Hockey C-ANNA-DA: Honorable Mentions

Showing posts with label Honorable Mentions. Show all posts

Monday, November 7, 2011

The Next, Next One?

Keep an eye out for Nathan MacKinnon. The 16-year old forward from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia has been dubbed “the next Sidney Crosby.” Sure, people in the hockey world have said this before of other young players, but none have yet achieved even half of what Crosby has so far (John Tavares, anyone?). And while at 16, it’s impossible to tell whether MacKinnon will actually live up to this prestigious comparison, the current similarities are definitely there.

MacKinnon began his career playing minor hockey in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, (Sid Similarity #1) where he quickly made his mark, recording 200 points in 50 games. At the bantam level he played for the Cole Harbour Red Wings for two years, ending each season with 110 and 145 points respectively. From there, MacKinnon was enrolled at the prestigious hockey school, Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Sid Similarity #2). He averaged more than 2 points a game with Shattuck-St. Mary’s under-16 program, and though he was the second youngest player on the team, ranked second in scoring midway through the season.

Now playing for the Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, MacKinnon is favorited to be the number one selection for his draft year (Sid Similarity #3).

Now if MacKinnon’s past career’s similarities to Crosby’s aren’t enough to sway you in his favor, check out his stats for the QMJHL season to date: In 19 games played, MacKinnon has 10 goals and 20 assists for an overall 30 points. You have to admit, that’s pretty impressive.

And there’s one last thing that MacKinnon shares with his big-league counterpart: humility. Last year, MacKinnon told a Canadian newspaper “I know I’ll never be Sidney Crosby. I just want to play my own game and not his. I don’t like to compare myself to him too much, because you can’t. He’s too good.”

With another year left before he's eligible for the NHL Entry Draft, MacKinnon, who is known by his coaches and peers as the "undersized forward with the heart the size of an elephant," just needs to focus on improving his play and not let the Crosby comparisons get to his head.

Who knows, in time he may very well be The Next Next One.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Roman Holiday

Can you imagine if the Calgary Flames were playing this season with defenceman Tim Erixon instead of center Roman Horak?

The Flames selected young Erixon 23rd overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, hoping to benefit from his well-roundedness and good vision on the ice. But somewhere in between then and earlier this year, something went awry and GM Jay Feaster traded him to the New York Rangers. It was generally perceived that Erixon was traded because he refused to sign with the club.

This news came as a slap in the face to Flames fans. Sure, the team hadn't made the playoffs in a couple of years, and the team's rebuilding phase was a slow-going one, but for a rookie to snub the team that drafted him into the NHL was an abomination.

In the process of trading the traitor (as Erixon is now inevitably known as in the city of Calgary) the Flames acquired 20-year old Roman Horak.
As fate would have it, Horak has remained one of the few prospects who survived the Flames training camp and went on to play a few NHL games in the regular season, edging out such promising players as Lance Bouma and TJ Brodie. And in those few games, Horak has managed to notch 2 goals and 3 assists. Erixon, on the other hand, was demoted to the juniors early on in the season, without a point to his name.

Perhaps Horak isn't as highly touted a rookie as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or Nazem Kadri, but his presence on the ice has definitely been felt and much appreciated. He's injected a jolt of youthful energy and enthusiasm into the Flames roster (which is much needed, especially right now as 22-year old center Mikael Backlund is out recovering from a broken finger). His excitement on the ice is clear during each and every game, as demonstrated by the impatient rocking back and forth on the bench and liveliness of his stride as he gets off it.

If Horak can keep it up he could very well become an integral part of the Flames roster, and his teammates have no doubt he can do it.
"It's great to see a young guy that wants to learn and works hard every day," Ollie Jokinen had said of Horak on Wednesday, following the game that saw the youngster score his very first NHL goal. "He's only going to get better."

Friday, April 15, 2011

The Evolution Of Carey Price

During last year's Stanley Cup Playoffs, Carey Price played only one game throughout the Montreal Canadiens' remarkable run. The hockey world was in shock when the team traded off their playoff star Jaroslav Halak and named Price their starting goaltender. And it seems like it was just yesterday when, during the 2010-2011 preseason, the crowd at the Bell Center in Montreal emphatically booed him as he skated on and off the ice.

After the notorious booing incident, Price issued a statement to Habs fans via the media: "Chill."
For the passionate hockey fans in Montreal, this was a bold, almost insolent statement. After all, they live and breathe hockey over there, and no self-respecting Canadiens fan is willing to sit back and "chill" when the playoff future of their beloved age-old franchise is at stake.
But things have certainly changed for the small-town British Columbia native. Since then, it seems Price has taken his own advice and has become more calm, more steady, and more confident in net as the Habs' starting goaltender. In the span of 82 games we have watched the young goalie grow into a player who could very well be the reason the Habs repeat last year's extrordinary post-season story.

He's a candidate for the Vezina Trophy, though that honor is sure to go to veteran Tim Thomas and his incredible comeback. Price was a few games short of reaching and breaking several franchise records, needing only 9 more wins in the regular season to catch up to the legendary Jacques Plante for most victories in a season at 42. He played more minutes than any other goaltender in the league during the 2010-2011 season. Not to mention that his shutout total for the season is double the amount of shutouts he's had in his previous 3 years in the NHL combined.

12 months ago, Price was merely the backup netminder for his surging Habs, sitting meekly on the bench, while all eyes (including his own) were on Halak. But through the course of the year, he has stepped up to the plate and assumed the responsibility given to him of being the starting goalie for a team that represents the very essence of Canadian hockey. It's a lot of pressure, but somehow he's done it.

Price is almost a completely different person on the ice nowadays, known for his acrobatic saves, humorous gestures and memorable celebrations. Forget the captain Gionta, the cocky but dynamic rookie Subban or the learned veteran Gill. Carey Price runs the show on the Canadiens roster. And if he continues to play the way he did in the first game of the 2011 NHL Playoffs, it won't be long until he's running the entire province of Quebec.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

The Skinny On Skinner: Why Jeff Skinner Deserves To Be Rookie Of The Year

Selected 7th overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, you hardly heard a thing about Markham, Ontario's Jeff Skinner. With all the attention going to Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin, Skinner's drafting by the Carolina Hurricanes went by quickly and without fuss.
But if you were to compare the three rookies now, with only a few games left in the 2010-2011 regular season, it's Skinner's name that stands out amongst the rest.

One of the youngest active players in the NHL (he turns 19 in May), Jeff Skinner has become a veritable rock star in Carolina in the span of 6 months. And why wouldn't he? In his rookie season, Skinner has 29 goals under his belt, along with 29 assists and 58 points. To put things in perspective, he is now tied with Jordan Staal for goals in a rookie season (Staal achieved this in 2006-2007) and is 10 goals short of reaching Sidney Crosby's record of 39 goals in 2005-2006.

He was the most celebrated rookie at the 2011 NHL All-Star game, where the crowd roared and chanted his name every second he was out on the ice. Playing on fellow Hurricane Eric Staal's team, Skinner became the first 18-year old since Steve Yzerman to participate in the All-Star game.

His stats are impressive, no doubt. But probably what elevates his achievements to an even higher point is the fact that even though he is technically an adult, Skinner looks like a baby. It's hard to ignore his presence on the ice; most spectators are in awe of what appears to be a 16-year old playing full-contact hockey with the likes of the NHL's greatest. But then again, some of that awe could spawn from the fact that Skinner is one of the most energetic and hard-working players on the Hurricanes roster. His playing style has even been compared to Philadelphia Flyers' captain Mike Richards.

To date, Skinner sits just under captain Eric Staal in goals on the Hurricanes' roster.

In the race for the title of Rookie of the Year, Skinner is in tight competition with New York Islanders' Michael Grabner (31 goals, 48 points) and San Jose Sharks' Logan Couture (30 goals, 53 points).

Why do I think that between these three Skinner deserves the honour? As a whole, Skinner is more dynamic on the ice than his counterparts. Couture, who is part of a team that has been consistently good for so many years, is often overshadowed by his veteran teammates and doesn't appear to be as big of a difference-maker on the team as Skinner is. And though Grabner is currently leading the running for the Calder Memorial Trophy, the fact that the Islanders are not heading into the playoffs and the Hurricanes still have a chance, impacts the decision. If the Canes are able to battle their way into 8th place for the post-season, no doubt Skinner's talents will be among the factors of their success, only helping his case for the Calder.

Calder Trophy or no Calder Trophy, Jeff Skinner is going to come out of the 2010-2011 season as one of the most outstanding rookies the NHL has seen in the last few years. He flew into the league relatively under the rader and is going to come out soaring high above the rest.

Monday, May 31, 2010

The Fourth One's A Charm

When it comes to NHL Draft talk, pretty much all you hear is Tyler Seguin this or Taylor Hall that, but there is another homegrown Canadian boy who is catching the interests of the NHL teams this season: Erik Gudbranson. The 18-year old defenceman from the Kingston Frontenacs is ranked fourth in the list of top prospects and is highly sought after by the likes of the Florida Panthers and the New York Islanders.

At 6 feet 3 inches, Gudbranson is often compared to Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Chris Pronger, not just in size but in playing style.

A self-proclaimed "nice guy" in real life, Gudbranson leaves the niceties out of the rink, where hard hits and aggressive plays have helped him develop a reputation as a player who shouldn't be reckoned with.