Merry Christmas Ottawa

Its the most wonderful time of the year for those die hard hockey fans in Canada. The world junior hockey championships are a tradition in many Canadian homes from St Johns to Victoria. Every two years Canada has the privilege to host this under 20 tournament and this year Ottawa is the destination for this 10 team tournament.

Canada, as I am sure you've guessed, is the defending champion(for the 4th season in a row) and is in a good position to do it again.

This years squad features many new faces and one very old. Pat Quinn is this year's coach after Benoit Groulx backed out in late August to take a position with the Rochester Americans (who are the worst team in sports after the Detroit Lions).

I am looking forward to seeing the play of Cody Hodgson, 10th overall in 2008 selected by Vancouver. This kid can flat out play, he will lead Canada up front on a line with Jordan Eberle and Zach Boychuk. He's been tagged as the best all around forward on team Canada and his 9 points in 3 pre-tournament back it up. The Brampton Battalion captain is highly skilled and plays with a visible passion.

I am also looking forward to watching the play of Canada's defense corps as they are lead by Colten Teubert and Thomas Hickey. Both are already property of the LA Kings, who also employ Drew Doughty the best defense man in last years tournament.

In goal, Canada will be anchored by two CHL stars; Dustin Tokarski and Chet Pickard. Tokarski was named tournament MVP in last years Memorial Cup as his Spokane Chiefs captured the cup. As for our ace in the hole Pickard, The Tri-City American's tender was last years CHL goaltender of the year. He is already property of the Nashville Predators and looks to follow his former teammate Carey Price in victory.

Also noteworthy for Leaf fans will be the play of the offensively talented Chris DiDomeneco. He will battle for a spot on the second line but may be relegated to the 4th line as the tournament wears on.

Habs fans will keep their eye on the play of 2007 2nd round pick P.K. Subban. The Belleville Bulls defenseman is one of the returnees on defense and will be counted on in the third pairing with Cody Goloboef of the University of Wisconsin.

For those of you looking for undrafted players, look past the obvious one two picks in John Tavares and Victor Hedman, and see Ryan Ellis. The Windsor Spitfire defenseman is the only other undrafted player on the team and should be a top ten pick in 2009 (Leaf fans, watch him, perfect fit with Luke Schenn if your Tavares pipe dream doesn't happen)

And just a quick Marlies note, Boyd Devereaux and Justin Pogge both starred for Canada in 97 and 05, respectively.

Happy Holidays everyone, go Canada!

Fighting in Hockey

Man has often resorted to violence to settle problems both big (Nuclear Warfare) or small (Sean Avery). Thankfully, hockey is no different. The problems of "you hit my boy" and "you slashed my tender" are more popular than sliced bread.

What isn't so common is the, "your GF still wants me", sure it is pretty direct and functional, but it just isn't right. However, my personal favorite exists in the AHL.

The American Hockey League boasts my favorite type of dropping the mitts. These players want to make something happen, they need to make something happen.

These guys want to lift their team up and get noticed. The fights often have a preparation that is epic; stick, gloves, undo the chin strap, throw down the bucket and lastly ditch the elbow pads. Partly because the AHL has mandatory visors, but also because it just makes you way tougher.

I have watched quite a few tilts so far this AHL season, and as a long time fan of NHL fights, there just isn't a comparison. Toe to toe, punch for punch fights are more common in the A due to, in my opinion, effort. In the minors, you are never safe and always trying to impress is your mission. To me, these AHL fights are constantly a statement about what type of player you think you are and what type you can become.

Of course, more long-time grinders in the AHL contribute to the fighting but even these guys always want to put on a show instead of just boosting their PM totals (pretty sure NHL fighting leader Brandon Prust has himself in a fantasy league).

At any rate, I am impressed with these AHL fights due to both their frequency and direct impact (the punch to the face kind). Have a look at some of the tilts next time your at a game and think to yourself; why is he fighting? If its NHL, you'll be hard pressed to find the answer past "doing his job".

On an AHL note, the Marlies lost tonight to the Lake Erie Monsters despite having out shot them 35-22. Robbie Earl finally figured out how to score again with his first goal of the season after going scoreless in his first 17 games. The Marlies top line is basically gone as Newbury is injured and all of Williams, Deveaux and Sifers are up with the big club.

The Marlies are in Syracuse tonight facing off against the Crunch for the second time this season.

Santorelli Successes

The NHL has long been populated by dominant family names. Sutter, Hull, Richard come to mind immediately as names that always jumped off the score sheet. More recently, names like Sedin, Koivu and Staal are experiencing success at the NHL level.

Some brother tandems currently have the luxury of thriving in the same organization (currently Kostitsyn, Neidermayer and Sedin). Quick trivia question: highest scoring brother combo in NHL history?.......... Wayne and Brent Gretzky, even though Brent only had 1 point, imagine that conversation at xmas dinner.


Recently, a new brother combo has emerged in the minor ranks. Mike and Mark Santorelli(which stands for Santa Clause shaped pasta, in Italian) both began their pro hockey path in the British Columbia Hockey League. Only three years apart(Mark 20 and Mike 23) these two are a part of the Nashville Predators' youth entourage.

A quick thanks to the Milwaukee Admirals for producing the most embarrassing photo in brother hockey history.

Mike took the NCAA route on scholarship to Northern Michigan University, where was top 3 in scoring each year. Meanwhile, Mark went the WHL route with the Chilliwack Bruins where he saw great success having a 101 point season in 07-08.


Both started this season with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. For Mike it was his second season with the team and Mark was a fresh face in Brewer land(which reminds me, the Admirals have a patch of the Brewers old logo on their jerseys, because their owner owns part of both teams). Mike has been off to a torrent start to the season with 24 points in 21 games, including three last night versus the Toronto Marlies.


Mike's speed was noticeable from the start of the game as he cut through the Marlies' defense on more than one occasion. He showed the speed and shot of a natural goal scorer, something the Predators organization has been lacking since the departure of Alex Radulov. Mike will no doubt see his first NHL action this season as the David Poile should give him a look.


Mark is a little slower than his older brother, but has better vision and is an excellent passer. So far this season, he has seen his share of adjusting. After putting up just one point in 18 games with the Admirals, Mark has since been shuffled down to the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL.


I am confident that these two brothers will one day find themselves playing together in the NHL. Hopefully, they will be more successful than the Fata brothers (who will dominate the DEL together in a year or two, sorry).



On a different note: please feel free to post comments and rip up stuff that I say on here in the comment section, start a debate, post a topic you want some input on or even just say Leafs/Habs suck, whichever you prefer!

A Spacial Enigma

Many things in the universe are still a mystery to the worlds greatest astronomers; the big bang, the constant expansion of the universe and the ominous black holes. For hockey experts, this year's mystery is the Dallas Stars.

For a team that kept all integral pieces of their conference finalist squad to be where the Stars are now is... Horawfull (thanks Charles Barkley for the spelling on that one). This Stars team is dwelling in the basement of the Western Conference. And things just keep getting worse - the multiple injuries, the swirling trade rumours and the tuberculosis that is, Sean Avery.

Now, I don't want to get into it with Avery (who has been suspended indefinitely by the league), but I will simply say that every day I wake up, I hope Sean Avery is done with the Dallas Stars, and even the NHL.

It's clear that the Stars' problems have been anything and everything. Marty Turco is statistically taking the brunt of the beating, but is being saved by his stellar reputation - with reason.

Dave Tippet is taking the blame for these mounting loses and he's not pulling any punches, calling out almost every player on the team and receiving little to no results. The one bright spot has to be Loui Eriksson with 11 goals on the season, this Swede is a beauty and should be recognized for his play.

As dark as the day will be when the Stars fire Head Coach Tippet, I feel as though it could happen soon. The personality clashes with Brett Hull have been downplayed, nonetheless I feel as though the conflicting cultures have been a main issue with the Stars. I fear that Tippet will be the one who becomes the fall guy, and not Hull.

This team, without their captain for the season, is having an identity crisis. It needs a leader to step up, now.


Most would look to former captain Mike Modano, however, I feel as though his leadership has been cast aside when his C was stripped and now someone else must fill the void.



The team needs Marty Turco.

He is an extremely capable leader and has always been a class act. It's gut check time in Dallas. They need someone that can lead them with discipline and put a stop to this Sean-foolery. Turco needs to stand up in that dressing room and lead them out to victory, and it all starts tonight in Calgary.

In the words of Rage Against The Machine - what better place than here, what better time than now.

Brian Burke, A Short Story

It is no secret, Brian Burke is going to change this Leaf team. Burke was a hockey players' hockey hockey and the same type of GM. A straight shooter like Ron Wilson who isn't afraid of change. But in which fashion these changes will come down the line, who knows?

"A team should either be ascending rapidly or descending rapidly" says Burke. Well its easy to figure out which way the
Maple Leafs will be headed. The same way the Silver Fox has lead them, rapid descent (with rapid ascent to follow, right Luke Schenn?)

I personally think Fletcher had done a marvelous job in building a wider base of younger players. Sure he didn't really go out and grab any stars but he definitely cut the fat(sorry Kyle Wellwood). The Fletcher era was entertaining to say the least, as the leafs non-houseleague play has been surprising some pundits so far this season.

Brian takes over a team that has one of the highest number of European born players. But as stated on TSN he doesn't care what their passports say as long as they are willing to bang some bodies along the boards. Well, here's the problem, these Europeans aren't of the Pahlsson nature. Their more of the, turn your back to block a shot becase you couldn't get out of the way in time, sort of Euros.

Huge players like Ponikarovski and Antropov aren't the type of players Burke usually builds teams around. However these guys do have some talent and fit into a top 6 on some teams. So where do you go from here, clearly in my mind these guys are gone and there's one question left.

Who will be brought in to replace them?

Official rumour broken by the Rains Report: Dustin Penner for Alex Ponikarovski.

Just don't expect anything to happen too quickly as Burke needs time to sift through the recycling and wait for his extended holiday trade freeze to thaw(December 9th to January 4th)

One thing you can count on though, the team will be ascending rapidly. Eventually.