On the day that Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty was released from hospital, the National Hockey League received a threat from Air Canada regarding advertising.

The airline sent a strongly-worded letter to NHL officials, threatening to pull the plug on sponsorship if the league continues to take such a half-hearted stand on disciplining players. The letter brought up issues of injuries as of late, including the increase in hits to players’ heads, and reportedly demanded “immediate and serious” action be taken by the NHL.

“From a corporate social responsibility standpoint, it is becoming increasingly difficult to associate our brand with sports events which could lead to serious and irresponsible accidents,” Air Canada said.

Denis Vandal, Air Canada’s director of marketing communications, sent the letter.

Tim Hortons has also spoken out on the matter, but it hasn’t threatened to pull the plug on sponsorship just yet. In their statement, the company encouraged “the NHL, the teams and general managers and the NHL Players’ Association to continue to work towards addressing concerns with head injuries.”

In response to the Air Canada threat, NHL boss Gary Bettman was defiant. “It is the prerogative of our clubs that fly on Air Canada to make other arrangements if they don’t think Air Canada is giving them the appropriate level of service,” he said, ignoring the fact that the airline also has naming rights for the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Alan Middleton, a marketing professor at York University’s Schulich School of Business, rightly called the commish’s response as “childish bravado.” Indeed, the NHL is struggling – again – with its image and Bettman has chosen to downplay the clear issues time and time again. And the potential for a domino effect, one that takes other sponsors away from the league, could be damaging beyond belief.

Instead of playing chicken with advertisers, Mr. Bettman must ensure that he takes the issue of unwarranted hockey violence seriously. If he does not, the fallout could prove more damaging than anything in recent NHL history.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Fantasy Hockey News

The Ontario Teachers Pension Plan says that it may sell its 66 percent, announcing the possibility in a rather brief press release issued Saturday night.

To Toronto Maple Leafs executives, the news didn’t seem to develop a ripple. CEO Richard Peddie didn’t seem to care and the players were concentrated more on the task at hand, an eventual 4-3 victory over the visiting Buffalo Sabres, than any sort of sales talk.

Even so, the news brings up some interesting feelings. It was the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan that as recently as December said that they had no interest in selling its investment in Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment. MLSE owns the Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC soccer franchise, and the Toronto Marlies in the AHL.

The rest of the MLSE breakdown is as follows: Kilmer Sports, controlled by businessman Larry Tanenbaum, holds about 20.5 percent. TD Capital holds the remaining 13.5 percent.

According to a December report in the Financial Post, the shares held by the Teachers Pension Plan are worth about billion. Montreal’s La Presse says that the Teachers Pension Plan is hoping to move the stake for about .3 billion, which is interestingly the same figure as what Rogers Communications offered when they wanted to buy the shares initially.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Fantasy Hockey News

Former Buffalo Sabre and member of the French Connection line Rick Martin has died of a heart attack on Sunday. He was 59.

Martin was pronounced dead at a suburban hospital in Buffalo shortly after 1 pm. His death occurred about a half hour after the car he was driving crossed the centre line on the road and stuck a utility pole on the side before stopping against a tree. Witnesses said that Martin was seen “driving with his head slumped and eyes closed” prior to the crash.

People tried CPR on Martin, but he was unresponsive.

“Rick was not only one of the greatest players in franchise history, he was a great friend to the Sabres organization and entire community,” read a statement released by the Sabres organization. “The thoughts and prayers of the entire Sabres organization go out to his wife, Mikey, and their two sons, Corey and Josh.”

“We lost a heck of a guy today,” head coach Lindy Ruff said prior to Sabres’ Sunday game. “It’s tough when you lose anybody, and we lost a real good person today. It’s a tough one to take.”

The team played a tribute to Martin prior to puck drop.

Martin was picked by the Sabres fifth overall in the 1971 NHL Entry Draft. The following season he scored what was then a rookie record of 44 goals, resonating instantly with fans as a part of the French Connection line with centre Gilbert Perrault and Rene Probert. Martin, born in LaSalle in Quebec, would spend a over ten seasons in Buffalo before suffering a severe knee injury in November of 1980.

He was eventually traded to the Los Angeles Kings but only suited up for four games with that club.

Martin finished his career with 384 goals and 317 assists for 701 points in 685 career NHL games. He also registered 24 goals and 29 assists for 53 points in 63 career playoff games. He was a five-time 40 goal scorer and passed the 50 goal mark twice. In the 1974-1975 NHL season, Martin produced 95 points.

He currently holds the Buffalo Sabres record of 21 three goal games and has more career goals than any left winger in franchise history.

Interestingly, Martin skated along with his French Connection linemates just last month prior to a Sabres home game against the Atlanta Thrashers. It was a welcoming ceremony for new team owner Terry Pegula (see photo above – Martin is #7).

“We had a lot of plans in the future for these guys, I guess we’ll just have an empty chair around, but it’ll be there,” Pegula said.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Fantasy Hockey News

Gary Bettman negotiated a five year extension to his contract with the National Hockey League in November and news has just now come out about it.

The Globe and Mail has just reported that Bettman received an extension paying him .2 million annually for “running” the NHL. The extension was approved by the nine member executive commission unanimously.

“Old news. I believe my contract has been extended four times, each time with the approval of the board of governors,” Bettman confirmed in typical snarky, unprofessional fashion.

This “old news” emerges during what is quickly becoming a very trying time for his hockey league. Advertisers are threatening to pull the plug on key sponsorship arrangements and Bettman is standing around like a child, insisting that injuries to the likes of Max Pacioretty are “just part of the game.”

“It was a horrific injury, we’re sorry that it happened in our fast-paced physical game, but I don’t think whether or not supplemental discipline was imposed would change what happened and in fact the people in the game who I have heard from almost to a person…believe that it was handled appropriately by hockey operations,” Bettman said regarding the incident.

The statement about “supplemental discipline” not “changing what happened” kind of undoes the very notion of supplemental discipline, doesn’t it? Why suspend at all? Throwing Trevor Gillies away for 10 games after he hit Cal Clutterbuck from behind didn’t “change what happened,” so why do it? Heck, why have penalties at all? They don’t “change what happened.”

Even while Bettman was eschewing his strange notions of discipline, more than a few NHLers were speaking out.

The situation was so heated that Henrik Sedin even spoke out. Yes, Henrik Sedin. “You tell (everyone) Chara has no history (of illegal hits), so the next time he does it he still has no history because he didn’t get suspended (for hitting Pacioretty). I don’t see the reasoning behind it,” said Hank. “Give him at least something to show that’s not acceptable.”

Bettman, of course, will casually dismiss any criticism of his game. He usually does. With a pile of injured players, including the league’s very best, and an ugly, convoluted situation carrying out day after day in Phoenix, his legacy is becoming more obscene by the moment. If that’s worth .2 million a year, I must’ve lost my mind.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Fantasy Hockey News

The National Hockey League has elected not to suspend Boston Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara for his hit on Montreal Canadien Max Pacioretty. Chara wasn’t fined, either.

“I conducted a hearing with Boston Bruins’ defenceman Zdeno Chara with respect to the major penalty for interference and game misconduct that he was assessed at 19:44 of the second period for a hit on Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens,” NHL vice-president of hockey operations Mike Murphy.

“After a thorough review of the video I can find no basis to impose supplemental discipline. This hit resulted from a play that evolved and then happened very quickly – with both players skating in the same direction and with Chara attempting to angle his opponent into the boards,” Murphy said. “I could not find any evidence to suggest that, beyond this being a correct call for interference, that Chara targeted the head of his opponent, left his feet or delivered the check in any other manner that could be deemed to be dangerous. This was a hockey play that resulted in an injury because of the player colliding with the stanchion and then the ice surface. In reviewing this play, I also took into consideration that Chara has not been involved in a supplemental discipline incident during his 13-year NHL career.”

Pacioretty suffered a severe concussion and fractured vertebrae on the so-called “hockey play.”

The Habs forward spoke to TSN’s Bob McKenzie on Wednesday evening. “I am upset and disgusted that the league didn’t think enough of (the hit) to suspend him,” Pacioretty said. “I’m not mad for myself, I’m mad because if other players see a hit like that and think it’s okay, they won’t be suspended, then other players will get hurt like I got hurt.”

Murphy had a telephone conversation with Chara earlier on Wednesday and the decision was announced later on.

“It’s been hard, obviously I feel bad about what happened,” said Chara. “I was trying to make a strong hockey play and play hard. It’s very unfortunate that (Pacioretty) got hurt and had to leave the game. It is in my mind.”

“I heard (Chara) said he didn’t mean to do it. I felt he did mean to do it. I would feel better if he said he made a mistake and that he was sorry for doing that, I could forgive that, but I guess he’s talking about how I jumped up or something. I believe he was trying to guide my head into the turnbuckle. We all know where the turnbuckle is. It wasn’t a head shot like a lot of head shots we see but I do feel he targeted my head into the turnbuckle,” responded Pacioretty.

Pacioretty told McKenzie that he doesn’t remember anything about the hit and gained his opinion on it through watching replays. He only recalls being loaded on to the stretcher.

If there’s good news in this, it’s that Pacioretty says he’s feeling a lot better. “My head feels clear, which is good. I haven’t got a headache or been nauseous from the concussion. I am much better today than last night. I was starting to look at my life and I wondered if this was really something I wanted to be doing (playing hockey), but there’s no question today, once I started to feel better, I was crazy to even think that because I obviously want to play,” he said.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Fantasy Hockey News

Calgary Flames captain Jarome Iginla has received a lot of criticism over the years, so it’s hard to keep in mind just how consistent a player he is.

With his penalty shot goal in the second period of Sunday night’s 3-2 victory of the Nashville Predators, Iginla scored his 30th goal of the season. He also entered the history books, again, by becoming just the 10th player in National Hockey League history to score 30 goals in 10 or more consecutive seasons.

Iginla joins a tremendous club that includes Phil Esposito, Bobby Hull, Wayne Gretzky, Marcel Dionne, Mike Bossy, Jari Kurri, Darryl Sittler, Mike Gartner, and Jaromir Jagr.

Jagr is the most recent player to top the list. He, along with Gartner, both top it at 15 consecutive seasons.

“I definitely feel extremely blessed to hit that and be able to do it 10 years,” Iginla said. “It’s something that when I started out, I never would have dreamt that.”

Amazingly, Iginla was zero for five in his career on penalty shots at home and one for seven overall. “I’ve been working on some moves with Tangs [Alex Tanguay], he’s been showing me stuff, and Olli (Jokinen),” Iginla said. “I figured I was going to go in and try a move and fortunately it worked tonight.”

Iginla is, without question, one of the most consistent players in Canadian hockey history. Even with the criticism over the past couple of seasons, much of it rightly warranted, he can still be counted on to put the puck in the net more often than not.

“You do have to be lucky. You do have to be fortunate. Also, to play a lot of good minutes and with a lot of good players,” Iginla said.

Photo c/o Reuters.

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Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Fantasy Hockey News

New York Islanders forward Trevor Gillies has been suspended for 10 games for his hit from behind on Cal Clutterbuck of the Minnesota Wild. The hit came Wednesday night as the two teams faced off in Long Island.

The league held an in-person hearing with Gillies on Friday in Toronto.

“By targeting his opponent’s head, three shifts into his first game back from a suspension for a very similar action, Mr. Gillies has forfeited his privilege of playing in the league for 10 games,” said Colin Campbell. “While it is fortunate there was no injury on the play, there can be no justification for a player delivering a dangerous check to an opponent in this manner.”

Gillies has also been pegged as a “repeat offender” as per the terms of the collective bargaining agreement. He hasn’t done himself any favours thanks to his goon-like antics during the recent brawl between his Islanders and the Pittsburgh Penguins, so this suspension is hardly surprising.

Not only that, but the hit came in the first game back from Gillies’ previous nine game suspension. Good grief.

Here’s the hit:

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Fantasy Hockey News

The Ottawa Senators are continuing their remodelling and have sent Alex Kovalev to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a conditional seventh-round pick.

The conditions are outlined by TSN: “If Pittsburgh wins the first round of the playoffs and Kovalev plays in at least 50 percent of the games, the pick becomes a sixth-round selection.”

For Kovalev, he was happy to get an opportunity to be in the post-season. “I’m excited to go to Pittsburgh and play in the playoffs again,” said Kovalev. “It’s been awhile.”

Kovalev hasn’t done too well since arriving in Ottawa and has been disappointed in his time as a Senator. With a two year contract worth million to live up to, the bar was set pretty high. Even with the disappointment, Kovalev has no regrets.

“It’s too bad I couldn’t show myself as a good player in Ottawa, but I still had a great time here surrounded by a good organization and a great group of guys here,” he said.

For Sens GM Bryan Murray, the issue seemed to be about a lack of comfort in Ottawa and with head coach Cory Clouston. “I don’t know if it was him and Cory only or the role that he was given here. As a coach you have to define each and every player and where they fit. For Alex it didn’t seem to work, so he moves,” said Murray.

Murray asserted that Kovalev didn’t have an unkind word to say about the coach, however. “He didn’t say anything about Cory or about anybody. He just said he was sorry it didn’t work better here,” said Murray.

So now Kovalev moves to a team that he once played for but has very little familiarity for in a modern context. “The team has changed a lot since I’ve been there,” said Kovalev. “(Evgeni) Malkin is the only guy I’ve played with on the National team but he’s injured.”

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Fantasy Hockey News

After what seemed like an eternity of speculation, the Toronto Maple Leafs have finally traded Tomas Kaberle to the Boston Bruins.

Kaberle’s 12 seasons as a Leaf came to an end in exchange for prospect Joe Colborne, the Bruins’ first-round pick in 2011 and a conditional second-round draft pick in 2012.

“On behalf of our entire organization I would like to thank Tomas for all of his many outstanding contributions to the Toronto Maple Leafs on the ice, and in the community,” said Brian Burke. “He has been a model citizen and it’s never easy to trade a player that has conducted himself as professionally as Tomas has for the past 13 years.”

Kaberle leaves the Maple Leafs as the second-highest scoring defenceman in team history, behind Borje Salming with a total of 83 goals and 437 assists in 878 games. Says TSN, “Kaberle has played in 77 career post-season games. He also represented the Maple Leafs at four NHL All-Star Games and he participated in the past three Winter Olympic Games for the Czech Republic.”

Kaberle will be an unrestricted free agent in summer and the Bruins will pay off the rest of his .25 million contract.

Colborne, meanwhile, is set to report to the Toronto Marlies.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Fantasy Hockey News

NHL boss Gary Bettman says he has no interest in getting into a “public debate” with Mario Lemieux on the topic of league discipline.

“I have the utmost respect and regard for Mario Lemieux, but we’re not going to engage in a public debate on this,” Bettman said prior to Thursday night’s game between Detroit and Tampa Bay. “We are very comfortable with the way the league responded to Friday night’s game (between the Penguins and Islanders).”

It’s hardly surprising news, as Bettman doesn’t make it a habit to get into discussions of merit with other league luminaries. What may be surprising here is that Bettman didn’t level a fine at Lemieux in some capacity.

Many critics have rightly suggested that Lemieux may be suffering from a bit of hypocrisy, but if one puts that aside for a moment it’s hard to argue with the former player’s point.

It’s a smart move for Bettman, for a change, to avoid getting into a public war of words with one of the league’s most respected entities. Lemieux, for his perceived faults, damn sure meant what he said and the frustration he feels is evidence whether he’s paying Matt Cooke or not.

“We must make it clear that those kinds of actions will not be tolerated and will be met with meaningful disciplinary action. If the events relating to Friday night reflect the state of the league, I need to re-think whether I want to be a part of it,” said Lemieux about the brawl.

Discipline does need to be examined and Friday’s poor excuse for a hockey game only serves to highlight just how inconsistent and sloppy the league has been with punishment this year. Say what you want about the source of Lemieux’s commentary, but the man has a point.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Fantasy Hockey News