Fourth Line Plug

Auston Matthews: Birthplace: Scottsdale, Arizona Position: C Height: 6″2 Weight: 194 Shoots: L

Essentially a generational talent, has the potential to be a complete franchise centre. Complete offensive talent in all aspects, foot speed, hands, hockey sense. A player to build a team around. No glaring flaws in game, dominates all aspects, will be a superstar for years. Named to the NLA Media All-Star Team, NLA Media Most Improved Player, Swiss Cup Champion, Swiss Cup Most Points. Led Team USA in scoring at WJC, named to tournament All-Star team, WJC Bronze Medalist, WJC Most Goals, WJC Top 3 player on team. World Championship top 3 Player on Team. Comparable to: Jonathan Toews, Anze Kopitar.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=199898

2. Patrik Laine:

Birthplace: Tampere, Finland Position: W Height: 6″4 Weight: 201 Shoots: R

Huge frame, biggest weapon is his big shot. Constant threat to score and a pure sniper, possesses a quick wrist shot and a big one timer. Powerplay machine. Not particularly fast, but is a powerful skater with a long skating stride. Skating could improve. Played last year in Liiga, top Finnish league. Spent most of regular season on Tappara’s 3rd line, elevated to 2nd line in Playoffs and led in playoff scoring, winning the Jari Kurri Award for best player in the playoffs en route to the SM-Liiga Championship title. Dominated Liiga as a rookie, won Rookie of the Year, had most goals and points by a rookie, and playoff goals overall. Major factor in Finland’s WJC Gold medal run, had most goals in the tournament, was a top 3 player on his team, part of WJC All Star Team. Won World Championship Silver Medal, named to WC All-Star Team, Top 3 Player on Team, Best Forward, and MVP. Comparable to: Teemu Selanne, Vladimir Tarasenko, Dany Heatley

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=221667

3. Jesse Puljujärvi:

Birthplace: Älvkarleby, Sweden (reps Finland) Position: RW Height: 6″3 Weight: 201 Shoots: R

Dominant two-way presence, a complete player skilled at all aspects of the game. Good size, a very strong skater that is able to combine his hands, speed and accurate shot and playmaking skills. Top notch work ethic and attitude. Complete offensive skills, but more of a playmaker than a scorer. Impeccable on ice vision and hockey sense, has the ability to dominate with his combination of size and speed, but could learn to be more physical. No glaring flaws in his game. Some critics say he’s more “complete” than the “flashier” Laine. Member of both U18 and U20 WJC Gold medal teams last year. U18 and U20 WJC All Star team member, U20 Best Forward, most assists, most points, MVP, top 3 player on team. Finished U20 tied for 2nd all-time for most points by a player under 18. NHL ready and may go 2nd overall. Clutch player, but needs to maintain consistency over a full season. Comparable to: Jari Kurri, Sergei Fedorov, Evgeni Malkin

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=152117

4. Pierre-Luc Dubois:

Birthplace: Ste-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec Position: C/W Height: 6″2 Weight: 205 Shoots: L

The highest rated Canadian born player of 2016, Dubois is the prototypical dominant two-way presence. A versatile forward that can be slotted in any position at any time, he is a terrific athlete whose skating ability coupled with his elite hockey sense will put him into the play, no matter the situation. Excellent backchecking and defensive ability, strong skater, a physical presence who’s not afraid to mix it up. Uncontainable offensive skills, patient with the puck, likes bringing the puck into “Gretzky’s Office” and work from there. Can be the scorer, playmaker, power forward or defensive shut down guy. A natural leader and potentially the most complete player in the draft, but could add bulk. Played in CHL Top Prospects game, won the Hlinka Memorial Gold Medal, Mike Bossy Trophy for Best QMJHL Professional Prospect, Paul Dumont Trophy for QMJHL Personality of the Year, QMJHL 2nd All-Star Team member. Should be key piece of Canada’s next WJC team. Comparable to: Henrik Zetterberg, Anze Kopitar, Jamie Benn (complete and elite two-way presence)

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=252480

5. Olli Juolevi

Birthplace: Helsinki, Finland Position: D Height: 6″2 Weight: 183 Shoots: L]

Jokerit youth club developed d-man, left Finland last season for the OHL and became a key piece of a stacked London Knights team. A complete defenceman, he is a strong skater with elite offensive playmaking and puck possesion skills. Will press the oppositions zone with ease, but will use his elite skating ability to quickly come back on the backcheck. Decent size, like most prospects could use more muscle, but not overly physical. Knows his physical limits and plays within it. Complete and well rounded, can play in any situation. High compete level and hockey sense, great on ice vision that showcases his playmaking abilities. Finnish Junior international mainstay, will be an anchor on Finland’s blueline for years. CHL Memorial Cup Champion, OHL Champion, played in CHL Top Prospects Game, U20 WJC Gold Medalist, WJC All Star Team member, WJC most assists by defenseman. OHL 2nd All-Rookie Team. The d-man with the most potential in this draft. Comparable to: Olli Maatta, Teppo Numminen, Lite-Nicklas Lidstrom

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=196391

6. Matthew Tkachuk

Birthplace: Scottsdale, Arizona Position: LW/C Height: 6″1 Weight: 194 Shoots: L

Comes from good stock, the son of Keith Tkachuk, cousin of Tom Fitzgerald & family, Kevin & Jimmy Hayes. Very smart player with great on ice vision, hockey sense and compete level. Will consistently record points, but has grit and a nastiness to his game that many top scorers now lack. Can play an agitating role, but is by no means a bottom line grinder. A top notch skater that has excellent speed and control. A creative forward that seems to always find a way to score or set up a goal, whether it’s with raw skill and hands, or in traffic by the net. Not a defensive juggernaut, but is nonetheless a strong backchecker. Already plays at an NHL level, may be ready for the jump immediately, arguably the most mature player in the draft. Despite gaudy assist totals, expected to be more of a scorer at the NHL level. OHL Champion, OHL Playoffs Most Goals, played in CHL Top Prospects Game, won U20 WJC Bronze Medal. Comparable to: Keith Tkachuk, Andrew Ladd, Jarome Iginla

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=233030

7. Alexander Nylander:

Birthplace: Calgary, Alberta (reps Sweden) Position: W Height: 6″0 Weight: 176 Shoots R

Another player from good stock, the son of Michael, brother of William. A truly excellent skater, he has both the skating ability and hockey sense to stickhandle and get through traffic. A playmaker that is patient with the puck and has elite puck vision and passing ability, he is nonetheless a complete scoring threat with a heavy, accurate shot and a great set of hands. One of the better overall offensive talents in the draft, but is also on the penalty kill and can back check, but could improve. Like his father and brother, a little prone to hanging on to the puck too long and occasional floating. Led Sweden in goals and points at the WJC U-18’s en route to a Silver Medal. Led all OHL rookies in assists and points, won Emms Family Award for Rookie of the Year. Led Sweden in goals and points at the WJC U-20’s, tied for team lead in scoring at U18 Hlinka Tournament, where Sweden won a Silver Medal. Played in CHL Top Prospects game. Property of Rogle BK in the SHL, signed 2 year deal prior to being loaned to Mississauga last season. Comparable to: Markus Naslund, Speedy scorers like Jordan Eberle, Patrick Kane, but with slightly more size and physicality.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=212641

8. Jakob Chychrun

Birthplace: Boca Raton, Florida (reps Canada) Position: D Height: 6″2 Weight: 198 Shoots L

Yet another prospect with NHL bloodlines, he’s the son of journeyman defender Jeff Chychrun, and nephew of Luke Richardson. Once thought to be a candidate to overtake Matthews for the projected number 1 pick, injuries have hampered him. Chychrun did not exactly regress, but hasn’t been the completely overwhelming gamebreaker that was originally thought. That isn’t a knock against Chychrun, he might still be the most NHL ready defender in the draft. He will be a very, very solid overall two-way defenceman, and is still a potential star #1 defender. A boy in a man’s body, he has no problem throwing his weight around, but rarely does so in expense of his positioning. An elite skater, he is the prototypical two-way force that excels at all facets of the game. Great vision and hockey sense and ice in his veins, he thrives in high pressure situations both offensively and defensively. Possesses the ability to deliver an excellent breakout pass, coupled with his booming shot makes him a boon on the powerplay and an all round offensive presence. Good defensively at seeing where the puck is going to be pressing the opponent with his stick and body, forcing them to scramble. Stays a step ahead of the oppositions attack. Has the chance to break into the NHL immediately, has the build, competitiveness, leadership qualities and hockey sense to step in right away. Will likely be a defensive leader on Canada’s next WJC-20 team. Played in last years WJC U-18, wearing an “A” for Canada. Also represented the OHL in Jr Super Series and played in CHL Top Prospects Game. Was the 1st overall selection in the 2014 OHL Priority Draft. Has the potential to move up in the draft, based on team need. Injuries have limited him in big contest games, slightly hampered development. Comparable to: Brent Seabrook, Dion Phaneuf/Wade Redden that can skate

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=243386

9. Michael McLeod

Birthplace: Mississauga, Ontario Position: C Height: 6″2 Weight: 187 Shoots: R

A skilled centreman with size, McLeod did a lot of the heavy lifting in Mississauga that allowed Alex Nylander to roam free offensively. I have him going 9th to Montreal and him becoming the big, power centre that they have desperately needed for years. A powerful skater that when coupled with his size makes him incredibly difficult to contain and play against. Great puck skills, not excatly a typical playmaker, but has filthy hands and the ability to use his speed to blow past defencemen on a rush. A competitor with leadership intagibles, his skating is his best quality. Other aspects of the game may take some time to fully develop. Strong on faceoffs and defensively responsible, does whatever his team needs for them to win. An overall top talent that needs some seasoning. Hard to pinpoint at this stage, could end up a top line talent, could be an elite third liner. Should be a key part of Canada’s next WJC squad. Won Gold at Hlinka Memorial, played in CHL Top Prospects game, a favourite of Hockey Canada. Comparable to: His ceiling is Dylan Larkin, size, vision and hockey sense of Jason Spezza + raw speed of Mikkel Boedker. Could end up a very fast Jason Chimera, Manny Malhotra type.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=240821

10. Mikhail Sergachev:

Birthplace: Nizhnekamsk, Russia Position: D Height: 6″2 Weight: 220 Shoots: L

Big kid in a man’s body, offense is his calling card, but he is by no means a purely offensive defenceman. He’s a two-way force that prefers the offensive side of the game, but has good defensive awareness and reads plays well in all zones. Plays a balanced style, great at getting the puck out of his zone either through carrying or through passing and joining the rush. Excels on the powerplay, great puck movement and lateral movement that creates passing lanes. Has a deceivingly hard shot from the point. An all-round defender with a strong skating stride, hockey sense, offensive instincts, passing skills, footwork, patience, size and some physicality. Defensively, Sergachev does a great job in pushing the opponent to the outside and to the boards, limiting the players options and blocking passing and shooting lanes, but can get caught wandering/pinching and has room to improve. Doesn’t shy away physically, but considering his size he could look to cause a little more of a physical ruckus. Needs more time to develop, but has too much overall talent to slip out of top 10/15. May slip a little due to “Russia Factor.” Has ability to end up a top pairing defender. Should be on Russia’s next WJC team. Played in CHL Top Prospects Game, won Max Kaminsky Trophy for OHL’s Most Outstanding Defenceman. Comparable to: Alex Pietrangelo, Sandis Ozolinsh, Vladimir Malakhov, Rasmus Ristolainen

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=312213

11. Clayton Keller

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Birthplace: Swansea, Illinois Position: C Height: 5″10 Weight: 170 Shoots: L

A smallish forward, Keller likely would’ve been passed on at this stage of the draft in the “Old NHL.” Luckily for him, it’s no longer 1997, and speed and skill are for the most part now prioritized over sheer size and brute force. Excels offensively, has the potential to become a highly skilled playmaker with a goal scoring touch and incredible hockey sense. An offensive juggernaught, he has the ability to both score highlight reel goals and set up teammates with his ridiculously crisp and accurate passing. Great vision and awareness coupled with deft hands. Strong puck carrier that can get through tight spaces while protecting the puck. Despite his size, he is hard to knock off the puck. A great skater with quick acceleration, Keller can blow past defenders and create scoring chances at a whim. Plays a flashy game, but is useful in all game situations. Can kill penalties, is relied on for defensive zone faceoffs and breaking out of the defensive zone. Needs seasoning and added muscle before breaking into the NHL. Won Bronze at WJC U-18, was named tournament MVP, had most assists, named to All-Star team and named top 3 player on USA. Comparable to: Johnny Gaudreau, Patrick Kane, Mitch Marner.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=226432

12. Logan Brown:

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Birthplace: Raleigh, North Carolina Position: C Height: 6″6 Weight: 220 Shoots: L

Yet another kid of an ex-NHLer, the son of Jeff Brown is without a doubt the most physically intimidating high ranking prospect, clocking in at a whopping 6″6, 220 pounds. Coupled with his size, Brown’s biggest asset is his booming shot. He shoots at a speed and level rarely seen in the CHL, his size being the obvious catalyst here. With size comes power, but his puck control and elite hockey sense should not be overlooked. Shows creativity, patience and maturity while setting up plays. Defensively, he uses his frame and reach to shield the puck and keep it away from attackers and has the potential to be a two-way beast. Skating stride is good, could work on first stride explosiveness. Has to work on his overall consistency, and could use some added grit to go along with his size. If he adds a more aggressive style to his overall game, he could be absolutely dominant. Likely not ready to step into the NHL immediately, although his body says otherwise. Won bronze at WJC U-18 and played in CHL Top Prospects Game. Comparable to: Ryan Getzlaf, David Backes, Nick Bjugstad

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=248391

13. Tyson Jost

Birthplace: St. Albert, Alberta Position: C/LW Height: 5″11 Weight: 192 Shoots: L

Jost is an incredibly skilled player that both thinks and plays at a high level with elite hockey IQ. Has great hands and stickhandling ability that coupled with his hockey sense and ability to read plays makes him an extremely dangerous overall playmaker. Has perfected tape to tape passing in tight areas. Good shot with a quick release, likes to crash the net and battles hard to get goals or setup plays. Could use more muscle, and since he played in the BCHL, there is the question whether or not Jost could have replicated his success in the WHL. His spectacular showing at the U-18, where he broke Connor McDavid’s record for most points by a Canadian, should prove those doubters wrong, and Jost has consistently performed well against top notch elite competition on an international scale. Jost is also an elite level skater with agility and great acceleration that allows him to blow past defenders and drive towards the net. His hockey IQ comes out on defense, where his positioning and ability to read the play leads to constant turnovers. Given his somewhat physical style of play, more muscle would elevate a number of different areas of his game. He’s NCAA bound for next season, committed to North Dakota, and has plenty of time to prepare for the NHL, he won’t be making the immediate jump and definitely needs some seasoning. Will likely end up a lower end first liner, or an elite second line option. BCHL First Team All-Star, BCHL Most Assists, Vern Dye Memorial Trophy winner (BCHL MVP), Hlinka Memorial Gold Medal. U18 WJC top 3 player on team, All-Star team, Best Forward. World Junior A Challenge All-Star Team, MVP, Most Assists, Most Points, Gold Medal. Comparable to: Brendan Morrison, Kyle Turris, (Jonathan Toews, Patrice Bergeron not necessarily in terms of overall skill but in style of play)

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=148111

14. Jake Bean

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Birthplace: Calgary, Alberta Position: D Height: 6″1 Weight: 172 Shoots: L

An outstanding all round skater with insane acceleration, Bean is an elite two-way presence that is propelled by his agility and ability to quickly go from offense to defnece. The type of defenceman that can pinch on a whim and still be able to come back strong on defense in the same shift. Like the majority of prospects, he could definitely use some more muscle, which would help out his boardwork and play in front of his own net. His skating is likely his best asset, but he also shows poise with the puck, using his speed and puck control to start the rush either through himself or through a breakout pass. Bean possesses a heavy slap shot and a quick wrister that he can get through front of the net traffic. He’s a dynamic offensive force that has great vision and overall shooting and passing skills. Defensively, he is just as good, showing great positioning that shuts down passing and shooting lanes and keeps attackers towards the boards. He’s willing to physically battle for pucks, but is not known as an elite physical presence. As mentioned before, adding muscle will help that. Overall, a great all round defender that will likely end up on a top pairing one day, but is not expected to make the immediate jump to The Show. Played in CHL Top Prospects Game, won Hlinka Memorial Gold, played in WHL (East) Second All-Star Team, led WHL in goals by Defenceman. Comparable to: playing style of Keith Yandle, TJ Brodie, Mike Green

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=199660

15. Charlie McAvoy:

Birthplace: Long Beach, New York Position: D Height: 6″0 Weight: 198 Shoots: R

McAvoy has the potential to end up a top pairing defenceman, through his excellent skating ability, puck skills, willingness to take well advised offensive risks, and his growing ability to make smart decisions on the ice. Tough as nails, McAvoy is a relatively safe pick, because even if he doesn’t pan out offensively, his defensive skills and toughness will at the very least translate to a bottom pairing role. He skates well, with great agility and the ability to dance around the opposition to create offence. His quick pivoting skills allow him to make the transition from offence to defence easy, he’s a 200 foot player. McAvoy possesses slick stick skills, and can lead the rush himself or through a great first pass. His offensive poise and willingness to pinch makes him a potential power play quarterback. Good release on his wrister and snap shot and while his overall shooting is accurate, his slapshot could use some work to add more power. He has improved his decision making tenfold, prior to this season he was prone to risky plays such as bad pinching, looking for the big hit, and putting himself out of position. Overall, McAvoy is a safe option with big upside that might not necessarily fully translate to the NHL level. He still needs work on his defensive game, needs seasoning and is likely headed back to Boston University next season. Could be a top pairing force used in all situations, or a very good bottom pairing guy that will have a long career regardless. Won U20 WJC Bronze Medal, member of NCAA (Hockey East) All-Rookie Team. Comparable to: Tyson Barrie, Kevin Shattenkirk, playing style of Drew Doughty, toughness of Niklas Kronwall

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=245142

16. Max Jones:

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Birthplace: Rochester, Michigan Position: LW Height: 6″3 Weight: 201 Shoots: L

Another second generation player, the son of Brad Jones is a highly competitive power forward that blends skill with tenacity, the best way I can describe Jones is as a “Brian Burke” type player. He is incredibly hard-working and shows intense drive and passion in his play. Sometimes Jones crosses the line and will deliver a dirty hit, such as the one that led to a 12 game suspension this year in the playoffs against Owen Sound. Offensively, Jones is an elite sniper with a quick release that uses his size well and is a bit of a throwback, 90’s style power forward. Never afraid to mix it up, he bursts into the offensive zone and throws his body around, clearing lanes and creating scoring chances. He uses his body to protect the puck and cycle, but needs to work on his puck vision. Is a shoot first player and could use his teammates a little more. A great skater for his size, his powerful stride allows him to blow past opponents and use his natural finishing ability to score. Sound defensively, he plays similarly in all zones, showing good overall positioning and instincts that along with his constantly physical style of play leads to turnovers. Jones needs to work on his consistency and discipline if he wants to make an impact at the NHL level. He takes too many penalties and definitely needs more development time before making the jump to the Bigs. He’s a potential top 6 power winger if he continues to work on those aspects of his game. OHL Champion and played in CHL Top Prospects Game. Comparable to: Corey Perry, Lawson Crouse, Shane Doan

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=233448

17. Kieffer Bellows:

Birthplace: Edina, Minnesota Position: C/LW Height: 6″1 Weight: 194 Shoots: L

Keeping with what seems to be the trend this year, the son of Cup Champion Brian Bellows plays a similar high octane, shoot first game as his father. A pure sniper, Bellows possesses outstanding natural offensive instincts and is one of the better pure scoring prospects in the draft. He has a a great release on his wrist shot, a heavy slapshot that is even more dangerous when used as a one-timer, is a fantastic all-round shooter. His natural scoring ability and willingness to get dirty and go to the net results in countless deflections and “garbage goals” as well. Bellows has also shown excellent stickhandling ability, and the skill and agility to break past defenders one-on-one. A physical presence, he is adept at throwing the big hit in the offensive zone, freeing up lanes and being a momentum changer in the physical realm of the game. The major knock on Bellows is that he has a tendency to disappear when he’s not able to get on the scoreboard, and at this point is purely a one-dimensional scorer. He could definitely use his teammates more, and perhaps shoot a little less, especially when he’s unable to score. He has the speed, IQ and an effective enough defensive game to be a force in all three zones of the ice, but needs to be more consistent in the non-shooting aspects of the game. Bellows is not ready to step into the NHL immediately and needs a couple of years developing in the NCAA, where he’ll be going to Boston University. Overall, he needs to mature his game, become less one-dimensional and make some better decisions on the ice, but should develop into a top 6 forward, given time. Bellows was a member of USA’s U18 WJC Bronze Medal Team and should be in the next U20 World Juniors. Comparable to: James van Riemsdyk, James Neal, Boone Jenner

18. Dante Fabbro

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Birthplace: New Westminster, British Columbia Position: D Height: 6″0 Weight: 190 Shoots: R

Fabbro is an offensive-minded two-way presence, that perfectly blends offence and defence. Although he thinks offence first and has a huge shot, quick release and a crisp first pass that shows that, Fabbro can be absolutely lethal in his own end as well. His stickwork and body positioning in the defensive end breaks up lanes and he is constantly looking to cause turnovers. His best strength is his skating, showcasing fantastic agility and a great first step. His speed and acceleration allows him to be a constant presence in every zone, and can make the transition from offence to defence with ease. Fabbro excels in the transition game, with his elite vision and hockey IQ, he can quarterback a rush, either through himself or with a lethal breakout pass. Fabbro is not a big hitter and could put on some muscle, but he doesn’t necessarily shy away from physical play, he fights in the corners and in front of the net defensively, blocking lanes and taking away the middle of the ice. Blocks shots, shows great hockey IQ and has the potential to become a top pairing, two-way presence that all teams covet. He’s another prospect that’s committed to Boston University’s stellar hockey program. Fabbro was a BCHL First Team All-Star, BCHL Top Defenseman, scored BCHL Most Points by a Defenseman. Won Hlinka Memorial Gold, was U18 WJC Top 3 Player on Team, had U18 WJC Most Assists by a Defenseman. Won World Junior A Challenge Gold Medal. Comparable to: Tyson Barrie, Justin Faulk, Oliver Ekman-Larsson

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=247041

19. Luke Kunin:

Birthplace: Chesterfield, Missouri Position: C Height: 6″0 Weight: 196 Shoots: R

A very smart player with a high hockey IQ, leadership intagibles and excellent all-round ability, there is no major glaring weakness to Kunin’s game. Needs to gain strength, which will help with his deadly accurate shot, and work on his general explosiveness. Other than that, Kunin is a very solid jack of all trades that does a little bit of everything very well, but not necessarily at an absolute elite level. He displays a high work ethic to go along with a willingness to get to the front of the net, good puck skills, and has a knack for seeing potential scoring opportunites. Offensively gifted, Kunin battles hard in tough zones and uses his body efficiently to protect the puck. Aside from his accurate shot and his garbage goal skills, he also possesses adept passing ability to set up goals. His strongest suit is probably his hockey sense, which also translates to the defensive side of the game. He’s on the penalty kill, is good at the faceoff dot, is not afraid to block shots, and is great at blocking passing lanes. His ability to read the play is top notch. Overall, he’s headed back to the NCAA for more development, and will need a couple years to properly develop. When he does, he could end up being a top-6 two-way centre with a scoring touch, or an elite 3rd line presence in a tough checking role. Was a member of the NCAA Big 10 All-Rookie Team. Comparable to: Mike Fisher, Alex Steen if his offensive game translates to the pro level.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=245278

20. Julien Gauthier:

Birthplace: Pointe-aux-Trembles, Quebec Position: RW Height: 6″4 Weight: 225 Shoots: R

A huge body with a scorers touch and a powerful skating stride, the nephew of Denis Gauthier has seen his stock fall slightly this year. He’s a power forward whose style of play has left scouts pondering if it will translate to the big league level. He scores more than he sets up plays and is not a natural playmaker, but more of a hard-nosed winger with a penchant for heading towards the net. Some say he’s a future front line power forward., others say he’s set up to be the bust of the first round and he will cap out as a third or fourth liner grinder, it’s difficult to tell at this point. Played in last years CHL Top Prospects Game and should be on Team Canada’s World Junior team this year. Comparable to: Johan Franzen, Rick Nash

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=213464

21. German Rubtsov:

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Birthplace: Chekhov, Russia Position: C Height: 6″0 Weight: 190 Shoots: L

Unfortunately, hockey fans were robbed of a chance to see the talented Rubtsov in action at the World U-18’s, as the entire Russian team tested positive for a banned substance and was replaced with the U-17 team. Rubtsov had a chance to dominate the tournament, as his cerebral style of play is rarely seen in players his age. His hockey sense is off the charts, and he does a little of everything well, but is mainly seen as an elite two-way player with fantastic skating ability and defensive skills. Rubtsov is versatile enough to slot anywhere in the lineup, but his peak in the NHL is projected to be as an elite 2nd liner. Won Hlinka Memorial bronze, a silver medal at the World Junior A Challenge, and was named to the All-Star team in that event. Comparable to: Ryan O’Reilly, Pavel Datsyuk

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=312227

22. Logan Stanley:

Birthplace: Kitchener, Ontario Position: D Height: 6″7 Weight: 225 Shoots: L

Just by looking at his size, it’s easy to see why Logan Stanley had scouts interests peaked. An absolute mammoth, Stanley is the epitome of a stay at home d-man. He’s improved by leaps and bounds this year, and now projects to be taken in the first round, a far cry from where he was a year ago. Stanley is strictly a stay at home defender, there’s not much offense to his game, but he would be the ideal complement to a more offensive minded d-partner. A player that can clean up the occasional mess if his partner is caught pinching or out of position. Skates alright for his size, but still needs work. An unfinished product, Stanley has work to do, but the potential to be a monster defensive player is there. Played in last years CHL Top Prospects Game. Comparable to: Jamie Oleksiak, Hal Gill, Jarred Tinordi

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=240108

23. Alex DeBrincat:

Birthplace: Farmington Hills, Michigan Position: C Height: 5″7 Weight: 165 Shoots: R

DeBrincat is the kind of guy that seems perfect for the “New NHL.” Only 5″7, DeBrincat is small, there’s no going around that, but he consistently finds a way to score and never seems to get hit or put himself in vulnerable situations. He’s used to playing with elite centres, as his OHL centres have been Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, and Dylan Strome. He’s not necessarily an overwhelmingly fast skater that will blow by defenders, but is more of an elusive, agile, quick player. Decently hard shot with a very quick release, it’ll be interesting to see if DeBrincat’s offense translates to the NHL level, with or without an elite centreman. Played in CHL Top Prospects Game, named to OHL Third All-Star Team, won WJC Bronze. Comparable to: Mike Cammalleri, Cam Atkinson

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=231275

24. Riley Tufte:

Birthplace: Ham Lake, Minnesota Position: LW Height: 6″5 Weight: 212 Shoots: L

Minnesotta’s reigning Mr. Hockey, Tufte wrecked the high school ranks last year and cemented his status as a first-rounder. An extremely raw talent, he needs tons of seasoning, but has great size and skating, and doesn’t back down from the physical side of the game. Tufte’s committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth for next year, and is years away from the NHL. An intriguing overall mix of talent and size. Comparable to: Nick Bjugstad.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=291903

25. Rasmus Asplund:

Birthplace: Filipstad, Sweden Position: C/LW Height: 5″10 Weight: 176 Shoots: L

Overshadowed at the World Juniors by countrymen Alex Nylander and Dmytro Timashov, Asplund is nonetheless a fantastic player in his own right. Although a little undersized, Asplund is incredibly hard working and brings leadership intangibles to the table. He’s feisty, and his work ethic is infectious, but his size limits him physically. Great hockey sense and playmaking ability, he’s an elusive skater that is always looking for open ice. His best trait is his head; his determination and work ethic is hard to match. Comparable to: Marcus Johansson, Bo Horvat

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=139616

26. Brett Howden:

2c659560-6c70-11e5-a6f7-1d41de1faa17_Sept26-Howden2-1-.jpg

Birthplace: Calgary, Alberta Position: C Height: 6″2 Weight: 190 Shoots: L

Quinton Howden’s younger brother was overshadowed in Moose Jaw last year by Brayden Point, but nonetheless left scouts intrigued. He’s decent all around, no standout skills, but does everything pretty well. A 200 foot player that has tenacity and edge to his game, he’s valuable at any end of the ice. Skates well, sound both offensively and in the defensive zone, Howden’s main problem is his compete level. He has a tendency to drift at times and focus only on scoring. Set up to play a bigger role in Moose Jaw this year, it’ll be interesting to see if his skill set and compete level goes up. Played in CHL Top Prospects Game, won Hlinka Memorial Gold and was named a Top 3 Player on Canada during the World U-18’s. Comparable to: Brandon Dubinsky, Lars Eller

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=232712

27. Vitali Abramov:

Birthplace: Chelyabinsk, Russia Position: W Height: 5″9 Weight: 174 Shoots: L

Another undersized player that would’ve fallen in drafts of the past, Abramov is a ridiculously quick skater with great agility, and has the offensive skills to match. He’s got good hockey sense and rarely puts himself into vulnerable positions on the ice, but has a high compete level and doesn’t let his size limit where he goes on the ice. Feisty, skilled, and could be the steal of the late first round. Equally skilled at both scoring and playmaking, but is also adept in the defensive zone. Played in CHL Top Prospects Game, named to QMJHL All-Rookie Team, won QMJHL Rookie of the Year and Michel Bergeron Trophy for QMJHL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Had most goals, assists, and points by a rookie in the QMJHL last year. Comparable to: Nikita Kucherov

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=295715

28. Pascal Laberge:

Victoriaville Tigres v Blainville-Boisbriand Armada

Birthplace: Chateauguay, Quebec Position: C/RW Height: 6″1 Weight: 174 Shoots: R

Laberge is a quick and feisty player with an edge to his game and the offensive skills to back it up. Sometimes he takes the edge a little too far, but he should mature with time. A dangerous offensive threat, especially in open ice, he’s got a quick shot and good playmaking ability, but struggles in the corners and in physical situations. Played in CHL Top Prospects game. Comparable to: Brayden Schenn

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=252492

29. Tage Thompson:

tage.0.0.jpg

Birthplace: Oyster Bay, New York Position: C/RW Height: 6″5 Weight: 194 Shoots: R

Personally, I’m not high on Thompson and believe he should be a mid-2nd round pick, but I do think that a team will bite early and take him in the late 1st round. Thompson is tall and lanky and the GM that drafts him no doubt hopes that he will grow into his frame. The son of Brent Thompson has outstanding hockey sense and feel for the game, but he seems to lack drive and passion on the ice and disappears at times. He’s got the size and overall natural skill to be a top-6 forward, but is the compete level there? My bet for a first round flame-out that teases his skill, but ultimately doesn’t have immense success at the NHL level. Comparable to: Jimmy Hayes

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=301349

30. Libor Hajek:

Birthplace: Smrcek, Czech Republic Position: D Height: 6″2 Weight: 196 Shoots: L

While not a flashy player, Hajek is the kind of no-frills defender that simply gets things done. Good at everything, but not elite at anything, Hajek projects to be a shutdown d-man that can chip in a little on offense, but mainly stays unnoticed and quietly does his job. Will likely be a #4 or 5 defenseman that chips in on secondary special teams units. Moves the puck well, but defense is his calling card. A much safer pick than a relative gamble like Julien Gauthier or Tage Thompson. Comparable to: Chris Tanev, Carl Gunnarsson, Marco Scandella

http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=195023

A Tribute to Mr. Hockey

Posted by michael on June 10, 2016

Posted in: hockey, Sports. Tagged: detroit red wings, gordie howe, hartford whalers, hockey, houston aeros, mr. hockey, nhl, wha. Leave a comment

I am completely devastated beyond words. This string of celebrity deaths has been rattling, that goes without saying, and Muhammad Ali passing away the other week shook my world. But this one… Mr. Howe was someone really special to me. Not only did I have the honour and the privilege of meeting him once in my life, but he took the time to have an extended conversation with me, about life and hockey, and sign this book and a jersey I now have hanging up in my living room, personalized with my name and a message to me. His health was declining at the time and he was a year or so away from fighting a stroke, and I’ll never forget the genuine compassion and interest he showed towards a random 16 year old kid during one of the direst moments of his life. I’ll forever treasure those items and memories.

When my uncle introduced me to hockey in 1995, the first player I loved was Sergei Fedorov of the Detroit Red Wings. Although I was only 3 years old, I already yearned to learn more about the great game and the history behind it. Only three years later, while looking up Red Wings history during library time at school, I learned about the legend that is Gordie Howe.

I learned about his 1,850 career NHL points, his 508 points in the old WHA, a lot of them recorded while playing alongside his sons, Mark and Marty, which I thought was just the coolest thing ever. I learned how Wayne Gretzky idolized him, I learned about him growing up in Floral, Saskatchewan, and I learned about him getting himself a tryout with the New York Rangers and eventually signing with the Red Wings, paving his own path to one of the all-time great careers in sport. But I also learned about his wife, Colleen, who Mr. Howe absolutely adored from the day he married her in 1953 right up through her unfortunate passing from Pick’s Disease in 2009 and his own passing today. I learned about how he came out of retirement with the motive of playing pro hockey on the same line as his sons, and he was a grandfather at that point. I learned that when someone would mention his hockey playing kids, he was quick to mention that he was just as proud of another son, Murray, who’s a doctor. My favourite story about him involves one of his sons, don’t remember if it was Mark or Marty, being wrestled with on the ice by a player named Robbie Ftorek. Gordie Howe calmly skated over to Ftorek, removed his glove, stuck his fingers up his nose and hauled him to his feet, off of his son. I would’ve loved to see the look in Ftorek’s eyes at that moment.

Gordie Howe was a legend. What he has done for the game of hockey and for the cities of Detroit, Hartford, Houston, and Canada on the whole is indescribable. I know that hearing, reading, and when YouTube came out, watching the legends of Gordie Howe as a kid helped propel me into a life of hockey. Now, as I’m in year one of slowly realizing my dream of becoming a hockey writer, I look at my signed Gordie Howe book with tears in my eyes and I can’t help but think that this man helped change the course of my life and he never even knew it.

RIP Mr. Hockey, the world truly lost the greatest today.

Phaneuf to Sens: The Rebuild Continues

Posted by michael on February 9, 2016

Posted in: hockey, Sports, Uncategorized. Tagged: 2017 nhl entry draft, casey bailey, cody donaghey, colin greening, dion phaneuf, jared cowen, matt frattin, milan michalek, nhl, ottawa senators, ryan rupert, steven stamkos, tmltalk, tobias lindberg, Toronto Maple Leafs, trade. Leave a comment

Can’t say I saw this coming. Shout out to Dion for all the absolute nonsense he put up with in his time in Toronto, for being Captain of the only Leafs team of my adult life to make the playoffs, for not being as garbage as people claim he is, and for elevating his game enough under Mike Babcock to be a wanted asset by another NHL team that was willing to give a good haul of assets to Toronto in return for him.

Breaking down the trade:

To Ottawa:

Matt Frattin –

One of the few remaining remnants of the John Ferguson Jr era, Frattin was a 4^th round draft pick back in 2007, was a Hobey Baker finalist and scouts once thought that he could be a “Diet Rick Nash” type of winger on a second line featuring Nazem Kadri. A personal Marlies favourite of mine, I’ll be sad to see him go. That being said, he’s a 28 year old declining AHLer whose shot at becoming a legitimate full time NHLer is now years in the past. His best year came in 2011/2012 when he had 15 points in 56 games. Expiring contract. I expect him to either be an AHL leader next year, or playing in Europe.

Casey Bailey –

An undrafted winger, Bailey signed a two year entry level contract with Toronto in March of last year after being a point per game player during his years at Penn State. Has a good shot, ideal size and a high compete level, but the jury is out on whether or not he can ever progress past middling-AHL player status. He scored a goal for the Leafs in 6 games at the end of last season during a short audition, but failed to make the big club out of this season’s training camp and has underwhelmed for the William Nylander powered Marlies this year. At 24 years old with just 18 points in 38 AHL games this year, I see this undrafted, ex-U.S. College player being more of a Brayden Irwin than a Tyler Bozak. With an expiring contract and an NHL cap hit of $912,500, I don’t expect him to see much time, if any, with the big club in Ottawa. Decent minor league option that is a restricted free agent at the end of this season.

Ryan Rupert –

The ex-6^th round draft pick in 2012 has bounced between the AHL Marlies and the ECHL Orlando Solar Bears the past two seasons, after being a mainstay with his hometown London Knights for the entirety of his junior career, often playing with his twin brother Matt, who has also attended Leafs prospect camps. The 21 year old centre is a strong, rough and tumble player with decent puck skills, limited skating ability and a bad habit of delivering the odd dirty play. Unfortunately for him, his playing style seems to be more suited for 1996 than 2016. The prototypical slow power forward with a decent shot and a penchant for the net is a declining breed and Rupert seems to be a victim of circumstance. He was not high up in Toronto’s depth chart, was likely not going to make the Leafs full-time at any point, but remains a viable minor league option for Ottawa. He’s signed for next year too, so expect to see him as a regular on the Binghamton Senators.

Cody Donaghey –

This undrafted, 19 year old defenceman is currently in the QMJHL with the Moncton Wildcats and is considered to be a late blooming potential gem. He was undrafted, despite being the 150^th ranked player of his year, but impressed the Toronto brass with a good showing at the Under 17’s and with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and Quebec Remparts in 2013-2014. The Leafs invited him to prospect camp as a free agent and he turned enough heads to parlay that into a three-year entry level deal. A right-handed shot with a high fitness level, Donaghey has the potential to be a very strong offensive defenseman, but like many defenders his age, his actual defensive game needs considerable work. He also recently fought through both an MCL and ACL tear, which has considerably hampered his development. Nonetheless, it would not surprise me at all to see him in the NHL at some point in the coming years. He’s signed until the end of 2017-2018, and I expect Ottawa to audition him on their blueline once he completes his junior career and spends some time in the AHL.

Dion Phaneuf –

It doesn’t seem like six years ago, but that’s how much time has gone by since Toronto acquired Phaneuf, Fredrik Sjostrom and Keith Aulie from Calgary in exchange for Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Ian White and Jamal Mayers. It’s easy to look back in retrospect, and there’s no denying that Phaneuf did not turn out to be the player that Toronto envisioned, ending up as more of a Bryan McCabe than a Chris Pronger, but I firmly believe that Dion Phaneuf was a solid Maple Leaf, despite the popular opinion that says otherwise. He was a victim of circumstance, a player with a contract and letter on his jersey that said to fans that he would become the next Chris Pronger, when in reality, that is just not who Dion Phaneuf is. He is not a number one defenceman. Or even a number two at this stage of his career. He should not have been playing 30-odd minutes a game, like he was under the old Toronto regime. He was heavily misused and it showed in his play and the stats. That being said, he improved by leaps and bounds this year playing a reduced role under Mike Babcock, and appears to have found his game again. Phaneuf will never be the player that we thought he would be coming out of junior. However, he remains an incredibly serviceable second pairing defenceman that can be a physical game changer, a boon on the power play with his massive shot, and a good locker room presence that has dealt with adversity fairly well. He’s signed for five more years with a $7 million cap hit, which is already a steep price to pay for a player of his caliber, but could be disastrous a few years down the road if injuries or a steady decline takes place. I believe that he could be a great supporting piece for Ottawa, a player that can take a bit of the load off of younger guys like Cody Ceci, but I don’t envy that cap situation.

To Toronto:

Jared Cowen –

The 25 year old defenceman has severely underwhelmed at the NHL level since being drafted 9^th overall in 2009, and looking back, it’s clear that rushing him to the NHL was not the right move. A massive (6”5, 240 pounds) stay at home defender, Cowen was perfect for the old, slower, crash and bang NHL of days past. It was envisioned that he would be a stabilizing presence on the blueline that would neutralize attackers with his physicality and sheer size. Instead, the game changed and a player with Cowen’s footspeed does not look like he can last in today’s league. He fell out of Ottawa’s top six and has been all over the rumour mill for the last couple of seasons. He’s signed for $4.5 million next year, but with a cap hit of $3.1 million, and would be a restricted free agent after that. If his play doesn’t drastically improve, he would be a prime candidate for a buyout next off season. The potential is still there, but time is running out for Jared Cowen. Fast.

Milan Michalek –

A good veteran presence, the skilled winger was a key piece in the trade that sent Dany Heatley to San Jose in 2009. Injuries have taken their toll, he’s currently out with a broken finger, and his prime is well in the past, but Michalek is without a doubt a decent top-nine forward option on most teams. He’s struggled with Ottawa this season, recording 10 points in 32 games, but when the inevitable roster shuffle continues and pieces like Shawn Matthias, P-A Parenteau, Michael Grabner and Co. get moved, I expect Michalek to pick up a lot of the slack. He’s signed through the next season at a $4 million cap hit, a lot for a player at this stage of his career, but Toronto has the cap space and could use a veteran presence on the ice next year with an expected influx of young players coming up to the bigs. Barring injury, Michalek could be a very serviceable short-term option for the Leafs.

Colin Greening –

The 29 year old winger had fallen out of the Ottawa roster over the past two seasons and has spent virtually all of this season in the AHL, recording underwhelming numbers of 13 points in 41 games, to go along with 52 PIMs. He’s on a $2.625 million per year contract that expires after next season, which is millions of dollars to much for a player of his age and caliber, hence why he was buried in the minors, but can conceivably take a fourth line role on the Leafs once the roster shuffle continues. He’s a stopgap option at best and I don’t see him being in the NHL much longer, if at all.

Tobias Lindberg –

Looking back in a few years, Lindberg could end up being the best player in this trade. The 20 year old winger was a 4^th round pick by Ottawa in 2013 out of the famed Djurgardens program in Sweden and spent last season recording 97 points (including playoffs) as a star import on the Memorial Cup champ Oshawa Generals. The coach on that team? None other than new assistant Leafs coach DJ Smith. Lindberg has represented Sweden internationally a number of times, despite not ever playing in the World Juniors, and had 22 points in 34 games this season for the Binghamton Senators. He’s going to be joining the Marlies for what is expected to be an extended playoff run, slotting behind A-list prospects like William Nylander and Kasperi Kapanen. As it currently stands, Lindberg is a high-end middle level prospect with size and scoring ability that could potentially see some time in the big leagues this year and has the potential to eventually make an impact at the NHL level.

2^nd round pick in 2017 – The stats say that a 2^nd round pick turns into an NHL player 1/3 of the time, and could potentially end up being a mid to high 30’s draft pick. If the Leafs draft properly, this could (obviously) turn into a huge asset. For example, some 2^nd round picks in 2011 include Boone Jenner, John Gibson, Brandon Saad and Nikita Kucherov.

Final Verdict:

There’s a lot of pieces in this trade. 10 piece trades rarely happen in today’s NHL and at first glance, this looks massive. But once contracts and potential get thrown into the equation, this trade ends up essentially being Dion Phaneuf for Tobias Lindberg and a 2^nd round pick.

From an Ottawa standpoint, they dump an underachieving ex-top tier prospect in Jared Cowen, a buried minor league contract in Colin Greening and an aging, expensive, injury prone Milan Michalek. They lose a good draft choice and a very solid prospect in Tobias Lindberg. They gain a veteran minor league presence with significant NHL experience and an expiring contract in Matt Frattin, minor league filler with Casey Bailey and Ryan Rupert, a potential dark horse in Cody Donaghey, that at worst case scenario will be a minor league mainstay, and a seemingly rejuvenated Dion Phaneuf. Phaneuf is expected to be a good locker room guy that can help groom young guys like Cody Ceci, Mark Stone and Curtis Lazar while still logging significant minutes on the blueline and powerplay. Will he be a superstar? No. Is he worth $7 million a year for the next five seasons? No. But not many players are, and fans need to separate Phaneuf from his contract while analyzing his play. I am concerned about potential age-related regression from Phaneuf, and this contract could end up hurting Ottawa in the long run as he ages. But as of right now, he is a serviceable defenceman and leader that will help the current team.

From the Toronto point of view, this is a long-term move that is keeping in check with the current rebuilding mindset. They clear out some minor league filler in exchange for a couple of bad contracts that can be used as placeholders on the current rebuilding squad and lose the potential dark horse that is Cody Donaghey, but gain significant value in return. I don’t expect it to happen, but Jared Cowen could conceivably re-spark his development under the Babcock regime and if he does improve he could be someone that sticks around long term. The potential that had him drafted 9^th overall is still there, but he has to prove he belongs immediately. Tobias Lindberg is a very good prospect that likely has a future with the Leafs and having another 2^nd round pick is obviously always a good thing. However, the main key here is moving the $7 million cap hit of Phaneuf and freeing up the captaincy. You thought the Steven Stamkos to Toronto rumours were overwhelming before? That just increased tenfold.

Overall, this was a solid trade for both teams, with Ottawa moving out some expensive and middling bodies in exchange for an expensive 2^nd pairing defenceman with leadership qualities and a couple of mediocre to middle prospects, while losing a couple of decent assets in the process. Although the haul for Ottawa was decent, I see Toronto being the winner here, if only for the freed up long term cap space and now vacant captaincy. Getting a good prospect and a 2^nd rounder is bonus in my eyes and taking on a couple of bad contracts is a small price to pay. I’ll leave you all with this. Seen Stamkos?

Toronto Maple Leafs Game 1: A Brief Recap

Posted by michael on October 8, 2015

Posted in: hockey. Tagged: careyprice, habs, jonathanbernier, leafs, montrealcanadiens, nhl, nhlfaceoff, tmltalk, torontomapleleafs. Leave a comment

Final score: Montreal 3, Toronto 1

Honestly, this game went better than expected. Wasn’t great, not in the slightest. But it was better than expected. It’s no secret that the Leafs are in for a rough few seasons, while the Habs are a team that considers themselves to be a legitimate Cup contender. So a 3-1 loss with the 3rd goal being an empty netter really isn’t horrendous on the whole. But boy, did this game start in pretty much the worst way possible.

As anyone that regularly watches the Leafs play knows, Jonathan Bernier has a history of letting in weak goals. So when Max Pacioretty put the first Montreal shot on net and it handcuffed Bernier, bounced over his shoulder and trickled in, I was not surprised. I literally burst out laughing. 100% that was an early omen for the rest of Toronto’s season. However, aside from the standard weak Bernier goal, he played pretty well, coming up huge with a couple of massive saves during the typical Toronto defensive lapses. No question, Bernier kept the Leafs in this game.

Moving on to the defense, despite being a constant lighting rod for criticism, captain Dion Phaneuf had a relatively quiet, but decent game. He ate up minutes, wasn’t a total defensive liability, and played pretty well with his new d-partner, alternate captain Matt Hunwick. He even picked up a secondary assist on the lone Toronto goal. Hunwick, while I don’t believe he is capable of playing top-4 minutes on a consistent basis, had a solid game. He showed some decent chemistry with Phaneuf and was a stabilizer on the ice, logging 4 hits and playing over 20 minutes, along with Captain Dion. Morgan Rielly was Morgan Rielly. He played a touch over 20 minutes, had a few offensive bursts, and was mediocre in the defensive zone, finishing with a -2 rating. Likewise for Jake Gardiner, he played a classic Jake game. Flashes of the Gardiner we saw in the playoffs in 2013, rushing with the puck and being a potential game changer, but we also saw what put him in the doghouse since then. The amount of times I see Jake Gardiner screwing up a pinch and having to rush back, stick flailing and leaving his d-partner out to dry with a 3 on 1 break is enraging. There’s no question that he has immense offensive talent, but that doesn’t mean anything when you don’t record a point, have limited offensive chances, and barely play good defense. This may be a make or break year for Gardiner. Now, it gets ugly with these final 2 players. Martin Marincin and Scott Harrington are two young players that were making their Toronto debut. And they sucked. I’m not going easy on them. They were constantly a defensive liability on the ice and frankly, they looked outmatched by a pretty damn good Montreal squad. Harrington failed to properly cover Alex Galchenyuk on the 2nd Habs goal, and there were countless other instances where both young men were caught up ice, or coughed up the puck, or simply got outmatched. Neither of them are NHL ready, that’s what I got out of this game. I’d like to see either Roman Polak, who was scratched tonight, or Frank Corrado get a shot next game.

Regarding the forwards, James van Riemsdyk scored the lone goal for Toronto (a fluky double tip), but aside from that, the core Leafs players were mostly non-factors. Nazem Kadri looked undisciplined to start, taking a stupid interference penalty early in the game. Joffrey Lupul floated, looking like a shell of his former self. Tyler Bozak was a total non-factor. What I did like, was how well some of the new Leafs acquisitions played. He was a -2, but Brad Boyes may have been the hardest working player in this game, and was a constant buzz on the ice. The fourth line of Nick Spaling, Daniel Winnik, and Mark Arcobello/PA Parenteau was dynamic at times and was easily the best Toronto line. Spaling had a great scoring chance that would’ve tied the game, but was let down by a bouncing puck. Arcobello was on the power play and seemed to be rotating in and out of this line with Parenteau, who didn’t look as good as the rest of these guys. Winnik was a gem last year before the trade, and played like the guy that Leafs fans initially fell in love with. Toronto registered 37 shots on goal, outshooting Montreal by 7. That’s unheard of for recent Toronto teams, who are literally used to being outshot 45-20. Michael Grabner was a healthy scratch tonight, which I’m sure will change. His speed and offensive ability intrigues me, I’d like to see him on the top line at some point. Regardless, there were definite steps in the right direction, but not enough production and effort from Toronto’s top guns, which was disappointing to see.

Carey Price may have been the guy who won the game overall tonight, but Toronto definitely could’ve played worse on the whole. Get used to it, Toronto fans. It’s gonna be a rough year.

Draft Busts: A Team’s Biggest Fear – Part 1

Posted by michael on September 29, 2015

Posted in: hockey, Sports. Tagged: biggestdraftbusts, daigle, draftbusts, entrydraft, hockey, nhl, nhldraft, stefan. Leave a comment

*Author’s Note

I started this back in 2012, right when I was getting severely sick, and put this on hold. I discovered a saved draft of this while getting this blog up and running again, and decided to finish it, up to the 2012 draft. Here’s Part 1, from 1990-1999.

June 10, 2012

As I was watching last night’s Stanley Cup Finals game I noticed a Gionta on the ice and got a bit perplexed. While Brian Gionta certainly used to play for the Devils, he has since moved on to become the captain of the Montreal Canadiens. It was then that I remembered that Brian Gionta has a brother, Stephen, who seemingly came out of nowhere to become a key member of this years Stanley Cup Finalist New Jersey Devils squad. This particular Gionta went undrafted and has currently only played 13 NHL regular season games, amassing 1 goal and 6 PIMS. This certainly doesn’t look like a player to pay attention to, yet the Devils clearly saw something in him when they signed him after he graduated from Boston College. The Devils investment has payed off as the diminutive Gionta has played 23 playoff games this year, tallying 7 points and providing a much needed spark to a surprising Devils team. When I thought of Stephen Gionta I wondered how a player like this can go overlooked for so long and even get passed over repeatedly on draft day. You hear of it all the time, some of the greatest players in the history of the game have gone low in the draft or may have not even been drafted at all. Names like Curtis Joseph, Henrik Zetterberg, Doug Gilmour and Ed Belfour come to mind. These are clear examples of draft position not necessarily determining a players career. However, on the other end of the spectrum there are highly touted players up for draft every year that do not turn out as expected. Who knows, maybe Nail Yakupov, the highest ranked eligible player for draft this year, could be a complete draft bust. Which brings to mind, who are the biggest draft busts in NHL history? This thought came to me and I decided to compile a little list, giving in my opinion the worst 1st round pick from every year from 1990-2012. So, ladies and gentlemen, here are the worst of the best.

1990: Scott Scissons

The 1990 NHL Entry Draft was expected to be a fairly deep draft and it proved to be just that as superstars such as Owen Nolan, Keith Primeau, Jaromir Jagr and Martin Brodeur were all picked in the very 1st round. In fact, the draft order went like this. Nolan, Nedved, Primeau, Ricci, Jagr, Scissons. Now, you may be asking who in the world is Scott Scissons? That happens to be a very valid question since Scissons played a grand total of 2 games with no points or penalty minutes in the NHL after being drafted 6th overall by the New York Islanders. When the Isles drafted Scissons they were expecting a rough and tumble prairie boy with a penchant for the net, not the 2 game wonder that he ended up being. After scoring 87 points for his hometown Saskatoon Blades in his draft year, these were some fairly reasonable hopes the Islanders had. However, things were not meant to be as Scissons never caught on in the NHL, ended up playing more IHL games than anything else and was out of hockey by 1995. Players drafted after Scissons include Cup champions Darryl Sydor, Derian Hatcher, Martin Brodeur and Brad May. Needless to say, I’m sure the Islanders wish they could turn back the clock and draft any of these players, actually, pretty much any player other than Scott Scissons.

1991: Alek Stojanov

stojanov_display_image

First and foremost, the 1991 draft is best known for being the year that the Quebec Nordiques drafted Eric Lindros 1st overall and were forced to trade him for a boatload of assets since he refused to play for the team. Things all worked out in the end for the Nordiques of course since Peter Forsberg was the main player they got back in the deal, they won the Stanley Cup shortly after, and Lindros was riddled by injuries and ended up being a bit of a disappointment. However, Lindros was not the draft bust of 1991, far from it. That “honour” belongs to Windsor, Ontario native Alek Stojanov, better known as being the player that the Vancouver Canucks traded to Pittsburgh for future captain Markus Naslund. Stojanov was a bit of a wild card when the Canucks drafted him 7th overall after scoring 45 points in 62 games for the OHL’s Hamilton Dukes in his draft year. His point totals were not that impressive although the ‘Nucks were clearly hoping for a power forward type when they drafted the 6 foot 4, 232 pound Stojanov. Power forwards typically develop their scoring side a little after their physical side so the Canucks were probably not too worried since Stojanov provided 45 points along with 179 PIMS. Unfortunately for Vancouver, that offensive side never really developed. Stojanov recorded a whopping 1 assist in 62 games for the Canucks before being shipped off to Pittsburgh. He spent a couple of seasons with the Penguins before being out of the NHL after the 96-97 season. He finished his NHL career with 107 games played, 2 goals, 5 assists and 222 PIMS. He was last seen in the hockey world playing for the New Mexico Scorpions of the Central Hockey League during the 01-02 season. Players chosen after Stojanov include Brian Rolston, Alexei Kovalev, Naslund, Ray Whitney and Mike Knuble. Yikes.

1992: Ryan Sittler

Poor, poor Ryan Sittler. Son of Leafs legend Darryl Sittler, Ryan didn’t exactly have the same illustrious career as his Hall of Famer father. Sittler was most likely a victim of being related to one of the greatest men to ever play the game and was overrated as a player. This particular draft features major busts like the Leafs Brandon Convery, Edmonton’s Joe Hulbig and Buffalo’s David Cooper, but Philadelphia’s choice of Sittler at 7th overall takes the cake. Ryan Sittler was a decent left winger for the University of Michigan before making the jump to the AHL’s Hershey Bears where it became clear that he was not capable of playing in the NHL. He recorded 2 goals and 7 assists in 42 games his first year in Hershey and soon found himself playing for various teams in the ECHL including the Mobile Mysticks and Raleigh Icecaps before reemerging in the AHL for a couple more seasons. Sittler last played for the ECHL’s Charlotte Checkers in the 98-99 season. He played a grand total of zero games in the NHL while players drafted after him include 1000 gamers Sergei Gonchar, Jason Smith, Kirk Maltby and Adrian Aucoin. If anything, Ryan Sittler’s hockey career shows that sometimes the apple falls REALLY far away from the tree.

1993: Alexandre Daigle

Arguably the biggest and most famous draft bust in NHL history, the Ottawa Senators decided to make Victoriaville Tigres sensation Alexandre Daigle the 1st overall pick of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. While others in the 1st round played less games than Daigle’s 616 and had less points than his 327 there is little question that Daigle surpasses the likes of Jesper Mattsson and Nick Stajduhar as the years biggest bust. Alexandre Daigle exploded into the hockey world, tallying 137 points in 53 games during his draft year and was even compared to the great Rocket Richard. Yeah, uh, didn’t happen. Daigle had a solid NHL career if he was drafted in say the 5th round. However, he was drafted 1st overall and therefore was expected to play like a legend. Unfortunately for Daigle he was surpassed by the likes of Daniel Alfredsson and Alexei Yashin as Ottawa’s next great hope and was sent packing to the Flyers. From there he bounced around unsuccessfully from Philly to Tampa to New York to Pittsburgh to Minnesota. Throw in some minor league action and a 2 year stint where he decided to pursue and acting career and forgo hockey and you’ve got the gist of his career. He did win the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy after his first season with the Minnesota Wild, Daigle ultimately flopped again, winding up his career in the Swiss League. So much for the guy who proclaimed that he was glad to go first overall since “no one remembers who went second.” Say that to the guy drafted after Daigle, a Mr. Chris Pronger. Enough said. Among those drafted after Daigle include, Pronger, Paul Kariya, Jason Arnott, Saku Koivu, Bryan McCabe and Hal Gill.

1994: Jason Bonsignore

18 Oct 1995: Center Jason Bonsignore of the Edmonton Oilers looks on during a game against the Buffalo Sabres at Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York. The Oilers won the game, 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Rick Stewart /Allsport

Oh boy, this was a tough one. While this draft did have its gems, Ed Jovanovski, Ryan Smyth and the like, it also had a shocking amount of draft busts. And I’m not talking about an Alexandre Daigle type bust where the player went on to have a decent NHL career. I’m talking about disgustingly bad draft picks. The kind of picks that cost GM’s and scouts their jobs. The likes of Jamie Storr, Brett Lindros, Nolan Baumgartner, Wade Belak, Alexander Kharlamov, Eric Fichaud, Brad Brown, Chris Dingman, Jason Botterill, Evgeni Ryabchikov, Jeff Kealty, Yan Golubovsky, Chris Wells and Vadim Sharijanov were all drafted in the 1st round. Needless to say, this was a beyond awful 1st round. But the dubious honour of worst of the worst belongs to Edmonton Oilers draft pick Jason Bonsignore. Drafted 4th overall, Bonsignore had a few successful years in the OHL which led to the Oilers taking an interest in him. He was considered a can’t miss prospect, someone to build your team around. Didn’t happen. Bonsignore played 79 games in the NHL scoring only 3 goals and 13 assists for the Oilers and Lightning. He did play in the AHL, IHL and ECHL for a number of years along with stints in Switzerland and Finland. He last played hockey for the Trenton Devils of the ECHL in 07-08. Personally, I would have picked Jeff O’Neill, Ryan Smyth, Mattias Ohlund, Patrik Elias, Sheldon Souray or Chris Drury over Bonsignore, but it’s obviously easy to look in retrospect. At the time, the Oilers picked a top prospect who unfortunately didn’t end up working out for them.

1995: Terry Ryan

Another tough choice with Steve Kelly, Jeff Ware, Teemu Riihijarvi and others in the mix, but the Montreal Canadiens choice of Terry Ryan at 8th overall is 1995’s biggest draft bust. Terry Ryan was a high scoring left winger from the WHL’s Tri-City Americans yet his career was unexpectedly derailed by inconsistency and an ankle issue that caused early retirement. Ryan played only 8 games in the NHL, all with the Canadiens, and spent the majority of his short career in the AHL and other minor leagues. Rubbing salt into the Canadiens wound was the fact that the likes of Jarome Iginla, Kyle McLaren, JS Giguere and Petr Sykora were all picked later on in the round. However, Ryan did have a relatively successful ball hockey career, even representing Team Canada on multiple occasions. Not quite the NHL, but hey, it’s something.

1996: Alexandre Volchkov

1996 was a very hit or miss year when it came to the draft. On one hand the draft launched the careers of Zdeno Chara, Chris Phillips, Derek Morris, Daniel Briere and Pavel Kubina, yet it also left you with duds such as Jonathan Aitken, Dan Focht, Josh Holden, Matthieu Descoteaux and the grand daddy of them all, Alexandre Volchkov. Drafted 4th overall by the Washington Capitals, it is easy to stereotype Volchkov as the stereotypical skilled, yet lazy Russian with a severe attitude problem (see: Yashin, Alexei). While it is somewhat unfair to make this assumption, if you did happen to guess Volchkov was a Nikita Filatov or Nikolai Zherdev, you were absolutely right. Volchkov actually came and played junior hockey for the Barrie Colts of the OHL, prompting scouts to believe that he was committed to playing hockey in North America. A skilled Russian with offensive flair, Volchkov parlayed decent numbers for the Colts into a playoff call up to the Portland Pirates of the AHL. Aside for 3 NHL games, that was as far as his hockey career would ever go. He left North America to play in Russia in 2000 and was essentially never heard from again. Good choice, Caps.

1997: Daniel Tkaczuk

20 Sep 1998: Center Daniel Tkaczuk #40 of the Calgary Flames in action during a pre-season game against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California. The Ducks defeated the Flames 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Elsa Hasch /Allsport

Not to be mistaken with Keith Tkachuk, Daniel Tkaczuk was Calgary’s first choice, 6th overall. He was the second best player on his team in the OHL, the Barrie Colts, ironically under 1996’s biggest bust Alex Volchkov. Tallying 105 points in only 58 games in his last junior season, the Flames were expecting Tkaczuk to rip up the NHL. Well, that didn’t happen. Tkaczuk just couldn’t seen to catch a break, only playing 19 NHL games despite tallying 11 points in limited action. Traded to St. Louis in the deal that brought Roman Turek to Calgary, Tkaczuk never played a game for the Blues despite retaining status as a top prospect. Tkaczuk was the victim of bad luck, never getting a real shot at the NHL before he decided to ply his trade in various European leagues including a three year stint in Germany before returning to North America in 2009, hoping for one last shot at the NHL. Tkaczuk never got his wish as he only played 12 AHL games and 46 ECHL games before ending his career in 2011 as a member of the Nottingham Panthers of the EIHL. Smarter draft choices would have been Marian Hossa, Brenden Morrow, Daniel Cleary, Henrik Tallinder, Matt Cooke and Brian Campbell.

1998: Rico Fata

While not an overall great 1st round, this was still an easy choice. Another massive mistake by Calgary, Rico Fata went 6th overall in the same draft that saw Tampa Bay grab the one time face of their franchise, Vinny Lecavalier. Fata broke into the OHL as a 15(!) year old with his hometown Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and the next year was selected 1st overall in the OHL draft by the London Knights. He was part of a very good London team that ended up in the Finals the year after Fata was drafted, with Rico helping lead the way. He had 76 points in 64 games to go along with 110 PIMS in his draft year, endearing himself to the Flames brass with his scoring abilities and his penchant for playing well above his 5″11 stature. Once drafted, a terrible Flames team tried to rush him to the NHL, playing him in 20 games before sending him back to Junior. He recorded 1 assist in his time with the Flames, an early omen regarding his future NHL career. He bounced between Calgary and the AHL for the next 2 years, ripping up the AHL, but unable to maintain a spot on the NHL roster. Over the next few years he was claimed on waivers 3 times and traded once, as a piece of what brought Alexei Kovalev to the Rangers. Fata was out of North American hockey by 2006, after failing to catch on with the Washington Capitals. He totaled 230 games played and 63 points for 5 different NHL teams before spending time in Germany, Switzerland and Finland, wrapping up what was once a beyond promising career in 2013-2014 with HIFK Helsinki. What’s funny is the fact that the guy that was drafted directly after Fata, Manny Malhotra, was considered to be a bust on par with Fata around the same time Fata was disappointing Calgary fans. Malhotra salvaged his career with the Columbus Blue Jackets, turned into a reliable two-way player with a scoring touch and immense skills in the face-off and penalty killing department, and played with Montreal last year, becoming a massive success story after nearly losing an eye as a member of the Vancouver Canucks. This draft’s 1st round is littered with players like Malhotra, decent to very good NHLers like Mike Rupp, Nik Antropov and Robyn Regehr, and even the occasional borderline star like Simon Gagne and Alex Tanguay. And every single one of them was picked after Rico Fata. Nice job, Calgary. Tkaczuk and Fata, two years in a row… Ugh!

1999: Patrik Stefan

Oh man. Oh man, oh man. Where do I start here? To start, there are worse players than Patrik Stefan that were 1st rounders in ’99 and quite a few total busts. This was the year that guys like Pavel Brendl, Brian Finley, Kris Beech, Jamie Lundmark, Scott Kelman and Denis Shvidki were picked. And I could go on and on about those players and a number of others from this draft. These guys make Taylor Pyatt, picked 8th overall that year, look like a living legend. Sedin’s aside (we’ll touch on that later), this 1st round is remembered for all the wrong reasons. Even though all of these players had far worse career numbers than Stefan, not one of them flamed out as spectacularly and as hard as him. Patrik Stefan was the 1st ever selection made by the expansion Atlanta Thrashers and was touted as the face and star of the franchise, right from the get go. It was hype that he had no chance of living up to. He came over to North America from the Czech Republic at only 17 to play pro hockey in the now defunct IHL for the Long Beach Ice Dogs, and averaged over a point per game in his draft year, playing against grown men in a league equivalent to the AHL. He was touted as a future star, compared to Mike Modano and Sergei Fedorov, and as his Ice Dogs coach, John Van Boxmeer said, “He is going to be a dominating, play-making center. He is a guy who looks to make the play rather than shoot himself. He’ll be a guy who can get 100 assists and 20-25 goals in the NHL.” Stefan’s best totals came in 2003-2004, when he recorded 40 points in 82 games. He was out of hockey altogether just 4 years later. So what happened? It starts with Brian Burke, then GM of the Vancouver Canucks. He famously orchestrated a deal with Thrashers GM Don Waddell that saw Vancouver trade the 1st overall pick to Atlanta for the 2nd overall pick and a 3rd rounder the next year. Why? Burke wanted the Sedin twins, and gave Waddell the 1st overall with the promise of Atlanta not taking either Sedin. Looking back, Don Waddell probably should have told him to shove it. Stefan actually put up decent numbers his first couple of years, considering he played for an awful expansion team, but consistently fought injury problems that would haunt him for the duration of his career. He looked like he was coming through after his “breakout” year of 03/04, but after the lockout and an injury plagued return year, Atlanta decided to cut their losses and sent him to Dallas. It was with Dallas that Stefan would solidify his place as an Alexandre Daigle caliber bust. Click this YouTube link at the end of the Stefan section. Just do it. Chances are you’ve seen it before, since it is probably the dumbest thing that anyone’s ever done on ice. For those that don’t know and didn’t click the link, it was January 2007 and Dallas was ahead of Edmonton by 1, late in the 3rd period. Stefan got sent on an open break after the Oilers had pulled their goalie. He missed. Actually, that’s the understatement of the year. He skated lazily toward the net, tripped over himself, missed and coughed the puck up to Edmonton, and Ales Hemsky ended up tying the game with 2 seconds left. Yeah. It looks as bad as it sounds. Unsurprisingly, this was the last year that Patrik Stefan would ever play in the NHL. He spent 3 games with SC Bern in Switzerland the next year before retiring due to injuries. Well, that and I assume the fact that literally no team wanted him. Statistically, he is the worst 1st overall pick of all time, below Brian Lawton, Doug Wickenheiser and Daigle. There’s a reason the Atlanta Thrashers don’t exist anymore and why Don Waddell is no longer an NHL GM. Better choices would’ve been the Sedin’s, Barret Jackman and Martin Havlat. Hell, I would’ve been happier with Pavel Brendl, at least that flame out was completely expected.

Guess Who’s Back, Back Again

Posted by michael on September 29, 2015

Posted in: Uncategorized. Leave a comment

Wow. Has it really been two and a half years since I’ve posted here? Seems crazy to me, but I’m finally well enough to start this back up. The last two years have been eventful, to say the least. My health issues aren’t fully behind me, but after about 8 months of initial recovery I began feeling well enough to start working again and head back to school. I spent some time at George Brown College in Toronto and am now pursuing a degree at Athabasca University, based in Alberta. I’ve been doing professional sports writing and copy editing on a freelance basis, tried (and failed at) going the corporate 9-5 route, and helped start a music focused entertainment company, based in Toronto, called Zero Fox Entertainment. I’ve put these endeavors on the backburner as of late, due to my commitments with school, but decided that even if I’m not doing a lot of paid, full time writing, putting this blog back up would help keep my writing skills fresh.

So long story short, it’s good to be back and I hope to get this thing up and running fairly regularly again!

Indefinite Hiatus / My Story

Posted by michael on March 5, 2013

Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: addiction, applied kinesiology, mental health, post-concussion syndrome, substance abuse. Leave a comment

Clearly I have not posted anything on here in a few months and I’m sorry for the long absence. That being said, I regret to say that I am suspending this blog for the foreseeable future due to recurring health problems. That seems pretty b.s. and looks like a cop out, so I have decided to go deeper in depth about my story. This is the first time I’ve said any of this to the public, until now only select family and friends have been informed and I am only now comfortable enough to say this to the public. I’m writing this for myself as much as I am for anyone else, so I’d advise readers to stop right now if you came here looking for a post on sports, music, etc. Seriously though, skip to the final paragraph if you don’t want to hear the back story and just want to know about the future of this blog.

There is a reason that I write and Tweet frequently about mental health issues, particularly in the sporting world. 10 years ago I suffered the first of 6 concussions, the most recent one being about 5 years ago. I still suffer from the effects of post-concussion syndrome to this day, although recently I have found out that it’s not only PTS that has been affecting my brain, but more on that later. Concussions and mental health issues go hand in hand, you only have to look at people like Wade Belak, Derek Boogaard, Junior Seau, etc, to realize that. That being said, around 6 years ago I started feeling funny. Vertigo, migraines, dizziness and nausea I was used to and assumed it was all from my string of concussions. What I wasn’t used to was the intense feelings of sadness, lack of drive, feeling of uselessness, that sort of thing. I didn’t think much of it at the time, attributing these feelings to simple teenage angst. Then a couple of years later, during my senior year of high school, these thoughts, feelings and emotions strongly intensified. I will not bore anyone with the details, but long story short I eventually got diagnosed with clinical depression, anxiety, ADHD and mild OCD. I was immediately put on copious amounts of meds, including Prozac, Lorazepam, Seroquel and Celexa. I took those meds and others for 2 years and all they did was numb me and turn me into a robot, a complete shell of my former self. It is only now that I can actually think clearly enough to even comprehend what I was going through at the time.

During that time I had discovered the “joys” of drinking and began to drink heavily. It was common for me to be flat out hammered 4 or 5 days a week, although I was never branded as an alcoholic, likely because I was in my late teens and in university. Although not right or healthy, most university aged young adults were drinking the same amount, enjoying the “college life.” It started out that way for me too, but all too quickly I started drinking to numb my brain and forget what was going on in my life. Basically, I was drinking heavily and for all the wrong reasons. Alcohol is obviously a depressant, so in retrospect it was actually making me feel worse. A couple of punched holes in walls and bad decisions later, my addled brain started to realize that I should probably stop drinking so much. Unfortunately, my mind was so clouded that I was craving something else to stop the pain of being stuck in my own head. I started committing acts of self harm, cutting, burning myself, that sort of thing. The scars still remain to this day. I also started abusing my many prescription drugs, taking handfuls of various substances at a time. I can’t really rationally explain why I did these things. All I can say is that the self harm made me actually feel something again, which my anti-depressants stopped me from doing. The prescription drug abuse? It put me in a state outside of my own mind, where I could forget about the turmoil in my life. Eventually things got bad enough in my eyes that I had attempted suicide twice. I brought in 2012 on a hospital bed after overdosing on a boatload of prescription drugs, including codeine, Prozac, and god knows what else. The staff at the hospital put me in a 12 step program sort of deal, which I stuck with for a couple of months before realizing that I was not benefitting at all from being there. In the back of my mind I knew that something was clearly wrong with me, and that I did not want to live the life I was living. Not in the sense that I wanted to die, but I found myself constantly wondering how I got to this point.

Spring and summer of 2012 was tough. I was in the process of quitting all my prescription drugs cold turkey, and that was probably the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life. My mind was whirling, the withdrawal symptoms were awful, I couldn’t think straight and I found myself suffering from anxiety attacks quite often. Despite this, I didn’t care, I wanted to be able to actually feel something again. Unfortunately, I found myself relapsing and craving something that would numb my brain. My prescriptions were no longer available, so I made the worst decision possible instead. I had used street drugs during the worst moments of my depression, not to feel good and party like most people do, but in a conscious decision to hurt myself. This time however, I fell back into the trap of drugs in a desperate attempt to calm my confused, poisonous mind. I will not go into detail, but I had managed to fall into a pretty heavy drug addiction. At some point my brain managed to comprehend just how much I was hurting the people that loved me when I was thought I was just hurting myself. It was at that moment that I decided to quit everything and do my best to turn my life around, if not for me then for my family. It was insanely hard, but I can proudly say that I have managed to beat yet another addiction, although I still had my other mental issues. I had resigned myself to the fact that I was likely going to be living with depression and anxiety for the rest of my life and just decided to deal with it.

Fast forward to January of 2013, just a couple of months ago. I developed a severe case of pneumonia and my post-concussion symptoms had been acting up more than usual. After going to the family doctor to get the necessary antibiotics to beat the pneumonia, my family took me to a Chinese medicine and acupuncture practitioner in an attempt to find a natural way to boost my immune system and maybe even deal with my mental issues. I had made the conscious decision to avoid chemical drugs at all costs, only taking them if absolutely necessary, afraid that I’d slip back to my self abusive ways. The Chinese medicine did a great job in cleansing my body of the toxins that I had been putting into it for years and I found the acupuncture to be highly relaxing, but then about three weeks ago I developed a brutal migraine that still hasn’t completely subsided. Desperate for help, my aunt and mother found an Applied Kinesiologist in Newmarket that had worked with NHL players, Olympians, other top notch athletes, and celebrities and had a lifetime of experience in regards to working with post-concussion syndrome. I went in last week to get an assessment, not really knowing what to expect, but hopeful that my migraines and PTS would be taken care of. What actually transpired I never could have guessed.

After giving the AK my background story he started doing some tests on me. What he found shocked me beyond belief. He found out that I actually have parasites inside of me that have likely been there for years. One is in my large intestine (which would explain my previously unexplainable stomach issues as a preteen that I had all but forgotten about) and then he found another one. This one however, is much more severe and finally gave me some of the answers I had been looking for. At first he thought that I had a brain tumour, but it turns out that is not the case. He actually found out that I have a parasite in my brain, specifically in the pineal gland. He said this parasite is likely the cause of my unnaturally long stretches of migraines, vertigo, depression and anxiety. This parasite has actually been strongly affecting the way I think, and has essentially been dictating my life for god knows how long. He suspects that the parasite has been in my brain for years, wreaking havoc and slowly killing me over time. Although this is scary news and I’m not sure what sort of procedures and whatnot I am going to have to go through in the near future, I could not be happier. I have finally got some answers and am slowly heading to the road of recovery.

Well, now that the long, winding back story is completed, back to the future of this blog. Due to my illness and the upcoming procedures I have to go through I have finally decided to put my health above everything else. I am taking time off of school, with the full intent to return to the wonderful school that is The College of Sports Media when I get better, and am therefore suspending regular posting on this blog indefinitely. I may check in periodically if I feel up to it, but my main priority right now is getting myself better. With luck, I will be back in action working and writing soon!

Thank you to my readers and to anyone who has supported me throughout this whole ordeal.

– Michael Revell

The Hawks Have Taken Flight

Posted by michael on December 17, 2012

Posted in: Sports, Uncategorized. Tagged: Bills in Toronto, Buffalo Bills, NFL, Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks. Leave a comment

WOW, thought I uploaded a while ago but I guess it didn’t work… So here it is!

Today was the annual Bills in Toronto game, so as a Torontonian I had to go if I wanted to catch any NFL action at home this year. The Bills were god awful and ended up getting destroyed by Seattle 50-17. Just like everyone else, Ryan Fitzpatrick’s miscues and Buffalo’s horrid defence caught my eye, but I honestly did not head to the Rogers Centre today to see the Bills. I went to see one of the most surprising teams in the entire league this year, the Seattle Seahawks.

Everyone remembers the controversy surrounding the Seahawks back in Week 3 with the whole Golden Tate and replacement ref fiasco during the game against Green Bay. Back then no one took Seattle seriously as a team, laughing at their undersized rookie QB, Russell Wilson, and not giving them a snowballs chance in hell on contending for the Super Bowl. Most didn’t even consider them to be playoff contenders. How things can change so much in so little time. Fast forward to Week 15 and the Hawks are 9-5 on the year and hold a playoff wild card spot. Their leader? None other than Russell Wilson himself, all 5-11 of him.

Russell Wilson has steadily made a name for himself all season long, pulling off huge wins against the Packers, Patriots, and Bears earlier on in the year, but his real coming out party has been the past two weeks. Coming off of last weeks 58-0 steamrolling against Arizona, not many people expected Wilson and company to replicate that game. So of course Seattle comes out to Toronto and destroys Buffalo 50-17. That’s 108 points scored and 17 let up in two games. They became the third team in NFL history to record 50+ points in consecutive weeks and the first in over 60 years. Suddenly the Seahawks are the talk of the league and third round pick Russell Wilson is Seattle’s hero. Wilson has been the difference maker this season, especially the last couple of weeks. Today he rushed for his first three TD’s of his young career and he also threw for another TD in the half, becoming the first player ever to accomplish such a feat. Although undersized and not as big of a name as an Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III, Wilson is winning games at the NFL level and powering Seattle to what looks to be a playoff spot.

Seattle is a decent team even without Russell Wilson. Guys like Marshawn Lynch, Sidney Rice, and Earl Thomas highlight a good Seahawks squad. However, the glue that is keeping the team together is Wilson’s consistency and his ability to pull out wins, particularly in close game scenarios. Without Wilson, Seattle would be struggling to squeeze into the playoffs, statistically speaking. Not to offend Matt Flynn, but I highly doubt that the Seahawks would win close games like the Patriots and Packers tilts without Wilson. That is what separates him from a lot of other QB’s and why Seattle is emerging as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. It’s his drive and will to win that propels his team into victory. The Seattle Seahawks have officially taken flight, the rest of the league has started to notice, and it’s all thanks to one of the top young quarterbacks in the game, Russell Wilson.

Toronto, Kings of the CFL?

Posted by michael on December 6, 2012

Posted in: Sports. Tagged: Argos, CFL, Grey Cup, Toronto. 1 Comment

Theoretically, it could not have been a better setup. The 100^th Grey Cup, held in Canada’s biggest city, which was also the host of the inaugural Grey Cup. The hometown Toronto Argonauts hosting the Calgary Stampeders and the weeks of buildup surrounding the event created pure excitement in the city. As soon as people realized the Argos had a chance to win it all, the city buzzed with energy not seen for Canadian football in Toronto in decades. Then the Boatmen pulled off a 35-22 victory in the big game. The city exploded, it was complete pandemonium in the downtown core. Too bad the excitement only lasted about two days. A couple of days later after the victory parade, the smoke cleared and once again no one in Toronto could care less about the CFL. The 100^thGrey Cup was great for the city, people cared for the first time in years, but in no way is the CFL in good shape in Toronto.

The announced attendance for the Grey Cup Final was 53,208. That’s fantastic news for the CFL and I’m sure the league couldn’t be happier with the way things turned out. From the outside looking in, it looks like Toronto is an outstanding CFL city, on par with a Calgary or Regina. That could not be more wrong. Sure, the city was buzzing for a couple of days during the biggest football event in Canada in years. That doesn’t mean much. Before fans realized the Argos had a chance of winning they were drawing crowds as sparse as 20,682. In the spacious Rogers Centre, that is about as empty as it can get. The crowds were about as energetic as a funeral. No one in the city cared or knew a single thing about the Argos.

Earlier in the year I casually asked a friend who I knew was a huge NFL fan and had followed the Argos all throughout the late 80’s and 90’s what they thought of Chad Owens. Their response was “Who the hell is Chad Owens?” Never mind the fact that Owens was in the midst of a banner year that would finish with him winning the league’s Most Outstanding Player Award. The average Torontonian had no clue who he was. I asked how he didn’t know who the best player in the CFL was and he said no one he knew had followed the CFL in years, they found solace in the perceived “better” league, the NFL. Then later on in the year when the Grey Cup rolled around, he was suddenly an Argos fan again. That’s good and bad news for the fate of the CFL in Toronto. The good news is that the excitement surrounding the Cup had clearly attracted fans. The bad news is that unless the league can create that excitement every game, the fairweather fans are going to disappear again.

The festivities surrounding the Grey Cup were great for the game, the league, and the city of Toronto. If only for a couple of weeks, the city saw the same excitement and fan support that the Argos saw in the 80’s. While the team can bask in the glory of being champions, they also need to take this opportunity to build off of their success. The CFL is in no way saved in Toronto. There is plenty of work to be done, starting with keeping the energy surrounding the team and bringing it into the next season. I am unconvinced that the league can survive in Toronto, especially if the long rumoured Toronto NFL team actually becomes a reality. However, this is a step in the right direction for the league and it’s up to them to keep the CFL and the Argos relevant in Toronto.

*I also had to write an article. This is take one of that.

Football, Beer, and… Bieber?

Posted by michael on December 6, 2012

Posted in: Sports. Tagged: Argos, Carly Rae Jepsen, CFL, Gordon Lightfoot, Grey Cup, Justin Bieber, Marianas Trench, Toronto. Leave a comment

The Grey Cup. Immediately images of bloodied and bruised football players, beer, and parties come to mind. This year another Canadian staple joined them. Justin Bieber. Across the country, 300 pound football meatheads dropped their 24 packs of Molson and had a collective heart attack. Whoever made this decision screwed up, big time. Football is the stereotypical “manly” sport. Men stereotypically like rock music. Canadian acts like Rush, Our Lady Peace, even Nickelback would have been logical choices to perform at the half time show. Naturally, the guys running the 100^th Grey Cup chose the intensely manly acts of Marianas Trench, Carly Rae Jepsen, and The Biebs to play. The Grey Cup did not disappoint as an event and a game, and I can see why these musical acts were chosen, they are all chart toppers. However, reaching Top 40 status is not necessarily a good thing for a halftime show. The event planners should have catered to the wants of the paying customers, the majority of which are male. Football junkies don’t want to have Justin Bieber croon “Baby” at them. They want an entertaining show they can rock out and drink to while they wait for the game to start back up. Gordon Lightfoot also played and that was a good choice, if the show was 35 years ago. I like Lightfoot, but his performance was a little boring and lacking of energy for a halftime show. I can’t really put blame on the 74 year old music icon, I’m frankly impressed that he can still even play. The real blame here should be put on whoever organized the show. They made some poor decisions that hindered one of the greatest football celebrations in Canadian history. The 100^th Grey Cup was still an awesome event, but imagine how good things could have been without being forced to watch Mr. Selena Gomez.

*I had to do a blog entry on the Grey Cup for school and this came to mind. I actually have to cut it down by like 200 words when I hand this thing in, but oh well, consider this the first edition. Just a small sample of what I do at CSM!

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