NHLPLF.lge
NHLPLF.tms
Farm Stats Leaders
Farm Category Leaders
Farm Team Scoring
GM Editor
NHL.ros
NHL.lge
NHL.tms
Plenty of Off-Season Changes in Thrashers’ Camp
The ECHL4 season has ended for the Atlanta Thrashers. Mercifully.
In a season that saw plenty of turmoil in Atlanta, the happiest sound for the Thrashers’ management was the final buzzer of the third period in Washington. The end result symbolized the Thrashers’ season: a 5-1 thrashing of the Thrashers by the Washington Capitals.
“It’s actually a relief,” assistant general manager Sarah Buckley remarked. “Now we can focus our attention on rebuilding this franchise. This year has been disgraceful.”
It was a season that saw many stars shuffle through Atlanta. Gone are the likes of Joe Sakic, Oleg Saprykin, and David Aebischer. Cap issues and lack of future prospects prompted the selling of the Thrashers’ assets. When the dust settled, the Thrashers limped over the finish line with a 25-49-8-3 record, but with plenty of optimism for the future. Seven draft picks…including three first round picks ... and over $20 million available in salary cap space are the causes for that optimism.
“We were pushing dangerously close to the cap limit and showing nothing for it,” general manager Justin Halbersma commented at the end of the Capitals’ game. “So earlier in the season, the decision was made to blow up the whole roster with an eye for the future. It wasn’t easy to part with those players. It was purely a rebuilding decision to do so. All of them are top notch players, and if it happens, we would welcome any of them back at any point. We made sure they knew that. And now we have a vision for the future, lots of cap room, and a plan.”
Expect lots of action from the Thrashers’ camp in the off-season. The scouts are scrambling to get their prospects list in. Neither Buckley nor Halbersma offered a comment on the draft, just a brief message:
“It may not feel like it at first, but these are exciting times,” Halbersma remarked. “We’re asking our fans to be patient with us during the off-season, and we’re asking for their patience during next season. We will be competitive next year. And we will contend for the Cup within three seasons. We’re not ignoring you, our loyal fans. This pain is necessary for long-term growth. Please bear with us.”
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Hurricanes Announce Second GM of ECHL4
The ownership of the failing Carolina Hurricanes have had a rough season after watching their second GM in team history - and second GM of the season - take a walk last month. The end result saw the Hurricanes continue a season-long slide that now finds them well under .500, facing a post-season with no playoffs, and a fanbase that has become more and more vocally irate as of late. Acknowledging these issues the team officially hired a fresh face to guide the team into the future, former assistant coach of Bill Read's Minnesota Wild, Seb Pritchard.
"I can't wait to get started, I'm happy to take over in Carolina," remarked Pritchard in his first press conference as the new GM. When asked what would make him a success in Carolina his response was an obvious love for sports in general, with a history in managing fantasy leagues: "I love all sports. I love to watch, read, play, and talk about sports. I have been active in many Yahoo fantasy leagues for many years now." When the local media pressed for some personal information about Pritchard his response seemed meant to endear himself with some of the other league GMs with a reputation for enjoying a good party by noting "other than my intense love for sports I am a regular 25 year old guy. I like to party, meet girls, drink beer, play some video games and have a chill time."
Pritchard takes over the Hurricanes starting Friday night in Philadelphia, and his contact information can be found on the GM List.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Avalanche Tumbling Downhill
DENVER — It has been a trying season for the Colorado Avalanche. Plagued by scoring, defensive,
and goaltending woes, the boiling point of Colorado’s frustration has reached its peak.
“I never signed in Denver for this,” center Darcy Tucker remarked tersely. “This has been a disaster! I want a Cup, not forever looking up at the rest of the West!”
Although the Avalanche have been putting together a few wins of late, the overwhelming consensus for the Colorado organization is that it’s much too late.
“We’ll need a miracle,” predicted forward John LeClair. “This is a horrible way to spend the last few years of my career... the promises of making the playoffs, the predictions of overcoming this deficit... it’s impossible! Who is management trying to kid?”
The Avalanche are currently hovering tied for third last in the Western Conference, with a seventeen point spread between them and the eighth playoff spot. With few prospects and little help looming on the horizon, the Avalanche faithful aren’t giving much optimism for next season as well.
"I can't wait for my FA status to kick in," goaltender Garth Snow muttered as he skated off after practise. "First chance I get, I'm gone."
It stands to be a cold long winter in Denver for a while.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Tales of a Fangless Predator
NASHVILLE TN — For several seasons, the Nashville Predators have iced a regular season powerhouse.
At or near the top of the Western Conference standings, the Predators have been a feared opponent during the season…but not so much during the playoffs.
Boasting a star laden line-up with the likes of Dany Heatley, Mike Modano, Roberto Luongo, and Sergei Gonchar, this is a team that seems destined for
postseason success. However, given the past few playoffs, many serious experts seem reluctant to give Nashville a fair chance, a fact not lost on Roberto
Luongo. “It irritates me,” he said after practice Sunday afternoon. “When that puck drops in game one, every team has a chance. We have a strong team..
why are we the subject of ridicule?”
“This is the year we’ll show something,” promised Mike Modano. “I think this will be our year.. we picked up Sergei this season, and he is the premier defenseman in the league. We’ll be there.” Brave and strong words from a star centerman. The fact remains, until the Predators put together a deep playoff run, they will forever be known as playoff wannabes.. a team built for the regular season, not the playoffs. It is a label most of the team is eager to shake off.
“Look out West,” Dany Heatley commented. “We’re hungry, we’re strong, and we want the Cup. The East has had it for the last two season…time for us to take it back.”
Time will tell.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
ECHL Scout's Top 16
The ECHL Scout returns with his picks for the top eight in each Conference. Agree? Disagree? Take it to the Zonk!
East
1. Tampa Bay
2. NY Islanders
3. Boston
4. Buffalo
5. Toronto
6. Rangers
7. New Jersey
8. Montreal
West
1. Nashville
2. Minnesota
3. San Jose
4. Columbus
5. Phoenix
6. Chicago
7. Vancouver
8. Calgary
A lot of things can happen during the race for the final top 16... some teams could get kicked out. In the East Pittsburgh is closing in, in the West Los Angeles is only a couple wins behind... time will tell.. don't be surprised to see Pittsburgh and Los Angeles kick out a team.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Opening Faceoff Scouting
The mysterious 'Puck Prognosticator' has dropped the following inaugural "Opening Faceoff Scouting" report in our inbox. It looks at the playoffs only 20 games away and who may (or may not) do some damage. Check it out and post your thoughts on the Zonk!
The Favorites
Tampa Bay — A juggernaut through the regular season thus far, the Lightning, led by Mark Maranzan, have something to prove after last season’s disappointing playoffs. It remains to be seen this season if anyone can square up to this powerhouse through a seven game series.
Nashville — For too long, Evan Carter’s Predators have been an enigma, boasting solid regular season records, but crumbling in the playoffs. Could this be the season of vindication for Nashville?
Boston — No one can count out the defending Stanley Cup champions. Rick Jessup has put together another solid showing during the season, but it remains to be seen if his Bruins can skate with the Lightning.
Minnesota — Bill Read has made some dazzlingly bold moves to strengthen an already formidable Wild club. However, can they skate with the Lightning? They have enjoyed some success against Tampa Bay, but there are doubts they can hold their own against a Lightning team should they both reach the Finals.
The Dark Horses
NY Islanders — Ryan McCullough has quietly gone about his business, guiding the Islanders into one of the top three positions in the Eastern Conference. They should get through the first round, should get through the second…but then there’d be the Lightning.
San Jose — Michael Wolfe, after taking over the Sharks, has maintained a success story in guiding them to a top three place thus far. They possess enough depth to skate with any of the Western powerhouses, and any success will not be seen as a shock by any experts.
Toronto — The Leafs have flown under the radar, guided by Sam Steggles’ steady hand. They just find ways to win. Having upset the Lightning last year, few would be surprised if they went far into the playoffs again; however, they don’t want to face a Tampa squad bent on revenge.
Columbus — Doug Moore has assembled a squad in the Blue Jackets that has enough firepower to throw a scare into the Western Conference, and any team would be foolish to take them lightly.
Buffalo - The Sabres, under Paul Maranzan's guidance, have compiled a competitive team, but the road still runs through Tampa... few believe the Sabres have the firepower to upset the Lightning if they meet in the playoffs.
The Long Shots
Montreal — They’re not a bad team.. Dave McGarva just has the misfortune that every other Eastern team has.. having to go through the wall that is Tampa. The Canadiens could put up a fight, but don’t have the horses to compete with the Lightning.
Phoenix — Here is a team that could throw some upsets in the Western Conference. Bold deadline deals have made Shawn Trumble’s team a silent contender. Don’t be surprised to see the Coyotes in the Finals.
NY Rangers — Again, the same problem as every other Eastern team.. the road to the Finals goes through Tampa Bay. John House’s Rangers will try, but few see them lasting past the first round.
Vancouver — Not much is heard from the Canucks’ camp this season. Mark Weinstein has put together a competitive squad, but drawing the Wild or Preds in the first round is a scary proposition for this team.
Honorable Mention
New Jersey — Chris Ambrozic knows the strategies, but do his Devils have the punch to get through the Bulin Wall in Tampa? As it stands, they face the Lightning first round.. and to any observer, a Lightning win should be a no brainer.
Calgary — Despite several acquisitions and trades, the Flames hold a very slim grip on the eighth and final spot. Kevin Wilde better have some late season and playoff magic up his sleeve if he wants to make a splash.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Coyotes Starting to Howl in Phoenix
Phoenix AZ — After seasons of struggle, the Phoenix Coyotes have started to re-establish themselves
as a Western Conference power. The Coyotes hold the sixth spot in the Western Conference, with a nine point lead over ninth place Los Angeles. With
additions such as Joe Sakic and Derek Morris, and goalie Martin Brodeur finding his form, the Coyotes are starting to make some noise.
“We have a good chance,” Sakic said after a disappointing overtime loss to the Dallas Stars. “Sure, we lost tonight, but look at the type of goals.. two deflections off our own players’ skates, and a rebound off a breakaway. Those are the type of goals that no one can do anything about. We have a strong feeling about doing some damage this postseason.” While Morris was not in the lineup for the game, his presence will add a dimension to the Coyotes’ blueline not seen in a while. There is a great deal of anticipation in Phoenix, as the new addition, as well as the team starting to gel at the right time. The fans have returned, and the Coyotes hope to reward them with a strong showing.
“Whether it’s Nashville, Minny, or the Sharks, we feel we’ll be ready for them,” Brodeur commented. “Anyone can pull an upset.. it’s a whole new season.” The season is winding down. The competition is heating up. Time will tell about the additions in Phoenix, but there is a sense of excitement growing as the stretch run becomes the focus for all contending teams.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Flames land Alfredsson, Gill; Flurry of Small Deals Close Deadline
After trading former stars Joe Sakic and Bill Guerin proved disastrous for the formerly
formidable Florida Panthers it seemed only a matter of time until one lucky team would win the rented services of star winger Daniel Alfredsson this
deadline, and indeed it was regular trade partner Kevin Wilde in Calgary who secured the star for the stretch drive. The cost was steep - top prospect Ales
Hemsky will move to Florida permanently, while Alfredsson will return to the Panthers for next season. Quickly swapping Dan Boyle for Hal Gill on his
defence completed the miniature facelift from a Flames team that seems poised to take a shot at the Cup. Florida would also offer up a second rented star,
sending prized blueliner Derek Morris to the Phoenix Coyotes for a 3rd round pick and future considerations dependent on Coyote success.
"It was very difficult to say goodbye to a future star like Hemsky," noted Wilde, "however, we felt we owed it to our fans to make every effort to get into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. We're very excited to add a player of Alfie's caliber to our lineup. Hopefully, we not only make the playoffs, but can do some damage when we get there." It was a different story in Florida where Andre Drouillard had the responsibility of reassuring his fans that the rebuilding pains were temporary. "Deadline deals have bettered Florida for the future at a steep cost in the near term. We realize that this year has not quite gone the way we intended it but moving some veterans early on like Sakic and Guerin had more of an impact than first anticipated. We aren't calling it quits this year, moving Alfie and Morris gives some of the young guys a chance to really shine. Russell, Weber and Suter on D can step up into a much bigger role; Perry, Zetteberg, and, Kessel will all have a chance to step into some serious ice time which should make them much better for years to come." He reaffirmed the rental nature of the deal with "next year, as Morris and Alfredsson come back to Florida, we should be in great shape to contend for the Cup. we also felt that Daniel deserved the opportunity to compete for the Cup this year as well and Calgary seemed like a great fit where his leadership skills can help ignite passion in the younger players. Morris was happy with the opportunity to return to Florida at year end and is looking forward to being the number 1 guy next year and help to develop the younger future stars."
In Phoenix an excited Shawn Trumble said that, while his offense had fired up in recent weeks, the blueline had remained an Achilles heel for the Coyotes, and bringing Morris in for the playoffs would help. "Morris is an amazing puck moving defenseman with also a great defensive mind as well, with the Phoenix scorers clicking Morris will just make goals come that much easier."
While total trades were down over previous ECHL seasons it did seem an exciting deadline nonetheless as the teams embark on the final drive for Lord Stanley's Cup.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Leclaire Motoring to Detroit; Rebuilding Thrashers Nab 1st Pick
The Detroit Red Wings continued to be the only team making splashes on the ECHL4 trade
deadline today with the second deal of the day; acquiring the final star on the dismantling Atlanta Thrashers, rookie goaltender Pascal Leclaire. Heading
back to the Thrashers is veteran backup goaltender Cristobal Huet and the Wings first rounder in the ECHL5 draft. Trading his first rounder in the deal
showcased GM Peter Lacasse's confidence in his deadline trades, but also sent a poisoned dart into the ego of his current young tender, Kari Lehtonen.
Given the confidence of the elite ECHL club earlier this year after a trade with the Phoenix Coyotes, Lehtonen was never able to live up to the hype in the Motor City while sporting a lowly .891 save percentage. It appears any effort to contend this season will come behind the older Leclaire.
In an Atlanta press conference the media pressed hard on GM Justin Halbersma who continued to reiterate that the fire sale of the past few weeks was due to a much needed rebuilding for the troubled franchise. "Leclaire has played very well for us, and it was a hard choice to trade him," started Halbersma "But when the prospect of a first round pick is available, especially when we need to rebuild, long term is what we're looking at." A journalist from the Atlanta Journal Constitution attacked with the concise "did you give up on Pascal?" Halbersma was eloquent in his response of "not at all, he's a tremendous goaltender with a bright future. He will be a star but I have to think long term. We wish Pascal all the best in his new environment and we're looking forward to the draft and seeing how we can stock our roster with young talent."
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wings Pull Blockbuster; Bertuzzi to Wild
As ECHL3 Art Ross winner Todd Bertuzzi wiped his tears away it became quickly apparent to
the Wings and Wild faithful that the first trade of the ECHL4 deadline was bringing sweeping change to their respective clubs. The Wings press conference
had been called to announce the details behind an incredible 10-player deal that would see left winger Bertuzzi, centre Daymond Langkow, and defence trio
Marek Zidlicky, Scott Lehman, and Alex Plante leave the Motor City for Minnesota with left winger Patrik Elias, journeyman centre Oleg Saprykin, and another
defensive trio of superstar Wade Redden, Andrei Markov, and Brad Norton heading to Detroit. It was obvious both teams were looking for a shake-up down the stretch.
"Detroit needed to get better defensively given the status of their young goalie and Bill needed to improve his offense," stated one-time Jack Adams winning Detroit GM Peter Lacasse succinctly. Mired in an unfamiliar spot three points out of the playoffs Lacasse seemed to be keeping an eye down the road with the promise "next year Detroit will be a force to be reckoned with, I promise." Minnesota's sophomore GM Bill Read was more talkative during a Wild press conference featuring only the manager who quickly took his seat and launched into "offense. Please. I'll do anything! I'm so sick of these low scoring games. The fans in Minny want some action!" Read had watched his Wild charge out of the gate earlier this season to a huge Western lead only to watch the team clam up offensively while the Nashville Predators stole the Conference lead from them.
"I made a few trades a couple weeks ago that I felt would help spark my offense but then with only 12 goals in my last six games I realized a more drastic change was needed. Todd Bertuzzi is that drastic change, a true power forward in every sense of the term. In addition to Todd's dominant presence, I have added a solid second line passing centre in Daymond Langkow. I think his playmaking will help spark our secondary offense. Read continued when prodded about the decision to trade fan favourite Wade Redden. "Trading (Redden) has been the most difficult decision I've ever had to make as a GM in this league. Wade has been a big part of this organization for a long time and I wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors. Although Marek Zidlicky will fill Redden's shoes offensively, Wade's rock solid defensive play will be greatly missed. I know there will be some sad to see him go but the reality is that you have to give up great players to acquire great players. I am also quite excited about landing some amazing young defensive prospects in Scott Lehman and Alex Plante. I think Lehman will fill Markov's void on our second or third line."
Is it possible the first deal of the deadline will be the largest? Only time will tell.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Hammy's Choice, ECHL4 All-Star Edition
The cat with all that is back!
Although the real Hammy has long since departed, his spirit lives on with this special edition of Hammy's All-Star picks... Hammy's wisdom will pick one potential MVP from both the East and the West.
In the East, Hammy suggests that Alex Ovechkin will announce once and for all that he has arrived... Ovechkin is Hammy's MVP pick from the East.
However, should Hammy's pick from the West live up to the expectation, Ovechkin may find no success... Hammy suggests Tomas Vokoun will step to the forefront and stonewall the East in his appearance, earning MVP honors for the west.
Hammy will also select a 1st and 2nd All Star team at season's end. Stay tuned.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
East Young Stars at West Young Stars
Shots
|
Goals
|
Scoring Summary
Period 1
1. WEST YOUNG STARS, LEE 5 (LUPUL, KLUBERTANZ), 06:17
2. EAST YOUNG STARS, SETOGUCHI 16 (GREEN, DOWNIE), 08:07
3. EAST YOUNG STARS, DOWNIE 20 (GREEN, SETOGUCHI), 14:54
4. WEST YOUNG STARS, RYAN 5 (STEMPNIAK, RYAN), 16:01
Period 2
5. EAST YOUNG STARS, DOWNIE 21 (ZAGRAPAN, WHARTON), 05:36
6. WEST YOUNG STARS, RYAN 6 (KINDL, GLASS), 12:53
7. EAST YOUNG STARS, WHARTON 3 (GREEN, SETOGUCHI), 13:31
8. EAST YOUNG STARS, DAWES 8 (LOMBARDI, SKILLE), 15:19
9. EAST YOUNG STARS, NILSSON 10 (UNASSISTED), 17:38
Period 3
10. EAST YOUNG STARS, LYAMIN 6 (SKILLE, DAWES), 14:12
11. WEST YOUNG STARS, RYAN 7 (RYAN, STEMPNIAK), 17:41
12. WEST YOUNG STARS, BACKSTROM 9 (LEE, KLUBERTANZ), 19:19
13. WEST YOUNG STARS, STEMPNIAK 19 (MESZAROS, RYAN), 19:58
Goalie Statistics
Ryan Miller (East), 0 saves out of 1 shots
Devan Dubnyk (East), 14 saves out of 19 shots, W, 20-13-3
Kari Lehtonen (West), 9 saves out of 11 shots
Jeff Glass (West), 9 saves out of 14 shots, L, 17-30-3
Power Play Conversions
East Young Stars 0 for 0
West Young Stars 0 for 0
Game Stars
1 - Steve Downie (East)
2 - Billy Ryan (West)
3 - Devin Setoguchi (East)
Player Statistics
Game Notes
Kari Lehtonen enters game at 15:19 of 2nd period
Steve Downie is named MVP for the Game
Saturday, July 26, 2008
ECHL Scout Picks His All-Star Results
Now it's time for the big boys, these rosters look insane, but we will see who plays better with who. Glen Murray, the captain of the East is the best scorer in ECHL history but the West have the best upcoming scorers in ECHL history with Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Gaborik in the line up. The west captain Markus Nasland will have to lead his team to victory Sunday night. The Cinderella story here is ... will the dominating East scorers do well against the stacked defense of the West, we will find out Sunday night.
vs. 
East Forwards
Joe Thornton Cory Stillman Glen Murray Mats Sundin Alexander Ovechkin Pavol Demitra Olli Jokinen Scott Hartnell Milan Hejduk Marc Savard Scott Gomez Scott Walker
East Defense
Nicklas Lidstrom Martin Grenier Paul Mara Brian Rafalski Janne Niinimaa Chris Campoli Jaroslav Spacek Alexei Zhitnik
East Goalies
Nikolai Khabibulin Marc Denis Tuuka Rask
West Forwards
Alex Tanguay Markus Naslund Marian Gaborik Doug Weight Ilya Kovalchuk Jarome Iginla Daniel Briere Nikolai Zherdev Zigmund Palffy Mario Lemieux Adam Deadmarsh Blake Wheeler
West Defense
Chris Pronger Sergei Gonchar Scott Niedermayer Bryan McCabe Brad Stuart Ed Jovanovski Brent Sopel Kim Johsson
West Goalies
Marty Turco Dan Cloutier Tomas Vokoun
Friday, July 25, 2008
West edges East in ECHL4 Skills Competition
The second ever ECHL skills competition pitted the ECHL elite against each other with the assembled squads of Rick Jessup and Peter Lacasse facing off in an exciting and epic battle of the best, with bragging rights leading up to Sunday's big face-off on the line.
The skills competition got underway with the Puck Control Relay, Pair event that saw Jessup lead-off with Alexander Ovechkin and Martin Grenier; Peter Lacasse countered with Marian Gaborik and Sergei Gonchar. It was never close with Gaborik opening up a significant early lead that Gonchar had no issue widening and the West was first on the board. The Puck Control Relay, Individual followed immediately and featured Ilya Kovalchuk representing the West for a second straight year against Milan Hejduk for the East with the speedy Predator opening up an insurmountable lead on the Sabre star, defending his crown and again providing a win for the West.
Next up was the Fastest Skater competition with a point on the line for both the conference with the fastest cumulative time and the individual with the quickest feet. Philadelphia's quick-footed winger, Alexander Ovechkin, would lead things off again this year, posting an impressive time-to-beat of 14.529 seconds for the East. However, the dominating star of ECHL skills, Kovalchuk, wasted no time shattering the ECHL record books with a 13.412 second time. Brian Rafalski posted a 15.235, followed by an unsuccessful attempt to resecure the record by the last year's champion, Marian Gaborik, with a 13.559. Hejduk would close things off for the East with a 15.294, and Zigmund Palffy's 14.559 would end things off with a full four-second victory for the West.
Last year's most popular event was the Hardest Shot contest, with Todd Bertuzzi's stunning 105.7 MPH shot shaking the rafters in Florida and making headlines across the world. With Bertuzzi not in the big show it was a question of who might be able to steal the show this year. The answer came fairly quickly when Boston's power forward Joe Thornton leaned into the first shot of the evening for a blistering 103.2 MPH start to the event. It would be the hardest shot of round one after postings of 101.7 for Kovalchuk; 101.3 for Glen Murray; 98.3 for Scott Hartnell; 96.0 for Mats Sundin; 95.4 for Mario Lemieux; 94.8 for Chris Pronger; and 91.2 for Jarome Iginla. A temporary hush fell over the crowd as Thornton stepped up for his second and final shot, unleashing a beyond comprehension 107.5 MPH bomb for a new ECHL record and first point for the East. Other second round scores were 100.0 for Sundin; 98.8 for Pronger; 97.6 for Kovalchuk; 97.2 for Murray; 95.0 for Iginla; 94.4 for Hartnell; and 91.6 for Lemieux. Lacasse's crew would take a second hit with the East's crew posting a cumulative speed 3.9 MPH faster than the West.
Accuracy Shooting was up next and Jessup again turned to last year's star, Glen Murray, to continue the East's winning efforts. Murray did the unthinkable by, for a second year in a row, hitting all four foam targets in only four shots - again the only player to do so - taking home the most accurate shooter title and a third straight point for the East. Victory was short-lived, however, after the 4-in-5 performances by the entire Western lineup of Markus Naslund, Gaborik, Kovalchuk, Iginla were too much for the 4-in-6 provided by Hejduk and 4-in-7 performances by Demitra and Ovechkin.
The In the Zone competition saw all six goaltenders put on a clinic and dazzling the crowd with their acrobatics. Three teams of three players were pitted against a goaltender with six pucks to fire. The West offered up Alex Tanguay, Naslund, and Gaborik; Doug Weight, Kovalchuk, and Palffy; and Daniel Briere, Adam Deadmarsh, and Iginla. The East countered with Thornton, Scott Gomez, and Murray; Sundin, Cory Stillman, and Hejduk; and Marc Savard, Scott Hartnell, and Demitra. It was a see-saw battle with Marty Turco, Tomas Vokoun, and Dan Cloutier all stopping four of six shots, while Tuukka Rask and Nikolai Khabibulin matched those results for a 6-4 Eastern Conference lead going into the final Briere-Deadmarsh-Iginla showdown with Marc Denis. Unfortunately for the West the third line was unable to muster enough offense, potting only one and offering the East a 6-5 win.
The night would come to a close with the popular Shootout segment which would see 12 shooters from the East - Murray, Demitra, Hejduk, Stillman, Sundin, Ovechkin, Nicklas Lidstrom, Thornton, Gomez, Hartnell, Scott Walker, and Martin Grenier - take on 12 shooters from the West - Naslund, Palffy, Iginla, Gaborik, Kovalchuk, Gonchar, Tanguay, Deadmarsh, Scott Niedermayer, Briere, Weight, and Pronger - in three rounds of four shooters. In the end it would be the East plugging in three goals (Murray, Demitra, and Hejduk) vs two by the West (Naslund and Palffy) during the team competition.
The one-on-one segment followed with one chosen skater from each side taking on their top goaltender. It would be Markus Naslund against Tuuka Rask and Glen Murray taking on Marty Turco for the second straight year with each player getting three chances to score. Both would miss their first and second attemps before the league's top goal scorer in Naslund electrified the Ottawa crowd with a surprise slapshot from the left of the net over the glove of the young Rask; the competition would again come down to Murray vs Turco. Murray came fast and sharp down the centre, dropping the puck between his legs only to kick it behind his left skate on to his waiting stick and lifting it blocker side towards open mesh - only to be swatted aside by a flailing Turco, beating the Lightning superstar and securing a Western win yet again.
Friday, July 25, 2008
ECHL Scout Weighs In on Young Stars
The ECHL All Star Game is about to begin, While all the GMs can take a break on the stress and have some fun. Alot of great players in the Young Stars and All Star Games. When you see these rosters you all think to yourself "I AM GONNA HAVE SOME FUN". We all have our fantasy lines here, I am gonna share mine, starting with the young stars:
East
Boston Bruins C: Marek Zagrapan GP:55 G:16 A:21 P:37 Buffalo Sabres LW: Devin Setoguchi GP:50 G:15 A:20 P:35 New York Islanders RW: Jack Skille GP:55 G:26 A:30 P:56 Buffalo Sabres D: Marc Staal GP:55 G:3 A:27 P:30 Boston Bruins D: Mike Green GP:54 G:5 A:16 P:21 Buffalo Sabres G: Devan Dubnyk GA:2.28 W:20 L:13 T:3 SO:6 GA:81 SA:947 PCT:.914
West
Edmonton Oilers C: Andrew Cogliano GP:54 G:10 A:24 P:34 Anaheim Ducks LW: Lee Stempniak GP:54 G:17 A:21 P:38 St. Louis Blues RW: Bobby Ryan GP:55 G:20 A:26 P:46 Phoenix Coyotes D: Andrej Meszaros GP:55 G:2 A:25 P:27 Calgary Flames D: Jakub Kindl GP:55 G:5 A:21 P:26 Dallas Stars G: Jeff Glass GA:2.64 W:17 L:29 T:3 SO:4 GA:128 SA:1351 PCT:.905
Young stars game will be one good game with the East and its powerful scoring against the tough defense of the West, this should be one interesting game. The final score will be around 7 for the West and 5 for the East. Good luck to all players!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
ECHL4 All Star Rosters Announced
While controvery broils over the Young Stars rosters announced yesterday the ECHL Commissioner office wasted no time in releasing the All Star game rosters prior to games this evening. There should be no controvery over the selection of four members of the Tampa Bay Lightning, a team creating a new definition for an ECHL monopoly with 91 points in only 55 games. Three members will arrive in Ottawa on behalf of the Boston Bruins, Nashville Predators, and Detroit Red Wings. The rosters facing off this Sunday night will be:
EASTERN CONFERENCE WESTERN CONFERENCE C Joe Thornton, Boston C Alex Tanguay, St. Louis C Olli Jokinen, Washington C Doug Weight, Phoenix C Mats Sundin, NY Rangers C Daniel Briere, Detroit C Marc Savard, Florida C Mario Lemieux, Dallas LW Cory Stillman, Tampa Bay LW Markus Naslund, St. Louis LW Scott Hartnell, Toronto LW Ilya Kovalchuk, Nashville LW Alexander Ovechkin, Philadelphia LW Nikolai Zherdev, Calgary LW Scott Gomez, Pittsburgh LW Adam Deadmarsh, Edmonton RW Glen Murray, Tampa Bay RW Jarome Iginla, Detroit RW Pavol Demitra, NY Islanders RW Zigmund Palffy, San Jose RW Milan Hejduk, Buffalo RW Marian Gaborik, Chicago RW Scott Walker, Atlanta RW Blake Wheeler, Anaheim D Nicklas Lidstrom, Boston D Sergei Gonchar, Nashville D Brian Rafalski, Washington D Bryan McCabe, Minnesota D Alexei Zhitnik, Montreal D Chris Pronger, Columbus D Janne Niinimaa, Tampa Bay D Kim Johnsson, Los Angeles D Martin Grenier, New Jersey D Brad Stuart, Vancouver D Chris Campoli, Carolina D Ed Jovanovski, Detroit D Paul Mara, Buffalo D Scott Niedermayer, Nashville D Jaroslav Spacek, Ottawa D Brent Sopel, Colorado G Tuuka Rask, NY Islanders G Marty Turco, Minnesota G Nikolai Khabibulin, Tampa Bay G Dan Cloutier, Vancouver G Marc Denis, Boston G Tomas Vokoun, Calgary
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
ECHL4 Young Stars Rosters Announced
The roster for the second ECHL Young Stars game has been announced with the youth-focused Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, and Dallas Stars leading the charge while the aged Colorado Avalanche are the only team unrepresented in the big game. The rosters facing off this Saturday night are:
EASTERN CONFERENCE WESTERN CONFERENCE C Matthew Lombardi, Carolina C Nicklas Backstrom, Nashville C Marek Zagrapan, Boston C Billy Ryan, Chicago C Martin Hanzal, Tampa Bay C David Krejci, Phoenix C Derek Roy, Montreal C Andrew Cogliano, Edmonton LW Nigel Dawes, NY Islanders LW Patrick Kane, Dallas LW Lukas Kaspar, Washington LW Lee Stempniak, Anaheim LW Devin Setoguchi, Buffalo LW Nick Foligno, San Jose LW Bryan Bickell, NY Rangers LW Ryan Malone, St. Louis RW Jack Skille, NY Islanders RW Michael Grabner, Columbus RW Steve Downie, Buffalo RW Bobby Ryan, St. Louis RW Robert Nilsson, Pittsburgh RW Joffrey Lupul, Detroit RW Corey Perry, Florida RW Nick Johnson, Minnesota D Marc Staal, Buffalo D Brian Lee, Calgary D Kyle Wharton, NY Rangers D Kevin Bieksa, Vancouver D Mike Green, Boston D Kyle Klubertanz, Los Angeles D Christian Ehrhoff, Philadelphia D Jakub Kindl, Calgary D Kirill Lyamin, New Jersey D Braydon Coburn, Dallas D Ole-Kristian Tollefso, Toronto D Matt Pelech, Chicago D Ryan Parent, Boston D Grant Lewis, Los Angeles D Alex Goligoski, Montreal D Andrej Meszaros, Phoenix G Devan Dubnyk, Buffalo G Jeff Glass, Dallas G Ryan Miller, Ottawa G Kari Lehtonen, Detroit G Pascal Leclaire, Atlanta G Hannu Toivonen, Anaheim
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
All-Star Details Released
The ECHL Commissioner Office has finally released the details surrounding the ECHL4 All-Star Week including a roster of superstars and young stars to come this week that will compete in two games and a skills competition over this coming weekend. Hosting the festivities will be the Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Ontario.
Friday, July 25: All-Star Skills Competition
Saturday, July 26: Young Stars Game
Sunday, July 27: All-Star Game
All 30 ECHL teams will be represented in the All-Star Game, while the only consideration to the Young Stars Game was assembling the best and brightest of the ECHL's future regardless of team representation. The office announced the roster for the Young Stars would be revealed Wednesday the 23rd and the full All-Star roster a day later on Thursday the 24th. Friday night will bring a competition featuring Puck Control Relay, Fastest Skater, Hardest Shot, Accuracy Shooting, In the Zone, and Shootout.
Finally, the coach and manager of the Eastern All-Stars will be defending Stanley Cup Champion Rick Jessup of the Boston Bruins. The defending All-Star champion Western Conference will be coached and managed by Peter Lacasse of the Detroit Red Wings after Conrad Rosario of the Chicago Blackhawks was unable to fulfill his duties as the last team standing in the West during ECHL3. Stay tuned for more events as the week continues; do note that games will continue as scheduled through Thursday.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Scoring Woes Plague Thrashers
ATLANTA--If you don't think the recent housecleaning in Atlanta didn't steam the glasses of general
manager Justin Halbersma, think again. Truth is, Halbersma was truly steamed.
"We had to cut salary, trade assets to get assets, because it appeared the players quit!" Halbersma seethed in his office. "We had the horses to run with, and judging by some of their performances on other teams, they still haven't woken up!"
The outburst came after the Thrashers' latest setback, a 3-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche are climbing up the Western Conference standings, while the Thrashers have continued to fall.
"Outshot, outclassed, outhit, outplayed!" assistant GM Sarah Buckley raged after the game. "Outshot 37-28...if it wasn't for Leclaire, we'd have been run out of the rink!"
It was discovered that former star goaltender David Aebischer, disgusted with the team defense, had requested a trade out of Atlanta.
"We felt that given the status of Abby, and what he's done for us, it would be best to honor his request," Halbersma said. "He made it very clear in my office he wanted to go to a team where the defense would actually try. Judging from his comments in Edmonton, it looks like he's very happy there. We wish him the best."
Yes, the dust seems to have settled in Thrasherland for the time being, as there are no trades on the immediate horizon. However, that doesn't mean all is serene. Buckley and Halbersma have made it very clear big changes could be on the way in the offseason.
"We have a stockpile of draft picks that we will use to begin a rebuilding process in certain areas that we need to improve in," Buckley commented. "Our scouts are working 16 hour days preparing for a crucial draft for us. We have a lot of cap room to aggressively pursue free agents. We have a few names that will not be moved. Jakub Sindel has a no trade clause, and he is a key to our rebuilding. This offseason, we shall see. The trade deadline is coming up. Maybe more picks can fall our way for certain players who may like a change of scenery."
"It's frustrating," newly appointed team captain Mike Fisher said. "We're not scoring. We're not being blown out of the rink, but we're not putting the puck in. A few bounces, a few different moments, and maybe some of those 2-1 games go our way. Our GAA as a team is hovering around three. We need to do something..."
The season is winding down, mercifully for the Thrashers, losers of their last five games. With the playoffs all but unreachable, Halbersma and Buckley have been studying the hundreds of scouting reports that have poured in through emails and fax lines.
"The end can't come fast enough this season," was Halbersma's final, terse comment.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Minnesota: defensively sound, offensively challenged?
A lack of goals prompted a team shakeup in Minnesota as GM Bill Read dealt away a wealth of
draft picks in a desperate attempt to add some offensive depth.
“Our team currently sits 23rd overall in the league with only 119 goals for in 51 games. Despite the lack of offense, we still are sitting pretty at 4th overall in the standings. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what we need here for a serious run at Lord Stanley.”
For the second straight season GM Bill Read traded away all his valuable draft picks in an effort to upgrade his team’s offense. New in the dressing room are the following promising young stars: Sasha Pokulok (21 yrs old), Nick Johnson (22 yrs old), and Oleg Saprykin (24 yrs old). Jan Hrdina was also added to the fold bringing some much needed speed and passing to the team’s secondary offense. This is in addition to the team adding veteran right winger Bill Guerin earlier on in the year.
“We feel as if we have a much more balanced offensive attack than where we were at a few months back. Bringing in Guerin made things a little more difficult in terms of salary cap space. I am happy that we were able to acquire the players we did with the little cap room we had to work with. We picked up some solid young guys that we feel will be contributing for many years to come.”
In what may feel like a case of Déjà vu, Minnesota is in a tight race with Nashville to claim the #1 seed in the Western Conference. Also, ECHL4 MVP goaltender Marty Turco has continued his dominance for Minnesota posting up a league leading 1.94 goals against average and a .923 save percentage.
“Marty is simply amazing. We work him like a horse and he never complains. He just goes out there and leads by example giving us a chance to win every single night. If we could sew a “C” on his jersey it would have already been there.”
Time will tell if these acquisitions will be substantial enough to break the offensive slump but one thing is clear and that is this organization is committed to winning.
“That has been my goal here since day one. Win the Stanley Cup. We are very excited this year as we feel we have the right guys to get the job done. That is not to say we are done dealing, there is 9 days left until the trade deadline and we will be actively pursuing new ways to improve our team up front.”
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Edmonton Stars Struggle to Succeed
With the trade deadline fast approaching and a lack of scoring, Edmonton General Manager Richard
Moore, is looking down at his bench and sees very little light at the end of this tunnel. "A few moves were made with the hopes of a spark to our
offensively struggling club which didn't come to fruition," said Moore.
Adding Deadmarsh, Aebischer, Modry and Dempsey has done little to exorcise the offensive demons. Deadmarsh has struggled to fit in with the young phenom Cogliano except for a few flashes of brilliance and hope, but it appears that Moore is almost at his wits end and needs to right this ship before its too late. Rumors abound that both Aebischer and Deadmarsh may be headed out just as fast as they came in. When asked for a comment, Deadmarsh said, "I don't know what's wrong, Cogs is amazing. He's young and full of desire, we get along great off the ice but on the ice its a whole different story! Maybe that kid is just too good."
Aebischer on the other hand had nothing but glowing praise for his young defence, "Those kids (Stephenson and Stoner) are incredible and playing beyond their years." Veteran blueliner Nathan Dempsey, who has played brilliantly, acquired earlier in the season agreed with Aebischer about the kids, "What can I say, they are stars in the making. I think this blueline here has a great future!"
Jaroslav Modry has been quite steady since joining this Oiler team and has brought some much needed experience. Sitting in the press box for much of the season is Sandis Ozolinsh, whose name has been brought up over many a late night MSN convo's. This may be a little unsettling but as Moore states, "If you ain't producing you ain't playing!" When asked, Ozo just stared blankly at this humble reporter and mumbled to himslf and walked away! One can only imagine what must be going on in this former All-Stars head.
Suffice it to say, we definitely needs some shaking up and maybe some new direction and faces on the ice. Moore is in this for the long haul and I am sure he will make the best decision for this great franchise.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Boston, Calgary Team Up; Punk Nashville
Earlier today it seemed the Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames had teamed up for on a blockbuster
deal, sparking commentary and outrage on local chat boards. Shortly after games ended Boston's Rick Jessup owned up - Nashville and the FoE have been punk'd!
"All he (Evan) does is complain about Calgary's trades, and when he's not complaining about Calgary, he's asking me to trade him Thornton. Kevin (Wilde) and I thought this might be a fun distraction to deal with both issues," Jessup remarked. Jessup then pointed towards the roster files to show that players hadn't moved, and subsequently thanked Mark Maranzan for not actually processing the fake trade.
When asked for a comment Nashville's Evan Carter responded "U SONF OF A....."
Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Thrashers' Losing Ways Prompts Shakeup
ATLANTA--Thrashers General Manager Justin Halbersma paused at his desk as he looked over the new contracts of his newly acquired players. A sudden losing
skid prompted major changes to the Atlanta lineup.
"Tough decisions had to be made," Halbersma said. "We weren't getting any younger. Some offers came up that we felt as a staff we couldn't refuse. We wish Joe, David, Adam, and Jaroslav the best on their new teams. Cap space and lack of prospects made these trades necessary."
Gone are center Joe Sakic, goalie David Aebischer, defenseman Jaroslav Modry, and left wing Adam Deadmarsh. In their place come goaltender Pascal LeClaire, defender Jakub Kindl, left winger Daniel Sedin, and center Jakub Sindel. In addition, the trades netted a slew of draft picks and cut down considerably on the cap space being eaten up.
"We freed up a lot of cap space to pursue free agents and other trades," assistant GM Sarah Buckley remarked. "The draft picks give us options. It's shame we had to give up what we did. But we got back some great rookies and they will be a huge part of our team for years to come."
Time will tell what the trades will do. Atlanta has shifted into a rebuilding mode, and while no trades seem openly apparent on the horizon, that could change with the right offers.
"Anything is possible," admits Halbersma. "We may be done dealing, we may not."
The new influx of youth means that the playoffs may be a dream for this season. But the newcomers seem eager and excited about the new opportunity.
"I'll never fill Aebischer's shoes," Pascal leClaire said. "But I know that Daniel and Jakub (Kindl) and myself will do our best to prove we belong at this level and on this team. To be included in a package for someone of Abby's calibre is an honor."
The new players will have their chance to shine tomorrow, as the Thrashers prepare to take on the Kings. LeClaire, Kindl, and Sedin will don the Thrashers jersey for the first time. Sindel is staying down on the farm team, developing his skills for the jump next season.
"We're excited," Buckley said. "Tomorrow will be a good indicator. We're looking forward to it."
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Flood Takes Out ECHL Offices
Near-record rainfalls in Thunder Bay, Ontario have resulted in an unexpected catastrophe for the ECHL; a flooded office with unknown damages to league servers.
Excessive rainfall over a 10-hour period this past weekend dumped upwards of 100mm of rain in the northern Ontario region that houses the league servers, and the result was two inches of water across the floor and inside the main data server. The extent of damage is unknown at this time, but the league was quick to call a hiatus while the situation is surveyed. Commissioner Rick Jessup responded "things look promising, and we're hopeful to be up and running within the week," promising 24-hours notice before things kick back off again.
Friday, May 9, 2008
ECHL League Office to Stage Walkout
It seems it's not only Toronto transit workers who've taken a desire for more cash to an extreme.
ECHL brass Rick Jessup and Mark Maranzan announced today they will stage a walkout from Wednesday, May 14th to Tuesday, May 20th, effectively shutting league
operations down in the meantime.
"Too many e-mails, too many trades, too much whining, and too little beer," were the only reasons Maranzan would offer when probed for his logic. Jessup was even more cryptic in his response, noting "I'm going fishing, gonna catch me a pike." The two staged a similar walkoff during ECHL3, with Mark pictured at right on the picket lines, but returned to work without any apparent changes to the CBA or terms of their employment. Exactly what terms they're seeking, or what caused the action, will seemingly remain quiet for now. The important news being ECHL fans and GMs will receive an unscheduled week off starting this Wednesday.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Caps Shock ECHL, Deal Gonchar
A sub-par start to the season, and a three-game losing streak, were apparently all that was needed
for Washington Capitals GM Chris McCready to spring the largest deal of his career: Sending two-time Norris Trophy winning blueliner Sergei Gonchar to the
Nashville Predators. The deal also included farm centre Kyle Wellwood and will see playmaking defender Brian Rafalski and prospect centre Jonathan Toews
coming back to the nation's capital. Ronald Petrovicky was simultaneously released to free up cap room for the deal.
The deal came soon after the suddenly subdued Predators GM, Evan Carter, had made a blockbuster to shore up his wing with Alexei Kovalev. While the quantity of deals have certainly gone down, Carter was quick to note the quality sure hasn't. "Only the trade king can pull a deal like that off, Gonchar is home to where he belongs" he remarked in a terse statement to the league. McCready simply pointed to the number of free agents on his team as the impetus behind the deal. The only question now is if Music City is hosting too many stars as the fight for ice time begins.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
ECHL Scout Team Profile: Boston Bruins
GM/Coach: Rick Jessup
Captain: Joe Thornton
Alternate: Derian Hatcher
Alternate: Nicklas Lidstrom
How they are doing?
The Stanley Cup champions have been doing their part again, but it looks like something might be beating them ... and that is age. The mighty Boston Bruins
are 10-7-3 starting the season off (5-3-2 in their last 10). Marek Zagrapan is the top prospect this year and fan analysts everywhere are picking this
20-year-old to win the Calder this year; in 20 games he already has four goals and 11 assists for a total of 15 points. Another thing the Bruins were not
expecting this year was the play of J-P Dumont who leads the Bruins with 14 goals and hit his highest career point night (5) against the Phoenix Coyotes
this season. Now the age factor hits the Bruins the odd time as they can't keep up with the young rookies as they have already lost to Ottawa twice and have
tied the Might Ducks.
What the Bruins need:
The Bruins will be a solid team for years to come but they could use a couple more prospects just to sweeten the team. They could also use a future
goaltender: After Denis' career is done in Boston is Marek Schwarz the answer to that problem?
Future of the Bruins:
The Bruins are set for future as they do have a lot of upcoming rookies such as Marek Zagrapan, Mike Green, Kristopher Letang, and Blake Comeau.
Franchise Player: Joe Thornton
Future Franchise Player: Marek Zagrapan
Mascot: Cowboy Webster (click to see)
Funniest Player: Mike Green
Monday, April 20, 2008
ECHL Scout Team Profile: Los Angeles Kings
GM/Coach: Dustin Johnstone
Captain: Tony Amonte
Alternate: Rob Blake
Alternate: Grant Lewis
How they are doing?
Good showing by Los Angeles Kings this year going 9-4-3 (and in their last 10 they are 7-2-1) they lead the Pacific division. Kim Johnsson is showing his
offensive skills and leading the Kings and the ECHL in assists with 18 assists. Another good asset for the Kings has been the play of Chris Osgood who has
been doing very well in the season by posting an 8-4-1 record with four shutouts out of his eight wins. The only thing the Kings need help with is the lack
of scoring coming from the first line: Drew Stafford, Jeff Carter & the fifth overall draft pick Dustin Penner have only gotten seven goals in 15 games.
What the Kings need:
The Kings have a solid team but a lot of analysts believe they are need of more offensive depth as well as another top pairing defenceman. Dustin Johnstone
does have one wild mind and has turned the team around from taking them over at the beginning of ECHL3.
Future of the Kings
The Kings are set for the future as they do have a lot of upcoming rookies such as Micheal Cammalleri, Kyle Klubertanz, Grant Lewis, Jeff Carter and Steve
Mason. But the Kings are going to putting a lot of faith in Steve Mason when he is given the starting job after Chris Osgood retires or leaves.
Franchise Player: Chris Osgood
Future Franchise Player: Micheal Cammalleri
Mascot: "ie, running man in a thong"
Funniest Player: Brian Willsie
Monday, April 7, 2008
Blockbuster Trade Rocks Music City, Columbus
When the Columbus Blue Jackets set out to strike a deal in hopes of saving $400,000 and getting
below the league sanctioned salary cap it wasn't likely in their plans to pull off a blockbuster deal. But this very financial situation appeared to be the
impetus behind a six-player and single draft pick deal between the Blue Jackets and Nashville Predators that will see two of the league's top right wingers
- Alexei Kovalev and Marian Hossa - swap cities. The deal would also find Milan Michalek, Mark Mitera, and Leland Irving heading to Nashville with Patrick
Eaves and a first round draft pick going to the Jackets.
When asked why he sprung the deal the GM of the Predators, Evan Carter, was less focused on the loss of Hossa and more on the future. "As you may see my farm team has been quite disappointing and the future doesn't look to bright, so I had to strike a deal that didn't really affect my pro roster while getting some good prospects." Alexei Kovalev, pictured at left for the last time in the Blue Jackets' dressing room, expressed sadness to be leaving his teammates in Columbus, but excitement to be returning to a team rife with superstars in Nashville. "When I left the Predators the team was a revolving door, and I was only too happy to get out," remarked Kovalev. "But GM Carter has righted the ship and the players there seem happy, I look forward to returning." Marian Hossa was unavailable for comment. The two wingers will have a chance to fight it out when Columbus rolls into Nashville on day 39 of the ECHL4 season.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Carolina Announces Jason Grills as Rookie GM
Undefeated through three games early on this season the Carolina Hurricanes have finally made a hire
for their vacant GM position, a rookie in Jason Grills of Barrie, Ontario. The team's ownership insisted in a press release that, although they'd hoped to
have their hire in place prior to the start of games, they wanted to be sure they got the right guy.
The hockey, golf, and poker fan couldn't have been happier about his appointment, noting "I'm actually a huge Carolina Hurricanes fan, something that started back in the 80's by painfully following the Hartford Whalers for years." His intention, he stated, was to bring the Cup to the loyal fans of Carolina. However, he also issued a note that early on his tenure he may be a bit slow in response as Grills will soon welcome his first child.
His first test will come tonight where he will join his Hurricanes in Montreal.
Monday, March 24, 2008
ECHL Returns With 14 Games; Four Shutouts
Tonight brought the return of ECHL hockey to the arenas, televisions, and newswires of North
America, and with it an opening night record four shutouts. Marc Denis of Boston, Jocelyn Thibault of Montreal, Jose Theodore of the Rangers, and Marty
Turco of Minnesota all laid early claim to the league lead for 'tenders with all but the Rangers finding themselves outshot in their victories. The
league's two newest GMs in Edmonton and San Jose both fell on the wrong side of a win in their inaugural battles while both Cup finalists - Boston and
Chicago - started the year off with a win. Perhaps the most exciting portion of the evening was Montreal's Andrew Ladd picking up right where he left off
last season, beating Ottawa's Casey Borer to injury and finding himself ejected.
The excitement looks to continue on Tuesday with three epic battles to behold: Brothers battle when Columbus rolls into Edmonton; former co-Commissioners head face-to-face as Boston travels to Tampa Bay; and most importantly, the always thrilling coaching battle of Yanni vs Mike Tyson will add another chapter when Rocco's Islanders hit Music City, Tennessee.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Here is the draft order for tonight's live draft. Join us in IRC on the EFNet at #echl4.
Round One
01 
RW Patrick Kane
02 
RW Lee Stempniak
03 
G Niklas Backstrom
04 
C Paul Stastny
05 
LW Dustin Penner
06 
G Pascal Leclaire
07 
LW Ryan Malone
08 
D Kevin Bieksa
09 
D Christian Ehrhoff
10 
G Mike Smith
11 
D Erik Johnson
12 
C Derek Roy
13 
C Matthew Lombardi
14 
D Tom Gilbert
15 
C Jonathan Toews
16 D Matt Carle
17 G Steve Mason
18 
D Brent Burns
19 D Tobias Enstrom
20 
C Phil Kessel
21 LW Valtteri Filppula
22 
C Jordan Staal
23 
LW Nigel Dawes
24 D Karl Alzner
25 G Josh Harding
26 
D Ole-Kristian Tollefson
27 
C Derrick Brassard
28 
C Nicklas Backstrom
29 G Jonathan Bernier
30 D Mark Stuart
Round Two
31 LW Patrick O'Sullivan
32 G Ondrej Pavelec
33 RW Sergei Kostitsyn
34 D Kristopher Letang
35 RW Guillaume Latendresse
36 RW Robert Nilsson
37 
D Kris Russell
38 D Marc-Edouard Vlasic
39 D Cody Franson
40 C Bryan Little
41 LW David Perron
42 
LW Nick Foligno
43 G Leland Irving
44 
C Peter Mueller
45 RW Michael Grabner
46 D Chris Summers
47 C James Sheppard
48 LW Jiri Tlusty
49 LW Trevor Lewis
50 RW Sam Gagner
51 RW Chris Stewart
52 C Brandon Sutter
53 RW Alexei Cherepanov
54 D Keaton Ellerby
55 G Riku Helenius
56 D Mark Mitera
57 D Ty Wishart
58 RW Mikael Backlund
59 LW Patrik Berglund
60 C Kyle Turris
Round Three
61 
G Semen Varlamov
62 D Dennis Persson
63 LW Angelo Esposito
64 D Nick Petrecki
65 LW James Van Riemsdyk
66 C Zach Hamill
67 D Bob Sanguinetti
68 RW Jakub Voracek
69 D Matt Corrente
70 D David Fischer
71 D Kevin Shattenkirk
72 LW Max Pacioretty
73 D Ivan Vishnevskiy
74 LW Michael Frolik
75 RW Claude Giroux
76 D Ryan McDonagh
77 RW Kyle Okposo
78 LW Lars Eller
79 C Logan MacMillan
80 D Nick Ross
81 D John Blum
82 D Thomas Hickey
83 D Alex Plante
84 RW Logan Couture
85 RW Colton Gillies
86 RW James O'Brien
87 RW Patrick White
88 D Ian Cole
89 LW Riley Nash
90 D Brendan Smith
Friday, January 18, 2008
Two Teams Lose GMs in ECHL4 Pre-Season
Brief months after disappointing seasons saw them watching the Cup playoffs from the sidelines the Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers now find themselves seeking new General Managers after a rocky start to the ECHL4 pre-season. The Oilers refused to comment, although reputable sources indicated GM Ian Cunningham was terminated via an e-mail after an announcement to start the season. In Carolina, however, the situation was far more troubling for ECHL head office.
Eric Aaviku, the second GM hired prior to the ECHL's first season - and a co-founder whose initial marks the C in the league name - simply found the time constraints of the position were beyond what he wanted, and informed the Hurricanes brass it was time to head home and spend more time with his family. It hit the team - and league - hard to lose a founding father, and co-commissioner Mark Maranzan was quick to offer a single soundbite towards Aaviku: "If at any point in the future you wish to return to the league you know where to find us." Carolina fans, regardless of a disappointing third season, will no doubt wait for that return.
As all GM hires must go through the league's head office any interested candidates are encouraged to contact echlcommissioner@gmail.com; referrals are highly regarded.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Welcome Back to ECHL4!
As promised, ECHL4 is here and ready to go! Co-commissioners Mark and Rick would like to offer our undying thanks to Calgary's Kevin Wilde and Long Island's Ryan McCullough for their efforts in producing the rerates for this season. They did a tremendous job, and did it much more accurately and quickly than we could have ever hoped to. We hope you'll be happy with your new team, which you can now find in the "Team Rosters" tab.
News on free agency, trades, and the ECHl4 Live Draft will be forthcoming very soon. In the meantime, get familiar with your team; and if you need to make some deals, get familiar with some of the others as well!
Monday, August 20, 2007
Congratulations to Boston and Chicago as they duke it out for the Stanley Cup of ECHL3!
In the meantime, awards nominees and voting are finally up! Please head over to the Awards section and read through the available selections. Each area will indicate why that player was selected and allow you to make an informed decision. Once you're aware of your favourites head back to the main Awards area and make your picks.
Remember, the Sarah Alders Memorial Award is your pick for the most improved GM of the season. That means only those who participated in the league last year are eligible to vote or win.
Finally, remember - awards are to be judged on regular season performance only.
Our thanks to the ECHL3 GM Awards Committee: Kevin Wilde, John House, Chris Ambrozic, Shawn Trumble, and Paul Maranzan for taking the time to come up with all of our "top three" in each category!
Sunday, July 29, 2007
PLAYOFF ROUND 2 NOTICE
Congratulations to all that made it through to the second round. From here on in we will be running 2 game days every night (meaning both the east and west will be playing). So all teams will be in action every night from now till we crown a champion. This is in an effort to finish up the season before September.
Good Luck to the remaining teams on your quest for the cup!
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Team: Phoenix Coyotes
Name: Shawn Trumble
Birthday: June 3, 1987 (20)
Hometown: Brampton, Ontario
Reporting from Glendale, Arizona from the Jobing.com Arena.
Reporter: How are you today, Shawn?
Shawn: Last couple of days I just owned Detroit and Toronto, feeling good to beat those hockey cities and hoping to make the playoffs, and I am doing
good. (Ed. Note: Took me a while to upload this one..)
Reporter: Alright lets get this interview started
GM Questions
Reporter: Going into the home stretch what are your expectations for Phoenix?
Shawn: Hope to clinch 8th-7th or lead my division.
Reporter: Had you hoped to do more at the deadline? You were uncharacteristically reserved with only five transactions, was there a "trade that got away"?
Shawn: Brian Campbell for Nathan Dempsey was probably the best trade, and I am happy for what I did at the deadline with acquiring Bondra.
Reporter: Pick the final four for the Cup this year.
Shawn: Boston and Tampa Bay in the East, Nashville and Detroit in the West.
Reporter: You've obviously made a lot of deals this year - which was your best, and which one do you regret the most?
Shawn: Probably getting Kyle Chipchura and the trade I regret is giving up Colin White & Alexander Radulov, but hey I got Kari Lehtonen which is
worth it.
Reporter: Which clubs are your biggest rivals?
Shawn: Being in California I would have to say, Anaheim, Los Angeles and some what Dallas............... Oh yeah, Nashville, just because we have good
history between us.
Reporter: How many years/months have you been in this league. Where do you think your club will be in the next 2-5 years?
Shawn: This is my 2nd year in the league as GM for the Coyotes. And in 2-5 years be one of top 5 teams.
Reporter: Who do you believe is or going to be your franchise player?
Shawn: It's Kyle Chipchura, Brad Richards, Blake Wheeler, and Kari Lehtonen ... oh yeah, and Karsums. :)
Reporter: Which team(s) do you think are the most underrated & overrated.
Shawn: Overated is Toronto by far, and underrated is Atlanta.
Reporter: Who(s) has been the biggest surprise this year on your team?
Shawn: Ramzi Abid, he is becoming the PERFECT two way player on my team.
Other Questions
Reporter: Who was your favorite child hood team?
Shawn: Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, and Anaheim Ducks
Reporter: Who is your favorite goaltender?
Shawn: Past: Felix Potvin, Present: Cristobal Huet.
Reporter: Who is your favorite defence men
Shawn: Past: Al MacInnes, Present: Lubomir Visnovsky.
Reporter: Who is your favorite forward.
Shawn: Paul Kariya
Reporter: What is one thing other GMs don't know about you?
Shawn: I have been to 10+ NHL arena's and I am a really skilled hockey player. =)
Reporter: Thanks for your time, Shawn, and good luck in the rest of the season. Be sure to tune into next weeks interview with who knows.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
PLAYOFF NOTICE
Sorry for the delays once again, but do to some minor slip-ups we will not be starting the playoffs tonight. Before we can start some chances need to be made to the ECHL website so we can post the information about the games. Now normally this would not take too long, but Rick has bailed for the weekend and won’t be here to do it. Apparently spending time away with his wife for her birthday is more important than the ECHL.. Go figure.
Therefore all things considered we will put off the start of the playoffs till Monday July 16, 2007 @ 8pm EST. Please have your lines submitted by then. This time I promise we will actually get to the games. Everyone enjoy your weekend…
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Team: Detroit Red Wings
Name: Peter Lacasse
Birthday: unknown
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Reporting from Detroit, Michigan from the Joe Louis Arena.
Reporter: How are you today Peter?
Peter: I’m mid way between a good buzz and drunk.
Reporter: Alright lets get this interview started
GM Questions
Reporter: What outcome do you expect for your team this year and are we going to see a big trade from Detroit?
Peter: Are you drunk? I made huge trades! None bigger than the Lidstrom for Bertuzzi deal. I expect the team to surprise in the playoffs. SPLAT>>>
Reporter: Which club(s) are your rivals?
Peter: Any team that makes me scream violent obscenities after a loss.
Reporter: We haven't seen a big trade yet from Detroit. Is it time for a change or is your team set.
Peter: OK, now I’m drunk. Despite my drunkeredness, I seem to remember this line of questioning. Don’t make me angry!
Reporter: How many years/months have you been in this league. Where do you think your club will be in the next 2-5 years?
Peter: From day one. The Ambrozics promised me booze. I’ve yet to see the booze but I enjoy the ECHL. In 2-5 yrs…we’re hoping to move the team to Hamilton.
Reporter: Who do you believe is or going to be your franchise player?
Peter: Iginla. To think I almost traded him to Nashville. I must have been on crack that night. I’ve since apologized to Iggy and have become his man slave.
Reporter: Do you think you are a cup contender? if so why & if not , what will take you become a cup contender.
Peter: Ask that retard Brodeur. It all comes down to him. If he messes up, he’ll be playing for the Doh-Dohs for the next 10 yrs.
Reporter: Do you think your team will make the playoffs? if yes how do you think they will do, if not why?
Peter: I’m sorry, I didn’t hear that question. Prevert!
Reporter: Which team(s) do you think are the most underrated & overrated.
Peter: Overrated = Tampa (Murray should be a 68 not 86). C’mon Mark…you inversed the numbers. Fess up! Underrated = Rangers (House paid me to say this)
Reporter: Who(s) has been the biggest surprise this year on your team?
Peter: Brodeur’s wife. She goes like a minx in heat. Oh sorry “on the team”! Definitely Bert. Bert was expected to be good but he’s outright dominant.
Other Questions
Reporter: Who was your favorite child hood team?
Peter: Habs. Mets and da Bears.
Reporter: Who is your favorite goaltender?
Peter: Roy and Red Light Racicot
Reporter: Who is your favorite defence men
Peter: Orr and Robinson
Reporter: Who is your favorite forward.
Peter: the Flower
Reporter: What is one thing other GMs don't know about you?
Peter: I have video evidence of House and Cliff C doing nasty things with coleslaw.
Reporter: Thanks for your time, Peter, and good luck in the rest of the season. Be sure to tune into next weeks interview with who knows.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Team: Pittsburgh Penguins
Name: Rick Ambrozic
Birthday: April 4, 1970 (37)
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Reporting from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from the Mellon Arena.
GM Questions
Reporter: How are you today, Rick?
Rick: Next question.
Reporter: Alright lets get this interview started!
Reporter: Going into the home stretch what are your expectations for Pittsburgh?
Rick: Not to make the playoffs again, getting screwed over with the draft, and eagerly awaiting Season 4.
Reporter: Had you hoped to do more at the deadline? You were uncharacteristically reserved with only five transactions, was there a "trade that got away"?
Rick: Yes, a GM who shall remain nameless but who likes to trade frequently screwed me over and dealt away three players from a trade we had been working on for eight days.
Reporter: Pick the final four for the Cup this year.
Rick: Nashville, Detroit, Washington, Boston. With the Caps crushing the Wings in six games.
Reporter: You've obviously made a lot of deals this year - which was your best, and which one do you regret the most?
Rick: Getting Pierre Turgeon helped the team turnaround. Trading Colin White killed team morale.
Reporter: Which clubs are your biggest rivals?
Rick: Detroit and New York Rangers. Having them throw pickles at me still is giving me nightmares.
Reporter: How many years/months have you been in this league?
Rick: I am one of the Original Group of Seven.
Reporter: Where do you think your club will be in the next 2-5 years?
Rick: Still missing the playoffs.
Reporter: Who do you believe is or is going to be your franchise player?
Rick: Hands down, Martin Spanhel.
Reporter: Which team(s) do you think are the most underrated and overrated.
Rick: Toronto as always is overrated, and don't get me started about Wendel Clark, as long as we are on the topic of overrated players. Look out
for Washington, they are going to sneak up on unsuspecting teams.
Reporter: Who has/have been the biggest surprise this year on your team?
Rick: Matthias Norstrom, his English improved 100% in the off season. A few of the vertans were very surprised.
Other Questions
Reporter: Who was your favourite child hood team?
Rick: The Leafs until December 29, 1979. The Penguins since that date.
Reporter: Who is your favourite goaltender?
Rick: Rogie Vachon.
Reporter: Who is your favourite defenceman?
Rick: Borje Salming.
Reporter: Who is your favourite forward.
Rick: Ron Francis.
Reporter: What is one thing other GMs don't know about you?
Rick: I am in the witness relocation program.
Reporter: Thanks for your time, Rick, and good luck in the rest of the season. Be sure to tune into next weeks interview with who knows.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Team: Philadelphia Flyers
Name: Brent England
Birthday: February 8, 1974
Hometown: Moncton, New Brunswick
Reporting from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from the Wachovia Center.
GM Questions
Reporter: How are you today Brent?
Brent: Last week we had 4 straight wins. So I was extremely happy. This week, let’s just move on to the next question.
Reporter: Alright lets get this interview started!
Reporter: Going into the home stretch what are your expectations for Philadelphia ?
Brent: I would hope I can finish .500 this year.
Reporter: Had you hoped to do more at the deadline? You were uncharacteristically reserved with only five transactions, was there a "trade that got away"?
Brent: I didn’t make any trades at the deadline. Because I didn’t have anyone I could get without giving up more then I was willing to part with.
Reporter: Pick the final four for the Cup this year.
Brent: Tampa & Boston are the easy picks in the East. The West will come down to Minny & Detorit
Reporter: You've obviously made a lot of deals this year - which was your best, and which one do you regret the most?
Brent: My only deal was giving up Phaneuf for Malkin. Which I probably shouldn’t have made. As I need to improve defenseively
Reporter: Which clubs are your biggest rivals?
Brent: Well being in Pennsylvania. It’s got to be games against Pittsburgh.
Reporter: How many years/months have you been in this league? Where do you think your club will be in the next 2-5 years?
Brent: This is my 2nd year in the league as GM for the Flyers. And in 2-5 years hopefully we will be making deep playoffs run.
Reporter: Who do you believe is or is going to be your franchise player?
Brent: It’s Ovechkin & Crosby that will carry this franchise into the future.
Reporter: Which team(s) do you think are the most underrated and overrated.
Brent: Florida seems like the are underrated. They could have something to say come playoff time. Calgary is playing way over their head. This is a team that last year was dead last in the entire league. Give them another 3-5 years. And they’ll be a team to compete for the cup.
Reporter: Who has/have been the biggest surprise this year on your team?
Brent: Henrik Lundqvist. He’s easily been the MVP for this team. Without him, we would be farther down the standings.
Other Questions
Reporter: Who was your favourite child hood team?
Brent: Toronto Maple Leafs
Reporter: Who is your favourite goaltender?
Brent: Past: Grant Fuhr, Present: Martin Broduer
Reporter: Who is your favourite defenceman?
Brent: Past: Al MacInnes, Present: Scott Neidermeyer
Reporter: Who is your favourite forward.
Brent: Past: Wayne Gretzky, Present: Alexander Ovechkin
Reporter: What is one thing other GMs don't know about you?
Brent: I want to see a baseball game in every stadium.
Reporter: Thanks for your time, Brent , and good luck in the rest of the season. Be sure to tune into next weeks interview with who knows
Saturday, June 16, 2007
After a long absence from the spotlight, the ECHL Scout has returned with his
predictions on the final standings for the season. Choosing once again keep
his identity a mystery the Scout has provided his answers to the questions he
thinks we are asking.
ECHL Scout: With 12 games remaining for most team's, it's going to a tuff race for a lot of teams. This is what I have come to understand and not all will be correct, but I am sure those teams will/will not make the playoffs.
East Conference
Tampa Bay
Toronto
New Jersey
Boston
Washington
Atlanta
NY Islanders
Florida
West Conference
Minnesota
Nashville
Phoenix
Columbus
Vancouver
Detroit
San Jose
Chicago
The League has declined to comment on predictions. Time will tell how accurate the Scout really is. One thing that seems somewhat strange is why the Scout would sent in a picture Pierre McGuire. But then the actions of the Scout have been far from normal all season.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Team: Ottawa Senators
Name: Gary Kozai
Birthday: n/a
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Reporting from Ottawa, Ontario from the Scotiabank Place
GM Questions
Reporter: How are you today, Gary?
Gary: Doing good, feeling absolutely no pressure to win games….Obviously!
Reporter: Alright lets get this interview started!
Reporter: Going into the home stretch what are your expectations for Ottawa?
Gary: To finish out the season I'd like to get some good playing time for my young forwards. Learn as much as they can from Recchi and Brindamour
both on and off the ice. We want to play as well as possible and be the spoiler where we can.
Reporter: Had you hoped to do more at the deadline? Was there a "trade that got away"?
Gary: No, as my team started to falter early in the season, I realized that even with a stacked veteran squad, I just didn't have the chemistry
developing. Therefore I started to make deals for the future. By the deadline, I had already acquired very good future talent with guys like Oshie, Olesv,
Parise, Boyes, Zherdev, and the list goes on.
Reporter: Pick the final four for the Cup this year.
Gary: I'd have to say Boston, Tampa, Minnesota and Calgary. Calgary will squeak into the playoffs, but once they do, they'll do some damage. I have
tremendous respect for Boston and Tampa, excellent squads and well organized from the top down. Honourable mention to the Islanders. Ryan's made some good
acquisitions.
Reporter: You've obviously made a lot of deals this year - which was your best, and which one do you regret the most?
Gary: The best acquisition I made was getting Zherdev from Calgary. He'll be the leader on my squad for years to come. The one I regret the most is
letting Steve Rucchin go. Although he's a vet and in his later years, he always produced steadily and he would be great for the young guys I've acquired.
I probably should have focused on obtaining a top notch goaltender as well.
Reporter: Which club(s) are your rivals?
Gary: I'd have to say Boston because Rick's team embarrassed me 10-2 and of course Montreal and Toronto.
Reporter: How many years/months have you been in this league? Where do you think your club will be in the next 2-5 years?
Gary: This is my 3rd year as GM of the Sens. In the first year when teams were drafted, I started out with pretty much a minor league squad.
Through trades I've stacked my team and still got no where. I intend to be patient with my young guys now, build the chemistry and compete for a playoff
spot next year and a legitimate Stanley cup contender within the next 3 seasons.
Reporter: Who do you believe is or is going to be your franchise player?
Gary: Without a doubt Zherdev.
Reporter: Which team(s) do you think are the most underrated and overrated?
Gary: I think Nashville is the most over rated and Philadelphia is the most underrated. Philly will be a force next season and they could make a
real run for a playoff spot this year. They have been steadily sneaking up on teams ahead.
Reporter: Who has/have been the biggest surprise this year on your team?
Gary: Goalie Dunham. He's been a workhorse. Originally acquired to be a solid backup to Cujo and hands down won the job. He faces almost 30 shots
a game on one of the worst defensive teams in the league and still maintains a .902 save percentage and a GAA under 3.00.
Other Questions
Reporter: Who was your favourite childhood team?
Gary: Diehard Leafs fan.
Reporter: Who is your favourite goaltender?
Gary: Roberto Luongo
Reporter: Who is your favourite defenceman?
Gary: It's a tie between Tomas Kaberle and Scott Niedermayer.
Reporter: Who is your favourite forward.
Gary: No one replaces Wendel Clark, but if I have to pick in this era then definitely Mike Fisher.
Reporter: What is one thing other GMs don't know about you?
Gary: That I used to break dance in bowling alleys.
Reporter: Thanks for your time, Gary, and good luck in the rest of the season. Be sure to tune into next week's interview with who knows!
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Team: New York Islanders
Name: Ryan McCullough
Birthday: August 27, 1983 (23)
Hometown: Oak Ridges/Guelph, ON
Reporting from Uniondale, New York from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
GM Questions
Reporter: How are you today, Ryan?
Ryan: drunk and horny
Reporter: Alright lets get this interview started!
Reporter: Going into the home stretch what are your expectations for the Islanders?
Ryan: My goal coming into the season was to make first round this year. Seeing that we have performed fairly well and have maintained third to sixth place most of the season with only one line, I expect we can make second round with the addition of Bonk and Shanahan.
Reporter: Which club(s) are your rivals?
Ryan: I guess the Devils are my most immediate competitor, as we are both competing for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. After that, I suppose the third through eighth ranked teams in the East, as we are all competing for a play-off spot.
Reporter: How many years/months have you been in this league? Where do you think your club will be in the next 2-5 years?
Ryan: This is my first season in the league. The Islanders will stay competitive in the next 2-5 years. At this point we are not serious Cup competitors as we lack offense. Hopefully next year or the following season we will be Cup competitive.
Reporter: Who do you believe is or is going to be your franchise player?
Ryan: We really don't have a solid core of young guys right now, so it is hard to say. But in the next few years we will probably develop around Pogge and Rask whom I believe will be top keepers next season.
Reporter: Do you think you are a Cup contender? If so, why? If not, what will make you become a contender?
Ryan: As I mentioned, we lack offense. Until now we only had the Peca, Johansson, Demitra line that was scoring. Hopefully that will change with Bonk and Shanahan. I don't think this will be enough to win the cup, as it is bits and pieces. I will use my picks next year to build a better farm team and can hopefully compete from there the following season.
Reporter: Do you think your team will make the playoffs? If yes, how well do you think they will do, and if not, why?
Ryan: Actually, no. I have planned an elaborate scheme that rivals those of Skeletor which will allow me to not make the play-offs and compete for last place with Buffalo and Ottawa which will increase the value of my first round pick. Castle Greyskull and batteries not included. May cause kidney failure and discharge.
Reporter: Which team(s) do you think are the most underrated and overrated.
Ryan: I think generally any team playing in the West is overrated simply because there are only about 3 or 4 teams that are good and they play against complete shite. I don't think any teams are actually overrated, you earn what you earn (except in the West – naturally). Of course, Tampa gets a lot of credit for a good team, but it's a total fluke; he is always passed out in front of the TV from Mongoose while Hercules or Dog Bounty Hunter play in the background.
Reporter: Who has/have been the biggest surprise(s) this year on your team?
Ryan: Biggest surprise would have to be Rask, Pogge and Leetch. Rask and Pogge have both been stellar between the pipes, albeit inconsistent. Leetch has been pretty darn good with assists considering he is like 100 years old.
Other Questions
Reporter: Who was your favourite child hood team?
Ryan: Blue Jays / Di Jabronis of the Italian Super Hockey League
Reporter: Who is your favourite goaltender?
Ryan: KELLY GRUBER RULES!
Reporter: Who is your favourite defenceman?
Ryan: RANCE MULLINIKS!!!!!!(Mullikins to those that truly love him)
Reporter: Who is your favourite forward.
Ryan: Theo Fleury ('cause he represents the little people) and of course, Rocco 'Easy Rider' Bello
Reporter: What is one thing other GMs don't know about you?
Ryan: I am a third level wizard, appointed by the high aldwin himself.
Paul (Buffalo GM) and I are in a wizard metal band, look for our first single, The Battle of Goborg, in sidewalk sales 10 years from now.
I would totally take a mustache ride from Yanni, but sadly, he has yet to offer.
I can't skate.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Team: New Jersey Devils
Name: Chris Ambrozic
Birthday: Nov 30 1975
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario now exiled in Madison, NJ
Reporting from East Rutherford, New Jersey from the Continental Airlines Arena.
GM Questions
Reporter: How are you today Chris?
Chris: I am doing great ! Do you like the swamp lands around here? They smell great eh?
Reporter: Alright lets get this interview started!
Reporter: Going into the home stretch what are your expectations for New Jersey?
Chris: 3rd place. It's mine. Jersey has held friggin' 3rd place for three seasons now and I don't expect anything else. Damn you Toronto and Tampa.
Reporter: Had you hoped to do more at the deadline? You were uncharacteristically reserved with only five transactions, was there a "trade that got away"?
Chris: Does this question really apply to me? I didn't make any deadline trades. I'm pretty happy with my team. I'm not Nashville you know…
Reporter: Pick the final four for the Cup this year.
Chris: New Jersey v Toronto. Detroit v Chicago.
Reporter: You've obviously made a lot of deals this year - which was your best, and which one do you regret the most?
Chris: I haven't really made that many deals. Much less this year than previous seasons. I've got a good group and I want to keep them. I am a GM that likes to make money. My team is profitable so I can't complain too much. My fans though…. They might disagree.
Reporter: Which clubs are your biggest rivals?
Chris: Oh. Definitely Carolina. Aaviku is my arch rival. This goes waaay back to “drunk midnight baseball”. You guys should try it. Balls come from out of nowhere. Now now - no sexual jokes please.
Oh - and maybe also Detroit, Pittsburg and NYR. I still remember that 3 way trade in season 1 where everyone ended up back at their original teams. Oh - not fun for the commish. That was you guys wasn't it? Ya ya - very funny.
Reporter: How many years/months have you been in this league? Where do you think your club will be in the next 2-5 years?
Chris: all 3 seasons. In the next 2-5 years I expect wonderful things from New Jersey - 3rd place in the east. What a surprise - yawn.
Reporter: Who do you believe is or is going to be your franchise player?
Chris: Lecav for sure. You hear that Detroit??!? He's not going ANYWHERE. Now let's talk about Brodeur….
Reporter: Which team(s) do you think are the most underrated and overrated.
Chris: Overrated? Hmmm - well, I'll go back to my “friends” for this: Carolina, NYR, Detroit and Pittsburg. Underrated? Not a clue.
Reporter: Who has/have been the biggest surprise this year on your team?
Chris: Grenier I think. Lots of assists for such a young guy. Really seems to be stepping up. Quite nice.
Other Questions
Reporter: Who was your favourite child hood team?
Chris: Leafs
Reporter: Who is your favourite goaltender?
Chris: well it's tacky I know - but it has to be Brodeur.
Reporter: Who is your favourite defenceman?
Chris: Niedermayer
Reporter: Who is your favourite forward.
Chris: Gomez. Damn you Nashville - picking him up off me. Bugger.
Reporter: What is one thing other GMs don't know about you?
Chris: Some may not know that I am the “C” in ECHL. Eric (the “E”) and I started this league 3 seasons ago and I was the commish in ECHL1. I had wanted to do this since I was in highschool. Back then I had a league simulator on my computer - it was something called “Hockey League Simulator 2” or something like that. I figured that I could get 30 guys to run a team and that the results would be “posted” via printouts that would be put into each guy's locker. This was way before email and the internet - amazing how it's changed. Then finally a few years ago I started looking for that game on-line but found FHLSim instead. And here we are.
I would like to personally thank each of the GMs - you guys made my dream come true - even if it took 17 years.
Thanks also to John for being commish in ECHL2 and the guys running the show today. You guys have done a fantastic job - it's much better run than when I had it. For those of you who haven't run this - you should really thank the commish's. it's a tough job and it takes time.
So - thx to everyone - it's a blast.
Reporter: Have you been in the room when Anaheim's GM has done his pantless trading?
Chris: no, I try and live as far away from that as possible.
Reporter: Thanks for your time, Chris, and good luck in the rest of the season. Be sure to tune into next weeks interview with who knows!
Monday, May 21, 2007
Team: Nashville Predators
Name: Evan Carter
Birthday: ??
Hometown: Bolton, ON
Reporting from Nashville, Tennessee from the Sommet Center.
GM Questions
Reporter:How are you today, Evan?
Evan: A little hungover, but I'll get over it.
Reporter: Alright lets get this interview started!
Reporter: Going into the home stretch what are your expectations for Nashville?
Evan: To finish first in the West… really, who else is worthy of first place in the West?
Reporter: Had you hoped to do more at the deadline? You were uncharacteristically reserved with only five transactions, was there a "trade that got
away"?
Evan: Nope. I think I did really well at the deadline.
Reporter: Pick the final four for the Cup this year.
Evan: Tampa vs Boston, and Nashville vs Minnesota.
Reporter: You've obviously made a lot of deals this year - which was your best, and which one do you regret the most?
Evan: Wow…. Hmmm, my worst was dealing Ryder and Smyth for garbage. I made too many trades to know my best. Some good ones are Biron for Luongo (my
Franchise), and probably getting Modano. He has been amazing.
Reporter: Which clubs are your biggest rivals?
Evan: The whole league.
Reporter: How many years/months have you been in this league? Where do you think your club will be in the next 2-5 years?
Evan: This is my 2nd season.
Reporter: Who do you believe is or is going to be your franchise player?
Evan: Wow… hmm... Kovalchuk, Heatley, Luongo, and Brule.
Reporter: Which team(s) do you think are the most underrated and overrated.
Evan: Boston is underrated, and for overrated I believe San Jose is.
Reporter: Who has/have been the biggest surprise this year on your team?
Evan: My biggest surprise has been Modano. I never really expected him to be this amazing.
Other Questions
Reporter: Who was your favourite child hood team?
Evan: Toronto Blue Jays.
Reporter: Who is your favourite goaltender?
Evan: Luongo.
Reporter: Who is your favourite defenceman?
Evan: Pavel Kubina.
Reporter: Who is your favourite forward.
Evan: Ilya Kovalchuk.
Reporter: What is one thing other GMs don't know about you?
Evan: Uummmm.. I'm an Xbox fanatic, and I make trades when I'm not in the nude. Ya, shocking.
Reporter: If you had to a) fight a white tiger with your bare hands, or b) stop trading for a year, which would you pick?
Evan: Fight a white tiger.
Reporter: If you had to a) not drink any alcohol for a year, or b) stop trading for a year, which would you pick?
Evan: Hmmmm.. I would choose.. suicide.
Reporter: Have you been in the room when Anaheim's GM has done his pantless trading?
Evan: No, and thank God for that.
Reporter: Thanks for your time, Evan, and good luck in the rest of the season. Be sure to tune into next weeks interview with who knows!
Monday, May 13, 2007
Team: Minnesota Wild
Name: Bill Read
Birthday: May 30, 1980 (26)
Hometown: Uxbridge, ON
Reporting from Saint Paul, Minnesota from the Xcel Energy Center.
GM Questions
Reporter:How are you today, Bill?
Bill:I’m doing great today, life is good!
Reporter: Alright lets get this interview started!
Reporter: What outcome do you expect for your team this year and are we going to see a big trade from Minnesota?
Bill: Our goal is very simple. Win the Stanley Cup and bring the great fans of Minnesota a championship that they’ve waited a very long time for. As
for a big trade, we will see what unfolds leading up to the trade deadline. If there’s a move where I can better my team’s offense up front, I may be
inclined to pull the trigger on such a deal.
Reporter: Which club(s) are your rivals?
Bill: Well, I am relatively new to the ECHL so I haven’t had much time to build up too many rivalries. I would say there’s a friendly rivalry
between our team and Tampa Bay. I know how badly Mark wants his name on that Presidents Trophy this year and we’ll have to just see if I can give him a run
for that prize. Another friendly rivalry is building up between us and Nashville, as we both jockey for first place in the Western Conference.
Reporter: We haven't seen a big trade yet from Minnesota, Is it time for a change or is your team set?
Bill: Minnesota has a great group of what I call core players, or ‘glue-guys’ if you will. This core includes: Turco, Elias, Allison, Redden, and
McCabe. So, no I haven’t made a big trade as I am content with this core of players and am not considering trading them at this time.
I have made some considerable improvements to the supporting cast around this core. First, I managed to get rid of that senior citizen Pierre Turgeon and his monstrous contract. In return, I was able to build up a few solid prospects. Those prospects came in handy as trade bait as recently I was able to land Petr Sykora to fill our void at the RW position. Petr has fit in nicely on our 1st line putting up a point per game since his arrival.
Next, I decided to build up some secondary defense. Not that our team was in desperate need of defense (lowest GA in the league by a substantial margin) but I felt it would be necessary for a playoff push. I was able to land Jay Bouwmeester who is one of the top defensive prospects in the league. We are very excited about his arrival in Minnesota. In addtion to Jay, we have also added Andrei Markov to our blue line. Andrei is a great all-around defensemen who should quarterback our 2nd powerplay unit with ease. New to our team is also Marcel Hossa. A young, offensively talented rookie who has a great upside and we will expect big things from him in years to come. For now, he will be holding down the duties as our 2nd line RW and on our 2nd powerplay unit.
Saying goodbye to players is always very difficult, as was the case in letting go Hannu Toivonen, Colby Armstrong, and Brian Gifford. These 3 rookies were tearing it up for us this season and it was a very difficult decision to let them go to Anaheim. Having said that, we are happy with the players we got in exchange and they should be key to our playoff run.
Reporter: How many years/months have you been in this league? Where do you think your club will be in the next 2-5 years?
Bill: This is my first year in the league. I took over a neglected team back in February. Minnesota should be a cup contender for at least the next
3 seasons as our team is uniquely built of mostly 27-29 year olds. My expectation is that these players won’t go up or down much at all because of their
age group. So, in conclusion we have a stable team for years to come.
Reporter: Who do you believe is or is going to be your franchise player?
Bill: Without a doubt, our franchise player is Marty Turco. Marty has been simply amazing this season, and considering he had very poor secondary
defense (behind Redden & McCabe) he has played extremely well. I expect him to continue this role in the years to come as we look forward to re-signing him
in the off-season. In fact, he and his wife are currently house shopping in the Saint Paul area.
Reporter: Do you think you are a Cup contender? If so, why? If not, what will make you become a contender?
Bill: Minnesota is absolutely a cup contender. We have the best goalie in the world, behind some of the strongest defense in the league. As long as
our offensive players do their part (Elias, Sykora, Freisen, and Hossa) we should be fine.
Reporter: Do you think your team will make the playoffs? If yes, how well do you think they will do, and if not, why?
Bill: Yes. Our team is a Cup contender. We will be giving it our all for a chance to sip from Lord Stanley’s Cup!
Reporter: Which team(s) do you think are the most underrated and overrated.
Bill: Underrated I would have to say Boston or Columbus. Both of these teams are playing in tough divisions and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them
make a run, especially now that Boston has Michael Ryder. They just scored 10 goals in their last game, THAT is scary. Overrated, I would have to agree
with Dustin and say San Jose. They play in the weakest division in the league so they frequently get to beat up on teams like Dallas, Anaheim, and LA.
Reporter: Who has/have been the biggest surprise this year on your team?
Bill: Well, to be quite honest I just traded away my 2 biggest surprises: Colby Armstrong and Brian Gifford. These kids were playing amazing and
putting up all-star like numbers. Take Colby for example, in 29 games he put up: 11g 13a = 24 pts +14 with 3 game winners. Brian Gifford was on a
sniper pace scoring on 20% of his shots. Gifford also put up 6 game winning goals.
Other Questions
Reporter: Who was your favourite child hood team?
Bill: Toronto Maple Leafs and the Edmonton Oilers.
Reporter: Who is your favourite goaltender?
Bill: Martin Brodeur. I was a goalie when I used to play back in the day, so he was my idol growing up. He has done it all: gold medals, Stanley
Cups, Vezina trophies, etc.
Reporter: Who is your favourite defenceman?
Bill: Dion Phaneuf is just a machine for his age. He is probably the best body checker in the league in my opinion.
Reporter: Who is your favourite forward.
Bill: Sid the Kid. How can anyone argue the fact that he is the best player in the world right now? Art Ross winner at 19 years old and will most
likely get the Hart trophy as well (MVP). He turned around that Pittsburgh franchise in a hurry and is the new poster boy for the NHL. He is also one of
the most exciting players to watch in the game today.
Reporter: What is one thing other GMs don't know about you?
Bill: Hmmm, just one thing? Well it would have to be that “I’m kind of a big deal, people know me. I have many leather bound books and my home
smells of rich mahogany.” LOL!
Reporter: Thanks for your time, Bill, and good luck in the rest of the season. Be sure to tune into next weeks interview with who knows!
Monday, May 7, 2007
Team: Los Angeles Kings
Name: Dustin Johnstone
Birthday: July 10, 1987 (19)
Hometown: Alliston, ON
Reporting from Los Angeles, California from the Staples Center.
GM Questions
Reporter:How are you today, Dustin?
Dustin:I am doing great!
Reporter: Alright lets get this interview started!
Reporter: What outcome do you expect for your team this year and are we going to see a big trade from Los Angeles?
Dustin: I think that I could make a push to lead the Pacific division and make the playoffs, it is the weakest one in the league. Mostly though, I'm
just trying to rebuild this team from the garbage pile Sheldon Koo left it in last year.
Reporter: Which club(s) are your rivals?
Dustin: San Jose has been a bitter rival, he always whopped me pretty good, but the last time I played him for this season I managed to win by one
goal. After that Pheonix, Anaheim and Nashville are natural rivals because we're the core of the FoE.
Reporter: We haven't seen a big trade yet from Los Angeles, Is it time for a change or is your team set?
Dustin: Well I haven't made any huge trades, but there have been a few big names moved to and from my team. Around the deadline I plan to move
Sanderson, Amonte, and Roenick for some more good prospects/picks.
Reporter: How many years/months have you been in this league? Where do you think your club will be in the next 2-5 years?
Dustin: This is my first year in the league. I think the Pacific division is going to heat up a lot next year, and I hope to be first or second in
the division and making playoffs every year in the future.
Reporter: Who do you believe is or is going to be your franchise player?
Dustin: Drew Stafford has been great, he's been doing just what I've expected from him, and Jeff Carter's been great too. I expect a lot from Lewis,
Klubertanz and Baier in the near future as well.
Reporter: Do you think you are a Cup contender? If so, why? If not, what will make you become a contender?
Dustin: Absolutely not.
Reporter: Do you think your team will make the playoffs? If yes, how well do you think they will do, and if not, why?
Dustin: As I said, I could make a push for playoffs, but I seriously doubt I could survive the first round so there's not much point in trying.
Reporter: Which team(s) do you think are the most underrated and overrated.
Dustin: Underrated I would say Buffalo, they really have a great team, they have just been seriously underperforming until recently. Overrated, I
would have to say San Jose. They were really hot early on, after Hoglund got injured they seemed to lose their spark, which is hardly surprising from a
true one-line team.
Reporter: Who has/have been the biggest surprise this year on your team?
Dustin: I would have to go with Niklas Hagman, I picked him up early on when I was desperate for left wingers. He's been really solid considering
what I expected from him, logging 8 goals and 17 assists, 2 goals on the powerplay.
Other Questions
Reporter: Who was your favourite child hood team?
Dustin: Toronto Maple Leafs.
Reporter: Who is your favourite goaltender?
Dustin: Manny Legace, he's from my hometown and on my team.
Reporter: Who is your favourite defenceman?
Dustin: Bobby Orr back in the day, Chris Chelios currently. I'd play that guy on the left wing.
Reporter: Who is your favourite forward.
Dustin: Vincent Lecavalier, some of the things I've seen that guy do are unbelievable.
Reporter: What is one thing other GMs don't know about you?
Dustin: I recently started playing hockey for the first time in my life, and apparently I'm an alright defenseman.
Reporter: Thanks for your time, Dustin, and good luck in the rest of the season. Be sure to tune into next weeks interview with the GM of the Minnesota Wild, Bill Read.
Friday, May 4, 2007
Team: Florida Panthers
Name: Andre Drouillard
Birthday: September 3, 1974 (32)
Hometown: Calgary, AB
Reporting from Sunrise, Florida from BankAtlantic Center.
GM Questions
Reporter:How are you today, Andre?
Andre:I am doing great!
Reporter: Alright lets get this interview started!
Reporter: What outcome do you expect for your team this year and are we going to see a big trade from Florida?
Andre: We have a very experienced team that took us to the Cup final two years ago so would look for a strong showing this year as well. As for big
trades I have two 1st line RW so maybe a move there build a strong centre.
Reporter: Which club(s) are your rivals?
Andre: I think the biggest rival is Tampa Bay as they have a great team. From the other conference it is always nice to beat up on a buddy so Calgary
always ranks high on the rival scale.
Reporter: We haven't seen a big trade yet from Florida, Is it time for a change or is your team set?
Andre: Just some minor changes, a couple of additions but nothing drastic for this year - moving Shanny was a tough decision.
Reporter: How many years/months have you been in this league? Where do you think your club will be in the next 2-5 years?
Andre: This is my 3rd season as GM - We have an older squad so there is going to have to be a focus on building some youth in soon.
Reporter: Who do you believe is or is going to be your franchise player?
Andre: Well for right now the duties are shared amongst the top line of Sakic, Kariya, and Alfredson.
Reporter: Do you think you are a Cup contender? If so, why? If not, what will make you become a contender?
Andre: I hope so, we have a seasoned group that is well rounded; solid D and a great goalie.
Reporter: Do you think your team will make the playoffs? If yes, how well do you think they will do, and if not, why?
Andre: It is a tight race and every game counts so hopefully we can squeak in and let our playoff experience guide us over some of the young teams.
Reporter: Which team(s) do you think are the most underrated and overrated.
Andre: San Jose is probably the most overrated - watch out for the Flames, the young guns don't realize they shouldn't be winning - that is scary.
Reporter: Who has/have been the biggest surprise this year on your team?
Andre: Well, Morris has been a nice addition on the positive side and there are a couple of players that are a let down - they know who they are.
Other Questions
Reporter: Who was your favourite child hood team?
Andre: I'm split between Edmonton and Toronto.
Reporter: Who is your favourite goaltender?
Andre: Brodeur - Billy Smith all time or Grant Fuhr.
Reporter: Who is your favourite defenceman?
Andre: Brad Stewart.
Reporter: Who is your favourite forward.
Andre: Sakic - Dino Ciccarelli back in the day.
Reporter: What is one thing other GMs don't know about you?
Andre: Hmm, I am very competitive sometimes not the most sportsmanlike - watch out for the low blows.
Reporter: Thanks for your time, Andre, and good luck in the re