https://ici.radio-canada.ca/sports/1455591/chronique-martin-leclerc-hockey-famille-lefebvre-equipement-gardiens-jambieres

Since the calendar changed us in 2020, the very special world of elite goalkeepers has not been quite the same.
Since January 1, the multinational CCM no longer has its high-end leggings, masks, mittens and shields made by the famous Lefebvre family, from Terrebonne.
For a quarter of a century, the Koho, Reebok and CCM brands (the names of manufacturers have changed over the course of mergers and acquisitions) have been closely associated with the Lefebvre family. Owned by global giant Adidas, CCM was sold to the Birch Hill investment fund two years ago. And, to the amazement of the actors in the community, Birch Hill seems to have come to the conclusion that the CCM-Lefebvre association was no longer necessary for them.
In the NHL this season, no less than 34 goalies, including five recipients of the Vézina trophy, wear leggings, mittens, shields or masks made by the Lefebvre family. Six of the seven goaltenders with the most wins in NHL history (Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy, Roberto Luongo, Ed Belfour, Marc-André Fleury and Curtis Joseph) defended their net by wearing this Quebec equipment.
In Montreal, Carey Price has been using Lefebvre equipment since the early 2010s.
These Quebec artisans (we can certainly speak of art when pieces of equipment reach such a level of refinement) therefore regain their full freedom, which means that we will eventually see their legendary “L” logo appear on the ice rinks of the NHL and around the world.
In the 1980s, Patrick Roy was the first NHL goaltender to wear Lefebvre leggings.
In the 1970s, Michel Lefebvre had Ken Dryden as his first client. He had then made her a special protector to allow her to play despite a foot injury. Enthusiastic goalkeeper of garage leagues, Michel Lefebvre then set out to make very innovative masks. Michel Larocque and Richard Sévigny quickly became his clients.
The development and production of leggings then followed. When Patrick Roy started wearing Lefevre (the trademark does not include the “b” in the family name), his leggings were assembled in the family basement and it was Michel's wife, Diane, who took care of sewing!
In the early 1990s, the NHL began to cash in on the visibility it provided to OEMs. Quite onerous fees had therefore been imposed on them so that their equipment could be used by players in the league.
In 1992-1993, following these changes, Patrick Roy wore Koho leggings. However, an unexpected event completely changed the fate of the Lefebvre company.
After losing his last five games on the calendar, disheartened, Roy showed up at the Lefebvre workshop with his agent Pierre Lacroix. "I'm not able to go with that. Can you help me? Roy said, showing his leggings.
Good princes, the Lefebvre family had completely rebuilt their leggings while preserving the Koho envelope. And when he left the studio, Roy had made a historic prediction: "With that, I'm going to win the Stanley Cup! “.
It was after this story that Koho decided to entrust the production of all his high-end equipment (NHL, LAH, major junior, NCAA, European professional leagues, etc.) to Michel Lefebvre and his children, Patrick (a former QMJHL goalkeeper) and Véronic.
From the outside, the end of the Lefebvre-CCM association looks like the beginning of a kind of commercial struggle between David and Goliath. In the field, however, many are betting on the Lefebvre's chances of retaining the support of a large percentage of their clientele.
Half of the NHL goalies who have been wearing Lefevre have been doing so for over ten years. We are talking here about ultra-specialized athletes who are always on the lookout for innovations, but who do not change equipment as we change shirts.
"The person who made this decision on behalf of CCM probably did not have a good knowledge of the hockey community," said agent Gilles Lupien when he heard the news. Many Lupien customers use or have used Lefevre equipment during their careers.
Former goalkeeper coach François Allaire, one of the characters who have most influenced the progression of hockey in recent decades, was also surprised by the end of this association which he considered "perfect" for the two parts.
"One of the strengths of Lefebvre is that they have a large client base that allows them to gather a lot of information in the field to improve their products. And once they have this information in hand, they are able to transpose it into their equipment very effectively, "said Allaire.
Michel, Patrick (development manager) and Véronic Lefebvre (production and operations manager) had known for nine months that their agreement with CCM was not going to be renewed.
"We took the opportunity to return to the drawing board and to launch new projects. We have just created even more efficient leggings. We are even developing a breastplate (a first for the company) for next year ", explains Michel Lefebvre. The 71-year-old founder of the company stopped keeping nets just three years ago.
"In the hockey community, the news has quickly spread over the past year. And we realized that our name and our expertise are truly recognized everywhere, ”he adds.
"We started to receive calls from people who wanted to place orders in the last months of 2019, but we had to explain to people that we were forced to wait until January 1," said Véronic Lefebvre.
In a few hours (Friday, January 3), the Lefebvre will therefore restart their business via their Facebook and Instagram accounts. Long live social networks !, they say to themselves. The guards will also be able to customize and order their equipment on the Lefevre website.
"In 2012, we created a leg warmer (the EFlex) which has become the most popular in the world with elite goalkeepers. The one we will launch in a few hours, the L20.1 will be even more revolutionary. It has a new calf protection system and gives great freedom of movement at the ankle. She is very responsive and requires less effort from the goalkeepers to maintain a stable position on the ice, "said Patrick Lefebvre.
By the end of the 2019-2020 season, for several reasons, we will not see the new Lefebvre equipment on the NHL rinks. "Everyone already knows that more than half of the goalkeepers play with our equipment," said Michel Lefebvre. However, they plan to be there next season.
The 2020s thus began in a very eventful way for the small manufacturer of Terrebonne and its 17 employees. This restart certainly has an element of unknown. But this transition also injects a good dose of adrenaline into everyone.
The picture is lame, but let's say if the violins in your orchestra are made by Stradivarius and you want to have someone else build them, you better have a great plan B.
In a year, it will therefore be very interesting to see to what extent this new era will have shaken up the small - extremely specialized - universe of the best goalkeepers on the planet.

A Comprehensive Guide to Defeating the Philadelphia Flyers™

The Life and Times of Being a Sports Fan

I remember a lot of people having a hard time after our most recent playoff exit. There were people calling for Drew’s head. Potter said he was saying goodbye to Reddit as it was too stressful (but also got a big job promotion too) to read everyone’s negativity day in and out. The sub was in disarray. But it’s important yearly to always look forward to next year if this year isn’t ours. The rebounds you gain from failures are just as important to your victories. The fact that after X amount of time, your team starts on a level 0-0 record to try again. That faith is what keeps you going every season. It’s the reason On Sundays, you save 4 hours of your day dedicated strictly to your team. I’m going to outline some of my favorite sports teams failures just in the past year or so and how these failure/shortcomings are only temporary. (Please forgive my formatting im on mobile)

New Orleans Saints:

As we all know, this season didn’t end well... almost didn’t start well either. After an absolute nail-biting, butt-clenching, vulgarity-fueled last second win against Houston, our season’s biggest game and probably one of the most anticipated regular season matchups of note against the Rams was a disaster. We got punched in the mouth, took ~~an arrow to the knee~~ a thumb to a helmet and our golden boy went down. You can tell immediately he’s done on the sidelines. The Saints quit and the Rams are the one marching on in victory. The team fights back and somehow do great things. Teddy becomes a household name, Drew gets records, CGM gets records, team wins division, earns playoff spot... you’re probably saying “Briguy_fieri, that’s not a lot of negative things.” You’re right, it’s not. But that’s when the worst things happen. When you think you’re untouchable, when you’re brought down to earth it hurts more than never having a shot. Saints play like absolute shit and get absolutely embarrassed at home (again). Season is over. One of our best regular seasons ends in the wildcard week. Wonderful. Now, I’m not going to dive deep into this, but the Gayle Benson news is not the best. Don’t say “nothing happened” because we know as much as /NFL holier than thou’s. We don’t know anything and if/when something does come out, I don’t want to eat crow by blindly defending her. We need more details until this thing passes. Either way it’s not a good look. Drew could be on his way out. We’re in the twilight moments of the best player our team has/might ever see(n). We’re back in a tight spot financially for now.
But just like everyday, there’s a bright for every dark. Our god tier receiver is locked up. Our defense is playing great with no glaring holes. We’ve hit on the last few drafts giving us studs everywhere. We finally will get to see Sean groom our future franchise player and take over for drew. If drew does leave, we have the coach, the roster, the scouting, and the best fans to help take the division again.

Tampa Lightning

For those unaware, yes I love hockey. I’ve actually liked hockey longer than I have football. I’ve followed Tampa since 1999 when Vincent Lecavalier became an NHL video game cheat code. Tampa has had some absolutely terrible teams on the ice. Like some of the all time worst. But last year, the had the legitimate all time greatest single season in history. They had 62 wins and 20 losses. For as good of a team as the Saints had last year... multiply that by like 20. They were dominant in a way non-hockey fans can’t understand. Every night, they were going to score more than you, hit you hard, and embarrass you on defense. You weren’t going to outscore this team. They cruised through the regular season and faced a team who secured a playoff spot on the last night of the season. The worst wildcard team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, were a team that somehow lucked and clawed themselves into the playoffs. On paper, you’re betting the house on Tampa taking this series. It’s easy money. Tampa opens up the first game with a quick 3 goal lead and that bet is looking smart.... until they blew the lead and lost 4-3. Over the course of the next 3 games, Tampa got wrecked by being out scored 15-5, never leading a game the rest of the way. They got swept, by a team that had never won a playoff series EVER. Imagine their entire season summed up as 28-3, where 28 is the regular season. Imagine the 18-1 patriots getting beat in the wildcard round. It makes no sense, but here I am still trying to wrap my head around it. Them getting curb stomped was the #1 post on /hockey for a few months and only got outed by Kobe passing away, the most hated player in the league losing the game on a Marcus Williams type fluke, and the leagues Lovable Losers St. Louis Blues winning their first ever Stanley Cup. Tampa’s offseason was pretty tame as their stacked roster didn’t have any key departures and most of their stars were locked up into the future on good contracts. The window nailed open for now as the Lightning (who started slowly) are now a top 3 team in the league again.

New Orleans Pelicans

The worst kept secret in the NBA was Tony David (real name Anthony Davis) looking to leave New Orleans. Homie amassed a large sum of money, and then legitimately quit on his team. He handcuffed his team with trading suitors by demanding the Lakers as the destination to play alongside his buddy Lebron. He became a locker room issue, took potshots at the team, and gave 0 effort until the season was over. The pelicans were called the worst run franchise by the media (suck a fart Colin Cowherd). Members of ESPN hinted that we should be forced to relocate to Seattle as we were deemed unworthy of a team (suck a fart Mike Wilbon). We were a laughingstock as the odds of us getting a good draft pick were slim as we had enough wins to give us a bad %. We got a new and highly respected GM, but someone who had been outbid the league for a few years. But then... the lottery happened. All of the teams with better odds of getting the number 1 pick got their ping pong ball pulled before us. They announced the Pelicans with the first pick and suddenly we forgot about Tony David. He got traded for a slew of picks and a high profile young core from LA. We drafted Zion Williamson, an Internet sensation who was hyped up since he was a sophomore... in high school. We got “stans” from /nba over Lonzo Ball. Brandon Ingram had the biggest upside from the laker group and has currently flourished into a league star. Zion has only played a handful of games, but has been as electric as advertised. The team started off slow, but is right in the thick of the playoff hunt. This team has a huge bright side of youthful talent and a stockpile of picks to keep us in the dark horse team of the league for years to come.

Colorado Rockies

Last year for the Rockies was terrible all around. Coming off a Wildcard game victory against the Chicago Cubs, the Rockies had mile high expectations that turned out to be an under sea level performance. Injuries plagued the team. The bullpen went to hell. The batting order forgo how to hit. Fielding was riddled with errors. The Rockies missed the playoffs, but the disaster didn’t stop there. Rumors started floating that superstar third basemen Nolan Arenado was being shopped. Despite saying he wanted to stay with the Rockies (after signing a team friendly mega deal), the team did nothing to refute the rumors. Weeks went by, where rumors continued to build only for the GM to say they were actively listen to offers. Nolan responded with vocal attacks on the GM saying how he felt disrespected, unwanted, and lied to. And he’s right. The Rockies offered him a huge contract with promise of continued playoff appearances and building a competitor. The Rockies this offseason have signed 3 players (2 to minor league contracts) and one of those was a former Rockies pitcher who hasn’t been the same since about 2013. Think of it like if the Saints brought back Colston this year if he didn’t retire. While baseball teams reported to spring training last week, Nolan was doing individual workouts/practices at a different stadium apart from the team as a silent protest of sorts. While this story is unfinished, if Nolan (a legit generational talent and has an argument to being called the best player in the game) is traded, several proposed deals include some of the best league prospects that would give the Rockies a young team with high potential at various positions. One proposed deal would be a straight up trade with the Cubs for Kris Bryant, a slight step back from Arenado but gives no drop off at the position. We still have solid pieces at shortstop and the outfield. The prospects gained could shore up our holes elsewhere. Either way, while trading Nolan is highly unpopular, it might be enough to get the GM fired and cause ownership to right their wrongs.

Manchester City

City in the last 12-15 years have become a consistent title threat in the English Premier League and various European club tournaments. With the ownership change in the early 00s, City has had a world of funds at their fingertips to purchase the contracts of the best players and coaches in the world. With aspirations to win the league again this year, they slipped up a few early easily winnable games. Since then, Liverpool took the league lead and continued on holding that lead. Similar to my mention of Tampa’s dominance earlier in this post, Liverpool is having one of the all time greatest runs in league history. Those repeat title goals are basically shattered with only 3 months left of The season. But then news broke of a massive ban placed on City. They’ve been banned from the biggest tournament outside of the World Cup (costing them massive amounts of money... like 2 Michael Thomas contracts type money just from this tournament) for violating Financial Fair Play. I’m not too sure of the specifics of what it is, but apparently it has to do with spending more than your team made from sponsors. With City’s owners deep pockets, they probably used some of those funds to purchase player’s contracts. On top of the ban, they were fined 60 million as well, an unprecedented act. There’s rumors of stripping of their titles as well but nothing concrete about that. Like most sports, players go to where the money and opportunities for hardware are. This ban puts a huge damper on City getting quality players to sign with them. More than likely, City will be reduced to a mediocre team for the next 5-6 years until they are able to build themselves back to relevance. But the futures not all gloom and doom. City has had a wonderful youth academy where the develop young teenage talent into world class players. City might use homegrown talent to weather the storm and build the future within. All City players so far said they will honor their contracts in full and not force their exit. The coach has echoed the same. City is appealing the punishment in hopes it gets reduced or removed. They believe they are being singled out when handful of teams are also under the same violations.
I’m not really sure why I decided to spend an hour+ writing this out. I saw so many people posting sad “were about to suck again” type posts here. Lots of people questioned staying a fan after the continuous playoff exits. Lots of people left after news of Gayle (my initial reaction was an overreaction until i actually dissected what was said, I admit). I’ve used sports as one of my vices since I was a kid. I played it to make friends and find a healthy way to let out aggressions. I watched it to develop my game like particular players. I joined Reddit to talk about it. All of my favorite teams have been awful throughout their history. The saints were not relevant until 2006. Tampa was terrible until the mid 00s. The Pelicans have had good players, but really only have a handful of good seasons since their move to New Orleans. The Rockies only had 4 playoff seasons since I’ve been a fan and they only made it past the first round twice. City until about 07 was an unknown club that only had the claim of being the childhood favorite of Oasis. This is all small sample sizes of teams history. 2 of those teams were formed when I was about 5 years old. Year in and year out all our lives are filled with personal struggles. Depression, loss of loved ones, divorces and breakups, unemployment, medical issues, artistic/creative roadblocks, failed investments... life sucks sometimes. But as is the case with life, when there’s dark, light is sure to follow. We use sports as that guiding light. That’s what we turn to as an escape from life’s hard times. Sports are just games at the end of the day. Games that are a huge part of our lives, but still just a form of entertainment for us. But just like every game, when it ends, you always have the opportunity to a rematch and start over. If it doesn’t end the way you want, keep the faith and wait for the new day to come.

The Life and Times of the Hartford Whalers.

The story of the Hartford Whalers is a particularly interesting one to me. From their very beginnings in the WHA, to joining the NHL, to being the perennial underachiever, to finally being moved to North Carolina. Obviously there is a lot more to this story than "they were bad and they moved", much, much more. The Hartford Whalers started life as the New England Whalers, a franchise in the World Hockey Association, a rival league to the NHL, that challenged the NHL's hold on Hockey and their reserve clause(basically meaning: You play with us, until we trade you or you retire). Over 67 players jumped to the WHA, including names such as Gordie Howe or Bobby Hull, with the WHA also going onto sign more European players and having young stars such as Wayne Gretzky. The New England Whalers started playing in 1972, led by ex-NHLers, Tom Webster(Red Wings), Ted Green(Bruins)(Inaugural Captain too) and many others, the Whalers first season was an incredible one for them, finishing First in their division and winning the Avco Cup. At the same time though, they had to play around the schedules of every other team playing in the Boston Garden, which led to scheduling issues for the Whalers, they essentially got the shortest end of the stick, because they were seen as a joke.
Enter Hartford, Connecticut, one of the richer cities in North America, they had just finished building the Hartford Civic Center, a multipurpose arena in the heart of downtown Hartford. The City had been hoping to attract an ABA Franchise to the city, but when that failed they had settled on the Whalers, giving them a home for their rest of the franchises existence(...ish). On January 11, 1975 the Whalers played their first game at the Civic Center, in front of a sold out crowd, where they defeated the San Diego Mariners 4-3 in Overtime. The next few seasons were pretty good for the Whalers, although they never quite achieved the success they had in the first season, they made It back to the Avco Finals in the '78 season, losing to the original Winnipeg Jets, although this came at the cost of losing their new arena, due to a roof collapse they were forced to play 26 miles up the road in Springfield, MA at the Big E Coliseum and the Springfield Civic Center(home to the AHL Thunderbirds and NCAA Yellow Jackets), for the remainder of their two WHA Seasons.
After 8 years of operation, the WHA merged with the NHL, with most of the clubs outright folding, save for the Whalers, Oilers, Jets(final Avco Cup winners) and Nordiques. Unlike the other clubs, the Whalers were allowed to keep the NHLers they had on their roster, rather than sending them back to their original team, as the other “new” teams had to do. This allowed the Whalers a slight advantage over many of the other NHL Teams, especially being able to keep players like Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe and Andre Lacroix(WHA All-Time Leading scorer). This advantage helped them become the first expansion team in NHL History to make the playoffs in their first year, a feat which would not be broken, until the Vegas Golden Knights joined. This merger was far from smooth however, as the Bruins who held a firm grasp on the New England market came close to(or did?) suing the league over admission of the Whalers, finally settling allowing the New England Whalers to join on the condition they change their name to the Hartford Whalers.

Attendance for the Whalers was never great, the only time it was really full was during Rangers or Bruins games, because of how close in proximity they were to NYC and Boston(5 hours..ish combined) and how well both fanbases traveled, it was usually a guarantee that you would see a sea of Blue / Gold. Hartford was a smaller market, but had the potential to be something incredible. Hartford for all of their existence were bottom five in attendance, it was always just a smaller arena, at their lowest they drew around 9854 fans, in their first NHL season, even with the improvements it wasn’t enough, Hartford just wasn’t a big major league market.
It was around this time that “Brass Bonanza” was introduced. Originally a B-Side on an album of team radio-broadcast highlights, it was composed by Jacques Ysaye under the pseudonym Jack Say. It gained popularity pretty fast, becoming the team’s theme song, being played during warmups, the team walking out, goals and victories. It is the one thing people think of when you say “Hartford Whalers”. It’s still used today by the Hartford Wolfpack of the AHL(more on them later). During Brian Burke’s short tenure(literally a season), he got rid of the song saying “the players are embarrassed by it." It came back the next season, after Burke got fired.

Their first NHL season was one of their best ever, finishing with 73 points, the best of the former WHA Teams. In the first Round of the Norris Division playoffs however, the Whalers fell 0 Games to 3 Games, to the Montreal Canadiens, the reigning champions went on to lose to the Minnesota North Stars. That however proved to be their only playoff run for about 5 seasons, as they lost their stars in Howe, Lacroix and Lacroix, all announced their retirements, although this was not Howe’s final time playing professional hockey as he later signed a contract to play 1 game, 1 shift, with the IHL’s Detroit Vipers(the IHL was the NHL’s previous farm league before the ECHL). Losing their stars, combined with the aging WHA roster and a management making bad trades to try and stay afloat, led to a 5 season long drought. Despite the drought, attendance rose at the Civic Center and would continue rising until the 88-89 season, where attendance finally began falling off.
The 1981 Draft was a great time to be a Whalers fan, they had just missed the playoffs, but had gotten Fourth Overall, leading them to draft Ron Francis. Francis made almost an immediate impact, with multiple point per game seasons, though it wasn’t enough to lead to the Whalers to a playoff berth, that wouldn’t happen until the 85-86 season. 85-86 was a magical time to be a Whalers fan, things began looking up, which seemed fair. In Game 1 of the season, down 3-0 to the Buffalo Sabres, Kevin Dineen led the Whalers in an incredible comeback, scoring 2 goals, which ultimately led to the Whalers winning 5-4. The following night was their home opener at home against the Rangers, with goals by Francis and Ferrao, the Whalers decimated their opponent with a score of 8-2, in front of an incredible crowd of over 15,142 fans. October was a pretty good month for them, beating the Canadiens 11-6 and going 6-4-0 for the month of October, leading to them sitting in third place in the Adams division. It cannot be stated enough how much these Whalers seemed like they were a playoff team, goalie Mike Liut was having a spectacular first few months, after being acquired late last season from the Blues for Greg Millen and Mark Johnson.
November was a different story! Their first three games they lost by over 20 goals total, scoring only 7 total in this time. After trading for Defenseman Dave Babych, they looked legit for at least one game, against the Jets where they won 8-1, with Francis getting a hat trick. The fun didn’t stop there though! They went onto win their next two games with a combined score of 25-6(and 1 shutout of the Kings). After falling to the Oilers though, things went back to normal, they fell out of their playoff spot, dropping it to the Canadiens, who also were barely holding on. November ended with a record of 5-7-0.
The rest of the season had its ups and downs, Francis was incredible, Dineen was an incredible player, while goaltending could be better, it could be much worse. They barely got into the playoffs, but it didn’t matter to the fans, they were going to the Adams Final this year! ...Where the Canadiens proceeded to destroy them in 7 hard fought games. All in all it was considered their best season ever at this point and to be fair, it was the best the Whalers would ever get, even though they finished 1st in the Adams the following year, they lost in the first round to the Nordiques(Hartford was cursed to lose to Quebec), this was the first and only season the Whalers had finished above Fourth in the Adams. To be honest, they were never “worldbeaters”, they were a smaller market team, which meant it was harder to attract great players, let alone trade for them, in many ways it’s the curse of location.
The 80’s Whalers didn’t bring us much playoff victories, but they brought us...Whaler Mania. Sung by the one and only “Whaler Maniacs”. This video features a Hall of Fame cast, inspired by the likes of "the Bears Shufflin Crew’ Crew or the LA Rams “Ram It”, this summed up the 80’s in a nutshell, music videos from sports teams.
The next few seasons were about much of the same, making the playoffs only to lose to Montreal, minus the two years where Boston beat them, it was usually just Montreal kicking them out of the first round. The 80s came and went, in what could be considered semi-successful, they got out of the first round once, they made it to the Adams Final, finished 1st in the Adams, but just couldn’t beat Montreal, Quebec, or Boston, to make a real run.
Their best playoff run ever was celebrated with a Whalermania Parade, where over 40,000 fans attended. You might be wondering why a parade? Honestly who knows, it was probably to get more eyes on the product.

March 4th, 1991, the trade that in effect killed a franchise:

The Hartford Whalers, trade forward Ron Francis Defensemen Ulf Samuelsson and Grant Jennings to the Pittsburgh Penguins, in exchange for Forwards John Cullen, Jeff Parker and Defenseman Zarley Zalapski. You may be asking “Why did they trade Francis!?” Well, so did the fans. The Hockey News reported the Whalers got the “better end of the deal”, leading many fans to question what these writers were smoking and where to buy some of that shit. To their credit though, Cullen was the Penguins leading scorer and the other two were no jokes, they were good players the Pens gave up, Mario wasn’t that great at the time, he needed someone like Francis to compliment his abilities.
The Penguins went onto win the next 2 Cups, cementing Mario's legacy as one of the top five players to play in the NHL. Francis cemented his legacy as one of the best as well, not top five, I don't think though. Francis even had a hat trick in the '92 playoffs against the Rangers.
(I can't find anything with Francis from the '91 Finals, so enjoy this clip! of him scoring on the Caps!)

Why was Francis traded? Well let’s rewind a bit back to December of the previous year, the Whalers stripped Francis of his “C” and gave it to Forward Pat Verbeek(current AGM to the Wings). Why did this happen? Well, Head Coach Rick Ley felt that Francis was too “laid back”, while Verbeek was seen as “more intense” and he had been the team’s leading scorer prior. It seems Francis was traded, because he was seen as expendable, they needed help with the Defense and decided Francis could go. Unfortunately, Parker had suffered a career ending injury months after the trade, leading fans to just shake their heads and sigh. The Whalers were falling apart, their GM had no real power and was basically a figurehead to the shitty owner. Ley left the following season to join the Canucks as an Assistant Coach, before becoming their Head Coach later. The Whalers hired Jimmy Roberts as his replacement.
Penguins GM Craig Patrick was asked about this trade, responding with: “Certainly, we weren’t a championship-caliber team, in my opinion, until we made that deal to get Ronnie and Ulf and Grant Jennings,” also saying, “We had made a lot of changes that whole season, but that was the icing on the cake.”
The Penguins needed help and this was the trade that got made them into a Dynasty and helped further cement Mario Lemieux as one of the greatest players ever. Funny enough, Whalers GM Ed Johnston, left the organization two years later to join…The Fucking Penguins. From what I've read this wasn't so much a move Johnston wanted to make, ownership had more or less forced his hand. Gordon meddling constantly in hockey ops, meant Johnston had no real power. He later joined the Penguins(3 seasons later)

Despite this, they made in the playoffs in 91-92, losing to the Canadiens, who despite looking like favorites to sweep, blew it, the Whalers responded by winning Games 3 and 4, Montreal won Game 5 due to crease violations(these weren’t enforced at the time), but Hartford tied it in Game 6, 24 seconds in Overtime thanks To Yvon Corriveau. Heartbreak happened though as usual, as they lost Game 7 in Montreal. During the offseason Coach Jimmy Roberts was fired, alongside GM Eddie Johnston, who just took his talents(???) to Pittsburgh as a Coach instead.

That same mediocre Summer:

The Hartford Whalers announce the hiring of Brian Burke, naming him the 5th General Manager in franchise history. Burke had most recently built the Vancouver Canucks who had gone onto a Cup Final(You know how that ended..). GM Brian Burke announces the hiring of Paul Holmgreen, the 10th Coach in franchise history. Holmgreen had most recently coached the Flyers, through a crazy playoff run, they had beat Lemieux's Penguins 4 games to 3, winning Game 7 in Pittsburgh. They then missed the playoffs twice, before he got fired. Holmgreen proceeds to name Pat Verbeek the team’s new Captain, counting the carousel of Captaincy. He got to play with up and coming stars, Andrew Cassels and Geoff Sanderson though, which was nice.

The Whalers also introduce their newest assistant coach, Pierre McGuire(Yes, that Pierre, the annoying one).

Burke’s first trade as a GM came quick: The Hartford Whalers trade Forward Bobby Holik, a 1993 Second-Round Pick and a conditional draft pick in 94(I can’t find anything on the condition) to the New Jersey Devils for Goaltender Sean Burke(no relation to Brian) and Defenseman Eric Weinrich. Burke had been playing internationally for Canada’s national team and for the Devils’ IHL affiliate. To say the least, he was a rookie sensation for the Devils, he had previously helped Canada(Junior) win a Silver Medal and from there went straight to the NHL, where he seemed...good. In the ‘89 season he was even named to the All-Star Game, being one of the few rookie goaltenders to make get named to the game. He was quickly becoming the face of the franchise, becoming the first Devil to be on the cover for The Hockey Digest. However by 1990 he became unhappy with the team and sat out 91-92, playing for Team Canada instead. So this was a seemingly good trade that Burke made, a change of scenery could do him well. He was even voted Whalers team MVP from 94 to 97, so it worked out for him, even though this team never even so much as sniffed the postseason again.
Behind the scenes, things were...rough. Brian Burke didn’t last long in the role as GM, he quit after one season. Head Coach Paul Holmgreen stepped into the GM Role as well as staying head coach, until November 16th when he stepped down as coach, citing a “lack of effort from the players” and “wanting to focus on being a GM”. Pierre Mcguire(again that Pierre) became the new Coach and...he was pretty hated actually. To quote the Hartford Courant: “He fancied himself two-parts Scotty Bowman and one-part Bob Johnson. It was a super-human leap of faith on his part.” Basically he tried to act like Scotty Bowman, being cold and distant to the players, while at the same time trying to be ``friends” with them, like Bob Johnson tried to do more of. He was so hated that Whalers Captain Pat Verbeek(amazing he lasted this long as Captain!) was quoted as saying: “the best thing that could have happened to the Whalers.” Yes, the team captain is literally shitting on the ex-coach, because he was that goddamn awful. Nobody liked Pierre, he mocked other coaches and drove away players, even the fans were happy he was gone. He later went onto be the annoying guy NBC trots out to torture us, because they hate all of us.
You might be thinking, “Can’t get any worse than Pierre,right?” Well it does. March 30th, 1994(before Pierre got fired), GM Paul Holmgren was arrested for driving drunk in Simsbury, Connecticut. From there he went to the Betty Ford Center for treatment / rehab, where upon Whalers owner Richard Gordon tried to fire him, being stopped by Bettman himself and Connecticut Governor Lowell P. Weicker Jr, who convinced him to not. Aka Bettman told him “Do it and you’ll get a fine” most likely and Weicker probably say “Don’t do it please!”. He later became the coach again because the players were ready to either kill Pierre or hitchhike out of Hartford, if it meant not playing for him again. Seriously nobody liked Pierre, he got the job because he was an assistant under Scotty Bowman.
The Whalers finished that year with only 63 points, 5 points better than last, but nowhere near good enough.
Summer of 1994. The Whalers announce the team has been sold to Compuware(They specialize in equipment for IT) CEO Peter J Karmanos, the cheap bastard himself, alongside partners Thomas Thewes and Jim Rutherford(Pens GM). Rutherford quickly became the new GM of the Whalers, succeeding Holmgreen, whom went back to being a coach. Karmanos wanted a winning team, which made Rutherford to get Jimmy Carson and Steven Rice, in Free Agency. During the draft Rutherford selected Right Winger Jeff O'Neill with their First Rounder, O’Neill was a highly touted player, who had put up over 329 Points in only 3 Seasons with the Guelph Storm, so this was a smart decision. He never really lived up to his potential though, especially in the early years where he bounced between the Pros and Minors. Among other trades Rutherford made, he traded Chris Pronger(they weren’t happy with him not developing fast enough) for Brendan Shanahan, who was incredibly unhappy about this trade. Did it matter? Hell no! He was named Captain before even skating a single practice, the whole time he wanted out of Hartford, he felt it was too small of a market and they had an “uncertain future”.
To Karmanos’ credit, he wasn’t new to owning Hockey, he had previously owned the OHL’s Windsor Spitfire, back in 1984 along with Thomas Tewes(longtime business partner) and Jim Rutherford. The Spitfires never won a Memorial Cup with Karmanos as owner, but they came close. Karmanos eventually sold them to someone who pledged to keep the Spitfire in Windsor, so long as the OHL granted him an expansion team in Plymouth, Michigan. It was that or he’d move the Spitfire to Plymouth, so he got the Plymouth Whalers.Karmanos’ group tried unsuccessfully to get an expansion team in St Petersburg, Florida. Eventually getting his hands on the Whalers.
That’s right, behind the scenes, the Devil himself, Karmanos was trying to move the Whalers out of Hartford, unless he got a shiny new arena built by the taxpayers. At this point, Hartford was starting on an economic downswing and the Government didn’t care that much about the Whalers, to pay for a new arena. Can you blame them though? Karmanos didn’t want a new arena, he never wanted Hartford to begin with, he was eyeing another market. It was easy because the Whalers were bad, had they had good management, things might have gone differently.
The team was bad and it was even worse behind the scenes, but they had recently re-acquired Kevin Dineen who was a fan favorite and helped boost morale at the least, along with mentoring the young players. It...didn’t really help though, attendance was down and they had missed the playoffs yet again. Due to his comments, Shanahan eventually got stripped of the “C”(why give it to a guy who didn’t want to be there I don’t know), due to fans and the media attacking him for his comments. Dineen was given the Captaincy instead, but it was another season lost. Shanahan finally got traded to a big market though, Detroit. The Detroit Red Wings acquire Forward Brendan Shanahan from the Hartford Whalers in exchange for Keith Primeau, Paul Coffey and a first-rounder. It actually helped the Whalers at first, as they started the 96-97 season with a winning record(that wouldn’t last).1996 was good for them, 1997 turned awful as losing kept happening, the playoffs slipped further and further away, until it was another season of no playoffs.

More behind the scenes chaos: The 96-97 Season was horrible, Karmanos announced unless the team sold 11,000 tickets he would move the team. If that didn't make things hard, he also eliminated ticket package deals, so you couldn’t just buy a package for 4 games and be good, you had to buy Season Tickets. That was literally the only option and helped Karmanos’ case of moving the team. His reasoning for moving them? Poor attendance and no corporate support(this one is fair, it’s been said that could be an issue with a Quebec team. I am not smart enough to say if this is a real issue or not). Despite Governor Rowland publically saying the state will not use public funds to build Karmanos a new arena, they were negotiating just that behind the scenes and talks were going well, until Karmanos wanted an additional $45 million to cover the team’s losses during the three years it would take to actually build the arena.

To be fair here, it wasn’t all because of Karmanos that the team moved. Yes he ultimately is the one who pulled the trigger and moved him, but this tale goes back to previous ownership and people no longer in charge. A lot of this can be blamed on Richard Gordon, the former owner who bought Donald Conrad’s(the other owner) stake in the team, in the later 80s, but this story goes well into the 90’s. Donald Conrad didn’t have the money needed to equal Gordon’s investment and had to get the help of Benjamin Sisti and Colonial Realty. In the end, Conrad had to sell his share to Colonial Realty and Gordon got the control he ever so desired. It doesn’t end there, Colonial Realty then declared bankruptcy because it turns out, they were a massive ponzi scheme. This gave a ton of uncertainty to the Whalers, since now it was they didn’t meet the financial terms of Conrad’s exit, which could also lead to Conrad being back in the ownership picture. Gordon pressed the NHL to investigate Colonial Realty, but this was the 90s NHL, they let a broke guy briefly own a team, they didn’t do their due diligence. For the first time, the 90s brought the word “relocation” to the Whalers, with Blockbuster owner Wayne Huizenga trying to buy the Whalers to move them to Florida, he later got awarded an expansion team in Miami. (this is a complicated mess I'm still trying to understand)
To Gordon’s credit, he refused all relocation offers. But this was a long standing issue, people blame Karmanos, but it’s far more than just “Karmanos moved the team because he hated Hartford”, he did. Gordon’s micromanaging seems to be the reason for some of the baffling 90s trades, like trading Francis, or then trading Liut for Corriveau, who was nowhere near as good. Liut led the league in shutouts the year he was traded to Washington, while Corriveau was...bad, he bounced between the pros and minors constantly. Gordon was just as bad an owner if not worse in many ways, than Karmanos. It didn’t help that in 92, there was a player strike(it lasted 10 days) while Colonial Realty was going bankrupt. All in all it was a mess, I could write up a novel detailing all of this, but that would be boring. Gordon sold the team to Karmanos knowing Karmanos wanted to relocate a team, so please blame him more.
Fun fact: Dallas, Minneapolis(Well ok, Minneapolis never did, but Minnesota got another), Las Vegas, Anaheim and Miami all tried to get the Whalers to move to their city. All of these cities later got an expansion team, or in the case of Dallas, a relocation.
It also didn’t help that former Mayor Carrie Saxon Perry(or Hat Lady) was anti-Whalers. Famously saying “Hockey is for White People”(She’s not totally wrong though, unfortunately) and this was in a time when concession sales were becoming a much bigger deal. She didn’t want to play ball with the Whalers, she didn’t want to re-negotiate on the lease, I think she may have just wanted them gone to be honest. She wasn’t well liked by many, Aetna(they previously owned the Whalers) threatened to leave Hartford if she won a fourth term as Mayor.
I won’t go into further details on who to blame, or it’ll be forever.
With talks of the Whalers leaving, fans were livid. A “Save the Whale” Campaign launched, buying up just over 8,563 tickets, in under 45 days, despite the Whalers doing everything possible to get people to not buy tickets, fans bought up tickets to save the Whalers. It wasn’t enough though, even with the people wanting to save the team, even with everything else, Karmanos announced they were leaving. Karmanos had discussed moving to Norfolk VA, but the only arena they had, The Scope, was too small to house an NHL Franchise and the city wouldn’t build them an arena. (Norfolk is a great minor league market I think, but I’m heavily biased). Rowland’s offers weren’t good enough for Karmanos, since he was trying to move the Patriots to Hartford(spoiler: that didn’t work), he wasn’t really trying to please the Whalers, but would have bent over backwards for the Patriots. It’s a lot of bullshit.
The relocation proposals: The Move. On April 17th, 1997, the Whalers played their final home game in Hartford, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1, with Captain Kevin Dineen scoring the final goal. On May 6, Karmanos announced the team would be relocated to Raleigh, North Carolina to become the Carolina Hurricanes. Despite years of trying and the Government doing what it could, they left and that was the last time a major league team had come to Hartford. In many ways this was the final nail in the coffin for Hartford, they were beginning to struggle and the 2000’s made the cities downswing much worse.
On October 1st, 1997, the new Carolina Hurricanes played their first game in North Carolina, losing in front of a sellout crowd to the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-4. Unfortunately, things didn’t improve, crowds were regularly drawing below 10K, the new arena wasn’t ready yet forcing them to move to Greensboro, as it was the only NHL ready arena in the state. Triangle area fans didn’t want to drive down I-40 to Greensboro, as it was an 80-Mile drive, while fans from the Piedmont Triad refused to support a lame-duck team and one that displaced the popular minor league Greensboro Monarchs. This was for all intents and purposes a stupid move, the arena was still 2 years out and fans in the area refused to support it, Karmanos had effectively killed a team that was at least getting 10k+ people to watch the games, in favor of an area that wanted nothing to do with them. It didn’t help the Greensboro Coliseum held over 20k+ seats for hockey, making it the biggest at the time in the league, but made it worse when nobody came to their games. It was so bad that sections had to be curtained off so that it wouldn’t look so awful on TV. It didn’t help only 29 TV Games were shown and radio broadcasts were often preempted by basketball, leading many to wonder “Why move them if nothing was ready?” Even Karmanos later admitted Greensboro was a mistake. The Whalers weren’t doing well in Hartford, yes, but moving them without a plan was just the best way to fuck up a relocation quickly.

In the end there were many guilty parties for “what killed the Whale?” Karmanos, Gordon, Weicker(the Governor at the time), Sisti(ran the Ponzi Scheme), they were what killed the Whalers in the end. It wasn’t a “lack of fan support” or “corporate support”, yes the latter didn’t help with the Whalers issues, nor did them being in the smallest NHL market help. But to blame anyone but these three you would be crazy to do so. The Government was incompetent, they wanted the Whalers to stay, but they were looking ahead at getting the Patriots and spending taxpayer funds to build them a stadium, you would probably see the Whalers in Hartford still, had the Governor not tried to flirt with the idea of an NFL team in Hartford. But realistically the only circumstance a new arena should have been built was if there was a guarantee that the Whalers would stay and that Karmanos would fit good portion of the bill as well.
After the Whalers left town, the Rangers moved the Binghamton Rangers to Hartford and renamed them the Hartford Wolfpack, playing in the same building as the Whalers played in, meaning NHL Hockey was gone, but AHL Hockey was here to stay. Unfortunately, even with hockey still in Hartford, not many attend Wolfpack games. But minor league teams are never that popular, so it makes some sense. For 3 seasons(2010-2013) the Wolfpack became the Connecticut Whale, paying homage to the former Whalers.
The Carolina Hurricanes won the cup in 2005, with only one Whaler left on the roster, Defenseman Glen Wesley won his first and only Stanley Cup. I’ve always considered the Hurricanes one of the weirder cup winners, they missed before and after their win. 04-05 was cancelled due to the lockout, but they missed in 02-03 and 03-4, missing again in 06-07 and 07-08, before coming to a conference final, where they were swept by the Penguins. That was their last playoff appearance for a full decade. Why did they miss so much? It’s simple: Karmanos. He refused to spend on the team after the cap became a thing, he stopped spending, he was content with the Hurricanes being awful and being a laughing stock of the NHL. Calls to move them were more common because of Karmanos, because nobody went to games, because they were losing money.
Could Hartford somehow get a new team? No, the answer is no. It’s too small of a market for the NHL to return to and the city is one of the poorer ones in the country as of now, with 1 in 10 citizens living in poverty, it wouldn’t be the right move to bring in a new team. Like the MLB, the NHL has a small market issue, free agents don’t want to go there, your gms can’t do much to fix anything, because nobody is giving up good players, unless it’s a cap dump and you get the picture. People in Hartford want a team, sure, but it’s mostly a minor league town, that’s what it can support, not every city can host a major league team. At the end of the day, Hartford just wouldn’t make any money for the NHL.
Jim Rutherford is regarded by many Canes fans as a terrible GM, he didn’t help much. He eventually ran off to Pittsburgh, turning them into a back to back cup winner and then wrecking any momentum they had, by signing some mediocre players to long term deals. (Jack Johnson.) He was replaced by franchise legend, Ron Francis who got replaced by Don Waddell, Francis is currently GM for the unnamed Seattle expansion team.
The Hurricanes are looking to rebound, after a decade of nothing-hockey, they look ready to make a comeback. The question is, was last year a fluke? or was it the start of something new? I hope it's the latter, I want this franchise to succeed, I want Hockey to succeed in North Carolina.
The Hurricanes also honored their heritage with a Whalers throwback night, where they beat Boston,(a feat the original Whalers didn't manage to do much) in front of a bigger home crowd than the Whalers ever had. Dundon's philosophy seems to be honoring the Whalers, instead of treating them like something shameful.
Karmanos finally sold the team in 2018, to Texas Billionaire, Tom Dundon who so far hasn’t done much of note, but enjoys talking about the Hurricanes. At the very least, it seems like he might be the owner the Hurricanes have needed.

The story of the Whalers isn’t a very happy one, in fact it’s pretty depressing when you realize this franchise never really had a chance, due to ownership, due to being a small market, due to a lot of factors. In the end, the Whalers are remembered for Brass Bonanza, for their run to the Adams Final, that had them a goal away from a Conference Final.

Further reading: "MAKING A RELOCATION: Who killed the Whale?"

I'll probably cover the North Stars and everything that happened with them next, I dunno yet. I omitted a few things I know, like talking about the logo or mascot, but I covered the major events. Special thanks to the mods, who I didn't have to harass this week, because the bot deleted a post. And thanks to jacoobz for linking me to the Whalers article, I read through it and enjoyed it.

8 reasons to be cautious heading into this season

[OC] Lost Leagues: History of the Professional Spring Football League (1992)

Competing football leagues in the offseason is all the rage right now. The Alliance of American Football started up this year, and promptly ended this year without even finishing its first season. And, the XFL is starting up again in 2020 (it’s almost impossible for the league to be as big of a failure as it was in 2001, when it flamed out in a blaze of glory).
Here’s the thing with other football leagues- I love getting my football fix at all times of the year. I was glued to my TV during AAF season, and watched practically every Orlando Apollos game. And when then XFL starts again in 2020, you can bet that I’ll be watching with a keen eye. There’s big names attached to the XFL, there’s financial backing, there’s a TV contract that is nothing short of impressive (half the games on network TV), and the rule changes look interesting.
But here’s the thing with other football leagues- 99 percent of them don’t work. In terms of outdoor professional football leagues in the United States, the only two outside of the NFL that worked were the AFL and the AAFC; they don’t exist anymore because they combined with the NFL. It’s extremely hard to get a pro football league up and running and give it any kind of success. There’s tons of leagues that have fallen by the wayside.
Case in point- the Professional Spring Football League.
Now seems like as good of a time as ever to revive the Lost Leagues series, where I take a look at failed professional football leagues. Some leagues, such as the United Football League post that kicked off the series two years ago, you may recognize. Others, like this one, you’ve probably never heard of. In fact, this league made such little of an impact that if you do a Google search for “Professional Spring Football League”, every link on the first page of results has absolutely nothing to do with the PSFL that I’m talking about.
With all of that said, let’s take a look at the incredibly short-lived existence of the Professional Spring Football League.
Part I: A Puzzling Formation
The league announced its existence on October 1, 1991, less than a year before the league was set to play in 1992. Already, you might be able to spot a major problem with this. There was already a pro football league in the spring in 1991, and that was the World League of American Football. That league had a lot of things that the PSFL would not wind up getting. For starters, it had the backing of the NFL. The league owners wanted to create a developmental football league in the spring that would also give the sport popularity overseas. The WLAF also had a television contract; not only were games shown on ABC and USA Network, but those networks actually paid the WLAF for the TV rights.
There were so many failed spring football leagues, and now, the PSFL was going to directly compete against a spring football league that actually had the backing of the NFL. Let’s put that in perspective. Professional hockey in Atlanta has not worked. The Atlanta Flames moved to Calgary in part because of low attendance, and the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg in part because of low attendance. Imagine if the NHL decided, for whatever reason, to go back to Atlanta. Now imagine that after this announcement is made, a competing hockey league (and I use competing very loosely) announces that they’re going to be putting a team in Atlanta, and the season is going to run at the same time as the NHL. Why would that make any sense for the competing hockey league to do? Already, the league was behind.
But let’s take a look at that other pro league that was playing in the spring, and is still somewhat remembered to this day. The WLAF, in its inaugural season, averaged 25,361 fans per game. On its surface, that’s really good. However, if you take out the three European teams (London Monarchs, Frankfurt Galaxy, Barcelona Dragons) and the one Canadian team (Montreal Machine), you’re left with six American teams. Here’s the average attendance of those American teams:

Team	Average Attendance
New York/New Jersey Knights	32,322
Birmingham Fire	25,442
Orlando Thunder	19,018
Sacramento Surge	17,994
San Antonio Riders	14,853
Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks	12,753
AVERAGE	20,397

Why do I bring this up? Let’s be very clear- an average attendance of 20,397 for a football league’s inaugural season is still extremely good… but only two of the six teams cleared 20,000. Remember that this was the league with the NFL’s backing and a relatively lucrative TV contract (it was in the eight figure range according to some reports). In the PSFL, a league with neither the league’s backing nor any TV contract to speak of, they needed each team to average 20,000 fans per game to stay afloat. Per the article:

[President] Vince Sette and the other league organizers figure each team will need to average just 20,000 fans per game to make this endeavor work. And they're not counting on television revenue to bail them out.

Each team needs to average just 20,000 fans per game? That’s all it’s going to take? A number that four out of six teams in the WLAF couldn’t reach? A number that, in the final season of the USFL, 8 out of the league’s 14 teams couldn’t reach? That seems like a fantastic business model that can’t possibly fail. You can probably already see some of the inevitable failures and red flags with this league just based off of the model.
But remember when I said that the PSFL did not have a TV contract? That doesn’t mean that they didn’t get some exposure on TV, in the form of an introduction video that aired on SportsChannel New York in 1991 (even though the league did not have any teams in New York). The video is… well, let’s just take a look at the video, because there’s a lot to dissect.
Part II: An Even More Puzzling Video
LINK TO THE VIDEO
I have no idea how I found this video, seeing as it has a grand total of 398 views on YouTube, two likes, and two comments. However, this is an absolute gold mine. This was a half-hour special aired on SportsChannel a few months prior to the launch of the league, and man, is it a weird video in all its early-90s cheese and glory. The first thing you’ll notice is that the commissioner of this league is Rex Lardner. About a quarter century later, he would try launching another pro football league in the spring. Considering the fact that the league has 195 likes on Facebook and the only video on the league’s website is literally five seconds long and is just a horribly-done Microsoft Word logo, I’m guessing that league is dead and that he learned nothing from the failures of this league.
After a shot of a logo that looks somewhat similar to the USFL logo, we get an introduction by a man who, literally less than one minute into the video, tries to stop skepticism of fans. In the first minute, they acknowledge that every other attempt has failed. That’s rather comforting. However, they explain why this league is different and won’t fail, and it’s because Vincent Sette (the founder and president of the league) said that he researched the other leagues. Checking in on what happened to Sette after the league’s demise, and it turns out that he’s doing great.

The founder of the league was also known Vincent Setteducate. There appear to have been no criminal charges filed in the aftermath of the PSFL. Five years later, he was charged by the SEC in a wire fraud case, and pleaded guilty, sentenced to five years probation and ordered to pay $300,000 in restitution in another business venture. He has had other brushes with the law as well.

And yes, according to this article, he goes by both names of Vincent Sette and Vincent Setteducate. Getting back to the video, after he promises that the league is going to work because he researched at the New York Public Library, you’ll also notice that Walt Michaels is the Director of Football Operations. I’ll give the league credit for that- Michaels is a recognizable name; in six seasons with the Jets and two seasons with the New Jersey Generals of the USFL, he’s made the playoffs four times, and only had a losing record twice. He even guided the Jets to the AFC Championship in the 1982 strike-shortened season. Unfortunately, that’s the only recognizable front office figure associated with this league. Not once in the video does it mention any coaches associated with the league. Considering the league was starting up in spring of 1992 (the first game seemed to be scheduled for February 29), and this TV special aired in late 1991, that seems like a major red flag. Again, just to reiterate- this league was announced on October 1, and the first game was to be played on February 29. People criticized the XFL the first time around for moving too quickly, but that was a year. This is less than five months. This is 151 days between announcement and the first game.
But how are the players in this league? Remember that the talent pool with any secondary football league is going to be somewhat worse; factor in the WLAF already existing in the spring, and the PSFL was playing third fiddle. They held three combines, with the one in the video taking place in Atlanta in October (less than a month after the creation of the league), and others taking place in December and January. Who were some of the players?
You know it’s a good sign when the first player that’s mentioned is Mickey Guidry. When the FIRST PLAYER YOU HIGHLIGHT is a man that threw 5 touchdowns and 5 interceptions in his four years at LSU from 1985-88 and a man who was so buried on the depth chart with the Sacramento Surge of the WLAF that he didn’t even throw a pass in 1991, that’s a horrible sign. Other quarterbacks in this league included Tony Rice (who threw 2 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in his final season at Notre Dame in 1989, completed 48.5% of his passes over his career, and was dreadful with the Barcelona Dragons in the WLAF in 1991 with one touchdown pass and three interceptions), Bobby McAllister (an atrocious QB in the WLAF in 1991 with Raleigh-Durham, throwing 7 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on 5.9 yards per attempt, a 46.7% completion percentage, and a passer rating of 54; Raleigh-Durham went winless), and Todd Hammel (a 12th round pick in 1990 who never played a snap, and then played in the WLAF with New York/New Jersey where he threw 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, had a passer rating of 53.7, completed just 45.5% of his passes, and averaged 5.8 yards per attempt). Remember- these were the guys they were highlighting, so this was their cream of the crop. Guys who were awful in the WLAF were, on paper, the best quarterbacks in this league.
As for the other offensive skill players, there were some recognizable names, even if they weren’t that good. Timmy Smith ran for a record-204 yards for Washington in Super Bowl XXII; he only had three regular season rushing touchdowns in his NFL career, and from 1989-91 (the three years before the PSFL’s scheduled inaugural season in 1992), had 6 rushing yards, but at least the name was recognizable. The second halfback mentioned is James Gray; while he was exceptional at Texas Tech, leading the Southwest Conference in 1989 with 1,509 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns, he never played a down in the NFL after getting drafted by the Patriots in round five of the 1990 NFL Draft. Lydell Carr had a solid career with Oklahoma, but after getting drafted in the fourth round of the 1988 NFL Draft, did nothing in the NFL, never recording a single yard from scrimmage (in fairness, he did score eight touchdowns with the Barcelona Dragons in the 1991 season of the WLAF). And then, there was Lorenzo Hampton, who scored 28 touchdowns in his NFL career. Those were the four halfbacks highlighted; two of them never got a carry in the NFL. Quality-wise, that’s not good. Also, you may notice that half of this video is just the PSFL Combine and almost plays like a football instructional video; I’m not sure why this is.
Another major red flag with this video comes with the announcement of the teams. We’ll get to the teams later, but the map only shows nine cities, even though there’s supposed to be 10 teams in the league. That means that a new team would have to be announced and formed with roughly 70 days to go until the first game of the season. Good luck with that.
But how is this league going to be any different from the other leagues? After an interview with former BYU tight end Chris Smith that, no joke, starts off with the line, “I love children,” we find out how. For one, the players are going to do community service. There’s going to be autograph sessions. I’m failing to see how this is any different, but then we get two weird things. The first is that the games are going to be when the fans want. They’re scheduling for the fans. I have no idea what this even means. Does this mean that if the fans want them to play a game right now, that they’ll do it? The second is a cool idea but has no practicality whatsoever, and that is the universal ticket. Any fan who buys a season ticket to a PSFL team gets all of their team’s home games plus a universal ticket that can be used at any PSFL game. Good idea… but who’s flying halfway across the country to watch a PSFL game? Sette brings up the idea of staying at a hotel in Tampa for a PSFL game… who’s going to do that? It’s an interesting idea, but one that I’m sure nobody would actually use.
Some frequently asked questions about the league pop up next, and it’s always a good sign when one of the questions is whether or not a franchise can go under. The PSFL actually had a good idea with a single-entity structure; MLS has a similar system and it has worked well in ensuring the league’s survival. But here’s where it gets somewhat eyebrow-raising for me- each team has a salary cap of $2 million, and an average player salary of $45,000. Adjusting for inflation, today, the average player salary is around $82,000. That’s a pretty large amount for a minor football league. For some perspective, even the AAF’s average salary was less than that at $75,000 per season. And even though the AAF didn’t work, it had a TV contract and actual investors. This league was formed in the blink of an eye, had no TV revenue, had a business model that relied on a rather unattainable goal of 20,000 fans at every game, and yet, had a higher average salary per season when adjusted for inflation than the AAF.
After watching that video, it’s time to break down the actual markets chosen.
Part III: The Teams
The PSFL was pretty ambitious with their inaugural season, opting to have 10 teams play in the league. Four of the teams would be located in cities with NFL teams, with the other six teams being in unoccupied professional football markets. The New England Blitz seemed like an odd choice for a team. While the league stressed going into unoccupied markets, Boston already had a team in the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL, so this completely defeats the purpose. Additionally, the Boston Breakers were in the USFL in 1983, and drew the smallest average attendance in the league at 12,735 fans per game. Why Boston was chosen for a team, I’m not sure. The other baffling location was the Washington Marauders at RFK Stadium; the Washington Federals of the USFL bombed horribly (second-to-last in attendance in 1983 and 1984, including an average of just 7,694 fans per game in 1984), and there was competition in the area with the Bullets of the NBA and the Capitals of the NHL.
However, every other city makes sense. I’ll give the PSFL credit- they seemed like they had a good idea of where to go with their teams. Going to Tampa Bay with the Tampa Bay Outlaws made complete sense- in the USFL, the Bandits consistently ranked near the top of the league in average attendance, proving that spring football in Tampa Bay could work (if it’s done correctly, the XFL team playing in Tampa Bay in 2020 could have a strong following, though it’ll be tougher now that the city has an NHL team and an MLB team). Miami didn’t have the Marlins yet or the Florida Panthers (although Sunrise is an hour away from Miami), so there was little competition in the area for a spring football team to thrive. The other six locations were teams without NFL teams. The Arkansas Miners played in Little Rock (no pro sports teams), the Carolina Cougars played in Columbia (no pro sports teams), the Nevada Aces played in Las Vegas (no pro sports teams), the New Mexico Rattlesnakes played in Albuquerque (no pro sports teams), the Oregon Lightning Bolts played in Portland (only the Trail Blazers as competition), and the Utah Pioneers played in Salt Lake City (no pro sports teams). Yes, travel costs were going to be high, but the market selection seemed promising with a bunch of mid-sized markets who were starving for pro sports.
The logos, though? My, are some of them bad.
A lot of these logos would’ve been outdated very quickly. I have no idea what the New England Blitz logo is trying to be. The Carolina Cougars logo looks like the logo from Monster Energy (though the Carolina logo predates the Monster logo). Nevada’s logo is just the Alcorn State logo with cards coming off of it. And then there’s the Utah Pioneers helmet, which is the exact same thing as the Cleveland Browns helmet minus a logo on it. Why the Miami Tribe were named what they were, I’m not sure, seeing as the actual Miami Tribe is based in Oklahoma.
They were already thinking about expansion. As mentioned in this article, they were looking at expanding to 12 teams in the near future, putting teams in Fresno and Austin; both were large cities with no pro sports team.
So, we’ve got our teams. We’ve got our video promoting the league (even though we don’t have a television contract). And, we’ve got a schedule culminating with the Red, White & Blue Bowl at RFK Stadium on July 5. How does the first season of the league go?
Part IV: Collapse & Conclusion
Already, cracks were starting to show in 1992. Businessman Nick Bunick bought the Portland team a month before the season started, and immediately wanted to change the name to the Oregon Chargers. I’m sure the NFL would’ve been thrilled by that. They just hired a coach a month before the season started by taking former NFL quarterback Craig Morton.
February rolled around, and it was less than a month before the start. And when February rolled around, I’ll let Squidward explain why the league was struggling.
In what can only be described as a shocked Pikachu face for a lot of these other leagues, they had no money. It was February 12, just 17 days before kickoff between the Tampa Bay Outlaws and Utah Pioneers, and the league was in serious trouble. The Miami Tribe folded. The commissioner, Rex Lardner, said that they were considering shutting down the league. The Washington Marauders, who were a late addition to the league to begin with, threatened to cease operations by the end of the week if the league didn’t provide adequate financial arrangements. Remember those plans that said that the league needed each team to average at least 20,000 fans per game to survive? Less than three weeks before the season, and Washington had sold 100 season tickets. One hundred. I’m shocked that the team that was announced hastily in a market with lots of competition already and in a market where the USFL failed miserably could barely sell 100 season tickets.
And, as it turns out, nobody got any money. Washington wide receivers coach Brian Gardner said he was owed $5,000, and never got it, stating that “I have as much chance of getting that as I do of catching the clouds in my hands right now.” The league lied when they said that it had $50 million in the bank; only a small percentage of that was actually in the bank. The schedule, set to start on February 29, was in danger of getting pushed back two weeks. And the Marauders were running an awful operation:

The Marauders operation is tight. All the equipment is in Room 131 of the team's headquarters here, a Quality Inn. The shoulder pads are piled atop two beds; face bars sit on a table. Other pads and several jerseys are in the bathroom.
[Cornerback] Barry Wilburn kept his football shoes on after the morning practice today. That was because the tape he'd bought and used to anchor the shoes to his feet had run out. There was no tape for anyone. Until the season starts, players are responsible for their own football shoes. They pay their way to training camp -- and their way home if cut.

One week later, the league folded. On February 19, 1992, the PSFL shut down operations, and never played a single game. And thus, another professional football league collapsed. Considering the lack of name recognition or the lack of a TV deal, and considering the WLAF already happening in the spring of 1992 while this league was trying to get underway, I’m not sure many people noticed that this league died. But it goes to show you that trying to start a football league in five months is usually a bad idea.
Previous Posts
History of the United Football League (2009-2012)
History of the Spring Football League (2000)
History of the Fall Experimental Football League (2013-2015)
History of the Stars Football League (2011-2013)

NHL 20 Wishlist

Who's going to make the Canada Olympic Team? I did some analysis and made some roster projections.

So for the past few weeks, I've been thinking a lot about the Canadian Olympic Hockey team. With NHLers out of the picture, it seems that fewer people are interested in the team.
I'm fascinated. This is the greatest second chance for hockey players that I've ever seen. There could be NHL careers revived and rebooted from this, new stories reclaimed and history written. It won't be best-on-best, but it should still be intriguing.
Here's what I've got so far - a Google Doc featuring every Canadian player in each of the seven major European pro leagues, plus a handful of CHL and NCAA standouts, almost 400 players total.
The list is colour-coded - players in green are ones I see as locks, players in yellow have a decent chance, players in red could conceivably end up on the team, while the non-coloured boxes... thank you, come again.

ANALYSIS

The analysis relies heavily on NHLe, a metric conceived by Gabriel Desjardins and updated by Rob Vollman, to estimate how players in lower leagues would perform in the NHL under certain conditions (assuming decent ice time, no injuries, 82 games played, etc.)
To find how a non-NHL player would do in the big league, each league is assigned a co-efficient, each having to do with the difficulty of the league and the length of their schedule.
That coefficient is used, along with the games played and points a player has so far this season, to find the final number.
The final formula, as I understand it, is like this:

((Points/Games played) x 82) x NHLe co-efficient = final total

Using that method, I've ranked 347 players by their estimated NHL point total, and used it to determine how likely they are to make Canada's Olympic hockey team this winter.
Some of the findings:

This metric is really, really flattering to CHL players. This year, some players have been posting insane numbers, leading to them showing up quite high. For instance, if the WHL played an 82 game schedule, leading non-pro scorer Tyler Steenbergen would end the season at 185 points.
While the CHL and NCAA numbers are impressive, a lot of the players high on the list appear to be outliers. Since Hockey Canada has not included junior players in any pre-Olympic tournament or game, I tried to stick with professionals and college standouts.
While NHLe applies to offense, defensive and two-way play are not currently considered and reliable advanced statistics are not readily available for most European leagues. This is where that ol' boogey-man - the 'eye test' - comes in.
There is a hierarchy to the leagues that players are selected from. KHL players receive precedence, followed by SHL and NLA players. Other leagues, like the Liiga, EBEL and DEL follow, in that order. Players with NHL experience or decent offensive showings are also given precedence, along with players who have suited up for Team Canada in pre-tournament exhibitions.

ROSTER PROJECTIONS

Here's what I envision a final 52-man 2018 Team Canada roster to look like. The lines and pairings are arbitrary, but my bet would be that most of the players shown end up on the team in some way.
Let's take a look.
The centrepiece of this year's team is Linden Vey, a former Canuck who went abroad this season. In Vancouver, Vey looked like he could become a consistent mid-six player, but his game cratered after he joined the Flames organization. With Barys Astana in the KHL, the 26-year-old Wakaw, SK native is the top Canadian so far, sitting third in league scoring with 47 points in 41 games and having a normalized NHLe of just over 73 points.
Joining on my projected first line is Wojtek Wolski and Justin Azevedo. Wolski, a former first-rounder and 50-point scorer with Colorado, has only gotten better over his five seasons out of the league. He'll bring solid offensive instincts to the team.
Azevedo has two major knocks on him. One is that he's only 5'7, the other is that he's missed long periods of time this season with injuries - he should be ready to go for PyeongChang. If he was 6'0, he'd have an NHL contract. On big ice, his speed and solid two-way ability are easy to notice.
The second line contains KHL stalwart Matt Ellison at centre with Mason Raymond and Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau on the wings. Ellison has been Mr. Consistency in the KHL, while Parenteau's recent NHL success and Raymond's solid play in pre-tournament exhibitions have been hard to ignore.
The third line down is where things become more tricky. I've got Zach Boychuk, Paul Szczechura and Brandon Kozun on the third line - each KHL guys having decent seasons and capable of decent offense.
On the fourth line, I've put three guys who were decent bottom-sixers in the NHL - Andrew Ebbett, Eric O'Dell and Matt Frattin. Ebbett would be the offensive player on the line, while the others add some grit.
Steenburgen, Gilbert Brule, NCAA star Dylan Sikura and a few others could play their way in - this is far from a final list. Unfortunately, since this year's draft is projecting to be far below average for Canadian stars, there's not going to be a player like Eric Lindros in '92 or Paul Kariya in '94 who pops out.
It'll be meat and potatoes for Team Canada, not Kobe beef.
On defense, the core six is Marc-Andre Gragnani, Mat Robinson, Darren Dietz, Brandon Gormley, Chris Lee and Simon Despres. Gragnani, Despres, Robinson and Lee would be the closest to locks here. Stefan Elliott could have a chance, along with Maxim Noreau, Cam Barker, Craig Schira and college player Zach Whitecloud.
Canada's crease begins and ends with Ben Scrivens. He's almost surely going to be the team's starter in Korea. While he has a chequered reputation from his time in the NHL, he's quietly put together an excellent season in the KHL, stats-wise. He's got a 2.22 GAA and a .920 SV% with one of the worst teams in the K. That's solid. Scrivens has also been outstanding for Canada in pre-tourney games.
As for the back-up... that's wide open. Kevin Poulin could have a shot, as could college goalies Colton Point and Tanner Jaillet, World Junior netminder Carter Hart, and European pro Barry Brust. This is where Canada will hurt the most drawing only from Europe - there's only 17 goalies from Canada playing in the top Euro leagues, with only a handful playing more than ten games.
On the final 23-man roster I've compiled, KHL players play a massive role - 17 players on the final list play in the K. Four play in the Swiss NLA, two - Steenburgen and Hart - are in the WHL, while one - Sikura - plays in the NCAA. I know that counts up to 24 - I could see Sikura or Steenbergen making it, but not both.
So, that's the analysis. It's what I've got. Comment and criticize, but be gentle.

Potential Lineups (Long Read..Sry)

I'm really bored and I haven't found any posts like this so I figured we could discuss it now while there's a lot of uncertainty behind it because it's a lot more fun to see how the final product ends up shaping up to be.
The thing that makes me so excited for this season to start is the plethora of prospects we have knocking at the door. For starters, a name that does not get mentioned nearly enough is Jonathan Dahlen. Coming in on left wing, I personally believe his skill set is almost guaranteed to have chemistry with some existing members on this team. My biggest fear is that there are too many NHL contracts that are being filled that he may not get the chance he needs to play some games right off the bat. Which is is not necessarily a bad thing. Big minutes in Utica will do nothing but benefit him but I wouldn't be surprised if he came in and had a great camp this year.
The Pettersson conundrum. Do you start him off on the wing, shelter him and let him play? Do you see what he's capable of early on while the competition is cold and play him at center? To me the teams future shape revolves mainly on Elias. The majority opinion on this to me seems to be that starting off the wing with PP1 minutes galore. With the addition of Hughes ( I'll get to him later) I believe we'll have one of the best PP%'s in the league. On paper at least. While he has all of the skills needed to succeed but you never know when it comes to European players. It's not out of the realm of possibility that he struggles with adapting to the North American game. Not to say that he wouldn't be able to. I just think he has shown that he's the type of player who needs to be comfortable to succeed and early on it's a learning process. He has not yet failed to adapt, every time he's been met with competition better than the last, he always ends up adjusting and begins to contribute. I have no reason to believe that's going to change.
Do we send down Gaudette? We currently have a log jam at center. That goes double if Jay Beagle is on the way. If you know me you know how much I love the way Gaudette plays and what he brought to Northeastern last year as he topped off a fantastic season with the Hobey Baker Award. He was held pointless in his 5 game stint at the end of the season. To me, I don't see that as a concern. You consider all the variables that go into that and put into consideration the way he played.. I don't necessarily hold that against him. Maybe I'm biased but overall he seemed like a player who knew what to do but was not at all comfortable in doing it. Defensively he would be seen watching the play instead of moving with the play and I see that as inexperience and to an extent shock of playing in the NHL. He had some great chances, and his linemates in Leipsic and Virtanen I also believe to be a great fit but need time to build some chemistry. All players on that line have skills, moderate to quick speed and the ability to finish. With that being said, coming out of the NCAA it wouldn't hurt to get some seasoning with the pro life in Utica. If you consider the team they could potentially have and The Trent Cull "Make A Man Outta You Plan" Playing on a team that should have success (on paper) and playing a key role with big minutes could be a big building experience for him. I would prefer the NHL though.
Leipsic. Can he remain consistent? At Left wing we have Eriksson, Granlund, Baertschi, Gaunce as potentials to fill that position. All of which excluding Gaunce ( sry bro) are much harder to manage as opposed to Leipsic. I personally like this guy. He has great speed and hands to go with it and to be honest was completely robbed for goal of the year from a Canuck. Only to be outdone by the Sedins gracing us with a taste from the past, one last time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dED8bMmVknM (If you need a refresher).
Realistically I think he's the type of player we need to compete with the speed of other teams. Without that speed we lose the threat of potentially turning over the puck and rushing it down the ice and in today's NHL, that is crucial.
What about Goldobin? He ended up playing on the 2nd line with Bo & Jussi J. Yeah, that wasn't that long ago. Nikolay hasn't been given the opportunity to play a full NHL season. Rather it be Willy putting em in the dog house or his game not being up to standards to last a full NHL season, he has yet to make his mark. He ended up with 14 points in 38 games (8G 6A) in the NHL and 31 points in 30 games (9G 22A) in the AHL. We know that he can play in the minors and he shows consistency there. Is he another "too good for the AHL, not good enough for the NHL?" I hope not. I personally like Goldy. I think he has at least 2-3 grade A chances a game and then kinda lays low. By no means a glaring issue with our roster at any point but overall, where does he fit in this puzzle for you? Does he start with the big club or in Utica? I believe he'll ride the pine and slot in as TG sees fit in order to test out line combinations as the season goes along. Unfortunately I do not foresee stability for him next season.
With players like Dowd and Boucher. I think they're the guys on the outside looking in here. They will go to Utica and become depth players. They'll have their chances to play, as will any potential prospect who's higher up on the list who may end up being edged up and visiting Utica. Injuries (especially as a Vancouver Canuck) are bound to happen. https://i.imgur.com/Irs0YXH.png member?
Now obviously I'm not getting into defense. That is an entirely different cam of worms that I want nothing to do with, but that doesn't mean we can't talk a little about Quinn Hughes. This kid plays in the NHL. Why does he play in the NHL? Because he can. The line "he's the best defensemen on that team already" comes to mind. Skill, Skating,Speed, Hockey IQ, you name it he's got it. Except for size. Which is ironically his biggest knock. I don't buy in to it being an issue for him. He's been said to have that "it" factor and to me, that means the ability to surpass any major obstacle and contributing despite it and finding a different approach to it. The X factor on the hand is a different beast altogether. If it were up to me, after free agency frenzy is over. You sign Hughes and throw em on the PP1 and let em' have it. The arsenal we have on a power-play is lethal. It's weird, when you think about it. Quinn Hughes is essentially everything we wanted Stecher to be last season. Stech is also a absolute work horse who doesn't get enough respect. I am still wincing at the memory of his face getting absolutely decimated by pucks. Played through it like it was business as usual.
"So then what do you propose the lines could look like?" I could see this as a viable option. I've been so busy typing all of this up I haven't really sat down and thought of who would really work well with who so off the top without much consideration. I also added Beagle as we are currently the front-runners to receive him and it makes things interesting.

Baertschi-Horvat-Boeser

This line has great chemistry and they both know how to get the puck to Boeser. I think it's the safest bet you can make to start off the season and until proven otherwise should remain together.

Eriksson-Sutter-Pettersson

I'm going to catch a lot of heat for this, but I think if Sutter is placed in a position to produce, he could. Especially with teammates like Pettersson and Eriksson. Truth be told, I have such a hard time placing Loui anywhere in the line up and feeling good about it. I think most importantly he needs someone with a boat load of skill to succeed at this point and Pettersson could be that. With Sutter, believe me guys. I know a lot of you consider him a "dark hole where offense goes to die" but I'm not completely sold on that notion. At the very least, this is convenient enough for me to plop Eriksson and have something to move on from.

Leipsic-Gaudette-Virtanen

This is where things start to get interesting. This is a dark horse line with all the makings to succeed. There's some size, some skill, some grit and tenacity out the ass. This line to me decides if our team is going to be good, average or absolute shit. I haven't talked a lot about Jake but I think he's due for a great season. Rumors have it he's in the best shape of his life and with an off-season dedicated towards working on the more finesse side of the game such as stick-handling or edge work on his skating. I'm predicting a career year for him. He picks up where he left off and continues to develop chemistry with the same line mates as the season before. I'm a firm believer in letting certain lines play regardless of outcome and I think this is a prime example to be made of that. With time and experience this line could be our 3rd of the future.

Granlund-Beagle-Gagner

Last but not least we have this defensive trio. I'm not 100% on Roussel being necessary if Gagner is still on the team and I don't see GMJB trading him. All things considered at least with Sutter there was interest being reported on and with rumors being in the 4 year department for term. I reaaalllllyyyyyy don't think that's such a good idea. What this line gives you is responsible play in your own end and an ability to eat up minutes. This could also serve as a PK unit. Truth be told with Sutter hypothetically playing 2nd C in this variation I put together, It puts more responsibility on this line so perhaps that is an area of concern. I don't envy management with the task of assembling this team, you can start to see where some questionable signings are starting to have an impact and which is why I think aside from Beagle they need to tread lightly. . We can talk "piece of the puzzle" but at the end of the day you can acquire as many pieces of the puzzle you want but if you end up with pieces from multiple puzzles, it's never going to get solved.
In conclusion,
This was all at the top of my head with some quick google searches. I've probably missed a million things that go into things like this but I figured I'd give my take on it before asking yours.
What are your line projections for forwards next season?

"How Bad Could It Be?" - A Great Big Long Look at Team Canada 2018

If you're a Team Canada fan, I'm sure you had the same reaction I did when the NHL stonewalled the idea of top-tier pro players in the next Olympics - a feeling of dread, some minor chest pains, and a couple of stray tears.
After hearing the news, I had one big question – how bad could it be? Would Canada get crushed? Would every team be affected equally by the NHL block? Will I wind up drinking myself to death next February?
I did some research and made my conclusion – it's not going to be as bad as you may think.
To back that up, I made a detailed list of players who may possibly don the maple leaf at next year's Olympics.
It isn't easy to make a new national team from scratch. You can't just take a roster from the Spengler or Deutschland Cup tournaments and call it a day. Those rosters are usually just picking players from one or two European leagues at a time – they aren't the best we can do.
I'll admit, the talent pool for Canada is pretty shallow once you get out of the NHL. Most of Canada's elite players are under contract with NHL teams, leaving them ineligible to play (there's no word yet if players on NHL contracts playing with farm teams or in junior can play, but that would create one hell of a mess. We're going to assume here that any player with an active NHL contract, whether it's entry-level, two-way or whatever, will be ineligible.)
So let's make a trip to the Island of Misfit Toys, and see what Canada has to work with.
Before we go over the possible choices, here's some extra context for the Not-Quite-Ready-For-Prime-Time Skaters.
The last time Canada was unable to bring NHLers to an Olympics was the 1994 games, held in Lillehammer, Norway. Canada boasted players such as Paul Kariya, who was still a freshman with the Univ. of Maine, and Petr Nedved, who was out of the bigs in the midst of a contract dispute.
The bulk of the roster was made of AHL/NHL tweeners and junior players who hadn't yet made their mark on the hockey world. Players like Todd Hlushko and Chris Kontos played big minutes, and Corey Hirsch played every minute of the tourney in net.
Nonetheless, Canada made it to the gold medal game, losing to Sweden in the shootout when the world met a kid named Peter Forsberg. There's a precedent for a cobbled-together team of scraps winning a medal.
Here's some quick info on the likely makeup of the 2018 team.

Some players will be top prospects who aren't in the NHL just yet. Some players will be from the minor leagues, playing on AHL contracts. Others will be in Europe, suiting up in Russia, Sweden, Finland, Germany and Switzerland. A couple of possible players could be found from the NCAA. This roster will be older than the one in Lillehammer, mostly because it relies on minor-leaguers and European pros more than can't-miss prospects.
The tournament will be played on international-sized ice, giving players experienced with big ice hockey an advantage toward making the team. Also, the surface gives smaller, faster and more skilled players a significant edge over bigger, stronger but slower players.
Hockey Canada tends to lean on players who have represented them in the past, either at World Championships, World Juniors, or smaller events. Experience and good performances with the maple leaf will do wonders for a player's chances.
In the past, Team Canada had to lean on players who were on extended contract holdouts. Nedved in Lillehammer was a prime example. While we haven't seen a good old-fashioned season-long holdout for a long time, the run-up to the Olympics is different. It's possible that some free agents will either sign overseas or with an AHL team as a way to make themselves available for the squad.
As an alternative, Hockey Canada organised an official exhibition team of players in the past who train together and play exhibition games during Olympic years. It's unclear if that type of program will be brought back in time for PyeongChang – after all, the NHL announcement didn't leave anyone with a lot of time. However, bringing back this program and providing a small stipend for interested players could attract higher-quality free agents and give some lesser-known hopeful high-end training and resources.
Allowing non-NHL players with NHL contracts to play would greatly improve Canada's chances, but this roster is made with the assumption that they would be blocked from playing. As a chaser, I'll provide a list at the end of players who will become free agents this summer who could be sniped for this team. I'll also provide a short list of players who have supported, either to the press, to teammates, through Twitter or whatever, the idea of playing in PyeongChang, despite league rules.

Let's start with the forwards.

FORWARDS

Brandon Kozun
Will be 27
5'8, 172
Los Angeles, CA (moved to Calgary as a kid)
Lokomotiv (KHL)
Barring any changes, Kozun will be a crucial part of the Canadian team. He never got his due in the NHL, getting four points in 20 games in bottom-six minutes with a bad Leafs team. His small stature was always going to hold him back in the show. Since leaving to the KHL's larger ice surfaces, he's taken off. 49 points in 58 games last season, 56 in 59 this year, with point-per-game playoff performances. The kid's got game, and a guaranteed KHL contract next season, getting rid of any potential NHL complications. To make things sweeter, Kozun's been money every time he's ever worn a Team Canada sweater, getting 7 points in 6 World Junior games and adding two assists at this year's Deutschland Cup.
Jason Akeson
Will be 27
5'10, 185
Orleans, ON
Binghamton (AHL)
Akeson is fast as hell. He's got terrific playmaking skills, and his defensive coverage is okay. The main reason he's never been able to stick in the NHL is simple: he's 5'10, 185, and not strong on the puck. Three big concerns, though: he's never been able to produce in the NHL, scoring only one goal in 15 games; he's never played for Canada before; and he faired poorly in his lone big-size outing, getting only 5 points in 17 games in a KHL stint. He's coming off a barnburner of a year with the Binghamton Sens on an AHL deal, where he's nearly hit a point-per-game. While his performance has been great, he's vulnerable for what I'm going to call a “deal and steal” - he may be offered an NHL deal and accept, therefore making him ineligible for the Games.
Mason Raymond
Will be 32
6'1, 179
Cochrane, AB
Unsigned
Hockey fans always knew he had speed to burn. Had offensive upside, too, with two NHL seasons of 40+ points. Not the toughest or strongest player, but given open space, he could be important. Has Spengler Cup and Word Championship experience. Raymond will be a wildcard – he hasn't played professional hockey this season, choosing instead to take care of his wife, who's been suffering from Lyme disease. Personal matters aside, he is clear to play, contract-wise and his skill set could benefit the team if he isn't rusty.
Dan Paille
Will be 33
6'0, 196
Welland, ON
Brynas (SHL)
Paille is long past his best-before date, granted. But the former World Junior Captain and Spengler Cup champ can still pull his weight in a bottom-six role. Paille took his game to Sweden this year, where he helped push a stalling Brynas squad into the playoffs. Paille's calling card is his work ethic and energy level, and he still has decent speed. He will fill a leadership role with the team, if selected, possibly serving either as captain or an assistant. To make things slightly better, he plays his best hockey under pressure, winning a Stanley Cup, an OHL title and two World Junior medals to go with the Spengler Cup title.
Jordan Szwarz
Will be 26
5'11, 201
Burlington, ON
Providence (AHL)
Szwarz has no Team Canada experience on any level and has never played for a full season on big ice. He has won no major awards and hasn't impressed on an NHL level – 4 goals and no assists in 35 games. So, why is he on the list? Simple – he's scored the most points of any Canadian on an AHL contract this season under age 30, getting 52 points in 60 games. His contract is up this summer, however, and his high level of play could mean a deal and steal.
Gilbert Brule
Will be 31
5'11, 187
Nizhnekamsk (KHL)
It's probably been a looooong time since you've read that name. Yes, I assure you I'm serious. First of all, Gilbert Brule is alive. Secondly, he's actually been pretty good in Russia. He finished this season with 32 points in 37 games with Nizhnekamsk, after getting 10 points in 16 games with Zagreb. Most importantly, he's already got a contract for next year with the team, keeping him eligible. He's still got some energy, speed and offensive touch – whether he can stay healthy, though, is the biggest question.
Max Talbot
Will turn 34 during Games
5'11, 181
Lemoyne, QC
Lokomotiv (KHL)
Talbot was the captain of this year's Canadian team at the Deutschland Cup, which is not nothing. Since he left the NHL last year, Talbot has found a home along Brandon Kozun with Loko, with 36 points this year. Talbot has taken on more of a leadership role with Loko and the Deutschland Cup team, and if he's picked, he'll likely do the same in Korea. Talbot has experience with big ice, having played in Finland during the last lockout and playing this season in Russia. He's also played for Canada before, both at the U17s and World Juniors. Oh, and he's got a Cup-winning goal.
Justin Azevedo
Will be 29
5'7, 174
West Lorne, ON
Kazan (KHL)
Azevedo is living proof that good things can come in small packages. The former CHL player of the year has been in Europe for five years now, spending most of that time with Ak Bars Kazan in the KHL. While his offensive output decreased this year, his compete level hasn't. He can thread the needle with a good pass and possesses an incredible set of hands. He's used to the big ice and played U17 and U18 hockey for Team Canada. He's as close to a lock for this team as we can get.
Francis Pare
Will be 30
5'10, 190
Lemoyne, QC
Geneve-Servette (NLA)
Pare won't be in danger of a deal-and-steal; he's already signed Russia for next year. The former KHL All-Star, Gagarin Cup champion, QMJHL MVP and Calder Cup winner grew up in the same town as Max Talbot, and now has a chance to play with him again. Pare was on this year's winning Canadian team at the Spengler Cup. Pare can play all three forward positions, and can protect the puck quite well, despite his size.
Curtis Valk
Will turn 25 during Games
5'9, 170
Medicine Hat, AB
Utica (AHL)
Valk is another small dynamo. He's had a good year with Utica, going 69-16-28-44 this year on an AHL contract. Potential deal-and-steal aside, he's a dark horse pick for two reasons – he's never played for Canada and ever set foot on European ice. That being said, he's versatile, able to fit anywhere on the top four lines and can find the net.
Wojtek Wolski
Will turn 32 during Games
6'3, 220
Zabrze, POL (grew up in Toronto)
Magnitogorsk (KHL)
Wolski is a rare quantity – a big forward who's proven to be useful on big ice. He's spent four years in Siberia, literally, putting up better point totals each year until this season. Then, things changed. Wolski broke his neck in an ugly head-first collision with the boards early in the year, wiping him out for the season. He hasn't played since. If he's healthy, his knowledge of big ice play and his incredible individual skill will be useful, as well as his size and surprising toughness. If he can't suit up, Canada will need to hunt hard for a similar player.
Luke Adam
Will be 27
6'2, 207
St. John's, NL
Mannheim (DEL)
A poor man's Wojtek Wolski, Adam is adapting well to the European game. He spent his first year on big ice with the German league's Adler Mannheim, where he put up good offensive numbers. Adam was dominant at the World Juniors for Canada seven years ago, with 8 points in 6 games, but never got it going long-term in the NHL. He's under contract for another two seasons.
Andrew Ebbett
Will be 35
5'9, 176
Vernon, BC
Bern (NLA)
This is a bit of a reach, but hey – this whole team is a bit of a reach. Ebbett is doing fine in Switzerland with a good team but is getting up there in age. He's a jack of all trades, but master of none. His main attraction is how he played at this year's Spengler Cup. Wearing the maple leaf for the first time, Ebbett tore ass in Davos, scoring 8 points in 5 games. Don't count him out – pencil him in for a depth spot.
Matt Ellison
Will be 34
5'11, 231
Duncan, BC
Minsk (KHL)
Two-way player with tonnes of European and big ice experience. He's been in Europe since 2008, playing in the KHL and NLA. Ellison is a Swiss Army Knife on skates, playing all three forward spots and shifting his game to what is required. He's even got some offensive upside, flirting with point-per-game numbers for the past three years in the K.
Bud Holloway
Will be 29
6'0, 214
Wapella, SK
Skelleftea (SHL)
I want to see him make it, just so Canada can be represented by someone named Bud. Bud signed a deal with Montreal in 2015, hoping for an NHL shot after tearing apart Europe for four years. He didn't stick, but led his AHL team with 61 points, then left for the K before going back to Sweden. Holloway has played 16 games for Canada and has won two Swedish titles. He's got some size, strength, and can lead a team into battle if needed. He could be a great tool for Team Canada.
Derek Roy
Will be 34
5'9, 187
Ottawa, ON
Chelyabinsk (KHL)
Two seasons removed from being an NHL 30-point scorer and a decade from his point-per-game peak, Roy will not be – or at least, should not be – relied on as an offensive threat. His main purpose would be as an experienced leader. Roy played at the World Juniors, World Championship, Spengler and Deutschland Cup, and has done well in each. His current play isn't encouraging. He's coming off a KHL season where he scored only 22 points in 65 games. Even by our new, much lower standards, that still sucks.
Rob Klinkhammer
Will be 31
6'3, 214
Lethbridge, AB
Minsk (KHL)
Klinkhammer has made a good niche for himself in the K as a power forward, finishing with 38 points and 65 penalty minutes. Nobody's ever going to mistake Klink for a top-flight sniper, but he will certainly be useful in a bottom six role. He's deceptively fast for his size, possesses good hockey IQ and can use his size to win crucial corner battles. His biggest hurdle: he's never played a second for Team Canada at any level. For a player with his skill set, that's not surprising, but it might be enough to keep him off the ice in PyeongChang.
Nick Petersen
Will be 28
6'3, 196
Wakefield, QC
Berlin (DEL)
Five years in Germany have treated Petersen pretty well. A larger player, he can play a strong puck-possession game and his skating isn't bad. He's strong in front of the net. All these things could help him make the final squad – especially since there don't seem to be a lot of players Petersen's size in contention.
Kevin Clark
will be 30
5'9, 172
Winnipeg, MB
Brynas (SHL)
He's scrappy, and fast as hell and can find the net quick. The biggest knock on Clark is his size. Even on this team, which will likely be shorter than average, Clark is basically fun-sized. His Spengler and Deutschland Cup experience and four full seasons abroad will be important for his bid for ice-time.
That's 19 players. I don't know who will be named, but given the state of affairs, I'd expect most of them to be on Team Canada in PyeongChang.
There are some other options at forward, including CHL stars who haven't signed contracts with the teams that drafted them. WHL scoring whiz Adam Brooks hasn't signed with the Leafs yet, and Erie Otter set-up man extraordinaire Taylor Raddysh hasn't yet hooked up with Tampa. Despite being picked last summer by Florida and Buffalo, Adam Mascherin and Cliff Pu also haven't signed. If none of the four signs a deal before next February, they're all good to go.
Draft-eligible players like Nolan Patrick, Gabe Vilardi, Owen Tippett, Nick Suzuki and Mike Rasmussen could also join in. However, I wouldn't bet on most of them hitting the ice in Korea – no team will wait until late February to sign a lottery pick, after all.
I've got my eye on two NCAA players, too. Union Dutchman Spencer Foo will be heading into his senior year, while Dylan Sikura will do the same with Northeastern. Foo led all Canadian college players with 62 points in 38 games (yes, you read that right) while Sikura ended with 57 points in 38 games. Foo is undrafted - the Hawks snagged Sikura with a late pick in 2014. Since both are active college players, neither has an NHL contract.
So that's the forward corps. Let's move back, shall we?

DEFENSEMEN

Marc-Andre Gragnani
Will be 30
6'3, 205
L'Ile-Bizard, QC
Minsk (KHL)
Gragnani will likely be the defensive anchor for this team. He's played at the U18 level and at the World Championships for Team Canada and has three seasons of big-ice play under his belt. Excellent on the powerplay when given space, which he will have in abundance. Has decent speed, terrific passing skills, and isn't afraid to use his size when needed.
Chris Lee
Will be 37
5'11, 185
MacTier, ON
Magnitogorsk (KHL)
On the surface, Lee is everything you're always taught to avoid in a defenseman. He's small, not very physical, and can sometimes make mistakes in his own end. He's poised to be one of the team's oldest players, too. So what's the biggest thing about Lee? Offense. He's 100% pure, unbridled power-play energy, and has two Gagarin Cups to show for it. Lee's been a hockey journeyman since his college days, but scored more than a point-per-game as a defenseman on a KHL club that could challenge a few NHL sides. He's played in two Deutschland Cups, giving him a small, but not ignorable, amount of experience.
Ryan O'Connor
Will be 26
5'11, 192
Hamilton, ON
HIFK (FIN)
Another smaller defender, O'Connor has four years of European play under his belt and is a key figure on one of Finland's top teams. He has a solid two-way game and some U18 Team Canada experience. Unlike Lee, O'Connor is a good hitter and can defend himself against bigger players if needed. One wildcard issue comes up in his past, however – O'Connor was once suspended in junior for a doping offence. While that was long ago and he's long since paid his debt, it may be a red flag to those picking the team, especially under strict IOC doping standards.
Colby Robak
Will be 27
6'3, 194
Gilbert Plains, MB
Utica (AHL)
Robak is currently on an AHL deal with the Canucks' farm team in Utica. While he hasn't impressed in limited NHL time, the defensive-minded Robak has had a good year with Utica, with 25 points in 58 games at the time I wrote this. The deal-and-steal issue is up in the air. He played for Canada's U18 team but has little experience with big ice and his footspeed might be a problem.
Jonathon Sigalet
Will be 32
6'1, 203
Vancouver, BC
Frolunda (SHL)
Great skater with good size, a good physical player, and decent at both power plays and penalty killing. Sigalet spent this year with Frolunda in Sweden, where he's still in the thick of a playoff hunt. He played with the U18 Canada program in 2004 but only made his second appearance this season at the Deutschland Cup. Sigalet did okay, finishing with two points in three games, but his defensive play caught the eye of national team Svengali and former Olympic coach Dave King. King knows talent when he sees it – expect this guy to be in the mix.
Geoff Kinrade
Will be 32
6'0, 185
Nelson, BC
Nizhnekamsk (KHL)
Seven-year European veteran Kinrade knows how to play big-ice defence. It's as simple as that. Another of King's favourite sons, Kinrade managed to help out some pretty bad teams in Zagreb before getting his due with better KHL squads. Kinrade has Spengler and Deutschland Cup experience, which will prove valuable. Kinrade's skating, passing, two-way game and physical play will be his biggest calling cards.
Mark Katic
Will be 28
5'10, 181
Timmins, ON
Skelleftea (SHL)
Katic will be one of the top skaters on a team full of good skaters. That will be his way in, along with being able to play well both on the power-play and penalty kill. Katic is one of those mythical talents who just never got the call – after an incredible offensive season in the AHL as a 22-year-old, Katic missed most of the next year hurt before bolting for Europe. A former Canada U17 and U18 player, Katic also has Spengler and Deutschland experience, as well as five good years in Europe.
Andre Benoit
Will be 34
5'11, 192
St. Albert, ON
Malmo (SHL)
Benoit is another small, smooth-skating offensive defender. What sets him apart from the others is that he's been able to produce in the NHL. Benoit pumped in 28 points in bottom-four minutes on a below-average Avs team three years ago, but a bad run in Buffalo and getting stuck in St. Louis sent him back to Europe.
Chay Genoway
Will be 31
5'9, 176
Morden, MB
Jokerit (KHL)
I know, another small defenseman on the wrong side of 30 – stop me if you've heard this before. Genoway will be stuck in the pack, much like Benoit and the others, with his spot depending on his own performance in the run-up to the event. Genoway's earned rave reviews from Dave King, however, which could be big for him making the final team.
Mat Robinson
Will be 31
5'9, 185
Calgary, AB
Dynamo Moscow (KHL)
Last little guy, I swear. Robinson will be one of the best options out of the Lollipop Guild logjam that's forming on the Team Canada defence. Robinson is a two-time KHL All-Star who runs one of the league's top power-play units. He doesn't make many mistakes defensively. He'll be an interesting figure to watch.
Stefan Elliott
Will be 27
6'1, 190
Vancouver, BC
Kazan (KHL)
Holy crap, a defenseman who's taller than six feet? AND he doesn't completely stink? Well, don't ask too much. He's an okay two-way option, but hasn't played well for Canada in the past and hasn't adapted well to the big ice. If he makes the team, expect him to be on the bottom pair.
Dante Fabbro
Will be 19
6'1, 192
New Westminster, BC
Boston U (NCAA)
Here's a wildcard who could legitimately earn a spot. Fabbro tore up the college ranks and had a strong World Junior performance this year. He's still eligible for this year's World Juniors but may find himself on the biggest stage. He's got few weak points in his game, including his skating, shot, and in-zone defence. The deal-and-steal problem exists, though. If he signs with Nashville this summer, he's out, and Canada will have to look elsewhere for a young D talent.
Shawn Lalonde
Will be 27
6'1, 205
Orleans, ON
Koln (DEL)
One key thing held Lalonde back from the NHL – he was a Blackhawks defensive prospect at a time where making Chicago's roster was tougher than walking across the Atlantic. Five years later, Lalonde has become one of Europe's top defenders. He's topped 30 points in every season he's played in Germany, and usually tops 100 penalty minutes. Lalonde has played four games in his career for Team Canada, each as a teenager at the Ivan Hlinka Tournament. He can fit anywhere in the defensive scheme for the team, which will be very, very valuable.
Cam Barker
Will be 31
6'3, 218
Winnipeg, MB
Astana (KHL)
Just hear me out, okay? Barker's experience with Team Canada is more extensive than most people on this list, having played 18 games for the team at various levels. He's done rather well since leaving for the KHL. He can play physically and can play solid offence. Two problems will follow him, though – his less-than-stellar speed and his occasionally sloppy defensive play.
Top prospects Callan Foote, Nic Hague, and Junior A prodigy Cale Makar could all stand a legitimate chance of making the final squad, especially the first two, who can adapt to shutdown roles. Makar, another undersized offensive defenseman, stands less of a chance than the others, but shouldn't be ruled out.

GOALIES

Ben Scrivens
Will be 31
6'2, 181
Spruce Grove, AB
Minsk (KHL)
Not the best goalie in the world, but on this limited list, he's a damn fine option. Scrivens fared well as a Team Canada netminder at the 2014 Worlds and is coming off a strong season in the crease for KHL side Dinamo Minsk. The main issue with Scrivens, obviously, is consistency. On any given night, one of two Scrivens' can show up: either the one who can steal you a game and make 50+ saves, or the one who lets in goals from the red line. He's a high-risk, high-reward proposition.
Danny Taylor
Will be 31
6'0, 198
Plymouth, GBR (grew up in Ontario)
Novosibirsk (KHL)
Taylor, much like several of the other players on this list, has put up good numbers everywhere he's played – OHL, ECHL, AHL, DEL, SHL, and now the KHL – but never broke through. He played his first Team Canada hockey at this year's Deutschland Cup. He's also coming off an incredible season in the KHL, where he finished with a .936 SV% over the full season. He's got a terrific butterfly and glove and moves quickly around the crease.
Barry Brust
Will be 34
6'2, 227
Swan River, MB
Slovan (KHL)
There really isn't a goalie around quite like Batshit Barry. He's an old-school guy who plays on reflex, great puck-handling and high-risk moves, and isn't afraid of some fisticuffs. Think a poor man's Hasek with Ron Hextall's mean streak. He'd be very fun to watch, but could easily become a liability for the team. He's only played for Canada once, at this year's Deutschland Cup, where he didn't do well.
Tanner Jaillet
Will be 24
5'11, 174
Red Deer, AB
Univ. of Denver (NCAA)
This one's off the board, but an interesting choice. He's young, he's small, but he gets results. The former Fort McMurray Oil Baron goalie is finishing up his junior year with the Denver Pioneers, where he stoned the whole country cold, giving up less than two goals per game and winning the NCHC goalie of the year award. He's also been a key part of getting his team to the Frozen Four,
Kevin Poulin
Will be 27
6'2, 205
Montreal, QC
Astana (KHL)
Poulin started the year playing semi-pro in Quebec but spent the rest of the season with the KHL's lone Kazakh team. Poulin is one of the youngest legitimate options on the table, but he's never played for Canada and had a fairly lousy season. His experience with big ice is negligible, and his NHL experience hasn't been great.
Chet Pickard
Will be 28
6'2, 216
Winnipeg, MB
Iserlohn (DEL)
A former World Junior and first-round flameout, Pickard has found order in the German League. Pickard first headed to Europe after a disastrous season in the ECHL five years ago and has settled in well. He's a big goalie who uses his frame well. He's not that fast, but his agility problems are offset by terrific position. He may have an outside shot at the gig, depending on his performance next season.
Leland Irving
Will be 29
6'0, 176
Barrhead, AB
KooKoo (FIN)
Irving suited up this season for a team with one of the best names in hockey. Irving was briefly the 'next great hope' for Canadian goaltending, backstopping Team Canada both at the World Juniors and the Canada-Russia Super Series (not so super if you're Russian, as it turned out). Irving never stuck in the NHL, but he may be able to use his solid positional game to earn a spot on the squad – if he can focus and give up fewer timely goals.
Now, I can understand if you read all that and thought, “Dear God... this is awful.” First off, it actually isn't as bad as you think. Secondly, if NHL help is needed, there have been some players who have intimated that they'd be willing to go.

REBELS

Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Mark Scheifele, Kris Letang and Carey Price have all come out in support of playing in PyeongChang and future Olympics. None have explicitly said they would break league rules to play – they'd be foolish to do that – but if there's a possible way to smuggle them out, Hockey Canada will find it.
In addition to these four possible insurgents, there are multiple players whose contracts run out this year who may be willing to make a move.

POTENTIAL FA's

Joe Thornton and Chris Kunitz both have Olympic golds from Sochi, and each is getting up there in age. Despite a great year, Kris Versteeg isn't guaranteed an NHL contract next year. Daniel Winnik and Mike Ribeiro are both serviceable vets who will look for work, while Curtis McElhinney could become a candidate in the crease.
In addition to those guys, Jonathon Drouin, Scott Laughton and Gabriel Bourque all have expiring deals, and while they'll likely be re-signed or joining an NHL team, you never know.

IN CONCLUSION

I don't pretend to know who Hockey Canada is looking at for the next Olympic team. All I know is that these are likely the best guys to fill that void, in absences of NHL players. I don't think it'll be the end of the world - in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Canada got onto the podium with a roster like this.
Keep in mind, the NHL block will hurt countries like the US, Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic and Germany just as much as Canada. Besides, the thought of seeing players who would not be able to play for their countries under normal circumstances could make for very entertaining play.
So, to answer the question I asked myself waaaaay up there at the top - you know, "how bad could it be?"
The short answer is it'll be alright. You just read the long answer.

Idiots Guide to Soccer

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Last week I found myself trying to explain the layout of the different soccer (football) leagues and competitions to a friend who told me he just didn’t understand soccer. This article is for those who relate to being that friend.
Bare with me I am going to try to outline it as simply as humanly possible, it is a lot to learn so if you need to take a break I certainly encourage it. Feel free to skip to the sections that interest you. IF you are here looking to choose a team to root for this is not going to be for you. With that said let’s get going. Below this is a rough outline to get you started, it will lay out the topics I will cover so you can finally at least understand what those guys talking soccer mean.
Stop and imagine a world which the NFL had a competitor. Yup I know it is hard, but imagine the Mexican and Canadian Leagues had worthy competition of the NFL. The Tijuana Tigers had won the Mexican League and now are trying to beat their chests, they think they are better than the New England Patriots. Same goes for the Canadian League Champions, the Saskatchewan Eskimos. Now all of North America is divided (not by walls) but by different leagues and levels of competition. The fans in Canada think that their defense would silence Brady. Oh shit, now New England is picking up their shovels and ready to go to war. Only so long can this go forward without male bravado needing to be played out. Thus the Champions League is born. A league for the best of the best to compete and decide who the true undisputed #1 champion is.

Champions League (UCL)
1. This is for the top tier teams of the European leagues where they square off to receive the ultimate crown.
Europa League
1. The little brother of Champions league.
League Play
1. Premier League (EPL)(England)
2. Bundesliga (Germany)
3. La Liga (Spain)
4. Serie A (Italy)
5. Ligue 1 (France)
World Cup
1. Divide all the players by their nationality to represent their countries and see which country has the most firepower (Don’t get me started on Fra(ud)nce).
Other Competitions
1. Irrelevant until you have been watching for a season if we are being honest.

Champions League (UCL)
We are starting with this due to the coincidental timing of the article publication and with the hype surrounding this competition. These are the games that seem to be populating that time slot on TNT where you were hoping to rewatch The Dark Knight for the 20th time. As outlined above, we got here by different countries in Europe proclaiming that their top team was the best in the world. This was founded in 1955, originally titled the European Champion Clubs’ Cup. Certainly didn’t roll of the tongue. Had a quick rebranding in 1992 and now we are at the UEFA Champions League, a round robin, ultimate champion decider.
How do you qualify?
For the long drawn out explanation, give a peep to the Wikipedia page here, there is a whole piece on mathematical coefficients (fuck that). But for those looking to understand it on a fundamental level, if you are in a top league the top few teams in the standings would qualify. Semi-similar to the College Football Playoff system that was recently established. As of this year, the top four leagues were La Liga, Bundesliga, EPL, and Italy in order. Each of those four leagues had their top 4 teams qualify for this tournament. France’s Ligue 1 is currently on the out looking in with their top 3 teams qualifying. Then the tournament is rounded out with play-in rounds, as any good competition should.
Format (Group vs Knockout stages)
This one is pretty simple to grasp as a concept. We start off with group drawings, 32 teams in total. Then from there it is a double round-robin. Eight groups are split into four teams, and each team will play each other twice. Below is an example from this year’s tournament. Top two teams from each group will advance into the knockout stage. The third place team will be placed into the Europa League which is covered later. The knockout stage differs from most American sports in one specific way, so let’s jump over to that.
Check out the example of a Champions League table (formatting issue when I tried to insert it)
https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2019/standings/round=2000980/#grp-2006091
In the knockout rounds, each team will receive a draw (again a little complicated process, but just know that number one seeds are not pitted against each other to start). There is a home leg and an away leg, with the score being aggregate. Quick example for those back home:
This year Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain played in the knockout round. First game we have PSG taking it to Man U in Manchester, final score 2-0. Then in the second game, which is played in Paris(important), Man U wins 3-1 over PSG. For those keeping score we have a 3-3 tie, right? Wrong. Manchester United upsets PSG and advances. The first tie-breaker is away goals. So with 3 away goals Man U beats PSG’s 2 away goals.
The UEFA Champions League Final DOES NOT have 2 legs. Played in a neutral site, the two teams play, winner takes all.
Quick Q&A:
When does Champions League start? And how often are games played? Why so long?
The Group drawing occurs at the end of August. This past year was August 30th, in Monaco. The first set of game was played on September 18th-19th, with the second set on October 2nd-3rd. The reason there is a decent amount of time between games is because teams are deep in their league play and the players are already stretched thin as it is.
How important is it to be in Champions League?
Considering the fee the team receives just for being in the group stage is €15,250,000 it is pretty important if you want your club to hang around with the big boys.
Isn’t it just Real Madrid, Man U, and Barcelona winning all the time?
Well, yes and no. Real Madrid’s rich history can not be argued. They are sitting atop the championships table with 13 UCL trophies, but Milan, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Ajax, and Inter Milan are all above Man U so the field is a little more open than you would think.
Europa League (UEL)
The formation of this competition is a bit convoluted, so lets make some sparknotes.

UEFA founded this competition in 1971 originally dubbed the UEFA Cup
In the 2009-2010 season it was renamed the UEFA Europa League merged with other competitions
48 teams make the group stage. Same setup double round robin like UCL just a few more groups.
Those teams that were knocked out of UCL as third place finishers in the group stage join this competition after the group stage. So from 48 down to 24, then you add 8 from UCL and you are at the round of 32.
Again same set up as UCL until the final is a winner takes all game.
Winner of the competition has an automatic bid to Champions league in the following year.

With Europa League since it is meant to play as the little brother competition to the UCL, you will find a vast spectrum of teams participating in it. Yes, teams like Arsenal and Chelsea are in it but so are clubs like Slavia Sofia, or Prishtina. 10 points if you can name the country either of those clubs plays in without Googling it. This is important as it can give exposure to smaller clubs all around Europe and give them a chance at glory, or even just to be seen by some of the talent directors of those big clubs. The big clubs are perpetually on the lookout for talent they can rip out of the clutches from these smaller clubs. That is how the game is played for better or worse and is actually one of the ways smaller clubs can build themselves into relevancy with the money they receive for these players. Enough about that though, this competition is aimed to provide a platform for even more soccer to be played in these months and decide who the “best of the rest” is in Europe.
League Play (English Premier League)
OH BOY. If you are still reading I have to give you credit for being persistent I will do my best to keep it flowing. Starting off with the most lucrative individual league in the world, the English Premier League (EPL). Wikipedia has them listed as the 4th highest revenue generating league in the world. Over the NHL and under the NBA (EPL has 10 less teams than the NBA).
In 1992 the FA Premier League was founded. This was to secure one hell of a TV rights deal, isn’t it always? In 2013-2014 the rights were sold for ￡1 billion per season. Currently the Premier League is the most-watched sports league in the world.
With 20 teams in the league, each team plays each other twice. Yes as you can see there is a slight pattern in soccer with the home and away legs of these matchups. A total of 38 games per team are played, a win is three points, a tie is 1 point, and it goes without saying but a loss is none. At the end of the season the standings are FINAL. There are NO playoffs. Just a table staring you in the face and having to accept the effort your team put forth during the season is all you will have to your name.
Is there a punishment for the bottom teams? Funny I should ask myself that, yes there is. The bottom three teams of the EPL are banished (the technical term is relegated) to the EFL Championship. Don’t let the title fool you all it is is the EPL’s second tier. There are 4 main leagues in England and teams will bounce up or down according to their play every season.
These are the games you see on TV on Saturday mornings. Post Super Bowl this is my favorite time of the week for sports. All I can recommend to you is that you pick a team. Eventually I will write an article on which team you should support and why but for now Buzzfeed can probably do it better. Once you have picked that team just follow it. Understand that sometimes they are playing in the UCL, UEL, or EPL and although this may be confusing at first a natural understanding comes with time. You will hear the announcers discuss their current form (whether they are hot or cold) and talk about the general landscape of the league.
League Play cont. (Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1)
We are going to group these together for my sake and your sake. Honestly if you are someone reading in the US your options to watch these games can be quite limited and daunting to try to line up with the time differences. Right now if you are an ESPN+ member I recommend checking out the Serie A, Bundesliga I believe runs pretty frequently on FS1, but I struggle to find La Liga or Ligue 1 games for the most part. I am going to run through the leagues sort of similar to Europa League, lets just spark notes it all.
Bundesliga

Founded in 1963.
Second highest revenue for a soccer league in the world.
Informally I will just say this club is run by two giants at the moment Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund and everyone else is playing catch up.
Some of the most hostile environments that a player could possibly play in, the attendance for these games are off the charts.
Same 3-1-0 point format for wins, draws, and losses.
18 teams, with 2 being relegated automatically, and the third-worst team has to play for its livelihood .
Same as the EPL, the team with the most points at the end of the season wins.

La Liga Santander (One hell of a sponsorship to actually name the league!)

Founded in 1929.
20 teams in the league, bottom 3 teams get relegated.
The highest level of 3 Spanish leagues, a total of 3.
Games are played August to May.
With two of the most valuable franchises in the entire world of sports, the rest of the league are just fighting for the scraps. Best of the rest include Athletico Madrid, aaaannnddd not much else.

Serie A

Founded in 1898 then redesigned in 1929.
20 teams, and again bottom 3 teams are relegated.
If you are looking for a way to watch ESPN+ usually is broadcasting a few games in the afternoon.
Juventus has won almost a third of the championships that have been on the line, and now with Ronaldo, probably wise to bet with them.

Ligue 1

Founded in 1932.
20 teams, with bottom 3 being relegated, but there is a little twist the 18th place team in Ligue 1 gets to play for their lives against the 3rd place team in Ligue 2 to try to stay in the top tier league.
Currently Ligue 1 has been struggling with competition parity, but with that said if you are looking for a world class showing watch PSG vs a team whose name you can not pronounce.

To give you some perspective these are the 2017-2018 revenue totals from the top leagues in the world. Displayed in millions of Euros.

National Football League - €11,394
Major League Baseball - €8,957
National Basketball Association - €6,271
Premier League - €5,340
National Hockey League - €4,119
Bundesliga - €3,810
La Liga - €3,363
Serie A - €2,267
Champions League - €2,089
Formula One - €1,830
Ligue 1 - €1,644

Thanks for reading, I hope you learned a thing or two as you went through this. My best advice if you truly want to give soccer fandom a try, is to pick a club, research just a tiny bit about the tradition behind the club, research its top 3 players, then just watch a game and see if it sticks. If you are lucky and have friends to argue with about it then it will become just another sport to uselessly yell over with good friends. Best of luck to you.

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Could we see more 19-year-olds in the AHL?

Lefebvre Article - translated with google