Pascal Leclaire Retires Early

  At the age of 30, goaltender Pascal Leclaire is calling it quits. For all too many years Leclaire has battled injuries – namely to the hip, which has caused his early retirement from professional hockey.

"I tried to go back this summer and I was operated on three times in my right hip in the hope of returning, but I still have trouble today," he said.

  Leclaire was drafted 8th overall by the Columbus blue Jackets in 2001, and appeared in 173 NHL games. His finishes 61-76-15 with a2.89 goals against average and .904 save percentage and 10 shutouts. In the post season, he appeared three times going 1-2-0 with a 2.84 GAA and .920 save percentage.

  His career year of 2007-08 saw Leclaire start more games than he ever would in an NHL year. In 54 games, Leclaire went 24-17-6 and 9 shutouts. His left knee injury in April would be the beginning of the end. The following year Leclaire lost his starting role to the future of the Columbus Blue Jackets plan for the crease as Steve Mason played a brilliant rookie season. Leclaire would appear only 12 times in 2008-09, and in March of 2009 he was dealt to the Ottawa Senators for Antoine Vermette. Leclaire would appear just 48 times more between 2009 and 2011. The last NHL game of the young Canadian’s career was played Dec. 16, 2010, where he stopped 23 of 24 shots and won against the Minnesota Wild.

  Leclaire has had a horrendous bout with injuries all throughout his hockey career that span from concussions to broken jaws, hip and ankle injuries, hand, hamstring, knee, neck, and groin. The list goes on, and there is literally no place on the man’s body that hasn’t been affected by the game he loves.

  It is a true shame that Leclaire has been forced out, because besides the radical hair-do’s he’s always been known for, he leaves behind a great deal of unfulfilled potential and promise as a great goaltender in the National Hockey League. I wish him best in his next phase in life.

- Kendall Grubbs

Hodgson, Cowen Injured

  Buffalo Sabre’s forward Cody Hodgson suffered a set-back as it was announced that he will be out indefinitely with a broken bone in his right hand. Rochester Americans Head Coach Ron Rolston says it will be a few weeks before having his player evaluated.

  Hodgson was injured October 27th, the result of a slash delivered by Adirondack's Brandon Manning. Hodgson is one of the many players to have signed in the American Hockey League during the lockout, and becomes one of the many victims thus far to suffer an injury before the NHL season has gotten under way. In nine games this season, Hodgson has tallied one goal and ten points.

  The 22 year-old was acquired in February by the Sabres from the Vancouver Canucks in a mega deal by the rebuilding Buffalo club. Hodgson was selected 10th overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, and spent the majority of 2010-11 in the American Hockey League where he totaled 17 goals and 30 points in 52 games with the Manitoba Moose. He was called up for just 8 games, and tallied one goal and one assists. Last year was his first full NHL season, and in his rookie year he showed the ability to produce points. Due to the trade, Hodgson actually played 83 games (in an 82-game season) and between the two clubs he recorded 19 goals and 41 points.

  It remains to be seen just how long Hodgson will be out, while the Sabres will pay close attention to his recovery – a sure bet to make the roster in 2012-13.

  The Ottawa Senators were dealt a heavy blow on the blue-line with the announcement that Jared Cowen will require surgery on his lower body, to repair a small tear in the labrum – an injury that could sideline him for the entire year.

  Cowen played his first full season with the Senators last year where he appeared in every contest, and finished with 5 goals and 17 points with a -4 rating. Cowen placed fifth on his team amongst defensemen in average time-on-ice, fifth overall (on the team) in blocked shots (74), and second only to forward Chris Neil for most hits with 217. The 2009 9th overall draft pick of the Senators tallied three assists in three contests with the Binghamton Senators, Ottawa’s affiliate.

  Cowen’s large 6’5 230lbs. frame will be greatly missed on the Senators blue-line as he proved to be a great physical presence with strong defensive play in his rookie year. Though the Senators will have a hole to fill, the early season opening may make way for prospects – namely 2012 15th overall pick of the Senators, Cody Ceci. However, after the fun is over, the Senators are likely looking to free agency in an attempt to replace – even if temporarily – their big defenseman. A player that stands out in my mind as a good replacement is a a man that has a history with Ottawa and Eastern Canada as defenseman Chris Campoli has still yet to find a home for 2012-13.Likewise an unrestricted free-agent, veteran defenseman Sean O'Donnell might be a good fit as well at a bargain price.

- Kendall Grubbs

Red Wings Motoring On

  Though the game has yet to resume at the NHL level due to the lockout, the Detroit Red Wings’ players are hitting their stride early in great form through various other leagues, and look to be hot on the trot ahead of the hopeful 2012-13 NHL year.

  The name Pavel Datsyuk is synonymous with perfection, leadership, and consistency. It’s not surprise that he’s had a great start to his 2012-13 year of hockey currently playing in his native land of Russia. In the KHL, Datsyuk has netted 6 goals and 19 points for CSKA Moskva, and currently 8th in points-scored of all NHL players currently playing overseas. It isn’t Datsyuk that the Wings need to worry about, as his play at the NHL level has never waivered. Last year Datsyuk totaled 19 goals and 67 points, and has led his club to not only capture two Stanley Cups (2001-02, 2007-08), but his four Lady Byng Trophies and  three Frank J. Selke Trophies have spoken of his abilities year after year.

  Red Wings center Valtteri Filppula is playing in his native land of Finland currently in the SM- Liiga. After setting a career-best in point totals of 23 goals and 66 points last year with the Red Wings, he has started well with 6 goals and 15 points in 15 games with Jokerit Helsinki. Currently 17th in the league in points, he is also helping his brother Ilari take his game to the next level as his teammate. Ilari Filppula is currently 3rd best in the league, having a brief history with the Red Wings’ organization last year – a relationship that has since ended, but will hopefully resume one day.

  It’s a bit deeper down the charts that Detroit is really looking primed for a good season, if and when that season should happen. Despite losing Cory Emmerton, Darren Helm, Dan Cleary, Patrick Eaves, and Joey MacDonald to various injuries before the season has even begun, the depth charts of the Wings’ roster is flourishing around the world.

  Henrik Zetterberg is another big name on Detroit’s impressive roster. The Swede has done nothing but great things for the club, also paying his dues in the Cup run of 2007-08, where he was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner and raised the Stanley Cup for the only time in his career – a year after claiming the Gold Medal for Team Sweden. Last season the Swede played all 82 games for the Red Wings, scoring 22 goals and 69 points. In 668 games with the Wings he has totaled 252 goals and 624 points. In 109 playoff games, he totals 51 goals and 102 points.

  Currently playing in Swizterland with the EV Zug Lions, Zetterberg is off to a flying start, but the story goes much deeper. In the off-season, the Red Wings signed free-agent Damien Brunner, the League MVP of the Swiss League last year. The signing of Brunner, though relatively unknown amongst the common NHL fan, was nothing short of brilliant. The Red Wings’ organization has proved time and again with their rich history of finding the right guys through free-agency and the draft, and they look to continued success with the experiment going quite well in Switzerland.

"In talking to Zetterberg, he likes him and thinks he should be able to play in the NHL," said Zug coach Doug Shedden.

  The Swiss-born winger was signed as a free-agent to a one-year entry-level deal at a bonus salary rate of just over $1.3 million on January 7th with the sole intention to play him on a line with Henrik Zetterberg to spur on the Swede’s point production or the coming season. On October 8th, Zetterberg resigned his immediate hopes of the lockout ending, and subsequently signed with EV Zug of the Swiss Extra League – the same club that Brunner himself has spent his last four seasons playing pro hockey. The story has a brilliant twist, as Zetterberg then contacted his future teammate and asked him to join in on the fun.

"Detroit said they were going to put Brunner on a line with Zetterberg, so I got to do it first," Shedden said in an interview. "I texted Red Wings GM Kenny Holland and said: `It works."

  “It works” may be an understatement, as the two have dominated from the start. While Zetterberg light up the scoring sheets early, he currently sits fourth on the team in points with eight 8 goals and 13 points in just 7 games. Brunner, his line-mate, has appeared in 17 contests and has netted 17 goals and 28 points, which leads the entire league. Furthermore, teammate Linus Omark is second in the league with 26 points, and Zetterberg, having played ten less games, is 38th overall.

"If you take a Zetterberg, Brunner and (Montreal Candiens defenseman) Diaz out of our lineup, we're in deep, deep, deep water," he said. "But 75 per cent of our games are played before Christmas. So if those guys ... can help us get into a playoff situation before they've got to leave, I'm certainly going to shake their hand and thank them very much."

  If the lockout ends is the key, but even while the Swiss League may not compare to the NHL, the pair are not the only high profile names currently playing in Switzerland as John Tavares, Jason Spezza, Rick Nash, Joe Thornton, Patrice Bergeron, Patrick Kane and Tyler Seguin are among the players to have come over during the lockout.

  182nd overall 2006 draft pick Jan Mursak isn’t doing too bad, either. Mursak currently is top-five among all NHL players to have gone overseas during the lockout as he is posting up big numbers for his club, Ljubljana Olimpija HK. He has totaled 7 goals and 22 points in just 13 games – second on his team. Mursak may not be guaranteed a roster-spot come the start of the NHL season, but it’s not for a lack of ability or compete level. Mursak was marred by injury in the pre-season last year, but managed to appear in 22 games where he scored a goal and 3 points. The power-forward native of Slovenia will most likely suit up for the Red Wings’ American Hockey League affiliate in Grand Rapids when the lockout ends, which has proven to be a grow house of great talent for the organization, and is proving to be just that thus far in the AHL regular season.Speaking now of North American Hockey, the Grand Rapids Griffins' team is one to play for these days.

  Sitting in third place overall in the AHL points race is none other than the highly touted Gustav Nyquist. The 23 year-old Swede, who signed with the Red Wings to a two-year entry-level contract in March of 2011 is in his second year with the Grand Rapids Griffins, and looking ever so much better. He led the team in goals last year with 24, and tied three-ways for team lead in points as he totaled 58 points in a full 20 games less than teammates Tomas Tatar and Jamie Johnson did – 56 compared to 76. His performance was so great that he was called up for 18 games with the Red Wings last year, and scored 1 goal and 8 points. In pre-season, the prospect of Nyquist’s skating and puck-handling abilities next to the brilliance of one, Pavel Datsyuk, was enough to make a Red Wings fan blush with excitement. Nyquist has wasted no time as in 13 games with the Griffins this year, he has scored 6 goals and 15 points and a +9 rating, a rating that also leads his Griffins’ club.

  In fact, the Grand Rapids’ Griffins roster is proving to be full of future Red Wings. 21 year-old teammate Tomas Tatar hasn’t looked too bad, either. The 2009 60th overall draft pick of the Red Wings put up big numbers last year, and is 21st overall in the AHL in 2012-13 having scored 5 goals and 12 points with a +6 rating.

  Large-framed defenseman Brendan Smith, who is a likely lock for a spot on Detroit’s blue-line this coming season is off to a flying start as well. The slick puck-moving defenseman who was drafted 27th overall in 2007 by the Red Wings added two more goals on Friday night to help his team win – brining his totals to 3 goals and 8 points in 13 games with a +5 rating. At this rate, he is looking to eclipse his totals last year where he posted 10 goals and 34 points in 57 games. Smith also appeared in 14 NHL games with the Red Wings, scoring 1 goal and 7 points.

“I think I played well and showed them what I've got,'' Smith said. “The biggest thing for me is to hit the gym really hard this summer and get bigger and work my way into the lineup. I'm pretty excited to have played as many games as I did, and hopefully that will give me that much more of a chance to jump right into the lineup.''

  Though these are just some of the stand-out names on the Grand Rapids gleaming roster, the simple fact of the matter is that the Red Wings’ depth is shining brighter perhaps than it has in quite some time. The great start that the AHL club has had this year, currently 3rd place in the Western Conference, combined with the compete level that the Red Wings players overseas have begun with are nothing but positive signs looking forward to the start of the NHL season. Though the lockout has darkened the skies above the world of North American Hockey, the Red Wings are beaming with confidence.

- Kendall Grubbs

LTL REPORT; Russia Takes QMJHL in Subway Super Series

Team Russia defeated Team QMJHL in last night's opener of the 2012 Subway Super Series by a score of 6-2.

Russian goaltender Andrei Vasilevski made 31 saves as the Russian's offensive exploded with six goals. QMJHL will ahve a chance to rectify the loss tomorrow night. More to follow..

Malkin Tall

  It is not uncommon for Evgeni Malkin to be in the current position he is; leading his respective Eastern Conference team to the top of the charts, and leading his club in points, but this year it comes with a different backdrop – but the man in the foreground is the same man we’ve seen lead on our soil in years’ past.

  Malkin, one of the NHL’s most devastating offensive powerhouses is up to his old tricks, but for the first time since 2005-06, he’s doing in Russia’s top league, the Kontinental Hockey League.

  Playing in his native town of Magnitogorsk for the Metallurg club, Malkin has produced 8 goals and 28 points in just 18 games. He is one single point behind line mate Sergei Mozyakin, and three points behind league-leader Alexander Radulov, who has led the KHL previously in points scoring, but was unable to get things going in his return to the states just before the NHL playoffs.

  Malkin is a player unlike most. In fact, Malkin is one of the best players in the world no matter where he’s playing. In recent years with the Penguins, Malkin has made everyone around him better, which is a key attribute and defining point of a ‘great’ hockey player. Just as he did with players such as James Neal, Pascal Dupuis and Chris Kunitz on Pittsburgh, Malkin is doing with players such as Toronto Maples Leaf’s Nikolai Kulemin and ex New York Ranger Enver Lisin on Metallurg. Kulemin, for example, has scored 6 goals and 11 points through 17 games this season. Compare that to his dismal 2011-12 NHL season where he tallied 7 goals and 28 points in all of 70 games. Kulemin, to the delight of Leaf’s fans, will be benefitting from Malkin’s presence on the team.

  Malkin is an elite player, and he has shown that to North American fans ever since we got our first real look at him. Drafted in 2004, 2nd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Malkin was perhaps slightly delayed in his initial appearance due to the 2004-05 lock out, but made his debut in 2006-07. In his rookie year, Malkin posted a jaw-dropping 33 goals and 52 assists for 85 points. For Malkin, his dominant rookie season would be overshadowed, much like the vast majority of his experience in Pittsburgh with the exception of last season, as 2005 first overall pick Sidney Crosby totaled an even more impressive 120 points in his second year, but Malkin would in fact be receiving the Calder Memorial Trophy for the league’s best rookie – something that Crosby was unable to attain the year before up against Malkin’s countryman, Alex Ovechkin.

  With Crosby out nearly all of last season, Malkin proved fully capable of leading the Pittsburgh Penguins and taking the weight on his shoulders. In 75 regular season games last year, he totaled 50 goals – enough for 2nd best in the league, and 109 points which topped everyone. Malkin received his second Art Ross Trophy for the NHL’s leading scorer, but last year Malkin needed a few extra hands to help carry his things to his car after the awards show. He went on to also receive the Ted Lindsay Award (Player of the Year selected by the NHLPA), and the Hart Trophy for league MVP. His dominant year was much like that of 2008-09, where Malkin not only won the Stanley Cup, but the Art Ross Trophy, and Conn Smythe Trophy for Playoff’s MVP.

  For the Penguins to be missing Sidney Crosby, it has been a real tragedy to the team and the NHL. Thankfully for Pittsburgh, there is Malkin – an equally elite hockey player and ever so gifted goal scorer. With Crosby apparently getting well, the Penguins will certainly be challenging for another Stanley Cup run as soon as the lock out ends. But for now, ‘Gino’ is working his magic in Russia, and from the looks of things he is warming up to have one of his best years ever.

  No matter what happens for the year that has yet to become a reality in North American hockey at the NHL level, the fact that Malkin is the cream of the crop can never be disputed.

- Kendall Grubbs

MacKinnon; Mooseheads’ Home Brew

  The Halifax Mooseheads are crushing the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with alarming pace to all of those concerned in the long, long list of superbly talented rivals. The club is currently best in class, with a 16-1-1 record. The loss against Rimouski in the shootout ended a 14-game winning streak, a game which five different goal scorers’ efforts wasn’t enough for the win. Having one of the most exciting teams in all of the QMJHL more than makes up for that little blip on the radar, though, as they have some of the most talented players the league has to offer.

  Though no team with such a record as the Mooseheads, who currently sit at the top of the league with 33 points, is led by one man, Nathan MacKinnon is standing out amongst the roster.

  Halifax-born MacKinnon, at 17 years of age, is on fire in his second season with the Mooseheads as he currently sits in sixth place among the league’s top point producers, having netted 18 goals and 30 points in 18 games. He is currently on pace to eclipse his rookie year points total of 31 goals and 78 points in 58 games.

  Success has always followed Nathan MacKinnon, as his numbers as an early teenager have always indicated. At an atom aged player, MacKinnon would score 200 points in 50 games. At twelve and thirteen years of age in Bantam AAA he would scored 110 and 145 points respectively. Having chosen the same patch as superstar Sidney Crosby (and quite wisely), MacKinnon left home to pursue hockey at Shattuck St. Mary’s boarding school. In Bantam Tier 1 he totaled 101 points in 58 games. In his second season with Shattuck, he finished with 93 points in forty games played, and was second on the team with 45 goals, and to top it off, he had 70 penalty minutes, underlining his aggressive nature of play. In 15 contests in U-17 and U-18 at the National level for his come country, he has totaled 11 goals and 23 points.

  MacKinnon has had a watchful eye on him all along. Widely praised and presumed as the eventual first overall draft pick in the coming NHL Entry Draft, MacKinnon nearly skipped out on the QMJHL all together. Just as he is expected to be number one looking forward to his future NHL career, he was also projected to be first overall in the 2011 QMJHL Draft. The Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the QMJHL was awarded the first pick that year, and naturally, chose MacKinnon. Meanwhile, speculation flew rampant that he may opt for college hockey instead. But here he was, with the gates wide open in QMJHL – a teenager’s dream come true. The only problem; he doesn’t speak French. So, with a trade in mind, his new team was happy to oblige him. Why? Because the return was rather large, and the “Viking Ship” knew just how badly Halifax wanted their native son. MacKinnon's rights were traded to the Halifax Mooseheads for Carl Gélinas, Francis Turbide, the Mooseheads' first round draft picks in 2012 and 2013 respectively, and the Quebec Remparts' first round draft pick in 2013, previously acquired by Halifax. The Mooseheads had been attempting to acquire MacKinnon since Baie-Comeau was awarded the first overall pick, and now they had him.

  MacKinnon was also selected to represent the best the QMJHL had to offer as he will be paired up side-by-side with the best the league has to offer, up against the best Russia has to throw at them with the inclusion of last year’s first overall draft pick, Nail Yakupov in the Subway Super Series. MacKinnon will see plenty of looks from an increased presence of NHL scouts throughout the tournament, as he has
exposed himself as a truly gifted young forward.

  MacKinnon is the real deal, and when he becomes eligible for the NHL Entry Draft in June every General Manager will hold his breath until the name is called. Nathan MacKinnon will be great.

- Kendall Grubbs

"Make Whole" or Make Right?

  As the NHL lockout approached its’ 50th day, talks finally started back up between the NHL and NHLPA. The National Hockey League, it appears, is starting for the first time to initiate a resolution in which the Players’ Association will accept to pull the league out from under its’ gloomy 2012-13 season.

  The bargaining tables have been empty and quiet since the NHL’s last proposal to the NHLPA on October 19th, which saw the NHLPA’s three counter-offers quickly dismissed by the NHL, if all of ten minutes is to be deemed ‘quick’, the NHL more or less walked out on immediate talks with the Players Association’s leader, Donald Fehr.

  Though the public talks have been nonexistent, there have been plenty of talks between the parties, reportedly via telephone, and there is a lot of work going on behind closed doors on both sides as the urgency of finding a solution is critical at this point if a season is to be salvaged.

  The NHL made somewhat of a surprise move when they made public their willingness to budge on what is titled the “Make Whole” provision in the framework of the NHL’s most recent proposal.

   "Make Whole" is a protection plan to cover player salary reduction in dropping the players revenue share from 57 per cent to 50 per cent in year one of a new CBA. The NHL is now willing to shift the provisions of “Make Whole” from the players’ share over to the owners’ side.

  As TSN’s Darren Dreger reports, included is a deferred payment system which the league is also willing to reconsider when negotiations resume. According to many around the league, this is considered to be a considerable step forward.

  However, heading into the weekend, the NHL seems to be stumbling over itself and attempting to right previous wrongs - to put it lightly. NHL Deputy Chief Commissioner Bill Daly and Donald Fehr met in an undisclosed location on Saturday, day 49 of the lockout, and reportedly held talks until 1:00a.m.

"We had a series of meetings yesterday and exchanged views on the most important issues separating us," wrote Daly in an email to TSN on Sunday morning."We plan to meet again sometime early this week.''

"Hopefully we can continue the dialogue, expand the group, and make steady progress," said Donald Fehr.

  How far of a step forward is this? Well, as Dreger generally put it, the devil is in the details. The overall term used in the NHL’s latest move has been that the NHL has made concessions, but the hard truth is that given the frameworks of their latest proposal, it can hardly be defined as a concession.

  Puckdaddy’s Greg Wyshynski put it best in his most recent release regarding the weekend’s happenings. “Honoring the players' current contracts should be an obligation rather than a point of conciliation. Plus, we're not entirely sure making your own proposal more equitable to the other side a sign of compromise; isn't it a sign that the initial proposal was inadequate?”

  Elliotte Friedman of the CBC has doubts of the NHL’s ‘step forward.’

“But the NHLPA is going to have some hard questions, including: What exactly does "ownership" mean -- some of it or all of it? What is the formula going to be? And, most importantly, what do we have to accept in order for you to do this?” he said. “If the answer is "everything else we've proposed," we're going to have a problem.”

  Eventually, a deal must be done. Whether it’s this season or the next, both parties are going to have to budge considerably from where they stand on many key issues for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement to be made. Again, the agreement must be collective, and again, there must certainly be some bargaining. Fortunately, it seems as though both sides realize how quickly this must transpire.

  At this point, the NHL has canceled 327 games. 326 of those would see, as estimated by Bill Daly, a $720 million loss in revenue. Likewise, with the cancellation of the Winter Classic, over $3 million was lost to corporate sponsorships not including the lost revenue in ticket sales and merchandise. And, if you’ve looked into attending the Classic, you can only imagine how much has been lost on that front alone - and what about an authentic jersey? The losses keep piling up against the NHL and the players alike.

  It does seem at this point that the time is now, and that if there is any hope in salvaging a partial season, a decision must be made uncomfortably soon. Though s full 82-game season is out of the question and we’ve lost our beloved Winter Classic, it’s not yet too late to play hockey. There may be weeks, perhaps a month, before we yet again lose an entire season to the squabbling of a bunch of over-paid suits and ties and athletes that have jobs we could only dream of having – and the majority of us would take it at a sliver of the salary just to be doing it.

  The NHL, the players, and the owners have had years to figure this out, and we’re over a month into the season that has yet to see a puck drop on NHL ice. It’s very disappointing. They should all be embarrassed of themselves.

- Kendall Grubbs