Saturday 31 July 2021

Barkley With The Chip Shot

If there's one thing that Hockey Blog In Canada doesn't have enough of, it's Charles Barkley. I've been a fan of Barkley since he first came out with his "I am not a role model" commercial back in the 1990s at the height of his popularity in the NBA. There were Dream Team moments at the Olympics and a few trades that led him to other cities, but his work on the NBA on TNT panel has made him mainstream once again. And he's apparently using his voice in ways other than analyzing basketball games!

For those that aren't aware, Charles Barkley is a pretty big hockey fan, and we're not talking height. Barkley seems to have a real passion for the game, and he attends games when he can as he's been spotted at Arizona Coyotes games, Chicago Blackhawks games, and Nashville Predators games among the arenas where he's been spotted. He's been on both CBC and NBC as a guest, he seems to have a good relationship with Gary Bettman, and he's friends with Wayne Gretzky. That last part is important.

It was revealed yesterday that Charles Barkley was the guy who convinced Wayne Gretzky to join TNT's hockey broadcast panel starting in 2021-22 after the The Great One appeared on Sportsnet's Hockey Central radio broadcast.

"Charles Barkley is a good friend and he called me every single day and said, 'This will be fun for you,' and ultimately I decided OK this this something I gotta try and I'm really looking forward to it," Gretzky told Hockey Central on Sportsnet 590 The Fan.

It was a little confusing why he jumped to TNT when Gretzky seemingly had a good relationship with ESPN previously when he played with the Los Angeles Kings. As we know, Gretzky was working with the Edmonton Oilers until he abruptly resigned from his position with the organization only to announce he was joining TNT following the Oilers' dismissal from the playoffs. Now we know why he made the jump: Charles Barkley's insistence.

"There's only one Charles Barkley, right?" Gretzky said. "You have to be yourself and when I met with TNT and talked to them about being involved in hockey, it doesn't matter where I go people ask me questions and ask me about my opinion about the game or about players. I'm the most positive person in the world. I love everything about our game and I told everyone at Turner and Charles, 'Look, I'm not a controversial guy. I'm not going to be that guy that's going to be so negative about players. I'm the exact opposite, so if you're looking for that guy, I'm not the right guy.'"

It seems that Turner felt he was the right guy as they signed Gretzky to a contract that will see him as part of the broadcast next season and beyond. Honestly, it's never a bad thing that the greatest scorer in NHL history wants to be a part of the game in some regard once again, and the 60 year-old Gretzky will likely bring a perspective that isn't found anywhere else. He sees the game differently than the rest of the planet, so having him break down a play or talk about a player's skills will be educational at the very least.

As we all know, though, it takes more than just good informational analysis to keep viewers hooked, so Gretzky might need a chaser on his pieces. Perhaps someone who isn't afraid to voice an opinion or bring a little humour to the panel. Perhaps someone who gets as good as he gives on the NBA on TNT panel. Perhaps someone who is a big hockey fan that has some panel experience.

Perhaps Charles Barkley will find his way onto the NHL on TNT broadcasts and stir up a little chaos on that panel with his brand of comedy. You can't tell me Barkley moments like the ones shown below wouldn't be priceless on an NHL broadcast.
Make it happen, Chuck!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Friday 30 July 2021

Caribou And The South Africans

It will be the final time I write about the Caribou and their dreams in Tokyo as Team Canada's final game in the Summer Olympics took place on Friday at 1:15pm local time in Japan. The winless Canadian squad had their dreams dashed following losses to Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Belgium, so it was all about pride under the hot sun at Oi Hockey Stadium as they took the pitch against South Africa. The Canadians could also prevent the South Africans from living their dream, though, as they had a chance to play spoiler on this afternoon!

The South Africans, who needed a victory against Canada, entered the game with a 1-3 record after shocking Germany the day before. That win allowed South Africa to carry hope with them into the game against Canada where a win, combined with a Germany loss later in the day, could propel the South Africans into the medal round. They'd have to put up a big number on Canada, however, if they hoped to close the goal differential used to break ties in the pool standings.

Souht Africa got their hopes rolling early when Nqobile Ntuli converted a pass from Nick Spooner at the two-minute mark following some impressive ball movement to open the game from South Africa. That goal put them ahead 1-0, and you could tell the South Africans were using the confidence of the win over Germany the day earlier to push them to another level. And that confidence continued when Dayaan Cassiem controlled the ball beautifully on the left side before finding Spooner in the circle who flicked it by Canadian goalkeeper Antoni Kindler at the nine-minute mark to put South Africa up 2-0! This is precisely the start that South Africa needed!

Canada, however, did not hang their heads and, instead, pushed back as they played with pride. They would be rewarded when Scott Tupper's flick on a penalty corner was neatly deflected by Mark Pearson on a beautiful set corner play at the 11-minute mark, and Canada was on the board as they cut the lead to 2-1.

Two minutes into the second quarter, the Canadians struck against as Keegan Pereira unleashed a strike that South African goalkeeper Erasmus Pieterse could not corral, and the lead built by the South African squad had evaporated as the teams sat square at 2-2. The two teams settled into more defensive play after that goal, but there were moments of offensive skills shown that went unconverted as the teams went into halftime still tied 2-2.

Four minutes after the break, Matthew Guise-Brown flicked a rebound off a short corner past Kindler to restore South Africa's lead at 3-2. Fin Boothroyd, who looked dangerous all tournament, finally capitalized on a chance in the 42nd minute for Canada when his flick eluded Pieterse to make it a 3-3 game as the two teams went into the final frame looking for that all-important final goal.

It seemed that both sides weren't content with giving up a goal, but neither side sat back as both teams had reasons for wanting a win. We'd see a goal scored at the 58th minute when, amazingly, Samkelo Mvimbi's strike while lying on the turf found its way past Kindler into the net, and South Africa had the 4-3 lead with less than two minutes to play! It would seem that South Africa's dreams would live!

Except Gabriel Ho-Garcia had other ideas. He wanted nothing to do with this South African victory, so he decided to change the narrative in a big way. Jamie Wallace centered a pass into the circle, and Ho-Garcia made no mistake in defelcting it past Pieterse to tie the game at 4-4 in the 59th minute! While it's not a victory, there was nothing short of beaming smiles and pats on the backs for the Canadians as the final horn sounded in the tied contest that seemed like South Africa may have done enough to win!

Canada will finish the tournament 0-4-1 with one point in sixth out of six teams in Pool B, and, officially, 12th out of twelve teams in tournament based on goal-differential. Japan finished with an 0-4-1 record in Pool A, but they were a -8 for the tournament while Canada, suffering blowouts to a few teams, finished at -18. It wasn't the way that the tournament was supposed to go, but this young Canadian squad got a lot of good experience against the world's best, and they look forward to future tournaments and Paris in 2024.

"We're obviously disappointed, but I'm still incredibly proud of our group and some of the moments we did have in this tournament," Mark Pearson told Field Hockey Canada. "There are some great young guys coming through the system — Jamie [Wallace] scored, you saw Fin [Boothroyd] score today — and we're all hoping the team can keep that positive momentum going forward to the World Cup."

The Canadian captain was equally positive about the future.

"We were a little disappointed on the pitch but what a place to play; they've done such a good job with the venues and it was an enjoyable event from an athlete's perspective," Scott Tupper told Field Hockey Canada. "Our young guys are out there scoring goals in the Olympic Games. I'm thrilled for them and I hope they can drive our program forward."

With the tournament now over and seeding done thanks to the games finishing earlier today, it should be noted that both New Zealand (1-3-1) and Japan (0-4-1) missed from Pool A while South Africa (1-3-1) and Canada (0-4-1) missed from Pool B. Here are the quarterfinal games scheduled for Sunday morning in the medal round:
  • Germany (2nd - Pool B) vs. Argentina (3rd - Pool A)
  • Australia (1st - Pool A) vs. Netherlands (4th - Pool B)
  • Belgium (1st - Pool B) vs. Spain (4th - Pool A)
  • India (2nd - Pool A) vs. Great Britain (3rd - Pool B)
The women get the draw on Monday for their quarterfinal games, and it should be noted that Ireland (1-4) and South Africa (0-5) missed from Pool A while China (2-3) and Japan (0-5) missed from Pool B. Those quarterfinal games will see:
  • Germany (2nd - Pool A) vs. Argentina (3rd - Pool B)
  • Australia (1st - Pool B) vs. India (4th - Pool A)
  • Netherlands (1st - Pool A) vs. New Zealand (4th - Pool B)
  • Spain (2nd - Pool B) vs. Great Britain (3rd - Pool A)
Expect more updates on this blog on the medal-round games as the best eight teams in both the men's and women's tournaments begin their respective hunts for medals. Both Netherlands and Australia were 5-0 in their pools on the women's side, so we may be looking at a potential gold-medal final there while Australia and Belgium are the top-two men's teams on the planet as per the FIH rankings. Could we see Belgium defeat Australia and regain their spot as the top team in the world?

We'll know more as the Tokyo Olympics head towards a close next week! Stay tuned for more field hockey news here, and check your local listings for broadcast times!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the pitch!

Thursday 29 July 2021

The Hockey Show - Episode 462

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back tonight as Teebz and Jenna avoid all the NHL free agency and trade talk to focus on other stories. Honestly, other sports site run by mainstream media conglomerates have more than enough coverage on that, so The Hockey Show knows its place and will focus on other stories that need to be discussed. We don't shy away from the harder topics tonight either, so settle in for some real discussion about the sport and its culture.

Tonight, Teebz and Jenna discuss Alberta's new pandemic measures that could potentially threaten all the good Canada has done over the last few months. They have a real talk about the mental health of athletes, specifically hockey players, in Canada with the expectations we dump on them following Simone Biles' withdrawal from the gymnastics competition in Tokyo. They dissect the abhorrent act by the Montreal Canadians in drafting a convicted sex offender. And they close out the show with some fun topics as Teebz and Jenna look at the US Olympic coaches, the new Chinese women's national team coach for the Olympics, a new ECHL team gets their first coach, updates from Calgary on their new arena, news from Steinbach about a new facility, some U SPORTS news, and an exciting opportunity for U18 girls in Winnipeg! The show is filled to its limits with hockey news, so make sure you tune in at 5:30pm CT on 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

Where's the best place can you hear tonight's show if you're outside Winnipeg or not near a radio, you ask? The new UMFM website's online streaming player is pretty awesome if you want to listen online. If you're using an Apple device, the player doesn't seem to like Safari yet, so if you want to stream the show I'd recommend Radio Garden to do that as it works nicely with Safari. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. If you do use the TuneIn app, you won't be disappointed. It's a solid app.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard!

Tonight, Teebz and Jenna talk stupid decisions, the weight of expectations, criminal decisions, new coaches, new arenas, players finding new homes and teams, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: July 29, 2021: Episode 462

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Wednesday 28 July 2021

Venison For The Belgians

Diedrich Bader has played a number of quirky characters in his appearance on TV and in the movies, but the one character people seem to quote most often in Bader's work is Rex from Napoleon Dynamite. As the Canadian men's field hockey team played the Belgians in Thursday's game seen on Wednesday in Canada thanks to the time difference, Rex's one line continually popped into my head as I watched this game. That line was "Bow to your sensai", and Canada got an up-close and personal look at field hockey greatness today as the Belgians put on a bit of a field hockey clinic.

The Belgians came out and looked like the second-ranked team in the world, and I should note that the rankings have changed in the last couple of weeks as Belgium went from being top-ranked to the second-ranked team. Australia, playing in Pool A, is now the top-ranked team, and they've looked just as impressive as Belgium in this tournament. That being said, the Caribou had their toughest test standing in front of them if they wanted to compete for a medal. A loss or tie today would end any chance of making the medal round.

I could sit here and wax poetic about how well Canada played in the first quarter, and it wouldn't be wrong for at least one quarter. Canada, despite being overwhelmed by Belgium's attack at times, weathered the storm nicely. A 12th-minute goal by Belgian striker Alexander Hendrickx was offset by a 15th-minute goal by Mark Pearson as Canada's pushback in the late stages of the quarter found its mark. After the opening frame, Canada and Belgium were tied at 1-1.

After scoring a big goal to close out the first quarter, there was some hope that Canada might be able to apply some additional pressure on the Belgians by scoring a second goal, but the Belgians began to lock down their defensive circle quite nicely, denying Canada scoring opportunities on nearly every occasion they tried to attack. Belgium would take a lead in the 29th minute when Sebastien Dockier's strike found the back of the net past Canadian goalkeeper Antoni Kindler, and the Belgians would take that 2-1 lead into halftime where Canada had to be pretty ecstatic that they were within striking distance entering the second half.

Remember how I was talking about Rex and "Bow to your sensai" above? The third quarter is where Belgium played the role of Rex and Canada played the role of Kip because Belgium flexed their muscles coming out of the break. Five goals in the quarter - Dockier with his second, Felix Denayer, Hendrickx with his second, Simon Gougnard, and Cedric Charlier - pushed Belgium to a 7-1 lead as the shellshocked Canadians went to the sidelines to regroup as the horn sounded. Any chance of winning this game and upsetting Belgium was now gone, so it was about playing for pride in the fourth quarter.

Canada wouldn't cause any additional damage on the scoreboard in the final frame, but a pair of goals from Tom Boon and Florent van Aubel were more than enough insurance on the six-goal lead that Belgium had already built, and the Belgians would secure their first-place standing in Pool B with the 9-1 victory over Canada. With the loss, Canada dropped to 0-4 in the tournament, and will not compete in the medal round.

In the other games, Pool A action in the men's tournament saw Spain defeat Japan by a 4-1 score, Australia wrap up top spot in the pool with a 4-2 win over New Zealand, and India downed Argentina 3-1.

Pool A on the women's side of the tournament saw Netherlands shutout South Africa 5-0, Great Britain defeat India 4-1, and Germany down Ireland by a 4-2 score. Pool B games had Spain defeat New Zealand by a 2-1 score, Australia win 1-0 over Japan, and Argentina also turned in a one-goal margin of victory with a 3-2 win over China.

Making matters worse for the Caribou is that South Africa shocked the tournament with a 3-1 upset of the Germans later in the morning, so Canada has to defeat South Africa in the final game not to finish in last in Pool B. The 1-3 South African squad could still make the medal round with a win over Canada, so they'll be fired up with something to play for when the Canadians arrive at the pitch on Friday. In a twist of fate, it will be Canada looking to play the role of spoiler in that game.

The Caribou won't advance after being carved up by the Belgians which means there's just one last game for Canada at the Tokyo Olympics. The boys gave it their all, and I'm proud of their efforts. It wasn't the results they wanted, but it's valuable experience for a team that wasn't even expected to be there.

Good on you, lads. Now go win that last game!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Tuesday 27 July 2021

Caribou And The Dutch

The Canadian men's field hockey team could use a boost in Tokyo as they struggled against two of the world's best teams in Germany and Great Britain in arriving at their current 0-2 record. It's fairly clear that the Caribou's defence and goalkeeping are the team's strengths, but scoring goals and sustaining offence has proved most difficult for the Canadians in this tournament as they have just two goals on six shots through two games. The Dutch stood before them today - would things change?

The late game on a hot and humid night in Tokyo saw the Dutch get things started early as they moved the ball quickly and precisely down to the right corner where Mink van der Weerden centered to the top of the circle. A deflection there landed in a shooting position for Billy Bakker, and his shot hit goalkeeper Antoni Kindler, but still had enough zip on it to find the back of the net as Netherlands took a 1-0 lead just 52 seconds into this match.

It was fairly apparent that the Dutch wanted to get out in front early in this game and remain there. On a quick transition, Thierry Brinkman hammered a low shot past Kindler from the left side of the circle in the fourth minute, and it was 2-0 for the Dutch very early and very quickly. Caanda had an opportunity to cut into the lead in the sixth minute with a penalty corner, but Gordon Johnston's flick was denied by Dutch goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak as Canada's scoring woes off penalty corners continued.

The good news is that Canada would figure out how to weather the aggressive Dutch attack, and they would make the Dutch pay with their own aggressiveness as James Wallace's strong play in the Dutch end would see him get a ball into the circle where Gabriel Ho-Garcia had his flick blocked, but Wallace swooped on and pounced on the loose ball, sending it between Blaak's legs in the tenth minute to cut the lead to 2-1! Canada and Netherlands would trade chances in the final five minutes, but the horn would sound on an entertaining first quarter of hockey as the Netherlands led 2-1!

The second quarter saw the two teams settle into a defensive routine as both sides were in denial mode in their own ends. The Dutch were still the more aggressive team when it came to scoring chances, but Kindler and the Canadian defence surrendered no goals in this quarter to keep the game at the 2-1 score as the teams went into halftime.

The third quarter was played much like the second quarter where the two teams looked for areas to attack in each other's defensive systems, but neither finding many opportunities. Canada's offence flowed much better in both the second and third quarters as they were able to move the ball quickly and precisely, but they still were short on shots that tested Blaak. A late penalty corner for the Dutch was kicked out by Kindler as the Dutch, at that point 0-for-11 on penalty corners, failed to increase their lead with seconds to play. The horn would sound at the end of the third quarter with the Dutch still leading by that 2-1 advantage.

The Dutch would find some room to increase their lead in the fifth minute of the fourth quarter. Joep de Mol picked up a ball near midfield, pushed it to the right side as he bore down on the Canadian defence, and he let a wicked strike go of which Kindler got a piece, but the ball just inched its way across the goal line to make it a 3-1 game for the Dutch!

Canada, knowing that an 0-3 hole in this tournament might be insurmountable, pressed for more goals. In the eighth minute of the frame, Canada was awarded a penalty corner, and they would find magic as Scott Tupper's low shot was redirected past Blaak by Mark Pearson to make it a 2-1 game on Canada's first successful penalty corner of the tournament! Suddenly, Canada had life and the Dutch were on their heels as they led by a single goal once again!

Late in the game, Canada pulled Kindler as they added the extra attacker, and there were chances for the Caribou to square the game. However, with the clock ticking down and needing a goal, the Dutch would patiently wait for a mistake that Mirco Pruijser would convert into an empty-net goal in the dying seconds as the Dutch win this game by a 4-2 score!

In other games, Pool A action in the women's tournament from Monday saw the Netherlands win 4-0 over Ireland, Great Britain take a 4-1 victory from South Africa, and Germany shutout India 2-0. Pool B women's games from Monday had Australia crush China 6-0, New Zealand outlast Japan 2-0, and Argentina down Spain 3-0.

Tuesday's action from the men's draw in Pool A had Australia over Argentina by a 5-2 score, Japan and New Zealand playing to a 2-2 draw, and India defeating Spain by a 3-0 score. The other Pool B games saw Germany defeat Great Britain by a 5-1 score while Belgium ran all over South Africa in a 9-4 victory.

Canada, falling to 0-3 after today's loss, will need the game of their lives as they prepare to face the world champions and top-ranked Belgium on Thursday. Canada will likely need all six points if they hope to make the quarterfinal round at the Tokyo Olympics, and that starts by handing the 3-0 Belgians their first loss. I'm quite certain I don't need to tell you this, but taking a game off Belgium will require a monumental effort. Consider this game to be Canada's gold-medal match at this point. Canada, who sits sixth out of six teams in the pool due to goal differential, is going into the match with their heads held high.

"It's not over. We have two more games, and we have six points to get, to push us into the quarters," defender John Smythe told Field Hockey Canada. "We're going to hit the reset button. We have a rest day tomorrow, let's get recovered and we're going to focus on the next game and see if we can get six points."

If Canada can do the unthinkable, they'll also have to win against the South African squad on Friday. If South Africa loses their Thursday match against Germany, they could play the role of spoilers in trying to upend Canada's chances of making the quarterfinal round. Needless to say, the deck is stacked against Canada, but they faced the same pressure in trying to get to Tokyo where they needed a miracle win against the Irish just to qualify.

And here they are in Tokyo. To steal a line from ice hockey, do you believe in miracles?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the pitch!

Monday 26 July 2021

It's Time For The Women!

Get fired up, hockey fans, because the schedule is set and the ten best teams in the world will land in Calgary over the next two weeks in preparation for the long-awaited 2021 IIHF Women's World Hockey Championship. After being cancelled last year and delayed this year, skates will hit the ice in Calgary starting on Friday, August 20 as the tournament gets underway!

Group A seems like it will be a bit of a war when it comes to the top-five teams figuring out who gets seeded where, but Canada, Finland, Russia, Switzerland, and the USA will go through the paces to make that happen. While it seems like there may be three teams who wil finish 1-2-3 in this pool, I would be hesitant to count anyone out after two years of not playing major international competitions. An early upset or two could be in the cards if one or more of the superpowers stumble.

If there's one thing I object to, however, it's seeing Russia as part of this competition operating under a neutral flag following their punishment for drug violations, but I'm not the IIHF and I don't have a say in the matter. I honestly think that having Russia at major international competitions like the Olympics and the Women's World Hockey Championship not only sends the wrong message, but it doesn't dissuade them from trying it again. That being said, painting all Russian athletes with the same brush seems cruel, but that's the price one would pay if I were in charge. But I digress....

Pool B is where we'll see the emerging teams battle it out for a date in the quarterfinals against the women's hockey powers. Those five countries are the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, and Japan. All of those nations could win the pool based upon rosters and skills, so it will be interesting to watch which teams emerge from that group as the next potential women's hockey power throughout this tournament.

I must admit that it's weird not seeing Sweden in this event, but that country's national program needs a serious overhaul before the Swedes will return to any sort of major international competition. The 2019 Women's World Championship saw the Damkronorna relgated down to the Division-1A tournament where they'll have to work their back up by winning that tournament, but, with no relegation at this year's World Championship, the Swedish women will watch from the sidelines once again. Here's hoping that we'll see Sweden qualify for the Olympics where they can show the world that they're back on track to be a world power once more.

With the world watching the women in Calgary, here are Canada's games and opponents as they play through the tournament. Note that these games will be on TSN in Canada, so make sure you've updated your TV package if you want to watch. All Canadian games are scheduled for a 4pm MT/6pm ET start.
  • Friday, August 20: vs Finland
  • Sunday, August 22: at Russia
  • Tuesday August 24: vs Switzerland
  • Thursday, August 26: vs USA
The rest of the schedule for the tournament can be found here, but the quarterfinals begin on Saturday, August 28 while the semifinals will be played on Monday, August 30. The bronze-medal game will be played Tuesday, August 31 at 1:30pm MT while the gold-medal game will happen at 5:30pm MT on the 31st as well.

It seems like it's been forever since I wrote about the US women defending their World Championship gold medal, but we're finally going to see it happen. Mark your calendars, folks, because international women's hockey is finally back!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Sunday 25 July 2021

Caribou And The Brits

The game may have been played Monday in Tokyo, but it was televised on Sunday long after afternoon tea here in North America. I mention "afternoon tea" because the Canadians were facing Great Britain in the second match for both teams in Pool B action at the Tokyo Olympics, and the Canadians were looking for the upset in this one. Having lost their first match to Germany, Canada could send ripples through the pool with a win over the seventh-ranked British squad who came into the game with a 1-0 record on the strength of a 3-1 win over South Africa. Would the Caribou shock the tournament and dispatch the British in today's game?

Much like the game against Germany, the chances were few for Canada in the opening quarter, but the British were unable to connect on many passes themselves. The British did rattle the framework behind Antoni Kindler with a shot off the crossbar in the first quarter, but that would be the only ball to get by Kindler as Canada and Great Britain closed out the opening fifteen minutes tied 0-0.

The second quarter felt an awful lot like the first quarter where the British controlled the offensive chances, but simply could not convert. Sam Ward again rattle the woodwork with his shot off the post, but Kindler was equal to the task on the other chances including a glorious Liam Ansell that he steered wide with stick. Despite the chances for the British, the Canadian defence and goalkeeping kept this game deadlocked at 0-0 as both teams exited the pitch for halftime.

Just under three minutes into the second half, an extremely long challenge proved fruitless for the British, moving the ball from a penalty corner to the sideline. It didn't matter where the ball was placed, though, as Sam Ward set up Liam Ansell at the penalty dot where Ansell swept a low shot at the goal. Kindler's save attempt yielded just a piece of the ball, but not enough, as Great Britain broke the stalemate and went up 1-0 on Ansell's goal. The 41st minute saw Ward convert a penalty corner with a precision shot, and the British had a 2-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter!

For a moment, it seemed Canada was going to break the goose egg as they were awarded three-straight penalty corners, but nothing came of those in what had to be disappointing for the Canadians. However, Floris van Son made his impact felt at the 51st minute when his flick from the top of the circle found room past British goalkeeper Oliver Payne, and the Canadians had life at 2-1!

As the game wound down, the British showed their skill with some excellent ball control, and that led to a gorgeous passing play that was finished with a Liam Ansell deflection on the goal line into the yawning Canadian cage for his third goal of the tournament that made it a 3-1 game in favour of Great Britain. Canada did pull the goalkeeper to try and generate some late offence, but it was all for naught as the final whistle sounded on the 3-1 Great Britain victory in this game.

With the loss, Canada falls to 0-2 in the tournament while Great Britain improves to 2-0. It is worrisome that Canada still has yet to generate any sustainable offence against two of the better teams in this tournament. Great Britain outshot Canada 15-4 in this game, so, if you're keeping track at home, Canada has been outshot 37-6 by Germany and Great Britain. That simply is not good enough in any tournament to win a medal, so Canada will really need to start finding ways to generate offence if they hope to advance out of the preliminary round.

In other action leading into this game from the men's tournament, Pool A's results saw Australia crush India 7-1, New Zealand outlast Spain by a 4-3 score, and Argentina down Japan by a 2-1 score. The Pool B games saw Netherlands defeat South Africa 5-3, and, in a game that happened directly before the Canada game, it was top-ranked Belgium downing the Germans by a 3-1 score.

In women's action, Pool A saw Ireland down South Africa 2-0 while Germany squeaked by Great Britain 2-1. Pool B on the women's side had China defeat Japan 4-3, Australia down Spain by a 3-1 score, and New Zealand shutout Argentina 3-0.

Canada will play the Netherlands next, and they currently sit with a 1-1 record after a loss to Belgium on the opening day before bouncing back with the win over South Africa. The Netherlands are the third-ranked nation in the FIH rankings, so the Canadians will need a big effort against the Dutch. We did see South Africa take advantage of some sloppy Dutch play in their game, but Canada has yet to score three goals in the entire tournament, let alone one game.

It's a pretty obvious necessity for their game against the Dutch, but the offence has to awaken from its slumber. Being 0-3 in this tournament means it's a tough task to advance, and even if one does advance it's very likely that Pool A's best team awaits them in the crossover. If Canada can pounce on a Netherlands team that hasn't looked entirely solid yet, this could be the break they need!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the pitch!

Saturday 24 July 2021

Caribou On The Pitch

They have been there for a number of days already as they get used to the new pitch in Toyko and get adjusted to the time change so they're ready to play, but the Canadian men's field hockey team took to the field at Oi Hokcey Stadium for their first game against the fifth-ranked Germans as the preliminary round gets underway. If we're being totally honest, this game features a superpower in Germany in the field hockey world against an emerging power in Canada whose successes have been big, but less plentiful. This woul be a good test for the Canadians right off the bat if they wanted to make some noise in this tournament!

The four-time Olympic champions in Germany opened the scoring in at the 11-minute mark in the first quarter when Lukas Windfeder converted the penalty corner into the top corner for a goal. Canada was on the defensive for most of the opening frame, but that's to be expected when playing a well-oiled machine in the Germany national squad.

Canada would rally in the opening minute of the second quarter. Flois van Son sent a pass into the middle of the circle that deflected off Gabriel Ho-Garcia, but the ball would land on the stick of Keegan Pereira who flicked a shot past German goalkeeper Alexander Stadler to tie the game at 1-1! Pereira, facing the camera in the image to the right, would record the only shot off a field a goal in this game for Canada on his goal, and that's something that the Canadians know has to improve moving forward if they want to be successful. Goals off transition play are vital for all teams' successes, and the Germans proved that after this goal at the 16-minute mark.

Christopher Rühr, seen to the left, scored goals at the 22-minute mark and the 25-minute mark off excellent rushes by the German team to put them up 3-1. Windfeder would add his second penalty conversion at the 28-minute mark to put Germany up 4-1 before the half, and it was pretty apparent that the Germans were playing at a different level than Canada after that Pereira goal seemingly woke them up. Canada would need an inspired second half to make a game out of this against Germany once they returned from the halftime break.

Germany's second-half performance was much less about offence than it was defence as they simply turned Canada away time and time again while generating their own chances off the transition play. Martin Haner would eventually score off a penalty corner in the 44th minute to put Germany up 5-1, but the suffocating defence that the Germans showed was all the evidence one needed to know they're a field hockey superpower.

A couple of late goals by Niklas Bosserhoff and Mats Grambusch at the 59th and 60th minutes, respectively, gave Germany the 7-1 victory over Canada in the opening game as they outshot the Canadians 22-2 in the match. Needless to say, Canada will likely review the game film and work on some adjustments as they get ready for Great Britain on Monday in Tokyo. It should be noted that Great Britain won their opening 3-1 over South Africa, so things don't get any easier for Canada moving forward.

It should be noted that while the score on the scoreboard and the difference in the shot totals were extreme between Canada and Germany, the Canadians still had some excellent performances. Goalkeeper Antoni Kindler was exceptional at times in keeping the Germans from making the score look worse, and the Canadians did show some good passing and movement when in the offensive zone. While that passing and movement didn't result in shots against the fifth-ranked team on the planet, there are good things on which the Canadians can build.

In other games, Pool A saw Australia defeat Japan 5-3, India top New Zealand by a 3-2 score, and Spain and Argentina finish in a 1-1 draw. Pool B saw the Brits down the South Africans 3-1 as mentioned above, and Belgium defeated the Netherlands by a 3-1 score as well.

The women's side of the tournament saw two Pool A games finish as Netherlands downed India by a 5-1 score while Ireland defeated South Africa 2-0. It should be noted that the Indian women held the first-overall nation in the world to a 1-1 draw through 33 minutes before finally succumbing to the waves of attacks sent by the Dutch. They might be a tough out in this tournament after most people gave them little chance to medal!

The action continues on Sunday! Check your local listings for when games are being broadcast so you can tune in and catch some fun summer hockey action!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Friday 23 July 2021

The Choices Made

There are times in every NHL Entry Draft where a team makes a pick that has everyone scratching their heads about what that team saw that others didn't. It's often a case of those teams having one scout who has done a ton of homework on that player or has extremely reliable information about that player that allows the team to move him up the draft rankings. All of this goes to show how much uncertainty is built into the draft, but tonight's 31st selection wasn't about scouting or a GM following a scout's hunch. It was simply a GM who put business before humanity in what has become an all-too-common theme in the NHL.

This paragraph will be the only time his name appears in this article, but the Montreal Canadiens selecting Logan Mailloux in the first round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft is one of the dumbest, most ill-conceived, most ignorant picks in the history of the NHL Entry Draft. And this includes Buffalo drafting a player who didn't exist. Yes, it ranks lower than that moment simply because Marc Bergevin, apparently, chooses not to follow simple instructions and chooses not to read the room.

The player named above was convicted this past season while playing in Sweden of distributing a sexual photo without the victim's consent, and he paid a fine of an undisclosed amount as an admission of guilt to this criminal act. These two things need to be remembered before I go any further because this article will be difficult to read if we don't frame this that he was accused of a crime, convicted of a crime, and admitted that he committed a crime. In short, the player-named is a criminal.

Just days ago, the player-named asked that he be removed from all draft lists by all 32 NHL teams in a statement he posted on social media that read, "Being drafted into the NHL is an honour and a privilege that no one takes lightly. The NHL Draft should be one of the most exciting landmark moments in a player's career, and given the circumstances, I don't feel I have demonstrated strong enough maturity or character to earn that privilege in the 2021 draft."

It takes some self-awareness to admit in opting out of the draft that he doesn't have the maturity or the character to play in the NHL, but the question has to be asked if this would have happened had the media not revealed those criminal charges and his guilty plea days before the player issued the statement. If this had never been brought to light, I doubt the player would have issued such a statement at all because this should have happened before The Athletic broke the story.

With a number of NHL teams quickly removing his name from their draft boards, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope that the NHL was taking things seriously regarding sex crimes after the controversy in Chicago broke and now this player's past crime. And then Marc Bergevin went ahead and flushed all that hope down the toilet with the nationally-broadcasted 31st pick of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.

I cannot state this enough: he was accused of a crime, convicted of a crime, and admitted that he committed a crime, and Marc Bergevin made him a first-round pick in the NHL. Apparently, the NHL is unlike any other employer in that anyone convicted of a sex crime can still be employed. With all this talk about character and how important it is at the NHL level when it comes to winning, I'm almost expecting Bergevin to announce that he signed Brendan Leipsic as well.

You can try to make the case for him paying a fine in Sweden as the end of this story, but there's still a woman in Sweden whose life has been destroyed by having her picture and name shared in an online chat among the players on the hockey team for which the player-named played. There is still a woman in Sweden trying to piece her life back together after finding out she had her name, information, and picture shared without her consent. And there's still a woman in Sweden waiting for a real apology for what the player-named did rather than a heartless text that requires very little realization of the impact he caused in her life.

At what point do we stop reducing criminal activity to "mistakes" and actually ask society to hold these people accountable for their crimes? Yes, the legal system is woefully terrible when it comes to punishing those who commit sex crimes, and we're all likely aware that society blamed the victims for far too long rather than seeking justice for what the accusers did. There is nothing wrong with taking the moral high ground here and saying, "Dude messed up bad, got caught, and was punished, but he still needs to make things right."

His statement asking not to be drafted was a first step in making things right. He still needs to apologize and prove that he'll never do something like this ever again before he ever gets the privilege of playing in the NHL. Period. End of statement.

I've seen too many people on social media tonight yapping about how righteous it must be to ruin a kid's career with "cancel culture". Every time I read that, it infurtiates me more because consequences of one's actions is not "cancel culture".

People who have morals didn't choose to share her photo. People who know this is wrong didn't choose to put her photo into a group chat. People didn't choose to ruin a woman's life through their actions. It was one person who chose to do this, and the consequences of his actions should be felt for as long as it takes for him to prove that this crime will never happen again. If that costs him a lucrative NHL hockey career, so be it. That's the cost of making the choice he did.

Of course, this whole controversy would have never happened has Marc Bergevin simply used common sense and not drafted the player-named after he specifically asked not to be drafted. By doing so, however, Marc Bergevin will now face scrutiny like he's never faced before. He employs a criminal. Worse yet, he employs a sex offender. And all he had to do was choose someone else.

He asked not to be drafted. Marc Bergevin chose to ignore that.

He asked for more time to show he's changed and matured so teams could re-evaluate him. Marc Bergevin chose to ignore that.

The NHL, it seemed, was willing to let the player-named not be picked this season after his criminal activity was revealed and his plea to allow him to show the world he's changed. Marc Bergevin chose to ignore that too.

At the end of the day, there's a woman in Sweden who awaits a real apology, not some text message, from a player whose career should have been seriously questioned after he chose to destroy her life. Marc Bergevin's choice to draft this player will forever be a stain on his legacy, and it's bleeding into the fabric of the Montreal Canadians because of his choice not to read the room.

Actions have consequences. Someone not named Bergevin needs to answer for the choices made by Marc Bergevin tonight because I'm having a really hard time understanding, in light of all that's swirled around Bergevin regarding the Blackhawks' sexual abuse investigation, why this pick was allowed to happen. Marc Bergevin and his staff chose to pick the player, but ripples of this choice will reach further down the line than just the GM's office because there likely should have been discussions surrounding the player-named long before we reached this point.

This is a dark day for the NHL, and these are the consequences of the choices made tonight.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice.

Thursday 22 July 2021

The Hockey Show - Episode 461

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back tonight as Teebz and Jenna reconvene to break down all the big stories from hockey over the last week. It's pretty clear that one story dominated the news headlines with Seattle finally getting a chance to add players to their roster, but there were some other significant stories that happened as well. From the AHL to the CHL to the WHL to the NCAA and to U SPORTS, there's a little bit of everything packed into the show tonight!

Tonight, Teebz and Jenna begin by discussing Jenna's involvement at the Sami Jo Small Hockey School happening in Winnipeg and how much fun she's having before discussing Seattle's selections in the NHL Expansion Draft and why Seattle may not be a pushover. They chat about the AHL announcing home-opener dates for all the AHL clubs with a focus on the Canadian squads, the new multi-year media partnership between the CHL, TSN, RDS, and CBC and how that may work moving forward, Robert Morris University and hockey returning to the school as one of their former players lands in Canada West for next season, the Chicago Blackhawks hiring and elevating women within their organization with one woman having a direct tie to the University of Manitoba, and discuss three new logos for three teams in the WHL, AHL, and KHL to close out the show. It's another busy show that reaches across the hockey spectrum, so make sure you tune in at 5:30pm CT on 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

Where's the best place can you hear tonight's show if you're outside Winnipeg or not near a radio, you ask? The new UMFM website's online streaming player is pretty awesome if you want to listen online. If you're using an Apple device, the player doesn't seem to like Safari yet, so if you want to stream the show I'd recommend Radio Garden to do that as it works nicely with Safari. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. If you do use the TuneIn app, you won't be disappointed. It's a solid app.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard!

Tonight, Teebz and Jenna talk camps, rosters, home-openers, TV coverage, transferring players, amazing women, brand-new looks for teams, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: July 22, 2021: Episode 461

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Wednesday 21 July 2021

First Look At The Kraken

The newest NHL team has a strong Winnipeg connection at the expansion draft as Winnipeg-born Chris Driedger models the new home jersey for the Kraken while former Winnipeg Jet Brandon Tanev models the road jersey. Toss in another Manitoba connection with Morgan Geekie and another Jets connection with Mason Appleton both being chosen by the Kraken, and the Keystone Province has fingerprints all this Seattle Kraken team. There were thirty players selected tonight by the Kraken, though, so let's take a look at the first roster of the thirty-second NHL team.

Surprisingly, the Kraken have no zero side deals to report regarding trades. Of course, they were part of the NHL trade freeze that's in effect until 1pm ET on Thursday so not announcing trades makes sense, but I get the feeling that Ron Francis may not be done when it comes to improving this team. If you recall, Vegas added all sorts of talent through trades for their inaugural season, and I suspect with $30 million in cap space that Francis may do the same.

Admittedly, there are some good offensive players here, but this team will be very defensively-minded, it seems. A vast number of their forwards are solid two-way players while they have some very good, very physical defencemen who will help protect the young netminding tandem of Driedger and Vanecek. Don't expect any fifty-goal scorers to come out of this group, but I would expect the Kraken to play some low-scoring, tight hockey games where they'll have a chance to win.

How do you think the Seattle Kraken fared in their expansion draft? Were there any surprises? Were there players you thought they should have picked? Leave your comments below and we can discuss these missed opportunities!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Tuesday 20 July 2021

All Set For The Draft

If you're not ready for the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft tomorrow, you might be the only one on the planet not ready for it. There have been mock drafts done by almost every publication and media person in hockey. There have been blog articles upon blog articles upon mainstream media pieces upon video analysis of players available and who the Kraken should select. There has been speculation, prognostications, and predictions on what the final Seattle Kraken roster will look like after Wednesday night, but it will happen tomorrow evening as NHL teams brace for players they once called their own to stare them down from the Pacific Northwest. The thirty-second NHL team is poised to announce their team. Are you?

I ask that with some tongue in cheek because everyone knows this was coming, but there are differing opinions all over the place. I've jumped the gun a little and updated the Seattle Kraken NHL Hockey image already, so there's one less thing you need to do if you want to use this as your template. See the update below.
Florida's Chris Driegder has reportedly agreed to a deal with Seattle already, so it would seem that we know who is being chosen from the Florida Panthers. There was another interesting clip shown from a fish market today where Alex Kerfoot's name was mentioned, but that one seems less sure than the Driedger news. Keep an eye on that developing story tomorrow as Alex Kerfoot could also be a Kraken before Wednesday night is done.

What is certain is that the Kraken will submit their list of chosen players to the NHL in the morning, and those choices will be announced in the evening. GMs who are looking to save players from being chosen will need to work the phones tonight with Ron Francis if they have any hope of making a deal to keep players, and it will be interesting to see which teams caved to protect their current rosters as best as they can.

For the first time in their history, however, the Seattle Kraken will have enough players under their control to ice a team for an NHL game. It seems like this has been coming for a long time, but it's finally here. The only question that remains are which players will be in a Kraken uniform for 2021-22?

We find out tomorrow at 8pm ET on Sportsnet and ESPN2!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Monday 19 July 2021

I'm A Fan

There was some monumental news that came out of the NHL today as Luke Prokop, a third-round selection of the Nashville Predators in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, revealed that he was a gay man. That's him to the left, signing his first professional NHL contract with the Predators after starring in the WHL with the Calgary Hitman, and it would seem he's a pretty regular guy when it comes to be excitied to being an NHL player. Nothing out of the ordinary there, so let me say I am happy to see Luke Prokop living out his dreams by becoming an NHL player for the same team where his favorite player, Shea Weber, began his dreams.

I do want to correct something, though. I used the term "monumental news" off the top of this article and I am wrong in saying that. Hear me out on this, but what if we make it part of our daily parlance regarding hockey that this news doesn't have to be groundbreaking or monumental, instead letting Luke Prokop and anyone else who is gay just be themselves as hockey players? As people? Why does sexuality have to factor into anything related to hockey?

I'd be naive to suggest that I don't know gay hockey players. Statistically, the numbers of individials who identify as LGBTQ+ seems to change annually, but to say there are none in the NHL would be categorically wrong based on the nearly 800 players that make up the NHLPA. Of those 800 players, there has to be one or more players based on numbers alone since hockey is a microcosm of society, and now we know there will be a second player when Luke Prokop makes his eventual debut with the Predators.

At the end of the day, though, does it matter if he's gay, straight, queer, up, down, left, right, on, off, or another other descriptor as long as he helps the Predators win hockey games?

That's an easy answer: no. He's a hockey player. That's his job, and he's paid to play hockey to the best of his abilities for as long as his contract states. If he were an actor or an accountant or any other walk of life, his job doesn't define who he is nor should it ever define the person he is. Luke Prokop is an intelligent, caring, fun-loving, happy young man who just happens to be really, really good at hockey just as Zachary Quinto is a really good actor or Elton John is an award-winning musician. If you've seen Star Trek or Disney's The Lion King, you know their work.

Paraphrased from Last Word on Sports, Prokop played for Team Canada at the U17 World Hockey Challenge, so there's some solid talent there that allowed him to rise about his peers. He skates extremely well for a man standing in at 6'5" in height, and he has better than average speed as well. He accelerates well, and handles his edgework and turns fluidly which makes him hard to beat one-on-one as he maintains good gap control. His shot is solid, but it can improve. Being a bigger player, he certainly has the strength to fight through checks at the junior level, clear the front of the net, and win puck battles.

If you're the Nashville Predators and you read that scouting report, does Prokop being gay change any of that? Again, that's an easy answer: no.

"The Nashville Predators organization is proud of Luke for the courage he is displaying in coming out today and we will support him unequivocally in the days, weeks, and years to come as he continues to develop as a prospect," Predators president and CEO Sean Henry said in a statement. "A long-stated goal in our organization is equality for all, including the LGBTQ community, and it is important that Luke feels comfortable and part of an inclusive environment as he moves forward in his career."

While I generally agree with Henry's statement, is that not the goal of the franchise in each and every player's case - to have each player feel "comfortable and part of an inclusive environment as he moves forward in his career"? If the Predators went ahead and made a sizeable donation in Prokop's name to local Nashville LGBTQ+ organizations, that speaks volumes about their dedication to reaching those long-stating goals. We'll have to see how Nashville proceeds as a franchise, but starting with full support of Luke Prokop gives me hope.

I'm not going to say that Luke Prokop is going to be the next Shea Weber. Heck, he may not be the next Yannick Weber. But I stand here today telling you that if I were to buy a Nashville Predators jersey, I would proudly wear "Prokop" on the back of it and hang it next to the Shea Weber jersey I do have in my closet. No if, and, or buts about it - this kid is a player, and that's what we should be focused on.

Is it a big moment in the history of the game that Luke Prokop is the first gay hockey player? It is for millions of gay men and boys who might be too scared or not confident enough to share that information. It may help other women and girls step forward with more confidence in who they are when it comes to their sexualities. This fact isn't lost on me one bit, and I have a feeling Luke Prokop is going to help a lot of people fight through their own battles when it comes to struggling with sexuality.

I'm excited to watch Prokop make the Predators' lineup, and I'll cheer for him when he does. Not because he's gay, but because he's living out his dream without worrying about keeping a secret or hiding his private life from his teammates and the Predators organization. Because he's earned that shot through his play on the ice without someone holding him back because of sexuality. Because he's a helluva good hockey player who deserves just as much success and happiness off the ice as he finds off it.

I'm already a fan of Luke Prokop, and that won't change for any reason.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Sunday 18 July 2021

Big Names To Ponder

Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis, seen to the left talking with Kraken data science guru Alexandra Mandrycky, will have a lot of information to weed through over the next few days until he submits his final selections in the Expansion Draft to the NHL on Wednesday morning. There will certainly be input from everyone on who Francis should take and who he should avoid, but it should be pretty obvious that NHL teams, after crying and whining following the Vegas Expansion Draft, learned nothing when it came to making good players available to the new team.

I will say that I appreciate the NHL teams learning nothing because this means that Seattle will be somewhat competitive depending on how Francis chooses his team, and there are all sorts of options for star power that can be brought in if the Kraken really want to upset the balance of power in the Pacific Division. I should also say that I endorse this idea fully and completely.

While the salary cap will limit the total amount of star power that Seattle can bring in, there are enough stars to pick through to give Seattle a pretty good start in building their squad. Whether it be a star goalie like Carey Price who played junior hockey in the area or a star forward like Gabriel Landeskog who is seemingly at an impasse with the Colorado Avalanche over a new contract, the opportunity is there for Seattle to be very good next season just as Vegas was in their first season of play.

In a fun exercise, I'm not going to pick Seattle's team for them. Instead, I'm going to pick the three best options for forward, defence, and goaltender that would give them the best shot at winning everything. Salary cap be damned in this situation because I'm not picking the team; it's simply a who's who of stars available that I believe would be the best selection at each position from each team thanks to NHL GMs panicking at the idea of protecting players.

Ready for this? Let's have some fun.

F - Ryan Getzlaf
D - Haydn Fleury
G - Ryan Miller

F - Derick Brassard
D - Niklas Hjalmarsson
G - Antti Raanta

F - David Krejci
D - Mike Reilly
G - Tuukka Rask

F - Kyle Okposo
D - Jake McCabe
G - Carter Hutton

F - Josh Leivo
D - Mark Giordano
G - Louis Domingue

F - Nino Neiderreiter
D - Dougie Hamilton
G - Petr Mrazek

F - Vinnie Hinostroza
D - Calvin De Haan
G - Malcolm Subban

F - Gabriel Landeskog
D - Erik Johnson
G - Devyn Dubnyk

F - Max Domi
D - Michael Del Zotto
G - Cameron Johnson

F - Andrew Cogliano
D - Jamie Oleksiak
G - Ben Bishop

F - Taro Hirose
D - Danny DeKeyser
G - Jonathan Bernier

F - Dominik Kahun
D - Tyson Barrie
G - Mike Smith

F - Alex Wennberg
D - Radko Gudas
G - Chris Driedger

F - Martin Frk
D - Olli Maatta
G - Jonathan Quick

F - Nick Bjugstad
D - Carson Soucy
G - Kaapo Kahkonen

F - Philip Danault
D - Brett Kulak
G - Carey Price

F - Erik Haula
D - Mark Borowiecki
G - Kasimir Kaskisuo

F - Andreas Johnsson
D - Will Butcher
G - Scott Wedgewood

F - Josh Bailey
D - Sebastian Aho
G - Ken Appleby

F - Barclay Goodrow
D - Brendan Smith
G - Keith Kinkaid

F - Evgenii Dadonov
D - Josh Brown
G - Anton Forsberg

F - Jakub Voracek
D - Shayne Gostisbehere
G - Brian Elliott

F - Zach Aston-Reese
D - Marcus Petterson
G - Casey DeSmith

F - Matt Nieto
D - Greg Pateryn
G - Martin Jones

F - Vladimir Tarasenko
D - Marco Scandella
G - Ville Husso

F - Ondrej Palat
D - Cal Foote
G - Curtis McElhinney

F - Jared McCann
D - Travis Dermott
G - Frederik Andersen

F - Kole Lind
D - Alexander Edler
G - Braden Holtby

F - Carl Hagelin
D - Justin Schultz
G - Vitek Vanecek

F - Mason Appleton
D - Dylan DeMelo
G - Mikhail Berdin

There were teams whose major stars were left off because they are free agents and will never sign with Seattle. You may also notice Shea Weber and PK Subban didn't get selected from Montreal and New Jersey, respectively, because they're either injured or too often injured combined with their ages. In any case, a lot of names were left off simply due to there being no chance of that player playing in Seattle for the Kraken.

Who would you swap out from these selections if you were doing this? Sound off in the comments, and we can discuss all of the options available to Seattle on Wednesday!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!