Thought I forgot about this place, didn't you? Well, yeah I did. But that's neither here nor there.
It's been over three and a half years since I have written anything here. I had my reasons for moving on. Busier schedule, taking on of new positions within the hockey/broadcasting realm, life in general... it all added up. Some of the things that kept me away are still very much in the forefront, others have become less prevalent. One thing that has been constant has been the number of views on this site. People still read this according to the figures and there have been a few people over the past couple of years who have asked why it no longer gets updated (admittedly, one of those "people" may have been my dog but I digress). Bottom line, I enjoyed it then and I think it's time to get started up once again. I don't know how often I'll be writing but when the mood strikes, I'll throw a few lines in here and see where it leads.
In June, 2016, I moved to Halifax. Home of the Mooseheads, of course. You know how some teams have to basically be held at gunpoint to embark on a rebuilding plan of any sort? The Moose are not like that (anymore). The result is a fun to watch, young team that has had a few long nights (and will have a few more ahead) but can honestly saying they are building towards a greater good. As a neutral observer (unlike some people, I actually took that "no cheering from the press box" thing seriously and still do) just looking for a good game to watch, the Mooseheads, even when they make things hard on themselves (and lately that's been happening a bit more) at least give you a good game most of the time. They will give people an even better game in the years ahead.
Speaking of the Mooseheads, I remember going to games in September and wondering how long it would take Nico Hischier to adapt to the Q. I remember that only vaguely, because now the question has become both "What is he going to do next" and "How long will he be in the Q, anyway?". As of 30 minutes ago, he just about played an instrumental role in taking down Boston University (aka Team USA) and was a frank reminder that, at this level, even when it's a best on best tournament, sometimes it's all about beating one or two guys. I remember the playoff series between the Wildcats and Mooseheads in 2015 (mostly because the one game I covered for it was actually played in Fredericton... how's the new rink coming along Moncton?) and the underlying story being that if the superior (on paper) Wildcats were to advance, they of course had to beat the Moose... but really, they had to stop two guys; Nikolaj Ehlers and Timo Meier. They almost didn't do it. That's what one or two people can do for a team at this level. Sure, a team needs that clichéd "player 1 through player 20 effort" to win in general but make no mistake... sometimes players one and two make a hell of a lot more impact when they're a particularly big fish in a relatively smaller pond. Especially in a short series or tournament. The Mooseheads know this all too well (and are suffering in part because of it as of late). Team Switzerland came within a big Team USA save late from making the semis because of it.
All that being said, this tournament should be a six team event. We all love the Cinderella Danes and the Swiss did give it a good go... but there are still more ugly games than classics during the WJC. Until we can say otherwise, that means there's too many teams. Maybe it's time for Team Europe Jr?
How about that Team Canada? Yeah, the junior kids are great... but I'm talking about the Spengler Cup! Now THAT is an interesting tournament. There truly is nothing like it. From the Valiant Arena to Davos Head Coach Arno Del Curto (who is my vote for Most Interesting Man in the World) to the glory that is Doug Honegger... how can you not love the Spengler? We all know it takes nothing short of moving mountains for Vic Rauter to temporarily step aside from the cutthroat world of curling broadcasting to get on board. That's the power of the Spengler.
Glad we got the annual "Chicago Blackhawks play in an outdoor game" thing out of the way for another year. If you find out this summer that the roof is being removed from the United Center, just try and act surprised.
So the Columbus Blue Jackets are the best team in the NHL... thanks to the third longest winning streak is league history... under the coaching of John Tortorella. Most absurd thing ever written in this blog, right there. And just another chapter for Torts, whose entire coaching career has been built on absurdity.
Finally, if you're looking for a good read, pick up The Battle of Alberta by Mark Spector. Outstanding look at the Oilers/Flames rivalry of the '80's. Between commentary from players, coaches, media members and a rather ummmm.... special exchange between Glenn Anderson and Nick Fotiu, the book will make you look at the rivalry in ways you never would've imagined before.
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