NHL FanHouse

2-on-1: Present-Day NHLers Bound for the Hall of Fame

Christopher Botta — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: NHL Awards, NHL Hall of Fame

Every Monday during the season two of our hockey writers will debate one topic. It's the 2-on-1. This week, Susan Slusser and Christopher Botta discuss which current players are bound for the Hall of Fame.

Chris Botta: With the Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony a week away, I thought it would be fun to discuss which current NHLers are locks and possibilities for the Hall after they retire.

I'll tell you my formula, Susan, whether it's the Hockey Hall of Fame, baseball or any other sport. To me, if you have to ponder for a while if someone is a Hall of Famer, most likely they're not. That said, I know some guys have extraordinary numbers and they will get in whether or not we think they should.

Using my criteria, let's start with the older players I believe are locks. Right off the top of my head ...

Niklas Lidstrom
Mike Modano
Chris Chelios
Scott Niedermayer
Teemu Selanne
Chris Pronger
Mark Recchi
Martin Brodeur

Let me know what you think of those, Susan, and if you think I missed a slam-dunker. Then I'll list a bunch of players most would regard as close calls so I can get your opinion on them.

"No-brainers only. No one borderline. No one who requires any debate. If it's debatable, why would they be in the Hall of Fame? That's reserved for the best of the best, not all of the best. There are a lot of people I'd take out of most Halls of Fame."
-- Susan Slusser Susan Slusser: I'm a voter for the Baseball Hall of Fame since I've been in the baseball writers' association more than 10 years, and my criteria for that is much the same as yours, only stingier. No-brainers only. No one borderline. No one who requires any debate. If it's debatable, why would they be in the Hall of Fame? That's reserved for the best of the best, not all of the best. There are a lot of people I'd take out of most Halls of Fame.

So if anything, I might go smaller with my list than you have. Lidstrom, slam dunk. Can I vote for him twice? Brodeur, definitely. Chelios -- I'd forgotten how great he was earlier in his career looking back. The rest .... well, deserving, but I'd stick to putting in two guys a year, roughly. (Except for this week -- tough to figure out anyone that doesn't belong from that bunch. Talk about no-brainers!) I'm pretty sure your whole list goes in, and I'm glad you got Modano and Selanne.

Chris Botta: Do you think I missed anyone? I have no doubt our readers will!

Susan Slusser: I can think of two players who may be retired. If you're going by the kinds of numbers these guys have and similar career arcs, you'd have to consider Brendan Shanahan and Mats Sundin, too. Shanahan's 11th on the all-time goal scoring list and he's won some titles ... I'd give him a little edge.

Chris Botta: Good catches, Susan. Shanahan and Sundin are in. So is Joe Sakic of the recent retirees. (The way Colorado is playing, I sense a Sakic comeback!) Add Sergei Fedorov to the list. And you never know if Jeremy Roenick will come back.

Susan Slusser: I'm big on championships, which is where I love Scott Niedermayer -- every international championship available, really, and a Conn Smythe and a Norris Trophy. That's a Hall of Famer. Show me something in the postseason or take home some postseason trophies or you're not in.

I remember we had some discussion during the Finals last year -- Chris Osgood, Hall of Famer? If the Red Wings had won that series, yes. Three Cups? That would do it for me. Now .... well, that third might be elusive.

Chris Botta: I love Chris Osgood. Had a brief chance to get to know him when he was an Islander. Battles like a son of a gun. I just don't think he's a Hall of Famer. Those Stanley Cup rings will have to suffice for Ozzie.

Here's my list of veterans that are not locks, at least as of now. Some have a few more good years to make their case. I'd like your opinion on them as candidates, Susan.

Rob Blake
Keith Tkachuk
Daniel Alfredsson
Alexei Kovalev
Adam Foote (in a Kevin Lowe sort of way)
Rod Brind'Amour
Paul Kariya
Martin St. Louis

And, of course, please add to the mix anyone over 32 you believe merits consideration.

Susan Slusser: I love guys like Foote, Blake, Brind'Amour, warriors all. Good candidates, but I'm not sure the absolute creme de la creme. Martin St. Louis ... very intriguing, but he needs to avoid sputtering out in the back half of his career.

Every time I see Paul Kariya, seems he's scoring a clutch goal. His numbers alone might not quite put him at the top, but just on a sheer personal basis, I've never seen him be anything but nails. Not enough to say 'yes' here -- yet -- but man, do I love watching him play.

I could probably say that about most of these guys -- I always wish I saw more of Alfredsson, for instance, because he's so solid. That's the danger of a generous Hall of Fame, you want to err toward the side of "Wow, that guy was good, let's put him in."

If there's a Hall of Very Good, I would stick all these guys in it.

Chris Botta: Jason Arnott, Owen Nolan, Bill Guerin, Jere Lehtinen, Doug Weight and Shane Doan are perfect candidates for the Hall of Very Good.

I realize we're actually talking about two things here, Susan. There's who you and I think will go in and then there are the players who will make the Hall of Fame whether or not we think they're true HoFers.

Of the fence guys I ran by you, Rob Blake has a good shot, especially if he can close out his career strong. More than 1,200 games, a Norris Trophy. I agree with you that a career like Blake's doesn't make him an open-and-shut Famer, but hockey seems to be like football where a lot of really, really good players get in -- not just legends.

The guy to watch out for on the list of fencers is Alfredsson. By the time Daniel is done, he'll have played more than 1,000 games and scored more than 1,000 points. He's highly respected "in the game," as we say and -- the kicker -- he's done it all in the capital of Canada. I think that will count for a lot.

Susan Slusser: I like the way you think, Chris, which might not make for a great TV shout-fest roundtable, but we're definitely on the same page. Blake, yes. And much like with your Alfredsson argument, he's enormously well-respected and well-liked. Ryan Smyth is a fun possibility. He might need to brush off the residue of a less-than-ideal stint with Colorado, but he's doing some great stuff in LA so far.

Chris Botta: Before we move on to the "kids" like Crosby and Ovechkin, let's take a look at some veterans in their prime who seem to be on their way to the Hall. In the 27-32-year-old range, I have:

Joe Thornton
Jarome Iginla
Zdeno Chara
Pavel Datsyuk
Henrik Zetterberg
Roberto Luongo

Only the Red Wings players have Cups. A championship would put the rest over the top. But you have to like their chances. A player like Ryan Smyth -- so beloved in Canada -- could also make it with a great finish to his career.

Susan Slusser: The Wings guys have the edge, you're right, with those titles. I might be biased, being a Detroit fan, but hey, if it's close, the guy with the Cup gets the boost, right? Luongo looks every bit a future Hall of Famer to me but he has to follow through. Iginla has the same look to me. He's a stud. These guys all are on the right track.

Chris Botta: Speaking of Detroit, Brian Rafalski has been a big part of the bluelines of three Cup teams. Who else do you have?

Susan Slusser: I'd throw Ilya Kovalchuk and Dany Heatley onto your medium-age/experienced guys, both over 500 points seven seasons into their careers. And can we make one entry for the Sedins and say they're in as a combo package?

Chris Botta: Good bets, especially Kovalchuk and Heatley. Since they're way under a point a game, the Sedins will need championships, in my opinion. Marian Hossa has a shot -- if he can get on the right side of a Game 7!

Susan Slusser: The young guys ... there is so much great young talent in the league right now, it could be a long list. That's why longevity and team success wind up being the difference makers, but some of these players are so obviously potential future HoFers that anyone who casually follows the game could tell you their names, That's a tipoff right there that there's some true greatness and not just hype and PR. And three years in a row, the Hart and the Ross have gone to one or the other of the big three.

Ryan Getzlaf isn't quite in that class, but I think he could be an MVP type at some point and build a Hall career. Could Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews wind up being that kind of player? One of this year's high profile rookies? How about goalies like Steve Mason and Cam Ward? The influx of great talent in the league is so exciting.

Chris Botta: Agreed. It seems each year brings at least a half-dozen special talents, and they come from all over. Of the youngsters, besides Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, Kane and Toews will have a great chance. Whether they're able to bring a Cup or two to Chicago may ultimately determine their legacy. Evgeni Malkin is right there with Crosby and Ovechkin as players in their early to mid-20s just starting Hall of Fame careers. In the last couple of weeks, Steven Stamkos has looked like a future Hall of Famer.

I was thinking of listing many more young players like Eric Staal and Henrik Lundqvist, Rich Nash and Mike Green, Zach Parise and even John Tavares, but then I figured let's not over-analyze everyone of all ages who has a chance. No doubt the readers will tell us about which players we forgot, disrespected or overrated.

2-on-1: Present-Day NHLers Bound for the Hall of Fame originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NHL Awards Winners

Tom Mantzouranis — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:34:00 EST

Filed under: NHL Awards

The NHL handed out its annual awards on Thursday, recognizing the best performances in the league this year. After the jump, the full list of winners from the ceremony in Las Vegas.

Lester B. Pearson Award (most outstanding player as voted by the NHLPA): Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy (outstanding perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey): Steve Sullivan, Nashville Predators

Jack Adams Award (coach of the year): Claude Julien, Boston Bruins

Frank J. Selke Trophy (best defensive forward): Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (best sportsmanship): Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings

Calder Memorial Trophy (rookie of the year): Steve Mason, Columbus Blue Jackets

Vezina Trophy (goaltender of the year): Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins

James Norris Memorial Trophy (defenseman of the year): Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins

Hart Memorial Trophy (league MVP): Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

NHL Awards Winners originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

FanHouse NHL Awards: Scott Gomez Award for Witness Protection

Bruce Ciskie — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Canadiens, Rangers, Senators, Red Wings, NHL Awards

The real NHL awards will be handed out Thursday night in Las Vegas, so FanHouse decided to hand out its own special awards for the 2008-09 season.

It takes a special player to get paid a lot of money. In the salary cap era, you expect guys who are signed to big-money deals to produce. When they disappear into the Witness Protection Program, it's usually a notable occurrence. With that said, we present nominees for the 2008-2009 Witness Protection Award, and boy do we have some options to pick from.

Marian Hossa, Detroit Red Wings (Stanley Cup Finals)

Maybe he was mesmerized by playing his old team in the Finals. Maybe the long postseasons in back-to-back years finally took a toll on his play. No matter the excuse, Hossa picked the wrong time to slip away from sight for seven games.

In his defense, he had a great season before this ... for whatever that's worth right now.

The Brothers Kostitsyn, Montreal Canadiens

Both Andrei and Sergei took noticeable steps backward in their development this season. Neither player was a factor with the man advantage, nor were they as productive overall as they were the season before. To top it off, they both pulled an impressive disappearing act in the playoffs, as Montreal took a four-game sweep at the hands of Boston.

They're both young (24 and 22, respectively), and maybe new coach Jacques Martin can get them both back to playing at a consistently high level.

However, the 2008-2009 season was pretty much a disaster for both.

Dany Heatley, Ottawa Senators

He's still a really good player, but Heatley appeared to disappear when his team needed him most.

As times got tough the star forward couldn't stop the bleeding.

After averaging 47 goals over the previous three seasons, Heatley slipped to 39 this past season on a losing team. While his production didn't dip a sinful amount, Heatley wasn't nearly as productive at the other end of the rink. His plus-minus slipped from a plus-33 in 2007-2008 to minus-11 a year ago.

Being a non-factor in the offensive zone when your team stinks isn't a terrible thing. Being a non-factor anywhere on the ice is. That's not a good way to head out on the trade market.

And the winner is ...

Scott Gomez, New York Rangers

When the Rangers signed Gomez, they didn't expect the 29-year-old's game to flatten out like it did. Instead of emerging as a real leader, Gomez didn't really do much in his second year as a Ranger.

Even though he almost completely vanished during the Rangers' first-round loss to Washington, management appears determined to figure out where he is, because rumor has it they're looking to deal Gomez and/or fellow overpaid veteran Chris Drury.

Though Drury is a strong candidate for this award, we'll give it to Gomez. Not only did he not impress in New York, but he left New Jersey, where he could have been a big-time leader and one of the most popular players on the team. Instead, he's "just a guy."

FanHouse NHL Awards: Scott Gomez Award for Witness Protection originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

FanHouse NHL Awards: Wade Redden Award for Wasted Cap Space

Adam Gretz — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:20:00 EST

Filed under: NHL Awards, NHL Fans, NHL Economics

The real NHL awards will be handed out Thursday night in Las Vegas, so FanHouse decided to hand out its own special awards for the 2008-09 season.

It's designed to maintain competitive balance and parity across the league, but if you waste valuable salary cap space on free agents that don't pan out or contribute the way you expected, you're pretty much stuck without a paddle because nobody is going to bail you out and take that albatross contract off your hands.

Introducing the FanHouse nominees for the Wade Redden Award for Wasted Cap Space.

Dustin Penner, Edmonton Oilers: The Dustin Penner saga was great for one thing -- the ensuing battle of wits between former Ducks general manager Brian Burke and Oilers general manager Kevin Lowe. Other than that? The Oilers' decision to sign Penner, a restricted free agent, to a five-year, $21.5 million deal has been disastrous for hockey fans in Edmonton. In three full NHL seasons, the 26-year-old Penner has never topped the 50-point plateau, and has even had his conditioning and effort called into question. Earlier this season, former Oilers head coach Craig MacTavish sounded off by saying: "He's not competitive enough or fit enough to help us, so why put him back in? He's never been fit enough to help us ... We signed him to be a top-two line player and that's kind of where it ended. The difference was we thought the contract was a starting point, and he's viewed it as a finish line. It's been one thing after another. I can't watch it for -- certainly not another two and-a-half years."

Daniel Briere, Philadelphia Flyers: The 2006-07 Buffalo Sabres were an awesome team to watch, leading the league with 298 goals (only two teams have scored more goals in a single season dating back to 2001-02). Free agency quickly broke the team apart, however, as Daniel Briere and Chris Drury bolted for big-money deals following the season, while the expiring contract of Brian Campbell led to him being traded. Briere led the Sabres in scoring during the 06-07 campaign with 95 points, which helped him land an eight-year, $52 million contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. Is Briere a good player? Absolutely. Is he a $52 million player over eight years? Eh, probably not. As exciting as he was with the Sabres, it's the only time in his career he's topped the 75-point mark, while he's only finished two seasons as a point-per-game player.

Alexei Yashin, New York Islanders: I debated with myself as to whether or not I should nominate Alexei Yashin. On one hand, the New York Islanders are still paying him and he still counts against the cap for doing, well, nothing. On the other hand, had the Islanders not bought out the remainder of his contract he would have counted significantly more against the cap for doing, well ... nothing. A necessary move, yes, but they're still paying him to do nothing.

And the winner is ...

The New York Rangers: It's hard to narrow it down to one member of the Rangers, so we'll just go ahead and give it to the quartet of Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Michal Rozsival and Wade Redden. Bottom line: Gomez and Drury are fine players, and they'll make any team they play on better ... but they're not $7 million per year players. During the 2009-10 season, the cap hit for those four will be, roughly, $25 million. That's nearly identical to the cap hit the Red Wings will be on the hook for with Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski, and what the Penguins will have committed to Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Sergei Gonchar and Brooks Orpik. One of these groups is not like the other.

FanHouse NHL Awards: Wade Redden Award for Wasted Cap Space originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

FanHouse NHL Awards: Pavel Datsyuk Award for Shootout Creativity

Kevin Schultz — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:28:00 EST

Filed under: NHL Awards, NHL Videos

The real NHL awards will be handed out Thursday night in Las Vegas, so FanHouse decided to hand out its own special awards for the 2008-09 season.

While there are still many folks firmly planted on both the pro and con sides of the shootout debate, I think one thing that everyone can agree on is that the skill competition does produce some amazing highlight reel goals. Today, I have the pleasure of unveiling the FanHouse nominees for the best shootout goal of the 2008-09 season.

Linus Omark, Sweden: Since these awards are focused on the NHL, the Swedish Elite League's Linus Omark is ineligible, but no year end shootout compilation would be complete without his chip shot shootout goal from earlier this season. During a friendly against Switzerland, the young Swede scored one of the most unique shootout goals that I've seen in a long time.

Video: Omark's chip shot

Alex Ovechkin, Eastern Conference All-Stars: Naturally, the league's goal-scoring champion found his way onto a countdown of great goals. This season, Ovechkin put on another memorable All-Star performance during the shootout competition. It's probably most memorable for his use of props, and as the only nominee on our countdown to use two sticks.

Video: Ovechkin's All-Star Shootout

Niklas Hagman, Toronto Maple Leafs: One of the more unique plays of the season was Niklas Hagman's goal on Martin Brodeur. That's due to the fact that Brodeur took a face full of snow on the play and, well, he wasn't too happy about that. It's hard to blame him for being a bit peeved about it, but the goal still counted.

Video: Hagman snows on Broduer

Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning: OK, so we've seen lots of spin-o-ramas. Hagman showed us how to stop on a dime. But how about skating backwards? That's exactly what Marty St. Louis did against the Coyotes.

Video: The St. Louis Shuffle

Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings: When it comes to shootouts Detroit's Datsyuk is one of the best (the award's named after him, after all) and his signature move is almost unstoppable. This year, he unleashed his triple deke -- heck, I don't know, there may be more dekes in there -- on Minnesota's Josh Harding. The result was, well, unstoppable.

Video: Datsyuk's Signature Move

And the winner of the Pavel Datsyuk Award for Shootout Creativity is...

Mike Ribeiro, Dallas Stars: This year Ribiero had two spectacular goals in the extra session. The first of which is your winner for FanHouse's NHL Shootout Goal of the year, while the second is a bonus video.

FanHouse NHL Awards: Pavel Datsyuk Award for Shootout Creativity originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

FanHouse NHL Awards: Vesa Toskala Award for Worst Goal Allowed

Adam Gretz — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: NHL Awards, NHL Fans, NHL Videos

The real NHL awards will be handed out Thursday night in Las Vegas, so FanHouse decided to hand out its own special awards for the 2008-09 season.

During the 2007-08 season, Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Vesa Toskala made blooper reels across the NHL for allowing a goal against the New York Islanders from 190 feet away. Hey, it happens to the best of them, and just to prove it, we introduce you to the 2008-09 nominees for the Vesa Toskala Award, celebrating the worst goal allowed of the year.

Cam Ward, Carolina Hurricanes; Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins: Carolina goalie Cam Ward has accomplished more before his 26th birthday (Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe Award) than most goalies will accomplish in their entire career. He was a huge part of the Hurricanes' surprising run to the Eastern Conference finals, and he's one of the best up-and-coming netminders in the NHL. That said, it was a bad sign for the Hurricanes in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals when Max Talbot's innocent looking floater beat him late in the first period of Pittsburgh's 4-1 win.

Video: Ward lets in Talbot floater

Same thing can be said about Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury. At the age of 25, he's already played in the Stanley Cup finals twice, winning hockey's ultimate prize this season against the Detroit Red Wings. While he made more than his fair share of highlight reel, game-saving stops at clutch times, he also surrendered a goal very similar to Ward's when Justin Abdelkader threw an innocent-looking shot at the net in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Video: Abdelkader scores 1-on-2

Chris Osgood, Detroit Red Wings: You can make a strong Hall of Fame case for Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood. In his 15-year career he's played in the Stanley Cup final four times, winning three, and compiled a 389-204-89 record. His 389 wins currently place him 10th in league history. Of the goalies ahead of him on the all-time list, six of them are already in the Hall of Fame, while two of them (Martin Brodeur and Curtis Joseph) are still active in the NHL. Will he get in? Frankly, I don't know. What I do know is this: the goal he surrendered to Columbus' Fedor Tyutin back in November won't be on his career highlight film.

Video: Osgood lets one in from center ice

Martin Biron, Philadelphia Flyers: In a tie game with just under three minutes to play in regulation, it's probably best to avoid charging 30 feet away from your goal crease, and then blindly throwing the puck behind your back to the middle of the ice.

Video: Biron gets a little too aggressive

And the winner is ...

Brian Boucher, San Jose Sharks:

FanHouse NHL Awards: Vesa Toskala Award for Worst Goal Allowed originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Evgeni Malkin Wins Conn Smythe Trophy

Bruce Ciskie — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Penguins, Red Wings, Eastern, Western, NHL Awards

The Conn Smythe Trophy has been handed out since 1965. It's given to the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In 2009, this was not an easy decision. There were plenty of viable candidates on both of the finalists, the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins. Though five players have won the Conn Smythe while playing for the team that lost the Finals, this was not a year for that to happen.

Evgeni Malkin led all players in scoring during the postseason, totaling 36 points on 14 goals and 22 assists. It's the most points picked up in the playoffs by anyone since Wayne Gretzky had 40 back in 1993. He had the primary assist on the first of two Maxime Talbot goals in Pittsburgh's Game 7 win Friday night.

Not only was Malkin a huge offensive force throughout the playoffs, but his two-way prowess went a long way in helping the Penguins win the Stanley Cup.

It's said that lessons are learned through adversity, and Malkin is a prime example. He was practically invisible at times during last year's Finals loss to Detroit. He was a better player from the start of these playoffs as a result. By working hard in all three zones, Malkin was able to make game-saving plays in all three. He led the league in takeaways this season, then played the postseason as if he had to prove this was no fluke.

You could have argued in favor of Marc-Andre Fleury, Sidney Crosby, and even Talbot, but Malkin was the best and most consistent Penguin throughout these playoffs, and he is a very deserving Conn Smythe winner.

Evgeni Malkin Wins Conn Smythe Trophy originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Hart Trophy Nominees Announced: Malkin or Ovechkin?

Adam Gretz — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:40:00 EST

Filed under: Capitals, Penguins, Red Wings, NHL Awards, NHL Videos

Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin have already claimed a Hart Trophy in their young NHL careers as league MVP, while the only member of the new big three to not take home the hardware is Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin. Is this the year? Or will Ovechkin claim his second in a row?

The NHL announced the finalists for the award on Wednesday, as Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk joins Malkin and Ovechkin in the top three.

While Crosby and Ovechkin get all of the national attention, Malkin quietly went about his business and led the league in scoring, seemingly wire-to-wire, with 113 points -- three more than Ovechkin, 10 more than Crosby, and 16 more than Datsyuk. He not only led the league in points, he also led the league in assists (78) and takeaways (94). He's a complete player, and it might be worth pointing out that each of the past five scoring champions also went on to win the Hart Trophy. The last scoring champion to not be voted MVP was Calgary's Jarome Iginla, losing out to Montreal's Jose Theodore in 2001-02.

Ovechkin led the league in goals for the second straight season, and just like last year, it wasn't even a race. After becoming the first player in over a decade to score 60 goals a year ago, he followed it up this season with a 56-goal campaign, beating Philadelphia's Jeff Carter by 10 tallies. Nobody is even competing with him, and assuming he stays healthy, it's doubtful anyone will manage to keep pace in the future. It's not just that he scores a ton of goals, it's that he's capable of doing things like this.

Ridiculous.

Datsyuk is a rather familiar face among the award finalists this season, as this is the third award he's been nominated for (Selke and Lady Byng) which might mean he's finally starting to get the attention he deserves for being one of the games best players. Is he on the same level as Crosby, Malkin and Ovechkin? Without question. I'm not even sure what to say about him here because we've already gone over his accomplishments this season.

So, who takes it? Personally, I'd cast my vote for Malkin, but I honestly don't think he has a chance against the runaway freight train that is Ovechkin. For most of the season he's been regarded by many (if not all) experts as the best, most dominating player in the world, and I think that's going to translate into votes and give him his second straight Hart Trophy. Honestly, you can't make a bad choice here. Put all three names in a hat, pick one out, and you're going to be happy.

Hart Trophy Nominees Announced: Malkin or Ovechkin? originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Selke Trophy Nominees Announced, Is It Datsyuk's to Lose?

Adam Gretz — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:15:00 EST

Filed under: Canucks, Flyers, Red Wings, NHL Awards, NHL Videos

If Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk is going to claim his second straight Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive forward, he's going to have to overcome two excellent players in Philadelphia's Mike Richards and Vancouver's Ryan Kesler.

Regarded as one of the top defensive players in the game, Datsyuk finished second with 89 takeaways, trailing only Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin, who finished with 94. It's the first time in two years that Datsyuk has not led the league in that category, while he was also credited with 33 blocked shots and won over 56 percent of his faceoffs.

Aside from his ability to swipe the puck from unsuspecting opponents and play a dominating puck possession game, he's also not afraid to make his presence felt physically, as seen in this video as he dishes out a crushing hit on Chicago's Brian Campbell:

Datsyuk is the fourth different Red Wing to have won the award, joining Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov and Kris Draper. If he takes it home this year, he'll join Fedorov as the only Detroit players to win it twice.

Richards is the most dangerous penalty killer in the NHL, leading the league with seven shorthanded goals this season, including his record-setting third career goal scored in a 3-on-5 situation.

During the first four years of his career, the Flyers' 24-year-old captain has already tallied 19 shorthanded goals, and registers more penalty killing time than any player on the team. He was tied for the league-lead among forwards with 90 blocked shots while also tallying 83 takeaways.

One of the more underrated players in the NHL, Kesler had a career-year with the Canucks tallying 26 goals and 59 points to compliment his always rock-solid defensive game. During the regular season he was credited with 74 takeaways while only being charged with 30 giveaways (by comparison, Datsyuk was charged with 50 giveaways while Richards was credited with 94).

He won 54 percent of his faceoffs and blocked 70 shots for a Canucks team that is coming off a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Blues in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs.

All three of these players are worthy recipients, but I think Datsyuk is going to take it for the second year in a row. His reputation as a shutdown center is well known around the league, and I think that carries him to the award once again.

The winner will be announced at the NHL awards show in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 18, 2009. On Wednesday, the NHL will announce the finalists for Hart Trophy as the league MVP.

Selke Trophy Nominees Announced, Is It Datsyuk's to Lose? originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Vezina Nominees Announced, Steve Mason Makes Cut

Adam Gretz — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:50:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jackets, Bruins, Wild, NHL Awards, NHL Videos

Aside from helping lead his team to the postseason for the first time in franchise history, Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Steve Mason has an opportunity to take home some serious hardware at the NHL's award ceremony in June. After being named as one of the finalists for the Calder Trophy as the top rookie, the 20-year-old Mason is also a nominee for the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender. Joining Mason as finalists are Boston's Tim Thomas and Minnesota's Niklas Backstrom.

According to John McGourty of NHL.com, the only players to win both the Calder and Vezina in the same season are Tom Barrasso, Ed Belfour, Tony Esposito and Frankie Brimsek.

Mason led the NHL with 10 shutouts, while also posting the second-best goals against average in the NHL at 2.29 before struggling in the postseason against the juggernaut that is the Detroit Red Wings. He overcame quite a bit this season, including knee surgery, a bout with mononucleosis, and a troubled, maniacal fan that threatened him during a game against the Calgary Flames in late March (he registered one of his 10 shutouts that night).

Backstrom has been a model of consistency since taking over as Minnesota's starting netminder in 2006, posting his third-straight campaign with a save percentage north of .920. He recorded eight shutouts and finished the season with 37 wins, fifth-most in the NHL and tops among the Vezina finalists.

Thomas led the league (by a wide margin) with a 2.10 goals against average, and made highlights for his wildly aggressive play that resulted in him playing a more physical style than many forwards and defensemen across the NHL. A former ninth-round pick in 1994 by the Quebec Nordiques, the 35-year-old has improved each of the past three seasons for the Bruins, and was rewarded with a contract extension that will pay him $20 million over the next four seasons.

As for some of the bigger names that didn't make the cut:

-- Devils goalie Martin Brodeur has won the award four of the past five years, and likely would have been a finalist once again had he not missed a large chunk of the season due to a torn bicep.

-- Injury might have also played a role in Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo not being nominated as he finished in the top five in goals against average (2.34) and save percentage (.920). He started 54 games for the Canucks, the fewest he's played since the 2001-02 campaign when he was a member of the Florida Panthers.

-- Miikka Kiprusoff, the only goalie not named Brodeur to win in the past five years, led the NHL with 45 wins, but his other numbers (goals against average and save percentage) were sub-par compared to the other top goalies across the league.

As for this year's winner: Thomas seems like a strong bet, seeing as how he was the No. 1 goalie on the team that allowed the fewest goals in the NHL, while he also led the league with a .933 save percentage.

On Tuesday, the NHL will announce the nominees for the Selke Trophy, which goes to the league's best defensive forward.

Vezina Nominees Announced, Steve Mason Makes Cut originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Lady Byng Nominees Announced

Adam Gretz — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:10:00 EST

Filed under: Devils, Lightning, Red Wings, NHL Awards

Pavel Datsyuk has owned the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy the past three seasons, and he's going to have an opportunity to claim another one as the Red Wings' star is, once again, one of the top vote-getters in 2009. Joining Datsyuk in the top three are New Jersey's Zach Parise and Tampa Bay's Martin St. Louis.

The 30-year-old center matched a career-high with 97 points this season, fourth best in the NHL, while also setting a new personal-best with 32 goals. One of the best -- and most underrated -- players in the NHL, Datsyuk is the total package as a player, and is also one of the all-time great draft day steals, going in the sixth-round of the 1998 draft, 187th overall.

Should Datsyuk win again, he'll be the second player to win the award four straight seasons, joining former New York Rangers forward Frank Boucher who claimed it between 1927 and 1931.

The members of the Detroit media that had votes weighed in on the voting process, as Helene St. James expects Datsyuk to win, while Bruce MacLeod says he voted for both Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom in the top-five, while also making a case for Calgary's Jarome Iginla to be "the poster child for a new attitude" for the award.

The player I'd like to mention is Jarome Iginla. I think he should be the poster child for a new attitude about the Lady Byng. Let's not make it all about penalty minutes and let's focus on sportmanship and gentlemanly conduct. The thing I like about Datsyuk winning the Byng is that he's physical, hits people. I just think that outside of Detroit, people don't realize that and are voting just on low penalty minutes and high performance. I think players that hit like Datsyuk and especially Iginla, but have a high level of integrity and sportsmanship. I'm pulling for Datsyuk to win. But in the future, I'd like to see guys like Iginla be named as finalists -- competitors with class.

It's a fine argument, but it also begs the question: Why didn't you vote for Iginla?

Parise is looking to become the first Devils player to ever win the Lady Byng, as the 24-year-old forward is coming off a breakout season that saw him register 94 points -- fifth best in the league -- while also finishing third in the league with 45 goals. According to Tom Gulitti at Fire & Ice, Parise was surprised to learn that he was a finalist for the award.

After being the subject of trade rumors for much of the season, St. Louis ended up leading the Lightning with 80 points in 82 games, while scoring 30 goals for the fifth time in six years. Not that it matters much, but former Tampa Bay forward Brad Richards was the last player not named Datsyuk to take home the award, winning in 2003-04, the same year Tampa Bay won its first Stanley Cup.

NHL.com's John McGourty cites the players' points-per-penalty ratio as a way to "judge the most worthy recipient," which surely angers Bruce MacLeod who argued -- in his push for Iginla to get more votes -- that it shouldn't be about penalty minutes. After all, it's described as being "awarded to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability."

No mention of fewest penalty minutes. Actually, If you were to type that description into a Google search you might get a picture of Pavel Datsyuk.

All award winners will be announced on June 18, 2009, at the NHL's award ceremony in Las Vegas, Nevada. On Monday, the league will announce the nominees for the Vezina Trophy as the top goaltender.

Lady Byng Nominees Announced originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Norris Trophy Nominees Announced

Adam Gretz — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:45:00 EST

Filed under: Bruins, Capitals, Red Wings, NHL Awards

On Thursday, the NHL announced the three finalists for the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league's top defenseman, while Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom, Boston's Zdeno Chara and Washington's Mike Green were the top three vote-getters.

Lidstrom has won the award six of the past seven years -- including three in a row -- while he might actually face some competition this time around.

Lidstrom had yet another rock-solid season for the Wings, registering 59 points while also leading the team in ice-time, averaging over 24 minutes per game. The 38-year-old is going for his seventh Norris Trophy, which would tie him for the second most all time with Montreal's Doug Harvey. Boston's Bobby Orr still holds the record with eight.

On The Wings Blog points out that at least one member of the Detroit media doesn't expect Lidstrom to win (Helene St. James predicts him to finish in third) while also saying this: "here's hoping the only other actual defensemen on the list wins it."

That's obviously a call for Green to not take home the hardware. The perception on Washington's dymanic 23-year-old defenseman is that he's all offense and no defense; basically a fourth forward on the ice. As James Mirtle pointed out, Green isn't just another impact player offensively, as his 2008-09 season was one of the best offensive seasons ever by a defenseman. He led all defensemen with 73 points (including 31 goals) despite playing in just 68 games. Meanwhile, Japers' Rink pointed out a few weeks ago that Green's defensive game might actually be underrated.

The remaining finalist is Chara, a massive 6-foot-9 defenseman that set a career-high with 19 goals this year, while also tallying 31 assists. At this year's all-star game in Montreal he set an NHL record in the hardest shot competition, clocking in at 105.4 MPH.

Despite his historic offensive campaign, Green's reputation will probably hurt him in the voting, as it's probably going to come down to Lidstrom and Chara for the top spot. Honestly, you can't go wrong with either one. The winner will be announced at the NHL awards show in Las Vegas on June 18, 2009.

On Friday the league will announce the nominees for Lady Byng Trophy.

Norris Trophy Nominees Announced originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Calder Trophy Nominees Announced

Adam Gretz — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:50:00 EST

Filed under: Blackhawks, Blue Jackets, Ducks, Predators, NHL Awards, NHL Videos

The nominees for this year's NHL awards are starting to be announced, and on Wednesday we learned that Columbus' Steve Mason, Anaheim's Bobby Ryan and Chicago's Kris Versteeg were the top vote-getters for the Calder Trophy as the league's rookie of the year.

There's no surprises here, as it's been assumed for much of the season that Mason, Columbus' 20-year-old goalie, is a slam dunk winner. Despite his struggles in the playoffs (awards are voted on before the postseason begins, by the way) no goalie recorded more shutouts during the season (10) while he also finished second in the league with a 2.29 goals average and 12th with a .916 save percentage. He is, perhaps, the biggest reason Columbus made its first trip to the postseason in franchise history.

Ryan, the second overall pick in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, burst onto the scene with the Ducks and led all rookies with 57 points (31 goals, 26 assists) despite playing in just 64 games. He's also responsible for one of the best goals of the season, capping off a hat trick against the Los Angeles Kings with this series of moves:

The Blackhawks acquired Versteeg from the Boston Bruins on February 3, 2007, in exchange for Brandon Bochenski in what can only be described as highway robbery for Chicago. He finished the 2008-09 season with 53 points, trailing only Ryan in the rookie scoring race.

So, now that we've seen the list, let's begin the griping. Puck Daddy would have liked to have seen Los Angeles defenseman Drew Doughty make the cut, while I'll make a brief shout for Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne. An eighth-round pick in 2004 (258th overall), the 26-year-old posted a 29-15-4 record, while also finishing in the top-10 in goals against average and save percentage for a Predators team that narrowly missed out on the postseason.

At the end of the day, however, it's a one-horse race with Mason.

On Thursday, the NHL will announce the nominees for the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman. The winners will be announced at the NHL awards ceremony on June 18, 2009, in Las Vegas.

Calder Trophy Nominees Announced originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Evgeni Malkin Wins Scoring Title

Adam Gretz — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 23:05:00 EST

Filed under: Penguins, NHL Awards

With his 35th goal of the season in Pittsburgh's 3-1 win over Montreal on Saturday night, Evgeni Malkin secured the first Art Ross Trophy of his career as the league's leading scorer. Malkin finishes the regular season with 113 points, beating out Washington's Alex Ovechkin, who finished with 110.

Ovechkin will take home his second straight Maurice Rocket Richard award as the league's leading goal-scorer, tallying 56 for the season.

Malkin's scoring title is the 13th in the history of the Penguins franchise, as he becomes the fourth different player to win one, joining Mario Lemieux (six), Jaromir Jagr (five) and Sidney Crosby (one).

It's also worth pointing out that each of the five previous Art Ross Trophy winners also took home the Hart Trophy as the league MVP. The last scoring champion to not win the MVP award was Jarome Iginla in 2001-02 as he lost out to Montreal Canadiens goalie Jose Theodore.

Evgeni Malkin Wins Scoring Title originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 11 Apr 2009 23:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

'Sleepy' Ovechkin Wakes Up to Bury Wings, Sens

Ted Starkey — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Capitals, NHL All Star Game, NHL Awards, Russian Hockey

A word of warning to the Devils, Kings and Panthers, the teams next up on the Caps' schedule: Alex Ovechkin is heating up again.

The Caps star had been relatively quiet before the weekend (well, at least in non-exhibition games), scoring just four goals in the Caps' last nine games, losing the lead in the Richard Trophy race to Philadelphia's Jeff Carter.

Well, his slump is now officially over, as he had a weekend to remember, scoring five goals in just three periods against Detroit and Ottawa to surge to a four-goal edge over Carter in the NHL's scoring race - even after he admitted he was "sleepy" with the rare back-to-back afternoon home games.

Ovechkin told reporters he was "usually sleeping" at 12:30 in the afternoon, when both games got underway this weekend at Verizon Center, which started early due to some football game being televised on Sunday, but that he felt better the second day around.

"I go to bed a little bit early, like 8, and wake up again 6:30 and go back again to sleep, so I kind of feel pretty good today," he told reporters afterwards.

It certainly showed Sunday, as Ovechkin earned the first star as the Caps completed a four-point weekend with a 7-4 thrashing of the Senators. It wasn't quite as dramatic as Saturday's two-goal show he put on in the third period to beat the Wings, but Ovechkin's second career hat trick against the Senators fueled a successful weekend for Washington. The Caps now hold a 13-point lead in the Southeast Division over Carolina, and passed the Atlantic Division-leading Devils - who they play Tuesday night - for second seed in the Eastern Conference.

Ovechkin notched his 34th in the first period with a quick power play strike off a feed from Mike Green just four seconds into a power play. His 35th goal of the year chased starting netminder Brian Elliott just 2:15 into the second period, but then he burned his replacement for the hat trick and his league-leading 36th tally with a shot that blew by a defender and through the five-hole of replacement Alex Auld.

Throughout his career, Ovechkin has been a streaky scorer, as when he's on the top of his game, there's no player better and putting the puck in the net right now. And after a relatively quiet stretch, it appears he's starting to regain his scoring touch again, and is now on pace to be within striking distance of his second straight 60-goal campaign.

And, that's not good news for the Devils, who the got burned by a pair of goals (including one in the final second) from the star the last time the Caps paid a visit to Newark.

Latest NHL Photos

MONTREAL - FEBRUARY 1: Robert Lang #20 of the Montreal Canadiens stickhandles the puck against the Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre on February 1, 2009 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Robert Lang

NHLI via Getty Images

MONTREAL - FEBRUARY 1: Tim Thomas #30 of the Boston Bruins makes a pad save against Max Pacioretty #67 of the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on February 1, 2009 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Max Pacioretty;Tim Thomas

NHLI via Getty Images

MONTREAL - FEBRUARY 1: Carey Price #31 of the Montreal Canadiens is beat for a second period goal by the Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre on February 1, 2009 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Carey Price

NHLI via Getty Images

MONTREAL - FEBRUARY 1: Carey Price #31 of the Montreal Canadiens makes a save against the Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre on February 1, 2009 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Carey Price

NHLI via Getty Images

Boston Bruins' goaltender Tim Thomas, center, celebrates his team's win over the Montreal Canadiens, with backup goaltender Tuukka Rask, right and Dennis Wideman, left, in Montreal, Sunday, Feb., 1, 2009. Boston won 3-1. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Graham Hughes)

MONTREAL - FEBRUARY 01: Max Pacioretty #67 and Tom Kostopoulos #6 of the Montreal Canadiens skate against the Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre on February 1, 2009 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Max Pacioretty;Tom Kostopoulos

NHLI via Getty Images

MONTREAL - FEBRUARY 01: Shane Hnidy #34 of the Boston Bruins defends against Maxim Lapierre #40 of the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on February 1, 2009 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Shane Hnidy;Maxim Lapierre

NHLI via Getty Images

MONTREAL - FEBRUARY 01: Carey Price #31 of the Montreal Canadiens plays the puck behind his net against the Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre on February 1, 2009 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Carey Price

NHLI via Getty Images

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price, center, looks on from the bench with teammates Francis Bouillon, left and Ryan O'Byrne, right, in the final minutes of play before their loss to the Boston Bruins during third period of an NHL hockey game in Montreal, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009. The Canadiens wore "barber pole" retro jerseys and socks featuring the distinctive look of narrow red, white and blue horizontal bands used by the team in 1912-13. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Graham Hughes)

EDMONTON, CANADA - FEBRUARY 1: Ales Hemsky #83 of the Edmonton Oilers puts the puck past Pekka Rinne #35 of the Nashville Predators for a third period goal at Rexall Place on February 1, 2009 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The Predators beat the Oilers 2-1. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ales Hemsky;Pekka Rinne

NHLI via Getty Images

'Sleepy' Ovechkin Wakes Up to Bury Wings, Sens originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sun, 01 Feb 2009 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Miss Virginia Is a Goalie

Eric McErlain — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 12:50:00 EST

Filed under: NHL Awards

In case you missed the headlines, they named a new Miss America Saturday night in Las Vegas. The winner was Miss Indiana, Katie Stam, a 22-year-old communications major from the University of Indianapolis. Congratulations to Miss Stam, who I'm sure will make a fine Miss America.

Then again, I can't help but feel just a little bit disappointed. That's because just a few weeks ago during a Washington Capitals game, I had the opportunity to meet Tara Wheeler, the reigning Miss Virginia. Being from the Northern part of the state, I had to root for the hometown girl, and it certainly didn't hurt that while she was an undergraduate at Penn State, she was the starting goalie for the school's women's ice hockey team -- a fact that has generated media attention from as far away as Australia.

Did You See That?

Rich Frankliln with an eye patch over his right eye after UFC 93.

Rich Franklin/American Fighter

Rich Frankliln with a bruised right eye after UFC 93.

Rich Franklin/American Fighter

Marion Kreiner of Austria takes 1st place during the FIS Snowboard World Championship Women's Parallel Giant Slalom on January 20, 2009 in Gangwon, Korea.

Agence Zoom, Getty Images

Russia's Lubov Iliushechkina and Nodari Maisuradze perform their pairs short program at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, on January 20, 2009, during the European Figure Skating Championships.

Lars Lewen #12 of Sweden leads through a turn in front of Xavier Kuhn #5 of France and Beni Hofer #20 of Switzerland during the Men's Ski Cross heats on day two of the Freestyle World Cup on January 19, 2009 at Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid, New York.

Tunisia's Mahmoud Gharbi shoots against Russia during the Men's World Handball Championship Croatia 2009 Group C match in Varazdin city January 19, 2009.

OBERHOF, GERMANY - JANUARY 11: Ole Einar Bjoerndalen of Norway skates during the Men mass start of the E.ON Ruhrgas IBU Biathlon World Cup on January 11, 2009 in Oberhof near Erfurt, Germany. (Photo by Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ole Einar Bjoerndalen

Martin Rose, Getty Images

Arizona Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald (11) reaches the ball over the goal line for a touchdown as Carolina Panthers' Chris Harris (43) defends during the second quarter of an NFL divisional playoff football game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009.

Chuck Burton, AP

Pilots make an exhibition of Motocross Free Style in Rio Hato, some 120 km north of Panama City, on January 11, 2009. Motocross free style world champion, US Travis Pastrana, also participated in the show.

Elmer Martinez, AFP/Getty Images

San Jose Sharks forward Mike Grier hits the boards after he scored a goal during the second period of their NHL hockey game against the Calgary Flames in Calgary, Alberta, January 6, 2009.

Todd Korol, Reuters

Wheeler sat down with FOX Sports for an interview a few days before leaving for Las Vegas, and she had some interesting things to say about how hockey prepared her for life on the pageant circuit:

I think with anything that you've worked at really hard like playing hockey, it teaches you how to be focused and determined. Anyone who has grown up playing hockey has grown up getting up at the crack of dawn to get that early ice time. So to have that kind of love and devotion for a sport carries over to anything you're passionate about and it's the same for pageants.

Here in the Washington area, my buddy John Keeley at On Frozen Blog has been the point man for letting the world know about Wheeler's hockey connection. Click here for their full archive of Wheeler-related posts. John even went so far as to accompany her to the airport before her trip to Las Vegas.

When I met Tara, she made the point that the Miss America pageant has helped raise more college scholarship money for young women than any other charity in the world, and after talking to her for a few minutes, it was easy to see that the scholarship money that she's won will go to good use. Wheeler might not have won last night, but I don't doubt that she'll always be a winner going forward.

Miss Virginia Is a Goalie originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sun, 25 Jan 2009 12:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NHL Awards Show May Pack Up and Head to Las Vegas

Eric McErlain — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 23:35:00 EST

Filed under: NHL Awards

Even the critics of the NHL have to admit that over the past few years the league has hit some real marketing home runs, chief among them the NHL Winter Classic and the successful rollout of their redesigned Web site as well as their GameCenter Live product. If ESPN's Scott Burnside has his story straight, the league may very well be about to hit another one, as he's reporting that the NHL is ready to move its annual awards show from Toronto to Las Vegas, a city mentioned frequently in league circles when it comes to expansion or relocation.

Burnside quotes one unnamed NHL executive as saying that the move is "all up-side," and I'm having a tough time disagreeing. Moving the show to Las Vegas is a sure fire way to get out of town press to show up for the event, and the fact is that the league can't but be helped by the starpower that regularly shows up at The Palms, famously owned by the Maloof Family, also owners of the NBA's Sacramento Kings.

Now before you scoff at the idea of the league holding its awards show in a city that isn't home to an NHL team, you should understand that if they give the idea the go ahead, they're not the only major sport to follow that route. That certainly seems to be the case with NASCAR, who have held their season ending banquet and awards dinner in Manhattan the last five years.

Truth be told, the NHL Awards Show has proven to be something of a joke recently, at least here in the U.S. In 2007, a fire in a production truck on the scene made broadcasting the event live on Versus to the U.S. impossible, though the program was aired on tape delay later that night. And in 2008, a mysterious production screwup wound up beaming a recording of that year's NHL Draft Lottery, followed by some random CBC programming before the Awards Show was eventually joined in progress. In light of those foul ups, it's hard to argue with moving the show out of Toronto and placing it in the hands of some real showbiz people.

NHL Awards Show May Pack Up and Head to Las Vegas originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 23:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

ESPY Vote an Indictment of Network's Coverage

Eric McErlain — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:05:00 EST

Filed under: Capitals, Penguins, NHL Awards

It's been a while since I bothered watching the ESPYs. Though I can't exactly remember how long ago it was, I can distinctly recall changing the channel after suffering through yet another lame attempt at humor by one of the WWL's talking heads. Safe to say, I've found something better to do in subsequent years. I hope you have too.

But now that fans of ESPN have bestowed the ESPY for best NHL player on Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby after a season where Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin simply dominated the entire league, I feel compelled to comment. It's only been a few weeks since Ovechkin cleaned up at the NHL Awards, going home with the Hart Trophy as the regular season's most valuable player; the Lester Pearson Trophy for most outstanding player as voted by the league's players; the Art Ross Trophy for most total points; and the Maurice Richard Trophy as the league's leading goal scorer.

When you clean up like that, I like to think that Ovechkin won't miss an ESPY.

But really, it's worse than that, isn't it? After all, Crosby, who was injured for a good chunk of the season, might not have even been the best player on his team during the regular season. That honor would go to Evgeni Malkin, the man who carried the Penguins offensively in Crosby's absence, and earned himself consideration for both the Hart and Pearson all on his own. As for the playoffs, while Crosby led his team in scoring, it was Marian Hossa who stole the show, scoring 12 playoff goals compared to Crosby's six.

In the end, I can't help but think this vote is an incredible indictment of the way ESPN covers all sports, not just the NHL. After all, if you can't figure out who the best athletes in the world really are after watching countless hours of SportsCenter and digesting endless amounts of content online at ESPN.com, it's pretty clear ESPN is falling down on the job. Then again, I'm not the first person to make note of that. It's clear I won't be the last either.

ESPY Vote an Indictment of Network's Coverage originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

In Washington, Friday Was All About Ovechkin

Eric McErlain — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 16:12:00 EST

Filed under: Washington, DC, General NHL, Capitals, NHL Awards, NHL Rumors

There was one last North American stop for Alex Ovechkin once he picked up the Hart and Pearson trophies at the NHL Awards on Friday night, and that was a quick trip back to Washington, D.C. to let the city and its hockey fans celebrate his incredible season.

The fun started when Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty awarded Ovechkin the key to the city on the steps of the Wilson Building, a moment when Ovechkin, clearly delighted, declared the city speed limit null and void for the rest of the day. Though the 500 fans in attendance were grateful, there's no word yet as to whether or not the Metropolitan Police Department complied.

With the public ceremony out of the way, Ovechkin and company decamped for victory celebration at Teatro Goldoni, one of the city's swankiest eateries. Our FanHouse colleague J.P. was on hand, as well as our old buddy, G-Dub. By dint of their coverage, it was an event that was not to be missed -- though this blogger did thanks to other commitments.

If you're wondering who the young lady on Ovechkin's arm is in the picture here from the red carpet at Friday's NHL Awards, wonder no more -- it's Elena Alyonka Larionov, daughter of future HHOF inductee Igor Larionov.

Indeed, it's good to be Ovechkin. And in Washington, next season can't come fast enough.

In Washington, Friday Was All About Ovechkin originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sun, 15 Jun 2008 16:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

An Ovechkin Sweep at NHL Awards

Eric McErlain — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:41:00 EST

Filed under: Toronto, General NHL, Devils, Maple Leafs, Lightning, Capitals, Blackhawks, Wings, NHL Awards

About the only way the 2007-08 NHL season could have ended better for Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin would have been with the Stanley Cup. But with that goal temporarily out of reach, Ovechkin seemed more than pleased to add the Hart and Lester Pearson Trophies to a collection that already included this year's version of the Art Ross and the Richard as well as the 2006 Calder as the league's Rookie of the Year.

But as much as the night belonged to Ovechkin -- the rest of the day in Washington, D.C. will belong to him too with plenty of public celebrations and a dinner-hour party and press event at one of the town's swankiest eateries -- there was plenty of other star power in the audience last night in Toronto for the NHL Awards. One who admitted plenty of surprise at being in the room was Ovechkin's head coach, Bruce Boudreau, who took top honors as winner of the Jack Adams as coach of the year. As it would turn out, the Caps would miss a clean sweep for their nominees when Chicago's Patrick Kane edged out Nicklas Backstrom for the Calder.

So who else won last night? There weren't many surprises at all, truth be told.

Nicklas Lidstrom collected the Norris as the league's best defenseman, the sixth of his Hall of Fame career.

Martin Brodeur took home the Vezina as the league's top goalie, and it's hard to argue, as Brodeur has managed to perform at the same level of excellence year after year, even as the stalwarts of the New Jersey blue line like Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer and Bryan Rafalski have all come and gone.

The other double winner of the night was Pavel Datsyuk, who took home both the Lady Byng for gentlemanly play, and the Selke for the top defensive forward. Datsyuk beat out his teammate, Conn Smythe winner Henrik Zetterberg, in both categories.

The night had more than a few emotional moments: Red Kelly coming to the stage to present the Selke was amazing to see, and the reception for Gordie Howe, who was given the league's first lifetime achievement award, threated to step on a reel of video congratulations the league had arranged to air on the program. It was tough not to get a little choked up watching Jason Blake, who fought cancer all season long, accept the Masterton, and it was hard not to feel as if you were doing enough when you saw Vincent Lecavalier accept the King Clancy.

I know not everybody can give $3 million to a children's hospital ... but wow.

If there was a loser last night, and they were hard to find (even NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman was a winner, of a sort, as he showed up someplace in public and didn't get booed), it had to be Versus. Last year, Versus couldn't pick up the feed from the awards in the U.S. thanks to a fire in a production truck, pushing the program to tape delay late in the evening. And last night there was trouble again. When I tuned in at 7:00 p.m. expecting to see the awards, what I was confronted with was taped coverage from Canada's TSN on the 2008 Draft Lottery -- something that had happened months ago with the Lightning gaining the right to select Steve Stamkos with the #1 pick in next week's draft.

Whatever happened, I took that cue to change the channel, not getting back until after Ovechkin had accepted the Pearson. Then, for the rest of the night, the Versus feed I was watching on DirecTV kept cutting out for a few seconds at a time. It was a poor performance, and one that the sports cable network shouldn't be excused for.

An Ovechkin Sweep at NHL Awards originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments