The Prairie Puck

READ THIS POST TO HEAR A HILARIOUS JOKE ABOUT THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

2011-02-24T15:14:00.000-08:00

TOPPINGS

kovalev to the pens....interesting

ERIC

not mind blowing though

TOPPINGS

nope....the day-long trade deadline special that tsn has on every year might be the biggest waste of airtime in TSN history though if deals keep happening haha

ERIC

hahaha

they'll just be re-hashing

TOPPINGS

analyzing every trade...i hate that

i wonder if brad richards will get moved

ERIC

ya, i dunno

i bet he does

i'm thinking LA

he'd be a nice fit there i think

i don't know dallas's cap situation

TOPPINGS

i was thinkin that too...team that is in the running, and still has the resources to sign him long term

but yeh dallas getting rid of Neal maybe frees up some space to get him signed by July

ERIC

ya maybe

TOPPINGS

but then again I think he's the perfect type of player to fit in with Edmonton

ERIC

He’d be perfect for them. He’s exactly the type of guy they need.

TOPPINGS

Edmonton has the cap room, I think all they need is a go-to guy like Richards, a couple savvy veterans for leadership, and a good draft of defensemen this year, and if everybody on the team buys into the team philosophy, they could be a really great team in a few eyars

ERIC

ya man

if they got richards and keep hemsky and penner

that would be solid.

TOPPINGS

i'm not 100% sold on Penner, but maybe that's because of the supporting cast

or lack-of

ERIC

he's asked to be a top 3 forward when he belongs on a second line

TOPPINGS

putting Cogliano up for trade might be a good idea down the stretch as well

ERIC

i think he needs a change of scenery

learn to be a two way player

TOPPINGS

yeah clearly he's been a let-down as far as expectations go

Gagner hasn't been great either, but he'd be the one I'd stick with out of the two

ERIC

definitely

less of a dickhead maybe haha

the guy just sounds like an ass in interviews

TOPPINGS

so you wouldnt like him in Detroit then? haha

ERIC

cogliano?

i think detroit would fix him man

i've said this before

TOPPINGS

hahaha yeh i know

not sure if he'd fit in with Detroit

ERIC

they have a good young group now, and in Edmonton cogliano is a hotshot young player on a team of hotshot young players

TOPPINGS

i should rephrase that...i don't see HOW he fits in....it pains me to say it, but detroit seems to have their shit together on the front end...the only spot i can see him playing is 4th line, which Detroit usually reserves for the quick, young tough guys that battle hard

quick? yes

TOPPINGS

works hard? yet to be seen

ERIC

right

i guess i have a soft spot for him because i want more canadians there

TOPPINGS

haha fair enough

ERIC

and because i loved him in the world juniors

and i'm pretty sure him and helm played on the same team actually

TOPPINGS

yep they were both part of that Canada vs USA shootout when Toews scored 3

ERIC

yes

TOPPINGS

not sure if Helm got to shoot in that, but I know Cogliano scored at least once

ERIC

helm didn't

detroit doesn't need another center though

so cogs isn't going there

TOPPINGS

trade him to toronto...clearly they have too many first round picks than they know what to do with this year

ERIC

hahahaha

ps i'm destroying people online in nhl 11 right now

TOPPINGS

hahaha nice

ERIC

they are all quitting early because i'm beating them so badly

TOPPINGS

hahaha

i got send a joke at work today that said "I went to the bar last night and approached a girl who was wearing a maple leafs jersey so I said 'Hi there, my name is 3-goal lead....I thought clearly she would blow a 3-goal lead"

ERIC

hahahahahaha

that's amazing

TOPPINGS

on that note, I gotta go

later dude

ERIC

later buddy

Subban or not Subban?

2011-02-21T12:36:00.000-08:00

TOPPINGS

whats up kid

ERIC

hey buddy

how's it goin

TOPPINGS

pretty good, just visitin the folks in kippy

ERIC

nice

i have a good topic for us to discuss, a couple actually

first one: thoughts on PK Subban's personality

TOPPINGS

complete dickhead

ERIC

it's awesome you think that way, because i disagree

shall we get this started?

TOPPINGS

get it started yo

ERIC

well I think Subban is great

He is charismatic, he plays really hard, and I think what people see as a lack of respect is actually him being cocky, and playing like he's the best

he flies around the ice

and he talks shit

your turn

TOPPINGS

I think Mike Richards hit the nail on the head a few months ago...gotta give respect to get it in the league, and really I don't think he's shown any to anybody

that being said, he does provide a bit of character to a habs team that has completely changed identity in the last 2 years

ERIC

See that's actually a problem i have with the whole NHL

anyone with a big personality is shut down

The most popular young players include Stamkos, Toews, and your boy Richards

TOPPINGS

haha Toews...Mr. Personality

ERIC

three of the most boring possible people, especially in the case of Richards and Toews

I feel like in the NHL they force you to be a boring cliche answers robot

There are no great personalities. I mean a jackass like Avery needs to keep his mouth shut, but I don't think Subban has actually disrespected anyone

TOPPINGS

i think you're comparing apples to oranges there man....I think that "boring" personality you talk about works extremely well for those 2 players that are in a leadership role

ERIC

That's true, they have a role they need to fill.

And admittedly Subban isn't in that role

TOPPINGS

Captains shouldnt let their emotions get the best of them, and thats probably precisely why Richards and Toews are captains

Subban's a character, plain and simple...he has a role to fill, and he fills it well...Avery's the same

ERIC

See, I think people are too quick to throw them in the same category

TOPPINGS

I love the way that Avery plays

ERIC

Subban is loud, and kind of a comedian.

Oh ya, gotta agree with that, but he's obviously disrespecting.

I don't think Subban really disrespects anyone, he just doesn't suck up.

TOPPINGS

probably yips just as much as crosby did in his first 2 years

ERIC

But with way more charisma

Crosby was crying. I have since forgiven him for crying, because he is obviously awesome.

TOPPINGS

for sure

personally, I'm not sold on Subban yet, but if I had to pick one team in the league that he would fit in well and the fans would respond the same, I'd have to say it would be the Habs

ERIC

I think he'd be great in Toronto too hahaha

although I'd hate him, simply because of the team he plays for.

TOPPINGS

Montreal: Toronto's media hungry younger sister

adopted French sister

haha

ERIC

Yup. Sibling rivalry.

TOPPINGS

I'm a firm believer that sometimes teams should sacrifice a little talent for fan favorite character types, and i'm not saying by any means Subban lacks in talent, but he fits into the scheme of things there

Max Lapierre is an asshole too, but he fits in to montreal just as much

ERIC

You make a great point, one I agree with. It fits into what we said about Detroit last time.

A team needs a personality fans love.

BIggest difference between Avery and PK:

TOPPINGS

a GM doesn't want the best players on his team, he wants the RIGHT players

ERIC

People who love the Rangers can hate Avery, but every Montreal-er loves Subban

TOPPINGS

the minute Subban decides to throw cheap shots and diving on the ice, then we can question his character haha

ERIC

Exactly. As long has he doesn't play dirty I'm cool with whatever he's up to.

TOPPINGS

let's focus on the biggest issue at hand here:

Subban, along with his Habs lost to the Flames last night haha

and now the Flames have jumped to a tie for 5th in the west haha

ERIC

Oh boy, yes, that's a great transition to another great topic. What the hell is happening there?

And who knew Bredan Morrison would be so damn... well... fantastic?

TOPPINGS

hahaha theres a good handful of players on the team I never thought would work out so well this year

Jokinen looks like he's skating with a new step

ERIC

Yes

Gotta remember, with Florida he had a few seasons when he got 90 points I think.

TOPPINGS

the flames are in the worst possible position of any team in the league though

ERIC

elaborate

TOPPINGS

a team on the uprise should be buying players to push them into the playoffs, but Cgy is so close to the cap that it makes more sense to deal away players, which could ruin chemistry

ERIC

Yes

and do they really have the team to be successful in the playoffs? I think keeping the team together is the only option (you make a couple million dollars per home playoff game), but that could ruin them for the future

TOPPINGS

i really don't know if they can go deep in the playoffs, but you can't deny that they've completely turned things around in the last 20-25 games

ERIC

It's ridiculous

TOPPINGS

a guy like Tanguay who is playing unreal will be a UFA, so do you hold on to him for playoffs, or trade away for some picks?

ERIC

Ya, his value is as high now as it ever will be again

same with Morrison, and Glencross.

TOPPINGS

Tanguay isn't just one player either, if he goes, so does a piece of Iggy's game

ERIC

what do you predict they will do?

TOPPINGS

hold on to him probably...if they didn't have a 1st round pick this year it might be a different story

ERIC

I think they should just keep their whole team together and see what they can do with this magic

see how long they can run with it

TOPPINGS

i agree...hopefully this new GM Jay Feaster is less of a gamble than Darryl Sutter was...this time last year they traded away half their team

gotta run though dude

ERIC

alright man

have a good time in Klipling

TOPPINGS

just leavin now haha...talk to ya later man

Bryan Trottier of Val Marie, Saskatchewan

2011-02-16T19:48:00.000-08:00

One of the most respected players in NHL history, he redefined the center ice position and was the model for NHL superstar Steve Yzerman. Here's a video of him being awesome, starting at about the halfway point.

Trottier talks shit to Brian Bellows

We're back!

2011-02-16T19:31:00.000-08:00

ERIC

i just got an idea for how we could reviatlize THE PRAIRIE PUCK

TOPPINGS

hows that?

ERIC

well the articles thing died but every time we talk on facebook we have educated/joke-filled conversations about the nhl

what if we just posted those conversations?

it would be like a written podcast

TOPPINGS

hahaha that would be funny

ERIC

and way less work than researching for an article

and way more fun, considering we do it every time we talk

plus in this conversation i've realized one of the things that makes our conversations great is your appreciation of my disdain for shitty canadian teams

would make for some controversial conversations

TOPPINGS

i actually find i have the best conversations about hockey with Wings fans...I know two others that it goes the exact same way...they dog the Flames, I defend them, they somewhat agree with parts of what I say, they dog them some more, haha

ERIC

i think i know why that is

you know lots about hockey, so you're good to talk to

and red wings fans are obviously the smartest, since they are fans of the only team worth cheering for

TOPPINGS

hahaha that's an air tight answer right there

ERIC

i think red wings fans hate on every other team because every team is always trying to be the redwings

hahahaah

TOPPINGS

i will hand it to the Red Wings, if there's one thing I do admire, it's whoever's in charge of European scouting

ERIC

yes

also ken holland doesn't make bad decisions. ever

the one thing i wish is that detroit would get more canadians on the team. even just as spokespeople for the team, and so i could choose a canadian red wing as my favorite player

TOPPINGS

they just need to continue to develop young goaltenders like Howard...it is very possible they may lose him, but if they can pay their top stars unreal coin, and get by with young goalies making 1-2 million, then they'll continue to be successful in the Datsyuk/Zetterberg era

ERIC

yes

TOPPINGS

haha yeh they need a media guy

ERIC

i think one of the reasons why rick nash is my favorite player is because until recently columbus has never been a threat

i can't have, say, marleau as a favorite because they are a rival to the wings

TOPPINGS

and that's for the fans to relate to the team again...detroit actually doesnt do very well for home attendance

ERIC

i know, and that's ridiculous because they used to have sellouts for like 300+ games in a row or some shit

i think a company shut down and a few people lost jobs

they must have been some of the season ticket holders

TOPPINGS

yeh what was that company again? haha must not have been important if i can't remember haha

ERIC

hahaha

i think that was more of a factor than anything

TOPPINGS

very possible

ERIC

economy is shit, anyone with money moved away or lost their money

but ya, no shanahan, yzerman, or flashy fedorov

TOPPINGS

yeh it's a strange situation when one of your leading media guys is Brad Stuart

ERIC

haha ya

zetterberg is getting better fast

and he better considering he'll be captain either next year or the year after, depending when lidstrom retires

TOPPINGS

most people would say that interviews don't matter in hockey, but you and I both know it's all about how you represent yourself to your fan base and how they respond to your success or lack of....the irony is a team like Toronto would actually probably benefit if they stopped talking to the media

Burke especially needs to stop

ERIC

yes

when i watch him do interviews all i think is

asshole asshole asshole asshole asshole asshole asshole asshole asshole asshole asshole asshole

TOPPINGS

hahaha...he's a fuckin moron and doesnt know shit...in 2 and half, maybe 3 years as Leafs GM, the best move he made was trading Kris Versteeg for a 1st and 3rd rounder...what does that tell you

and this just happened last week haha

ERIC

haha ya

i wonder how many gm's laughed when he traded those picks for kessel

and probably cussed, thinking that could have been them

TOPPINGS

so urneal

unreal*

ERIC

imagine if edmonton had given hemsky

haha shit

TOPPINGS

it's completely retarded...but it's funny because the 2 guys in charge of Toronto right now Burke and Nonis, you can credit both those guys for putting together 90% of the Vancouver team we're seeing haha

ERIC

hahaha

i didn't realize that

i guess that took a really long time

TOPPINGS

Burke drafted the Sedins, but Nonis put most of the rest together..Kesler, Burrows, Bieksa, Luongo deal

ERIC

right

TOPPINGS

i gotta go here though dude

good talk haha

ERIC

definitely

later buddy

Why Not Savard?

2009-12-21T23:49:00.000-08:00

The world junior tournament is about to start up, and Canada is excited about it. Even though we have seemingly been on hiatus for a good long time, we're excited about it too. And Team Canada will get it's time, don't you worry. Now that finals are over it seems there is some time on the old schedule. I'm going to use this time to talk about something that's on my mind: the apparent lack of interest in Marc Savard.

Of all the significant players not invited to the 46 man training camp, Marc Savard is by far the most confusing non-choice. Paul Kariya is probably the second biggest surprise, and it's not really surprising at all that he wasn't selected. But let's look at Savard:
- more than 1 point per game in the last 5 NHL seasons
- 19 points in 18 playoff games
- 9th in NHL scoring last season
- 4th out of Canadian-born players behind Crosby, Getzlaf, and Iginla

If you saw this description without seeing who it was about, you might guess these numbers belong to Dany Heatley (invited), Joe Thornton (invited), or Vincent Lecavalier (invited). There are of course some knocks on Savard

- plus/minus rating of ZERO in his last five seasons (poor defence for someone with that many points
- has turned down 4-5 invitations to play with team Canada in the World Championships
- Canada has players with his skills, who are better two way players

These are all good points, but my argument is this: Marc Savard is an insanely good passer with HUGE offensive upside. Put a defensive-minded winger on one side and a sniper on the other, and Savard could be the difference maker. I understand leaving a role player off the team when you're not sure if he can handle the high level of play. For example, Milan Lucic was invited. He can be a difference maker too, but I think his chances of making the team should be less than fifty percent. You can't just ignore a talent like Marc Savard. Let me paint a picture of a possible roster for you. Remember I have done relatively no deep thinking about this, so try to catch my point:

1st line: Nash, Crosby, Iginla- I think this is pretty obvious. Rick Nash is a beast playing for Canada, and Crosby is just as talented a passer as Savard. Iginla will be an important leader on the team.

2nd line: Heatley, Thornton, Marleau- Let's just keep this line together for shits and giggles. I think Marleau should be a no, but I wouldn't be mad if he got chosen, and he's from Saskatchewan, so let's root for that.

3rd line: Getzlaf, Savard, Lucic- Lucic is the defensive presence, Getzlaf is solid two way, but more importantly he can score, and there's Savard setting them up.

4th line: There could be 10 different guys on here you couldn't argue with.

Steve Yzerman, you are the bee's knees, the cat's pajamas, the goat's coats. I think you should bring Savard to Vancouver. He's pretty good.

WEEK ROUND-UP: "Pre-Season"

2009-09-18T22:47:00.000-07:00

The NHL Preseason is officially underway and although the games may not provide the action you may be used to on Hockey Night in Canada or deep in the playoffs, it's still a good chance to watch some games and catch a glimpse of some familiar players in new surroundings, new line combinations, this year's rookie crop, and just how good will your team do this season?

Just a few things going on in the world of the National Hockey League:

This week will be a busy one for Saskatchewan, as both Regina and Saskatoon will play host to a total of 3 NHL Preseason games. As part of the ongoing New York Islanders' training camp, which has been going on at the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon all week, The Calgary Flames will take on the Isles tomorrow night, and 24 hours later, the Oilers will be in town against the Islanders. On Monday, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Ottawa Senators will be in Regina for a preseason matchup. Although it is never known who exactly you may see in preseason games, Saskatchewan fans will be hoping to see the likes of Jarome Iginla, Dion Phaneuf, Jay Bouwmeester, Sam Gagner, John Tavares, Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Alex Kovalev, and Jason Spezza. Certainly one of these great players would be a treat to watch. There is also a large collection of "home-grown" talent on these 5 clubs that we may get see play, such as:

OTTAWA

Ryan Keller - Saskatoon
Zack Smith - Maple Creek
Jeremy Yablonski - Meadow Lake
Craig Schira - Spiritwood
Eric Gryba - Saskatoon
Jared Cowen - Allan

TAMPA BAY

Dustin Tokarski - Watson
Blair Jones - Central Butte
James Wright - Saskatoon

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Blake Comeau - Meadow Lake
Jeremy Reich - Craik
Brendan Witt - Humboldt
Scott Munroe - Moose Jaw

CALGARY FLAMES

Riley Armstrong - Lloydminster
Curtis Glencross - Kindersley
Garth Murray - Regina
Keith Aulie - Rouleau
Cory Sarich - Saskatoon
Theoren Fleury - Oxbow (we'll get to this in a bit)

EDMONTON OILERS

Jordan Eberle - Regina
Steve MacIntyre - Brock
Devan Dubnyk - Regina
Matt Glasser - Saskatoon

So you can see that these franchises have their fair share of SK-born talent.

Making headlines this week:

THEOREN FLEURY ATTEMPTS A RETURN TO THE NHL

At the ripe young age of 41, Theoren Fleury, once the Calgary Flames all time scoring leader has been working on a return back to the NHL. Fleury has been away from the league for quite some time after he violated the NHL's substance abuse policy and was suspended indefinitely. How fitting is it that Fleury is trying to go back where it all began...back to Calgary. Now, many believe that Fleury may not be able to keep up with today's game, but maybe the veteran presence of Fleury on the ice and in the locker room may be what the team needs to make a serious run at the cup. Fleury helped the Flames win the cup in '89. He left the team 10 years later in a trade to Colorado that involved fellow SK players Robyn Regehr and Wade Belak, and now, 10 years later, he is attempting to return, and inject some identity into the Flames in their 30th Anniversary season.
I guess Fleury scoring the shootout winner in a game 2 days ago says something.

TYLER BOZAK IS MAKING A STATEMENT

Toronto Maple Leafs' rookie hopeful Tyler Bozak flew right under the PrairiePuck's radar, and we completely forgot about him on our players to watch, because he is from SASKATCHEWAN!! This Regina native took the college route in his hockey career, playing for the University of Denver for the past 2 years. This tough and very skilled 23 year old forward was one of the most coveted NCAA free agents this season, and Brian Burke once again made a good move to improving and transforming the culture of the Leafs.

Just take a peak at this goal from Bozak in an earlier preseason matchup against Boston this week:

BRIAN BURKE GETS WHAT HE WANTS

After weeks, and possibly months of speculation and rumors, Leafs' GM Brian Burke made a huge move on Friday, completing a trade with the Boston Bruins, sending a collection of questionably high draft picks for Bruins' forward Phil Kessel. We say questionable picks, because according to TSN, Toronto gave up 2 first round picks and a second round pick for Kessel. Probably a good move in the long run though. Kessel, a restricted free agent, who was unable to generate a deal with Boston, was traded to the Leafs, and immediately signed a reported 5 year deal worth approximately $27 million.

PP

PLAYERS ON THE RISE: Players that could make or break your Fantasy Drafts

2009-09-10T11:05:00.000-07:00

The selection of talent to choose from when picking players for your Fantasy Draft is endless. But after you expire your 1st and 2nd picks, the bulk of your team is going to made up of the young players on the rise, and players that will consistently surprise you and generate points.

Kicking off the countdown is.....

#10 DREW STAFFORD - BUFFALO SABRES (Drafted 13th overall, 2004)

Although it is uncertain as to whether Stafford will end up with the Sabres this season, we think his skill will follow him wherever he ends up playing. The Sabres are still in the process of negotiations with the Milwaukee native, as he is currently a Restricted Free Agent. If the Sabres were smart, they would find a way to sign Stafford, before they start receiving offer sheets from teams that are in the market for a skilled top-6 forward (particularly from teams like the lowly Leafs, Kings, or Panthers). Before last year, Stafford divided his time between the Sabres and the AHL's Rochester Americans, but has started to make a name for himself in Buffalo. Last season, he eclipsed the 20 goal plateau for the first time, ammassing 45 points in 79 games. This year, let's see if he can get up to that 55-60 point mark.

#9 CHRIS KUNITZ - PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (Undrafted)

Last year at this time we were talking about Kunitz in the SK-born players to watch segment, and he didn't disappoint. Traded just before the trade deadline to the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Ryan Whitney, Kunitz helped the Penguins all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, defeating the Red Wings in 7 games to capture his 2nd stanley cup in 3 years. Once traded to the Pens, Kunitz nearly tallied a point in each of his 20 final regular season games, totalling 53 points for the season (by the way, we predicted a 50-60 point total), and added 14 points in the Pens' Stanley Cup run. Expected to contribute on the top 2 lines, probably more-so with Sidney Crosby, we can expect this point total to go up this year. +65? We think so.

#8 DERRICK BRASSARD - COLUMBUS BLUEJACKETS (Drafted 6th overall, 2006)

Like we said before, the Blue Jackets seem like they are finally understanding how to develop their young prospects and make wise decisions at the draft. Brassard is a quick, very skilled forward who adds a lot of young talent to a very young team. Last season, before Brassard went down to injury early in the year, he totalled 25 points in 31 games, on his way to Calder Trophy contention. If he was healthy, he could have put up 60 points. After sitting on the sidelines, watching his squad make history in making the playoffs for the first time, we're willing to bet that he would like to be a part of the action this season, and will be a nice scoring complement on a line with superstar Rick Nash. Let's say 55 points for Derrick Brassard.

#7 BOBBY RYAN - ANAHEIM DUCKS (Drafted 2nd overall, 2005)

57 points in 64 games last season? Definitely a rookie campaign to remember. Ryan played his first few games in the league one year prior to last year, but even then he produced well for the team. Ryan is expected to begin the season on the top line with forwards Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, making this one of the most dangerous front 3 in the league. For the guy who was drafted 1 spot after Sidney Crosby, he's definitely starting to make a name for himself in Anaheim, and with a 31-goal rookie season, it's not crazy to think that Bobby Ryan could have a 40-goal year, could it? Expect this youngster from Cherry Hill, NJ to go between 65-70 points this year, with the possibility of eclipsing 35-40 goals.

#6 DEVIN SETOGUCHI - SAN JOSE SHARKS (Drafted 8th overall, 2005)

A solid 35 goal scorer in Junior hockey between the Saskatoon Blades and Prince George Cougars, Setoguchi has translated this talent into the NHL, after amassing the 30 goal and 60 point mark for the year With the possibility that The Sharks may be shipping away SK-born Patrick Marleau, the club may get to see this young star produce with the likes of say...Dany Heatley? Although Heatley has lost our respect in the last couple months, seeing him, Setoguchi, and Joe Thornton play together could be a treat to many. Let's watch Setoguchi to notch 75 points this season.

#5 SAM GAGNER - EDMONTON OILERS (Drafted 6th overall, 2007)

Easily the youngest of this group of players, Sam Gagner is entering his 3rd year in the league and won't even be legal to drink in the United States until next Summer! This season should be the bounce-back season that Gagner needs after being bitten a bit by the sophomore jinx. Both seasons were similar in numbers, but Gagner it is time that Gagner needs to produce the way we all know he can. Most likely headlining the 2nd line or making the jump to the #1 line with Shawn Horcoff and Ales Hemsky, we can see Gagner tallying between 60 and 65 points this season, leading the team in goals. He is the type of diverse player that can be plugged into many lines, despite his small size, as he has proven to work well with Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner, Robert Nilsson, and Patrick O'Sullivan as well.

#4 PHIL KESSEL - BOSTON BRUINS (Drafted 5th overall, 2006)

It is unknown at this time whether we will see Kessel in a Bruins uniform this season. Recently, the young American star has made headlines for the interest he has been generating from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kessel has been linked to rumors with the Leafs ever since the club was rumored to be shopping around defenseman Tomas Kaberle. This could be the best or worst thing for Kessel. In Boston, he is not dependent on generating all of the scoring, while in Toronto he will be relied on much more. Perhaps the new change of scenery could spark this young forward to generate points in the 70-80 range, after a 60 point season in 2008-2009 (which we predicted right on the money by the way)

#3 PAUL STASTNY - COLORADO AVALANCHE (Drafted 44th overall, 2005)

Paul Stastny was born in Quebec City, but has dual citizenship, and has chosen to play for the United States on the world stage. One of the only reasons why Stastny wasn't chosen as the Calder Trophy recipient with 78 points was that he was up against Evgeni Malkin, so it is understandable. Since then, Stastny's last 2 years have been stricken with injuries, forcing him to miss more than 50 games. When healthy, we could see Stastny help bring back the Avalanche to playoff contention after a rocky year. 80 points? Sure, if he remains healthy.

#2 JONATHAN TOEWS - CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (Drafted 3rd overall, 2006)

It seems very fitting that Jonathan Toews is the captain of this team now, because he will be relied on to lead this team through the good and bad for years to come. Toews was one player, along with teammate Patrick Kane who were not bitten by the sophomore jinx, and tallied 69 points last season to help his squad to a Western Final birth. What could he do next year? We are thinking around the 80 point plateau. The funny thing about the Hawks is that if they do not win the Stanley Cup this year, the entire season was a disappointment, and it is tough to say when they will be back in the same position in a while. Poor management decisions, showcased by the signing of Marian Hossa to a mammoth 12 year contract spark questions as to whether the club can afford both young superstars Kane and Toews next summer when they become restricted free agents. We believe Toews needs to stay to make this team a contender.

#1 BRYAN LITTLE - ATLANTA THRASHERS - (Drafted 12th overall, 2006)

Last season was Bryan Little's first full season in the NHL with the Trashers, and he is definitely on the radar now. He is a solid forward and has proved that this Thrashers team have secondary scoring behind Ilya Kovalchuk. Little scored 31 goals last year, which is definitely a step up from the 6 he scored in a previous stint with the club. This young Thrashers team is on the rise, and with prospects like Zach Bogosian, Evander Kane, Angelo Esposito, and Regina's Riley Holzapfel, we may see this squad back in the playoffs soon. Expect Little to generate 75 points this season.

HONOURABLE MENTION:

1. RENE BOURQUE - CALGARY FLAMES

2. MATTHEW LOMBARDI - PHOENIX COYOTES (For now?)

3. MATT D'AGOSTINI - MONTREAL CANADIENS

PP

2009/2010 ROOKIE CLASS : Who to watch

2009-09-08T13:01:00.000-07:00

Every year we have unbelievable young talented players that make their mark in the league. Just look at the Calder trophy winners in the past 50 years, such as Bobby Orr, Mike Bossy, Mario Lemieux, Luc Robitaille, Ray Bourque, Teemu Selanne, Alex Ovechkin, etc. Definitely exclusive company right? What we will be taking a look at is the 10 players this year that will be the next great Calder trophy winner, and the remainder of this year's star-studded rookie class that will be exciting to watch, nonetheless:

Starting off at number #10:

#10. LINUS OMARK - EDMONTON OILERS (Drafted 97th overall, 2007)

We've said it once, and we'll say it again. Edmonton has the best collection of young talent in their system in the entire league. And that may be a bold statement considering the unbelievable youngsters in the league. We have all heard of guys like Youtube sensation Rob Schremp, and of course the Canadian Junior hero and hometown Regina boy Jordan Eberle, but on top of that, Swedish youtube sensation Linus Omark can be added to the mix.

Just check this out:

You can't teach some of these sick skills, and creativity like this is just what the league and the Oilers need. Along with guys like Sam Gagner and Andrew Cogliano, the Oilers have an awesome group of top 6 forwards in development. Expect the 22-year old Omark to make a splash with the roster this year.

#9 JUSTIN ABDELKADER - DETROIT RED WINGS (Drafted 42nd overall, 2005)

Abdelkader's breakout performance cam in last year's playoffs, when team injuries landed him a spot on the roster in the Wings' second straight run to the Stanley cup finals. Categorized as a tough, gritty forward who has an exceptional work ethic, we think his style of play would fit on Detroit's 4th line perfectly this season. Pair him with young up-and-coming stars such as Darren Helm and SK product Jeremy Williams, you have one of the quickest and skilled 4th lines in the league, meaning if there's one thing the Wings have this year, it's depth. Don't expect Abdelkader to be a calder candidate, but he may be working his way up to a mainstay on the Wings' lineup, particularly in clutch situations, such as the PK team.

#8 COLIN WILSON - NASHVILLE PREDATORS (Drafted 7th overall, 2008)

The Prairiepuck proudly gives the "Owning the snow-blower in California" award to the Nashville Predators. They have all of this great young talent, but have no idea what to do with it. They do a great job in goaltender development and in the defense department, but they need to make a franchise overall in a hurry, before the team inevitably relocates. Colin Wilson may be the answer to this dilemma. Once a star on his collegiate team (Boston University), Wilson is a talented young forward who has excellent ability in clutch situations, particularly on the International stage in IIHF World Men's, U20, and U18 championships.

#7 NIKITA FILATOV - COLUMBUS BLUEJACKETS (Drafted 6th overall, 2008)

Drafted just before Wilson in 2008 was Russian sensation Nikita Filatov. If everything goes well for Filatov and he can produce the numbers we all know he can, he may be the dark horse for Calder trophy contention this season. Filatov began the season last year in Columbus, impressing many people along the way, but was sent back to Syracuse for the remainder of the season for development, as he was still only a small, 18 year old. If there's one thing that we know from these situations, it's that experience makes a hell of a difference when developing young prospects. After years of only having Rick Nash on their draft record to impress everyone, the BlueJackets are finally learning how to develop their own and make a run into the post season, with players like Filatov, Steve Mason, and Derrick Brassard on their resume in the last couple years.

#6 VICTOR HEDMAN - TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (Drafted 2nd overall, 2009)

A team like Tampa Bay really shouldn't be known for defense after last season, but kudos to the franchise for addressing this problem and drafting an impact defenseman like Victor Hedman from the Swedish Elite leagues. We actually believe that if Tampa Bay had the number one pick, they still would have chosen Hedman over the heavily favourited John Tavares of the London Knights (We'll get to him later). Not only did they lock up Hedman, but the team went out and signed all-around defenseman and fellow countryman Mattias Ohlund from the Vancouver Canucks. With Lecavalier, St. Louis, Stamkos, Hedman, and Ohlund to run the powerplay, we could see a huge improvement this year from the Bolts. Ohlund is expected to be a mentor to Hedman, and the two together will be a good fit.

#5 MATT DUCHENE - COLORADO AVALANCHE (Drafted 3rd overall, 2009)

If there is one player who impressed at the right time during last year's draft process, it was Matt Duchene of the OHL's Brampton Batallion. Many thought the Duchene could rival Hedman and Tavares for the top draft choice, but along with Tampa Bay, Colorado addressed a major concern and drafted the best possible player they could in Duchene. Already being compared to a "Joe Sakic with unbelievable speed", Duchene is going to work extremely well with forwards like Paul Stastny and Wojtek Wolski. We don't see him being the guy to win the Calder quite yet, but we have been wrong before.

#4 CODY HODGSON - VANCOUVER CANUCKS (Drafted 10th overall, 2008)

Coming off a year that was capped off with the CHL Player of the Year award, Cody Hodgson is the complete deal. He is a quick, gritty, skilled forward who can score, and just as importantly LEAD his team. Hodgson is said to possibly crack the 2nd or even top line this season, and we believe his strong play with the Brampton Batallion last season will continue with the Canucks, and could be another face for this growing franchise. Fellow Batallion allumni, now divison rival Matt Duchene and Cody Hodgson will provide some very entertaining rivalries in years to come. **CALDER CANDIDATE**

#3 SIMEON VARLAMOV - WASHINGTON CAPITALS (Drafted 23rd overall, 2006)

Last year's playoffs were this young Russian's chance to prove himself after assuming the starting job over Jose Theodore, and he didn't disappoint. Maybe he did in game 7 against the eventual Cup Champion Penguins, but let's blame that on inexperience. This young goaltender has an incredible opportunity this season, in proving that he can remain the #1 guy, and take the Caps deeper in the playoffs, which we believe he will do. A solid first half of the season will also see the young Russian as a candidate to be the 3rd goaltender for the Russian Olympic team behind San Jose's Evgeni Nabokov and Edmonton's Nikolai Khabibulin. **CALDER CANDIDATE**

#2 JOHN TAVARES - NEW YORK ISLANDERS (Drafted 1st overall, 2009)

You may think we're crazy not having Tavares as #1, but this does not mean that he's not the guy to watch. We all know that Tavares is one of the greatest Canadian players every to play on the World Junior stage, and that he also broke some of Wayne Gretzky's Junior Hockey scoring records. He is an excellent player, with excellent potential, and he will bring a winning tradition back to Long Island. The only thing is that Tavares does not have a very good supporting cast, and he will not be a saviour to this team quite yet, so don't expect them to make a push to the playoffs for a couple years, but still, definitely a **CALDER CANDIDATE**

#1. JONAS GUSTAVSSON - TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (Signed as Free Agent)

How's that for irony eh? The team we all love to despise actually has shown rays of hope for the future. In signing perhaps the most coveted free agent from both the NCAA and European Elite Leagues combined, Brian Burke is actually accomplishing what he set out to do. He is rebuilding this team from the inside out by weaning out the bad and bringing in quality players. Sure, guys like Colton Orr aren't quality players, but the Leafs have completely revamped their blue line, and added some extra help with the signing of Jonas "The Monster" Gustavsson. The Monster was highly regarded as the top goaltender in the world outside the NHL last season, and his numbers prove it. Standing at 6"3, we believe this keeper will contend for the starting position, when we all know that Toskala is going to choke. It's simple. Vesa Toskala does not have the capacity, nor ability to be a starting goaltender, and Jonas Gustavsson will steal the starting job from him this season. Will he be a candidate for the Calder? Only time will tell. Will he take the Leafs to the playoffs this year? Probably not, but he really can't hurt their chances.

HONOURABLE MENTION

TUUKKA RASK - BOSTON BRUINS - (Drafted 21st overall, 2005)

Tuukka Rask is an excellent European goaltender, and really hasn't yet been given the opportunity to show his stuff in the league. The 22 year old netminder was drafted 21st overall by of all teams, the Leafs in 2005. In a bonehead move, the Leafs fell head over heels for the flavour at the week of the time, Calder trophy winner Andrew Raycroft, and traded their #1 prospect Rask to Boston for Raycroft. Well we all know how that turned out. The Leafs haven't made the playoffs since and Boston won the Eastern conference last year. With no contract offered to Manny Fernandez at this time, we must assume that Rask may be getting the opportunity to backup Vezina-winner Tim Thomas, and will be seen as the new goaltender of the future in bean town.

SK HONOURABLE MENTION

1. Jordan Eberle - EDMONTON OILERS (Drafted 22nd overall, 2008)
2. Brayden Schenn - LOS ANGELES KINGS (Drafted 5th overall, 2009)
3. Dustin Tokarski - TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (Drafted 122nd overall, 2008)
4. Jared Cowen - OTTAWA SENATORS (Drafted 9th overall, 2009)
5. Keith Aulie - CALGARY FLAMES (Drafted 116th overall, 2007)
6. Riley Holzapfel - ATLANTA THRASHERS (Drafted 43rd overall, 2006)

It is interesting to note here that out of the top prospects from Saskatchewan, Riley Holzapfel is currently tagged as the player that has the best chance of cracking the lineup this season. Holzapfel, a native of Regina, is a rugged forward that would fit in nicely on an Atlanta team that really needs his presence. Most likely a 3rd or 4th line centreman, it will be interesting to see what this 21 year old can do. Of course, we are overlooking a great deal of talent here. We all hope that Jordan Eberle will be able to crack the Oilers lineup this season, however a player like Eberle should not be rushed into the spotlight unless he is 100% ready. A season with Springfield in the AHL could make a world of difference in his development. Tokarski is another interesting player, because goaltending seems to be the one area that is unnaddressed in Tampa Bay coming into the 2009/2010 campaign. Mike Smith has yet to prove he really is a starter in this league, so who knows, maybe we will see this Allan, SK. native between the pipes in Tampa sooner than we think.

PP

National Junior Team Development Camp : UPDATE

2009-08-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

A development camp for the Canadian Junior team is underway in Saskatoon, where an extensive list of invitees have showcased their skills, and have tried to impress scouts and team personnel early in the intrasquad Red vs White games. Last year, when we consider the major International events leading up to the World Juniors, Saskatchewan was very well represented, eventually sending 3 very skilled players to Ottawa. (Defenseman Keith Aulie, Goaltender Dustin Tokarski, and Forward Jordan Eberle). This year, only 3 players have been invited to the development camp in Saskatoon. These 3 players however, are shoe-ins to make the squad in December. In no particular order:

C - JORDAN EBERLE - Regina Pats, WHL - Regina, SK.

What can't be said about this guy that everyone doesn't already know? He is the REAL DEAL. The Edmonton Oilers have the best group of young prospects in the entire league, and Eberle is no exception. Being the leader on a lackluster Regina Pats team for the past couple years has not gone unnoticed, and Eberle developed into a staple on Team Canada's Roster in Ottawa last year. Eberle's efforts earned him a Top-3 forward honour for Team Canada for the tournament, joining New York Islanders phenon John Tavares, and Canucks top prospect Cody Hodgson. If you still don't know who Jordan Eberle is, his talent can pretty much be summed up by watching this video of what could be considered the biggest goal in Canadian Hockey history since Paul Henderson's heroics in the '72 Summit Series: (Just turn down the volume if you can't stand Pierre Maguire like us)

If Eberle has not cracked the Oilers line up by late November next season, he will definitely have a spot on Team Canada. The only potential problem I see is that Oilers' new coach Pat Quinn knows exactly what Eberle can bring to the table, so he may be sticking around the City of Champions.

C - BRAYDEN SCHENN - Brandon Wheat Kings, WHL - Saskatoon, SK

The younger brother of Toronto Maple Leafs' defenseman Luke Schenn really could have made the squad last year, but an extra year for development could make all the difference, as this big centreman for the Wheat Kings will be the hometown kid to watch, as the tournament will be played in his hometown of Saskatoon. Regarded as a "Puck-possession" forward, Schenn will make an excellent addition to the 2nd or third line, and in our opinion, would work extremely well with skilled players like Jordan Eberle & Cody Hodgson, or perhaps would fit in the best on the energy line with potential returning players like Patricie Cormier and Stefan Della-Rovere. Brayden Schenn is in the same boat as a lot of these players. If he doesn't crack the Los Angeles Kings lineup (which we believe he won't quite yet), he has a roster spot saved for him already.

D - JARED COWEN - Spokane Chiefs, WHL - Allan, SK.

Drafting Cowen 9th overall was definitely the best move that the Ottawa Senators could make in the 2009 entry draft. A powerful defenseman, Cowen enters development camp on the injury list, but his reputation as a potential star preceeds him, and we could see an uneblievable group of kids on the blueline this year, with potential returnees in Regina Pats big-man Colten Tuebert, the 6"7 monster Tyler Myers, and powerplay specialist Ryan Ellis of the reigning Memorial Cup Champion Windsor Spitfires. Jared Cowen won't make the Senators lineup quite yet, so he will be on the squad come December.

INTERESTING SIDE-NOTE - The coach of Team Canada, who was named in the past few months, is Pat Quinn's assistant last year, Willie Desjardins, who hails from Climax, Saskatchewan.

FURTHER OUT:

C - Jaden Schwartz

Although it is still early, we don't see this youngster making the Team Canada squad too soon, but in a couple years, we believe that he just may turn some scouts' heads in the World Junior tournament in Edmonton/Calgary in 2011. This 16 year old centreman from Wilcox, SK. is on the shorter side, at only 5"9, but his skill makes up for it, as he was drafted by the Tri-City Americans of the WHL. Although he was a late draft pick (8th round), 2 years can make a lot of difference, and this next season will be a big determining factor, whether he remains with his SJHL club, the Notre Dame Hounds, or joins the Americans. Either way, he is under the PrairiePuck's radar, and let's hope that talented players like Schwartz will keep the ongoing tradition of skilled Saskatchewan-born players making the Team Canada Junior Squad.

PP

GETZLAF - Quickly becoming the most popular family in Canada

2009-08-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

Not only do we see athletic talent run in many families, there seems to be a trend these days that showcases professional athletic talent in families. For instance, the Stastnys, the Sutters, the Staals, the Hulls, and many more have impressed the world with their athletic talent. In Regina, we have another family to be proud of, in more ways than one.

Ryan Getzlaf, a native of the Queen City, and superstar of the NHL's Anaheim Ducks has been a fan favourite not only in Anaheim, but north of the border since he stepped foot on the ice and into the public's radar.

Ryan went to Robert Usher Collegiate high school, which has since closed its doors, and was drafted in the WHL bantam draft to the Calgary Hitmen, where he played the duration of his junior hockey, and led to the Ducks selecting Ryan in the first round, 19th overall in the 2003 NHL entry draft, widely regarded as one of the best draft classes in NHL history. Just to give you an idea, players like Marc-Andre Fleury, Dion Phaneuf, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Eric Staal, Thomas Vanek, Zach Parise, and Corey Perry also went in the first round.

Ryan continued to play with his junior club in Calgary for the next 2 years, and due to the 2004/2005 NHL lockout, he made his NHL debut the same year as Sidney Crosby, helping the Ducks to their first Stanley Cup the next year.

Internationally, Getzlaf broke into the hockey scene with his presence on the Canadian under 20 junior team in 2005. Because of the NHL lockout, many of the future stars of the NHL that were still eligible to play in the tournament had formed what we know now as the "Dream Team". This talented squad that won Canada it's first gold medal in 8 years in Grand Forks, including players like Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Dion Phaneuf, Corey Perry, Patricie Bergeron, and of course, Sidney Crosby. On the other end of the coin, both Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin were playing for the Russian squad, so it was a great tournament

Since then, the past few years have been great for Ryan Getzlaf, as he continues to make his mark on the league. With recent Ducks' captains Chris Pronger being shipped to Philadelphia, and Scott Neidermeyer nearing the end of his career, Getzlaf seems to be being groomed to become the captain of the club. He was recently named #6 on the list of the top 10 Canadian born players in the league, and seems to be a lock for a roster spot for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.

Ryan's older brother Chris, however, has become a fan favourite in a much different way, as he is the hometown hero, playing for the hometown team. Chris Getzlaf is a wide receiver for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL. Chris attended the Univeristy of Regina, and was drafted to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, only to be eventually traded to the Riders in a steal of a trade that landed us both the hometown boy, and a crowd favourite in Corey Holmes, for the brutal Jason Armstead. The Riders went on to win the Grey Cup that year, and Getzlaf has grown into his role on the team, and recently has replaced the injured Andy Fantuz at the slotback position. This past Saturday, Getzlaf was named the CFL's Canadian Player of the Week, helping the Riders to a come-from-behind 24-23 victory over the host Calgary Stampeders with this 65 yard touchdown:

It is pretty clear that with a properous NHL career ahead of Ryan, and the talent that older brother Chris has shown Rider nation, the Getzlafs aren't going anywhere.

SASK players on the move after Free Agent Day

2009-07-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

As many were aware, July 1st was the "Free Agent Frenzy Day" around the NHL, and since then, there have been a number of players from our good ol' province on the move to a new club for the 2009/2010 season. Let's get to it, shall we?

1. RW - JEREMY WILLIAMS

Well, it has finally happened, and all it took was 11 short months! The PP's petition to get Jeremy Williams out of Toronto has worked! On July 6th, Jeremy was signed by the Detroit Red Wings, ending his "back and fourth" career between the Maple Leafs and their minor club affiliate. With young, skilled, and quick players like Jeremy Williams and Darren Helm on the rise in Detroit, they look to remain competitive each year. Now, they just have a little more Saskatchewan flavour on the team. Great signing!

2. LW - TRAVIS MOEN

Only 2 short years after Travis Moen helped the Anaheim ducks to their first Stanley Cup, Travis Moen was shipped to San Jose at the trade deadline, and although the Sharks finished with the President's Trophy, Moen's season ended with a disappointing first round exit. Since then, however, Moen has returned north of the border, signing a contract with the Montréal Canadiens. He brings a certain level of Saskatchewan grit to a team who had little of it last season.

3. C - RILEY ARMSTRONG

On July 2nd, the Calgary Flames signed Lloydminster native Riley Armstrong. Last season, Armstrong spent the majority of the year with San Jose's minor league affiliate. Riley will most likely be starting the season with the Flames AHL squad. An interesting side note - Riley is the younger brother of Colby Armstrong, who also signed a contract extension with the Atlanta Thrashers on July 16. Even more interesting, was on the same day, the Flames also signed veteran, and Regina native Garth Murray, which continues a trend that we are seeing in Calgary, constantly being a team that showcases Saskatchewan talent.

June is also a time for the NHL Entry draft, and as no huge surprise, the New York Islanders drafted London Knights' centre John Tavares first overall, followed by Defenseman Victor Hedman, Centre Matt Duchene, and Centre Evander Kane.

For the 2nd consecutive year, a member of the Schenn family, native of Saskatoon, SK. has been drafted 5th overall in the NHL draft. Last year, of course, PP favourite Luke Schenn was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs. This year, The Los Angeles Kings added Luke's younger brother, Centre Brayden Schenn.

Also going in the top 10 was Spokane Chiefs defenseman Jared Cowen, who was drafted by the Ottawa Senators....Wait, didn't we predict that months ago??? Cowen, a native of Allan, SK. will be an excellent addition to a Senators club that needs to get back on track.

And if you thought 2 SK born players in the first round last year was great (Jordan Eberle and Luke Schenn), this year, 3 SK born players were drafted in the first round. The Tampa Bay Lightning added Forward Carter Ashton to join young SK up and coming star goaltender Dustin Tokarski.

Last but not least, the PrairiePuck would like to extend its congratulations to Regina native, and Pittsburgh forward Chris Kunitz, who was the only Saskatchewan-born player in the Stanley Cup finals, and has won his second title in only 3 years.

FANTASY HOCKEY PICKS: PLAYOFF EDITION

2009-03-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

If you can remember back in September, the PrairiePuck gave you all a hand in your Fantasy Hockey Drafts, and if you followed our advice, we may have single handedly allowed you to win your draft with our picks, particularly in the "Sleeper" category with guys like Parise, Camalerri, or Kessel. The Postseason is less than 1 month away (Set to begin on April 15), and with the Playoffs comes a brand new collection of players to pick for your playoff drafts.

So get together with your friends, co-workers, or people you just enjoy beating in any kind of competition, print off this advice, and enjoy the money coming your way in June when you have won your Playoff Pool, solely from our advice. Here we go....

GOALTENDERS

Martin Brodeur - Let's face it, Brodeur is the king. The mistake that most people make during playoff pools is that they pick their favourite players, on their favourite teams, or even players that have lead the league during the regular season. What you need to consider is which player is best to pick, that will be around to provide you with points for more than an early round exit. Brodeur is an excellent pick in this category, as not only is he an unbelievable keeper, he has tons of playoff experience, and the New Jersey Devils should be considered contenders this season.

Evgeni Nabokov - Nabokov tops our selection in the West, seeing that he plays on the consistent (although somewhat shaky lately) Sharks, who will be major contenders this season. Nabokov played his absolute best hockey last season during the playoffs, particularly against Division rival Dallas Stars, and he'll do the same this year.

WILD CARD PICKS - Martin Biron, Marc-Andre Fleury, Miikka Kiprusoff, Ty Conklin

DEFENSEMEN

Dan Boyle - The San Jose Sharks will undoubtedly contend for the Cup, so who better a selection than an offensive defenseman like Dan boyle of the Sharks.

Niklas Lidstrom - You may see a trend developing here. Who is going to meet in the Western Conference Final? Nik Lidstrom, or even his defensive counterpart Brian Rafalski are good picks in this situation, both with Playoff experience, championship rings, and oh right...they're #1 and #2 in defensemen scoring in the league.

Sergei Gonchar - It seems like the Penguins have just clicked ever since Gonchar got comfortably back in the lineup after missing a hefty portion of the season to injury. Crosby + Malkin + Guerin + Kunitz + Gonchar = SCARY GOD DAMN POWERPLAY. Any point that Crosby gets in the playoffs, expect Gonchar to be in the supporting cast.

Zdeno Chara - Chara, since joining Boston a couple years back, has been a key factor in restoring a winning tradition in the state of Massachusetts, and they COULD go far in the playoffs. We stress COULD because we believe that the Bruins' record should not fool you. The Bruins will not make it passed the 2nd round, and may not even make it passed the first round if they play a fired up Canadiens team, who you know are hoping for that matchup.

WILDCARDS - Mike Green, Kimmo Timonen, Brian Campbell, Dion Phaneuf

FORWARDS

Sidney Crosby - The heart and soul of the Penguins franchise will lead them into the playoffs, peaking at the right time, and hell, they could make noise in competing for a second straight Stanley cup this season.

Patrick Marleau - Hopefull, Marleau hasn't switched roles this season. He has constantly been criticized for not producing up to expectations during the season, but he has ALWAYS produced well in the playoffs. This season, we believe that this SK product will lead his team to a Stanley Cup Championship.

PICK ONE: Jarome Iginla - Olli Jokinen - Mike Cammalerri - Calgary may be a little shaky right now, but have made themselves serious contenders for a championship with the addition of Olli Jokinen, who by the way has been tearing it up since his arrival to Calgary from the trade dealine acquisition

Henrik Zetterberg - You won't find too many players that wear their hearts on their sleeves like this reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner from last playoffs. The best 2-way player in the playoffs this year by far.

TEAMS TO FOLLOW

The trick to these picks, like we mentioned, is to pick good players that will produce, but will produce in multiple rounds. Which teams will make it far?

SAN JOSE SHARKS
DETROIT RED WINGS
WILD CARDS - CALGARY FLAMES, CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
NEW JERSEY DEVILS
WILD CARDS - PHILADELPHIA FLYERS, NEW YORK RANGERS, WASHINGTON
CAPITALS, BOSTON BRUINS

(Pretty safe to say that the East is in question)

PP

DOWN THE STRETCH

2009-03-14T00:42:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs seem to be right around the corner, and that means a couple significant things if you are as big of a playoff fanatic as the PrairiePuck. The first is of course the matchups for the opening round. The way the standings are shaping up right now, chances are we will not see any surprises in the top 3 Division Leader seeds in each conference, but in comparision to last season, seeds 4-8 may surprise you. Our predictions for round one are, starting in the Eastern Conference:

BOSTON BRUINS (1) vs BUFFALO SABRES (8)

The logic behind this one is simple. The Bruins are obviously a sizeable force this season in the Eastern Conference, so they will lock up the #1 seed hands down. The #8 seed, however will go to the Buffalo Sabres, who will just barely edge out the Carolina Hurricanes, who will miss the playoffs for the 3rd straight year (and 2nd straight year by only a hair) The difference this year, is that Washington will win the division with a generous lead, making another PP prediction from the beginning of the year true...that The Capitals will be the only SoutEast team to make the playoffs for the 2nd straight year. The Florida Panthers should be commended for their efforts this season, but in the end, Buffalo's speedy and skilled forwards like Derek Roy, Jason Pominville, Drew Stafford, and Thomas Vanek will be too much to handle. This will be one of the most entertaining, and quickest opening series to watch.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS (2) vs MONTREAL CANADIENS (7)

-Marty Brodeur is the god damn king, and we all know it. Currently, he is 2 wins away from the all-time wins record, and 4 shutouts away from the all-time shutout record, so the guy knows his shit. Best of all about this team, is that they played some of their best hockey this season without Marty in the lineup. They have speed, they have skill, and most importantly they have depth, particularly in net with Scott Clemmensen. The Canadiens will continue their slide for the next month, finishing just a couple points ahead of Buffalo for the #7 seed. Sadly, with all of the negative press, distractions, and the recent firing of Guy Carbonneau, we don't see the Habs making it passed the 1st round, laying any hopes of a fairy tale season to rest. The Habs organization should take a step back and look at the last coach they fired when the team "struggled"...I think Mr. Julien is doing quite well for himself now. The Habs are becoming the new Leafs.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS (3) vs PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (6)

This one may just be the most watched series of the entire first round. Showcasing some of the best young talent in the league with Mike Green, Evgeni Malkin, Alexander Semin, and of course the heated rivalry between Sid the Kid and Ovie, This matchup seems to be more and more inevitable every day.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (4) vs NEW YORK RANGERS (5)

Heated Atlantic Division rivals will be the showcase for the final matchup in the opening round, between the 4th seed Flyers and the 5th seed Blueshirts. If the Flyers had to be summed up in one word, they are simply "tough" in all aspects of the game. The Rangers however, are a different story, and have lost the touch they broke out of the season with, and truth be told, we here believe that the Rangers have the ability to go far into the playoffs. The catalyst that will propel this Rangers team is none other than Sean Avery.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

DETROIT RED WINGS (1) vs EDMONTON OILERS (8)

Yes sir, the first round to come out of the Western Conference will be a familiar one to many Oilers and Red Wings fans from back in 2006. The Red Wings will slightly (only slightly) edge out the Sharks for the #1 seed this year, drawing the Edmonton Oilers, a team which really can never seem to lift themselves from hovering around that 8th seed. Although the result of the series in 2006 was a surprise, chances are we won't be seeing an upset in this first round. Not that the PrairiePuck is abandoning its predicition that Saskatchewan-born Patrick Marleau will hoist the Stanley Cup this season, but the Red Wings will likely win round one vs the Oil.

SAN JOSE SHARKS (2) vs DALLAS STARS (7)

You guessed it. Members of both the Sharks and the Stars from last season won't soon forget their unbelievable Western Semi-final series, highlighted by an amazing quadruple OT winner by SK-born hero Brendan Morrow. This season, we will be looking at the same match-up a little earlier, showcasing the same stellar "big game" goaltending in Marty Turco and Evgeni Nabokov. Expect some multiple OTs in this series as well.

CALGARY FLAMES (3) vs VANCOUVER CANUCKS (6)

Adding to an already impressive number of unbelievable matchups, this barn-burner between Northwest Division foes the Flames and the Canucks will be nothing short of spectacular. Expect the series to go to no less than 6 games

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (4) vs COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (5)

This series will happen, and it will be one of the quickest series you've ever seen. Not in the length of games, but the speed on the ice. This will showcase some of the best young talent in scoring, defense, and goaltending, particularly in rookie sensation Columbus netminder Steve Mason. This division-rival series, which makes 3 Western Division-rival opening matchups will be a classic.

So there you have it, the predicitons for the opening rounds made by the PrairiePuck.

The second most important thing to keep in mind during the playoff season are Playoff Beards. Although different to many sports, the playoff beard is not just a tradition for the players, it is for the fans as well. Here are the rules that you must follow in growing and maintaining your playoff beards.

1. The very second that your favourite team locks up a birth into the playoffs, this is the same point that you will begin to grow your playoff beard. Many people believe that it is when the playoffs physically begin, but this is bullshit. So by my calculations, Eric has about 2-3 games to go before the Wings can lock up a spot, and the Flames have about 6-7 games. It will be a long and gross playoff season.

2. The second rule about playoff beards is that you must shave immediately after your team has been eliminated from the playoffs.

3. The third and final rule, is that there is only one condition that allows your to alter your playoff bear situation. If your team is struggling in the playoffs, a quick trim, or a few changes here or there to the beard are acceptable to relieve your team from their funk, otherwise, the beard must be left untouched. Cleaned properly, but untouched by any form of shaving utensil.

Happy playoffs,

SASKATOON, SK. - A Hockey Tradition

2009-03-08T20:24:00.000-07:00

Although Regina holds the history in Saskatchewan of being the oldest Major Junior Hockey franchise in the world (The Regina Pats founded in 1917), the city just a few hours North of the Queen City is often overlooked in the hockey community, and it really shouldn't be.

Benjamin and Toppings may be a tad bit biased to Regina, as they currently live in the Queen City and are huge supporters of the Regina Pats, particularly Canadian World Junior Gold Medalists Jordan Eberle and Colton Tuebert, but Saskatoon is still an important city to the PrairiePuck, and to the rest of Saskatchewan.

Recently, Saskatoon has been recognized on many levels in both Junior and Major hockey on both the Professional and International levels. Last year, PrairiePuck writers Toppings and Benji travelled up to Saskatoon in September, to take in the action of the Summit Series remake between Team Canada and Team Russia for the 2007 Canada/Russia Super Series. Canada won a thrilling game 4-1, which featured current NHL youngstars Sam Gagner, Kyle Turris, Saskatoon-native Luke Schenn, Drew Doughty, Brandon Sutter, Milan Lucic, and a stellar performance in net by Columbus BlueJackets netminder Steve Mason.

Perhaps the result of Saskatoon hosting just one of the 4 Super Series games in Canada gave Bob Nicholson and the rest of Hockey Canada an idea of the loyal, hockey-crazed, and completely insane hockey fans of Saskatchewan, and maybe this game foreshadowed what would come in a few short years:

On December 26, 2009, Saskatoon and Regina will host the 2010 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships, in which Canada will attempt to break the all-time consecutive Gold Medal winning streak with their 6th in a row. Not only are they in prime shape to do so, we may just see a hometown Regina boy Jordan Eberle wear the Captain's "C", and another hometown Saskatoon boy Brayden Schenn suit up for his country. If you have the opportunity to get your hands on any tickets, don't think about buying them. JUST BUY THEM! The experience alone of being in that type of atmosphere would be unreal, and if the Superseries game was any indication of how crazy the atmosphere can get, take it from us, it will be a hell of a time, and a great opportunity to show your Canadian colours and support the team.

On the professional level, we can not talk about Saskatoon without mentioning the name William Dickenson Hunter. Hunter was born in 1920 in Saskatoon, and spent the duration of his education at Notre Dame College in Wilcox, SK. He was one of the greatest sports promoters in Canadian history, and among a small group of Team owners, he had a huge part in forming the Western Hockey League, which now develops some of the best NHL prospects each year. Hunter attempted to purchase an NHL franchise twice in his career, the first being the Pittsburgh Penuins, which failed. After the bid's failure, Hunter teamed with two American hockey promoters to form the WHA (World Hockey Association)

One particular teamin the WHA, owned by Hunter, was the Alberta Oilers, who would eventually merge into the NHL and are known to most of us as the Edmonton Oilers. Yes the same "City of Champions" Edmonton Oilers that brought so many fantastic seasons, huge superstars, and so many championships in the 80s, and who are currently celebrating their 30th anniversary.

The second and final bid for an NHL franchise could have seen the green and gold fields of Saskatchewan rubbing elbows with elite Original 6 teams like the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, and The New York Rangers. I know what you're thinking.. "Why"??.....You wanna know why? Cause Fuck the Leafs....That's why. The bid, by Hunter and a group of promoters was to move the struggling St. Louis Blues franchise from Missouri to Hunter's old stomping grounds of Saskatoon. It was almost a done deal too, except the League did not see it to be a good idea to move the franchise to a smaller hockey market like Saskatoon. Needless to say, the bid failed, and this was the closest that Saskatchewan has come to an NHL team. Do we need one though? Not exactly at the moment. We are still content with harbouring some of the greatest players in the world in our province.

The city of Saskatoon is not completely out of the woods in the professional hockey sense. Prior to the next NHL Season, Saskatoon will play host to the New York Islanders' annual training camp, and 2 Exhibition games between the Calgary Flames and Islanders, and the Edmonton Oilers and Islanders. Unfortunately, for you Islanders, Flames, or Oilers fanatics, these two games are in fact sold out. Although the Islanders are absolutely brutal this season, the city of Saskatoon will get the opportunity to see some of the future superstars of the game in training camp, including Kyle Okposo, and possibly even the great Jon Tavares. Don't miss the chance to see some good players on a brutal team in action prior to next season.

It is pretty clear to see that Saskatoon, and the rest of Saskatchewan for that matter has the ability to host, and potentially could have been home to, and in the future will be home to some of the greatest games ever played.

PP

Sask Flavour at the Trade Deadline

2009-03-05T17:55:00.000-08:00

If you want a "winners and losers" segment then go check out TSN. They're great for that. We know if you are reading this, you've likely seen that already, and have your mind made up about what you think. We all know Jokinen (who I think is the most underrated player in the league) is going to kick ass in Calgary, and although they lose Lombardi it was definitely an upgrade that will help them battle Detroit and Patrick Marleau's SJ Sharks. What you may not know, because there is no SportsNet Saskatchewan, is that three solid hometown boys got moved around as well.

We at the Prairie Puck, would like to apologize for not looking further past the shadow of Ryan Getzlaf. The big forward has become a huge star in the NHL, and as a previous Wendel Clark Award winner, he has received the glory. The two other SK born Duck players, Travis Moen and Chris Kunitz, have gone relatively unmentioned. Sometimes it takes a change to get attention, and both players have been traded. Now, apologetically, we give them the attention they deserve. Here they are, the Saskatchewan flavour on the move at the trade deadline.

Chris Kunitz

He was born in Regina, SK, and this week was traded from the Anaheim Ducks (where he played with Moen and Getzlaf) to the Pittsburg Penguins (where he'll get to play with Crosby and that awkward looking fellow).

Kunitz took an althernate route to the NHL, playing for the Melville Millionaire's of the SJHL before moving to the NCAA ranks. He had 60 points in his only Stanley Cup winning season. We know Chris will flourish on a young, underachieving-this-year team with a bright future.

Olaf Kolzig

Few people know this, but Olaf Kolzig grew up right here in Saskatchewan, around Regina as far as I know. He was born in Germany, and that is why he's played for the German National Team instead of Canada's. Kolzig is long past his years, but the years he's past were great. He somehow brought the lowly Washington Capitals all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. Unfortunately they met the mighty Detroit Red Wings, who never gave them a chance. Still, Kolzig's performance in those playoffs was as great as John Vanbeesbruck's when he took Florida up against Colorado in the finals. Kolzig won the Vezina trophy in 2000 as the league's best goaltender as well.

He has been injured for much of the season (right now out with a shoulder injury), and so he was merely trade bait sent to Toronto from Tampa Bay. Unfortunately, I must say I don't really care about this trade, because Toronto gets basically nothing but a 4th round draft pick out of the deal. With their terrible scouting, and Brian Burke's poor performance in the draft, let's just be happy the Olaf Kolzig is taking some of their money. We're happy for ya Olli. Keep it up.

Travis Moen

This strapping 26 year old hails from Swift Current. He played his junior hockey in the city "where life makes sense" and was drafted by the Calgary Flames in 2000. He played with the Anaheim Ducks, helping them win the Stanley Cup. He brought the Cup home to Saskatchewan, which you'll see in the upcoming story. You might be interested to hear that I saw Travis Moen playing shinny in EASTEND FREAKING SASKATCHEWAN over the summer. He's obviously awesome because of this alone. This year, in a close-to-the-deadline move, he was traded to the 2nd place San Jose Sharks. With Anaheim battling for a playoff spot, we hope that Travis will love his new home in SJ.

An interesting tale about Travis Moen. When it was his turn to have the Stanley Cup, he did what any great guy would do. He brought it home, to Swift Current Saskatchewan. After a night of partying with Lord Stanley at a bar and at home, Moen woke up early. He grabbed some dish soap, went into his back yard, turned on the hose, and started scrubbing. Eventually the man in the white gloves (the Stanley Cup holder guy) came out and said, "what do you think you're doing?" Travis admitted he was cleaning it, and the Cup Keeper said,

"There are only two other players I've ever seen who cleaned it after a night with it: Scott Stevens and Steve Yzerman."

That's right folks, two of the greatest captains the NHL has seen, and there's Travis Moen in select company.

So, as uneventful as the Trade Deadline may have been, we're happy for these three players. They have all moved on to situations at least as good as the ones they were in before. We'll keep an eye on them, to see if the trades can spark that something that often turns good players into great ones, at least for a season or two. Stay tuned, where you'll get view a hilarious discussion between Toppings and me about the many ways Toronto screwed up leading to the deadline. You stay classy Saskatchewan.

P.O.M Awards for January/February

2009-03-01T20:14:00.000-08:00

Due to our tardiness, we need to apologize that there was not any selections for Players of the Month for January, so as promised, the January and February months will be comined for this edition. And the winners of the Players of the Month for both January and February are....

TOP FORWARD

Zach Parise - New Jersey Devils / Alex Ovechkin - Washington Capitals

-For the first time in the short history of the PrairiePuck's Players of the Month awards, we have a tie for the Top Forward Award. Zach Parise has become the young gun and new face of the Devils' franchise, and is leading his team in strong fashion into a playoff run, with the newly returning Marty Brodeur playing strong as ever. In January and February, Parise notched 17 goals and 16 assists for 33 points, making him the top all-around player for these two months. Currently sitting at 4th in the league in points with 77 and 2nd in goals with 38, there's no telling how far the Devils could make it this season.

It seems to be a different verse of the same song to mention Alex Ovechkin in a performance award category, and his numbers have proved it throughout the season. His latest accomplishments have been the 21 goals and 12 assists that he has tallied in the last 2 months, propelling him to 2nd in the league with 82 points, and 1st in the league with 46 goals.

A notable runner up for this extremely competitive category is Calgary's Michael Cammalerri, who consistently notched 19 goals and 10 assists for 29 points in January and February.

TOP DEFENSEMAN

Mike Green - Washington Capitals

-The top defenseman category for January and February looks a little more like an offensive category than defensive. Mike Green, a native of Calgary, Alberta has made a serious campaign for himself for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic team, by not only setting a new record for most consecutive games scoring a goal by a defenseman (8 games), but he tallied 15 goals and 18 assists for 33 points in the last 2 months, matching his offensive phenom teammate Alex Ovechkin. Could the Capitals be serious contenders this season with the depth they have in offensive talent?

TOP GOALTENDER

Miikka Kiprusoff - Calgary Flames

-Although last night maybe wasn't the greatest indication of how the past 2 months have gone for Kipper, he has been the solid backbone of the Flames franchise so far in 2009, posting a
15-5-2 record over the two months, and looks to be in prime form to reach Martin Brodeur's single season win record of 48 (He currently sits at 37, with a whole lot more hockey left to play in the season)

TOP ROOKIE

Bobby Ryan - Anaheim Ducks

-If there is one player in the league that we feel sorry for, it has to be Bobby Ryan. The kid is an excellent player, but how would you feel if you were drafted 2nd overall directly after Sidney Crosby? It would be excellent company to be associated with, but the expectation is huge. Fortunately, Bobby Ryan has come into his own this season, and has made a name for himself so far in 2009 with 15 goals and 7 assists for 23 points.

WENDEL CLARK ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR SK BORN PLAYER

Patrick Marleau - San Jose Sharks

-What a season the Aneroid, SK. native is having. notching 16 goals and 9 assists so far in January allows Marleau to nab his 2nd Wendel Clark Award this season, 1 ahead of Ryan Getzlaf and Scotty Hartnell with one a piece. Marleau is on pace for a career season, and is currently sitting at 5th in the league in goals with 35, and 13th in the league in points with 63. He is clicking at the right time and is leading his team strong into the playoffs, where HE WILL HOIST THE STANLEY CUP!!

AND THE MVP FOR JANUARY/FEBRUARY AS CHOSEN BY THE PRAIRIE PUCK IS:

D MIKE GREEN - WASHINGTON CAPITALS

It goes without saying that the Capitals are a force to be reckoned with this season, and hockey is back in DC. They seem to be piling up the PrairiePuck awards, with MVP honours already going to Alexander Semin in October and Alex Ovechkin in November. Defenseman Mike Green of Washington now joins the list, and Washington looks in good shape to rival San Jose for the most PrairiePuck POM awards this season.

Brought to you by:

PP

If The PrairiePuck was the Leafs' GM for a day....

2009-02-23T19:34:00.000-08:00

Oh, what hilarity would ensue if we were Co-General Managers of the Leafs for just a day. Not only would we mix things up, we would create a team that would be entertaining to watch, and would have a much better shot at the playoffs than the wash-ups they are working with now. If we could choose the day that this power would become bestowed upon us, we would go with the upcoming NHL Trade Deadline on March 4, 2009.

First order of business:

1. TRADE

Goaltender: Vesa Toskala

traded to SPORTCHEK

Terms of deal: The Leafs receive a bucket full of the 158 pucks Toskala has let in

this season

In return, Toskala must compensate Sportcheck for their loss in

puck sales, as well as work evenings and weekends at the location of

his choice.

2. RELOCATION

As our 2nd order of business, the Toronto Maple Leafs, one of the most storied franchises in sports history, has been relocated to Elbow, Saskatchewan.

Why, you ask?

Simple - 1. Because nobody knows where Elbow, Saskatchewan is, and

2. Because it would be cool as shit

3. TRADE

Goaltender: Curtis Joseph

Traded to: Florida

For Defenseman: Bryan McCabe

Confused by our tactics?............................

4. RELEASED

Defenseman: Bryan McCabe

5. TRADE

Forward : NIK ANTROPOV

Forward: ALEXEI PONIKAROVSKY

2nd Rnd Draft Pick

to Minnesota for:

Goaltender: NIKLAS BACKSTROM

6. JEREMY WILLIAMS NAMED CAPTAIN OF THE ELBOW CANOLA FIELDS (Formerly the Toronto Maple Leafs)

7. LUKE SCHENN NAMED ASSISTANT CAPTAIN

In all seriousness, the Trade Deadline is approaching fast, and the Maple Leafs seem to be big-time buyers in the next week, with just under $10 million in salary-cap room for Brian Burke to maneuvre. Their best move is to go after goaltender Niklas Backstrom from Minnesota. The problem with any trade that Toronto proposes is that it is like offering Monopoly money in a restaurant for food. Nobody is dumb enough to accept the offer. This deal could benefit a good SK kid though, as it may see back-up Minnesota netminder, and Regina native Josh Harding take the reigns for the Wild.

So in our little excercise about becoming the Leafs GM for a day, I'm pretty sure we just committed blasphemy in the eyes of all Leafs' fans, but we don't really give a shit.

PRAIRIEPUCK'S PREDICTIONS ALL THE WAY TO JUNE

2009-02-22T08:11:00.000-08:00

Hello to all, and as Benji said, we apologize for our tardiness in updates. As our treat to you, we have provided a series of predictions as to what will happen, both expected and surprises right until the month of June. Kicking it off:

1. JAY BOUWMEESTER WILL BE TRADED, BUT WILL NOT BE PLAYING IN MONTREAL.

-For many years, there has been talk of Florida defenseman Jay Bouwmeester being traded, and this WILL be the year. As the trade deadline approaches, Bouwmeester seems to be packing his bags each day. There was speculation that Bouwmeester may be heading to Montreal, but mark our words: HE WILL NOT BECOME A HAB. The addition of Mathieu Schneider has sidelined many discussions, and a team that desperately needs his services is the New York Rangers. They have some cap room to fit him in, and if the Blueshirts want to make a serious run at the cup, Bouwmeester is a good place to start. Watch for a trade to New York in the next week or so.

2. THE MONTREAL CANADIENS WILL NOT MAKE IT ANY FURTHER INTO THE PLAYOFFS THAN LAST YEAR

-In a year when the expectations couldn't be higher, the Habs will not win the cup in their 100th season. Speculation of Lecavalier coming to Montreal, the recent benching of Alex Kovalev, the recent scandal involving the Kostistyn bro's love for drugs and hookers....the list goes on of negative press that the team has received, and it is crippling the club's ability to buckle down and focus on the task at hand. A 1st or 2nd round exit in the playoffs is going to crush the Habs' fans dreams, forcing them to riot in the streets once again.

3. MIIKKA KIPRUSOFF WILL BREAK MARTIN BRODEUR'S SINGLE SEASON WIN RECORD

-The Flames are playing extremely well as of late, finding ways to win, even if they are down on the scoreboard with 2 minutes to go. A big reason for this, is the play of Miikka Kiprusoff, who has earned every single win for the Flames, (35), which is leading the league in goaltender statistics. With 23 games to go, the Flames will click at the best possible time en route to the playoffs, and will win 13/20 games. It is probable that Curtis McEhlinney will get a few games in this span. A scenario that could prevent the record from being broken is if the Flames plan to add a secondary keeper to help out Kipprusoff by the trade deadline, which is very possible.

4. A SK-BORN CAPTAIN WILL HOIST THE STANLEY CUP THIS SEASON

-Really, there are only 2 SK-born captains in the league. One his currently hurt, (and possibly able to play in the playoffs if his team makes it), and the other is the captain of the league's best team. Of course I am talking about Brendan Morrow and Patrick Marleau. Make no mistake about it: We said at the beginning of the season that San Jose will win the Stanley Cup. Not the Red Wings, not the Bruins....the SHARKS, and Patrick Marleau will hoist the Stanley Cup in June.

5. THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS WILL NOT MAKE THE PLAYOFFS (NO SURPRISE)

-It's not going to surprise anyone when the Leafs don't make the playoffs yet again. Something significant will happen for the Leafs in June, as their 1st round selection in the NHL Entry Draft in Montreal will be Brandon Wheat Kings' forward, Brayden Schenn, brother of Leafs defenseman Luke Schenn. As of right now, draft rankings has pinned Schenn at 5th overall, and the Leafs currently sit 5th last in the league. It would be smart for the Leafs to throw every single game from here on in order to have a better chance at the Jon Tavares sweepstakes, but Brian Burke WILL draft Brayden Schenn at either 4th or 5th overall.

Another surprise draft choice would be the selection of

Defenseman Jared

Cowen (of Allan SK.) to the Ottwa Senators. Just you watch.

Saskafocus: Brayden Coburn

2009-02-18T19:28:00.000-08:00

We at the Prairie Puck would like to apologize for the lack of posts lately. We tried to tell our professors and bosses that it's important to write about Saskatchewan hockey players, that our readers survive by our words of wisdom and wit. They refused to cut us a break, and were rather unapologetic about it. We couldn't be more sorry about this. If you have visited out site enough to notice we haven't been posting much lately, then know that we love you. We friggin LOVE you. Now back to the show.

Today's Saskafocus is Brayden Coburn, aspiring defenceman of the Philadelphia Flyers. I checked on Wikipedia to be sure, and that site said he was born in Calgary. Perhaps that is the truth, but I happen to know he grew up in Shaunavon, SK (I remember playing against him in novice hockey. He played 58 minutes per game and would dominate us every one of them).

He played his junior hockey with the Portland Winter Hawks of the WHL, winning the Rookie of the Year award in his first season. After an excellent junior career, with two first-team all-star seasons and two trips to the World Junior tournament, he was drafted 8th overall by the Atlanta Thrashers. After working back and forth between the Thrashers and the AHL Wolves, Brayden was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers, where he has developed into a solid two-way defenceman.

Although we left him off our list of choices for the Olympics in 2010, we would be completely happy if he proved us wrong. The way he is developing, he has an excellent chance to represent Canada in years after. We wish Brayden all the best, and we'll be keeping an eye out for the pride of Shaunavon, Saskatchewan.

THE COUNTDOWN IS ON....

2009-02-02T21:01:00.000-08:00

Because January was a shortened month in the NHL due to the week-long All-Star break, we will hold the Players of the month for both January and February combined at the end of this month, making them even more prestiguous. Front runners right now include Ovechkin to notch his 2nd monthly MVP award, forward candidates Michael Camalerri, Jamie Langenbrunner, Defensemen Jay Bouwmeester and Scott Neidermeyer, and goaltenders Timmy Thomas and Ryan Miller. But for now, with the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games only a year away, Mr. GM Steve Yzerman has his work cut out for him, and the crop of talent to choose Team Canada has never been more promising.

Needless to say, a roster of 19, with 3 goaltenders and only 3 reserves does not leave much room for error when these players try to impress GM Yzerman.

2010's Team Canada must learn from their mistakes in Torino in 2006. Instead of experience, Canada needs to be a younger team. Instead of being a defensive-minded squad, Canada needs to be agressive and be Offensive minded. Sweden and Russia promise to be insanely fast, skilled, and tough teams to beat, so the key to victory over these countries is 2-way players that where their hearts on their sleeves and are tough enough to shut their opponents down. The forwards, as chosen by the PrairiePuck will most likely be chosen to the team. Mike Camalerri is a bit of a wild-card, but one thing Yzerman should be looking at is how well certain players play together in the league, and Mike Camalerri could be a good pick as the 13th forward to try with different lines. You may also notice that there is no Jason Spezza or Eric Staal. Make no mistake about it, there is so much talent to choose from that some players WILL be snubbed.

The defensive core will probably see a major overhaul in 2010, with a huge dose of offensively-minded younger defenseman, most notably Brian Campbell, Dan Boyle, and Shea Weber. It wouldn't be a total surprise to see SK born Wade Redden brought in as veteran experience though. If Scott Neidermeyer is selected (If he is still playing), either he, Iginla, or Doan would make excellent candidates for the captaincy of team Canada. (Crosby is still 21 years old...his time will come).

The goaltender battle will be an interesting one. It will most likely be the first international tournament in a long time which Marty Brodeur is the backup, to the most-likely starter Roberto Luongo. It is really Luongo's spot to lose at this point. Providing Brodeur agrees to play, which we believe he will step down and give someone else the opportunity, front-runners out of the gates that come to mind are Marty Turco, SK born Cam Ward, Marc-Andre Fleury, and possibly even Columbus youngster Steve Mason. Each one of these goalies has big-game International experience, but if the roster had to be set today, we would probably see a goaltending crew of Luongo - Turco - Price.

There is always the opportunity for 3 players to be named reserves, and just like in 2006, they need to be ready to fill in at any opportunity. Jeff Carter and Mike Richards of the Philadelphia Flyers have been on the Team Canada radar for a few years now, ever since their participation on the Gold medal winning World Junior team in 2005. Jonathan Toews is also a player with big-game International experience, and this kid is wise beyond his years. Generally, we will probably see 2 forwards and a defenseman. and at this point, we will probably see Toews, Richards, and Mike Green as the reserves, but don't count out Mike Richards.

And we know some of the forwards ore not listed in their usual positions, but Yzerman may have to do some shuffling around. So the roster will be:

LEFT WING CENTER RIGHT WING

Dany Heatley Sidney Crosby Jarome Iginla

Rick Nash Joe Thornton Shane Doan

Simon Gagne Vincent Lecavalier Martin St. Louis

Mike Camalerri Ryan Getzlaf Jeff Carter

Marc Savard

DEFENSEMAN DEFENSEMAN

Scott Niedermeyer Sheldon Souray

Dan Boyle Brian Campbell

Dion Phaneuf Jay Bouwmeester

Shea Weber

GOALTENDERS

1. ROBERTO LUONGO

2. MARTY TURCO

3. CAREY PRICE

RESERVES

Mike Richards

Jonathan Toews

Mike Green

Week Wrap-up: From All-Star Performances to a Scary Moment in Philly

2009-01-25T09:54:00.000-08:00

The NHL (and AHL) All-Star weekend officially kicked off yesterday with a bang, when the NHL stars showcased their talents in the annual SuperSkills competition on the eve of the All-Star Game, held in Montréal, Québec.

The first competition was for the Fastest Skater, featuring Eastern Conference representatives Jay Bouwmeester, Jeff Carter, and Zach Parise, and Western representatives Brian Campbell, and for the first time, YoungStars game representatives Mason Raymond and Andrew Cogliano. In the end, youth prevailed and Andrew Cogliano of the Oilers won the Fastest Skater competition with a time of 14.31 seconds in a full revolution of the ice. WEST: 1 EAST: 0

Second came the highly anticipated Breakaway Challenge, featuring some of the most creative players in the game to each showcase their insane moves for 1 minute a piece, in which the fans were able to text in the winner. Rounding out the competition was Alex Ovechkin, Martin St. Louis (replacing Sid Crosby), Steven Stamkos, Patrick Kane, and home-town hero Ryan Getzlaf. Although Getzlaf and St. Louis probably had the most creative moves up their sleeves, Ovechkin won the crowd over with his use of props. WEST: 1 EAST: 1

The third competition was the Youngstars game, featuring a (3) 6 minute period game that pinned the league's best Rookies against the Sophomores, in a tilt that saw the Rookies coming out on top, featuring Toronto blue-liner and Saskatoon native Luke Schenn.

Fourth came the shooting accuracy competition, something that Ray Bourqe perfected in his career. After many shooters, a tie resulted between Ottawa's Dany Heatley and Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin, who each knocked out 4 targets in 4 shots. The tie-break was a nailbiter, which Malkin's 3/4 slightly edged Heatley's 2/4. WEST: 1 EAST: 2

The next competition was also highly anticipated, mostly because of two particular shooters. Sheldon Souray of the Oilers, and Zdeno Chara of the Bruins. Recently, reports from the Oilers' skills competition surfaced that Souray had broken the 106 mph mark on a shot, but in the end, Chara shot for over 105 mph, breaking the previous All-Star record held by Al Iafrate.
WEST: 1 EAST: 3

The final competition of the night was an Old-school style "Elimination" Shootout, that featured all 36 players, shooting on goaltenders Tim Thomas, J.S. Giguere, Niklas Backstrom, and Henrik Lundqvist until their was one winner. Boston's Marc Savard put up a good fight until the end, but Phoenix's captain Shane Doan took the competition, giving the West one more point, but ultimately a loss to the East by a score of 3-2 in the skills competition. I guess we'll have to wait until the results of the big game today.

Overall, all-star weekend has featured some of the best talent that the league has to offer, and that includes the 3 Saskatchewan representatives, made up of YoungStar Luke Schenn, San Jose captain Patrick Marleau, and Anaheim's Ryan Getzlaf.

_________________________________________

A scary moment in the AHL the other night has resulted in more discussions about fighting in hockey. Regina, SK. native Garret Klotz, of the Philadelphia Flyers AHL affiliate Philadelphia Phantoms, engaged in a fight with Kevin Westgarth of the Manchester Monarchs. After a lengthy tilt, Klotz went down near the Monarchs' bench from 3 very strong shots to the head, and suffered both facial lacerations, and started convulsing. We would provide a clip for you to watch to get an idea, but I just saw this clip on SportsCentre, and trust me, it is quite graphic and a very sad image to watch.

Fortunately, Klotz has recently been released from a Pennsylvania hospital and is in good condition to make an expected full-recovery. Just another incident in hockey to raise question as to what place fighting has in our sport. Very unfortunate, but we are all glad that this tough Sask kid will be back on the ice in no time.

Enjoy the All-Star game,

PP

Saskatchewan Players Doing Well, Getting the Credit they Deserve

2009-01-03T10:33:00.000-08:00

Ryan Getzlaf and Luke Schenn both have articles on NHL.com that shower glowing praise upon them. Getzlaf, for cracking the starting line-up for the 2009 All-Star Game in Montreal, and Schenn as the "Young Star Spotlight" feature. Both players have been having strong seasons, and it's nice to see this kind of recognition for them. Check out the articles and keep rooting for our hometown boys.

And the winners are....

2009-01-01T11:41:00.000-08:00

A very eventful December has passed in the NHL, and what better way to end of 2008 than with a great month of hockey. The PrairiePuck's prestiguous monthly awards for the month of December are:

TOP FORWARD

Evgeni Malkin - Pittsburgh Penguins

After being snubbed by the panel for the past 2 months of awards, the Top Forward in the NHL for the month of December goes to Evgeni Malkin of the Penguins. Sitting atop the league in points with 59 points, Malkin has been a consistent star for Pittsburgh for the entire season to-date. Without a doubt he is already packing his bags for a trip to Montréal for the All-Star game later on this month. A 5 goal, 15 assist performance in 13 games gives Malkin the nod as the Top Forward of the past month. The Runner up for this award goes to Alexander Ovechkin, the winner in November, who posted 12 goals and 7 assists during the month.

TOP DEFENSEMAN

Dan Boyle - San Jose Sharks

The top defenseman award is always a tough one to hand out, as it is based on a wide collection of criteria. For the past month, we have not seen a clear-cut winner in the offense department similar to last month with Rob Blake's 13 point performance. The award for December will, however remain in the San Jose organization, and will be handed to Sharks' D-man Dan Boyle. Dan Boyle is among the lead-leaders in ice-time this season, and is currently the league's top-scoring defenseman with 11 goals and 19 assists for 30 points. December was a consistent month for Boyle, as he tallied 3 goals, and 6 assists for 9 points, and has helped out his team to remain atop the League standings with a 28-4-5 record closing in on the halfway point of the season.

TOP GOALTENDER

Scott Clemmensen - New Jersey Devils

It is odd to think that a New Jersey goaltender OTHER than Martin Brodeur would ever generate discussion about a performance award. But Brodeur is still sidelined with an elbow injury, and the once "left for dead" Devils have silenced any critics, with Scott Clemmensen taking the reigns in goal. In the month of December, Clemmensen posted an unbelievable 9-1-2 record with a .933 save percentage, and a 1.9 GAA, which has helped to propel his team up the standings in the Atlantic division, keeping pace with The Rangers, Penguins, and Flyers. Maybe Marty should take his swee time in his recovery, because the once thought "irreplaceable" goaltender is not exactly in high demand at the moment. Runner-up for the award: Miikka Kiprusoff of Calgary with an 8-2-2 record in December.

TOP ROOKIE

Steve Mason - Columbus Blue Jackets

Mason was actually the runner-up in the award for the Goaltender of December, but with a better team record, it had to go to Clemmensen. Even so, the numbers that Mason has put up even give him recognition for MVP of December. Mason, who has emerged as the starting goaltender for the Blue Jackets has posted a 7-5-0 record in December, posting an unheard of .947 save percentage and 1.42 GAA, and not to mention 3 straight shutouts to-date. Mason, as a rookie now is the league leader in Save percentage with .938, GAA with 1.69, and has tied Roberto Luongo for the league lead in shutouts with 5. And again, Mason is a ROOKIE. Already with a rookie of the month award in the franchise with Derrick Brassard (who went down with a season ending injury), the Blue Jackets show a lot of promise in their young players, and we could be seeing the Calder trophy handed to a goaltender this year.

WENDEL CLARK AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT FROM A SASK BORN PLAYER

Scott Hartnell - Philadelphia Flyers

December was a generous month for Scotty, notching 2 hat tricks in the span of 9 days to bring his career tally to 5, and providing some much needed support for the PrairiePuck's choice for MVP of December (You'll find out soon). In 14 games, Hartnell went above the favourites Patrick Marleau and Ryan Getzlaf with 8 goals and 7 assists for 15 points, to help his team with an impressive string of wins, keeping pace with the Atlantic division leading New York Rangers. It was a unanimous decision to grant Scott Hartnell the Wendel Clark award for the month of December.

AND DECEMBER'S MVP AS CHOSEN BY THE PRAIRIEPUCK:

Jeff Carter - Philadelphia Flyers

Jeff Carter is an odd player in the league, and we mean this in the best possible way. His scoring ability is definitely now known in the league, as he leads the league with 27 goals so far this season, and is on pace for 50. His modest, but effective speed makes his 11 goals and 10 assists the no-brainer decision for December's MVP, as chosen by the PrairiePuck.

That's all for now. Enjoy the rest of the World Junior tournament, with Canada in semi-final action on the weekend.

Jordan Eberle: SK Jr Player Number Uno (in a three part series)

2008-12-29T10:52:00.000-08:00

Our Father, who art in Ottawa, Hockey be thy name. Thy kingdom come, gold medals won, on Earth as we beat Czechs by seven. Give us this day a jersey in red, white and black while we make crisp passes. And forgive those who play against us, for it's likely we'll beat the hell outta them. Amen.

Now I know pre-game prayers are more of a football thing, but perhaps Pat Quinn sits the boys down for a bit of spiritual time before each game. Although hockey isn't known as an angel's game, take one look at the face of Jordan Eberle and try not to be reminded of a twelve year old choir boy at the annual Christmas service.

Jordan Eberle was born and raised in Regina, SK and plays his junior hockey with the Regina Pats of the WHL. He left his team as their leading scorer, with 42 points in 33 games, good enough for 14th in the league. Right now though, he is in Ottawa playing on Canada's top line, tied for fourth in the tournament with one goal and four assists in two games. I'm not a doctor, but that seems like a pretty good clip to be scoring at. What makes him special to us, however, is how cool it is to watch him dangle around opponents with his impressive stick handling, and taking apart defences with precise passing. Here's video of a nice sweet-pass-follow-puck-to-net-and-score sequence from the ridiculous game against Kazahkstan:

Eberle has looked great playing with Cody Hodgson and Zach Boychuck on the first line, as well as on the power play with Tavares. It's so cool to see a home-town kid doing so well, being so successful.

Check in later for bios on the two other SK born players on team Canada: goaltender Dustin Tokarski (Watson) and defenseman Keith Aulie (Rouleau). They start in one minute. Enjoy the game!

Tavares Leads Canada to 8-1 stomp over the Czechs

2008-12-27T00:13:00.000-08:00

Team Canada and the Czech Republic met for the opening tilt of the World Junior Championship for a boxing day prime time match. Already pegged to win their 5th consecutive gold medal under the coaching of Pat Quinn, the Canadian squad silenced any critics with an 8-1 victory over their opponents, with 2 goals from Jon Tavares, as well as goals from Tyler Ennis, Ryan Ellis, Zach Boychuk, Alex Pietrangelo, Chris Didomenico, and Angelo Esposito. The win extends Canada's streak over the Czech Republic, in which the Czechs have never beat Canada in the tournament, since they were known as Czecheslovakia.

Our SK boys did quite well in the victory, with Jordan Eberle leading the way with 2 assists, as he proved that he is extremely comfortable playing on the top line with Cody Hodgson and Zach Boychuck. Keith Aulie also saw considerable time with defensive partner Tyler Myers, both considered the "shut-down" defensemen of the Canadian squad, at 6"6 and 6"7 respectively.

Dustin Tokarski received the start in net, and although he was not tested often in the game, he looked good in the saves that he did make, and the 1 goal he did let in was a preventable goal that he may want back. It was an overall solid performance that allowed Canada to score the victory and manage a slight edge in Goals For differential over the United States who earned a fellow Group A victory this afternoon with an 8-2 win over Germany. Chet Pickard, who the PrairiePuck thought would be the starting goaltender for the tournament, will get the start against Kazahkstan on Sunday afternoon, but many are foreseeing the game to be an untested blowout, so we may see Watson, SK native Dustin Tokarski emerge as the #1 goaltender for the New Years Eve game vs the United States.

Overall a solid effort from the SK boys, as well as the rest of the squad at ScotiaBank Place in Ottawa, and we'll all be looking forward to the next game!

SK UPDATE: Good ol' SK kids making huge splash in the league

2008-12-23T11:49:00.000-08:00

Instead of a weekly update of the high and lowpoints of the league, we would like to give a shoutout to all hockey fans, particularly those from the hockey province of Saskatchewan, and wish everyone a Merry Christmas. As our Christmas gift to you, this update is entirely dedicated to Saskatchewan. It may not be much different than last week, but our SK boys are continuing to tear the league up. Without further adieu,

#18 JEREMY WILLIAMS - Toronto Maple Leafs

We would never claim that the PrairiePuck is in any way a Maple Leafs fan, but there is something in the air that can not be ignored, and the Leafs may have a shot to make a run into the post season this year. How is this so you may ask? It is because of Jeremy Williams. It is one thing to score your first NHL in your first NHL game a few years back, it is another to score it on your first shot. It's another thing to score your 2nd NHL goal on your 2nd shot (in your 2nd game), but anyone who may have thought Williams has just been on a hot streak may begin to believe what the PrairiePuck has been saying all along. This kid is the REAL DEAL. In all 4 of his career "call-up" games, Jeremy has scored in all 4 games, something no player has done since Sergei Fedorov. Since his most recent call-up on December 8th, the Leafs have gone 5-1 with his presence in the lineup, notching 5 goals and 2 assists, and to-date has a 25% career shooting percentage. Maybe the PrairiePuck's petition to get Jeremy Williams out of Toronto was a little hasty, because Williams may be the catalyst that could turn around the entire organization. The 7th round pick in 2003 was a steal of a pick, and Williams has already become an instant fan favourite, and potentially a future franchise player. He not only is an excellent addition to the scoresheet, he simply makes mediocre players such as Jason Blake better. Building a team around SK-born boys Jeremy Williams and Luke Schenn, along with the recent call-up of Goaltender Justin Pogge (not from SK, but still a player that the PrairiePuck recognized in September) is exactly what this organization needs. After all this Maple Leafs bashing in the last few months from a Saskatchewan-centred blog, who knew that the turnaround of the Toronto Maple Leafs could come from 2 Saskatchewan-born players.

To get to know Jeremy Williams better, take a look:

#19 SCOTT HARTNELL - Philadelphia Flyers

We talked about it last week: Scotty has really picked up his game in December, currently tallying 7 goals and 5 assists in an impressive string of wins for the Flyers. Not only did Hartnell notch his 4th career hat trick 2 weeks ago, he turned his 5th career trick this past Saturday night in a 7-1 thrashing of the Capitals. (Just a side note---the lone Washington goal was scored by SK product Brooks Laich). We could give Hartnell recognition due to his hockey hair alone, but he makes it pretty easy to give him props with his stellar play in the last month. Stay tuned for a potential monthly award, succeeding both Patrick Marleau and Ryan Getzlaf for achievement from a SK-born player.

Happy Holidays from the PrairiePuck, and we'll be back with some All-Star predictions soon!

HIGHS AND LOWS OF THE PAST WEEK

2008-12-15T06:35:00.000-08:00

It was a busy week in the NHL, with many stories and all-star efforts from a variety of players, but this week's thumbs up and thumbs down are highlighted by the announcement of the Final roster for the IIHF Canadian Junior team:

THUMBS UP - The Canadian Junior Team (SK Edition)

The Canadian Junior team for the upcoming U20 World Championship in Ottawa was named Monday, and out of the 4 possible players attempting to make the team, we have 3 SK boys who were named to the final roster. Defenseman Keith Aulie of Rouleau, SK, Jordan Eberle of Regina, and goaltender Dustin Tokarski of Watson, SK round out this year's roster. Keep in mind that both Chet Pickard and Dustin Tokarski were the keepers named to the roster, something that the PrairiePuck predicted 2 months ago.

Another player that made this year's roster worthy of a shoutout is forward Angelo Esposito, who has tried out for the Junior team for the 4th consecutive time, and has finally cracked the roster.

THUMBS UP - Jeremy Williams - Toronto Maple Leafs

Jeremy Williams, of the Toronto Maple Leafs is an extraordinary part of the Leafs' franchise, and many have never even heard of the guy. Jeremy is a native of Glenavon, SK., and has been playing back and fourth between the Maple Leafs and the AHL Toronto Marlies for the past 5 years, notching 63 AHL goals and 79 assists. His NHL stats, although small, are more impressive. In 22 career games, Williams has tallied 6 goals on just career shots. How is he not a regular on the Leafs' lineup? A fun fact...in every single game that Williams has been called up (4), he has scored a goal in each game. I sure hope that Brian Burke is able to recognize raw Saskatchewan talent when he sees it, and we all hope that Williams will finally break the Leafs' lineup for good.

THUMBS UP - Scott Hartnell - Philadelphia Flyers

We all heard about the infamous "Glove throw" that is still the cause of some heckling from Hartnell's teammates. Scotty did redeem himself, however, in a game vs the Carolina Hurricanes last week, which the Flyers came back from a 5-1 deficit to beat the Canes in a shootout 6-5. A big part of this amazing comeback for the Flyers, was the effort of Hartnell, who tallied his 4th career hat trick. Along with an assist to round out the past week's effort, the PrairiePuck is proud to give Scotty a thumbs up this week.

THUMBS UP - Saskatchewan's favourite scorers Patrick Marleau & Ryan Getzlaf

We've said it here before: If the NHL had a team made only of players from Saskatchewan, we would be well represented. Ryan Getzlaf has been a threat in this league for the past 2 years, and this year, he is taking the league by storm, sitting at 4th overall in points with 36. But even more impressive, Aneroid SK native Patrick Marleau is enjoying a resurgent season, sitting at #6 in the league in points with 34. Not only do we have 2 Saskatchewan born players in the top 10 in scoring, we have 2 players that are on teams that are in prime condition to make a serious Stanley Cup run. Could we be seeing either of these two players hoisting the Hart Trophy this year, or succeed Cam Ward as the next Saskatchewan-born Conn Smythe winner? It is very possible.

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS - The top players in the NHL that could be on many team's Christmas lists

2008-12-14T09:20:00.000-08:00

We have gone through 2 and a half months so far in the 2008/2009 season, and we have yet to see any big trades occur. Sure the Leafs moved Steen and Coliacavo to St. Louis for Lee Stempniak, and our good friend Wade Belak has found a new club in Nashville, but I am talking about those major "blockbuster" trades that keep everybody talking for weeks. A prime example would be when the Bruins shipped star forward Joe Thornton to San Jose. Many thought that this was a poor move by the Bruins, but coincidentally Boston and San Jose are both Conference leaders at this point in the schedule. There are many teams that are very deep in certain positions, and could afford to make some moves. Here are the top players most likely to fall into this category:

G Pascal Leclaire - COLUMBUS BLUEJACKETS

Last year Leclaire took the league by storm with his impressive string of shutout wins. He is a good keeper, but let's face it, what the BlueJackets have been doing for their entire existence in the NHL does not work, and each year they show no signs of making the playoffs. They seem to be stuck in neutral, and they need to be building their team around their young players, and in our opinion, rookie goaltender Steve Mason has proved that he can be a #1 guy. This could be considered a risky move, but the rewards could be huge. As a rookie, Mason has posted an 8-4-1 record with 2 shutouts, a 1.97 GAA (3rd in the league) and .922 save percentage. The emergence of a young star like this could make Leclaire's days in Columbus numbered.

TEAMS THAT COULD USE HIS SERVICE:
-Los Angeles Kings
-Colorado Avalanche
-Phoenix Coyotes
-Tampa Bay Lightning

G Manny Fernandez - BOSTON BRUINS

Manny Fernandez's last few years in the NHL have been interesting to say the least. In Minnesota, he was part of a 2-keeper tandem with Dwayne Roloson. When Roloson was shipped to Edmonton in 2006, Fernandez became the #1 guy, but was soon eclipsed by another emerging keeper in the system, Nicklas Backstrom. Fernandez signed with the Boston Bruins in the 2007 off season and was expected to become the #1 keeper, but fell to injury for a substantial part of the season, allowing Tim Thomas to emerge as the #1 keeper, which has since earned him an all-star selection last year, and a solid #1 spot as the Bruins guy to keep their stellar play in the Eastern Conference rolling. Although Fernandez does help his team, a move before the all-star break may not be a bad idea, allowing Finnish sensation Tuuka Rask to emerge from the Bruins' AHL affiliate the Providence Bruins.

TEAMS THAT COULD USE HIS SERVICE:
-Tampa Bay Lightning
-Colorado Avalanche
-Los Angeles Kings

F Martin St.Louis - TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

We can't believe that the Lightning have been playing as poor as they are. Before the season started, we predicted that the Lightning would make the playoffs this year, but nothing has clicked, and the organization has already parted ways with their head coach, Barry Melrose, who in recent days has proved that he may have been the cancer in the locker room. Steven Stamkos was hyped to be the next big thing in the league, but has put up mediocre (at best) numbers, and the entire team has proved time and time again that they are no match for their opponents. Even goaltending, which has been a problem in Tampa for many years, with such heavy confidence put behind mediocre keepers such as Marc Denis and Johan Holmqvist in the past has not been the same since Nikolai Khabibulin won a cup with the team. Mike Smith, who has emerged as the started after he was involved with the trade with Dallas last year that sent Brad Richards away, is an odd keeper to watch. He makes the effort, but almost seems to bulky in net and not capable of making athletic saves. As for Marty, he does produce for the squad, but the Lightning need to branch out and realize that the mentality behind winning a cup with the "3-headed monster" of Lecavalier, St. Louis, and Richards is dead. They made the right move with Richards last year, and now may need to find a new home for St. Louis. It makes sense financially and for the well being of the team to add secondary scoring.

TEAMS THAT COULD USE HIS SERVICE
-Minnesota Wild
-Florida Panthers
-Toronto Maple Leafs (If anybody would do it, Burke would)

D Jay Bouwmeester - FLORIDA PANTHERS

Therehas been talk of trading star defenseman Jay Bouwmeester for quite some time, and if the Panthers want to shake this funk they have been stuck in since their '96 cup run, the time may come to cut the ties with Bouwmeester. Currently, Bouwmeester is the leading scorer for the Panthers, which should say something about the lack of scoring of the team. It is about time that the Panthers add some offensive punch and restructure their team that has long been known as "second bananas" in the Eastern Conference.

TEAMS THAT COULD USE HIS SERVICE:
-Toronto Maple Leafs
-Columbus Blue Jackets
-Phoenix Coyotes
-Tampa Bay Lightning
-Buffalo Sabres

Some other players that may generate some interest around the league are Maple Leafs' blueliner Tomas Kaberle, Minnesota foward Marian Gaborik, and Buffalo forward Maxim Afinigenov.

It is believed that Mats Sundin has set a personal goal of making a decision for his NHL future by Monday, Dec 15 (tomorrow), so we will keep you updated on his playing status.

PP

Hometown Boys Going for All-Star Spots: WADE REDDEN NEEDS YOUR HELP!

2008-12-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

As of 12:09pm on Thursday, December 11th, there are three Saskatchewan-born players on the ballot for the NHL All-Star game: Ryan Getzlaf and Patrick Marleau in 6th and 10th place respectively among Western Conference forawards, and Wade Redden, 10th place among Eastern Conference Defensemen. As far as I know, this means that Getzlaf and Marleau will be in the game but not starting, and Redden will be 4 places out.

It seems as though Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney of the Pittsburg Penguins will not be participating in this year's contest because both have been injured all year. This just goes to show one major flaw in the voting system. Actual play on the ice has nothing to do with how many votes a player gets. The most important factor is where you play your hockey. At any rate, if neither Gonchar nor Whitney partakes in the festivities, that moves our boy Wade Redden into 8th place, a mere two spots out of contention.

To move into eighth position Redden would have to pass Teppo Numminen (9th) and Kimmo Timonen (8th). To pull it off, he needs to make up the 45,607 votes. Who's going to help him? We all are! The Prairie Puck will vote every day, twice a day, to get Mr. Redden into that game, and we beg you to do the same. He grew up on the good side of Lloydminister, so you know he deserves it. C'mon guys, it's the season for giving. Let's give Wade Redden a shot at the big game!

Ode to a Good Saskatchewan Kid

2008-12-10T14:15:00.000-08:00

Ranked among the top 30 unrestricted free agents to sign during the 2007 Offseason, Sk-born product Scott Hartnell was a type of player that was in high demand throughout the league. His rough, agressive, and hard-working attitude, not to mention a strong asset on the scoresheet, particularly in powerplay and clutch situations, Scotty is one of Saskatchewan's best hockey exports.

Scott played his junior hockey in Prince Albert, SK. with the Raiders, along side teammate, and now Minnesota defenseman (also from SK), Nick Shultz. In 3 seasons with the Raiders, Hartnell tallied 37 goals, and 90 assists, and 230 minutes in the sin-bin. His third and final season was a career junior season for Scott, earning the captaincy of the Raiders, and a prospect rating of #1 overall in Canada, going into the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. The still "fresh-face" expansion franchise, the Nashville Predators selected Hartnell 6th overall in 2000. (Among the top 5 were Rick Dipietro, Dany Heatley, and Marian Gaborik just to give you an idea of the talent that was in this draft) A side note--NYR superstar goaltender Henrik Lundqvist went 205th overall in this draft. Scott played 6 seasons with the Predators, and before free agency, Scott was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers along with teammate Kimmo Timonen, and continued his style of play, helping the Flyers all the way to the Eastern Conference final.

We could go on about how Hartnell is a great, tough player from Saskatchewan, or we could mention how Toppings is actually a cousin of Hartnell, but we won't bore you with that.

Recently, Scotty has made headlines across the league for his antics during a game vs the Eastern basement dwelling Tampa Bay Lightning. Ryan Malone, of the Lightning was on a breakaway, and Hartnell, without a stick, chased down Malone and in an act of desperation, threw his glove at Malone, forcing him to miss on the breakaway. Malone was rewarded a penalty shot in the dying seconds of the 3rd period that could have broken the tie, but missed on the penalty shot in a stop by Marty Biron. Ironically enough, Malone ended up taking a penalty in Overtime, and Mike Richards scored the game winner for the Flyers.

To honor Scotty for his act of desperation, and perhaps stupidity if the Flyers had lost the game, the Flyers' AHL Affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms will be designating their December 14th game as "Scott Hartnell Glove and Mitten Toss" Night, in which fans will have the opportunity to bring winter clothing to toss onto the ice for charity.

Great job Scotty, you make the PrairiePuck proud.

If you happened to miss the game, check out the video:

WEEK IN REVIEW

2008-12-08T11:34:00.000-08:00

Another week has come and gone...let's take a look

THUMBS DOWN - Sean Avery - DALLAS STARS

-It's pretty well known around the world that Sean Avery is (for lack of a better word), an asshole. We are pretty big fans of Avery at the PrairiePuck, because he brings an element to the game that makes it that much more fun to watch. The superpest Avery has made a name for himself for diving, beaking the opponent without mercy, and of course the infamous rule adaptation that the league made in last year's playoffs when Avery decided to screen Marty Brodeur in an unorthadox fashion. This time, however, Avery has gone too far, making a comment to the media regarding the apparent "trend" of other players dating his "sloppy seconds", obviously referring to Dion Phaneuf's current girlfriend, actress, Elisha Cuthbert. Leave the trash talk on the ice Avery, because you may have just cost yourself a job in the NHL.

THUMBS DOWN WITH A HINT OF THUMBS UP - TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

- The PrairiePuck always cherishes the moments when we get to point out how incredibly bad the Toronto Maple Leafs are, and this is no exception. The Leafs have lost 3 straight and have sinked down to a comfortable last place in the North East division. If the Leafs have any chance in making the playoffs (which they don't), Brian Burke will need to make a move for some talent quick, before Ron Wilson starts sitting every single player to send a "message". The Leafs scoring has exceeded everyone's expectations this season, with a good effort from Matt Stajan and rookie sensation Mikhail Grabovski, but the bottom line is their defense is brutal...their goaltending is worse. At 24 games played, Vesa Toskala has tallied a .885 save percentage, which is good enough for second last in the league, and the team together has produced a 3.41 goals against per game, which is good enough for 27th place. Pretty pitiful stats. If the Leafs are going to shop Kaberle around, then they should do it...maybe to a team that is apparently shopping around scoring talent...like a Marian Gaborik in Minnesota perhaps. As for the hint of thumbs up, we are sad to see Luke Schenn struck with the first injury of his NHL career, which has been dubbed a "lower body injury". That being said, even when we lose a SK kid to injury, one comes up in the ranks, as Jeremy Williams, of Glenavon SK will suit up for his first game of the season this week, to replace Niklas Hagman.

THUMBS UP - CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

-What a young an exciting team this is to watch. At 12-6-7, it still seems that the team stacked with young-guns is still trying to find it's identity, but they seem to be taking it one game at at time. We're not believers that the Hawks can contend for home-ice advantage this season, but they could pull off their first playoff series victory in years. The way the standings are set right now, they will most likely end up in a 5th or 6th place situation, if they can keep up their current pace, which would probably pin themselves up against the Northwest division champs, or the 4th place team, so a playoff series vs Anaheim, Calgary, Vancouver, or Minnesota is a distinct possiblity, and will make for an exciting series. Led by youngstar captain Jonathan Toews, and the scoring ability of Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, and Martin Havlat, and a strong defensive core led by Brian Campbell and Duncan Keith, the only area that may be shaky is goaltending, as the squad has failed to pull of close games down the stretch, accounting for 7 shootout losses this season (2nd to only Tampa Bay with 8).

Whatever happens with the Blackhawks this season, it will be nevertheless a step in the right direction. Speaking of the Hawks, don't forget to watch them battle the Red Wings in the 2009 Winter Classis on New Years' Day in the cold winds of Wrigley Field.

The Blackhawks have also been busy joking around in campaigning for spots on the Western All-Star Team. Take a look at the campaign videos for Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and defenseman Brian Campbell:

FEATURE: Brothers in the NHL

2008-12-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

We often see that hockey talent has run in the family, from the Sutters, to the Staals, to the Stastnys. Throughout the history of the NHL, there have been many cases where brothers have played against each other, scored on each other, deked out each other, or in some cases, fought each other (Keith and Wayne Primeau). Every once in a while, something special happens, and siblings get the opportunity to play on the same team together. This article is devoted to sets of brothers that have played on the same team, a few sets of brothers from Saskatchewan, and one very unique set of brothers from the Calgary Flames.

Henrik and Daniel Sedin - VANCOUVER CANUCKS

Drafted 2nd and 3rd overall by Vancouver in the 1999 NHL Entry draft, these swedish twins have been two of a kind (to say the least) With 585 games under his belt Daniel leads to duo with 403 points in his career. With 4 more games played, Henrik is close behind with 401 points. With both having accounted for 23 points this year, is it crazy to think that both will finish their career with the same # of points? The Sedins have been a great move for the Canucks organization, and we won't see the club split them up any time soon.

Scott and Rob Neidermeyer - ANAHEIM DUCKS

Not only did this brother duo have the opportunity to play against each other in the 2003 Stanley Cup Final between Anaheim and New Jersey (Rob - Anaheim, Scott - NJ), shortly after, Scott signed a deal with the Anaheim club to have the opportunity to play with his brother Rob. In 2007, the Ducks, led by Niedermeyer hoisted the Stanley Cup, and the Neidermeyers bros did so on the same club, something that doesnt happen too often.

And now, the SK born bros...

Wade and Sheldon Brookbank - CAROLINA HURRICANES AND NJ DEVILS

The Brookbank bros, coming in at 31 and 28 years of age, respectively, hail from Lanigan, Saskatchewan. Both played their junior hockey in Saskatchewan (Wade in Melville, Sheldon in Humboldt). Both brothers are not known for their scoring prowess, filtering back and fourth between the NHL and the minors, combining for only 17 career points. They may not be flashy, but the Brookbank brothers are the gritty, Saskatchewan kids that the PrairiePuck supports.

Gordie and Vic Howe - DETROIT RED WINGS AND NEW YORK RANGERS

You may not realize, but Gordie Howe did have a brother in the NHL, and his name was Vic. Together, the Howe bros, of Floral, SK. have been one of the most dynamic brother duos in NHL history. They have combined for 804 goals, 1054 assists (1858 points) in their careers. Mind you, Vic only came up with 8 of the 1858 points.

Robyn and Richie Regehr - CALGARY FLAMES

The Regehr boys are something special in the NHL. Born to mennonite missionaries, older brother Robyn was born in Recife, Brazil, and Richie was born in Bandung, Indonesia. They were raised, however, in Rosthern, Saskatchewan.

Robyn has become a staple in the Flames' defensive core in the last 8 seasons, and in 2005/2006, the younger brother, the undrafted Richie was granted the opportunity to play along side his older brother for the Flames franchise for a total of 20 games between 2 seasons. Richie now plays overseas in the elite league for the Frankfurt Lions.

An interesting side note: Before Robyn Regehr ever played an NHL game, he was traded from his team that drafted him (Colorado, 19th overall in 1998) to the Calgary Flames along with PrairiePuck favorite Wade Belak for Calgary superstar, Oxbow SK native Theoren Fleury. There's a lot of Saskatchewan in that trade.

PP

HOCKEY CANADA ANNOUNCES ALL 38 INVITEES TO WORLD JUNIOR CAMP

2008-12-03T09:16:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday morning, Hockey Canada announced all 38 players that have been invited to the World Junior development camp, in order to decide which players will make the final roster after the camp concludes on December 15th. Among the 38, the Western Hockey League is extremely well represented, accounting for 3 of the 4 goaltenders, 6 of the 14 defencemen, and 9 of the 20 forwards.

Originall, we here at the PrairePuck would have hoped to see all 7 Saskatchewan-born players from the ADT Canada/Russia Challenge to be invited to camp, but 4 out of 7 is not bad at all. The 4 Saskatchewan-born players are:

G Dustin Tokarski - Spokane Chiefs (Drafted by TB) ---> Watson, SK

D Keith Aulie - Brandon Wheat Kings (Drafted by CGY) --> Rouleau, SK

F Jordan Eberle - Regina Pats (Drafted by EDM) ----------> Regina, SK

F Brayden Schenn - Brandon Wheat Kings (Eligible 2009) -> Saskatoon, SK

There are only 4 returning players to camp this year, consisting of P.K. Subban, Zack Boychuk, Thomas Hickey, and superstar Jon Tavares, so needless to say, this team will be a young one. One thing that the Canadian squad will not be short of is talent. Goaltending is solid with a duo of either Chet Pickard/Dustin Tokarski, or Chet Pickard/Tyson Sexsmith. Either way, Pickard has the start in our book. Defense is big, quick, and strong, and the list of forwards provides some extraordinary scoring talent to the mix, including of course Jon Tavares, Eberle, Evander Kane of the Vancouver Giants, and a surprise cut last year, Angelo Esposito. If this isn't enough, Hockey Canada also has the option to add players to the roster that are still eligible that play in the NHL. Among these are Phoenix's Kyle Turris, Minnesota's Coelton Gillies, Carolina's Brandon Sutter, LA's Drew Doughty, Tampa's Steven Stamkos, Toronto's Luke Schenn, NYI's Josh Bailey, and Edmonton's Sam Gagner. We wouldn't hold our breath about these NHL clubs releasing these players for the tournament, though.

Team Canada is in a good position to win their 5th consecutive gold medal in our nation's capital, beginning on Boxing Day vs the Czech Republic.

NOVEMBER'S PLAYERS OF THE MONTH

2008-12-01T08:14:00.000-08:00

Another month has passed us by in the NHL, which means another installment of the monthly awards winners at the PrairiePuck. Rounding out the list, beginning with the league's top forward in November:

TOP FORWARD
ALEXANDER OVECHKIN - Washington Capitals

Simply amazing. AO got off to a rather slow start this season, tallying a disappointing 5 points in October. I think everybody knew though, that his "slump" would not last long, and Ovie would get back on track. In the month of November, Ovechkin tallied 11 goals, and 14 assists, bringing him back on track with the league's best scorers. Although there were solid efforts from forwards Sid Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Simon Gagne, Ovechkin was a no-brainer for Forward of the month.

TOP DEFENSEMAN

ROB BLAKE - San Jose Sharks

With his 39th birthday only 9 days away, one would wonder how Blake can manage to impact a team as much as he does. With 20 points this year (5 goals, 15 assists, 16 points of which came in November), Blake is on pace to tie a career high season, with 68 points to close out the season. Keep in mind, the last time he accomplished this feat, the Montréal Canadiens were Stanley Cup Champs. A veteran presence like Blake on the blueline has clearly been a great fit for the Sharks. With a 20-3-1 record, does anyone doubt us that the Sharks will win the Cup this year?

TOP GOALTENDER

ROBERTO LUONGO - Vancouver Canucks

The decision to give the top goaltender award to Luongo was a mixed decision, as he only suited up for 8 games, due to a late-month injury. But in those 8 games, Luongo posted a 5-1-2 record, with a .959 save percentage, a 1.25 goals against average, and 3 straight shutouts to round out the month's resumé. Pretty impressive we must say. Henrik Lundqvist and Tim Thomas also had note-worthy performances for the month of November, but Captain Canuck takes the cake.

TOP ROOKIE

Mikhail Grabovski - Toronto Maple Leafs

It pains me, once again to suggest that a Maple Leaf deserves an award on this blog, but the Leafs have been making some pretty good strides in the past month. Among these improvements, was obviously the signing of new GM Brian Burke to a 6-year deal, a trade that saw Alex Steen and Carlo Coliacavo to St. Louis for Lee Stempniak, and the performance of rookie sensation Mikahil Grabovski. Grabovski tallied 8 goals and 5 assists for 13 points in 12 games in November, including a +3 rating to help out his team. 8 of his 9 goals this season were scored in November alone, so we'd say Grabovski is coming into his own. We hate that he's a Leaf, but I guess the tallest of trees still grow from dirt.

WENDEL CLARK ACHIEMENT AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING PLAY BY A SK BORN PLAYER

Ryan Getzlaf - Anaheim Ducks

This was actually a difficult decision to make, and it really came down to Anaheim's last game of November to make a decision. Before the Ducks' game last night, both Saskatchewan stars Ryan Getzlaf and Patrick Marleau had tallied 5 goals and 10 assists each for 15 points a piece in the month of November. Marleau did have an edge with a +5 rating, and a team record 20-3-1 over Getzlaf's +2 rating and team record 14-8-3. Marleau was on a narrow pace to repeating as SK player of the month, but last night's performance, which Getzlaf notched 1 goal and 2 assists, lifts his tally to 6 goals, and 12 assists for 18 points with a +4 rating for the month of November, and some consideration for November's MVP

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER FOR NOVEMBER

It was a very tight race this month for MVP, as there were 21 and 23-point performances from Pittsburgh stars Sid Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, a resurgent Simon Gagne tallied 19 points this month, Ryan Getzlaf's 18-point performance, and of course, Roberto Luongo's stellar play in net, but ultimately, we have to give the MVP award to Alexander Ovechkin, who was a clear-cut winner with 25 points in November. This is the 2nd consective month that a player from the Washington Capitals has won the monthly MVP award (Alexander Semin won the MVP of October)

Thats all for now though,

Stay tuned for an article about SK-born sibling duos later on this week...

"If I'm not blocking shots, I'm pretty much useless out there" - Brooks Laich, Washington Capitlas

2008-11-30T14:44:00.001-08:00

On Sunday, November 30th, NHL.com issued a nice little article regarding the performance of Wawota SK, native, Brooks Laich of the Washington Capitals.

Although the Capitals fell 5-2 to the LA Kings, Laich's efforts were praised by many on the team, including team captain Chris Clark, and 2nd year coach Bruce Boudreau

Laich has always been known for being a gutsy player, who is capable of doing many things for his team. The Wendel Clark approach fits him best. "He will do anything that he needs to do to be on the team". Whether the team needs him to block shots, like he did against LA, or provide some supplementary scoring to the Alexanders, Backstrom, and Nylander on the team...Brooks Laich is the real deal. His gritty play has given him much more time on the PowerPlay, and his presence will be needed if the Capitals plan to repeat as Southeast Division champions this year.

It's great to see the turnaround that is happening in Washington, and providing they can get consitent goaltending (the PrairiPuck isn't the biggest fan of Jose Theodore), they can follow the path of many teams and make a deep run into the playoffs with a young squad. To get a sense for the commraderie that is present in the Washinton locker room, and maybe to find out who the Capitals think is the "Ladies' Man" of the team is, check this video out. (I'll give you a hint: the top vote-getter is from SK)

Captain Crunch is Amazing!

2008-11-29T12:46:00.000-08:00

I found this quote on an NHL.com article about Wendel Clark. It's so perfect, I had to share it with you.

"Growing up out West, especially in all the small communities, that's what you did. You played hockey in the winter and you played baseball in the summertime and that's all there was to do and that was your routine," Clark said. "As you grew up in a small town and graduated from level to level, you knew if you got a chance to play in the city, whether it was Tier II junior or Tier I junior, you were going to do whatever you needed to do to stay there.

"That was your way of either getting out of your small town or moving off the farm to the next level of hockey. I think a lot of players growing up in small towns pick either route: I'm not just going to be a finesse player or a tough guy or whatever, you'll do whatever that team wants you to do to make it.

"I think you see a lot of that in Western kids. Usually, on your minor hockey team, everyone that leaves there was a leading goal scorer on their team, but when you get to the higher levels, in junior hockey or college or whatever it might be, you have to sacrifice and do what it takes for that team because you might not be the best player on that team. You learn about role playing and what it takes to be a different kind of player. That's one thing I think I learned growing up in a small town, moving to the city and then moving to Toronto. Also, from moving to forward. I started as a defenseman. Whatever it takes to stay, that's what you wanted to do."

This shows us another way that Wendel Clark is awesome. Many kids with the dream to play big league hockey have felt the same way, and hearing it from a successful man like Wendel Clark is pretty damn cool. Classy in Sasky.

Mr. Kelvington Saskatchewan

2008-11-28T19:20:00.000-08:00

Some of the greatest hockey players of all time were born in Saskatchewan. Few people know that Eddie Shore, Johnny Bower, and Gordie Howe were born within our borders. Another great player, Wendel Clark, was born in Kelvington, Saskatchewan. He was drafted first overall in the 1985 entry draft by, you guessed it, the Toronto Maple leafs. I'm not sure why so many of our articles are about leafs players we like. Belak, Schenn, and now good ol' Wendel Clark. I guess sometimes they don't completely screw up. Clark was a hardnosed player who would fight anyone for the right reason. He scored, checked, and lead. His style of play earned him the nickname "Captain Crunch." His moustache was perfect, and the leaf fans loved him for it.

Wendel Clark played on six different teams throughout his career, but all his most memorable years were spent as captain of Toronto. On November 22nd the team retired his uniform, and in a fitting tribute, handed out fake moustaches to the crowd. You can watch that ceremony at this link.

Some interesting information:

- He has the longest time span between All-Star team selections, at 13 years.
- Barry Melrose, coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, is his cousin.
- He came to Hockey Day in Canada in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan. Coincidentally, I was playing Midget hockey for the Maple Creek Hawks at that time, and we got to play on Hockey Day in Canada. Story time: Wendel Clark was sitting in the penalty box beside our bench eating a bag of popcorn. I came off the ice after a goal (we were kicking the hell out of Shaunavon, even though the producer asked us not to). I was nervous, but went up to him and said, "Hello Mr. Clark." This is not one of those made up talks we usually use. This shit actually happened. He said, "Hey kid, nice goal out there." At that point I tried to say thanks, but instead began to ramble to him about our season. I talked for a good two minutes, which felt like a half hour, until my coach told me to get back on the ice. When I hit the ice I realized I had blabbered like an idiot, and I did not talk to Mr. Wendel Clark for the remainder of the game.
- A band named the Rheostatics (I think) dedicated a sort-of-shitty-if-it-wasn't-about-him song to him. The video is below. Be patient with it.

We would like to congratulate Wendel Clark for a great career. If I ever grow a moustache, I'm dedicating it to him. Enjoy the video, and keep the dream alive.

Wade "Jefferson" Belak is movin on up!

2008-11-28T11:22:00.000-08:00

Big news hit the media today with a resounding "THANK FUCK" as Wade Belak was traded from the lowful, awful, Florida Panthers (15th aka last in the East), to the playoff-contending (8th in the West) Nashville Predators. Although he couldn't be reached for comment, we can only assume he is completely stoked to be joining fellow Saskatoon product Dan Ellis in Nashville. For the sake of the story, here's what we think we would talk about if he came on MSN right now:

(It should be noted here that Toppings and I don't have a joint msn, just in case any jackasses were planning on commenting. "-Cletus from The Simpsons voice-darharhar, like sure yuz gots da same dang NSM thinger, queers." Use your imagination)

Belakinator (his msn name, most likely): Hey guys, guess what happened?
Prairie Puck: We heard you got traded. How do you feel about it?
Belakinator: Well guys, it feels pretty good. It's fun to walk around Florida in shorts all the time, but it just doesn't feel like hockey down there. The only outdoor rinks they have are roller hockey rinks, and you know what they say about roller blading.
PP: Do. We. Ever.
Belakinator: I'm excited to be heading slightly north though. It'll be nice to play for a team that doesn't suck balls. It'll be fun to play with Dan Ellis too. We all know Saskatcewan people are awesome, so that'll be nice.
PP: That's great. Oh Wade, did you get that care package we sent you?
Belakinator: Ya, I donated it to charity. I hope you don't mind.
PP: We don't mind at all. We are both well known for our kind and giving natures, especially during the holiday season. I hope you didn't tell everyone it was from us. We don't do it for the publicity. We just feel we have so much to give.
Belakinator: Don't worry guys, I didn't even deliver it myself. I have a poor family one hundred seventy dollars to deliver it for me. Charity is awesome!
PP: We couldn't agree more. Congrats on the trade, we'll keep an eye out for you. Take care Mr. Belak!
Belakinator: Thanks guys. Like a girl with a bra, I appreciate the support.
It would probably go something like that. On a personal note, it would be nice to get Edmonton native Jay Bouwmeester out of there too. But that's another story for another day. For now, let's just be happy that Wade Belak is moving on up.
Wade Belak Tribute Video

2008 ADT CANADA/RUSSIA CHALLENGE

2008-11-27T08:25:00.000-08:00

The teams line up on their respective blue lines for the opening roster introductions

On the evening of Wednesday, November 26th, the Russian Selects team suited up for their first match of 2 versus the WHL All-Stars, as part 3 of the annual ADT Canada/Russia challenge. The province of Saskatchewan was well represented, as the WHL team soared past the Russian selects with a 5-0 victory, featuring a shutout performance by the likely starting goaltender for the Canadian Junior team this year, Chet Pickard of the Tri-City Americans. "Team Saskatchewan" on the WHL All-star team is represented by:

FORWARDS

Jordan Eberle - Regina Pats (Hometown: Regina, SK)

Brayden Schenn - Brandon Wheat Kings (Hometown: Saskatoon, SK)

Jason Bast - Moose Jaw Warriors (Hometown: Moose Jaw, SK)

Joel Broda - Moose Jaw Warriors (Hometown: Prince Albert, SK)

DEFENSEMEN

Keith Aulie - Brandon Wheat Kings (Hometown: Roleau, SK)

Jared Cowen - Spokane Chiefs (Allan, SK)

GOALTENDERS

Dustin Tokarski - Spokane Chiefs (Hometown: Watson, SK)

A 1st star performance by Jordan Eberle on Wednesday night was a big reason why the WHL squad won the game, as the Regina native notched 2 goals and an assist. Forward Brayden Schenn, assisted one of Eberle's goals, along with Eberle's Regina teammate Colton Teubert. On Thursday, the team will take the ice in Prince Albert for the 2nd of 2 games with the Russian Selects, in which Watson native Dustin Tokarski of the Spokane Cheifs will get the start in net.

Colton Teubert (20) and Brayden Schenn (10) help celebrate Jordan Eberle's 2nd goal of the night

Is the future promising for Saskatchewan-born players? On a 22-man roster, 7 players were born in Saskatchewan. You tell me.

....And yes, Brayden Schenn is the younger brother of the PrairiePuck's favourite rookie defenseman, Luke Schenn

PP

WEEK #6 REVIEW

2008-11-24T14:40:00.000-08:00

For this week's edition of the weekly review, we've decided to do something a little different and show our respects to the players in the league that never get as much recognition, but must fulfill an important role by being able to step in at any time if their name is called. There has been an overwhelming theme this year of #1 goaltenders falling to both short and long-term injury, and this week, we have all thumbs up for goaltenders who have stepped up their level of play in time of need:

JOEY MacDONALD - NEW YORK ISLANDERS
-Rick Dipietro has been the #1 goaltender for the Islanders for a few years now, and it is evident by the monstrous 15-year contract he is currently working on. Dipietro is currently sidelined by injury, and the organization has turned towards MacDonald, the 28 year old Nova Scotia native to carry the team, and he has posted an 8-7-2 record in his 17 games played this season, with a .913 save percentage. Not bad for a guy who has gone 3-8-3 between the Red Wings, Bruins, and Islanders before this season started.

BRIAN BOUCHER - SAN JOSE SHARKS
-Although Boucher's ice-time is not due to any injury from Nabokov, San Jose has been known to work with a 2-goaltender system for many years, with the exception of last year. Boucher has been called upon 9 times this season, posting a 7-1-1 record with a .928 save percentage and an unbelievable 1.89 GAA. The system must be working for the Sharks, as Nabokov has started the other 12 games, posting a 10-2 record, helping the team to a league-best 17-3-1 record. Keep in mind just how capable of goaltender Boucher is: He holds the league's shutout record of 5-straight shutouts when he played with the Coyotes.

TY CONKLIN - DETROIT RED WINGS
-For the time being, we'll have to forget just how bad Conklin was for the Oilers from 2001-2006. Just remember his rather "important" blunder in game one of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Hurricanes. Since then, Conklin has been one of the league's best backup netminders, splitting time with the Blue Jackets, Sabres, Penguins, and now, with the Red Wings. This season, Conklin has posted a 6-1-0 record in 7 starts, complementing a great goaltending system with the 8-1-3 Chris Osgood.

NIKOLAI KHABIBULIN - CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
-Nikolai who? In an off season that saw former Montréal Canadiens star keeper Christobal Huet off to the Windy city, Huet would be the definite #1 keeper. But not everything goes as planned, injuries occur, and Khabibulin's season has been an indication of a career resurrection, posting a 7-1-4 record for the Hawks. Considering he is a rather "seasoned" backup goaltender, becoming a UFA at the end of the season, will he be with the Hawks next season? Probably not, but for the time being, he's helping a great deal to restoring a winning tradition in Chicago.

HONOURABLE MENTION TO THE BACKUP KEEPERS:

Danny Sabourin - PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

Alex Auld - OTTAWA SENATORS

Kevin Weekes/Scott Clemmenson - NEW JERSEY DEVILS

Curtis Sanford - VANCOUVER CANUCKS

Jaroslav Halak - MONTREAL CANADIENS

Brent Johnson - WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Erik Ersberg - LOS ANGELES KINGS

That's all for now,

PP

More props for Luke Schenn... and a lead in the polls!

2008-11-23T20:43:00.000-08:00

There's an article I found on nhl.com about how awesome Luke Schenn is. The story has a "everything about the Maple leafs sucks except this kid (who is awesome) and Wendel Clark and Johnny Bower (who are both SK products, and are awesome). At the bottom the article there is a poll about the Calder candidates and best rookie defenseman. Schenn was winning both polls when I checked and voted at 10:44ish today. Likely the polls are leaf-fan-inflated, but who cares. Luke Schenn is great. Keep up the good work kid.

Say it ain't so Morrow!

2008-11-21T22:19:00.000-08:00

Well folks, here at the Prairie Puck we've been handing praise and blessings (to whatever capacity our abilities allow) to Brendan Morrow, captain of the Dallas stars and native of Carlyle, SK. We regret to inform you that he will be out for a good long time. NHL.com (who we love) had this article on the subject. I've looked for a quote from the man himself but, like Theoren Fleury, came up short.

It is at this point I would like to point out a few very loosely related facts:
1. We love Theoren Fleury. No one celebrates like he used to. And no one leaves the NHL to play in Ireland quite like him.
2. He's really short and was really awesome, which we like.
3. He worked a hockey camp our own Jordan Toppings attended, which means that once we get ahold of him he will do an interview for sure.
4. He's from Oxbow, SK and played his Junior hockey in Moose Jaw, so obviously he is one of the coolest to ever lace on the blades.
5. We're gonna do a story on him right away here.
6. All of that was just to make sure you weren't gonna jump on us for hating Theoren Fleury. We definitely don't. Alcoholic jokes just wouldn't be funny. We love him like John Daly loves Hooters. Now, back to the story.

The injury is apparently "a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will require surgery." Shitty. Ahh well, we'll still find a way to get you in here anyway Mr. Morrow. When you come back, we know you'll be just fine.

WEEK #5 REVIEW

2008-11-17T08:03:00.000-08:00

It was a big week in the NHL, with many ups and downs. Let's take a look....

THUMBS UP - C Jordan Staal - Pittsburgh Penguins

-If there's one thing that the young Penguins team needs, it's secondary scoring so not all of the responsibility is put on superstars Evgeni Malkin and Sid Crosby. Don't get me wrong, they can carry the weight (1st and 6th in the scoring race), but a solid effort from their 2nd and 3rd line is essential if the Penguins want to make another Cup run, and Pittsburgh has found this extra scoring touch in 3rd year player Jordan Staal. In the last 5 games, Staal has notched 6 goals and one assists, reaching half of his disappointing scoring output of last year. This wave of secondary scoring has put the Penguins within 4 points of the division leading Rangers.

THUMBS DOWN - The Dallas Stars

-How is this team not sitting atop the west? Maybe it's because they're up against the ridiculous conference leading San Jose Sharks, not to mention the Red Wings, Ducks, and damn near every other team in the West that has better records than the Stars. Last year, the Stars made it all the way to the West Final, losing to the eventual Cup Champs, but how is it possible that they are sitting 14th (yes that's right, 14th) in the West? Even the Maple Leafs in the East have a better record. That should be reason enough for something drastic to happen, and NOW. Did Dallas really make any changes in the off season that would hurt them this much? Not really at all. If anything, the addition of Sean Avery should have solidified their presence as among the West elite. Mr. Brendan Morrow, we love ya here at the Prairie Puck, but rally your troops son.

THUMBS UP - Rookie Goaltenders Steve Mason and Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers

-Now these guys are a thrill to watch. First, rookie keeper Steve Mason of the Columbus Blue Jackets is one of the most promising young net minders we've seen in years. You might remember this guy from last December, when he backstopped the Canadian Junior team to a 4th straight gold medal at the U20 IIHF tourny, named the top goaltender of the tournament in the process. It was at this tournament, where the star netminder for the London Knights was dealt in a rare blockbuster trade of the OHL, to the Memorial Cup host Kitchener Rangers. Mason would unfortunately be sidelined due to a knee injury, and Kitchener lost the Memorial Cup final to the Spokane Chiefs (backstopped by a Mr. Dustin Tokarski of Watson, SK by the way). Mason has posted a 3-1-1 record in 5 starts for the Blue Jackets, and believe me, the Jackets need all the help they can get if they want to make a serious playoff run.

Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers of the Edmonton Oilers is part of the 3-headed monster situation they have in Edmonton, but unlike the Boston Celtics, the 3-man situation in Edmonton is not a good one. At a 3-5-1 record in the last 10 games, we're still waiting on Dwayne Roloson to be dealt to New Jersey. The 24-year old has only been in the Oilers system for 1 season with the Springfield Falcons last season, and brief stints with AHL affiliate teams of Pittsburgh, Montréal, and a few tries with the ECHL. His most impressive outing in the NHL came against the Eastern elite Rangers, which the rookie backstopped the Oilers to a 3-2 victory, stopping 40 of 42 shots. A French-Canadian duo of Garon and Deslauriers is not far off in the future.

THUMBS UP - Simon Gagne - Philadelphia Flyers

-In a season that couldn't have gone worse last year for Flyers superstar Simon Gagne, there were questions as to the future of Gagne's ability. A history of concussions had ultimately ended the 28-year old star's season last year, but Gagne has silenced all the critics thus far. In only 16 games, Gagne has accumulated 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists, and 4 more points than all of last season), and this is good enough for 4th in the league in points for this former 2-time 40 goal scorer. Even better news the Flyers - they made it to the Conference final without Gagne last year. If they can get things to click down the stretch, could the Flyers make a run at the cup?

And the final thumbs up for the week goes to a good ol' Saskatchewan product that has carried his team to victory. Of course, we mean Nashville Predators goaltender Dan Ellis, of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The Preds got off to a sub-par start to the season, managing only a 6-7-1 record in 14 games, but in the past 3 games, Ellis has performed extremely well, with back-to-back 4-3 victories over the West's powerhouse Sharks, in which he stopped 54 of 57 shots, and again with 32 of 35 shots against the Anaheim Ducks. A 3-1 victory over the LA Kings capped off the impressive week, and Ellis will try for a rare victory against the Sharks in Nashville tonight. Although the Sharks are an extremely good team, there's no reason why this 28 year old SK netminder can't generate an impressive collection of wins against the West's best. Congratulations Dan Ellis, you have earned the player of the week award.

That's all for this past week folks. Don't forget to watch Saturday, November 22nd's broadcast of the Bruins @ the Canadiens on CBC to watch the retiring of Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy's #33 jersey.

PP

Team Saskatchewan Doing Well

2008-11-15T12:22:00.000-08:00

Props have been earned, and so here they shall be given. Ryan Getzlaf and Patrick Marleau, from Regina and Aneroid respectively, are both in the top ten in the NHL in points. Getzlaf is currently ranked 5th and Marleau 7th. There isn't really much of a story here other than to point out that of course they are in the top ten; they're from Saskatchewan and they're awesome. Keep up the good work fellas, and p.s. Marleau's wife is drop dead gorgeous.

Maybe one day an NHL franchise will move to Saskatchewan. The "Swift Current Bails of Hay" or the "Yorkton FlatDirtGrounds" could take the NHL by storm if we got a team of SK born players together. Now what would be their colours....

WEEK#4 Review

2008-11-10T08:13:00.000-08:00

Alright, let's get right to this past week's highest highs and lowest lows.

THUMBS WAAAAAY UP - G Roberto Luongo - Vancouver Canucks

-On a team that has failed to pull off wins down the stretch in the past few years, star goaltender Roberto Luongo is making every team shake their heads in amazement. Luongo is currently flying high off a string of 3 straight shutouts to propell his squad to the top of the competitive Northwest division. Up next for Luongo is a tilt with the Northwest basement dwelling Colorado Avalanche, so we may even see Luongo record his 4th straight goose egg. That is, of course that Luongo gets the likely start over backup netminder Curtis Sanford. Canucks fans are behind captain Luongo 100% and certainly have something to cheer about. Who knows, with speculation that Sundin will make a decision by Dec 1st, the Canucks are looking very promising down the stretch.

THUMBS DOWN - The Edmonton Oilers

-The Oilers are a good team, and they have high expectations this year, but they like to make it difficult to cheer for them. Their scoring his hot/cold, their goaltending is hot/cold, and their defense is hot/cold. This is the perfect mix that ultimately makes up a .500 team, and at 7-6-1, the Oil aren't turning any heads yet. We need to see a big move soon so the Oilers can be among the elite in the West. The solution? The goaltending situation needs to be resolved. It is interesting that the Oilers most recent win came on the road against the Brodeur-less Devils, because if I was the Oilers' GM, my first move in this situation is to trade veteran goaltender Dwayne Roloson to the Devils. The Devils can use Roloson as a "rental", seeing that he is 39 years old, and he becomes a UFA at the end of the season. The Oilers have two young, very capable goaltenders in Matieu Garon and Jeff Deslauriers, and have no interest in re-signing a 39 year old keeper. In return, the Oilers could use some extra scoring talent. a Brian Gionta or John Madden perhaps? My second move as Oilers' GM would be to make a play for Minnesota star Marian Gaborik. The Oilers don't exactly have the salary cap room to supplement acquiring a player like Gaborik without giving up several players, so maybe a 1st round draft pick would seal the deal. Any play for Gaborik would be gutsy though, as he will be a UFA at the end of the season as well, and Edmonton would have a tough time affording Gaborik's salary. Either way, something needs to happen in Oil-town.

THUMBS UP - RW Patrick Kane - Chicago Blackhawks

-2007 first overall pick Patrick Kane is making the Blackhawks scouting staff look like heroes. The Blackhawks have the opportunity to bring back a winning tradition into the Windy City, and the responsibility is being rested on the shoulders of young-guns Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Kane is having an excellent start to the season, sitting tied for 5th in the league in points with 18, (8 of which have come in the last 5 games), and Chicago is in playoff contention with about 20% of the season in the books. If only captain Toews could step up the way we all know he can, and Patrick Sharp continues to play like he does...watch out Detroit.

That's all for this past week folks. Enjoy the games this week and don't lose any sleep over whether Sundin will play for your favorite team.

PP

HISTORY MADE: (Maybe another day)

2008-11-05T13:39:00.000-08:00

Hockey fans that have been sitting on the edge of their seats in anticiapation can relax for a while. Marty Brodeur will not be breaking any big records any time soon.

This past Saturday, during the game vs Atlanta, Brodeur tore a biceps tendon, and will have surgery to repair the injury, which will leave him sidelined well into 2009. This is extremely unfamiliar territory for hockey fans, as it gives us a chance to see someone else as the starting goaltender for the Devils. In the past 12 seasons, Brodeur has only had one season in which he played under 70 games, and this was in 1997. I think it goes without saying that this loss is a huge blow to the Devils, who will need to keep pace in a very competitive division. With Kevin Weekes and Scott Clemmenson as the designated goaltenders for New Jersey in Brodeur's absence, I'm not sure that they can pull it off.

Marty Brodeur has had an incredible career in the NHL, and this season should be one for the ages, as he is on the cusp of breaking two major goaltending records. First, he is just 8 wins shy of Patrick Roy's all-time win record of 551, and he is just 6 shutouts shy of breaking Terry Sawchuk's record of 103. Fans will have to wait 3-4 months for Brodeur to get another crack at these records.

Make no mistake, Brodeur will break these records, but the Devils, under the direction of coach Brent Sutter have a chance to silence the critics and confide in a new #1 goaltender, Kevin Weekes. If you are a Fantasy hockey league player, maybe you should have listened when we told you Brodeur wasn't necessarily the greatest pick out there, hmm??

TOP NHL PLAYERS OF OCTOBER

2008-11-04T08:12:00.000-08:00

With the first month of the 2008/2009 season in the books, the PrairiePuck has compiled a short list of the MVP, top forward, defenseman, goaltender, rookie, and SK born player that we have seen in the past month.

Sitting a top October's greats is this month's MVP...

*MVP* LW Alexander Semin - WASHINGTON CAPITALS

-We said it back in September...the "other" Alexander needs to produce this year, and has he ever. In only 10 games, Semin has registered 8 goals and 8 assists, with a +6 rating, and a nice 24.2% shooting percentage to round off his October resume. Semin has been an excellent addition to the scoring column for the Capitals, who are keeping pace with the division leading Hurricanes. In the absence of Ovechkin for a few games and his relatively quiet start to the season (5 points in 8 games), we could see the "other" Alexander lead his team in points by the All-Star break.

*TOP FORWARD* LW Patrick Sharp - CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

-Talk about a player on the rise. If you remember back in September, not only did we list Alexander Semin as a player to watch in the league, but Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp also made the list. Sharp has currently put up 9 goals and 7 helpers, which is good enough for 2nd to league leader Evgeni Malkin. Call us hopeful, but under the Joel Queneville era in Chicago, they have managed a 5-1-2 record under his direction, which keeps pace with the division leading Red Wings. Not only will the Blackhawks make the playoffs...they may contend for home-ice advantage if Sharp keeps playing the way he has in October.

*TOP DEFENSEMAN* D Andrei Markov - MONTREAL CANADIENS

-On a team where the expectations could not be higher on the Centennial year of the franchise, Andrei Markov has picked up where he left off last year, and has clearly established himself as the go-to blue-liner for the Habs, averaging 25:05 playing time per night, with 1 goal and 12 assists, which is good enough for 21st overall in the league in scoring. Expect Markov to be a starter in this year's All-Star game for the 2nd consecutive year. In a year where the Habs are 8-1-1 and can make this a "story book" year, why can't Markov be an All-Star in the game, which happens to be in Montreal?

*TOP GOALTENDER* G Ryan Miller - BUFFALO SABRES

-The Buffalo Sabres have shaken off the 2007/2008 hangover after a remarkable President's Trophy Season in 2006/2007, and are back among the league's elite teams. After 2 of the most significant dates in Sabres fans memories in the past year and a half, fans questioned the capability of GM Darcy Regeir, as his two superstar forwards Chris Drury and Daniel Briere were shipped off to NY and Philadelphia in Free Agency, and star defenseman Brian Campbell was traded to San Jose at the trade deadline last season. One solid move that was made was the signing of #1 goaltender Ryan Miller, and it has paid off. Last year was a "half" rebuilding year (because Buffalo only missed playoffs by 4 points), but Miller has been a solid core of this team, and his star performance has led by example on this team, and the fans now have new stars to worship in Derek Roy, Jason Pominville, Thomas Vanek, and of course, Mr. Ryan Miller. With a 7-1-1 record, a 1.62 GAA, .942 Save %, and 2 shutouts, Ryan Miller was a no-brainer for this pick.

*TOP ROOKIE* C Derick Brassard - COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

-Brassard actually played 17 games last season with the Jackets, notching a goal and an assist, but due to games played, this young 21 year-old star is back as a rookie and has started the season off with a bang, tallying 4 goals and 7 assists to lead his team in points with 11. This native of Hull, Québec has a promising career ahead of him, and makes the race for the Calder Trophy interesting, as many (including the PrairiePuck) thought it was a Stamkos vs Brunnstrom race.

*TOP SK-BORN PLAYER* C Patrick Marleau - SAN JOSE SHARKS

-One could argue that Ryan Getzlaf had a better October than Marleau, but trust me, Getzlaf's time will come. Marleau deserves the accolades, as he as played at a level that his team needs him to be, and that is a leader by example. Marleau has always had the scoring ability, but a disappointing raised many questions. This season, in only 12 games, Marleau has tallied 6 goals, and 6 assists, which accounts for 25% of his entire output last season. His elevated level of play, particularly in even-strength situations has propelled the Sharks to a Western Conference leading record 10-2-0 record. Remember when we said there is a high chance that it will be a NYR vs SJ final this year? Just figured I'd let you know that after 1 month, they are still leading their respective conferences.

PP

WEEK #3 REVIEW

2008-11-02T18:57:00.000-08:00

With 3 weeks in the can in the NHL, we bring you another installment of the top stories, teams, players, and significant individual efforts from around the league in the last week. Without further adieu,

THUMBS UP - The tandem of Centres Jeff Carter and Mike Richards

-With an incredibly slow start to the year, the Flyers were finding themselves in familiar territory of the 2007 season, sitting in the basement of the Atlantic division. But in the last 5 games, centres Jeff Carter, and team captain Mike Richards have combined for 6 goals and 10 assists to lead their team to 4 straight wins. The Oilers actually ended this winning streak today with a 5-4 victory, but if the stellar play from these two Canadian young stars continue, they will be making a run for the East's elite.

THUMBS DOWN - Any team interested in Mats Sundin

-We've made it quite clear here that we are fans of Mats Sundin, but the shit that some of these players pull with the NHL clubs is beyond me. Last year it took forever for Anaheim Ducks Scott Niedermeyer and Teemu Selanne to make up their mind as to whether they would retire or not. Ducks GM Brian Burke actually made it clear to the two that it would not be tolerated again. I know Sundin is a +500 goal scorer and all, but should teams really be sitting on the edge of their seat waiting for this guy, when he has yet to make up his mind? Sundin should not be thinking of himself as the "missing link" for any of these teams, and these teams should not be treating him as the cure for cancer. To play in this league, it should be a privelage, and a duty to fulfill 110% for your respective club, and Sundin has missed over 10 games already because he hasn't made up his mind yet. Shame on the GMs for allowing this type of behavior, and can we please end this bullshit so we can continue with our every day lives, rather than us all sitting on the edge of our seat, waiting. Gimme a fuckin break.

THUMBS UP - CALGARY FLAMES

-I must show some love for the Flames this week, as Calgary has been one of the hottest teams in the league as of late. After a slow start, the Flames went on a 6 game winning streak, eventually falling 3-2 to the Ducks last night. This tremendous effort was due to the elevated game play of captain Jarome Iginla, newcomer Mike Camalerri, and goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff. Iginla and Camalerri have combined for 26 points this season, and Kiprusoff must have realized that Goals Against actually does matter in this league, and carried his team to all 7 victories they've had so far. It's not like backup keeper Curtis McElhinney's number will be called too often this year (maybe 12 games or so), so we have to get used to every win going into Kipper's collection. Good on the Flames this past week, and the always tight Northwest division just got a whole lot closer, with Minnesota still having a slight edge.

THUMBS DOWN - THE SOUTHEAST DIVISION

-If nobody else is going to say it, I guess we have to. The Southeast division is garbage. I know what you're thinking...50% of the last 4 Stanley Cup teams have come out of the Southeast (Tampa in 2004, Carolina in 2006), and I know you must be thinking that Alex Ovechkin, Eric Staal, and Ilya Kovalchuk play in the Southeast, but if we look at the division as a whole, it's first class garbage. Out of the Atlanta Thrashers, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Washington Capitals, in the last 5 seasons, an average of 1.6 of these teams played in the playoffs. In 2003/2004, Tampa Bay was the lone representative of the Southeast (won the cup), and last year, if we remember Carolina's last game of the regular season, if they were to win that game, Carolina would take the Southeast title, with Washington missing playoffs, but instead they lost, and Washington was crowned Southeast Champs. The way that the league standings are set up means that in both 2004 and 2008, a conference title separated 1st place from 10th in 2004 and 3rd from 9th in 2008. The remedy? Get rid of teams like Florida or Atlanta that are dragging this division down, because if the standings right now are any indication for the playoffs this year, we'll only see one Southeast team in the playoffs once again.

THUMBS UP - C Steven Stamkos - Tampa Bay Lightning

-While on the subject of the basement dwellers of the Southeast, a congratulations and a pat on the back is due for rookie Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who after being snake bitten at the beginning of the season finally registered his first point of the NHL with his first professional goal, only to notch another and add a helper to round off a 3-point night on October 30th against the Buffalo Sabres. Although Stamkos has a long way to match fellow rookies Fabian Brunnstrom and Derrek Brassard in the race for the Calder trophy, the PrairiePuck is happy it finally happened. We were afraid it was going to be a Pavel Brendl situation with this kid.

Thats all for now folks,

PP

For your viewing pleasure...

2008-10-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

I'm quite tired, but I wanted to put something fresh up here for the kids to watch. Instead of getting my own material I thought I'd steal someone else's. Here's a video that made me giggle. It's completely overdone, way too Senators focused, and there's at least one spelling mistake (an unforgivable error), but screw it. It's catchy.

Thanks to jayanderin1 for posting it. Hey man, I think we'd get along.

Just pretend he hit an empty jersey, and everything will be ok.

2008-10-30T20:24:00.001-07:00

Just so you know, we don't hate Mats Sundin at all. We're pretty big fans actually. He is a very classy guy who never complained about the constant in-and-out of old, used-to-be-pretty-good players as his supporting cast. He just quietly went about racking up season after season of solid points and all star appearances, until he finally gave up and respectfully let the leafs go screw themselves. Here is a little video I find funny, because it makes the Toronto Maple leafs look bad. I dunno, maybe I'm grasping at straws here, but I let out a giggle after I saw the whole thing.

The Prairie Puck

READ THIS POST TO HEAR A HILARIOUS JOKE ABOUT THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Subban or not Subban?

Bryan Trottier of Val Marie, Saskatchewan

We're back!

Why Not Savard?

WEEK ROUND-UP: "Pre-Season"

PLAYERS ON THE RISE: Players that could make or break your Fantasy Drafts

2009/2010 ROOKIE CLASS : Who to watch

National Junior Team Development Camp : UPDATE

GETZLAF - Quickly becoming the most popular family in Canada

SASK players on the move after Free Agent Day

FANTASY HOCKEY PICKS: PLAYOFF EDITION

DOWN THE STRETCH

SASKATOON, SK. - A Hockey Tradition

Sask Flavour at the Trade Deadline

P.O.M Awards for January/February

If The PrairiePuck was the Leafs' GM for a day....

PRAIRIEPUCK'S PREDICTIONS ALL THE WAY TO JUNE

Saskafocus: Brayden Coburn

THE COUNTDOWN IS ON....

Week Wrap-up: From All-Star Performances to a Scary Moment in Philly

Saskatchewan Players Doing Well, Getting the Credit they Deserve

More evidence to suggest that Saskatchewan content is the only thing the Toronto Maple leafs have going for them

And the winners are....

Jordan Eberle: SK Jr Player Number Uno (in a three part series)

Tavares Leads Canada to 8-1 stomp over the Czechs

SK UPDATE: Good ol' SK kids making huge splash in the league

HIGHS AND LOWS OF THE PAST WEEK

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS - The top players in the NHL that could be on many team's Christmas lists

Hometown Boys Going for All-Star Spots: WADE REDDEN NEEDS YOUR HELP!

Ode to a Good Saskatchewan Kid

WEEK IN REVIEW

FEATURE: Brothers in the NHL

HOCKEY CANADA ANNOUNCES ALL 38 INVITEES TO WORLD JUNIOR CAMP

NOVEMBER'S PLAYERS OF THE MONTH

"If I'm not blocking shots, I'm pretty much useless out there" - Brooks Laich, Washington Capitlas

Captain Crunch is Amazing!

Mr. Kelvington Saskatchewan

Wade "Jefferson" Belak is movin on up!

2008 ADT CANADA/RUSSIA CHALLENGE

WEEK #6 REVIEW

More props for Luke Schenn... and a lead in the polls!

Say it ain't so Morrow!

WEEK #5 REVIEW

Team Saskatchewan Doing Well

WEEK#4 Review

HISTORY MADE: (Maybe another day)

TOP NHL PLAYERS OF OCTOBER

WEEK #3 REVIEW

For your viewing pleasure...

Just pretend he hit an empty jersey, and everything will be ok.