A Little More Hands-Off

In perhaps the most surprising move this season, the Toronto Maple Leafs decided to end the reign of Brian Burke as General Manager earlier than expected. It has been whispered for some time that Burke's tenure as the man responsible for returning the Leafs to glory may be on life support, but the news that Burke had been fired yesterday morning blindsided everyone. Personally, the replacement of Burke with Assistant GM Dave Nonis has already been tried once in Vancouver, so I'm not sure what direction MLSE is heading. All I know is that one of the best quotes in all of sports is no longer going to be giving quotes on a regular basis.

The one thing that I believe may harm the Leafs is that Brian Burke was an exceptional ambassador for the club while serving as the General Manager. Burke was an advocate for many community groups and charities, and was a prominent figure who spoke on behalf of these organizations. He regularly gave his time and effort to helping people from all walks of life through his association with these organizations. While I doubt Burke will pull up all roots and walk away from the groups he supports and speaks out for, his requirement to step back as the man driving the Leafs may also have him step back when it comes to his community involvement as a member of the Leafs.

Some of the organizations that Burke was involved in include Big Sisters, Big Brothers, Covenant House, PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Gays and Lesbians), You Can Play Foundation, and Canadian Safe School Network to name but only a few. He marched in Toronto's Gay Pride parades, and slept outside on the streets of Toronto to experience life on the street as a part of Covenant House. He has awarded medals to Special Olympians in Ontario, and has been involved with Special Olympics Ontario since arriving in Toronto. Needless to say, he has had a major impact on the city outside of the walls of the Air Canada Centre.

Why was he let go? According to a report in The Globe and Mail by James Mirtle and Grant Robertson, the initial meeting between Brian Burke and executives of BCE and Rogers Communications didn't go well, and prompted the suits at BCE/Rogers to begin the process of removing Burke from his position. The report described Burke as "defensive and brusque – difficult to work with", something with which Kevin Lowe immediately agreed. Here's the key piece of the report by Mirtle and Robertson.

According to a source in the room, Mr. Burke offered few solid answers for why the losses on the ice kept piling up. Nor did he explain why his four-year rebuilding effort had failed to solve two key issues for the hockey team: finding a first-line centre and stabilizing the Leafs’ goaltending situation.

Executives of BCE and Rogers Communications, who together control 75 per cent of the sports franchise, found Mr. Burke defensive and brusque – difficult to work with, the source said.

It was in that meeting that the early seeds of a personality clash were sown, sources close to Rogers and Bell said. Soon after, BCE chief executive officer George Cope, unsure that Mr. Burke was the right man to lead the team forward, began discussing a search for a new GM with his colleagues at Rogers. The decision would culminate in Wednesday’s sudden firing of Mr. Burke, who will be replaced by his long-time protegé, Dave Nonis.

I'm not saying that BCE/Rogers made a mistake in firing Burke, and it should be expected that a man who has yet to lead his team to the playoffs after grandiose claims of restoring glory should have felt the noose tightly around his neck. But if BCE/Rogers is looking for a "yes man" to take the reins in Toronto, firing Burke seems like they are divesting themselves of someone who would have roadblocked the hockey decisions made higher up the food chain.

I hate to point out that many of the successful teams have owners who are extremely hands-off in their handling of their franchises. Mike Ilitch allows Ken Holland to run his ship, and Detroit is the model franchise in the NHL. Likewise, Jeff Vanderbeek allows Lou Lamoriello to run the Devils without interference. Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle handed the reins to Ray Shero, and that relationship has resulted in success. Jeremy Jacobs has given Peter Chiarelli more power, and the Bruins have seen dividends.

I'm not sure what BCE/Rogers has in store for newly-appointed GM Dave Nonis, but it sounds like a lot of hockey decisions will be coming out of the boardroom if this trend continues. Nonis, who has only been with the Leafs since 2008 as "senior vice president of hockey operations" can't be absolved of the current mess that the Leafs find themselves in, but he's been handed the reins to try to right the good ship Toronto.

Whether or not that happens remains to be seen, but Nonis will be under the spotlight for a while. Here's hoping that BCE/Rogers is more hands-off going forward so that the Leafs can finally break the streak of being the only team not to make the playoffs since the previous lockout. And here's hoping that Brian Burke, newly-appointed senior advisor, will continue to have a lasting impression on the organizations with which he's associated.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Almost The Best Birthday Ever?

Last night's SPHL game in Southaven, Mississippi was all about a fairly famous person born in Mississippi. The Mississippi RiverKings hosted the Lousiana IceGators on this night, and they celebrated what would have been Elvis Presley's 78th birthday on January 8, 2013 with what minor-pro teams do best: a themed jersey! I'll admit that seeing the Elvis-themed jerseys at first was a little off-putting in that they seem very kitschy with their overly-Hawaiian accoutrements. However, having the RiverKings celebrate one of music's most famous people seems appropriate considering that he was born in Tupelo, Mississippi - a mere 90 minute drive from Southaven on I-78!

While the RiverKings, on paper, looked a little kitschy, it remained to be seen what they looked like on the ice. After all, theory is one thing, but practical use tells an entirely different story. So what did the uniforms look like on the players?

Wow.

Alright, let's run down the good and the bad, shall we?

The image on the front, and the Hawaiian imagery on the uniform, is due to the fact that January 14 is the 40th anniversary of the Aloha from Hawaii concert that Elvis Presley headlined just six days after he celebrated his 38th birthday. This event was a huge undertaking as it was the most expensive entertainment special at the time, costing a whopping $2.5 million, and estimates figure that the concert itself was seen in 40 countries and by as many as a billion people. So, yeah, it was a pretty big event.

We know where the image of Elvis comes from in terms of this weirdly-designed uniform and the reasons for the Hawaiian imagery. The only problem is relevance. I'm not sure that the majority of the key demographic of males aged 18-50 would remember this concert or were even born. The image of Elvis is fine, but the Hawaiian-themed background makes this uniform nothing more than a hot mess with the white block font. Sure, Elvis stands out against the light blue, but the names and numbers do not. I'm not going to crucify the RiverKings for this detail, but I'd like to be able to clearly see who has the puck.

Overall, being that this is a specialty jersey, the RiverKings did auction them off to help raise money for charity. As per the RiverKings website, the auction "raised $8550.00 with a portion of the funds going to the Maddox Sports Advised Fund". A big thumbs-up for the money raised by the RiverKings as it will go to helping people in and around the state of Mississippi. Well done, RiverKings.

If the gripe about the font not being the best choice was my biggest complaint, there really isn't a lot to get worked up about when it comes to these uniforms. While fans who won jerseys in the auction went home happy, the crowd went home a little down after the RiverKings fell 1-0 in a shootout to the IceGators after both goaltenders - Mississippi's David Wilson and Louisiana's Riley Gill - posted scoreless frames for four periods. Shawn McNeil's shootout goal stood as the winner in the game.

What do you think, readers? I have yet to find an actual image of the game on any website, so I can't show any pictures of the Elvis jerseys in action aside from the one above. Thoughts? Likes? Dislikes? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Hockey Night In Asia

Everyone is aware of the CBC's flagship sporting program known as Hockey Night In Canada. Often there are pieces about grassroots hockey across Canada that are inspiring and uplifting. I received an email from "Mitch and Murray Productions" about Hockey Night In Asia, a YouTube video about "[t]wo aging minor league hockey players tryout for an obscure Asian hockey league in an attempt to keep their careers alive". Interesting premise, right? So while it may not be as inspiring and uplifting as Hockey Night In Canada, I thought I'd give Hockey Night In Asia a shot.

I was intrigued to learn that the star, Aaron Craven, was one of the men behind Mitch and Murray Productions. Aaron writes,

"I'm an actor/writer and an avid hockey player and fan. Earlier this year my production company shot a short film entitled 'Hockey Night in Asia', based on a feature length screenplay that I wrote. We shot the short with a small crew in just one night and it has just been released on the web. The short will also act as a trailer as we pitch the feature length screenplay."

Avid hockey player and fan? Actor, writer, and production company bigwig? Combining the two into one? This YouTube video suddenly sounded like it could be very good based upon Mr. Craven's credentials.

Here is the YouTube video of Hockey Night In Asia, brought to you by Mitch and Murray Productions. The movie comparison on the YouTube site said, "A sports film / buddy road movie / fish out of water comedy. 'Lost in Translation' meets 'Slap Shot'." I'll let you be the judge, but be aware that there is PG-rated language in this clip!

So what did you think? I will tell you that it cracked me up a couple of times. I found it funny, and I'm hoping that Mitch and Murray Productions didn't use all the best scenes in this trailer! Well done, Andrew, on this clip, and you have a fan in me. I'm very interested to see who picks your feature film up, and when it will be released!

I'll keep in touch with Andrew about this movie, but please give your feedback on this clip! What do you think of Hockey Night In Asia? Please leave your comments below so that I may forward them on to Andrew!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

How About A Hockey Strike Or Two?

It's a pretty nondescript building from the front, but this place has a pretty big hockey tie-in. It's a bowling alley and it certainly doesn't seem like a place where hockey would be prominent, but hockey is easily seen once you change perspectives. Ladies and gentlemen, this quaint storefront is the entrance to the Billy Mosienko Bowling Alley in Winnipeg.

If you're heading north on Main Street in Winnipeg nearing the Redwood Avenue, you'll immediately see the sign that sticks out from the building. The bowling pin design is pretty distinctive, but it doesn't really tell you much about the alley itself. Once you get closer, you can read that it is indeed Billy Mosienko Bowling Alley.

What will strike you - excuse the pun - is the face on the side of the building! You'll see the famous image of Billy Mosienko holding three pucks to represent the record-setting hat trick he scored against the New York Rangers on March 23, 1952.

On that date, Mosienko went off in third period of the final game of the season against New York Rangers goaltender Lorne Anderson when he scored goals at 6:09, 6:20, and again at 6:30 to complete his hat trick in 21 seconds! The Black Hawks, as they were called, went on to win 7-6 to close out the season on the strength of the Mosienko hat trick! Just as an aside, Mosienko almost added a fourth goal just 45 seconds later, but the puck banked off the goalpost behind Anderson! However, only 3254 fans witnessed the game and record at Madison Square Garden as the fifth-place Rangers and last-place Black Hawks had long been eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoff action.

Sports Illustrated has an excellent recollection of "Mosie" setting the record.

Suddenly, Gus Bodnar, the Chicago center, picked up a loose puck at center ice and passed it to Mosienko, who was straddling the Ranger blue line. Only Ranger Defenseman Hy Buller was between Mosienko and the goal. Buller, however, was off balance just long enough for Mosienko to skate around him. He cut straight in at Ranger Goalie Lorne Anderson, faked to the left and sent the puck flat along the ice into the right side of the cage. The public address system blared out: "Chicago goal by Bill Mosienko, assisted by Gus Bodnar. Time: 6:09."

A few seconds later Bodnar got control of the puck on the ensuing face-off at center ice and again spotted Mosienko on the Ranger blue line. Slipping backward a bit, Mosienko took Bodnar's pass and skated through the Ranger defense. He slammed the puck along the ice into the right side of the cage. Time: 6:20.

"I'm sure Anderson was expecting high shots," recalled Mosienko recently. "Twice before during the game he had stopped high ones and I thought that he'd fall for the low shot. He did—a lucky thing for me."

Mosienko skated into the goal mouth, picked up the puck and took it back to the Chicago bench. "I dug that puck out because it was my 30th goal of the season," said Mosienko. "I guess some of the fans thought it was pretty funny when I got the puck. A bunch of them hooted and laughed."

Chicago Coach Ebbie Goodfellow motioned Mosienko's line to stay on the ice, and, as the remaining spectators stamped their feet in appreciation of Mosienko's two quick goals, the referee dropped the puck. Again Bodnar won the face-off. He slapped the puck to Left Wing George Gee, who relayed it to Mosienko near the Ranger blue line. Mosienko skated halfway in toward the goal, then slowed down. His hesitation drew Anderson out of the nets, and Mosienko lifted the puck high into the right side of the goal. ("I figured Anderson would be looking for another low shot.") Time: 6:30.

For a second, Madison Square Garden was quiet. Then, as Mosienko skated to the Chicago bench, the stunned crowd rose as one and burst into applause. "I wasn't quite sure what to do," said Mosienko, "until one of our forwards, Jimmy Peters, told me to get the puck. 'That's a record, Mosie,' he kept yelling."

Pretty cool, right?

If you were to park in the parking lot beside the large painting of Mosienko, you can see the detail that went into the image as the original artist clearly wanted it to be accurate. While it is starting to flake off thanks to weathering and time, the image is still very clear from Main Street while driving.

Further down the wall, there's a large mural of Mosienko and his linemates, Max and Doug Bentley. The "Pony Line", as they were called due to their speed and small size, were one of the most potent lines in the NHL in the mid-1940s. Max Bentley led the league in scoring in 1945-46, and Mosienko was named to the NHL All-Star Game at the start of the 1947-48 season where he unfortunately broke his leg.

Heading right down the wall, the Billy Mosienko Bowling Alley logo is present and there is a clear image of a hockey puck knocking down bowling pins as the hockey and bowling worlds collide. Ok, it's not as clear as it once was thanks to weathering and time, but the image is still pretty clear.

From there, one can go inside the bowling alley through the front door to discover an actual working five-pin bowling alley. Surprisingly, there aren't a lot of references to Billy Mosienko inside the bowling alley. All that could be seen was on the north wall where Mosienko's image can seen firing a puck into bowling pins. The picture of Mosienko is, in my opinion, very well done. Other than this mural, there's not a lot of Mosienko memorabilia or pictures inside the bowling alley.

The alley itself is ten lanes upstairs and ten lanes downstairs. The lanes have gone to electronic scoring, and that might be a good thing as there's not a lot of room for scoring tables near the alleys themselves. Personally, I like scoring when I bowl, but the size of the building doesn't really allow for it. As seen on the scoring machines, there's a heavy Brunswick presence in the alley as well. Covering the pin reset machines are those psychedelic art covers, but I'm not really a fan of them in any alley.

The downstairs lanes are used for glow bowling, and there was less downstairs in terms of Mosienko stuff than there was upstairs. As fun as glow bowling can be, it doesn't really turn my crank in terms of sports. It's fun, but it seems more hobbyish. The one cool thing I found near the counters where the employees worked was an advertisement offering a Winnipeg Jets bowling ball. $99 plus tax? If I was serious about bowling, I may consider that. Then again, is that remotely near the going rate for five-pin bowling balls?

So Billy Mosienko has a special place in Winnipeg history. While high-scoring Max Bentley was already gone to Toronto in an earlier trade, he still set the hat trick record with Gus Bodnar, one of the returning players in the trade, as his centerman. While Mosienko would play in five NHL All-Star Games, he was never as good as he was when he was paired with the Bentley brothers.

So how did the bowling alley get its famous hockey name? Well, after Mosienko retired in 1959 after spending the last four seasons with the WHL's Winnipeg Warriors, he and partner Joe Cooper operated a string of bowling alleys in Winnipeg. The bowling alley in today's article is still owned and operated by members of his family!

Unfortunately, Bill Mosienko died of cancer in Winnipeg in 1994 at the age of 72. His grandson, Tyler Mosienko, recently played for the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL and the Las Vegas Wranglers as of 2011, and won a Memorial Cup with the Kelowna Rockets in 2004-05! Tyler's father and Bill's son, Brian Mosienko, has run the bowling alley named after Bill Mosienko for the last 40 years, and it's still going strong!

The other neat thing? There's an arena in the north end of Winnipeg named for Billy Mosienko as well! He truly was one of Winnipeg's brightest stars, and his legacy that he left on hockey has not been forgotten!

Here's a great video piece about Bill Mosienko's record.

So who is second-place in terms of the next fastest hat trick? Long-time Canadiens legend Jean Beliveau who comes in at 44 seconds! It seems that this may be a record that stands the test of time for a long time as coaches now plan defensive systems to prevent these kinds of quick scores for happening.

That's the story about a Winnipeg-born player, his NHL record, and how a bowling alley in Winnipeg was named for him.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Sometimes Miracles Do Happen

Kids, in the wee hours of the morning, after a 16-hour face-to-face bargaining session, the NHL and NHLPA finally found common ground. Here is the best news any of us could have received over the last few months.

“We have reached an agreement on the framework of a new collective bargaining agreement, the details of which need to be put to paper,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told a news conference. “We’ve got to dot a lot of i’s and cross a lot of t’s. There’s still a lot of work to be done but the basic framework of the deal has been agreed upon.”

Hockey will returned in a shortened season, and those of you who want to fill the arenas and cheer your local heroes on can now do so. The hardest work for the NHL and NHLPA comes now, though, as they look to repair the damage done. While die-hard fans will certainly come back, attracting the casual fan back will take some serious work.

I will watch the NHL on TV. I can honestly say that after having watched the World Junior Championship and the Spengler Cup that I am missing regularly broadcasted hockey on TV. I really was enjoying the AHL, but Sportsnet just wasn't airing enough of them to fill the void and the CHL games were hard to get into since I have no affiliation with the teams being shown.

I can honestly say that I have no interest in supporting the NHL by buying merchandise or tickets at this point, and I can categorize myself as a die-hard fan. At best, we'll have hockey for the next ten years as per the CBA expiration date. At worst, we'll have hockey for eight years if either side decides to opt out of this new deal. At any rate, hockey will be played without interruption until 2021.

I don't have a crystal ball, and I am far from being an accurate forecaster of any sort. All I now is that if we have to go through this kind of garbage in eight, nine, or ten years from now, I'm not sure I'm coming back.

There have been a lot of negotiating over the last week, but why couldn't this have been done in July and August? If you take out the times when the two sides didn't meet, two months would have been more than enough time to come to this same agreement. And while I get that neither side wanted to "lose" this negotiation in that both sides felt the other had more to give, the one factor that both sides needed more than anything else was the fans.

I'm still a hockey fan and I will watch the NHL game come back through the various media outlets that carry their broadcasts. It will just take me some time to commit to the game with my wallet again.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!