I tend to stick with the professional sports on this blog, but today was the WHL trade deadline and was left scratching my head and wondering....
Why did the Regina Pats do what they did? They not only chose to keep Jordan Weal but at the same time were what you would refer to as 'buyers'. They picked up Martin Marincin from the Prince George Cougars. In return they sent a forward to the Cougars as well as some bantam picks, a 1st, a 2nd and a 4th. So here are my questions:
Do the Regina Pats really think they are going to make a run at the WHL Title this year? Next year? I don't see them being anywhere close to an elite team in this league. So WHY give up the future (the picks to PG along with the kids and picks they would have gotten for Weal) for this? Seriously this could truly backfire on GM Chad Lang.
Secondly, the Pats know have 8 defencemen on their roster, 9 if you include Tyler Bortsmayer who is playing in the SJHL and could be called up at anytime. Not only that but their back end was pretty good to start and probably didn't need to be tinkered with. If they are going to make a run, what they needed was some front line scoring to take some of the pressure off of Jordan Weal. That never happened, and come play - off time, stick one of those diggers out there to make Weal's life miserable and who is going to put the puck in the net for the Pats? I mean honestly, I thought the bad decisons of this organization would have disappeared as quickly as Brent Parker stepped down as GM. Oh well...if I were a Regina Pats season ticket holder..I would not by happy. While it is okay to be optimistic, far too often the Pats think they are on thr brink of greatness...only when the definition of greatness is a fifth place finish at best and with any luck possibly a second round of play - off's.
One more note about the trade deadline...Brett Connolly who played with Team Canada at the WJHC and up to that point played the entire season in Tampa Bay had his rights dealt from Prince George to Tri - City for get this....three draft picks including a first and a second. Is it just me but is that basically like Tri - City just giving up picks for nothing. Look...if Brett Connolly was going to play in the WHL this year Tampa would have sent him down before he played ten games at which point they are not required to pay the entire year of his NHL salary. Do you honestly think Steve Yzerman and the Lightning want to pay this guy $900, 000 to play in the WHL the remainder of the year? I would think not.
Surprisingly enough, really the only team I see as a contender who made a substantial move was the Brandon....doesn't change my pick to win the league. I will take the Kamloops Blazers to host the Ed Chynoweth trophy this season. Go Blazers!!!!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
I am Back....
It has been a while since I have blogged. Rather than try to explain my absence, know only that I will try my best to blog more regularly in the New Year. I realize that all five of my followers yearn for my knowledge and insight so I will provide it as necessary.
Let's start with the topic of choice most days on this blog...the Riders. We are now preparing for the free agency season to start in February 15th as a coaching staff is now in place. Rather than get into a long winded spiel about what I like and dislike about each member of Cory Chamblin's staff I will say this...he brought in young new faces to replace the old boy's club. He kept only two coaches from last years staff, Craig Dickenson and Richie Hall, both of whom I see as being worthy of another season in green and white. The more I hear and read about Chamblin the more I am excited for the season to start...the fact that he was able to put a staff such as this together speaks a lot about him and the respect he has of others within the coaching fraternity.
Free Agency starts in February as has been stated and that is always a finger crossing period. Will Andy Fantuz leave? Well the choice is his but bringing in Khari Jones and Jason Tucker is a tremendous addition to Darian Durant and the offense in general. In saying that I would think we have as good a chance as any to retain Andy's services. Other than that, I will just throw this out there...Justin Hickman is a FA this year....is it possible he follows his old DC to the prairies? Would sure help us out a lot. Offensive Line is a glaring need and these is a local grown product from Weyburn who if the NFL doesn't pan out is a great lineman in this league...Brendan Labatte would be a huge upgrade over now MLA Makowsky. As far as who we sign and who we lose; that's not my doing and regardless of what I think or hope, what will happen will happen but I still anticipate the 15th of next month.
On to the NFL and what a ridiculous OT rule the apparent greatest league in the world has adopted. While the NFL has the most talented players in the world, you have to wonder who is making the rules. Case in point, one play into OT yesterday and the Pittsburgh Steelers season is over. I am in no way, shape or form a Steeler fan but that is brutal the way it ended. Essentially their season is over because they lost a coin toss. A good analogy would be an extra inning game in baseball where the visiting squad hits a homerun in the top of the inninng..Game Over; or a shootout in hockey in which Team A scores on their first shot and that's it. Come on NFL...be like the CFL and NCAA where at least you get an opportunity to match your opponent. I can only hope that the Superbowl is not decided that way.
Speaking of Superbowl, is anybody going to touch New Orleans???? And what IF Tim Tebow takes out the Patriots???? I love the playoffs.
The NHL is our final stop today and Brad Marchand had a hearing with the NHL over a hip check on Sami Salo which led to a concussion. While the check has been brought into question, I can't help but yell when I hear Canucks bench boss Alain Vigneault go off about how Brad Marchand is going to get hurt if he continues to play like that. How can this guy say that without looking down his bench at two of the biggest jabroni's in the league (yeah I used the word jabroni) in Maxim Lapierre and Alex Burrows. While Marchand is at least willing to back up his actions, those two clowns just talk and talk but never answer the bell. Now those are two guys who are about due to have their rectums handed to them on a platter. Not condoning the Marchand hit, just saying Alain Vigneault can't point the finger at somebody who is twice the player those two clowns are.
Lastly the WHL trade deadline is tomorrow. Will the Regina Pats do the right thing and trade Jordan Weal? The Pats are going nowhere in the post season and they could get a lot in return for Weal. Two years ago they dropped the ball by keepign Jordan Eberle and Colten Teubert only to finish eighth and lose in the first round. That put that club back three years. They had a jackpot coming in return for Eberle by what I hear and balked. If they don't trade Weal this year they may as well just admit to their fan base that they are fine with being irrelevant for the next half decade. That is the way things go in Junior Hockey...take advantage of things when you can because you know there will be lean years, but you accept that. Unfortunately for Pats fans upper management always sees the glass as half full when the rest of us can see it is half empty.
Have a good one,
HM
Let's start with the topic of choice most days on this blog...the Riders. We are now preparing for the free agency season to start in February 15th as a coaching staff is now in place. Rather than get into a long winded spiel about what I like and dislike about each member of Cory Chamblin's staff I will say this...he brought in young new faces to replace the old boy's club. He kept only two coaches from last years staff, Craig Dickenson and Richie Hall, both of whom I see as being worthy of another season in green and white. The more I hear and read about Chamblin the more I am excited for the season to start...the fact that he was able to put a staff such as this together speaks a lot about him and the respect he has of others within the coaching fraternity.
Free Agency starts in February as has been stated and that is always a finger crossing period. Will Andy Fantuz leave? Well the choice is his but bringing in Khari Jones and Jason Tucker is a tremendous addition to Darian Durant and the offense in general. In saying that I would think we have as good a chance as any to retain Andy's services. Other than that, I will just throw this out there...Justin Hickman is a FA this year....is it possible he follows his old DC to the prairies? Would sure help us out a lot. Offensive Line is a glaring need and these is a local grown product from Weyburn who if the NFL doesn't pan out is a great lineman in this league...Brendan Labatte would be a huge upgrade over now MLA Makowsky. As far as who we sign and who we lose; that's not my doing and regardless of what I think or hope, what will happen will happen but I still anticipate the 15th of next month.
On to the NFL and what a ridiculous OT rule the apparent greatest league in the world has adopted. While the NFL has the most talented players in the world, you have to wonder who is making the rules. Case in point, one play into OT yesterday and the Pittsburgh Steelers season is over. I am in no way, shape or form a Steeler fan but that is brutal the way it ended. Essentially their season is over because they lost a coin toss. A good analogy would be an extra inning game in baseball where the visiting squad hits a homerun in the top of the inninng..Game Over; or a shootout in hockey in which Team A scores on their first shot and that's it. Come on NFL...be like the CFL and NCAA where at least you get an opportunity to match your opponent. I can only hope that the Superbowl is not decided that way.
Speaking of Superbowl, is anybody going to touch New Orleans???? And what IF Tim Tebow takes out the Patriots???? I love the playoffs.
The NHL is our final stop today and Brad Marchand had a hearing with the NHL over a hip check on Sami Salo which led to a concussion. While the check has been brought into question, I can't help but yell when I hear Canucks bench boss Alain Vigneault go off about how Brad Marchand is going to get hurt if he continues to play like that. How can this guy say that without looking down his bench at two of the biggest jabroni's in the league (yeah I used the word jabroni) in Maxim Lapierre and Alex Burrows. While Marchand is at least willing to back up his actions, those two clowns just talk and talk but never answer the bell. Now those are two guys who are about due to have their rectums handed to them on a platter. Not condoning the Marchand hit, just saying Alain Vigneault can't point the finger at somebody who is twice the player those two clowns are.
Lastly the WHL trade deadline is tomorrow. Will the Regina Pats do the right thing and trade Jordan Weal? The Pats are going nowhere in the post season and they could get a lot in return for Weal. Two years ago they dropped the ball by keepign Jordan Eberle and Colten Teubert only to finish eighth and lose in the first round. That put that club back three years. They had a jackpot coming in return for Eberle by what I hear and balked. If they don't trade Weal this year they may as well just admit to their fan base that they are fine with being irrelevant for the next half decade. That is the way things go in Junior Hockey...take advantage of things when you can because you know there will be lean years, but you accept that. Unfortunately for Pats fans upper management always sees the glass as half full when the rest of us can see it is half empty.
Have a good one,
HM
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