Canucks defenceman Jason Garrison adjusts on the fly

By Iain MacIntyre, Vancouver Sun

DALLAS - Dan Hamhuis recalls asking general manager Mike Gillis last summer about the new guy.

“I didn’t know that much about Jason,” Hamhuis says. “The goals were the glaring thing about him, but (Mike) talked more about the defensive side of his game — being a big, strong guy, good in front of the net and in the corners. He said if we got the goals, it’s a bonus.”

Given the longtime-listener-first-time-caller hysteria when Jason Garrison managed just one goal and two points in his first 15 games, the Canucks’ fan base seemed to have different expectations.

For $27.6 million over six years, Garrison should be the next Al MacInnis or, at least, the next Adrian Aucoin. The 28-year-old from White Rock scored 16 times from the blue-line for the Florida Panthers last season, and for the kind of dough the Canucks paid for the free agent, people in B.C. weren’t going to accept one goal less. Well, they might, but only because this National Hockey League season was shortened to 48 games.

“People are looking for one thing and one thing only and they’re missing the 10 other things he does so well,” associate coach Rick Bowness says. “That’s wrong. Jason is a great guy to coach because you know what you’re going to get from him every night. He’s so reliable, such a competitive guy. For anyone to sit there and just look at his points, they’re missing a lot from what he brings to the table.

“He’s reliable every shift, plays on the power play, kills penalties, plays against the other team’s best players. He very rarely has a bad night, very rarely has a bad shift.”

And now Garrison is starting to score, too.

The six-foot-two, 220-pound defenceman has two goals, four assists and a plus-seven rating in the last seven games. Through 43 games, Garrison’s personal boxscore prorates to 13 goals, 26 points and a plus-32 rating over a full season.

The Garrison-Hamhuis partnership on defence, formed 25 games ago when Kevin Bieksa first left the lineup because of a groin injury, has become the Canucks’ best and most trusted.

In the 2-1 shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, when several Canucks looked small but Garrison did not, Hamhuis logged a season-high 28:33 of ice time and Garrison played 25:09.

The workload was due partly to Monday’s “lower body” injury to Bieksa, which has left the Canucks without any right-shot defencemen. Did we mention that Garrison, a lefty, has built his fine season while playing out of position?

“You have certain expectations but you don’t know how it’s going to pan out or how it will affect you until you’re in that situation,” Garrison says of his many adjustments, especially to the fanatical hockey market. “So, living it, it was what I expected. It’s a different market, more expectations. It’s a pressure-filled market. But guys on this team, they love that and everyone wants to play here.

“I’m definitely happy (with my season). There’s always room for improvement and I’m not complacent about the numbers I have now. I want more. I want to contribute more offensively.”

Garrison was removed from the power play for a while because he was hesitant to shoot and when he did fire missiles from the point, they rarely hit the net.

He admits it wasn’t because of a lack of confidence in his shot, but a lack of confidence about his standing on a new team. He would receive the puck on the power play and see former NHL scoring champions Henrik and Daniel Sedin awaiting passes.

“You’re just trying to fit in,” Garrison says. “And obviously with Danny and Hank, you want to put the puck in their hands as much as possible. That was kind of what was going on. But I was told by players and coaches to shoot the puck as much as I could, so that’s maybe more my mentality now.”

In the last seven games, he has registered 17 shots — nearly 2½ per night. In the first 15 games, that average was 1½ shots.

Both Garrison and first-unit power-play pointman Alex Edler are getting their shots away quicker.

The power play, stunningly ineffective in the middle of the season when it scored twice in 20 games, is 6-for-22 the last seven games.

There has never been an issue, at least to the Canucks, about Garrison’s even-strength play.

“He’s a smart player and he’s not high risk, even though he puts up a lot of big numbers,” Hamhuis says.

“It’s a little tougher for him being on that right side because it’s a double adjustment for him.

“We sit beside each other on the plane, and this was since before we were D-partners. I was talking to him (early in the season) about how things were going because it’s a tough start when you’re not getting the numbers and trying to learn a new system in the defensive zone. I’m sure that stuff was bothering him, but he didn’t let it get the best of him. He is a calm, smart guy. Look where it has got him now.”

BIEKSA SENT HOME: After travelling to Dallas, where the Canucks end their five-game road trip Thursday, Bieksa was sent home Wednesday to Vancouver to be fully evaluated by medical staff. The Canucks expect that Bieksa won’t be out long ... With extra blue-liners Andrew Alberts and Cam Barker playing because of the Bieksa and

Chris Tanev (ankle) injuries, the Canucks called up from the AHL journeyman Derek Joslin. “Because of the lockout, he never had the chance to have a training camp with us,” assistant general manager Lorne Henning said of the 26-year-old. “But he’s a good skater with NHL experience in San Jose and Carolina and a good depth defenceman.”

Mum’s the word on proposed Canucks game at BC Place Stadium

April 17, 2013.

The Vancouver Canucks won’t comment on the “grand plan.” Neither will BC Place Stadium officials. Or even the NHL itself.

The “grand plan”, as outlined Tuesday night by the league’s broadcast partner TSN, is to have six outdoor or stadium games next season, including one March 2, 2014 at BC Place Stadium between the Canucks and Ottawa Senators. On Tuesday, Canucks COO Victor de Bonis refused comment when asked by Sun columnist Iain MacIntyre. On Wednesday, we were passed from one BC Place media contact to a director of communications for PavCo and, finally, to the NHL’s Jamey Horan. Not surprisingly, Horan was unable to provide any details. “There is nothing to report. I can’t comment, sorry,” he said.

According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, there are “details that have to be worked out… contracts haven’t been signed” and the list of games is “subject to change.” But he stated this was the league’s “grand plan.”

The six proposed game are: Jan. 1, 2014 – Leafs vs Red Wings at Michigan Stadium (confirmed); Jan. 25 – Ducks vs Kings at Dodger Stadium; Jan. 26 – Devils vs Rangers at Yankee Stadium; Jan. 29 – Islanders vs Rangers at Yankee Stadium; March 1 – Penguins vs Blackhawks at Soldier Field; March 2 – Senators vs Canucks, BC Place Stadium. (The two games at Yankee Stadium are during Super Bowl Week.)

Canucks to host one of six outdoor games next season in NHL’s stadium series

Harrison Mooney,

Dan Hamhuis smiles uneasily at the thought of an outdoor game in Vancouver in March.

When the Vancouver Canucks debuted their Vancouver Millionaires jerseys back in March, we wondered aloud if the original plan had been to debut the historic duds versus the Ottawa Senators, the team the Millionaires defeated back in 1915 for Vancouver’s lone Stanley Cup.

No, we were told when asked (proving the worst thing you can ever do is ask), that had never been the plan.

That said, if the Canucks did want to sport their heritage jerseys versus the Senators, it would appear that next March will yield a golden opportunity. According to multiple reports, the league is planning to go from one outdoor game to six in 2013-14, with the sixth and final game in what’s being called a stadium series happening just next door to Rogers Arena in BC Place. Vancouver will obviously be one of the two teams. The other club: the Ottawa Senators, who have been sore about the way we stole Cyclone Taylor and then their Stanley Cup for 99 long years.

GRUDGE MATCH.

Here’s the full schedule of outdoor games, courtesy of TSN, where Darren Dreger was the first to report the NHL’s plan to make more money and ruin the Winter Classic expand:

Red Wings vs. Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium, Jan. 1

Ducks vs. Kings at Dodger Stadium, Jan. 25

Devils vs. Rangers at Yankee Stadium, Jan. 26

Islanders vs. Rangers at Yankee Stadium, Jan 29

Penguins at Blackhawks, Soldier Field, March 1

Senators at Canucks, BC Place, March 2

We’ll forgive the fact that calling a game at BC Place with the roof open an “outdoor game” is akin to opening the door to the back patio off the kitchen and claiming you’re doing some “outdoor cooking”.

Yes, we get outdoor game number six, because if The Land Before Time VI: The Secret of Saurus Rock has taught us anything, it’s that the sixth instalment in a franchise is always the one people remember.

I’m torn on this. For one thing, if you thought the weather in February wasn’t exactly conducive to the Winter Olympics, the weather in March isn’t exactly conducive to an outdoor game, either.

Additionally, as I said this morning at Puck Daddy, I absolutely hate the idea of six outdoor games next year, because it feels like a cynical cash grab cranked up to eleven (or in this case, six):

The Winter Classic has always been a cash grab, a chance to snuggle with the sponsors, to sell 10 times as many tickets as usual, and to trot out some special event merchandise that will dance off the shelves like ‘N Sync dolls come to life. This much we know. But it was still possible to enjoy all the good things about the event despite this because, in the back of our minds, we also knew that it was possible for the league to make the event even more blatantly about separating fans from their money.

Say, for instance, if they did it six times a year.

[...] It’s as though, instead of hiding five golden tickets in his chocolate bars, Willy Wonka hid 5000. It’s not quite the same movie then (especially since 4,999 kids disappearing in Wonka’s factory makes the movie very, very different). It’s not nearly as big a deal when Charlie Bucket finds one, for one thing, plus it feels a lot less like a

momentous occasion and a lot more like a cheap ploy to sell box after box of candy bars.

So you can see why Vancouver being the final stop on the NHL’s Winter Classic-ruining “Racks On Racks” tour doesn’t sit well with me.

But on the other hand, there’s no doubt that this is going to be a fun event, especially since this game, with its festival atmosphere and tripled capacity, should be a welcome change of pace from the quiet experience of watching a game in Rogers Library Arena. As much as I hate the idea of this series, I’m sure the experience of it will be something to remember.

Canucks getting into the “outdoor” game business

April 17, 2013

Jim Jamieson The Province

A long time coming? Or a cynical cash grab?

Regardless of which way you’re leaning, it appears the Canucks will be hosting an “outdoor” game next season. In March, no less, when the tulips will already be blooming.

Details are still being worked out, but the NHL and the Canucks are planning a game at B.C. Place next season that will reportedly be against the Ottawa Senators on March 2.

Vancouver Millionaires jerseys, anyone?

On Wednesday, a spokesperson for PavCo, the Crown Corporation that manages B.C. Place, deferred comment to the NHL – which, in turn, declined comment. The Canucks also declined comment on the report.

The report, which appeared on TSN on Tuesday evening, said the NHL was planning an unprecedented six outdoor games next season, up from the usual one.

They would start with a New Years Day game – featuring the Toronto-Detroit matchup at University of Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor that was cancelled this year due to the NHL lockout. Besides Canucks-Ottawa, the others would be: Jan. 25 between Los Angeles and Anaheim at Dodger Stadium; Jan. 26 between New Jersey and New York Rangers at Yankee Stadium; Jan. 29 between the Islanders and the Rangers at Yankee Stadium; and March 1 between Pittsburgh and Chicago at Chicago’s Soldier Field.

If you’re a cynical hockey purist, you might see it simply as a money grab by the NHL, which ignores the potential damage to the unique quality of the outdoor games by suddenly flooding the market with them.

But James Brander, a professor of economics at UBC’s Sauder School of Business, sees it another way:

“The outdoor games so far have made a lot of money and they generate a lot of very positive feeling about the NHL,” said Brander. “So what do you do in business when you have a successful product? You do more of it. Of course, it will in some sense cheapen the impact of any one game, but I’d bet it will be financially successful.

“You could say it’s cynical, but they’re in business to make money. I think it’s pretty smart.”

Some will question the concept of having outdoor games in mild climates s such as L.A. and Vancouver. You won’t have the cold weather ambiance but the players will still looking like ants from the cheap seats.

“Having it in Vancouver in March is a bit of a stretch and it’ll be indoors, probably with the roof closed,” said Brander. “But I think it’s an experiment. So they’ve expanded pretty broadly, including into some non-traditional places to see it if will work. If it doesn’t, they’ll scale back the next year into two or three.”

But Brander thinks the first one, at least, will be very successful in Vancouver.

“When I heard about it, the first thing I thought was, yes, I’ll go to that game,” said Brander, who’s an avid hockey fan. “You’re not going to see much, but it’s the event. It’ll be like the Olympics. It’s being part of the event. I think it’s a pretty smart marketing move.”

Vancouver hockey fans reacted enthusiastically, though with some reservations.

“I think it would be nice because the weather will be better outside,” said Anjan Kaur of Richmond. “It would be something different and I would go to the game because it wouldn’t be sold out.”

Jim Mendoza, 28, who emigrated from Glasgow, Scotland last year, wondered about the concept, but expects the game will sell out.

“I think it’s slightly gimmicky, perhaps, not like back east where hockey was traditionally played outdoors,” he said. “I’ve been in B.C. Place for a Whitecaps game and when the roof’s closed it doesn’t feel like it’s outdoors, but I think any game the Canucks play is going to be supported. You’re not going to see much, but I’m sure the place will go crazy when the Canucks score.”

Canucks Hat Trick: Willes lauds defence’s scoring depth, slams NHL officiating and trumpets a power play that showcases Kesler and Roy

April 17, 2013.

Jonathan McDonald The Province

Province Sports columnist Ed Willes weighs in with the Hat Trick — three things he’s thinking about the morning after the Canucks were taken down, in a shootout in St. Louis, Tuesday night …

1. With Alex Edler’s goal against the Blues, Canucks’ defencemen have accounted for 26 goals. That total tops the Western Conference and is within one of Montreal’s defensive corps, which has produced an NHL-leading 27 goals. The Habs are led by P.K. Subban’s 11 goals and Andrei Markov’s eight. The Canucks’ contribution is broader-based with Edler and Jason Garrison each scoring seven goals, Kevin Bieksa six, Dan Hamhuis four and Chris Tanev two. If you want to talk about the Canucks’ scoring depth, the blueline has to be mentioned.

Garrison, by the way, would be on pace for 14 goals and 28 points over an 82-game season. Throw in a plus-17 rating and the Canucks have gotten their money’s worth out of their free-agent signing last summer.

2. Don’t know where the officiating standard has gone this season but the game in St. Louis was largely a joke. Brad Watson and Brian Pochmara didn’t call much in the first period, then watched the game disintegrate into a free-for-all over the final 40 minutes.

Late in the second period, David Backes launched Keith Ballard into the boards from behind. It’s one of the most dangerous plays in hockey and it started a mini-brawl. Somehow, the Canucks came out with an extra minor when Alex Burrows interceded on Ballard’s behalf.

The play should be reviewed by Toronto. Then again, so should Watson’s and Pochmara’s night of work.

Goals are down in the NHL this season. So is the excitement. It’s not the only reason, but the lax officiating standard has a lot to do with that.

3. You might say Derek Roy and Ryan Kesler have made a difference since they’ve been added to the Canucks’ lineup. In the seven games since the deadline acquisition of Roy, the Canucks have gone 5-1-1 while scoring 24 goals. In Kesler’s five games, they’re 3-1-1 and Kesler has produced three goals and six points. The biggest difference, of course, has been the power play, which is 6-for-22 since Roy joined the team and 4-for-15 since Kesler’s return.

It’s impossible to overstate Kesler’s importance to the unit. The threat of his shot from the left-side forces the penalty-killers to play Daniel and Henrik Sedin honestly and opens up the point shots.

The Canucks, for their part, have moved up to fourth in the West in goals scored. Before the trade deadline, they’d fallen as low as 10th.

Kesler and his wicked wrister give Canucks a shot in the arm

By Jason Botchford, The Province

DALLAS — On Ryan Kesler’s most promising play this road trip, he didn’t score.

He didn’t set anyone up, and didn’t defend a pivotal scoring chance.

In fact, it’s a play that had no impact whatsoever on a game.

But when Kesler was killing a penalty late in the second period Monday in Nashville, it meant something as he skated the puck over the blueline and unleashed it with a wicked snap from 40 feet out.

The puck whizzed by Pekka Rinne, who barely budged, and ripped off the goalpost.

Kesler’s wrist shot, which had vanished for most of last season, was back. It wasn’t magic, or luck, either.

It was the product of Kesler being Kesler, hauling himself into Rogers Arena with that walking boot, the one he had on for nearly six weeks while his broken foot healed, to work on his wrist shot.

Having gone from scoring 41 goals two years ago to 22 last season, he has been out to prove the 41 was no fluke. It wasn’t quite the same as the summer he spent tearing up his garage with 100 shots a day.

“I shot a lot before I started skating with the guys,” Kesler said. “There were times I’d shoot with that boot on too.

“Being able to work on my shot while I was off has really made a difference. It’s coming into form.”

Like so much of what Kesler brings, the Canucks are going to need it.

“He plays in every situation, so he gives us strength in our special teams and on five-on-five,” Henrik Sedin said. “But most of all, with that shot, he gives us that extra offensive weapon.

“He can beat guys one-on-one. In a word, he’s a threat.”

Kesler isn’t so much the Canucks heart and soul. He’s their heart, soul, lungs, legs, muscle and guts.

Need to get the power play out of last place? Wait till Kesler returns. Need better penalty killing? Tap Kesler. Need energy, size and some push back from your players up front? By default, it’s got to Kesler, again.

Who else is it going to be?

In St. Louis, during what was the Canucks’ most merciless, playoff-like game of the season, Dale Weise played just 6:08. Tom Sestito, the Canucks biggest forward, played 3:51, and Zack Kassian was benched midway through the third.

Is that a sign of things to come?

Most people contend the Sedins could be helped if they had some sort of size on their line. The cliché theory goes, opponents would be less likely to slash, hack and punch them in the face. That could be true.

But it just may be Kesler who needs it more. Put a guy like Kassian with him and maybe Kesler doesn’t feel the need to run around initiating contact when it has no bearing on a play. Maybe he could rely on someone else to get his hands dirty. If he doesn’t have it, he tends to take it on all on his own.

That’s what he got up to in St. Louis. The Canucks were pressured into a corner where they had to show some backbone as their undersized team was getting pushed around. But with Weise, Sestito and Kassian all pinned to the bench, and Kevin Bieksa out with an injury, the “stand up for the team” sentiment fell to Kesler, Alex Burrows and Keith Ballard. Some sort of havoc was always around one of them.

In fact, Kesler grappling with Vladimir Sobotka was one of the more intense battles a Canuck has engaged in in recent weeks. He also chased down Alex Pietrangelo for a hit behind the play along the boards. And when he saw an opportunity to take a run at Barret Jackman, he went for it.

Who in the world cares about hitting Jackman? Kesler does.

If you ever doubted him when he said he wasn’t planning on changing his game despite a string of injuries over the past three seasons, just watch that play again. It was a race car driver determined to go 200 m.p.h. on a 150-m.p.h. hour track.

And that’s why the Canucks most critical objective over the last five games isn’t winning the division. It’s getting to the post-season with Kesler as healthy as possible.

“There is not one aspect of our game he doesn’t help,” Roberto Luongo said. “He just brings so much to the table.

“It’s nice to see him healthy.”

So, why then in the second game of back-backs on the road against a heavy, hard-hitting team did Kesler play nearly 23 minutes Tuesday in St. Louis?

Why is he playing that much in a brutally tough, poorly officiated game that had long stretches where it was anything goes bedlam?

Because just like Kesler, the coaching staff can’t help itself. No matter how many times the same movie plays out, they act like they’ve never seen it before.

Thing is, the rest of us know how it ends.

Gallagher: Canucks best to avoid Blues, Wings and Kings in playoffs' first round

By Tony Gallagher, The Province

The Canucks’ game in St. Louis Tuesday night certainly brought into focus the kind of team Vancouver really would like to avoid when it comes to playoff matchups.

This is not to say the Canucks wouldn’t be a solid bet to beat the Blues when they have both Kevin Bieksa and Chris Tanev back in the lineup, along with Chris Higgins, because they would almost certainly be the Vegas favourites given their clear edge in the goaltending department.

But what is the point in winning a first round series if your smaller, skilled lineup gets run over on a regular basis for at least six games? Even if they win, they’re likely to lose.

For the Canucks to have the kind of run they want in these playoffs, they need luck, pure and simple. They have to avoid injuries, the kind that murdered them in 2010-11. How do you do that if you’re getting hit by a truck on a regular basis or getting run through the end boards every time you go back for a puck if you are a defenceman, as Keith Ballard described after Tuesday's game. And let’s be clear here, there is a tendency for a first-round series to go at least six games, not many sweeps here. Remember one-third of revenue sharing payments come from first round playoff revenue so not only will having Montreal and Toronto in the playoffs be helpful this year, so also will longer series, as they are every year.

If that’s a conspiracy theory, so be it. Six or seven games with the Blues with that travel? Especially when the Canucks coach doggedly refuses to play Vancouver’s bigger players who might be able to bang back as he did Tuesday night? Not the best matchup.

Detroit of course is another team in the same boat to a large degree. While they certainly don’t present the overall physical threat to the Canucks’ well being that the Blues might, they are even further away when it comes to travel and they present two of the worst menaces in the game of hockey in Jordin Tootoo and Niklas Kronwall.

Again, Vancouver could easily win a series against Detroit despite the fact their record hasn’t been good against them, but having traveled all those miles and having lost at least one and more likely two players to these respective thugs, who needs that matchup? You’d be better off against Chicago the first round, although obviously that’s not likely to happen. You may not win that series and certainly wouldn’t be the favourite, but you’re supposed to have an edge in goal and at least the Hawks aren’t likely to cut a swath through your thin roster.

Another team the Canucks would probably prefer to avoid would be the L.A. Kings. While they are relatively close and present easy, same time-zone travel and the Vancouver record against this team has been good this year, the spectre of what happened last year would have the Kings ready to play.

And that means Dustin Brown running around with the full blessing of the league to hammer from 100 feet away at Henrik Sedin. It means most of their team running around, with the Canucks added size not much use if it doesn’t get off the bench. Jonathan Quick hasn’t played anywhere nearly as well as he did in the playoffs last year, but you don’t want to be around if and when he does.

Teams the Canucks should prefer to play? Well everyone is always profoundly aware to be careful for what they might wish for, but Minnesota hasn’t been in the playoffs for a few years and neither has Columbus should they make the postseason. So even though these teams represent a two- and three-hour time-zone change, the Canucks would have to be favorrites to win. San Jose is the closest of all the playoff teams and without Ryane Clowe and Douglas Murray, some of the Sharks' fearful size has departed ,although by no means would they be an easy out.

There are many who are not convinced the Ducks are quite for real, at least not in keeping with the No. 2 hole given they would have a lot of guys competing in their first playoff including Viktor Fasth, if they chose to go with him in goal. Teemu Selanne and

Saku Koivu are older and they present to Vancouver or any team they play the clear focus of having to shut down their big line. They’re more physical than some other teams but they’re also closer and in the same time zone.

Needless to say, this is all theory. Practice is often quite another matter.

TEAMS TO AVOID IN PLAYOFFS

1.St. Louis 2. Detroit 3.Los Angeles

TEAMS TO HOPE FOR IN PLAYOFFS

1. Columbus 2. San Jose 3.Minnesota

‘ Younger,’ ‘ faster’ Stars still in hunt for

playoffs

Stephen Hawkins Associated Press

Dallas welcomes Canucks Thursday

FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Stars traded captain Brenden Morrow, then dealt away points

leader Jaromir Jagr and Derek Roy with a focus clearly on the future.

Except the young Stars playing now still have a chance to make something happen this season.

Just more than two weeks after completing those trades, a stretch that includes a five- game

winning streak, Dallas is still in contention to make the playoffs for the first time in five years.

“It’s been exciting. It was tough losing the players that we did, but I think we came together as a

group, especially with the young guys coming in,” fourthyear centre Jamie Benn said. “I think

we’re a younger, better, faster team and we’re just going out there and having fun.”

When the Stars wrapped up practice Wednesday, they had six games remaining in the regular

season and were 10th in the Western Conference. They were only two points out of the eighth

and final playoff spot.

“We’ve responded great,” said Stephane Robidas, one of only two players remaining from the

Stars’ last playoff team in 2008.

The Stars’ five- game winning streak ended with a 5- 2 loss at Chicago Monday night, a game

tied 2- 2 in the third period. That was just less than a month after a seven- goal loss at home to

the Western Conference leader.

Dallas plays Roy’s new team, the Canucks, at home Thursday. Goaltender Kari Lehtonen is

expected back in the Stars’ lineup after missing almost four full games with a groin injury.

That is the first of four games in six days — the rest on the road, at St. Louis, Los Angeles and

San Jose. The Stars will end the regular season with home games against Columbus and Detroit,

the teams directly ahead of them in the standings right now.

The Stars traded the 41- yearold Jagr and surging centre Roy on April 2, the day before the NHL

trading deadline. That was just more than a week after Morrow waived his no- trade clause to go

to Pittsburgh from Dallas.

All three veterans will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season.

Stars president Jim Lites, in an open letter to fans, expressed the difficulty for teams “at this time

of the year is to weigh their chances of competing for the Stanley Cup against the existing

market place for veteran players, particularly veteran unrestricted free agents.”

Dallas got two young prospects from Boston, along with a second- round pick that could become

a first- rounder this summer if Jagr and the Bruins advance to the Eastern Conference finals. The

Stars got a 23- year- old defenceman and a second- round pick for Roy, and the Penguins sent a

young defenceman for Morrow.

After Morrow was traded March 24, the Stars lost three of their next four games. That included a

4- 0 loss to Anaheim the day before separate deals involving Jagr and Roy.

Ray Whitney, the 40- year- old left on the Stars’ roster, said it looked as if it could be a “long

month” to end the season after those deals were made.

CANUCKS LOOK TO CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH AGAINST STARS

TSN.ca

The Dallas Stars will hope for a quick rebound on Thursday night when they try to make up

ground in the playoff race in a meeting with the Vancouver Canucks.

The Stars had a five-game winning streak snapped with Monday's 5-2 loss to the Chicago

Blackhawks. They sit 10th overall in the Western Conference with 45 points, four back of the

eighth-seeded Columbus Blue Jackets with six games to play.

The Red Wings and Blue Jackets were both in action on Wednesday and Detroit is idle tonight,

while Columbus will visit the Los Angeles Kings.

Dallas will also look to get a spark from the return of goaltender Kari Lehtonen from a strained

groin. The Stars' No. 1 netminder had missed the past three games, but practiced on Wednesday

and will start tonight.

"Hopefully it was good to get that time off," said Lehtonen. "We have few games left here so I'm

even more excited now to play. We're in a good spot to try and climb into the playoffs."

Dallas got a pair of goals from Jaime Benn in Monday's loss, while Richard Bachman made 23

saves.

"We kept it close, but we definitely know what we have to do to be the best and beat the best,"

Benn said. "Hopefully we can just keep pushing here. We still have a chance to make the

playoffs and that's what we're going for."

Forward Alex Chiasson suffered a shoulder injury versus the Blackhawks and is expected to miss

a few days of action, while Trevor Daley did not practice on Wednesday because of an upper

body issue but could still play tonight.

Dallas will begin a three-game road trip on Friday in St. Louis before ending the season with two

straight at home.

The Canucks continue their quest for a fifth straight Northwest Division title as they sit four

points ahead of the Minnesota Wild with five games to play for both clubs. The Wild are visiting

the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.

Vancouver is 5-1-1 in its last seven games and is coming off Tuesday's 2-1 setback to the hosting

St. Louis Blues. Alex Edler had the lone goal in regulation for the Canucks, while Derek Roy

and Alex Burrows had their shootout attempts stopped.

Cory Schneider, meanwhile, yielded two goals in the tiebreaker after coming up with 35 stops

through overtime.

"We had the second game of back-to-back and they came out at us hard," said Canucks captain

Henrik Sedin about playing after a win at Nashville on Monday. "We fought back and had

chances to win it."

Vancouver wraps a five-game road trip tonight and will play its next three at home before

concluding the regular season on April 27 in Edmonton.

The Canucks have won three of four and 12 of their previous 16 meetings with the Stars while

going 5-0-1 in their past six trips to Dallas.

FRASER: WAS BURROWS' BEAR HUG TO BACKES THIRD MAN IN?

Kerry Fraser TSN.ca

Hello Kerry,

I was wondering how you would have handled the situation in the second period during the

Blues/Canucks game on Tuesday. At 15:56, David Backes and Keith Ballard dropped the gloves

to fight and before Backes could get his helmet off he was grabbed by Alex Burrows. Ballard

received two for high sticking, Burrows received a double minor for roughing, Backes received

two minutes for cross checking and two minutes for roughing. While the Blues ended up with a

power play, would you consider Burrows jumping in as a third man in? How would you have

handled the situation?

Chris Schellenbach

Kirkwood, MO

---

Hi Kerry,

In the Canucks/Blues game (that's been played with a real playoff intensity), David Backes

shoves Keith Ballard from behind into the boards awkwardly. He gets up and exchanges shoves

and a slash with Backes before both drop the gloves and while Backes is getting his helmet off,

Alex Burrows comes in and bear hugs Backes to stop a fight from happening. Would you

consider this as a third man in or, as a fight between Ballard and Backes didn't happen, the

primary altercation and therefore not an altercation?

As a referee in soccer, it's a little easier, but I was wondering what your best way to control a

game that was getting chippy? For me, I'm surprised that ten minute misconduct penalties aren't

handed out more frequently as a way to have players calm down.

Thanks,

Gareth Evans

Richmond, BC

---

Hi Kerry,

Big fan of your column. This question is in regards to discipline against the officiating crew. In

the second period of the Blues-Canucks game, one of the linesmen was separating David Backes

from an after whistle scrum. While being led away from the scrum, Keith Ballard got up close

and started jawing at Backes. I was really surprised when the linesman shoved Ballard away!

I understand that being the linesman in an NHL game is one of the most thankless jobs when it

comes to breaking up a fight, but in this case it seemed like the linesman was the instigator. My

question is are their guidelines from the league on what actions can/can't be done towards

players? Is it possible that this linesman could be sanctioned by the league?

Keep up the great work!

John, Vancouver, BC.

Chris, Gareth and John:

The letter of the law (the rule book) defines an altercation as "a situation involving two players at

least one to be penalized" (46.3). It is no coincidence that the rule is found in Rule 46 - Fighting.

When the rule was first implemented it was intended to stop brawling, which usually resulted

when a third player intervened in a fight. In the early years, a player would be ejected even when

he attempted to act as a peacemaker for something as little as grabbing a fighter's jersey. That

didn't seem to make much sense when in many cases a fight had not yet even started to rock and

roll.

The definition of a third man in - first to intervene in an altercation in progress, as stated in the

rule book at the time - changed when a situation in the playoffs occurred where two players had

dropped their gloves and squared up to fight but had not yet thrown a punch. While these two

were measuring one another, a "third man" skated up and sucker-punched his opponent and they

began to fight. Since the first fight had not technically started, the rule handcuffed the officials to

assess a game misconduct. That is when it was redefined and included the discretion of the

referee to make the determination as to when and how it would be applied.

Everyone - fans included - should want a player to earn his penalty time; especially when it

involves an ejection from the game. When "roughing" incidents involve three players, as was the

case Tuesday night, the referees will often treat them as such in the absence of a legitimate fight.

I know many will say, "but the rule says...!"

There are times when separate minor penalties would suffice. I do not believe that Tuesday night

was one of those times. While Alexandre Burrows did a perfect impersonation of a linesman

preventing a fight (Alex would hate the cut in pay), it was through his actions of jumping on the

back of David Backes with a stick held high in his hand that Backes ultimately sustained a cut to

his head. I do not believe it was Burrows' stick that caused the laceration but occurred when the

two players wrestled to the ice. Backes went down hard without his helmet, which he had

removed to fight with Keith Ballard.

The actions of Burrows clearly fell under Rule 46.16 (third man in) - "A game misconduct

penalty, at the discretion of the referee, shall be imposed on any player who is the first to

intervene (third man in) in an altercation already in progress except when a match penalty is

being imposed in the original altercation. This penalty is in addition to any other penalties

incurred in the same incident. This rule also applies to subsequent players who elect to intervene

in the same or other altercations during the same stoppage of play. Generally, this rule is applied

when a fight occurs."

Both Keith Ballard and David Backes had been fully engaged in an altercation from the very first

push into the boards that Ballard received from Backes. After hitting each other with their sticks

more than once, they agreed to drop their gloves and remove their helmets to fight.

Since you asked; I would have raised my arm immediately and signaled a boarding penalty on

David Backes for the push from behind that sent Keith Ballard awkwardly in the end boards.

Ballard deserved a cross-check for retaliating; Backes returned the favour and deserved a cross-

checking penalty as well.

As these two players squared off to fight, Alexandre Burrows deserved a double roughing minor

plus a game misconduct as the third man into the altercation and Backes would receive a

roughing minor for his part in the skirmish with Burrows.

-David Backes: 6 minutes in minor penalties

-Keith Ballard: 2 minutes

-Alexandre Burrows: 4 minutes minor plus a game misconduct

David Backes initiated this altercation with the push from behind to Ballard. There was no call

forthcoming once Backes eliminated Ballard and then had a good scoring opportunity in front of

the net.

Dear John from Vancouver:

I did not see either of the linesmen exert excessive force in the discharge of their duties and

particularly toward Keith Ballard. The linesmen received a knee/kick in the head from Burrows

as they attempted to separate the wrestling match on the ice.

What I did see was some obvious dialogue initiated by the linesmen and designed to calm the

players. As they helped the players up from the ice I couldn't help but notice that the linesmen

retained a hand on the players to control them and steer them but did so in a non-confrontational

manner. They were very effective in diffusing hostilities and keeping players separated from

each other and the referees.

The only "linesman" I would give a bad grade for improper technique in breaking up a fight was

Alexandre Burrows.

Playoff Push: Maple Leafs, Canucks can

clinch

WESTERN CONFERENCE

If the season ended today…

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (1) vs. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (8)

ANAHEIM DUCKS (2) vs. ST. LOUIS BLUES (7)

VANCOUVER CANUCKS (3) vs. MINNESOTA WILD (6)

LOS ANGELES KINGS (4) vs. SAN JOSE SHARKS (5)

Who’s already clinched? Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks.

Who can clinch tonight? The Vancouver Canucks can clinch if they beat the Dallas Stars in any

fashion.

What’d I miss? The Columbus Blue Jackets pulled ahead of the Detroit Red Wings for the

eighth spot in the West.

The Blue Jackets edged the Ducks in overtime, while the Red Wings missed out on an

opportunity to pick up two points and take advantage of the lowly Calgary Flames, losing 3-2 in

regulation on the road.

Wednesday’s game to watch:

Vancouver Canucks vs. Dallas Stars

A lot is on the line for both teams Thursday. With a win, the Canucks will clinch a playoff spot

and keep the Minnesota Wild at bay in the race for top spot in the Northwest Division.

The Stars have one game in hand on the Red Wings and two games in hand on the Blue Jackets

and are firmly in the race for the final spot in the West. To the surprise of many, the Stars have

played some of their best hockey after trading away the likes of Jaromir Jagr, Derek Roy and

Michael Ryder. Fans can watch this game on Sportsnet Pacific with coverage starting at 5 p.m.

PT.

Tonight’s sked:

Phoenix Coyotes vs. St. Louis Blues – The Blues control their own destiny, but a loss would

clump them in with the Blue Jackets, Red Wings and Stars in a race they certainly want to

distance themselves from.

Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Los Angeles Kings – The surging Blue Jackets look for their sixth

straight win, while the Kings look to remain in a position to host a first-round matchup.

Minnesota Wild vs. San Jose Sharks – A Wild regulation win would move them one spot ahead

of the Sharks for fifth in the West.

Fun fact: In their over 12-year history, the Blue Jackets have never finished within 20 points of

the Red Wings in the regular season standings.

Garrison proving reliable for Canucks

Chris Nichols Sportsnet.ca

Hockey Hearsay compiles stories from around the hockey world and runs weekdays, 12 months a

year.

GARRISON RELIABLE FOR CANUCKS

The Vancouver Sun recounts the early-season hysteria that ensued when newly-signed Canucks

defenceman Jason Garrison had one goal and two points in his first 15 games. He now has two

goals, four assists and a plus-seven rating in the last seven games.

“People are looking for one thing and one thing only and they’re missing the 10 other things he

does so well,” associate coach Rick Bowness says. “That’s wrong. Jason is a great guy to coach

because you know what you’re going to get from him every night. He’s so reliable, such a

competitive guy. For anyone to sit there and just look at his points, they’re missing a lot from

what he brings to the table.

“He’s reliable every shift, plays on the power play, kills penalties, plays against the other team’s

best players. He very rarely has a bad night, very rarely has a bad shift.”

Garrison offered this of his many adjustments, especially to the fanatical hockey market: “You

have certain expectations but you don’t know how it’s going to pan out or how it will affect you

until you’re in that situation. So, living it, it was what I expected. It’s a different market, more

expectations. It’s a pressure-filled market. But guys on this team, they love that and everyone

wants to play here.

“I’m definitely happy (with my season). There’s always room for improvement and I’m not

complacent about the numbers I have now. I want more. I want to contribute more offensively.”

KOVALCHUK’S SEASON COULD BE FINISHED

The Star-Ledger asserts it is not something the Devils want to contemplate, but by this weekend

the season could be over for Ilya Kovalchuk, as well as the entire team.

Kovalchuk (right shoulder) will not play in Thursday night’s game against the Philadelphia

Flyers at Wells Fargo Center and it is not inconceivable that the team would consider shutting

him down for the remainder of the season if they are mathematically eliminated from playoff

contention by the weekend.

A conversation between the winger and coach after practice Wednesday was the determining

factor in the winger being ruled out for Thursday.

“Not just (the) conversation. A conversation and what I saw in practice,” coach Pete DeBoer

said. “It’s a daily evaluation, and he’s not ready yet. And we’re not going to put him in a spot

where he can do more damage or he’s not comfortable.”

PENGUINS CAUTIOUS WITH INJURED STARS

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review relays that Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said he has full

confidence in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Paul Martin and James Neal — each injured and

out of the lineup against Montreal on Wednesday night — even if they do not play for the

Penguins before the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“There’s benefit in playing hockey games … when you haven’t played for a stretch of games,”

Bylsma said. “But we’re talking about players who are good hockey players and can get in

games and be factors in games, (and) I think they’re going to do that in their first game whenever

it is; be that Game 47 (of the regular season) or Game 1 (of the playoffs).”

Martin (broken thumb) and Crosby (broken jaw) have not played since the final days of March.

Neal (concussion) has been out since early April. Malkin (right shoulder) has missed the last two

games, but the re-aggravation of this particular injury has weakened his shot and left him

frustrated.

There is a possibility that none of the injured players would get into one of the Penguins’ five

remaining regular-season games — though all have said privately they would like to play at least

once before the playoffs.

Bylsma provided a strong hint as to where things stand with Crosby, Malkin, Neal and Martin.

“There’s going to be no thought of rushing those players back to get an opportunity to play that

game before the playoffs,” he said.

REDMOND’S RESCUERS TO RECEIVE HONOUR

The Winnipeg Free Press reports St. John Ambulance will honour the members of the Jets who

helped save the life of defenceman Zach Redmond after he suffered a severe cut from a skate

during a practice in February.

Player Anthony Peluso, assistant coach Perry Pearn and therapist Lee Stubbs will be honoured at

the residence of Lt-Gov. Philip Lee on May 28. The trio’s quick response to stop the gushing

flow of blood helped prevent a worse fate for Redmond.

They will be honoured along with other Manitobans who performed acts of heroism in the past

year to save lives.

Redmond, 24, required surgery to repair damage to his femoral artery and the nerves and tendons

in his right leg. He’s been back on the ice for about two weeks in Winnipeg and the Jets

announced Wednesday they have decided to put Redmond into action by sending him on a

conditioning stint to the AHL. Redmond will join the St. John’s IceCaps for their final three

regular-season games.

LEAFS APPRECIATE PHANEUF

The Toronto Sun supposes the sense prevails that Leafs fans often aren’t comfortable with giving

captain Dion Phaneuf the kind of recognition he deserves.

What the fans might think of the captain isn’t worrying Leafs management.

“I think he gets the recognition from the people who matter to him and who matter to us,” Leafs

vice-president of hockey operations Dave Poulin said. “He gets it from his teammates, he gets it

from his peers and he gets it from us. I would be very confident that Dion would answer in the

manner that he is not concerned about that.

“Ask the players who play against him. He is not easy to play against. Every night.”

MACDONALD MAXIMIZES CHANCE WITH FLAMES

Michigan Live points out it is important for Calgary Flames goaltender Joey MacDonald,

claimed on waivers by the team back in February, to show what he can do during a contract year.

He wouldn’t have played this much in Detroit.

“It’s disappointing. I spent a lot of time there. I know I belong there,” MacDonald said. “Things

went kind of downhill when they signed Jonas. But, it’s the way it is.

“I look back now, I played 18 games already. If I was there, I wouldn’t have played that many

games. It’s a contract year. It worked out in the best. Great bunch of guys here and I like it a lot.

I think there’s a bright future here. Hopefully I’ll be a part of it.”

CAPUANO FUELS ISLES’ SUCCESS

Newsday posits that Islanders coach Jack Capuano’s restrained attitude on the bench is what the

fans see; what his players see can be different.

“Each year, each group of guys is different,” Capuano said. “The most important thing you can

do as a coach, I believe, is to know each of your guys and what makes them tick. Then you know

how to handle things when it’s going good or bad.”

But, just as his young players say they’ve accomplished nothing yet despite their best percentage

record in six seasons, Capuano doesn’t feel vindicated by quieting his doubters.

“When you hear from other coaches that your guys are working hard, that’s a good thing,” said

Capuano, who was a minor-league teammate of Devils coach Peter DeBoer and Ducks coach

Bruce Boudreau and is a longtime friend of Panthers coach Kevin Dineen. “But this is about the

players. Us as coaches, we’re not out there sacrificing our bodies to block a shot or taking a hit to

make a play. The players are the ones who have earned whatever praise we’ve gotten.”

SUTTER TO KEEP PLAYING PENNER

The Los Angeles Times points out that Kings winger Dustin Penner has two goals in 29 games

this season.

Coach Darryl Sutter seems inclined to use his playbook from last season in terms of how he’ll

handle the enigmatic forward.

“We’re trying to make the playoffs here,” he said Wednesday after practice. “And similar to last

year where we just made a decision later in the year that we were going to play him and let him

… basically see what happens.

Sutter added: “There’s no deep, dark answer or anything like that. That’s what we’re trying to

do. How’s he played? He hasn’t played well enough. But that’s obvious — we’ve played 40

games and he’s got two goals.”

LEHTONEN COULD RUN THE TABLE

The Dallas Morning News reports Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen was on the ice for full practice

Wednesday and said he’s ready to get back into the lineup after missing a little more than three

games with a sore groin.

He’ll probably start the remaining six games if he’s healthy and the Stars are still in the playoff

race. Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said he expects a lot of battle from Lehtonen.

“He’s very quietly competitive,” Gulutzan said. “He’s an elite talent, a competitive guy, he has a

strong desire to `part the seas,’ so to speak. He wants to make sure he gets this thing done. His

health has improved dramtically in the last three days, and I know he has the ability to take this

team where it needs to go.”

MARKSTROM CONTINUES TO LEARN

The Sun-Sentinel asserts that with Jose Theodore’s contract expiring and Scott Clemmensen, 35,

expected to back up next season, the Florida Panthers’ starting job is Jacob Markstrom’s to lose.

“This summer is going to be big for him,” goaltender coach Robb Tallas said. “He needs to work

on video, go home, continue to grow and come back for a fresh start. There are no guarantees in

this league. You’ve got to earn spots.”

Tallas said Markstrom must use every goal against as a learning tool to improve.

“You’ve got to understand how good this league is and he has an opportunity to rise to the

occasion,” Tallas said. “When we look at the goals and they’re honest goals, you can walk away

understanding; but if you’re making the same repetitive mistakes then there are some changes

needed.

“We’re trying to keep his confidence right now. It’s difficult, there’s a lot of scoring chances

going against us. At the same time, he has to make the big save to turn the game around.”

ABDELKADER THRIVES IN TOP-SIX ROLE

The Detroit Free Press notes that to Red Wings coach Mike Babcock, Justin Abdelkader is the

team’s best success story this season. Here’s a guy who was penned in to center the fourth line

and kill penalties when the season began, and instead he’s spent the past two months as the puck-

retriever for Pavel Datsyuk, playing 16-to-18 minutes a night and racking up nine goals.

“That’s a home run for him,” Babcock said. “He’s an every day-er. He plays every night.”

Abdelkader is succeeding in the role last held by Tomas Holmstrom: Going into corners, digging

out the puck, getting it to Datsyuk, or maybe Henrik Zetterberg, sometimes even Johan Franzen,

and then going to the net.

“The reason he gets to play with Pav is, Pav likes him,” Babcock said of Abdelkader. “He gets

him the puck back, he’s at the net, and he gets out of the way. He’s not confused with what his

role is.

“Lots of people think you should have another real skilled guy playing with him. Well, that’s

Zetterberg or that’s Franzen. But it’s not three guys who want the puck. Pav wants it, he wants

someone to give it to him, that’s what Abby does.”

REPORT: WILD’S AHL FRANCHISE TO MOVE

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports an announcement that the Minnesota Wild’s American

Hockey League affiliate, the Houston Aeros, is moving to Des Moines to become the Iowa Wild

is expected Thursday, April 18, a source with knowledge of the situation indicated.

Overseers of the Toyota Center, where the Aeros play home games, decided they could make

more money by hosting concerts and other events. After they informed the Wild that the rent

would be raised for Aeros games, the Wild began a search for a new home that included Kansas

City and Wichita.

Duhatschek: Additional outdoor games are

too much of a good thing

ERIC DUHATSCHEK

ast May, as the Los Angeles Kings made their unexpected run to the Stanley Cup final, there was

already talk of hosting an outdoor hockey game at Dodger Stadium.

This was before the lockout, when the 2013 Winter Classic was still a go and when the NHL was

already asking for expressions of interest from teams for its 2014 outdoor schedule.

The Kings wanted one and so, it turns, did almost every other team in the NHL. Response to the

idea proved to be overwhelming, something commissioner Gary Bettman acknowledged last

month, when he noted “there’s tons of interest in a lot of places for lots of games.”

If that wasn’t proof enough of the NHL’s intentions to ramp up its outdoor schedule, there was

also this from Bettman: “The concept of the outdoor game has taken on larger proportions than

anybody has imagined, not just as the terrific national property it is for us on New Year’s Day,

but as a local in-market event.

“It has been nothing short of fabulous and transformational.”

In Bettman’s world, if something is nothing short of fabulous and transformational, then there is

no such thing as too much of a good thing. So even if the NHL was being carefully non-

committal about reports circulating this week – that the league could host up to six outdoor

games next season – you can be sure that’s exactly what is in the works.

There will be the rescheduled Winter Classic (already announced for Jan. 1, 2014, between the

Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor). There will be

another Heritage Classic (the third), hosted by the Vancouver Canucks in early March. And there

will be one that will surely intrigue – at Dodger Stadium, towards the end of January, between

the Kings and Anaheim Ducks.

When the idea of an L.A. game was first broached, the question on everybody’s mind was: How

do you play outdoors where the average temperature in late January tends to be a balmy 20 C?

After all, it has been hard enough to make good ice in some of the cold-weather cities that have

hosted the Winter Classic (remember Pittsburgh, the rain and the hit on Sidney Crosby?). There

have been issues with rain, with wind and with the glare of the sun on the ice, not to mention

times when freezing temperatures made it was almost too cold to play.

But Los Angeles Dodgers president Stan Kasten, who used to run the Atlanta Thrashers, made it

clear when the first reports were circulating: “Facility-wise, we could certainly handle it.”

And let’s face it, they played an NHL exhibition game in the parking lot at Caesar’s Palace in

Las Vegas in 1991, when the ice-making technologies weren’t nearly as evolved as they are now;

where the temperatures were closing in on 32 C at puck drop; and where the biggest issue were

the grasshoppers that scooted onto the ice through the Zamboni entrance and were immediately

popsicled in the slushy deteriorating ice.

If they could make it work then and there, they can certainly do it today in L.A., where they’ll

play the game at night to keep the outside temperatures as cool as possible.

As a concept, outdoor games have been exceptionally well-received, beginning with the one in

Edmonton in 2003, and continuing with the first official Winter Classic, at Ralph Wilson

Stadium in Orchard Park on New Year’s Day in 2008, between the Buffalo Sabres and

Pittsburgh Penguins.

The players, coaches, teams, fans and television audiences all embraced the concept. A league

that gets little credit for creative marketing hit a home run.

In 2011, the NHL played two outdoor games, one in Pittsburgh, one in Calgary (Heritage

Classic). It was a monumental undertaking and put a lot of stress on equipment and staff – from

ice-maker Dan Craig to everybody involved in handling the logistics.

So one game, brilliant. Two games, doable. Three, a stretch, but who doesn’t want to see how

outdoor hockey looks in Chavez Ravine? But six?

Six seems like overkill.

Six takes a special event and turns it into something routine.

Six outdoor games looks like a cash grab because, hey, let’s face it, those tickets will sell fast as

a “local in-market event.”

For the teams lucky enough to be the host, it’s the equivalent of two extra dates at the box office.

And since the lockout was all about increasing the NHL’s overall revenues – so the players

won’t feel the sting of going down to a 50/50 split nearly as much – this initiative will certainly

increase revenues, short-term anyway.

Measuring the long-term effect of so many outdoor games will be more challenging.

Part of what makes an outdoor game so compelling is the novelty factor.

When the first one was played at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium, it was so cold it took the

hardiest of fan, wearing the most insulating of winter clothes, to sit through the afternoon alumni

game and the evening main attraction. Jose Theodore famously wore a tuque over his goalie

mask.

Most people would endure those sorts of conditions once. Likely far fewer would put up with

them twice. If they play six a year for the next six years, pretty soon every team in the league

will have hosted a couple and then where are you?

It just makes more sense to keep it as a special event, something you can point to annually on the

hockey calendar and say, ‘gotta set aside time for that.’ The minute it becomes a choice of six,

then suddenly, the dilution starts – and who knows where it could end?

The NHL just might be killing its golden goose.