Some Good From A Lot Of Bad

It isn't often that professional hockey teams fold in the middle of a season, but the team with the jersey to the left - the UHL's Mohawk Valley Prowlers - were one of the few pro teams who did fold midway through their campaign. The team only lasted in Utica, New York from 1998 to 2001, so it's not like they had a massive impact on the community in their short existence. However, there are a few notes to examine when it comes to the Prowlers calling Utica home for parts of three seasons. Let's look at the Prowlers announcing their financial issues and what happened from there.

According to a report from The Associated Press on February 8, 2001, the Prowlers sought bankruptcy protection, depending on who you believe, sometime between Friday, February 2 through Tuesday, February 6 after telling a judge that the team was "spending more than 40 percent than it takes in". Citing total assets of $1.7 million and liabilities of $3.94 million, it's not hard to see why the team was suffering as it was spending $1.40 for every dollar made.

With the announcement, the players on the Prowlers' roster voted to strike in knowing that they likely weren't going to be paid until the bankruptcy matter was resolved. Rumours of missed salary payments totalling $40,000 and missed rent payments forcing players to be evicted from their apartments gave the players all the necessary motivation they needed not to play, and the team had no way of borrowing money to make their payroll while under bankruptcy protection despite owner Jack Tompkins saying that the players were owed only $5667 due to creditor protection. As a result of the team being unable to honour their contractual obligations to the players, the entire roster was declared as creditors owed money. Would ever get the money owed?

As the headline from the Syracuse Herald American stated, the Prowlers were forced to use replacement players for their scheduled game on February 11, 2001 against the BC Icemen. For those wondering, the "BC" stands for Broome County as the Icemen called Binghamton, New York home, but they took the ice against a Prowlers team that literally was made up of whoever the Prowlers could find who wasn't under contract. The end result was an 18-4 blowout by the Icemen, and Prowlers' management vowed that Wednesday's game against the Icemen would also see replacement players take the ice in Prowlers uniforms. Based on those results from Sunday, it would appear that their Prowlers needed professional players back.

It seems that Mohawk Valley wasn't done dealing their contracted players, though, as the Prowlers traded 12-goal, 35-point centerman Harold Hersh to Quad City on Monday, February 12. That's one way to satisfy one creditor as Hersh would finish the season in Quad City where he'd score 16 points in 19 games before adding six points in 11 games en route to a UHL championship!

The AHL's Lowell Lock Monsters would pick up a player from the Prowlers as well as they added noted bruiser Andre Payette from Mohawk Valley. Tye 6'2", 205-pound Payette had already made a name for himself in the UHL, scoring nine goals and 18 assists while racking up 244 PIMs in 45 games. Lowell added Payette to their lineup to replace noted pugilist Kip Brennan who returned to the OHL's Sudbury Wolves after it was discovered he still had junior hockey eligibility.

Apparently, business continued as if nothing ever changed for the Prowlers as they waived Quintin Brickley who never even played for them while claiming John Dowd from New Haven. On the other side, former leading scorer Jay Mazur, who was delcared a free agent following the bankruptcy filing, signed with New Haven to strengthen their lineup. Clearly, things were starting to crumble in Mohawk Valley, so it seemed like the inevitable was on the horizon.

On February 22, the final nail in the coffin was hammered as the Mohawk Valley Prowlers closed their doors on the season and on the franchise. With the team officially in bankruptcy proceedings, trustee Michael Balanoff oversaw the proceedings of how the team would repay its creditors which, as the article states, included over 1000 season-ticket holders. Of course, players were also included in the list of creditors, but any players still under contract and on the Prowlers payroll were officially made free agents by the UHL and were able to sign with any team of their choosing. Most players went on to find a new team by the start of the following season, but there was one replacement player whose statistics caught my attention as I was researching another story. Depending on when, he may have been part of the 18-4 loss against the BC Icemen back on February 11.

This young man is Terry Craven. In this picture taken on February 21 as the Prowlers cleared out their lockers following the announcement of the team folding, the 24 year-old had played a total of seven professional minutes of UHL hockey - one with the Asheville Smoke and six with the Mohawk Valley Prowlers. He had 24 NCAA games to his name with the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts where his GAA and save percentage weren't going to get him scouted by NHL personnel, but he could be a decent goalie with a little seasoning in the UHL.

I'm not here to bring down Terry Craven in any way because he clearly got stuck in an untenable situation. Playing for the Prowlers while the franchise crumbles is not one that any player would want, but Craven's numbers are hard to ignore. Consider the following:

In his six minutes of standing in the blue paint for the Prowlers, he surrendered five goals on 11 shots and suffered his only professional loss at the UHL level or above in terms of his professional career. That is heartbreaking to read for a kid just trying to find his way into pro hockey, but Craven's record will show his Prowlers time with an 0-1-0 record, a 46.75 GAA, and a .545 save percentage. Just brutal!

There is a bright spot, though: Craven did get picked up as a goaltender for the ECHL's Lexington Men O'War in 2003. He spent two minutes on the ice in the ECHL with Lexington and made one save, but the Men O'War clearly saw something in Craven by bringing him in as an EBUG after spending nearly two years out of hockey!

Terry Craven's story won't be a 30-For-30 on ESPN or a Netflix special, but he did get nine minutes of professional hockey under his belt. Two-thirds of that time came in a Prowlers jersey where he was thrown to the wolves, but Craven did spend two minutes in an ECHL game where he officially made one save and finished with a 0.00 GAA and a 1.000 save percentage. The Prowlers franchise may have died in 2001, gone for good, but Terry Craven wasn't quite done.

Sometimes, out of the worst situations, good things happen. While Terry Craven never had a long or propserous professional hockey career, he did stop one puck in the ECHL with the Lexington Man O'War which is more than a lot of other good goaltenders can say they did. Who knows if that would have happened had it not been for the UHL's Mohawk Valley Prowlers franchise hemorrhaging money.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Other Side Of The World

The goaltender to the left likely isn't going to be recognizable unless you're following the ECHL and SPHL closely. That goalie is Surrey, BC's Noah Giesbrecht, and he was trying to crack lineups in the professional leagues here in North America after finishing a solid university career that saw him play at three different schools including a U SPORTS school! One of the toughest things for any undrafted goalie to do is break into the ECHL with so few roster spots available, but Giesbrecht looked like he may get his shot with the Savannah Ghost Pirates after playing with the SPHL's Knoxville Ice Bears! That run with the Ghost Pirates ended early as he was released yesterday, but he found a new home very quickly for this summer!

Giesbrecht's hockey career saw him play in both the MJHL for two teams and the SJHL for Melfort Mustangs along with a cup of coffee in the USHL with the Muskegon Lumberjacks. He put up very good numbers in 2019-20 with the MJHL's Portage Terriers, compiling a 12-4-0 record with a 1.86 GAA and a .925 save percentage. Those numbers attracted the attention of the OUA's University of Windsor Lancers, and Giesbrecht was off to play in southern Ontario!

After the COVID year in 2020-21, Giesbrecht was excellent with the Lancers as he went 7-1-0 with a 2.13 GAA and a .941 save percentage in the first half of the season before jumping south of the border as he enrolled at Ferris State where he joined the men's hockey team! In his time with the Bulldogs, Giesbrecht went 19-29-3 with a 3.35 GAA and an .898 save percentage. He'd play his final NCAA season with RPI where he was 11-19-0 with a 3.54 GAA and an .896 save percentage. Being undrafted, Giesbrecht looked to the ECHL as an option.

He spent more time on the bench than in a crease as two games with Tulsa and nine games with Savannah were the only opportunities he received this season. Combined with seven more games in Knoxville, Giesbrecht likely had his agent looking for other options as his 18 games of professional action didn't give him a lot to build on for next season. That's when another opportunity presented itself, and Giesbrecht took it as he'll pack his bags and head south!

Giesbrecht will suit up this summer - or, more accurately, this winter in Australia - for the AIHL's Melbourne Mustangs! The AIHL's opening games happen this weekend, and the Mustangs will be in action on Saturday as they host the Central Coast Rhinos. Giesbrecht gives them another solid goaltender along with Seb Woodlands and Tom Papas, and they may need the added experience as their opening night lineup apparently will not feature longtime star Ty Wishart! That could possibly change as there was no announcement of him retiring, so he could be back at some point. For whatever reason, though, the Mustangs will be without one of their best players to begin the 2026 AIHL season.

The AIHL will continue with their ten-team setup as the action last season proved exciting down the stretch with teams pushing for playoff spots. The Melbourne Ice enter the season as the defending champions after defeating the Canberra Brave for the Goodall Cup last season, so those teams will come into this season with targets on their backs. The Mustangs finished in sixth-place which pitted them against the Perth Thunder in a play-in game for the playoffs, but Perth took care of business by a 5-2 score. Clearly, the Mustangs want to return to glory, so improved goaltending will help that cause!

Noah Giesbrecht has played in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Michigan, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Georgia in his hockey journey thus far, and he'll add the city of Melbourne, Australia on this leg of his hockey career! Where it goes from here is anyone's guess, but the summer of 2026 will see him in Mustangs' black and orange!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 702

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, invades the UMFM studios once again as there's a pile of hockey chatter to go over from leagues and places all over the North American map. It's been a busy week with playoffs starting, teams pushing for playoff spots, and teams loading up for playoff runs, so we'll talk about a lot of that stuff tonight with a few more stories mixed in. We'll be all over the map as we discuss all sorts of stories tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason dive into a pile of news and information that should be entertaining. They discuss the Cross Border Classic sledge hockey series happening at the Hockey For All Centre this weekend that you should attend, they take a look at the Canada West semifinals which have given us the finalists and Canada West's teams for the National Championships, and they discuss all the non-deadline trades that have happened so far. On top of that, there will be stories about North Dakota going green, Troy Ryan looking for a change, James Hardie's incredible adventure, Maryville University stepping up, and a legend stepped away from the game. It's going to be a busy hour, so settle in for The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The UMFM website's streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. 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 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! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat about parahockey action, playoff craziness, ridiculous trades, going green, stepping down, stepping up, an incredible adventure, deserved time off, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: March 5, 2026: Episode 702

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Waive Him Now

The player to the left shall not be named in today's article for any reason. He hasn't earned that respect by any measure after being acquitted for charges of sexual assault in the Hockey Canada trial. You all know his name so me repeating it here isn't necessary, but I want to make it clear that his name will never be used in any way since it became apparent that the Vegas Golden Knights are desperate for a goaltender regardless of past allegations and involvement in alleged crimes. As he plays with the AHL's Henderson Silver Knights, it's becoming more and more evident that his abilities to stop pucks at an NHL level has evaporated, leading me to ask the obvious question: for what reason would Vegas keep him on their depth chart if he's not good enough?

The goaltender in question has played in three games for the Henderson Silver Knights to date, logging a 1-2-0 record with a 3.07 GAA and an .839 save percentage. He allowed four goals on 16 shots yesterday against the Ontario Reign, losing the game 4-3, and I have to admit that I enjoyed watching him struggle to make saves and track pucks at the AHL level. Knowing he'll eventually be recalled by the Vegas Golden Knights only makes me enjoy this fall from grace even more because, as I've said repeatedly, playing professional hockey is a privilege. Someone wearing #79 should remember that.

If you don't believe me that NHL teams are going to feast on his poor goaltending, consider this power-play goal by Ontario's Andre Lee.
Either he has no periphreal vision or he simply doesn't read plays, but the Henderson stopper didn't even try to prevent the pass to Andre Lee who simply needed to redirect it home. Cole Gutman telegraphed the play from the face-off dot, and the netminder didn't even try to block the centering pass. Is this NHL level netminding?

In all three games he's played, the formerly-accused has struggled with traffic in front of him and deflected shots - two things of which he'll see a lot if Vegas promotes him. He's squarely up to shooters when facing them, but his angles are terrible and his fundamentals are mediocre at best. Here's an example of him not holding the post.
If he's going to cheat off his post on potential wrap-around attempts, NHL shooters will feast on that. It shows a lack of confidence in his lateral movement and not respecting the puck carrier enough to believe they can find holes in his goaltending. Again, that's hardly what you want to see in an NHL goalie, so why is Vegas even entertaining this option? He's not even good enough at the AHL level!

Look, Vegas can try to pretend that the acquitted is still an NHL-calibre netminder, but the reality is that he's simply not. They can do the right thing here, say they tried to give him a chance, but that his play simply wasn't good enough to warrant a NHL roster spot. They can play him in Henderson until there's some marked improvement, but they'd be better off just waiving him for the purposes of terminating his contract. At least they may save some face that way.

He's a terrible goaltender with abhorrent character and brutal statistics. Just waive him and wave good-bye to a problem, Vegas.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 680

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, hits the airwaves tonight with the business of hockey in the air as we sit less than one week out from opening night of the NHL season and just one day out from the start of the Canada West hockey season! With rinks gearing up for hockey, the financial people will be patting each other on the back as the NHL franchise valuations were published. There are some big numbers in that discussion, so our hosts will grab their calculators and dig into the numbers tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason will dive into the Sportico article that looks at the valuations of all 32 NHL franchises. There were a few teams who jumped up the list while others may leave you scratching your head. After breaking all that down, our hosts will look at an oblivious baseball guy, the potential for another Canada West hockey team getting closer, there was some history made in Delaware, two NHL teams make curious goaltending moves, a former top-ten draft pick is on the move again, New Mexico has an ECHL team now, and there are some ECHL news and notes to discuss. It's another busy show with a lot to go over from the hockey world on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The UMFM website's streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. 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! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason discuss big money, dumb statements, returning teams, new teams, historic firsts, goalie trades, underachieves, key dates, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: October 2, 2025: Episode 680

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 638

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back in the studio and on the airwaves tonight as our hosts get into another week that was filled with crazy and head-shaking stories from the world of hockey. It isn't often you get a week where outdoor games are being proposed for tropical environments, line brawls are happening in piles of toys, and less people watching is a good business strategy, but it seems those stories are part of the news this week. We'll dive into a little of all of that and more tonight for The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

There might be a few moments where you'll have the same reaction as Gordon Ramsay as Teebz and Jason discuss the Canadian 2025 FISU University Games rosters for the men and women, Utah getting closer to a brand, two OHL teams scrapping as teddy bears flew, a player who will play in the Spengler Cup, a team potentially moving in the QMJHL, a Jagr update, the PWHL with an odd business strategy, and an outdoor game in a place where ice is only found in drinks. It another busy show with a lot to go over, so settle in with a beverage because we're going to move quickly tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The new UMFM website's online streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. 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! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat international hockey, branding, brawling, moving, returning, cutting people off, playing under the sun, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: December 12, 2024: Episode 638

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

A Familiar Face

They say you can never go home again, but it seems Malcolm Subban will test that theory this year after signing a deal with the AHL's Belleville Senators. For four seasons, Subban skated with the OHL's Belleville Bulls from 2009-2013 before the team was bought and moved to Hamilton by current Senators owner Michael Andlauer in 2015, so his return brings back a crowd favorite to Belleville after the success he had there. The former first-round pick has bounced around hockey in the last few years, but there's hope he can stabilize Belleville's goaltending as a veteran presence with Ottawa occasionally needing some help from the kids.

After being selected 24th-overall in 2012 by the Boston Bruins, Subban played just two NHL games with Boston while spending most of his time with the Providence Bruins between 2013 and 2017. In 127 games with the P-Bruins, Subban was a respectable 56-45-15 with a 2.41 GAA and a .917 save percentage. While he was 0-2-0 with Boston, he had surrendered three goals in each of his NHL appearances up to that point while sporting a .727 save percentage. Some wondered if Subban could grab the reins assuming Boston ever turned to him to defend the net.

However, his 2017 season was played in a different environment as the Vegas Golden Knights claimed Subban off waivers from the Bruins, and immediately became the backup to Marc-Andre Fleury as the Golden Knights kicked off their inaugural season. Again, he provided capable backup goaltending when called upon, going 13-4-2 in 22 games, but it was his following seasons where things unravelled somewhat as he compiled a 17-17-5 record in 41 games while his GAA went up and his save percentage went down in both seasons.

In February 2020, Subban was traded to Chicago in a deal that saw none of the other pieces come close to skating in the NHL, and he'd see very little action with the Blackhawks or the Rockford IceHogs as COVID made things tough on everyone. From 2019-22, Subban played just 17 games with Chicago where he was 6-8-1 with a 3.20 GAA and a .900 save percentage, but his five games with Rockford were rather forgettable. As it was, Chicago traded him to the Buffalo Sabres for future considerations.

Subban would play four games for the Sabres before spending his 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons with the AHL's Rochester Americans, Springfield Thunderbirds, and Cleveland Monsters. He had very similar numbers in Rochester and Springfield, but his number ballooned in Cleveland before the Columbus Blue Jackets called him up for one game where he, unsurprisingly, allowed three goals on 35 shots in what was his best NHL game to date. However, with a significant lack of NHL experience and Subban turning 31 in 2024, his options in free agency seemed limited.

On Saturday, Malcolm Subban was released from his professional tryout with the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins that he had signed on October 7. Subban didn't see any regular season action with the Griffins, but he was in camp to solve some of Detroit's goaltending issues as they shuffled players between their ECHL and AHL affiliates while they figured out who belonged where to start the season. It's hard to imagine that Subban would disappear from the hockey map after this short stint, but it turns out it led to another opportunity.

The Belleville Senators announced today that they had signed Subban to a one-year AHL contract that will see him skate all season in the very city he played junior hockey. It might be a good thing he landed there early in this season because it seems the Senators are planning a Belleville Bulls Tribute Night to recognize the 25th Anniversary of the 1999 OHL Champions on December 14 against the Rochester Americans. If they go all-in on the celebraton, Subban will likely get to wear a Belleville Bulls jersey once again! That'd be pretty cool!

Of course, winning games is pretty important too, and the Senators' 3-1-0 start to the season is something upon which Subban will need to build. The Senators host the Providence Bruins on Wednesday, but it may be too early to throw Subban between the pipes at this point. What seems clear, though, is that the Ottawa Senators will have one goalie in Belleville for the entire season if things get crazy with goalie movement between the NHL club and its affiliates.

And if Subban can get his game back to his original Belleville days, there may be a shot at the NHL Senators keeping him in their organization for longer than a few games. Fans in Belleville cheered loudly for him once; it could very well happen again.

And if the goalie thing doesn't work out in his return? Maybe he can stick around as the Belleville Senators' anthem singer!


Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 631

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, hits the ground running tonight with a pile of stories from last week in and around the hockey world. There are some business stories, some records, some craziness, and some new ideas that will be discussed tonight as the news from a number of corners on the planet reach the UMFM airwaves. Our hosts will have to move quickly if they're going to squeeze all the discussions and stories into the hour, so get ready for a pile of news in a short time tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Being that I left this preview as a draft on HBIC, here's what the show preview would have looked like had I actually published it. Just roll with it, alright? I'm human and I was busy today.

Tonight, Teebz and Jason will kick off the show with a message backed by a statement from Minnesota Wild defender Jon Merrill that all teams and players need to hear. From there, they'll discuss the sale of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Sarah Fillier's contract dispute with PWHL New York, a peculiar NHL record that one of the hosts hates, another ECHL expansion team, an underdog in the CHL that has a U SPORTS twist, cleaning house in the KHL, and the IIHF looking to expand hockey options at the Olympics. The stories probably didn't hit the front page of the sports section, so we'll give you the 411 on all these stories and more tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The new UMFM website's online streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. 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 Jason chat important messages, ownership changes, getting paid, made-up records, expansion teams, upsets and goalies, hockey chaos, more Olympic hockey, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: October 24, 2024: Episode 631

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 623

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back on the air tonight with a pile of stories to discuss after we spoke to the incredible Logan Angers on last week's show! The hockey news never seems to stop, though, as there were player moves, potential contract problems, and some smaller stories that will find their way into the show. Our hosts will have some fun pulling apart deals, figuring out if teams got better, and more as we jump into The Hockey Show tonight at 5:30pm CT!

Teebz and Jason put the thinking caps on tonight as they look at the Patrik Laine deal that sent the Finnish sniper to Montreal, the trades made by the Oilers in order to fill holes caused by their decision not to match the offer sheets to Broberg and Holloway, and the Yaroslav Askarov deal that sent the netminder to San Jose. They chat about Ryan Johansen's drama with the Flyers, U SPORTS players signing in the ECHL and SPHL, there may be some uniform chatter, and we'll see what else comes up tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The new UMFM website's online streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. 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 Jason chat about a Montreal sniper, offer sheet madness, a San Jose stopper, the Philly flu, player signings, NHL threads, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: August 29, 2024: Episode 623

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Ryan Johansen Saga

If you looked back at the 2017 NHL season, one of the names that may jump off the statistics page for you might have been Ryan Johansen. He was a solid player with the Columbus Blue Jackets who had been traded to the Nashville Predators for defenceman Seth Jones, and Johansen went to work in Music City with three-straight seasons of 50-or-more points. You might be thinking that the 50-point plateau isn't that great, but 2017 saw Johansen tie for the lead in scoring with 61 points on a very defence-first Predators team. Since 2019, however, Johansen has only scored 30-or-more points twice, and he's only hit 40-or-more points once. With the Philadelphia Flyers waiving Johansen in order to terminate his contract yesterday, the 32 year-old Johansen's career might effectively be over.

As a centerman, Johansen was never regarded as a bonafide goal-scorer. Just three times in his career since 2013 has he scored more than 20 goals in a season, so teams had to know they were getting more of a playmaking centerman when trading for or signing Johansen. One of the key skills that playmaking centermen need to have is skating, and Johansen may not be able to do that very well following a major hip injury that has reportedly called into question as to whether he'll ever play hockey again.

As a result, the Philadelphia Flyers went ahead and placed Johansen on unconditional waivers yesterday in order to terminate his contract due to a "material breach", but it seems that Johansen and his agent, Kurt Overhardt, will grieve this move through the NHLPA due to Johansen still being injured and requiring surgery. Overhardt released the following statement via Twitter on Tuesday stating their intentions to challenge Philadelphia's waiver termination move.

You might be wondering how the Flyers can simply discard an injured player, but it seems that they never really wanted to keep Johansen after trading Sean Walker to Colorado for him. What makes this strange, though, is that Johansen played in 63 games for Colorado prior to the trade, scoring 13 goals and adding ten assists, but apparently was injured enough to not suit up for any games for Philadelphia or its AHL affilate in Lehigh Valley after the Flyers acquired him. For the record, Johansen was placed on waivers on March 6 for the purpose of being assigned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL, cleared waivers on March 7, but reappeared on the Flyers' roster the next day. So what happened?

In an interview with Philly Hockey, Flyers GM Daniel Briere said, "He claimed to be injured when we traded for him, so we had him see the doctors. They found an injury, so now he's going to be rehabbing. You can't send down a player who’s injured, so he's going to be doing rehab until... we don’t know when. That's about all I can say at this time, or all that I have. So he's back on our roster doing rehab and trying to get better."

If that raises eyebrows, this next part won't help because Johansen played 10:58 against the Chicago Blackhawks on March 4 with no apparent discomfort, and he took the morning skate on March 6 just hours before he was traded later in the day. For a guy who requires "requires extensive surgery" as his agent suggested, one would expect him to not potentially aggravate the injury by playing and skating.

Is it just me or does it sound like Ryan Johansen never had any intention of suiting up for the Flyers after being traded?

With Johansen having $4 million owed to him by Philadelphia for one final season on his current contract (Nashville retained 50% in the trade to Colorado), he could be put on LTIR by the Flyers if they wanted the cap space, but this seems to run deeper than just worrying about salary cap money. Injured players cannot be bought out, so that option wouldn't be available for the Flyers if they were planning that scenario this summer. They already tried and couldn't send him to the AHL, so it would seem that the best way to open an NHL contract spot and not pay Johansen would be to terminate his contract as it seems doubtful that he'll ever play for the Flyers.

I'm no doctor and I have zero access to Ryan Johansen's medical records so I'm not the person to ask about his future, but Daniel Briere was very direct in April when asked if Ryan Johansen would play hockey for the Flyers.

"All I can tell you is I don't expect him to be back. I don't know, exactly, the situation. We're dealing on the medical side with him," Briere said via Jon Bailey of Philly Hockey Now. "The thing for him is getting him back to be able to play at this time. He doesn't think he can play hockey. I wish I had a better answer for you. We need to get him better to figure out if there’s even a remote chance of him dressing for the organization."

It should be noted that surgery has finally been scheduled for Johansen's injury, and one has to wonder why that too so long to happen. If Johansen was working to get back into the Flyers' lineup, scheduling surgery for September seems very peculiar when the injury was discovered in early March. Whatever happened in the last six months doesn't seem to align with whatever Johansen's contract states, and that's the "material breach" that the Flyers are citing in terminating his contract. Again, that contract termination is being challenged, but there's a lot of gray area in this situation where one could make the case that the Flyers have the upper hand.

The issue that I have is that Ryan Johansen could be a very good fit with the players that the Flyers have, and I think he could find his way back to a 50-point season if he were to play. Assuming he isn't injured, he could be a distributor and playmaker for players like Matvei Michkov, Joel Farabee, and Owen Tippett depending on where he fits into the lineup, but he'd likely be a third-line centerman who is an immediate offensive upgrade on Scott Laughton and Ryan Poehling. It seems, however, that option is no longer available.

We'll keep an eye on this situation with Johansen and the Flyers because it's likely that one side is going to be disappointed with the outcome from whoever decides on this grievance. We won't hear the details of the "material breach" that the Flyers found, but Johansen is already offtheir depth charts so it would seem that if the Flyers lose this hearing they'd be buying Johansen's final year out. If Johansen loses the grievance, he's effectively a free agent immediately with no additional pay, allowing him to sign with any of the other 31 teams.

I struggle to enjoy NHL hockey at the best of times, but it seems this league all business all the time. Fun is irrelevant.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Bye Bye Birdy

There's no denying that Evgeny Kuznetsov is a talented hockey player. He won a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018 when he had an incredible playoff run where he scored 12 goals and 32 points in 24 games, he's been 70-point player four times in his career, and he's scored at least 19 goals in six seasons. Since being drafted by the Capitals 26th-overall in 2010, he's scored 575 points in 743 games, so there's no reason not believe he can still contribute. However, it seems like the Carolina Hurricanes won't get to see a full season of hockey out of him in their colours after Kuznetsov reportedly decided to return home and sign a deal in the KHL, effectively ending his NHL career.

Announced on Wednesday, the Carolina Hurricanes placed Kuznetsov on waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract after it was reported that Kuznetsov had returned to Russia where he signed a four-year deal with SKA St. Petersburg. The contract in Russia has yet to be confirmed by Kuznetsov or his agent, but it seems like the Hurricanes have the necesssary information for them to make this decision. As bewildering as this decision by Kuznetsov seems, I can understand why he made the leap back home to play hockey.

SKA St. Petersburg is a perennial powerhouse based on who they roll out on their rosters annually. There's no denying they have money to spend on players every season as former NHL players like Mikhail Grigorenko, Andrei Pedan, Sergei Plotnikov, and Nikita Zaitsev all skated for the team last year. Over the years, they've featured Darius Kasparaitis, Sergei Gusev, Alexander Galchenyuk, Jamie Heward, Michal Grosek, and Valeri Zelepukin at different points, and it literally comes down to two teams in the KHL for most players when it comes to getting paid: CSKA Moscow or SKA St. Petersburg.

By signing Kuznetsov, SKA has a legitimate offensive star to power their offence. I have no idea what they paid him to convince him to walk away from Carolina's money, but it seems pretty clear that SKA needed some star power to infuse fan interest back into the team. Kuznetsov brings instant credibility, and his ability to be a showman on the ice will certainly put eyes back on him and SKA St. Petersburg when it comes to potentially being selected for the 2026 Olympics.

Fo the Hurricanes, they get some serious cap relief when it comes to signing some of their free agents, but it may open the door for Martin Necas to return after it sounded like he wanted out. Kuznetsov's absence is a large hole on that Hurricanes roster, and Necas' skillset would nearly be perfect to fill that absence. By having Kuznetsov opt out of his contract, the Hurricanes may actually benefit by keeping their younger players under contract.

One of the players that Carolina inked today in the wake of the waiver announcement was Jack Drury. The centerman put his signature on a two-year, $3.45 million contract as he'll add a little skill and grit down the middle. Drury had 27 points in 74 games last season, but he should see a bigger role this season with the departures of Kuznetsov, Jake Guentzel, and Teuvo Teravainen.

Clearly, losing a talent like Kuznetsov doesn't help Carolina, but they appear to have enough talent in the pipeline to make up what he brings to the ice in the aggregate. In the long run, those assets may prove more valuable as all of Drury, Necas, and the unsigned Seth Jarvis can improve and do more thanks to their younger ages. Because of this, I don't believe the decision to terminate Kuznetsov's contract was difficult at all.

"Ultimately both sides agreed this was the best course of action for both the player and the team," Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky said Wednesday about the decision. "We thank Evgeny for his time with the team and wish him and his family the best."

And with that, it seems that Evgeny Kuznetsov's NHL career is over. The bird celebration will live in St. Petersburg for the foreseeable future and, perhaps, for the remaining time Evgeny Kuznetsov plays hockey, and I hope he enjoys his career in the KHL as he's still a fun player to watch.

For the Hurricanes, though, they may find themselves in a better position with the cap space freed up as several younger players can be re-signed and given bigger roles. Losing Kuznetsov isn't great as there is a loss of talent there, but the Hurricanes will push forward with the incredible talent they have on their roster.

At the end of the day, it's clear that three younger, talented players are worth more than two bird celebrations at the rink.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 613

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, returns to the airwaves tonight from the comfortable confines of the UMFM studio where we'll chat a little puck for an hour. What are we talking about? Well, it's been a busy week in the hockey world that will take us all over the planet as we have stops locally, nationally, and internationally where hockey news is happening. There are still two major trophies to be awarded to teams in North America as well, and our hosts will update those situations tonight on the program! There's a lot to discuss tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Where on the map will hockey take us tonight? Teebz and Jason will provide a few updates on the Stanley Cup Final and Calder Cup Final before jumping into a day of trades, there was a coach dismissed, an assistant GM was promoted, an affiliation was renewed, three teams will meet overseas, a star was honoured, an introduction is needed, an NHL star will be appearing on TV regularly, there's expansion in the province led by a familiar face, some new threads were leaked, and anything else we can get inside the sixty minutes of hockey chatter. Despite it being the first day of summer, the hockey news doesn't seem to slow down as we'll tackle all these stories tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The new UMFM website's online streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. 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 Jason chat about the finals, the trades, the hirings and firings, the schedules, the accolades, the opportunities, the new clothes, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: June 20, 2024: Episode 613

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Players On The Move

With the U SPORTS season officially in the books, there will be a number of players who are seeking new homes at the professional level. We've seen some move already like when Connor Blake jumped at the chance to sign with the Idaho Steelheads, but there certainly will be others as teams look to add dynamic playes prior to the Kelly Cup Playoffs starting. With Kermit the Frog playing the role of ECHL general managers across North America, phone bills would be growing in some cities as those teams get set for deep playoffs runs. Who went where? Let's find out.

You may recall me mentioning a trade involving former Laurier Golden Hawks forward Jimmy Soper that had the winger moving from Rapid City to Florida in a deal for former Bisons forward Brett Davis. Well, it seems that Soper barely had time to get settled in Estero, Florida because the Everblades dealt Soper along with former Carleton Ravens forward Kieran Craig and Luke Santerno to Cincinnati for Cyclones' leading goal scorer Zack Andrusiak and the rights to defensemen Zach Berzolla five days ago. Craig had played all of eight games with Florida before being traded after spending the last two seasons at Carleton where he scored 22 goals and added 27 assists in 49 OUA games. Let's hope he gets a shot in Cincinnati because it appeared that Florida had found a gem in Craig after signing him to a deal.

We're not done with Soper, though, because it was announced today by Cincinnati that they had suspended Soper and removed him from the roster. There was no details given for the suspension, but I suspect that Soper likely wasn't all that excited to be in Cincinnati for the remainder of the season considering this would be his third home in the month of March. Soper did play in three games for the Cyclones, recording one goal and one assist, but it seems he won't be skating for them for the rest of the campaign.

The March 21 trade deadline also saw a former Manitoba Bisons defender moved in the deals five days ago as Reece Harsch was dealt from the Jacksonville Icemen to the Idaho Steelheads in exchange for Lincoln Erne. Harsch played just 15 games in Manitoba brown-and-gold, but he was effeecive with two goals and ten assists on a Bisons team that didn't have much offence. Harsch has been all over the map over the last few seasons, playing with the EIHL's Fife Flyers, the ECHL's Cincinnati Cyclones, the ECHL's Toledo Walleye, and the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks, but it seems he'll be skating in Boise for the rest of this season after the Steelheads dealt for him. He's another solid defensive player with big offensive upside on an Idaho blue line that's already stacked!

The Iowa Heartlanders added another former Canadian university player at the deadline when they picked up former UPEI Panthers defenceman Matt Brassard from the Newfoundland Growlers. The former OHL defender spent three seasons with the Panthers, picking most of his points in his final season in Charlottetown where he finished his AUS career with ten goals and 35 assists in 57 games. This is his fourth stop in the ECHL since leaving school, having played with the Savannah Ghost Pirates, Allen Americans, Newfoundland Growlers, and, now, the Iowa Heartlanders. His 104 games in the ECHL has seen him total nine goals and 24 assists thus far, but he has played physical in his four stops as he has 128 PIMs total. Iowa likely wanted that physical presence for a playoff run, and Brassard likely will deliver.

Rapid City opted to upgrade their goaltending on March 21 when they went out and inked Laurier Golden Hawks netminder Christian Propp to a deal. Propp's time in the OHL didn't attract any NHL teams to draft him, but the Golden Hawks were quite happy with his work. In three seasons, Propp posted a 33-39 record in 73 appearances while posting a 2.79 GAA and a .919 save percentage on a team that struggled against some of the better OUA teams. Laurier only finished above .500 once in Propp's time with the program, and that was in the shortened 2021-22 season when they went 8-7-1. Based on his save percentage, though, it seems pretty clear he can make saves to keep his team in games. The Rush liked what they saw, and he'll spend the rest of the season stopping pucks in South Dakota!

The Toledo Walleye decided to get in on the free agent fun as they inked former Guelph Gryphons and TMU Bold defender Cole Cameron to a deal on March 21. Known for being more of a defensive defender through his time in the OHL and with Guelph, Cameron helped TMU reach the U SPORTS National Championship this year, finishing his four seasons in the OUA with eight goals and 18 assists in 89 contests. Cameron was enrolled for his Masters Degree in Business Administration so we'll have to see if he goes back to TMU, but he did receive his Bachelor's Degree in Food and Agricultural Business from Guelph. For the rest of this season, he'll be tasked with stopping opposing forwards in the playoffs as the Walleye seek a Kelly Cup!

On March 22, the Norfolk Admirals made a splash by inking free agent and former Calgary Dinos defender Dakota Krebs to a deal. Krebs is the older brother of Buffalo Sabres forward Payton Krebs, but don't let that fool you in thinking Krebs is an offensive defender. While he does score, Dakota is very responsible in his own end, and has shown a knack for moving the puck without spending a lot of time in the box at both the WHL level and the Canada West level. In 71 games with the Dinos, Krebs recorded five goals and 21 assists, but only had 56 penalty minutes over three seasons. He doesn't get flashy with the puck, but Admirals fans will like Dakota Krebs on their blue line as they hunt for a Kelly Cup due to his responsible play and his reliability in his own zone.

The last move comes with a bit of head scratching because the Jacksonville Icemen released former Manitoba Bisons defender Mackenzie Dwyer from his contract today. Dwyer had played 13 games with the Maine Mariners and six games with the Fort Wayne Komets this season before landing back in Jacksonville where played 32 games in 2022-23. It seemed like the perfect for the 27 year-old Dwyer, but no reason was given for his release. It may be due to numbers, though, as the acquisition of Erne that I mentioned above gave Jacksonville 11 defencemen, including Dwyer, on their roster. Given that he was playing so little, that may have contributed.

In any case, there are a pile of U SPORTS transactions that will have a number of ECHL teams and fans happier after the trade deadline has come and gone. With more U SPORTS players in the ECHL, the chances of seeing one of them raise the Kelly Cup only increases, so it will be interesting to see who stands atop the mountain when the final horn sounds. All of the players who joined new teams, though, can be difference-makers for those teams, so here's hoping these players light it up in the ECHL!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Enjoy The Pelmeni

There are lots of times where I wonder what life would be like if I were a celebrity. I don't want the celebrity status of a Taylor Swift or a George Clooney because I'm quite certain I'd never the leave the house with everyone clamouring to snap photos and talk to me, but being a mid-level NHL star sounds like it could be a fun life. The guy to the left had that, but his own actions removed that life as his NHL career came to a crashing halt. Luckily for this player, there's a country who doesn't care of one abuses women physically, verbally, emotionally, or any other way, and that country granted him citizenship today. I guess he'll feel like he's finally home?

According to a report in The Moscow Times, Russian President Vladimir Putin granted Brendan Leipsic, seen above, "Russian citizenship under a decree published on the government's website" along with 43 other people. Leipsic, who fled North America after being waived by the Washington Capitals following the discovery of a misogynistic group chat about women in 2020, signed with CSKA Moscow in 2020-21 before playing two seaons with Metallurg Magnitogorsk and signing with SKA St. Petersburg this season.

Screenshots from the group chat went public in 2020 and showed a number of hockey players discussing women in rather derogatory terms, but Brendan Leipsic was the player with the most to lose as he was the lone player on an NHL contract. I know that talent isn't always granted to the smartest people, but one has to know that anything posted online is written in ink, especially in the information age. It seems no one informed Mr. Leipsic of this fact.

Having the screenshots posted, the Capitals immediately distanced themselves from Leipsic by waiving him for the purpose of terminating his contract, and then did so once the waiver period ended. That made Leipsic a free agent, but there was no interest from the other 31 NHL teams who wisely avoided the fallout that came from Leipsic's stupidity.

With Leipsic taking his sideshow to Russia, he was all but forgotten until today since he hasn't exactly torn up the KHL in any way statistically. In 167 games with three teams, he's sporting 40 goals and 67 assists - AHL numbers by comparison - while his two goals and two assists in 14 games for SKA St. Petersburg this season is far off his pace that he was showing with Metallurg Magnitogorsk. At least he's playing for Putin's favorite team, though, so maybe citizenship was far easier to grant for the Russian demagogue.

Whatever the case, Russia can have Brendan Leipsic for better or worse. He was a bottom-six player for any NHL team at the very best, but his own stupidity cost him that opportunity. And while he may be making money as a hockey player in Russia, each of those Russian rubles are only worth 1.5 cents on Canadian soil so it's not like he's living in the lap of luxury if he ever returns to his birth country. If anything, he's likely missing out on a pile of wealth after flushing his career in the NHL away for one in Russia because using one's head was too difficult a task for him.

In saying that, enjoy the pelmeni, Brendan. Hopefully, you're happier in your new home as a Russian citizen where you can live out your dreams playing hockey in front of the Supreme Leader.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 584

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back with another hour full of hockey chatter tonight as our bosts break down all the news and hockey stories over the last week. We originally had plans to have a few people in-studio this week, but those plans fell through after some scheduling conflicts arose, but the show will push on as if that hiccup never happened. Thankfully, the hockey world has been busy with heartwarming stories, head-scratchers, tales of idiocy, and more for the hosts to discuss, so make sure you have your radio or streaming device tuned into The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight will perhaps be one of the quickest shows in terms of pace that Teebz and Jason have done as they have a pile of smaller stories to pull apart. Among the many topics they'll cover, the two hosts will discuss Corey Perry's abrupt end to his Blackhawks days, Sam Girard pausing his season for help, Dean Evason being fired for having no goaltending, Marc-Andre Fleury's mask making Gary Bettman have an aneurysm, Patrick Kane joining the Red Wings, John Tortorella and the Flyers doing right on Hockey Fights Cancer night, the Brandon Wheat Kings becoming a new team tomorrow, the PWHL announcing first home games and home arenas, and the CSSHL getting a Board of Directors! They'll also point out The Hockey Show's streakbusting effect, there are some announcements, and there's a very sweet Melbourne Moment this week! All of that will be discussed tonight or Teebz and Jason will die trying on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The new UMFM website's online streaming player is pretty awesome if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. 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 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 Jason chat abrupt endings, finding help, stupid policies, brilliant efforts, new names in new places, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: November 30, 2023: Episode 584

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 581

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, hits the airwaves tonight with all sorts of hockey chatter as our hosts get you up to speed on a number of stories from the UMFM studios. There will be a few extra NHL stories tonight with things happening around the league, and the gents introduce the very first "Melbourne Moment" on the show. In other words, it'll be a busy show with lots to discuss, opinions will be given, laughs likely will be heard, and hockey will command some space for an hour! It all goes down tonight, so make sure you're tuned into The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Teebz and Jason will discuss the local NHL squad a little tonight as the Jets seem to be having fun again. They also chat about the problems surrounding the Western Mustangs women's hockey team, San Jose being absolutely brutal, Edmonton being absolutely brutal, the NHL taking its show on the road - and four teams - to Sweden next week, and the video evidence against Alex Galchenyuk. They toss in the first "Melbourne Moment", they discuss Daylight Savings Time, and there's an acknowledgement of Remembrance Day happening on Saturday! Make sure you're settled in for some hockey talk tonight on all of these topics which you'll hear on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The new UMFM website's online streaming player is pretty awesome if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. 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 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 Jason discuss a mess in London, happy Jets, terrible Sharks, horrendous Oilers, a trip to Sweden, Galchenyuk's police video, some Australian news, some goofy chatter, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: November 9, 2023: Episode 581

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Giving The Farm Away

It's hard to justify the Winnipeg Jets continuing to employ general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff. As he pointed out in his season-closing press conference with Winnipeg media, Cheveldayoff feels he doesn't need to justify the bewildering extension he was given considering how the pillars of salt and sand have eroded beneath him with his club failing to make any meaningful gains in the NHL. He claims he's drafted well, but only three players he's drafted since 2018 have played more than 30 games with the Jets, and none have played more than 74. With his latest roster management gaffe, keeping Cheveldayoff around as a "yes man" seems to be True North Sports and Entertainment's only true purpose for having him in the front office.

Announced earlier this morning, the DEL's Adler Mannheim have inked 2017 fifth-round pick Leon Gawanke to a four-year deal, making him unable to skate for the Jets or the Moose for the foreseeable future. With Gawanke's departure, the Moose lose another very good, very capable defender whose skills have once more been overlooked and underappreciated by both management and coaches of the Jets.

Gawanke's last two seasons in the AHL pointed to a defenceman whose stock was rising within the Jets organization. He scored ten goals and 36 points in 65 games in 2021-22, and then doubled his offensive spark by scoring 20 goals and 45 points in 68 games this season. You can argue that his stats may not be "NHL-ready", but he tied for seventh in AHL scoring among defencemen and he finished with more points than Michael Del Zotto, Will Butcher, and Connor Carrick who have all skated for NHL teams for at least one season.

Gawanke will be good for Adler Mannheim, though, so kudos for the Eagles picking up a puck-moving, offensively-minded defender to skate on their blue line. Winnipeg's efforts in "draft and develop" are working wonders for teams not based in Manitoba, it seems, and those players who have chosen to remain in the Jets' depth chart are buried nicely behind overpriced veteran players who apparently enjoy playing one playoff round in seasons where they qualify for the playoffs.

Don't believe me? Here's the breakdown in simple numbers between 2015-2020 as those players should be eligible NHL players:

• The Jets drafted 37 players including seven first-rounders.
• In total, those 37 players have played 2319 NHL games - an average of 63 games/player for all teams.
• First-round selections have played 1602 games - 69.1% of the 2319 games for all teams.
• Only 15 of 37 drafted players have skated for the Jets at some point - 40.5% of all picks.
• Of those 15 players, Kyle Connor has skated in the most games as a Winnipeg Jet at 466 games.
• Of those 15 players, five are currently playing for teams other than the Jets - 1/3 of picks that made an NHL roster.
• Of the 37 players drafted, 13 are still somewhere on the Jets' depth charts.

It's not a matter of drafting well. It's pretty clear that the Jets have had a ton of success with first-round selections as they make up some 70% of games of all the games played in that five-year span. Sure, Laine, Roslovic, and Vesalainen are skating for other teams as I write this, but the point is that first-round selections are fairly safe bets to crack NHL rosters. What should concern fans and management alike in Jets Nation is that 30 players not selected in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft have only skated in 717 games - an average of 24 games per player - and of those 30 players, only eight have logged those 717 games to date.

If the Jets are developing just 26.7% of their non-first-round picks to skate at the NHL level, this is not a "draft and develop" team. It's only a "draft" team because there isn't much development happening when it comes to producing NHL talent. First-rounders are thriving, but the work needed for players selected lower in the draft simply isn't being realized if it's being done at all.

Since this team returned to Winnipeg in 2011, players drafted in the fourth-round or lower have skated in 1512 NHL games. If we remove Andrew Copp, Connor Hellebuyck, Mason Appleton, and Tucker Poolman from that total, fourth-round picks or lower have skated in just 92 NHL games. Of the 42 selections made in the fourth-round or lower in twelve years of Jets 2.0 hockey, just four - 9.5% of picks - have played over 100 games, and two of them skate for teams not named the Jets.

If you're wondering why I'm dissecting the draft history of the Jets when it comes to NHL talent, the problems are compounded by Winnipeg allowing good young players to walk away from this team due to variety of reasons. Most times, NHL teams draft players based on their skills - scoring, defence, and goaltending - and the Jets are no different. They celebrate the scoring skills of players they draft while talking of development, but it should be clear that the Jets haven't learned a damn thing when it comes to the new way of thinking in the NHL.

The Curious Case Of Comrie

If we consider the case of Eric Comrie, a 59th-overall pick in 2013, the Jets simply couldn't figure out what to do with their developing netminder. He'd win games and look superb at times, but he'd also suffer games where stopping the puck seemed more like a challenge than a routine. In three months in 2019, he was waived to go to Arizona from Winnipeg, to Detroit in a trade with Arizona, and back to Winnipeg off waivers from Detroit as he lived out of a suitcase. Chevy again lost him on waivers to New Jersey in 2021 only to reclaim him a month later. It was hard to understand what Chevy was doing with Comrie after all those moves, but it seemed they wanted him based on the number of times they reacquired him.

Backup netminders are paid to win the few games they play in place of the team's starting netminder. Comrie seemingly could do that for Winnipeg as he was 10-5-1 with a 2.58 GAA and a .920 save percentage in 2021-22 while earning the league's minimum salary value, so it was baffling that the Jets allowed him to walk as a free agent by not playing for 90 more minutes in that season to retain his rights as a restricted free agent. Yes, he may have played above his head, but given the option of either David Rittich or Eric Comrie, I'll take the 27 year-old kid over the proven-to-fail veteran.

Yet Winnipeg, needing just 90 more minutes of playing time out of Comrie, allowed him to leave without any compensation for his play in 2021-22. Even if the Jets believed this was an aberration in his career where he'd never have another season like this, teams are always hedging their bets on young goalies. The Jets could have simply qualified him, and then traded Comrie to bring back an asset. All it would have meant was 90 more minutes in the blue paint, and the Jets might have been able to maximize his value. Instead, he signed with Buffalo while the Jets searched for another inexpensive backup netminder.

Too Many Defenders

It wasn't hard to see that the high-priced defenders that the Jets had assembled on their roster for the start of the 2022-23 season was going to push players back down to the AHL, but the one player expected to go was Logan Stanley. Instead, the Jets waived Johnathan Kovacevic in a rather inexplicable move to send him to the Moose only to watch the Montreal Canadiens claim the defender after a solid preseason. He didn't score, but he played physical, had good gap control, and seemed to fit nicely into the bottom-half of the Jets' defence corps.

Instead, Montreal used him in 77 games this season where the 6'4" defender scored three goals and added 12 helpers while only being whistled for 39 PIMs. Earning the league's minimum salary, Kovacevic showed his value by anchoring the defence on the third pairing while providing valuable penalty-killing shifts for the Canadiens in his 16:55 of ice-time per game.

Nobody expected him to be Shea Weber or Erik Karlsson, but he was leaps and bounds better than Logan Stanley ever was. Chevy's failure on this one was not recognizing his mistakes in drafting Stanley in the first round and then sacrificing Kovacevic to keep him on the depth chart. That's just inexcusable.

How About Mikey?

Another player that the Jets mismanaged into a better situation than what he had in Winnipeg was Michael Eyssimont. Leaps and bounds more effective than both Sam Gagner and Mason Appleton in a third-line role alongside Morgan Barron and Adam Lowry, Eyssimont was the player that threw himself completely into his work. His advanced stats were much better than his point totals, but he was expected to cause chaos in the offensive zone with his touch and he often was praised for his work ethic.

Somehow, Eyssimont ended up on waivers as the Jets couldn't find a spot for him in the lineup, and the San Jose Sharks scooped up the available forward where his additional ice-time and play in all situations benefitted him greatly. In fact, he looked quite at home alongside Logan Couture on the Sharks' second line until the Sharks flipped him to Tampa Bay. And when he got to the Lightning, he was given the same green light by Jon Cooper as he had in San Jose.

All said, Eyssimont totalled a goal and four assists in 20 games with the Jets, but rattled off four goals and six assists in 35 games between San Jose and Tampa Bay, and then added another goal and an assist in three playoff games by the Lightning. It leads one to ask how on earth does Cheveldayoff continually misjudge the talent he has on his roster?

What About Axel?

In a similar lack of astuteness when it comes to asset management, the Jets seemingly didn't care enough to keep forward Axel Jonsson-Fjällby around after he joined the Jets as a waiver pickup from Washington after 23 games. He played in 50 regular season games for the Jets and appeared in one playoff game to end the season with 74 games where he scored eight goals and ten assists. It should be noted that was more than Saku Mäenalanen (four goals, seven assists in 69 games) and Sam Gagner (eight goals, six assist in 48 games) in their entire season of work.

Beyond that, the speedy Jonsson-Fjällby was an excellent forechecker and played hard on the penalty kill when sent over the boards, but I guess making the league minimum was too rich for the Jets' blood and they missed his contract requirement of 75 NHL games by one game in order to keep him as a restricted free agent, allowing him instead to become a Group 6 UFA on July 1.

While his stats certainly won't have all 31 NHL franchises lining up for a shot at signing him, Jonsson-Fjällby is a very serviceable player who will help teams be better. He's not going to win an Art Ross Trophy nor captain an NHL team, but he doesn't have to as long as he plays in his role like he did here in Winnipeg. And the Jets will receive nothing for him if they had deemed him expendable just like Comrie.

Burying The Best

The Jets, at one time, owned the rights of the best defender in the AHL in Sami Niku. Niku was voted as the AHL's best defenceman in 2017-18 as he collected the Eddie Shore Award that year, and it seemed the Jets may have found another highly-skilled offensive defenceman in the flashy Finn. Detractors of Niku will point to his inability to move players from in front of the net or his avoiding physical play while looking for loose pucks as problems with his game, but at no point was he ever seen as an Erik Černák, a Jan Rutta, a Brendan Dillon, or a Jake Muzzin.

Time and time again, though, we saw Niku planted in the pressbox when called up. Paul Maurice opted to dress Dmitry Kulikov over him in January 2020. Luca Sbisa and Anthony Bitetto were played ahead of him. Somehow, Carl Dahlstrom got ice time over Niku. It would be one thing if the Jets were a sound defensive hockey club under Paul Maurice, but they weren't. They were pretty darn horrible when it came to most metrics, so why not add some offence to the mix if you can't prevent teams from scoring?

Sami Niku, the AHL's top defender in 2017-18 with the Manitoba Moose, played 54 games with the Jets in parts of four seasons, scoring two goals and eight assists. The Jets then put him on waivers in 2020-21 order to buy out his contract.

If the Jets believed they could develop a Lidstrom-type defender, they went about it all wrong. If they thought they could get him to rachet up the physical play, they completely missed the boat on Niku as a prospect. He was an offensive defenceman through and through, and it's hard to understand how the Jets missed so badly on Niku.

Confused By Offence

It seems the Jets are falling into the same problem they had with Niku when it comes to Ville Heinola. He's virtually the same defenceman as Niku was - slight in stature, all offence, very little physicality - and it seems the Jets have no clue what to do with him other than bury him in the AHL. He can skate, he has good vision, and he does occasionally turn the puck over when trying to push the offence, but he's never going to be a traditional defensive defenceman.

How long does Heinola stick around the Jets organization? No one can be too sure, but he has 35 games of experience in four seasons so I don't think averaging nine games per campaign is going to make him anxious to return when his contract expires.

Back To Leon

You can probably see why a skilled German offensive defenceman would look at the depth chart - one where he's never been called up from the Moose to the Jets - and figure he's better off playing elsewhere. He's never been close to winning anything in North America as a junior player or as a professional, and he made that very clear in Mannheim's release, stating, "I haven't won anything in my career and I'm hungry for titles. I want to win the championship with Mannheim."

As North Americans snicker at the idea of winning a DEL championship being on the same level as the Stanley Cup, it needs to be mentioned that a lot of European players take extra pride in winning their nation's top league. Whether it be Joel Lundqvist in the SEL, Ilya Kovalchuk in the KHL, or Jussi Jokinen in the SM-Liiga, there's a ton of personal and civic pride in these players returning home to help their clubs win their respective championships. Gawanke seems to be the next young player to follow that thinking with his four-year pact with Mannheim. Hockey is simply viewed differently in Europe than it is here, and I commend Gawanke for going where he's wanted.

There's The Door

Whether it be his trainwreck of a season-ending press conference, his belief that the Jets' core group is good enough when it clearly isn't, his rather terrible draft record that he claims is good, or his brutal asset management within the organization, it seems pretty clear that Kevin Cheveldayoff's time with the Jets should have been over long ago. Quite frankly, it should have been over when the Blackhawks' sexual assualt coverup unfolded, but Chevy somehow eluded the axe in that chaos. In my view, having Gawanke sign overseas with no conversation with management says more than enough about the problems within Chevy's kingdom.

At this point, there's not much for which fans should be optimistic when it comes to next year. If the team was going to purge a number of veteran contracts and go young, they're losing good young replacements quickly. While Heinola and Chisholm are likely ready to step in and be part of a rebuild, the Jets have no goaltending candidates ready to step forward nor do they have a deep enough pool of netminders that they can wait a year or two. In short, a rebuild will be long and painful because the Jets' ability to keep good, young players seems be something with which they struggle. Based on the number of players that have been waived only to excel elsewhere, Chevy's done a helluva job in giving the farm away.

Culture and player issues aside, none of this should surprise anyone. Chevy's been here for twelve years, meaning he's watched three coaches battle players inside the room and through the media while nothing has changed. He's watched his team make one phenomenal run to the 2018 Western Conference Final while spending the rest of the time holding that up as an achievement and justifying his contract through various letdowns and disappointments. As critical as I may seem right now, the NHL is a business that excels when teams are winning, and if the Jets are wondering why their season ticket numbers continue to fall they should look no further than the office with the General Manager's name on it.

Since there's only one man who has continually said that he's in charge of the team, it's his head that should roll. He made it clear in his season-ending chat with the media that he's the guy making decisions, and it seems pretty clear that he's responsible for the messes shown above. If he's going to thump his chest and take credit for the team's successes as he did with the media, he's also responsible for the mistakes and failures they've experienced. Based on the lack of development throughout the organization outside of a couple of players and based on the number of players he's simply gifted to other organizations along the way, it's time for that man to be dismissed as easily as he's dismissed talented players.

In short, Kevin Cheveldayoff is the problem with the Winnipeg Jets.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!