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Muckler Out, Murray Moves Up

The Ottawa Senators have dumped John Muckler, replacing him with the team's coach, Bryan Murray.  Muckler's firing underscores how tough the hockey business can be. 

By most measures Muckler did a stellar job as GM.  Since taking over the job in the summer of 2002 the Senators have compiled a record of 195 wins, 115 losses (25 in OT) & 8 old-school ties.  Muckler's Senators have won the Northeast Division twice, and lost in the Conference quarterfinals, semifinals and finals, and of course in the Stanley Cup finals this year.  Does any other GM in the league have a recent record to match Muckler's?  Nope.

Muckler appears to have been fired for 3 reasons.

1) The Senator's did not win the Cup.  To coin a cliché, "hockey is a results-oriented business" and Muckler failed to give Senator's owner Eugene Melnyck what he wanted - a Stanley Cup.

2) Gary Roberts.  If media reports are to be believed, Muckler's great failing, at least in owner Melnyck's eyes, was his failure to make Gary Roberts a Senator at the 2007 trade deadline.  Over the year's a mystique has developed around Roberts, largely because of his pivotal role in playoff losses Ottawa suffered at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Melnyck appears to have discounted the fact that Roberts was largely a non-factor when the Senator's defeated the Pengiuns this year. 

Beyond Roberts, Muckler's deal record is spotty, at best.  Many of his most high profile acquisitions, including Peter Bondra, Dominik Hasek, Tyler Arnason & Martin Gerber, failed to produce meaningful results.  His biggest success was the acquisition of Dany Heatley in a trade for Marian Hossa that also saved the Senators significant cap space. 

3) Succession planning.  Muckler was heading into the final year of his current contract, and Murray was up for renewal.  By moving Murray into the GM's office, the Senator's have stabilized their senior management for several years. 

In addition to the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Murray's first big job will be hiring his replacement.  Lots of names are being bandied about for the Senator's coaching vacancy.

• John Paddock, currently a Senators' Assistant Coach
• Greg Carvel, currently a Senators' Assistant Coach
• Randy Cunneyworth, former Captain and currently the head coach of the Rochester Americans
• Pat Quinn, because Quinn's name comes up for every vacant NHL head coaching job
• Dale Hunter, now coaching the OHL's London Knights, Hunter played for Murray in Washington
• Doug MacLean, coached the Panthers when Murray was GM
• Pat Burns, the former Hab, Leaf, Devils coach got his start in Hull, across the river from Ottawa
• Craig Ramsay, recently let go by Tampa, also a former assistant in Ottawa
• Larry Robinson, former Devil's boss with local connections
• Dave Lewis, out in Boston, was a Murray Assistant in Detroit
• Don Hay, led the Vancouver Giants to a 2007 Memorial Cup win
• Marc Habscheid, success with Canada's National team
• Terry Murray, because blood is thicker than water
• Pierre McGuire, because he's bizarrely worshipped by many Ottawa sports radio callers
• Garry Galley, apparently all former NHLers now living in Ottawa are being considered
• Brian Kilrea, local legend
• Dave King, because his name is always on these lists
• Spartacat

Islanders "Blog Box"

As reported over at Off Wing Opinion, the Islanders have announced a new policy that will give bloggers access to the press box, sorta.  The team is setting up something it calls the NYI Blog Box.

We will provide you with a media pass for a few games next season and a seat in the NYI BLOG BOX. You will also receive your own set of Game Notes when you enter the Coliseum Press Gate. All you have to do is bring your note pad and/or voice recorder and cheer as loudly as you want. After the game you attend, we will set up an area where you can toss a few questions at a coach or players, based on your requests and their availability.

As a blogger I guess this is a good thing, but the Islanders have gone to great lengths to ensure that bloggers are kept as far as possible from "establishment" (PHWA) journalists.  Underlying the policy, is a concern that bloggers are a bunch of hometown-jersey-wearing, cheer-leading dweebs looking for a free ticket and a bellyful of press box hot dogs.  Reading the credentialed local scribes in Ottawa, it is apparent that the majority of them could be described as fans or at least supporters of the Senators.  I am sure the same is true in every other NHL town.  Presumably these writers curb their enthusiasm in the press box - bloggers obviously could and would do the same. 

The Isles deserve some credit for developing a novel approach to bloggers & it is reasonable to expect that new Islander blogs will spring up in response to the policy.  It appears, however, that the Isles are only interested in pure fan blogs.  The team says bloggers granted access to the Blog Box will be "in control" and only ask that they act respectfully and "keep all critiques in good taste."  This will be easier now that the Isles have parted ways with Alexei Yashin. 

It will be interesting to see what happens to the first inhabitant of the "Blog Box" who rips into GM Garth Snow. Will any criticism be deemed "bad taste?" 

Off Wing's Eric McErlain was given unfettered access to Caps games this season and the world did not end.  The Capitals clearly "get it" when it comes to bloggers and new media.  The Isles have at least opened the door a crack for bloggers, but most teams, and the league itself, continues to shut out bloggers and anyone else outside the exclusive club known as the PHWA. This is a flawed approach for a league that is struggling to generate media interest and coverage.

Where the hell's Kobe?

Treadmill Hockey

This is what happens when people have too much free time. 

Freezer Geezers

Check out the site:  FreezerGeezers.com

Don't Judge a Sport by its Viewers

I don't know when it happened, much less why it happened, but at some point someone decided that TV ratings should be the key factor in evaluating a professional sports championship. 

I have only one question.  Who cares?  As a hockey fan, I really don't care how many people are watching - viewership is not a factor in my enjoyment of the game.

The fact that millions of people (Americans?) opted to tune to learn about Paris Hilton's prison break, instead of watching Anaheim win the Stanley Cup, surely says more about those millions than it does about the NHL?  The TV ratings for game 5 of the NBA's Cleveland-Detroit series were nothing special - does that mean LeBron's 48 point masterpiece is anything less than a performance for the ages?  If more people want to watch the Sopranos than the second game of the NBA finals does that make the San Antonio Spurs any less of a dynasty?  Didn't think so.

Fox Sports seems to take particular delight in ripping into the NHL and its weak TV ratings.  According to Fox, "Anaheim's Stanley Cup-winning victory over Ottawa produced another dismal televising rating."  I wonder if their attitude has anything to do with the fact that Fox doesn't have national NHL broadcast rights?  Maybe their just bitter that they still get mocked for the FoxTrack glowing puck.

Team1200, the local sports radio station in Ottawa, carries syndicated Fox Sports Radio shows between local content.  Since the Ducks' victory Fox has been running a brief "comedy" item that starts with the announcer congratulating Anaheim on winning the Stanley Cup, followed by silence that is interrupted by chirping crickets.  Then the announcer comes back on and says something like "Yeah, right, as if anybody cares about a sport they can only find on the Versus Network."  Hilarious.

Setting aside the fact that the station that calls itself "the home of the Ottawa Senators" is running programming that is openly dismissive and hostile toward hockey, you have to wonder if Fox Sports, the nertwork that brings us inspired programming like Toughest Cowboy, should really be taking runs at Versus. 

Twenty years ago, I was fortunate to have witnessed Roger Clemens' record-setting 20 strikeout performance against the Seattle Mariners.  It was a cool, rainy weeknight game against a weak opponent, and only 13,414 fans passed through Fenway's turnstiles to watch.  There were no radio or television ratings for the game because it wasn't broadcast. 

Since so many of today's sports reporters judge games or even entire leagues based on TV ratings, I have to assume they would trivialize the game and minimize Clemens' feat since very few were able to see it.  Of course that would be absurd, just as it is ridiculous that the NHL gets dismissed by reporters and broadcasters from Fox and other media outlets based on television ratings. 

Bringing Yashin Back to Ottawa

The decision by the New York Islanders to spend $17.63 million to buy out the remaining 4 years on Alexei Yashin's contract leaves the Russian "star" without a home.  Ottawa Sun columnist Bruce Garrioch reports that Mark Gandler, Yashin's agent, thinks a return to Ottawa might be a good fit. 

"It's a new chapter and we'll be calling Ottawa for sure."

"He had great stats last year. There won't even be a moment of hesitation involved if the Senators want to bring him back. He'd love to return to Ottawa, in fact."

Imagine that phone call.  Mark Gandler calls Ottawa Senators GM John Muckler to pitch him on Yashin.  HockeyDirt thinks it might go something like this.

MG: Hey John, its Mark.  Great to speak with you.  How are things up in Ottawa?

JM: Hello?  Mark? Messier?  Sorry I didn't catch the last name.

MG:  John, John, John. I can't believe you don't recognize my voice.  It's me, Gandler, the hockey agent, or "Agent Mark Gandler" as I like to call myself.  (laughs)

JM:  Ohhh, that Mark Gandler.  Right.  I think I read something about you recently...what was it?  Oh, I remember, it was something to do with Elias and some investments you made for him? 

MG:  (nervous laugh)  Ha, you saw that.  Don't believe everything you read John.  Patrik is getting some very bad legal advice.  He's a goofy Czech.  You know how wild and crazy those Czech guys are.  You had Hasek, look at how he stiffed you. 

Final Thoughts

This is tough.  As a fan of the Ottawa Senators it is difficult to write after watching the team lose in the Stanley Cup Finals. 

Some of the sting is relieved by the fact that the Anaheim Ducks were clearly the better team and a very classy bunch.  It is hard to be overly bitter watching players like Scott Niedermayer, Teemu Selanne & Todd Marchant hoist the Cup.   

The Senators are a good team, a very good team.  Most of their key players are under contract for a few more years so they will be very competitive next season and beyond.  Maybe next year.

Sour Grapes

• Chris Pronger is a dork.  Good player, but a dork.  Look for him to request a trade.
• Not to be cruel, but CBC play-by-plan man Bob Cole is so past it.  Cole goes directly to the Hall of Fame when he packs up his mic, but all he is doing is damaging a legendary career by continuing.  If Ray Emery wants to make Cole look good he should change his name to "Ottawa Goalie."
• Harry Neale, Cole's sidekick and CBC's colour commentator, is simply not interesting and should shuffle off the stage with his partner.  Neale no longer adds much to the broadcast, apart from the odd famous quotation, so as a tribute to Neale I will quote Voltaire:  A witty saying proves nothing.
• Don Cherry is an embarassment.  He uses his cameo appearance on NBC to promote fighting.  Good work Don - this is really going to grow the game.
• It is absurd that the NHL made Ottawa wait 9 days, and Anaheim 6 days, before starting the finals. 
• The officiating has to improve.  Watching Game 3 of the finals live, I was amazed by the way Anaheim got away with holding up the Ottawa forecheck.   During the regular season these small obstruction plays were penalized.  The refs turned a blind eye to obstruction throughout the Finals, until they decided to call Ottawa's Tom Preissing in Game 5.  Weird.
• It's 2007.  We've mapped the human genome.  There are microprocessors in coffee makers.  How come we can't get consistently high quality ice in NHL arenas?
• Did I mention that Chris Pronger is a dork? 

Defending Alfredsson

People are jumping all over Daniel Alfredsson for allegedly shooting the puck at Scott Niedermayer in the dying seconds of the 2nd period of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals.  Sadly, people are seeing what they want to see, not what really happened.

Watch the overhead footage from the video clip below.  Alfredsson starts his wind-up to take a long shot, but Anaheim defenceman Francois Beauchemin moves directly into the line of fire, about 8-10 feet from Alfredsson.  To avoid hitting the Anaheim player from point blank range, Alfredsson adjusts so his shot will not be blocked.  In avoiding Beauchemin, Alfredsson ends up shooting in Niedermayer's direction. 

If Alfredsson really wanted to hit an Anaheim player why wouldn't he have followed through with his initial windup and nailed Beauchemin, the player who was very close to him and directly in his line of fire?

Western Conference Interference

Lost in the suspension debate surrounding Chris Pronger's head shot on Dean McAmmond is the fact that Pronger was attempting to obstruct McAmmond on the play and slow down the Ottawa forecheck.

The Ducks play a throw-back style of hockey with elements that were supposed to disappear in the "new" NHL.  Anaheim defencemen regularly obstruct opposition forecheckers to give their partners a little extra time to retrieve dumped in pucks and start their breakout.  Ottawa coach Bryan Murray says he was warned by Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman that the Ducks got away with a lot of obstruction during the Western Conference Finals. 

Chris Pronger's Mission to Unite Canada

For a variety of reasons relating to politics and economics, relations between Eastern and Western Canadian have long been testy.  After a particularly despised energy policy was adopted by the (Ottawa-based) federal government, many Albertan's sported "Let the Eastern bastards freeze in the dark" bumper stickers to express their anger toward their Central Canadian brethren.

With a single act - a vicious elbow to the head of Ottawa centre Dean McAmmond in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals (see video above) - Pronger has united Eastern and Western Canadians, or at least Edmontonians and Ottawans, in a single cause.  Pronger earned the eternal enmity of Oiler fans when he demanded a trade after having led Edmonton to the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals.  In games 4 & 6 of this year's finals in Ottawa it is certain that Senators fans will boo and jeer Pronger as loudly and lustily as their Edmonton counterparts. 

Pronger's national unity mission is almost complete.  All that remains is for him to unleash one of his many cheap shots on a member of the Montreal Canadiens.  Cancer survivor Saku Koivu, a much loved member of the Habs, would be a good target for Pronger, but the unifying impact would be even greater were Pronger to injure or maim a French Canadian player.  The best choice is surely Francis Bouillon.  Bouillon is close to a foot shorter than Pronger.  Hitting little guys is a Pronger trademark and it has the added bonus of leading apologists like Don Cherry to argue that Pronger is being picked on because he is "handicapped" by his 6'6" stature.