Over the past week we have the seen the likes of Ian White and now, Kris Versteeg voice their displeasure not just with the lockout, but also with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. White and Versteeg have both stated that they believe that the NHL has gone down hill with Bettman at the helm. So, this has brought up the question, when the lockout finally comes to an end will we see the end to the Bettman era?
Since Bettman first took the reigns of the NHL back in 1993 the NHL has seen the players get locked out 3 times the second most of any professional sports league next to the NBA. The NHL has seen lockouts in the 1994-95 season (which saw a reduced season of 48 games), in 2004-05 which saw a cancellation to the entire season, and now this season (which as of Thursday has seen the cancellation of the first 68 days of the season).
Kris Versteeg this past Monday on TSN's radio show stated that Bettman has been a cancer to the game and that means he must go.
"You do try to look at the best case scenarios moving forward once the CBA does get done and you gotta look for the cancers and you gotta cut out the cancer."
Versteeg continues, "I think when you look at Bill Daly and Gary Bettman, they have been polluting the game for far too long"
Versteeg's comments came just days after Detroit Red Wings defenseman Ian White voiced his opinion about Bettman, being a little more blunt about the Commissioner stating, "I personally think he's an idiot"
White, continued saying, "since, he's come in he's done nothing, but damage the game."
Versteeg also believes that those who have suffered while Bettman has been in charge are the fans. "The fans have been left with too many bad tastes in their mouths for too many year and I think when this is all said and done it will be a good time to finally make that happen."
It is no secret that Bettman is not liked by fans of the game. Bettman is regularly booed at games by fans. Some die-hard Bettman haters have even started websites voicing their displeasure with the Commissioner and the hopes of his firing. These sites incude www.firebettman.com and www.garybettmansucks.com, which have brought fans together to talk about... well I'm sure you get the picture. What may also infuriate fans and players alike is the fact that over the past eight years Bettman's salary has more than doubled to over $7,500,000; money paid to him by the NHL.
The hate for Bettman has even gone so far as people suggesting that he no longer hand out the Stanley Cup or the Prince of Wales Trophy (awarded to the winner of the Eastern Conference) and the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl (awarded to the winner of the Western Conference) because fans tend to boo Bettman instead of recognizing the winners who deserve the celebration.
In all it seems that Bettman is obviously not a well liked man and being in the driver seat of the NHL lockout is not helping his popularity. Although, many hope that Bettman will be replaced following a resolution to the lockout, until then those not pleased with his actions will have to continue to live with this so-called "cancer" until it can be removed.
This past Monday saw the induction of another 4 of the greatest players to ever play the game into the Hockey Hall of Fame. The Hall saw the likes of Mats Sundin, Joe Sakic, Adam Oates, and Pavel Bure take their spot among the game's greats. Now with that in mind lets take a look at some of the players who may get their call come next year.
Brendan Shanahan (HFD/DET/NJ/STL/NYR)
Brendan Shanahan was a dominate force on the ice and in his prime was one of the most dangerous goal scorers in the league. Shanahan ranks 11th on the all-time goals list with 656 to his name. He ranks 25th on the all time points list and racked up 100+ penalty minutes in 17 seasons. Shanahan played over 1,500 games in the NHL and on top of that had the chance to represent his country on several occasions including capturing gold as a member of Team Canada during the 2002 Olympics.
Rob Blake (LAK/COL/SJ)
Rob Blake was one of the game's most complete defensemen. Blake could do it all, he could put the puck in the net or he could put players through the boards. Blake captained the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks and finally hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2001 with the Colorado Avalanche. Blake finished his career with 777 points in 1,270 career games, finding the back of the net 240 times. Blake took part in 6 NHL all-star games, won gold with Canada in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, and was fortunate enough to win the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman in 1997-98.
Chris Chelios (MON/CHI/DET/ATL)
Chris Chelios was another one of the game's great defensemen in his prime. Chelios played both a physical and offensive game finishing his career with 185 goals and 948 points. Chelios played in 11 all-star games and ranks 12th all-time in penalty minutes with 2,891. Chelios will also go down having played 1,651 games (5th all-time) and for 26 seasons tying a record set by Gordie Howe. His 1,651 games is also the most by a defenseman. Chelios captained the Blackhawks from 1995-1999 and won 3 Norris Trophies and 3 Stanley Cups along the way.
Eric Lindros (PHI/NYR/TOR/DAL)
Eric Lindros burst into the league as by far the one of the greatest and most talented players to play in the NHL. He had size, physicality, and soft hands. Lindros was expected to finish his career among the greats, and although he put up impressive numbers ultimately lingering injuries plagued Lindros' career. Lindros suffered from several concussions during his career, his most severe coming from a devastating hit from Scott Stevens. Lindros would finish his career with 865 points in 760 games and a MVP title in 1994-95. Lindros could have put up much higher numbers in his career had injuries not plagued him, but he was still talented enough to be seen as one of the league's greats.
Curtis Joseph (STL/EDM/TOR/DET/CAL/PHO)
Curtis Joseph or "Cujo" as the fans called him was one of the top goalies of his time. Although Joseph never lead the league in major categories he was always among the best in the league, being consistent throughout his career. Joseph ranks 4th all-time in wins and 5th all-time in games played. Cujo was part of the 2002 Olympic hockey team that won gold despite only playing in one game. Joseph was a 3-time all-star and was the recipient of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 1999-2000 for his leadership and his on and off ice contributions to his community. Joseph is tied for 22nd on the all-time shutouts list with 51 and should definetlly be a consideration for the Hall.
Alexander Mogilny (BUF/VAN/NJ/TOR)
Alexander Mogilny may be on the list because he is my favourite player, but he has also put up the numbers to make it to the Hall. Mogilny finished his career with 1,032 points in 990 games. He scored 437 goals, with his most impressive year coming in 1992-1993 when he scored 76 goals and 127 points in 77 games. Mogilny won the Lady Byng Trophy in 2002-2003 as the league's most gentlemanly player while also playing at a skilled level of play. He is tied for the NHL record for the fastest goal to start a game, scoring just 5 seconds in to a game. In 2000 Mogilny was a member of the Stanley Cup winning New Jersey Devils. Mogilny will also be remembered for his part in the 1996 World Championship when Russia despite a dominating performance lost in the semi-finals. It will be remembered because Mogilny was part of, what many believed to be the greatest forward line ever assembled, playing on a line with Pavel Bure and Sergei Federov.
All 6 of these players have achieved a lot throughout their careers and may one day be immortalized in the Hall of Fame. Who do you think will make the class of 2013?
This week has been full of optimism from everyone still following the on-going battle to see a resolution to the NHL lockout. The lockout that has now claimed the first month of the season. This week the NHLPA and the NHL met four times and for the first time in weeks it seems that for once both sides were actually negotiating rather than giving each other ultimatums.
However, after the negotiations that lasted nearly 20 hours, through Tuesday-Thursday ,showed much promise the meeting that lasted 4.5 hours on Friday has put a damper on what looked to have been an impending solution to the lockout. The biggest issue that seems to be keeping both sides from coming up with a deal is the proposed "make whole" aspect. "Make whole" is what the players have been arguing for since the beginning of negotiations, it outlines the belief that players should have the contracts that they are currently signed to honoured in full.
The NHL is hoping to put caps on both how much players can make a year and also a cap of 5 years as the max length players can be signed to under one contract. So, with these new rules being pushed by the NHL, the NHL has suggested it would like to avoid paying the players the money that have already been signed to. The NHL also wants to fix the ways some players have structured their contracts lately. In the past few years we have seen the likes of Ilya Kovalchuck and Shea Weber to name a few, structure their contracts in a way where contracts exceed 10 years and see players get paid large amounts in the beginning of the contract and then lower amounts towards the end. These contracts have not been taken kindly by the NHL and the owners because they realize that in many of these cases the players will not play the entire duration of the contract, but will still continue to be paid.
The negotiations this week were looking very promising, TSN's James Duthie even tweeted Wednesday night saying someone who had been in the room during the talks said "there's potential". These thoughts have since gone down hill.
Another source of controversy that came out of the meetings this week was the accusation that NHLPA director Donald Fehr had been withholding information from the players, such as proposals that NHL had made. This has been since been dismissed by both Fehr and several players.
All in all this week was a positive to many as at least both sides continue to negotiate and try to hammer out a deal, but until then fans will wait anxiously with the hopes that a deal is a lot closer than it was a week ago.
For an in-depth look at the meetings and the concept of "make whole" check out TSN insider Pierre Lebrun's view on this week's meetings. http://watch.tsn.ca/...3633#clip803633
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ history
is one full of both great pride and misery. The Toronto Maple Leafs dynasty is
one that could likely only be rivaled by rivals the Montreal Canadiens and the
Detroit Red Wings. The Maple Leafs have drank from the Stanley Cup 13 times a
number only exceeded by the Montreal Canadiens . The Toronto Maple Leafs have
more inductees in the Hall of Fame than any other franchise in NHL history. So,
it is clear that during their existence, the Maple Leafs have had many great
players put on the blue and white. So, then who is the greatest Leaf to play in
Ontario’s capital?
Mats Sundin
Not only is Mats Sundin arguably
the best captain to ever where the “C” in Toronto, but may could argue Sundin
is amongst some of the greatest captains in league history. He captained the
Maple Leafs for 11 seasons where he would become the team’s longest serving
captain while racking up the most goals and points by any Leaf. During his
career Sundin only failed to hit 70 points in his first and least seasons in
the league and lead the Maple Leafs in scoring ever season he was with the team
except in 02-03 when he was eclipsed by Alexander Mogilny. His most productive
season as a Leaf came in 96-97 when he recorded 41 goals and 94 points.
A compilation of Mats Sundin goals during
his time with the Leafs.
Sundin played in 8 NHL All-Star games, is tied
for 21st in all-time goals, 33rd in assists, and is 27th
on the all-time points list. Sundin is the first and only Swedish player
to break the 500 goal plateau and was the first European-born player to be
selected first overall in the NHL entry draft.
This past season Sundin was honoured at the Air Canada Centre when he
had his number 13 raised to the rafters. Sundin finished his career with the
Maple Leafs compiling 420 goals and 987 points in a Maple Leafs uniform. Sundin
was also fortunate enough this year to be named as one of the 4 players to be
inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame this year in the city that adopted him
Toronto, ON.
Darryl Sittler
Darryl Sittler is, for many Leaf fans, a very
recognizable face. Sittler wore the “C” for the Leafs’ for 6 years and was a
leader in Toronto during his 12 seasons with the Leafs. What Sittler is most
known for is the night he put a stamp into the record books. On February 7th
1976 Sittler set a record that to this day has not been touched, Sittler
recorded 10 points in a single game when he put up 6 goals and 4 assists
against the Boston Bruins in an 11-4 win. Many players have hit 8 points, but
to this day Sittler’s 10 is still one record that may never be challenged.
Darryl Sittler’s 10 point performance.
Sittler finished his career as a Leaf racking
up 916 points, second behind only Mats
Sundin for the most in club history. In 1975, Sittler’s first season as Leafs
captain, Sittler became the first Maple Leaf player to hit 100 points in a
season when he recorded 41 goals and 59 assists. Sittler was inducted into the
Hockey Hallf of Fame in 1989 finishing his NHL career with 484 goals and 1,121
points. On February 28th, 2003 Sittler had his no. 27 raised to the
rafters at the Air Canada Centre in front of an extremely energetic crowd.
Doug Gilmour
Doug Gilmour or “Dougie” as he
Leaf fans called him is one of the Hallmark names in Leafs history. Gilmour
played seasons with Buffalo, St. Louis, Calgary, New Jersey, Chicago, and
Montreal, but he will go down in history as one of the greatest Leafs of all
time. Gilmour was acquired by the Maple Leafs during the later end of the 91-92
season in a historical trade that saw General Manager Cliff Fletcher make, what
was at the time, the biggest trade in NHL history with 10 players going one way
or another. This trade paid off immediately for the Leafs as the following
season Gilmour would put up a Maple Leaf record, recording 127 points. He would
win the Frank J. Selke trophy as the league’s most defensive forward and
finished as the runner up as the league’s MVP. The following season Gilmour
finished with 111 points.
A tribute video of Doug Gilmour.
Gilmour would become the Leaf’s
captain during the 1994 season after captain Wendel Clark was traded to the
Quebec Nordiques for future captain Mats Sundin. Gilmour would finish his Maple
Leaf career with 452 points in 391 games. Gilmour had his number 93 retired at
the ACC on January 31st, 2009 when the Leafs raised it to the
rafters. Gilmour was also fortunate enough to be inducted into the Hockey Hall
of Fame in 2011.
Wendel Clark
Wendel Clark was, and in many respects still
is, the face of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Clark started his NHL campaign when he
was selected first overall in the 1985 entry draft. Clark would play his first
season as a Maple Leaf and finish 3rd in voting for the Calder
Trophy (rookie of the year). Clark captained the Leafs from 1991-1994. Clark
would be traded by the Leafs to the Quebec Nordiques in return for young
Swedish star Mats Sundin. Clark was known not just for his offensive play, but
more for his physical play, this was reflected by his nickname “captain
crunch.”
A tribute video of Wendel Clark.
Clark was plagued with injuries
most of his career, only playing an entire season just once in his career. It
was his injuries that really stopped him from putting up even more impressive
numbers. Clark’s most productive season came in the 93-94 season when Clark put
up 46 goals and 76 points. Clark played 3 different stints with the Leafs and
because of this became a fan favourite. On November 27th, 2008 Clark
was added to an elite group of Maple Leaf greats when he had his number 17
raised to the rafters at the Air Canada Centre.
Johnny Bower
Johnny Bower even at his old age
of 88 years old can still be spotted in the crowd at many Maple Leaf games.
Bower was the Maple Leafs’ goalie from 1958-1970 in which time he put up some
incredible numbers. Bower won the Vezina trophy for best goaltender in 1961 and
1965, the Haps Holmes Memorial Award for
best goals against average in 1952, 1957, and 1958, was a first team all-star
in 1961, and on top of all that hoisted the Stanley Cup in 1962, 1963, 1964,
and 1967. Johnny Bower was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976 and in
2007 Bower was honoured with a Star on Canada’s Walk of Fame. Bower recorded 37 shutouts during his career
which is good enough for 39th all-time.
A tribute video of Johnny Bower.
Despite his battle with poor
eyesight throughout his career Bower was able to still play at a very
competitive level including capturing the Stanley Cup and the Vezina Trophy in
this time. Bower helped the Leafs win their last Stanley Cup and because of
this he will be remembered as one of the great goaltenders and Maple Leafs to
ever play the game.
Borje Salming
Borje Salming was one of the
great defensemen of his era. Salming was one of the first European players to
come over to North America to play in the NHL which really helped to open the
door for many other Europeans. Salming played 16 seasons with the Maple Leafs
being named a first team all-star in 1977 and a second team all-star on five
other occasions. Salming finished his career having played 1148 games in the
NHL with 1099 of them in a Leafs uniform finishing with a respectable 150 goals
and 787 points with which 148 goals and 748 of those points coming with the
Leafs.
A tribute video of Borje Salming.
Salming was inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998 becoming the first Swede to be given the honour.
Salming also had his number 21 retired and raised to the rafters at the ACC on
October 4th, 2006. Salming still holds the NHL record for the most
points by an undrafted defenseman and also holds over 6 Maple Leaf records.
Salming holds the record for the most career points and goals by a Leafs
defenseman, the most career assists by a Leaf player, the most assists by a
Leafs defenseman in a season, and also has the best career plus-minus by any
Maple Leaf. With all these stats and more it is no question that Salming was
one of the great D-men in NHL history and by far one of the greatest players to
ever don the blue and white.
Looking back it is clear to see
that the Toronto Maple Leafs history has been one full of great players and
great memories. And with such a rich history there are many more other hockey
greats that could also have easily topped this list. Each of these 6 have
brought pride, excitement, and even championships to the city of Toronto and
they will be forever honoured in the rafters of the Air Canada Centre and the
Hockey Hall of Fame, but even more important the will be remembered by Maple Leafs
fans of both then and now. However, in saying all this I must ask, who do you
think is the greatest retired Maple Leaf of all time?
This past Thursday was supposed to mark the start to the 2012-2013 season, but of course thanks to the lockout we wait until a deal is reached. Now in the past few weeks some players have voiced their optimism of a new deal coming together before the entire season is wiped out, while others continue to believe there is no deal in sight. So, why is this?
Sidney Crosby this week was one of the few players who made it clear that he thinks the entire season won't be lost. Crosby stated, "I can't see it getting to that point, I really can't. It hasn't even crossed my mind to be honest with you. I think, if anything, my thoughts are more just about whether the NHL has a date in mind (for the season to start) and just when they're actually going to start negotiating." Crosby believes that the fact that both sides have been meeting together and that negotiations are taking place means that they are getting somewhere.
Wayne Gretzky is another who has voiced his optimism that a new deal will be made before the season's projected end. Gretzky believes that the real timeline to get a deal done is the Winter Classic. The Winter Classic this year is scheduled to be between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings on New Year's Day.
Wayne Gretzky interview about the lockout
The Winter Classic has been pointed out as a date of interest partially because of the huge profits the game brings and with this year's scheduled to be the biggest so far the NHL would be stupid to let this opportunity slip them by. The game between the Leafs and Wings is scheduled at Michigan Stadium where the record for the most people at a hockey game was set in 2010. The plan for this game is to try and break the record of over 104,000 people by hoping to get close to 115,000 fans in the stands and with a wait list for tickets already in effect that doesn't seem to be a problem. Tickets for the game have been priced between $79 and $279 so NHL is looking to make anywhere between $9,000,000 and 33,000,000 on ticket sales alone.
A preview of HBO: 24/7 from 2011 featuring the Flyers and Rangers
Now although, both sides have been meeting including two more meetings this past Wednesday and Thursday, it seems that, like we've heard so many times since the lockout began, both sides are no closer to a deal than when the lockout began. This week neither the NHL nor the NHLPA brought any new proposals to the table, solidifying the belief that no solution to the lockout is close.
Now for those hoping to stick by Crosby's comments, take them with a grain of rice because it was Crosby who said during the summer that the fans need not worry about an NHL lockout coming into affect.
So far the NHL has cancelled games up until October 24th so most of the season could still be played out and games that have already been cancelled could still be tacked on to the end of the season, barring a deal is finally reached. However, assuming this doesn't come to light, certain players may be more impacted than others.
One name that comes to mind is all-star goaltender and future hall-of-famer Martin Brodeur. At the end of last season rumours swirled all over that Brodeur may be playing in his last season, believing retirement was imminent at the end of the season. Marty went on to sign a 2 year deal at the end of the season, but if he has to sit around and wait to play in his final seasons in the NHL is it maybe in his best interest to retire now?
This is just one example of a group of NHLers that may go unnoticed when talks about who is impacted the most by the NHL lockout circulate. In 2004 this same phenomenon happened with another one of the game's greats. Brett Hull signed a contract for the beginning of the 04-05 season with the Phoenix Coyotes, a team that was looking to finally prove themselves as a contender. Now the season prior was the NHL lockout and the season prior to that Hull put up a respectable 25 goals and 68 points in 81 games. Great numbers for someone his age.
So, Hull headed into the 04-05 season after a lockout with new rules and a much faster game. After only 5 games and recording just 1 assist Brett Hull announced his retirement from the game believing he could no longer keep up with new pace and speed of the game. Hull would finish he career with 1,391 points, good enough for 22nd all time. However, he finished just 35 points away from moving up to 15th all-time a feet that would have been very achievable had there have been no lockout during the 03-04 season.
A look at back some of Brett Hull's greatest moments.
It seems that some NHLers may now be put into the same position as Hull and may lose out on that one last season. Besides Brodeur, this season also heard much speculation that Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson may be playing in his last season in the NHL. This made the all-star game in Ottawa this past season just that more emotional for the league and the city of Ottawa. However, Alfredsson decided the end of the season that he was not ready to hang up the skates just yet and that he would be back for another campaign. However, with the NHL lockout now in place have we seen Alfredsson's last game in a Senators' uniform?
Next to Brodeur and Alfredsson, other players that may have to contemplate retirement this year or the next couple years are Teemu Selanne, Dwayne Roloson, Jaromir Jagr, and Jason Arnott to name a few. Lets just hope that once again we don't see the NHL ruin the chance for some of the games greats to hit those memorable milestones.
It has been a very busy last week and a half with many more NHLers flocking to Europe to find somewhere to play some hockey. In this past week alone Danny Briere, Claude Giroux, Joe Pavelski, Gabriel Landeskog, Andrei Markov, Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Jamie Benn, and Matt Duchene have all packed their bags and headed to Europe. Now with news coming from sports outlets such as ESPN and recently Sportsnet that they will now be broadcasting some KHL games this season this may give a little hope for true hockey fans to see their favourite stars in action.
However, what this influx of players heading overseas still, even after more than 20 days since the lockout was announced, means is there's a sign that a resolution to the lockout is no closer than when the lockout began. Last weekend the NHLPA and the NHL were at the table trying to hammer out a deal that would bring an end to the lockout, but like the other meetings between the two sides, nothing was accomplished and it seems that a deal may be a lot further away than most NHL fans would hope.
During the negotiations the players have been meeting along with Don Fehr (NHLPA Executive Direcctor) to be more informed about the lockout situation, however many players have still continued to head to Europe. Does this mean that the players are aware there is no deal in sight? That's what it is starting to look like. Would players continue to sign contracts and commit to playing for other teams if they knew that an agreement to end the NHL lockout was just around the corner? That seems highly unlikely.
Both the NHL and NHLPA have continued to meet privately in Toronto this weekend, but until one side or the other brings something new to the table don't expect any significant news. Fans looking to catch some hockey action in the mean time can catch KHL games on ESPN. The next game will air on Sunday October 13th at 9 am when Dynamo Moscow (featuring Alex Ovechkin) takes on Sibir HD.
