There’s been a whole bunch of discussion on this topic in the last couple of years, and the NHL board of governors is reportedly exploring ways to eliminate dangerous hits from the game. As far as I’m concerned, the rules are already there to penalize the problem hits.

For example, Matt Cooke’s hit on Marc Savard a few nights ago:

And section 21.1 of the NHL rule book:

A match penalty shall be imposed on any player or goalkeeper who deliberately attempts to injure an opponent in any manner.

That looked to me like a deliberate attempt to injure an opponent. 100% of the contact on that hit was directed to the head of an unsuspecting player. If we can’t call that an attempt to injure, then we might as well just tear that page out of the rule book.

Exhibit B, Richards on Booth:

Very similar to the Cooke hit in that the brunt of the contact is targeting the head. In both instances, this is entirely avoidable by the player delivering the hit (that is to say, the contact could have been made shoulder-to-shoulder had the delivering player made the effort to target the hit in that way).

For the sake of comparison:

Toews receives a suicide pass, Mitchell delivers a solid hit. No infraction in my books.

I’m all for rules that protect players and reduce injuries, and I certainly believe there is a problem with head shots in hockey; however, I don’t understand why we need to explore adding more rules to address this. To me, the answer is simple: make it clear that directing a hit to the head of an opponent is considered an attempt to injure, and start assessing match penalties and suspensions to the guys who are endangering the safety of their colleagues.

Sutter’s been a busy guy this weekend. TSN is reporting another deal by the Flames’ GM, this one sending Jokinen and Prust to the Rangers for Chris Higgins and Ales Kotalik.

I think Sutter is sending out a message loud and clear today; that message being: “I’m cutting lose the deadweight”.

When Dion Phaneuf scored on a one-timer to put the Flames up 4-1 on the Oilers last night, I couldn’t help but wonder how many more times we would see Phaneuf celebrating as a Flame. Daryl Sutter didn’t keep me waiting long for the answer.

I won’t belabour the details of the trade, since you can get those from any of a variety of reputable (or not) news sources. I do have some thoughts of my own to add to the analysis, though.

It’s all about goals

This is a very simplified take on things, but take a look at the goals scored among the players traded in this deal. Phaneuf and Sjostrom total 11 goals, while the foursome on their way to Calgary have tallied 47 this season (point totals are 28 and 108, respectively). Obviously there are plenty more variables at play here, but one thing is obvious to me: this trade is meant to address Calgary’s scoring troubles. Matt Stajan’s 41 point immediately make him the Flames’ second-leading scorer, trailing only Jarome Iginla (by 10 points), and leading Rene Bourque by a single point. This leads me to agree with Pierre McGuire; on NBC this morning he called this trade a great short-term deal for the Flames, but good in the long-term for the Leafs. Obviously there’s the whole prospect thing at play where Aulie is concerned, but I suspect that McGuire is suggesting Phaneuf will pay dividends in Toronto as well. I’m not so sure…

Phaneuf in Toronto

Dion Phanuef strikes me as the type of player who is susceptible to distraction and pressure. If you’re a Maple Leaf, Toronto boasts distractions and pressure aplenty; I don’t think Toronto is the change of scenery that this guy needs. My prediction is that he will be wearing a different team’s colours within three years. Much like Joe Thornton, I think Dion Phaneuf would benefit from the obscurity of playing in a non-traditional hockey market.

The dollars and cents

The Flames have been making use of pretty much their full cap space since the beginning of the salary cap era. How does this deal affect the cap situation? In short, it frees up 4.25 million dollars for next season. Between Sjostrom and Phaneuf, the Flames are moving $7.25 million, and in return are accepting $6.93 million in return; however, Stajan, Mayers, and White are all free agents after this year (White being RFA, currently making $850,000). This means that Hagman is the only player committed to beyond next season. Meanwhile, the Flames rid themselves of Phaneuf’s $6.5 million cap hit that extends to 2014. This certainly opens up more opportunities for what Sutter can do in the off-season (spoiler: Bourque and Giordano get their earned raises AND stay in Calgary).

The verdict

The writing has been on the wall for a while where Phaneuf is concerned. Despite the repeated denials by Sutter and Phaneuf, you got the feeling that something was going to go down. By trading for several players like this as opposed to trying to land a one-for-one marquee deal or a high cost rental (ie. Kovalchuk), Sutter is spreading out the risk at the cost of potential impact. This deal should immediately give the Flames some improved scoring depth, dipping into an area where they already have considerable talent in order to pay for it. In the long-term it allows them to unload a contract that is starting to look overpriced. Ultimately, this trade gets my approval for that reason.

What next?

Think Sutter’s going to call it quits after this deal? I doubt it. I tend to agree with Kent Wilson over on Matchsticks and Gasoline about Martin Biron being an attractive target as a back-up for Kipper. I’ve heard some positive sentiment towards Curtis McElhinney lately, but consider this quote from Kent’s article:

Curtis McElhinney is currently 71st in the league in terms of ES SV%. That’s the single worst 5on5 save rate of any goalie that has appeared in 10 games this year.

It would make sense to add a little insurance if this team wants to be a serious contender.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming

Hey, did you hear we won a game last night? And we scored six goals. It was against the Oilers, so take it for what it’s worth, but still, it’s nice to break out of that rut. On the topic of that game, I think Sheldon Souray would be well advised to stay away from Jarome Iginla; nothing good comes of that (so far this season: concussion and fractured hand). Come to think of it, he should maybe try to avoid fighting altogether (see: fight with Byron Ritchie where he suffered a separated shoulder).

I imagine we’ll get a look at the new faces tomorrow night against the Flyers. Back in the win column and time to get serious.

I shouldn’t be surprised at this after reading Theo’s book, but this recent blog post of his isn’t very classy: http://www.theofleury14.com/about/blog/235/index (via Matchsticks and Gasoline)

Update: Looks like Theo has pulled his blog post down. Lucky for us, Matchsticks and Gasoline still has a copy of it, so you can read it there.

Warning: This review contains spoilers that may affect your enjoyment when reading the book yourself.

It’s taken me a month, but I’ve finished reading Theo Fleury’s autobiography Playing With Fire. Trevor and I made a lunch-hour trip on release day to pick up the book from our local Chapters, and I promptly began reading it. What awaited were dark revelations about a player I had once idolized.

I’m going to be a little critical here, so I will start off by saying that I do recommend this book. It provided an enlightening glimpse into the struggles and personality of one of the Flames’ marquee players. You are unlikely, however, to be encouraged or inspired by this book. If you grew up admiring Theo Fleury, the portrait of a heroic hockey player that you may remember is likely to be tarnished.

A number of things in the book resonated with me in terms of my perception of Fleury and his character. Immediately, with the image of Fleury holding a loaded gun in his mouth, the book sets a sensational tone. At times, especially early in the book, such as when discussing his childhood arm injury, it seems as though he could be exaggerating things for dramatic flair. I’m not suggesting that Fleury’s account is not factual; however, the storytelling comes across as hyperbolic.

The story quickly reaches the point that I expected to enjoy the most: a long chapter chronicling Fleury’s NHL rookie season and the Flames’ 1989 Stanley Cup victory. Sadly, most of this chapter read as though Fleury was narrating the 1989 Flames video yearbook (A video that I enjoy a couple times a year). Most of the highlights he spent time discussing may have been taken straight out of the transcript of the video. From this point through the remainder of the years spanning Fleury’s time in Calgary, the pace slows as Theo laments the state of the Flames organization through much of the 90’s. At one point he even asserts that if it were not for him there would not be an NHL team in Calgary today. I would suggest it is at that point that the reader gets the full impression of the size of Fleury’s ego, a trait that is on full display throughout the book.

After Fleury’s departure from Calgary, we get to experience his rapid unravelling. From a purely voyeuristic standpoint, this is where entertainment value of the book picks up again. The excitement wears off as the destructive cycle becomes repetitive, with Fleury bouncing in and out of rehab and back into an assortment of addictions.

As the book winds down, we reach a familiar storyline of redemption where Fleury gets clean, gets involved with his kids again, and becomes a successful member of the Calgary business community. While still carrying the impression of Fleury being cocky and self-serving, I encountered one of the most memorable quotes of the book. When telling about his return to hockey after a stint in rehab Fleury recalls still being an agitator on the ice and states that he quit drinking, he didn’t get a personality transplant. Theo Fleury is who he is, and despite his sizeable ego, he has accomplished great things and overcome great adversity. That, I think, is the overarching theme of this book.

It may sound like I’m being harsh and looking to pick the book apart, but that’s not my goal here. I believe this was an important book for Theo to write for the sake of finding closure. In that regard, I don’t think this book is written for us as fans and readers, but more as a way for Fleury to tell his story. Further to that, I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been for him to write this book. I respect the bravery to put his life out in the open like this.

Perhaps the most redeeming moment in the book was contained in the epilogue when Fleury recalls his first full reading of the entire book and realizing how selfish he’d been. Maybe there was a personality transplant somewhere along the way after all.

Buy Playing With Fire at Chapters

So it would appear I’m not the only one that thinks Al MacInnis deserves a little recognition for his accomplishments in a Flames sweater.

Over at Inside the Flames today is a guest blog from Bill Dunphy, sports editor of The Inverness Oran, a community newspaper in Cape Breton. He’s put together a much more thorough argument than I did the other day. I’d encourage you to give that article a read for yourself:

http://communities.canada.com/calgaryherald/blogs/insideflames/archive/2009/10/19/guest-column-why-flames-should-honour-macinnis.aspx

Again, eh? I know the last time they met was pretty unforgetable.

The poll is on the NHL web site if you’re interested in voting.

So let me get this straight.

Al MacInnis has been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He has his number retired in St. Louis. A statue has now been erected in his honour outside of the Blues’ home rink. And somehow, despite all of these accolades, #2 still isn’t hanging from the rafters at the Saddledome.

The St. Louis Blues, with whom MacInnis played the final nine seasons of his career (plus 3 games in 2003/04), have bestowed numerous recognitions on the all-star defenceman, known for possessing one of the most powerful slap shots in hockey. The first 12 seasons of his career, however, were spent in Calgary. It was in Calgary that Al MacInnis won a Stanley Cup and a Conn Smythe Trophy. It was in Calgary that he scored more than 70 points in five separate seasons (something he never accomplished in St. Louis). In 1990/91 he scored a whopping 103 points. To put that in perspective, Theo lead the team that year with 104, and he had 18 points more than 45 goal man Joe Nieuwendyk. His 103 points was dwarfed by league leader Wayne Gretzky’s 163, but it was a pretty sharp drop off after that, with Hull at 131, and Oates at 115. I don’t care what era you’re playing in, 103 points for a defenceman is outstanding.

How about some other stats from that season? MacInnis was a +42, second only to Theo and Marty McSorley at +48 (McSorley? Really?). He was on the ice for 185 goals for, second again only to that Gretzky guy at 200. His 75 assists were second only to Gretzky (122!) and Oates (90).

And somehow, despite the most productive seasons of MacInnis’ career taking place in Calgary, #2 isn’t yet hanging from the Saddledome rafters next to #9 and #30. If Al MacInnis is such a hero in St. Louis, how come he isn’t getting his due in Calgary?

A few days into the NHL season, I’ve got a couple of questions that I’d like answered.

Who turned the central division standings upside-down?

Who’s been wearing Roberto Luongo’s jersey?

I’m sure things will average out over the course of the season, Luongo will put up all-star numbers, the Red Wings will content for the conference title, and Jarome Iginla will score a truck load of goals. But for now it’s fun to look at the early-season anomalies.

Just a few quick hitters after tonight’s game:

• Looks like Kipper and Phaneuf are back on form. Two of the three Canuck goals off of deflections and the other after a bad clearing attempt. 39 saves in the winning effort is a promising start. Phaneuf seems to be playing with that edge he was lacking last season.
• Coach Sutter said he likes to keep shots against to around 25. We’ve got a ways to go to get that. The guys need to be stronger on the clearing attempts, better at clearing rebounds, and more effective at getting into shooting lanes. I’m seeing a lot of guys going to block shots, but most of the chances still getting through.
• At 2-for-3, the powerplay is showing big improvements.
• Already getting good value from the depth guys. Bourque, Dawes, Prust, Sjostrom, Nystrom, Pardy, and Giordano all found the scoresheet tonight.
• Still can’t believe we picked Dawes off of waivers. I think this guy’s underrated and could do this year what Bourque did last year.

Hopefully we can see more of the hockey that was played in those first 20 minutes consistently this season. If we play like that against the Oil on Sunday, it’ll be a whitewash. Make it so, boys.