Aaron Rome. A plugger on the blueline for the Vancouver Canucks and the recipient of a four game suspension from the NHL for his late hit that knocked Bruins winger Nathan Horton right out of the playoffs. Interim head of NHL discipline Mike Murphy decided to come down hard on the Canucks number 6 defenceman instead of the usual slap on the wrist that they've been giving out all year long. There is no question what so ever that the hit deserved a suspension as it was a dirty, late hit delivered by Rome but it's the severity of the suspension that's strange. Now the question becomes if this is going to become the norm for the NHL or if Rome got such a hefty suspension because he's a plug on the backend and not a star?
Playoff suspensions have always been less severe then those handed out during the regular season because the league never really wants to handicap teams during the dance. This was never more evident then during the 2007 run to the cup for the Anaheim Ducks. In the Western Conference final Chris Pronger was given a 1 game suspension for driving Tomas Holmstrom's head through the boards from behind. In the Stanley Cup finals against Ottawa he was given another 1 game suspension for decapitating Dean McAmmond with his elbow. In the 2009 Stanley Cup finals, Colin Campbell rescinded a mandatory one game suspension for instigating a fight delivered to Evgeni Malkin and even just this year Alex Burrows got away with biting the finger of Patrice Bergeron (although if Bergeron is going to stick his finger in Burrows' mouth then he risked it). If we go back a little ways this modern culture may have been instilled during the 1996 Western Conference finals when Claude Lemieux ran Kris Draper into the boards from behind which resulted in serious injuries and Lemieux received a measly 2 game suspension. Ron Hextall and Dale Hunter received long suspensions due to actions during the playoffs but didn't miss any playoff games as their teams were eliminated in those games which they were eliminated.
Whether it's been Brian Burke, Colin Campbell, or Mike Murphy the NHL's head office has shown that, especially during the playoffs, that they're more then willing to get tough with 3rd and 4th liners in terms of suspensions but the stars get a free pass. This, unfortunately, will never change. Why? Because the TV executives at NBC will not like it if a centrepiece for the product they're trying to sell is healthy but not on the ice. Along with them Bettman probably doesn't like getting on the bad side of some of the owners that employ him who The league has shown that it couldn't care less what CBC or it's paying fans think so that leaves these two groups as those who the head office is trying to please. This Aaron Rome is just more of the same and now he's lost the chance to be on the ice if the Vancouver Canucks win the cup because of a head office trying to make an example out of a depth player to excuse their lack of action the rest of the year.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Quebec City: Don't Get Your Hopes Up
Unless you've been living under a rock recently, then you know that the Atlanta Thrashers long anticipated move the Winnipeg has finally happened. The Winnipeg Jets/Falcons/Moose have made it seven NHL franchises in Canada and one of the sunbelt franchises that has been hemorrhaging money has finally moved North of the 49th parallel. As soon as that happened, the topic of Quebec City immediately was brought up during the Winnipeg press conference and gave Gary Bettman another reason to not want to be in that room.
A lot of people are assuming that if the Phoenix issue continues to disintegrate that they will instantly move to Quebec City. Unfortunately of the people in the provincial capital of Quebec, it's really not going to be that easy. The NHL will be loathe to move yet another franchise from the deep south up north, especially one that they've fought so hard to keep where it is and a team that is one of a very few in a major Western market. They already have Detroit, Chicago, Nashville, St. Louis, and Columbus in the Western Conference even though they're all on the eastern side of the continent. Also Phoenix is one of the largest markets in the league and NBC (who basically treats the NHL like it's toy because they're willing to fork over some dollars) will not be pleased with losing such a large audience.
A difference between Quebec City and Winnipeg is that Winnipeg has an arena while Quebec City does not. Le Colisee is an absolute dump and was a big reason why the Nordiques skipped town back in 1996 so there's no way an NHL will play in there. There is a plan to build a 400 million dollar arena in the city with Quebec City covering 200 million of the costs and the rest split between the provincial government and probable team owner Pierre-Karl Peladeau. These groups are so bound and determined to get this done that they're trying to pass a bill through the Quebec legislature (or National Assembly as it's called there) ensuring that there can be no challenge to Quebecor's deal to manage this proposed arena. Quebec City mayor Regis Lebeaume was re-elected on a platform based on bringing the NHL back to Quebec City and has chosen to work with Peladeau to get that done. However even with all of this, the arena is supposedly on schedule to open it's doors in 2015 and one has to wonder if that will be too late. Right now the iron is red hot in terms of the possibility to move NHL franchises up North but with the lack of an arena until 2015 this gives Bettman another 4-5 years to fix up Phoenix and Florida. One thing that isn't smart is underestimating the resourcefulness and determination of Gary Bettman so I wouldn't be surprised in the least to see these franchises somehow skating by to the point where they can keep them in their current markets.
Another potential option for the NHL that has had rumblings recently is the possibility of Seattle as an NHL market. They to do not have an NHL quality arena and lost the NBA's SuperSonics to Oklahoma for this reason but they are a large American market. So if Seattle decides to build a new arena around the same time as Quebec City and a rich man like Paul Allen (owner of the Seahawks, Mariners, and Portland Trailblazers) get's convinced by the league that it's a good investment, where do you think they'd rather have a team? An American market that has a metro area population of 3.4 million on the Westcoast where they're desperate to have teams (especially if it's Phoenix that's moving) or a small Canadian market with a metro area population of 716,000? Doesn't take a lot to see which way the numbers swing and in who's favour.
Now, one could also argue that 4 years from now the NHL would be more willing to move Phoenix or Florida because the blow would be softer then if they moved two franchises to Canada in rapid succession. However, I believe that the reasons above outway this and that I will be very surprised if there are 8 Canadian NHL franchises in the near future.
A lot of people are assuming that if the Phoenix issue continues to disintegrate that they will instantly move to Quebec City. Unfortunately of the people in the provincial capital of Quebec, it's really not going to be that easy. The NHL will be loathe to move yet another franchise from the deep south up north, especially one that they've fought so hard to keep where it is and a team that is one of a very few in a major Western market. They already have Detroit, Chicago, Nashville, St. Louis, and Columbus in the Western Conference even though they're all on the eastern side of the continent. Also Phoenix is one of the largest markets in the league and NBC (who basically treats the NHL like it's toy because they're willing to fork over some dollars) will not be pleased with losing such a large audience.
A difference between Quebec City and Winnipeg is that Winnipeg has an arena while Quebec City does not. Le Colisee is an absolute dump and was a big reason why the Nordiques skipped town back in 1996 so there's no way an NHL will play in there. There is a plan to build a 400 million dollar arena in the city with Quebec City covering 200 million of the costs and the rest split between the provincial government and probable team owner Pierre-Karl Peladeau. These groups are so bound and determined to get this done that they're trying to pass a bill through the Quebec legislature (or National Assembly as it's called there) ensuring that there can be no challenge to Quebecor's deal to manage this proposed arena. Quebec City mayor Regis Lebeaume was re-elected on a platform based on bringing the NHL back to Quebec City and has chosen to work with Peladeau to get that done. However even with all of this, the arena is supposedly on schedule to open it's doors in 2015 and one has to wonder if that will be too late. Right now the iron is red hot in terms of the possibility to move NHL franchises up North but with the lack of an arena until 2015 this gives Bettman another 4-5 years to fix up Phoenix and Florida. One thing that isn't smart is underestimating the resourcefulness and determination of Gary Bettman so I wouldn't be surprised in the least to see these franchises somehow skating by to the point where they can keep them in their current markets.
Another potential option for the NHL that has had rumblings recently is the possibility of Seattle as an NHL market. They to do not have an NHL quality arena and lost the NBA's SuperSonics to Oklahoma for this reason but they are a large American market. So if Seattle decides to build a new arena around the same time as Quebec City and a rich man like Paul Allen (owner of the Seahawks, Mariners, and Portland Trailblazers) get's convinced by the league that it's a good investment, where do you think they'd rather have a team? An American market that has a metro area population of 3.4 million on the Westcoast where they're desperate to have teams (especially if it's Phoenix that's moving) or a small Canadian market with a metro area population of 716,000? Doesn't take a lot to see which way the numbers swing and in who's favour.
Now, one could also argue that 4 years from now the NHL would be more willing to move Phoenix or Florida because the blow would be softer then if they moved two franchises to Canada in rapid succession. However, I believe that the reasons above outway this and that I will be very surprised if there are 8 Canadian NHL franchises in the near future.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Thoughts on recent events
-Chris Chelios has finally decided to hang up his skates at the age of 48 and so the NHL has finally lost one of the greatest of his generation and, much like his countryman Jeremy Roenick, someone who had no qualms about telling you what he thought. While some sports are critisized for having too many loudmouth athletes, the NHL quite frankly could use a few more loud mouths.
-An arbitrator has ruled that the NHL was within it's rights to reject the 17 year Ilya Kovalchuk contract today. Not only does this make Kovalchuk a free agent again but it now set's a precedent for contracts in the NHL. Now Bettman and his boys will be able to more aggresively attack lengthy contacts that they deem ridiculous and the NHLPA has lost an important battle to the NHL with labour negociations looming in the next couple of years.
-Teemu Selanne will be returning to the Anaheim Ducks for another season this year which will be his twelth with the franchise. Likely influenced by his good friend Saku Koivu resigning for two years, the forty year old winger has decided to give it at least one more season. This has sturred up rumours that friend and former Ducks captain Paul Kariya may return to Anaheim with Selanne for a farewell season. The Ducks seem to be a budget team so we'll see if that happens and if it does then Kariya will have taken a pay cut to do so.
-While Edmonton's arena drama between Darryl Katz and Edmonton city council has been well documented, another Canadian team's fight is getting very ugly, very fast. Hamilton Tiger-Cats owner Bob Young has reportedly told the mayor of the city that he is withdrawing from negociations for a new building that would house his team and the Pan Am games and said that he would move the iconic CFL franchise if his demands are not met. This situation is getting very ugly and now Hamilton may seriously consider getting into bed with the aformentioned Katz if he truly does want to buy the Tie Cats as has been rumoured.
-Tiger Woods had his worst finish as a professional this past weekend at the Bridgestone Invitational. He finished +18 for the tournament and had it been a major he probably wouldn't have made the cut after the first day. Tiger is clearly mentally shot and badly needs time off after the beating he has taken both emotionally and physically over the last year and a half. Tiger may never be the golfer he was just a few years ago but he wouldn't be this bad if he took some time off to recouperate.
-An arbitrator has ruled that the NHL was within it's rights to reject the 17 year Ilya Kovalchuk contract today. Not only does this make Kovalchuk a free agent again but it now set's a precedent for contracts in the NHL. Now Bettman and his boys will be able to more aggresively attack lengthy contacts that they deem ridiculous and the NHLPA has lost an important battle to the NHL with labour negociations looming in the next couple of years.
-Teemu Selanne will be returning to the Anaheim Ducks for another season this year which will be his twelth with the franchise. Likely influenced by his good friend Saku Koivu resigning for two years, the forty year old winger has decided to give it at least one more season. This has sturred up rumours that friend and former Ducks captain Paul Kariya may return to Anaheim with Selanne for a farewell season. The Ducks seem to be a budget team so we'll see if that happens and if it does then Kariya will have taken a pay cut to do so.
-While Edmonton's arena drama between Darryl Katz and Edmonton city council has been well documented, another Canadian team's fight is getting very ugly, very fast. Hamilton Tiger-Cats owner Bob Young has reportedly told the mayor of the city that he is withdrawing from negociations for a new building that would house his team and the Pan Am games and said that he would move the iconic CFL franchise if his demands are not met. This situation is getting very ugly and now Hamilton may seriously consider getting into bed with the aformentioned Katz if he truly does want to buy the Tie Cats as has been rumoured.
-Tiger Woods had his worst finish as a professional this past weekend at the Bridgestone Invitational. He finished +18 for the tournament and had it been a major he probably wouldn't have made the cut after the first day. Tiger is clearly mentally shot and badly needs time off after the beating he has taken both emotionally and physically over the last year and a half. Tiger may never be the golfer he was just a few years ago but he wouldn't be this bad if he took some time off to recouperate.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
NHL late to the contract party
When the New Jersey Devils signed Ilya Kovalchuck to a seventeen year contract last week I couldn't help but shake my head at the ridiculousness of the term of the contract. Seventeen years? Are you kidding me? Not even the NFL, the most economically sound sports league in North America, has contracts that are that long. Ten year contracts are viewed as huge. Gary Bettman and the powerful owners of the league obviously agreed with me since the NHL rejected the Kovalchuck contract one day after it was signed. The NHLPA though has decided to take the NHL in front of an arbitrator to argue that the Kovalchuck contract doesn't break any rules and therefore the NHL overstepped their boundaries by rejecting it. And you know what, the NHLPA may very well have a pretty good point. The Kovalchuck contract technically doesn't break any rules in the CBA it just bends a few of them, but bending a few rules does not give the NHL the without a doubt right to reject it. This is the league's head office trying to send a message to the owners that these long term contracts are not good for them and that they can become an anchor on their ability to compete at a high level (ie. The New York Islanders with the Alexei Yashin and Rick DiPietro contracts), unfortunately the NHL is too late to this party.
When the New York Islanders signed Rick DiPietro to a fifteen year contract back in 2006, the NHL should have stepped in and slapped the wrist of a team and an owner (Charles Wang) who had a well earned reputation of making extremely stupid, rash decisions that have sewered the once proud franchise. Four years into the contract and the Islanders have completed their decent into the cellar of the NHL and DiPietro has spent the same amount of time trying to stay healthy. Over the last two seasons DiPietro has undergone countless surgeries and has shown a total inability to stay healthy and his contract has become a Titanic sized anchor to the Islanders. There are other mega-sized contracts in the NHL that haven't yet blown up in their teams faces (ie. Alex Ovechkin getting thirteen years, Mike Richards getting twelve, Duncan Keith getting twelve years, and Johan Franzen getting eleven years) but when you sign a player for that long all it takes is one hard luck injury to change that. The NHL is just too late to change the culture of contracts that has begun when it comes to young star players as the CBA (not Kevin Lowe, as much as Brian Burke would prefer you believe that) has killed the slow upgrading of salaries for players. It's what the salary cap did in the NFL and now the NHL, the league's head office should have seen this coming but now it's too late to change where the league is going in this regard and another lockout would kill the league so that is not an option.
When the New York Islanders signed Rick DiPietro to a fifteen year contract back in 2006, the NHL should have stepped in and slapped the wrist of a team and an owner (Charles Wang) who had a well earned reputation of making extremely stupid, rash decisions that have sewered the once proud franchise. Four years into the contract and the Islanders have completed their decent into the cellar of the NHL and DiPietro has spent the same amount of time trying to stay healthy. Over the last two seasons DiPietro has undergone countless surgeries and has shown a total inability to stay healthy and his contract has become a Titanic sized anchor to the Islanders. There are other mega-sized contracts in the NHL that haven't yet blown up in their teams faces (ie. Alex Ovechkin getting thirteen years, Mike Richards getting twelve, Duncan Keith getting twelve years, and Johan Franzen getting eleven years) but when you sign a player for that long all it takes is one hard luck injury to change that. The NHL is just too late to change the culture of contracts that has begun when it comes to young star players as the CBA (not Kevin Lowe, as much as Brian Burke would prefer you believe that) has killed the slow upgrading of salaries for players. It's what the salary cap did in the NFL and now the NHL, the league's head office should have seen this coming but now it's too late to change where the league is going in this regard and another lockout would kill the league so that is not an option.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)