Healthy Hall

  While the Edmonton Oilers fans are missing out on watching the young and dynamic roster on the ice this season, the city of Oklahoma has been treated to a largely improved roster of rising stars that include names like Jordan Eberle, Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Justin Schultz, and as of this coming Friday, Taylor Hall.

  Hall, the 2010 first overall draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers, had his season end early last year after having sustained a shoulder injury, and missed the last 11 games of the regular season while his team failed to make the playoffs. His last game was March 16th, where he was knocked unconscious from a hit by Calgary Flames defenseman Cory Sarich. Hall has been practicing with the Oklahoma City Barons, Edmonton’s American Hockey League affiliate, and recently returned to Edmonton for evaluation where he was cleared to begin play. Though he is likely to start Friday against the Houston Aeros, he will not play in back-to-back games straight away.

  Through his first two seasons, Hall has appeared in 126 games and scored 49 goals and 95 points, just narrowly missing the 30 goal mark last year. Taylor Hall is a key part of the Oilers’ future, and headlines a whole host of highly drafted and highly touted young Edmonton Oilers stars.

  Since the lockout, many players have traveled down to the American Hockey League and given AHL fans a higher level of play in their home arenas, while others have opted for European destinations. Last year’s Calder Trophy potential and fellow first overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has been relatively productive for the Barons with 2 goals and 8 points, good for 2nd on the team, while off-season free-agent signee Justin Schultz is commanding the scoring leader boards with a league best 12 points through seven games from the blue line. The third of their first overall draft picks, Nail Yakupov last year, is currently playing in the KHL with Nizhnekamsk Neftekhimik where he has tallied 8 goals and 11 points in 12 games.

  Hall, who signed a seven year contract extension in August worth $42 million, will finally have his chance to play alongside his fellow teammates for the first time since his injuries which included a concussion and shoulder surgery. The Oilers have quite probably the most exciting pool of young talent the NHL has to offer, and with a large group of them starting to warm back up in unison, the city of Edmonton will be ever hopeful that the league comes out of its’ current lock out.

- Kendall Grubbs

Schultz Electrifying AHL, Oilers Drooling

  Though the National Hockey League has yet to get a glimpse of the highly touted Justin Schultz on NHL ice, the 22 year old native of Kelowna, B.C. is doing nothing short of electrifying the American Hockey League with a brilliant start for the Oklahoma City Barons.

  The offensive defenseman has shown by his level of play yet another reason why it is so unfortunate to be missing out on NHL hockey these days. In 7 games with the Oklahoma City Barons, who are currently eighth in the west, Schultz has a more than impressive 6 goals and 6 assists for 12 points. His goal tally is tied for second best in the league, and his points total is the highest of any other player in the American Hockey League early on in his first year of professional hockey. For a 22 year old rookie defenseman in a league of men, Schultz has done plenty to boost the Edmonton Oilers’ anticipation for NHL action to resume.

  Unsurprisingly, Schultz was the second player of the year thus far to receive the AHL’s “Player of the Week” recognition, but accolades and high praise are something that Schultz is used to receiving. Shortly after receiving his player of the weeks status on October 21, Schultz netted two shorthanded goals (one on the empty net) against San Antonio on Friday October 23rd and had a plus/minus 5 rating on the evening and continued with a highlight reel goal against Lake Erie on Saturday after undressing defenseman Cameron Gaunce and beating the goaltender one on one.

“I kind of blacked out there. I didn’t know what I was doing,” said Schultz. ”I usually don’t get many one-on-ones with a goalie.”

  Among Schultz’s accomplishments prior to stepping foot on professional ice he is best known for his tenure at the University of Wisconsin. There, as a Badger, he totaled 40 goals and 73 assists for 113 points in 121 games with a plus/minus 27 rating.  He was voted the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year two consecutive seasons, made the WCHA All Rookie Team, and twice appeared in the WCHA First All Star Team as well as the NCAA West All American Team. Last season with Wisconsin he was named the Spike Carlson Most Valuable Player by his Wisconsin teammates after finishing second on the team in points, and is currently eighth all time for Wisconsin in points from defensemen. Prior to his collegiate appearance he played two full seasons of Junior A with the Westside Warriors of the BCHL where he was named Interior Conference Top Defensemen in each season. He totaled 24 goals and 90 points in 106 games for the Westside Warriors.

“That was pretty cool.” Schultz said of his experience at Wisconsin. “There were a lot of talented players, especially defensemen,”

“They’re all congratulating me on a good start and my friends and family are able to see too. But, this is only a start. There’s a lot more games in this league than in school. We would only play 41 or 42 a year, max.”

  The beauty of Schultz’s offensive game is not that of a prototypical scoring defenseman. Schultz has an uncanny ability to skate the puck through the neutral zone and through top defensive pairings, capable of creating offensive plays or a pin-point accurate shot. Unlike most defensemen whom often blast the puck from the point, Schultz’s strength is his wrist shot. Having won the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year award for the last two consecutive seasons, he’s proven to be no slouch on the defensive side of the game either.

  Schultz proved his worth long ago playing next to current Toronto Maple Leafs rising star on defense, Jake Gardiner, at the University of Wisconsin as a fellow blue liner. Accordingly, Schultz is said to be the one Toronto were after in the deal that sent Francois Beauchemin to Anaheim in early 2011, with Gardiner being playing the expendable role in available depth players. None of this has gone well for the Ducks given the fact that Gardiner has excelled tremendously fast, while Schultz never did dress for the club that drafted him.

  Schultz, who was originally drafted by the Anaheim Ducks 43rd overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, signed as a free agent in the offseason with the Edmonton Oilers. The list of NHL teams eager to sign the then 21 year old was quite a lengthy one, with Anaheim begrudging the deal that was eventually made by the Oilers. The initial entry-level contract of three years, as per CBA stipulations prior to the lockout, was let run dry by the defenseman as he opted to stay in college and rack up a plethora of points and experience, all the while never intending the play with the Ducks. Anaheim would in fact see no compensation for this, as in section 8.3 (b) of the NHL’s former collective bargaining agreement, a team would only receive a compensatory draft pick if a team failed to sign a player that was drafted in the first round.

  This, among many clauses in the various outlines of a new collective bargaining agreement, has been a worth-while talking point going forward. While the NHL had originally proposed a five year entry-level contract minimum to avoid such happenings, the league uncharacteristically softened to the NHLPA’s requests, and reduced the minimum or standard to just two years. While a player determined is bound to end up leaving if he wishes, the league and players association must try to remedy these situations - the type that limit teams growth through the draft.

  The CBA talking points seemingly have no end, but for players such as the caliber of Justin Schultz, it is a shame that there may not be an opportunity for him to display his talents at the NHL level and almost assuredly challenge for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie. Though there is a vast amount of challengers, he has displayed a top level ability early in his pro experience. For the Edmonton Oilers, the fans and organization alike are drooling over the amount of talent they are set to have going into the next hockey season – whenever that may be. Another top challenger for the Calder would be none other than the Oilers’ own 2012first overall draft pick Nail Yakupov, who is a story within his own right.

  It’s very difficult to see a positive to a full-season lock out, but for Schultz, he is now amongst professional players on a nightly basis and, as he did with his college career, will only continue to develop and improve his game ahead of the official start to the next season of NHL play.

- Kendall Grubbs

LTL REPORT: No News is Bad News

  The weekend has passed without any further indication of the labor dispute being resolved. With the threat of a full-season lock out still very present and the Winter Classic near cancelation, the pressure is trending more toward the behest of League Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly.

"We withdrew our most recent proposal on Friday,” Daly told TSN’s Pierre LeBrun on Monday. “and now we are spending time thinking about our next proposal and how best to get closer to a resolution.  We hope the Union is doing the same thing. Given the fact that the Union refused even to discuss our last proposal, it would appear that we still have a large gulf to bridge."

  While Daly’s words seem intent on a resolution, it was the NHL that abruptly stopped talks with the NHLPA on Thursday, having spent just ten minutes reviewing three separate counter-proposals distributed by the executive director of the Players’ Association, Donald Fehr, in response to the NHL’s “50-50” collective bargaining agreement proposal.

  The title “collective bargaining agreement” is just that, a collective agreement made between the two entities; something that the NHL’s upper management has been thus far unwilling to agree upon, nor discuss. The stance taken blatantly clear by the NHL was that if the offer given wasn’t agreed upon by Thursday, it would disappear. It has, and a whole month of hockey has been lost at this point. 326 games canceled, %26.5 of the regular season, at an estimated $720 million loss.

  Though Doanld Fehr has a tough history of work stoppages, the NHL’s commissioner since 1993, Gary Bettman, has now been at the helm of three work stoppages during his tenure. Prior to the full season plus playoffs lock out of 2004-05, Bettman was at the forefront of the 1994-95 season which was shortened to 48 games from 84, lasting 104 days.

  The current situation is not too dissimilar to either of the previous lock outs, leaving the burning question on the tongue of the hockey enthusiast as to which way this one will go after forty-four days of a work stoppage. The fact that both men in the limelight at the moment are not short of work stoppages in any way is worrisome.

  Though it is widely believed that both parties need to take action and make ground, it is the NHL that seems to be set in their ways by not having continued negotiations with the Players’ Association.

"Since the last bargaining meeting on Oct. 18, we have consistently made it clear to the League that we are ready to meet and are willing to discuss all ideas, certainly including their last proposal," NHLPA counsel Steve Fehr told TSN on Monday.

"The league has unfortunately continued to decline to meet. Their position makes it difficult to move the process forward, as it is obviously hard to make progress without talking."

- Kendall Grubbs

Classic Indecision

  With the work stoppage, a long list of unanswered questions have been looming surrounding the NHL and NHLPA’s inability to salvage a season, or at least part of one At this juncture. One of the main talking points was headed by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman as he hinted at the very real possibility that the famed NHL Winter Classic could be lost in the mix.

"It takes a lot of time and it takes the commitment of a lot of money in order to put on the Winter Classic," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. "My understanding is at some point in the not-too-distant future we will have to commit many millions of dollars if we're going to play the Winter Classic on Jan. 1. Obviously under these circumstances and all the uncertainty, we're not going to commit the many millions of dollars if we don't think we're going to have a deal.

"And so the Winter Classic time frame, in terms of making that decision, is probably rapidly approaching."

  The NHL’s Winter Classic, slated for the new year ever since the 2008 season which saw the Buffalo Sabres host the Pittsburgh Penguins has been a mainstay and a delight to all of sports fans, and has generated a great deal revenue and interest the sport of hockey.

  The Classic was set to break records for the National Hockey League in many lights. The fact that two of the NHL’s historic ‘original six’ hockey clubs in the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs was only the tip of the iceberg. The NHL has expected to eclipse the record attendance of the 2010 NCAA “Big Chill” matchup at the University of Michigan which saw 104,173 fans. The cancelation would also extend to the alumni, junior, college and American Hockey Leagues games that were set for a second outdoor venue at Comerica Park in Detroit.

  The decision is quite possibly to come through on Friday at the end of this week. Unfortunately enough for the enthusiastic fans that planned on attending this mega event, the hands of the league may be tied – largely by its’ own indecision.

  The deal that was agreed upon between the NHL and the Michigan Stadium last February does indeed carry with it a ‘work stoppage clause’ which states that the NHL can call off the game as late as the aforementioned Friday of this week for a stiff penalty of $100,000, the exact amount that has been paid as a deposit to the stadium. The total rental fee for the stadium is a hefty $3 million, $250,000 of which is due this Friday in the first of a five-payment installation. Not only does  the NHL have to be concerned with its’ commitments to the stadium and fans that have painstakingly gone through the process of acquiring tickets for, and planning for the event, they must also take into consideration the sponsorship groups that have held strong through the lock out in which has no clear end in sight.

  Brian Cooper, CEO of S&E Sponsorship Group, has highlighted the importance of a steady plan moving ahead to an event with such great prominence in the sports world and in the marketing world.

"While the game may be Jan. 1, I knew that (a decision) was coming sooner than people thought," Cooper said Monday. "Say you're a bank and you're going to bring down your top 150 wealth management clients and they're going to block off New Year's Day -- you have to give that a lot of advance, especially if it's New Year's Day."

  Cooper also revealed his insight on the importance to the Canadian markets, given the fact that a Canadian franchise has been invited to the Winter Classic, something that the hockey crazed nation has been surprisingly left out of outside of its’ Heritage Classic appearance in 2003 between the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens, and 2011 in Calgary with the Flames hosting the Candiens once more.

"This is the first year that it really affects Canada," said Cooper. "There was going to be a lot of in-market (sponsorship) activations, there were going to be a lot of hosting opportunities, there were going to be consumer promotions. ...
"This was a big date."

  Not only is it a big date for Canada, but it was a big date for the state of Michigan. The game at the “Big House” was seen as a much needed large economic boost for the struggling state. Cooper estimated that the event, by far the largest in NHL history, was poised to generate in upwards of $3 million in corporate sponsorships, not including ticket and merchandising sales.

  The thought of canceling the NHL’s most glorious and spectacular day is quite the reality. With the league losing money since the lock out began on September 15th, it, as a whole, have been far from a solid agreement with the NHLPA as to when or if a season will be played. Even just the potential loss of such an event is another major blemish to the sport loved by so many.

- Kendall Grubbs

NHL Puts “No” in November

  The talk of the NHL this season has regrettably been of its’ absence through failed agreements and discussions regarding the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the framework in which the National Hockey League will be run over the course of said term. The news spoken by word of Deputy Commissioner and Chief Legal Officer of the NHL, Bill Daly, broke last week to dejected hockey fans as an apparent giant step backward in attaining a season of hockey, when he announced the NHL’s cancelation of the entire month of November.

"The National Hockey League deeply regrets having to take this action," said NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly in a statement.

  The NHL had made it very clear that an agreement must be made by Thursday between the NHL and the NHLPA if the league was going to have a full 82-game schedule played. If the collective agreement could be made, the season would begin November 2nd, allowing for a weeks’ training camp.

  After a long and intense battle between the NHL and NHLPA over revenue sharing, the NHL proposed a 50-50 split with a whole host of various stipulations regarding salary and contract structuring outlined in the new deal. The NHLPA returned three counter proposals that were all quickly stamped out by the league.

"By presenting a proposal to the NHLPA that contemplated a fair division of revenues and was responsive to Player concerns regarding the value of their contracts, we had hoped to be able to forge a long-term Collective Bargaining Agreement that would have preserved an 82-game regular season for our fans.  Unfortunately, that did not occur.

"We acknowledge and accept that there is joint responsibility in collective bargaining and, though we are profoundly disappointed that a new agreement has not been attained to this point, we remain committed to achieving an agreement that is fair for the Players and the Clubs - one that will be good for the game and our fans."

  The NHL’s fervency to reject the union’s proposals has equally matched the stance taken by NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr. Fehr, a man who is not easily persuaded, has been intent on obtaining a higher amount of revenue sharing for the expanding and flourishing National Hockey League.

"This is deeply disappointing for all hockey fans and everyone who makes their living from hockey, including the players," said NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr in a statement. "But it comes as no surprise." 

"Last week the owners gave us what amounts to a "take-it-or-leave-it" proposal. We responded with the framework for three proposals on the players' share, each of which moved significantly, towards their stated desire for a 50-50 split of HRR, with the only condition being that they honor contracts they have already signed. Honoring contracts signed between owners and players is a reasonable request. Unfortunately, after considering them for only 10 minutes they rejected all of our proposals"

  While Fehr does have a leg to stand on as a contract signed is a contract signed, Fehr’s reputation for a hard stand has titled him the only man of his position to have successfully locked out two different major sports. Fehr led the union for the 1994-95 MLB lock out of the entire season and World Series, with a track record of six work stoppages through no more than eight contract negotiations he has been involved with, highlighting his ability to demand. Five of the work stoppages, it should be noted, were consecutive disagreements while he led the MLBPA against the MLB.

“Since then,” Fehr continued, “we have repeatedly advised the owners that the players are prepared to sit down and negotiate on any day, with no pre-conditions.  The owners refused.  They apparently are only interested in meeting if we first agree to everything in their last offer, except for perhaps a few minor tweaks and discussion of their "make whole" provision. 

The message from the owners seems to be: if you don't give us exactly what we want, there is no point in talking.  They have shown they are very good at delivering deadlines and demands, but we need a willing partner to negotiate.  We hope they return to the table in order to get the players back on the ice soon."

  Though the NHL seems to be playing hard ball through staying their respective course, the decision has lost 326 games from October 11th through November 30th, which is a heart breaking 26.5 percent of the regular season.  Furthermore, an estimated  $720 million is set to be lost from the recent news of the cancelation.

  While a shortened season is still attainable, neither parties seem to be anywhere close to coming to terms, consistently cutting meetings short, if not canceling them altogether. The disruption in  this great sport has derailed the community of hockey, a sport that has taken great leaps of success since the most recent lock out of 2004-05, when the NHL lost an entire season.

  The verdict is out as to whether the two parties can reach an agreement, while players are continuously leaving North America to play overseas, and subsequently getting injured before the season has begun. Some of which, with the most notable inclusion of superstars Alexander Ovechkin and llya Kovalchuk stating that if their pay is cut, they won’t be returning at all. While these bold statements may come as a bit of a shock to some hockey fans, the reality and purpose behind their frustrations is somewhat minute as they truly have nothing to gain from such a move. The players have felt collectively that they are getting pushed around by the NHL, and the NHL has felt nothing different from the union, but the real truth is that the fans and the communities surrounding the arenas are suffering from the work stoppage, and that is something that both parties need to understand and fix in the very near future. The loss that could be felt by the NHL is at the core; it’s fans.

- Kendall Grubbs

Brooklyn Beckoning

  Wednesday afternoon brought special and long anticipated news by mouth of long-term owner Charles Wang that, finally, there is a legitimate answer to the repeated question he and the whole of the organization have been facing in recent years.




“Hello, Brooklyn.” Was the opening statement at the brand new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The looming question of where this storied franchise will be playing in the future has been answered in the form of a city that technically, if not obviously geographically, will remain on Long Island.

"Our goal from the outset was to have the Islanders play in a local, world-class facility that possesses the amenities our fans deserve,” Wang said. "I'm happy to announce we achieve that goal with today's announcement."

  The current lease at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is set to expire at the end of the 2014-15 season, and the new will be slated in Brooklyn on a 25 year deal – the long term that maintains and assures the stability that the organization has been hopeful for. The brand new facility in which the New York Nets currently play is just 25 miles from the Islanders current location, and a shared stay is something that the two clubs are accustomed to, having shared the Nassau Coliseum through the first five years of the Islanders’ existence.

  Wang, who had been pushing for a new arena with the grand plan entitled “The Lighthouse Project,” was never able to acquire the adequate funding from the state and investors to complete the project. The team has been subjected to rumored ties to leaving the state including cities such as Quebec and Kansas City.

"I know Wang has spent the better part of a decade in pursuit of a new local home for the Islanders because he is as passionate about this area," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "To finally be in position to say to New York Islander fans you don't have to worry about the future of this club, the club is staying local, you'll be able to get to it easily -- for us, for Islander fans, I know for Charles and Bruce Ratner (Barclays Center majority owner and developer) it is a dream come true."

"Charles got offers to move the team out of our state, and very good offers, and Charles wouldn't do that," Ratner said. "Charles wanted to keep them in the state of New York, local. Charles Wang is the real hero today. He has kept this team in New York state. So we welcome the Islanders. We welcome their fans. We welcome the new Brooklyn fans and we're all going to enjoy hockey here. It's a wonderful thing for everybody."

  Uniondale’s New York Islanders, who were granted a team in 1972, have been at the bottom end of the standings well over the past decade, and at the helm of their problems during the last decade has been the desperate need for a new arena. In fact, many players have been unwilling to sign with the Islanders simply because of this fact. Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum’s construction began in 1969, and was opened with the debut of the New York Islanders February 11, 1972. The facility has been expanded twice, and currently seats a total of 16,250. Being the second oldest arena in the National Hockey League with seemingly the least amount of improvements, it is officially time to say goodbye to this historic site which the Islanders enjoyed so much success in the early 1980’s.

  Though the team has been relatively unsuccessful compared to their success in the 1980’s, the legacy of times past will live on through their young and dynamic roster. Fortunately enough for the hockey world and as paid tribute to greats such as Mike Bossy, Brian Trottier, Denis Potvin, and Billy Smith, the team will keep the name and logo that has remained the same since their inception into the league in 1972, which is something that Hall of Famer Mike Bossy takes to heart.

"Absolutely," he said in applause of Wang’s accomplishments. "Charles' main goal was to keep the team local, and he succeeded in doing that. As much as people may be upset because it's not going to be in Nassau County they should be happy because he kept the team in New York."

  The Islanders achieved a feat that has only been done by one other team in National Hockey League history when they recorded four straight Stanley Cup Championships from the 1979-80 season through 1982-83, and came up just shy of extending it to five straight in 1983-84 when the lost out to the rising Edmonton Oilers in the finals.  The Oilers would then display a showing of dominance through the next handful of seasons by winning five Cups over the next seven years.  Prior to the Islanders first Cup, the mighty Montreal Canadiens had won four straight.

  Though the new arena seats a maximum capacity of 15,000 with a possible expansion of 500 making it the smallest in the NHL, Gary Bettman points to the success of the relatively small capacity in Winnipeg, which is the same in capacity as the Coliseum.

  The relocation, although not substantially far away from  its’ current location, will help revitalize the Islanders’ organization and fans in the very near future. With eleven bus lines that lead to the arena and the Long Island Railroad that runs right into the Barclays Center, the transit issue that haunted Nassau Coliseum will be largely eradicated. Also, given the fact that the arena will be much closer in proximity to divisional rival teams such as the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils, this will also draw a fair number of supporters to the new arena which will see these respective teams four times each per year in the regular season.

"I took the subway here. It is easy to get here," New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said as he welcomed the marriage of the arena and franchise. "There is more mass transit under this building than any other stadium in New York City, and that makes it more accessible for everybody.

"The fans from the team's current home in Nassau County can just take the LIRR, it stops just right across the street," he added. "Let's not forget the team is named for the island we are standing on."

  The movement of the home arena isn’t the only movement to watch out for on Long Island. This young Islanders team, headed by the 2009 first overall draft pick John Tavares and a score of young talent, remain hopeful to return this once legendary franchise to success. In the wake of the last lockout and the new cap-era, the Islanders are poised to return to form, and the new arena will do nothing but fuel the fire that is the passion for New York Islander fans, staff, and players for years to come, and thankfully will be on the attack from the same state, with the same name and crest on their sweaters.

- Kendall Grubbs