It is horrifying to have to report that Rick Rypien passed away last night. Rypien was twenty-seven at the time of his death. No cause of death has been released, only the thought that his death was sudden. Rypien had just recently signed a contract with the Winnipeg Jets after playing six years in Vancouver.
Every person comes to a point in their life where they must realize that their career in sports is ending. For most people that moment comes early in life. A select few have the privilege of playing professional sports. Yet there is a crushing moment for these individuals as well, in every athletes life they must realize their limitations. Not every person who plays professional hockey will not be Wayne Gretzky. In fact, many professional athletes will never even gain the title of worst player in their sport, a title although dreaded, also usually means their was an extended career. This actualization can be debilitating for some people, especially when they have family in sports.
I bring to you a poem by A.E. Housman that hopefully holds true to Rick.
The time you won your town the race
We chaired you through the market-place;
Man and boy stood cheering by,
And home we brought you shoulder-high.
To-day, the road all runners come,
Shoulder-high we bring you home,
And set you at your threshold down,
Townsman of a stiller town.
Smart lad, to slip betimes away
From fields were glory does not stay
And early though the laurel grows
It withers quicker than the rose.
Eyes the shady night has shut
Cannot see the record cut,
And silence sounds no worse than cheers
After earth has stopped the ears:
Now you will not swell the rout
Of lads that wore their honours out,
Runners whom renown outran
And the name died before the man.
So set, before its echoes fade,
The fleet foot on the sill of shade,
And hold to the low lintel up
The still-defended challenge-cup.
And round that early-laurelled head
Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead,
And find unwithered on its curls
The garland briefer than a girl's.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Optimissm
Robin Zander once sang "Mommy's alright, Daddy's alright, they just seem a little weird." In the case of the Predators fan, David Poile is daddy. As of right now, it looks like David Poile has had the worst off season in Predators history. To recap:
Our rfa's never got there qualifying offers.
Come July first the predators did not sign a single free agent.
Not only did we not sign any free agents, but we lost Marcel Goc, Shane O'brien, Joel Ward, Steve Sullivan, Mark Dekanich, and J.p. Dumont.
Cody Franson and Matt Lombardi were traded to Toronto for Brett Lebda and Zack Sortini
The only signing has been an AHL d-man.
Finally, Shea Weber not only made it to arbitration, but Poile put in a 4.75 million dollar offer.
This all looks bad, it does, but in all honesty, it just looks that way. All of the rfa's were resigned to deals before their arbitration dates. Every free agent that signed on July first was dramatically overpaid. Marcel Goc was a loss, and was only slightly over paid, but his loss unclogs the log jam that was the Predators center situation. As far as the players being lost, only O'brein, Ward and Franson were regulars in the line up this year. The low ball offer was simple strategy. You have to put in a low ball offer if you want to balance out the opposing high ball offer. So honestly, it looks a lot worse then it actually is. The line up has questions, especially on the blue line, but we have the deepest defense core in the league, with three or four guys who are suppose to be NHL ready. And the future has questions, will the big three sign long term, where are we going as a team, will we win a cup? Those will be answered in time, but for right now, this season looks full of promise. Worry if you will, but know that in a contract year we see the best in players, and we have a lot of players in their contract years.
Our rfa's never got there qualifying offers.
Come July first the predators did not sign a single free agent.
Not only did we not sign any free agents, but we lost Marcel Goc, Shane O'brien, Joel Ward, Steve Sullivan, Mark Dekanich, and J.p. Dumont.
Cody Franson and Matt Lombardi were traded to Toronto for Brett Lebda and Zack Sortini
The only signing has been an AHL d-man.
Finally, Shea Weber not only made it to arbitration, but Poile put in a 4.75 million dollar offer.
This all looks bad, it does, but in all honesty, it just looks that way. All of the rfa's were resigned to deals before their arbitration dates. Every free agent that signed on July first was dramatically overpaid. Marcel Goc was a loss, and was only slightly over paid, but his loss unclogs the log jam that was the Predators center situation. As far as the players being lost, only O'brein, Ward and Franson were regulars in the line up this year. The low ball offer was simple strategy. You have to put in a low ball offer if you want to balance out the opposing high ball offer. So honestly, it looks a lot worse then it actually is. The line up has questions, especially on the blue line, but we have the deepest defense core in the league, with three or four guys who are suppose to be NHL ready. And the future has questions, will the big three sign long term, where are we going as a team, will we win a cup? Those will be answered in time, but for right now, this season looks full of promise. Worry if you will, but know that in a contract year we see the best in players, and we have a lot of players in their contract years.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The Beard is Worth A Million Alone
As the August 2nd arbitration case looms large, the people of Nashville are becoming as tense as goalie facing down a Weber Slapshot. That tension broke on twitter yesterday when the news was leaked that Weber's people were asking for eight million dollars before the Stamkos deal was dropped. Debates exploded and many camps broke out. Different topics raged, do we need Weber, can the Preds keep all the big three intact, and the topic that I took to, does Weber deserve money like Stamkos or Richards.
The answer, as sad as it may be for the Predators, is yes, he deserves every bit of superstar money. Weber's accolades include: being on the top pair of team Canada's gold medal winning Olympic team, he was named to the Olympic all-star team for that performance, he has made the Nhl All-star team twice, the eighth overall pick in the fantasy draft, and was a finalist for the soon to be Lidstrom trophy that today we call the Norris. Weber is tied with Mike Greene (an offensive specialist) for most goals by a defenseman since the start of the 06 season. This past year Weber was top five in defensemen in the categories of goals and shots, as well as top ten in points. The man can play in the offensive zone, there are no doubts about that.
As captain of the Predators, Shea Weber led the Predators to their first ever second round berth where they played the Vancouver Canucks. I mention this because in that series, one of the most dangerous lines in all of hockey, Sedin-Sedin-and whoever they feel like including, saw its worst series of the playoffs. To get to the Canucks, the Predators had to beat the Anaheim ducks. Through out that series, Shea Weber and his defense partner Ryan Suter had to match up with possibly the best line in all of hockey, Perry-Getzlaf-Ryan. As you may have concluded from the fact that the Predators won the series, and Weber's positive four rating.
Plain and simple, the Weber is a star defender and for good reason. The pairing of Suter and Weber can run with any line in the Nhl. Weber may not have won the Norris this year, but it will happen and it will happen multiple times. I know that it is not a good thing for the Predators, but Shea Weber deserves super star money. This team needs Shea Weber, he is the face of this team and will be for a long time, hopefully. He may or may not be the better defense man on the line, it is really an apples and oranges question. Shea Weber brings certain aspects to this team that no other player can. There is only one other player with a slapshot like Weber's and he is not leaving Boston. Weber is a part of this teams history, and will hold every record that the team can think of whether it is for a long or short time. Give Weber whatever money he wants, as long as we lock him up for the rest of his playing career.
The answer, as sad as it may be for the Predators, is yes, he deserves every bit of superstar money. Weber's accolades include: being on the top pair of team Canada's gold medal winning Olympic team, he was named to the Olympic all-star team for that performance, he has made the Nhl All-star team twice, the eighth overall pick in the fantasy draft, and was a finalist for the soon to be Lidstrom trophy that today we call the Norris. Weber is tied with Mike Greene (an offensive specialist) for most goals by a defenseman since the start of the 06 season. This past year Weber was top five in defensemen in the categories of goals and shots, as well as top ten in points. The man can play in the offensive zone, there are no doubts about that.
As captain of the Predators, Shea Weber led the Predators to their first ever second round berth where they played the Vancouver Canucks. I mention this because in that series, one of the most dangerous lines in all of hockey, Sedin-Sedin-and whoever they feel like including, saw its worst series of the playoffs. To get to the Canucks, the Predators had to beat the Anaheim ducks. Through out that series, Shea Weber and his defense partner Ryan Suter had to match up with possibly the best line in all of hockey, Perry-Getzlaf-Ryan. As you may have concluded from the fact that the Predators won the series, and Weber's positive four rating.
Plain and simple, the Weber is a star defender and for good reason. The pairing of Suter and Weber can run with any line in the Nhl. Weber may not have won the Norris this year, but it will happen and it will happen multiple times. I know that it is not a good thing for the Predators, but Shea Weber deserves super star money. This team needs Shea Weber, he is the face of this team and will be for a long time, hopefully. He may or may not be the better defense man on the line, it is really an apples and oranges question. Shea Weber brings certain aspects to this team that no other player can. There is only one other player with a slapshot like Weber's and he is not leaving Boston. Weber is a part of this teams history, and will hold every record that the team can think of whether it is for a long or short time. Give Weber whatever money he wants, as long as we lock him up for the rest of his playing career.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Cheese Head to Music City Star
Today the preds signed 2009 draft pick Craig Smith. Smith has played the past two years at the University of Wisconsin. His stats look like this:
"Smith, 21 (9/5/89), turns pro after spending the past two seasons at the University of Wisconsin, amassing 76 points (27g-49a) and 159 penalty minutes in 82 games. The Madison, Wis., native ranked ninth in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association in goals (19), tied for 11th in conference scoring (19g-24a-43pts) in 2010-11, in addition to tying for fourth in game-winning goals (5), and sixth in power-play points (8g-15a-23pts). As a freshman in 2009-10, Smith helped the Badgers advance to the 2010 NCAA National Championship Game (on a team that also included current Predator Blake Geoffrion) and was named to the WCHA All-Rookie team after finishing ninth in NCAA freshman scoring (8g-25a-33pts). He also joins defenseman Ryan Suter as UW Badgers in the Predators organization." Thanks to Preds press realease.
Smith will be a great addition to Milwaukee, and maybe even the big club. During the skate of the Union event, Poile hinted that he and the kid were in understanding that he might have a shot at the Preds line up with his old line mate Blake Geoffrion. This kid is suppose to be dynamic, he was a top three player on USA's world championship team. The official signing of Smith will make camp very interesting.
If in fact Smith does make the Preds it makes for an interesting situation. With the current roster, the Preds will have thirteen forward, if Smith makes it, they will have fourteen forwards on roster. Granted it would be nice to have some extra players for the inevitable injuries. The big question becomes could the signing of Smith mean that Colin Wilson will be moved? Only time will tell.
"Smith, 21 (9/5/89), turns pro after spending the past two seasons at the University of Wisconsin, amassing 76 points (27g-49a) and 159 penalty minutes in 82 games. The Madison, Wis., native ranked ninth in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association in goals (19), tied for 11th in conference scoring (19g-24a-43pts) in 2010-11, in addition to tying for fourth in game-winning goals (5), and sixth in power-play points (8g-15a-23pts). As a freshman in 2009-10, Smith helped the Badgers advance to the 2010 NCAA National Championship Game (on a team that also included current Predator Blake Geoffrion) and was named to the WCHA All-Rookie team after finishing ninth in NCAA freshman scoring (8g-25a-33pts). He also joins defenseman Ryan Suter as UW Badgers in the Predators organization." Thanks to Preds press realease.
Smith will be a great addition to Milwaukee, and maybe even the big club. During the skate of the Union event, Poile hinted that he and the kid were in understanding that he might have a shot at the Preds line up with his old line mate Blake Geoffrion. This kid is suppose to be dynamic, he was a top three player on USA's world championship team. The official signing of Smith will make camp very interesting.
If in fact Smith does make the Preds it makes for an interesting situation. With the current roster, the Preds will have thirteen forward, if Smith makes it, they will have fourteen forwards on roster. Granted it would be nice to have some extra players for the inevitable injuries. The big question becomes could the signing of Smith mean that Colin Wilson will be moved? Only time will tell.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
The Wind Beneath Our Wings
Personally, I was hoping that Brad Richards would be wearing an A in Nashville next year, but that was much more fantasy then reality. Now that he has signed in New York (actually like weeks ago) the Preds have to put some serious thought into the question. We all know that Shea Weber will be our captain next year. If the C was to get taken away from Weber, the entire front office and coaching staff would have to go into the witness relocation program, especially, if Weber is not signed to a long term deal. With Ryan Suter also on the brink of free agency he will continue to wear an A on his chest.
There is a case for Francis Bouillon to wear the extra A. He is the oldest player on the roster and a solid defenseman. He is fundamentally sound, as well, he wore the A early in the year. However, we are not sure
if Bouillon will play this year. Not to mention the fact that all three of our captains would be defensemen.
David Legwand is a viable choice to be the next captain. Legwand holds the great distinction of being the Preds first ever draft pick. He has only been a Predator, and he has been a good one at that. I'd say he is good for about fifteen goals a year, not to mention his ability play shut down defense and hit empty nets. Legwand puts his heart out there on the ice and definitely shows signs of leadership. We all remember the day that he continuously tried to get Sergei Kostitsyn a hat trick.
Marty Erat is really the only other choice at this point. Marty is good for about twenty goals a year, and will also be around for a while. Erat also wore the A at points during the year. There is no doubt that Marty will hustle and give his all for this team, I just don't see him as a captain.
I think that the obvious choice here as to be Mike Fisher. At thirty plus years of age, Fish is the third oldest player on the roster so far. In fact, when we enter the season we will have five, and it will stay that way for the entirety of the season. Fisher has been a twenty goal scorer most of his career. He is also the only player on the roster to have played in the Stanley Cup finals. Fisher will be under contract for the next two years and should see an improvement in his numbers after his shoulder surgery.
Now I am not in the locker room or at practices. My view of how these players interact with other players is limited to the few games I get to attend, and the games shown on the picture box. There is no doubt in my mind that this team has leaders, and good ones at that. More then that, I know that the coaching staff knows who will wear the A for us. And finally, I know that it will be the right choice, and that the team will know it, and we will be stronger for it... Unless it is Kevin Klein.
There is a case for Francis Bouillon to wear the extra A. He is the oldest player on the roster and a solid defenseman. He is fundamentally sound, as well, he wore the A early in the year. However, we are not sure
if Bouillon will play this year. Not to mention the fact that all three of our captains would be defensemen.
David Legwand is a viable choice to be the next captain. Legwand holds the great distinction of being the Preds first ever draft pick. He has only been a Predator, and he has been a good one at that. I'd say he is good for about fifteen goals a year, not to mention his ability play shut down defense and hit empty nets. Legwand puts his heart out there on the ice and definitely shows signs of leadership. We all remember the day that he continuously tried to get Sergei Kostitsyn a hat trick.
Marty Erat is really the only other choice at this point. Marty is good for about twenty goals a year, and will also be around for a while. Erat also wore the A at points during the year. There is no doubt that Marty will hustle and give his all for this team, I just don't see him as a captain.
I think that the obvious choice here as to be Mike Fisher. At thirty plus years of age, Fish is the third oldest player on the roster so far. In fact, when we enter the season we will have five, and it will stay that way for the entirety of the season. Fisher has been a twenty goal scorer most of his career. He is also the only player on the roster to have played in the Stanley Cup finals. Fisher will be under contract for the next two years and should see an improvement in his numbers after his shoulder surgery.
Now I am not in the locker room or at practices. My view of how these players interact with other players is limited to the few games I get to attend, and the games shown on the picture box. There is no doubt in my mind that this team has leaders, and good ones at that. More then that, I know that the coaching staff knows who will wear the A for us. And finally, I know that it will be the right choice, and that the team will know it, and we will be stronger for it... Unless it is Kevin Klein.
Friday, July 22, 2011
A Story for a Softy
The other day Robby Stanley posted and article asking the questions "What does hockey mean to you?" (Article here hockeynightinnashville.com/2011/07/what-d…) A question that will evoke many a varied response. I encourage everyone to answer this question for themselves. Here is my answer:
I was born in New Jersey, specifically a little town called Burlington which is in Southern New Jersey right outside of Philadelphia. (It is also a town over from Bobby Ryan's hometown.) In fact the flyers practiced in the town of Marlton where my house was, one of the flyers lived in my neighborhood. My father follows one sports team, The New York Yankees, and relies on me to give him all the team updates. Even though my father didn't like sports, I had the bug. My neighbor was a die hard Philly sports fan, and had me at the practice arena early, I was autograph bait since he didn't have kids yet. All of my mom's brothers had season tickets to the Devils and the Rangers, I played the role of chick bait for them. What I'm trying to say here is I have been around hockey the majority of my life.
I always loved hockey, it had everything I wanted as a kid: fast speed, cold weather, and a bit of brutal violence. By the time I could walk I had a three in one set with soccer, hockey and some other sport I paid no attention to. In fact my first ever sports injury, as well as my first trip to the hospital came from playing hockey. One day my best friend and I were playing hockey on my deck, I was coming down the railing with the puck and all of a sudden, I feel stick across my face. In a motion that most gymnast would be jealous of, I flipped over that banister. My body pirouetted through the air, my landing was not so stunning. My face planted itself in to the hard ground with a resounding thud. My nose was broken, and to this day remains more crooked then a cop in a Mafia movie.
Then the dreaded move came, and my life in New Jersey was up rooted. We moved to Louisville, Kentucky where they thing hockey is some northern way of saying "hock a lugie." I did my best to keep my love for the game alive. I would watch games on tv, and practice stick work with the ash tray we kept in the house for when my aunt came over. Every once and a while, usually during the winter olympics, I could rally my friends to play some street hockey, but it looked like hockey was no longer going to be part of my life. Then by the grace of God, a game called Nhl Hitz came into existence. I bought it on release day and had my friends hooked with in an thirty seconds of the first game. The rest of that summer and through the next couple of years, hockey was our addiction. We went so far as to put down the video game to play actually hockey.
Unfortunately time took its toll and high school started to prevent us from having free time, so again hockey started to fall out of my life. Life continued on, I found a new form of hockey, called lacrosse. High School ended and I went to school at Murray State, which if you do not know is in the middle of a little hell called Western Kentucky. Yet somehow, the people that I became friends with are die hard hockey fans. My sport was back. In my Junior year of college I went to my first Predators game and found a team that played a gritty defensive game that I loved.
So to answer the question, hockey is part of who I am. It is part of my essence, my being. When I am at Bridgestone Arena or any hockey rink, I feel right, whole, happy. A psychologist would probably tell me that it is unhealthy to put so much hope and desire into a sports team, but what is life without disappointment. Hockey is everything that keep life from the mundane, it's speed and suspense, it's violent and vigorous, and it's poetic and passionate. To say that sports gives us nothing is ridiculous, through my love for Predator's hockey I have met some great people including Jeremy Gover of Cellblock 303, Kristopher Martel of the Predatorial as well as Andrea R. and Lizette of Bowling Green. Through playing the sport I have learned determination and patience. Through my blog writing and social interaction around the sport, I have learned how to do research far better then any school has taught me. Don't get me wrong, if hockey were to strike, my life would not be empty, far from it. But hockey runs deep in me and always will.
P.S. this article took me a week to write, it was a tough one.
I was born in New Jersey, specifically a little town called Burlington which is in Southern New Jersey right outside of Philadelphia. (It is also a town over from Bobby Ryan's hometown.) In fact the flyers practiced in the town of Marlton where my house was, one of the flyers lived in my neighborhood. My father follows one sports team, The New York Yankees, and relies on me to give him all the team updates. Even though my father didn't like sports, I had the bug. My neighbor was a die hard Philly sports fan, and had me at the practice arena early, I was autograph bait since he didn't have kids yet. All of my mom's brothers had season tickets to the Devils and the Rangers, I played the role of chick bait for them. What I'm trying to say here is I have been around hockey the majority of my life.
I always loved hockey, it had everything I wanted as a kid: fast speed, cold weather, and a bit of brutal violence. By the time I could walk I had a three in one set with soccer, hockey and some other sport I paid no attention to. In fact my first ever sports injury, as well as my first trip to the hospital came from playing hockey. One day my best friend and I were playing hockey on my deck, I was coming down the railing with the puck and all of a sudden, I feel stick across my face. In a motion that most gymnast would be jealous of, I flipped over that banister. My body pirouetted through the air, my landing was not so stunning. My face planted itself in to the hard ground with a resounding thud. My nose was broken, and to this day remains more crooked then a cop in a Mafia movie.
Then the dreaded move came, and my life in New Jersey was up rooted. We moved to Louisville, Kentucky where they thing hockey is some northern way of saying "hock a lugie." I did my best to keep my love for the game alive. I would watch games on tv, and practice stick work with the ash tray we kept in the house for when my aunt came over. Every once and a while, usually during the winter olympics, I could rally my friends to play some street hockey, but it looked like hockey was no longer going to be part of my life. Then by the grace of God, a game called Nhl Hitz came into existence. I bought it on release day and had my friends hooked with in an thirty seconds of the first game. The rest of that summer and through the next couple of years, hockey was our addiction. We went so far as to put down the video game to play actually hockey.
Unfortunately time took its toll and high school started to prevent us from having free time, so again hockey started to fall out of my life. Life continued on, I found a new form of hockey, called lacrosse. High School ended and I went to school at Murray State, which if you do not know is in the middle of a little hell called Western Kentucky. Yet somehow, the people that I became friends with are die hard hockey fans. My sport was back. In my Junior year of college I went to my first Predators game and found a team that played a gritty defensive game that I loved.
So to answer the question, hockey is part of who I am. It is part of my essence, my being. When I am at Bridgestone Arena or any hockey rink, I feel right, whole, happy. A psychologist would probably tell me that it is unhealthy to put so much hope and desire into a sports team, but what is life without disappointment. Hockey is everything that keep life from the mundane, it's speed and suspense, it's violent and vigorous, and it's poetic and passionate. To say that sports gives us nothing is ridiculous, through my love for Predator's hockey I have met some great people including Jeremy Gover of Cellblock 303, Kristopher Martel of the Predatorial as well as Andrea R. and Lizette of Bowling Green. Through playing the sport I have learned determination and patience. Through my blog writing and social interaction around the sport, I have learned how to do research far better then any school has taught me. Don't get me wrong, if hockey were to strike, my life would not be empty, far from it. But hockey runs deep in me and always will.
P.S. this article took me a week to write, it was a tough one.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Heat is Nice but bring on the Ice
As the day progresses and I sit here waiting for the the world cup game, my mind wonders to its normal place, the Predators. As fans we have been worried about what this Preds team will look like, so I started to think about lines, and I am genuinely confused. My first thoughts were thus:
Sk74 Fisher Bergfors
Erat Leggy Hornquist
Halischuk O'reilly wilson
Tootoo Smithson Spaling
I am actually a big fan of these lines. Bergfors is a big question mark, but if he plays anywhere to his potential we have a potentially devastating top line. Well, offensively, the defense on that line maybe desired, and maybe the reason that we do not see it. Our second line also has the potential to put up good scoring, maybe. The fourth line could we could call the health service line, because they can shut anyone down. Line number three is interesting, it could be extremely productive in the offensive end, but that is if Wilson is allowed to play. I say all of this and I have left out Blake Geoffrion, mostly because the web site doesn't have him on the big league roster. Maybe Blake replaces Wilson or Hali. Another thing to remember is that David Poile was trying to convince Craig Smith to leave the University of Wisconsin. Well Poile must be a damn good sales man, because Smith went pro earlier this week. So we have to add him in to the mix somewhere as well. The final thing to realize, Barry Trotz is our coach so, it really is unpredictable what our lines will look like exactly. The only thing that we can be sure of, this year will be interesting and hopefully a lot of fun to watch.
Sk74 Fisher Bergfors
Erat Leggy Hornquist
Halischuk O'reilly wilson
Tootoo Smithson Spaling
I am actually a big fan of these lines. Bergfors is a big question mark, but if he plays anywhere to his potential we have a potentially devastating top line. Well, offensively, the defense on that line maybe desired, and maybe the reason that we do not see it. Our second line also has the potential to put up good scoring, maybe. The fourth line could we could call the health service line, because they can shut anyone down. Line number three is interesting, it could be extremely productive in the offensive end, but that is if Wilson is allowed to play. I say all of this and I have left out Blake Geoffrion, mostly because the web site doesn't have him on the big league roster. Maybe Blake replaces Wilson or Hali. Another thing to remember is that David Poile was trying to convince Craig Smith to leave the University of Wisconsin. Well Poile must be a damn good sales man, because Smith went pro earlier this week. So we have to add him in to the mix somewhere as well. The final thing to realize, Barry Trotz is our coach so, it really is unpredictable what our lines will look like exactly. The only thing that we can be sure of, this year will be interesting and hopefully a lot of fun to watch.
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