Weekly Challenge: Gretzky - The Bench Boss Edition

Every team has a coach, and we want to get to know yours. Tell us how much you love/hate the way they do their job. If you could fire your coach, would you? If so, who would you hire?

You've heard the saying LOVE/HATE relationship? or the old saw about loving someone but not liking them sometimes? Well that would be how I feel about my coach on occasions.

I kinda feel like I've already done this topic back in January 08. But I still wouldn't fire Wayne Gretzky at this juncture. He is just getting his house in order. I honestly can't think of another NHL coach who could handle all the variables Phoenix has going on w/ a continuously positive impact.

House in order:

1) The old guard of hard headed veteran retirees are gone. We are no longer dependant on the patchworked, blue collar role players. The Roenicks are gone but the Kapanens and Tjarnqvists have sadly had to move on too. The vets who remain have not only bought into the Gretzky system. He has made them believe. They are committed to not only making themselves and the team better every game, they are committed to helping their rookie counterparts reach their full potential too. With GMDM constantly on the look out and procuring his now famous "VALUE" deal players, Wayne doesn't have to try to turn sows ears into successful players.

2) The new kids are arriving w/ a vengeance. The revamped scouting staff are giving him 'real' talent to work with. Boedker, Turris, Porter and Tikhnov are joining supers sophmores Mueller, Hanzal and Winnik. Wayne never expects more of them than they can deliver. He puts them into situations where they can succeed. He sees them so clearly and sets them to tasks that so totally match their talents, that they often excel beyond even what they themselves dream of achieving. The kids are breathing in every syllable that falls from the Great One's lips and performing like the future superstars that they are.

3)TGO has finally committed to this team. No distractions. Whole heartedly. No holds barred. Just like when he played the game, Wayne is now using his magnificent game vision and amazingly creative thought processes to give this team as much of an advantage as possible.

Yes there are still days in which I would like to just smack TGO upside his head. When he 'appears' to be playing favorites and drives us fans up the proverbial wall. When he appears to be juggling lines w/ no rhyme nor reason, like a friggin circus clown on crack and making me tear out my hair (I am starting to look like I have mange because of his juggling). When he mumbles like a stroke victim, fidgets and generally scratches like a flea circus has infested his suit during press conferences.

But just like "his" team, Wayne Gretzky is still learning.

Just like "his" team, there is no quit in Wayne Gretzky.

Wayne Gretzky continues to get better and better, game by game and so does "his" team... finally he is taking ownership and making it work.

How can I not like Wayne Gretzky - Bench Boss?

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Hershey Bears Team Preview

Me again, here, guys, your lonely AHL correospondant with an overview of the Baby Caps in Hershey.  When the big team rips through your boys like a chipper-shredder left to its own devices, you'll thank me for knowing where they came from :-)

One of the biggest issues the Bears had last year was consistant veteran leadership, both on and off. Captain Dean Arsene fell to injury before the season even started and never quite got back, Freddy Cassivi was stuck in goal, Louie Robitialle was, well, Louie, and acting captain Quintin Laing went up to the big team and never came back, just like our head coach. This year, though, we're veritably stacked on veterans. As of the offseason, we also have returning Graham Mink, a member of the Calder Cup team, and new veterans Keith Aucoin and Bryan Helmer. Along with our just-waiver-cleared Quintin Laing, there's absolutley no comparing the leadership on this team to where it was last year. Even if we lose one vet to injury, there's another to step up and motivate the babies.

Being an AHL team, the roster's never really fixed, but the one we seem to be starting with is nothing short of killer. 

On defense, not only did we luck out with the return of Arsene and his ferocious ass-hits, we also retain Sami Lepsito for the time being, (our version of Mike Green), Josh Godfrey (who had a hat trick in the final pre-season game) and perhaps most excitingly, we also got Karl Alzner, who's been heralded as the Second Coming of Defence Christ for a good long while now. 

Our forward lines are just as ridiculous, fielding Chris Bourque and Jay Beagle, who barely missed making the big team out of camp this year, Andrew Gordon, who had as many points as he had games last year, and the continued play of Francoise Bouchard and Mathieu Perreault, two QMJHL stars. Oskar Osala never met a puck (or a fight) he didn't like, and between him and Kyle Wilson, I don't see the Bears having the same 'hesistance to shoot'issue they had last year. 

The Washington Capitals are really to thank for the goalie situation as well. Simeon Varlamov, the 23rd overall draftee in '06, and Michael Neuvirth, 34th draftee in '06 are currently in Hershey, but they've come up against some stiff competition for roster spots in the form of Daren Machesney, only a second year AHL player, but a star OHL player, and for a while last year when Cassivi was with the Caps, one of the top ten AHL goalies. 

Honestly, I think it's going to take until a few weeks into the season to see where the holes are on this team. on paper and in preseason they look virtually unstoppable. Against the WBS Pens, who knocked them out of the Calder Cup run in 5 games last season, the Bears pounded out an 8-2 victory to close preseason. 

Of course, in the AHL there's also the good chance you'll lose people to the big team, and when that happens, it's going to be the young guns gone first- Bourque, Beagle, Alzner and Lepisto will go missing, and it'll be interesting to see what the team does after that. If reviews of the Washington Capitals heralding them as a 'ridiculously deep' team are to be believed, the depth storage unit in Hershey will have no trouble at all. 

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Hate It or Love It The Underdog's On Top...

And I'm gonna shine hommie until my heart stops.
Go ahead, envy me, I'm raps' MVP.
And I ain't going no where so you can get to know me.

Well not really, but there are some things that I hate and love about the so-called "new" NHL. Actually, there are a lot of things. Would anyone be surprised to find out that I'm really, really opinionated?

1) What is your favorite thing about the NHL?

My favourite thing about the NHL is clearly the game. I love hockey, period. I love the hits and the goals, the shots and the saves. I love the chippy play, I love the big personalities that exist in this league. I love the fact that on any given night, any team can win a game.

I love watching the highlight reel plays. I love the action and the speed of the game. Sitting inches from the ice as Dion Phaneuf runs someone into the boards. I love hearing the players shoot off their mouths on the ice.

There's nothing I like more then sitting at a game, a beer in my hands, cheering on my boys. Whether I'm screaming at the Flames, or cheering for them, watching the Habs playing on Hockey Night in Canada or RDS I am a hockey fan, and nothing will take away from my love of this game.

I love watching the next generation of great players. Sidney Crosby. Alexander the Gr8t (whoever decided to let teenage girls decide how to spell his nickname anyway?) Getz. Pears. Neufy. Zachie Parise.

Not to mention cheering on my Saskatchewan boys. Army. Uglier Army (aka Riley). Das. Endo (yes, even Endo). Stolly. Getz again. Garth Murray (ugliest guy in Regina with the biggest well, you know). Paestch (even if I can't spell or pronounce his name). Blakey Comeau. Riley Holzapfel. Hards. Travis Moen. The Reghers. Ward.

And the boys who just played IN Saskatchewan. Reggie Beauchemin. Dusty Boyd. There are more, but my brain is failing me right now.

2) What is your least favorite thing about it?

Clearly I hate the schedule. Crosby's second season in the NHL and I haven't had a shot in hell of seeing him play because of the unbalanced scheduled. I haven't seen the Montreal Canadiens, though I think they were here last year. I mean, tickets to see Ovechkin and the Caps play the Flames were sold out within MINUTES. It was nearly impossible to get seats to most of the good games this season. Fortunately I have connections and a willingness to spend 200$ on a ticket, otherwise, I'd be screwed.

I think if you REALLY want to sell this game - both here at home AND south of the border, then you need the superstars in EVERY arena every year. This three year cycle thing is shit.

The other thing I hate? The officiating. Officials clearly have players who'll get the call every single time, and other players, who for some reason or another, can take dirty hit after dirty hit and no one seems to catch it. The officiating in the league really needs an overhaul.

I get sick and tired of watching Crosby dive all over the ice. I think we all do. The fact is, he feels that he HAS to do that, in order to EVER get a call. I don't like watching Saku Koivu bleeding from his freaking eye with no call. I don't like any of it.

Hate it or love it, the underdog's on top
And I'm gonna shine hommie until my heart stops.
Go ahead, envy me, I'm raps' MVP.
And I ain't going no where so you can get to know me.

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You mean hockey isn't a religion? - A Human Resources Perspective

^{As a Christian, I'm not sure if I should find this amusing or offensive}

I thought I'd approach this week's topic from a different approach and actually attempt to use what I've learned in Human Resources management class. My professor would be so proud. Or ashamed.

Everybody knows that discrimination on the grounds of religion is prohibited. The new CBA [opens in .pdf file] doesn't say much about players having to miss practices for religious obligations because it should be pretty obvious that the league has no right to tell them they can't. It's seen as a fundamental freedom and protected under all Human Rights acts. Benjamin Rubin shouldn't have to compromise his religious beliefs in order to accommodate his career. If he does get passed over in the draft simply because there was not a sufficient scouting report out on him, he could say that the scouts didn't meet their duty to accommodate. If the scouts say that they want to give every junior player a chance, then it shouldn't be too much of a burden on them to go to more games in the middle of the week.

Duty to Accommodate - It is a requirement that the employer accommodate the employee not to the point of "undue hardship." NHL scouts are a little bit different as before the junior players are drafted, they are not considered employees of the NHL. However, professional scouts attending only games on the weekend where Rubin is sitting out can be seen as indirect or systemic discrimination.

Systemic Discrimination in the work force is allowed if the point of contention is seen as a Bona Fide Occupational Requirement (BFOR). A BFOR is a job requirement that legally overrides human rights protection. They're allowed when abilities needed to carry out the essential job requirements are related to a prohibited ground. For example, if an employee's religious commitments require wearing a turban and the job requires that the employee wear a hard hat or helmet for safety reasons, then it is legally acceptable for the employer to refuse to hire that candidate.

Criteria Used to Assess BFOR
The appropriateness of BFORs are assessed on 3 things:
1) Is the standard rationally connected to the performance of the job?

2) Was the standard established in an honest belief that it was necessary to accomplish the purpose identified in stage 1?

3) Is the standard reasonably necessary to accomplish its purpose?

So then what is the BFOR of a NHL player? The job required of a NHL player is the product they ultimately produce on the ice in game time situations. Thus, it requires that the player actually be present. In BFOR situations, the burden of proof shifts to the employer to prove that the requirement is essential to completing the job.

Rubin is a promising young player but is still years away from making an impact. In 27 games with the Quebec Remparts he has 3 goals and 0 assists. If it comes to be that he turns into a superstar player and his absence greatly damages the success of the team and the product on the ice, then teams could make an argument that his salary should be going towards somebody who can actually attend all games and practices.

On the flip side, given that his religious obligations don't directly effect his performance, the fact that he has to sit out a number of practices and games shouldn't be an issue. If the League doesn't schedule games for certain major holidays, then there should be no reason why players who celebrate different holidays cannot sit out when needed. It is hard to say in a hypothetical situation whether or not the amount of games and practices Rubin sits out will effect the team chemistry and his relationship with his teammates.

Rubin believes that his talents were God-given and that hockey is what he is meant to do. He wants to continue to play hockey as a means of glorifying God and he should be given every opportunity to do so. If he feels that his spiritual life might suffer as a result of his hockey career, then that's his decision to make. I hope for his sake that it doesn't come down to one or the other. However, the League doesn't have to change the way it runs things and no employer would change their regulatory operations for only one person. If Rubin is drafted by a team and the coach finds that his development isn't progressing because of the time he misses, he will most likely not be given quality minutes or even be benched. At the junior level, that doesn't seem to be an issue for him as Patrick Roy, his coach still very much believes in his abilities. At the professional level, it may be a different story.

The League employs hundreds of players who all have different needs and it is impossible for them to accommodate every single one and that is why a specific standard has to be set. If he were a goalie, it would make it easier for him to split shifts with somebody and it wouldn't be as disruptive. The fact is, he's a forward and unless he's an immediate impact player, teams will most likely not be clamouring for him. Unfortunately, it's become a startling trend that the league does make allowances for certain people. The way I see it, if playing professional hockey is really what he is meant to do, then God will create a way for him.

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My Mom Thinks I'm Cool!

I think it's more or less become the general consensus that the NHL All-Star Game is a joke. The truth is, everybody already knows the players would rather be taking the week off to chill at a beach or something rather than play on a team with people that they probably dislike. There's not as much physicality, not as much finesse because nobody cares. You're not going to go out and give it your all in a game that doesn't mean diddly-squad and risk getting an injury that might sideline you.

But I suppose we can look at it from a different perspective. The League will tell you that they're doing it for the fans because really, what's wrong with the concept of putting some of the best players together in the league and seeing what they can do? It really is a double-edged sword with the whole concept though. In Major League Baseball, the winning League of the All-Star game is guaranteed home field advantage during the playoffs but I don't think anybody likes the idea of losing out on home stadium advantage in the playoffs all because of one game, thereby discounting anything they did in the regular season. It's a shame that the product you see during the All-Star game from the players is never at the standard that you would expect from your super-star players, but you can't blame them when they really don't have any reason to give 110%.

Really, in the end, it's a way for the League to make some extra cash and for that I'm not going to blame them because we all know maintaining a professional sports team costs money and the National Hockey League is floundering in the States. However, this method only works if people actually show up and watch the All-Star Game or buy their paraphernalia or whatever. The thing is, the All-Star gear is incredibly ugly this year and the game is held in Dallas.

I will say this though, I think this year's All-Star Game will be a success all because of one, Rory Fitzpatrick. The fans discovered a flaw in the system and they exposed it, instead of the League or mediots getting all up-in-arms about the whole thing, they should learn from this and make the necessary changes. However, considering how much publicity this whole campaign got, the League couldn't have bought better publicity. Fitzpatrick was on ESPN talking about the campaign for crying out loud, and ESPN usually hates hockey like it's the red-headed stepchild of major sports.

The whole campaign is a little bit unfair to Fitzpatrick. He never wanted any of this attention and he was faced with the difficult decision of whether or not he should actually go or not. He knows that he's not up to the calibre of a Lidstrom or Niedermayer but if it's what the fans want, how can he say no? Frankly, Niedermayer or Lidstrom would hardly give a rats-arse if they make it or not. The players enjoy the honour of being named an All-Star but when it comes to actually wanting to play in the game, do they actually want to play in this thing?

To be honest, I hope Fitzpatrick goes. He can skate on the ice during the warm-up, line up for the anthems or the league should pay for his ticket and he can sit in a nice cushy press box. He deserves to be there as a thanks for all of the coverage he brought the whole thing and for his sake he shouldn't play because his deficiencies will just become all the more obvious compared to the high calibre players that are there.

Critics of this campaign need to chill the heck out about the fans making the All-Star game seem like a joke when everybody already knows it's a joke. Mediots like to claim that being chosen an All-Star is a badge of honour but not even the players wear it like it is when they show up for the game.

There are some aspects of the game I enjoy though. I love the Superskills competition simply because it's alot less informal and it gives the players more of a chance to showcase their individual talents. I love the interactions between the players in the All-Star game itself because it's rare to see some of these players play together. It showcases old and new talent so while the concept is good, the execution is flawed. One thing is for sure, you won't be seeing unlimited online fan voting come next season.

But if you can, who do you think we should push next year?

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I Say, We're ALL All-Stars!

So I've borrowed Jordi's whip for a moment since she's busy recovering from the excitement that is Canada and I'm here to introduce you all to our new weekly topic.

With the All-Star Game looming, let's be honest with ourselves. What do you really think of the All-Star Game? Great for the fans or just a shameless corporate shill that really serves no purpose?

This All-Star Game might be quite unique with the whole "Vote for Rory" campaign. We will also bear witness to the new jersey designs the league has in store for us. Really, will they be as ugly as they seem?

Also, given that it's the new year, your creative challenge is to set some New Year's Resolutions for some of the fellas on your team. Feel free to move upstairs to your coach and GM as well.

You might also notice that the header looks a bit different. I had a tiny protest about the use of one of the people in the original header. Hopefully the new selection is neutral enough.

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