Nature Or Nurture? A Look At Black Hockey Players In The NHL

In honor of Black History Month, I'd like to write an article on something that's been an interesting observation of mine for sometime and ask the question of whether or not it's nature or nurture.

Now, dedicated hockey fans know that Willie O'Ree was the first black hockey player to reach the NHL. What people may not realize is that after O'Ree's 43 game appearance with the Bruins, there wouldn't be another black hockey player for almost 15 years, when the expansion Washington Capitals thrust Mike Marson (and Bill Riley to a far, far lesser degree) into the league hoping that his success in the juniors would carry over into the NHL (it didn't, but it never does for players who are rushed into the league by the teams that draft them.) And while Grant Fuhr became the first black hockey superstar during his time with the Edmonton Oilers in the 1980's, it wouldn't be until the mid-1990's that the teams in the league began to seriously consider the advantages that black hockey players could bring to their team.

This brings us to where we're at today.

How many black goaltenders are currently playing in the NHL? One. Ray Emery, who spent last season in the Russian Kontinental Hockey League, returned after to the league after signing a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Flyers. Had Kevin Weekes not retired this season, there'd be two.

How many black defensemen are currently playing in the NHL? Not many. Bryce Salvador has established himself as a solid stay-at-home defender with the New Jersey Devils while Trevor Daley is starting to stand out on the Dallas Stars roster as a mobile defenseman who can be relied upon in key situations. However, outside of those two players there aren't any notable black NHL defenders. The best prospect on the horizon is P.K. Subban, a Montreal Canadiens prospect who's currently playing for the Hamilton Bulldogs for the American Hockey League.

So what about forwards? How many black centers are currently in the NHL? None. There are no black centers in the league. That's kinda unbelievable but it's true. At lower levels that's probably not the case but it is as far as the NHL goes.

So how many black wingers are currently in the NHL? More than a few. In fact, not only are black players starting to line up as wingers in the NHL, but most of them are doing a damn fine job for what's being asked of them. From grinders and energy players to franchise players, NHL rosters are filling themselves out with talented black athletes at wing who're helping transform their teams into winning organizations that fans want to support.

Sure you have your old-school enforcers who are nearing the end of their careers (Don Brashear of the New York Rangers is skating into the twilight of his career while George Laraque was suspended from the Canadiens for, well, not enforcing), but you also have a plethora of black wingers who are adept to being solid role players for their teams. Both Mike Grier (Buffalo Sabres) and Jamal Meyers (Calgary Flames) have established solid reputations as hard-hitting defensive wingers while Nigel Dawes (Calgary Flames) and Joel Ward (Nashville Predators) are establishing themselves as forwards who can provide complementary scoring. While they may not be household names, they still provide their teams with the ingredients necessary to remain competitive.

Unlike the days of the past where black forwards were limited to being role players, they are now starting to become dynamic game-changers who provide top-line talent to their team. Jarome Iginla (Calgary Flames) is by far the most successful black player currently in the NHL, becoming synonymous with the Flames as their franchise player. Dustin Byfuglien (Chicago Blackhawks) transformed himself from a depth defenseman into a bruising power forward with the size (and scoring ability) all teams crave for that position. Kyle Okposo (New York Islanders) is giving the fans on Long Island something to look forward to as he continues to take positive strides in his development. And in Atlanta, the Thrashers are putting Evander Kane into battle as a diligent and emerging power forward who has yet to realize his potential. These are the players who can be marketed to attract new fans to the game and hopefully give youths who are interested in hockey something to strive for.

So who's my favorite? That would be Wayne Simmonds (Los Angeles Kings). While his first season in the NHL saw him put up respectable numbers on a rebuilding team, he's blown the lid off of everyone's expectations this season. In 54 games this season, Simmonds has recorded 35 points and a team-best +19 rating to go along with 85 PIM, which goes to show how well rounded Simmonds is at all aspects of his game. He may have been tabbed to be on a depth line at the start of this season, but his level of play catapulted him into a top-six forward role once injuries occurred. Unless he starts to fail massively, he'll be a fixture in the NHL for a long time as a scoring two-way forward with fighting upside!

With all that said, why are black players so well represented at the wing position but so poorly represented elsewhere on the depth chart? Is it nature or nurture? In the argument of goaltenders, one might be inclined to say "nurture" when you consider the economic disadvantages blacks have historically had in the western hemisphere. But what can be said about the lack of black players at the defense position? Equipment is just as affordable (or as expensive) for defensemen as it is for forwards, so why the disparity? It's even more mindboggling when you consider that out of all of the black NHL forwards, none of them play center! Could there be something genetically different with black players that affects their ability to win faceoffs? Or do those players have a certain level of speed, size, vision, ability, or any combination of the above that make them more effective on wing than they would be on center?

I don't have an answer. I'd just like to hear what you think about it.

Mid-season Observations or something like that.

Man, this blog's as consistent as Peter Mueller's scoring as of late (sorry duder; will be rooting for you tomorrow at the Sharks game.) Now that the season is little more than half-completed it's time for some interesting mid-season observations:

Biggest Surprise: The Phoenix Coyotes

You can call me a homer all you want but it's absolutely the truth. Yes, both the Colorado Avalanche and the Los Angeles Kings had terrific starts, but both have started to cool and have settled back into third in their respective divisions. I guarantee you none of them had as difficult of an off-season that the Coyotes had. And yet with no solid owner, corporate support, and a shoe-string budget, these guys managed to find the components they needed (coaching included) to win or at least force the game into overtime, something that the most recent incarnations of the Coyotes lacked. Blame the system, blame the goaltending, blame the solidarity. Whatever it is, I hope they keep it up!

Biggest Disappointment: Don Waddell is still the General Manager for the Atlanta Thrashers

You can say what you want to say about the dismal performance of the Carolina Hurricanes after making a "Cinderella"-style run into the playoffs (see: St. Louis Blues) but Atlanta hockey fans have been patient for too long as they are now watching with fear that their franchise winger, Ilya Kovalchuk, may be wearing another sweater come next season. There's always been an enormous amount of potential with all the players who've played on the Thrashers but it always ends up in a mediocre result. Is it the coaching, is it the players, or is it the one constant of Atlanta's team since their inception? With their ownership situation in flux it looks like the only option for hockey fans in Atlanta is to sit through it. They're damned if they go to the games, and they're damned if they don't go because then the team will relocate due to poor performance (which will undoubtedly give someone ammunition that hockey can't succeed in the south.)

Biggest Stunner: The Detroit Red Wings

When was the last time the Red Wings were out of the top-8 playoff spots? If you said 20 years ago during the 1989-1990 season, you'd get a gold star! Yet as I write this they're currently ninth overall in the Western Conference. You can say that it was the free agents who left, but I say it was the injuries that decimated the team (even if Hossa signed, he wouldn't have been ready at the start of the season so the Wings could be just as screwed with him as they were without him.) Nevertheless, players heal, Babcock's hair's still sweet, and Jim Howard is taking the necessary steps forward in his development to start looking like a legitimate NHL goaltender. I think they'll pull the Anaheim Ducks of last season and sneak into the party come April.

Best Forward: Hendrik Sedin

When his brother Daniel got injured, a lot of detractors took issue with the fact that he never played without his brother before and would, therefore, be an unproven commodity. The result? He's already amassed 20 goals on the season while putting up an NHL best 62 points. Considering that he's still on the favorable side of the plus/minus rating on a somewhat-underachieving Vancouver Canucks team, that should speak volumes about what he's been providing to his club. He's made Alexandre Burrows into a star and now that his brother's back, the Canucks are going to have a top line that's absolutely dangerous.

Best Defenseman: Mike Green

How this guy wasn't named to the Canadian Olympic team is entirely beyond me. There aren't too many defensemen who've been able to generate a point-per-game level of production, but Green does just that and then some. He's gotten far better at playing in his own zone; making the transformation from a power-play specialist to a potential Norris Trophy contender. I don't think you'll be seeing him fighting as much, but when you're scoring as much as he does, you're hurting your team worse than the opposition by doing so.

Best Goaltender: Ryan Miller

Now, this was a hard decision for me to make because both Martin Brodeur and Ilya Bryzgalov have been goaltenders to watch. But Miller's been dominant on a Buffalo Sabres squad that many people (myself included) figured to be a spoiler squad. Yet as I write this, the Sabres are the best in their division, and Miller's high-level of goaltending is the largest reason for their success. Miller's transformed from a decent starting option on a strong team to a franchise goaltender who can carry the team when times are tough.

Best Rookie: Tyler Myers

In all the noise that's being made over John Tavares, Matt Duchene, Jim Howard, and Simeyon Varlamov, not to many people are talking about what Myers is doing for his team. As Buffalo's first round choice in last year's draft, he's put up 26 points in his inaugural season as a defenseman while displaying a strong presence in the defensive zone, something most offensive-minded d-men don't do so well when they're first in the league (see: Mike Green and Keith Yandle). Add the fact that he's a strong skater and 6'7", he's got the speed and size teams crave for a blueliner. All this from a guy who's still 19 years old. Kudos to Buffalo for making this selection when they did; it looks like they've got a top-level defender for many seasons to come.

Best Guy You've Never Heard Of (Until Now): Zenon Konopka

Now, everyone knows I love the tough guys around here. But what does it say when a guy can be as adept at fighting as he is at being a sound faceoff specialist and team leader? It says "Hey, if Rick Tocchet's my coach, I can get an NHL job by working hard every night", which is exactly what's happened in Konopka's case. He's had a few sniffs of NHL action prior to this season, but he's been largely an injury replacement until now. Now, he might not scare anyone offensively at the major league level, but he's a proven scorer in the minors and was able to transition his fighting game from the minors into a successful one in the majors. If he keeps winning the fights and the faceoffs, he'll have a home in Tampa Bay for a good minute.

Oh, he's pretty damned entertaining too, especially when he has to ham it up. Check this out...

The Best Team Of The Decade: The 2001-02 Detroit Red Wings

Many things are easy to debate because there isn't necessarily a measuring stick for everything when it comes to a player or a team. You can argue how one player's ability to score goals isn't as valuable as someone else's ability to generate plays, or how a team's attention to defense isn't as valuable as a team's ability to just win. Yet when it comes to the best team assembled in the past decade, maybe even the past 20 years, there's not a contest as to who that team is.

It's the 2001-02 Detroit Red Wings.

As it stands, three players from the 2001-02 Red Wings Team, being Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, and Luc Robataille, were inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. They join Igor Larionov and Scotty Bowman as both alumni from the 2001-02 Red Wings team and inductees into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Considering how many other qualified players are eligible to be inducted, that's quite an honor for them to make the cut.

But what about the other players who have yet to retire (or be retired long enough) to warrant their own inclusion into the HHOF? Red Wings fans don't need to mention the contributions that Nicklas Lidstrom made toward the team and provided the club with a franchise player who took the torch when it was time for Yzerman to retire. The team could have belonged to Sergei Fedorov, whose 1179 NHL points place him among the game's best, had he placed the team before himself. No one can blame Brendan Shanahan for leaving when he did; he gave the Red Wings the best years of his career before they transformed from a rough-and-tumble North American-based team into a finesse-based European-styled team, leaving Shanahan on the outside looking in as the team's only player who embraced the concept of toughness. While Chris Chelios didn't necessarily give Detroit his best years per se, he did extend a career that many thought would be over in 3 seasons to 10 and is still showing no signs of stopping after signing a contract with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Dominik Hasek, who remains the premier European goaltender of all time, backstopped this team through some grueling series that saw him facing none other than long-time nemesis Patrick Roy, whom many point to as being better than Hasek largely because of his birthplace. He's still young in his career, but the 2001-02 season was the rookie season of a sixth-round draft pick named Pavel Datsyuk, who has gone on to become one of the most dynamic two-way players in the game today. While Steve Duchesne may still be waiting for his turn to be inducted, his career as a defenseman that could both score and provide an abundance of grit leaves him as one of the best defenders to ever play the game. You look at any of the names in the above paragraph and you know that it's not a matter of if they'll be in the HHOF, but rather when that will happen.

While legends make for a great team, this group also had an unsung supporting cast that was just as important as their star power. The infamous Grind Line of Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby, and Darren McCarty gave the Red Wings a line that featured the most complete checking unit in the league that season while forward Tomas Holmstrom remains one of the best power play screeners/deflectors the game's ever had. Jiri Fischer was only beginning to touch on the potential of his career before his heart condition forced him into retirement while Mathieu Dandenault gave the team a roving player who's career may still be legitimate had he not left for more money in Montreal. Manny Legace has forever been considered one of the best backups in the league and parlayed that role into several starting opportunities for Detroit, The St. Louis Blues, and now the Carolina Hurricanes. Boyd Deveraux supplied the team with a legitimate checking presence before concussion issues forced him to pursue a career in the minors. While there were a few fringe players and prospects who flamed out during their time with the club that season, the 2001-02 season was the beginning of the NHL careers for current Red Wings forward Jason Williams and some guy named Sean Avery. Maybe you've heard of him.

The early-80's New York Islanders and the late-80's Edmonton Oilers supplied dynasties that provided a lifetime worth of memories. Yet after economics dismantled both teams, there never was a team that was as loaded with star power these guys had (with absolutely no disrespect to the 1994 New York Rangers or the 2001 Colorado Avalanche.) Not only were they likely the best team of the decade, but they were the last team of this magnitude to be assembled before the lockout. Yes, the team was an embarrassment of riches, but when your money is made through winning, than you have to invest wisely if you want business to be good. I'm glad Mike Illitch understood that concept.

2001-02 Detroit Red Wings, we at The Bruise Brothers say you're the best and we salute you!

So What's Up With The "Charity" Point?

It's been a-while, but with the frequency I've been working lately, I've not had much the time to update the blog with anything noteworthy that you couldn't get from various news sources. With that said, now's a more op-ed piece that people like to either disagree with or agree with.

I was on TSN earlier today when I saw the article written about how the NHL should switch to a Win-Loss system instead of having the 2-1-0 point system that's reminiscent of when games resulted in ties. The argument made, ones that I've heard plenty of times before, are that the games aren't as competitive with the current point system and undeserving teams may end up in the playoffs simply because they could make it to the "fourth" period.

So what do I think? I think it should be handled one of two ways:

Go back to tie games and remain with the 2-1-0 system: As a person who things the shootout is sort of silly, this is an easier way for us to handle the situation. Let the guys grind it out for potentially 65 minutes and if there's still no winner there, then the game's tied.

However, the majority of fans like the shootout and hey, I shouldn't hold it against them for that because it does decide a winner. So what would I like to see considering that I have to accept the shootout as a fact of hockey life?

Adopt the 3-2-1-0 system: That's 3 points for a regulation win, 2 points for an overtime or shootout win, 1 point for an overtime or shootout loss, and no points for a regulation loss.

The reason I'm huge on this system is that it's completely fair while promoting a sense of competition to get true results. For people who want to see better competition, the teams will have more incentive to battle for that extra point in regulation instead of skating loftily to overtime. For people who want to see the best team achieve the best standings, this standard would provide a better chance to feature teams that were able to finish games before the overtime period than to have teams at the top because by the end of the game, they were able to win at a skills competition against the opposing goaltender. It also gives credit to those who were able to go into overtime, even if they lost, as opposed to the teams who can't quite exude enough effort to require the extra time.

People can argue about how basketball and baseball don't have ties. Well, the last I checked baseball was nowhere near as intense of a physical sport as hockey. Also, basketball's scoring system is a whole lot more prolific than hockey's and will never require a free-throw contest to end the game. The players who play the game battle hard each minute their on the ice. I think that if the team was able to make it to overtime, it should shine on the stats for both the teams and (especially) the goaltenders.

The current system is flawed because it doesn't give the proper value to victories. The idea of going win-loss is flawed because it doesn't give proper value to losses. Traditionalists would like to see the games go back to ties but the modern-day hockey fan wants to see the shootout. That said, the 3-2-1-0 point system is, in my humble opinion, the best way to go in order to give the best teams the best chance at being in the playoffs.

What do you think?

Fantasy Hockey Time!!!

Hey everyone.

I've got a fantasy league I'm looking to get off the ground. So far it's me and another person, which is actually kinda cool considering I just got it going about an hour ago.

It's deep though: 20-man active roster with a 3 person bench and 2 slots for IR. I wanna put as much emphasis on the importance of the depth players as I do the stars. Here's the details below:

League ID#: 177542
League Name: NHL Deep League
Password: system32
Custom League URL: http://hockey.fantasysports.yahoo.com/league/thebadone
Draft Type: Live Draft
Draft Time: Sun Sep 27 5:30pm MDT [ Add to My Calendar ]
Max Teams: 20
Scoring Type: Head-to-Head
Max Moves: No maximum
Max Trades: No maximum
Trade Reject Time: 0
Trade End Date: March 4, 2010
Waiver Time: 1 day
Can't Cut List Provider: None
Trade Review: Commissioner
Post Draft Players: Free Agents
Max Acquisitions per Week: No maximum
Min Games Played: No minimum
Weekly Deadline: Daily - Tomorrow
Start Scoring on: Week 1
Divisions: Yes (4 divisions)
Playoff Seeding Options: Division winners awarded top playoff seeds
Roster Positions: C, C, C, LW, LW, LW, RW, RW, RW, F, F, D, D, D, D, D, Util, Util, G, G, BN, BN, BN, IR, IR
Forwards/Defensemen Stat Categories: Goals (G), Assists (A), Points (P), Plus/Minus (+/-), Penalty Minutes (PIM), Powerplay Points (PPP), Shorthanded Points (SHP), Game-Winning Goals (GWG), Shots on Goal (SOG), Shooting Percentage (SH%), Faceoffs Won (FW), Faceoffs Lost (FL)
Goaltenders Stat Categories: Games Started (GS), Wins (W), Losses (L), Goals Against Average (GAA), Save Percentage (SV%), Shutouts (SHO)

Come join!

The long hockey survey

Taken from Sign Gurl's blog at http://yotessigngurl.blogspot.com/2009/08/looooong-hockey-survey.html


What is the first jersey you ever owned?
I think it was a LA Kings Gretzky jersey my step-dad gave to me when I was 8. Then I'm pretty sure my dad countered by getting my brother and I Wings jerseys. Considering it was 1989 at the time, I have to say that was a win-win kinda deal.

What is the last piece of hockey memorabilia – jerseys, cards, figurines, etc. – you purchased?
Purchased was a Coyotes T-Shirt. The last piece of meorabilia that I received though a long-sleeve Coyotes shirt as a gift from my friend Christina.

Keep your ticket stubs or throw them away?
I keep the fancy ones that STH's get, but I don't hold onto the ones that say "Ticketmaster" on them.

Who has the more intriguing hair – Brian Engblom or Barry Melrose?
Engblom. Melrose's hair just isn't as epic as it used to be.

Who is the most underrated player in the league? The most overrated?

The most underrated player in the league is Chris Osgood. The guy gets no respect despite having FIVE Stanley Cup Finals appearances with THREE rings to go with that.

I'd say Crosby's slightly overrated because Malkin's better on his own team. As much as I hate to say it, Ryan Smyth is probably the most overrated by critics. He gets traded to the Kings for a promising defenseman in Kyle Quincey and the hockey pundits are ready to act like the Kings are cup contenders because he's on the team. I don't really recall Edmonton or Colorado being good teams by the time he left them, respectively.

What one rule or penalty would you add?

I'd make visors mandatory. End of discussion.

Forget predictions and rankings and who finished where last year – all logic aside, what two teams (one East, one West) would you love to see compete for the Cup this year?

Who I'd "love" to see versus who I think will make it are two different things. I've got a feeling that come late May, the Vancouver Canucks will be going against the Boston Bruins for the Cup.

Complete this sentence: The next Winter Classic should be between the New York Rangers and the Toronto Maple Leafs and should take place at the Rogers Centre in Toronto (roof open of course.)

More disturbing image – Crosby with a “mustache” or Crosby in bed with the Cup?
Crosby looks like a child molester with that mustache...

Which team has the best mascot?
The Canadiens because Youppi's been around forever.

Whose press conference would you rather listen to – John Tortorella, Bruce Boudreau or Ron Wilson?
Ron Wilson, but only when the media says something that pisses him off.

Who is your favorite all-time player? Who is your favorite active player?

Favorite all-time player is Bobby orr, with Steve Yzerman and Terry Sawchuk being in very, very close contention.

My current favorite players are Shane Doan, Niklas Lidstrom, and Tim Thomas. All three demonstrate skill, intelligence, leadership, and committment.

Do you read team-specific blogs about teams other than your own? Which ones and why?
I read the Coyotes Hip Check blog because it's usually updated on a regular basis.

Do you think the NHL will ever put a team in Hamilton, Kansas City and/or Las Vegas?
I hope that the NHL expands to Hamilton and relocates a team from a saturated market (hello NY or LA) to Kansas City. As for Las Vegas, I think it would be a gamble (no pun intended.)

Everyone’s got a guilty pleasure – what player and/or team do you like that you really shouldn’t?
Anaheim Ducks. They eliminated the Red Wings in 2007 and they're divisional rivals of the Coyotes, but man alive they're excellent at what they do.

What team has improved the most this summer?
The Broad Street Bullies 2.0. They didn't make a plethora of moves, but the ones they made really fortified the team.

What is your favorite hockey memory?

Red Wings: I have two: The first was the Cup victory in '97 because everyone in Detroit was overjoyed. The second were the antics of my brother Dave and I at Wings games.

Coyotes: I have two, also: The first was getting glass seats to a preseason game, where my friends and I heckled the bejesus out of the Edmonton Oilers (sorry guys) and going to see the Coyotes-Maple Leafs game in person and watching the game end 5-1 Coyotes with 3 fights happening throughout the game. Now that's some old-time hockey!

Which team has the worst jersey? How about the worst third/specialty jersey?

I don't care for the Buffalo Sabers current jerseys and think they should be replaced by their current third jersey as their main logo. I don't like the Dallas Stars' third jersey because it's just like their home jersey, which is pretty bland as is.

Roll out your favorite homemade player nickname(s).
"Do It Doug" Brown from when he played for the Red Wings. Mallrats fans should get the reference.

If you could move any uprooted team (e.g. Quebec Nordiques, Hartford Whalers, etc.) back to their original home, which one would you move?
I wouldn't relocate any of the teams back to their home market. I think Winnipeg has the best facilities to get an expansion club, though.

What will Jeremy Roenick’s next career move be?
He'll do something that involves hockey and entertainment, so he'll probably become a color analyst for one of the larger networks.

Have you ever stopped rooting for one hockey team and started rooting for another? If so, what made you switch?
I dunno if it counts but I started following the Coyotes once I moved to Phoenix in addition to the Red Wings. I still follow the Red WIngs closely but I'm a sucker for underdogs.

Who had the better mug shot, Kane or Finley?
Patrick Kane.

Enough of this geography crap; toss out the current divisions and propose a new divisional alignment for the league.
I'd expand by two teams with one in Southern Ontario (Mississauga to be exact) and another in Winnipeg. In terms of alignments:

Eastern Conference: Southeast would be Tampa Bay, Miami, Atlanta, and Carolina. Atlantic would be Washington, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and the Devils. The Northeast would be both NY teams, Boston, and Montreal. A newly created Ontario Division would be Toronto, Mississauga, Ottawa, and Buffalo.

Western Conference: A newly created Great Lakes division would be Detroit, Columbus, Chicago, and Minnesota. Central division would be Nashville, Dallas, St. Louis, and Winnipeg. Northwest would be Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Colorado. Pacific would be Phoenix, L.A., Anaheim, and San Jose.

Do you follow other sports besides hockey or are you a one-sport fan?
I'm primarily a one-sport fan, but I will watch baseball and pro football. Basketball's okay, but I was never good at it so my self-absorbed nature kinda turned me off from it.

Which free agent acquisition do you think will have the biggest impact on his new team?
If Ray Emery shapes up to be everything he can be, then he'll have the biggest impact on his new club.

Of the five lottery teams last season (Tampa, Atlanta, NY Islanders, Phoenix, Colorado) which one(s) will make the playoffs this year?
Shouldn't Phoenix be substituted for L.A.? I think it should. With that in mind, Tampa has the best chance of the five in terms of making the playoffs.

What is your favorite hockey reference in a non-hockey movie/TV episode? e.g. Lisa and Bart Simpson playing hockey, the famous video game scene from Swingers, etc.
Wayne and Garth playing street hockey in the first Wayne's World film.

What player from the other 29 teams would you love to have on your team?
Ill choose someone other than a Coyote and Red Wing and say that I would love to have Shea Weber on my team.

Superlative time!
• Best pure goal scorer – Ovechkin
• Worst referee – Mick McGeough
• Goalie when you need one save – Roberto Luongo.
• The guy a lot of people have never heard of (but should have) – Derick Brassard, but that will probably change this season.
• When it gets chippy – Colton Orr
• Coach for a must-win game – Dan Bylsma
• Get under your skin guy – Dan Carcillo or Jarret Boll
• The home crowd – Toronto Maple Leafs fans because they're there win or lose.
• Worst arena to play in as a visitor – Probably Anaheim because my brother told me about the s--- he encountered when he went to see a Wings' game there.
• Worst arena to play in as the home team – Either the NY Islanders or the NJ Devils because everyone there has their nose up the Rangers' asses.

And finally, quick picks. Do you prefer:
• Crosby or Ovechkin? Ovechkin.
• Ovechkin or Malkin? Malkin.
• Overtime or shootout? Overtime
• 4-on-3 or 5-on-4? 4 on 3
• Sakic or Yzerman? Absolutely no disrespect to Sakic, but definitely Yzerman.
• Kerry Fraser or Bill McCreary? McCreary
• Montreal Forum or Maple Leaf Gardens? Maple Leaf Gardens
• Roy or Brodeur? Brodeur.
• Touch-up icing or no-touch icing? No-touch
• Top shelf or five hole? Top shelf
• Eddie Olczyk or Pierre McGuire? Olczyk when he's animated.
• Slapshot or wrist shot? Slap Shot. I loved that movie!
• Orr or Coffey? Orr
• Coffee or tea? Coffee
• Canada or Russia? Neither, U.S.A. all the way!
• Miracle or Mighty Ducks? Miracle documented the moment hockey became a relevant sport in the United States while Mighty Ducks gave us the knucklepuck. I hope I don't have to spell the rest of that out for you.

So what are my predicitions for how the season will turn out?

This is what I think will happen before even a single preseason game's been played.

Western Conference; Central Division
1. Chicago Blackhawks
2. Detroit Red Wings
3. Columbus Blue Jackets
4. St. Louis Blues
5. Nashville Predators

Western Conference; Northwest Division
1. Vancouver Canucks
2. Minnesota Wild
3. Calgary Flames
4. Edmonton Oilers
5. Colorado Avalanche

Western Conference; Pacific Division
1. Anaheim Ducks
2. San Jose Sharks
3. Phoenix Coyotes
4. Dallas Stars
5. L.A. Kings

Eastern Conference; Northeast Division
1. Boston Bruins
2. Montreal Canadiens
3. Buffalo Sabres
4. Toronto Maple Leafs
5. Ottawa Senators

Eastern Conference; Atlantic Division
1. Philadelphia Flyers
2. Pittsburgh Penguins
3. New Jersey Devils
4. NY Rangers
5. NY Islanders

Eastern Conference; Southeast Division
1. Washington Capitals
2. Carolina Hurricanes
3. Atlanta Thrashers
4. Tampa Bay Lightning
5. Florida Panthers

Western Conference Overall:
1. Vancouver Canucks
2. Anaheim Ducks
3. Chicago Blackhawks
4. Detroit Red Wings
5. Minnesota Wild
6. San Jose Sharks
7. Columbus Blue Jackets
8. Phoenix Coyotes
9. St. Louis Blues
10. Calgary Flames
11. Dallas Stars
12. Edmonton Oilers
13. L.A. Kings
14. Nashville Predators
15. Colorado Avalanche

Eastern Conference Overall:
1. Boston Bruins
2. Philadelphia Flyers
3. Washington Capitals
4. Pittsburgh Penguins
5. Montreal Canadiens
6. Carolina Hurricanes
7. New Jersey Devils
8. Atlanta Thrashers
9. Buffalo Sabres
10. Toronto Maple Leafs
11. NY Rangers
12. Tampa Bay Lightning
13. Ottawa Senators
14. Florida Panthers
15. NY Islanders