NHL Three Stars Of Week

Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane, Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Brian Elliott and New York Islandersright wing Josh Bailey have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending Dec. 17.

FIRST STAR – PATRICK KANE, RW, CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

Kane registered 4-1—5, including a pair of decisive goals, to help the Blackhawks (17-11-5, 39 points) go 3-0-0 and extend their overall winning streak to five games. He scored his fourth career overtime goal in a 3-2 victory against the Florida Panthers Dec. 12. Kane then collected 1-1—2, his eighth multi-point performance of the season, in a 5-1 triumph over the Winnipeg Jets Dec. 14. He capped the week with two goals, including the winner, in a 4-1 victory against the Minnesota Wild Dec. 17. In doing so, Kane (299) moved past Dennis Hull (298) and into sole possession of fifth place on the Blackhawks’ all-time goals list. The 29-year-old Buffalo native paces Chicago with 14 goals and 34 points in 33 contests this season.

SECOND STAR – BRIAN ELLIOTT, G, PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

Elliott went 3-0-0 with a 1.31 goals-against average and .943 save percentage to guide the Flyers (14-11-7, 35 points) to their sixth straight win on the heels of a 10-game skid (0-5-5). He made 20 saves in a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs Dec. 12, 19 stops in a 2-1 win against the Buffalo Sabres Dec. 14 and 27 saves in a 2-1 overtime triumph over the Dallas Stars Dec. 16. In doing so, Philadelphia became the third team in NHL history to earn six or more consecutive victories immediately following a winless stretch of at least 10 games. The 32-year-old Newmarket, Ont., native owns a 12-6-6 record with a 2.61 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in 25 appearances this season.

THIRD STAR – JOSH BAILEY, RW, NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Bailey posted 4-4—8, including his first career hat trick, in four contests to help the Islanders (18-12-3, 39 points) pick up a pair of wins. He collected one assist in a 3-1 victory against the Washington Capitals Dec. 11, followed by two helpers in a 5-2 loss to the Dallas Stars Dec. 13. Playing in his 671st NHL game, Bailey scored his first career hat trick in a 6-4 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets Dec. 14. He added 1-1—2, his 13th multi-point effort of the season, in a 4-3 overtime win against the Los Angeles Kings Dec. 16. The 28-year-old Bowmanville, Ont., native shares second place in the NHL with 31 assists and ranks sixth overall with 40 points in 33 games this season.

(NHL Communications) 

Something to "Mitch" About

--The Regina Pats have hit rock-bottom. If you didn't think it could get any worse than what it has been this season, it did on Saturday night when the Lethbridge Hurricanes walked into the Brandt Centre and took a relatively easy 6-2 victory.   It was ugly! It was beyond ugly! The thing is it wasn't the first time this year that has happened.  John Paddock could only say one word when it was over and that was "embarrassing"!

Paddock probably wished he could do what many fans did and leave. Win or lose, I am one to leave the Brandt Centre most nights midway through or late in the third because I don't want to sit forever in traffic. (Get some traffic people out to direct people out in a quick fashion and that will change).  I wasn't alone Saturday night, but traffic wasn't the reason why---the style of play was.

Paddock couldn't blame the fans for leaving.  He said after the game the players aren't doing anything to make it better and the fans are seeing that.  They are as frustrated as the team is. They are starting to wonder if the investment they made in what was supposed to be and could still be a magical 100th anniversary season was the wrong one. I can only wonder what Anthony Marquart and Queen City Sports and Entertainment are thinking.  This isn't going to sell tickets to the outdoor game.  In fact, one fan approached me right after a four-goal Lethbridge second period and said flat out, he spent his good money on watching what was supposed to be an enjoyable product this year and that hasn't happened so why should he spend his good money on an outdoors game when the price is obviously much more than a regular-season game. I couldn't answer him.

I have no idea what has happened to this team.  I think all of us knew the team that skated onto the ice for Game 1 of this season would not be the same team that skated off the ice after shaking hands with the Seattle Thunderbirds following Game 6 of the Ed Chynoweth Cup this year.  However, we didn't think it would be this bad with the lack of compete showing itself night after night after night.  If the returnees think Adam Brooks, Austin Wagner, Connor Hobbs and Sergei Zborovskiy are walking through the door at anytime to save the season, they're not.  I could understand maybe a 10-15 game WHL championship loss hangover, but not one that lasts until Christmas.

I have confidence John Paddock will have a team that will be competitive when it is time to drop the puck for the Memorial Cup, but a win in that event now much like it would have been in 2001 will be hollow because of what has to be done to make the end goal happen.  I just hope for Regina hockey fans that experienced bad times after the 2001 Cup because of the way the team was gutted, that the same thing doesn't happen this time. I have faith in Paddock it won't.  I also don't envy him at this time as he, Dave Struch and Brad Herauf are pushing every button they can.  It's on the players now. Do they want to continue to be embarassed and have fans walk out on them during the game or do they want to play the way they know they can.  I guess we will find out when they return---at least some of them as that January 10th deadline draws closer.

--Is the XFL about to make a return? There are many reports suggesting Vince McMahon is ready to bring another brand of football back. We all remember the first go-round on this and what a disaster it was don't we?  Yes, the NFL has its problems as does the CFL, but do we really need another version of the XFL.  It won't be good for the CFL as it will give Americans another option to stay at home with some current CFL players perhaps leaving as well.  Would this throw a monkeywrench into the idea of moving the CFL season up.  I guess I'll believe it when I see it, but I can't see this being good for the overall game as we know it.  Then again, I don't think the XFL will measure whether or not a first down was achieved with a piece of paper like we saw in the Dallas-Oakland game. HUH??

--I don't know what Bill Belichick and Tom Brady did to sacrifice their souls or whatever to the football gods, but enough already. I am not a Pittsburgh Steelers fan so seeing them lose in the fashion they did was amusing, but less so because it was the Patriots who get the win.  How many times is this going to happen? It looked like the Steelers were going to snatch this one away from Patriots in the dying seconds only to have a touchdown called back on a controversial call followed by a Ben (no don't call me Bo Levi South) Roethlisberger interception to give the Patriots the win.  It really is inexplicable as to how they keep pulling these ones out of the fire.  No wonder if you're not a Patriots fan, you hate New England.

--As for the Seahawks, let's just say they soiled the linen in a huge way. The playoff run for them over and now it might be time to retool.  The only positive in the blowout loss at home to the Rams is that Seahawks fans didn't have to watch Blair Walsh miss a field goal! It is time to get Russell Wilson some protection and a running back of substance.  A kicker wouldn't hurt either.. Yes, not having the likes of Sherman, Chancellor, Avril and Wright along with a less than 75 percent Bobby Wagner didn't help the cause yesterday but they will be back.  The window isn't closing yet, but it is starting to.

--Have you been offered the head coaching job with the Alouettes yet? 

-- There is a new stat in the NHL.  It is called Short Handed Ice Time.  The Leafs Ron Hainsey apparently leads the way if the talking heads on Hockey Night in Canada are telling the truth.  If a power play goal is seen in the stats as PPG and points are PTS and save percentage is seen as SPCT,  than what will "Short Handed Ice Time" be seen as.   It can't be what I think it is can it?  Who thinks this stuff up?

--That's all I got.  Have a great week!

Second Chance at Making Canadian Juniors For Mahura

Hockey Canada has confirmed Josh Mahura will be re-joining Canada’s National Junior Team for its 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship pre-tournament schedule.

Mahura (St. Albert, Alta./Regina, WHL), is expected to rejoin the team on Sunday and will continue preparations while the team monitors defenseman Dante Fabbro’s lower-body injury. Fabbro (Coquitlam, B.C./Boston University, HE) is receiving treatment and may be eligible to return for the IIHF World Junior Championship.

“We are thankful to Josh for agreeing to return to the team for the pre-tournament phase in our preparations,” said  Joël Bouchard, Program of Excellence management group. “We also want to thank the Regina Pats, the Western Hockey League and the Canadian Hockey League for their support through this process.”

Canada will play a pair of pre-tournament games this week, starting Dec. 20 when it faces the Czech Republic in London, Ont. It will follow that game with a match-up against Switzerland on Dec. 22 in Hamilton, Ont., before finalizing its National Junior Team roster on Dec. 24.

The puck officially drops on Boxing Day when Canada takes on Finland at 4 p.m. ET. TSN and RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada, will once again provide wall-to-wall game coverage and analysis throughout the tournament, including the two pre-tournament games on TSN; check local listings for details.

(Hockey Canada) 

Steel, Howden, Steenburgen Make Team Canada; Mahura Doesn't

 

Courtesy: Keith Hershmiller 

There will not be a Saskatchewan-born player on this year's team that will compete for World Junior gold in Buffalo, but the three southern Saskatchewan franchises in the WHL will each have representation.

Hockey Canada announced its 22-man roster for the event on Friday just hours after a 5-2 win over Denmark and it saw Sam Steel of the Regina Pats, Moose Jaw's Brett Howden and Swift Current's Tyler Steenburgen on it.. Josh Mahura was trying to join Steel to make it two Pats on the squad, but he was one of the final cuts.

Other WHL players to make the team are Jake Bean (Calgary), Kale Clague (Brandon), Cal Foote (Kelowna), Dillon Dube (Kelowna), and Carter Hart (Everett).

Canada will play the Czech Republic in an exhibition game Wednesday with another game happening Friday against Switzerland before they start play at the World Juniors with a game against Finland on Boxing Day.

Date for 2018 CFL Draft Announced

The CFL has announced its 2018 draft will be held on Thursday, May 3.

The Montreal Alouettes will have the first pick as it stands now with the Saskatchewan Roughriders selecting 5th.  They will also have the 10th pick as a result of the Darian Durant trade and the 14th pick.

In all, the green-and-white will have six selections in the draft with the others being at 36, 45 and 63.

Earlier this week, the league announced its top 20 draft eligible players with the top player being Brampton, Ontario native David Knevel who is playing football in the US with the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Stamps Re-Sign Kamar Jorden

The Calgary Stampeders announced on Friday the team has signed international receiver Kamar Jorden, who had been eligible to become a free agent in February.

In 10 regular-season games for the Stamps in 2017, the 28-year-old Darby, Pa., native had 52 receptions for 717 yards and six touchdowns and also had a rushing major. He missed eight games due to a leg injury before returning to the lineup in October.

The Bowling Green State University product started both post-season games and had 100-yard performances in both contests. He had six catches for 111 yards in the Western Final and six catches for 117 yards and a touchdown in the Grey Cup.

“Kamar has emerged as one of our go-to receivers over the past two seasons and we’re very pleased to have him back,” said Calgary president and general manager John Hufnagel. “I look forward to watching him build on his performance and see what he can do over a full season.”

Jorden signed with the Stampeders as a free agent in 2013 and made his debut in 2014. In 22 career games for the Red and White, he has 97 catches for 1,310 yards and nine touchdowns.

“Every year I’ve been in Calgary, I’ve grown as a player and I believe I still have room to improve,” said Jorden. “Returning to Calgary and continuing to work with Coach Dicky (Dave Dickenson) is the best opportunity for me to keep growing as a player and to try and win more football games.”

This and That

 Welcome to Friday!  Here are the usual weekly thoughts running through my muddled mind, and as always they come in no particular order.


--There are things that you really don't expect and news of the schedule being released made me wonder if instead of getting Christmas gifts for Mrs. Scruffy, did I have to get a Valentines Day gift for her instead because it had turned to mid-February.  Who saw that one coming?  The release of the CFL schedule days before Christmas keeps the league in the minds of CFL fans.  The days of hanging the "Gone Fishing" sign on the door of the league office is over and you can thank Commissioner Randy Ambrosie for that.  I had a great chat with Ambrosie on Friday's Sportscage as we talked about the release and other issues.

Ambrosie wants the CFL to have a bigger piece of the pie and he is willing to engage with the fans that are the lifeblood of the league when it comes to key issues.  He wants to take the moving up the schedule issue with fans from one side of the country to the other, he wants to talk about the playoff format with fans from all over. He wants what he thinks will be spirited debate on the issue. Why not? He likely has an idea as to where he wants this league to go moving forward, but he wants the input of the fans as well. They likely won't have the final say, but they are getting a say. How can you not like that?

How can you not like the Rider schedule? Yes, it isn't perfect and a bye in the last week of the season could be very interesting and dramatic considering where the Riders could be sitting at that time. Some have quickly noticed that if they were to be first in the West that they would have a long break. If the Riders finished first in the West, I don't think anyone would care one bit about the break they would have because it would mean they would have finished first!

People are complaining already about the Thursday game in July. Shocking! Look at the schedule and either work around it and take a long weekend or don't go. It's as simple as that! You have been given plenty of notice.  The decision is now up to you! It's not a Riders thing, its a you thing and the same thing goes for the Thanksgiving Monday game against Edmonton. I personally think that will be outstanding. Is it safe to say we know what the halftime spread in the pressbox will be that day. Yeah, it will probably be smokies!

--The news Wednesday of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment buying the Toronto Argonauts fits into that category of things you don't expect as well.  It is great news for the Argos and the CFL though.  How can it not be?  This will have to move the needle somewhat.   Those going to Leafs and Raptors game will get a dose of the Argonauts with in-game advertisements.  There is also perhaps a way to work together with those two teams when it comes to ticket sales.

The same can be said with Toronto FC.  BMO Field is now a "stadium of champions". How do you and can you capitalize on that? What is done now will be key for a franchise that is trying to claw its way back to relevance, but it is still a long way from doing so.

There are things you do expect, and I did expect the Saskatchewan Roughriders to sign Chris Jones to a contract extension.  Say what you will, but the plan is on track.  Yes, it would have been through the East, but Jones had this team just seconds from competing in the Grey Cup. Would they have beaten Calgary on that snowy track in Ottawa? It's a question we will never know the true answer to, but one would have had to like their chances.

The team is on an upswing. It would be unrealistic to see the team take another 5 win progression in 2018 and go to 15 wins, but don't tell that to Jones. He has said it many times before Monday and he said it again during his news conference. My goal every year is to win the Grey Cup and if we don't, the season is a failure.  That is a logic shared by many.   His expectations are high, but Craig Reynolds has said getting a home playoff game is satisfactory to him for 2018.  That home playoff game means you finish first or second and your path to the Grey Cup is easier. I don't disagree.

--Week 15 NFL Lock of the Week -- Falcons over Bucs
   Week 15 NFL Upset of the Week -- Raiders over Cowboys

--Congratulations to Balcarres for being named the Hockey Day in Saskatchewan host venue. It will be a fun time in the home of the Broncs on the January 19-20-21 weekend as the town becomes the center of activity with the game we all love. Once again, there will be many different leagues showcasing their teams and the game during that weekend.  I fully understand why it doesn't happen, but I would love to see a WHL game played at this event as well.

--As you walk through Safeway and you see Pic-A-Pop, tell me you don't think back to your childhood if you are in my age bracket. Unlike me, you probably leave it on the shelf.

--The Regina Pats are not making it easy on themselves.  The comparisons being made to the Saskatoon Blades of 2013 that hosted the Memorial Cup are accurate.  The question being asked now is will John Paddock give up too much or will he completely dismantle the team the way Brent Parker did back in 2001 so that they are competitive come May. It won't be much longer now as the trade deadline is January 10th.  A frustrated fan-base awaits.

--Something about subtraction doesn't add up.

--Have a great weekend.  If going out into the chaos that is Christmas shopping, godspeed to you. Chances are I could see you.  SIGHHHHH!!!

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