One More Year For Huff

The not-so-secret succession plan is now out in the open.

And it’s exactly what many expected it to be.

The 2015 CFL season will be John Hufnagel’s final campaign on the sideline and last in the dual role as GM and head coach, as the 63-year-old Pennsylvania native officially announced Wednesday that he’ll hand the Calgary Stampeders head coaching duties over to Dave Dickenson in 2016 and move upstairs to focus on the GM job.

Dickenson, who also has a dual role of offensive co-ordinator and assistant head coach, and Hufnagel both have contracts that run through the ’16 campaign.

The plan was set into motion last year as Dickenson, 41, was being eyed as a head coaching candidate in a couple of places across the CFL.

Hufnagel and Calgary Flames Limited Partnership president and CEO Ken King decided to put the succession plan in place.

“Ken and I came up with a nice plan that would, hopefully, give us a chance to compete for a Grey Cup but also solidify the organization, overall,” Hufnagel said.

It also puts to bed any talk of Dickenson being the next head coach of the B.C. Lions, even though he’s shot down those rumours a couple times over the past two weeks.

“I have one more year left on the field coaching, and then Dave, in Year 2, will become the head coach, and I’ll move up to just be the general manager,” Hufnagel said. “With that program in place, I don’t think that there’s a whole lot of talk necessary about (Dickenson going to) another team.”

Dickenson isn’t counting any chickens before they hatch.

Many a football plan has gone down the drain unexpectedly.

That’s the nature of the business.

“He told the guys (Tuesday),” Dickenson said of when he first found out. “I said, ‘Shoot, Huff, it would have been nice if you told me beforehand.’ I trusted him, and, I think, he’s done a great job. I’m not really going to get too far past next year. I know he says that stuff — and I believe him — and, I think, if the path remains consistent, that’ll happen. But in my opinion, there are no guarantees in life or in football.”

Dickenson and Hufnagel share many of the same philosophies when it comes to game-planning, as well as roster building, and the head-coach-in-waiting is excited to continue that next season.

“It’s Huff’s team, and Huff runs it,” Dickenson said. “I’ve already had some of the players jokingly have some questions that should be directed to Huff. It’s fun and games, but this is Huff’s squad, and he’s done such a great job. I’m glad he’s coming back. I told him after the game, ‘Don’t do anything crazy now.’ He’s a guy, to me, we can all lean on, and he showed what a great coach he is this year.”

While the GM/head coach, offensive co-ordinator and defensive co-ordinator, Rich Stubler, will all be status quo next season, there could still be movement when it comes to the position coaches.

Defensive line coach DeVone Claybrooks is a hot name in coaching circles right now, with opportunities both south and north of the boarder, according to multiple league sources.

Claybrooks is expected to be high on the Saskatchewan Roughriders list if they decide to officially move on from Richie Hall, which is likely to happen, and he has a strong relationship with Riders head coach Corey Chamblin.

Special-teams coach Mark Kilam and receivers coach Pete Costanza could also generate interest if an opportunity arises.

“I’m sure there may be some talk with my coaches,” Hufnagel said. “I’m optimistic that the staff won’t be affected, but you never know. There’s a lot more movement in the Canadian Football League, at this time, than I thought there would be. I’m sure some of my coaches will probably get some phone calls.”

The football season may be over, but the hot stove is just heating up.​

(Calgary Sun)

Jays Trade For Outfield Help

The Blue Jays filled their hole in left field on Wednesday by acquiring Michael Saunders from Seattle in a deal for left-hander J.A. Happ.
The trade all but officially guarantees that free agent Melky Cabrera will not be retained by the club. Toronto had interest in re-signing Cabrera, but it does not appear as though the two sides ever got close to agreeing on a lucrative multi-year contract.



Saunders will likely take over for Cabrera in left field, while rookie Dalton Pompey is the early favourite to win the starting job in centre. The Blue Jays ultimately decided to acquire an outfielder through a trade because the options in free agency weren't as feasible.



"We've been talking about Saunders on and off for years at various times," general manager Alex Anthopoulos said. "We just could never come close to an agreement, but especially with Melky being a free agent and having a need in left, he's a guy that we continued to talk about.

"We think there's upside with the bat, he's already a pretty good offensive player and we love the fact that we can have that plus-defensive guy on the corner as well."

Saunders, who is projected to earn approximately $4 million through arbitration, is a well-known player for fans north of the border because of his time with Team Canada. The native of Victoria, British Columbia, recently played at the 2013 World Baseball Classic and previously represented his country at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

The 28-year-old Saunders is coming off a season that saw him hit .273 with a .791 OPS in 78 games for Seattle. He also had eight home runs and 34 RBIs in a season that was partially interrupted because of injuries. Saunders initially hurt his shoulder two years ago, re-injured it during the 2014 season, while also dealing with a strained oblique.

Saunders has the ability to play all three outfield positions, but he is considered a stronger defender in either left or right field. He'll be in left for the Blue Jays and likely will hit in the bottom half of the order while providing some occasional power.


"From an ability standpoint, he does a lot of things," Anthopoulos said. "He's an above-average defender in left field, which is important. I know this wasn't talked about that much, but at least our internal evaluations, from a metric standpoint, we were below average defensively in the outfield last year and we're trying to get better.

"We think he has some power and going from that ballpark to ours can unlock some things and two years of control is nice too. It's an athletic, two-way player, that provides a left-handed bat, a stolen base component, defensive insurance at all three [outfield spots]."

Anthopoulos said the Blue Jays weren't actively looking to trade Happ, but it has been a well-known fact for the past several weeks that he was available. His departure likely clears a spot in the rotation for prized prospect Aaron Sanchez while veteran swingman Marco Estrada and left-hander Daniel Norris also will compete for the No. 5 spot during Spring Training.

Happ is set to earn $6.7 million in the final year of his contract and a move away from hitter friendly Rogers Centre should help his career. The eight-year veteran is a predominantly a fly-ball pitcher, and even though that usually leads to trouble in Toronto, he's coming off a relatively strong year.

The 32-year-old Happ got off to a rocky start in 2014 and he didn't earn a starting job out of Spring Training, but he bounced back by May. Happ finished the year with a respectable 4.22 ERA over 158 innings and a slight change to his arm slot led to better overall control. Happ will now join a formidable rotation in Seattle which also includes Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma and James Paxton.

"We weren't shopping J.A. Happ, but we had a lot of teams that asked about him," Anthopoulos said. "I think the big thing there is the fact that he had one year of control, Saunders has two years of control. That has a pretty important impact.

"Then also, from our standpoint, the outfield situation for us ... clearly we maintained dialogue with Melky, but as we looked at the alternatives in free agency, it became pretty clear to us that there weren't that many options in free agency that made sense for us."

Cabrera will continue to explore his options on the open market, but he now has one less potential suitor to deal with. He's reportedly seeking at least a five-year contract and the lack of common ground in negotiations with Toronto likely helped facilitate this trade with Seattle.

The 30-year-old Cabrera enjoyed a bounce-back season for the Blue Jays in 2014. He posted a .301/.351/.458 slash line while appearing in 139 games. In a lot of ways, he was an ideal No. 2 hitter for the organization, but both sides will now head in a different direction. The market for Cabrera isn't clear, but he has drawn interest from the Royals and a few other teams according to multiple reports.

"We didn't feel good at all about the free-agent options at left field either because players had some other places they preferred to play first, the asking price might not fit with what we're trying to do, the years," Anthopoulos said without referencing one specific player.

"There's a number of things that come into it but we pretty much came to the decision, it got to the point that we didn't think the free-agent market was going to solve our issues in left field.

(MLB.com)

Grey Cup TV Numbers Are Down

The television ratings for Sunday's 102nd Grey Cup between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Calgary Stampeders were down slightly from last season.

An average of 4.1 million viewers tuned in to TSN to watch the Stampeders edge the Ticats 20-16, according to preliminary data from the audience measurement firm Numeris.

That was down from the 4.5 million who watched last year's game between Hamilton and Saskatchewan.

Overall, more than 10 million Canadians tuned in for some portion of Sunday's game, 1.5 million fewer than last season.

Audience levels peaked at 5.1 million — 400,000 fewer than 2013 — late in the game as Hamilton mounted a fourth-quarter comeback that stalled when Brandon Banks' touchdown return was nullified due to a penalty.

The Grey Cup record average of 6.1 million viewers was set in 2009 when the Montreal Alouettes defeated Saskatchewan 28-27. That game was played shortly after the introduction of a new ratings measurement system that has seen sports TV ratings skyrocket.

(Canadian Press)

Linda Moore Steps Down From TSN Curling Booth

TSN today announced that curling analyst Linda Moore, a 25-year veteran of the network’s curling broadcast team, is retiring from broadcasting. Moore, a national and world champion and Calgary 1988 Olympic Winter Games gold medallist, is stepping away from the broadcasting world due to a chronic health condition. 

Moore has been part of TSN’s curling broadcast team since 1989, working alongside acclaimed curling play-by-play voice Vic Rauter. TSN curling analyst Russ Howard, a two-time Brier champion and 2006 Olympic gold medallist, has been a mainstay in the booth with Moore and Rauter since 2008.

TSN will introduce a roster of guest analysts to its best-in-class curling coverage throughout the 2014-15 season, which is set to begin Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 10:30 a.m. ET with opening draws from the 2014 HOME HARDWARE CANADA CUP. 

“I’ve been a part of the TSN curling family since 1989. I have had 25 wonderful years at TSN that I will cherish,” said Moore. “Unfortunately, I am physically unable to keep doing the job that I love. I had to make a very difficult choice, but it’s time that I focus all of my energy on my well-being.” 

Continued Moore: 

“I want to thank Vic Rauter for being my guide during those years, as well as Russ Howard and Ray Turnbull for sharing the booth with me. Thanks as well to Scott Higgins and all our incredible producers; Andy Bouyoukos and the other talented directors; my colleagues Cathy Gauthier and Bryan Mudryk; and everyone involved with TSN curling.  This is a group of talented people who are passionate about sharing the superb skills of curlers with fans, and I have been proud to be a part of the crew for so long. I wish the TSN crew all the best for the coming season.” 

“As well, thanks to the fantastic curlers, hard-working event host committees, and the fans who have let me into their homes for so many years. You may still see me at your local curling clubs, helping to coach a team at a practice or bonspiel.” 

“Linda is one of the best analysts to work in curling broadcasting,” said Mark Milliere, Senior Vice-President of Production, TSN. “She has been consistently astute, thoroughly prepared, and she understands the mental side of the game better than anyone in the sport. On behalf of everyone at TSN, our heartfelt thanks to Linda for elevating our broadcast coverage over the past 25 years. Linda, you will be sorely missed.” 

“Linda is not only an excellent curling analyst, she’s also an excellent broadcaster,” said Scott Higgins, Senior Producer, Curling on TSN. “She has been incredibly well-researched, with a natural ability to tell stories. Her greatest strength is her depth of knowledge, and her insights into the game within the game.”

NHL Three Stars Of Month

NEW YORK (Dec. 1, 2014) – Calgary Flames defenseman Mark Giordano, St. Louis Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko and Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the month of November.

 

FIRST STAR – MARK GIORDANO, D, CALGARY FLAMES

 

Giordano led all defensemen and tied for sixth in the NHL with 16 points in 13 games to power the Flames (15-8-2, 32 points) to a 9-4-0 November record and third place in the Pacific Division. He also paced the League with a +12 rating, led all blueliners and ranked third in the NHL with 12 assists, and posted one game-winning goal (Nov. 13 vs. ARI). Giordano opened the month with points in seven straight contests, extending his overall point streak to nine games (5-9—14) and matching the longest such stretch of his NHL career (Jan. 14 – Feb. 1, 2014: 4-6—10). He also recorded his 20th point in his 18th outing of the season, becoming the fastest Flames defenseman to reach the milestone since Al MacInnis in 1993-94 (6-14—20 in 18 GP). Overall, Giordano found the scoresheet in 11 of 13 November games. The 31-year-old Toronto, Ont., native leads all defensemen with 19 assists and 25 points in 25 outings this season. He also is tied for second among blueliners with a +14 rating.

 

SECOND STAR – VLADIMIR TARASENKO, RW, ST. LOUIS BLUES

 

Tarasenko ranked second in the NHL with 10 goals and 17 points (tied) to lift the Blues (16-6-2, 34 points) to an 11-3-1 November record and a share of the top spot in the League standings. He found the back of the net in nine of 15 outings, including a four-game streak to open the month, and recorded two game-winning tallies: Nov. 4 at NJD and Nov. 28 vs. EDM. Tarasenko also added a pair of game-deciding goals in the shootout: Nov. 3 at NYR and Nov. 29 at MIN. Overall, he posted six multi-point games, highlighted by his second multi-goal performance of the season Nov. 1 vs. COL (2-0—2), and registered points in 11 of 15 contests. The 22-year-old Yaroslavl, Russia, native leads the Blues and is tied for fourth in the NHL with 14 goals in 24 games this season. He also ranks second in the League in plus/minus (+17), fourth in shots on goal (91) and seventh in points (26).

 

THIRD STAR – PEKKA RINNE, G, NASHVILLE PREDATORS

 

Rinne led the NHL with 10 wins and also placed in the top five in goals-against average (1.70) and save percentage (.938), backstopping the Predators (16-5-2, 34 points) to a 10-3-0 November record and the top spot in the Central Division. He allowed two or fewer goals in nine of 11 appearances, highlighted by a season-high 37 saves for his 34th career shutout Nov. 27 vs. EDM. Rinne recorded one other 30-plus save performance during the month, stopping 33 shots in a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars Nov. 6. The 32-year-old Kempele, Finland, native paces the NHL with 16 wins in 20 appearances this season and also ranks second with a 1.82 goals-against average and .933 save percentage. He has won six consecutive outings dating to Nov. 15 vs. WPG, his longest such run since a career-high 11-game winning streak Jan. 7 – Feb. 4, 2012.

 

(NHL Media)

 

NHL Three Stars Of Week

 

 New York Islanders goaltender Jaroslav Halak, Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Ryan Callahan and Calgary Flames goaltender Karri Ramo have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending Nov. 30.

 

FIRST STAR – JAROSLAV HALAK, G, NEW YORK ISLANDERS

 

Halak posted a 3-0-0 record with a 0.95 goals-against average, .964 save percentage and one shutout to help the Islanders (17-7-0, 34 points) win three of four starts and complete their best November in 34 years. He opened the week by earning his 33rd career shutout, stopping all 21 shots he faced through overtime – plus another two in the shootout – in a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers Nov. 24. Halak then made 25 saves in a 3-2 overtime win against the Washington Capitals Nov. 26 and closed the week with 34 saves in a 3-1 triumph over the New Jersey Devils Nov. 29. With the victory, Halak extended his personal winning streak to a career-long nine games (1.18 GAA, .956 SV%, 3 SO); only Billy Smith has posted a longer such streak in Islanders history (Jan. 23 – Feb. 25, 1982: 10-0-0). The 29-year-old Bratislava, Slovakia, native is 12-4-0 in 16 appearances this season, ranking in the top 10 in the NHL in wins, goals-against average (2.13), save percentage (.926) and shutouts (3).

 

SECOND STAR – RYAN CALLAHAN, RW, TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

 

            Callahan registered 3-2—5 in two games, tying for third in the NHL in goals and fifth in points to power the Lightning (16-6-2, 34 points) to a pair of victories and a share of first place in the League standings. He notched 2-1—3, his second multi-goal game of the season, in a 4-3 win over his former team, the New York Rangers, Nov. 26. Callahan then posted 1-1—2 for his eighth multi-point performance of the season in a 4-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators Nov. 29. The 29-year-old Rochester, N.Y., native ranks second on the Lightning with 11 goals and places third with 21 points in 19 outings this season; he didn’t score his 11th goal until his 40th contest in 2013-14. Since joining Tampa Bay at the 2014 Trade Deadline, the Lightning are 14-0-0 when Callahan finds the back of the net.

 

THIRD STAR – KARRI RAMO, G, CALGARY FLAMES

 

            Ramo went 2-0-0, stopping all 58 shots he faced to record a pair of shutouts and lead the Flames (15-8-2, 32 points) to two wins in three outings. He made 32 saves for his first shutout of the season in a 2-0 victory over the San Jose Sharks Nov. 26. Ramo then posted 26 saves in a 3-0 triumph over the Arizona Coyotes Nov. 29 to extend his personal winning streak to four games, one shy of his career long set Jan. 22 – March 24, 2014 (5-0-0). With his performance, the 28-year-old Asikkala, Finland, native doubled his career total for shutouts (2 SO in 96 GP prior to last week). He has a 6-2-1 record with a 2.28 goals-against average and .919 save percentage in 10 appearances this season.

 

(NHL Media)

 

Something To "Mitch" About

Sorry to start your Monday with that sight, but give the champs their due.

It won't go down as the best Grey Cup and it won't go down as the most painful Grey Cup, but the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have to feel like they had it only to have it yanked cruelly from their fingers because of a selfish play at the wrong time.

Taylor Reed will never forget the last moments of GC 102. If he plays it smart and leaves his hands off of Karl McCartney, it might be him and his Hamilton Tiger-Cats holding the trophy as his illegal block nullified a Brandon Banks touchdown that cemented a 20-16 win. Was that the only play that cost the Ti-Cats the victory. It was not, but it was the play everyone will talk about and for what its worth, I did think it was a penalty.  However, there were three plays in my mind that gave this game to the Stampeders

1) Justin Medlock's first half field goal gets blocked. Those missed three points were huge as it turned out.

2) With seven minutes to go, Hamilton had the ball down 7 1st and goal inside the 5. A running play on first down followed by another one on 2nd down. ???? The decision to kick the field goal was also a head-scratcher. That drive had to end with a touchdown and not a FG

3) On what I believe was the same drive, Zach Collaros hit Bakari Grant over the middle and it looked for a second like Grant might score as he had nothing but green in front of him, but Brandon Smith tripped him up at the 25. If Hamilton does score there to tie it, its a different story.


Other thoughts on the game

--Rob Maver may not know the Stampeders have won yet. In fact, he might not know he was in the big game. He was crushed by Justin Hickman in the 3rd quarter. Those are ones that leave you wincing in pain as you see it happen.

 --Where was Brandon Banks after his TD was nullified?  He had to be on the field for those final plays yet he wasn't. Why? He wasn't that exhausted was he?

--Give Stamps offensive co-ordinator Dave Dickenson a lot of credit. He developed a game plan where Jon Cornish would be the decoy. The team's best offensive player and the league's top Canadian over the last three years is a decoy? That Mr Dickenson takes some onions!

--Imagine Dragons were outstanding. The drum solo was fantastic.

 --As much as I am not a fan of the Stampeders, I am glad to see Marc Mueller and Brett Jones get Grey Cup rings.

--TSN's game production led by Chris Cuthbert was once again top notch. I didn't watch all of the pre-game show because of NFL, but what I saw was also great. BTW: Cuthbert's best line came when talking about the weather when he said it was warmer for kickoff in Regina last year than Vancouver yesterday.

--So Sportscage Insider Arash Madani goes out and lets it be known George Cortez won't be back with the Riders on Saturday and then Dave Naylor blurts out the same thing and adds the names Richie Hall and Barron Miles as assistants who won't be returning. Are the Riders about to go through a coaching overhaul and if so why? I'm not going to question Corey Chamblin's decisions as 95 percent of them turn out to be good ones, but I can't see the purge being that strong of one considering this team is likely in the game if its not for the Durant injury. Could be an interesting week at Mosaic.

 --Andy Fantuz has been in 5 GC's and is 1-4 with two of those losses being absolute soul-crushers. This one doesn't compare to 09, but its still a soul-crusher.

 --Give Calgary credit because they do win it all and when you have the best record in the league, you deserve it, but if Calgary is taking on a healthy Darian Durant or Mike Reilly in the regular season and playoffs, I don't think they are even at the Grey Cup.

 --Lack of class or funny?

     

  --Is it just me or could Jordan Eberle and Zach Collaros have been separated at birth?

 Other thoughts on the weekend

 --As mentioned, TSN did a fantastic job of coverage on Grey Cup Sunday showcasing our game to the nation, but they dropped the ball Friday and Saturday night. Friday's late night Sportscenter started with the Brett Lawrie trade before there was any mention of what was happening in Vancouver, but on Saturday it was worse.  It was NHL, the Demar Derozan injury, more on the Lawrie trade and then GC reports. That first mention of the Cup was at 22 minutes after. Sorry, that's got to be the number one story both nite when you are the official rightsholder of the league.

--The trade engineered by Alex Anthopoulos to get Josh Donaldson is a great one. Brett Lawrie is Canadian, but he is also someone who has believe it or not bring it down a little bit and he also has to stay healthy. The two pitchers and the shortstop are guys we don't know if they will develop or not. As for Donaldson, I don't know if he is the best third sacker in the game as some suggest, but he's one of them. He makes the offence better, but the team still needs starting pitching, a closer and some help in the outfield especially if Melky Cabrera doesn't come back. The need for Cabrera or a solid #2 hitter is magnified by the fact you'll have Bautista, Encarnacion and Donaldson hitting 3-4-5.

 --At what point do we talk about Willie Desjardins and the job he has done with the Vancouver Canucks in his first year. The Canucks are just one point out of the overall lead in the NHL.

 --A huge congrats to both Gene Makowsky and Eddie Davis for getting named to the CFL Hall of Fame in 2015.

--How about the Regina Pats! A 4-1 trip through the BC Division capped off with a win over a Kelowna team that had only lost twice in regulation. One wouldn't blame the kids if they mailed in the last game of the trip as many teams have done over the years, but the Pats arguably saved their best effort for last.  They are home Wednesday to Brandon and then gone again for a while. It would be nice to see a good turnout at Wednesday's game, but yes, I know Christmas shopping and concerts and other activities may take priority.

-- Another very interesting weekend of football south of the border.

  --New Orleans can't win a game at home and they traditionally have a bad road record yet they go to Pittsburgh and win. ???

  --Jacksonville comes back to beat the Giants??

  --Atlanta doesn't gas a second half lead and beats Arizona

  --The Packers-Patriots game was everything as advertised

  --Will anyone take a chance on Ray Rice now that he has been reinstated?

 --

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