Ken Dryden: After the Hit

English: Ken Dryden goalie mask, Hockey Hall-of-Fame (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you haven't seen this article, It's worth a read, but I don't agree with it. Not at all. I have never been a fan of Ken Dryden, post NHL career. Dryden has been one of the strong voices for taking fighting out of the NHL. A bad move in my opinion.

Ken Dryden, Grantland.com -- Yet if some of the decisions made afterward by the referees,1 by NHL senior vice-president of player safety Brendan Shanahan,2 or even the conclusions drawn by the media were technically wrong or contorted, they seemed right. The consequences of the hit, to many, somehow had to matter. The referees penalized Gryba for interference, even though he had committed no infraction. This wasn't interference. But the referees, somehow, still seemed right. In his reasoned-sounding judgment in suspending Gryba, Shanahan may have split the wrong hairs in concluding that Gryba made principal contact with Eller's head, but Shanahan, somehow, still seemed right. Commentators argued back and forth with each other, but mostly they argued with themselves — But Eller had his head down … but look at the injuries he suffered … But Diaz fed him a suicide pass … but look at the injuries he suffered … But it was a clean check … but look at the injuries he suffered.

Dryden goes on. Here it is...

There is another ethic in sports that has also always been there, and still is. It is worn as a badge of honor, particularly by the "tough guys." It goes: I will not hit someone when he is down. I will not hit someone when he is defenseless. There is no courage in that. There is dishonor in the doing. The question in this case: What makes a Gryba hit clean and good on a defenseless Eller when a punch to the face of someone lying on the ice, equally defenseless, is not?

In an age of concussions, maybe the first ethic is wrong. Maybe the second ethic is right. Maybe we don't just have a responsibility to ourselves. Maybe we do have a responsibility to everyone else, too. Maybe that's what the referees, Shanahan, the commentators, and the public are saying.

Maybe things are changing.

It's really not hard to see where this is going. It's a mind set, now we will start spending players that make legal hits, if they severely injure the player that was on the receiving end. This is what happened in the case with Lars Eller. In my opinion, NHL senior vice-president of player safety Brendan Shanahan Eric Gryba because if he hadn't he would have been ripped apart in the Montreal Media. It didn't matter if the hit was a legal hit.

Related articles

• Lars Eller destroyed by Eric Gryba (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• NHL suspends Senators' Gryba 2 games (msn.foxsports.com)

Front page of Ottawa Sun causing stir

Apparently, the front page of this morning's Ottawa Sun is causing a stir in Canada.

Today In Tastefulness: Ottawa newspaper mocks a bloodied & concussed Lars Eller on cover. (Pic) bit.ly/18yXi5Y
— theScore (@theScore) May 3, 2013

Penguins Thug Matt Cooke Returns to Ottawa

Tonight, the Pittsburgh Penguins travel to Ottawa to play the Senators and this will be the first matchup between the Senators and Penguins since the defenseman Erik Karlsson was injured on a check by Matt Cooke. From reading some of the news articles around the web, it would appear that this is going to be one of those must watch games.

During tonight’s game, one almost has to suspect there will be some extracurricular activities as well, when the two teams meet on the ice. If Matt Cooke was smart – he’s not – he would accept the challenge to a fight. Some are going to ask, why should Cooke accept a challenge to a fight? Because the hockey code demands it and if he doesn’t, this game has the prospects of turning into a blood bath.

Matt Cooke isn’t known for being a pugilist and the last time he fought an actual middle-heavy weight fighter, was against the Bruins Shawn Thornton on March 18, 2010. Since then, Cooke has chosen to fight star players and other players not known for their fighting prowess.

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma was asked if thought there was going to be any shenanigans during tonight’s game, the coach replied, “I’m not aware they’re dressing Shenanigans … I don’t know what number he would be or what kind of player he would be.”

Canadiens interview Mcguire for vacant GM job

TSN broadcaster, and former National Hockey League coach, Pierre McGuire prior to a playoff game between the Calgary Flames and Chicago Blackhawks, in Calgary. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NHL Hockey fans are applauding  and encouraging the possible move everywhere. Well, maybe not, but it I hope Pierre McGuire gets the job so we don’t have to listen to him in the morning anymore on XM Home Ice and or on NBS Sports. Pierre McGuire is one of those sports personalities that you either like or would rather do without - personally I have nothing against him - but I would like to see someone else doing his job.

tsn.ca ---- Francois Gagnon of La Presse reports that NBC commentator and former NHL on TSN analyst Pierre McGuire had an interview with the Montreal Canadiens for their vacant general manager post.

While it wasn't known if the talks were done in person or over the phone or whether McGuire met with Canadiens owner/president Geoff Molson or advisor Serge Savard, sources told the paper that a meeting did take place over the last few days.

McGuire won two Stanley Cups as a scout and assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins and was also head coach of the Hartford Whalers. He also worked as a pro scout and assistant coach for the Ottawa Senators before going into radio broadcasting in 1997.

McGuire joined TSN in 1999 and was an analyst/colour commentator for 12 seasons.

Related articles

• Scott Hartnell's Stick Interrupts Claude Giroux-Pierre McGuire Interview

Winnipeg NHL team to play Les Habitants to open 2011- 2012 season

Image by Jordon via FlickrThe Winnipeg NHL team _________ ( the what-evers) are going to open with Les Habitants on Sunday, October 9th at 4 p.m. at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Go ________...

ST. PAUL, MINN. - Break out the tuxedos folks, the Montreal Canadiens will serve as the first regular-season opponent for Winnipeg’s new NHL franchise.

Although the full NHL schedule will be released on Thursday afternoon, True North confirmed Wednesday evening that they’ll host the fabled Habs on Sunday, Oct. 9 at 4 p.m. at the MTS Centre in a game that will serve as the season and home opener for Winnipeg.

“To be honest, I could care less about who we’re playing,” Winnipeg captain Andrew Ladd said in a text message. “It’s going to be more about the first game back in Winnipeg and how crazy the fans will be!”

Manitobans will get a double dose of scheduling pleasure on Thursday.

In the morning, the preseason schedule for Winnipeg’s NHL team will be unveiled.

Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff revealed on Wednesday that Winnipeg has simply picked up the preseason schedule the Atlanta Thrashers planned to play.

Winnipeg will play seven preseason tilts, three at home, three on the road and one neutral site game against the Ottawa Senators on Sept. 26 in Conception Bay South in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Having a game in the same province as their American Hockey League affiliate is a bonus.

“It was very fortuitous that the exhibition schedule for Atlanta already had a game already scheduled out there,” said Cheveldayoff. “For us, it’s great. It’s an exciting time for the fans of Newfoundland to really get to see a lot of players that could be there way, but certainly a lot of players who will be in Winnipeg as well.”

That game against the Senators will be part of the Kraft Hockeyville promotion

Related articles

• True North and MTS Allstream agree on 10-year naming rights deal for MTS Centre in Winnipeg (prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com)
• NHL To Vote On Winnipeg Relocation Of Atlanta Thrashers Tuesday (sbnation.com)
• Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff prepares staff for first NHL draft (thehockeynews.com)
• NHL approves Atlanta sale to Winnipeg (cbc.ca)

Trouble In The Nation's Capital

Following a listless 4-1 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers on Dec. 16, a chorus of boos could be heard throughout Scotiabank Place in Ottawa.

It seems the fans of the Senators have finally come to the realization that their beloved team are in a world of hurt and they let their voices do the talking.

It should not surprise them.

Following a five game loss to the Anaheim Ducks in the 2007 Stanley Cup finals, the Sens opened the following season like a bullet from a gun.

Riding the anger of their Cup loss they opened the season 15-2, an NHL record.

From that point on something went horribly wrong.

Following a 3-0 loss to Toronto on Nov. 17 the Senators’ engine coughed and sputtered to the finish line. With the various ways to gather points in a hockey game, they still were an abysmal nine games below .500 when the season ended in mid-April.

They limped into the play-offs with four wins in their last ten and finished tied with Boston for eighth, two points ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes.

The play-offs are supposed to be a new season where the slate is washed clean and wins and losses don’t mean anything.

Prior to their opening round match-up against Pittsburgh, the talk emanating from the Senators dressing room was a study in the persuasive art of the cliché.

You know the kind of thought provoking stuff hockey players come up with.

“It’s a new season. Everybody is tied and we’ve just got to come together.”

So on and so forth.

Apparently they were not listening. A four-game sweep at the hands of the Stanley Cup finalists sent the Senators to the driving range before the snow left the ground.

This season things aren’t any better. The Sens are 12th in the East with a 12-14-5 record and they are the sports focal point in a town where government and politics rule the landscape.

Phone lines are jammed on the local sports radio station.

Irate callers play Gil Grissom by examining the cadaver that is the Ottawa Senators.

Dany Heatley, Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza have scored exactly 50 per cent of the Sens 72 goals.

They have no secondary scoring whatsoever.

Support players paid to score haven’t fulfilled that role. Chris Kelly (three goals), Antoine Vermette (three goals), Nick Foligno (four goals), Chris Neil (two goals) and Mike Fisher (three goals) are simply not doing their jobs.

Head coach Craig Hartsburg has tried many times to split the big three up and spread the offensive wealth around. More often than not Hartsburg ends up re-uniting them.

Last week Hartsburg said he was going to split them up permanently. This time for sure.

There seems to be a “why us?” type of resignation and a general malaise hanging around this team, like flies on a hot day.

Question: what needs to be done to shake this up?

Answer: there are more questions than answers.

There have been four head coaches since 2007 so firing the coach is not that easy. Murray fired John Paddock last Feb. and went behind the bench for the rest of the year. During the summer he signed Hartsburg to a three-year deal. With only seven months spent on his deal, Harstburg isn’t going any where.

To get something you must give something up. So, that leaves the big three as the only movable assets.

Rumour has Spezza on the trade block. Spezza is a dynamic offensive player but an $8 million (all figures U.S.) ticket and a no-trade clause that kicks in next season, the Toronto native is tough to move.

On the flipside, do the Senators take the chance he may blossom on another team?

Heatley is the highest paid player in the league at $10 million a year. He is on a sub par 30 plus goal pace but trading him gives the impression that the Senators are packing it in for the year.

Alfredsson has spent his entire career in Ottawa and just signed a four-year contract extension. He is on the wrong side of thirty and no team would take on that deal.

The most likely scenario would be to exercise a little patience.

Senators’ owner Eugene Melnyk thinks it takes time for the players to adjust to a new situation.

“I truly believe we will wind up in the top four in the conference,” Melnyk told Chris Stevenson of Sun Media. “Watch this team. You are going to be very, very surprised. We have nine new players. We have a new coach. We have a new system.”

Melnyk is an upbeat kind of guy but this reeks of owners speak. After all, you can’t give the impression that you have thrown up the white flag before the calendar turns. That would be suicide on and off the ice.

Maybe the Sens need some time to get away.

They will get that chance starting Dec.23.

With the World Junior Hockey Championship invading Scotiabank Place over the Christmas season, the Senators begin an eight-game, 17 day road trip through the North East division and western Canada.

The Sens are 3-8-2 on the road and this road trip through eight cities may test the resolve of a patient owner.