Preseason Preview: Anaheim Ducks

Well, August has been boring aside from the whole Coyotes saga going on, so I wanna take a diversion and dissect the teams going into the season. I only hope time permits me to do all 30 teams before the start of the season.

First off, the Anaheim Ducks

Team M.O.: They're the "villains" of the league (out of all the teams doing the black look, these guys do it the best) and like every good villain, they're damn good at what they do: Agitating and fighting the opposition and having the competitive ability to back it up. If these guys skated for your hometown team, however, you'd be in love with them. They're a far cry from being that Disney team they used to be, but thank God for that!

Last Season: These guys didn't get off to the best start last season and at one point, weren't looking to make the playoffs. However, with the acquisition of Ryan Whitney, the return of Francois Beauchemin, and the promotion of Bobby Ryan from the minors, these guys got the 8th seed going into the playoffs. From there, they eliminated the Presidents Trophy-winning San Jose Sharks before losing the Detroit Red Wings to seven games in the Conference Semi-Finals.

Offense: These guys have a very solid offense corp that only serious injuries could decimate. I mean, you would naturally think of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Bobby Ryan as the first line given their youth and talent, but who are the next guys on the depth chart? Saku Koivu, Joffery Lupul, and Teemu Selanne. If there's a better second line in the league, I'd like to see it. From there the bottom-six forwards seem to feature guys who are playing the defensive-minded role like Todd Marchant, though I could see Andrew Ebbett breaking into the top lines if he keeps his play from last season up. Yeah, they're missing Sammy Pahlsson and Travis Moen now, but when the team got better as a result of sending them off... well, maybe they're better off letting their young forwards go out and let their hunger make the team more competitive.

Oh, and who could forget the 'stache?

Make fun of him all you want, but the guy's emerged into a defensively responsible enforcer who scores some long-range goals from time to time. A guy who graduated Princeton is one of the best fighters in the league. Amazing.

Defense: Now, these guys aren't as deep defensively as they have been in season's past, but that doesn't mean they're slouches by any means. Far from it. Scott Niedermeyer returns as one of the best all-time defensemen that feature some young yet serviceable players capable of holding the blue line. Ryan Whitney and James Wisnewski should do well with their first full year in the Ducks organization while Nick Boynton should be a better fit as a Duck than he has for the past two organizations he was part of (being the Florida Panthers and the Phoenix Coyotes.) There stands to be some competition for the bottom pairings, with Sheldon Brookbank, Brett Festerling, Brendan Mikkelson, Luca Sbisa, and Steve McCarthy vying for the last three spots. The competition should be good and healthy, but if only one or two of those guys pan out, expect a signing, waiver wire pickup, or at least an invitee to their training camp.

Goaltending: Now, the Anaheim Ducks were in an excellent position to take Justin Pogge off of the Toronto Maple Leafs hands because their goaltending depth is great at the moment. J.S. Giguere is a proven starter who seems to have on or off seasons while Jonas Hiller is emerging to be, at the very least, a solid Number 1A goaltender who could become a bona fide starter. The real challenge here is being able to get these guys to play in a platoon together. If they can pull that off, excellent.

Expectations: The thing about the Ducks is that while they look excellent on paper, injury trouble and the maturation process of their young stars can create roadblocks that can last a season. Nevertheless, they've toned down the aggression from a few years back without sacrificing either their skill or collective toughness. If Randy Carlye can keep it together and the team as a whole can remain healthy, these guys shouldn't have a problem securing a playoff spot. Going deep into the playoffs depends on whether they can keep their maturity in tact long enough to stay out of penalty trouble.

Why have the Coyotes "failed."

Editorial note: I wrote this in response to a statement that was made saying that the NHL expansion into the south was a mistake and that the Phoenix Coyotes were doomed no matter the circumstances. Hope you enjoy.

The common thing that seems to have killed the team financially - twice - is an unfavorable lease. When this team was new to the area, they had some on-ice success but had a poor venue to watch it in (the arena was barely able to fit the NHL size ice on the floor while a second screen had to be installed for a few sections because the ice itself wasn't visible. Talk about a turn off ) To boot, the team had an unfavorable lease when they were at the American West / US Airways Arena and were threatening to move to Portland after some attempts to put an arena in Scottsdale or Mesa. The plan fell through in Mesa because the developers were asking for a publicly funded arena (Mesa doesn't have that kind of money) and the plan in Scottsdale fell through because everyone wanted to put the arena at Los Arcos (which would have been a logistical nightmare given how congested it is already)

Well, Ellman/Moyes step in, want to create an "entertainment" district in Glendale/Peoria area and want to have the Coyotes as the "crown jewel." They again get into a lease that assures Glendale will get maximum value out of the agreement while the team will get whatever's left over. At this point however, many of the players who were core components of the team (Khabibulin, Tkachuck, Numminen, Drake, Briere) were let go and replaced with guys who weren't capable of carrying the load for the team (Hanzus, Langkow, Nagy, Boucher) because while they were good components, the team lacked that supreme talent that would help them get over. What began next was a parade of cast-offs from other teams (I remember seeing the Coyotes signing Joseph, Hull, and Boyd "The Void" Devereaux before I even had an inkling to leave the metro Detroit area and thought "Wow... sucks to be them!"), waiver wire (Kapanen was okay but Tjarnqvist? Seriously? That guy had a hard time getting a Elitserien contract!), and prospects that never panned out due to poor drafting and/or development Well, it turns out that if you don't know how to manage a team in a place where hockey is an import, it's hard to get people interested enough to want to support the team. Sure the paid attendance was a few thousand off, but when the gate attendance shows more dismal figures, then those are less people going and buying concessions, souvenirs, and the like. The 7 PM start time prohibits the team from being able to include East Valley residents in their games because they're more concerned about catering to the family market in West Valley than they are to the blue-collar workers and students who'd otherwise love to go to games... if only their schedule and traffic would permit it. Throw in free ticket giveaways that give people free tickets to seats that STHs are paying thousands of dollars to have annually and the value of everything starts to take a decline real fast.

The team needs better management on and off the ice. The team needs to put a truly competitive squad on the ice while being able to know how to manage their front office and their fan experience (and no, the sock puppet doesn't help) Yeah this city loves a winner, this city would also like a hockey team it could enjoy. But when all the Red Wings fans come in and cheer for their team, when Rick Nash's and Ovechkin's highlight goals are scored on the Coyotes, when everyone refers to the team with distain and detraction, then yeah, it really makes something that's hard to have pride in.

So why not move the team to Canada? Why not move the team to the Northern states, where many people (falsely) assume that they'll be valued and appreciated? Before the southern expansion, the league was making money, but it wasn't making that much money. Now the league's doing better and Bettman's fight for a salary cap further ensured the success of the league. Yes, on a local level it may be sad to see teams losing what they are, but that's what revenue sharing is for. The NHL itself stands to make more money (thanks to the media markets, endorsement deals, etc) by having a larger American presence than it does in terms of having teams in Moose Jaw, Regina, and St. Johns. Could the north support more teams? I'm sure it could, but at this point, it should be subject to expansion, not relocation, unless there's absolutely no way in hell that a team can remain in the market is in.

In Phoenix's case, this is less to do with whether or not hockey can success versus whether or not hockey's ever been properly managed here to begin with. Bettman & the league have to assume some of the blame for that too because the US Airways Arena should have been better evaluated as a hockey venue and the Job should have been better evaluated as to whether or not the majority of their target demographic would be able to attend games on a regular basis. Neither proved to be true and that, IMO, is as much the leagues fault as it is the owners. Throw in Moyes and Balsille acting like children at a candy store and the mess is just further compounded.

I could go on, but in the end, no one wins if this team leaves. Phoenix loses a hockey team and no longer has the distinction of having all 4 major sports in their area. The NHL will lose Phoenix for a very, very long time unless another team relocates to the area within a short amount of time. You may give a victory to Hamilton if the team ends up there, but how will you convince "hockey crazed fanatics" to support a team if there are two better ones nearby that you can root for? Just ask the Islanders.

The Night Before Free Agency Day

Well everyone, it's almost Canada Day.

Yup, all of the NHL Free Agents are on the prowl July first. Many big names have already found new addresses, even before the Free Agency season began.

- The New York Rangers sent Scott Gomez, along with Tom Pyatt and Michael Busto, to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Christopher Higgins, Ryan McDonagh, Pavel Valentenko, and Doug Janik.

- The Calgary Flames signed Jay Bouwmeester to a five-year deal that averages to $6.6M a season.

- Ottawa Senators forward Dany Heatley refused to waive his no-trade clause to be dealt to Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Dustin Penner, Alexander Coligano, and Ladislav Smid.

Nothing's been announced yet. We'll try to have some comprehensive coverage as news occurs.

Hockey And Heavy Metal, Its like Peanut Butter and Jelly.

Thanks Phreespeech for this one.

So, I'm hanging out listening to Mastodon, who're one of my favorite heavy metal bands, when my buddy Kazia tells me that he met the guys before and when he met them, they were watching the Red Wings versus Anaheim. I found out soon after that the drummer of the band maintains a blog for the Atlanta Thrashers. I thought it was cool that there was a metal band that also liked hockey but little did I know they weren't alone...

Many metal bands have come out in support of hockey. On the North American side of the game, Metallica's James Hetfield has been seen over at San Jose Sharks games while the dudes from Malvolent Creation have exposed themselves as fans of the Buffalo Sabres. On the other side of the Atlantic, Swedish tech-metallers Meshuggah will usually sport Modo Hockey jerseys to show their support for their favorite team in the Swedish Elitserien while Soilwork's Bjorn Strid gave up his hockey career in order to pursue life as a metal vocalist.

That love also goes both ways. Many of the Washington Capitals, including Mike Green, were seen enjoying themselves (in more ways than one) at a D.C. area Metallica concert while Detroit Red Wing Darren McCarty as professed to listening to metal music to get him ramped up. Considering how many black metal bands are inspired by "the frozen tundra", you can't help but start to see the building blocks as to why they're so similar.

So it begs the question, are there really THAT many similarities between heavy metal and hockey? You betcha! In fact, we can take a look at the six guys on the ice and compare them to six guys in a metal band and you'll find that the differences aren't that far off once you put it into perspective.

- In heavy metal, you've got lead and rhythm. In hockey, you have offense and defense.

- Hockey has a goaltender, Metal has a drummer. Here, you've got the guy who's the proverbial backbone of the group, the person who's the last line of defense/rhythm. Obstructed from normal view behind all the equipment they've got, these guys can be as flashy as they want as long as their not caught out of position. It doesn't matter how great they look, if they can't support the group in front of them, they're going to be ineffective. But because of the solitude in the position, these guys can steal a game/show from time-to-time as long as they do all the right stuff at the right times. Typically, as long as they demonstrate sound, positional play; the night will end favorably. I like to think of New Jersey's Martin Brodeur and Slayer's Dave Lombardo as guys who generally fit the mold of being complete in their position.

- Hockey has a defensive defenseman, Metal has a bassist. We got the guy who plays out, but isn't out to be a lead player. Instead, they're helping keep things tidy in their own end. While they can joing the play to help suppliment the attack brought on by their offense/lead secton, they're typically doing all the little things right to support their goalie/drummer and generate excitement through hits/pounding bass like Anaheim's Chris Pronger or Iron Maiden's Steve Harris.

- Hockey has an offensive defenseman, Metal has a rhythm guitarist. Here there's the player who's counted on to support the back end, but if they've got a chance to jump into the play, they're going to do it. In hockey, these guys play the point on the power play and act like Washington's Mike Green, rushing to get some goals when the getting's good. In Metal, these guys are usually playing rhythm but will jump in to harmonize solos or take the occasional lead, not unlike Tool's Adam Jones.

- Hockey has the finesseful or dangling left winger, Metal has the keyboard player. These guy's aren't in the back; these guys are in the attack. However, instead of being a driving force in the process, these guys are instead emiting a presence that creates the action and allows for the job to get done. Tampa Bay's Martin St. Louis and Isis musician B.C. Meyer fit that mold in my opinion.

- Hockey has the Power Forward right winger while Metal has the lead guitarist. These guys not only are in the play, but they're absolutely crushing everything in sight to bright the offensive/lead attack. Grinding and scoring goals is anagolous to fast picking and flying solos in reference to what kinda energy it brings to their group. Phoenix's Shane Doan has solidified himself in this role as a winger while Metallica's Kirk Hammett does this job as a lead guitarist.

- Hockey has their center, Metal has their vocalist. In order for both to be successful, they're going to have to cater to both ends of their spectrum. The best centers can play at both ends of the ice while the best singers know when to step out and lead versus knowing when to step back and let the guitars or other musicians shine for a moment. Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk and Killswitch Engage's Howard Jones are prime examples of guys who display this kinda knowledge.

- In Hockey, fights rile up the fans. In Metal, moshing does the same thing. Both follow an unwritten code of honor and as long as no one is seriously injured, game on!

- Hockey teams are players in a league who report to an owner, who then assigns a general manager and coach to make them effcient so they can draw fans. Metal bands are players in the music industry who report to a record label, who then assigns a band manager and a producer to make them effecient so they can draw fans.

- Hockey players develop in the juniors and lowered-tier leagues, honing their game in order to ascend up the charts before going to the higher-leagues, with the ultimate goal of playing for the audiences at NHL arenas. Metal bands develop at bars and small clubs in their area until they work to their rise to the top, with the ultimate goal of playing for audiences that could fill arenas.

Well, there's probably more, but I gotta get back to doin' what I do. Enjoy!

Judge rejects sale of Coyotes, move to Canada

PHOENIX (AP)—The Coyotes are staying in Phoenix, at least for now.

A bankruptcy judge has rejected the proposed sale of the franchise to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie, who would have moved the team to Hamilton, Ontario.

Judge Redfield T. Baum issued a 21-page ruling late Monday afternoon, concluding the June 29 deadline imposed by Balsillie did not allow enough time to resolve the complex case.

“Simply put, the court does not think there is sufficient time (14 days) for all of these issues to be fairly presented to the court given that deadline,” the judge wrote.

The ruling is a victory for the NHL, which had argued Balsillie was using the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to make an end-run around the league’s rules over who owns teams and where they are located.

“We’re pleased the court recognized the validity of league rules and our ability to apply them in a reasonable fashion,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement Monday night. “We will turn our attention now toward helping to facilitate an orderly sales process that will produce a local buyer who is committed to making the Coyotes’ franchise viable and successful in the Phoenix-Glendale area. We are confident that we will be able to find such a buyer for the Coyotes and that the claims of legitimate creditors will be addressed.”

But Balsillie, who has failed in two other bids to buy NHL teams, refused to concede defeat, saying he wants to work with the league and move the franchise.

“We look forward to hearing from the NHL soon on its view of our relocation application and an appropriate relocation fee, so as to allow the court to determine if that fee is reasonable,” Balsillie spokesman Bill Walker said. “We still think there is enough time for the NHL to approve Mr. Balsillie’s application and move the team to Hamilton by September.”

Walker said the judge’s ruling “invited mediation.”

“Mr. Balsillie is willing to participate in such mediation if the NHL is also willing to do so,” Walker’s statement said.

Baum called the case unprecedented in U.S. bankruptcy history.

“The legal issues trigger not only bankruptcy law, but antitrust law and commercial law in the context of a professional sports team, as a Chapter 11 debtor, which team has for years incurred, and is continuing to incur, very serious financial losses and problems,” Baum wrote. “No cases have been found that precisely or even closely fit this scenario.”

Walker’s statement ignored several aspects of the ruling that were made against Balsillie.

Baum shot down the claim by Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes and Balsillie that failure to allow the team, over the objection of the NHL, to move would violate antitrust law.

“This court can not find that antitrust law, as applicable nonbankruptcy law, permits the sale free and clear of the relocation rights of the NHL,” Baum wrote.

He added, “It is not an antitrust violation for professional sports leagues to have terms and conditions on relocations of its members.”

An antitrust claim requires a “bona fide dispute,” but there is none because Balsillie only sought the NHL’s permission to relocate the franchise after it was brought up in court, Baum wrote.

“This court is unconvinced that it should order that the NHL must decide the relocation application to meet the June 29 deadline,” the judge wrote.

Baum also rejected claims by Moyes and Balsillie that while assuming the contract the Coyotes have with the NHL, they can disregard the portion of the agreement that requires the games be played in Glendale.

The judge compared that claim to “a purchaser of a bankrupt franchise in a remote location asserting that it can be relocated far from its original agreed site to a highly valuable location, for example New York City’s Times Square …”

The judge’s decision is also a win for the city of Glendale, which had spent $183 million to build an arena for the Coyotes and had contended the franchise could not use bankruptcy to evade its lease.

Baum said that because he was rejecting the motion, he need not rule at this time on whether Moyes and Balsillie could void Glendale’s lease. The city said it was pleased with the ruling.

“Clearly the court recognized the significance of these issues and the unique interests of the City of Glendale and its taxpayers,” the city said in a statement. “The court based its decision on the law and facts and not on countless rumors and innuendo regarding this matter.”

This is the third time Balsillie—whose company makes the Blackberry—has tried to buy an NHL team. His made previous attempts to purchase the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators.

Moyes took the NHL by surprise when he filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 5, proposing to sell the team to Balsillie for $212.5 million, contingent on the franchise moving to Hamilton, Ontario.

The NHL said that commissioner Gary Bettman was on his way to deliver a letter of intent to Moyes from Jerry Reinsdorf, owner of baseball’s Chicago White Sox and the NBA’s Chicago Bulls, to purchase the team and keep it in Glendale. However, any bid to buy the team will be far less than the offer Balsillie made.

“I think people are going to be shocked when they see the value of this team remaining in Glendale,” Moyes’ attorney Thomas Salerno said. “It’s going to be materially less than the offer we have on the table.”

Salerno said Moyes is disappointed and is evaluating his options. Moyes says he has more than $300 million invested in the team and would have recouped about $100 million if the Balsillie sale had gone through.

The NHL says four parties, including Reinsdorf, have filed preliminary applications to investigate purchasing the team and keeping it in Arizona. However, if no buyer can be found, the league would look to relocate the franchise.

Moyes and Balsillie contended that the team would never succeed in Arizona and would flourish in hockey-crazy Ontario. But the move raised territorial rights issues because of the proximity of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres.

Baum had raised the specter of a fee due to the NHL and the two teams if the franchise moved.

The Coyotes have lost more than $300 million since the franchise moved from Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 2006, and at least $36 million each of the last three seasons, but the NHL contends the franchise can be viable with better management and more success on the ice.

Your 2009 Stanley Cup Champions: The Pittsburgh Penguins.

Well, give them credit. They were hungrier than the Wings and when it was all said and done, the game was won not by Sidney or Geno, but by a gutsy role player by the name of Max Talbot (kinda reminds of when D-Mac scored the game winner in the 97 Finals.)

The question for the Wings: Do they give Hossa that ridiculous contract despite a poor playoff showing or do they let him go for another FA? Do the Red Wings keep Huds and Sammy, or should they add the one thing that was missing throughout the season during the off-season: toughness? I guess we'll find out.

The Fight From Last Night.

Evgeni Malkin was visibly frustrated, but you gotta be honest, I think the trade off was really fair (I was disappointed to see that Zetterberg left his gloves on, though, he coulda gotten Malkin good if he wanted to.) I really don't think it was suspension worthy (unlike Dave, who thinks Malkin should be banned for the rest of the series :-P ) but I thought it was an attempt to get some weak heat because his team couldn't generate strong heat from... well, scoring.

Anyway, enjoy the show.