Mike Brophy

Veteran hockey columnist Mike Brophy writes Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday on Sportsnet.ca and appears regularly on Hockeycentral.

Tyler Bozak (L), Nikolai Kulemin (M) and Dion Phaneuf (R).

Mike Brophy weighs in on a handful of topics from around the NHL.

Some Wednesday morning thoughts that didn't quite develop into full-fledged columns on their own:

I know this is Don Cherry's hobbyhorse, but there are many who would like to see automatic icing introduced into the NHL, the sooner the better. We saw some of the best hockey played in recent memory in Vancouver and no-touch icing was part of the Olympic tournament. If it's good enough for a gathering of the best players in the world, it should be good enough for the NHL.

There is no question a great race for the loose puck can be exciting, but when it ends with Pat Peake's career coming to an end or Kurtis Foster breaking the femur bone in his leg and setting his career back, it isn't worth the price. Colin Campbell, the NHL's zookeeper, gave Colorado's Darcy Tucker a one-game suspension for knocking Los Angeles defenceman Matt Greene heavily into the boards while the pair were chasing down a puck. Luckily Greene wasn't seriously hurt, but the results could have been a lot worse. Campbell has enough on his plate without having to deal with these dangerous, and quite often inconsequential plays.

There aren't enough exciting races for loose pucks to justify putting players' careers in jeopary.

WHO'S STARTS IN GOAL? Sometimes coaches go with what's in their heart when it comes to naming the starting goaltender; sometimes they play a hunch. On Sunday Calgary Flames coach Brent Sutter played a hunch by starting backup Vesa Toskala against the Minnesota Wild and it backfired. Toskala entered the game with a winning record against the Wild while Flames starter Miikka Kiprusoff was winless in his last four starts against Minny. Toskala played superbly through the first half of the first period, but the wheels fell off and he was pulled in what proved to be a crushing 4-3 loss for a team desperately fighting for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Last night the Vancouver Canucks started their ace, Roberto Luongo, in a game against the 30th place Edmonton Oilers. Luongo, quite frankly, has not been sharp of late and it could be argued a night off during a busy schedule that included four games in six days at the Olympics, might have been useful. Luongo had a very shaky start and although he had a very strong third period with his team very much still in it, the Canucks lost a game they should have won.

Maybe now we know why the Devils just keep going with Martin Brodeur - it takes the guessing out of the equation.

FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS Brian Burke rolled the dice on a number of college free agents last summer and may have hit on a gem in Tyler Bozak. With seven goals and 21 points in 28 games, Bozak is actually accumulating points at a pace that would have had him lead all NHL rookies in scoring this year. That said, the Maple Leafs did the right thing by starting the slick centre in the minors where he was able to find his legs as a pro. Bozak was not physically ready to play in the NHL at the start of the year, but looks right at home now. If the Leafs are to take a step forward next season, Bozak could be a very important part of the puzzle.

NEW LEAF CAPTAIN There's lots of talk in Toronto these days about newcomer Dion Phaneuf being named the team's next captain. The Leafs, by the way, have not had a captain since Mats Sundin left prior to the start of last season. Phaneuf has a massive upside as a player, but his ability to lead a team has not yet been established. The NHL is littered with plenty of great players that are not captain material. Who knows, one day Phaneuf might develop into a perfect leader. It just seems like this promotion is being rushed in a city where patience rarely wins out.

SUPER SUTTER When I wrote about the NHL's superb group of sophomore players this season, I should have included Brandon Sutter of the Carolina Hurricanes. Sutter, 21, is a big reason why the Hurricanes could bounce back with a better season next year. You may recall he had his bell rung last year on a Doug Weight shot to the head, a hit that could have had devastating results. However, the 6-foot-3, 190-pound centre has been one of his team's best and most consistent players this year with 18 goals and 35 points in 63 games. If NHLers play in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia, I think Sutter will be very much in the mix to represent Canada.