Hockey Beat » Events

Craig Simpson Wins “Battle of the Blades”

Jeanne Dupuis — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:24:27 +0000

I have to confess – I didn’t watch most of Battle of the Blades partly out of embarrassment since everyone else in my house thought it was lame and partly because I’ve just been so flipping busy. Either way, I have been keeping an eye on it since it’s really like Dancing With the Stars but on ice, featuring former hockey players.

Last night, the winner was crowned and, apparently, it was no surprise to the show’s many viewers (it did so well that CBC is ordering up a second season!).

Olympic pairs gold-medalist, Jamie Sale, and ex-Oiler/Hocker Night in Canada commentator, Craig Simpson, won over viewers and voters. In case you missed it, here’s their routine to the Black Eyed Peas hit, ‘I’ve Got A Feeling.’

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Celebrating 50 Years of the Goalie Mask

Jeanne Dupuis — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:03:26 +0000

NHL fans are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the introduction of goaltender masks. On November 1, 1959 the New York Rangers were hosting the Montreal Canadiens at the Madison Square Garden.

Rangers forward, Andy Bathgate, was pretty irritable with Habs netminder, Jacques Plante, who, he says, rubbed it in when the Rangers were beaten at home. He also was a bit upset about an altercation with the goalie that almost left Bathgate in the hospital.

image: TSN

“The puck was dumped in and it wasn’t a hard shot,” Batgate recalled. “I thought I could beat him to the puck but all this was happening in split seconds. And Jacques came out the right side and he saw that I was coming, I was right on him, and he turned around and saw me and he gave me a poke-check and I went head first into the boards. I wasn’t prepared for that and my head was right straight-on, and I got it turned enough that I cut my ear and I cut my face a little bit. What he did to me was not called for. I thought: “How do you show him, ‘Hey, big boy, you got to even things up here. You want to play that game? I had better straighten it out.’”

“I came down the left wing, and Jacques used to sort of sit with his ass in the net and his head sticking out, ready to go across,” Bathgate continued. “I just gave him a fairly good wrist shot. I was trying to hit him somewhere where he would remember me and, boom, I nailed him. It wasn’t a hard shot. If I had really wanted to shoot it hard, I could have broken his jaw, but he bled good.”

Plante suffered a broken nose, needed stitches and was pretty banged up but he didn’t want to miss the rest of the game. He had been experimenting with a homemade mask and asked if he could wear it onto the ice. The coach (Toe Blake) was pissed and didn’t want him to wear it but he had no choice since there wasn’t a backup. He made Plante promise to get rid of the mask when his face healed up.

“He had to go to his own dressing room and then all of a sudden he came out with this mask on,” recalled Bathgate. “And we all looked at each other and said, ‘What is this?’”

Unbelievably, the Canadiens supported their newly masked goaltender and ended up winning the game 3-1. I’m guessing the positive experience was enough that the Habs goalie continued wearing it and his peers decided to copy.

It’s great to look at how such an important part of the game was introduced. I can’t imagine hockey without the goalie mask and what would the world be like without masked (fictional) serial killer, Jason Voorhees?

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I Met Kelly Hrudey and Robyn Regher Today

Jeanne Dupuis — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:32:18 +0000

I had the chance to meet Hockey Night in Canada commentator and former NHL goalie, Kelly Hrudey, and current Calgary Flames defenceman, Robyn Regher, at the grand opening of CrossIron Mills in Balzac, Alberta. There were so many hockey fans, it was crazy. I’m used to seeing jerseys since I live in a suburb of Calgary but it was nice to see fans of all teams congregating.

I have got to say that Hrudey has been one of the nicest sports personality’s I have ever met. I had my three kids with me and my husband and he wasn’t rushed or anything. He took pictures with everyone and was just incredibly friendly. It was really nice.

I have met Robyn Regher before at a private party when the Juno Awards were here in Calgary and the incident was so unfortunate that I won’t even explain it except to say that I was terribly embarrassed and was left with a poor impression of Regher. I had hoped that things would be different this morning but they weren’t. He wasn’t mean or disrespectful or anything but he’s not the most sociable guy and you just can’t tell if he’s doing something because he wants to or because he feels like he has to.

The images with him have my kids in them so I’d prefer not to put them on the internet but here’s a picture of him sitting there looking very happy

images: Jyle Dupuis

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2009 NHL Free Agency Transactions

Jeanne Dupuis — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:49:00 +0000

There were a couple trades and deals that I expected to happen. I expected to see the Calgary Flames sign a deal with Jay Bouwmeester (they did). I wanted the Sedin twins to get a decent deal, preferably with the Vancouver Canucks (they did). I was hoping a deal would put an end to the Dany Heatley drama (it didn’t).

There were, however, a good number of free agent signings yesterday. Check out the list below (I sorted it alphabetically by team) and let me know what you think of these deals. Montreal had the most acquisitions and while they look great on paper, I’m not sure how well all of the players will mesh. It’s a fresh start for them with a new coach and new owners so we’ll just have to wait and see how it all turns out.

Anaheim Ducks

Re-sign Scott Niedermayer – $6M for 1 year
Re-sign Erik Christensen – 1 year, no salary details

Atlanta Thrashers

Nik Antropov (from NY Rangers) – $16M for 4 years
Re-sign Chris Thorburn – no details

Boston Bruins

Steve Begin (from Dallas) – $850K for 1 year
Re-sign Byron Bitz – no details
Re-sign Mark Recchi – $1M for 1 year

Buffalo Sabres

Steve Montador (from Boston) – $3.1M for 2 years

Calgary Flames

Frederik Sjostrom (from NY Rangers) – $1.5M deal for 2 years
Re-sign Adam Pardy – no details

Carolina Hurricanes

Re-sign Erik Cole – $5.8M for 2 years

Chicago Blackhawks

John Madden (from New Jersey) – $2.75M for 1 year
Tomas Kopecky (from Detroit) – $2.4M for 2 years
Marian Hossa (from Detroit) – $62.8M for 12 years

Colorado Avalanche

David Koci (from Tampa Bay) – $575K for 1 year
Craig Anderson (from Florida) – $3.6M for 2 years

Columbus Blue Jackets

Mathieu Garon (from Pittsburgh) – $2.4M for 2 years
Samuel Pahlsson (from Chicago) – $7.95M for 3 years

Edmonton Oilers

Re-sign Jason Strudwick – $700K for 1 year
Nikolai Khabibulin (from Chicago) – $15M for 4 years

Florida Panthers

Scott Clemmensen (from New Jersey) – $3.6M for 3 years
Re-sign David Booth- $25.5M for 6 years
Re-sign Radek Dvorak – $3.4M for 2 years

Minnesota Wild

Martin Havlat (from Chicago) – $30M for 6 years
Greg Zanon (from Nashville) – $5.8M for 3 years

Montreal Canadiens

Brian Gionta (from New Jersey) – $25M for 5 years
Mike Cammalleri (from Calgary) – $30M for 5 years
Hal Gill (from Pittsburgh) – $4.5M for 2 years
Jaroslav Spacek (from Buffalo) – $11.5M for 3 years

Nashville Predators

Re-sign Steve Sullivan – $7.5M for 2 years
Re-sign Joel Ward – $3M for 2 years

New Jersey Devils

Re-sign Andy Greene (no details)

New York Islanders

Dwayne Roloson (from Edmonton) – $5M for 2 years

New York Rangers

Marian Gaborik (from Minnesota) – $37.5M for 5 years
Donald Brashear (from Washington) – $2.8M for 2 years

Ottawa Senators

Re-sign Chris Neil – $8M for 4 years

Philadelphia Flyers

Ian Laperriere (from Colorado) – $3.5M for 3 years
Brian Boucher (from San Jose) – $1.85M for 2 years

Phoenix Coyotes

Jason LaBarbera (from Vancouver) – two years (salary unknown)
Vernon Fiddler (from Nashville) – $2.2M for 2 years
Adrian Aucoin (from Calgary) – 1 year, no salary details

Pittsburgh Penguins

Michael Rupp (from New Jersey) – $1.65M for 2 years

San Jose Sharks

Re-sign Kent Huskins – $3.4M for 2 years

St. Louis Blues

Ty Conklin (from Detroit) – $2.6M for 2 years

Tampa Bay Lightning

Re-sign Lukas Krajicek – 1 year, no salary details
Matt Walker (from Chicago) – $6.8M for 4 years
Mattias Ohlund (from Vancouver) – $26.25M for 7 years

Toronto Maple Leafs

Mike Komisarek (from Montreal) – $22.5 for 5 years
Colton Orr (from NY Rangers) – $4M for 4 years

Vancouver Canucks

Aaron Rome (from Columbus) – $550K for 1 year
Re-sign Henrik Sedin – $30.5M for 5 years
Re-sign Daniel Sedin – $30.5M for 5 years

Washington Capitals

Mike Knuble (from Philadelphia) – $5.6M for 2 years

images: TSN

Post from: Hockey Beat

Canada Wins Gold Medal at 2009 World Junior Championship

Jeanne Dupuis — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:28:02 +0000

In our nation’s capital, Canada’s junior hockey team took home their fifth consecutive gold medal by beating Sweden 5-1 today at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championships. It was an interesting and intense game as Team Canada kept their “drive for five” alive!

These are juniors we are talking about so I try to be nice and fair but Sweden’s goaltender, Markstrom, is a real drama queen. I think that the Canadians definitely had some questionable plays but his reactions to getting bumped, hit or even shot at were nothing short of ridiculous, at times.

Moving on… P.K. Subban opened the scoring early tonight for Canada in the first period on a power-play. Angelo Esposito scored in the second while Cody Hodgson struck in the final period.

Joakim Andersson scored the lone goal for Sweden, beating netminder, Dustin Tokarski, in the third period.

With about 2:30 left on the clock, Sweden pulled their goalie allowing Jordan Eberle and Cody Hodgson (second of the game) to score on the empty net. What were they thinking?

Top 3 Canadian Stars of the Game

P.K. Subban (drafted by Montreal Canadiens)
John Tavares (2009 draft)
Jordan Eberle (drafted by Edmonton Oilers)

John Tavares was named the top forward of the tournament and the MVP. Amazing! I can’t wait to find out where he’s been traded!

images: TSN

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Canada Beats Russia in Shootout in Thrilling World Junior Semifinal Game

Jeanne Dupuis — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 04:24:39 +0000

I was on the edge of my seat during the thrilling semifinal game between Canada and Russia at the 2009 World Junior Championship.

It was really a game of cat and mouse with both teams edging each other out. I thought it was all over when Russia took the lead in the final minutes of the game but with just 5 seconds left in the third period, Canada scored and forced the game into overtime.

The OT was really intense with the Canadians putting a lot of pressure on the Russian goaltender and, in the end, neither team scored.

In overtime, both Jordan Eberle and John Tavares scored while goaltender Dustin Tokarski (all Team Canada) denied both Russian players. It was amazing!!!

The dream for five is still alive! Canada will face off against Sweden in Monday’s gold medal game on Monday at 7pm ET/4pm PT on TSN. Since both teams squared off in the finals last year in Pardubice, Czech Republic, I wonder if the result will be the same…

image: TSN

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Canada vs. Russia at World Junior Semifinals

Jeanne Dupuis — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 19:42:03 +0000

Team Canada and Team Russia have advanced to the semifinals at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championships in Ottawa, Ontario. This is the first truly exciting match-up for me at the tournament (I’m sure everyone is looking forward to it).

Last year Canada squared off against USA during the semifinals and Russia faced Sweden. Ultimately, the Canadians beat the Swedes in the Gold medal match with a final score of 3-2.

Watch it live on TSN, TSN HD and TSN.ca at 7pm et/4pm pt.

image: TSN

Post from: Hockey Beat

Shocker: Slovakia Eliminates United States!

Jeanne Dupuis — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 19:35:27 +0000

Team USA was shocked yesterday to be eliminated in a 5-3 loss against Slovakia. The Americans failed to even make the semifinals which is the first big surprise of this year’s tournament.

Slovakia will face Sweden in the semifinals today.

image: TSN

Post from: Hockey Beat

Red Wings Beat Blackhawks 6-4 at 2009 NHL Winter Classic

Jeanne Dupuis — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 23:19:41 +0000

The 2009 NHL Winter Classic went off without a hitch today and the rink looked amazing! The Detroit Red Wings beat the Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field 6-4 today.

I had a lot of fun watching it but I had to keep reminding myself that this was an outdoor game because the rink and visual clarity (over last year’s snow-fest) was just perfect. Watch the highlights:

Here’s the scoring summary:

DET: Samuelsson, M. (PPG, 09:50 in 1st), Hudler, J. (01:14 in 2nd), Hudler, J. (12:43 in 2nd), Datsyuk, P. (17:17 in 2nd), Rafalski, B. (PPG, 03:07 in 3rd), Lebda, B. (03:24 in 3rd)

CHI: Versteeg, K. (PPG, 03:24 in 1st), Havlat, M. (PPG, 12:37 in 1st), Eager, B. (19:18 in 1st), Keith, D. (PPG, 19:50 in 3rd)

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2009 IIHF World Junior Championship Results

Jeanne Dupuis — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 06:47:37 +0000

I’ve been off-duty for the last couple days enjoying the turkey-fest at my home but here’s an update on what’s happened so far in the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa.

PRELIMINARIES

December 26

Latvia 1 – Russia 4 – Ottawa Civic Centre
Germany 2 – USA 8 – SBP Arena
Finland 1 – Sweden 3 – Ottawa Civic Centre
Canada 8 – Czech Republic 1 – SBP Arena

December 27

Slovakia 7 – Latvia 2 – Ottawa Civic Centre
Kazakhstan 2 – Germany 9 – SBP Arena

December 28

Russia 5 – Finland 2 – Ottawa Civic Centre
Kazakhstan 0 – Canada 15 – SBP Arena
Sweden 3 – Slovakia 1 – Ottawa Civic Centre
USA 4 – Czech Republic 3

image: TSN

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