"Let my People go; to Winnipeg!"

Over the next few days, our Jewish friends will be celebrating Passover. For those that have never heard a Jackie Mason routine, Passover is a festival commemorating the biblical event of Hebrew's escape from enslavement in the desert. So, of course this is the perfect opportuntiy to discuss the Phoenix Coyotes and their possible return to Winnipeg.

Hebrews VS. Coyotes - Tale O' The Tape

 
Hebrews: God Inflicts ten plagues upon the Pharaoh before he would release the Hebrews.
Coyotes: Top 10 First Picks since 1996:  Dan Focht, Daniel Briere Patrick Des Rochers, Scott Kelman, Blake Wheeler, Krystofer    Kylanos, Fredrick Sjostrom, Jakub Koreis,Ben Eager

Edge: Hebrews

Hebrews: God's chosen people
Coyotes:  Wayne Gretzky becomes part owner.

Edge: Draw

Hebrews: God punishes Egyptians for enslavement of Hebrews by killing firstborn children.
Coyotes: Games available on FOX. Darren Pang does colour commentary.

Edge: Hebrews

Hebrews: "Joseph and the Coat of Many Colours" is a  story deriving from the Exodus.
Coyotes:  Coyotes Jerseys are brick red and desert sand and black with a Coyote head on the front. Yep. A coyote head

Edge: Hebrews

Hebrews: To mark Passover, Jewish populace makes pilgrimage to sacred temple in Jerusalem.
Coyotes: Play in Jobing.com Arena somewhere in Glendale. Plenty of good seats still available

Edge: Hebrews.

Hebrews: On the 7th day of Passover, no manner of servile work is to be done.
Coyotes:  Ed Jovanoski is on pace for a -11 season.

Edge; Hebrews

Hebrews: Freed from slavery by Pharaoh Thutmose III
Coyotes:Almost freed from punitive contract with city of Glendale by Redfield T. Baum

Edge: Coyotes

Hebrews: Cursed by an evil prophet named Balaam.
Coyotes:  Cursed by an evil prophet named Bettman.

Edge: Hebrews

Hebrews: After 40 years wandering through the desert, the Hebrews settled in Canaan.
Coyotes:  After 20 years of futility the Coyotes may finally be back in Winnipeg.

Edge: Coyotes

And the winner is....  The Hebrews. 

Email Me: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   or follow me on Twitter

After the NHL put the ball in the NHLPA's court by submitting video's of a proposed rule change to the competition committee, they then went ahead and announced yesterday that the NHL Board of Governors had unanimously approved of the rule change on blindside hits to the head. That announcement was a little out of order since the competition committee had not approved of the of the proposed rule.

The NHL has now released a statement that says that it will give the NHLPA an extra day to approve of the rule.

"Following discussions today between the NHL and the NHLPA, including player members of the Competition Committee, the NHLPA has requested additional time to secure the approval of its Executive Board prior to proceeding with the implementation of the proposed new rule regarding hits to the head. In response to the Union's request, the League has agreed to wait until tomorrow before proceeding with implementation. Our strong preference remains to proceed on a cooperative basis with the players on this important issue." -NHL.com

The NHLPA on the other hand released this statement about the competition committee endorsing the proposed rule

"We have deliberated and endorsed to the NHLPA Executive Board the League's proposal to implement supplemental discipline this season for blindside hits to the head. Our Executive Board will vote on this recommendation and we will respond back to the League with a decision in the next 24-48 hours." -TSN

So the  competition committee has endorsed it, now it is just up to the NHLPA's Executive Board to vote on endorsing the rule. Darren Dreger writes that the players asked the NHL whether a two minute minor penalty or five minute major penalty could be added into the rule, but it seems that it would be doubtful that the on ice penalty would be introduced to the rule this season.

We may see the new rule introduced in time for tomorrow's games

UPDATE: The NHLPA Executive Board has endorsed the plan for supplemental discipline for blindside hits as per TSN

Yo. Herein lies a feature that I've dubbed "Cycling". You know, to play off the blog name? Every so often, the venerable editors of this here blog will be passing the proverbial puck around on various NHL topics. Read on, and bash us in the comments.

1. Ryan Kesler was recently re-signed to a long term deal. Should he be given the Vancouver Canucks' captaincy?

Laura:

It really depends on how they play with Luongo as their captain.  I don't know if the Olympics tuckered him out or what, but he's been less than sharp since then.  I wouldn't be too surprised if the 'Nucks are going to have issues playing with confidence when their goalie *and* their captain both is playing like dead weight. But both Kesler and Luongo'll be around for a while... I'm not sure how Luongo'd react if the C got stripped and given to someone else - would he cry?  Because no one likes to see Luongo cry - usually it means that a playoff series's been lost.

Steve:

Well, there's no point in postponing the inevitable. As soon as the Canuck's season comes to an end, the topic of the captaincy will take on, "Lord of the Flies" type proportions. I doubt we'll be seeing a shirtless, Shane O'Brien holding a conch shell anytime soon but Ryan Kesler has taken yet another step towards being the Canuck's emotional compass and should lead them into the 2010/2011 season.

There's no hard and fast rule on how to pick a captain in the NHL. You could go the best player on the team route (Crosby/Ovechkin). The elder statesmen route (Niedermayer/Lidstrom) or the emotional spark plug route (Morrow/Langenbrunner). You can win a Stanley Cup with either one of those choices. What matters, is that the team behind him respects him and tries their best to emulate his example. 

Since coming into the league, Kesler has not only increased his numbers each and every year but he's also managed to improve his two way play. Matching those skills with his, "hate to lose-ness" and "match me" level of energy on the ice, Kesler is on his way to becoming the best two way player the Canucks have ever had and they have him locked up through the prime of his career. 

But what has finally vaulted Kesler over Luongo for the leadership of this team? Media Savvy. The captain of the team is the lightning rod for media scrums before and after every game and, call it whatever you want, but Luongo's aloofness and impenetrability at times can leave the fans less than positive about the direction and mood of the team. 

Kesler wears his still beating heart on his sleeve and I dig that about him. Maybe it was the confidence that came with the Selke nomination and on Team USA at the Olympics but Kesler says what he means and then he backs it up on the ice. Let's put it this way, if Ryan Kesler was selling me a juicer or rotisserie grill. I'm buyin'

So, in true gay Vampire movie fashion, I am putting on my "Team Kesler" t-shirt.

VC Canuck:

Yes. I think it's almost kind of expected that Kesler will be offered the captaincy next season or in the near future, the timeline will depend on what happens in this years' playoffs. It has already been discussed last year in the Vancouver media whether Kesler would make good captain material, and the majority of the city had the feeling that once a long term contract has been signed that he would be a likely candidate.

The Canucks currently have Luongo as their captain as the team (not NHL recognized) but having a goalie as a captain is not the fit as having a skater as a captain. In the Canucks locker room right now, there are different leaders that step up when they need to, and I like that about my team. With how much heart Kesler brings to each and every game, as well as to his off ice community work, I would see Kesler as being the perfect fit as future Canuck captain.

I have seen Markus Naslund be thrown under the bus when he was captain in Vancouver when the Canucks were not doing well. Some may say that the harsh scrutiny and constant pressure is what made Naslund lose his touch, and it may very well be true. Vancouver is a hockey crazy market, and when you are winning life is good for the team. But when the team loses, the media and fan scrutiny will be largely directed to the captain of the team.

That being said, I believe that if Kesler accepts the opportunity to be captain he will be aware of the pressure that he will face being one of the faces of the franchise. I personally hope to see him be the next Canucks captain.

Ryan:

Let's look at some linkage, shall we?

Second City Hockey has actually been un-blocked at where I work (apparently they're not arms dealers anymore, so that's a plus), and just in time for their roundtable discussion of the state of the 'Hawks' 3rd period collapses.  As a Blues fan, I would love to leave a comment, but I'm still crying over Sunday.

Paint it Blackhawks looks at the rampant running of their players.  I don't know if it's just focused on the Blackhawks or not, but there have been some pretty absurd abuses of checking here recently league wide.

Nashville is too a viable market, see?  SEE? So, um, shut up, Canada.

Babcock's Death Stare gives us a helpful guide to judging the individual performances of several of Detroit's top players.

St. Louis Game Time looks at the ticket price increases for next season, and how they impact the team and its fans.

What's the bane of the Blues' existance?  The last five minutes of the third period.

oh and Shoalts thinks that it's all a freakin f* you to the NHL, but more on that part later...

The NHLPA was submitted a DVD detailing a new rule proposed by the NHL that would tweak the current rule about blindside hits allowing referees to be able to "call a minor or major for any blindside hit where the primary point of contact is the head". The tweak to the rule was formed after the GM meetings earlier this month and the DVD was submitted to the NHLPA Friday night for them to deliberate whether they would accept such rule.

The NHLPA held a conference call with its competition committee that is made up of five members: Jason Spezza, Ryan Miller, Mathieu Schneider, Jeff Halpern and Brian Campbell.

The competition committee, or at least Jason Spezza, told reporters that the NHLPA is looking to make a counter proposal to what was suggested by the GM's.

My favourite shows as a kid were the ones that had a series of clips from previous shows. Why?

1. Most of my toys were made with lead based paint.
2. I only needed to see 2-3 minutes of Justine Bateman at a time. If you know what I mean.

So, from time to time, I'm just going to quick fire some random thoughts from the previous week in the NHL and get you guys to comment on them. In other words, I am far too lazy and kind of loopy on cough syrup and Capri Suns (The Capritini)  to come up with a whole column. Ok, here we go....

Flyers' Folly

The Flyers have come up with goalie trouble. Again. During the Flyers' shootout loss to Nashville last week, Michael Leighton left the ice with a high ankle sprain. First, Ray Emery and now Leighton. Playing goal for the Flyers is like playing drums for Spinal Tap. Now it's all up to Brian Boucher and Eddie Lebec? A piece of plywood with holes cut in it? Jim Carey?

Einstein's definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect different results. That litle nugget of wisdom is automatically tattooed on Flyer's GM's asses as soon as they sign their contract. What's the point of stockpiling a solid list of forwards and some pretty decent defensemen if you've got a pasta strainer in net.

The UFA market for goalies this summer is bleak. I mean, Amish porn section at Blockbuster bleak. The only way the Flyer's are going to get a quality goalie to compete in that ever closing window of opportunity is to trade. So, who's it gonna be?

Boudreauisms.

If my history of contributing to "Letters to Penthouse Forum" has taught me anything, it's that people lie. Did anyone else spit out their, Yoo-hoo when listening to / reading Bruce Boudreau's comments about how he saw, Ovechkin's wicked push/hit on Brian Campbell last week?  This is some solid gold spin right here. I mean, The Iraqi Minister of Information has just signed up for Bruce Boudreau's "Dealing with the Media 101" class.  You'd think Bruce would have more to worry about, like finding his neck or returning the ring
to Mordor.

Last night, in a game with absolutely crucial playoff implications, the Boston Bruins rolled over and played dead for their opponent, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Sure, they got revenge on Matt Cooke. But it may not matter, as the Bruins are falling fast in the East without leading scorer Marc Savard. The fan base is justifiably riled after their general manager stood mostly pat at the deadline and there is still bad blood from the Phil Kessel trade. But how far will they go? Apparently, some fans would go so far as to advocate not attending a game they already have tickets to:

The fans have voiced their displeasure with this team on sports radio, message boards, and water coolers across New England, but there is only one place where the Bruins organization will listen: in their wallet. I am encouraging season ticket holders and other fans with tickets to Sunday's game to stay home. Send a message to the Bruins organization by letting this heartless team play in front of a seas of empty gold seats. GOLD OUT THE GARDEN!

So what will it be, Bruins fans? Will you abandon your team in the middle of a playoff race on national television, or will you support them no matter how hard the times? A few reasons that this "Gold out the Garden" campaign is bad for hockey, the Bruins, and lame in general:

• The team is on an emotional low right now. How much lower would they get if they take the ice for a nationally televised game, to have no fans to cheer them on?
• The front office and coaching staff may well need a message sent. But refusing to support the team on the ice shows misguidance. Try something more to the point, like a Fire Peter Chiarelli rally, similar to Rangers fans a couple of weeks ago.
• As upset as fans are; all is nowhere near lost-- the Bruins hold the final playoff spot by three points.

So go cheer on your team, Boston. Whether it is Marc Savard or a career AHLer, they're yours-- treat 'em as such.

The Canucks have announced that they've signed, uber patriot, Ryan Kesler to a 6 year, 29.5 million dollar contract; details have yet to be disclosed.  The contract will see Kesler, age 25,  in blue and green through his prime playing years ( barring my whole brain in a jar / Japanese hockey playing robot theory) and securing a solid 1-2 punch at the centre position, with Henrik Sedin playing on the top line.

I began writing about whether or not, The Canucks overpaid for a  second line primarily defensive centre who has yet to crack the 30 goal plateau. Considering, Alexandre Burrows only makes two million dollars a year and provides much of the same spark as Kesler but has cracked 30 goals this year.

Having said that, I like Kesler in a Canucks uniform and with Cody Hodgson rounding into form, The Canucks have an excellent chance of finally being deep, oh so deep at centre for several years to come.

Either way you look at it, I'm pretty well locking it down that, Andrew Ladd will not be sending Kesler a congratulatory muffin basket anytime soon. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter. Each new follower receives a copy of my memoirs, as read aloud by, Bob Ross.

And now, let the battle begin:

Ryan Kesler:

Jim Halpert

As Ryan said in his post, we'll be hearing all about the James Wisniewski's hit on Chicago's Brent Seabrook tomorrow (the video is hidden under the jump). I don't often write about head shot things or hits of intent to injure because I have very mixed feelings on it. I like big hits and feel that fightning has it's place in hockey, and know that players will get injured. This doesn't have to do with that, hear me out and feel free to disagree.

Since the Olympics, we have gone from talking about Cooke on Savard, to Ovie on Campbell, to Downie on Crosby, to Wisniewski on Seabrook in all of what, 2 weeks? In what should be one of the most exciting times in hockey (the stretch drive), I find myself being overloaded by stories and opinion on head shots and hits that cause injuries. I find myself asking, does what we say even matter? The majority of fans can agree that hits that appear to have intent to injure sicken us, especially when they have effects of career ending injuries or concussions but a new one keeps occurring every couple of days.

Everyone saw Cooke on Savard hit and did that make you stop watching the NHL? Ok, maybe a select few of you will give up on hockey, but the majority will still enjoy the sport. It seems the fans and media are more concerned with the players health than the players or league themselves. We will continue to debate possible rules to reduce injuries to players, which I think is healthy for us to do, but it is beginning to get tiresome. To me, it seems that if players want to reduce the occurrences of these disgusting hits, the players need to stop doing them. In the end it is the player them self that executes the action that has the intention to hurt the other player.

Where I find the NHL at fault is two fold. First, they need to make the changes to the rules to help the players who can't seem to help themselves. The second, is that some memo needs to go out to the organizations which should get passed to the coaches that should get passed to the players that read: THIS IS NOT MARKETABLE. The NHL just came off from the Olympics where some great hockey was displayed, and instead of focusing on hockey, hits/injuries like what has been displayed in the last two weeks will discourage non-hockey fans from becoming hockey fans. If you are a parent and saw the Cooke hit on Savard, would you enroll your kid in hockey?

So, back to our regular programming of a mix of Westcoast links:

View From My Seats is growing and has added some new writers. Congrats to Matt for continuing to put out great work, I'm sure this won't reduce the amount he actually writes per day. Interesting post he wrote on the self-awareness of hockey players

This one is from the weekend, but still good if you haven't read it yet. James Mirtle write about the Sharks' Jamie McGinn who has been recalled and demoted a league-leading 14 times

Jibblescribbits suggests TV shows that would be good fits for NHL stars to appear on

The Royal Half explains how 3rd jerseys came about and also admits that they also frequent the Pavel Bure Fan Club website

Fear the Fin reconstructs the Western Conference Playoff Standings, words cannot describe how long it looks like Mr. Plank took to write it, but it's worth the read

Since so many hockey bloggers seem to love haiku's, here's something poetry related: Copper and Blue introduces us to Randall Maggs who wrote Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems