Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Top 10 Team Canada Selection Day Surprises

Top 10 Team Canada Selection Day Surprises

Boston Bruins v Atlanta Thrashers


Off the top, I have to admit, no selection or admission will be all that surprising tomorrow when Yzerman et al. name their 23-man roster.

Reflecting back to the amazing atmosphere of the Red & White Team Canada scrimmage game at the Saddledome in Calgary this past August though, reminds me that the roster I had in mind back then will not necessarily match-up with the one revealed tomorrow.

Team Canada Logo - Center Ice - Red & White Scrimmage August 2009 {Photo by Author}

Team Canada Logo - Center Ice - Red & White Scrimmage August 2009 {Photo by Author}

Hockey fans and journalists nation wide have been pleading their cases for who they think should be named to that roster for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics in order to avoid the disastrous performance in Turin, Italy in 2006. Yzerman and crew have been working diligently non-stop to try and ensure they have the right mix of players to avoid that very outcome on home soil.

With the luxury of so much talent to choose from, any selection or admission can be defended, but it is an interesting exercise to try and predict some of the possibilities before the projected roster is finally announced December 30th, 2009.



Read on...
http://thehockeywriters.com/top-10-team-canada-selection-day-surprises/

Read more...

Sunday, December 27, 2009

World Juniors Championships Players To Watch

World Juniors Championships Players To Watch



IIHF World Juniors Semifinals - Canada v Russia


Christopher Ralph – THW’s Flames, Draft and Prospect Correspondent

The WJC U20s are well underway in Saskatchewan, Canada. Sweden have already hammered the Czech -Republic 10-1 in a surprisingly lop-sided fashion. Canada are not so surprisingly in the process of ripping apart the squad from Latvia (16-zip was the final).

In my review of the pre-tourney tilt between Team Canada and Finland, I’ve already highlighted in detail players to watch from those specific countries. What follows is an overview of players to watch throughout the tournament – some obvious; some not so obvious.

Read on...

http://thehockeywriters.com/world-juniors-championships-players-to-watch/

How will be named...

Top player of the tournament?

- Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Nikita Filatov, MPS or Toni Rajala?

Top blueliner?

- Ryan Ellis, Alex Pietrangelo, OEL, Cam Fowler or Sami Vatanen?

Top netminder?

- Jake Allen, Jacob Markstrom, Igor Bobkov, Jack Campbell or Joni Ortia?

Will Canada extend their gold medal streak to six straight?

Should be an amazing tournament in Saskatchewan!

Read more...

Thursday, December 24, 2009

The Kids Can Play! Observations From Finland Versus Team Canada

The Kids Can Play! Observations From Finland Versus Team Canada

Team USA v Team Ontario


Part 2: Team Canada

http://thehockeywriters.com/the-kids-can-play-part2-teamcanada/

Goalie(s)

*Starting with the masked crease protector, hometown Calgary Hitmen netminder
Martin Jones, an undrafted free agent signed by the LA Kings, didn’t disappoint.
The 6’4” goalie is an imposing figure in goal, but also has impressive mobility.
He shut out Finland in the 3-nil win, although Finland did have a goal
disallowed in the third, that I believe should have counted which would have
made the game 2-1. If projected starter Jake Allen falters, Jones is more than
ready to take over the reins.


Forwards

*Projected #1 overall draft selection for next June’s entry draft and the only
yet to be drafted forward on Team Canada, Taylor Hall, showed off his explosive
and dynamic offensive abilities. Joni Ortio made two
brilliant saves when Canada’s youngest forward broke in all alone on two
occasions but he did managed to tweak the twine on a beautiful one-timer setup
by Brandon Kozun. An elite combination of speed and skill, and solidly built
physically, the young forward has been compared to both Pavel Bure and Mark
Messier. Use your imagination to create a hydrid of the two legends of hockey.

Read more...

The Kids Can Play! Observations From Team Finland Versus Team Canada

The Kids Can Play! Observations From Team Finland Versus Team Canada


IIHF World Juniors Relegation - Finland v Germany





Fortunate enough to land lower bowl seats in the Saddledome for last night’s
tilt between Finland and Team Canada in a pre-WJC tournament game, I thought I’d
reflect back on the game with observations from my point of view – some obvious
and some maybe not so obvious. This will also highlight specific players to
watch from these respective teams throughout this year’s World Junior
Championships (U20s).

Part 1: Team Finland

http://thehockeywriters.com/the-kids-can-play-observations-from-team-finland-versus-team-canada/

Read more...

Sunday, December 20, 2009

PIB’s Blackhawks Prospect Rankings #3 Shawn Lalonde

My ranking of the Blackhawks prospects continues over at Paint It Blackhawks.

2008 NHL Entry Draft Portraits


Shawn Lalonde comes in as the third ranked prospect. This position was the closest contested ranking to date for Paint It Blackhawks’ prospect ranking series. The 3rd round 2008 (68th overall) selection was a bit of a wildcard coming into the draft. The blueliner was regarded as one of the best skaters in the draft with offensive upside. I was admittedly keeping a close watch on where he would land and thrilled to see the Hawks snag him in the third. I’ve previously read or heard the Hawks actually had him pegged as a 1st rounder by their scouts’ rankings. While too soon to tell at this point, he sure looks like a crafty pick thus far along in his hockey journey. Lalonde had a breakout year last year after being drafted posting 53 points in 66 games, while registering an impressive plus 29 rating. This season, his evolution continues…


Fantasy Hockey Potential: Offensive = 8/10 Defensive = 8/10

NHL Player(s) Comparison: If you can imagine a morph or hybrid of Marek Zidlicky and Bret Hedican (admittedly a tough one to compare to a current NHLer).
http://paintitblackhawks.com/2009/12/17/pib%E2%80%99s-blackhawks-prospect-rankings-3-shawn-lalonde/

Read more...

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Messier – Set Up To Excel Or Fail?

Hockey Hall of Fame Induction


Messier – Set Up To Excel Or Fail?

Hockey Hall Of Famer and the quintessential, ultimate leader, Mark Messier was officially named general manager of Team Canada’s entry at the 2010 World Championships in Germany.

“Mess” won the Hart Trophy twice to go with six Stanley Cup rings.

The lingering question is, in this situation has Messier been set up to excel or fail?

Let’s take a glance at both sides of the equation.

Fail:

*Will Messier succumb to the pressure and expectations to name Wayne Gretzky as head coach?..........

Read on...

http://thehockeywriters.com/messier-%E2%80%93-set-up-to-excel-or-fail/

Read more...

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Blackhawks Prospect Rankings #2 Kyle Beach

2008 NHL Entry Draft Portraits


Over at Paint It Blackhawks, I'm counting down the top prospects in the system.

Kyle Beach, 11th overall 2008 1st rounder, is tight behind Olsen as the second ranked prospect in the Hawks organization. The 6’3, 210 lb emerging dominant power forward winger is posting fantastic numbers this season, now his fourth in the dub (WHL).

NHL Potential: 2-way physically dominant, agitating power forward (Top 6 forward)

Beach’s notorious reputation for attitude problems, immaturity and lack of discipline precedes him. However, this season Kyle seemingly is growing as a person and a player.


Read more...

http://paintitblackhawks.com/2009/12/04/prospect-rankings-kyle-beach/


Beach hat trick:

Read more...

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Flames Status Report – Monitoring 10 Burning Questions

Flames Status Report – Monitoring 10 Burning Questions

Colorado Avalanche v Calgary Flames
Christopher Ralph – THW’s Flames Correspondent

The THW Flames season preview highlighted 10 questions to monitor as the season progresses. Given that we’re now amazingly already just past one-third of the way through the regular season schedule, let’s reflect back on these burning questions and evaluate how the Flames are making headway with these respective issues.





Read more...

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Blackhawks Prospect Rankings #1 Dylan Olsen

2009 NHL Draft Portraits


Over at Paint It Blackhawks, I'm counting down the top prospects in the system.

The #1 ranked prospect by Paint It Blackhawk might come as a surprise to some. As the University Of Minnesota-Duluth media guide notes regarding the premiere Blackhawk prospect Dylan Olsen: “Seldom was his name mentioned in the Alberta Junior Hockey League circles with­out the word ‘impact’ in the same sentence.” While Olsen is on many Blackhawk fans’ radar, having him is as the number 1 current prospect is not a consensus by various ranking systems out there. Hockey’s Future, for instance, has him ranked as the #4 prospect in the pipeline.

I had the 28th overall 2009 1st rounder ranked 16th overall in my Draft Preview Rankings.

Read more...

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Calgary Flames Joni Ortio: Full Potential Profile And Interview

Calgary Flames Joni Ortio: Full Potential Profile And Interview


I was recently able to do an in depth interview with promising young Flames prospect, netminder Joni Ortio, who was drafted in the 6th round (171st overall) in this past summer’s entry draft. Like his idol, Miikka Kiprusoff, Ortio is from the goalie hotbed of Turku, Finland.

Ortio is a focused, mature beyond his years, young gatekeeper with tremendous upside and a brilliant future.

One of my favourite responses from "Ortsa":

CR: Who’s the craziest teammate, on and off the ice, you’ve had so far?

JO: One of my present teammates but I can’t say his name because he don’t know he is crazy.

Here are highlights from the Bronze medal game in which Ortio backstopped Finland to a 5-4 shootout win over Canada at the World U-18 Championships:


Read more...

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Brent Sutter Prepares Flames To Run The Gauntlet

Edmonton Oilers v Calgary Flames
Brent Sutter Prepares Flames To Run The Gauntlet

My latest article at The Hockey Writers examines Brent Sutter's coaching style and his propensity to break out tough as nails hockey drills to get his players to buy in to what he's selling.

As a bonus, here is the always hockey sadistic enjoyable Herb Brooks portrayal by Kurt Russel in 'Miracle', with the famous "Again!" hockey drill scene. I can easily envision Brent Sutter pulling something similar out should the need arise.


Read more...

Monday, October 26, 2009

Send Me To The Olympics!

Send Me To The Olympics!

"I’ve entered the Globe and Mail’s Journalism Dream contest that could send me to the Olympics as a sportswriter. It definitely would be a dream come to true if I could win, but I need your votes to land me in Vancouver 2010. This is likely to be a once in a lifetime experience to cover, capture and experience the Olympics on our home soil.

*Please go to: http://journalismdream.theglobeandmail.com/entry_article.asp?id=398

*Sign up and vote."



Team Canada Announces the 2010 Olympic Men's Hockey Coaching Staff

Read more...

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Top 10 Defenseman Who Could Use A Sin City Vacation

Top 10 Defenseman Who Could Use A Sin City Vacation

My latest at The Hockey Writers.

The article that answers the Top 10 Most Effective Sin Bin Dwellers (forwards) article, which was linked at Yahoo Sports.

These hockey law abiding blueliners deserve an all expenses paid trip to Las Vegas! Maybe we could join 'em!

Read more...

Thursday, October 22, 2009

10 Observations From Flames Versus Blue Jackets

10 Observations From Flames Versus Blue Jackets


Fortunate enough to land lower bowl seats in the Saddledome for last night’s tilt between the Flames and Blue Jackets, I thought I’d reflect back on the game with ten observations – some obvious and some maybe not so obvious.

Also check out the bonus observation!

Read more...

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Brian McGrattan Impersonates Gordie Howe

Brian McGrattan Impersonates Gordie Howe

Check out my latest article at THW.

Below, watch McGrattan tilt with Darcy Hordichuk, with a bonus bout of Prust versus Tanner Glass:



Read more...

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Fleury Comeback With A Fury - Realistic, Fantasy or Ploy?

Fleury Comeback With A Fury - Realistic, Fantasy or Ploy?

My article on Theoren Fleury at The Hockey Writers (THW). Check out the great new makeover at THW. The site is growing exponentially as a destination hockey website, with an impressive array of hockey journalists covering all teams and all aspects of the hockey world.

Fleury's comeback attempt has since abruptly come to a halt, but even at that it was a success for the guy formerly referred to as the Little Rat Ba$t@rd. Fleury was more than respectable in the Flames preseason, averaging a PPG and was a plus 4. Couple that with an outstanding game-winning shootout goal in his first preseason game, and Fleury had a storybook finish - appropriate with his new tell-all book being released later this month.

He will now officially retire as a Flames and is now going out on his terms. Well done by Theo!

http://thehockeywriters.com/fleury-comeback-with-a-fury/ 

Read more...

Attack After The Hit - Hockey's Next Epidemic

My latest article at The Hockey Writers tackling the controversial subject after a player having to answer the bell after dishing out bone-jarring, but clean hits. Phaneuf's preseason hit on Okposo spawned me to finally write about a subject I am passionate about.

http://thehockeywriters.com/attack-after-the-hit-%e2%80%93-hockey%e2%80%99s-next-epidemic/


Read more...

Paint It Blackhawks Season Preview: From $62.8 million to 20 cents - 10 Questions The Blackhawks Must Answer

Blackhawks Season Preview - PIB (Paint It Blackhawk) Style!

Part 1:
http://paintitblackhawks.com/2009/09/29/blackhawks-season-preview-from-628-million-to-20-cents-10-questions-the-blackhawks-must-answer-1-5/

Part 2:
http://paintitblackhawks.com/2009/09/30/blackhawks-season-preview-from-628-million-to-20-cents-10-questions-the-blackhawks-must-answer-6-10/

This preview was linked at Yahoo Sports by Puck Daddy:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Puck-Headlines-Pens-bling-captain-moves-for-S?urn=nhl,193147

Madison Musings: Season Opener Edition
:
http://paintitblackhawks.com/2009/09/30/madison-musings-season-opener-edition/

Get you Paint It Backhawks widget and stay up to date:






Read more...

The Hockey Spy's Current Affiliations

In case readers stumble back to my inaugural blog, this is where you can find my current articles:

  • The Hockey Writers: Calgary Flames correspondent, as well as covering prospects and the entry draft
http://thehockeywriters.com/author/cralph/

http://paintitblackhawks.com/

  • The Hockey Spy: my portal website- now relocated back to original location:
http://hockeyspy.blogspot.com

*Thanks for all your continued support!

- email me @ hockeyspy@gmail.com
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/hockeyspy

Read more...

Monday, September 14, 2009

Blackhawks Blast From The Past

Here's the inauguralpost of a new feature at Paint It Blackhawks!

Blackhawks Blast From The Past!

http://paintitblackhawks.com/2009/09/10/blackhawks-blast-from-the-past/

First to be featured - Denis "Savvy" Savard!






Read more...

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Blackhawks Tributes Part 1 & 2 By PIB (Paint It Blackhawks)

Presenting PIB's (Paint It Blackhawks) Two Tribute videos to get you geared up for the highly anticipated upcoming season!

PIB Tribute #1:
http://paintitblackhawks.com/2009/08/31/paint-it-blackhawks-tribute-part-1/

PIB Tribute #2:
http://paintitblackhawks.com/2009/09/05/paint-it-blackhawks-tribute-part-2/

Time to paint the NHL Blackhawk!


Read more...

Monday, August 31, 2009

Patrick Kane Case Closed?!?

Hopefully the case is closed on Patrick "Twunny Cents" Kane's unfortunate incident. For more read on here:

http://paintitblackhawks.com/2009/08/27/chapterclosedpatrickkane/


Let's hope Kane, the Blackhawks and Team USA can finally get past this episode.


Read more...

Team Canada Red And White Scrimmage Game Painted Blackhawk

For a live perspective on how the four Chicago Blackhawks performed during the Team Canada Olympic Red and White scrimmage game:

http://paintitblackhawks.com/2009/08/29/team-canada-red-and-white-scrimmage-game-painted-blackhawk/

Which Blackhawks do you think will make it?


Read more...

The Lone Ranger Leaf At The Red & White Scrimmage Game

Beauchemin.jpgFrancois Beauchemin was the only participant for the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Team Canada Olympic Orientation Camp.

For an update on his performance at the Red & White scrimmage game, click here:

http://thehockeywriters.com/toronto-maple-leafs-presence-at-team-canada-red-and-white-scrimmage/




Read more...

Introducing...Paint It Blackhawks

The Hockey Spy is now also covering the Chicago Blackhawks at Paint It Blackhawks!
It's a part of the Fanball Sports Network (fanball.com)

I'm in some great company:
- Flames covered by James Duplacey: former curator of Hockey Hall Of Fame and author of over 50 sports books
- Leafs covered by Paul Bruno: who does a lot of stats work with Leafs and Blue Jays

Here's the new link:

http://paintitblackhawks.com/

The Intro Post:
http://paintitblackhawks.com/2009/08/26/intro/



Feedback welcomed and appreciated - email or comment on the site.

Read more...

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Flames Prospect Development Camp Impressions: Part II

Sunday I posted Part I of my impressions from the Calgary Flames Summer Prospect Development Camp. I was at the Saddledome on Saturday and got a good viewing of what the future of the Calgary Flames might resemble.

Here is Part II, taking a look at the forwards at camp:

http://thehockeywriters.com/flames-prospect-development-camp-impressions-part-ii/







Read more...

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Flames Prospect Development Camp Impressions: Part I

Here is my latest article at The Hockey Writers, written after I attended the last day of the Flames Summer Prospect Development Camp.

It was great to get down at the Saddledome again and get a glimpse into the Flames future.

http://thehockeywriters.com/flames-prospect-development-camp-impressions-part-i/ 

Tim Erixon (pictured right) looks mighty happy to be hauling on that Flames jersey! Click here for his detailed prospect profile I completed for my Draft Preview:
http://thehockeywriters.com/31-tim-erixon-%E2%80%93-the-hockey-spy%E2%80%99s-2009-nhl-entry-draft-rankings/







Read more...

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Top 10 NHL 2009 Entry Draft Scouting Performances


Christopher Ralph is a hockey writer with a focus on prospects and the entry draft, as well as the Leafs' correspondent at THW.



Well over a week has passed since hockey's version of Christmas (that is, NHL entry draft) has come and gone followed by hockey's version of a Boxing Day sale (that is, Free Agent Frenzy, aka Canada Day!) which commenced last week.


As I gradually recover from withdrawal of these major events, I thought I'd take a look back to see which NHL franchise's scouting teams' performances seemingly stood out from the rest.


Here's my latest article hosted at The Hockey Writers (THW):


http://thehockeywriters.com/top-10-nhl-2009-entry-draft-scouting-performances/


Feel free to comment below or email me at hockeyspy@gmail.com


You can also follow me at Twitter: http://twitter.com/hockeyspy



Read more...

Monday, July 6, 2009

NHL 2009 Entry Draft Aftermath: Comparing The Draft Ranking Services Take 2

Last week, I compared the various ranking systems from a couple of
different perspectives and highlighted limitations to any type of
analysis this close to after the draft {Click here for article}.

This week I present another methodology in gauging the accuracy of
the major draft ranking services. Basically, a point was assigned for
each draft position a prospect was taken in the actual NHL entry draft
versus where the prospect was projected to go in the respective ranking.

Click here
for the analysis I  performed using what information we actually have
at this point to determine which draft ranking service was the most
accurate from the NHL 2009 entry draft results.

http://thehockeywriters.com/nhl-2009-entry-draft-aftermath-comparing-the-draft-ranking-services-take-2/


This was the Monster Draft Preview complete with links to the 2 round mock draft:
http://thehockeywriters.com/the-hockey-spy%E2%80%99s-2009-nhl-entry-draft-preview/


Read more...

Monday, June 29, 2009

NHL 2009 Entry Draft Aftermath: Comparing The Draft Ranking Services



In grading which scouting service and/or ranking system made
the best predictions or was most accurate in terms of how the NHL 2009 entry
draft went down, there are many limitations. It will likely be somewhere between
three to five years before we can begin to understand which scouting/ranking
system was most accurate in their prognostications, and compare this to how NHL
team's professional scouting teams performed.

Click here for the analysis I  performed using what information we actually have at this point to determine which draft ranking service was the most accurate from the NHL 2009 entry draft results.

http://thehockeywriters.com/nhl-2009-entry-draft-aftermath-comparing-the-draft-ranking-services/






Read more...

Friday, June 26, 2009

The Hockey Spy's 2 Round Mock Draft!

Round 1


http://thehockeywriters.com/the-hockey-spys-mock-draft-round-1/


Round 2


http://thehockeywriters.com/the-hockey-spys-mock-draft-round-2/


Check out:


Snap Hockey


- It's like Twitter/Facebook status updates specific for hockey.


Stay tuned as draft commentary will be provided tonight LIVE!



Read more...

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

The Hockey Spy's Monster 2009 NHL Entry Draft Preview Complete

For a guide and legend to the rankings and profile click this link first:

http://thehockeywriters.com/the-hockey-spy%E2%80%99s-2009-nhl-entry-draft-preview/


The Hockey Spy's Rankings:


Round 1:


{Click on Prospect's Name for link to "Full Potential" Profile}


1. John Tavares


2. Victor Hedman


3. Matt Duchene


4. Brayden Schenn


5. Evander Kane


6. Oliver Ekman-Larsson


7. Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson


8. Ryan Ellis


9. Jordan Schroeder


10. Dmitri Kulikov


11. Jared Cowen


12. Nazem Kadri


13. David Rundblad


14. John Moore


15. Carter Ashton


16. Dylan Olsen


17. Scott Glennie


18. Jeremy Morin


19. Kyle Palmieri


20. Jacob Josefson


21. Calvin de Haan


22. Charles-Olivier Roussel


23. Louis Leblanc


24. Peter Holland


25. Chris Kreider


26. Nick Leddy


27. Zack Kassian


28. Landon Ferraro


29. Toni Rajala


30. Ethan Werek


Round 2:


31. Tim Erixon


32. Drew Shore


33. Simon Despres


34. Jordan Caron


35. Tomas Tatar


36. Carl Klingberg


37. Stefan Elliot


38. Richard Panik


39. Ryan O'Reilly


40. Zach Budish


41. Olivier Roy


42. Joonas Nattinan


43. Dmitri Orlov


44. Matt Clark


45. Tyson Barrie


46. Matt Hackett


47. Eric Gelinas


48. Marcus Johansson


49. Philippe Paradis


50. Jerry D'Amigo


51. Sami Vatanen


52. Cody Eakin


53. Taylor Doherty


54. Robin Lehner


55. Kenny Ryan


56. Mikko Koskinen


57. William Wrenn


58. Alex Hutchings


59. Chris Brown


60. Ben Hanowski



Read more...

Friday, June 19, 2009

The Hockey Spy's Draft Preview Round 1 Finalized!

For a guide and legend to the rankings and profile click this link first:

http://thehockeywriters.com/the-hockey-spy%E2%80%99s-2009-nhl-entry-draft-preview/


The Hockey Spy's Rankings:


Round 1:


{Click on Prospect's Name for link to "Full Potential" Profile}


1. John Tavares


2. Victor Hedman


3. Matt Duchene


4. Brayden Schenn


5. Evander Kane


6. Oliver Ekman-Larsson


7. Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson


8. Ryan Ellis


9. Jordan Schroeder


10. Dmitri Kulikov


11. Jared Cowen


12. Nazem Kadri


13. David Rundblad


14. John Moore


15. Carter Ashton


16. Dylan Olsen


17. Scott Glennie


18. Jeremy Morin


19. Kyle Palmieri


20. Jacob Josefson


21. Calvin de Haan


22. Charles-Olivier Roussel


23. Louis Leblanc


24. Peter Holland


25. Chris Kreider


26. Nick Leddy


27. Zack Kassian


28. Landon Ferraro


29. Toni Rajala


30. Ethan Werek


Round 2:


31. Stay Tuned!



Read more...

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

The Hockey Spy's 2009 NHL Entry Draft Preview

I have decided to host my "monster" Draft Preview at The Hockey Writers (THW).


Click on the following link for a guide and legend to my "Full Potential" Prospect Profiles.


http://thehockeywriters.com/the-hockey-spy%e2%80%99s-2009-nhl-entry-draft-preview/


I will be releasing approximately 5 to 10 prospect profiles per day for a total of 60.


Check back and stay tuned for updates!


This is a link to all my articles at THW and yuo will also find the draft profiles here:


http://thehockeywriters.com/author/cralph/


 


 


"Keep your stick on the ice and eyes on the prize!" 


 



Read more...

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Boston Bruins Prospect Joe Colborne: Two Part Interview

Check out my latest 2 part series at The Hockey Writers. It is an in depth interview with Boston Bruins elite young gun prospect - Joe Colborne.

Part 1:
http://thehockeywriters.com/joe-colborne-boston-bruins%E2%80%99-prospect-%E2%80%9Cfull-potential%E2%80%9D-profile-and-interview-part-1/

Part 2:
http://thehockeywriters.com/joe-colborne-boston-bruins-interview-part-2-rapid-fire-shootout/

THW (The Hockey Writers) has also granted me my own section, Prospects/Draft, located on the main page, two tabs over from the "Top Story". Keep checking back for more prospect profiles, interviews, rankings, entry draft preview, draft rankings and mock drafts.
http://thehockeywriters.com/#three

Here's a video of a great Colborne goal:

 






Read more...

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

The Hockey Vigilante! Calling Out & Taking On Hockey Ignorance in Sports Media!


My latest article at The Hockey Writers:

The Hockey Vigilante Targets Fox Radio Sports' Steve Czaban
! 5 minutes for hockey ignorance!

http://thehockeywriters.com/the-hockey-vigilante-target-steve-czaban-of-fox-sports-radio/

State your case why you love hockey below or email me at hockeyspy@gmail.com

Here's 10 more reasons why hockey is so fantastic:






Read more...

Friday, May 22, 2009

Hockey History Repeating? How Do The Penguins And Red Wings Stack Up Against The 1980s' Oilers And Islanders?

wayne gretzy statue.jpg

Check out my latest article at The Hockey Writers (THW):
http://thehockeywriters.com/hockey-history-repeating-do-the-penguins-and-red-wings-compare-to-the-1980s-oilers-and-islanders/

A borderline hallucinogenic optimistic hockey writer's version of history repeating.

Some great classic videos inserted as well!

With both conference finals at 2 zip, a Pittsburgh versus Detroit final seems all the more inevitable.

Evgeny "Geno" Malkin's 4 point and hat-trick performance last night sealed the victory for the Penguins in Game 2. Check out the interview and highlights, especially the amazing third goal in the following video courtesy of Versus:







Read more...

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Top 10 Key Unsung Hero Players In Hockey's Version Of The Final Four

Check out my latest piece at The Hockey Writers (THW):
The Top 10 Key Players In Hockey's Version Of The Final Four
http://thehockeywriters.com/top-10-key-players-in-hockeys-version-of-the-final-four/

The article has been linked by Yahoo Sports' own Puck Daddy on his Puck Headlines column.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Puck-Headlines-Carolina-ready-for-must-lose-gam?urn=nhl,164198

Until next time, check out this video montage put together by Blackhawks scoreboard crew for pregame in Round 1:





Read more...

Monday, May 11, 2009

Tavares To T.O. - Are The Planets Aligning? {The Hockey Writers}

Check out my latest article at The Hockey Writers.


http://thehockeywriters.com/taveres-to-to-are-the-planets-aligning/


It has been referenced by Puck Daddy (of Yahoo Sports) on his Puck Headlines:


 http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Puck-Headlines-NY-rep-picks-hockey-over-vote-R?urn=nhl,162196

It was also linked at JoeBoltsFan.com

http://www.joeboltsfan.com/?p=1389

Finally, it got linked over at Pension Plan Puppets (A Leafs blog) in Matt Black's "From The Branches column.

http://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/2009/5/9/870234/paul-maurice-coaching-genius

For more of my "Leaf Revolution" articles, check out:

http://thehockeywriters.com/author/cralph/

Let's close out with another great Tavares video clip:





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Saturday, April 25, 2009

Red Light District: Alex Ovechkin's "The Goal"

Alexander Ovechkin Amazing Highlight Reel Goal vs. Rangers (Playoffs Game 5, 24th April 2009)







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Thursday, April 23, 2009

"Price" And Time Right For Burke To Trade For Canadiens' Carey Price

Check out my latest article at The Hockey Writers (THW) in my Leafs Revolution column.

http://thehockeywriters.com/price-and-time-right-for-burke-to-trade-for-canadiens-carey-price

The timing could not be better for the Leafs to go after an elite young
franchise goalie. How quickly the mighty have fallen. After last
season's tremendous rookie year and being named THN's Top Prospect in
last year's prospect edition, Price has had an inconsistent year this
season, to put it mildly.






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Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Shots From The Slot: Top Shelf Toronto Maple Leaf News

While the season has been over for the Leafs for what seems like an eternity, hockey's most financially valuable franchise remains at the forefront of the hockey news world.


"Shots From The Slot" will keep you up to date on all the Leafs latest happenings.

http://thehockeywriters.com/shots-from-the-slot-top-shelf-toronto-maple-leaf-news/

This is latest article for my Leaf Revolution column at The Hockey Writers (THW), as the staff writer for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The video clip is of one Jonas Gustavsson, a 24 year old elite goalie in the SEL whom the Leafs and Brian Burke covet.





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Monday, April 20, 2009

The Hockey Spy's 2009 Mock NHL Entry Draft V1.1

The Hockey Spy's NHL 2009 Mock Draft Round 1 (last Update April 21/09)


Notes up front:

- The mock draft at this point is based on teams drafting BPA (Best Player Available). I will begin with a first round mock and expand from there leading up to the June Entry Draft, likely including three rounds or 100 players.
- I am not a big fan of drafting a goalie in first round unless the talent and potential are simply undeniable. Last year, for instance, given the astronomical odds of actually being a NHL GM, I would have considered selecting Jacob Markstrom and Chet Pitkard in the first round. This year, I would not select a netminder at all. Olivier Roy would be the closest thing to a 1st-round talent goalie, but I seem him more as an early to mid second rounder. - NHL Player Comparisons are simply to give the reader a feel for the players' style and ultimately likely equal the player's ceiling potential being reached. It is often an exercise in futility, but does offer up some value. If I add the suffix "-lite" or "Jr." after a NHL player comparison, it simply refers to the fact the prospect likely has no chance to reach that high a potential, but rather resembles or plays a style reminiscent of the respective NHLer.
- "One-Timer" heading is meant to be a quick synopsis of the prospect. As we move closer to the June entry draft, The Hockey Spy will reveal more detailed information on the prospective players.



- NHL teams not listed at hits point. I'll wait until positions are set after April 16th.



- Stats are from hockeydb.com when the player is available from the database. Some prospects were not available, thus a hyper-link available (click on the player's name for the link) taking you to their stats page {See Nick Leddy and Tomas Tatar). For Jeremy Morin and Kyle Palmieri here is the link for US-U18 team stats (options on left hand side). Any questions, email The Hockey Spy.



 
# - Name - Hometown - Height - Weight - Amateur League - Amateur Club - Position


1. New York Islanders: John Tavares - Oakville, ONT - 6'0" - 198 lbs - OHL - London - C
One-Timer: Already a legend, J.T. has broken the all-time OHL goal-scoring record this season. Possessing elite hands, hockey sense and an innate pure goal-scorers touch, J.T. seems destined to be an NHL superstar. Skating is about the only issue scouts can identify, but even that is far from a liability.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Dany Heatley, Brett Hull, Mike Bossy
ISS: 1 CSB: 1-NA TSN: 1 NACS: 1
ETA = Ready




2. Tampa Bay Lightning: Victor Hedman - Örnsköldsvik, SWE - 6'6" - 220 lbs - SEL - Modo - D
One-Timer: A fast and smooth skating defenseman, offensively and defensively sound and is 6'6" 220lbs and only recently turned 18?!? Is he genetically engineered? Nope! It's one Victor Hedman, who's a shoe in to go second overall in June, with more than a few GMs considering him at first overall.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: hybrid of Jay Boumeester and Chris Pronger
ISS: 2 CSB: 1-E TSN: 2 NACS: 2
ETA = Ready




3. Colorado Avalanche: Matt Duchene - Haliburton, ONT - 5'11" - 196 lbs - OHL - Brampton - C
One-Timer: Duchene is an explosive skater and speedster with great hands, good passer and has a great shot with a quick release. Matt can also play in his own end, being responsible defensively.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Marian Hossa, Simon Gagne, Joe Sakic Jr.
ISS: 4 CSB: 2-NA TSN: 3 NACS: 3
ETA = Ready to 1 year




4. Atlanta Thrashers: Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson - Norrköping, SWE - 6'1" - 198 lbs - SEL - Timra - LW One-Timer: MSP is a super creative winger with speed to burn. Known more of a playmaker, the talented Swede still knows how to finish. The powerful and smooth skating MSP is also very tough to knock off the puck.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Forsberg-lite, Marian Hossa
ISS: 3 CSB: 2-E TSN: 7 NACS: 6
ETA = 1 year




5. Los Angeles Kings: Evander Kane - Vancouver, BC - 6'1" - 181 lbs - WHL - Vancouver - C
One-Timer: Kane is a physical forward with sniper-like instincts. He is ultra-competitive, consistent and has an innate ability of knowing where to be on the ice at all times. Put that with his great hands and goal-scorer's touch and you have yourself an elite forward in the making.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Iginla-lite
ISS: 7 CSB: 3-NA TSN: 4 NACS: 5
ETA = 1 to 2 years




6. Phoenix Coyotes: Jared Cowen - Allan, SK - 6'5" - 218 lbs - WHL - Spokane - D
One-Timer: The towering all-around defender unfortunately had his season cut short in February with a knee injury. He has already won a Memorial Cup at age 16 and was a valuable shutdown defender on that squad. While the injury may hurt the big and mobile d-man's stock on draft day, if he does drop at all he will likely have GMs who passed him over regret their decision in the future.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Pronger-lite, Braydon Coburn, Robyn Regehr
ISS: 6 CSB: 7-NA TSN: 11 NACS: 7

ETA = 2 to 3 years



7. Toronto Maple Leafs: Brayden Schenn - Saskatoon, SK - 6'0" - 192 lbs - WHL - Brandon - C
One-Timer: The talented and enthusiastic two-way forward is the younger brother of the Leafs' Luke. He plays even bigger than his size suggests. He possesses excellent leadership qualities as well.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Mike Richards, smaller Ryan Getzlaf, Mark Messier Jr.
ISS: 5 CSB: 5-NA TSN: 5 NACS: 4
ETA = Ready to 1 year




8. Dallas Stars: Jordan Schroeder - Prior Lake, MN - 5'9" - 180 lbs - WCHA - Minnesota - RW One-Timer: Although most will dwell on his size, Schroeder more than makes up for this deficiency with his outstanding hockey sense and intelligence, poise, pucks skills and blazing speed. He is the ultimate team player, has excellent creativity and is not intimidated by the physical play despite his size. He is described as more of a playmaker, but the shot he exhibited at the WJC was just as lethal as his passing.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Paul Kariya, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Zach Parise
ISS: 11 CSB: 4-NA TSN: 12 NACS: 12
ETA = 2 years




9. Ottawa Senators: Ryan Ellis - Freelton, ONT - 5'9" - 183 lbs - OHL - Windsor - D
One-Timer: The PP QB magician, Ellis is an offensive dynamo from the blueline! Size will also be the biggest issue with Ryan, but having watched him closely at this year's WJC it is hard to fathom he won't excel at the next level. His hockey sense and smarts are off the chart, and not surprisingly he was the OHL's scholastic player of the year last year. My feeling is at worst, if he is in fact too small to play on the blueline in the big leagues, convert him to forward! It likely won't be necessary, but in all honesty I'd foresee an extremely smooth transition.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Andrei Markov, Dan Boyle
ISS: 12 CSB: 15-NA TSN: 13 NACS: 11
ETA = 2 years




10. Edmonton Oilers: Dmitry Kulikov - Moscow, RUS - 6'1" - 195 lbs - QMJHL - Drummondville - D
One-Timer: Deadly on the powerplay, Kulikov displays tremendous hockey sense and vision. The offensive d-man is exudes great confidence as well, helping him acclimatize rapidly to the North American brand of hockey. The talented puck-moving blueliner also boasts a great shot and is an excellent passer. Interestingly, at this year's WJC he was a cast in more of a shutdown role and adapted nicely to what was asked of him.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Sergei Zubov, Andrei Markov
ISS: 14 CSB: 17-NA TSN: 11 NACS: 8

ETA = 1-2 years



11. Nashville Predators: Oliver Ekman-Larsson - Karlskrona, SWE - 6'2" 176 lbs - Allsvenskan - Leksand - D
One-Timer: The secret is out. Readers don't even need The Hockey Spy to reveal this sky-rocketing gem! "OEL" has been called a poor-man's Nik Lidstrom. That's actually a compliment! Already possessing a pro-level shot, the fluid puck-moving defenseman might very well land in the Top 10 of this draft.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Niklas Kronwall, Nik Lidstrom Jr.-lite
ISS: 28 CSB: not ranked TSN: 10 NACS: 73
ETA = 1 year

12. Minnesota Wild: David Rundblad - Lycksele, SWE - 6'2" - 190 lbs - SEL - Skelleftea - D
One-Timer: The good-sized Swedish d-man is a beautiful skater, adept at making "coast-to-coast" plays on the ice. He is first and foremost a puck-moving blueliner, but given time to develop a more efficient defensive side to his game, should be become a well-rounded two-way defenseman.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Mark Streit, Scott Niedermayer Jr.-Lite
ISS: 29 CSB: 4-E TSN: 23 NACS: 23

ETA = 2 years



13. Buffalo Sabres: Nazem Kadri - London, ONT - 6'0" - 177 lbs - OHL - London - C
One-Timer: A fast, creative, versatile forward, Kadri is an offensive spark-plug. He displays very good vision on the ice as well and this bodes well for his puck possession style of play.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Marc Savard, Scott Gomez
ISS: 8 CSB: 11-NA TSN: 8 NACS: 9

ETA = 1-2 years



14. Florida Panthers: John Moore - Winnetka, ILL - 6'2" - 180 lbs - USHL - Chicago - D
One-Timer: An intriguing combination complete package of skills and size. Out of the USHL, will he be the John Carlson of this year's draft? I read that Moore cites Scott Niedermayer as a major influence, and considers himself a puck-moving defenseman. He also play a relentless physical game and should be a gem if he the whole develops from the sum of his parts.

NHL Player(s) Comparison: Scott Niedermayer Jr.-Lite
ISS: 17 CSB: 8-NA TSN: 15 NACS: 16

ETA = 2 years



15. Anaheim Ducks: Simon Despres - Laval, PQ - 6'4" - 214 lbs - QMJHL - Saint John - D
One-Timer: Depres projects to be a shutdown blueliner at the next level. He can make a good break out pass out of his own zone and can play physical as well. The big d-man keeps things simple, but efficient on a very consistent basis. NHL Player(s) Comparison: M.E. Vlasic (but bigger)
ISS: 15 CSB: 6-NA TSN: 14 NACS: 10

ETA = 1 year



16. Columbus Blue Jackets: Peter Holland - Caledon, ONT - 6'2" - 190 lbs - OHL - Brampton - C
One-Timer: The future power forward is a good skater with a nice shot, can also be a set-up man and is no slouch in defensive zone coverage. He is also noted to be effective in the face-off circle and also focuses on scholastics off the ice, planning to earn a degree somewhere along the line - depending on where hockey takes him.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Ryan Kesler, Jason Arnott
ISS: 13 CSB: 9-NA TSN: 17 NACS: 14

ETA = 2 years



17. St. Louis Blues: Scott Glennie - Winnipeg, MTB - 6'1" - 180 lbs - WHL - Brandon - C
One-Timer: A consistent scorer with a pure goal-scorers touch, the speedy and talented forward unfortunately had his season cut short with a broken elbow. At the time, he was tied for 6th in the WHL scoring race. Some wonder if his stock is elevated because of playing with the likes of Schenn and Matt Calvert, but others argue it may in fact be Glennie helping the offensive stats of the other two.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Jeff Carter Jr., Mike Gartner, Geoff Sanderson
ISS: 20 CSB: 12-NA TSN: 9 NACS: 13

ETA = 2 years



18. Montreal Canadiens: Jacob Josefson - Stockholm, SWE - 6'0" - 187 lbs - SEL - Djurgarden - C One-Timer: The well-ronuded two-way centerman had an up and down year in the SEL, but finished strong with 5 pts in his last 6 games. He has a good level hockey IQ and doesn't shy away from the physical side of the game.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Henrik Sedin-lite, Zetterberg Jr.-Lite
ISS: 10 CSB: 3-E TSN: 18 NACS: 17

ETA = 2 years



19. New York Rangers: Zack Kassian - LaSalle, ONT - 6'3" - 205 lbs - OHL - Peterborough - RW
One-Timer: The stock of this budding power forward has been rising this season after raising his offensive game, averaging just over a PPG in the OHL. He is also one of the OHL's toughest players and doesn't shy away from donnybrooks, but likely needs to show more discipline after sometimes taking needless penalties. There is no doubting the size, skill and energy he brings to the table, but he does need to continue to work on his skating and likewise getting quicker.

NHL Player(s) Comparison: Milan Lucic, Scott Hartnell, Brendan Morrow
ISS: 19 CSB: 24-NA TSN: 16 NACS: 19
ETA = 2 years




20. Carolina Hurricanes: Calvin de Haan - Carp, On - 6'0" - 165 lbs - OHL - Oshawa - D
One-Timer: The dynamic puck-moving d-man actually increased his production after the trade of Tavares, scoring 17 points in his final 13 games. He actually out-dueled Matt Duchene to win the puck-control relay at the Top Prospects Skill Competition. He does need to fill out physically and although adequate in his own zone, he could improve his defensive play.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Niklas Kronwall
ISS: N/A CSB: 38-NA TSN: 21 NACS: 25

ETA = 3 years



21. Calgary Flames: Landon Ferraro - Burnaby, BC - 6'0"- 170 lbs - WHL - Red Deer - C
One-Timer: Son of former NHLer Ray Ferraro, Landon has wheels - as evident by his winning the fastest skater event at the Top Prospects Game's Skill Competition. Other than his skating, Landon's hockey smarts and hard work make him a solid NHL prospect, even setting bloodlines aside. The young Ferraro also knows a thing or two about scoring.

NHL Player(s) Comparison: David Krejci
ISS: 18 CSB: 13-NA TSN: 24 NACS: 18

ETA = 2 years



22. Philadelphia Flyers: Louis Leblanc - Kirkland, PQ - 6'0" - 178 lbs - USHL - Omaha - C
One-Timer: The fast, offensive centerman was actually considered to be a top 10 prospect coming into this hockey season. He is Harvard-bound next season.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Patrick Marleau Jr.

ISS: 16 CSB: 18-NA TSN: 22 NACS: 37

ETA = 2-3 years



23. Pittsburgh Penguins: Charles-Oliver Roussel - St-Eustache, PQ - 6'1" - 200 lbs - OMJHL - Shawinigan - D
One-Timer: The two-way blueliner is extremely poised and very versatile. Whether you need him to man the powerplay, shut-down the opposing key players, or play a nasty physical game - Roussel will be making the NHL team's scouting department who decides to select him look very good! NHL Player(s) Comparison: Shea Weber-Lite
ISS: N/A CSB: 30-NA TSN: not ranked NACS: 53
ETA = 1 year




24. Vancouver Canucks: Carter Ashton - Saskatoon, SK - 6'4" - 212 lbs - WHL - Lethbridge - RW
One-Timer: The son of former NHLer, Brent Ashton, who played 2 games shy of 1000 in the NHL. The budding 2-way power forward out of the "Dub" has seen his stock rocket as this season went on. The physical forward doesn't shy away from the rough stuff and established himself as a 30-goal scorer this year. He has great character and quite versatile as well.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Mike Knuble, Ryan Malone
ISS: 22 CSB: 10-NA TSN: 19 NACS: 39
ETA = 2-3 years




25. Chicago Blackhawks: Nick Leddy - Eden Prairie, MN - 5'11" - 180 lbs - MN-HS - Eden Prairie - D One-Timer: The recently crowned "Mr. Hockey", as the best high-school player in Minnesota high school, is a tad on the small side, but boy is he fast! He is a very poised player and an uncanny ability to make plays at high speeds. He posses very good vision and thus makes intelligent decisions on both sides of the rink.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Kris Russell, Dan Boyle, Brian Rafalski
ISS: N/A CSB: 25-NA TSN: not ranked NACS: 34
ETA = 3 years

26. New Jersey Devils: Chris Kreider - Boxford, MASS - 6'2'' - 200 lbs - HS-MASS - Andover - LW One-Timer: High schooler has NHL frame and possesses a great touch around the net. The power forward is also a beautiful skater. He'll need some time to develop, but is an intriguing sleeper.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Travis Zajac
ISS: 30 CSB: 14-NA TSN: 20 NACS: 42
ETA = 3 years

27. Washington Capitals: Jeremy Morin - Auburn, NY - 6'0" - 190 lbs - USA-U18 - NTDP - C
One-Timer: One word: Sniper! There are some issues with his attitude and certain aspects of his game (skating and physical fitness), but he has tons of potential and the kid simply knows how to fill the back of the net. He had 26 goals and 22 assists in 46 games with the U18 team this year.
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Alexei Kovalec Jr.-Lite
ISS: 23 CSB: 21-NA TSN: 25 NACS: 20
ETA = 3 years

28. Detroit Red Wings: Ethan Werek - Stouffville, ONT - 6'2'' - 195 lbs - OHL - Kingston - LW
One-Timer: With 64 points in 66 games in his OHL rookie season, Werek displays a combination of offense and grit. He utilizes his good hands, strength and reach in close, scoring most of his goals in the "dirty" areas. Ethan has a decent shot with better-than-average passing ability. He does need work on the defensive side and on his discipline, as he sometimes takes needless penalties.

NHL Player(s) Comparison: John Leclair
ISS: 24 CSB: 43-NA TSN: not ranked NACS: 15

ETA = 3 years



29. Boston Bruins: Kyle Palmieri - Montvale, NJ - 5'11" - 191 lbs - USA-U18 - NTDP - C
One-Timer: Palmieri is an explosive skater with and without the puck. He has very good vision and uses the this to distribute the puck to his teammates effectively. Kyle had 30 points in 33 games with the U18 team this season.

NHL Player(s) Comparison: Chris Drury
ISS: 21 CSB: 19-NA TSN: 29 NACS: 22
ETA = 3 years

30. San Jose Sharks: Tomas Tatar - Slovakia - 5'11" - 176 lbs - Slovakia - HKM Zvolen- C
One-Timer: Possessing tremendous hands and a great shot, Tatar, who had an unbelievable WJC breakout performance, also has an uncanny ability to be at the right place at the right time.

NHL Player(s) Comparison: Jiri Hudler, Zigmund Palffy
ISS: N/A CSB: 17-E TSN: not ranked NACS: 47

ETA = 2 years

Legend:

ETA = Estimated Time Of Arrival to NHL

ISS = International Scouting Services

CSB = Central Scouting Bureau (NA = North America , E = Europe)

TSN = Bob McKenzie's mid-season rankings

NACS = North American Central Scouting - Mark Seidel



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