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Fighting and the future of the LNAH

With the demise of the goon era already a thing of the past and with current leagues cutting down majorly on fighting, one is left to wonder where do these guys turn. They’re clearly not ready to retire yet and can still useful as an agitator. However, if the 4^th liner next to you has better skills with the puck then you can kiss your cushy NHL or AHL job goodbye.

Guys are getting demoted at a steady rate. Paul “BizNasty” Bissonnette wasn’t a part of the Coyotes discussion this year. The Leafs sent Fraser McLaren and Colton Orr packing. After making his way to the NHL the hard way, Rich Clune thought he finally found a steady job with the Nashville Predators. He played one game this year and then headed down to play with Milwaukee. Kevin Westgarth has a Stanley Cup to his name and not one NHL or AHL wanted him. He ended up across the pond with the Belfast Giants.

The culture of the National Hockey League is changing dramatically and anyone can see that. Every team wants to have four sharp, fast, skilled lines now instead of the latter lines filling up with grinders, enforcers, and pests. They need to do more than just fight.

There are a lot of these players around the world that are starting to find themselves out of jobs. Hell, there are a few guys in Major Junior who might not have a job playing pro hockey after their junior career is done. I don’t think fighting will be banned out right but there’s going to come a point where suspensions are going to get heftier and ridiculous in order to deter the player from fighting or players are going to start getting banned from leagues. So where do these guys go is the million dollar question.

There’s only one place.

The LNAH.

Sean McMorrow throws a big right hand. (Photo: Sandra Charette http://www.sandracharette.com)

If you are not familiar with the LNAH through my writing yet, I’ll bring you up to speed. With seven teams in Quebec and one in Ontario at the moment, the LNAH is a league where basically anything goes. The “show” is what draws fans from around the world to it. Fighting is king. Staged or not, fighting is promoted in this league. It’s also the league that has those big brawls you may have seen on SportsCentre time and time again.

What people don’t expect when they actually watch a game is that the hockey is decent. The league is filled with former first round draft picks (Cornwall’s Sasha Pokulok went 14^th overall to Washington in 2005, two picks later the Atlanta Thrashers picked up long time LNAHer Alex Bourret.), former AHL and ECHLers. It’s a big mix.

The Leafs took Nic Corbeil in the 3rd round of the 2001 draft.

The LNAH has one thing going for them and that is they will never outlaw fighting. When the time comes that it’s no longer welcome in the NHL, the LNAH will welcome all of the out of work enforcers with open arms. Not even just the enforcers. Guys who play dirty and have one or two scraps a year will come over too.

If the LNAH can market it right, it’s going to become a gold mine. Fans will have nowhere to go but the LNAH if they want to see a fight. It will become popular as hell and teams will pop up all other the place. I could see teams in the Maritimes and North Eastern U.S. jumping into the fold.

Now here’s one thing that I think the current brass of the LNAH won’t like.

To make this sustainable the brawls and sideshow antics have to go or at least get toned down a bit. The LNAH is looked down upon because of this in every other league. I’ve heard from more than one player that they think the league should be banned in its format. Another called it a joke. There are also TONS of fans that feel this way believe it or not.

The other thing that needs to be changed is the “must have played junior in Quebec (and for Cornwall, Ontario)”. The enforcers of the league are on the verge of retirement. You’re going to need somebody to replace them be it straight from Major Junior or buddy in Kazakhstan that likes to throw down. These players are what makes the league. It would be a shame to not let others in eventually. If the league wants to last, this rule needs to go with or without the fighting.

There’s a few other minor rules and things that the LNAH needs to change but they’d be able to do that on the fly year by year.

Take a step back and think about it for a minute. Picture the next 5-10 years.

No more fights in the NHL on TV to look forward to on Saturday nights. Can’t see a beauty tilt between players on the verge of making it live in the AHL. Forget about trying to look for one on a Major Junior level. But we can go down to the arena in our mid-size communities and catch 4 or 5 a game. How about that.

You can’t deny that every single hockey fan on the planet likes a good hockey scrap. Especially live. There’s nothing more exciting than seeing your team get pumped up with momentum after one.

Remember these words.

LNAH. Gold mine.

FOUR LAST ROUND GEMS OF THE 90’S

An awful lot of people and new fans of the game put a lot of emphasis on first round draft picks. Rightfully so, they’ve worked hard and earned the right to be there. Some may become busts (Patrick Stefan anyone?) and some may excel to the best of their ability in the National Hockey League.

However, what most people don’t realize is that the majority of the players on your favourite teams don’t jump into the NHL pool from the first round, hell, even the second round. They work harder than most to prove they belong with the elite competition. Every once in a while you’ll come across a star players stats and you won’t believe that he was drafted in the later rounds.

This made me think and do some research. How many players made the NHL being drafted in the last round? Well, not too many. That’s why I decided to pick the best ones and see how they stacked up in time.

1990

The 1990 NHL Entry Draft drafted 21 players in the first round. The first five, Owen Nolan, Petr Nedved, Keith Primeau, Mike Ricci and the god himself Jaromir Jagr, should tell you just what kind of talent the NHL was working with. Two goalies even went in the first round as well, Drake Berehowsky to Toronto and of course, Martin Brodeur to New Jersey.

LAST ROUND GEM

12^th round, 244^th overall – NEW YORK RANGERS
Sergei Nemchinov

Nemchinov played 10 years in Russia before he got drafted to the Rangers. Splitting his time between CSKA Moscow an Krylja Sovetov, Nemchinov was a big man to stare down at centre ice. Standing at 6 feet and 200 pounds, the Rangers took a chance in this last round with a Russian. With the 10 years of Russian play under his belt, the Ranger brass probably didn’t think he’d make the hop over the pond.

Well, he did.

Nemchinov became one of the first Russians to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup when he helped the Rangers lift it in 1994. After a brief stint with the Vancouver Canucks and New York Islanders, Nemchnov found himself in New Jersey where he once again lifted the Cup with the Devils in 2000. He finished his NHL career with 761 games played, 152 goals, 193 assists for 345 points. Not bad for a guy who got picked in the last round.

Sergei Nemchinov went on to play two years with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv in the KHL before retiring in 2004. CSKA Moscow gave him a GM job and he also oversaw Russia’s national junior team.

All this for a good lookin’ blonde kid from the USSR.

1991

The 1991 NHL Entry Draft was all about Eric Lindros and the will he or won’t he play with the Quebec Nordiques. Everyone seems to forget who else got picked after him so I’ll help you out. The number two pick went to San Jose and they picked up Pat Falloon. Scott Niedermayer went third to New Jersey, Scott Lachance went fourth to the Islanders and everyone’s “favourite” TSN anchor, Aaron Ward went fifth to the Jets.

Peter Forsberg went 6^th to Philadelphia and subsequently traded to Quebec for Lindros but we won’t talk about the “what could have been” if Forsberg stayed in Philly.

LAST ROUND GEM

10^th Round, 203^rd Overall – WINNIPEG JETS
Igor Ulanov

Okay, so let’s be honest. Ulanov wasn’t all that great. He became a definite journeyman and probably saw more of North America then I have. Short stints with the Moncton Hawks, Fort Wayne Komets, Indianapolis Ice, Hartford Wolf Pack, San Antonio Rampage and the Toronto Roadrunners all were placed inside his time in the NHL.

But what Ulanov didn’t do on the score sheet, was made up in his way to draw penalties and fights. The guy’s job was to be an agitator and he did it well. I mean, why wouldn’t you have a 6’3, 220 pound Russian who likes to fight on your team?

Ulanov retired from the NHL with 1151 penalty minutes in 739 games.

1994

The 1994 NHL Entry Draft was littered with goalies in the first round. Jamie Storr, Eric Fichaud, Evgeni Ryabchikov and Dan Clouthier were all taken. (Now tell me which ones you actually remember.) Ed Jovanovski went first to Florida, Oleg Tverdovsky second to Anaheim and Radek Bonk went THIRD (ahead of guys like Ryan Smyth, Jeff Friesen, Wade Belak and Mattias Ohlund) to Ottawa.

LAST ROUND GEM

10^th round, 257^th overall, DETROIT RED WINGS
Thomas Holmstrom

Here’s one that boggles my mind and there must have been more to the story at the time. One of the best forwards and one of the best goalie agitators of all time was chosen in the last round. At the time, one of the scouts for Detroit was Swedish and had an awful good look at Holmstorm. After not making the national team in 1993, Holmstorm went back to his club team where the real eyes began to watch him. The rest is history.

Holmstorm was a massive presence in front of the net. Without stealing Sean Avery’s tactics, Holmstorm was able to throw goalies off their games for a split second to let that puck go in. This last rounder has four Stanley Cups to his name, Winter Olympic gold and 530 points in 1026 games.

The kid from Pitea, Sweden was also inducted into their Hall Of Fame in 2006.

1995

Case in point that not all first rounders reach Sidney Crosby or Nathan McKinnon status: Aki Berg and Chad Kilger were taken third and fourth. Don’t get me wrong, they did what they needed to do and had the talent to be a solid second or third liner. This was another goalie filled year too, J.S. Giguere went to Hartford (!?), Marty Biron to Buffalo, Brian Boucher to Philly and Marc Denis to Colorado.

LAST ROUND GEM

9^th round, 223^rd overall, TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Daniil Markov

Before Leafs Nation takes a run at me, hear me out. You want guys like Dany Markov on your team. These agitating grinders know exactly what their job is and when to do it. Plus, he can bang in a goal or two. Not flashy, not a goal scorer, but he can contribute on the ice just as well as his mitts.

Hell, fun fact: Dany Markov scored the 10,000^th goal in Philadelphia Flyers history.

But what do Leafs fans most remember him for? This.

Why the Cornwall Comets will not be forgotten

When it comes to hockey, the city of Cornwall has been blessed with many competitive and championship winning teams. From the 70s and 80s Memorial Cup wins of the Cornwall Royals, to the Robert W Clarke trophy (Western conference champions) winning squads of the Cornwall Aces in the 90s. Rounding out the decade with a few Bogart Cups and one Fred Page Cup for the Cornwall Colts, the city’s championship swagger was slowly coming to an end.

A few decades of powerful junior and professional hockey seemed like it was closing a chapter on the little border town but a strange new team in a strange new league popped up. Without a senior professional team for over a decade, it seemed that once again the city was now alive with championship dreams.

The Quebec Senior AA Hockey League was filled with legendary tales. Acting as what one would call a “farm league” to the LNAH, the QSAAHL was just as swift with their on ice brutality; if not, worse. Billing enforcers on teams like they would a boxing match, fans came out in droves to be able to witness some of the antics and fisticuffs that would take place. It was never about the skill.

They loved it.

In Ontario the league had a mystique about it. Remember, this was just before YouTube got started so there wasn’t video clip upon video clip being thrown at you on the internet. If you wanted to know exactly what kind of things happened in this league and if the rumors were true, you’d have to see it in person.

In 2004, the league granted Cornwall a team. Choosing the Comets as their rallying cry, the brass iced a squad that would show no mercy. Patrick Allard had 45 fights that first year and as the team played throughout the season, fans knew they were witnessing something crazy yet something to have hope for. Since the city was dealing with the loss of thousands of jobs due to the closure of Domtar, the Comets, albeit in a brutal league, was a breath of fresh air and something to get the residents mind off of what was happening around them.

The next year saw the Comets really take a chance at winning a championship seriously. At the end of the season, Allard was right back up there again with 58 fights. Following him was Paul Shantz with 44, L.P. Charbonneau with 36, Benoit Deschamps with 30 and Simon Desormeaux with 26.

“Yeah, I knew what this league was about.” remembers Corey Payment. “I played briefly in the old LNAH in Lasalle and Verdun. “ Payment was no stranger to the antics of hockey but more importantly preferred playing at home. Having spent a year in the United Hockey League with the Mohawk Valley Prowlers then two more after that in the Central league, coming home and playing in front of hometown friends and family made it all worthwhile.

“Our team was just so physical. With Desormeaux, Mathieu Raby, Jean-Rene Forget, Ken McCleod. It was incredible.”

However, none of these players or even the winning season would have been possible with the leadership at the top. “I don’t think enough credit went to our owner Dan Larocque. He came in and stabilized ownership. He made sure all the players were happy which in turn made playing for him easy. He was the best owner I ever played for. “

In the same breath, the passionate fan base the Comets had was what kept the players going week after week. That championship was just as much for them as it was for the players. “In the final there were two games that we played on the road in St. Jean,” recalls Payment. “The fans followed us to both games and filled their own section in the arena. It was amazing.”

That was nothing compared to at home.

“3000 fans watching us win that trophy was amazing. We wanted to win for them.” Being a Cornwall boy, this win holds a special place in Payment’s heart. “It was my first championship win in hockey and to be able to do it in my hometown in front of family and friends was a great experience I won’t forget.”

The Cornwall Comets may just be a blip on the hockey radar of what was already a solid hockey town. However for the brief two seasons they were here, it helped instill the fact that yes, Cornwall can still support professional hockey. Where cities are dying for a team of some kind across the country, we’re lucky that we’ve gotten to call so many great franchises ours. Let’s hope the championship winning ways someday continue.

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The Cornwall River Kings are holding a 10 year anniversary of the Cornwall Comets championship this Saturday when they host Sorel. A pre-game ceremony with some of the Comets players on hand will precede the game. Make sure you get out to this historic night!

One on One with Cross Check Clothing

Here in North America, everyone and their grandma seems to be starting up a hockey lifestyle apparel company. As the sport continues to grow worldwide, there is more need to not only develop awareness of the game we love but promote it as well. In the U.K, Cross Check Clothing does both of those things.

Started in 2012, Cross Check Clothing is the premier supplier of hockey lifestyle apparel for U.K. hockey fans. They venture out to the different arenas showcasing their brand and some of their models are even players themselves (Or yours truly who happens to be a proud brand ambassador). For the U.K. hockey scene, Cross Check Clothing is imperative to the growth of the sport.

I caught up with Pete to give not only myself but fans of the clothing line some insight into the brand.

March Hockey: First thing first, what made you decide to start up a clothing line? Why hockey?

Pete: I have always been a keen entrepreneur so to speak. I started my first proper business when I was 20 and always got involved with various business projects here and there. I wanted to start a fresh with something brand new, that people could really get in to, and at the time UK hockey did not really have anything like this. So after a lot of ‘to-ing and fro-ing’, the brand was born. I’ve always admired brands which are born in a specific lifestyle, but also appear to mass market, say VANS with skating or Quiksilver with surfing. They can encourage people to the sport, and if Cross Check can inspire kids to put on some skates and play hockey then i think we are getting it right.

March Hockey: How did you come up with the name?

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Pete: Once I decided that this was 100% what I wanted to do, it was just a case of brainstorming ideas. I spent days and days writing down as many variations of hockey related terms I could think of. One day Cross Check came out, and I instantly knew that was exactly what i’d been looking for. One of my favourite hockey players is Arron Asham and I loved the Pens v Flyers Stanley Cup Play Off series in 2012. Asham was a bit naughty in game 3 and that Cross Check probably inspired the name!

March Hockey: How and when did you get into hockey?

Pete: I went to see the Sheffield Steelers play first in 1992 but didn’t start attending UK hockey regularly until about 2009 when my buddy Josh was old enough to attend and he could actually understand what was going on.

March Hockey: Where do you see the brand in 5 years time?

Pete: As long as we are still trading and making fans and friends around the world, then that will be good enough for me. This isn’t a get rich business, or “world domination.” All profits go back in to the brand in order to develop the range and make better products.

March Hockey: Where do you come up with your ideas for designs? What do you pull for inspiration?

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Pete: I guess sometimes you see clothing when out and about and think “that would be better if…” but mainly the clothing is based on, “what would i wear?” ideas. Sometimes I just get on the laptop and work on some ideas and it just flows out. Its like, I only wanted to check my email and I’m suddenly in the middle of a brand new hoodie design!

March Hockey: When did you start up the business? Give me a mini history on Crosscheck Clothing.

Pete: The idea was born summer 2012 and the basic logo / web site / social media was set up along with the early merchandise designs. However, I overran for the 2012-13 season and knew I really needed to launch for the start of a hockey year. So I painfully sat on it for nearly 12 months, before finally introducing to the world in September 2013. The store opened in November 2013 and our first month we had sales of £3 (Yes – 3 Pounds) – i thought to myself, “oh my god, what have I done!?!?” but fortunately things picked up and we’ve been blessed with the support we’ve received ever since.

March Hockey: What NHL star, or player in general would you love to see wearing the brand?

Pete: Arron Asham (for the name reference mentioned!) would be awesome, but my NHL team is the LA Kings so seeing Drew Doughty or Anze Kopitar in a Team Cross Check tee would be amazing. Maybe Darryl Sutter in a nice hoodie??

March Hockey: What can fans do to help spread the word?

Pete: Hopefully the brand speaks for itself, so wearing it out and about, at the rinks, with their hockey buds etc… As long as we keep getting in peoples faces, we’ll continue to grow I hope.I just want to thank everyone for their support. We’ve met some of the most amazing people through hockey and Cross Check and we appreciate every person who is a friend of this brand. We are so, so grateful for everyones love.

Check out Cross Check Clothing here: http://shop.crosscheckclothing.co.uk/ and remember to Keep Your Head Up, Kid.

Hey, LNAH? We need to talk

It’s been almost a week since the events of last weekend’s warm up brawl in Laval between the Predateurs and St. Georges. Leaving a few players injured, a team out of commission and three top brass suspended for two full years, it’s time for the league to take a step back and take a look at themselves in the mirror.

Some people might not like what I have to say in this piece and quite frankly, I don’t care. The fact remains that while this league might still be the so called “toughest” in the world, when things like last weekend’s events keep happening, the world views the league as a joke.

One big joke.

Pre-meditated brawls are a mockery to the sport. It’s not the Broadstreet Bullies of the 70’s or the Quebec Senior Pro league of the 00’s anymore. The culture of hockey has changed dramatically concerning player safety and with the advent of social media, you can’t get away with things as easily as you could 10 years ago. It’s time to let go of some of the sideshow antics that put a black eye on the league. I’m serious.

This league has the potential to be very viable, thrive and become a goldmine. As leagues around the world are clamping down on fighting, the LNAH is embracing it with open arms and becoming even more of a niche then it has been. Good quality fights (whether staged or not) are always a draw to fans. They can deny that they hate staged fights to the grave but when one happens, they’re the first ones on their feet. Everyone loves a good hockey fight. There’s also not necessarily a “code”, but a show of respect between the two combatants and that to me goes a lot further then a bunch of guys on skates sucker punching each other during the warm-up.

I’m not saying do away with everything. Keep the chirping and how the players and coaches interact with the fans. That’s one of the bonuses of this league too. The atmosphere that the fans can make is second to none and I know the players appreciate that.

I’ve seen almost every major sports network show that brawl in some aspect on their respective social media sites. From the U.K. right down to Australia. The old saying of “bad publicity is good publicity” rings a bell here in the fact that now, the eyes of the world are focused on this league and what’s going to happen next.

It’s now time for the LNAH to show the world that hey, this is actually decent hockey; there are actually flashy goal scorers in this league; there are top former NHL draft picks in this league PLUS guys that can throw some haymakers. Start filming even more things than just fights.

I want this league to succeed so bad because it has so much potential. It really needs to open up the stupid rule of only allowing players who have played junior in Quebec and Ontario to play. This is the only other way to make this league a money making machine. All the enforcers that the league is banking on right now are going to retire some day and it’s going to be sooner rather than later. Wouldn’t you want a fresh group of players to draft from all frothing at the mouth for their chance? Of course you would.

I didn’t mean for this to get this long or even bounce back between ideas. I’m just frustrated with how the league is being represented. This league needs more promotion and team media presence but I realize that’s hard to do without a sizable budget. I’m also guilty of calling this league a joke because with incidents like last weekend’s and the way my hometown team was handled this season, hey, it really was a joke.

I hope some league officials end up reading this and realize some things. Maybe they’ll just laugh and shake their head at this woman from Cornwall and her crazy ideas. Either way, something is going to stick in their brain for the better.

Okay, LNAH? I’m not breaking up with you just yet.

Here’s the whole ordeal that started this article in case you haven’t seen it:

Ohhhh baby! Bob Cole, the voice of my generation

There’s a lot of little Canadian hockey stories that float around during this time of year. Some don’t get past the lips of those who live through it. Some do. I think it’s important to truly understand every aspect of the game, right down to the people who flood the rinks. It’s also important to understand how they got there.

In the beginning of the 20^th century, the people of the world were put through many twists and turns in their everyday lives. In between fighting two big wars in Europe, the world plunged into economic turmoil as the stock markets crashed. On that Black Tuesday in 1929, Canada and the rest of the world entered the Great Depression.

Out on the Eastern coast of the country Newfoundland was particularly hit the hardest. As they were still a Dominion of the British Empire and not a province of Canada just yet, the Depression drove in a nail to their deathbed having the challenging economy pile on top of reparations from World War I, construction of the Newfoundland railroad and the collapse of fisheries.

As violent protests and riots seemed the norm across the area, the people of Newfoundland found themselves suffering from malnutrition and diseases like tuberculosis began to spread. It’s hard to believe that something this bad was happening within Canada’s borders but, that’s history.

In June of 1933 in the Dominion of Newfoundland’s capital, St. John’s, Robert Cecil Cole was born into those trying times. However, the resilience of a Newfoundlander is tested many times through life and they will always prevail.

The man who came to be known in hockey households worldwide as Bob Cole, begin his broadcasting career as a 23 year old working for St. John’s AM radio station, “Voice Of the Common Man”. Started in a house by another St. John’s lad Walter Williams in 1936, the VOCM radio station gave Cole the chance to find his voice as an announcer and newsreader.

After gaining his bearings and some confidence under his belt Cole made his way inland to Toronto where he met up with legendary hockey announcer Foster Hewitt. Hewitt, who was then the voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs, provided Cole with valuable advice. Cole managed to leave some of his demo tapes behind and well, the rest is history. I like to think that Hewitt’s famous Hockey Night in Canada sign on of “Hello, Canada, and hockey fans in the United States and Newfoundland”, was foreshadowing of a future Newfoundland takeover. (It wasn’t. Like I mentioned earlier, Newfoundland wasn’t apart of Canada when Hewitt wrote that line.)

Cole started off in 1969 with CBC Radio. A short four years later (and after calling Paul Henderson’s winning goal over the USSR in 1972), Cole transferred over to television for the newly expanded version of Hockey Night in Canada. Along with Danny Gallivan in Montreal, and Bill Hewitt (Foster’s son), the CBC had a very strong three punch announcing tandem. Upon Hewitt’s retirement, Cole became the voice of the Leafs. Cole also was the voice for many international and Olympic match ups. One of his most famous calls is my all time favourite:

Foster Hewitt was the voice of a generation. He was the hockey voice of my parents’ generation. However there is nothing more nostalgic then hearing Bob Cole and his color commentator Harry Neale call a hockey game. I’m instantly brought back to my cold Canadian winter childhoods of watching HNIC every Saturday night. Hell, even when they only started broadcasting the game at the second period.

There are a lot of hidden gems in hockey’s history. Thankfully this one didn’t stay hidden for long.

Ohhh baby.

Reddit reacts to Team Canada winning World Junior gold

Team Canada was on fire so bad last night that they broke Twitter. (Okay, maybe they weren’t the reason for the blackout but I’m going to dream and think it was. Sue me.) However, another marvelous internet site was still kicking.

I present to you some of the best comments from the World Juniors gold medal game thread from Reddit because I’m a nerd like that. (Warning: NSFW language ahead!)

CONGRATS TEAM CANADA

Scott Robson reflects on Team GB gold

After being relegated to Division II due to an ineligible player, Great Britain and their exciting squad finished the U20 World Championship Group A tournament in spectacular fashion. Taking them off of their homeland to the mysterious country of Estonia, Team GB went undefeated with their games in Tallinn. With gold medals wrapped around their necks, Great Britain is now back where they rightfully belong: Division I.

Scott Robson is an offensive defenseman which made him a no-brainer to add to Team GB. After splitting most of his hockey playing time between the EIHL’s Hull Stingrays and the EPIHL’s Peterborough Phantoms, Robson has picked up enough experience to consider this old hat. I had the chance to speak with him about his league experiences back in September. Here, we turn our eyes towards the international stage.

March Hockey: What’s the biggest difference from playing in the EIHL/EPIHL to international competition?

Scott Robson: Firstly we played on a bigger surface so the game was a lot more, east to west instead of the usual north/south style of hockey played over here in the UK. It was hard to adjust to the huge zones but was a lot of fun adapting. However every team we came up against was hungry to win and pushed us from the first minute to the last which rarely happens in the EIHL/EPIHL. Personally I think it was a challenge for us because of this; it made us play better and raise our game throughout the Tournament.

Scott Robson and Bobby Chamberlain: Brothers from another mother for 10 years and counting.

MH: You played against Korea and coming from a hockey geek like me, that country surprises me that they were in Division II. How were they to play against talent wise?

SR: We played Korea the second to last game and if we got a regulation or an overtime win we knew we would have got gold. Korea played a well drilled fast style of hockey who could hit us on the break as much as anyone. They had a few standout guys who showed more skill than others but none the less they all worked hard and pushed us all the way. They were bottom seeded going into the championships and they for sure proved the other teams wrong thinking they would just be a pushover team. They got silver in the end.

MH: What was going through your head when the game against Korea went to the shootout?

SR: The whole game was nerve-racking even though we had a game spare to clinch gold. The staff and the team wanted to get it the job done against Korea. There was a bit of pressure on myself and the boys but it was good pressure made us more switched on which made usmanage to force OT with Korea. Playing four on four in a world championships was a first experience for me. It was crazy; up and down hockey, odd man rushes and the lot. It was intense. Our goalie Adam Goss made some crucial saves for us and kept us in the game which is always a relief as a D-man knowing you got a goalie of that caliber like Gossy in the net. The shootout forced mixed emotions on everyone on the bench but with Cownie and Gossy pulling us through in the shootout, it was such an unbelievable feeling. I will never forget, it was incredible.

MH: And of course, what was it like not only representing your country but winning gold for them as well?

SR: It’s always a honour to be in contention to represent your country at any level and then to be selected to represent Great Britain in Estonia was unreal. To go unbeaten in all our games was out of this world. The unity we had together as one big group was superb and when it got tough we all stuck together and battled through it as one. The belief we had preparing in Helsinki, Finland was that everyone wanted to win gold and obviously that urged and pushed everyone on. I think our coaches Pete Russell, Paul Heavey and Greg Owen also did a great job in making me and the rest of the boys actually believe that we can win we can win gold. Singing the national anthem after every win at the world championships was awesome but to do it knowing we just won gold was an unbelievable feeling. We had such a great group of lads and I know they will never forget it. Our captain Matt Selby was put out of the tournament through injury after the first two games yet he put it aside and pumped up the boys all the same and still played a part in us winning the gold medal.

MH: Now that Team GB will move up, do you feel the competition will be a lot harder?

SR: They move up and are in a lot tougher group but even though half of this year’s team was top age, I still think we have enough young talent for the boys to battle through and compete in next year’s group. I’m sure Pete will select the right team to even force GB into winning a medal. Some of this year’s team will be on the roster next year so hopefully they carry that winning experience from our Gold Medal run in Tallinn.

Cam Wynn, Robson, Chamberlain and Matt Selby

MH: Who in your opinion was the biggest part of the team?

SR: I think personally everybody on the team knew their role and executed the roles 100%. Obviously we had players who exceeded expectations and everyone worked hard, committed themselves in the right way and was dedicated to get the job done. The coaches and the staff did a great job in making sure everything run smoothly. Also our equipment manager Craig Cooke did a fantastic job in keeping everyone happy and tidying our locker room and giving off a professional attitude to the players.

MH: Any words for the fans and supporters?

SR: The support we got was phenomenal before we even we set off for Helsinki to start our pre-tournament camp and then as we progressed further on the support just kept on growing. It was a great feeling knowing we all had friends and family watching and keeping track of our performance. I’d like to personally say thank you to all our supporters, families and friends for their support for us during the trip and even now when we’ve all separated and returned back to our club teams.

How the OHL can survive in Cornwall. Again.

Word on the street is the Plymouth Whalers are on the move out of Michigan. First place that ownership would like to re-locate to is Chatham, Ontario. If sold, Cornwall could be the first place on the market. We have to realize that Cornwall is starting to grow and grow rapidly no matter what the nay-sayers say. The OHL would become a major attraction to the city.

Of course, this wouldn’t be the first time Cornwall has housed an OHL team. The second half of the Royals life played out in the OHL from 1983-1992. Poor attendance is what caused its demise and eventual move to Newmarket. Now, the franchise is known as the Sarnia Sting.

First issue you’d have to tackle is an arena housing three teams. Well, Cornwall is not big enough to support two major players in the River Kings and this new OHL franchise so guess what? Bye-bye River Kings for good. All of the drama it went through would have been done for absolutely nothing.

The CCHL Junior A Colts are a perfect feeder for the new OHL team. Send them over to the Benson Centre and fill that place night in and night out. It’s really a no-brainer that way. Ian McInnis and company know how to develop players to an elite level and they wouldn’t have to go further than down the street to reach that next level.

Next step to tackle? The 1970s barn of the Ed Lumley Arena inside the Cornwall Civic Complex.

For nostalgia’s sake, I love the Complex. It’s a great venue for hockey but let’s be honest with ourselves. It would never work for a modern team in this day and age. It needs major upgrades. Brand new score-board, sound system, get rid of the dungeon locker rooms, etc. Best bet might be to tear the damn thing down and start fresh. That turns into a city council issue though.

Kingston did it. They tore down the old police station and built the K-Rock Centre and look at the beauty of the Kingston Frontenacs right now. Just with a new arena, the team was given life again. Either way, we need something done about the Complex.

Going inside the Complex, or new arena, the concessions need a local business handling things. No more trying to save money by outsourcing to other cities. (Can you believe that the concessions right now in that arena is home to a business from Kingston? The arena, the city, nor the teams that play there get any kick back from it.) You need that money for your team to survive.

Alright, so we’ve got a team, got an arena, now what do we need. That’s right.

FAN SUPPORT.

Yeah, that means you.

This is pretty much a no-brainer too. Cornwall would have to, at the very least, have 2500 fans at every home game. That will be done and then some. There are so many people in this city that still cry for the good times that the Royals brought that they would come out in droves to support this new team. Season ticket drives would be off the charts.

Bascially, you would need at least 2,000 season tickets sold and then another 1,500 that would show up to games. Easy peasey if you consider that businesses will buy season tickets too!

It’s a money maker for the city too. How many people would come in from all over to watch major junior hockey? A hell of a lot. A lot of fans do OHL road trips. You could hit Ottawa, Cornwall and Kingston in one shot to the see the future of the NHL.

(Just don't do this. Photo: Rick Bowen) — (Just don’t do this. Photo: Rick Bowen)

Advertising wouldn’t be an issue because we only have one team occupying that arena now. Businesses would flock to have their logos appear on national television. In fact, you’d have big, national, corporate sponsors knocking at your door to throw money your way. That’s something no hockey team is Cornwall has ever had and that’s the beauty of Major Junior hockey.

Like any new hockey franchise starting out, you’re not going to make money off the hop. Hell, you might not break even. However with a little patience and perseverance, it can turn into a goldmine which is what any major hockey playing team will end up in Cornwall in due time. I’m serious. That includes the poor old River Kings.

Major Junior is a whole different breed of monster. The people who buy teams and invest in them know that they will most likely lose some cash at the beginning but that’s hardly the point. The point is the game of hockey.

Finally, I’m going to mention something that I will likely get backlash for.

DO NOT CALL THE TEAM THE ROYALS.

My god, they’ve come, conquered and are now a thing of the past. Let’s leave them that way! What happens if this new team sucks and is a gong show for the next 10 years? The name is now tainted and that’s all anybody will remember.

It’s a new era of hockey in Cornwall.

It’s time to face the future.

————–

For nostalgia’s sake, and because I know how much the people of Cornwall love talking about this team, here is a list of NHLers who played junior for the OHL version of the Cornwall Royals.

· Scott Arniel· Bobby Babcock

· Eric Calder

· Dan Frawley

· Doug Gilmour· Jim Kyte

· Nathan LaFayette

· Alan Letang

· Guy Leveque

· Steve Maltais

· Owen Nolan

· Mike Prokopec· Rob Ray

· Joe Reekie

· Ken Sabourin

· Mathieu Schneider

· Ray Sheppard

· John Slaney

· Mike Stapleton· Jeremy Stevenson

· Mike Tomlak

Who deserves the Hockey Hall of Fame first? Eric Lindros or Daniel Alfredsson

Each year, a select few hockey players get their names etched into the prestigious Hockey Hall of Fame. Naturally there are also a select few who seem to get snubbed; sometimes year after year. Usually, it’s when it’s too late that they get thrown in. The inductee does not get to witness the fruits of being inducted into the Hall as they are sadly no longer with us.

This drives me nuts to no end. Why wait until they pass away to do tributes or induct them in after the fact? Do these things while they’re alive so they can bask in their accomplishments.

But I digress.

Two of the players I’m writing about in this article are both very worthy to reach the Hall. One just finished up his career so it’ll take a bit of time before he gets thrown in BUT, I bet he’ll make it before a certain black and orange pedigree.

It seems like The Hall hates Eric Lindros.

Maybe it’s because Bobby Clarke is on the selection committee and sort of has it in for him. We all know they don’t get along. However, back in 2007 in an interview with CBC, Clarke said by all means that Lindros deserves a place in there. And he does.

This is where the selection committee needs to throw all the politics and drama aside and just focus on the hockey. The stats and the facts for Eric Lindros are plain as day. Who cares that his family made him refuse to play in the Soo, or that he refused to play for the Nordiques. It’s been almost 30 years (!?); time to grow a pair.

There’s no mistaken the dominance that was displayed by the Big E in the later half of the 90’s. He carried the Philadelphia Flyers to the Stanley Cup finals in 1998 and got ever so close to Lord Stanley. He managed 70 points in a 46 game lockout season in 1995 which garnered him the Hart Trophy. He knew how to throw his big body around to his advantage but yet still kept small with his skill. It was a new breed of hockey player that was built for the time; you hardly see guys like him anymore.

But you know what? Look back at his career before he even hit the NHL. The man was a beast; he was tearing up every league he played in. He played a bit of junior down in Detroit where he had 52 points and 123 PIMs in 14 games.

FOURTEEN. GAMES.

You want to know how bad Philadelphia wanted this kid? This is what the Quebec Nordiques got in return for trading Lindros to Philadelphia: “Traded to Philadelphia by Quebec for Peter Forsberg, Steve Duchesne, Kerry Huffman, Mike Ricci, Ron Hextall, Chris Simon, Philadelphia’s 1st round choices in 1993 (Jocelyn Thibault) and 1994 (Nolan Baumgartner) Entry Drafts, and $15,000,000.”

This kid was good and he made the Flyers a contender about five or six years in a row. Who knows what kind of player he could’ve morphed into if it wasn’t for the injuries and concussions. That kind of label stuck after Scott Stevens threw his shoulder into him on the blue line during the playoffs in 1999. I remember sitting on my couch, watching it as a 12 year old and saying to myself “He’s done.” Lindros never played out a full season either which is shocking when you look at his point totals.

There is no doubt in my mind that Lindros will be in the Hall of Fame. It’s just a question of when.

Which brings me to Daniel Alfredsson.

Now unless you live in Eastern Ontario, are a diehard Ottawa Senators fan, or Swedish, chances are you don’t know too much about Alfie’s accomplishments and chances are you don’t really care. Let’s face it. Fans of the NHL often forget that the Ottawa Senators are even a team except for those in Leaf Nation.

Aside from Alfredsson’s two most known moments, (the hit on Darcy Tucker and the stick throwing incident) nobody can really name off what Alfredsson has done in his career. The guy carried an entire team on his back for almost two decades yet nobody seems to care.

Instead of rhyming off reasons why Daniel Alfredsson is pretty damn amazing, I’m going to let Steve Dangle tackle this in a video he did for Sportsnet a couple weeks back.

So with all that in mind, it begs the question. Does Daniel Alfredsson belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Uh, yes. A big, huge, YES.

Whether you like it or not, you have to admit it.

Who goes into the Hall of Fame first? Well, naturally in the order of things Eric Lindros would get the nod but we’ve been saying this for years and he’s yet to capture his rightful place. Alfredsson is going to have to wait his three years before he’s eligible to be nominated and with the way things are going, hell, we could see them on the same ballot!

In the end of all this, both men deserve their shot. Their contributions to the game of hockey, not only NHL but internationally as well surpass many. The Flyers and the Senators might each win Cups before this happens though.

What do you think?

Let me know in the comments, send me a tweet @MarchHockey, or like the page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marchhockey