Just a reminder to everyone...

The guy in the picture above stayed with the Lac-St-Louis Lions until Christmas last year because he felt he wasn't ready to crack the Halifax Mooseheads roster. This guy who is the most dynamic player on his team... in a 19 year old's tournament... at age 17. Yeah... really.

Congrats to Team Canada on their convincing 7-2 win over Davos in the Spengler Cup final, their first win in the tournament since 2007. Big games by former Q luminaries Patrice Bergeron and Derrick Walser and yet another international title for Ryan Smyth (who didn't look like a guy about to turn 37 out there today). And for John Tavares, who notched a pair this morning, there's the sweet taste of victory, coupled with the bitter reality that if all goes as is hoped, he will be forced to rejoin the New York Islanders later this month.

Cats head to Harbour Station tonight for their annual New Year's Eve tilt with the Sea Dogs. Coming off a subpar performance against the PEI Rocket and going into a road game versus another team whom Moncton habitually underachieves against is probably not the best medicine... but if the Wildcats could avoid being beat at their own game, there's no reason to believe they could end 2012 on a winning note. A win over the Dogs could be a huge monkey of the back... just like that big win against PEI before Christmas... oh, wait.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a guy like this in the Cats' lineup?

Once he's done lifting his national team into the medal round over if Ufa, perhaps they will.

Hockey Worth Getting Up For

As far as complete games go, you probably couldn't ask for much better than the effort put forth by Team Canada in their 2-1 win over the USA. From start to finish, Canada kept the Americans to the outside as much as possible in the defensive zone while using their speed to challenge the US when they had the puck and hit the line with speed when they were in possession. This might be one of the best examples of a team backing each other up that I've seen in a long time. Malcolm Subban put on the best goaltending performance for Canada in this tournament since the days of Carey Price, stopping everything minus that one fluke puck that looked more like a superball bouncing into the back of the net.

As strong as they were on the puck particularly in the defensive and neutral zones, if they want to be greater assured of a victory over the Russians tomorrow, they would be well served to play with more urgency in the offensive zone. As a unit, Canada continuously hit the USA blueline with numbers and speed, but couldn't seem to finish the job consistently. Either passes weren't where they had to be, they wound up getting too deep in the zone, the passing angles weren't quite ideal or they took just a second too long to make decisions with the puck. Fortunately, there were far more positives than negatives to come out of this game and with some minor tweaking, there's no reason to believe the Canadians won't give themselves every opportunity to go 4-0 in the round robin. Safe to say, this was a statement game of sorts... and that statement was made loud and clear by everyone on the Canadian roster, 1-20 (or 19 or 18 or whatever it was). Speaking of which, I wonder if Steve Spott will forget he actually has a full lineup at any point in this game?

Looking back at the Canadian schedule in this tournament, you can almost make a case that it was perhaps the most favorable of all teams in the group. Going in exact order from weakest team to strongest might have been a best case scenario for a Team Canada that has gone through more than enough adversity since the pre-tournament period, allowing them to perhaps ease into the tournament a bit more gradually in a year they needed it most.

As an aside... how Jonathan Drouin isn't among the tournament leaders in points is amazing. His vision and puck movement has been spectacular. As well, thank you Malcolm Subban for showing everyone how friggin awkward it is when you get named player of the game as a goaltender in this tournament. Watching him fumble mask, trapper, glove and big-ass commemorative plate reminded me of trying to unlock the door to my house with an armload of grocery bags... except I'm not usually wearing goaltending equipment while doing so... a practice I stopped after I got tired of the strange looks from the neighbors.

Of course, I should be at the Coliseum right now, getting ready for a matchup between the Wildcats and Sea Dogs. Instead, that game has been postponed and I'm sitting here trying to stretch this post out as long as possible to avoid going out with trusty snowblower to remove another foot or so of the white stuff. Good call in the name of player safety (the game in Bathurst between the Titan and Rocket was also postponed) and quite frankly, based on how the Cats have played against the Dogs this season, I'm not too broken up over taking a day on the couch instead.

Time now for the techno-infused sights and sounds of the Spengler Cup. Godspeed, Rauter and Romanuk!

16 Assorted Things

- Can it not just snow? Or just rain? The combo of both is a pox on my house (and snowblower).

- I'm wishing all the best to Slovak dman Patrik Luza, however I'm willing to bet that until the moment Anthony Camara made impact with him, he had never come remotely close to being hit like that in his life. That was as big a reason as any for the injury, in my opinion. Hard to prepare for a hurricane when you've never felt more than a stiff breeze.

- Apparently, Slovak Tomas Mikus, who was the recipient of a blow to the head courtesy of JC Lipon, disagrees. Read paragraph six of this article and if you can't see the contradiction, you - much like every other player in the building at the time - aren't seeing something as well.

- For the record, Lipon's ejection was warranted in my eyes and should earn him a one game vacation. Games with 11 forwards are more entertaining, anyway.

- I nominate Ryan Murphy for player whom I love to watch skate the most. It's just a thing of beauty.

- Congrats to Gord Miller for getting in not only a reference to the gingerbread houses given to the player of the game for each team at the 2002 World Juniors, but for slipping in the obvious Andrei Medvedev reference at the same time. Ray Ferraro might as well go home right now, because Gord's becoming a one man show in Ufa.

- Better to start weak and finish strong instead of vice-versa if you're Team Canada... although starting strong, continuing strong and finishing strong would be a novel idea. Just a thought...

- If Mark Scheifele had've been awarded the player of the game cape from his teammates, would that help him loft through the air a little bit more next time he's hit?

- Who came up with this Team Canada "protocol" of keeping the number of minor penalties down to four per game? I've heard it mentioned a few times over the years - and I do still feel Team Canada has an issue with discipline - but I think this so-called "protocol" is a pile of self-indulgent tripe. Four minors per game is tough to do in a CHL game... with Canadian officials! You think it's going to get any easier with Lars Hohenburger watching you like the friggin Gestapo? Highly doubt it, friends and neighbors.

- USA/Russia = Why the WJC tournament is an awesome spectacle when two closely matched teams are involved. I missed much of this game but have it PVR'd... and I'm willing to buy into the hoopla and give it a scan this evening to complete my personal trifecta that also includes Appleton Estate rum and Derek Sanderson's new autobiography.

- Russian netminder Andrei Makarov was passed up by every team in the QMJHL during the Lewiston Maineiacs dispersal draft... twice! I will not shut up about this.

- Cats are down 2-1 to PEI in the third. It would be nice to see that corrected in the next 15 mins or so but seeing as Moncton picked up their annual win against the Rocket just before Christmas, that might be asking for a bit too much.

- Apparently, the NHL and the NHLPA are back on speaking terms. They might meet in New York Sunday night, possibly culminating in a romantic reconciliation as the ball drops in Times Square at midnight on New Year's Eve. Bonus points awarded to anyone who can peg Bettman and/or Fehr with a champagne cork.

- It's now 3-1 PEI over Moncton late in the third. Yup.

- Need another reason to watch the Spengler Cup? Here ya go:

 

Oh, you're quite welcome!

- 4-1 PEI, final. I'm done trying to figure it out. They'll find Jimmy Hoffa before the Cats figure out how to beat PEI more than once a season.

Going to the Dogs, Declawing the Tigers and More Fun and Games From Vaillant Arena

- Commandos' blueliner Justin MacDonald makes his QMJHL debut Saturday night for Saint John. With the Sea Dogs thin on the blueline, in part due to the departure of Jason Seed to the Summerside Western Capitals and Kevin Gagne to the Rimouski Oceanic in the biggest deal of the Q trade period thus far, MacDonald has a temporary spot on the roster. All Justin MacDonald has been to Dieppe this year is the best dman on the club, moving the puck with veteran poise, playing very tough along the wall, controlling the game in all zones and eating minutes up with extreme prejudice. If he can translate his game in the MHL into the Q, his stint will be a very successful one.

- Saint John's opponent will be the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, who today completed their 32nd deal of the trade period, acquiring Robert Pelletier from the Gatineau Olympiques. Pelletier had spent the first half of the season with the Campbellton Tigers after a very solid '11-'12 campaign  split between the Tigers and les Olympiques. Pelletier will be in the Titan lineup this weekend - and for the duration of the season, most likely. Based on his play against the Commandos this season and last, I had a hard time believing he was still in Jr.A to begin with (I suspect there was a reason he wasn't in Gatineau that I'm unaware of). He's certainly the type of guy who plays much bigger than his 5'8" stature and could be a very dynamic player if placed in the proper offensive situation. Given the way the Titan go about life on the defensive side of the puck, Pelletier should find a happy home in Northern, NB, thereby making it two Tigers players that have found their way onto the Titan roster this season (the first being Andrew Meredith). The Tigers must be proud of the rate they've produced Q caliber players this season. On the flip side, with Campbellton pried away from two of their top players, this could mean an unfortunately long winter for the MHL's northernmost franchise.

- USA defeats Germany 8-0 to open their schedule at the World Juniors, proving three things in the process: First, with each passing game like this, the concept of a ten team tournament makes about as much sense as having the kids use tube skates and straight bladed Northland Pros. Secondly, Alex Galchenyuk is going to be fun fun fun to watch in Montreal in the years to come. Finally, Phil Housley wasn't lying when he said he coached the American defense by never showing them tapes of his playing career. Sure, we're only talking about Germany... but don't forget, we're also talking about Phil Housley.

- Canada evens their record at the Spengler Cup, defeating host team Davos, 5-0. About as thorough of an effort as you could ask for from the national reps as well as a great bounce back after the OT loss to Mannheim yesterday. The more I watch the Spengler, the more I realize I'd rather go overseas to watch this tournament than the World Juniors. The rink looks amazing (inside and out), the crowd is crazy, the caliber of play is decent even in a non-lockout year and finally, it's Switzerland. I'd go there for alot less pertinent reasons than this tournament. Top shelf cheese, chocolate and beer. Only problem I see is you'd have to pry me away like a hillbilly from a Honey Boo-Boo marathon.

- I should also point out that it's snowing like crazy outside my window right now... the first blog post I've composed during such a storm. I'm quickly realizing there's little in life more relaxing then putting fingertip to keyboard with a PVR'd hockey game playing in the background and a decent dose of straight Canadian Club at arm's length. For that matter, I suggest you have the CC at hand while reading these posts. I find it really puts things in perspective (read: it actually makes this blog make sense).

Get Your Spengler On

This is really all the reason I'd need to travel to Switzerland.

Today in Davos, the Spengler Cup opens in what might be the most high profile level of hockey you'll see this side of the World Championships. Team Canada starts the round robin portion against DEL power Adler Mannheim at about right now (but you have time to read this... trust me). Team Canada brings along a ton of familiar names this year thanks in part to the lockout. From the Q alone, Jonathan Bernier, former Wildcat Jason Demers, Maxime Noreau, Derrick Walser, Pascal Pelletier, Patrice Bergeron and Marc-Antoine Pouliot make up part of the roster. Along for the ride as well are Matt Duchesne, Jason Spezza, Tyler Seguin and John Tavares. Oh, and Ryan Smyth gets to make his token annual international appearance five months early this year! Bonus! Familiar names on Mannheim from the Q, NHL or both include Dennis Seidenberg, former Lewiston dman Dennis Reul, Yannick Lehoux, Marcel Goc and Jason Pominville. The best of 90's hockey broadcasting meets the best of curling broadcasting as Vic Rauter and Paul Romanuk will bring all the action your way. If anything, just tune in for the jerseys... you may see a product advertised that you never knew you could live without.

By the way, if you aren't watching you should seriously tune into this Spengler Cup game... the crowd is amazing! For a neutral country the Swiss sure can make a hell of a ruckus.

Earlier today, Canada opened the World Juniors with a 9-3 win over Germany. Five things you should know about this game:

- This tournament should have 8 teams instead of 10

- Good work by Team Canada in shaking off what bad habits they started to develop late in the second.

- Malcolm Subban looked alot better in this game than in any pre-tournament outing.

- Jonathan Drouin's leg seems to be just fine, thank you.

- This tournament should have 6 teams

Of course, if this was a 6 team tournament, we may not have the Slovaks to watch... and if you didn't watch them against Russia this morning, you missed an excellent matchup, a 3-2 OT victory for the host team. Slovakia simply played as positionally strong as possible, careful but without giving up too much time and space. Goaltender Adam Nagy was there when called upon. Their work against Nail Yakupov was particularly effective. Only a powerplay goal by Albert Yarullin with 10 seconds remaining in the extra frame allowed the Russians to save face after blowing a 2-0 lead... and in this amateur's humble opinion, if Slovakia's (and Gatineau's) Martin Reway was willing and able to use his teammates more effectively, this game may not have even seen extra time.

Speaking of Slovakia, Canada faces them in their next matchup, Friday at really friggin early in the morning. Wonder if Steve Spott and his crew will be taking a few more notes before that one?

What I Miss Most About the World Juniors - A Short List

Tomorrow morning marks the beginning of the 2013 World Junior Hockey Championship in Ufa, Russia. Over the years, the tournament has grown into of a holiday ritual in this country, constantly evolving and become with each passing year more of a higher profile event. With evolution comes change, and the following is a list - compiled in no particular order - of some of the aspects of the tournament that have since fell by the wayside that I yearn to see or hear again.

- The fact that this tournament once had a more grassroots following: Once upon a time - not too long ago, in fact - the World Juniors was the sort of thing followed mostly by people who were either keen followers of junior hockey or aficionados of the game in general. Nowadays, everyone who has even the slightest interest in the game watches closely. As rewarding as that is for the players and the Canadian national program ($$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.... oops, keyboard got stuck there for a second), for me it takes away some of the more "close knit" feeling the tournament used to emulate. Nowadays, people who don't set foot in a junior rink all season - those same people who probably cry themselves to sleep without an NHL season this year - tune into the WJC to watch a bunch of kids they've never heard of, will forget about a week after the tournament, yet will become experts on said players for the next two weeks. I can just picture any number of conversations like this breaking out at my workplace:

Random person - Yeah, that was a pretty harsh suspension they gave that Jenner kid

Me - In a way yes, but it was a late hit. Plus, he was suspended for a game in the tournament last year as well.

Random person - Oh, he was on last year's team? They can do that?

Me - Yeah, he's a returnee this year. He was suspended for the bronze medal game last year.

Random person - Oh... Canada only won bronze last year?

Me - Get out of my office.


- The tournament going to Europe more often: This is actually being rectified to a degree with Russia, Sweden and Finland playing host in three of the next four years respectively. However, this is more than likely a blip on the radar as the tournament is already slated to return to North America for three of four years between 2017 and 2021. The reason is simple - the revenue generated by the tournament is exponentially more on this side of the Atlantic. However, the prospect of trying to win the championship on foreign soil (and neither North Dakota or Buffalo count as "foreign"... Buffalo barely counts as "soil") is always a more daunting challenge... and even to myself watching at home, a gold medal captured away from this continent comes with a greater feeling of satisfaction. That, and I've always wanted an excuse to go to Prague (hopefully "Czech Republic host, 2020" scratches that itch).


- When it is contested in North America, the tournament always goes to large scale markets in recent times: Since 1999, the WJC has been hosted in North America eight times... the smallest host rink during that span was the Halifax Metro Center, in 2003 with a capacity of around 10,000. The tournament - which would create huge economic spinoffs in every large or mid-market city in the country - always finds it's way to (or back to) the buildings with the most available seats for eager behinds. Anyone who remembers it would probably agree that one of the most compelling features of the 1995 tournament in Red Deer was having that unique home ice advantage that comes with 5,000 people right on top of you, as opposed to 15,000 people a greater distance away, many of whom are of the "corporate seat" variety - there simply because it's the place to be. This tournament gets it's greatest support from fans in the cities who host major junior hockey... those fans should have the priority when it comes time for city selection... and not just those cities that house NHL-calibre buildings. No matter who in Canada welcomes the world to this tournament, the spinoffs will always be there.


- Paul Romanuk: With all due respect to the great Gord Miller, Paul Romanuk is still the voice I associate with the World Juniors the most (not to mention the fact that he was a hell of a great play-by-play man for the NHL on TSN back in the '90s). As much as I enjoy Miller and his conversational style, Paul Romanuk immediately conjures up memories of guys like Manny Legace, Marty Murray and Boyd Devereaux and the fist run of five straight gold medals for Canada (the streak that ironically led to the inclusion of many of the aforementioned bandwagon fans... you take the good with the bad, I guess). Fortunately, there's a little thing called the Spengler Cup that will fill this crippling void of Romanuk in all our lives. By the way... if you're on Twitter, do yourself a favour and follow Paul Romanuk. He's been living in the UK since about 2005 and frequently tweets about everything he dislikes over there. Either he's unimpressed with the calibre of play in the BHL or he was turned down by Kate Middleton (and if he was turned down by Kate, did she inform him by saying that "IT... IS... OVER!!!!"?).


- When the media didn't hype the tournament to death: This ties into my first point, since the media and the public feed off one another like very few walks of life can. Still, the lead-in to the WJC is made to feel more intense, emotional and dramatic than almost anything else in sports. In a way, this is true: the tournament is very emotional for Canadians, just like it is for those who follow it in Europe and the seven people who watch in the USA. However, things tend to get very "over the top" and a way too pro Canada both leading into and during the games. Seriously, how many times have you seen that John Slaney goal, that Manny Legace save or the '82 team singing the anthem these past couple weeks? More times than you have fingers, I'll bet. Once again, I understand to a degree: hype = ratings... and with the tournament not being held in North America this season and particularly with the shift in time zones, there may be a bit more hype required to keep the casual fan entertained, despite the fact that there is very little hockey on the airwaves this year. However, I see a direct correlation between an abundance of hype and a distinct sense of entitlement: of fans gloating over victories against hockey "superpowers" like Germany, Norway and Equatorial Guinea. Fans who make a close win over a tough opponent almost feel like a loss because "We should crush them because Canada IS Hockey!!!!" and a feeling of devastation when a national team does in fact fall short. I've yet to see a Canadian junior team lose a game in the last decade that they deserved a better outcome in. However, being a strong hockey nation in a tournament that garners tons of media attention (and attention to Canadian superiority, I might add... look at TSN's recent top 40 WJC players of all time and find me one player who didn't win at least one gold medal) leaves alot of people with completely warped expectations.


- Pierre McGuire: Or, more specifically, the inability to play this anymore:

If this list was in any order of importance, this would rank #1 by a mile. Try playing a game like this with Ray Ferarro... you'll have your pick of designated drivers to choose from by night's end.


We'll see y'all at 5AM... Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

The Legend of Frank Appel

As I mentioned when this blog started, once upon a time I was a member in good standing of the QMJHL message board community (and still am, if only to promote this dubious little piece of bandwidth). Back in my more active days, a few others and I spun the tale of one of the greatest players in Moncton's ever expanding QMJHL history; a defenceman who's inspiring play will be forever etched in the memory of the lucky few who bore witness to it. He was a member of the Alpines, thereby automatically leaving his contribution to hockey in this city on the back burner and tagging him with the highly unfair second class moniker that immediately follows the team he played for.

He was a product of Duesseldorf, Germany... he wore - quite fittingly - #4... and he paved the way for a long history of successful junior aged defencemen in this fine city's modern hockey era. His name - Frank Appel.

Appel was - along with Mikael Kazakavich, who ended up flying to Fredericton instead of Moncton when initially arriving from Russia, incidentally - one of the first two European players to suit up for the Alpines/Wildcats franchise. Because almost nobody remembers the Alpines (including the Wildcats organization), it became evident to myself and a few others that if we talked him up on a message board, people would probably believe it. Either they would hang onto our every word (remember, I was a member in good standing on those boards for some baffling reason) or they would have to take our word for it as they never saw him play themselves. What began innocently enough expanded as the years went by, and at one time or another a number of people, including myself, counted among Frank Appel's many accomplishments:

- Top defenceman in Alpines/Wildcats history

- Was offered a contract by the Calgary Flames, but was lowballed and refused to sign. He returned to Germany, vowing never to play in North America again.

- Was considered by many scouts to be the best dman not in NHL and a certain Norris Trophy candidate had he ever returned to this side of the Atlantic.

- Played many years of elite level hockey in Germany, to the point where he was once named the second most influential person in Germany, after David Hasselhoff

- Had his jersey retired by the Essen Mosquitoes

Some people believed it, which is Exhibit "A" as to why coaches and team personnel hold most message boards in low esteem. As long as someone new was willing to bite, the legend simply grew and grew... and as more people either knew who he was from his Alpine days and knew better or discovered they had been duped but still kept the ruse alive, Frank Appel became more than just alumni... he became a mythical, sensational creature... mythical in the sense that much of what was written about him never actually occurred.

In truth, Appel was a capable enough dman... a decent but not outstanding blueliner for the Alpines in his one season in the Q. At 6'6" and 216 lbs he wasn't the fleetest of foot, but he was tough to beat one on one and managed to contribute sporadically on offense despite a defense corp riddled with subpar players and - even more so - very young, raw talent. I'm sure if Jeff Leblanc, then a 16 year old rookie, was really pressed (as in, if you told him to say it) he'd cite Frank Appel as one of the most influential players in his career.
Old Frank was actually a Flames draft pick, too. Alas, his pro upside was not tremendous and as a result, he left North America after the 95-96 season. Returning to his native Germany, he played another dozen seasons in various German leagues, most notably with the above mentioned Essen Mosquitoes. No mention of jersey retirements or David Hasselhoff comparisons have ever been verified.

Of course, no disrespect was ever intended when Mr. Appel's name would come up from time to time. Part of the ruse was to show how little notice the Alpines ever received during their one season of infamy (if the same had've been said about a guy like Sergei Kaltygen for example, people would've caught on immediately and the prank would've been over before it started). Another part was simply to bring up a name from Moncton's hockey past that otherwise would've been buried forever. You could've used a number of players off that team in his stead... but Frank simply had the luck of the draw on his side.

In the highly unlikely chance that Frank reads this (I have noticed about 100 hits from Germany since this blog started, however... dare I dream?) I apologize if this whole scheme has offended you in any way... I also thank you for the contributions you made to that floundering Alpines franchise. As well, I invite you personally back to the Coliseum sometime for some form of meet and greet. You'd be surprised how legendary your status has become over here in some (extremely small) hockey circles. The beer would definitely be on us.

Let's Make a Deal... for Some Pop!!!

- Wildcats use their patented "crap the bed in the second, dominate the third period and grab two points" game plan at Center 200 once again, defeating the Screaming Eagles 4-3 in OT after trailing by scores of 2-0 and 3-1 respectively. Jonathan Narbonne put home the winner just 18 seconds into OT to put Moncton 11 games over .500 going into the Christmas break.

- Speaking of Narbonne, the deal that brought him to the Wildcats was completed early today, with Kris Hodge being sent to Shawinigan in exchange for a 6th round pick in 2013 (originally Val d'Or property). The 17 year old Newfoundland native has been very effective anytime he's drawn into the lineup this season, proving to be strong along the wall and efficient in heavy traffic around the net. He will be a talented two way forward in this league sooner rather than later. In a twist of irony, it was the player he was traded for who ended his last game in a Wildcats uniform.

- Also official is the Danny Chiasson deal, which sent the Commandos' star forward to Summerside along with a 5th and 7th round pick in 2014 in exchange for the rights to Sea Dogs forward Stephen Anderson, Isaac Jay, 4th and 6th round picks in 2013. In a separate deal, Dieppe sent the rights to Alex Bradley - currently leading the NB/PEI MAAA scoring race - along with a 3rd round pick in 2013 for future considerations. Both of these deals also include "future considerations"... which is pretty much all I'm paying attention to. This trade becomes very lucrative for Dieppe in June. Although nothing will be made public until that time, rumors are already being tossed around regarding who will be the key bodies heading across the Confederation Bridge this summer. All I've been told is that "it will be significant"... which is all I expected and all I need to know (although Pat McIver's comment in the Summerside paper this morning suggesting Dieppe may not have got top value for their star forward is intriguing... I'll chalk it up to posturing as I suspect no team is going to trade their top gun this season for less than full market value, regardless of any requests from that player).

- Not to be outdone, Truro adds former Sea Dog Grant West from the Campbellton Tigers. Headed to Northern NB are Mike Richard, Stephen LeDrew, Brendon McMartin and future considerations. Until something else develops elsewhere, the MHL is all but officially a two horse race for the duration.

- After watching the exhibition game between Canada and Sweden this morning, I can say something I haven't been able to say about the juniors for a few years... I have total confidence in their goaltending. Jordan Binnington looked extremely confident today, challenging Sweden's top shooters while staying incredibly big between the pipes... at this point, I would strongly consider giving him the starting job now, with all due respect to Malcolm Subban. It's hard to come up big in tune-up games, but the Owen Sound Attack netminder has done just that. Also, Steve Spott... you're "Jonathan Drouin Fan Club" membership card and commemorative button are in the mail.

- Also, I was reintroduced to this earlier this week and in the spirit of giving, feel the inexplicable need to pass it on to you:

If you don't stop reading over this, you are truly loyal.

A Very Tough, Very Great Position To Be In

For the last couple of months, those who know me from my work with the Commandos have had multiple inquiries about the team. How they're doing, how such and such a player is faring, what their postseason chances look like and so on. However, pretty much the only question I've been asked the past two weeks has been "Are they trading Chiasson"? Until recently, there's probably not been a more loaded question a person could ask regarding this team.

First, some background: Danny Chiasson is well known in hockey circles around these parts as a former member of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, the Baie-Comeau Drakkar and, around this time last year, as an affiliate player with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL. He also appeared in two games with U de M earlier this season when Les Aigles were particularly depleted. He's also the first line center for the Commandos. And he's good... very good.

He currently leads the MHL in scoring with 53 points in 28 games, nine more than his nearest competition, Yarmouth forward Colin Campbell. It's how he accumulates those points however, that is so impressive. Noone in the league is more explosive in the offensive zone. His quickness, allowing him to peel off the boards and cruise into the slot, creates separation for him and his linemates and usually allows enough space for a player that requires very little of it. Noone in this league is better at shaking his check in his own zone, either. He has a powerful stride and a compact build that allows him to bust through the neutral zone while making it very difficult to remove player from puck. In addition, he is a jack of all trades for Dieppe, the key guy on the penalty kill, in addition to the powerplay and various late game situations. As a person who tries his very best to keep any bias to a bare minimum  I would be lying if I said that I've seen a forward in this league this season better than Danny Chiasson.

Unfortunately, I'll be seeing less of him going forward.

Yesterday, it became public knowledge that Chiasson requested a trade. Dieppe GM JF Damphousse has publicly stated that he will work on the request and has said that by the time the Commandos take to the ice again on January 2nd, the team will do everything in their power to fulfill the assistant captain's request. For all we know, a deal could be done by the time you get around to reading this... or it may not be until between the holidays... either way, it's going to happen... and as much as I can imagine the disappointment from management's perspective in having their hand forced ever further than it most likely was from other teams already, the big picture clearly shows the immense positives that will come from this if all goes according to plan.

Before yesterday's news, the impression I had always gotten from Damphousse regarding what to do with his star forward was to keep him in the fold upon first instinct, but certainly not ignore any offers if (re:when) they pop up. On one hand, Danny is becoming more rooted in the community, knowing that he will be attending U de M full time starting next fall while playing hockey for them as well. In fact, given the record of the Commandos this season and how they've fared more often than not against top teams, in alot of seasons this would be looked upon as a golden opportunity to make a couple of key trades, plug a couple of holes and attempt to go on an extended playoff run.

This season, however, is unlike any other to date.

The Truro Bearcats and Summerside Western Capitals are in two of both the greatest and worst positions in the entire CJHL this year. Truro is the host team for the 2013 Fred Page Cup... Summerside hosts the 2013 RBC Cup. The good news is the guarantee of having their ticket punched for the chance to play for Eastern Canadian and National Jr.A supremacy respectively. The bad news (in a way) is the pressure and expectation of having the best possible team at their disposal for these tournaments. Add to this a very tough Yarmouth Mariners squad, an ever improving Amherst Ramblers team and somewhat of a wildcard in Woodstock, where every year is a "go for it" year, and there is alot of potential bidding for a player that many teams are undoubtedly drooling over at present. Chiasson is one of the rare players in this league (I'm talking the "you can count on one hand after a bad farming accident" kind of rare) who could very well mean the difference between winning and losing a championship.

As for the Commandos, this year was never meant to be a contending year... but what it became over time was a team that with a few additional bodies in the lineup - particularly veteran two way defensemen - could get alot closer to the caliber of the aforementioned top tier teams than what most people expected. Now here comes the Catch-22... the types of players the Commandos would need to guarantee a greater degree of success with do not grow on trees. Ironically, most of the best ones reside in Truro or Summerside at present. The rest are extremely tough to pry away from their respective teams. What would it take to get them? Probably dealing away some of your prime assets .. one of which happens to be the top scorer in the league. Tough position, no?

Well, yes and no. On one hand there has to be some frustration knowing that the Commandos are very close to being a consistent force in the MHL. As already stated, in alot of other seasons they could probably take the team they have now, add a couple pieces and instantly be considered a legitimate contender. On the other hand, the bar is set particularly high in terms of competitiveness this season. What this creates is a situation where the price to remain contentious is tough to pay for a mid-pack team like Dieppe... but also brings into the equation a buyers market unlike any other. What a player like Danny Chiasson could command in a trade this year should be more bountiful than what he would've returned last season or next. He is the golden carrot dangling from JF Damphousse's neck... and this year, that carrot is 24 carat gold. As far as tough situations go, it's certainly not without it's string of positives.

The Commandos are on the rise. They are built for next year and the year after. Even without the lethal capabilities of Chiasson, the offense up front is still deep, mostly young and quite potent. With Connor Wilkinson, the team is set in nets for this year and next. The back end is a work in progress... but whatever comes back the other way in a deal involving #23 for Dieppe should help bridge that gap in one way or another. This truly is a case of short term pain for a long term gain... but if the team continues to produce as a five man unit just like it has on several occasions this year for the balance of the season, combined with potential immediate or near-immediate impact this trade could provide, the pain will be very fleeting.

As for Danny Chiasson, I've been watching and/or calling games involving him since he was 17 and the progress he's made from that time to this has been remarkable. All he wants to do is win... and from that standpoint, you can't really blame him. In the process, he could find himself setting up the very team he's sometimes had to carry this past year and a half very handsomely as they continue to put to pieces together to build a contender. For all that, I say thank you, Danny. You've been a pleasure to watch... and you've made my job alot easier by simply making the game call itself on many an occasion. I hope you get what you're hoping to find, wherever that may be... except when you play Dieppe, of course.

Nothing Says "Merry Christmas" Like a Thorough Beatdown

PEI Rocket, meet Conor Garland

The Wildcats put in about as complete an effort as you can ask for and as a result come away with a 6-1 over PEI last night, producing their first win over the Rocket since 1973, all the while shaking off alot of the bad habits that had been present over the last three or four games.

I think it was quite evident that the Cats were eager to send a message last night... and really, I can't think of any better way in which they couldn't have done so. They were on the puck first the vast majority of the time, they took the play away from the Rocket's big guns and they forced PEI into any number of mistakes, all the while working their way into the offensive zone with both speed and a number of odd man rushes. In a game that was ripe with emotion and tempers flaring (particularly from the Rocket in the latter stages of the third) Moncton stayed composed and disciplined (well... for the most part). Oh, and they bagged a couple powerplay goals... and went three for three in the fight department.

All four lines brought something to the table. The Saulniers with Veilleux had more jump and were much more sound in terms of decision making while lines two and three just kept doing what they've been doing the last couple weeks... score key goals and do what they can to either capture or maintain momentum. Mark Simpson certainly didn't look out of place in his fourth line role last night... it's nice to see the strides he's taken with the Commandos translate well into spot duty with the Cats... and since it's a safe bet Kyle Haas will be watching from the stands for the rest of the holiday season as a result of getting a little too eager in showing Matt Bursey what brand of stick he's using this year, why not keep him up for a couple more games while the Commandos go on the standard MHL holiday hiatus? Alex Dubeau - who in spite of last week has still been keeping the bad games to more of a minimum as of late - stopped everything he possibly could last night and had the offensive outburst not been quite as plentiful, it's likely he would've earned a nod in the three star selection.

Oh... and Conor Garland remains very fun to watch. Anyone remember a guy on the then-Hull Olympiques named Bruno Lemire? The similarities are eerie.

The two aspects of this game that impressed me the most had to be the way the Cats took control of the game in all aspects - offensively, defensively, goaltending, emotionally and physically - without letting up as well as how they reacted to a first period that they won overwhelmingly in terms of possession and quality chances, but only narrowly on the scoreboard. In the first, the Cats couldn't convert consistently on a plethora of chances, Maxime Lagace did his best Evan Mosher impression and the Rocket converted very late in the period to keep the game close at 2-1, despite a 21-9 advantage in shots for Moncton. I hate periods like that since it usually means the opposition sits in perfect position to turn the heat up on the operation. Moncton's reply? Regaining the two goal lead early in the second and continuing to dictate the flow of the game without missing a beat. Long story short, Moncton played how a top tier team should play... certainly gives hope for the future during this festive time of year, doesn't it?

You'd think they could come up with a better photo of Danny and Fabien for the story on the Q site though? Jeez!

It's off to the Cape to finish off the pre-Christmas schedule against the Screaming Eagles on Friday night. Very fitting if you ask me... Christmas is all about gathering with dysfunctional families... and the Eagles are one of the best examples in the Q right now.

Welcome to the Coliseum, Team That Consistently Beats our Brains In!

Of course in this case, the windshield is attached to a tractor.

What's the remedy after three subpar efforts against divisional rivals? How about a game against another divisional rival - one that you just can't beat anymore, no matter how good or bad they are! Huzzah!

The PEI Rocket have a long history of futility. Going into this - their tenth season in Charlottetown - they have won a grand total of one playoff series, they've missed the postseason altogether twice and have compiled exactly three .500 or better seasons. If the QMJHL is an episode of the Simpsons, the Rocket are Ralph Wiggum. They mean well and they cause no trouble, but at the end of the day, they just don't get it right.

And for all that, the Moncton Wildcats Just! Can't! Beat! Them!

First the statistical side of things: Moncton's record against PEI since September, 2010 stands at 3-13-0-1. Two of those wins have come at home. The last road win for Moncton in this series was actually their first win of the 2010/2011 season, which kick started them on a bit of a winning streak at the time. Most people have probably forgotten that winning streak as well as that win on the island, on account of it was 27 friggin months ago (Dan Pettersson - one of the more underrated 20 year olds in franchise history - had a hat trick for Moncton that night, for the record).

Now for the analytic side of things: PEI just consistently comes out and wins against Moncton. They win more periods, they win more shifts, they win battles for loose pucks, they win goaltending and special teams battles and they out-compete the Cats by and large. It's like Kryptonite or something (actually, it's beating the Wildcats at their own game)... and sadly for Moncton, it's not going to get any easier.

Last season, Moncton losing to PEI was just frustrating as hell. The Rocket won exactly 19 games in 2011-12, missing the playoffs in the process. Amazingly, six of those wins came against the Cats. That was almost one third of their total wins on the season, by the way. This year, the Rocket are more of a force to be reckoned with. Led by overagers Josh Currie and Ben Duffy - currently one/two in league scoring - a consistently solid if unspectacular defense corps and the steady netminding of Maxime Legace and Antoine Bibeau, the Rocket are an intriguing mix of depth and balance, receiving contributions from players young and really young (I can't say "old" here...they're 20 years old tops for god sakes!)

Behind all this however, is their second year coach, Gordie Dwyer. I remember Dwyer very well as a former player in this league with Drummondville and the old Beauport Harfangs. He was a tough guy (literally) to play against... he's even tougher to coach against. After capturing an MHL championship in Summerside in 2011, Dwyer headed 50 kms east to take the reigns of the floundering Rocket... and since that time, has slowly but surely brought them closer and closer to contention. This year, it's not just Moncton who dislikes facing PEI... it's almost every team in the league. The Dalhousie native is bringing something else to the team that has been lacking virtually since the days of Alain Vigneault - respect. Each time they take down another top team - they've defeated Rimouski once and Quebec twice - more and more people take notice. It just so happens that Moncton started taking notice even sooner.

All previous joking aside, I look at this game as something of a blessing in disguise. After the comedy of errors that was prolonged stretches of the last two games (and parts of last Tuesday's game as well), in a way I'd rather see a decent team tonight that has consistently given the Cats fits. After last week, a game against PEI might represent as big or bigger a test than any game against Halifax, Quebec or Blaineville could provide.

I'll be watching... my eyes might be partially covered and I may be on a first name basis with my nearest beer vendor by night's end, but I'll be watching.

I Love the Smell of Hockey in the Morning

Next week, the World Junior Hockey Championships commence in Ufa, Russia. TSN has already began inundating us with the typical pre-tournament fare, what with the selection camp coverage, nightly updates on the goings on at camp and, coming this week, the traditional preview shows, giving people who watch the tournament but don't give a crap about junior hockey the other 50 weeks of the year (and there are far too many that fall in this category) a sense of what to expect ("Canada should win gold"), who is on the team ("Here is everyone not named Ryan Nugent-Hopkins... plus Ryan Nugent-Hopkins."), a look back at tournaments past ("Let's show that John Slaney goal again because you might've forgotten the 4,692 times we aired it last year.") and some of the impact players on the squads of our rival nations ("Now that you've heard about 20 players you'll forget about as soon as this tournament ends, here are five guys you will forget about before this program ends."). Of course, one of the biggest topics leading into this year's games is the mere location of the event. In an era where the tournament is habitually contested on this side of the Atlantic, the fact that the host city resides halfway around the world is looked upon with much negativity. I for one see a number of positives.

First off, there's the time change. Games in Russia will be shown live in our region at 5AM. Sure, it's a pain... and to their credit, TSN has turned it into a decent marketing strategy... but for me, who will cheer the Canadian junior program and continue to follow the junior ranks afterwards to the nth degree, I'm hoping that this early time (even with the games in all likelihood being repeated throughout the span of the tournament) will thin out the number of "two week fans", who jump on the bandwagon this week and then suffer amnesia while falling off the first week of January, ignoring the existence of junior hockey until this time of year rolls around again. There are too many people who watch this tournament that still do not follow the CHL in general... and to me, those people are missing something special. There's nothing more frustrating than trying to have a conversation about something when somebody is obviously BSing their way through the topic... and too many times over the course of this tournament, that's what I end up having with casual fans who simply like this tournament because it's "trendy". I'm guessing these people won't find the hockey worth getting up that early for... but if they do, maybe a new apreciation for this level of play will be found,

When the tournament goes to Europe, the entire feel of the games is different. Instead of tens of thousands of rabid fans cheering on the home squad (or if the tournament is in Buffalo on New Year's Eve, the road team) you have maybe a couple thousand fans, their allegiances divided between any number of nations, making as much noise as possible but still creating the ambiance of rabid hockey parents on a typical Saturday morning at the community rink. The corporate feeling isn't nearly as rampant and the result - most importantly - is that the hockey being displayed is thrust into the spotlight by force. We don't care if the guy with the white helmet, "Bubbles" glasses and "Canada Is Hockey!!!" sign is there. We care about how Steve Spott will make adjustments on an upcoming powerplay, how Team Canada will adapt to the modified 1-2-2 and how the guys in red and white will curtail the opponent's quick transition and counteract the numbers the other guys are gaining down low. When this tournament is held anywhere but North America, you're forced to focus on the hockey... because there's no other distraction available.

Lastly - and most importantly - it's in Russia. If it was anywhere else in the world, it would mean a little less. There is nothing more daunting, nothing more exhilarating than having one of our national squads ply their trade in the former land of the Soviets. After all these decades, there's nothing quite like it in the game. Talk about Habs/Bruins or Pens/Flyers all you want... nothing - and I mean nothing - compares to Canada/Russia... and more specifically, Canada playing in Russia. For this nation, there's no greater challenge than walking into an arena over there and walking away with a win or gold medal. The compete level rises, the tension becomes more palpable and the overall task at hand become a more difficult challenge... but more rewarding when it ends in victory. When Canada plays in Russia it's us against the world in every conceivable way.

As a person who is most definitely not of the morning variety, I'm not looking to the sheer aspect of getting up early to follow this year's tournament... but all the intangibles that come with this year's host city will make it much easier to get out of bed. Hopefully many others feel the same... and maybe it brings more people along for the ride that is junior hockey all year round.

Can't Break Them

Commandos turn the tables on the Bearcats, handing Truro just their fourth regulation loss of the season, 2-1 the final. For a team that likes to play the run and gun game, Dieppe tightened up about as efficiently as you could ask for, working as a five man unit very effectively, not running around and consistently backing each other up in all three zones without overcomitting.

You name it, the Commandos faced it. Right off the bat was the fact that they were up against the #2 team in the country, a team that pretty much demolished them 8-2 in Truro last weekend. Then - and I hate saying this only because I would never want their job - there was the consistently inconsistent officiating that actually had both head coaches asking for explanations more than once and being none too pleased with the answers they were getting. I also have an issue with a coach demanding his players "give no respect" to the opposition, as was heard from the mouth of a certain member of the Truro coaching contingent this afternoon (classy stuff, I know). If ever the a team felt like the road team at home, the Commandos were it today... and in a way, they played what many broadcasters like to call the "solid road game".

The four key things that brought the Commandos the win were the types of things seasoned veteran teams - like Truro - often take advantage of to win games of this nature. First off, in a game that afforded Dieppe few solid offensive chances, the Commandos converted when they needed it most. Secondly, they were also rock solid on special teams, going 1/2 with the man advantage while going a perfect 4/4 on the PK. On the one man advantage where the Bearcats generated their best scoring chances of the afternoon, Connor Wilkinson was there in spades. For that matter, the third key factor in general was Wilkinson - today's first star - who stood tall when called upon, making himself look both very big and very confident in the Commando cage. Lastly, they did not lose composure at any time in this game. When the calls weren't going their way, when the Bearcats started to press heavily in certain stages of the second and third, and after the Bearcats scored to make things exceptionally interesting midway through in the third, they adjusted and regrouped.

They also had a couple of breaks go their way, with the Bearcats hitting no less than three posts/crossbars and coming dangerously close to tying things up with a loose puck behind Wilkinson that the collapsing Commandos barely managed to clear out of harms' way at the last possible second. You need a little luck to win sometimes and Dieppe was rewarded for their hard work with just that, enabling them to leave the ice for their last game of 2012 with their biggest victory of the season.

Oh... and did I mention that this victory came without their number one defenceman in the lineup? Merry Christmas, indeed.

Dieppe is now off until January 3rd, when they travel an hour up the road to face the Miramichi Timberwolves, aka "that team that jumps up and bites everyone in the ass". The turnaround the T-Wolves have made in just one year - from missing the playoffs last year to second in the division at this point - has been nothing short of remarkable. With the "real" season coming up starting in early 2013, how will Miramichi respond to the heat being turned up a notch? For that matter, how will the Commandos? We start to get these answers in two and a half weeks.

Buckle up... we're in for an interesting ride in the MHL.

"Sorry, I Only Caught the Third Period" said most members of the Moncton Wildcats

What can I say about the Cats performance last night against Halifax? They were flying, came out with a ton of emotion, put a big four spot on the board and were full marks for their effort.

That was the third period... as for the first and second...

If you look closely in the background, you can see Cole Holowenko retreating to the bench

Where do you want to start? The weak play with the puck? Failure to read the play without it? Aloof skating? Non-existent penalty kill? Nary a big save through 40 minutes? I guess that covers about everything. Once again, the third line was their best (including an outstanding four goal effort from Chris Lalonde) and in the latter stages of that second period and into the third, lines two, three and four all kicked it up a notch. I was glad to see Danny Flynn recognise this and give them the bulk of the playing time in the third, even when the score drew ever so closer.

I also applaud him for taking the bulk of the team off the bench and back to the room after the first Moncton goal which, of course, caused a delay due to the Teddy Bear Toss promotion. After the Moose scored to make it 3-0 I turned to the person next to me and said "I would have no issue with them rescheduling this teddy bear toss on the fly right now". If ever there was a time when you didn't want a long delay after scoring, that was it. Kudos to Flynn for trying to make the most out of a tricky situation... too bad many key members of his team didn't respond in kind.

Cats are off until Wednesday, when they return to the Coliseum to close off their pre-Christmas schedule against the PEI Rocket... that same PEI Rocket team that plays like the Halifax Mooseheads multiplied by the London Knights every time they face Moncton, for some reason. Does Moncton not get up for PEI (just like it seemed they didn't get up for a severely depleted Mooseheads team last night)? And if so, why? Hopefully this is not a question we're all asking come Thursday morning. I'm of the "somethings got to give" and "build off that third period" mentality... but I could understand why a person would sit in the stands Wednesday night with their eyes partially covered as well.

Meanwhile at the AJL, the Dieppe Commandos close off their 2012 schedule by facing the #3 nationally ranked Truro Bearcats at 2:30PM. Dieppe is looking to both go into their holiday break with a win and avenge an 8-2 loss to the Bearcats last Saturday night. Anyone who enjoyed the play of Patrick Downe during his tenure with the Wildcats (and I would most definitely count myself among them) should make an effort to get to the rink in Dieppe this afternoon as Downe, now a Bearcats dman, makes what will likely be his last swing through the Greater Moncton area as a junior aged player.

Wake me up when it's over

Actually, the sound of Kevin Gagne's shot from the faceoff circle ending last night's game in OT and the ensuing celebration from the handful of Sea Dogs fans in attendance did wake me up. The question is, did any of what happen last night wake up the Wildcats? Or more accurately, will it... because it sure as hell didn't last night.

Where to begin? Sloppy breakouts... sloppy clearing attempts (which led directly to the tying goal) missed assignments, absolutely zero patience with the puck or attempts to advance the puck to at least the red line (how many times were the Cats called for icing?). Their third line was far and away their best last night... much like it was against Bathurst on Tuesday night. The only problem is, when your third line is your best line, you're usually in trouble. The biggest difference between this game and Tuesday night's was that Moncton showed up for about 10-15 minutes longer against the Titan, while the Sea Dogs, unlike their rival from Northern NB, didn't quit when they saw the opportunity to strike. They were full marks for the two points, continuing their streak of games this year against Moncton in which they should lose on paper, but win based solely on compete level.

There admittedly wasn't much to say regarding players on an individual level, however it should be pointed out that Ross Johnston played a great game. It was he who actually got the Cats going during the short stretch they gave a complete effort (last few minutes of the first and first minute of the second) by challenging Olivier Leblanc after the rookie defenseman threw a check on Ivan Barbashev from behind. Understandably, Leblanc declined this invite, which was a great move for both him and the Wildcats as it allowed Johnston to stay on the ice, eventually receive and carry the puck over the Dogs' blueline and angrily blast a low slapper past Sebastien Auger to give the Cats a 1-0 lead. Also lost in the non-events of last night is the fact that Alex Dubeau was solid all night long. None of the four Dogs goals were his fault and he was hung particularly out to dry on the first and last ones. On the Sea Dogs' side, their best players were certainly their best players and the scoresheet reflects that. Sebastien Auger was sharp virtually all game and was very deserving of a star selection.

Long story short, the Dogs came from three goals down, tied it the dying seconds while shorthanded (five on five with the goalie pulled), killed off the remainder of that penalty and won in OT. If that doesn't shout out "train wreck" for the Wildcats, I don't know what does.

One last point - I've heard plenty of people use the excuse "we're missing our top player" these last couple games (incidentally, so was Saint John last night) and although that's true, I'd like to know how losing a second line winger can somehow bring out a subpar performance from the top line. If Dimitri Jaskin has that type of ability and influence on this team, I nominate him for CHL Player of the Year right now.

Tonight the Mooseheads roll into town. This is a Mooseheads team that is missing it's entire first line (World Juniors) , it's #1 dman (injury) and it's starting goalie (family situation). Earlier this week, my concern was that Moncton would overlook this game in lieu of all the missing star power from the Halifax lineup and thereby fall into a trap of sorts. However, since the Cats are instead looking for a way out of that same trap right now, I've actually been given a bit more confidence that they will invariably come out stronger against a still tough Mooseheads lineup that has won both of their games so far this week. Bring a teddy bear and - if you're a Wildcat - bring your compete level.

You Never Forget the First One

Welcome to teddy bear toss night, Larry and Dave!

Saturday night against Halifax marks the Moncton Wildcats' 14th annual teddy bear toss game. Before Pink in the Rink or Movember, this was pretty much the one big charitable night of the hockey season, give or take a food drive or two. Plus, you get the chance to throw a projectile at an official! Seems like the type of idea that was the brainchild of Jos Canale... although old Jos might've had charity brick night instead of teddy bears. Of course, this game has become a staple of junior teams from coast to coast. Back when it started in Moncton in January, 1999 however, it was still very much a novel concept. This got me thinking about the first of these game ever to be held by the local junior squad.

The match in question took place on the evening of January 29th, 1999 against the Victoriaville Tigres. Correction... against Allain Rajotte and the Victoriaville Tigres. Of course, Rajotte was more of a garbage can tosser as opposed to stuffed toys, but I digress. There always seemed to be particularly bad blood between Moncton and Victoriaville back then... in fact, until the year before, Moncton and Victoriaville had been divisional rivals (hard as that is to believe in this much more Maritime-centric era of the Q). The teams had already engaged in a spirited, fight-filled affair in Moncton earlier in the season, however the two clubs had played twice in Victoraville since then without incident.

Then came the teddy bear toss.

Basically, had this game been played nowadays, in the kinder, gentler Q, there would be suspensions a mile long. Back then however, it wasn't even the most violent game played at the Coliseum that season. The two staged fights right off the bat, one a tussle between David Walker and Edin Burazerovic two seconds in, the other a fight between Jacques Lariviere and Andre Corbeil Jr with 14 ticks off the clock, what with the pre-staged nature of both as well as the seemingly mandatory helmet and elbow pad removal would've resulted in lengthy vacations for all involved. Even less noteworthy combatants such as Dimitri Kalinin and Patrick Grandmaitre joined in the flurry of fisticuffs. In fact, not only was it Kalinin's second career fight (the first one coming against - of course - Victoriaville) but it was the Russian defencemen's powerplay goal at 1:45 of the first period that brought forth the barrage of stuffed animals from the crowd of 5601.

In the end, the Cats won 7-2 (Lariviere and Walker... not known for their hands around the net also got in on the scoring with a goal and an assist respectively), there were nine fights in total and the game was considered by most to be the most complete effort put forth all season by Moncton, who would go into what almost felt like holding pattern for the remainder of the season, leading directly to a first round sweep at the hands of perennial playoff nemesis, the Rimouski Oceanic. The intensity and compete level shown on January 29th simply never appeared again at the Coliseum that season.

But it sure made for a memorable inaugural teddy bear toss game... although in terms of actual quantity of bears, it kind of paled in comparison to this:

But hey... we had fights! And lots of goals! And Clark Udle! Yay us!

"Special Teams Were the Difference", Says Absolutely Everybody

This was important... and doesn't Jonathan Narbonne look alot smaller in this picture?

5-3 win for the Cats over Bathurst last night at the Coliseum... and apparently special teams were the key. That's according to everyone Neil Hodge talked to last night, including Hodge himself (whether he actually talks to himself or not is unverified... though I've heard rumblings to that effect). When everyone agrees, it must be true... and it was. The Cats going 2 for 3 with the man advantage was the edge required to get past Danny Dupont and company last night.

For most of the game, Moncton played well enough to win. They were the better team, but it wasn't like the full out 60-minute display put on against Halifax a couple weekends back. There were actually a few moments in this game where I felt Bathurst had an opportunity to take the reins. After each Moncton goal except for the first one, Bathurst seemed to get a bit more jump in their step and successfully hemmed the Cats in their own zone for a couple shifts afterward. They also put enough pressure on in the last two minutes to give the feeling that things could've gotten a bit more interesting had a bounce or two gone in their favor. Unfortunately, keeping one's foot on that gas pedal can be a daunting task and Moncton simply took advantage of that enough to pull out the W.

For me, the third line was the best one last night. Ryan Penny, Mark Tremaine and Chris Lalonde were a force, combining for five points and pressuring the Titan at virtually every stop. On the surface, a person would look at that line and see a hard checking, strong skating unit and maybe not much else. However, I don't think we should lose sight of the fact that Penny has put up some decent numbers in the past considering the role he plays. With Yannick Veilleux out of commission earlier this year, he was placed on the top line with the Saulniers and fit in very well, so an offensive touch exists there. It's also easy to forget that Lalonde was highly touted by many GM's in this league when Moncton acquired him in the Lewiston dispersal draft... and Tremaine was a scoring star in midget AAA. All three have shown some offensive touch at some point in their careers and what it's added up to this season is a reliable third line that's produced key goals throughout the season and can still set the tone of the game for the Cats even when they don't factor into the offense.

In other news, Connor Garland is very fun to watch. He may only be 16... and he looks like the back of his jersey should read "Timbits"... but make no mistake, he's got plenty of potential. His skills with the puck are already evident and his speed and maneuverability is impressive. It's very obvious how he was able to score both of his goals in a Cats sweater thusfar (which came in a very similar manner, by stealing the puck behind the opposition net, quickly making his way out front uncontested and stuffing it home)... he even threw a check! Hey look everyone, he's gritty!! In all seriousness however, he will only improve with age. With age comes strength and the stronger he gets, the tougher he will be to stop. Cole Holowenko added to his winning ways last night, a streak that now sits at five games. What Holowenko may lack in prettiness (some of his saves tend to be more of the reactionary variety) he makes up for in technical ability and the willingness to battle. I've been told by more than one goaltending aficionado in the past that if a netminder is going to fight the puck, he should still be working hard to make the save. That's what Holowenko does... I don't care how you stop it, as long as you can do it consistently and get the win for your troubles.

I'm eager to see how the Titan continue to react to Dupont's game plan... as well as how he builds this team. Without naming names or getting into too much detail, I could see a few Bathurst players finding a new home this Christmas. Dupont has had a pretty decent run as a head coach at lower levels... and has worked behind some very good coaches at this level... With the right mix of players for him, the Titan could easily be considered the solid squad many had them pegged to be earlier this year. They aren't quite there yet... but it might be taking shape. Also, the 17 year old duo of Zdrahal and Zboril represent the best Euros drafted by the organization since Janis Sprukts (look it up... that was a long time ago). Like Connor Garland in Moncton, they are going to be a treat to watch (and very much not fun to play against) as time goes by. The same can be said for Mason MacDonald, the (quite big) 16 year old Titan netminder who kept Bathurst in the game at times while looking very sharp virtually any time Moncton collapsed down low. He covers the bottom half of the net remarkably well, particularly for a kid his age at this level.

Speaking of goalies, or more specifically goalie coaches, Moncton has one fewer as of yesterday. That's when Marc Champagne announced his resignation. I had the opportunity to speak with Marc on a number of occasions during his first season in the Wildcats organization and he always came across as a likable guy who certainly knew his stuff and was a good communicator... all key skills in the world of coaching. However, Champagne is a Montreal resident and was therefore not available in Moncton as often as I'm sure he or the organization would've liked. Further work commitments at home have reportedly made continuing his role with the Cats even less possible. All signs point to Matt Cooling taking over the position outright. I'll say this much for Cooling... being a local guy, he's obviously around the team more than Champagne was. As well, there has been a marked improvement in the play of Alex Dubeau over the last month and half. How much of that can be credited to Cooling? Seemingly enough in the opinion of the club to hand him the reigns full time as there has been no "interim" tag applied to his title so far as I've seen. I think this goes to show, in some way, that the Wildcats brass understands the clear cut advantage of having a local person fill that important role. With all due respect to Marc Champagne, I feel that aspect was sorely missing the last few seasons... and something the organization had been spoiled with in a way with the always available and impeccable abilities of Frantz Bergevin-Jean. I hope Marc finds the time to somehow catch on with another club sooner rather than later. He could prove very valuable to some other organization... one obviously closer to home.

Caught much of the red/white game at World Juniors training camp online last night. Without getting too much into the details, I'll just say this - I think my wish to have Phillip Danault on this year's team keeps getting more and more likely. Kid was one of the best looking players out there last night. Also, I would not want to be the person that has to decide which one of these goalies to cut based on the display put on last night. That's a problem I don't mind seeing... and one that I'm willing to bet hasn't cropped up for Team Canada in a few years.

Should we say goodbye?

Tonight, the Wildcats play host to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at 7PM at the Coliseum. This will be the second of four appearances the Titan make in Moncton this season, with the last two games slated for January 26th and February 19th. The question I keep asking myself is this: will that game a little over two months from now be the last time the Cats get the opportunity to host their Northern New Brunswick rivals?

Before continuing, it should be noted that I sincerely hope this is not the case. The Titan franchise has one of the longest histories of any team in the league, they play in a state of the art arena that is - for my money - one of the best junior hockey barns you could ever hope for and their have - or should I say had - a strong, loyal following that made players from all over the world feel like locals, even family members.

On the flip side, It's impossible not to hear the cries of "hard times" from Titan owner Leo-Guy Morrissette, and times have indeed been tough on the franchise for the past number of years. Some of this can be traced back to Morrissette's relationship with certain local sponsors, a relationship that has gone down a bumpy road at times. The support that this franchise received in droves at the turn of the millennium is simply not there in nearly the same quantity or quality anymore - and is no longer an option as long as the ownership remains the same, many people say. Mr. Morrissette is not a dumb man. He didn't get where he is today by being so. However, the alienation several prominent people once affiliated with the organization feel is a potentially lethal situation - particularly in a small, close knit community such as Bathurst. Word gets around alot quicker there as opposed to a place like Laval.

Then there's the attitude towards the fans. In the beginning, it seemed like the Titan directive could do and say whatever they wanted and the fans would simply line up with open wallets. Leo-Guy promised a winner... and he delivered. A President's Cup in his first year on the North Shore... two more finals appearances in the next three seasons. It was a magical time at the KCI and it seemed everything Morrissette touched turned to gold. That is, until he lost that touch. Two seasons removed for their last appearance in the finals, the team was out of the playoffs - the first of two consecutive years the Titan were left on the outside looking in. This of course is to be expected in the up and down cycle of junior hockey. However, this was a side of the cycle noone in Bathurst had experienced before... and it didn't go over terribly well. Knowing full well that this was the name of the game at this level (the Titan had actually finished dead last in the Q just three seasons before moving out of Laval), Morrissette nonetheless did not appease these fans to any great degree. He simply shrugged his shoulders and told the fans they had to go through it and that was that. Have you - as an out-of-towner - ever tried to tell someone in Bathurst how to go about their business? I haven't... and frankly, I'm not about to start now. People stayed away. Only once in the last nine seasons - that being the 2006 playoffs, when the Titan came within a game of reaching the Q finals and by extension, within a game of a Memorial Cup berth - have the fans ever bothered to come back in any considerable numbers... and that was the team drawing them back, not their owner. Time and again, Morrissette has rolled out his "break even" mark for attendance and threatened to pull the plug, only to come out at the eleventh hour and emotionally declare that he's saved the team for the people of Bathurst once again. In a community as hard working as Bathurst, where many of the citizens have their own tales of misfortune to tell but elect not to, that sort of dog and pony show doesn't fly from one end of the Tim Horton's parking lot to the other.

Earlier this year, Gilles Corteau mentioned in an article written by Neil Hodge that the situation the Titan are currently in is a concern for everyone in the league. The league has loaned money to the franchise to keep them afloat. Essentially, the Titan - with their microscopic attendance and with wheels spinning to gain any traction in the overall standings - are living in the hockey equivalent of a welfare state. The league understands that the Bathurst market was once one of it's most vibrant and that the Titan have been a flagship franchise of the Q on a number of occasions. That being said, the QMJHL is not in the business of losing money to keep franchises afloat. If you don't believe me, ask the people of Lewiston, Maine. Mr. Corteau has to be accountable to all high ranking league officials, the other 17 team executives, and the rest of the league's fans... because frankly, that's where at least part of the funding for the Titan is currently coming from.

Then there is the consideration of the economic viability of a junior team in a smaller locale. When the Titan moved to Bathurst, they were the smallest market in the CHL and still are. However, at that time they didn't seem quite as out of place as they do now. The city of Baie-Comeau, Quebec with a 2010 population of 22,113, or about 11,000 more than Bathurst, had been granted an expansion franchise just one year prior to the Titan leaving Laval for New Brunswick. Since then, every market entered into (or re-entered) by the league has been significantly larger. Junior hockey is a much bigger business than it was in 1998. Bathurst is a different city as well. A combination of economic downturn, aging population and an ever rising cost of living has hampered the fiscal state of many residents in the region. It has been said many times that if Leo-Guy Morrissette severed all ties with the organization, the fans would come back. No doubt they would like to... and many would but how many, in all justification, could? The money that once was is simply no longer there to enjoy a handful of hockey games, much less purchase season tickets. Add to that the ever increasing overhead required to maintain a junior hockey franchise that all owners - be it local or outside interests - must endure and you can almost hear the suitcases being zipped and the bus starting up for the proverbial eternal roadtrip out of town.

The people of Bathurst are truly excellent. I love visiting the area because of the residents. In previous seasons, going on a road trip to Bathurst meant heading to a social gathering, with the game being still important, yet somehow secondary. In more recent times, going to a Titan game in Bathurst has been mainly to see the game itself... and if you happened to see a few people you knew, it was strictly a bonus. Many of those people simply weren't going to all the games anymore. The reasons for this have piled up to the point where I can't see how they can be totally overcome. The city loves their hockey... but they've also become incredibly jaded since the Titan's glory days. It feels as if the point of no return has past.

I hope none of this comes to fruition. A strong, healthy Titan organization brings with it one of the greatest fan bases and an organization that treats it's players like gold. However, how many cards can be staked against the franchise before finality is inevitable? That is the question I'm both eager and dreading to get an answer to... because unless something drastic changes, the contests Bathurst play in Moncton this season will feel less like hockey games and more like a funeral procession.

The Week That Was... and the Road Ahead

Cover your screen with whiteout and you can call it "the road today".

- So, I received more positive reviews for the work done on the Commandos webcast yesterday. First off, this proves that sometimes people actually do watch them (and shockingly, it wasn't even close friends or relatives... and I didn't have to pay them that much). Secondly, it reminded me of something I brought up with the Commandos earlier this season; if the MHL wants to make the pay-per-view webcast system more lucrative, serious consideration should be given to some form of "free preview". For example, the first home game of the season in each rink to start the year as well as the first home game after the holiday break is offered for free, courtesy of fasthockey.com and the league. Let's face it, the MHL as a whole will never have the following of the Q... people will pay to watch a major junior game online and then complain about quality afterwards. For Jr.A, all but the diehards will simply not pay up front for fear of an inferior quality product, be it shoddy camerawork, lack of commentary, etc. In both examples, the odds of a less than stellar product exist... but far fewer people will willingly risk frittering away their money for a broadcast at a lower level of the game. By allowing a game to be seen on the house, the MHL and it's clubs that have a higher quality broadcast to offer will eliminate what the fan could perceive as potential risks involved with purchasing the product, while at the same time using what could be a strong promotional tool to bring (and in some cases, re-introduce) the league and it's caliber of play to people who are looking for a good game to watch.

- The Jonathan Huberdeau incident has been making it's rounds on the interwebs last night as well as today. In what was probably his last game in a Sea Dogs uniform, Huberdeau got a little heated while being held back by linesman Jay Doiron, who eventually fell to the ice and lay injured for some time. Huberdeau was given a misconduct for abuse of officials and this afternoon had a four game suspension leveled upon him by the league. Tricky situation here. Personally, although I've seen numerous occasions where Huberdeau has thrown a tantrum over this or that when things don't exactly go his or the team's way, and according to this explanation on the Q site, the suspension is just, when I watch the footage, I see a player trying to do something that happens with great frequency; that is, trying to break free of an official. Unfortunately, an accident occurred that led to an injury of an official. It was not a bright decision on Huberdeau's part... but what happens if Jay Doiron doesn't take that tumble? As well, the league will allow this suspension to be carried out while Huberdeau is at the World Juniors' in Russia. Once again, the league is simply following the rules as directed. That being said, knowing what they know of the situation and knowing Huberdeau's impending on-ice situation, does it not seem like the league is just trying to save face because they feel they need to do something? It's a decorative suspension and neither deters that type of behavior - if in fact they feel it's truly that worthy of suspension, nor does it prove any sort of point. It's just a sad attempt to save face. As well, here's hoping Jay Doiron - definitely one of the better linesmen in the league -  recovers quickly.

- So picture this... you're living in a town with one of the best Jr.A teams in the country. In this town, that team is the highest level of hockey for miles around and is a flagship franchise in the league which it plays. You're poised to host (and very well positioned to win) the championship emblematic of the best team in Eastern Canada and have lost a grand total of three times in regulation. It's a Saturday night, the team is at home and frankly, the options for entertainment are not particularly plentiful given the geography of the situation. Would it not make sense if one was a hockey fan to take in the local team as they continue on a memorable march to what could prove to be a very rewarding season? Apparently not... at least if you live in Truro. Only 448 fans came out to support the Bearcats as they took on the Dieppe Commandos on Saturday night. That represents about 25-30% capacity of their home arena. The average attendance per game for the entire season thusfar represents about 35% total capacity of the rink. I understand games before Christmas usually do not draw as well for a plethora of reasons... but at what point does reasoning turn into ridiculousness? Without being close to the situation in Truro, all I can do is ask what exactly is keeping fans away? The population base, the talented team and being one of the only games in town all work in the Bearcats favor. What exactly is working against them?

- This week is a busy one locally, with the Cats in action three times, the Flyers twice and the Commandos once. It all starts tomorrow as the Acadie-Bathurst Titan pay a visit to the Coliseum in a 7PM start. Moncton is looking to bounce back from a 7-3 loss in Victoriaville on Friday night while Bathurst is looking to ride to momentum gained from their last game this past Saturday night at home which saw them blow a 5-1 lead to Halifax before finally prevailing 7-6 in OT. The switch behind the bench - firing Eric Dubois and hiring Danny Dupont - has been a success so far, as most shakeups of that kind are to any club. Can they keep it up tomorrow in Moncton? After that it's two more Maritime rivals on the docket when the Sea Dogs roll into town Friday night, followed by a rematch with Halifax on Saturday night. The Dogs will be minus Jonathan Huberdeau and the Moose will be sans MacKinnon and Drouin thanks to World Junior selection camp (as well as Konrad Abeltshauser, recouping from a wrist injury)... for the Cats Dimitri Jaskin will be off to represent the Czechs at the WJC. The Cats are looking to avenge an early season loss to the Dogs that has been considered by some to be their worst effort of the season... while the Moose will be looking to turn the tables on Moncton after perhaps their worst performance this year, a couple weeks back at the Coliseum. Good times will be had by all (until one team loses).

The Moncton Flyers - coming off a 5-1 interleague loss to the Halifax Lions over the weekend - are gearing up for a pair of tilts, Saturday night at the Red Ball Internet Center against the Saint John Vitos followed by a visit to the Miramichi Civic Center (which incidentally makes the AJL look like the Bell Center in terms of broadcasting facilities) to take on the Miramichi Rivermen. The Flyers will be looking to cushion their lead in the standings, which is currently at a narrow two points, albeit with four games in hand over second place Charlottetown.

Finally, the Commandos have just one game on the docket this weekend but it's tough enough that it will probably feel like two or three. Dieppe plays host to the Truro Bearcats - who on Saturday night did this to those same Commandos in a 2:30 start on Sunday afternoon. Dieppe will be looking for redemption while shuffling the lineup due to the always tricky exam season that also makes life interesting for the coaching staff in Dieppe - but worthwhile in the long run for the guys on the roster.

You Don't Mess Around With Jim

This guy = alot sharper than he appears in this photo.

Commandos drop a 4-2 decision to Amherst at home this afternoon that saw the Ramblers score 35 seconds in and at times bend but not break. Amherst has a distinct advantage over many teams in that they play with an edge without crossing the line too often. They aren't a team loaded with star players, they just come out, execute and make you work for everything. The fact that ten players in the lineup racked up points in this game shows the proverbial "total team effort" more than anything. The Commanods - missing among others Justin MacDonald and Joel Blanchard to injury and exams, did an admirable job of pressing in Amherst territory but were forced to the perimeter on several occasions while Richard Tingley looked stronger and stronger between the pipes for Amherst as the game progressed. As well, Jim Bottomley's Rams are probably to most consistent team I've seen at the AJL this year - save maybe Yarmouth - at using their quickness in all three zone, either closing the gap on the puck carrier or pressuring the opponents defense while on a quick transition/breakout. Work ethic was very evident most of the time. Probably has something to do with that guy behind the bench (seriously, this league would just feel weird without Jim Bottomley in it... it's like an unwritten rule that he's to be involved in this league as long as humanly possible).

There are certain players of whom you look at and instantly realize "those are the guys you win with". Not necessarily the top scorer on a team, or the most purely skilled guy. I'm referring to the guy who works his tail off every shift, can be used in any situation and has the ability to spark him team on any given shift. The Ramblers have that player - his name is Kody Orr. I've been watching him in MHL rinks and major junior camps for a few years now and the progression he's made to the player he is today has been outstanding. For my money, he's one of the most valuable players in the league.

As for the Commandos, I see a guy who has the upside to be another Kody Orr down the road. His name is Alex Snow. When you're a 17 year old in this league and you make everyone in the building take notice with either a heavy hit, a quality chance or forcing a turnover, you're doing something right. He's got star player written all over him in this league.

Dieppe wraps up their 2012 home schedule next Sunday by playing host the Truro Bearcats, aka the top team in the league, aka the second best team in the CJHL, aka the team that smote the Commandos mightily this weekend. You know, one of my all time favorite Christmas gifts is having the opportunity to call upset victories over nationally ranked teams. Just sayin'.