Is the NCHC close to picking the Target Center for their Conference tourney?

Twitter has been alive this afternoon with the news that the NCHC has picked Joe Novak as hockey operations director – we also found out that the NCHC is close to selecting a venue for the conference tourney.

It has been rumored for some time now, that the Target Center was in the mix as a possible venue for the NCHC tourney – it’s sounds like that rumor  is even closer to becoming a reality.

This is the tweet that seemed to set the twitterverse on fire this morning; UND Fighting Sioux beat writer Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald's posted this little nugget on line.

There seems to be a lot of Monday morning quarterbacking when it comes to the NCHC. The minute the rumor in question broke on Twitter, the usual suspects immediately starting picking a part the NCHC’s possible conference tourney venue; while I like many would probably rather see the NCHC play in the Xcel Energy Center, the Target Center does make logistical sense – the Target Center is driving distances for the UND, SCSU, UMD and UNO fan bases. I think it’s safe to say that those NCHC schools will probably have the biggest fan bases that are going to be willing to travel and fill the Target Center. Husker Mike has a good blog post on this very subject as well. [Click to view]

As we saw from the 2011 WCHA Final Five, UND and UMD fans filled the Xcel Energy Center when Wisconsin and Minnesota were knocked out in the first round.

NCHC Names Joe Novak Director of Hockey Operations

Official Press Release

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The National Collegiate Hockey Conference has named veteran sports management executive Joe Novak as its Director of Hockey Operations.

Jim Scherr, the Commissioner of college hockey's newest conference, said that Novak, in his role, will primarily be responsible for the internal hockey operations and administration for the NCAA Division I men's intercollegiate hockey conference that will be begin play in the 2013-14 season.  Among Novak's immediate tasks will be developing, in consultation with Conference members, a comprehensive playing schedule; organizing and maintaining a system to hire, assign, compensate, evaluate, and supervise on-ice officials; developing and implementing the Conference's rules, playing standards, statistical programs and discipline program; and serving as the hockey operations liaison with the Conference's coaches and others in the hockey community.

The Colorado Springs resident brings to the Conference more than 30 years of experience in sports management, the last 15 of them with the United States Air Force Academy, including roles in NCAA Division I athletic operations, events management and scheduling, athletic facilities management, contract management, and tournament and special events director.  He has worked as an on-ice hockey official, a Supervisor of Officials with USA Hockey and an off-ice official with the National Hockey League and the Olympic Winter Games.

Novak joins the Conference after serving in a critical position with the accomplished Air Force Academy's Athletics department in several management roles, including Assistant Athletic Director and Director of Operations and Events. His range of experience also includes being an off-ice official at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver; Ice Hockey Game Operations Manager for the Torino 2006 Olympic Committee/International Ice Hockey Federation for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in the Italian city; and managing athletic programs for the New York Military Army Command at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, NY, and the United States Army Europe Headquarters/Heidelberg Military Community in Heidelberg, Germany. 

"Being able to bring to the Conference a proven and imaginative executive with outstanding hockey credentials like Joe to serve as our Director of Hockey Operations is tremendous for our members and for me personally," said Scherr.  "The Conference's inaugural season begins in about 18 months and there are many tasks to complete in advance of dropping the first puck.  I will be relying on Joe to ensure that everything relating to hockey operations will be the best in intercollegiate athletics."

Novak, who played ice hockey in semi-professional ranks and junior hockey in Germany and throughout Europe early in his career, says he is thrilled to become part of the new conference.

"I am grateful to Commissioner Scherr and the Conference members for this remarkable opportunity," said Novak.  "This position is both a great challenge and a great opportunity and, with so much to do, I look forward to working closely with the Conference athletic directors and coaches and to getting to work."

Classy fan posts to Brendan Shanahan - No they're not fakes

There are fans that just take it too far – rewind to game seven between the Boston Bruins and the Washington Capitals – as soon as Joel Ward scored the game winning goal against the Boston Bruins racist tweets started showing up on twitter. 

Fast forward to May 7^th 2012 the National Hockey league suspended Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux one game for his hit to the head on Devils forward Dainius Zubrus. These are some of the tweets that I found on line as fans displayed their displeasure with Brendan Shanaha.  

I apologize for the coarse language on these tweets but I am using them to illustrate a point and I think it's necesarry and important to see first hand what kind of what kind of trash fans are posting on twitter and on the internet. Some of this stuff is down right disgusting and transcend normal and decent human behavior and in my opinion is almost as bad as the objectionable and racist tweets that were targeted at Washington Capitals forward Joel Ward.

I get it, people are upset with Brendan Shanahan but come on people, lets show some decency.  

NHL Suspends Claude Giroux for one game

The NHL Department of Player Safety has finally gotten it right, although late to the party the NHL has finally suspended a "star" player for committing a dirty hit to the head. Flyers forward Claude Giroux will miss the all important game five against the New Jersey Devils for his hit to the head on Dainius Zubrus.

I know that there are many Philadelphia Flyers fans that are upset with Shanahan's ruling, I don't blame them because Brendan Shanahan has been very inconsistent, but the fact remains that this was an illegal hit and a violation of Rule 48. Don't break the rules if you don't want to get suspended, it's that simple.

The fact that Flyers fans are defending this dirty hit is puzzling, especially since Giroux missed four games for a concussion earlier in the season. Since the Flyers forward Claude Giroux is not an "Uber Star" like Evgeni Malkin, Alexander Ovechkin the NHL used this instance to made an example out of Giroux for his hit on .

Here is an example of some of the anger that has been focused on Brendan Shanahan.

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Giroux faces hearing with Dept. of Player Safety

csnphilly.com

Philadelphia Flyers star forward Claude Giroux has a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety this morning and I believe that Giroux deserves to have a one game ban for his head shot on Dainius Zubrus at the 19:56 mark of the second period in last night’s Eastern Conference Semifinal game against the New Jersey Devils. Zubrus was stunned by the hit but did return in the third period of last night game and scored an empty net goal.

This is what Giroux had to say about his cheap shot on Dainius Zubrus.

"I was trying to finish my hit and he kind of leaned in and he kind of tried to chip the puck in I think," Giroux said. "I didn't see the replay so I don't know. Obviously I'm not a dirty player. I don't want to hit guys in the head. But I was just trying to finish my hit there.

"I think I should be fine [in terms of a suspension]. He's leaning in. At the same time, [Anton] Volchenkov hit [Wayne] Simmonds in the face with an elbow. If they look at mine, they should probably look at that one, too."

Like I said yesterday, there is no doubt in my mind that Giroux should be suspended by the NHL for his bush league and dirty hit on Dainius Zubrus's because this hit is a violation of the NHL’s Rule 48, however, Brendan Shanahan probably won’t since he has been very reluctant to suspend any star players for dirty hits. Usually it takes multiple infractions before the NHL’s Department of Player Safety takes punitive action.

Claude Giroux hit on Dainius Zubrus

Here is the latest hit in the NHL that should receive some scrutiny - and the player in question deserves to  miss a game or two because of a suspension - or at least receive a fine. That being said, I would be very surprised if there is a suspension because Claude Giroux is considered an up and coming star players and Brendan Shanahan and the Department of Player Safety doesn't like to suspend star players.

There is no way that Flyers fans can defend Claude Giroux's hit on New Jersey Devils forward Dainius Zubrus, this is a dangerous and dirty hit. In my opinion this hit in question a violation of rule 48. Giroux was given a minor penalty for an illegal check to the head and he should have been given a game misconduct. This is the type of hits that the NHL is trying to do with and Giroux missed four games back in December for a concussion himself.

Rostislav Klesla suspended one game.

Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Rostislav Klesla was suspended one game by the National Hockey League's Department of Player Safety for this hit on Nashville Predators forward Matt Halischuk.

While I don't have a problem with the suspension per se and Klesla is a repeat offender that has been suspended in the past for a clipping infraction; it does seem that the NHL is picking and choosing the players that it wants to suspend - the NHL has no qualms about suspending a third or fourth line player - or suspending a fifth or sixth defenseman, however, the NHL doesn't want to suspended a star player when they commit an egregious act and I can think of a few hits or infractions from star players that could have been dealt with in a more punitive manner.

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ESPN and the lack of hockey coverage

I read a couple of articles and blog posts in the past week about ESPN not having NHL coverage on any of their channels anymore. Frankly, the first thought that came to my mind was - that ship has sailed – it may never come back again. I don't think we really need to worry about that because the void has been filled by a much better product.

To be honest with you, after watching ESPN’s brutal coverage of the NCAA Hockey tourney, who really cares anymore?

Enter NBC Sports Network formerly known as Versus and originally was the Outdoor Life Network has evolved and filled the void that ESPN left after the NHL lockout and has gotten better which each year that has passed since the NHL lockout.

NBC Sports Network has started coving college hockey as well, and for the most part NBC Sports Net has done a pretty good job in the broadcasts that they did last winter. I look forward to watching more of their broadcast next winter. Maybe we can get ESPN to drop their Division I NCAA College Hockey coverage all together as well and let NBC and or CBS take over college hockey for them.

ESPN will will then be free to show NFL and College football, NBA and College Basketball and Billiards on their sports network. While we are at it, ESPN can keep Barry Melrose, there is no use for him in college hockey and he isn't very good at breaking down the NHL either.

Just to be clear, I not trying to snub CBS Sports Network, they do a very good job with their hockey coverage as well and will be the future home of NCHC beginning in 2013-14.

So why is there a disconnect or a lack of hockey coverage? Recently, Ed Sherman asked Vince Doria, ESPN’s senior vice-president and director of news Vince Doria, why ESPN hates hockey. This is what he had to say.

We don’t hate hockey. When I worked in Boston (as sports editor of the Boston Globe), I probably went to more Bruins games than Celtics. There’s probably not a better in-the-house sport than hockey. Watching it live. My own personal feeling is that it never transferred well to television. I’m not exactly sure why that is. [Sherman Report]

I don’t agree with that argument and I think it’s a load of horse manure, if that was true why do people purchase the NHL package from their cable provider or satellite dish providers? Hockey fanatics want to see NHL Hockey and they want to be able to watch games from all over the NHL Hockey spectrum every night of the week during the hockey season.

I wouldn’t walk across the street to watch a NBA basketball game, I don't care who is playing, nor would I turn to ESPN to watch college or NBA basketball, but I would pay $160.00 to watch anyone in the NHL play hockey on my television set, any night of the week.

I remember the good ole days of hockey coverage on ESPN and ESPN2, this was pre-NHL lockout when NHL hockey was on two or three nights a week and then on every night during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, of course ESPN picked the teams that you were going to watch and we got a heavy dose of the New York Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins, but for the most part it gave us "decent" hockey.

That was then and this is now – NBC Sports Network has made us forget that ESPN has ever shown a hockey game on their network - NBCSN has shown all of the games exclusively during this season's Stanley Cup Playoffs, so we're good. When there have been two games on at the same time NBC has had the other game on the news channel CNBC. In closing, we can say to ESPN that we don't need you for hockey coverage anymore and you don't have to pretend to like hockey on any level, because we know the truth.

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JMFJ scores the game winning goal against the Canadians

Former Michigan Wolverine defenseman Jack Johnson scored the game winning goal at the 1:47 mark of overtime to lead the Americans over the Canadians in the IIHF World Championship.

This was only the fourth time that the American had beaten the Canadians in the World Championship - today's win was the first for the Americans against Canada since 2010 and only the second win against the Canadians since 1985. The Americans are now 2-0-0 in the World Championship.

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A tale of two hits

There were two hits on the ice this weekend that have gotten a bit of scrutiny. 

The first one is the hit that Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Rostislav Klesla put on Nashville Predators forward Matt Halischuk. Klesla was given a two minute penalty on the play and has a hearing on Sunday with the National Hockey League's department of player safety.

With the inconsistency with the National Hockey League’s Department of player safety there is no clue what kind of a suspension or fine we can expect in this situation, Klesla is not really a known superstar so we could expect a one or two game suspension.
This was the hit that Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin put on Rangers Dan Girardi. Ovechkin was given a charging penalty on the hit. I don't think the Ovechkin hit is overly egregious and since he's a super star the league is very reluctant to suspend him so don't count on Ovechkin getting suspended and frankly I don't think as suspension is warranted in this situation. 

Girardi had this to say about the hit: "He hit me in the head first," Girardi said. "I think it was the right call. I'm not sure what it was, whether it was charging or interference or whatever, but my head's there, and he hits it. But I think he was just playing the game hard. I don't know."

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You gotta Fight For Your Right to Party

Not really hockey related one bit other than it's a song that has been played in a hockey arena once or twice. This was one of the greatest songs of my youth and will leave you with this on a Friday night.

RIP. Beastie Boys' Adam 'MCA' Yauch (August 5, 1964 – May 4, 2012)

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Zach Parise goal against the Flyers in game three

This is the reason former Fighting Sioux forward Zach Parise is going to make a lot of money on the free agency market during this summer.  I predict that the future Wild forward is probably going to be making somewhere in the 7-10 million dollar a year range.

The Devils star Parise scored this beautiful goal in last night's game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Parise's goal at the 07:29 mark of the third period gave the Devils a brief 3-2 lead. The Flyers would even the score at the 11:04 mark of the third period with a goal from Flyers forward Danny Briere.

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Raffi Torres appeals his suspension

I was going to get to this story yesterday but a big bomb shell of a story emerged out of UND and this story kind of got put on the back burner. Big shock, NHL repeat offender Raffi Torres is appealing his 25 game suspensions, apparently unapologetic Torres feels that his 25-game suspension is excessive based on NHL senior vice president Brendan Shanahan's inconsistency in his previous ruling.

Kevin Allen, USA TODAY --- USA TODAY obtained a copy of the memo sent to players, and in it, NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr and general counsel Don Zavelo pointed out that Torres is only appealing the length of suspension, and not whether his hit violated the rules or whether he deserved to be suspended. The NHLPA positions spelled out in the memo: • The 25-game suspension is excessive and arbitrary — it is more than double the length of any ever issued by Shanahan and is one of the longest suspensions in the history of the NHL. • Shanahan denied Torres' request to show video evidence at his disciplinary hearing about how similar or worse hits have been treated in the past. He is asking for an in-person appeal hearing so that he can present this evidence to the commissioner.

Personally, I think that Raffi Torres should take his medicine and shut the heck up – he's a repeat offender that doesn’t seem to get it. I've suggested that Torres is an unapologetic sociopath and this suspension was a long time in the making.

The league is not picking on you Raffi – they're trying to send a message to him, telling him that they're sick and tired of your bush-league antics and that they no longer will tolerate them. Torres should have a talk with league bad boy Matt Cooke.

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