SBNation.com User Blog: Rather Bengt

Jays Marlins trade

Rather Bengt — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 23:24:42 -0000

Jays Marlins trade

According to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi on twitter, Marlins sending Mark Buerhle and Josh Johnson, Yunel Escobar and Hechavarria going back other way. Possible Reyes going to Jays also.

Some Thoughts About My Father

Rather Bengt — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 08:28:50 -0000

[Ed. note: this FanPost originally ran on June 17, 2012.]

I wrote this piece on Father's Day 2010 in Ottawa while visiting my Dad and Stepmom. In the 60s and 70s, my Dad was a beat reporter for the OHA/OHL Oshawa Generals for the local Oshawa Times paper. While this piece doesn't deal totally with hockey and when it does, it is the loosest definition of hockey possible (the 80s Era Toronto Maple Leaf teams). Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there.

[Ed. note: this FanPost originally ran on June 17, 2012.]

I write this while at my Dad's place in Ottawa. From his computer sitting in his computer chair. In front of me is a silver tumbler which he got for his tenure at the now-defunct Oshawa Times. For years he has used it as a holder for pens (some working, some inkless), scissors, unsharpened pencils and stubs of erasers. Behind me is a bookshelf with one row consisting mainly of photography books and jazz guides. The Boris Spremo book, the photographing sports how-to text---he's had these ones as long as I can remember.

I remember them from the bookshelf in the bedroom of the place on Buckingham Street in Oshawa. They followed him to the apartment on Gibb Street. Again on the bookshelf in the bedroom. And these places they had parks nearby. In the parks we would find an empty diamond and he would hit grounders or pop flies to Luc and me on Saturday afternoons when we were with him. Maybe slo-pitch tourneys would occupy the diamonds and we would find an empty patch of grass and throw the ball around there. And when we were softballed out, we would go back and Dad would always have a rum and coke. He said nothing tasted better after throwing the ball around.

He enjoyed a rum and coke when watching Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday nights. He made us a concoction consisting of ginger ale, orange sherbert and a little milk and it was good . Always in a green plastic cup--maybe he got them as part of the separation agreement. And growing up in the 80s on Saturday nights on weekends with Dad meant watching the Leafs play. And the Leafs in the 80s were godawful. Godawful enough to make Luc become a rival Habs fan. Godawful enough to make me emigrate fanwise and become a Caps fan from the age of 7. But Dad stuck by the Leafs as they went through coaches like hookers go through johns (Nykoluk, Maloney, Watt, etc). But still Dad would talk about Leafs players, odd things that stuck in my head: Greg Terrion was from Marmora (where his parents lived at the time) so you had to like him, Bill Derlago picked his nose on the bench, Brad Smith (aka Motor City Smitty) was just damn fun to watch (maybe because he didn't wear a helmet). It was his hockey reporter/photojournalist side from the 1970s coming out. It still does now when he gets caught up playing multiple hockey pools every season. Luc inherited the hockey pool gene. I never did--not being able to separate my fan self from a poolie self.

I separated myself from Dad somewhat emotionally as a teenager. Maybe all teenagers do with their parents. Only seeing him every other weekend and two weeks straight in the summer helped in this pushing away I did. I found him too nervous, too prone to worry. He sweated the small stuff too much according to my adolescent eyes. Mom says now that I was impatient. Truth be told I likely was. I tried so hard to see the differences between us. It never led to outward conflict--there were never shouting matches. Dad and I aren't fans of conflict. There was just a distance: sometimes awkward, other times just there. Sometimes silence says more than shouting.

Dad moved to Toronto when I went to York University in the mid-90s. The photography books and jazz texts followed him to the bookshelf in the bedroom of the apartment on Jackes Avenue. He met my now stepmother Joan at the Globe and Mail where he worked as a copy editor (mainly in his beloved sports section, for a period in the less beloved foreign desk). A couple summers he was kind enough to let me stay at his place between years at university as he stayed with Joan. Joan was and is good for him--she made him happier, less worry-wartish. He embraced life. He even started cooking more. He expanded his standbys of spaghetti and chili with various meat loafs and tenderloins and started preaching the gospel of the slow-cooker. He hasn't made that Saturday, weekends-with-Dad childhood-staple sloppy joes since, or if he has it's been kept on the down-low.

Dad eventually moved in with Joan on Prince Arthur near St George Station in Toronto.The photography books and jazz texts in tow, of course to find home on another bedroom bookshelf. I moved to Kamloops BC. Now the distance was physical and emotional. I would call Dad. Dad and Joan called me once to ask if it was alright if they married. I replied something similar to "Is it Ok with you two? You're the ones getting married." My overwhelming consent granted, they did so. I am happy they did. They are good for each other and enjoy each other's company. Dad is a lot happier.

I moved back to Toronto in 2001. I started working at the record store on Queen Street. One day I decided to see if Dad wanted to do lunch since I was only a few subway stops away. We ended up going to the nearby Duke of York pub near his apartment. We talked. Nothing groundbreaking. I couldn't even tell you what we talked about--probably some sports, probably music, maybe some movies. I could tell you the pub likely had tennis playing on its TVs as it always seemed to when we went for lunch there and I probably ordered a cranberry juice or iced tea as I usually did. But something obviously synched that day. Dad and I started doing lunches weekly or bi-weekly, depending on our schedule. One day I was over and Dad said aloud I am really glad we started going out for lunch. So was I. My grandfather never fails to mention to me how glad he is that I started going out to lunch with his ex- son in law.

My father is a nice man. My mother (his ex-wife, need I remind you) says he is. My grandfather (his ex-father in law) never fails to mention how touched he was that he went to my grandmother's funeral 19 years after my parents' separation. How he saw my dad approaching in the parking lot of the funeral home and was very touched that "Wayne decided to be there for Grace". Dad's mother was a very nice woman. Mom once said to her "Your problem Phoebe is you're too nice". My grandma replied "Well I am not going to be nice anymore!". My father would probably dislike hearing he is nice. I know I shudder a bit when I hear it said to me. Maybe it's a Walters thing. The thing is, it is true: my father is a nice man. I hear it in the lilt in his voice when answering the phone these days. I have always heard it or envisioned it when he laughs or smiles when he takes a drag on a cigarette as we talk on the phone. I see it in his smile and when his eyes twinkle when he picks me up from the Ottawa Train Station.

Yes, Dad lives in Ottawa now. He and Joan moved here after retiring from the Globe and Mail. It's a beautiful house. Lovely gardens they maintain---well Joan does most of that; Dad says he looks after three flowers. I miss seeing Dad as much as I used to. I miss the lunches. During this past hockey season, I called him many times just to talk hockey and the Caps. He was patient enough to let me ramble on about them. Probably more patient than I was as a teen with him. But even though he is almost 5 hours away from me I can still everyday see his smile and his smiling eyes and hear the lilt in his voice saying "Hey guy" or "Hey tiger"(when I was younger). And I still see the spines of the photography books and jazz guides on the bookshelf behind me that have followed him everywhere just as the memories and love for him have followed me and continue to do so.

Herb Carnegie 1919-2012 Herb Carnegie, a hockey trailblazer, has died at age 92. The following...

Rather Bengt — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 22:27:09 -0000

Herb Carnegie 1919-2012

Herb Carnegie, a hockey trailblazer, has died at age 92. The following video is from HNIC and is a 2009 interview with Elliotte Friedman.

CBC's obituary

The Calgary Flames 1987 Team Music Video "Red Hot". Not Caps-related but shown on HNIC AfterHours...

Rather Bengt — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 06:18:48 -0000

The Calgary Flames 1987 Team Music Video "Red Hot".

Not Caps-related but shown on HNIC AfterHours Feb 26/12. Enough cheese to supply a fondue festival. Check out a young Brett Hull and a young Gary Roberts.

2012 Central Scouting Bureau Mid-Season Draft Rankings

Rather Bengt — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:16:56 -0000

2012 Central Scouting Bureau Mid-Season Draft Rankings

North American Skaters
European Skaters
North American Goaltenders
European Goaltenders

Thanks to Bob McKenzie for the link.

1998 Metro Detroit Ford Dealers TV ad starring MIke Knuble (and Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby)

Rather Bengt — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:50:33 -0000

1998 Metro Detroit Ford Dealers TV ad starring MIke Knuble (and Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby)

The Sharks 2012 Holiday Video. Always funny stuff. Major props to the Sharks promotion team.

Rather Bengt — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:41:51 -0000

The Sharks 2012 Holiday Video. Always funny stuff. Major props to the Sharks promotion team.

Crease-crashing latest conundrum for NHL

Rather Bengt — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 18:56:28 -0000

Crease-crashing latest conundrum for NHL

A small article from Friday's Toronto Star on crashing the crease. With quotes from ex-goalies now talking heads such as Chico Resch and Darren Pang and various NHL Coaches. Thought it was a good read.

Dale Hunter OT Goal VS Flyers (game 7) - 04/16/1988 Washington Capitals VS Philadelphia Flyers...

Rather Bengt — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:32:56 -0000

Dale Hunter OT Goal VS Flyers (game 7) - 04/16/1988

Washington Capitals VS Philadelphia Flyers Patrick Division Semi-Final Game 7. Must watch TV for any Caps fan. I remember seeing this originally in Canada on my 13th birthday.

Bob McKenzie's What's Exactly the Story on Asham-Beagle Anyway?

Rather Bengt — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 21:00:51 -0000

Bob McKenzie's What's Exactly the Story on Asham-Beagle Anyway?

Bob McKenzie's column for the TSN website on the Asham-Beagle incident and the state of fighting in the NHL today.

Dear GMGM - A Japers' Rink Advice Column - Workplace Issues

Rather Bengt — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:14:18 -0000

via www.examiner.com

Dear GMGM- I am a young male in my 20s from the DC area and I would like to approach you with a problem I am having. I am a mid-level employee at a fairly successful business (or as successful as things can be these days). Pretty soon my employers will be reconsidering my salary and they want my input on what I think I should be paid. I want to ask for substantially more than I am being paid now but I don't want to be dismissed out of hand or, even worse, let go altogether and replaced with a cheaper alternative. On the other hand, I don't want to lowball myself in my demands. How should I approach this situation?

Signed,

Lowballed in Ballston?

via www.examiner.com

Signed,

Lowballed in Ballston?

Dear Lowballed,

From what I can tell, most of the Rinkers here at Japers' spend a good 8-10 hours of their day at their places of employment. And an average of five of these hours is spent reading, posting or making witty comments on Japers' Rink threads. In order to keep up this productivity, you should ask yourself "What kind of worker am I?". Then maybe ask yourself a second, more important, question: "What would GMGM do?"

Let's look at your options:

1/ Maybe you are a total team player. This is the only place of work you have ever known. You are a possible future face of the franchise. Despite your relatively young age, maybe others will start addressing you as "my captain" at work. If this is the case, aim high and aim long my friend.

2/ Maybe you are an extremely talented worker but seem to have your good days and your bad days. Have you gained the reputation of being a bit of a headcase? Maybe you have done some amazing things for your business, but also made some stupid, egregious errors that have hurt the business. Is there a threat lingering that you may flee to another organization? If this is the case, maybe you should only negotiate on a yearly basis and get a nice sum for what you can do now .

3/ Maybe you're the type of worker who likes to say and do the right things. Always talking positively about the business. Being the good boy scout, even when it may appear you are being a kissass. Ask yourself this, "Am I willing to put my money where my mouth is?" Are you willing to take a hometown discount for the sake of being part of a successful business?

4/ Maybe you're just in it for the nachos. Does your business serve nachos? Are they yummy? Do you like eating them while the rest of your co-workers make the business a winning franchise? You're one lucky son of a gun.

Make the right choice. Choose wisely. Do as GMGM would

Dear GMGM- I am a 20 year old female working at a pet store in Virginia. Recently my bosses divided the staff into two teams for "morale-building purposes". It's totally not working. The designated team leader on the other team is this bossy wench who thinks she knows everything and makes work a living hell for all the people in her group. She already made one of my best friends quit the job with all her harassment and abuse! I am afraid to say anything because she is friends with the bosses. What should I do??!!

Signed,

Made to Feel Stupid at PetSmart

Dear Made,

In life, we all have to deal with authority figures who make things a living hedoublehockeysticks. But things can go smoother by asking one simple question: What would GMGM do?

The situation is a difficult one, but the solution is easy as pie. It involves two steps.

1/ Confront the "bossy wench" in the store hallway after you have closed for the day

and

2/ Punch her in the face.

While GMGM stresses he does not advocate violence against women, your situation suggests that this uppity strumpet deserves a good Mollekening. Even if you may end up with a fine and supension afterwards.

Make the right choice. Choose wisely. Do as GMGM would.

Dear GMGM - I am an employer in DC proper with an overpaid employee. While once a successful worker, lately his style doesn't fit into our business's new direction. And just as an aside, he talks in circles and circles and never gets to the point. Drives me nuts! He is becoming a real albatross on our successful work team. What do you suggest?

Signed,

Driven Mad By the Circles.

Dear Driven,

I am assuming you have asked yourself "What would GMGM would do?". Your second step is to send GMGM your contact info. He will get you in touch with a business in Grand Rapids, Michigan who can take said employee off your hands.

Do as GMGM would.

Dear GMGM - A Japers' Rink Advice Column

Rather Bengt — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 18:36:24 -0000

via www.examiner.com

Dear GMGM: I have a dilemma. I am a 21 year old from near Madison , WI. This summer I got a job selling programmes and puffy fingers at my local baseball team's stadium. That's all good. But I have a female co-worker who likes flirting with me and asking for hugs at the most inopportune times. She says she is 18, but I found out the other day she is only 17! This is seriously creeping me out and making me hate my job. What should I do?

Signed,

Badgered in Wisconsin.

via www.examiner.com

Signed,

Badgered in Wisconsin.

Dear Badgered,

Here at Japers’ Rink we learn many life lessons from following the Caps. I think there are various options open to you in dealing with your situation involving your underage, predatory co-worker of the opposite sex. Ask yourself, "What would George McPhee do?"

a) Keep a poker face and not tip your hand. And when the situation finally resolves itself to your liking, give a knowing wink to a nearby TV camera.

b) Extend the situation to an unreasonable amount of time. Especially at a time that makes little sense. Note: this may backfire (see Poti, Tom).

c) Trade one of the Lolita’s hugs for future considerations. Future in this case means, say 2-3 years down the road.

d) Pick a Russian female co-worker with whom to distract yourself. But do not pick a female of Finnish descent.

The choice is yours mate. Choose wisely. Do as GMGM would.

OT Hockey - May 25/11

Rather Bengt — Wed, 25 May 2011 23:30:46 -0000

7 pm - Memorial Cup Action - Mississauga vs Owen Sound 8 pm - Eastern Conference Final Boston vs Tampa Bay

OT HOCKEY MAY 19/11

Rather Bengt — Thu, 19 May 2011 23:57:00 -0000

BOS/TBL Game 3

OT HOCKEY MAY 17/11

Rather Bengt — Tue, 17 May 2011 23:50:21 -0000

TBL/BOS Game 2

OT Hockey May 8/11

Rather Bengt — Mon, 09 May 2011 00:16:59 -0000

DET/SJS game

OT HOCKEY - FEB 22, 2011

Rather Bengt — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:34:32 -0000

7:00 - PHX/PHI NYI/TOR NSH/CBJ NYR/CAR 7:30 - SJS/DET 8:00 - EDM/MIN COL/STL 8:30 - NJD/DAL 9:00 BOS/CGY 10:00 - MTL/VAN

OT HOCKEY - Feb 19, 2011

Rather Bengt — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 22:12:00 -0000

3:30 - ATL/EDM 7:00 - OTT/TOR LAK/NYI NJD/CAR 7:30 - FLA/TBL 8:00 - ANH/STL PHX/NSH 10:00 - DAL/VAN 10:30 - COL/SJS

Is Thrashers' Bogosian Available and If So, Why?

Rather Bengt — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 14:42:30 -0000

Is Thrashers' Bogosian Available and If So, Why?

Bob McKenzie's latest TSN blog entry breaks down the trade rumours regarding Zach Bogosian. It's a worthwhile read.

Happy Birthday Peter Bondra

Rather Bengt — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 03:59:43 -0000

via pics.classicauctions.net

via cdn.bleacherreport.net

via i.cdn.turner.com

via cache3.asset-cache.net

via www.globalnews.ca

via pics.classicauctions.net

via cdn.bleacherreport.net

via i.cdn.turner.com

via cache3.asset-cache.net

via www.globalnews.ca

ban·zai (bän′zī′)

interjection

used as a Japanese greeting, cheer, and battle cry

Origin: Jpn < Sino-Jpn ban, ten thousand + sai, year, age - from Webster's New College Dictionary

"My job is to score goals, " - Peter Bondra.

Earlier this year, Bruins blueliner Zdeno Chara scored a hat trick in a game. Upon scoring the third goal, Chara motioned to his helmet and pretended to pull off an invisible hat and throw it to the ice. Some neophyte hockey fans may not have realized his celebration was an homage. But Washington Capitals fans knew. It was a tip of the cap to the most prolific goal scorer In Caps history: Peter Bondra.

"The Slovakian Sniper" in fact was not even born in Slovakia. He was born in 1968 in Lutsk, Ukraine where his father had moved after WWII to find work. In 1971, his father moved the family back to the former Czechoslovakia. After his father's death in 1982, Peter and his two older brothers were raised by their mother. Two of the sons (Peter and Juraj) took up hockey Peter played for the team in his hometown of Propad, Slovakia for a season and then advanced to play hockey for the VSZ Kosice team at age 18. His scoring totals went up each year there from 9 to 38 to 40 to 46. Kosice would win a championship with Bondra in the lineup in 1988.

Amazingly Bondra's scoring touch in the Czech league seemed to go unnoticed by NHL scouts until he was 22 years old. Caps longtime scout Jack Button spotted him and recommended Caps GM David Poile to take a chance on the sniper. In the 8th round of the 1990 draft, the Caps picked Bondra 156th overall. Bondra came to North America immediately to prove his worth to the Caps. His 1990-91 rookie season wasn't an easy one and the RW's line read 12g 16a for 28 points in 54 games played. Bondra talked about his transtion to the North American game in a late-career interview:

“Looking back at 1990 when I come here that summer, I didn’t know much about NHL. There wasn’t Internet. There wasn’t satellite to see any games. I knew about a couple players. I knew who Gretzky was. Maybe Mario Lemieux. That was pretty much it. I wasn’t ready. I just try and see what happen. If I don’t succeed or I don’t like it for some reason, I will just come back. That was my mentality. That was my talk in my head. I wasn’t here to make a career, make the top, or score 500 goals. I wasn’t sure what kind of player I was. I knew I could skate. Maybe I knew I could score some goals. I had some offensive talents. But I just came here to try it...(Caps teammate) Neil Sheehy come to me and told me to take the Jofa (helmet) off and take the CCM. I asked him why? Because the other team will know you’re European and will go harder against you. I just put a CCM helmet on. Some of those guys try to help you up, protect you when you go to battle. At the same time, you learn the game. I pretty much learn from beginning. Whatever I knew about the game, you come here, it’s different. Totally different game. Different coach. Coaches ask you to do different things. You learn as you go."

What did help his transition though was the presence of teammate Michal Pivonka who helped him on and off the ice. Pivonka had gone through a defection from Eastern Europe to play for the Caps a a few seasons earlier and his mentoring of the younger Slovak seemed to pay dividends. Linemates on the ice and friends off it, Bondra had a much more successful sophomore year scoring 28g and 28a for 56 points and raising his plus minus from -10 to +16. He also scored 6 goals in 7 playoff games that year in another first round exit for the Caps.

Bondra's main strengths were his skating and his shooting. His burst of speed was amazing and was like a shot out of a cannon when a loose puck was available. His wide skating stance gave him great balance and he was always amazing at puckhandling at high speed. It is no surprise Bondra won fastest skater at the NHL Skills Competition in 1997 and 1999. Bondra was probably the premier shooter in the league in his heyday. He had a quick, accurate wrist shot and an overpowering slapper. Combine this with his speed, and goaltenders had trouble getting an angle on his shot as he was so explosive driving the wing and blasting it high from along the boards. His skating and shooting skills are well captured in this video montage.

Bondra's third year (1992-93 ) was a career year in points scored with 85 (37g 48a). The following saw a drop in point production to 43 in 69 games but a career high +22 (he was always an apt defensive player and was effective on PK duty because of his speed). In the lockout-shortened year of 1994-95 he scored an amazing 34 goals in 47 games. The following year, his agent held out him and Pivonka and signed them to play with the IHL Detroit Vipers. After 8 games, the Caps settled with the two holdouts and they would end up having career years. With help from Pivo's 60 assists, Bondra would finish fourth in the league in scoring with 52 goals (80 points overall with the 28 helpers tacked on).

After a 46 goal campaign in 1996-97, Bondra once again led the league in scoring with 52 (tying his career high) and 78 points in the Caps' Stanley Cup year of 1997-98. He went 7g 5a and 12 points in 17 games played during that post season run which would be the closest Bonzai (his favoured nickname by Caps fans) would come to getting the Cup. One of his most memorable plays came in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final when he ran into Sabres goalie Dominik Hasek who was way out of his crease (link).

The next two years found a dropoff in production due to injuries but he rebounded strongly in 2000-2001 with 45g 36a and 81 points. The next two seasons saw him score 39 and 30 goals respectively. Many expected Bonzai to be a lifelong Cap but in 2003-2004 he was shipped off to Ottawa for Brooks Laich and a 2nd round draft choice (later traded to Colorado). Despite Laich's current status as a fan favourite, there was much disappointment in DC over this trade when it happened. After going back to Slovakia for the lockout season, there was rumour Bondra would resign with the Caps. It never happened though and he spent a lackluster 2005-06 season with the Thrashers scoring 21 goals in 60 games. He'd play one more season with the Blackhawks where his line read 5g and 9a in 37 games played--the definite highlight of the season being his 500th career goal against Toronto, the 37th player to do so. In October 2007, Bondra retired from hockey at age 39.

In 14 years with the Caps, Bondra scored 472 goals and 353 assists in 961 games played.He holds Capitals team records in goals (472), points (825), power-play goals (137), game-winning goals (73), short-handed goals (32) and hat tricks (19). With the Caps he appeared in five all-star games (1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999). A 2004 Capitals fan poll saw him rank second to only Olaf Kolzig as most popular Washington Capital ever.

These days, Bondra still has a hand in hockey as GM of the Slovakian National Team (this latter-day interview with Al Koken sees him at the Verizon Center doing some scouting).Bondra was a successful international player for Slovakia and scored the winning goal to help them win the 2002 World Championships. He lives in Riva, Maryland with his wife and three kids and was a recent member of the Winter Classic Alumni Game. Appropriately enough, he scored the game-tying goal there for the Caps.

Happy 43rd Bonzai!

Happy Birthday Joe Sacco

Rather Bengt — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 20:48:31 -0000

via photos.upi.com

When last year's Jack Adams Award was given for top coach, the winner was Phoenix's Dave Tippett. Third was Colorado's Joe Sacco, who in his first season helming the Avs lead them to a 95 point season which was good enough for the Western Conference's eighth seed. Longtime Caps fans could take pride in knowing two of their alumni had nabbed two of the top three spots in the voting.

In baseball, one often notices that some of the best managers are the former journeymen or role players on the team. Notice how many catchers are in managerial positions in Major League Baseball. Often catchers who were backups on their team at that. The same can often be said about role players in hockey. Some of the most successful coaches in hockey were the ones who spent their NHL playing careers on the third or fourth lines, or perhaps even shuttling back and forth between the AHL and NHL. Dan Bylsma and Bruce Boudreau did the latter. Joe Sacco and Dave Tippett did the former and both were defensively responsible, penalty killing forwards who made a good playing career with hard work and excelling at the game's basics.

Sacco himself alluded to this in a 2009 Boston Globe article,

I considered myself a support player, a journeyman, I certainly wasn't in the NHL for my goal scoring [a total of 94], that's for sure. It's no secret...I wasn't overly skilled. But I worked hard, and you can overcome a lot in this game if you are committed. Look at me. I was a third- or fourth-line guy, a defensive forward, I killed penalties, played hard, showed up and competed. By doing that, I was able to scratch, claw, and survive for 13 years in the NHL.

Sacco was born in 1969 in Meaford, Massachusetts. A very hockey-centric community, the area fostered not only Joe and his brother David, but also future NHLer Keith Tkachuk. The Sacco brothers were successful in high school hockey and both went on to an even more fruitful playing career at Boston University. Joe scored 52 points in his junior year and was a major key in winning the Beanpot tournament over Harvard. Sacco chose BU to stay close to home and to give his parents a chance to see him play. While in university, Sacco also played in the 1988 World Juniors for Team USA.

Drafted in the 4th round (#71 overall) of the 1987 draft by the Toronto (coincidentally brother David would be drafted by Toronto in the 4th round the following year), Sacco would spend his first few years with the Leafs AHL affiliate for the most part. He also represented Team USA at the 1992 Olympics and the 1992 and 1994 World Championships. Anaheim claimed him in the expansion draft and Sacco finally found a permanent starting role in the NHL

In 1994-1995, Sacco had a career year points wise scoring 19g 18a and 37 points in a full 84 game season. One thing that always stuck out with Sacco was his blazing speed. At 6'1 195 lbs, Sacco used this speed effectively on the penalty kills to dump and chase pucks out of the neutral zone. The next three and a half seasons with the Mighty Ducks saw Joe score between 18 and 29 points and reaching double digits in goals three times. His plus/minus totals also improved. At the trade deadline in the 1997-98 season the Ducks sent him to the Island in a trade of role players which saw players such as Travis Green and J.J. Daigneault change uniforms. The final 25 games with the Isles had him potting three goals which combined with the 8 for Anaheim saw him reach double digits in goals once more (and for the final time in his career he would do so).

His 1998-99 season for the Isles was a struggle for Sacco as his line read 3g 0a in 73 games played and an unsightly -24. The Caps decided to take a flyer on Joe and he was signed as a free agent by the Caps in August of 1999. His first season in DC was as a third-fourth line RW and a component of the penalty killing squad, His line in 1999-00 read 7g 16a 23 points and a +7. Although his points went down to 14 the following year, he still scored 7 goals for the Caps. Although not a noted pugilist he didn't shy away from was dropping the mitts as can be seen in tilts with future TV talking heads Matthew Barnaby and Keith Jones.

After one final appearance for team USA at the Worlds on 2002 and a final goalless (0g 7a in 65 games played)season in 2001-2002 for the Caps, Joe played a final year for the Flyers and for their AHL affiliate Phantoms. He then took a couple seasons off hockey before being lured back into coaching with Colorado's AHL team, the Lake Erie Monsters. After past star Patrick Roy passed on the Avalanche coaching gig before last season, the team hired from within and named Sacco to the position. Flanked by past NHLers Steve Konowalchuk, Sylvain Lefebvre and Adam Deadmarsh as members of the coaching staff, Sacco has helped bring veteran smarts and at times, needed tough love, to a young Avs team. On coaching younger players, Sacco has said,

I enjoy working with young players trying to help them further their career and trying to show them what it takes to be a good consistent pro. For a lot of them that’s that biggest thing, is learning what it takes, all the little things that goes along with being a professional.

Happy 42nd Joe!

Dino Ciccarelli - A Caps Appreciation Day Tribute

Rather Bengt — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 19:45:06 -0000

via www.sportsmemorabilia.com

via i19.photobucket.com

via www.sportsmemorabilia.com

via i19.photobucket.com

With all apologies to Brooks Laich, the Caps never had another player who got as much bread from the bakery as RW Dino Ciccarelli. The man made a Hall of Fame career out of scoring from five feet in. As the man said himself,

"It's just a matter of getting the puck on the net and getting traffic in front of the goalies. I don't know why more teams don't do it. I still believe 90% of the goals scored are ugly goals, 10% are pretty goals. You won't find many of mine on the highlight films."

Amazingly enough, there was a time that the thought of Dino not even making the NHL could have been entertained. Born in 1960 in the southwestern Ontario town of Sarnia, not far from the Michigan border, he played for the Junior B team at age 15 and put up 88 points in 40 games. Along with Phil Esposito, he is one of two NHL hall of famers to have played for the Sarnia Junior B team. He was drafted by the OHL London Knights and scored 82 points in his rookie year and followed it with a 72 goal 70 assist 142 point sophomore campaign. He was named to the OHL 2nd all star team after the season but this success was followed by a broken leg which took over a year to rehab and limited him to 30 games in his 3rd season in juniors. Back in good health, Dino showed his scoring prowess in his final junior year and scored 50 goals and 102 points and also represented Canada at that year's World Jrs. The Knights would retire his #8 for his contributions at the junior level.

Because of fears regarding his broken leg and his relatively small size (5 ft 10 in, 180 lbs), Ciccarelli went undrafted. Minnesota North Stars GM Lou Nanne, however, decided to sign him and test out his leg for the team's CHL affiliate in Oklahoma City. After playing 48 games for the CHL Stars (and scoring 57 points), Dino was called up to the bigs and scored 30 points in 32 games over the remainder of the NHL season. The North Stars made a Stanley Cup run in Dino's rookie season and he potted 14g 7a 21p in 19 post-season games (at the time an NHL rookie playoff goal record) as Minny eventually fell to the NY Isles in the 1980-81 Final.

His next season was a career year as he potted 55 goals and 106 points in 76 games. Dino was a North Star fan favourite with his gritty play and high goal totals (scoring over 40 goals four times and named an NHL All Star in 1982 & 1983). Dino ranks second all-time for Minnesota North Star goal scoring behind only (fellow ex-Cap) Brian Bellows. Unfortunately Dino wore out his welcome in MInny with some altercations on and off the ice. The most famous incident on the ice was in January 1988 when after a battle of words, he attacked Maple Leafs d-man Luke Richardson in the head with his stick. Ciccarelli was suspended 10 games, charged with assault , fined $1000 and spent a day in jail. Footage of the incident can be found here.

At the 1989 trading deadline the following season. Minnesota and Washington became dance partners and the Caps obtained Dino and hard nosed blueliner Bob Rouse for Caps fan fave Mike Gartner and offensive d-man Larry Murphy. This has gone down as one of the biggest deadline deals of all time. I remember my dad calling from his work at the Globe and Mail sports section and telling me about it as it happened right at the 3pm cutoff. Dino got off to a blistering start with the Caps and scored 12 goals in his first 11 games in DC. Dino carried this momentum into the following year and topped the Caps in scoring with a 41g 38a 79 p campaign. He was also named to that year's All-Star game. Injuries shortened his next season and he scored only 21 goals in 54 games. In his final season here in 1992, he scored 76 points and a team high 38 goals. A disappointing first round exit and unfortunate off-ice rumours led the Caps to deal Dino to Detroit in the off-season for Kevin Miller (brother of long-time Cap Kelly), who ended up scoring just three goals in ten games with Washington

Ciccarelli had his 3rd most productive season with the Wings in his first year there (97 points in a full 82 games season) but ended up finding his role get smaller and smaller with the team in his following three years as the Wings were loaded at RW. In his final season though Dino did make the Stanley Cup Finals again but the Devils swept the Wings in four straight. Before the 1996-97 season, he was sent to Tampa Bay for a 4th rounder and again replied with a productive 35 goals and 60 points in 77 games. The last three seasons though between Tampa Bay and Florida were injury riddled and Dino retired in 1998-99 after a chronic back injury limited him to 14 games played.

Dino was finally named to the hall of fame this year after a career that saw him score 608 goals (2 less than Bobby Hull) and 1200 points. A video of his induction with an interview of Dino on HNIC can be seen here . Since leaving the game, he has been part owner of the OHL Sarnia Sting and also has ran a nightclub in Michigan.

Here's to you Dino and thanks for the memories!

The Washington Capitals' Mid-Season NCC/60

Rather Bengt — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 21:23:49 -0000

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Last August with some help from the Verizon Center Concession Prospectus I compiled the 2010/2011 season totals for NCC/60 (Nacho Chip Consumption per 60 minutes) and tried to provide some analysis for the figures. (A link to last year's final figures can be found here.) The All-Star Weekend provides a good opportunity to take in the first half of the season for the Caps. Whereas the team PP % is in freefall and goals have been down, the NCC/60 for the Caps has been more like the PK %: on a healthy upswing. Time to look at some numbers.

Tyler Sloan - 34.35

Matt Bradley - 32.72

Bruce Boudreau - 31.88

Boyd Gordon - 29.76

Alexander Semin - 29.15

Michal Neuvirth - 25.40

John Erskine - 22.06

Eric Fehr - 18.56

Tom Poti - 4.00

Stats Analysis - Again Tyler Sloan posts the big NCC/60 numbers, even increasing his average so far by almost two chips. As mentioned last year, Sloan is versatile enough to go between Nacho Chip consumption and other junk food consumption (pizza slice consumption has also seen an upswing: the man likes his melted cheese). A drop in Erskine's NCC/60 seem to have had a positive effect on Sloan's average. Maybe too much so as Tyler was recently sent down to Hershey for conditioning.

Matt Bradley - Brads is a new addition to the list and has been a tenacious, truculent one at that. His average would likely have been even higher if not for a small mishap where he cut the inside of his cheek on a pesky chip and stitches were required to stop the bleeding. True to form, however, Brads has been able to score nacho chips from the more elite players in the press box to bolster his totals.

Bruce Boudreau - Remember the famous freeze frame image in 24/7 of Bruce with sauce on his face? It was salsa.

Boyd Gordon - Boyd's high totals can be attributed to his strong defensive play (the man is very hard to steal nachos from) and being good on the draw ( he is usually the first to dive into a hot steaming plate of nachos). A good addition to the list who should never be underappreciated,

Alexander Semin - Oh Sasha. Really his average should be higher. But he is consistently inconsistent. Some nights he will scarf down two whole plates, others he will pick at his food. He can also be seen as being too cute when eating. A teammate reports that often Semin will attempt to curl the chip around the outside of the salsa, only to have it break and fall aimlessly to the press box floor.

Michal Neuvirth - A more recent addition to the list. Neuvy has taken on a silent assassin reputation in the press box. His youthful looks have deceived a few teammates as he went in for the kill to steal from their plates. Said one, "No one in the press box likes him anyway."

John Erskine - Oisk's total have taken quite the drop after leading the team in NCC/60 last season. His skills remain: big physique, physical play in the press box corners, his slow ,methodical takeaway nacho numbers. Let's say the decrease is more due to a lack of opportunity. He did score some chips though from teammates celebrating him on his awesome Movember 'stache.

Eric Fehr - Another recent addition to the list, hence the lower numbers. His injured shoulder also doesn't help his NCC/60 as it means less takeaway attempts. Fehr gets most of his nachos from around five feet in and tries to use his size to his advantage in getting position. Unfortunately he also has to deal with his coach who uses methods of intimidation on him to steal his nachos.

Tom Poti; Allergic to nacho chips. Allergic to salsa. Allergic to Cheese. Allergic to black olives.....

So all in all there have been some new names added to the list. Some higher totals from some. Dropoffs from others. Let's all hope for a productive second half of the season and post season.

via c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com

Tyler Sloan - 34.35

Matt Bradley - 32.72

Bruce Boudreau - 31.88

Boyd Gordon - 29.76

Alexander Semin - 29.15

Michal Neuvirth - 25.40

John Erskine - 22.06

Eric Fehr - 18.56

Tom Poti - 4.00

Bruce Boudreau - Remember the famous freeze frame image in 24/7 of Bruce with sauce on his face? It was salsa.

Tom Poti; Allergic to nacho chips. Allergic to salsa. Allergic to Cheese. Allergic to black olives.....

So all in all there have been some new names added to the list. Some higher totals from some. Dropoffs from others. Let's all hope for a productive second half of the season and post season.

Happy Birthday Michal Pivonka

Rather Bengt — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 20:55:46 -0000

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If Japers’ Rink existed in the early to mid 90s, there’s a chance the forum would look at Michal Pivonka the same way we see Alexander Semin today. There were times he could exhilirate you with his playmaking skill, then utterly frustrate you a couple games later. Cue the "trending Pivo" and "good pivo/bad Pivo" and "Pivo Lobby" memes. He could be used effectively a man up or a man down and one year tied for the team lead in both PP and SH goals. He often took a back seat to a teammate from the same country who would put up the bigger, flashier numbers and draw most of the press. That said he seemed content to stay with the Caps and in fact never played for another NHL team in his career, and recently played at the Winter Classic Alumni game.

Michal Pivonka was born in Kladno, Czechslovakia in 1966. He played junior hockey for the Czech junior Dukla Jihalva team and was a prominent fixture on the national junior hockey teams that played at the Euro and World Junor tournaments. It was at the 1983 Euro Juniors where he came to the attention of scouts scoring 9 points in 5 games and being named to the tourney’s first all-star team. Caps GM David Poile was one of the interested suitors and he picked him 59th overall in the 3rd round of the 1984 Entry Draft. Pivonka expressed interest in defecting to the US and playing for the Caps but said he first had to stay in his home country and complete military service. Pivo played in the 1985 and 1986 WJCs and was named the tourney’s top forward in 1985 (10 points in 7 games) and winning gold in 1986.

Because of the Iron Curtain at the time, it wasn’t a sure thing Pivonka would play for the Caps as he would need permission from Czech authorities to leave the country. In July 1986, Pivo defected to the US from Rome while on vacation in Yugoslavia with his fiancee. The seeds for this daring move were planted the previous year when Poile and Caps director of player personnel Jack Button met Pivo at the 1985 WJC in Hamilton, Ontario and guaranteed him a five year contract that would come into effect if he defected in July 1986. Pivonka and his fiancee were given temporary refugee status and on July 22, 1986 Pivonka was introduced to the local media. The event was a minor international incident and the Czech embassy in DC criticized the Caps for not attaining Pivo through more legal channels.

With Bengt Gustafsson leaving to play in Sweden before the 1986-87 season, Pivo plugged an immediate hole for the Caps and centred a line with Bobby Gould and the late Gaetan Duchesne in his rookie year. His line of 18g 25a and 43p were good enough to finish 7th in rookie scoring and 3rd in rookie shooting % with 15.4. Pivo’s strengths were his strong skating, excellent passing and a willingness to play physically when needed. Unfortunately he wasn’t the most durable of players and suffered a shopping list of ailments throughout his career (strained ankle ligaments, sprained wrist, sprained knee, kidney stones, groin injury, torn lateral meniscus in the knee, flu, concussion, a shoulder injury which sidelined him through the latter half of the Caps Stanley Cup run).

Upon fellow countryman Peter Bondra’s arrival with the Caps in the early 90s, Pivonka’s play reached a new level. Having an elite sniper on his wing helped Pivo utilize his strong playmaking skills and he scored 70+ points from 1990-1991 to 1992-93. Before the 1995-96 season, Pivo and Bondra’s agent Rich Winter aimed to get major salary increases for his clients ( from $836,000 to an asking price of over a mil). Both were held out of training camp and were signed to contracts to play with the IHL Detroit Vipers. On October 20, 1996 the Caps gave in to Bondra’s demands and signed him to a 5 year contract at 1.2 mil per season. Within hours Pivonka was also signed for a 5 year 1 million dollar incentive laden contract. Reportedly before he could play again for the Caps, Poile sat Pivonka down for a four-hour lecture on playing a more leadership role with the team

The lecture seemed to have positive results as Pivo put up a career year in 1995-96 scoring 16g 65a and 81 points. The 65 assists were the most by any Caps player since Dennis Maruk in 1981-1982. On October 19, 1996, Pivonka passed Mike Gartner for the Caps all-time assist leader. Unfortunately his 1996-1997 torn meniscus led to another catalog of injuries and a couple seasons later Pivo was out of the league. When he retired, he was the Caps all-time assists leader, 2nd in all time career points and 3rd in games, playoff games and playoff points for the franchise.

Pivo and Bondra did a lot of local charity work and set up a joint fund raising effort for the Children’s Hospital at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, MD. He also took the opening faceoff at the recent Winter Alumini Game.

Happy 45th Pivo!

OT HOCKEY - JAN 25/11

Rather Bengt — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:00:43 -0000

7 pm - FLA/NYR ANA/CBJ NYI/PIT
7:30 pm - BUF/OTT MON/PHI TOR/TBL
8:30 PM - MIN/CHI
9 PM - EDM/PHX

7 pm - FLA/NYR ANA/CBJ NYI/PIT 7:30 pm - BUF/OTT MON/PHI TOR/TBL 8:30 PM - MIN/CHI 9 PM - EDM/PHX

2011 Bob McKenzie's Top Prospects - Mid-Season

Rather Bengt — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 01:14:33 -0000

2011 Bob McKenzie's Top Prospects - Mid-Season

Probably the best hockey writer on the topic of draft prospects gives his mid-season rankings. Enjoy.

OT Hockey 1/17

Rather Bengt — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:27:43 -0000

7:30 CGY-MTL ATL-FLA 8:30 LAK-DAL

The San Jose Sharks Holiday Album

Rather Bengt — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 02:50:20 -0000

The San Jose Sharks Holiday Album

So cheesy but I cracked up laughing. The San Jose Sharks wish you" Happy Holidays"

Scoring is done instinctively. The shot itself, if it’s thought about, is not the same as if it’s...

Rather Bengt — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 21:46:16 -0000

Scoring is done instinctively. The shot itself, if it’s thought about, is not the same as if it’s done instinctively. You can’t teach when to shoot, but you can teach how to get into position to score.

They always talked about my quick release. That was more a matter of survival than anything else. But one of the things I hated to do was waste a shot. I’m probably the guy who wasted fewer shots than anyone who ever played the game.

Aiming for me was a waste of time. For me, the object was to hit the net.

Mike Bossy, 80s sniper for the Isles, on his thoughts on shooting and scoring in 1992.

As recounted in the Globe and Mail article "Shades of 1992: Flailing Offence Drags Down Ottawa" by Roy MacGregor

OT Hockey 12/14

Rather Bengt — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:04:38 -0000

Now - PIT/PHI 9:00 - TOR/EDM