SB Nation User Blog: James Mirtle

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

James Mirtle — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:17:08 -0000

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

James Mirtle — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:01:12 -0000

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

James Mirtle — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:53:49 -0000

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...

James Mirtle — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:55:41 -0000

"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

James Mirtle — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:38:42 -0000

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...

James Mirtle — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:17:04 -0000

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...

James Mirtle — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:56:55 -0000

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...

James Mirtle — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:27:02 -0000

"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

James Mirtle — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 06:14:44 -0000

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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

James Mirtle — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:24:50 -0000

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.