The Athenaeum

Tag: NHL

  • Rookie Oiler Defenceman Excelling On and Off the Ice

    Rookie Oiler Defenceman Excelling On and Off the Ice

    Ethan Bear is a rookie defenceman for the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers who is having immense impact both on and off the ice. The 22-year old was born and raised on the Ochapowace Cree Nation in Whitewood, Saskatchewan and has looked impressive in his first season as a regular on the Oiler’s blue line. The defenceman has tallied 16 points this season, and many believe his production warrants rookie of the year consideration. Bear spent the past two seasons in the AHL playing for the Bakersfield Condors where he exhibited solid defensive skills with potential offensive upside. In an interview conducted by the Edmonton Sun earlier this week, Bear commented that much of his success this season is attributed to all the hard work he did in the off-season to get ready for training camp. Bear believed it was just a matter of him “growing up and doing the things [he] needed” in order to be a regular NHLer. 

    Bear was a stand-out defenceman in the WHL for the Seattle Thunderbirds collecting 70 points with 28 goals in his final WHL season – helping the Thunderbirds hoist the league title and a berth in the Memorial Cup. Moreover, that same year Bear received honours for being the top defenceman in the WHL as he illustrated his talents on a nightly basis. Despite his achievements, Bear was only drafted in the 5th round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft (124th Overall), and the Oilers hoped he would develop his game into something the organization could rely on in the future. Thankfully, for the Oilers, Bear hasn’t disappointed as he has turned into a top four defenceman for the team, playing in a lot of crucial moments when games are on the line. 

    According to Bear, the minors were pivotal because it made him aware that he needed to get in better shape if he was going to make the jump to the next level. The Oilers were impressed with his performance during his two years in the AHL but wanted to make sure he was ready when the time came as they knew he was going to be relied on right away. The Oilers had to rely on Bear even more than expected after Adam Larsson suffered a leg-injury upon blocking a shot in the first game of the season. Yet, even with Larsson coming back into the line-up, the Oilers have remained reliant on Bear as he has averaged the fifth most ice-time on the team – behind Oscar Klefbom, Darnell Nurse, Leon Draisaitl, and Connor McDavid. Bear will need to be a crucial piece for the Oilers if the team wants to secure a spot in the playoffs for only the second time since 2006. 

    Bear hasn’t only found success on the ice, but off the ice as well by being a role model for young Indigenous youth in Canada. The rookie defenceman understands the honour and privilege of playing in the NHL, and he appreciates his reality by giving back to the people who have helped him get to where he is today. Bear is proud of who he is, the family he has, and the rich history his people share as Indigenous people. There are many people supporting Bear back home, and he wants to do his part to give back to his community. That’s why Bear started his own hockey school on the reserve he grew up on, to give back to the youth in his community because he wouldn’t be the individual he is today without them. 

    Bear is proud to be Indigenous, and he’s representing his people well both on and off the ice. 

    Sebastian Farkas is a Fourth Year Honours Politics Student and Sports and Wellness Editor of the Athenaeum. 

  • What’s Wrong With the Toronto Maple Leafs

    The Toronto Maple Leafs have struggled mightily this year. The team has looked all out of sorts this season as they have struggled to find cohesion as a group. The struggles for the Leafs culminated in the firing of head coach Mike Babcock on Wednesday last week. The Leafs had just suffered their sixth straight loss in a 4-2 defeat to Las Vegas, and it seemed as though Babcock’s coaching tenure might be coming to an end in Toronto. Frankly, Babcock’s firing seemed inevitable after the embarrassing defeat the team suffered on Hockey Night in Canada, as the Leafs lost 6-1 to the Penguins. The game featured the team’s new backup tender, Kasimir Kaskisuo, and the Leaf’s really hung Kaskisuo out to dry as they never looked into the game from the start.

    Babcock took over the Maple Leaf’s head coaching position in 2015 and helped the organization immensely into making them a consistent playoff team. While Babcock was very successful during the regular season in his 4 years behind the bench, the playoffs were a different story. The Leafs never made it out of the first round of the playoffs with Babcock. Three straight first-round defeats are tough to swallow, especially as the Leafs lost the last two against the same team (Boston Bruins) in game 7 (in both instances). Babcock has been criticized for his stubbornness and inability to effectively make necessary in-game adjustments. That being said, the fact is that the players weren’t responding to Babcock’s coaching and overall message, and that meant it was time for a change.

    Babcock cannot be solely blamed for the Leaf’s struggles as many players have underperformed this season. The most obvious underperformer has been Leaf’s defenseman Tyson Barrie. Barrie came to the Leafs from Colorado in a trade that sent former leaf Nazem Kadri to the Avalanche. Barrie hadn’t scored a goal this season (20 games in) until he potted his first against the Coyotes late last week. Although, Barrie has scored in three straight games since Babcock’s departure and is looking better defensively. In addition, John Tavares has not played well in the early going. Tavares was injured early in the year and has not looked sharp since returning. The Leafs have invested a lot of money into their top players, and they need them to step up if they hope to salvage this season. Finally, the Leaf’s backup goalie situation has been a debacle to say the least. Michael Hutchison was the Leaf’s back up to start the season, but that didn’t last long. Hutchison failed to register a win in the 5 starts he had and didn’t look particularly comfortable in those games. As mentioned, Kasimir Kaskisuo is the club’s new backup and while he has had great success in the minors, it is yet to be seen if that success will translate to the NHL.

    With the departure of Babcock, the Leafs hired Sheldon Keefe who was the club’s AHL affiliate (Toronto Marlies) head coach since the summer of 2015. Keefe had great success with the Marlies as he coached them to a Calder Cup victory in the 2017-2018 AHL season. Keefe has a long history with Leaf’s GM Kyle Dubas as they have worked together since their OHL days when Keefe was the head coach of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, and Dubas was the GM. Keefe will have a lot to prove as he enters his inaugural season as Leaf’s head coach. With the team struggling, we will see if Keefe can be that spark that gets the team heading in the right direction. After snapping their 6-game losing streak in Arizona in Keefe’s first NHL game, and following up that performance with two big wins in Colorado and Detroit, the Leafs seem to be energized with a new coach behind the bench.

    Time will tell if the Leafs can keep up the momentum, and they will need to if they wish to find themselves in the playoffs come April.

    Sebastian Farkas is a fourth year Honours Politics Student and Sports and Wellness Editor of the Athenaeum.

     

  • Season Predictions for Canada’s NHL Teams

    Season Predictions for Canada’s NHL Teams

    Coming off a season that saw three of the seven Canadian teams make the playoffs, Canadians have lofty expectations this year as a Canadian team looks to hoist Lord Stanley for the first time since 1993. All seven Canadian teams will look to break the streak, but there are only a few who have a realistic shot of doing so. Here are my predictions for how I see each team performing with the season set to begin this week:

    Ottawa Senators: Coming off a disastrous season that saw the team only muster up a dismal 29 wins, the Sens are looking to have a bounce back year and regain the cup contending run they had not too long ago.  The team finished last in the league, and while they have a great core of young talent, there is not much to hope for this season. Realistically, I can’t see the team fairing much better than they did last year as they still have a very young team with little experience.

    While there may not be anything to look forward to this season, the future is very bright for the team. The Sens have created a new team led by forward Brady Tkachuk and defenseman Thomas Chabot. Chabot just signed an extension with the team that will see the young star defenseman make 64 million over 8 years. In addition, the Sens locked up forward Colin White, and brought in solid supporting players like Connor Brown at forward and Nikita Zaitsev on defense. The team is building for the future.

    Toronto Maple Leafs: The Leafs are arguably one of the best teams in the league. They have one of the best groups of forwards, and they have some of the top players leading their team. However, that has been the narrative for the last couple seasons, yet the team cannot seem to find success in the post season. The team had 46 wins last season and finished third in the Atlantic division with 100 points. There is no doubt in my mind the team will play well this year and be one of the top teams in the NHL this season. Although, as mentioned, the regular season has not been the issue for the Leafs, its been the playoffs.

    To rectify their post season sorrows, the Leafs tried to sure up their defense by adding Tyson Barrie, and depth pieces like Cody Ceci and Ben Harpur. But, to make these moves they had to let go of key pieces like Nazem Kadri and Ron Hainsey, players who were relied on. Not to mention, the Leafs couldn’t find a deal to keep Jake Gardiner, a player that was with the team for some time and was a center piece of their defensive unit.

    In saying that, the Leafs will have similar success they did last season, but it remains to be seen if the transactions they made will be enough to lead them to post-season success.

    Montreal Canadiens: Falling just short of the playoffs last year, the Canadiens surprised a lot of people last year as they were fare more successful than the quality of their team would suggest. Obviously, it is not a secret that success for the team is defined by the quality of play they receive from Carey Price. Price has been one of the best goalies in the league for awhile now, and the Canadiens will lean on him again as they push for a playoff spot.

    Unlike other teams in their division, Montreal did not make any big moves this off-season. Head Coach Claude Julien and General Manager Marc Bergevin will be on the hot seat this season as fans are expecting the team to be a playoff contender this year. The only notable move the Canadiens made was delivering an offer sheet to Sebastian Aho. The star centerman signed the deal but it was quickly matched by Carolina, who had his rights as an RFA. You would think the Canadiens would have been more aggressive after missing out, but the team is confident their young stars will elevate their play this year.

    With playmakers like Max Domi, Jonathan Drouin, and Brendan Gallagher, and potential stars like Artturi Lehkonen and Jesperi Kotkaniemi, the Canadiens have potential to be an offensive force. Along with a solid top four of defensemen comprised of Shea Weber, Victor Mete, Jeff Petry, and Brett Kulak, the Canadiens have a solid team capable of contending for the playoffs.

    Honestly, this season could go either way. The team definitely has the potential to make the playoffs, but if the team stumbles out of the gates and their young players don’t step up like expected, it could be a disastrous year for the Canadiens. If the latter does happen, expect a host of changes for the team, starting with management as Bergevin has had one foot out the door in Montreal for some time.

    Winnipeg Jets: The Jets are coming off a fairly successful season that saw them make the playoffs and lose in a tough first round bout against the eventual Stanley Cup Champions. The team posted 47 wins last season and finished second in the Central Division. Yet, the team has had a long offseason as there has been a lot of news surrounding the team.

    The Jets took the entire offseason to sign forwards Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor, and with the team recently suspending Dustin Byfuglien to protect their cap as he ponders whether he will retire or not, the team has had a lot to handle this offseason. Although, what is not in question is the quality of roster the Jets have. Led by captain Blake Wheeler, the Jets have one of the most balanced teams right from their goalie to their forwards. Their top center Mark Scheifele posted 38 goals and 84 points last season and was leaned on as a leader in his assistant captain role. Veterans like Brian Little and Matthew Perreault, are solid supporting players that rally around the many stars on this team and make them a definite cup contender.

    Although, with the departure of Jacob Trouba, there are some questions on defense for the team, especially if Byfuglien retires, it could be an issue. Not to mention, goalie Connor Hellebuyck is coming off a less than impressive year that saw him post a GAA of 2.90.

    Despite this, I look for the Jets to be a contender in the West again this year, and for them to be a capable cup contender as they look to break Canada’s cup drought.

    Calgary Flames: The Flames were the best Canadian team last year, as they won the Pacific division with 107 points. The Flames had 50 wins last season and finished with the best record in the Western Conference. However, like the two other Canadian teams to make the playoffs, they were also bounced in the first round by the Colorado Avalanche. The team wanted to make some moves to improve their roster, but GM Brad Treliving was quiet throughout the offseason.

    The only move that caught some people’s attention was the trade for Milan Lucic. Lucic was traded in exchange for James Neal, who was an utter disappointment in Calgary last season as he was demoted to a bottom 6 role. Lucic was terrible in Edmonton for the majority of his tenure as it looked like he could never get comfortable with the pace of the game. Not really sure what Calgary was thinking in completing that trade, but we will see if Lucic can add anything as he approaches the end of his career.

    Fortunately, the Flames have a tremendous roster that didn’t need to be changed much at all. Led by forwards Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau, along with last seasons Norris Trophy winner Mark Giordano, the Flames have a roster than can compete with anyone. There was some concern that RFA Matthew Tkachuk might not sign before the season begun, but those worries were soon quashed as the star winger signed a three-year bridge deal worth an AAV of 7 million.

    I believe the Flames will have tremendous success again this season, and with an extra year of experience under their belt, hopefully they understand what it takes to win in the playoffs.

    Edmonton Oilers: There are many words to describe the past few seasons the Oilers have had, and none of the words are very flattering. It’s been a debacle for the team ever since losing to the Anaheim ducks back in the 2017 playoffs. The team has been so reliant on Connor McDavid, they forgot to surround the superstar with competent players. The Oilers had 35 wins last season, and without McDavid and Draisaitl, it’d be hard to tell if their roster was of NHL quality.

    The Oilers had a fairly active offseason, beginning with the announcement of their new GM Ken Holland, who came over from the Red Wings where he was the GM from 1997 to the end of the 2019 season. Shortly after, Holland announced the signing of the Oilers new head coach, Dave Tippett. Tippett was formerly the coach of the Arizona Coyotes, and is known for a tough style of coaching that maximizes every bit of talent each player has. In terms of adding players, the Oilers brought in James Neal, Markus Granlund, and goaltender Mike Smith, players that will add to the team’s depth.

    Frankly, I can’t see the Oilers fairing much better than they did last year as they failed to add any substantial pieces. Defenseman Evan Bouchard looks like a nice young player, and Kailer Yamamoto may provide some much-needed skill to a team that has very little other than their stars. Besides that, it’s a roster that has many holes and question marks, and it could be another season where the Oilers look to compete for the number 1 pick in the 2020 Entry Draft.

    Vancouver Canucks: Probably the most interesting Canadian team in the league this season, and the most difficult to predict given the amount of changes they’ve made in the offseason. The Canucks had 35 wins last season, and didn’t really have many bright spots besides Elias Pettersson, and a few other Canucks. However, this season has the potential to be a good one if the team finds their footing early.

    The Canucks added forwards JT Miller, Michael Ferland, and defenseman Tyler Myers. One player to watch will be young star defenseman Quinn Hughes who was drafted 7th overall in 2018 by the Canucks and played 5 games with the team last season after completing two years at the University of Michigan. The Canucks also signed Brock Boeser to a three-year deal, with an AAV of 5.875 million. Boeser is a very talented player but has been “handcuffed” to injuries that has caused him to miss games in the past.

    With a solid defensive core led by the likes of Hughes, Chris Tanev, Alex Edler, and Jordie Benn, along with talented forwards like Pettersson, Bo Horvat, Boeser, and others, the Canucks could be a team to watch as they compete for a playoff spot.

    With that, I think it is a stretch to say the Canucks will definitely make the playoffs, but I do believe they will be a better team than last year. The organization is still in a rebuild, but they could find success earlier than expected.

    Canadian hockey fans have a lot to look forward to this year, and hopefully they can watch a Canadian team lift the Stanley Cup when its all said and done.

    Sebastian Farkas is a fourth year honours politics student and Sports and Wellness Editor of the Athenaeum.

     

  • Mitch Marner Signs Extension with Leafs

    Mitch Marner Signs Extension with Leafs

    Toronto – On Friday evening restricted free agent Mitch Marner signed a contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs worth an average annual value of $10.893 million. The playmaking right winger will rejoin his hometown team as he looks to continue his excellent play after coming off his best season that saw him tally a total of 94 points, with 68 assists. Last year, those numbers were good enough to make Marner the 5th highest scoring winger in the league as he led the Leafs in scoring.

    Coming off a disappointing year that saw the Leafs lose in game 7 (once again) to the Boston Bruins, it was crucial to get Marner locked up as they vie to cement a cup contending team for the foreseeable future. Not to mention, avoiding the negotiating debacle that occurred last season with William Nylander, which gave the Leafs and General Manager Kyle Dubas, more than enough incentive to sign Marner as soon as possible. Dubas made it clear after the Leafs were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last season, that getting Marner signed was the number one priority as they entered the off-season. Trading forwards like Nazem Kadri, Connor Brown, and Patrick Marleau, opened up much needed cap space to get this deal done.

    The Leafs have arguably the most talent in the NHL, but it has yet to translate during the most pivotal time of year; the playoffs. The Leafs have lost in the first round the last three seasons, and fans are becoming impatient. This will be one of the most important seasons for the team as they’ve had three years to let their young stars get playoff experience; and with the addition of Tyson Barrie to strengthen their defence, it is Toronto’s time to show the hockey world that the “plan” the Leaf’s organization has been talking about for the last 5 years, is ready to be fulfilled.

    Now that Marner is signed, the team can begin to focus on achieving that plan as they begin this 2019/2020 campaign. Dubas and the rest of management, have assembled a team with a core of players capable of beating any team on any given night. The only question is, will the Leafs rise to the occasion? Many believe they will, but only time will tell. Signing Marner lifts a huge weight off the shoulders of the team, management, fans, and the entire Leafs organization. They only thing left for the Leafs to do is prepare to be ready when their season begins on October. 2nd as they face the Ottawa Senators at home.

    This season in the NHL will be interesting for many reasons, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are right at the top of that list.

  • Let’s Talk about the Leafs

    Let’s talk about the Leafs. Anyone who has been paying attention to the NHL recently will know that the change in the Leafs over the last five years is comparable to the change you’ve undergone since you’ve started university. Since I started university 4 years ago, the Leafs have undergone the rebuild of the league.

    Admittedly I’m a bandwagoner.  Previously, over the past two decades, the Leafs were as fun to watch as an 8:30 lecture on a Friday after a night out at the Vil. If falling asleep in class wasn’t what came to mind when I mentioned that, I commend your effort. Seriously, the Leafs sucked. In fact, from 2005 to 2016 the Leafs only managed to qualify for the playoffs once. They were horrendous. The team lacked any tenacity and it was really boring hockey to watch. The Leafs did qualify for the 2013 playoffs but ultimately lost to the Bruins (BOO) after they came back from a 4 goal deficit to beat the Leafs in overtime. This really was the epitome of the Leafs. Everything seemed like smooth sailing with only one period left and a 4-1 lead only to have it all implode. It’s almost comical watching a die-hard Leafs fan hear the date May 13th.

    So why are we talking about the Leafs now? Well, it all starts with Leafs coach, Mike Babcock, or as any Leafs fan can attest, an angel sent down from Heaven. Babcock had been around the league for almost a decade before eventually ending up in Toronto. His career started off pretty strong in 2003 when he helped guide the Mighty Ducks to the Stanley Cup finals. After this, he coached the Red Wings for almost a decade. Throughout his time in Detroit he became the coach with the second highest amount of wins in Red Wings history. So no doubt Mike Babcock was a well established coach with a good reputation. Upon reaching the Leafs in 2014 Mike Babcock set the tone early about his vision for the future of his team. In his first press conference as head coach of the Leafs he stated “ I didn’t come here to [just] make the playoffs” and “ We have good people here, we’re going to acquire more good people and make them better”. As Leafs fans can attest he has certainly delivered on this promise. Although the Leafs did not win the Stanley cup last year, they did make the playoffs for the first time in years.

     

    Where did this success come from? Well, in unison with GM Lou Lamoriello, Babcock and Lou started a complete rebuild of the Leafs. Seriously, big names like Reimer, Kessel and even the captain Dion Phaneuf were traded away for first round draft picks and more flexibility with the salary cap. Enter Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner and Freddy Anderson. My god, these guys have given the Leafs an all new look. They are fast, clever, athletic and extremely smart. Between the 3 forwards listed above they scored a total of 191 points last year. These guys were rookies and they were already scoring 60+ points a season, each. That is absolutely bonkers. What about Freddy Anderson? Well, this season he has the most saves in the league. While he may not lead in save percentage or goals against average he has nonetheless been pinnacle to the development of the Leafs.

    The main stars aren’t the only ones who have been lighting it up lately. The Leafs have stumbled into a team composition with an insane amount of depth. The defensive squad is doing just fine; something that the Leafs have struggled with in the past. Rielly and Zaitsev are standouts this year on that front. Surprisingly, and I never thought I’d be saying this– Gardiner looks great this year. He’s able to hold the blue line consistently and his skating has turned him into an offensive threat too. One of my favourite things to see him do is drive straight toward the net to give the forwards time to set up. It doesn’t always work but he always skates hard back to the line to support an opposing breakout. The depth doesn’t stop at the blue line either, among the forwards there is a constant battle for who will play on the Leafs 4th line. The Marlies (the Leafs farm team) have a number of star players constantly battling for who will slot in to the 4th center position. Damian Spriggs, a good friend of mine, covers this in great depth in an article he published called The Toronto Maple Leafs 4c Situation on The Leaflet if you’re interested in the specifics.

    Sadly, it’s not all sunshine and butterflies for the Leafs. Despite a dynamic and impressive playstyle the Leafs currently sit in third place of the Atlantic Divisions trailing behind Boston (FML) and a team that has been lighting it up this year, Tampa Bay. However, all is not lost. The Leafs recently lost to Tampa Bay in 2-0 loss, but they had a number of great opportunities to score and they kept Tampa on their toes for the duration of the game. Only the conference finals will tell whether Toronto has what it takes to take out the number one team in the league. From there, should they succeed (fingers crossed), they will have a real shot at winning the cup.  

     

    Even if you’re like me, an admitted bandwagoner, there’s never been a better time to be a Leafs fan. The team is dynamic, fast and plays a completely new meta of hockey that makes even losses fun to watch.

  • Fan Post: Ben Scrivens

    For more: Check out “The Leaflet” at theleafletofficial.com 

    If you’re a fan of the Maple Leafs, chances are over the past few years you’ve noticed quite a few roster changes. In fact, you’ve more than likely seen your favorite players walk away in droves. Names, such as Joseph, Sundin, and most recently Kessel have become synonymous with the mediocrity of a team that came close— but could never quite get there. It hurts a little more than most of us are willing to admit. 

    Thankfully, the 2015 announcement of a “scorched earth” rebuild turned heads league-wide, and helped give rise to the optimistic situation the Leafs are sitting in today. 

    As we patiently await the close of a seemingly never ending off-season, I would like to shine some light on a former Leafs — or fallen Leaf, who’s pieces simply did not fit into the ever-growing puzzle management is assembling. 

    Ben Scrivens 

    Scrivens’ journey with the Maple Leafs began in 2010 when he was signed as a free agent out of Cornell University of the ECAC. 

    Once settled with his new club—Scrivens found himself competing with former Leafs goalie, James Reimer for the Marlies back-up goalie position. Ultimately, this was a battle that Scrivens lost, and he was sent to play a short stint with the Reading Royals of the ECHL. 

    After an injury to Jonas Gustavsson propelled Reimer to a pro spot, Scrivens was promoted to the Marlies, where he finished off his season posting a .924 save percentage, and progressed to .926 the following season. Enough to earn him a call up towards the end of 2011-12. 

    Scrivens made his NHL debut against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov 4, 2011— a contest in which he pulled off a 4-1 win while being outshot 39-18. He then finished the season going 4-5 posting a mediocre .902 save percentage. 

    After starting the 2012-13 season with the Marlies, Scrivens returned to the Maple Leafs lineup for 20 more games, backing up James Reimer. Finishing the season with a respectable save percentage of .915— it seemed as if Scrivens might finally secure the Leafs back-up position, and avoid yet another stint in the AHL. However, during the 2013 off-season, Scrivens was traded to the LA Kings, alongside Matt Frattin, and a second round pick, in exchange for future Leafs goalie Johnathan Bernier. 

    In the 2 years following the trade, Scrivens was bounced from the Kings, to the Oilers, and finally to the Canadiens— where his NHL career came to a pause. After finishing the 2015-16 season, Scrivens decided to take his talents overseas, signing a one year deal with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL.  

    Instead of being stuck on the AHL/NHL cusp yet again, Scrivens became the undisputed number one goaltender for Minsk, starting a whopping 55 games out of a 60 game season. 

    In his single season with Minsk, Scrivens went an impressive 28-18-8, finishing with a fair save percentage of .918. His ability to start, and keep up with the puck game after game was a key contributor to Minsk finishing 1st in the Bobrov Division. 

    While his regular season play was impressive, his playoffs didn’t quite follow suit. 

    Dinamo Minsk began their playoffs in the 5th seed, against Maxime Talbot, and the 4th seed Locomotiv— a team that also featured former Leaf Brandon Kozun. 

    Minsk struggled to keep up with a very effective Locomotiv team, winning only a single game in the series before exiting in the first round for a 3rd year in a row. 

    While Scrivens can’t be blamed for the entire collapse, his performance was quite underwhelming, allowing 16 goals in 5 starts while maintaining an underwhelming .896 save percentage. 

    While I have no doubt Ben Scrivens will crawl his way back into the NHL one of these days, it will not happen this season. The 30 year old netminder will continue his pursuit of the Gagarin Cup this season with Salavat Yulaev. 

     

  • Canadian NHL Teams Comeback from 2016

    The 2016 Stanley Cup Playoff games were a disappointment to Canadians everywhere as none of the Canadian NHL teams moved on to compete for the Holy Grail of hockey. It was only the second time in Stanley Cup history where this happened, the first time being in the 70’s. This time around, the Canadian teams are undoubtedly feeling the pressure to at least qualify for the postseason games. The question on everybody’s mind is how many teams, if any, will represent our country in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs?

    So far, so good! 2017 is looking promising for Canadian hockey, and I’m happy to say that last year’s disappointment will not happen again. The teams sitting in playoff positions are the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators, currently sitting at first and second place respectively in the Atlantic division. Sitting third in the Pacific division, the Edmonton Oilers can also see playoffs in their future. The Calgary Flames are even incredibly close to a wildcard position. This is not surprising, not for me at least. But let’s look at something that is: the Toronto Maple Leafs.

    As it currently stands, the Leafs are currently 4th in the Atlantic division trailing by a measly 3 points behind Boston who are current playoff position holders. This makes the Leafs 3rd on the wildcard list, where only the top two teams from each conference will move on to the playoffs. The Leafs are 3 points behind Philly for one of the wildcard spots. I repeat, the Toronto Maple Leafs are 3rd on a list that accepts the top two and 4th on a list that accepts the top 3. Is 2017 their chance? The energy that the Leafs have been putting out this season has shocked some, and confused few. In my opinion, the team has improved greatly, especially in terms of defense. But will that be enough to snag a spot in postseason? Unlikely. But then again, stranger things have happened on the ice.

    After the catastrophe of having no Canadian teams qualify for the Stanley Cup games, having three currently secured playoff spots and two teams inching closer and closer to wildcard slots is something to celebrate. This is Canada’s game, so let’s take it back.

  • World Cup Hockey

    World Cup Hockey

    With the conclusion of the World Cup of Hockey comes the realization that the sport still belongs to its founder, Canada. There was really never any doubt as to who was going to win the world best-on-best tournament, even from the time it was announced to the final buzzer. Despite a few blemishes, the Canadians cruised their way to an undefeated round robin followed by a semi-final victory over Russia and two game sweep of the overmatched Team Europe. Besides Canada’s domination, there were some other important takeaways from the tournament as well.

    It’s not the Olympics

    Well, of course it’s not, but I’m talking about the hype around the tournament. There’s just something about the Olympic atmosphere that makes it so much better than this tournament. Maybe it’s the fact that the Olympics put people in the competitive spirit, or the fact that other Olympic athletes are in the seats cheering on their fellow countrymen. Whatever the case may be, there is simply no way to match the Olympic craze that brings a nation together to watch hockey, especially Canada. The World Cup lacked this competitive spirit, one that Canadian hockey fans long for. With the International Ice Hockey Federation still considering whether it will send NHL players to the next Olympic event in South Korea, fans should be concerned about the lack of entertainment the World Cup offered.

    Canada Really is That Good

    Canada is hands-down the hockey capital of the world and it showed why in this tournament. Despite not having arguably the best defenseman in the world in Duncan Keith and Dallas Stars’ goal-scoring tandem of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin due to injuries, the Great White North still picked other teams apart with their incredible depth. The top line of Crosby-Bergeron-Marchand was by far the best, leading the way up front for the Canadians. On the back end, all six defensemen, including 2016 Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty, contributed to an outstanding shut down system that nullified the few chances other teams did get. If they were lucky enough get past the Canadian skaters, they still had to try to put the puck past the best goalie in the world in Carey Price. Not an easy task, to say the least. Overall, the Canadian depth is something no other country has and is really the differentiator in international play. The fact that Braden Holtby wasn’t even dressed exemplifies the amount of skill Canada has. He won the Vezina trophy last year for being the best goalie in the NHL!

    There were some Awesome Surprises

    You probably could have guessed that the youngsters from North America were going to be fun to watch, but seeing it actually happen was far better than anyone could have imagined. Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, and so on and so forth, all skating for the same team – something we may never see again. Although they didn’t quite have enough to make it to the playoff round, it was very fun to watch while it lasted. Their overtime win over Sweden capped off an unreal tournament for the young guns. None of these guys were over the age of 23. The future of North American hockey looks very bright indeed.

    The other great surprise of the tournament came in the form of 8 different countries. Team Europe not only exceeded expectations, but they defied the logic of chemistry and showed how guys from all over the world can come together to achieve a common goal. They were certainly overmatched in the final against Canada, but if it weren’t for a 3-minute span when the train came off the tracks, they would have pushed the series to a deciding game. Anze Kopitar, Mats Zuccarello, and Tomas Tatar can all be applauded for their hand in carrying their team of relatively average players all the way to the finals against an incredible Canadian team. Bravo to Team Europe for their outstanding success that was inspirational for all underdogs.

    All in all, the two-week long tournament showed the entire world why Canada enters these kinds of tournaments as heavy favourites. Sure they’ve had their struggles in recent World Junior Championships, but the fact remains that in the world best-on-best games, Canada is 16-0 since their preliminary round loss to the United States at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Yes, that’s two full tournaments without a loss. Should Canada be worried about this streak coming to an end? Connor McDavid might have something to say about that.

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