Sportsnet has been running the HOCKEY CENTRAL Trade Tracker for a few weeks now in anticipation of the Feb. 27 deadline. It comes as no surprise that some of the players discussed will not be moved. And I think we’ve been pretty honest in saying that. But one player who just might be in the mix is Columbus Blue Jackets winger Rick Nash, who continually plays down the fact he will never ask for a trade.
I have received a couple of calls from friends of Nash, who claim that Rick is very unhappy with the way the franchise is going and realizes it will take five more years to rebuild, again. Nash is now telling people close to him that he would entertain being moved, but still will not be the one who asks for a trade.
Always one who didn’t aspire to play in a big market with big pressure, it appears Nash now realizes that he might have to step into the spotlight in order to win. It is a very tough situation for a very classy player.
Monday afternoon, Scott Howson was kind enough to reply to my inquiry with the following: “John, I am not commenting on any rumours between now and deadline.”
I am one of those guys that really enjoys the NFL. I think as a sport and as a business, they have done so many things right. And as a guy who is seen as a defender of the NHL, I couldn’t help but smile after the weekend when the NFL used a couple of hockey’s strengths for content creation in Indianapolis.
First was Saturday night’s awards show. The NHL awards (much maligned at times) are now in their fourth decade of being televised. For the first time ever, the NFL tried it and succeeded to an extent. And yes, they did have a couple of players not show up.
Second was the presentation of the trophy following the Giants’ victory. I have been writing this blog for three years now, and for three years have railed against the NFL for presenting the trophy to the owners, rather than the players.
The NFL isn’t alone in this, though. It is a practice that MLB and NBA does wrong and yes, the NHL does right.
Anyone who criticizes the traditions or old-fashioned code of hockey should take a step back on this one. The trophy should be presented to the gladiators.
That said, I do like a Hall of Famer presenting the trophy. It would remove that opportunity to publicly embarrass commissioner Gary Bettman.
You’ll have to excuse my snickering at fans and my media cohorts who are surprised by the possibility of the Southeast Division leader having the third seed in the East with the eighth or ninth most points in the conference. It feels like some people have had a Eureka moment on this one.
If you take a quick glance at the last three decades in hockey, it is riddled with similar situations. I’m sure it was one of many reasons the league wanted to realign, but I also know it was one way of guaranteeing some regional representation in the first round of the playoffs.
What is even more laughable is that much of the outcry comes from Southern Ontario, where the Maple Leafs have been a big beneficiary of the pathetic regular season performances in bad divisions (Norris/Adams) in years past.
Get over it.
This coming Saturday is Hockey Day in Canada. It is a day to celebrate what hockey means to this country. I grew up in a small town in British Columbia that didn’t have an arena, but that didn’t stop us from loving the game. We followed the antics of Tier 2 junior hockey (with names like Affleck, Mulvey, Campbell and Nicholson), and the Western International Hockey League. A team’s name proudly told you about who they were, and what the towns stood for (Kimberly Dynamiters, Trail Smokeeaters and Cranbrook Royals). We revelled in the fact that two British Columbians, John Ferguson and Cesare Maniago, played in “the show.” Hockey was our game, our passion.
As a parent, some of my fondest memories of the game occurred in community arenas. I have seen Olympic gold given out live four times. I have witnessed the gleam of the Stanley Cup on the ice 30 times. But nothing measures the pride and emotion of seeing your son or daughter score the winning goal, or make the last second save. Hockey is our game, our passion.
Hockey Day in Canada is not just a day for pros. It is a day for all of us to love the game one more time.
Saturday will also be the day the Toronto Maple Leafs honour Mats Sundin. It is great to see that the big Swede has accepted Larry Tanenbaum’s invite to be honoured. While his departure from the club still leaves some people scratching their heads, no one can dispute what he tried to do for the organization for 14 years.
His professionalism, on and off the ice, was beyond criticism. His former teammates that I have talked to only gush with words of praise for what he did for the team and his teammates. He deserves the honour Saturday. And he deserves to be mentioned with the great Leaf captains of the past like Red Horner, Ted Kennedy, Dave Keon and George Armstrong.