.

David Shoalts is at the board of governor's meetings in California, meanwhile, and has a handle on the latest business developments involving the desert dogs.

UPDATE Another update on all things Leafs and Coyotes from the teams today. Mike Komisarek was the only one I could get to touch a Coyotes question, and he said every player realizes the situation can now affect their bottom line:

"Hopefully it works out down there for them. I don’t know if they’re going to keep the team there or relocate. It’s out of my hands. Obviously now, with escrow and stuff like that, you want profitable, successful franchises. The big question is 'is that the right situation down there?'"

Bryzgalov was being a jokester, too, as he often is.

Émond’s Montreal Blitz was trailing the Filon de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue 3-0 early in the third peri...

2009-12-15T07:17:08Z

Émond’s Montreal Blitz was trailing the Filon de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue 3-0 early in the third period when he tried to swing around defenceman Maxime Tremblay. Tremblay dropped his stick while trying to defend his zone, and Émond stepped on it as he was skating past, causing him to stumble. At the same moment, Tremblay gave Émond a desperate push in the back – kind of like a short-track speed-skater doing the relay – sending him flying into the boards.

The hit cracked the fifth and sixth vertebrae at the base of Émond’s neck, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. In an instant, the dreams and hopes of a promising young hockey player who looked to have a bright future in the sport were dashed.

— Arpon Basu, Montreal Gazette

West pummelling the East

2009-12-14T21:08:21Z

There's a lot of excitement here in Toronto these days over the fact the Leafs are "just four points" from eighth place heading into tonight's game against the Senators. Problem being, if you look closely, that the eighth-place team is on pace for all of 82 points this season.

Here's my story on that theme today, along with some quotes from a few Leafs and Danny Alfredsson.

One key factor in why the bottom half of the Eastern Conference is so poor is the fact the Western Conference has been beating the tar out of the East all year. The West has a 72-37-15 record in interconference play, which is as lopsided as I've ever seen it. (The chart above is the average point totals for teams divided by conference and the average point totals for non-playoff teams divided by conference.)

The season is nearly 40 per cent over, too, so we're not dealing with too small of a sample size.

Is the West really this much better than the East? Or is the East just weak beyond the top teams?

Saskatoon still in play for Coyotes

2009-12-14T12:00:36Z

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

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The Coyotes' situation was going to be front-and-centre anyway, even before Ice Edge Investment Group – fronted by Bassano, Alta., native Daryl Jones – entered into a tentative purchase agreement late last week. Jones confirmed in an interview yesterday that his operating plan still involves playing a handful of games in Saskatoon and getting former coach Wayne Gretzky back involved with the franchise, but not likely on the hockey operations' side, where he's pleased with the work of general manager Don Maloney and coach Dave Tippett.

— Eric Duhatschek, The Globe and Mail

Gary Bettman has reportedly agreed to the games in Saskatchewan, but this purchase still has to go through the board of governors, and we've already heard rumblings some are skeptical these guys have the dough.

What I think is clear is that this was the only option in terms of a group looking to make a go of things in Glendale, which would seem to leave the governors with an easy choice — especially if this offer truly is mostly cash as Elliotte Friedman reported on the weekend. There is also talk from Ice Edge that they have as yet unnamed local investors "worth billions" involved, which is perhaps where this coin comes from.

It's hard for me to fathom, however, how they can jump into this while keeping the existing lease term. Maybe there's been some major give from the city that we've yet to hear about?

The league has covered the Coyotes' losses via a line of credit to this point, but there'll have to be a cash call to the other 29 owners down the line. My guess is the governors opt to unload this thing while they can and deal with the consequences later.

We've seen it before.

"We don't have the absolute skill that Washington has so our attention to detail has to be so much...

2009-12-13T19:55:41Z

"We don't have the absolute skill that Washington has so our attention to detail has to be so much stronger than what Washington would be paying attention to. I'm talking about having our sticks positioned, knowing where they are at all times. I don't think they're worried about, at any point in the game, about defending – they're thinking about scoring the next goal. And we have to kind of do a bit of both."

— Leafs coach Ron Wilson on the Capitals

Ice Edge nears purchase of Coyotes

2009-12-11T23:54:50Z

More photos » by Matt York - AP

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National Hockey League Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly issued the following statement today regarding the proposed sale of the Phoenix Coyotes to Ice Edge Holdings:

"The NHL and Ice Edge Holdings announced today that they have entered into a Letter of Intent to proceed in attempting to document and close a proposed transaction pursuant to which Ice Edge would purchase the Phoenix Coyotes' franchise. While much remains to be done, the NHL looks forward to working closely with Ice Edge to bring the sale to conclusion as expeditiously as possible. Ice Edge has committed to keep the Coyotes in Glendale, Arizona."

>> league release

A lot of questions here. How much? Are the games in Saskatoon still a go? Will Ice Edge still seek to have Wayne Gretzky involved? Who else is a part of this group and where does the cash come from?

And, finally, will there be an out clause in the lease?

The NHL's board of governors are meeting beginning Tuesday in California, and you better believe this sale will be at the top of the agenda. There will also be at least a handful of Canadian media out there at Pebble Beach, so there'll be plenty of coverage, too.

The Arizona Republic has a little more, but the real flow of information on this is coming after the weekend. Stay tuned.

Following Wednesday’s (Dec. 9) ruling in U.S. District Court, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman issued t...

2009-12-11T23:17:04Z

Following Wednesday’s (Dec. 9) ruling in U.S. District Court, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman issued the following statement:

"On December 9, 2009, U.S. District Court Judge Cormac J. Carney vacated the single charge that was pending against Dr. Henry Samueli, indicating that no law had been violated. We are delighted that the Samueli good name has now been cleared. In retrospect, it is regrettable and unfortunate that the circumstances at that time caused the Samuelis and the Anaheim Ducks to endure any suspension. We were pleased to welcome the Samuelis back to the NHL when the suspension was lifted this past November 12."

Commissioner Bettman’s statement comes after U.S. District Court proceedings this week in Santa Ana, California, where Judge Carney stated that Henry Samueli "had not, in fact, made a materially false statement during his testimony before the SEC and therefore committed no crime."

>> team release

If the playoffs started today...

2009-12-11T20:19:00Z

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

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I usually put this together a couple times a year just to see where everyone sits in the standings. An awful lot can change, and injuries and the Olympics will be a big factor down the stretch, but at least we can look back and see where we were at the one-third mark (or so).

Based on projected point totals, here are the 16 current playoff teams and where they'd slot in:

Eastern Conference

(1) New Jersey vs. (8) Four teams tied

There's a huge logjam at the bottom of the East right now that includes the Habs, Rangers, Lightning and Flyers, all of which are on pace for just 82 points. That'd be by far the weakest team postlockout to make the playoffs. The Devils, meanwhile, have been very impressive even without Paul Martin.

(2) Washington vs. (7) Ottawa

The Capitals are hardly a surprise for being at the top of the heap and are on pace to finish 13 points higher than any other club in the Southeast (which remains weak). And the Sens have managed to stay just a little bit above the dog pile — but not much.

(3) Buffalo vs. (6) Atlanta

A hot rivalry heats up? (No, not so much.) Two teams I think few picked to be in playoff positioning but which are excelling due to great goaltending more than anything. Will it last?

(4) Pittsburgh vs. (5) Boston

The Penguins like that 4-5 slot, don't they? And it's always a tough, tough matchup. Winning the Atlantic won't be as tough as it has been unless the Rangers or Flyers get it together, but you don't want to fall into this spot against a team like the Bruins in Round 1.

Western Conference

(1) Chicago vs. (8) Dallas

The Blackhawks have been the class of the NHL so far, on pace for 116 points despite missing Marian Hossa and with Cristobal Huet in net. The Stars, meanwhile, are probably in for a big fight for that final spot given Detroit, Vancouver and Columbus are all right below them.

(2) San Jose vs. (7) Colorado

Just like the Capitals, the Sharks are expected to be here, beating up on a lower seed (in theory, anyway). The Avs keep hanging around after their incredible start, but like Dallas, will have some big time challengers in the teams just below them.

(3) Calgary vs. (6) Nashville/Phoenix

Talk about a couple interesting matchups. The Flames have impressed me, mainly due to the play of Miikka Kiprusoff and Jay Bouwmeester, and I think they'll win the Northwest handily. The Preds and Coyotes, meanwhile, are the feel-good stories so far — it'd be nice to see either of those low-salaried teams find some success despite the odds.

(4) Los Angeles vs. (5) Phoenix/Nashville

The Kings are way better than I thought they'd be; at this point, I think Terry Murray deserves some legitimate consideration as coach of the year. Whereas they couldn't score to save their lives at even strength last season, L.A. is now a dangerous offensive team even with Alex Frolov coming up lame. They've allowed more goals than any other team in playoff position, however, and that's a big worry over the next couple months.

How many of these teams do you think hang onto their spots?

"You’ve got the instability of CIT, the Del Biaggio bankruptcy, the lien from 2007 against Mr. F...

2009-12-11T18:27:02Z

"You’ve got the instability of CIT, the Del Biaggio bankruptcy, the lien from 2007 against Mr. Freeman. All of that leads me to a sense of insecurity in terms of the team’s ability to move forward," Authority member Rusty Lawrence said.

Lawrence also wanted the Predators to answer general questions about their financial health, because a provision of their lease agreement could give them the ability to leave Nashville next year.

— The Tennessean

How to kill a franchise in 535 days

2009-12-11T13:00:27Z

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I've written about this topic often enough that regular readers will know exactly what the above graphic indicates. But, for the uninitiated, we've got a nice report from Mr. Cristodero down in sunny Tampa:

Attendance figures provided by Hillsborough County — an average turnstile count of 10,576 through the first 12 games at the 22,000 capacity St. Pete Times Forum — indicate a difficult environment, especially considering ticket and concession sales are the lifeblood of NHL franchises.

Officially, Tampa Bay entered Wednesday with an average announced crowd of 14,470, 24th in the 30-team league, and it drew an announced 13,477 against the Oilers. But as is customary in the NHL, those numbers include tickets sold and distributed. The county's number is fans in the building.

As for the chart at the top there, well that's the month-by-month attendance from 2006-07 to now, based on those inflated, announced figures. If you look closely, you'll see the trend.

Back in 2005-06, the first year out of the lockout, the Lightning had the second-best attendance in the NHL, averaging more than 20,000 fans per game. Tampa Bay was the sunbelt success story in the league, the exception to the rule that Gary Bettman and friends could very well point to to refute their doubters.

Two years later, they finished last overall in the standings. And, more importantly when it comes to said trend, a few months after that, Oren Koules and Len Barrie bought a small chunk of the team and borrowed the rest.

A little more than 500 days later, it's dying on the vine.

This team is for sale on the cheap, but there have been few potential buyers. Barrie could be in legal trouble, and he's definitely in financial ruin. Koules has kept quiet, but at this rate may be headed for bankruptcy barring a few more Saw sequels.

I hear from fans in Tampa on this topic more than I'd like to, and you have to pity them. Sure, they got their Cup five years ago, but ugly doesn't begin to describe the current situation. How do you cheer for this? Many are throwing in the towel on this franchise, walking away until things change in ownership and the toxic stew that surrounds Vinny Lecavalier as a holdover from last year either goes away or their star is traded.

To me, it looks like things are going to get worse before they get better in Tampa, which will make for some very trying times in the near future. They've got to be losing an incredible amount of money, cash they don't have, given they've discounted tickets that still aren't selling, but when does it all finally fall apart?

And what happens then?

Questions for the governors next week in Pebble Beach, to be sure.

Parros's good deed

2009-12-11T00:27:21Z

More photos » by Mark Avery - AP

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Anaheim Ducks right wing George Parros will donate his hair to the Childhood Leukemia Foundation (CLF) this Monday, Dec. 14 as part of the third annual George Parros Cut for the Kids. Since the start of his professional career, Parros has been growing his hair long in preparation to donate to nonprofits that provide children with wigs to aid in their fight against cancer.

"Due to last year's turnout, Sport Clips was generous enough to provide additional stylists to accommodate more hair cuts," said Ducks Director of Community Relations Wendy Yamagishi. "We're thankful that George has allowed this great annual event to continue by growing out his hair every year."

>> team release

A great gesture by the Ducks tough guy — one that doesn't get talked about often enough.

Fetisov, 51, to return to the ice

2009-12-10T17:06:23Z

The coach of CSKA Moscow says former NHL player Slava Fetisov will join the Russian team in a competitive game in the Continental Hockey League. Fetisov, who turned 51 in April, is a lawmaker with Federation Council and president of CSKA. He ended his professional career in 1998 at age 40.

— The Associated Press

So much for Claude Lemieux's big comeback.

This story likely won't get nearly the attention it deserves given it's taking place a world away in the KHL, but it's been more than 11 years since Fetisov last played in a competitive game, back when he was a Red Wing and winning Stanley Cups. He didn't come to North America until age 31, and played most of his best NHL seasons with the Devils, but is widely regarded as one of the best Russian defenders of all-time.

To put it in a North American context, Ray Bourque and Paul Coffey are only 48, and both have been off the ice nearly a decade. And neither is the president of a team with which they could now come back with.

Blues president John Davidson is only 56 — maybe he could still strap on the pads?

It's a good bet the Montreal Canadiens will receive a significant (six figure) fine for playing an...

2009-12-10T16:42:06Z

It's a good bet the Montreal Canadiens will receive a significant (six figure) fine for playing an ineligible player on Tuesday night.

Ryan White was pulled from the game in the first period when the NHL noticed he was playing, but that the Canadiens had neglected to notify the league of his recall before the daily 5 p.m. deadline.

McKenzie: Habs Face Fine After Using Ineligible Player

Brodeur's shutouts: Breaking the unbreakable

2009-12-09T17:57:15Z

More photos » by Mary Schwalm - AP

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When asked about the next record to fall to Brodeur, Lemaire said: "One hundred and four shutouts? I think it’ll never be broken. Never."

Which is what people used to say about Sawchuk’s 103 shutouts.

"That’s one record I never expected anybody to beat," Pronovost said, referring to his old roommate’s mark. "I’m glad it was Marty who did it."

— The New York Times

Rank	Player	SO
T1	Terry Sawchuk*	103
T1	Martin Brodeur	103
3	George Hainsworth*	94
4	Glenn Hall*	84
5	Jacques Plante*	82
T6	Tiny Thompson*	81
T6	Dominik Hasek	81
T6	Alec Connell*	81
T9	Ed Belfour	76
T9	Tony Esposito*	76

What's interesting about Martin Brodeur's latest record chase is that he hasn't exactly been passing contemporaries since the lockout. They're ghosts of hockey's past.

Sawchuk died two years before Brodeur was born. Hainsworth died 20 years before that. Mr. Goalie Glenn Hall is alive and well at 78, but Plante — the first man to wear a mask — passed on in 1986.

The only players from his era on the list are more than 20 shutouts behind (Patrick Roy is almost 40 back), something that's a credit to Brodeur's longevity as much as his brilliance. This season, he became the netminder who has played the most minutes in NHL history, but at 37, he's still elite, leading the league in wins so far and right up there in save percentage.

And, in something that doesn't get talked about enough, he has two more years to play on his current contract, the end of which he'll be 40 years old and likely way, way out in front in several of the key netminding categories.

Consider that, if he posts three 30-win seasons to cap things off, he'll be about 100 out in front of second-place Roy.

Gabe Desjardins has a good post this week comparing the feats of Sawchuk and Brodeur, looking at their eras and the number of shutouts when they played. Here's his conclusion:

Brodeur has outclassed the average NHL goaltender well into his 30s, while Sawchuk was basically at league-average by Age 26. It's difficult to compare 1951-52, when half of the league's goalies played every minute of their team's games, to the modern era — with almost all of the NHL's six goalies in any given season now inducted into the Hall of Fame, it's possible that the average goaltender was simply better back then. But with Europeans and Americans joining the game in large numbers in the 1990s, it's difficult to argue that the NHL wasn't proportionately better than it was 40 years earlier. Brodeur's accomplishment — both overall, and in his peak years — absolutely eclipses Sawchuk's.

Something tells me we're going to talk about Brodeur's shutout number for a long, long time. Only, given he's got another 150-plus games to go, he's going to leave even the ghosts far, far behind.