Sour Grapes With Added Teaser!

It's weird to hear players complain about something that has rekindled the fire in fans when it comes to the NHL. According to his comments, Washington Capitals superstar Alexander Ovechkin told CSN Mid-Atlantic's JJ Regan that he's not a fan of the current format for the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. While I completely understand his stance on how the format could pit two good teams early in the playoffs, this seems like sour grapes from Ovechkin. Especially when you consider the Capitals' record in the playoffs.

According to Regan's report, Ovechkin wasn't happy that the top-two teams in the Eastern Conference met in the second round of the playoffs as the Capitals and Penguins battled for the right to advance to the Eastern Conference Final. The Penguins defeated the Capitals and sent them home early - one round too early according to Ovechkin.

"The schedule in the playoffs is kind of weird," Ovechkin told Regan, "because you play first team and fourth and then you play against Pittsburgh. ... Then you think, why [do we] need to win Presidents' Trophy to play against the best team?

"It's tough to think about it. It's kind of weird, but there's nothing you can do."

Boo-freaking-hoo. Try playing in the Central Division.

Look, fans love the setup because it rekindles the divisional rivalries between teams. It's like the old days of the NHL where there was always a superpower who went home early in the Smythe Division when the Oilers, Flames, Jets, Kings, and Canucks were all battling to get out of the division. You develop some hatred for the teams within your division, and it ups the interest from media and fans alike.

We're talking about the old days of a Rangers-Islanders series, a Pennsylvania series between Pittsburgh and Philly, the oft-seen battles between the Canadiens and Bruins, and so on. Fans from yesteryear get excited as the ghost of playoffs past are brought into the present while players today are elevated to hero-like status with their performances. It's exactly the kind of excitement the NHL wants, needs, and has to continue to develop in order for the playoffs to hold its mystique.

If the Capitals had downed the Penguins in the second round this past season, I'd wager that Ovechkin wouldn't have uttered a word about the playoff format. However, the Capitals fell short once again despite being the best team in the league, and I get a sense that Ovechkin might be feeling a little pressure when it comes to the shortfalls of the overly-talented Capitals.

In the end, there's a difference between winning and whining.

Just A Little Teaser

It's a big day in the video game sports world as EA Sports' newest NHL installment is released! NHL 2017 hits the shelves across North America today, and it includes all of the NHL, AHL, and ECHL in which game players can participate!

I've been reading reviews and looking at all the teasers that EA Sports has been releasing, but one image caught my eye in a big way.

The team in the picture is the AHL's Bakersfield Condors, but that's a logo that has not been seen before until a few days ago! I'll have more on this new alternate jersey tomorrow as we take a look at the new logo and alternate jersey, but that jersey is sharp on the pixelated version of the Condors. I expect it to look similar on the ice when the AHL season starts!

I'm not saying that video games and tantrums go hand-in-hand, but the two seemed to fit nicely today on HBIC!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Redefining Greatness

Most North American hockey fans know little about Sergei Mozyakin. He's played on the international stage for the Russians at the Olympics and World Championships, but the man on the left in the photo has now accomplished a feat that few can say they have done. He was a star in the Russian SuperLeague and he's continued to shine brightly since the formation of the KHL, and HBIC wishes to bestow some accolades upon Mozyakin for his accomplishment because he should be considered for the Hockey Hall of Fame once his playing are done. However, he appears to be enjoying the game rather than slowing down!

Mozyakin's goal with 4:45 to play on Saturday against Jokerit Helsinki was the 428th of his Russian professional hockey career, equaling a 35 year-old record set by Boris Mikhailov! The goal was a sniper's dream and very reminiscent of another hockey great tandem as Jan Kovar fed Mozyakin in the slot from behind the net, and the Russian sniper buried the puck off a one-timer behind netminder Ryan Zapolski for the 3-1 lead. While it may not carry the "Gretzky-to-Kurri" fame, Kovar-to-Mozyakin is an oft-heard tandem in the KHL!

Here is the video of the historic goal.

Mozyakin's been waiting some time for this goal as he was held goalless in his previous four games. As usual, Mozyakin was a man of little words following the game just as he has been throughout his career, refusing to speak about his accomplishment. He prefers to attribute his successes with team play and overall team success as opposed to celebrating individual accomplishments. As the video above shows, he was even reluctant to be recognized for tying the historic mark, showing his sheepish grin and shyness when he finally stood as the fans praised his accomplishment.

He's a very old-school type of player in that Mozyakin works hard every summer in an effort to continually prove to his coaches and GM that he will earn a spot rather than being given one. If that seems odd, the 35 year-old is fiercely protective of his personal life, focusing on his wife and two daughters at home rather than making headlines and drawing attention to himself. He is the epitome of the reluctant superstar in Russia.

What should be noted is that Mozyakin might be one of the greatest players in hockey who has never set foot in an NHL arena. He was the 263rd pick in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets who tried several times to lure him away from Russia, and other teams have certainly asked about Mozyakin's availability when it comes to his abilities. However, Mozyakin's commitments to his family have trumped any need for a jump to the NHL, and he should be respected for being a throwback to a time when family took precedence over everything else including one's career.

Some of the men who have signed him and worked with him have said some great things about the reserved Mozyakin, and this should be noted because Mozyakin would most likely downplay all of these comments.

• Salavat GM Leonid Vaisfeld: "Mozyakin doesn't say all that much, his actions speak louder than words. He was always easy to work with, with never had a cross word. He never regarded himself as a star and he still doesn't. He's an approachable, companionable guy who sets a great example."
• Former CSKA head coach Vyacheslav Bykov: "On the ice he's a natural leader, but in the rest of his life he's a model of decency, civility and good manners. I've never heard him be rude to anyone. God gave Sergei a great talent, but also a great capacity for hard work. So every year Sergei polished that talent like a jeweller working on a precious gem."
• Former Atlant teammate Vadim Yepanchintsev: "He never acts like the big star, he's a real family man who has a really close relationship with his kids. He treats everyone as an equal and you can see his leadership qualities. He was our captain at Atlant. The players themselves asked for him to do the job, and that speaks volumes about the man."

Those compliments should be the make-up of every athlete and captain of a team across the sports spectrum. The fact that Mozyakin pushes himself to be better than everyone else yet has the ability to make his teammates around him better as well shows that he is a natural leader and effective captain. Add in that he's personable, approachable, and humble, and he's made up of the stuff that every team wants and for which every GM searches. Sergei Mozyakin, despite his best efforts, is a model superstar in today's world.

Mozyakin has a chance to surpass another Russian hockey legend in Boris Mikhailov when Metallurg Magnitogorsk visits Dinamo Minsk on Tuesday. Regardless of whether he notches goal #429 in this game, he stands alone in his actions and abilities. He might be a reluctant superstar, but he certainly should be considered among the best Russian hockey players ever and possibly among the best players of all-time.

He'll deny all of this, but that's what makes him a special player.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Just Announce It Already!

In a world exclusive where HBIC is the only news source to have the breaking story, the new Las Vegas NHL franchise name has been found! After Bill Foley's radio interview on Friday where he stated, "[T]he team will be something Knights. K-n-i-g-h-t-s," HBIC is proud to announce that the Foley group has brought on Danish building block maker Lego as a partner in the founding of the Las Vegas Lego Knights! While this may come as a surprise to most, the "Lego Knights" was pretty much the only Knights-based name not trademarked by the Foley group yet, so it makes total sense in that they'd need Lego's permission to use it!

Ok, so obviously you're seeing through this satirical look at the Las Vegas franchise's continual teasers about the team name, but the names that have been trademarked include the Golden Knights, Silver Knights, Desert Knights, and Sand Knights. On top of that, Foley also dropped a couple of hints about the jerseys and colour scheme for the new franchise.

"The colors will be reflective of the name," he stated. "It will have certain colors that will be reflective of the Las Vegas environment, like Red Rock, that red color."

While there isn't a "Red Rock" color on the Pantone scale, there should be some concern about the Vegas team looking somewhat like the red Coyotes, also known as PMS 202 and seen to the right. I have a feeling this "Red Rock" colour will be lighter in tone than PMS 202, but let's take into consideration the other colours that will look good alongside PMS 202. A yellow sand colour? Yes. Silver? Still good, but less so than the sand colour. Gold? No. Please, leave gold out of this equation. Since white and black will most likely also be used for accent and/or background colours, I'm eliminating them as primary colours.

The one name that Foley did confirm that the team won't have is the Black Knights. This was pretty well-known for a while now as the Army wasn't going to allow someone else to tread on their trademark, and we already know that the OHL's London Knights were not going to allow the Las Vegas franchise to simply be the "Knights". We should consider that the team trademarked the "Red Hawks" name, and we know they will wear a "Red Rock" colour. Could they be called the "Red Knights"?

Foley stated in the interview that he had intended to announce the name of the franchise prior to the NHL exhibition games on October 7 and 8, but that timeline won't be met as the logo undergoes "some refinement". And this is where I start shaking my head.

Look, I get that Foley wants to keep the team in the news and generate interest and hype for the new franchise, but I'm starting to sour on these games he's playing. First, we found out he trademarked multiple names of which most were ploys to misdirect media and fans. Now, we get the news that this team will be a Knights-based name and will wear some shade of red, but Foley won't reveal anything but crumbs.

Just announce the damned name already!

I could care less if the jerseys, colours, and logo are ready for the public's eyes, but announce the name already. In fact, you'll probably generate more interest with all of the graphic designers and amateur mock-up artists trying to guess your logo, jerseys, and colours! You could even delay the unveiling for some time to get everything right! Imagine showing off the new team's identity at the NHL All-Star Game this season!

Enough with the teasers. Enough with the fake names and fake trademarks. Enough with all the misdirection. Just announce the name or keep quiet until you're ready to announce the name, Mr. Foley. While it's good to have people interested in your brand, it's ridiculous to keep dragging this out.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Adding To History

If you do an image search for the goaltender to the left, you'll find Michael Leighton in a vast number of jerseys and playing for a myriad of teams. Leighton, as we know, has already been setting records at the AHL level, so there's a pretty good chance that he'll continue to add to his historic career this season after signing with the Carolina Hurricanes, the NHL affiliate of the Charlotte Checkers. With Cam Ward and Eddie Lack already in Raleigh, there's a better than good chance that Leighton will play with the Checkers this season, providing stable goaltending at the AHL level while being very capable as a call-up for the Hurricanes in the event of an injury.

There usually aren't a lot of opportunities for a 35 year-old goaltender at the AHL level where youth is certainly prioritized since the expected path for young players is AHL to NHL. However, when a goaltender of Leighton's abilities is still available on the market and a goaltending roster spot is open, you'd expect that most teams would jump before September 10 to sign the veteran. Charlotte will benefit from Carolina's contract with Leighton.

Take a look at these numbers. Leighton posted a 28-8-8 record, a 2.44 GAA, and a .918 save percentage in 46 games with the Rockford IceHogs last season where he was named to the AHL All-Star team, backstopped the Central Division to victory at the AHL All-Star Challenge, hit the 200-win mark for his AHL career, and was named the recipient of the AHL's 2015-16 President's Award for his outstanding accomplishments during the season.

Oh yeah, he also Johnny Bower's AHL record for shutouts with his 46th of his career in a shutout victory over Lake Erie on March 5. That record had stood for some six decades before Leighton snapped it with the blank scoresheet. Not a bad little season at the age of 34, right?

Leighton will most likely pair with Daniel Altshuller as the tandem in Charlotte this season, but Anthony Peters should push both men in training camp. I expect Alex Nedeljkovic to start in the ECHL with the Florida Everblades as he's fresh out of the OHL, but anything can happen yet. In any case, Altshuller went 10-10-5 in his 28 games last season with Charlotte while posting a 2.81 GAA, a .905 save percentage, and one shutout. Peters played a single game with the Checkers where he was on the losing end of the scoreboard, posting a 5.00 GAA and a .898 save percentage. I have a feeling he'll want to improve those career AHL numbers.

As you can see, the goaltending ranks in Charlotte were a little thin last season which contributed to their 36-32-8 record and no playoffs in the spring. Leighton alone accounted for 28 wins, and was responsible for 28 of 43 wins that the IceHogs posted. Needless to say, he'll be counted on to stabilize the Checkers' crease and help them into the playoffs with his abilities as long as the Hurricanes don't need him long-term. His five shutouts were also four better than all of the Checkers netminders combined, so saying Leighton is an upgrade is elementary.

Leighton, in joining the Hurricanes, will get another shot at an NHL job at the Carolina training camp, but he'll be able to add to his career totals which should give him a shot at the Hockey Hall of Fame. He's currently ninth in AHL history with 221 victories, four wins back of former Checker Drew MacIntyre and 12 wins short of surpassing fifth-place Frederic Cassivi. While Johnny Bower, Marcel Paille, and Gil Mayer might be out of reach before Leighton retires, he'll certainly be among the career leaders in all goaltending stats in the AHL once his career is done. That's a helluva career for a guy who seemingly lives out of a suitcase each and every season.

Ron Francis made the right decision for his club when he signed Michael Leighton to shore up his goaltending needs. I have a feeling that Michael Leighton will be worth every cent that Francis wrote into his contract.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

A Nice Addition

He always seems to be one of the last guys signed when teams are scrambling for talent to bring to training camps, yet he's always been a proven producer on the teams who have given him a chance. It was announced today that Kris Versteeg has accepted at professional tryout opportunity with the Edmonton Oilers, and I have a feeling that this signing will be of great benefit to the Oilers. Versteeg has won at the NHL level, he's been through a number of NHL teams where he's been exposed to various situations, and he's just 30 years old. In other words, Versteeg brings a wealth of experience to a club needing a dose of it.

The Oilers have questions with some of their younger players up front, and the signing of Versteeg would shore up some of the right-wing possibilities. People will look at Versteeg's stats and spout off how he's never scored 25 goals or scored 60 points, but he's often played on a Chicago team where the top-two lines are pretty much written into stone. He had a solid run with teams that needed some scoring such as Toronto and Florida, but he's been relegated to a checking role with teams that have proven scoring.

There's no question that the Oilers have a top-line right winger in Jordan Eberle, but Zack Kassian, Iiro Pakarinen, Tyler Pitlick, and Nail Yakupov don't really put the fear of death into any NHL blue line. Kassian and Pitlick are probably better relegated to the bottom-six, and that gives Kris Versteeg an opportunity to play second-line minutes where his scoring touch can be used. Of course, there's that Finnish blue chip prospect named Jesse Puljujarvi who could crack the Oilers' lineup this season on the right side, but he's honestly the only threat on paper that Versteeg should have for a second-line role.

If Versteeg can score 20 goals and add 50 points for the Oilers, they're already better than they were a year ago when they seemed to have a cast of players rotating through that spot. If Leon Draisaitl plays down the middle and Patrick Maroon slot alongside Versteeg, that second line has speed, skill, size, and smarts. That's exactly what the Oilers need behind Connor McDavid's line when it comes to being a legitimate scoring threat every time they step on the ice.

The alternative, if Versteeg's camp sees him bumped down the lineup, is that the Oilers will still get a legitimate scoring threat to play a hybrid checking-scoring role on the third line alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Versteeg has been a minus player only once in nine NHL seasons, so head coach Todd McLellan should feel confident rolling him out against an opposition's top line if necessary. With Nugent-Hopkins centering Versteeg, he should see scoring opportunities on that third line as well.

As seen with the above evidence, the versatility that Versteeg brings will help the Oilers with injuries as well. He can play in different roles when called upon and has the skill to both score and check scorers playing against him. He won't light up a scoreboard like Ovechkin or Stamkos, but Versteeg is one of those players who settles into the role given to him and plays well.

While some will point to a need for experienced defencemen on the Oilers, shoring up their forward units with a versatile player like Versteeg will benefit them greatly this season. The fact that he always seems to be available in September will remain a mystery to me.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!