John Shannon

John Shannon is an analyst on Hockeycentral.

In no particular order…

- The Patrice Cormier verdict is in. and he will sit out the rest of the regular season and the playoffs. With Dave Branch’s call of 20 games on Windsor’s Zack Kassian last week, players at all levels should really take notice. But then again, this is hockey, and once the adrenaline starts flowing and instinct takes over, you never know what will happen. At least that’s the reason everyone gives. It doesn’t make it right, but that’s the reason. It does make you wonder what responsibility the coaches and team management have in regards to their players’ actions. Perhaps there should be fines and suspensions for them, as well. But please don’t look to the NHL to hold up these types of rulings. Head hits, with shoulders and bodies, are legal in the NHL. Last I checked the players didn’t want to make any changes to the rules. The league has to do something though.

- If you were a general manager, wouldn’t you actually think of making a trade before the March 3rd deadline? In fact, wouldn’t you think about creating your own deadline of February 12th (which is before the Olympic trade embargo), so that your new players have time to move and then six days of practice before their first game early in March. I think it might make the player and his wife happier. And if you keep the wives happy, the players are happy.

- I know that Blues coach Davis Payne is a friend of Penguins coach Dan Bylsma, but I think they even look alike. What a job Payne has done is St. Louis. Imagine how much better their record would be if goalies Chris Mason and Ty Conklin were playing as well as they did last year. But then again, maybe Andy Murray, who was fired earlier this month, would be saying the same thing.

- The Washington Capitals are probably the most entertaining team in the NHL, with the Blackhawks and Sharks close behind. For me, the biggest difference in the three teams is goaltending. Evgeni Nabokov probably gives San Jose the edge. It’s interesting that former teammates Jose Theodore (Washington) and Cristobal Huet (Chicago) are still being questioned for their consistency and ability to make the big save. Aren’t those the questions that surfaced in Montreal when they were there? And isn’t that the question that is still being asked in Montreal about the two current goalies, Jaroslav Halak and Carey Price? It’s the old adage that the more things change; the more they stay the same.

- Football fans have marveled all year at how amazing it is that 40-year-old Brett Favre is still playing football. Well, Boston’s Mark Recchi, who has now played more than 1,540 games in the NHL, is 18 months older than Favre and has done an admirable job filling in at centre for the Bruins. I remember being on the road with the Penguins two years ago when Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero put him on waivers, and Recchi went to Tampa. The whole hockey world thought he was done! His time in Boston has given him a new lease on life. Mark turns 42 on Feb. 1.

- My old friend Harry Neale use to say that the NHL schedule was "a marathon, not a sprint". Well after the Olympics, it is a full-fledged sprint to the playoffs. It will be hockey’s answer to the 100-metre dash. Twenty games to decide almost every playoff spot, and certainly home-ice advantage. Going into February, 27 of 30 teams are still in some sort of race. This is why the point system in this league is working, and working well!

- I really like Darryl Sutter. As a coach in both San Jose and in Calgary, he was intense and honest. As a manager, he has always been forthright with me, and has built a solid succession plan for players. But there is something wrong in Calgary. Unfortunately for Darryl and brother Brent, the compacted schedule has really hurt the Flames’ work ethic. And I’m not sure there is enough "Sutter" in the players.

- And finally, I’m actually starting to like Sean Avery. He really is fun to watch on the ice. I wish every player in the NHL had his will to win.

Happy Hockey Everyone!