Canadiens World Junior History118 Players And Counting

Tonight Louis Leblanc (hopeful future Hab) will be suiting up for the Canadians to battle against the Russians for junior hockey supremacy (well for this year's supremacy). Louis is part of a long history of Canadiens at this tournament.

The World Junior Hockey Championships were held for the first time in 1974. Doug Jarvis, undrafted and representing the Peterborough Petes was the first (future) Canadien to play in the tournament. Though the tournament had humble beginnings, it soon became a barometer for young talent, especially following the Gretzky tournament of 1978. The Canadiens scouts over the years have clearly used the tournament to make their minds up, which is either very efficient or very lazy (I can't quite decide yet). And since Jarvis there have been 117 other World Junior alum to suit up for the big club in Montreal, including a whopping 50 for team Canada.

On the cusp of the tournament final, I thought you might all enjoy an updated look at Habs to participate in this tournament over the years.

Of the current Habs, there are only a handful of players who never suited up for their country at this event – 7 in all. The list is headed by Josh Gorges and Hal Gill, later bloomers both. The others are less surprising with Lapierrs, Moen, Halpern, Drache and Picard all missing out on their opportunities.

Team Canada
Alex Auld, Steve Begin, Shawn Belle, Dustin Boyd, Patrice Brisebois, Mike Cammalleri, Andrew Cassels, Kyle Chipchura, Eric Chouinard, Shayne Corson, Alain Cote, Russ Courtnall, JJ Daigneault, Jason Dawe, Marc Denis, Eric Desjardins, Gerald Diduck, Karl Dykhuis, Stephane Fiset, Doug Gilmour, Jeff Hackett, Kevin Haller, Doug Jarvis, Yvan Joly, Mike Keane, Guillaume Latendresse, Gary Leeman, Claude Lemieux, Trevor Linden, Rollie Melanson, Olivier Michaud, Kirk Muller, Garth Murray, Dave Orleski, Patrick Poulin, Benoit Pouliot, Carey Price, Tom Pyatt, Yves Racine, Rob Ramage, Mark Recchi, Mike Riberio, Stephane Richer, Michael Ryder, Pierre Sevigny, Richard Sevigny, Bobby Smith, Doug Soetaert, PK Subban, Alex Tanguay, Jose Theodore, Scott Thornton, Darcy Tucker, Pierre Turgeon, Sylvain Turgeon, Ryan Walter, Jason Ward

USSR/CIS/Russia
Sergei Berezin, Valeri Bure, Andrei Kovalenko, Alexei Kovalev, Vladimir Malakhov, Andrei Markov, Alexander Perezhogin, Oleg Petrov, Sergei Samsonov, Sergei Zholtok

Sweden
Patrik Carnback, Kjell Dahlin, Jonas Hoglund, Patrik Kjellberg, Mats Naslund, Niklas Sundstrom

Czechoslovakia/Czech and Slovakia
Jozef Balej, Jaroslav Halak, Roman Hamrlik, Marcel Hossa, Tomas Plekanec, Martin Rucinsky, Jaroslav Spacek, Petr Svoboda, Tomas Vokoun, Richard Zednik

Finland
Marti Jarventie, Marko Kiprusoff, Saku Koivu, Juha Lind, Jyrki Lumme

USA
Jim Campbell, Chris Chelios, Tom Chorske, Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez, Ron Hainsey, Chris Higgins, Sean Hill, Pat Jablonski, Doug Janik, Mike Komisarek, Tom Kurvers, Scott Lachance, Jay Leach, John Leclair, Craig Ludwig, Paul Mara, Max Pacioretty, Matt Schneider, Bryan Smolinski, Alfue Turcotte, Eric Weinrich, David Wilkie

Switzerland
David Aebischer, Mark Streit, Yannick Weber

Poland
Mariusz Czerkawski

Belarus
Andrei Kostitsyn, Sergei Kostitsyn (Grabovski only ever played in the B-tier competition)

Denmark
Lars Eller



Top player at position honours
Best forward – Niklas Sundstrom, Mike Cammalleri
Best goalie – Stephane Fiset, Jose Theodore, Marc Denis, David Aebischer, Carey Price

Tournament All-star team
Forward – Mats Naslund, Shayne Corson, Alexei Kovalev, Martin Rucinsky, Valeri Bure, Niklas Sundstrom, Sergei Samsonov, Brian Gionta, Mike Cammalleri
Defence – Scott Lachance, Andrei Markov, Mark Streit, PK Subban
Goalie – Stephane Fiset, David Aebischer, Carey Price


Top 10 Games played
21 – Niklas Sundstrom
19 - Paul Mara
15 – Scott Lachance
14 – Shayne Corson, Patrice Brisebois, Chris Higgins, Saku Koivu, Mike Komisarek, Tomas Plekanec, Mike Cammalleri, Eric Desjardins, Karl Dykhuis, Gary Leeman, Jason Ward, Jim Campbell, Kjell Dahlin, Ron Hainsey, Marcel Hossa, John Leclair, Eric Weinrich, Sergei Zholtok


Top 10 Points
33 – Niklas Sundsrom
19 – Shayne Corson
18 – Saku Koivu
17 - Mike Cammalleri
16 – John Leclair
15 – Mats Naslund
14 – Martin Rucinsky
13 – Jim Campbell, Kjell Dahlin, Sergei Samsonov, Russ Courtnall

Top 10 Points per game
2.00 – Martin Rucinsky
1.86 – Russ Courtnall
1.83 - Brian Gionta
1.67 – Bobby Smith
1.57 – Niklas Sundstrom, Andrei Kovalenko, Alfie Turcotte
1.43 – Alexei Kovalev
1.36 – Shayne Corson
1.33 – Ryan Walter

Top 10 Goals
18 – Niklas Sundstrom
11 - Mike Cammalleri
10 – John Leclair, Sergei Samsonov
9 – Shayne Corson, Martin Rucinsky
8 – Kjell Dahlin
7 – Jim Campbell, Russ Courtnall, Chris Higgins

Top 10 Goals per game
1.29 – Martin Rucinsky
1.00 – Russ Courtnall, Brian Gionta
0.86 – Niklas Sundstrom
0.83 – Ryan Walter, Richard Zednik
0.80 – Doug Jarvis
0.79 - Mike Cammalleri
0.77 – Sergei Samsonov
0.71 – John Leclair, Andrei Kovalenko, Alexei Kovalev, Valeri Bure, Juha Lind

Top 10 Points (Defenceman)
11 – Patrice Brisebois
9 - PK Subban
8 – Scott Lachance
7 – Ron Hainsey, Paul Mara
6 – Andrei Markov, Yannick Weber, Tom Kurvers
5 – David Wilkie, Eric Desjardins, Rob Ramage, Alain Cote, Jyrki Lumme

Top 10 Points per game (Defenceman)
0.86 – Tom Kurvers
0.79 – Patrice Brisebois
0.71 – Alain Cote, Jyrki Lumme
0.69 - PK Subban
0.67 - Yannick Weber
0.57 – Kevin Haller, Marko Kiprusoff, Petr Svoboda
0.53 – Scott Lachance


Finally, for a bit of fun to wrap up the post, I thought a Canadiens all-time WJC participant roster based on WJC performance (including personal stats and medal standings), interesting considering the current Habs featuring:

Forward lines:
Mike Cammalleri - Saku Koivu - Nicklas Sundstrom
Mats Naslund – Shayne Corson – Brian Gionta
Martin Rucinsky - Bobby Smith – Alexei Kovalev
John Leclair – Ryan Walter – Andrei Kovalenko

Defence pairings
Patrice Brisebois – PK Subban
Scott Lachance – Andrei Markov
Mark Streit – Eric Desjardins

Goalies
Carey Price
David Aebischer

Doing It The Hard Way

An exciting day of hockey yesterday, as all important positions were determined in an afternoon/evening.

Canada lost, of course, but are still very much alive. They merely set themselves a place at the adult table when they could be sitting with the children where the US are now.

Losing to the US was always possible, but it was their clumsy win vs. a Swiss team that needed OT to scrape by Norway that cost us biggest. Had the Canadians won that game, they would now be lying 4th, with a US rematch in the QFs and a tricky, yet winnable QF vs. Finland. Instead, by being under-prepared and over-relaxed (as usual) they have put themselves in a hole. It'll be a playoff vs. Germany, which should be a foregone conclusion (but, hey, you never know), then a QF vs. powerhouse Russia and a need to face Olympic champion Sweden (in all likelihood) for the right to even play for the Gold.

Even if Canada had beaten the US, they'd still face Russian ahead of the final, and they'd have had a tough QF game (though Slovakia is not Sweden), so don't fret about yesterday too much.


Scoreboard watching

Really, it's Sweden who quite uncharacteristically chose the harder road on Sunday.

The organizers truly underestimate the players ability to shape their efforts to shape outcomes. You'd never see staggered group games in a World Cup – they'd all be simultaneous. If European soccer players were gifted these staggered starts, you'd see some crazy own goals and all kinds of other bloopers. I guess not all hockey countries are so Machiavellian in approach. Sweden, though – ask Italian football fans – are.

By the time Sweden and Finland played, the teams knew that losing meant a bye with a QF vs. Czech, but a semi with the US or the Swiss. The winner gets the far less attractive Slovak QF with SF of Russia or Canada. I didn't watch the game, but looking at Finland's shot totals, their final score and knowing that they have the very savvy Saku Koivu at the helm, it seems like they might have played for position in their game. Last Olympics, Sweden tanked to draw the cheaper run and it worked as they were rested to win a Gold. This time, it seems like Finland may have just pipped their rivals in the strategic losing department.


Gold medal favourite

Any team can win from here, and I find it hard to make a prediction.

But I have to say, Canada doesn't look favourite for me anymore. They lie 6th, but of the top 7 teams, they are the only one who has not beaten a worthy opponent.

I have to think that the team on the top side of the draw will now have the slight edge coming into the final, given their finals opponents are likely to have had a few trying games. I still don't like the USA, and don't rate Finnish goaltending or defence anymore, so I have to think the Czechs have a great shot. From the other side, Canada/Sweden/Russia all look set for a photo finish in the next few days. If Canada finds better goaltending, they'll get the ankle transponder over the line first, I think.

Canada vs. Czech in the final could be great. But will a Canada who can't rise to beat the Swiss in regulation or a US team that carries actual 4th line talent really beat Russia, Sweden and Czech in sequence.

Well, if it's dreams of gold in your head, you'd better start believing they can.

Why The Swiss Game Matters

It's incredible in this day and age, with all the hype surrounding this hockey tournament in Canada, that all the sites where one can follow this thing on the web (at least the ones immediately obvious to most) are so poor.

TSN, RDS and Sportsnet, who usually have decent web pages have been funneled into CTV's site, who I would kindly say have muffed the Olympic hockey portion of the site. The official site of the Games is best of the lot, but given the standard of websites in 2010 isn't exactly taking advantage of all the best new practices.

Among the issues that spring from this is the confusion over the format of the Olympic hockey tournament. While sites do present the standings, few present them in the most useful way.

You see this Olympics, the IIHF has tweaked the format of the tournament so that group play is essentially a team sorting mechanism. Each team will play 3 games against the pre-selected opponents in their groups to sort out the rankings of all teams from 1 to 12.

From these rankings, the top four teams get a bye to the quarterfinals and teams 5 to 12 (all of them, none are eliminated) will face off in 4 playoff games to fight for a quarterfinal berth.

Thanks to a difficult to find page at NHL.com (not an Olympic site) we know that the deciding factors are:

1) Group position
2) Points gained
3) Goal difference
4) Goals for
5) IIHF ranking (2009)

This means that all three group winners proceed to the QFs, no matter what. The 4th team in the QFs will be the top second place finisher. Thanks to OTW and OTL, this will probably be sorted via points.

Teams 5 and 6 will be the other two second place finishers; teams 7-9 will be the third ranked teams; and teams 10-12 will be Norway, Latvia and Germany (or, if you prefer, the three last placed teams).

I think that given the inevitability of this happening, it might be more useful for everyone if we display the standings from 1 to 12, so as to remove any illusion that anything else is important:

Team	Position	GP	W	OTW	OTL	L	Pts	GF	GA	Diff
USA	A1	2	2	0	0	0	6	9	2	+7
Russia	B1	2	1	0	1	0	4	9	4	+5
Finland	C1	1	1	0	0	0	3	5	1	+4
Canada	A2	2	1	1	0	0	5	11	2	+9
Czech Republic	B2	1	1	0	0	0	3	3	1	+2
Sweden	C2	1	1	0	0	0	3	2	0	+2
Slovakia	B3	2	0	1	0	1	2	3	4	-1
Switzerland	A3	2	0	0	1	1	1	3	6	-3
Germany	C3	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	-2
Belarus	C4	1	0	0	0	1	0	1	5	-4
Latvia	B4	1	0	0	0	1	0	2	8	-6
Norway	A4	2	0	0	0	2	0	1	14	-13

Why that OTW might hurt later

As Canadians bask in the glory of beating the Swiss team, it is perhaps a good idea to consider for minute what coming up short by a point means for the tournament.

As it goes, Canada is now guaranteed first or second in the group. Surely good news. And, if they beat the US, there's no doubt of a bye – also good news. But here are some scenarios:

Canada beats USA

If Canada beats the US in regulation, they'll be sitting pretty with 8 points. That will be enough to clear Russia. However, Czech, Finland and Sweden could all go clean in the group (and one probably will) meaning that Canada won't get the first seed.

You may not think this matters, but consider the semi-finals. if Sweden goes clean they should draw USA or Finland in the semis, barring upsets. Canada will be faced with the possibility of the Czech Republic or Russia. Not the better side of the draw really.

What's more, though they don't like the Swiss, Canada would be foolhardy not to be hoping to face Switzerland in the quarters should no upsets occur. This is because, though they are a top 8 team, the top 7 teams have a certain mystique about them that makes them surpass workmanlike Switzerland.

Canada in the two seed could draw Slovakia. this team used to be easy pickings, but thanks to Halak, they now have a credible goaltender. They also have Hossa and some other interesting forwards up front and the Norris trophy Chara at the back. They're not a joke. And teams that take them lightly (Russia, ahem) do so at their peril.


Canada loses to USA

Stranger things have happened. If this occurs, Canada will have 5 points. No offense to Germany and Belarus, but I think Finland and Sweden will be on 6, or more both. Group B will toss up at least one 5-point second place teams (Slovakia) and quite possibly a 6-point one as well as Group C.

Either way, Canada would likely miss the top second which they would have clinched by beating Switzerland and their goal difference. It would at least mean an extra game, extra chance of injury, etc.

5th or 6th means little difference in the playoff (Norway or Latvia), but Canada would again be in the #2/3 semi rather than getting a crack at the 4th place team to make a final.


Koivu understands

I know it's all just quotes, but Koivu seems to clearly understand what his team needs to do:

"Obviously, finishing first in your group is the first goal for every team - and trying to avoid that extra game before the quarters," said Koivu. "I think that's going to be a huge advantage - for those teams and for the top second-place team. I've never liked tournaments that are about goal differential - or if someone benefits from scoring two more goals against a weaker team."

Koivu is the type of player whose gamesmanship goes well beyond the rink, as he gets totally embroiled in what needs to be done. It should come as no surprise then that he threatens to overtake the Olympic assists lead and tie the record for ice hockey medals at the Olympics.

Others seem to take results as they come. This may be something they reflect upon later while the medal places are being decided:

"I didn't even try to understand it. I didn't get past the point where we cross over (in the quarter-finals). I just know we open(ed) against Switzerland." – Ryan Miller

I think Team Canada showed with their clumsy win yesterday that they are among the latter group – seeing what happens.

It's all well and good to stumble through to the medal round. it often works (see World Cup, Italy), but it's playing with fire in some ways. Especially for a team that's got a bit of a reputation for not doing well with the fire handling at these big tournaments.

Canadiens As Non-Canadians Olympic Hockey History

While Canada has been shunning what the Montreal Canadiens players have to offer, that certainly doesn't mean the Habs haven't been at the Olympics. In fact by the end of this tournament, 10 Canadiens will have participated in the last three Olympics.

As a complement to the look at the Habs on Team Canada, it's only fair to balance that with the Habs that have represented other countries at the Games. In all there would have been 48, but with Andrei Kostitsyn's scratch the total is 47 Olympic alums for the Habs family.

USA: 13

Current Habs: None
Habs Prospects: Chris Chelios (1984), Jim Campbell (1992)
One-time Habs: Chris Chelios (1998, 2002, 2006), Matt Schneider (1998, 2006), John Leclair (1998, 2002), Craig Conroy (2006)
Future Habs: Alphonse Lacroix (1924), Bill Baker (1980), Larry Pleau (1968), Eric Weinrich (1988), Scott Lachance (1992), Barry Richter (1994), Scott Gomez & Brian Gionta (2006)


Russia: 8

Current Habs: Alexei Kovalev (2006), Andrei Markov (2006, 2010)
Habs Prospects: Konstantin Korneev (2010)
One-time Habs: Valeri Bure (1998, 2002), Andrei Kovalenko (1998), Vladimir Malakhov (2002), Alexei Kovalev (2010)
Future Habs: Alexei Kovalev, Andrei Kovalenko & Vladimir Malakhov (1992), Sergei Samsonov (2002)


Czech Republic: 8

Current Habs: Martin Rucinsky (1998, 2002), Jan Bulis (2006), Tomas Plekanec (2010)
Habs Prospects: None
One-time Habs: Petr Svoboda (1998), Tomas Vokoun (2006, 2010)
Future Habs: Robert Lang (1992, 1998, 2002, 2006), Jaroslav Spacek (1998, 2002, 2006), Roman Hamrlik (1998, 2002)


Sweden: 6

Current Habs: None
Habs Prospects: Mats Naslund (1980), Thomas Rundqvist (1984), Patrik Carnback & Patric Kjellberg (1992)
One-time Habs: Mats Naslund (1992, 1994), Patric Kjellberg (1994, 1998)
Future Habs: Thomas Rundqvist (1988), Andreas Dackell (1994), Niklas Sundstrom (1998, 2002)


Finland: 3

Current Habs: Saku Koivu (1998, 2006)
Habs Prospects: Jyrki Lumme (1988), Saku Koivu (1994)
One-time Habs: Jyrki Lumme (1998, 2002), Saku Koivu (2010)
Future Habs: Janne Niinimaa (1998, 2002)


Slovakia: 3

Current Habs: Richard Zednik (2006), Jaroslav Halak (2010)
Habs Prospects: None
One-time Habs: Marcel Hossa (2006, 2010), Richard Zednik (2010)
Future Habs: None


Switzerland: 3

Current Habs: Mark Streit (2006)
Habs Prospects: Yannick Weber (2010)
One-time Habs: Mark Streit (2010)
Future Habs: David Aebischer (2002, 2006)


Belarus: 2/3

Current Habs: Sergei Kostitsyn (2010), (Andrei Kostitsyn (2010 – injured))
Habs Prospects: None
One-time Habs: Mikhail Grabovski (2010)
Future Habs: None


France: 1

Current Habs: None
Habs Prospects: None
One-time Habs: None
Future Habs: Cristobal Huet (1998, 2002)



Not only have the players been, but they've conquered too. 34 medals in all with 12 Gold. If you want to get picky, only one Gold wa won by a current Canadiens player (Rucinsky) and one by a prospect (Miracle on Ice, Bill Baker), but that goes with two silvers for Habs players and prospects and four bronze. Not such a poor tally.


Olympic Medals by Canadiens on other teams

Gold: 12
Bill Baker (USA, 1980)
Alexei Kovalev, Andrei Kovalenko & Vladimir Malakhov (CIS, 1992)
Mats Naslund, Andreas Dackell & Patric Kjellberg (SWE, 1994)
Martin Rucinsky, Petr Svoboda, Roman Hamrlik, Jaroslav Spacek & Robert Lang (CZE, 1998)

Silver: 7
Alphonse Lacroix (USA, 1924)
Jyrki Lumme (FIN, 1988)
Valeri Bure, Andrei Kovalenko (RUS, 1998)
Chris Chelios, John Leclair (USA, 2002)
Saku Koivu (FIN, 2006)

Bronze: 15
Thomas Rundqvist (SWE, 1984)
Thomas Rundqvist (SWE, 1988)
Robert Lang (CZE, 1992)
Saku Koivu (FIN, 1994)
Saku Koivu, Jyrki Lumme & Janne Niinimaa (FIN, 1998)
Alexei Kovalev, Vladimir Malakhov, Valeri Bure & Sergei Samsonov (2002)
Jan Bulis, Jaroslav Spacek, Robert Lang & Tomas Voloun (CZE, 2006)

Who Are You Supporting?

The assumption is often made that supporter of a Canadian NHL team equates to supporter of Canadian National Team.

But the Canadiens are supported around the world, and it's entirely possible that Habs fans in Switzerland don't like Joe Thornton either.

Before the games tonight, I want to know who all of you are supporting. If Canada's your first, then who's your second?

Let's hope the tournament starts with a bang and this really is the best hockey the marketers have been insisting it will be.

Spacek Interviewed

Back after a couple of days off on holiday. I didn't know how much I needed one. Now I know that I need another. Luckily the hockey world was kind – refraining from making any news of note for another week. Maybe there's a hint of disappointment in that for me, but there must also be relief given some signings in recent Augusts for our illustrious GM.

At risk of becoming the voice of Jaroslav Spacek, I wanted to point you all to a lengthy interview with the new Habs blueliner from the Journal de Montreal via Canoe

I have paraphrased from the translation of a probable translation. Take the quotes with a very large grain of salt. The themes should hopefully be maintained:

Spacek not an offensive defenceman
At least in his own opinion, Jaroslav isn't an offensive player. Still, 45 points ain't shabby.

«Mais je ne me qualifie pas pour autant comme étant un défenseur offensif. Je suis sur la glace avant tout pour empêcher l'adversaire de marquer. D'ailleurs, s'il y a une chose que je déteste par-dessus tout, c'est quand je suis sur la patinoire pour un but de l'équipe adverse.»

"I don't consider myself an offensive defenceman. I'm on the ice to stop the opposition from scoring. In fact, if there's on thing that I hate most, it's being on the ice for a goal against."

Has a bad memory

Maybe the question I assume was asked wasn't, but Spacek appears to say he doesn' know any of his new teammates. He certainly should know Hamrlik, having been part of the same Olympic gold medal hockey team in 1998. Perhaps he's written Roman off just like 3/4 of Canadiens fans.


Calls for patience

Wise for his age. That or he knows he needs to buy his team some time from the fans here. Spacek thinks some parts of finding team chemistry will take time:

«Quand je regarde notre formation, je constate que nous présenterons une toute nouvelle équipe aux amateurs de Montréal. C'est évident que ça prendra un certain temps avant de trouver les bonnes lignes d'attaque, mais je suis persuadé que les entraîneurs et la direction ont déjà de bonnes idées à ce sujet.»

"When I look at the team, I can see that we are an entirely new proposition for the fans in Montreal. It's clear that it will take some time to find productive line combinations, but I'm convinced that the coaches and the managers have good ideas on the subject."

A question and answer session followed:

Q: The Canadiens are your 6th NHL team (after the Panther, Hawks, Blue Jackets, Oilers and Sabres). Did you ever think you'd end up in Montreal?

A: I'm really looking forward to joining the Habs, who have shown a real commitment to me with a 3-year contract. It was important for me to sign a contract that was over a few years.

Not quite driving to Montreal the minute he's signed, but I'll take it. It explains why we didn't sign him for one year...

Q: You've already played at the Bell Centre (vs. the Canadiens) many times. How do you find the crowd and the ambience?

A: I can't say anything but good things about Montreal when it comes to hockey. Canadiens fans are unique among NHL fans, making the Bell Centre a magical place to play. My family can't wait to hear the "Olé, Olé" cheer as we approach the end of a game with a lead!

A diplomat as well as a good negotiator of contracts.

Q: Montreal fans can be unforgiving, and have a tendency to let the team know when things are going badly. How do you feel about that?

A: I'm very familiar with the reputation of Canadians fans. I know that fans and the organisation take their hockey very seriously. They are knowledgable hockey fans and they want to see their team work hard to win games, which is a good thing. It was very similar when I played for Edmonton.

He may be surprised about the differences between us and Oiler fans. Hopefully he won't have to find out about the special cheer reserved for repeated defensive turnovers too early in the year...

Q: What are your best NHL memories? Was it the Stanley Cup final with the Oilers in 2005-06?

A: That series was incredible. Believe me, losing in a seventh game and coming so close to getting your hands on the Cup was not a pleasant experience for me. I have to admit I still feel a bit shaken just talking about it. I'd give everything to get back there. I hope that one of these days I will be raising the Stanley Cup...

A good level of lingering disappointment is good. Too bad the reporter forgot to ask why he signed elsewhere the minute free agency hit after that Cup run, though.

Q: You won the Olympic gold with the Czech team in 1998 and the bronze in 2006 in Turin. Are these the best memories of your career?

A: Just to have the chance to play in the Olympics was a great experience. But, without a doubt, the most unforgettable experience was what I went through in Nagano. It was the first time that all the best players from the NHL were at the Olympics. It was those Olympics that really kick-started my career. To be a part of the Olympics with the best players on the planet was a great experience. We'll soon see what the next ones will be like.

Olympic gold's not a bad way to launch a career at all. As he didn't mention the bronze, I'm guessing he's not so hot on the losing experience as the winning.

Q: How are you spending your summer? Where are you going on holiday?

A: I started my summer holidays earlier than I would have liked when the Sabres missed the playoffs. I took my family to the Bahamas for a while and then we came back to Europe, where we moved into a new house in Rokycany. So I was quite busy with the move. But we have had the time to relax a bit with family and friends.

A summer vacation in Czech never hurt anyone. Pilsener, sausages and the like. I can't believe he didn't stay in Buffalo...

Underrated Summer Signing: Where's Spacek?

Late last week, the NHL website ran an article about the top 10 signings that flew under the radar so far this summer.

It's a funny thing, this underrating. While I do agree that most of the signings they have identified garnered slightly less attention than most, doesn't the very fact that they now appear on this list make them rated? or dare I say overrated?

Take their number 2, Rob Scuderi. The guy was listed on all the lists before the day. He was looked at as a prime target. I give him credit for being on the Stanley Cup finalist for two years in a row and for being a winner this year. But he only made the NHL when he was 25, had a few pretty uneventful seasons and now the team that he supposedly held together for a Cup run has let him go in favour of cheaper options. It seems to me he could just as easily be in an overrated list of free agents. After all, he's not the first 4th defenceman to ever play for a Cup winning team.

Dan Rosen, the author of the piece, didn't think too much of the Canadiens (former or new) on the whole, as their proportional representation is low. Perhaps he thought the moves already garnered the attention they deserved. Of all the outgoings and incomings, Dan chose to highlight Paul Mara as perhaps the most underrated of all Bob Gainey's summer moves. He says:

9. Paul Mara, Montreal – The Canadiens underwent a major roster overhaul with Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta, Mike Cammalleri, Jaroslav Spacek and Hal Gill coming aboard. The most underrated addition, though, could be Mara. He's a reliable defender with a heavy shot. He's also a likeable guy who will get along well with teammates and will become a favorite with the Montreal media. That's an underrated skill.

I can't say I disagree. At least not with his logic – as a 5th defenceman Mara could be a decent pick up, especially if he shoots straight as well. But I couldn't help but think that the move didn't seem all that underrated to me, at least not in Montreal.

In fact, looking across all the free agent and trade additions, there have been varying degrees of coverage. Gomez has probably taken the lion's share. I would say that Cammalleri is a very close second behind him. Gionta's had some real media coverage and so has Hal Gill as a Stanley Cup winner/giant. Then Moen and Mara, possibly by virtue of their late signing got quite a parade of recognition as well. Moen is certainly not underrated in the least by our fans. As for Mara, I might have agreed except for the personal experience of having been rebuffed by a number of his supporters when I initially bashed him.

Among all the NHL level signings (sorry Sanford and Darche), it is actually Jaroslav Spacek that stands out as the underappreciated one thus far. If I do a search for Spacek blogs now I find very little at all beyond the day of the signing. And on that day it was quickly to press to keep up with the next move. His move obviously hasn't flown completely under the radar. but I feel it's been the most overlooked of all the additions.

Naturally then, I am going to remedy that by making him a very rated signing in the LIW books. A little bit of fair due for the man who hopes to be Markov's deputy on the PP.


Who is Jaroslave Spacek?

You know, it's a good question. Prior to Gainey signing him, I never thought twice about this player. I remember him from Florida days and then as part of a pretty awful team in Columbus. His stints in Chicago and even Edmonton must have slipped my mind.

But it's interesting though, just as you will have overrated players on winning teams (Scuderi), there are undoubtedly good players being buried on down-right awful teams. It may well be the case that Spacek was one of those.


Undrafted even at the age of 24, he looked to be set for a career in Europe. But 1997-98 was to prove a banner year from the young Czech defender. Having chosen to move away from the domestic league in favour of a place on Swedish champions Farjestads, he suddenly was getting noticed. His season at Farjestads saw him become develop his offensive game against more skilled opposition, and ended with a league championship. The icing on the cake for Spacek was his selection to the 1998 Czech Olympic team. One of the few non-NHLers on the team, Spacek still played his part in making the defensive charge to gold ahead of Dominik Hasek. 6 games and 6 GA says a lot about Hasek, but also a bit about the defenders – of whom the Canadiens now boast two.

That summer the Florida Panthers took a Mark Streit flyer on the 24-year-old Spacek, a player who now comfortably fits into the top ten Florida selections of all time (though that's not saying much). Florida would bring him over the very next fall for camp, at which Jaro promptly dispatched of the competition and made the big club without a minute in the minor leagues. And though by ice time he was clearly slotted in at number 6, he finished the season as the leader in plus/minus on the non-playoff team. The following season, with Jovanovski out in favour of Pavel Bure, Spacek continued to climb the ranks. In ice time, he trailed only perennial 40-point man Robert Svehla and again put up numbers that got noticed. More importantly, the season ended with some team success and the last playoff appearance for the Panthers to date.

Firmly established as an NHL defenceman, Spacek entered the next phase of his NHL career, where trades became more commonplace. First to Chicago and the to Columbus where he was to become the #1 defenceman for the otherwise pathetic outfit.

had he stayed in Columbus, this story probably would be ending differently, but after a return to Europe during the lockout, complete with a WC gold, he came back and was chased by his former team the Chicago Blackhawks. It was a return to force for Jaro as he managed to lead the Hawks in +/- as a top-pairing D despite only 45 games there. Midway through the season he was traded to a then marginal Edmonton Oilers club. Spacek and the team did manage a rally late to squeak in as the 8th seed and put on a spectacular show as they got to within a game from hoisting the Cup.

Like Scuderi, Spacek saw his window of opportunity and promptly left the Oilers for his million-dollar opportunity with the Buffalo Sabres. And that's where he would stay for the next 3 seasons. Particularly telling fomr his time in Buffalo was the way his ice time and role increased every step of the way. In his first year, Spacek was back of the queue for a surging Buffalo team. His second season he overtook Lydman, Tallinder, Kalinin and Numminen to become the #2; and the last season with Campbell out, he took #1 minutes on a very decent team.


Missed when he departs

We know a little bit about this in Montreal, having lost some very dependable pieces this summer. But it must be said that not all players get a shining write up when they opt to skip town. In Jaro's case, it happens over and over. Chicago speaks for itself with the re-acquisition.

Out of Edmonton, he got top mentions from fans doubtful about a return trip to the final:

"The losses of Pronger and Spacek will hurt the most, without question, while the departures of Peca and Samsonov are decidedly less impacting but tangible nonetheless."

And it was similar stuff from Sabres fans this summer:

The Sabres are going to miss Spacek at both ends of the ice. He was the Sabres best defenseman last season but they were unwilling to go beyond one year. The Sabres have a plethora of young talented defenders and they expect some of those players to contribute in the next season or two.

Fun with numbers

As I was searching to try and figure out who Spacek was, I came across a very interesting little tidbit that I'm sure will interest the stats geeks among you.

2008/09 Top 20 Adjusted Corsi Numbers

Number	Name	Team	Adj. CORSI
1	Ryan Getzlaf	Ana	+313.0
2	Corey Perry	Ana	+282.0
3	Alexander Ovechkin	Was	+266.2
4	Zach Parise	NJ	+256.8
5	Eric Staal	Car	+237.0
6	Pavel Datsyuk	Det	+235.4
7	Scott Gomez	NYR	+227.0
8	Brian Rafalski	Det	+226.4
9	Mike Green	Was	+221.4
10	Dan Boyle	SJ	+219.8
11	Niklas Kronwall	Det	+207.4
12	Nicklas Lidstrom	Det	+206.4
13	David Moss	Cgy	+199.6
14	Daniel Sedin	Van	+198.6
15	Brian Campbell	Chi	+195.4
16	Jaroslav Spacek	Buf	+187,2
17	Henrik Sedin	Van	+182.6
18	Joni Pitkanen	Car	+182.0
19	Nicklas Backstrom	Was	+181.2
20	Nikolai Zherdev	NYR	+180.0

Impressive to see two Habs there, and Spacek among the top 20 in the league. I think one has to agree with the author of this piece when he says:

"It looks like the Montreal Canadiens use this kind of analysis when signing free agents. They acquired Scott Gomez and Jaroslav Spacek this summer and both appear on this list."

A little look around does loads for the optimism in my case here. I have to say I was pelasantly surprised by what I found and I hope we all be later this year, as well. I'll just leave you with the very best of everything I've read, the bit that makes me feel most like Spacek will be the underrated signing of the year for us:

"No one really knew how good of a hockey player he was because he was playing for obscure, losing teams," agent Stephen Freyer said from his office in Beverly, Mass. "The exposure in Edmonton helped, but the new NHL was incredible for his game. He's the prototypical post-lockout defenseman. He can skate, pass, get the puck out of the zone. He's got a boomer from the right point."

Look to the East: The Looming Threat of European Money

Having briefly touched upon the subject of IIHF treaties and transfer agreements in a piece more than a week ago (see The Future Habs D: Transfers and Treaties).

Interestingly for Tobalev and I, this sparked a number of conversations with people actually at the tournament and who had been reading our piece. What's more, one friend who is closer to the game than us was able to enlighten us quite a bit on this topic. He mentioned that he found our piece timely, seeing as the IIHF transfer agreement was the talk of the town in Halifax and Quebec, where the Europeans were gathered for the games.

Obviously since I wrote that last piece, the championships have ended, Russia has won and celebrated like it mattered to them and no Habs are playing hockey anymore. Even so, the transfer agreement looms over the NHL, and indeed the Canadiens off-season planning, and deserves a second look.


The talk of the tournament

At the moment, apparently most of the talk on the transfer agreement is focused on which players from the NHL will jump ship and take a payday in Russia. This is because Russian teams, already in their off-season, have been making offers to many top players in Europe and North America. The money may be such that NHL will be left with no choice but to let these players go.

Far from being the only concern for the NHL, the Czechs are already looking at not entering into a new agreement, and the same might be true of Sweden. The general feeling at the tournament, apparently, was that no agreement would be reached in the near future, at least. So, one would speculate that even the teams from other leagues in Finland, Germany and Switzerland wouldn't be far behind either once the big players drop out.

Personally, I think this is serious, and I see the absence of the agreement with the European clubs potentially affecting the league in three ways:

1) A temporary drop in Europeans across the league

2) More aggressive (and possibly longer-term) NHL contracts with flight risk players

3) A shift in power among clubs (those that can still tap European talent vs. those that resort to North Americans who would be classed as minor leaguers at the moment)


Less Europeans

A drop in the numbers of Europeans in the league could be viewed as a good or a bad thing. I can hear Don Cherry's "Let them go!", even now.

For me, I would consider it to be a large step backwards. After all, the last time the NHL was replete of Europeans, there were only 21 teams. At that time, the top teams were the top teams, but the argument could have been made that there was still not enough NHL-level talent coming out of Canada and the US (to some degree) to support so many teams. Imagine now trying to stock 30 teams with Canadian and US players only. The initial drop in play would be difficult to take. Never mind that many European players are also among the more skilled and most excellent at skating – the direction we thought the league was meant to be headed.

Interestingly, in our discussion it also came up that Russia, after all, is not currently the greatest place in the world to spend your youth. This is particularly true of the Siberian towns where the oil magnates operate their mega clubs. Other than Russians, the feeling is that no one wants to sign for more than one year in Russia right now. The lifestyle has not improved to the point for anyone to go there too long.

NHL GMs should not be resting on their laurels,though. This situation could, and will likely, change as Russian living conditions improve and as the list of overseas options includes countries like Sweden and Switzerland. Indeed, one need only ask the North Americans who have made tracks over to those leagues rather than toil in the AHL or lower leagues. We speculated about Finns and particularly Swedes (who already show their desires to return home on plenty of occasions – Naslund, Forsberg). If Sweden and Finland drop out of the agreement, the problem of losing players could get more serious.

The inevitability of the drop is real, though – even with only Russia and the Czechs on the outs. People in the know keep stating how the money coming out of the European leagues is bigger than before and those teams can afford to poach a player or two from "big" NHL clubs. The simple fact there are many times more clubs in Europe will put the onus on the NHL to stem the tide – as opposed to hoping all European clubs run dry of cash.


More aggressive contracts

An initial reaction will no doubt be to hold onto the Europeans who figure large in the plans of your club. Pittsburgh and Washington will likely ante up big for Malkin and Ovechkin, and why shouldn't they. However, teams like Montreal, New York, Dallas, etc. who are currently riding a cast of middle range European talent may be asked to pay over the odds for their players.

While the tactic of aggressive contracts to Europeans could indeed help to stem the tide of Europeans out of the NHL initially, there are only so many big contracts a team, and the league can sustain.


Power shift

Following a partial loss of talent and vain attempts to offer contracts, I see certain clubs giving up on the Euro game. Others will stick it out. This is the power shift – with access to more talented players open only to those willing to put up with the hassle. I spoke about this potential shift in power in the last piece as well. I truly believe that with any change in circumstances there comes a pressure to adapt. The teams that adapt the quickest and best will be the ones who form "dynasties" in the near future.

I cited the scouting of Detroit (particularly in Sweden) as the foundation of their rise to prominence once the NHL opened its doors wholesale to the European leagues in the early 1990s. Similarly, a team who positions itself to perform real and serious negotiations with Russian teams now – and other European teams later – will reap the harvest of European surplus fed by the exodus of Euro NHLers.

When asked, our friend in the know agreed that having someone who knows how the system works would be very valuable to any team. He noted how teams in Europe do things so differently, an NHL team trying to negotiate the situation would need an insider who knows how the system works.

"Everyone calls it the wild west cause there’s no rules, it’s all gangsters and making/taking bribes."

Really, he said, it’s just a matter of being smart and getting a good Russian (for the current situation anyway) on your side.


What now for the Habs?

Obviously, it comes back to the Canadiens. While I am concerned about the NHL as a whole in so far as it provides the Canadiens with a league to compete with the best clubs in the world; I am not overly concerned with the plight of teams who may fall down because of a resistance to change or lack of adaptability. What concerns me is that the Habs get a leg up here for the next 10 years.

In terms of current players, the Habs probably have to resign themselves to losing Grabovski. We have been hearing that the word on the street is that he is at least entertaining offers. The writing seemed on the wall for him, as he keeps coming up short on lower lines and is not likely to unseat either Koivu or Plekanec for a top line spot.

The Habs will have to make serious strategic decisions, however, about key players like the Kostitsyns (are both to be kept???), Halak, and the youngsters in the pipeline (notably Valentenko.

As for mining the Russian league for talent at the current time, my friend and I were at a loggerheads. I suspect this is because there is no right answer.

My feeling is that the Habs should take advantage of the mass of NHL clubs who are clearly shying away from Russians by having a look at what's available – or at least letting young Russians know that Montreal is interested in players who want to play for the Stanley Cup.

My friend, who not only works in hockey, watched the World Champs and just generally is much better versed in this kind of stuff than I am warns the Canadiens GM to stay away:

There’s a reason these guys don’t play in the NHL. They aren’t driven by being the best in the world, or part of the best team in the world or a need to be challenged by the best. You don’t need someone or your team who plays the game for a living and cause it’s all he knows.

While I find his argument very convincing, I still find myself looking at Detroit again and thinking about finding the Russian Kronwalls, Franzens and Zetterbergs.

I don't know. What do you all think?

If nothing else, I think we'll all be talking about this soon enough, if not just now...

The Future Habs D: Transfers and Treaties

No more than a blip on most peoples' radar during our ongoing playoff run: at the end of April/beginning of May it emerged the IIHF transfer agreement was heading for collapse, in all likelihood.

The Hockey News carried the story.

The article notes how the Czechs are stepping into line with the Russians in their boycott of an uneven playing field with piddly transfer money for young stars. It also notes that should the agreement fall down (as seems likely), the current flat fee for players will be a thing of the past and player transfers will be negotiated on an individual basis – much like the world of soccer.

Spector of FoxSports also addresses the issue of international transfers. While his take on matters is altogether correct for the transfer of superstars (suggesting the NHL money will win the day), he does little to acknowledge the way the landscape will change for NHL clubs looking to populate their support positions with more talented Russians, Czechs and Swedes. The individual negotiation of terms for terms for transfers of 3rd and 4th defencemen and 2nd line wingers could be a turn off for the lazier NHL GMs, and the cheaper of the owners.

On the flip side, while reluctant teams withdraw, there could be a boon for teams who choose the stick with the recruitment of Eastern Europeans. The simple mechanics of supply and demand governing the process over time.


So where does this leave the Canadiens?

Like the Detroit Red Wings, the Montreal Canadiens are becoming a poster franchise for the use of intelligent European scouting teamed with effective integration strategies for the players once they arrive. While Detroit uses its expertise in Sweden to exploit the top Swedish leagues, Montreal has been plucking diamonds from the rough in Russia and former Soviet republics like Belarus.

The franchise currently has three defensive prospects from Russia (already balking at flat fees) in the development pipeline:

1) Pavel Valentenko

2) Alexei Emelin

3) Konstantin Korneev


Valentenko is currently under the Habs tutelage in Hamilton, with a North American contract assuring his availability to the big club for the near future. However, if he isn't resigned, he could fly the coop rather than stick around for life in the AHL.

Emelin is the great white hope, and is technically bound to his RSL club through next season. While Korneev (little Markov) is playing with CSKA for the foreseeable future, as well as demonstrating his worth with the Russian National squad in Quebec City.

The Canadiens could conceivably have all three players lined up on the blue line next season, though that seems very unlikely indeed. Partly due to seniority, mostly due to transfer arrangements. However, over time it seems that at least a couple of these three young Dmen would prove to be significant upgrades on other available options like Cote and Carle.

I would be happy to see any of the three with the team as we move away from washed up veterans (Brisebois, Dandenault) and make the Bell Centre a defensive fortress. I hope the first steps are taken this summer with some resolution on the best of the three (Emelin), and who wouldn't want an offensive youngster like Korneev on that second PP?

If I had Gillett's ear, I would be preparing for a presentation on the benefits of being at the vanguard of transfer activity as the new NHL system moves to a world soccer transfer market. I would suggest the following strategy:

1) Hire a transfer specialist – preferably someone who can speak Russian or Czech

2) Begin to make inroads with mega-clubs like CSKA, AK Bars Kazan and Avangard Omsk

3) Foster good feeling with Russian teams by presenting fair offers for Emelin and Korneev (maybe that Huet money he saved could come to good use after all)


The NHL:Euro environment is in the throes of change and the teams that adapt quickest will stand to gain the most (much like Detroit's scouting visions from the early 1990s).

The immediate impact of being at the vanguard of this movement for the Canadiens could be a superb defensive backline. The long-term benefits could lead to them playing with a stacked deck for years to come. If the Habs don't, some other team will.