The Hockey News - 17 February 2014
Transcription
The Hockey News - 17 February 2014
thn.com $ 3.99 FEBRUARY 17, 2014 VOL. 67 NO. 16 DISPLAY UNTIL FEBRUARY 17, 2014 Take a pre-game nap. First things first. Tape my stick when no one’s around. The same as yesterday. And before that. Always. Warm-up 30 minutes. Finesse. Precision. Focus. Take a breath. Deep. Tame the butterflies. Hit the ice. My best is out there. This is my game face. © 2014 The Gillette Company Gillette proudly supports John Tavares, Team Canada Forward OPENING FACEOFF February 17, 2014 Vol. 67 No. 16 SORE NECK YET? Martin Brodeur looks back at one of the six goals he let in Jan. 26 at Yankee Stadium. DEPARTMENTS FEATURES 48 The Mighty Ducks 06 Editor’s Notebook How important is Olympic goalkeeping? 08 Inside Hockey Anaheim’s old moniker is apropos as the Ducks are kicking the crud out of the competition By Ryan Kennedy 53 Martin St-Louis 28 Proteau Type Bolts could turn snubs into a Stanley Cup Ovechkin’s assist machine is more than happy to let his flamboyant linemate get the glory By Ken Campbell Tampa captain turns rebuff into success and hopes rest is best for playoff push By Adam Proteau ON THE COVER Carey Price by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images 4 | T H E H O C K E Y N E W S - F E B R U A R Y 17, 2 0 1 4 54 NHL Team Reports 16 Olympic Goalies When the spotlight flips on in Russia, it’ll burn brightest for the masked men in net. Each nation has a No. 1 in mind, but all it takes is one bad game for its Plan B to take over 60 Prospect Report 63 Beyond The Spotlight Shinny takes center stage in Beijing 65 Last Minute 66 Overtime Reward outweighs risk of going to Sochi BRIAN BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES 52 Nicklas Backstrom Finland’s freakishly good goalie factory This year, Ram 1500 has gone where no other truck has gone before – with the first ever back-to-back win of Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year.® It also goes where other trucks can’t by achieving best-in-class fuel economy as good as 7.8L/100 km (36 MPG)* highway thanks to a class-exclusive 8-speed transmission.± And now Ram 1500 is available with a new 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 engine, making it the country’s only light-duty diesel pickup. With all these features, including a class-exclusive Active-Level TM Four-Corner Air Suspension±, it looks like Canada’s longest-lasting pickup& will continue to be the talk of the truck world for years to come. ramtruck.ca *Based on Automotive News classification. 11.4 L/100 km (25 MPG) city and 7.8 L/100 km (36 MPG) highway on HFE model with 3.6 L V6 4x2 and 8-speed transmission. 2014 EnerGuide highway fuel consumption ratings. Government of Canada test methods used. Your actual fuel consumption will vary based on driving habits and other factors. Ask your retailer for complete EnerGuide information. & Based on longevity of entire Ram large pickup segment compared to all competitive large pickups on the road since 1988. Longevity based on IIHS Automotive: Polk Canadian Vehicles In Operation data as of July 1, 2013, for model years 1988-2013 for all large pickups sold and available in Canada over the last 26 years. ± Based on Automotive News Full-Size Pickup segmentation. EST. 1947 EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK WITH JASON KAY ACTING VP & GROUP PUBLISHER Carlos Lamadrid EDITOR IN CHIEF Jason Kay EDITORIAL OLYMPIC GOALIE MYTH Recent history shows teams that win gold do it with good goaltending, but not mainly because of it I N THE LEAD-UP TO THE NAMING of the Olympic teams, there was much hand-wringing in Canada over the makeup of the roster, particularly who would tend crease. Netminding is indisputably the most important position in the game – one we focus on in this issue – and the gold medal might hinge on that one extra save a country gets. Or it might not. Are we giving stoppers too much of the responsibility? Let’s review the four Olympiads in which NHLers have participated: 1998 Nagano If a myth exists you need all-time excellence in net to ǡǤϐǡ and third reasons why the Czechs triumphed, allowing just six goals in six games while posting a .963 save percentage. Included was a dra ʹǦͳ ϐǤ 2002 Salt Lake City After replacing Curtis Joseph following the tournament opener, Martin Brodeur did what he has excelled at over the ȂǤϐ ǡ had a respectable .917 SP. Top goalie honors went to Mike Richter, who carried the Americans to silver on home soil, posting a .932 SP. Still, he couldn’t quell Canada and its monster attack alone. 2006 Turin Antero Niittymaki pulled a Hasek until the halo fell off toǦǤ ʹǦͲϐ to stop a Finnish uprising. On the strength of his .951 save percentage, Niittymaki was named the event’s best in goal. Golden goalie Henrik Lundqvist was an adequate seventh in SP, at .907. Canada’s Achilles was scoring, not stopping – it was shut out twice. 2010 Vancouver Brodeur was benched, like Joseph before him, after a shaky start to the event. Enter Roberto Luongo, who made the saves when he had to. The best goalie and MVP at the event was Team USA’s Ryan Miller, who had a .946 SP, but also allowed a seeing-eye Sidney Crosby shot to elude him and end the Games. The conclusion? While it’s possible for a goalie to carry a nation to ϐǡǯǤ well balanced overall, and have enough goaltending depth, to give any ϐ ǡǤ or lost on the entire 200-by-100 foot international-size ice surface, not just the wee patch of blue paint. ART SENIOR EDITOR ART DIRECTOR Brian Costello Erika Vanderveer MANAGING EDITOR DESIGNERS Shea Berencsi Anthony Smith Edward Fraser SENIOR WRITER Ken Campbell ASSOCIATE SENIOR WRITER Ryan Kennedy COLUMNIST/WRITER Adam Proteau THN.com ASSOCIATE EDITORS WEB EDITOR Matt Larkin, Ronnie Shuker Rory Boylen ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Susan Antonacci FREELANCE EDITOR Bryan Mcwilliam INTERNS Gareth Bush, Josh Elliott, Brian O’Neill DIRECTOR, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Tracy Finkelstein SENIOR SPECIALIST Erin Quinn SPECIALISTS Carlie McGhee, Alyson Young SENIOR DESIGNER Colin Elliott CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Steve & Brian Babineau, Hockey Hall of Fame PRODUCTION TEAM LEAD Carol Zephyrine PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR Pamela Reyes VICE PRESIDENT SALES AND CREATIVE SERVICES Antoine Shiu ADVERTISING BRAND DIRECTOR Sandra Yakimchick NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGERS Dave Burgess, Amanda Scazzarello, Robert McClatchey MARKETPLACE SALES & SALES CO-ORDINATOR Sharlane Valleau KEY ACCOUNT DIRECTOR Andrea McBride PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST Kathryn Walsh SALES ASSOCIATES Erin Suckling, Patricia Mixemong SALE DIRECTORS, DIGITAL William Cormier SENIOR DIRECTOR, DIGITAL AD OPERATIONS & INNOVATION Eric Latreille INNOVATIONS ART DIRECTORS Linda Stephenson, Bonnie Summerfeldt CAMPAIGN MGRS Lori Muma, Sasha Fletcher, Melissa Carmichael BUSINESS MANAGERS Nancy Baker, Angel Palacios NEWSSTAND DIRECTOR Pat Strangis DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER Jason Patterson VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER MARKETING Christopher Purcell PRODUCT MANAGER Scott Carefoot GROUP CIRCULATION DIRECTOR, CONSUMER MARKETING Doris Chan PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGERS Yen Duong, Amanda Stone EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Linda Gill RESEARCH MANAGER Wendy Lambie SENIOR RESEARCH ANALYST Eva Chau DIRECTOR, READER EXPERIENCES Muqu A. 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Printed at Transcontinental RBW Graphics 2049 20th St. E., Owen Sound, Ont. www.tc.tc We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) of the Department of Canadian Heritage. 6 | T H E H O C K E Y N E W S - F E B R U A R Y 17, 2 0 1 4 PEFC/01-31-106 official team canada olympic jerseys, apparel & hats are here! *HWUHDG\IRU&KRRVHIURPDJUHDWVHOHFWLRQRIRIÀFLDO7HDP&DQDGDVW\OHVQRZDYDLODEOHLQVWRUHDQGRQOLQH official russia & usa hockey olympic jerseys also available! GO TO RIVERCITYSPORTS.COM now! All styles shown available while quantities last. Selection may vary by retail store location. Sale offers for a limited time. or check out one OF our retail stores IN winnipeg | REGINA | SASKATOON www.rivercitysports.com | 1-800-950-8201 NHL and the NHL Shield are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2013. All Rights Reserved. INSIDE HOCKEY GOALIE HOT HOUSE IN COLD FINLAND Secret to Finnish goaltending success is generations of deep tradition and a well thought-out system for learning 8 | T H E H O C K E Y N E W S - F E B R U A R Y 17, 2 0 1 4 A SK A FINN ABOUT THE “RECENT rise of great Finnish goaltenders” and he or she will be baffled. The younger generation doesn’t understand the question because for them, Finland’s always produced great NHLers, such as Miikka Kiprusoff, Kari Lehtonen, Niklas Backstrom, Pekka Rinne, Antti Niemi and Tuukka Rask. Older fans think back to previous generations – Urpo Ylonen, Kari Takko, Jarmo Myllys, Markus Mattsson, Jorma Valtonen, Hannu Kamppuri – and wonder what the fuss is about Good goalies have always been the trademark of Finnish hockey. Of the 22 stoppers who have represented Finland in the Olympics, 17 are eligible to be inducted into the Finnish Hall of Fame. Fourteen are already in. It wasn’t until 1967 that Finland beat any of the big nations in world play. That 3-1 win over Czechoslovakia was largely due to Ylonen’s play between the pipes. Three years later, in 1970, he was named best goalie at the worlds, the first Finnish player to gain that recognition. But in 1969, “I was the worst goalie of the tournament,” he says. In the off-season, he got his knees fixed and decided to study for a Finnish federation coaching diploma, focusing only on goaltending. In 2014, the 70-year-old Ylonen is considered the goaltending guru of Finland. In a few years in the 1990s, Kiprusoff, Markus Ketterer, Antero Niit- tymaki, Jani Hurme and Fredrik Norrena honed their craft under Ylonen in Turko, then left for the NHL, with varying degrees of success. In the 2000s, Ylonen has worked with Teemu Lassila, Alexander Salak and Joni Ortio. But Ylonen downplays his role in their development. “I’m not sure I’m really coaching,” Ylonen says. “I’m just the goalies’ assistant. I try to give them something to think about. After games, we’ll go over what happened and see how they did compared to what we wanted. We never compare our goalie to the other team’s goalie.” Ylonen is also careful to make sure the heavy lifting, so to speak, is done elsewhere. The players do a lot of it, but so do the goaltending coaches in the TPS youth hockey system and the Finnish federation’s district goaltending coach. Until a few years ago, that instructor was Valtonen, Ylonen’s backup in the 1970 tournament. Valtonen is now the goaltending coach of Yaroslavl Lokomotiv in the Kontinental League. “Producing good goalies is not a new phenomenon,” says Arto Pyykko, a district goalie instructor in Eastern Finland. “Finnish goalies have always ranked fairly high internationally. With idols always so close, it’s been easy to attract talented kids to the game, but the thing that keeps them coming is the system set up by the federation.” In each of Finland’s nine districts, there’s a goalie coach KIPRUSOFF: JAMIE SQUIRE/GETTY IMAGES; TAKKO: JUKKA RAUTIO/GETTY IMAGES KARI TAKKO MIIKKA KIPRUSOFF SCHWARTZ: ANDY DEVLIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES INSIDE HOCKEY who pays visits to the clubs and supports their coaches by attending practices and organizing training and educational sessions. The structure dates back to the 1980s. When Pyykko – now in his 12th season as a district goaltending instructor – comes to town, there can be up to two dozen coaches waiting for him. Half of them are goalie coaches, the rest being coaches wanting to learn more about goaltending, something every coach should know, says Pyykko. A typical session takes two full days, often divided into four weekday nights, and consists of 10 hours in the classroom and six on the ice. It’s the passion of people such as Pyykko, who still has a regular day job as a business consultant, that keeps the factory churning. In addition to his district duties, Pyykko also works with the goalies in his local Joensuu club. There, the club has weekly goaltending sessions for three age groups. Each team within the youth system also has its own goalie coach and a club rule states that the goalie and the goaltending coach should get at least 15 minutes of their own time during every practice. According to Pyykko, the Finnish style differs a little from the North American and Swedish styles. The Finns have identified 10 ways of scoring in hockey, each defined by the distance of the puck from the net and the goalies are coached to deal with all of them. They’re expected to stand up a little longer than their North American counterparts and to catch or block pucks with gloves or the stick, instead of just staying square to the puck. “Everything is derived from game situations, we’re deep inside the game,” Pyykko says. “Then again, different techniques can be taught and learned, but there’s also the X-factor we’ll only see when the puck drops for real.” And maybe that is in the genes. According to genetical mapping of Europe, Finns are a little different from the rest. And as we know, goalies are a little different, too. – RISTO PAKARINEN The Instigator The Best & Worst OF THE HOCKEY WORLD PLUS By Charlie Teljeur +PLUS +PLUS ALL FOR ONE BLACK HAWK CROWN The St. Louis Blues all travel to Yale’s White Out for Mandi during a road trip in support of teammate Jaden Schwartz’s courageous late sister. Waterloo’s P.K. O’Handley becomes winningest coach in USHL history, passing Mike Hastings with 530 victories and counting. –MINUS –MINUS EXCUSES, EXCUSES LEAD BY EXAMPLE? Martin Brodeur blames the outdoor ice at Yankee Stadium after yielding six goals in a 7-3 loss to the Rangers yet ignores his .899 SP. ECAC Union College coach Rick Bennett goes after RPI bench boss Seth Appert after teams brawl in Albany. Both coaches were suspended. F E B R U A R Y 17, 2 0 1 4 - T H E H O C K E Y N E W S | 9 INSIDE HOCKEY INTERNATIONAL SAVINGS OLYMPIC WATCH A SIZABLE DIFFERENCE International ice surfaces are a tricky adjustment for some, but goalies may have the biggest challenge in Sochi S WITCHING TO INTERNATIONALsized ice at the Olympics presents a challenge for NHL goalies used to playing on the smaller surface. And if history is any indicator, there will be a few bumps in the road at Sochi, as goalies are forced to make the switch mid-season. International ice is 200 feet in length, just like the NHL, but it’s 15 feet wider (100 compared to 85). The end red line is an additional two feet in from the end boards, creating extra space behind the net. The differences seem minor, but for an NHL goalie, they’re enough to change the shooters’ angles and allow opponents more room behind the goal where it’s harder to track the puck. With precious little practice time before the men’s Olympic tournament begins, NHL goalies representing their home countries will have to adapt on the fly. Jaroslav Halak, Slovakia’s starter, didn’t have to make the adjustment in 2010, with the Games on NHL-size ice, but he’ll have to this time around in Sochi. “Just go out there, practise with the team, try to see the angles,” Halak said. “Probably the angles are going to be a little bit different, so that’s going to be the biggest adjustment. But other than that, as a goalie, you have to stop the puck. That’s the bottom line.” Four-time Olympian Martin Brodeur didn’t make Canada’s roster this time around, but he knows a thing or two about playing on the bigger ice. He had to make the switch from NHL rinks to international-sized surfaces at the Olympics in ’02 and ’06. “The biggest difference is how, 10 | T H E H O C K E Y N E W S - F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 offensively, teams are controlling (the puck), getting in dead areas of the ice, so you have to be careful not to overplay,” Brodeur said. “It’s not the dumpand-chase game, so there’s much more puck control.” The adjustment is a familiar one for Euro-born goaltenders, but for those from the United States and Canada, the learning curve will be particularly steep in Sochi. Goalies such as Jimmy Howard and Carey Price have only played a handful of games on international-sized rinks during world juniors or world championships, while Jonathan Quick has never played a major tournament on the bigger pond. Thirteen U.S. or Canadian-born goalies have appeared in at least one Olympic game since NHLers started competing in 1998 and the numbers show it’s not an easy adjustment. The combined regular season save percentage for goaltenders in 1997-98 dropped from .906 to .901 at the Nagano Games and the same thing happened in ’06, when the regular season average went from .904 to .899 at Turin. Salt Lake ’02 was the exception, as the season average .906 actually jumped to .925, due in large part to a pair of shutouts for the Americans against Germany and Belarus. On average, playing behind some of the best defensemen in the game, the combined regular season save percentage for goaltenders inches up from .905 to .906 in internationally hosted Olympic years. But compare that to 2010 in Vancouver (where the Games were played on an NHL rink) when the numbers shot up from a .919 regular season average to a .925 success rate. If there’s one obvious adjustment goalies must make, it’s playing the puck. There is no trapezoid, so they’re allowed to roam anywhere in their own zone. Brodeur, a legendary puckhandler, said the bigger ice is freeing, but still dangerous for goalies. “You have to be a little more selective when you do play the puck,” Brodeur said, “because it’s a long ways to come back.” – JOSH ELLIOTT JAROSLAV HALAK BRODEUR: DAVID E. KLUTHO/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED; HALAK: GEORGE BRIDGES/MCT Martin Brodeur knows well the difference between NHL- and international-sized ice surfaces. INSIDE HOCKEY VILLE PELTONEN OLYMPIC SURPRISES Out-of-the-blue performances have left lasting impressions C ITIUS, ALTIUS, FORTIUS (faster, higher, stronger). The Olympics’ Latin motto makes a bigger impression on some players more than others. The following five took their games to a level in Olympic competition that no one ever saw coming: PHILIPPE BOZON – In 144 NHL games with St. Louis, Bozon managed only 16 goals and 41 points. But he was dynamite in four Olympics for France. He scored 14 goals and 23 points in just 21 games in 1988, 1992, 1998 and 2002. He put up his best numbers in Nagano, Japan, in 1998, but Bozon’s fondest Olympic memories are from the 1992 Games when France qualified for the playoffs before losing 4-1 to the United States in the quarterfinal. JOE JUNEAU – Juneau played in only one Olympics, leading the tournament in scoring in 1992 with six goals and 15 points in eight games while centering Canada’s top line. His production was a major factor in a silver medal showing and it earned him his first NHL contract. Heavy underdogs, the Canadians were locked in a 0-0 tie with the Unified Team (Russia) after two periods of the gold medal game, before losing 3-1. He went on to play 13 years in the NHL, spending time with Boston, Washington and Montreal. His best season came in 1992-93 when he had 102 points as a Bruins rookie. MATS NASLUND – The highlight of Naslund’s Olympic career was winning a gold medal with Sweden on Peter Forsberg’s shootout goal in Lillehammer, Norway, in 1994. Yet, his achievements date back 14 years earlier to 1980 in Lake Placid, N.Y., where he led the Swedish team in scoring with three goals and 10 points PELTONEN: DAVID E. KLUTHO/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED; LANG: BRIAN BAHR/GETTY IMAGES; POSTCARD: SOCHI 2014 Postcard From SOCHI in seven games at just 20 years old. Altogether, he averaged a point per game over three Olympics, with four goals and 23 points in 23 games. He missed the Games in 1984 and 1988 because he was playing in the NHL and NHLers didn’t start participating in the Olympics until 1998. ROBERT LANG – Over four Olympics, Lang brought back a gold and two bronze medals. He matched Naslund in points with 23, though it took him 26 games to do it. Lang’s native country was still called Czechoslovakia when he placed third in tournament scoring in 1992 with five goals and 13 points in eight games. He’d go on to earn his only gold medal with the Czech Republic in 1998 and later captained the team in the 2006 games in Turin, Italy, where his team was shut out 3-0 in the bronze medal game by Russia. VILLE PELTONEN – Ville and father Esa are the only father-son combo in history to play in four Olympic Games. Esa scored eight goals and had 16 points in 27 games for Finland between 1968 and 1980. Ville bettered that with 10 goals and 20 points in 28 games from 1994 to 2010. Ville’s best NHL season came in 2006-07, when he had 17 goals and 37 points in 72 games with the Florida Panthers. Though his father never medalled, Ville wound up with one silver to go with three bronze. – DENIS GIBBONS ROBERT LANG F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 - T H E H O C K E Y N E W S | 11 INSIDE HOCKEY PRIDE AND GLORY New York punk rockers Two Man Advantage wear customized hockey apparel for their shows. PUNK ROCK PUCKHEADS Long Island band serves up a loud and proud mix of punk music and hockey. They love it when gigs go into overtime I T WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ONE night only. Instead, it has lasted 16 years and counting. Since 1997, Two Man Advantage, a band from Long Island, N.Y., has been fusing lyrics about hockey with its punk rock style. It’s a unique combination that extends even into its live performances. The band has its own jerseys, with its Two Man Advantage logo emblazoned on the front, and the members wear various pieces of hockey equipment and refer to parts of their sets as “periods.” Even encores are hockey-inspired. “Sometimes the audience will call for an overtime,” said Jeffrey ‘Captain’ Kaplan, one of the band’s guitarists and a New York Islanders fan. “They’ll start chanting – ‘O-ver-time! O-vertime!’ – to get us back to play a couple more.” The band even keeps score during shows. Nothing official, Kaplan said, it’s just a way to grade themselves. If they perform in front of an energized audience, they get the win. Play to a handful of people in a small club and they get shut out. Two Man Advantage came together when they were supposed to play a friend’s Halloween party in 1997 dressed up as hockey players. The party ended up being cancelled, but the band later played a show on Long Island and the rest is history. The guys have since released four full-length albums and four split seven-inch records, including their latest split with the Blackout Shoppers, released Oct. 1. The key to the band’s longevity is friendship. They’re all close buddies who love combining their passions of hockey and punk. “When we stop enjoying it, we physically can’t do it anymore or people are no longer interested, we’ll stop,” Kaplan said. “Until the time comes, there’s no reason to not keep doing what we love.” They haven’t taken sticks and nets along on a road trip in years, but don’t be surprised In The if they stop to play a pickup game. “We’re all late 30s to mid-40s, so we’re not quite as athletic as we used to be,” Kaplan said. “If we showed up somewhere and someone wanted to throw us a challenge and we have some time, it would be fun to do.” – BRIAN O’NEILL POWER PLAYLIST Songs that Two Man Advantage would play at an NHL arena: 1. ‘DRUNK BASTARD’ (VOCALS) We Are the Champions Queen (played only at Nassau Coliseum after the Islanders’ win their fifth Stanley Cup) 2. ‘SKATE’ (GUITAR/VOCALS) Apocalyptic Havoc Goatwhore 3. ‘CAPTAIN’ (GUITAR) Warriors of Ice Voivod 4. ‘SNAPSHOT’ (BASS) Why Can’t We Be Friends? War 5. ‘THE COACH’ (DRUMS) Hard Rain Fallin Sir Lord Baltimore CARDS ball Hall of Fame in January, but he might have made a great hockey player instead. In his senior year of high school hockey, Glavine scored 47 goals and had 94 points in only 23 games. That was alluring enough for the Los Angeles Kings to pick him in the fourth round of the 1984 draft, ahead of future stars like Kirk McLean, Gary Suter, Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille. But Glavine was also selected by the Atlanta Braves in that year’s MLB draft and chose to pursue baseball over hockey. This offbeat trading card from the 1992 Pinnacle baseball set shows the Cy Young Award winner (1991, 1998) on the ice. BY SAL BARRY, WEBMASTER OF THE HOCKEY CARD SITE PUCKJUNK.COM 12 | T H E H O C K E Y N E W S - F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 JEFF COSTELLO MLB ALL-STAR PITCHER TOM GLAVINE was inducted into the Base- INSIDE HOCKEY HOCKEY HEROINES In 1914, the Vancouver Ladies Hockey Team helped pioneer women’s hockey in B.C. A century ago, three B.C. rivals vied for provincial supremacy to become the first West Coast warriors of women’s hockey A S CANADA’S WOMEN’S TEAM readies to defend its Olympic crown in Sochi, the host province of the 2010 Games celebrates some of the pioneers of women’s hockey in Canada. In British Columbia, it’s now been 100 years since women first played organized hockey in the province. In 1914 in New Westminster, a group of young women from well-known local sporting families formed a team to face their counterparts in Victoria and in Vancouver, where the Vancouver Ladies’ Hockey Team formed and began practising at the home arena of the Pacific Coast Hockey League’s Vancouver Millionaires. In a game refereed by Millionaires’ Fred ‘Cyclone’ Taylor and Sibby Nichols, Vancouver beat Victoria to set up a showdown with New Westminster, which had only managed to tie Victoria. In just its second game, however, Vancouver experienced its first defeat and New Westminster, with a tie and a victory, was declared B.C.’s first women’s provincial champion. A planned repeat of the three-cornered contest proved impossible when Victoria didn’t re-form a year later. This left a two-game series with New Westminster. Vancouver won by just one goal in the first game and one local newspaper reported that the women “mixed things in vigorous fashion and used the body and stick 14 | T H E H O C K E Y N E W S - F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 – WAYNE NORTON Behind THE NAME VANCOUVER CANUCKS (1970-present) The “Canucks” moniker was first held by Vancouver’s minor pro team in the old Pacific Coast League (later the Western League). The team was named after “Johnny Canuck,” a political cartoon that replicated the lumberjack stereotype associated with many Canadians at the time. In 1965, then-Vancouver mayor Fred Hume had his application for an expansion team rejected by the NHL’s board of governors. But in 1970, the league granted the city a franchise, which assumed the nickname of its minor pro team after it folded that year. Today, Johnny Canuck is Vancouver’s unofficial second mascot, as well as its alternate logo. Goalie Roberto Luongo has featured Johnny on his mask. – GARETH BUSH CITY OF VANCOUVER ARCHIVES WHERE IT ALL BEGAN just like they meant it.” In the return match, the Vancouver women “swept down the ice in regular big league fashion” and defeated New Westminster’s crew to claim the title and a new trophy donated by renowned Vancouver jeweller O.B. Allan. Over the next two seasons, Vancouver was hard pressed to find opponents. When New Westminster folded in 1916, Vancouver turned to the new varsity squad at the fledgling University of British Columbia and thrashed them soundly to remain champion. Vancouver had no option but to rest on its laurels in 1917 as its title went unchallenged. Then in 1918, the Vancouver Ladies’ Team faced a new squad in the city called the Amazons. Since the challengers were mostly high school girls without competitive experience, Vancouver agreed only to a “friendly match.” So much for that. Spectators and reporters alike were shocked by the rough play and shin rapping of the younger team. Playing with the “hook check and everything else,” the Amazons lost 1-0. But in the second game they came away with a 2-1 win and claimed the championship. Vancouver, however, believing the second game was still just a friendly, refused to relinquish the title. With the Spanish influenza epidemic hitting Vancouver, the team didn’t play competitively in 1919 and when several veteran members retired, the club folded. As the city’s original players of organized women’s hockey, the Vancouver Ladies’ Hockey Team clearly deserves its place in hockey history. Go deep into the crease with the iPad edition of the hockey news App Store and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. No team stands tall on the Olympic podium unless its goalie stands tall in the crease. The best puck-stoppers in the world will strap on the pads in a battle for gold at the Winter Games. Before they embark, they share their stories on what it means to be a nation’s last line of defense 16 | T H E H O C K E Y N E W S - F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 BACK ON TOP Lundqvist had turned a slow start into his usual steady hand as the Olympics approached. HEAVY LIES THE CROWN LUNDQVIST: SCOTT LEVY/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; GUSTAVSSON: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES It’s not easy being the star on Broadway, and it won’t be simple in the Sochi spotlight, but the ‘King’ is ready to roll for Tre Kronor BY STEVE ZIPAY S OMETIMES AN ELITE NHL GOALTENDER HAS ϐ Ǥ Ǧϐǡǯ Ǥ ǡ Ǧ ϐ ǡ Ǧ Ǥ ǡ ͵ͳǡ JONAS GUSTAVSSON DETROIT RED WINGS (NHL) So ‘The Monster’ finally delivers the moment the monstrous expectations for him disappear. Go figure. He’s been far better than imagined in relief of Jimmy Howard in Motown and he’ll be ready if called upon at the Olympics should Lundqvist be injured or lit up. Gustavsson gets the nod over Buffalo backup Jhonas Enroth due to better numbers. ǡ Ǧ ǯ Ǧ Ǥ ǡ Ǧǡ ̈́ͷͻǤͷǦ ǡ ̈́ͺǤͷǦ ͵ͻǤ ǡ ǯ Ǧ Ǥ ǯ Ǥ Ǧ Ǥ Ǧǡ Ǧ ϐǦǤ Ǧ ǡ Ǥ ǡ ʹǡ ͳͲǦͶǦͲ ͳǤͺ ǦǤͻ͵ͷ ϐ ͳ Ǥ Ǧ ȋ ȌǤ Ǧ ǡ ǯ Ǧ ǡǦ DzǤdz Ǧ ǡ ϐ ǡ ǡ ǯ Ǥ Ǧ ǡ ʹͲͲϐǦ ϐǦ ʹͲͳͲǤǯ ǡ Ǧ Ǥ Dz Ǧ ǡ ǡdz ǡ Ǥ ǤǤǡǦ ϐ Ǥ Dz ǯ ǡdzǦ Ǧ Ǥ Dz Ǥǯ Ǥdz ǯ Ǧ ǤDz ǡdz Ǧ Ǥ Dzǯ ǯ ǯ ȂǤdz ǡ Ȃ ǡǡ ʹͲͳʹȂ Ǥ ǯ ǡ Ǧ ǡ Ǧ ǤǦ ȀȀ Ǧ Ǥ Dzǯ ǡ ǡ ǡ Ǧ ǡdz ǦǤDzǯ24/7… ǯȋȌǤdz Ǧ ϐ ǡ Ǧ Ǥ F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 - T H E H O C K E Y N E W S | 17 LIVING IN THE NOW The key to Price’s success in Sochi is to not think about Sochi. A new goalie coach has him preparing for games completely in the present BY KEN CAMPBELL L EADING UP TO THE SOCHI OLYMPICS, TWO interesting parlor games emerged north of the 49th parǤϐǡLet’s Project Canada’s Olympic Hockey Roster…Again̻ǤǡLet’s Fret Incessantly About the State of Canada’s Goaltending™. The games turned out Ǥ Ǥ ǡ Ǥͳǡ Ǥ ǡǦ Ǧ Ǥ ǡǯǤǡ ǡϐͶǤͷǦ ǤͺͷͶ Ǥ ϐ Ǥ ǡ ǡ ǯ ǯǤDzǯ ǡdzǤǤǡ ǯ 18 | T H E H O C K E Y N E W S - F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 ǡ ϐǦǡDz ǯǡ ǯǤdz ǡ Ǥ Ǥ ǡ Ǥȋ ǤȌ ǯ ǯ Ǥ ͳͲ ǯ ǡ ͵ͺ Ǥ Ǥ ϐ ǤͺͻͶ ͶǤ ǯ Ǥ ǡǯ Ǥ Dz ǡ ǡ- ǡ ǡdz ǤDzǯ ǡ ǡ Ǯǯ Ǥ ǯ Ǥǯ ǯ Ǥdz ǦǦǦ ϐ Ǧ Ǥ ǡ ǯ Ǥ ϐ ǡ ǯ ϐ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ ǡ ǡ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ Former Red Wings goaltender had the entire Detroit season Ǥ Ǥ Ǥ ǡ Ǧ Ȃ ǡ ǡ Ȃ Ȃ ǡǡ Ǥ Dz ǯ Ǧ ǡdz ǤDzǦ Ǥdz ǡ ǯ Ǥ ǡ - RICHARD WOLOWICZ/GETTY IMAGES ON THE MONEY Showing more consistency than in years past, Carey Price has been Montreal’s MVP. COOL ON THE HOT SEAT PRICE: FRANCOIS LACASSE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; LUONGO: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES Price fits the bill as Canada’s No. 1 because he’s calm under pressure and openly confident. come the last line of defense, each for a Stanley Cup team. Waite ϐ ǯ Ǥ ǯ ϐ ʹͲͳʹǦͳ͵ǤDzǯǡ ǡdzǤDz ǡ Ǥǡǡǡǡǡǡǡ ǥǡǤǡǯ ǯ ǯ Ǥ ǡǯǤ Ǥǯ Ǥdz ǡǡ ǯ Ǥ ǡǡ Ǥǡǯ Ǥ ǡǤ ʹ Ǥ ǯ ǡ ǡ Dz ǯ Ǥdz ǯ ǡ Ǥ Waite says he sometimes has ǯ Ǥ ǡ player out on the ice after prac ͳͷ ǡ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ Dz ǯ ǡdz ǡ Dz ǯ Ǥdz ǡ Ǥ ǯ ǯ Ǥ ǯ Ǥ ǯ Ǧ ǡ Ǥ ǡ ǡǯ ǤDz said at the orientation camp in ǡ ϐ ǡdzǤDzǯ ǯǤdz ROBERTO LUONGO VANCOUVER CANUCKS (NHL) What must Roberto Luongo do to lock down a starting job on Team Canada? Apparently, winning gold for his country in 2010 wasn’t enough to guarantee him the 2014 gig. Luongo still carries a reputation as a goalie who can’t “win the big one” after his Canucks lost Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup final on home ice. There’s no greater pressure, however, than overtime in the Olympics with gold on the line in front of home fans. Luongo, now 34, delivered in that situation four years ago and thus deserves consideration to start over Price. Luongo, exiting his prime years and battling injuries, carries some risk, however. F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 - T H E H O C K E Y N E W S | 19 WEATHER THE STORM Varlamov has endured a legal dispute and the pressure of having Patrick Roy for a coach. Suddenly, Sochi doesn’t seem so scary BY KEN CAMPBELL I T’S DIFFICULT FOR PLAYERS TO PUT INTO WORDS ϐ ǡ Ǥ ǤǯǤ Ǥ Dz ǡdz ǡ DzǯǯǡǮǤǯdz ǯǡǡ Ǥ Ǥ Ǥȋ ǡ ǤȌ Ǧ Ǧ Ǥ ǡϐ Ǥ Ǥͳǡ Ǥ ǯ ǡ 20 | T H E H O C K E Y N E W S - F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 Ǥ Dz ǡdzǤDz ǯ Ǥ Ǥ Ǯǯ ǡ ϐ Ǥ ǡ ǯ ǡ Ǥ ǯǤdz ǡ ǡǯ Ǥ ǡ ǯ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ Dz ǡdzǤDz ǤǤdz ǯ ʹͲͳͲǡ ʹͳ ϐǤ ϐ Ǥ ǯ Ǥ ǯ ǡ ǯǤ ʹͷǡ ϐ ǡ ǯǤ ǡ ǤDzǯ ǡdz ǤDzǤ Ǥdz ǡ Ǥ ͳʹ ǡ Ǥ Ǥ ǯ ǡ Ǥ Ǥ ͵Ͳ ǡ ǡ ǡ Ǥ Ǥ ʹͲ Ǥ ǯ ǡ Ǥ ǡ ȋ ϐǦǡ ̈́ʹͻǤͷǦ GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES SEASON OF CHANGE Semyon Varlamov is a big reason why Colorado has exploded into the playoff picture. VARLAMOV: ANDRE RINGUETTE/HHOF-IIHF IMAGES; BOBROVSKY: JAMIE SABAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES extension Jan. 30). Perhaps Varlamov had a kindred spirit in Roy, who was charged in 2000 for domestic violence. The charges were dropped and it was later reported Roy was basically guilty of assaulting a door in his house. Varlamov maintained his innocence, stayed with the team and played through the process. “No, no, no. Believe me, it was not bothering me,” Varlamov says when asked whether the specter of the charge ever affected his play. His teammates say his focus remained the same, but in 17 games between the laying and dropping of the charges, Varlamov went 9-7-1 with a 2.66 goals-against average and .913 save percentage, but in 13 games after, he posted an 8-1-4 record – including 12 straight games where he didn’t lose in regulation time – and a 2.44 GAA and .927 SP. “If it did ever bother him, we never felt it,” Talbot says. “Maybe off the ice now he’s just more free – maybe that’s a bad word to use – a little more upbeat maybe? What I hate about those things is you get accused and it’s a big headline and everything and it stays there and when you get cleared, it’s a little ǤǯϐǤdz Roy sees his relationship with his players as more of a partnership than one based on power. He spoke a number of times to Varlamov during the legal problem and while he won’t disclose what was said, he stresses the team had information early in the process that led it to believe Varlamov would not be convicted. Roy, too, says Varlamov never seemed to wear the burden of the charges when he showed up for work. “It probably affected him, but he never showed it,” Roy says. “I told him, ‘If you need to talk, we can talk.’ I’m there for him.” The same way Varlamov put his trust in Roy and Allaire that the changes they were demanding of him would help his game, Roy continued to put his trust in Varlamov during the ordeal. That kind of faith can gain a lot of currency in a relationship. You can bet if Varlamov ever starts creeping too far back into his net, Roy and Allaire will be able to point it out to him and that it will result in improvement. It seems strange now, but when Varlamov was dealt to the Avalanche – in a deal made by much maligned GM Greg Sherman, who kept the title, but not the role after Sakic came on board – many ϐ Ǥing was the Capitals were set in goal and had given up something they already had for what might be a lottery pick. That pick turned out to be 11th overall and the Capitals chose Filip Forsberg, whom they dealt to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Martin Erat and prospect Michael Latta. The Avs also gave up a second-roundǡϐǤ The Capitals have almost nothing to show for the deal and are still looking for someone to take hold of the No. 1 goaltending job. The Avs, meanwhile, have a goaltender who allows them to ϐ YOUTH MOVEMENT Team Russia is going with a younger goaltending brigade at the Olympics, led by Varlamov. their goaltender will be able to bail them out. “There are times when you look in his eyes and he’s so focused that he’s just not letting anything into the net,” says Avs center Ryan O’Reilly. “I’ve seen it in practice. You think you’ve got him ϐ makes a save and you’re thinking, ‘How did he do that?’ ” They don’t spend a lot of time wondering about those things in Colorado anymore. When it comes to playing against him in Sochi, Avs leading scorer Matt a dip in Varlamov’s play that he’s pretty certain won’t come. “I can’t say enough good about ǡdz ǤDz he’s not as good for Russia as he has been for us here.” SERGEI BOBROVSKY COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (NHL) The battle for Russia’s No. 1 goalie job in Sochi has become so razor-thin that it may be decided in the opening-game warmup. That wasn’t the case last summer, as Columbus’ Sergei Bobrovsky was fresh off winning the Vezina Trophy in 2012-13. As Varlamov started 2013-14 strongly, however, ‘Bob’ and the Jackets stumbled. He eventually landed on injured reserve with a groin strain, all but handing the Team Russia gig to Varlamov. Then, January happened. Bobrovsky returned and caught fire, winning his first seven outings and flashing his Vezina form. Will Russia turn to Varlamov’s consistency or Bobrovsky’s hot hand? F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 - T H E H O C K E Y N E W S | 21 Given Finland’s abundance of great goalies, Tuukka Rask was honored just to make the team. TREAD ON HIS TIRES Now that Rask is an elite NHL goalie, the Bruins have no choice but to accept he’ll have a heavy workload at the Olympics BY MIKE LOFTUS B R U I N S FA N S A R E G E N U I N E LY H A P P Y Tuukka Rask is on Finland’s Olympic roster. They’re just not sure they want him to actually play in Sochi. Understandable, since so much has been made of the ǯϐͺʹǦǤͳǤǯ ǯǯ ϐǡǤ ANTTI NIEMI SAN JOSE SHARKS (NHL) Plenty of countries have respectable No. 2 options, but Finland is peerless in this category. San Jose’s Antti Niemi is so good, he could start over Rask – and for just about any other nation at the Games. Niemi, a Cup champion with Chicago in 2010, is no stranger to playing lots of minutes. In the past two seasons, he’s started 87 of the Sharks’ 101 games (86 percent). 22 | T H E H O C K E Y N E W S - F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 Rask isn’t worried, not even Ǥ ͳͶ and Jan. 9 in which he was ͳͲ ͷǦͶǦͲ ʹǦͶǦͳ Ǥ ͳͻǤ ǯ ǡ their defense, was shredded by injuries for much of that Ǧ Ǥ ǡʹϐǦ Ǧǡ ̈́ͷǦǦ lion contract, doesn’t think that will be the case for the remainǦ der of the season. And he trusts ǯ Ǧ ǯ Ǧ injury. “The schedule is what it is and it drains you someǦ ǡdz Ǥ Dz coach (Claude Julien) is smart ǯ Ǥ to play there and there’ll be all the travel. Dzǯ Ǧ tween me and Chad (Johnson).” ǯ for Finnish coach Erkka WestǦ erlund to choose his startǦ for Julien to make that call in Ǥ Ǧ ʹͲͳͶ because of injuries, the Finns trio of Rask, San Jose’s Antti ǤϐǦǦ pians and all are workhorses. Each has appeared in at least ǯǤ So who plays in Sochi? Rask approached FebruǦ ȋʹǤͲͺ Ǧ ǡ Ǥͻ͵Ͳ ǡ Ǧ ϐ Ȍǡ ǯ Ǥ ǯ have earned a roster spot for a Ǧ for the chance to represent his ϐ Championship appearances ʹͲͲͷ ʹͲͲǤ Dz ǡ sure,” Rask says. “World juǦ ǡ ǤǦ ǡ ǯ ǯ ǯ play with. Dz ǯ ǡ ǯ Ǥ ǯ Ǥ ǯ happy to be part of the team.” That said, the only evidence Rask had the Olympics on his mind shortly before the Games ǯ and blue color scheme. until the break, which would Ǧ er workload down the stretch. Dz ǯ really hard down that last stretch if you don’t have to,” Rask says. “You don’t want to be all drained when they drop Ǥ fresh when the playoffs start is Ǥdz That’s not to say Rask needs Ǥ ͷ ǡ ʹʹ ͳ Ǧ ǡ ͵ ʹͲͲͺǦͲͻǤ ǯ more durable than some peoǦ Ǥ RASK: JARED WICKERHAM/GETTY IMAGES; NIEMI: RICH LAM/GETTY IMAGES FLATTERED FINN SPARKLING RESUME A gold medal would add shine to Jonathan Quick’s already long list of career accolades. EYES ON THE PRIZE Quick is so focused, he won’t even talk about the job he has ahead of him in Sochi. In his case, actions speak louder than words QUICK: HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES; MILLER: CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES BY ADAM PROTEAU J ONATHAN QUICK HAS BEEN CONSISTENT all season about his thoughts on being the presumptive starting goalie for Team USA at the 2014 Olympics: he has none he’s willing to share. He has been focused on NHL ǡϐ actions at the Sochi Games isn’t a priority. In addition, this will be ϐ RYAN MILLER BUFFALO SABRES (NHL) Erase 2011 to 2013 and Miller would still have his job as Team USA’s starter. There was no better player on any team at any position than Miller at the 2010 Olympics. He was the tournament’s MVP and he captured the NHL’s Vezina Trophy that season. In the years to follow his game slipped, but Miller, 33, has regained his vintage form in time to make the U.S. squad again. play and maybe there are nerves and or/superstitions at work. But if he leads the Americans to improve on their surprising ϐ ver, Quick, 28, will have to get accustomed to mega-fame. And not simply because of the hype that will envelop him at home: on top of that, a gold medal victory would propel him into the ϐ tory of world-class goalies. He would join Dominik Hasek and Martin Brodeur as the only netminders to win a Stanley Cup and an Olympic gold as a starter. Quick is already acknowledged as one of the NHL’s best between the pipes, but making it to the top of the podium in Sochi would put his career on a Hall of Fame trajectory, assuming his body and performance hold up into his 30s. And those who have been around him in his ascent talk about him as you would an icon-in-themaking. “He’s one of the fastest goalies I’ve seen in this league,” says Toronto Maple Leafs goalie and Quick’s former Kings teammate Jonathan Bernier. “He’s so quick from ǡǯϐǡ he improved on his technique and he works really hard. He’s got everything. When he’s on top of his game, he’s square to the puck and he never quits on pucks, which makes him pretty hard to beat.” Adds Teddy Purcell, another ǯ Ǧ current Lightning right winger: “Sometimes it may look like he’s out of position, but he almost always makes the right read and the guy can do the splits through the whole crease. It’s fun to watch him play. It’s not fun to play against him.” Rob Blake, legendary NHL defenseman and Kings assistant GM, doesn’t think Quick will have any issue adjusting to the bigger ice surface or the spotlight in Sochi. Blake believes Quick can handle anything thrown his way – pucks, pressure, health challenges – and calls him the backbone of the Kings, not just because of his mental strength. “The thing that’s amazed me about him since I met him is how strong and how big he really is,” Blake says. “His legs and the strength he has in them – you watch him go side to side, the push he has across the crease, the way he challenges. He seems to push out at shooters and take everything away.” Quick has a reputation as a battler who uses his athleticism for a second wind on plays other goalies might quit on. But for as much as he’s able to take things away from the opposition, Quick has had health issues take away his ability to play as often as he’d like. He underwent back surgery in the summer of 2012, but he rebounded strong and helped ϐnal the season after their Cup ȋǦϐ NHL). This season, he missed 24 games after sustaining a groin injury in mid-November, but he returned in January looking like his old self. But that’s the key to Quick’s success: he can shake off just about anything – a bad game, health woes, etc. – and relocate ϐ a GPS tracker in it. That’s just what America needs from him in Sochi. “He’s not going to dwell on things that don’t go right,” Purcell says. “That’s another part of why he’s so successful.” F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 - T H E H O C K E Y N E W S | 23 Ondrej Pavelec is beaming with joy knowing he’ll get to play with his fellow countrymen in Sochi. TURNING IT AROUND Olympic bound Pavelec is beginning to show signs of his old self as the Jets defense improves under new coach Paul Maurice BY TIM CAMPBELL O N D R E J PAV E L E C I S C E R TA I N O F H I S comfort level well before the 2014 Olympic tournament begins in Sochi. And why not? He’s been to the international main stage before, manning the pipes for the Czech Republic at the 2010 Games in Vancouver, and at this edition he’ll be spending time with many of his good friends, including hometown buddies Jakub Vo- ALEXANDER SALAK SKA ST. PETERSBURG (KHL) Salak might well be the best option for the Czech Republic’s net. Since the natural bias is toward NHL experience, however, we may never find out. Salak has two career NHL appearances – both in relief – to his name. He has dazzled in the KHL, posting a .933 SP and being named the league’s goaltender of the month for November. He’s a reasonable fallback. 24 | T H E H O C K E Y N E W S - F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 racek, Tomas Plekanec, Marek Zidlicky, Radko Gudas and his Winnipeg Jets teammate Michael Frolik. It’s the Kladno crew. “I think there are 10 guys from my hometown, (Jaromir) Jagr and (Tomas) Kaberle, too,” Pavelec says. “Some of the guys are a bit older, but I can’t wait to see all of them. We always have fun in the summer. It’ll be great to see the whole team.” The Jets’ No. 1 goalie, 26, will add a second Olympic appearance to his resume, which also includes a gold (2010) and bronze (2011) at the World Championship. “Of course it’s going to be a great experience,” he says. “In 2010 in Vancouver, it was something different. Every time I’ve had a chance to play for my country, it’s been something special. The Olympics, that’s the most you can do with a national jersey. I’m excited about it.” Pavelec’s early opinion about his country’s chances in Sochi is that experience will be its biggest asset. “Our guys, they’ve been through a lot, been through a lot of Olympics, a lot of championships,” he says. “Experience is on our side. It’s a short tournament. Could be about one game, so anything could happen. Six or seven teams could win. This will be tough. It’s going to be about the moment, about maybe one day, one mistake.” Pavelec, an Atlanta Thrashers second-round pick (41st overall in 2005), has been the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise’s ϐǤ His own experience, including the lockout months of 2012 when he went home to the Czech Republic to play for a while, tells him one of the great unknowns in Sochi will be the adaptation – in mid-season – of NHL players to internationalsized ice. “That’s different,” he says. “But most teams have NHL players, so it’s the same for everybody, same rules. But it’s going to be a challenge for the players. “For skaters, it’s harder than for goalies and for me. A few practices and then we’ll see. But I’ve been there, been in that situation a few times going from small ice to the big ice and for me, it’s worse to go from big ice to the small. Hopefully this ϐǡǯget that rink is going to be big.” For a while in this NHL season, any ice was problematic for Pavelec. Or maybe better phrased, Pavelec and the Jets. ϐǦ losing spiral to 19-23-5 in early January and Pavelec’s numbers in a poor state (11-19-4, 3.14 goals-against average and .898 save percentage), the team made the decision to change coaches from Claude Noel to Paul Maurice. Maurice brought Noel’s same call for better defense ϐcantly for the team and its goalie. “Yeah, and you can see why,” Pavelec says. “The last few games, we’ve played really good defensively and if you’re playing good defense, you create offense. You have to play defense to be successful and we’ve handled some heavy teams the last few games.” During a stretch in which ϐ seven with Maurice, Pavelec was 5-1-0 with a 2.15 GAA and .921 SP, more in line with what he had in mind for this season. “It’s only a few games,” Pavelec says. “We have to keep going in that direction.” PAVELEC: LANCE THOMSON/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; SALAK: RADEK MICA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES CZECH HIM OUT TALK IS CHEAP, BUT FUN When he returns from Sochi, Hiller hopes he’ll be the one smacktalking teammates. THEIR HILL TO DIE ON Any hope Switzerland has of upsetting the big boys for a medal rests on Hiller. Good thing he’s comfortable shouldering the underdog load HILLER: JEFF GROSS/GETTY IMAGES; BERRA: DEREK LEUNG/GETTY IMAGES BY RYAN KENNEDY A NY TIME THE SWISS EXCEL ON THE international stage, goaltending is always front and center. When Switzerland upset Russia at the world juniors in 2010, Nino Niederreiter led the offense, but Benjamin Conz was the star with 50 saves on the night. And Canadians will never forget Martin Gerber’s performance at the 2006 Olympics when he stopped 49 shots to blank Canada 2-0. RETO BERRA CALGARY FLAMES (NHL) Raise your hand if you knew who Berra was before 2013-14. Thought so. Well, you and every NHLer know him now. And Switzerland is happy to have another NHLer to pepper its roster, which is made up of mostly Swiss League players. Berra, 27, isn’t a threat to snatch Hiller’s No. 1 job, but he’s a capable backup who can fill in if needed. So if the Swiss are going to do damage in Sochi, Jonas Hiller will have to stand tall. Fortunately, he’s been doing just that all season for the Ducks, going 24-7-4, including winning 14 straight decisions at one point, and helping Anaheim become the class of the league. “Every time you play him,” says defenseman Francois Beauchemin, “you know he is going to make the big save at the right time.” It’s actually been a while since Hiller last donned the Swiss’ red and white jersey, at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. In the meantime, he has seen his nation grow on the ice, even taking silver at the 2013 World Championship last spring thanks to a platoon of Gerber and new Calgary goaltender Reto Berra. Now the team isn’t just a Cinderella story. “They proved it last year,” Hiller says. “If everything goes right, we can play with the best.” It’s tough to gauge from the 2013 worlds just how ready this Swiss team will be for primetime in Sochi, since a majority of the NHL’s best players were either still playing in the post-season or recovering from early exits. But it’s worth noting Switzerland’s top two scorers for the World Championship were Niederreiter and Roman Josi, both of whom will be at the Olympics, while the addition of Hiller in net gives the team a netminder with a higher ceiling and one in his prime. Gerber was at the tail end of his career while Berra was just beginning his at the worlds. “Over the past 10 years, we’ve proven we belong in the top eight,” Hiller says. “In the NHL, there isn’t a lot of difference between the No. 1 team and the 30th team. In one game, anything can happen. That’s happening internationally now for Switzerland.” And though Hiller has been successful on a powerhouse Anaheim squad so far, he will have to face some of those same Ducks at the Sochi Games. With Switzerland sharing a pool ǡ ǯ ϐ face Jakob Silfverberg, while a matchup with Canada’s Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry or Finland’s Teemu Selanne and Sami Vatanen would have to wait until the elimination round of the tournament. “It’s a little more special,” Hiller says. “It’s like playing your friends, except you’re not friends on the ice. A little extra competition.” Switzerland has two Olympic medals to its credit: bronze in both 1928 and 1948. Since the NHL joined the party in ͳͻͻͺǡ ϐ no better than sixth. In 2010, Hiller helped the Swiss take Canada to a shootout in the preliminary round, even stopping Getzlaf in the process. Unfortunately for Switzerland, Sidney Crosby did beat Hiller and that was enough to earn Canada the win. ThenDucks teammate Bobby Ryan was part of the U.S. team that eventually eliminated the Swiss with a 2-0 shutout, in which Hiller made 42 saves in a losing cause. But Hiller would prefer to look ahead and keep history in the past. He likes what he sees in his home squad and is hoping for at least some bragging rights when he gets back to Orange County. “I want to be the guy doing the chirping,” he said. “Not the one at the short end of the stick.” F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 - T H E H O C K E Y N E W S | 25 Jaroslav Halak knows he’ll be bombarded with shots in Sochi and he’s comfortable with it. RETURN OF THE MAN Suiting up for Slovakia means a lot to Halak. He gets to be a true No. 1 again and audition for that role in his next NHL contract BY MATT LARKIN F OUR YEARS ISN’T AN ETERNITY, BUT GOSH, a lot has changed in Jaroslav Halak’s life since 2010. Halak started that calendar year as a backup goaltender. By the summer, he was a folk hero on two teams in two countries. At the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, he backstopped the underdog Slovakians to wins over Russia and Sweden and almost led them to a heart-stopping comeback against Canada in the PETER BUDAJ MONTREAL CANADIENS (NHL) If anything happens to Jaroslav Halak, the Slovakians are still in safe hands with a proven NHL goaltender. Peter Budaj backs up Team Canada starter Carey Price in Montreal and is among the best in the league at what he does, with a sparkling .921 SP this season. He also has international experience at the world juniors and World Championship. 26 | T H E H O C K E Y N E W S - F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 ϐǤ ʹͲͳͲ Stanley Cup playoffs. Stealing the Montreal Canadiens starting job from Carey Price, Halak gave a stunning performance, posting a .923 save percentage as Montreal upset Alex Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals and Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins on a Cinderella run ϐǤ ǡ exciting goalie in a big market, snatching headlines and known to enjoy speedy sports cars off the ice. ǡ ǡ Montreal decided Price was its long-term answer and traded Halak to St. Louis. Ken Hitchcock took over as Blues coach a year later and settled Halak into a tandem with Brian Elliott. Halak now goes about his business in a smaller market on a team that allows the second-fewest shots. He and wife ϐ ǡ named Inna, in the summer and he’s a changed man, even behind the wheel. “I still love the cars, but now that I have a daughter, the priority has changed a little bit,” he says. Does that mean he’s swapping V8s for minivans? “No,” he says with a hearty laugh. “I mean I’m driving safely.” Big-market hockey fans may say he’s faded into obscurity, but it’s more appropriate to say Halak, 28, has grown into maǤ he and Elliott have settled into their 1 and 1A roles. (Halak has started 95 games in three seasons under this arrangement. Elliott has started 74 and Jake Allen the other 13 as an injury replacement). Ǧ system and lobby for playing time through performance. “When one plays well, we know we’re going to get a good game out of the other the next night, usually,” says Blues goaltending coach Corey Hirsch. Dzǯ other. And we’ve had zero issues off the ice with those two.” Nevertheless, any goalie wants to play and play often. Halak gets to do just that as Slovakia’s starter in Sochi and the timing couldn’t be better for a pending unrestricted free agent hoping to up his value. “I don’t know what it’s going to be like, but I know we’ll face really good teams, so I’ll probably face way more shots,” Halak says. “It’s a challenge. And any challenge will be fun.” It’s a good thing Halak is comfortable with being peppered, because he will be. Slovakia’s Group of Death neigh USA. Hirsch sees the heavy workload as a positive for a goalie such as Halak. “It’s actuϐ you get less shots, because it’s typically the same amount of scoring chances, but you’re not getting that feel of the puck as much,” Hirsch says. “It’s hard to watch the goalie at other end make 40 saves while you’re battling to make one or two.” If there’s a chink in Halak’s armor, it’s inconsistency. His save percentages from November to January were .914, Ǥͺͺͷ ǤͻͶͲǤ Man for Slovakia will help his focus. Underdog or not, he has a gold-or-bust mentality. “If it’s us or the U.S. or Russia, anybody wants to be on top,” he says. “We have to approach it with determination and play the hardest every game. In this short tournament, after the group stage, it’s all about winning only one game.” HALAK: MARK BUCKNER/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; BUDAJ: ANDY MARLIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES HALAK UNDER ATTACK BY RONNIE SHUKER KRISTERS GUDLEVSKIS SYRACUSE CRUNCH (AHL) Latvia has the best No. 1 of the bottom-third tier of Olympic teams. Gudlevskis, 21, is a Tampa Bay 2013 fifth-rounder who steadily worked his way from the Latvian league as a 17-year-old to Syracuse of the American League. At 6-foot-4, he covers lots of net. Crunch goalie coach David Alexander calls him technically sound and instinctually skilled, when the situation calls for it. Latvia’s old firststringer, Edgars Masalskis, 33, only found a club team in January after signing in Slovakia. He played the past four seasons in the Kontinental League. Ervins Mustukovs plays in Denmark. BERNHARD STARKBAUM BRYNAS (SWEDISH LEAGUE) Starkbaum, 28, should see the bulk of the starts in Sochi. He shone with Modo of the Swedish League last season, but was cut after a poor playoff performance. Brynas picked him up this season and he has actually outplayed starter Johan Holmqvist. Starkbaum went undrafted in the NHL, though the Philadelphia Flyers and Edmonton Oilers were rumored to have had interest in him last summer. With a porous blueline in front of him, he’s likely to get shelled. Backups Rene Swette, 25, and Fabian Weinhandl, 27, are playing in the Austrian League. LARS HAUGEN DINAMO MINSK (KHL) At 26, Haugen looks to be the starter for Norway ahead of youngsters Lars Volden, 21, and Steffen Soberg, 20. He plays for Dinamo Minsk in the KHL and he’s started the past three world championships for Norway, finishing with pretty stellar stats (goals-against average under 2.80, save percentage above .910) considering the competition. Volden (Boston, 181st) and Soberg (Washington, 117th) were drafted in 2011, but are projects and still far too green, though they could see some action if Haugen gets rocked by too much rubber against Canada and Finland in Group C. LUKA GRACNAR SALZBURG EC (AUSTRIAN LEAGUE) Based on skill, Gracnar, 20, should have the edge on Andrej Hocevar, 29, and Robert Kristan, 30, since he plays in the slightly stronger Austrian League and his elder cohorts play in French and Slovakian leagues. However, Hocevar or Kristan, who was Gracnar’s childhood idol, could get the nod based on tenure. Gracnar has the same hometown as teammate Anze Kopitar and is best friends with Anze’s brother, Gasper. Gracnar describes himself as a “technical battler,” meaning he’s a hybrid butterfly goalie who stays upright as long as he can. LAT: SCOTT THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHY; AUT: JESSICA STRÖM; NOR: YURY KUZMIN/KHL PHOTO AGENCY; SLO: GEPA PICTURES/FELIX ROITTNER F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 - T H E H O C K E Y N E W S | 27 Tampa Bay Lightning quiet at Winter Games, but poised to strike come playoff time VICTOR HEDMAN BEN BISHOP H OCKEY ICON HERB BROOKS ONCE said, “great moments are born from great opportunity,” but the late American coach wasn’t entirely right. Sometimes an opportunity denied can make the best motivation and set the stage for glory. And this year’s edition of the Tampa Bay Lightning could be all the proof required. Few pundits pegged the Bolts as a playoff team at season’s start (THN ϐtic) and when superstar Steven Stamkos broke his leg in November, nobody would have raised an eyebrow had they plummeted to the bottom of the East. Yet that’s not what happened. Led by a Vezina-worthy performance from Ben Bishop – and buttressed by the indomitable spirit of captain Martin St-Louis – the Lightning not only held their own, but challenged the defending conference ϐǤ All that success didn’t amount to a molehill of respect when national team GMs had to pick their Olympic rosters: St-Louis was omitted from Canada’s rosȋ MARTIN ST-LOUIS was the Blightning or the Slightning. Is that an altogether bad thing? Probably not. All the snubbery the Lightning’s key players were subject to just may be the motivation that pushes them from the East’s pack of mid-tier franchises to a true Stanley Cup threat. There was evidence of that motivation following the announcements. Canada’s roster was revealed Jan. 7 and in the 10 games afterward, St-Louis recorded eight goals and 14 points, including at least a point in each contest and a four-goal game Jan. 18. Likewise, Bishop continued The revenge of the overlooked may well end with a Cup parade in Florida for the second time Bay GM Steve Yzerman, at that); Bishop wasn’t one of Team USA’s three goalies; and blueliner Victor Hedman wasn’t selected for Sweden’s defense. Stamkos was named to Canada’s team and there was a chance Bishop and St-Louis would be chosen as injury replacements, but af ǡ 28 | T H E H O C K E Y N E W S - F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 to perform spectacularly: he won seven of nine games and had a save percentage of less than .917 just once. And Hedman – bypassed in favor of Johnny Oduya and Henrik Tallinder – showed no dropoff in his play: he was averaging 22 minutes a game (just outside the top 50) and set career highs with 10 goals and 32 points. BOLTS OF INSPIRATION Tampa’s trio of Olympic “snubs” will actually help the NHL club in its pursuit of the Stanley Cup this year. of discontents and you have a team no opponent should want to face in the ϐ Ǥ Ȁ divisional rivals will have nearly half the roster participating in the Olympics (Detroit has 10), the Lightning will have virtually their entire core of key players rested and focused. Yzerman also has $4.5 million in salary cap space to augment a roster that includes Matt Carle, Eric Brewer and rugged Radko Gudas on the blueline and Valtteri Filppula and Teddy Purcell up front. As well, we know coaches love fostering an “Us vs. The dz ǡ coach Jon Cooper has an easier time of it thanks to the Olympic selection process. This is why the Lightning could give ϐ in the post-season. The revenge of the overlooked may well end with a Cup parade in Florida for the second time in NHL history. And if that happens, Lightning fans will have the selection committees of several Olympic countries to include in their list of thank you cards. HEDMAN: FRANCOIS LACASSE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; BISHOP: RICH LAM/GETTY IMAGES; ST. LOUIS: MARKO DITKUN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES WITH ADAM PROTEAU PROTEAU TYPE SPRING FEVER THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE LISTING OF SUMMER HOCKEY SCHOOLS IN NORTH AMERICA! FEATURES INCLUDE: 4 4 Choosing a Hockey School 4 Why Nutrition is Important Power Skating, Skill Development, Off-ice Training and Much More! FEBRUARY 17, 2014 36 th ED A IT NN IO U N AL Photos courtesy of Steve Serdachny’s Powerskating & Hockey International, Canadian Hockey Enterprises and Can/Am Hockey Camp. ADVERTISING FEATURE ONTARIO 2014 SUMMERHOCKEY SCHOOLGUIDE By Jacquie Schifano F or many of us, summer is but a dream. A brief glorious period where the sun shines and we forget all about the minus-20 temperatures of the winter and bask in the freedom to leave the house in clothing that was unimaginable in the often snowy weeks of March or early April. And then there are those others who, despite the call of a pool or lake, still flock to the ice for summer hockey camps in the continued effort to improve their game. And it’s not such a crazy notion. With the level of competition to reach the NHL at the height it’s at right now, those dedicated to the sport with dreams of being the next Roy, Yzerman, or Chelios see the summer as a vital opportunity to gain the edge that will elevate them beyond their competition. When selecting a hockey camp, it’s important to do an honest assessment of your player, said Eric Chapman, director of Can/Am Hockey Group. “You need to identify what areas need to be improved most,” he said. “Secondly, you need to consider what type of environment would best benefit these skaters.” Camp programs should incorporate an intense day of hockey with other recreational activities like swimming and team building exercises. It’s hockey camp, not boot camp, so the camp should ensure the skaters are having fun. 30 THE HOCKEY NEWS – FEBRUARY 17, 2014 Chapman said the keys to a good on-ice program are a “mix of player training, skill training, positional and player development and situational development.” The players should get an average of three to four hours of ice-time per day, a period that Chapman refers to as “the sweet spot.” “What you don’t want to happen at camp is that they have diminishing returns after being on the ice for six to seven hours a day,” he said. “The kids then are exhausted, and start to develop bad forms and lose the skills we’re trying to hone.” Vital hockey skills should be developed off the ice as well with players practising shooting and stick handling. “The off-ice training can be just as important as their work on the ice,” said Marshall Starkman, camp and clinic director of Roger Neilson Hockey Camps. Teaching weight. transfer at Can/Am. Hockey Camp.. Starkman said tournaments play a large part in the camp experience and present skaters with a chance to use their newfound or newly improved skills in a real game situation. Tournaments provide the opportunity to test out the campers’ on-ice skills, including power plays and penalty killing. 2014 HOCKEY SCHOOL DIRECTORY ONTARIO REGION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29-35 WESTERN CANADA REGION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36-38 EASTERN CANADA REGION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 INTERNATIONAL REGION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 EASTERN U.S.A. REGION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40-43 WESTERN U.S.A. REGION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44-47 ADVERTISING FEATURE Photo courtesy of Can/Am Hockey Camp Select the Perfect Camp to Improve Your Skills SUMMERHOCKEY SCHOOLGUIDE Photos courtesy of Roger Neilson’s Hockey Camp (top), Can/Am Hockey Camp (bottom) Group instruction. at Roger Neilson’s. Hockey Camp.. Many camps offer elite programs for older skaters that focus on the physical and endurance aspects of hockey. Often these programs are tailored to players hoping to enter the major junior leagues and are at camp to improve certain aspects of their game. These programs focus on all areas of hockey from speed to shooting accuracy, cardio and weight training. These programs can also allow skaters to work themselves as hard as possible at their own pace without that group mentality – they’re competing against themselves on a daily basis. It’s the difference between individual and team training. These are programs for players looking to be the best. Some camps even provide NHL coaches to push players to the level expected for skaters hoping for future entry into the NHL. For campers, there’s really no escape from hockey. Their time Mastering the. crossover at. is usually managed down to the Can/Am.Hockey. minute with video sessions and Camp.. team building activities scheduled for the “down-time”. The reputations and histories of a camp are a good indicator of its success. “Choosing a camp based on a long camp is satisfactory because they successful history, there’s a better chance want to defend their reputation,” said you’ll be happier with the experience,” Starkman. said Starkman. While the high-profile names attached Having a professional endorsement to the camps do lend some credibilattached to these camp programs can ity to the program, Chapman warns also lend credibility to the camps, against picking a camp based solely on because “the pro will want to ensure the the celebrity endorsement. “In this day ADVERTISING FEATURE 2014 ONTARIO and age of high profile celebrity athletes, it definitely can help,” he said. “But it’s important that parents recognize who will actually be helping the kids while they’re here.” On the other hand, the presence of hockey pros can be a priceless experience for NHL hopefuls. Learning first hand from a player or coach with NHL experience could provide players with a leg up on their competition come draft day. It’s important to ask a lot of questions when choosing a camp, Starkman said. All camps are different, so keep asking questions to find the one that’s right for you. “The main thing is you need to feel comfortable with the people and the program,” he said At camp the goal is clear: provide the best opportunity to dedicated players to help them improve their game. A good camp is proven with a history of successful programs, dedicated coaches and staff, and players whose seasons don’t end with the spring, but return to the ice each summer to get better for the coming autumn. “At camp, you aren’t working with your team or with your linemate,” Starkman said. “You’re focusing on your own improvement.” And it’s the camp’s job to help campers improve and turn any third-liner into a potential first-liner. Q THE HOCKEY NEWS – FEBRUARY 17, 2014 31 ONTARIO 2014 SUMMERHOCKEY SCHOOLGUIDE Core Strength Key in Player Development By ADAM STEISS Skills training at. hockey camp.. icated to offering proper on- and off-ice training instruction. With speedtraxx, bosu boards, medicine balls, agility ladders and plyometric equipment, many of the center’s clients spend little or no time on the ice, nor lifting heavy weights. “If I have a ten or eleven year old come into the gym, he’s not going to be lifting weights,” Weber said. “He’s going to be working on his core strength, his foot speed, along with agility exercises, sprinting, first stride quickness, stops and starts when it comes to sprinting, body weight training…there’s so much you can do without a weight that will gain you strength or whatever you need on the ice.” &HOHEUDWLQJ<HDUVRI+RFNH\&DPSV 6XPPHU+RFNH\&DPSV ,1129$7,9( +2&.(<&$036 WK*UHDW<HDU 9LVLWRXUZHEVLWH IRU7RXU QDPHQW DQGFDPSGDWHV )RU%R\V*LUOV 3HWHUERURXJK21 /DNH3ODFLG1< &DQPRUH$% .HORZQD%& :KLVWOHU%& ,QVWUXFWLRQIURP&XUUHQWDQG)RUPHU SURSOD\HUVFRDFKHVDQGVFRXWV -867)25*,5/6 +2&.(<&$036 3HWHUERURXJK21 /DNH3ODFLG1< 7UDYHUVH&LW\0, .HORZQD%& &DQPRUH$% ,QVWUXFWLRQIURP&DQDGLDQDQG86$ :RPHQ·V1DWLRQDOWHDPSOD\HUV 32 THE HOCKEY NEWS – FEBRUARY 17, 2014 $'8/7 &$036 )RU5HFUHDWLRQDO 0HQ:RPHQ :HHNHQG&DPSV /DV9HJDV19 /DNH3ODFLG1< :KLVWOHU%& (YHQLQJ&DPSV 3HWHUERURXJK21 .HORZQD%& ZZZFKHKRFNH\FRP ADVERTISING FEATURE Photo courtesy of Steve Serdachny’s Powerskating & Hockey International F or most hockey players, time on the ice isn’t cheap. If you’re not with a team, renting an ice sheet can run up to and above $100/hour. However, young hockey players can improve their game away from the arenas and even from the gyms. A hockey-specific, off-ice training program, when properly followed can do wonders for skating, muscular endurance, power and agility, all without the need for frozen water of any kind. For kids, the plan should be to develop a combination of aerobic fitness, explosive speed and power as well as good anaerobic endurance. Hockey camps and sportsspecific training centers have used this approach to achieve great onice results. “Core strength is No.1 when it comes to hockey,” said Tim Weber, fitness director for the Train Like a Pro sports specific training and conditioning center in Whitby, Ont. “That helps you in any way, if you want to shoot the puck harder, if you want to skate quicker, that all stems from the core. Once you build that foundation, that’s when you can progress forward.” Owned by NHLer Adam Foote, Train Like a Pro has facilities and trainers ded- SUMMERHOCKEY SCHOOLGUIDE 2014 ONTARIO DATES/FEES/HOURS ON ICE SLEEPING FACILITIES OTHER FACILITIES SPECIAL PROGRAMS ON-ICE FACILITIES SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE AAA Future Pro Goalie School Ltd Stephen McKichan B.S. Ed 29830 Centre Road, RR#6, Strathroy, ON N7G 3H7 519-247-3122 519-247-3122 info@futurepro.com www.futurepro.com Regular Advanced, Elite, Prospect, Goalscoring Programs throughout Ontario check website for more info www.futurepro.com, www.futureprolive.com 20 hours per week Billeting Future Pro Complex 11,000 Square feet BIG BUCK HUNTER, GOLDEN TEE, PS3, WII Power Skating, Videos, Puckmachine, Teachers 1 to 2 ins. Ratio NHL GOALIE COACH INSTRUCTS ON ICE EVERYDAY see website for full details SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Barrie Colts Hockey School Todd Miller 425 River Rd W., Wasaga Beach, Innisfil, Alliston, ON L9Z 2P1 705-737-6855 705-721-9709 tmiller@barriecoltshockeyschool.com www.Barriecoltshockeyschool.com 9 to 11, 12 to 14 and 15 to 19 July 7 -July 26, 2014, day 475.00, in-residence 749.00 10 On Site cottages sleeping 5-15 per cottage. Stars Arena, rec hall, dining hall, ball hockey, sand hill, running trials and much more. Showcase Camp 15 to 19, aaa, jrc, jrb, jra July 21 to 25 Wasaga Stars Arena - Wasaga Beach SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Canadian Hockey Ent. - Just For Girls Paul Crowley 727 Lansdowne St. W. Suite G3, Peterborough, ON K9J 1Z2 1-800-461-2161 705-749-3207 goals@chehockey.com www.chehockey.com Ages 7-17 years old. Separate groups. Just for Girls Power Skating/Shooting. Dev and Elite camp.” July 7-11 and July 28 to Aug 1, 2014. One Week programs. Day and Residence programs. Just for Girls Skating/Shooting camp 15 hours per week. Elite & Development camp 20 hours per week. Residence at Sir Sandford Fleming College with separate bedrooms and swimming. Hotels, cottages and camping. Daily Recreation program and OffIce and Plyometric training, Parachute resistance training, and conditioning. Power Skating/ Shooting/ Stick handling programs, Devel, Elite, also Goalie Program, Womens Eve Program. Evinrude Centre, Peterborough, Ontario. A full service twin pad arena located close to residence and hotels. SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Canadian Hockey Enterprises-Peterborough Paul Crowley 727 Lansdowne St. W, Suite G3 Peterborough, ON K9J 1Z2 1-800-461-2161 1-705-749-3207 goals@chehockey.com www.chehockey.com 4-18 years, Separate age groups, Beginner, House League, All-star to AAA players. Boys and Girls programs. July 14-August 22, 2014 in Peterborough, Ontario. One week programs-options of adding additional weeks. Day and Residence camp. High Calibre programs-25 hours per week, Standard Program - 15 hours per week, Also Evenings. Residence at Sir Sandford Fleming College with separate rooms & swimming. Camping, Cottages and Hotels Off-ice Conditioning, Plyometric Training, Parachute Resistance Training. Daily Recreation program each day. Junior/College/ AAA, Power Skating, Fundamentals, All-Star, Stickhandling, Checking, Defencemen, Goalies Evinrude Centre, Peterborough, Ontario A full service twin pad arena located close to residence and hotels. SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Christian Hockey Camps International Don Liesemer 265 - 1100 Ave des Canadiens-de-Montreal, Montreal, QC H3B-2S2 514-395-1717 x 223 514-394-9449 camps@hockeyministries.org www.hockeyministries.org From 9-17, grouped by age and ability. Boys, Girls July to August week long, Prices range from $395 (D) - $590 (R) 15 hours per week Dormitory or Cabin - 24 hour supervision Sports, Swimming, Videos, Evening Chapels with Pros, Special Outings Intl Drills, Goalies, Power Skating, Pro Instructors, Dryland Training, Christian Values. Kirkland Lake, St. Lawrence College (Kingston), Gretzky Sports Center, Brantford SCHOOL INFORMATION STUDENT GROUPS Once a player is ready to hit the gym, increased lean mass shouldn’t be their only goal. Strength on the ice is useful only if you can draw explosive power and muscle endurance from your body. This takes a more refined approach than a typical bodybuilding routine. Focus on isolating certain muscle groups and using weights in free space. Olympic-style power weightlifting and multi-joint exercises such as squats and presses should also be done early in the workout to use your body’s energy stores while they’re still high. Off-ice exercises and sports specific training has grown into an ADVERTISING FEATURE exact science. Peter Twist, a sports performance innovator and former President of the Hockey Conditioning Coaches Association, runs Twist Sports Conditioning, a training center that puts into practice his Smart Muscle training exercises. “We want to build a bigger engine and bigger, stronger muscles, but hockey players need improved skillfulness for tactics and high speed action,” Twist said. “So while the body’s working hard and they finish full of sweat, our focus is on the neural system and our exercises are designed to improve the programming for athleticism and the brain’s ability to command the body on the ice more powerfully and skillfully.” Twist preaches strength exercises that use the entire body, along with dynamic movements and balance work that are all integrated together to produce better on-ice performance. With younger athletes Twist slows the action down and has them complete the exercises at a slow pace. “What that does is it removes momentum, which is an athlete’s best friend on the ice,” Twist said. “But when you remove it in training it exposes weak links in your THE HOCKEY NEWS – FEBRUARY 17, 2014 33 ONTARIO 2014 SUMMERHOCKEY SCHOOLGUIDE muscle groups and forces your brain to command those areas to work harder as a unified body. Slower exercises are not only useful because they put less stress and injury risk on a younger body, but they actually bring their mind and their nervous system to contribute more to get the action done.” And it works at all levels. Twist’s program has picked up a number of NHL followers, from Markus Naslund to most recently, Chris Stewart. However, his methods are not just geared for the big guns. “The younger the player is, the more we work on unifying their body so that they can control and coordinate their body at a higher reactive pace,” he said. “We therefore skew their training towards whole-body athleticism and movement skills.” Twist offers an example of a dynamic movement exercise that can be done at home. It consists of a simple lateral bound on one leg, trying to cover as much distance as you can: 4Preload the leg you’re going to jump off by dropping the leg a bit, load it up then explode out of it in the other direction. 4When you land on the other leg, you want to decelerate, come under control and finish as deep as you can. You then hold that single leg position for three seconds, making sure the single leg and core are holding that position to get rid of any weak muscle links that would hamper your skating improvement. 4Make sure on the stride that the leg is fully extended from the hip to the knee and right through the ankle. So the idea is to have a full long push off finished with a deep, strong and balanced landing. For young players, the increase in control as they move left to right and right to left, will result in significant gains in their skating stride that comes from earning strength at that deep position. “It’s a simple drill, with no equipment needed,” Twist said. “Players will be challenged by that because initially they wont be able to land in control or land deep or stride off to a very big jump so they will observe, workout by workout, very noticeable improvement with that exercise.” Besides off-ice exercises, parents should consider introducing their kids to another sport in the offseason, to both offer a break from hockey but still develop their athleticism: “I wouldn’t enroll them in spring hockey myself, I’d get them into things like soccer for the flow and its varied demands on the body, box lacrosse for the footwork, hand eye coordination, rolling off checks, things like that,” Twist said. Long gone are the days when a hockey player could just take the summer off then get back in shape in training camp. That said, Weber and Twist both assert that if you can stick to your off-ice training, it will also make you that much more committed to your onice workouts. So for those looking to take their game to the next level, or just looking to improve on-ice performance, your answer lies away from the rink. Q SUMMER CAMPS 2014 All ages and skill levels! » Powerskating and Conditioning » Speed, Agility and High Performance Skill Development » Hockey Tips for Tots » Girls only Hockey Programs Etobicoke Oakville Oshawa Scarborough York 416.247.5742 905.845.6989 905.725.6951 416.412.0404 416.661.5900 www.icesports.com SUMMERHOCKEY SCHOOLGUIDE 2014 ONTARIO DATES/FEES/HOURS ON ICE SLEEPING FACILITIES OTHER FACILITIES SPECIAL PROGRAMS ON-ICE FACILITIES SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Hockey Opportunity Camp Kevin McLaughlin Box 448, Sundridge, ON P0A 1Z0 888-LRN-2PLA 705-386-0179 hoc@learnhockey.com www.learnhockey.com 6-7, 7-9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15-16 (Boys and Girls) June 29-August 23,(R)$715.00 $950.00 per week (2 hours per day + Dryland training) 11 Hours per week Bunk Beds in cabins with staff supervision Waterskiing / Wakeboarding, Sailing, Windsurfing, Kayaking, Snorkeling, Archery, Camping, MTN Biking, Sports “Best In Class” High Tempo Drills, Dry Land Training, Goaltenders South River/ Machar Arena SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Laura Stamm Power Skating Bob Noble 4178 107th Ave., Allegan, MI 49010 800-320-9558 269-226-9190 bobn@laurastamm.net www.laurastamm.ca For Ages 7-Adult, Novice to Pro players. We are offering an Elite Workshop in Mississauga July 4-6, 2014. This workshop is limited to 16 players ages 15+, Elite $499. Other locations prices from $209-279 6-8 N/A Contact bobn@ laurastamm.net or visit www.laurastamm.ca On-Ice Locations London, Markham, Mississauga, Niagara Falls, Oakville, Oshawa, Ottawa, Sarnia, Barrie, Brampton, Cornwall, Etobicoke, Hamilton, Kingston, Kitchener, Check website for more locations. SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Teen Ranch International Hockey Camps Tim Stevens P.O. Box 77, Caledon, ON L7K 1X1 519-941-4501 519-941-0500 registrar@teenranch.on.ca http://www.teenranch.on.ca Grouped individually by ability and skill level with consideration toward the campers age. Weekly Sun.-Sat. July - August, 2014 , $900 per week 16 hours of ice time per week Bunkhouses (Fully Equipped 6-8 campers + staff) Coach House (Olympic Village Style rooms 8 campers. Dryland, Tennis, Volleyball, Bball, Swimming, Water Slide. Horseback, Dryland, Giant Swing, Campfires Recreational, High Performance, Elite Girls, Father/Son/ Daughter, Sports Specific Camps Avail. Teen Ranch Ice Corral on site Olympic ice surface, Dryland Training Facility. SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Twist High Performance Conditioning Camp Scott Atkins 1179 Northside Rd., Burlington, ON L7M 1H5 905-335-9599 ext 22 905-336-9311 satkins@twistburlington.com www.twistburlington.com Pro, College, Major Jr, Jr A, Jr B, Major Midget, Midget, Bantam, Pee Wee, Female. Placement based on 11/12 season Spring camps-April 10-June 29; Elite 8 Week Camp-July 2-August 31; Summer Weekly Camps: July 2 Aug 31. Atom, PeeWee Female camps avail. Check website or call for costs. Dryland 10-15 hours per week, On-ice: 6 hours per week Hotel, Billeting Hockey Conditioning Centre,On-field training,Nutrition, Mental training, C360 testing, Mountain cond. Elite 8 Wk Camp; NHL Pro Camp; Weekly Dryland & On-Ice Camps; OnIce speed & quickness. Dryland- Twist Sport Conditioning Centre at Wave Twin Rinks; Ice- Wave Twin Rinks, Burlington, ON SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Twist High Performance Conditioning Camp Jeff Roux 104 Byron Street South, Whitby, ON L1N 4P4 905-217-0664 905-217-0666 jroux@twistwhitby.com www.twistwhitby.com Pro, College, Major Jr, Jr A, Jr B, Major Midget, Midget, Bantam, Pee Wee, Female. Placement based on 11/12 season. Spring Camps-April 10-June 29; Elite 8 Week Camp-July 2-August 31; Summer Weekly Camps: July 2-Aug 31; Female, Pee Wee and Atom camps available. Check website or call for costs. Dryland: 10-15 hours per week, On-ice 6 hours per week Billeting, hotel Private Hockey Conditioning Centre, On-Field training, Nutrition, Mental training, C360 test, Mountain cond. Elite 8 Week Camp; NHL Pro Camp; Weekly Dryland & On-Ice Camps; On-Ice speed & quickness. Twist Sport Conditioning Centre, 104 Byron Street South, Whitby; On-Ice Oshawa Legends Center SCHOOL INFORMATION What are YOU prepared to do to get better this Off-Season? STUDENT GROUPS LOOK FOR OUR NEXT HOCKEY SCHOOL GUIDE IN THE APRIL 21 ISSUE E very player has strengths and weaknesses in their game. Setting specific goals, indentifying weak links and establishing strategies to improve and get better are key elements for offseason preparation. If You’re Not Getting BETTER EVERYDAY Somebody Else Is The off season is shorter than you think. Athletes who succeed at the top level don’t waste a second preparing for what’s next. Tryouts, camps, evaluations and opportunities are always just around the corner. Don’t be left wondering, “did I get better today?” Twist High Performance Hockey Programs are the clear front runner for hockey strength & conditioning and player development. Players have many choices for off season training but none offer the intensive coaching, individualized programming, innovative methods and proven success on and off the ice of Twist. Twist programs can be customized to meet your schedule, budget and training needs. Off-Season programs run from April through August including our all inclusive 8 Week Summer High Performance Camp. Customized weekly options are also available with Homestay options for out of town and International players. Twist athletes thrive in the NHL, make the jump to Pro Hockey, get drafted, earn scholarships, and play to their peak potential at every level. Twist Conditioning Centres are not just a place to train; they are a place to get better, every day. Twist coaches teach and inspire each player, and provide them with the tools they need to become better athletes, better hockey players and keep working towards their hockey dreams. Your opportunity lies ahead, when it comes, Be Ready! Q If you’re not getting BETTER EVERYDAY, someone else is. North Vancouver Vancouver ADVERTISING FEATURE twistconditioning.com 604-904-6556 twistvancouver.com 604-428-9478 Port Coquitlam Portland twisttricities.com 778-285-6252 twistportland.com 503-208-3458 Burlington Whitby twistburlington.com twistwhitby.com 905-335-9599 905-217-0664 CANADA WEST 2014 SUMMERHOCKEY SCHOOLGUIDE By CHANELLE SEGUIN T he body is a machine. Hockey players are machines that skate on ice. Those who perform well train and work their body to obtain maximum power, strength and speed. Challenging the body is important for player development, but many neglect how much nutrition plays a part in an athlete’s performance. Like a machine, what goes into the body is what the body will put out. Hockey camps play a key role in helping players at all levels prepare their bodies for the long, rigorous season ahead. But nutrition for kids is more often than not a foreign topic to parents and camp organizers. The basic fruits, veggies and protein combination has become the customary formula for parents when it comes to children’s nutrition. However, this formula won’t provide all the necessary vitamins and energy a kid needs when they are pushing their bodies through two- or four-hour days of onand off-ice training. Gary Roberts, owner of Gary Roberts High Performance Center, said it’s up to the parents to seek hockey camps with proper nutrition for their kids. “If I’m 36 THE HOCKEY NEWS – FEBRUARY 17, 2014 sending my kid away Former Maple Leaf. for five or six days to a Gary Roberts.. hockey camp, the first thing I’m asking the organizer is ‘What is my son and/ or daughter going to eat for those five days? Give me the meals,’” Roberts said. “Then decide if that’s the camp you want to send your kid to, because that should be part of the whole experience for these young kids.” Kids have high metabolisms, so young athletes quickly burn their caloric intake. Without proper nutrition, their energy will crash just as fast. For kids at a busy camp all day, it can be difficult to satisfy hunger without instinctively turning to sugar for a boost. “No matter where the strengths and weaknesses of their these kids are, they should be sipping on bodies. As a certified strength and conwater all day,” Roberts said. “And they ditioning coach, he is well aware of the should never go more than two or three physical and nutritional needs of athletes. hours without putting something in their And as the owner of Champion Athletic bodies, like some raw veggies or fruits.” Development, he also supports consistent Mark Fitzgerald is the strength and eating habits for kids at camp. “I tell all conditioning coach for the Toronto my athletes if they’re going somewhere Marlies of the American League. For Continued on page 38... eight years he has critiqued athletes on ADVERTISING FEATURE Dave Sandford/Getty Images Prepare Your Body for High Performance SUMMERHOCKEY SCHOOLGUIDE 2014 CANADA WEST DATES/FEES/HOURS ON ICE SLEEPING FACILITIES OTHER FACILITIES SPECIAL PROGRAMS ON-ICE FACILITIES SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Canadian Athletic Club Betty Chmilar PO Box 11478, Edmonton, AB T5J 3K6 780-439-3636 780-456-7808 admin@cacarena.com www.cac-hockey.com Ages 6-18 years August 11-15, August 18-22, August 25 - 29 2014, see website for fees Check Website Day School Off Ice & Classroom 32 years of teaching experience, Off Ice Program Alberta SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Canadian Hockey Ent. - Just For Girls Paul Crowley 743 Railway Ave., Suite 903, Canmore, AB T1W 1P2 1-800-461-2161 705-749-3207 goals@chehockey.com www.chehockey.com 7-17 years, separate age groups, Power Skating/ Shooting, and Elite Camp Canmore, Alberta - July 14-18, 2014 Kelowna, British Columbia - July 21-25, 2014 Elite Program - 20 hours per week, Power Skating/Shooting 15 hours per week Residence accommodations at both locations, hotels, camping, etc. Daily Recreation program and off-ice training, parachute resistance training and conditioning. Just for Girls Power Skating/Shooting Elite camps offer instruction by members of Canada’s Women’s team Canmore Recreation Complex in the Rocky Mountains. Capital News Centre in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley. SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Canadian Hockey Ent.- Innovative Hockey Paul Crowley 743 Railway Ave., Suite 903, Canmore, AB T1W 1P2 1-800-461-2161 705-749-3207 goals@chehockey.com www.chehockey.com Ages 7-17 years plus Adult camps. Separate age & skill levels. Beginners to Advanced. Canmore, Alberta July 21-25, Kelowna, BC July 28 - August 1. Whistler Adults August 7-10, Youth Aug 11-15 Programs range from 3 to 4 hours on-ice per day M-F Residence accommodations in Canmore & Kelowna. Also camping, hotels and cottages Daily recreation program and Off-ice training including parachute resistance, plyometrics and conditioning. Power Skating/ Goal Scoring/Puck Control, Elite AAA/ AA, and Goalie Programs. Instruction from Pro Coaches, players and scouts. Canmore Rec. Complex located outside Banff, Capital News Centre Kelowna, BC Whistler Meadow Sports Park SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Christian Hockey Camps International Don Liesemer 265-1100 Avenue des Canadiens de Montreal, Montreal, QC H3B-2S2 514-395-1717 514-394-9449 camps@hockeyministries.org http://www.hockeyministries.org From 8-17 grouped by age and ability. Boys and Girls programs. Week long camp start dates begin in June through to August. Prices range from $385 (D) to $610(R). 15 hours per week Dormitory - 24 hour supervision Sports, Swimming, Videos, Evening Chapels with Pros, Special Outings Int’l drills, Goalies, Power Skating, Pro Instructors, Dryland Training, Christian Values. Winnipeg (MB), Moose Jaw area (SK), Calgary (AB), Grande Prairie (AB), Williams Lake (BC) SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Notre Dame Hounds - Boys Development Jon Frape P.O. Box 100, Wilcox, SK S0G 5E0 306-732-1242 306 732-4650 nd.hockey@notredame.ca www.notredame.ca Boys Development Camp born between 2000-2003 July 12-16, dorm room and meals for the week. Features 15 hours on ice instruction College Dormitory. Features 4 to a room, common rooms with TV/ DVD. Trained staff, supervised 24 hours Fitness Facility, Athletic Therapist, Outdoor Rec. Areas, College Cafeteria, Gymnasium, and School Store Individual and team based skill development, power skating, off-ice training sessions, nightly games Olympic size ice surface, team locker rooms with individual player stalls. SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Notre Dame Hounds - Elite Boys Jon Frape P.O. Box 100, Wilcox, SK S0G 5E0 306-732-1242 306 732-4650 nd.hockey@notredame.ca www.notredame.ca Elite Boys Camp born between 1999-2001 July 6-11, dorm room and meals Features 15 hours on-ice instruction College Dormitory. Features 4 to a room, common rooms with TV/ DVD. Trained staff, supervised 24 hours. Weight Room, Movie, Athletic Therapist, Outdoor Rec. Areas, Cafeteria, Gymnasium Sports Psychology, off-ice conditioning and training, low instruct to student ratio Olympic size ice surface SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Notre Dame Hounds - Girls Development Camp Tamara Pickford P.O. Box 100, Wilcox, SK S0G 5E0 306-732-1242 306 732-4650 t.pickford@notredame.ca www.notredame.ca Girls Development Camp born between 19962000 July 17 - July 22 Includes dorm room and meals for the week Features 15 hours on-ice instruction College Dormitory. Features 4 to a room, common rooms with TV/ DVD. Trained staff, supervised 24 hrs Fitness Facility, Athletic Therapist, Outdoor Rec. Areas, College Cafeteria, Gymnasium, and School Store Individual and team skill development, power skating, off-ice and classroom sessions, nightly games Olympic size ice surface, team locker rooms with individual player stalls. SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Notre Dame Hounds Goaltenders Camp Jon Frape P.O. Box 100, Wilcox, SK S0G 5E0 306-732-1242 306 732-4650 nd.hockey@notredame.ca www.notredame.ca High Intense Goalie Camp born between 1996 - 2000 July 17-July 21, dorm room and meals 20 hours of on-ice instruction College Dormitory. Features 4 to a room with common rooms with TV/DVD. Trained staff supervised 24 hours Fitness Facility, Athletic Therapist, Outdoor Rec. Area, Cafeteria, Gymnasium, School Store Individual and team based skill dev, power skating, off ice training sessions, nightly games Olympic Ice Surface, team locker rooms and individual player stalls SCHOOL INFORMATION STUDENT GROUPS LOOK FOR OUR NEXT SUMMER HOCKEY SCHOOL GUIDE COMING UP IN THE APRIL 21 ISSUE &DQDGLDQ$WKOHWLF&OXE $QQXDO+RFNH\ 'HYHORSPHQW&DPSV $XJXVWth $XJXVWnd $XJXVWth 5HJLVWHU2QOLQHDW ZZZFDFKRFNH\FRP ADVERTISING FEATURE “Over 32 Years of Quality Instruction to all Levels of Hockey at Affordable Prices” For more information contact admin@cacarena.com or 780-439-3636 THE HOCKEY NEWS – FEBRUARY 17, 2014 37 CANADA WEST 2014 SUMMERHOCKEY SCHOOLGUIDE DATES/FEES/HOURS ON ICE SLEEPING FACILITIES OTHER FACILITIES SPECIAL PROGRAMS ON-ICE FACILITIES SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Twist High Performance Conditioning Camp Dean Shiels & Kyle Guay 1225 E. Keith Rd., Unit 12, North Vancouver, BC V7J 1J3 1-888-214-4244 or 604-904-6556 604-904-6558 camps@twistconditioning.com www.twistconditioning.com Pro, College, Major Jr, Jr A, Jr B, Major Midget, Midget, Bantam, Pee Wee, Female. Placement based on 12-13. season Spring Camps -Apri 8-June 28; Elite 8 Week Camp-July 2-August 23; Summer Weekly Camps: July 2-Aug 30, weekly PeeWee & Female camps avail. Check website or call for costs. Dryland 10-15 hours per week, On-ice; 6 hours per week Billeting, hotel,dorms Hockey Conditioning Centre,OnField Training, Nutrition, Mental training, C360 testing, Mountain Cond. Elite 8 Week Camp; NHL Pro Camp; Weekly Dryland & On ice Camps; On ice speed & quickness. Twist Sport Conditioning Centre, North Vancouver, BC; Ice-8 Rinks, Burnaby, BC. SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Twist High Performance Conditioning Camp George Watts 101-1776 Broadway St., Tri-Cities (Port Coquitlam), BC V3C 2M8 778-285-6252 778-285-6252 train@twisttricities.com www.twisttricities.com Pro, College, Major Jr, Jr A, Jr B, Major Midget, Midget, Bantam, Pee Wee, Female. Spring Camps-April 8-June 27; Elite 8 Week Camp-June 30-August 22 Summer Weekly Camps: June 30Aug 29; Female, Pee Wee and Atom Camps avail. Check website or call for costs. Dryland, 10-15 hours per week, On-ice 6 hours per week Billeting, hotel, dorms Hockey Conditioning Centre, OnField Training, Nutrition, Mental Training, C360 Testing, Mountain Cond. Elite 8 Week Camp;NHL Pro Camp;Weekly Dryland & On-Ice Camps;On-Ice Speed & quickness Twist Sport Cond. Centre, Port Conquitlam, BC; 8 Rinks Burnaby, BC. Programs vary depending on location SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE World Pro Goaltending Tyler Love/JF Martel 5938 Centre St. SE , Calgary, AB T2H 0C1 403-259-4625 403-259-6025 info@worldprogoal.com www.worldprogoal.com Boys and girls ages 7-17, 3 groups per camp June 16 to August 15, 2014, $465 to $930 for all camps excluding the Elite Invite only camp. Check website N/A Year round private training facility in Calgary, AB. Summer Camp Amenities vary by location Goaltender Specific Dry-land, Flexibility Session. Classroom Video Session Calgary, Medicine Hat, AB. Victoria, Chase, Prince George, BC. Saskatoon, SK, Delmont PA SCHOOL INFORMATION STUDENT GROUPS Continued from page 36... where they’re unsure of what the food is going to be or what the schedule is going to be that day, that they pack a lunch,” he said. “It should have bottled water, different types of snacks, high protein snacks, good clean carbohydrates for energy, just to make sure that they’re prepared. I guess I would say the same thing to a camper.” “Supplements” can be a very scary word, but Fitzgerald believes there are many safe options available for kids. The first supplement Fitzgerald would recommend to young athletes is a multivitamin. This allows for kids to get their necessary vitamins for the day. The second is fish oils. “Your omega three, six and nine are very important,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s a natural anti-inflammatory in your body, so it helps you recover from exercise. It also helps with cognitive functioning in school. So it helps with memory, energy and attention span.” Finally, Fitzgerald is an advocate of probiotics. This supplement is commonly 38 THE HOCKEY NEWS – FEBRUARY 17, 2014 found in yogurt. However, Fitzgerald said people must be conscious of Chicken is. lean and high. the fact that yogurt can in protein.. often contain about 20 to 30 grams of sugar, which is not something an active kid needs. “The probiotic is huge for immune system function and fighting off colds and flus,” Fitzgerald said. “As well as maintaining a healthy digestive track, healthy bowel movements and keeping your body in tune.” Taking these supplements daily is vital for optimal performance during extensive training sessions like hockey camp. So is a solid breakfast. Jeff Roux, director of sport conditioning at Twist Whitby, has spent six summers training young hockey players at the company’s hockey camps. Roux refers to breakfast as the “light switch” for the day. “For a training perspective, and from a camp point of view, if they’re going to be active really close to breakfast, then they have to be careful not to have too much quantity right away,” Roux said. “And if they’re training is later in the day, then they really just want Continued on page 40... ADVERTISING FEATURE SUMMERHOCKEY SCHOOLGUIDE 2014 CANADA EAST DATES/FEES/HOURS ON ICE SLEEPING FACILITIES OTHER FACILITIES SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Andrews Hockey Growth Programs Doug Shepherd 550 University Ave., Charlottetown, PEI C1A 4P3 1-877-936-6699 (toll free) 902-894-9601 info@hockeygrowth.com www.hockeygrowth.com A Variety of Camps for Beginners right up to professionals. SEE WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CAMPS” Elite Spring Program: April 1-June 1; Summer Camps: June 20-Sept 1. Fall Camps: September/October; Year Round Training @ Hockey Haven Training & Synthetic Ice Facility & Andrews Sport Conditioning Centre. 18 hours on ice in summer UPEI Residence; Dormitories, Suites and Apartments. Various Hotels and Waterfront Cottages. PEI is Canada’s Premier Vacation Destination. Beautiful Golf Courses & Beaches, Theatre District. Atlantic Hockey Showcase/Female Prospect Camp. Elite Shooters & Elite Defencemen’s Camps, Golden 2 Ice Surfaces, Synthetic Ice, High Performance Athlete Taining Centre, Pool, Physio Clinic. SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Christian Hockey Camps International Don Liesemer 1100 Ave. des Canadiens de Montreal, Box 7, Montreal, QC H3B 2S2 514-395-1717 514-394-9449 camps@hockeyministries.org http://www.hockeyministries.org From 9-17, grouped by age and ability. Boys & Girls July & August. Pricing ranges from $499 to $530 (R) 15 hours per week Dormitory - 24 hour supervision Sports, Swimming, Videos, Evening Chapels with Pros, Special Outings International Drills, Goalies, Power Skating, Pro Instructors, Dryland Training, Christian Values Montreal/Eastern Twnshps, Magog Arena(QC), Crandall Univ. Moncton (NB) SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Ecole de Hockey de la Capitale Michel Ouellet / Eric Morin P.O. Box 9986 Succ. Ste-Foy, Quebec, QC G1V 4C5 1-800-423-1315 418-832-5987 info@ecolehockeycapitale.com www.ecolehockeycapitale.com 5-6 Pre Mite, 7-8 Mite, 9-10 Squirt, 11-12 Pee Wee, 13-14 Bantam, 15-17 Midget, Junior-Adult June 30-Aug 23, R: $610 CDN, D: $395 CDN 20 hours/week Day School, Dormitory, 2 students per room, University Laval residence services Off-ice, Baseball, Soccer, Floor Hockey, Tennis, Swimming, Weights, Pro Shop, Movies, Old Quebec Tour Goalies, Adults, Girls, Power Skating, Team Play, Stick Handling, AllStar Program, Pro Inst., Video, Films, Evaluation Forms Laval University super Peps Arena - (2 rinks) SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Stanstead International Girls Hockey Camp Marc Parent Stanstead College, 450 Dufferin, Stanstead, QC J0B 3E0 819-876-7891 Ext 246 819-876-5891 summer.school@stansteadcollege.com www.stansteadcollege.com/girls_hockey_camp.php For girls 12-18, 2 divisions by age and abiility From Aug 3 -10, 2014, Cost $625 to $875 (4-day camp + 3 day tournament) 15 hours per week ( from Sunday to Thursday) + participation in a 3 day tournament Double rooms with bathroom attached - 24 hour supervision Off Ice Training, evening activities, dining hall, weight room, gymnasium, outdoor campus Drills, Goalie inst, Power skating, pro instructors, nutrition, mental prep, dry land training Pat Burns Arena SCHOOL INFORMATION STUDENT GROUPS SUMMERHOCKEY SCHOOLGUIDE SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Mite, Squirt (6 - 10) Pee Wee (11 - 12) Bantam (13 - 14) Midget & Jr. (15 - 20) Goalie (All ages) Czech International Hockey Camp Lukas Tramba Head Coach Rybna 13, Praha 1, Czech Republic, Europe 110 00 420 603 422 558, 420 734 578 404 office@hockeycamp.cz www.hockeycamp.cz O UR 38 THY E Camp 1 - June 29 to July 5, Camp 2 - July 6 to July 12, Camp 3 - July 13 to July 19, Camp 4 July 20 to 26, See web www.hockeycamp.cz for Goalie Camps & pricing 25 hours per week **Hotel for players, *** + **** Hotel for parents SPECIAL PROGRAMS ON-ICE FACILITIES 2014 INTERNATIONAL Basketball, Soccer, In Line Hockey, Tennis, Swimming, Weights, Tours Czech Republic, Trip to Prague 25 players on ice, Licensed Coaches, Czech hockey style, shooting, timing and regrouping drills, Goalies. Nymburk Ice Arena AR ! SOME OF OUR INSTRUCTORS DAVID BOOTH Vancouver Canucks NHL ERIC FEHR Washington Capitals NHL GLEN WESLEY Carolina Hurricanes NHL Defense Dev BOYS & GIRLS LIVE-IN AND DAY CAMPS • International Hockey Program • Current and Former NHL Instructors • Training in Christian Living (514) 395-1717 www.hockeyministries.org camps@hockeyministries.org ADVERTISING FEATURE TIC,Be TAC, Toe-Save there. Be Square. U.S.A. EAST 2014 SUMMERHOCKEY SCHOOLGUIDE DATES/FEES/HOURS ON ICE SLEEPING FACILITIES OTHER FACILITIES SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE CHE Hockey - Innovative Hockey Camps Paul Crowley PO Box 1932, Lake Placid, NY 12946 1-888-WON-1980 518-523-1932 goals@chehockey.com www.chehockey.com Youth Camp Boys & Girls 8-17 years, Adult Camp-Open Men & Women recreational players. Ages 20 and older Lake Placid, New York Camps - 3 Camp Dates. June 5-8, Youth, Parent/Child and Adult Camp. August 11-15, Youth Camp October 16-19, Fall Adult Camp 12 to 15 hours June & Oct offer Hotel Package. August Youth Camp Residence - National Sports Academy Pro Shop, walking distance to shopping, restaurants and the Olympic Center. Camps include Power Skating, Shooting, Puck Control and Team Play and Scrimmage Games. Practice and play at the Olympic Center Complex located in Lake Placid, NY. Walking distance to the hotel SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE CHE Hockey - Just For Girls USA Paul Crowley PO Box 1932, Lake Placid, NY 12946 1-888-WON-1980 518-523-1932 goals@chehockey.com www.chehockey.com Ages 7-17 years old. Separate age and skill groups. Just for Girls Power Skating/ Shooting & Elite Camps Traverse City, Michigan - July 14-18, Lake Placid, NY - August 4-8 & August 11-15, Day and Residence programs. 15-20 hours on ice, Monday to Friday Traverse City residence at Northwestern Michigan College. Lake Placid residence at NSA. Both camps offers daily recreation and Off-Ice training and conditioning. Instruction from Hillary Knight, Erika Lawler, Megan Duggan, and other members of the USA Olympic Team. Sessions at the Olymipic Center, Lake Placid and Centre Ice Arena, Traverse City. SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Christian Hockey Camps International Don Liesemer PO Box 10857, White Bear Lake (USA Office), MN 55110 612-325-0111 514-394-9449 camps@hockeyministries.org http://www.hockeyministries.org From 9-17, ( jr & day programs (Age 6-9), grouped by age and ability Boys, Girls June and July (week-long camps) $295-$725 (D and R) 15 hours per week (JR Camp 10). Dormitory/ cabin - 24 hour supervision Sports, Swimming, Videos, Evening Chapels with Pros, Special Outings International drills, Goalies, Power Skating, Pro Instructors, Dry-land Training, Christian Values, Boston, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Michagan, Chicago, Raleigh, Florida SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Elite Hockey Training Center Patti Crowe P.O. Box 169, Hanover, NH 3755 603-643-2078 Not provided elitehockeycamps.com www.elitehockeycamps.com Boys June 22-27 (10-17yrs), June 22-July 4 (10-17yrs), June 29-Jul 4 (10-17yrs), July 6-11 (8-13yrs) Norwich Uni Girls -July 13-18 (Ages 8-14 at Norwich Univ. /Dartmouth College Girls July 20-25, July 20-Aug 1, July 27-Aug 1 (ages 13-18) Co-ed day camps avail. July 7-11 (5-14)July 7-11 (4-7) July 14-18 (5-14) 3 separate age and ability groups, 4 hrs daily on ice + On Campus Dormitories Skill Center, Agility, Power Skating, Puck Control, Shooting Range, Conditioning Center, GOALIE TRAINING Educational Forum. Team Play & Systems, Power Skating, Individualized Goalie Program Norwich University, Kreitzberg Arena and Dartmouth College, Thompson Arena SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Janosz School of Goaltending Bob Janosz MS Ed. , CPT 4184 Clinton St., West Seneca, NY 14224 716-308-9224 Ages 7 and up. Students will be grouped according to age and ability Buffalo, Syracuse, Amherst, Cheektowaga, Webster See Website for more information Go to www.bobjanosz.com for camp details 15-17.5 hours weekly Housing available for some camps please see website. www.game-skills. com for player and goalie camps Video analysis, NHL video review, classroom sessions, off-ice training, equipment review, guest speakers Game skills camp (Elite level goalies & players; Preseason tune-up goalie camp, Adult weekend goalie camp On ice equipment includes: Reaction Mirror, High Shot Screen, Mini Screen, Deflection Boards & more... SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Planet Hockey TOTAL Player Skills Camps Shawn Killian 509 Zircon Way, Superior, CO 80027 720-304-3880 or 1-800-320-7545 Ages 6+, Grouped by age & skill. COMPLETE SKILLS CAMP: Skating, Stickhandling, Scoring, Team Play, Video 70+ Camps worldwide! Planet Hockey Ranch (CO & VT Resident Hockey/ Adventure Camp). Play & train in Sweden (July 2014) www.planethockey. com. 12-15 hrs/wk PLUS electronic personalized player evaluation & Video certified int’l staff. 2 ice sessions daily Planet Hockey Ranch-Resident Hockey/Adv. Camp CO & VT Resorts, Rafting, Mtn Biking, Golf, Waterpark Prof. Staff, FREE jersey, Bungie Cords, Radar Gun, Scrimmages, Guaranteed Improvement, Elite training Sess for all levels & positions. New Innov. European drills & certified Coaches. The most COMPLETE training! Register by March 31 & SAVE. Our 20th year. Serious HOCKEY, Serious FUN! SCHOOL INFORMATION STUDENT GROUPS info@bobjanosz.com www.bobjanosz.com info@planethockey.com www.planethockey.com Continued from page 38... to get in as much as they can before the day starts off.” Smoothies are often an excellent option for busy athletes. The simplicity and convenience of a smoothie is really attractive to parents with kids constantly on the go. “Usually smoothies are a good option where you can get fruits and vegetables mixed together, Greek yogurt and maybe 40 THE HOCKEY NEWS – FEBRUARY 17, 2014 some almond butter to give you some protein with it,” Roux said. “This will give you a good mix of foods that can get into the system quick and still be easily digestible.” Nutrition is half the battle to maximizing one’s potential as an athlete. Kids nutrition is even more important, because they are still growing. Along with needing the basic nutrients to help them develop, kids going to hockey camp require more SPECIAL PROGRAMS ON-ICE FACILITIES to sustain and replenish their energy. Sending a kid to camp with a sandwich, some carrot sticks and a juice box isn’t going to cut it anymore. Roberts noted that the quality and quantity of food while at camp can make all the difference. “The key to sustaining your energy level throughout the day is to make sure you’re snacking on healthy snacks,” he said. “That’s how you get through camp.” Q ADVERTISING FEATURE MEET JEFF SEROWIK AND LEARN MORE ABOUT PRO AMBITIONS HOCKEY, INC. AND THE HOCKEY CAMP EXPERIENCE AT PRO AMBITIONS As I approach nearing my 25 year anniversary of Pro Ambitions Hockey, Inc. next year LQ,KDYHEHHQUHÁHFWLQJDORWRQP\YLsion of training the youth of the nation. 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PRO AMBITIONS HOCKEY, INC. THE BATTLEcamp THE OFFICIAL CAMP OF HOCKEYsurf LAR AAA ELITEboston university FOUNDER JEFF SEROWIK DIRECTOR OF HOCKEY OPS “BIG MIKE” TEN THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AT A PRO AMBITIONS HOCKEY CAMP 1. We specialize in our niche in the market and created the BATTLE CAMP curriculum. Where all drills are game situational. and . He started his camps 2. Founder Jeff Serowik is a former 25+ years ago as a senior in college and has grown them exponentially over the past 20 years. Specialty US boarding camps across the nation and battle camps thoughout US and Canada. 3. Your child will leave a better hockey player with what we call at Pro Ambitions, “the summer hockey growth spurt.” 4. Professional training from experts with unbiased sets of eyes is invaluable in your child’s growth in hockey. 5. A week at camp is 25 hours of on ice instruction coupled with 15 hours of off ice instruction which equals 2.5 months of your son or daughter’s hockey season. 6. Hours of video, articles and camp descriptions on our site PROAMBITONS.COM 7. AAA ELITE boarding at Boston University all summer 8. We are proud of our affiliations with Bauer, Hockeyeast and the Boston Bruins 9. We have a specialized Goalie division with Pittsburgh Penguins Goalie Coach Mike Buckley 10. Girls division headed by Boston College Coach Katie King, Olympian Megan Bozek And Defensemen…check out the 10 city D with Jeff Serowik tour RGEST YOUTH HOCKEY INSTRUCTION OUTFIT US AND CANADA U.S.A. WEST 2014 SUMMERHOCKEY SCHOOLGUIDE DATES/FEES/HOURS ON ICE SLEEPING FACILITIES OTHER FACILITIES SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE CHE Hockey Innovative Camps Adult & Youth Paul Crowley PO Box 1932, Lake Placid, NY 12946 1-888-WON-1980 518-523-1932 goals@chehockey.com www.chehockey.com Adult Camps - Open to Men & Women rec players. Ages 20 & older. Youth Camp - Boys & Girls 8-17 years. Adult Camps - Las Vegas May 2225, Lake Placid NY , June, August, October 2014. Whistler BC August 2014. 12 to 15 hours depending on location Hotels and Hockey Camp Residences depending on location All Locations offer many attractions, restaurants and off ice activities. Men & Women Adult Camps, Youth power skating, Shooting, puck control program All locations offer first class on-ice facilities. Visit our website for complete details. SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Christian Hockey Camps International Don Liesemer PO Box 10857, White Bear Lake (USA Office), MN 55110 612-325-0111 514-394-9449 camps@hockeyministries.org http://www.hockeyministries.org From 9-17, (jr and day camp options 7-9), grouped by age and ability. Boys, Girls June to August (week-long camps) prices range from $295-$750 (D) and (R) 15 Hours per week (exception Jr. Camp 10 hrs) Dormitory or Cabin - 24 hour supervision Sports, Swimming, Videos, Evening Chapels with Pros, Special Outings International drills, Goalies, Power Skating, Pro Instructors, Dry-land Training, Christian Values, Fargo, St. Louis, Minnesota, Alaska, Dallas, Chicago, Detroit, Oaklahoma City, LA, Spokane SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Minnesota Hockey Camps Dean Grillo 24621 S Clark Lk Rd, P.O. Box 90, Nisswa, MN 56468 Toll free 877-423-2447 218-963-2325 carrie@mnhockeycamps.com http://www.mnhockeycamps.com Pro/Am level 16 & older, Main Camp 8 & older, Mite Camp 6-8 R-$500 to $6525. Depending on number of weeks attending. You can also attend as a non resident for a discounted price. 15.5 hours per week Dormitory & Cabins at Minnewawa Lodge Resort Training Centre. Swimming, Fishing, Rollerblading, Floor Hockey, Weight Training, Plyometrics, Pro Shop, Wifi, Videos, Pro/AM Conditioning Camp Main Camp (Select Series), Goalie, Parent/Child, Girls, Mite Day, Brainerd Area Civic Centre and Brainerd Area Gold Medal Arena. SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Planet Hockey TOTAL Player Skills Camps Shawn Killian 509 Zircon Way, Superior, CO 80027 720-304-3880 or 1-800-320-7545 Ages 6+ grouped by age & skill, COMPLETE SKILLS CAMP: Skating, Stickhandling, Scoring, Tm Play, Video, more 70+ Camps worldwide! Planet Hockey Ranch (CO & VT Resident Hockey/Adventure Camp). Play & train in Sweden (July 2014) www.planethockey.com. 12-15 hrs/wk PLUS electronic personalized player evaluation & Video certified int’l staff. 2 ice sessions daily. Planet Hockey Ranch - Resident Hockey/Adventure Camp. CO & VT Resorts. Rafting, Mtn Biking, Golf, Waterpark Prof. Staff, FREE jersey, Bungie Cords, Radar Gun, Scrimmages, Guaranteed Improvement, Elite Training Sessions for all levels & positions. New Innovative European drills & the certified coaches. The most COMPLETE training! Register by March 31 & SAVE. Our 20th year. Serious HOCKEY & Serious FUN SCHOOL DIRECTOR ADDRESS TEL FAX EMAIL WEBSITE Twist High Performance Conditioning Camp Josh Hunt 11015 SW Capitol Highway, Portland, OR 97219 503-208-3458 503-208-3450 info@twistportland.com www.twistportland.com Pro College, Major Jr., Jr. A, Jr B, Midget, Bantam, Pee Wee, Female, Placement based on 12/13 season. Billeting, Hotel Spring Programs April 8 to June 27, Elite 8 Week Camp June 30 to August 22, Summer Weekly Camps, June 30 to August 29. Atom, Pee Wee, Female Camps avail Check website or call for costs. Dryland: 10 to 15 hours per week, On ice 6 hours per week. Private Hockey Conditioning Center, Field Training, Nutrition, Mental Training, C360 Test, Mountain Cond. Elite 8 Wk Camp, NHL Pro Camp, Weekly Dryland and On-Ice, On-Ice Speed & quickness Twist Sport Conditioning Center, Portland, OR, On Ice - Sherwood Ice Arena, Sherwood, OR SCHOOL INFORMATION STUDENT GROUPS info@planethockey.com www.planethockey.com SPECIAL PROGRAMS ON-ICE FACILITIES LOOK FOR OUR NEXT SUMMER HOCKEY SCHOOL GUIDE COMING UP IN THE APRIL 21 ISSUE FUTURE PROSPECTS CAMP SUMMER MINI CAMP SERIES KINGS CAMP TOYOTA Sports Center – June 11-13 Valencia, CA – June 23-25 Escondido, CA – July 11-13 Las Vegas, NV – July 21-23 Cathedral City, CA – Aug 13-15 TOYOTA Sports Center – August 3-9 OPEN TO PLAYERS AGES 5-15 REGISTRATION ENDS MARCH 31. OPEN TO TRAVEL PEEWEE, BANTAM AA AND AAA PLAYERS. REGISTER ONLINE ONLY: LAKINGS.COM/futures OPEN TO PLAYERS AGES 5-15 REGISTRATION ENDS MARCH 31. REGISTER ONLINE ONLY: LAKINGS.COM/summerseries PRIDE=PASSION=POWER REGISTER ONLINE ONLY: LAKINGS.COM/kingscamp FOR MORE INFO: 310.535.4472 OR EMAIL FANDEVELOPMENT@LAKINGS.COM SUMMERHOCKEY SCHOOLGUIDE 2014 U.S.A. WEST Family Hockey Holiday In The Heartland Photo courtesy of Heartland Hockey Camp. T he Heartland Hockey Camp is a very special place on earth. It is the only Treetop bunks.. self-contained, privately owned hockey camp on the entire planet. As a result of this exclusive environment, all of our camp clientele enjoy an atmosphere that is void of distractions and disturbances. This type of positive surrounding enhances each camper’s concentration level and also intensifies the level of everyone’s awareness & appreciation for the wonderful wide variety of funfilled recreational activities & world class hockey instruction. Situated on an 80 acre campus, the Heartland Hockey Camp takes great pride in offering outstanding hockey instruction, in a beautiful & scenic setting, in the heart of Minnesota’s vacationland. In the backdrop of gorgeous lakes, fabulous recreation and natural beauty, our camp offers the perfect setting for a memorable hockey holiday & getaway. We encourage your entire family to take advantage of this positive & rewarding experience. Stick-handling drills.. At our camp, campers grow and learn about themselves, try new things, discover hidden talents and are taught the importake responsibility, develop creative tance of working hard. Having fun, making thinking skills, gain confidence, all while friends and understanding the value of improving their personal self esteem. All strong & impressive work ethic, are all are necessary steps on a child’s path to a distinguishing features of the Heartland healthy, enjoyable & productive life. Hockey Camp. Our camp experience is The Heartland Hockey Camp has a repudesigned to help children mature socially, tation of being very demanding physically. grow emotionally, expand intellectually All campers will receive up to six hours of and improve morally. ice time each day. Our morning session Heartland Hockey Camp is a very safe is dedicated to individual skill develop& structured environment where children ment & it is 2 hours in duration. In the can live, interact and work out with posiafternoon session, we focus on team play tive role models who listen, talk, relax and & group tactics, which also lasts 2 hours. reflect. It is through the fun recreational In the evening, all campers are eligible to activities & challenging training sessions participate in our open hockey session, that campers learn to work together, which also lasts 2 hours. Our daily off-ice makes choices, learn to problem solve, ADVERTISING FEATURE training programs consist of three mandatory workouts designed to improve each player’s strength, power, agility, quickness & endurance. Our professional staff will conduct rigorous daily dry land training sessions that will include sprint intervals, resistance training, plyometrics, quick foot movement, agility courses and drills designed to improve explosiveness. As owners, we look forward to providing your child with such a positive experience. Q Sincerely, Steve & Sandra Jensen Founding Owners & Co-Directors THE HOCKEY NEWS – FEBRUARY 17, 2014 45 By Ryan Kennedy HERE’S A ROMANTICIZED IDEAL OF THE BEST LOCALES FOR playing hockey, from the grassroots meccas of Minnesota and Boston to the teeming epicenters of puck love in Montreal and Toronto. But take a look at Anaheim and ǯϐ ǯϐ Ȃ they also nest. “You get used to it pretty quick,” says Jonas Hiller. “You Ǥdz ǡ Ǥ ʹͲͲǯ Ǥ ǡ ǡϐ Ǥǡ Ǥ ϐʹͲͳʹǦͳ͵ ǡ ϐ Ǧ DEBORA ROBINSON/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES orange county bounty COREY PERRY 9 game–winning goals for the right winger, best in the NHL and two off his career high old rival Detroit. That pain has fuelled the Fowl’s comeback effort this season, in which a steamrolling roster won 18 of 19 games at one point, making excellent California club mates San Jose and Los Angeles look Ǧ ϐ vision race. “When you go into a series like that as a higher seed and you’re prepared to go on a run, there’s obviously disappointment,” Getzlaf says. “But it does reignite your passion.” The seventh-seeded Red Wings barely even made it into the playoffs and the Ducks admittedly suffered from having coasted in while Detroit built up scar tissue just to earn its slot. “It’s tough to lose like that, especially in a series where you thought you had the better team,” Hiller says. “A few years ago we were the ones upsetting San Jose. Sometimes it’s not ϐ Ǥdz Though the loss to Detroit wasn’t as shocking as the seeding would indicate (it was a popular prediction among pundits), there were mitigating factors. Getzlaf played through the series with a high ankle sprain, while Perry had an unfortunate scoring drought at precisely the wrong time. So consider 2013-14 a re- set. And when you look at how Getzlaf and Perry have played, it will be no surprise if the Cup ends up getting a bit sandy again this summer. Getzlaf is putting up his best offensive totals, on pace to eclipse the 91-point season he had in 2008-09. “He’s big and strong and has the hands of a 5-foot-8 skill player in a 6-foot-4 man’s frame,” says coach Bruce Boudreau. “He can shoot the puck hard and he’s smart. When that big truck gets going, you hop on board.” Getzlaf is also shooting more, particularly on the power play. As a result, the Getzlaf-Perry setup/sniper relationship is RYAN GETZLAF 93 points the center was on pace for, which would be the best output of his career DUSTIN PENNER +26 plus-minus rating for the left winger, the first time he’s been a plus since ’09-10 F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 - T H E H O C K E Y N E W S | 49 most important aspect has been keeping his emotions in check. “When I was younger I tended to get off-topic with other players or with the refs,” he says. “Now I’ve learned to control the things I can control.” Luckily, he doesn’t have to play against Perry. His longtime linemate won the Hart and Rocket Richard trophies in 2010-11, a season in which Getzlaf missed 15 games due to injury. Finding comparables to Perry in the modern era is hard, because he’s so nasty to play against, yet lights the lamp with the best of them. Points and penalty minutes come in abundance thanks to his ability to muck it up in the corners ǡ ǯ Ǧϐ GETZLAF AND PERRY WERE PLAYING 24 MINUTES A NIGHT… I WANTED US TO BECOME A FOURLINE TEAM – BRUCE BOUDREAU points in 21 playoff games during the Ducks’ run to the title, his line with Perry and Dustin Penner was never the focus. The top line was composed of elders Teemu Selanne, Andy McDonald and Chris Kunitz. And, of course, there were the two future Hall of Famers on the blueline in Pronger and Niedermayer. “I got to see the best of the best in Scott Niedermayer,” Getzlaf says. “I learned how to take a step back and lead by example.” He has also learned over the years how to keep calm, even when the beast inside was stirring. With a Cup and an Olympic gold medal already under his belt, Getzlaf can look back on what he has accomplished already and see where he has improved over the years. The scorer in the NHL. Bryan Trottier and Ted Lindsay would be proud. “He’s got a burning desire to perform and compete,” Boudreau says. “He doesn’t take any crap and he plays to win. If we were playing golf, he would scratch and claw until he won.” As good as things appear now, things haven’t always been “just ducky” in Anaheim. ϐ ͳ͵ West two years ago, leading to Ǧ ϐ Randy Carlyle. Almost immediately, the Ducks installed Boudreau, freshly deposed from the Washington Capitals, and the team was back on the winning track the next year. “Great personality, great person,” says left winger Dustin Penner. “He’s honest and lots of fun to play for. He’s genuinely happy for 50 | T H E H O C K E Y N E W S - F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 the players and he wants them to succeed.” On top of the good vibes, Boudreau also set out to change the dynamic of the roster. He doesn’t believe the team had enough talent when he arrived to do any real damage, plus the roster was too top-heavy. “I looked at the stats and the third and fourth lines had no points,” he says. “Getzlaf and Perry were playing 24 minutes a night and I thought, geez…they’re trying hard, but they can’t come back in games. I wanted a four-line team.” Boudreau communicated this to GM Bob Murray, who went to work. Granted, Murray and his scouting staff had already laid most of the foundations through the draft. It was just a matter of waiting until players such as Nick Bonino and Kyle Palmieri found their footing in the NHL. But saying goodbye to veterans such as Jason Blake and Niklas Hagman, while retaining the essential services of Selanne and Saku Koivu, meant the team had players from all age groups coming together as one, with Selanne and Koivu acting as role models. “We’re pretty much a band of brothers,” Perry says. “When you get the younger guys hanging around with a guy like Teemu, that’s going to help their careers. He’s pretty much the hardest-working guy on the team.” Perhaps the most important developments have come on the back end. The season got off to a foreboding start when veteran defenseman Sheldon Souray wrecked his wrist while working out in the summer with a medicine ball. Souray would have brought size, experi- HAMPUS LINDHOLM ence and a cannon shot from the point, but instead will end ʹͲͳ͵ǦͳͶ Dzdz his stat line due to season-ending surgery. Then Luca Sbisa went down with an ankle in ϐ ͳͷ games and he has been hobbled by several maladies since. But wouldn’t you know it? Everyone stepped up. Cam Fowler is playing huge minutes and is ϐ in his NHL career, while Mark Fistric (signed as a free agent in the wake of the Souray injury) and Ben Lovejoy have taken their games to new levels. On top of that, rookies Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen have been excellent, with Lindholm even garnering support to win the Calder Trophy. “It was a surprise to everybody the way Sami and Hampus have played,” says rock-steady defenseman Francois Beauchemin. “They contribute every night.” Even in net, the Ducks have an embarrassment of riches. Hiller is the starter, but Viktor Fasth FRANCOIS LACASSE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES now more nuanced and dangerous. But Getzlaf’s impact on the team goes far beyond offense. As the captain of a franchise with legendary leaders in its recent past – Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer wore the ‘C’ prior to him – Getzlaf’s had a lot Ǥǯϐ role well. “He has become as good a leader as you can have in the game today,” Boudreau says. “I know those are strong words when you have guys like Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews around, but off the ice, he makes sure everything is good with this team.” For a player who won a Cup in just his second NHL season, it’s been a growing process for Getzlaf. Though he had 17 BEST OF BOTH WORLDS TOP: ANAHEIM DUCKS; HILLER: JEFF GROSS/GETTY IMAGES; ANDERSEN: PAUL BERESWILL/GETTY IMAGES Perry and Getzlaf are the faces of the Ducks, but still preserve their privacy in Anaheim. was one of the great stories last season, coming out of nowhere to win 15 games (four by shutout) in 25 appearances with a 2.18 goals-against average. This season, it was Frederik Andersen’s turn. Literally a great Dane (he hails from Herning) Andersen comes in at 6-foot4, 230 pounds and has shown no signs of nerves, winning 13 ϐͳͷ dealing with the fact the Ducks American League three times due to a lack of roster space. Hiller welcomes the competition and has noticed the effect Ǥ Dzϐ tice,” he says. “You see another goalie stopping everything at the other end, you want to step it up. That increases your level. It’s also nice to know if you’re not feeling good, there’s someone who can step in.” But when it comes to getting everyone smiling, it’s hard to top Penner. The prodigal son returned this summer, six seasons after he decamped to Edmonton, for what turned out to be a rocky stint after signing a controversial free agent offer sheet, followed by glory in Los Angeles, where he won his second Cup. “He’s a character and a guy everybody wants to be around,” Perry says. “He’s really energized this room.” Penner and Perry lived near ϐ in Anaheim and though Penner admits it’s hard to stay close after moving to a different team, he’s happy to rekindle his buddy relationship with Perry. “You form friendships and strong bonds because you spend nearly every waking hour together,” Penner says. “Then you’re gone and you’re on different schedules. You make new friends on your new team.” Like a lot of the Ducks, Penner is having a great offensive season, especially on the power play. But he also takes pride in his ability to set the tone for the day as composer and gatekeeper of the dressing room iPod set list. “For (Lindholm) and (Jakob) Silfverberg, I’ll toss on some Miley Cyrus or Justin Bieber,” he says teasingly. “But the big guy that wears the ‘C,’ he likes country, so in the morning I’ll put on some country, followed by classic rock and alternative. Before game time, whether they guys realize it or not, I put on music that gets the blood boiling. It’s a very special job. I probably don’t get paid enough for my DJ skills.” Penner will have to settle for a chance at another title. He reveals Getzlaf had actually lobbied him to come back to Anaheim sooner, but with the Kings having a chance to repeat ǡ ϐǤ He did, however, get to see how the Ducks performed last season and thought the squad looked legitimate. Penner has essentially replaced Bobby Ryan, the last top-line winger to play with Getzlaf and Perry, though the two are different types of players. Staying in Southern California to play for a contending team didn’t hurt Penner’s decision, either. “You can keep some anonymity here,” he says. “And when peo ϐ ǡ don’t look at you like you have three eyes.” Great weather, nice fans and the chance to play with two of ǯ Ǥ There’s a big difference between the Ducks and The Eagles, but both groups would agree that once you come to California, it’s hard to really leave. SHARE OF STARTS FOR ANAHEIM GOALIES VIKTOR FASTH 5 GAMES (2-2-1) 9% 64% JONAS HILLER 35 GAMES (24-7-4) 27% FREDERIK ANDERSEN 15 GAMES (13-2-0) F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 - T H E H O C K E Y N E W S | 51 NHL TEAM REPORTS NHL TEAM BACKING THE BIG GUY Backstrom knows where the spotlight will go in Washington and he’s OK with laying low BY KEN CAMPBELL B he plays in Ovechkin’s rather large shadow. Much of it also has to do with the fact he does so many of the little things that don’t necessarily show up on the stats line. It doesn’t seem to bother him, though. One pretty consistent characteristic shared by Swedish players is they’re not terribly impressed with themselves and Backstrom does absolutely nothing to shatter that image. “I’m a guy who just comes to work and tries to do my best every day,” Backstrom says. “If the newspaper doesn’t write about me, I don’t really care about that. I mean if they want to write about me, sure, but I’m not bothered if they don’t.” In fact, Backstrom sees it as a perfect arrangement. He knows Ovechkin loves the spotlight and deserves to bask in it, all the better for Backstrom to simply go about his business without anyone making a fuss over him. If that results in him being on the list of the 10 most underrated players in the NHL, well that’s OK, too. As the Sochi Games approach, it might ϐ ϐǤ ϐ ǡ 52 | T H E H O C K E Y N E W S - F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 HOW MAY I ASSIST YOU? Nicklas Backstrom is making a living feeding the puck to Alex Ovechkin while playing solid defense. leads all Swedish NHL goal scorers this season, since Daniel and Henrik Sedin have such good chemistry together. That gives the Swedes the potential for two potent lines, centered by two players who can play both ends of the ice equally well. The Swedes enter Sochi as a favorite to win the gold medal and Backstrom acknowledges the Swedes look very good “on paper.” But that’s as far as he’s willing to go. The Swedes skate with much more swagger than they have in the past, but there’s no way Backstrom is willing to go as far as Andre Burakovsky, a Capitals prospect who boasted before the World Junior Championship that the Swedes were better than Canada on paper. He turned out to be right. The Swedes were better than Canada on paper and on the ice, but Backstrom is not prone to such outlandish statements. After all, it ǯϐǤDzǯ a little smarter than that,” he says. GERRY THOMAS/NHL VIA GETTY IMAGES ACK IN THE DAY, ADAM OATES WAS AN unassuming, ridiculously creative centerman who regularly put pucks on the stick of a larger-than-life superstar. Now when he looks out from behind the Washington Capitals bench, he sees another unassuming, ridiculously creative centerman who regularly puts pucks on the stick of a larger-than-life superstar. Nicklas Backstrom reminds Oates a lot of himself. Just as Oates was the defensive conscience and main pass feeder to Brett Hull for his 86-goal season with the St. Louis Blues more than two decades ago, Backstrom is the creative and responsible one behind Ovechkin’s run for a second straight Rocket Richard Trophy. “It’s weird in a way,” Oates says. “He’s an understated guy who plays with Ovie, who is overstated. And I think he likes it that way. We’re pretty similar personalities and they (Hull and Ovechkin) are very similar personalities.” ǡ ǡ ϐ ing out his own niche. Yes, half of his 38 assists this season have come on 19 of Ovechkin’s 35 goals. But Backstrom has proven to be a versatile player, in terms of setting up other teammates and playing a sound defensive game, something that goes unnoticed because the Capitals have been so porous defensively as a group. Entering the Sochi Olympics, Backstrom is this season’s highest-scoring player from Sweden and could edge out Henrik Sedin as the country’s No. 1 center. Much of what Backstrom does goes directly under the radar. Part of that has to do with his personality, much of it because NHL TEAM REPORTS SPIRIT OF ST-LOUIS Not even an Olympic “snub” by his Tampa boss can dampen Marty’s never-ending will to win BY ADAM PROTEAU GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES I T MAY BE A CLICHE THAT EVEN THE NHL’S best talents must continuously prove themselves, but it’s a cliche because it’s accurate. Take the career of Tampa Bay Lightning star Martin St-Louis. His legacy was long secured. He’s a Stanley Cup champion and a Hart Trophy and Lester B. Pearson Award winner. Of course, when you persevere through consistent doubts, as St-Louis has for most of his hockey career, and when you have the skills to be nearly a point-per-game NHLer over the course of 1,000-plus games, you are often driven to push toward your second set of wildest ϐǤ In that sense, the last remaining target on St-Louis’ list was an Olympic gold medal, a chance to avenge (a) losing as a member of Canada’s 2006 Olympic team that cratered spectacularly in Turin and (b) being left off the 2010 Vancouver team that won the tournament. So when St-Louis stormed out of the gate with 17 goals and 38 points in 42 games (many without star linemate Steven Stamkos), he was serving notice. But in the end, it wasn’t enough to get him on the roster. And to make matters worse, ϐ ǯ team was Lightning GM Steve Yzerman, the same Yzerman who hadn’t included him on the 2010 squad. For some players, that might have meant the end of a working relationship. For St-Louis, it meant his nose was going back to the grindstone. In 10 games after the Olympic announcement, he had eight goals and 14 points, helping the Bolts stay near the top of standings. “There are ups and downs throughout your season personally,” St-Louis says. He also downplays the notion Tampa’s non-Olympians could use the break to prepare for the playoff push. “Rest is good,” he says, “but it doesn’t matter sometimes if MIND IS WHAT MATTERS Lightning captain Martin St-Louis believes rest is only a good thing if you have the right attitude along with it. HALL OF FAME you’re rested. It’s where your head is at. It’s how willing you are to keep pushing and doing the right thing.” You have to wonder how St-Louis is still capable of imposing his will on the ice as he nears 40. Does he live only to eat energy bars and wheatgrass smoothies and prepare plates of crow for his detractors? Probably not. But this much is true: his willpower is as strong as ever because it’s a lot like a muscle. And in St-Louis’ life, that determination has been all he’s had at many points. Consequently, he’s developed it far sooner and far better than most NHLers ever will. If there’s something his resolve can’t control, like the Olympics, you’d best believe he’s doubling down on what he can take care of: his consistency, the Lightning and a pursuit of another Stanley Cup. His teammates see that every day. “He rubs off on everyone, not just the younger guys,” Lightning veteran Ryan Malone says. “We’re all infected by his energy and his passion. He’s been a great friend and teammate from Day 1 and he’s still the exact same player I reϐǤǯ game-changer.” FOR ST-LOUIS? It took until he was 23 for Martin StLouis to play his first NHL game. He didn’t establish himself as a regular until he was 25. And he didn’t make it as a top-six forward until the age of 27. A little more than a decade later, StLouis is creeping close to Hall of Fame territory. Does the 38-year-old mighty mite have what it takes to make it? St-Louis won the Stanley Cup, Hart Trophy, Art Ross Trophy and was a first-team NHL all-star in 2003-04. That immediately put him in a special class. But at the time St-Louis won the Hart, he had just 259 NHL points and was 29. What the artful dodger then accomplished stats-wise in his 30s is truly amazing. It’s quite probable StLouis will average more than a point per game during the decade of his 30s. So is he a Hall of Famer? All St-Louis has to do the next two or three seasons is sustain a level of productive play. If that happens, he’s a very good bet for induction. – BRIAN COSTELLO F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 - T H E H O C K E Y N E W S | 53 Fifth-year center Nick Bonino is poised to establish career highs in goals and points – and that includes his time in the AHL and college hockey. Bonino will eclipse the 18 goals and 50 points he had for Boston University five years ago. He’s also improved three straight seasons in the faceoff circle and is closing in on 50 percent. MANNY MALHOTRA MANNY’S HAPPY RETURN Malhotra has revived his career in Carolina and is back to being one of the league’s faceoff aces T WO YEARS AFTER TAKING A PUCK TO the eye and one year after the Vancouver Canucks said it wasn’t safe for him to play, Manny Malhotra is again dominating faceoff circles in the NHL. But it’s been a long road back. After the Canucks sat Malhotra out most of last season and let his contract expire in the summer, the Carolina Hur ϐ ϐate, the Charlotte Checkers. Malhotra made the roster and turned that into a pro contract with Carolina. “Having the opportunity to come back to the NHL is incredible,” Malhotra said. “I’ve never taken a day for granted in this league and when you get the opportunity to continue your career you’re very thankful for it.” Malhotra was hit in the left eye by a puck Mar. 16, 2011, while playing for the Canucks. The injury cost him much of the vision in his eye and forced him to miss most of Vancouver’s run to the ϐǤ team for 2011-12, but in a reduced role because management felt he wasn’t the same player after the injury. Malhotra renewed his commitment to training prior to 2012-13, but he appeared in just nine games for the Canucks before GM Mike Gillis put him on injured reserve, saying it wasn’t safe for him to play in the NHL. “We felt strongly last year that there was a risk with him out on the ice,” Gillis said at a press conference Feb. 14, 2013. “I wasn’t prepared to live with that.” But Malhotra wasn’t ready to let the injury end his career. “It was obviously very frustrating to me, after so many years, being told you’re not allowed to do what you love to do,” Malhotra said. “I didn’t agree at all with Mike’s comments and how he saw what I was doing out there.” Malhotra joined the Hurricanes in November and has been a regular ever since, centering the fourth line, eating up valuable shorthanded minutes and continuing his faceoff dominance. He said the eye injury hasn’t affected his approach to taking draws and the numbers bear that out. At the halfway mark ǡǦϐ in the league in faceoff winning percentage, hovering around the 60-per ǤDzǯ ϐǤ I’m feeling more like myself now,” Malhotra said. “I keep repeating to myself, I feel ‘normal’ again.” – JOSH ELLIOTT 54 | T H E H O C K E Y N E W S - F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 There was probably nobody on the Bruins happier to see the calendar turn to 2014 than Brad Marchand. After starting the season with just one goal in 14 games, ‘The Little Ball of Hate’ had eight goals and 14 points in 12 games in January. As a result, he’s a shoo-in to post the third 20-goal season of his four-year career. The Sabres are the worst team in the NHL, but you can’t accuse their supporters of being fairweather fans. Through 29 home games, the Sabres averaged 18,466 per game with seven sellouts and no crowd lower than 17,583. That could change if Buffalo unloads Ryan Miller, Matt Moulson and Steve Ott at the trade deadline. When Lance Bouma was healing from knee surgery last season that limited him to three AHL games, he probably never imagined being parked in the crease on the Calgary power play less than a year later. He used a relentless work ethic and three goals in six games to win time, playing on the Flames’ man-advantage unit. Edmonton fans drooled over the possibility of landing Saskatchewan boy Cam Ward via trade, but instead the team nabbed Albertan Ben Scrivens from L.A. Still, with Anton Khudobin and Justin Peters outplaying the longtime Cane, Carolina has a decision to make. Ward does have the most experience, a big contract and a no-trade clause. MALHOLTRA: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; BONINO+BOUMA: GERRY THOMAS/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; MARCHAND: DEREK LEUNG/GETTY IMAGES; OTT: BILL WIPPERT/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; KHUDOBIN: KIRK IRWIN/GETTY IMAGES NHL TEAM REPORTS KRONWALL: ABELIMAGES/GETTY IMAGES; BICKELL: BILL SMITH/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; BARRIE+BENN: DEREK LEUNG/GETTY IMAGES; HORTON: LANCE THOMSON/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; DATSYUK: DAVE REGINEK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES NHL TEAM REPORTS As Bryan Bickell struggled to deliver on his $4-million cap hit, the Hawks stayed positive early, but after a 17-game stretch in which Bickell had three points, Joel Quenneville benched him. The coach admitted the Hawks “need a lot more” from Bickell, who in half a season hadn’t matched his goal and point totals from the 2013 playoffs. Young blueliner Tyson Barrie was sent down to AHL Lake Erie for turnover-laden play in November. Upon his return less than a month later, he was asked to move his feet more and play to his strength as a puck-mover. Barrie has improved dramatically since then. He opened the New Year with seven points in nine games. The Jackets knew they had to wait for Nathan Horton, the star free agent signing who missed the first few months of the season due to shoulder surgery, but it was worth it. His poise and experience helped Columbus climb into the wildcard hunt with five wins in his first six games and the big winger chipped in four points during the stretch. Jamie Benn wasn’t the only Star having a memorable year. His brother Jordie Benn established himself as a full-time NHLer and led Dallas D-men in plus-minus. Jordie even scored on a penalty shot Jan. 21. It was awarded after Minnesota stopper Darcy Kuemper threw his stick when Jordie sprung from the penalty box for a breakaway. Not only were Pavel Datsyuk and the Red Wings in jeopardy of missing the playoffs for the first time since 1989-90, they were also on pace for their lowest point total in 23 years. With just 57 in 53 games, the Red Wings were on pace for 88 points, which would be their worst finish since 1990-91 when they had 76. NIKLAS KRONWALL TAKING OVER ALL BUT THE ‘C’ Kronwall is now the ‘Nik’ leading the Wings blueline, having taken over for Lidstrom in (almost) every way A S THE DETROIT RED WINGS WENT to the power play against the Florida Panthers, defenseman Niklas Kronwall jumped over the boards to man the point. Later, when defensive partner Jonathan Ericsson was called for hooking, Kronwall switched gears and went into penalty kill mode. No matter the situation, the Wings count on Kronwall. You could say he’s arrived in the ‘Nik’ of time, but more accurately he came when another Nick left the game. When Nicklas Lidstrom, seven-time Norris Trophy winner, announced his retirement following 2011-12, fellow Swede Kronwall instantly became the go-to guy on the Detroit blueline. “He does everything,” said defenseman Brendan Smith. “He makes everybody better around him.” While he may not perform in the same stratosphere as Lidstrom, Kronwall plays a similarly patient, understated game. “We notice him,” said coach Mike Babcock. “He’s a real important guy for us.” Kronwall, 33, has led the team in average ice time each of the two seasons since Lidstrom stepped away, generally playing between 23 to 24 minutes per game. Babcock seeks to limit his No. 1 defender to between seven and eight ϐ his batteries at high power, then he ramps up Kronwall’s ice time as game situations warrant. With additional ice time on his plate these past two seasons, Kronwall has adjusted his style. “If you play more minutes, you won’t be as active in the rush,” Kronwall said. “But other than that, it doesn’t feel like it’s changed.” His “Kronwalled” bodychecks have also been curtailed, partly due to an increased workload. “I take the opportunity when given,” he said. “So far this year, there hasn’t been that many.” Kronwall admits he learned plenty from Lidstrom during the eight seasons he played with him in Detroit. “If you look at a guy like Nick, he never made any mistakes and he never really played a bad game,” Kronwall said. “That’s something I’m trying to work on every day, to have a higher consistency.” Kronwall’s teammates insist he’s already found it. “He’s unbelievable and he makes the game better on everybody,” Smith said. “I think he’s one of the top three defensemen in the league.” – BOB DUFF F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 - T H E H O C K E Y N E W S | 55 No player has spent more time with one team while appearing on the trade block more than a dozen times than right winger Ales Hemsky. He is scoring at his poorest pace in a decade and his fourth contract with the Oilers expires in June. Latest report? Because of limited return via trade, Edmonton would be wise to re-sign him. TIM THOMAS STICKING WHERE THE SUN SHINES New mask and all, Thomas hopes to stay in Florida and his teammates would be happy to have him back I N LATE JANUARY, TIM THOMAS WAS IN the corridor of the Air Canada Centre in Toronto trying on a new helmet he hoped to use after the Olympics. And just so you know, yes, it has a Florida Panthers theme. He was asked if that means he intends on sticking with the Panthers. “That’s the plan,” he said. Oh, so you don’t intend on waiving your no-movement clause for a deal at the deadline? “I was actually thinking past this year.” The Panthers signed Thomas to a one-year deal in August, taking a chance on a 39-year-old goalie who had taken a year off. And for the most part it has worked out well. Thomas has provided the Panthers with qualϐ and the Panthers have given Thomas an opportunity to recapture the passion of playing in the NHL. And Thomas likes what he sees in Florida, enough so to stay longer if they’ll have him. “I’m looking forward to being a part of the process of turning this team around,” he said. “It isn’t anything I haven’t had before in my career, it just hasn’t been in a while. If you look ϐ ǡ we were in the same spot.” Thomas signed a deal that pays him $2.5 million in salary and $1.3 million in bonuses: $500,000 if the Panthers make the playoffs (unlikely), $250,000 for 15 wins (he had 14 as of late January), $250,000 for 20 wins (attainable) and another $250,000 for 25 wins (outside shot). It’s all pretty impressive considering Thomas took a full season off in his late 30s. Aside from some early groin issues, it has been a positive ride. “I’ve got tens of thousands of hours of practice doing this game,” ǤDz ϐdence I had in my ability to come back and I do feel pretty good about how I’ve been able to play.” Thomas has never been one to mince words or keep his opinions to himself. be an engaging teammate, one they like to be around. “He backs it up because he knows what he’s talking about,” Ǥ Dz like bouncing things off Tim because he knows lots of things – whether it’s about a camera or political questions, he’s just a smart guy. He’s not loud and obnoxious, but he’s strong in his beliefs, which is great…He’s still a great teammate.” – KEN CAMPBELL 56 | T H E H O C K E Y N E W S - F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 Not only did the Panthers not have a player in the top 150 scorers through January, they were on their way to a new low. Brad Boyes and Aleksander Barkov were on pace for 38 points. The only time their leading scorer had fewer was in 1994-95 and last season, both of which were 48 games because of lockouts. Alec Martinez had the tweet of the day during the Kings’ outdoor game at Dodger Stadium Jan. 25: “Many great Martinez’s graced this field before me, but I bet none have done it in a pair of skates.” Among the famous major-leaguers, Pedro and Ramon played for the Dodgers, Dennis, Edgar, Tino and Victor (active) didn’t. On a team filled with high-end forward prospects, Justin Fontaine was a surprise emergence as Minnesota’s thirdleading goal scorer. He went undrafted out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where he won an NCAA title, and stands just 5-foot-10. In January, he became the first rookie in Wild history to record a hat trick. When Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard said after her quarterfinal victory in the Australian Open that she’d like to go on a date with Justin Bieber, it raised more than a few eyebrows in Montreal. It has long been rumored that the 19-year-old Bouchard is actually dating Canadiens youngster Alex Galchenyuk. THOMAS+BOYES: DEREK LEUNG/GETTY IMAGES; HEMSKY: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; MARTINEZ: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; FONTAINE: BRUCE KLUCKHOHN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; GALCHENYUK: FRANCOIS LACASSE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES NHL TEAM REPORTS JOSI: CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES; DUBNYK: JOHN RUSSELL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; JOSEFSON: FRANCOIS LACASSE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; VANEK: JOEL AUERBACH/GETTY IMAGES; MOORE: BRIAN BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; SPEZZA: ANDRE RINGUETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES NHL TEAM REPORTS In the early going, a trade to Nashville didn’t remedy Devan Dubnyk’s problems. He allowed nine goals in his first two starts as a Predator. Pekka Rinne’s four replacements combined to go 19-19-7 with a 2.90 GAA and .901 SP. That was not a recipe for making the playoffs considering Nashville also ranked 23rd in goals per game. It’s hard to gauge Jacob Josefson’s progress: anytime he’s inserted in the lineup, he doesn’t last long before sitting in the press box again. Josefson, 22, was part of a great first-round cohort of Swedes in the 2009 draft, led by Victor Hedman and Oliver EkmanLarsson. But the Devils center had just one assist in 18 games. The Isles were nearly universally ripped for trading Matt Moulson and a first and second-round pick to Buffalo for Thomas Vanek, not because of Vanek’s talent level, but because of his contract. Vanek is a UFA this summer, but the Austrian said he would consider re-signing on Long Island, even if he’s dealt before the trade deadline. New Rangers coach Alain Vigneault has changed the way ice time is divvied up. On defense, John Tortorella really pushed his top four, but Vigneault was finding minutes for players such as John Moore, whose time increased to 15:26 from 11:46. Last year, four ‘D’ averaged 23 minutes per game. This year only Ryan McDonagh does. TSN may not have the NHL for the next 12 years, but it does have the Senators. The team and the network confirmed a 12-year radio and TV rights deal in late January that will cover French and English broadcasts. Fans will most likely see their local cable bills go up $9.95 per month to watch Jason Spezza and his team. ROMAN JOSI ROMAN PAYS REVERENCE Josi takes Streit’s line to the NHL as he prepares to anchor Switzerland’s ‘D’ with a trailblazing countryman A S HE HONES HIS SKILLS ALONGSIDE one of the planet’s best defensemen, Roman Josi is thankful for a pioneer, countryman and current Philadelphia Flyers blueliner who helped pave the way for Swiss players ǤDzϐ ǡ ϐ (skater) to really make it was Mark Streit,” Josi said. “He really opened the doors for all the young players in SwitǤ ϐ ǡ but fought through it.” Josi’s path to North American hockey was different than Streit’s, who was ʹϐǤ Josi, 23, was drafted by Nashville in the second round (38th overall) in 2008, played a season in the American League in 2010-11 to acclimate to the smaller ice surface, then made the jump to the NHL the following season. He’s now fully settled in Nashville and is second on the Predators in ice time behind his defense partner, captain Shea Weber. He’s not the biggest country music fan – house/dance music is more to his liking – but he enjoys the city and is establishing himself as a force in the world’s best league. Josi, who is one of Switzerland’s key players for the Sochi Games, has also ϐ turn to the international scene. At the 2013 World Championship, he helped the Swiss to a silver medal, which was ϐ ͳͻ͵ͷǤ named an all-star, the tournament’s best defenseman and, most impresǡ ǡ ϐ player from Switzerland to receive the honor. So he doesn’t let the opportunity to represent his country again go unappreciated. And he’s pleased to see the growth of the sport back home and the increasing stream of Swiss talent migrating across the Atlantic Ocean. “It’s growing a lot,” Josi said. “There are more guys coming to the NHL, more guys coming over to play in Canadian junior leagues. Not a lot of North Americans know about the Swiss league, but it’s fast and skilled.” Josi also counts his blessings playing with a perennial Norris Trophy candidate. He marvels at Weber’s on-ice skills and also at the level head he’ has kept in the face of stardom. “He’s so down to earth and he really does everything for the team,” Josi said. “It’s impressive for all he’s done.” – ADAM PROTEAU F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 - T H E H O C K E Y N E W S | 57 Considering he’s made a career out of being tough to play against, it’s a bad sign Steve Downie was made a healthy scratch in three of eight games recently by coach Craig Berube. The decision had to do with Downie’s compete level and while it will be remedied, it’s a red flag for a guy traded three times in six seasons. JOE THORNTON CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONAL Thornton brushes off his Olympic snub and carries on with business as usual as he seeks his first Cup T HE TELEVISION REPORTER FRAMED the question as if he already knew how Joe Thornton would react after not being selected for Canada’s Olympic team earlier that Jan. 7 morning. Could he, the reporter asked, try to put his disappointment into words? Surprise. The sometimes-surly Thornton went in another direction. “You look at the roster and Canada’s really stacked,” he said. “I’ve had the privilege of playing in the Olympics and the World Cup. It is such a hard team to make. They have so many good players to choose from. What can I say? I hope they bring back the gold.” If Team Canada didn’t want the NHL’s assist leader on its roster, so be it. Less than three weeks later, Thornton, 34, landed a nice consolation prize: a three-year, $20.3-million contract extension with the Sharks. The next night, he marked the occasion by scoring two of San Jose’s three goals against the Minnesota Wild, including the overtime winner. Thornton’s productivity isn’t what it once was, but his passes have helped elevate teammate Joe Pavelski into the upper echelon of NHL goal scorers and Thornton is on pace for 87 points, which would be his highest total since 2009-10. “He’s like wine,” said coach Todd McLellan. “He gets better with age.” In their six years together, McLellan has added a defensive dimension to Thornton’s game, making him a more ϐ offensive creativity. The coach cuts the captain a little slack if a risky pass here or there doesn’t pay off and Thornton buys into the system McLellan has implemented. For years, Thornton would slow the pace down to his advantage. But the game changed and when McLellan demanded a more up-tempo style, Thornton changed, too. “When he stresses it every day, it’s pretty easy to adapt.” Thornton said. “I feel like my game’s been strong and very consistent.” The knock on Thornton is that he has never made it to the Stanley Cup ϐǤ ǡ as Ray Bourque and Dave Andreychuk in similar circumstances, sees how that can work to the Sharks’ advantage. “The hunger grows as you get older,” McLellan said, “because your opportunity for success becomes that much shorter.” – DAVID POLLAK 58 | T H E H O C K E Y N E W S - F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 After a four-year dry spell, Mike Ribeiro is poised to lead his third team in scoring. The center has led the Montreal Canadiens and Dallas Stars and held the Phoenix lead approaching the Olympic break. Ribeiro led his team in points four times in a five-season stretch before being an alsoran the next four seasons. Matt Niskanen has quietly been one of the most effective Penguins, upping his game while his blueline peers were injured. His Corsi rating (all shots directed at the net vs. those surrendered) is tops among team D-men, while his plus-29 led the NHL. And to think the Pens got him and James Neal from Dallas for Alex Goligoski. Vladimir Tarasenko caught fire at the perfect time, producing at a point-per-game pace in January. That was music to the ears of the Cup-contending Blues, who need snipers they can rely on during the stretch run, and especially to Team Russia, which took a chance by naming Tarasenko, 22, to its 2014 Olympic roster. The more Dan Boyle struggles (five points in a 20-game stretch), the more Jason Demers gets added in fantasy leagues. Demers had three goals and 12 points in a 15game span before the Olympic break and saw time on the Sharks power play. He’s top 30 in NHL D-men scoring. His previous high was 70th. THORNTON: CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES; DOWNIE: MARISSA BAECKER/GETTY IMAGES; RIBEIRO: DEREK LEUNG/GETTY IMAGES; NISKANEN: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; TARASENKO: ANDRE RINGUETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; DEMERS: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES NHL TEAM REPORTS VAN RIEMSDYK+KADRI: CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES; COOPER: JAMIE SABAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; SESTITO: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; WILSON: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; SCHEIFELE: JONATHAN KOZUB/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES Lightning coach Jon Cooper has no problem with Steven Stamkos not playing before heading to the Olympics. In fact, he thinks it might be a good idea. “He would be with lots of good players around him on a bigger ice surface where hitting probably isn’t as prevalent,” Cooper said. “It might make it easier for him to play.” After being mentioned in trade rumors, center Nazem Kadri picked up his game, embarking on a run of three goals and nine points in seven games. “That’s certainly something I don’t want to be remembered for,” Kadri said. “Everyone hops all over me and I start playing well. I think we should just cut that out and just keep playing well.” Keith Olbermann recently referred to Tom Sestito as a “boxing hobo on skates.” After Sestito picked up 27 penalty minutes in one second of ice time in a Jan. 13 game, the late-night show host dubbed the Canucks winger the “worst person in the sports world.” Sestito thanked Olbermann via Twitter for the publicity. It’s a bit of hockey tradition that older scrappers give new kids a shot, but Tom Wilson, 19, is damaging his own dance card. He’s beaten numerous NHLers in fights already and since he’s a teen rookie, pretty much everyone is more experienced. But the big Toronto native is strong on his skates and doesn’t back down from anyone. Things are looking up in Winnipeg. The Jets started 6-1 under new coach Paul Maurice and Mark Scheifele crept into the Calder Trophy race. The rookie pivot posted 19 points, tops among NHL rookies, in a 22-game stretch. Scheifele also threw twice as many hits in December and January as he did in October and November. JAMES VAN RIEMSDYK OPPOSITION ADVISORY U.S. Olympian van Riemsdyk takes free advice from a friendly foe and makes opponents pay I F TORONTO MEETS TAMPA BAY IN THE playoffs and James van Riemsdyk goes off on the Lightning, Tampa Bay captain Martin St-Louis may have some explaining to do. The two trained together in Connecticut during past summers and have gotten to know each other over the years. So when St-Louis was watching video of van Riemsdyk’s skating, he noticed something and let ǤDzǯϐ thankful that he picked that up,” van Riemsdyk said. “He works at his craft a lot. Any time he says something you’re going to take notice, so I worked on it a bit in the summer and it comes more naturally now.” While ‘JVR’ wouldn’t go into specifics, the result has him feeling faster, more powerful and more athletic. Now he’s on his way to the best offensive numbers of his NHL career. Playing on Toronto’s top line with Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel, a fellow U.S. Olympian, van Riemsdyk is proving to be too much for opposing teams to handle. “He’s pretty much got the full package,” Bozak said. “He has tons of skill, lots of speed, great ǡ ϐǡ and he’s not afraid to stand in there with anyone.” A familiarity with Bozak and Kessel helps. The trio have been together more than a year and with that comes an on-ice intimacy that often leads to big goals. “As far as reading and reacting, things come a bit more naturally,” van Riemsdyk said. “Sometimes it’s about that extra anticipation you have with a guy, knowing when they’re going to get to a puck or where they want it. Coaches might call those ‘hope’ plays or ‘guess’ plays, but it’s more than that.” And while some Olympians have already told their families not to come to Sochi due to security concerns, the van Riemsdyk clan is simply too busy. Middle brother, Trevor, a star at the University of New Hampshire, is recovering from a leg injury, while youngest brother, Brendan, is playing high school hockey back home in New Jersey and crushing the competition. “I always like to follow my brothers,” van Riemsdyk said. “It’s exciting to see Brendan starting to come into his own as a player. He’s got a lot of natural skill and ability, now it’s just about the work he has to put in.” Sounds a lot like his big brother – and Toronto’s opponents can tell you how that has worked out. – RYAN KENNEDY F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 - T H E H O C K E Y N E W S | 59 PROSPECT REPORT CRASH COURSE Hudson Fasching has improved his game by becoming more of a banger than a pure goal scorer. BULL IN A CHINA SHOP Fasching turns heads throwing his weight around at the world juniors and in the college ranks BY RYAN KENNEDY T HE AMERICANS RUSHED THROUGH the early portion of the world juniors in Malmo before a classic clash on New Year’s Eve against Canada went the wrong way. That landed the Yankees a tough ϐnal and before you could say “Red Dawn,” their tournament was over. ǯ ϐǦ ϐǡ Fasching was a revelation at the event, using his bruising 6-foot-2, 213-pound frame to bulldoze his way around the ice and make good things happen for the U.S. HUDSON FASCHING POSITION Right winger AGE 18 HEIGHT 6-2 WEIGHT 213 lbs DRAFTED Los Angeles, 118th in 2013 60 | T H E H O C K E Y N E W S - F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 Fasching began to show his full potential at the Americans’ summer evaluation camp in Lake Placid, N.Y. A graduate of the National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich., Fasching was expected to put up big numbers for the NTDP in his draft year, but it didn’t work out that Ǥ and Los Angeles scooped him up with the 118th selection overall in ʹͲͳ͵Ǥ ǡϐmates were drafted ahead of him in New Jersey. Now a freshman with the University of Minnesota, Fasching is a top15 producer in the Big Ten conference and proved his worth early to coach Don Lucia, bench boss of the Golden Gophers and the U.S. world ǤDz ally well,” Lucia said of Fasching’s WJC effort. “But he’s been doing that ever since Lake Placid, he’s ϐ our team in Minnesota and he’s got a bright future.” An affable kid and caring brother to two younger siblings with trying medical ailments (which Ken Campbell wrote about in the 2013 ǯ Ȍǡ Fasching was a star in the Minnesota high school ranks with Apple Valley before he entered the NTDP. That’s where he was faced with some serious on-ice adversity over two seasons. “I found my role last year,” Fasching said. “I began to understand that I’m not going to be that goal scorer that I was in high school. That transformation was tough for me at the program and ϐ ǦǤ ϐ ǯϐ 18 and hitting my stride.” At the world juniors, Fasching teamed up with University of Michigan sophomore Andrew Copp and Albany Devils rookie Stefan Matteau to form a potent trio that was tough and skilled at the same time. “We were all determined to work down low,” Fasching said. “We’re all big bodies and we can all do the job in the slot. Our strength was one of our biggest attributes as a team, the ability to make cutbacks down low and take pucks to the net.” The trio was so successful that Lucia bumped Matteau up a line in an effort to get more 5-on-5 scoring going. And even in defeat to Canada, Fasching made his presence felt by rushing the zone and threading a cross-ice pass to Matteau, who converted to put the Americans within a goal of the Canucks. The tally, howǡ ϐ ͵Ǧʹ Ǥ Dzǯ ǡ gritty forward and if he gets that opportunity to score, he is going to score,” said Canada’s Curtis Lazar. “It was key for us to keep the puck away from him as much as we could.” The only player in the tournament who did seem to have Fasching’s number was Russian strongman Nikita Zadorov, who had played time with the Buffalo Sabres and has uncommon size and strength for a teenager. A 1995 birthday, Fasching will be a centerpiece for Team USA’s attack at next year’s world juniors in Canada and the Gophers just won state bragging rights in the ϐ wins over St. Cloud State and Minnesota-Duluth. Now Minnesota is gunning for ǯ ϐ Ǥ Thanks in part to Fasching’s contributions, it’s a race the Gophers are beginning to run away with. Miles between the University of Minnesota’s campus and Burnsville, Minn., where Hudson Fasching’s family lives. He grew up cheering for the Golden Gophers, attending their games from the time he was three years old. UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA ATHLETICS REPORT PROSPECT REPORT XXXX XXXXXXX RUSHING HIS WAY TO THE NHL 2014 draft prospect Haydn Fleury shapes up as a top-10 pick thanks to his poise and speed moving the puck out of his zone BY DANIEL NUGENT-BOWMAN DAVE BRUNNER PHOTOGRAPHY W HEN BLUELINER BRADY Gaudet arrived in Red Deer early last season from Kamloops in a Western League trade, it didn’t take him long to notice young defenseman Haydn Fleury. There was Fleury, then barely 16, being groomed to log key minutes and quarterback the power play for the Rebels. If Gaudet, now 19, was impressed with his young teammate then, he’s blown away now. “It’s been substantial,” Gaudet said of Fleury’s development. “He’s really, really taken off this year. He’s becoming a leader. He’s got those traits to be an elite player.” The stats back up Gaudet’s assessment. Fleury, the Rebels’ alternate captain, posted six goals and 33 points through his ϐͶͺǡing his offensive totals from 2012-13. “The biggest thing he’s exceptional at is his skating,” said Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ coach, GM and owner. “Everything else he’s good at. He’s a complete guy.” Fleury, like most rookies, took time to adjust against bigger, older players when he entered the league. He failed to ϐ WHL games, but he was a quick study and made use of his self- described best attribute – rushing the puck out of trouble. “You learn guys’ tendencies playing against them,” Fleury said. “You know when you can beat a guy and when you can’t. I have more poise with the puck.” And that poise has made Fleury formidable, according to Gaudet: “When he picks up the puck behind the net and he gets ϐ ǡ ǯ pretty hard to stop. He’s probably going to take that thing down the ice.” What Sutter sees in Fleury now is a player who is stronǡ ϐ than he was a year ago. An important part of that transformation came when the Rebels put Fleury on a pro-style training regimen in the off-season. Fleury dropped his body fat below 10 per cent, down from nearly 15 in the spring. Sutter loathes making comparisons, but in his ǦǦ͵ǡ ͳͻͺǦǡ Ǧ skating rearguard, Sutter can’t help but envision the St. Louis Blues’ Alex Pietrangelo. Sutter also sees similarities between Fleury and an ʹͲͳͶ ǣ Aaron Ekblad (who Sutter just coached at the World Junior Championship). “As composed as he is and mature as he is, being a defenseman, those are HAYDN FLEURY POS Defenseman AGE 19 HT 6-3 WT 198 lbs DRAFTED 2014 eligible 1 special qualities,” Sutter said of Fleury. “When you have that, it stands out. Where he’s going to be in a year from now, that’s up to him. The sky’s the limit for him just because of all the abilities he has.” The latest International Scouting Services rankings, released in January, had Fleu Ǥ ͺ ʹͲͳͶ Ǥ NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings placed Fleury sixth among North American skaters. Fleury doesn’t read too much into the distinctions. He knows he can tumble down ǯ ϐ prove. It’s a lesson instilled in him by his dad, John. Fleury grew up in Carlyle, Sask., where the local rink was usually open to whoever wanted to play shinny. He and his father were on the ice by the time the youngster was three. Defenseman higher than Haydn Fleury in ISS’ 2014 NHL draft rankings. Only Aaron Ekblad is projected to go before Fleury. ADVANCED METHODS Haydn Fleury improved after adopting a pro-style training regimen last off-season. John stressed the importance of learning how to receive hard passes, a skill of the utmost importance to defensemen looking for their partner across the ice. Fleury took his lumps at ϐǤDzϐ hard as he could at me,” he said. “It would knock the stick right out of my hands.” While Fleury has his dad to thank for some of his skills, Haydn’s skating stride isn’t among them. “That was natural,” he joked. It’s that sense of humor that makes Fleury a hit with his teammates off the ice. Gaudet DzϐǤdz Things get serious, however, once the puck drops. “He’s got a lot of pressure on this team,” Gaudet said. “He’s only 17, but Brent leans on him very highly. I see that. I’m in all those little meetings and I hear the things that are said to him. He handles it very well.” F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 - T H E H O C K E Y N E W S | 61 We cover everything thn.com/blog It’s all in The Hockey News’ new blog. China’s hallowed Houhai Lake hosts a pond hockey tournament much to the delight of puck-starved ex-pats and curious locals BY CHRIS CLARK KEVIN JIANG N ORMALLY THE ONLY RED LAMPS IN HOCKEY ARE THE ONES that light up when a puck crosses the goal line. But Jan. 18, on a lake in Far East Asia, traditional Chinese red lanterns ϐ ond annual Houhai Pond Hockey Tournament. In China’s capiǡ ǡ ͳʹͲ ͳͲ ͳͶ Ǥ Thousands visit Houhai Lake every day to eat and shop. Here, ǡ around the capital’s historic lake. On this weekend, however, the people spending time at this Ǥ ǡ ǡǤǡ Ǥ Dz ǡ ǡ ǡdz ǤDz Ǥdz Li Hui, a 50-year-old woman who lives in Beijing, was among those who stopped to watch and take photos. “It’s mainly a reǡdzǤDzǯ Ǥdz players revel in it and beijingers are fascinated when we play – Tom McCabe in China. “I wanted to create an atmosphere where people look around in the moment and say to themselves, ‘I can’t ǯǡǯdz Ǥ Dzǯ ǡ Ǥdz SHINNY IN STYLE China’s famous Houhai Lake became a frozen wonderland for pond hockey in January. BEYOND THE SPOTLIGHT RED LAMP DISTRICT ing in the tournament were Ǧal Ice Hockey League, an or ǦͳͻͻͲǤ league’s junior commissionǡ ǡ Houhai tournament’s orgaǤ Entertainment with the sole Ǥ 2012 to work as the hockey China’s only pro team, the Dragon, which plays in the Asian Ice Hockey League. Pri ǡ ǯ Emperors and had coached ǯ ʹͲͲͺǤ ǯ tournament on Houhai Lake ǤDz ǡdz says, “this is the most pictur Ǥdz ǡ Ǥ playing and more rinks are Ǥ hockey is still a niche activity Ǧ Ǥ in Beijing, where he orga the ice and teach them how Ǥ Dz develop the grassroots mod ǡdz ǡ Dz allow us to create a positive Ǥdz F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 - T H E H O C K E Y N E W S | 63 FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT SHARLANE VALLEAU @: P: 416.227.8268 E: Sharlane.Valleau@tc.tc W: www.thehockeynews.com MERCHANDISE MERCHANDISE TOURNAMENTS TOURNAMENTS $'8/7 72851$0(176 WK*UHDW<HDU 9L V L W R X U Z H E V L W H I R U D O O O R F D W L R Q V D Q G S U R J U D P L Q I R U PD W L R Q 0HQ·V:RPHQ·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Ê,iiLÊ*ÀiiÀÊ ÊiÀÃiÞà UÊ>`iÊÊ >>`>Ê6Ì>}iÊ UÊ1-ÊÀ>ViÊÊVi UÊ£Ê-«ÀÌÃÜi>ÀÊ ÊEÊ6Ì>}iÊ7 UÊÕÌV ÊÌiÀ>Ì>ÊiÀÃiÞà UÊ Ê iVÌÀÃÊEÊ-Ì>iÞÊ Õ«Ê*>ÌV ià Sizes : toddler thru 5x, official customization available. www.sportsk.com Official Supplier of Licensed Sports Jerseys. TOURNAMENTS P.O. BOX 3172, ENFIELD, CT 06083-3172 OPPORTUNITIES OPPORTUNITIES THE CANADIAN INDEPENDENT JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE will begin its inaugural season with 6 Franchises based out of Vancouver, B.C. The CIJHL is accepting Head Coach / GM applications -VYTVYLPUMVYTH[PVU VU4HYRL[WSHJLHK]LY[PZPUN WSLHZLJVU[HJ[ (Full Salaried Positions) for all 6 Franchises for the 2014-15 CIJHL Season. Please send all employment inquires or Resumes to league@cijhl.com or go to www.cijhl.com (Telephone inquiries – 778-552-1949) www.cijhl.com Sharlane Valleau H[416-227-8268 VY]PHLTHPS! Sharlane.valleau@tc.tc STAY CONNECTED WITH US WHEREVER YOU ARE! FIND US ON FACEBOOK facebook.com/TheHockeyNews DOWNLOAD OUR LATEST MOBILE APP for iPhone, Blackberry & Android FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @TheHockeyNews LAST MINUTE OF PLAY Guess WHO CROSSWORD 1 2 3 4 ACROSS By Larry Humber 5 1 1 9 10 6 7 8 9 1 8 9 10 11 12 14 17 19 11 1 20 21 12 13 14 15 1 22 13 16 14 15 17 DOWN 1 18 19 “I won two championships in the WHA with Winnipeg and a Stanley Cup with Edmonton.” 20 21 1 1 “I hold the Calgary Flames single-season records for assists (82) and points (131).” AT ANSWERS AVAILABLE IN THE NEXT ISSUE AND AT THN.com/XWORD 2 T.J. ___ is an American-born Blue 3 Jason ___ got the Cup-winning goal back in 2000 4 Former THN editor ___ Dryden 5 Cancel out 6 Become frenziedly violent, go ___ 7 Dustin ___ is a Jet 11 Marco ___ is on defense in Minny 13 Wheeler-___ are GMs who like to swap players 15 Pulled 16 Announced a game 17 Play poorly in pressure situations 18 Ben ___ led the NHL in penalty minutes in 2006-07 LAST WEEK’S CROSSWORD SOLUTION ACROSS 1. MIKE SMITH, 8. ODUYA, 9. PICKING, 10. ST. PAUL, 11. IGINLA, 12. NOLAN, 14. ANTTI, 17. BEAVER, 19. DIONNE, 20. ANATOLI, 21. RAILS, 22. SOPHOMORE DOWN 2. ICING, 3. EAKINS, 4. MANIA, 5. HORTON, 6. DURABLE, 7. TAILENDER, 11. ISLANDERS, 13. ST. LOUIS, 15. INNESS, 16. BANTAM, 17. BENCH, 18. ELLER Behind Separated BIRTH THE MASK KAMLOOPS ROCKETS | 1970-71 DAVID BOLLAND AARON PAUL Killed the Bruins in 2013 Cup final. Leafs need him to make a speedy recovery from injury in 2014. Almost killed over brewin’ meth in 2013 Breaking Bad finale. His film Need for Speed premieres in 2014. Submitted by: Dallas Kenny Email your suggestions to sab@thehockeynews.com WHO AM I: KENT NILSSON GUESSWHO: STEVE BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; PAUL: BEN LEUNER/AMC; MASK: RAY BISHOP/BISHOPDESIGNS.COM; JERSEY: CLASSICAUCTIONS.NET 22 “My 1.24 points per game ties me with Phil Esposito for ninth-best in NHL history.” Marcus ___ is the other winger on Ovie’s line Ray ___ , pictured, now tends net in Philly Scoring opportunities The Isles play at ___ Coliseum Agree to a contract Former Leaf and Red Wing ___ Thompson Cam ___ is now president in Boston Murray ___ was a Flyer in the 1980s, played 18 NHL seasons in all Pelle ___ was a teammate of 17 Across in Philly The Eagles represent Boston ___ ___ Chabot was the first hockey player to appear on the cover of Time magazine Blueliners Jersey HOUND RYAN MILLER | TEAM USA Miller’s lid for Sochi features staples like Uncle Sam and an eagle, but also Miller’s wife and dog as Russian nesting dolls on the back. As Miller’s longtime designer, Ray Bishop explains Miller is involved in the process, often sending Bishop sketches of ideas. – MATT LARKIN A pretty cool find from the folks at Classic Auctions, this game-worn jersey is from the British Columbia Jr. A League and gives a bit of perspective into the trends of the times. Most obvious is the unique piping, which loops from the shoulders and under the arms, also popping up south of the elbow. Not to be confused with the Western League’s Kelowna Rockets, Kamloops had a cool color scheme and the logo, though faded on this sweater, featured a skater with trails coming off the back of him. – RYAN KENNEDY F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 - T H E H O C K E Y N E W S | 65 OVERTIME WITH KEN CAMPBELL OLYMPIC CAULDRON AT BOLSHOY ICE DOME MY MIND GAMES ABOUT THE GAMES Terrorist activity is a concern in Sochi, but possible peril is a small price to pay for having the world’s best job T HIS PAST SUNDAY, A PARISHIONER AT my church came to me with a concerned look on her face and said, out of the blue, “Are you nervous?” I wasn’t particularly anxious about anything, so I said, “No. Why would I be nervous?” To which she replied, “Well, I heard you’re going to Sochi.” Yeah, I’m a little nervous about that. Not enough to consider cancelling my trip to cover the Olympics, but saying I’m not a little concerned would be tantamount to an NHL player in the last year of his deal saying he’s not even thinking about his contract. Like the player facing an uncertain future, I’m trying not to obsess about it, but it’s always there in my consciousness. It didn’t help when I was watching TV later that day and the head of security from the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver said the athletes should be safe because of all the security around them, but issued a warning to families of the athletes and others. “I would suggest they won’t ϐ from a professionally trained police force or federal agency like the FSB or the Russian federal police,” Bud Mercer said, “and I think that’s the concern.” 66 | T H E H O C K E Y N E W S - F E B R U A R Y 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 Then I read a story where the security chief from the Atlanta and Los Angeles Games said, “In my opinion, it’s not a matter of whether there will be some incident, it’s a matter of how bad it’s going to be.” Then you had the BBC saying a terrorist attack before or during the Games was “highly likely.” Dig a ϐ “black widows,” a group of women prepared to act as suicide bombers after their militant husbands have been killed. Then there is Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov, who is known as Russia’s Osama bin Laden. He has said of the Games, “They plan to hold the Olympics on the bones of our ancestors, on the bones of many, many dead Muslims buried on our land by the Black Sea. We as mujahideen are required not to allow that, using any methods Allah allows us.” It’s enough to make a guy tense once in a while. But I’m still going. And it’s not because I have a mentality that if I don’t, the terrorists win. Quite frankly, I’m not keeping score. It’s because this is what I do. Whenever I meet hockey fans for ϐ ǡ I have the best job in the world. Right about then I offer to swap pay stubs, then I realize how absolutely right they are. Sometimes it means I have to get on a plane, others I have to drive through a blizzard or make my way through the unknown parts of an American city. One time I went for a run in Washington, D.C. and clearly had taken a wrong turn before I was sternly ordered by a local man to take the nearest cab back to my hotel. Just this past summer at the draft, a colleague of mine was hustled into the back of a police cruiser for his own good simply because he was walking in downtown Newark talking on a cell phone and wearing a sports jacket. During the 2001 world juniors in Moscow, three scouts came back to our hotel with black eyes after being jumped by thugs in Red Square on New Year’s Eve. The point is, there are all kinds of hazards in this profession and every other. I see it as an honor and privilege to do what I do. So if there’s some risk attached to that, I’m prepared to take it. I went to school with kids in Sudbury whose fathers would descend thousands of feet below the surface to mine for nickel every day. Each time they went down there, they did so knowing they were one rock burst away from never coming up alive. The brother of a friend of mine in high school was a big teddy bear of a kid by the name of Joe MacDonǡ ϐ Sudbury. He was a good one, too. Mentored kids in his spare time, coached football, cared about the community. On Oct. 7, 1993, Joe pulled a car over for a ϐ Ǥ ǡ ϐ gunshots in the back of his head. I have faith the security around the Games will be so intense that everyone will be safe. I admit I’m not a big fan of ǯ ϐ dealing with dissidents, but it does make me feel safer. As far as the NHL is concerned, security for players will be enormous. After every Chicago Blackhawks home game, there’s a white-haired guy with a thick neck who stands quietly in the corner of the dressing room at the United Center with his arms folded. He looks like the kind of person who could break a guy’s neck in a second and might actually enjoy doing it. I imagine there will be a lot of guys like him around. And if not, we’ll all just have to be as vigilant as we can. I’ll be there chronicling the best players in the world playing in a tournament that could be a classic if it approaches the level of play we saw four years ago. There are too many good reasons to go to Sochi and not enough to stay away. ANTONIN THUILLIER/AFP/GETTY IMAGES CAN’T GET ENOUGH CAMPBELL? GO TO THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM FOR DAILY UPDATES AND TOWING. AND HAULING. F-150 WITH ECOBOOST™. NO WONDER F-SERIES IS CANADA’S BEST-SELLING TRUCK LINE 48 YEARS RUNNING.* FORD.CA 365 36 5 HP | 42 420 0 LBB-FT FTT TORQUE | 31 1 MPG HWY Y‡ | 3, 3,10 100 10 0 LBS PA PAYL AYLOAD† | 11 11,3 ,300 ,3 00 LBS TOWI WIN NG† 2014 F-150 shown. 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