GETZLAF - Quickly becoming the most popular family in Canada

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.

PP

SASK players on the move after Free Agent Day

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.

PP

FANTASY HOCKEY PICKS: PLAYOFF EDITION

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

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,

PP