Bob Mckenzie, Sport Column's Options

[Canuck]

Fining coaches and GMs long overdue

TSN.ca Staff



10/26/2005

Now that the NHL is fining coaches and GMs for making critical remarks about the game, the first reaction is to roll one's eyes and say the speech police are out in full force, so much for democracy.



But the truth is it's long overdue.



This is a painful thing for any member of the media to admit. Inflammatory comments are welcomed and even encouraged. The more pointed, the better, we say, because it makes our jobs more interesting. Easier, too.



But it is fair to say no sport has consistently run its game into the ground on a more regular basis than the NHL.



Maybe it's that NHL coaches, managers and players are simply so passionate about the game that they can't keep their feelings to themselves. Maybe it's just an inflated sense of self-importance, thinking that everyone has to hear their opinions. Whatever it is, the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball don't seem to verbally denigrate their product as often or as intensely as hockey people do with the NHL game.



And it's not like there aren't botched calls or controversial rules or hot issues in those other sports.



Now, while we in the media take great delight in stirring the pot, it's not necessarily the best thing for the business of hockey.



When Toronto's Pat Quinn, for example, who is one of the two head coaches who has been fined under the league's new initiative, fires a verbal broadside at the way the game is played or how it's called, it gets to be contagious. The next thing you know his players are ripping away. Other coaches hear it and they jump on the bandwagon against whatever irks them. Suddenly, there's a huge chorus of negativity and a whole bunch of guys like me who are all too happy to make a big deal of it.



Well, the NHL has apparently had enough of the bitching, moaning and complaining and as painful as it is for a media member to say it:



It's about time.



For TSN.ca, I'm Bob McKenzie.

[nyrage]

Penguins win. Yeah, way to go Mario. That was some team that you built.

[Canuck]

McKenzie: Majority still backs Saskin

TSN.ca Staff



11/1/2005

There has been no formal announcement from the National Hockey League Players' Association - not yet anyway - but what has become clear is that embattled Executive Director Ted Saskin has now garnered enough support to win his vote of confidence.



And it happened despite the fact that not every player representative has cast a ballot.



There are a total of 37 votes to be had - one for each of the 30 player reps and one each for the seven members of the NHLPA Executive Committee. A simple majority of 19 would carry the day for or against Saskin.



It's believed that five members of the executive committee - NHLPA president Trevor Linden as well as Bill Guerin, Daniel Alfredsson, Vincent Damphousse and Bob Boughner - are solidly behind Saskin while two executive committee members - Trent Klatt and Arturs Irbe - are vigorously opposed to him.



That means Saskin would only require as few as 14 votes from the 30 player representatives to gain an overall majority. The word at this point, albeit unofficial, is that Saskin has the more than 14 needed to carry the day, even though player representatives on some teams, such as the New York Islanders, Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs have not yet voted and may not vote as a protest against the process.



Not that those voting results will likely deter Trent Klatt, Chris Chelios and Dwayne Roloson, amongst others, who are spearheading a vocal minority that they say number is at least 100 and growing each day.



This splinter group has hired legal counsel, filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor and maintains Saskin's hiring and current status as Executive Director are all questionable, if not illegal.



On the other hand, Saskin clearly feels he has a strong mandate from his membership to continue as head of the union.



It's bitter and it's nasty, but unless the Klatt-led group dramatically increases its numbers amongst rank and file union membership, it will have to rely on the Department of Labor or the courts to make something tangible happen in this hissing match.



For TSN.ca, I'm Bob McKenzie.

[Canuck]

McKenzie: Where Spezza gets his inspiration


TSN.ca Staff



11/2/2005

There are many reasons why Jason Spezza is flourishing in this young NHL season.



Some of it can be attributed to simple maturity - another year older, another year stronger, another year wiser.



A full season in the American Hockey League certainly didn't hurt him. A change in coaches - from Jacques Martin to Bryan Murray - has been a positive factor. So has getting ice time on the first line and all-important opportunity.



But there's another reason why Spezza is so confident and why he's trying to be a dominant force every time he hits the ice.





And that reason is Mario Lemieux.



Spezza will be the first to tell you that a dinner conversation he had with Lemieux this summer had a profound impact on his attitude. The two were at a golf tournament together and the Hall of Famer invited the young centre to dinner that night.



It was while breaking bread that Lemieux told Spezza it was time for him to step up, that he had all the tools - size, strength, reach, vision and skill - to be an elite player in the NHL and a leader with the Senators. Lemieux told him not to be content just to be a player, but he should try to be a great player.



The message hit home in a big way with Spezza. It's something Spezza has been told many times before by other friends, mentors and family members who see his physical and offensive gifts, but it was different coming from The Magnificent One.



Much different.



The second overall pick in the 2001 draft took it to heart. And now he's taking it a new level, with an assist from Mario, his new mentor.





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Meanwhile, it is conceivable that Joe Nieuwendyk may be forced to retire because of back pain, but it's premature to say the Florida Panthers' veteran has already made that decision or will have to make that call.



Anyone who knows Nieuwendyk, how competitive he is and how much he loves the game knows how badly he still wants to play.



Now he will have to weigh that love of the game against any pain and suffering or the risk of doing further damage.



And he won't do that lightly. But no one will be showing him the door just yet because he has not yet decided if he'll walk through it.





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The refereeing tandem of Stephane Auger and Dan O'Halloran must feel like they're wearing a bulls eye these days. Conversely, there are NHL coaches and players who feel the veteran officiating duo has invited the controversy with their whistle blowing.



Last week, it was Mario Lemieux who wigged out after being penalized by Auger for interference late in regulation time against the Florida Panthers, with Jacques Martin's squad scoring the power play winner in overtime.



If the Panthers were the beneficiaries that night, they certainly weren't on Tuesday night in Montreal when they hooked up again with O'Halloran and Auger. It was Auger who whistled Florida's Chris Gratton for tripping in overtime, leading to Michael Ryder's game winner. The Panthers were equally unhappy with the non-call on Montreal's Alexei Kovalev, who laid his stick on Panthers defenceman Sean Hill. Gratton, who got a gross misconduct for letting off steam after the goal, said he was prepared for any fine he might get for criticizing the call to the media.



If the league has a problem with any of Auger's and O'Halloran's work, we'll be the last to know.



In the new NHL, where managing the officials and maintaining the new standards is a daily battle, it wouldn't do good for head office to publicly discredit any of the stripes.



But DVDs and e-mails, with both praise and criticism, are getting to the zebras on a regular basis.



The bottom line now is the same as it's always been, whether it's in the new NHL or old NHL. As long as there are officials, there will be bad calls or controversial calls. And that's never going to change.



For TSN.ca, I'm Bob McKenzie.

[Canuck]

Tough love in the NHL


TSN.ca Staff



11/9/2005

If there's a trend emerging in the early going of the NHL season, you have to look no further than New Jersey or Tampa Bay to see it.



It's called tough love and NHL head coaches are demonstrating they're not afraid to employ it.



Veteran star Alexander Mogilny, who's pulling down $3.5 million for the New Jersey Devils, was a healthy scratch against the New York Islanders Tuesday night. The Devils are struggling, and even though Mogilny was second in team scoring with 13 points, head coach Larry Robinson decided to sit him down. It didn't work, mind you. The Devils lost 4-1 to the Isles. Defenceman Dan McGillis, who makes $2.2 million, was sitting out his second consecutive game as a healthy scratch for New Jersey.



Mogilny wasn't thrilled at being sat out, any more than Tampa Bay captain Dave Andreychuk was happy to be a healthy scratch when the Lightning lost 3-2 to Montreal on Tuesday night. But Lightning head coach John Tortorella was trying to light a fire under his inconsistent team and decided new lines, a new goalie in Brian Eklund and the absence of Andreychuk were the way to go.





Moves like this are designed to be attention grabbers, as much or more for the rest of the team as the individual who's being sat down. And there's no question they are the types of moves that can sometimes come back to haunt a head coach.



But coaches, better than anyone, know what a dog-eat-dog world the NHL is. Guys like Robinson and Tortorella would rather go down swinging, pushing some buttons, even they're hot ones, than do nothing.



It may not be a coincidence either that both the Devils and Lightning are tight against the salary cap. If these teams are in trouble on the ice, there may be precious little general managers Lou Lamoriello or Jay Feaster can do off the ice in terms of player moves.



So their coaches must play the cards they've been dealt and if things aren't going as well as expected, those cards will likely get shuffled with increasing frequency.



For SportsCentre, I'm Bob McKenzie.

[nyrage]

Tough love in the NHL


TSN.ca Staff



11/9/2005

If there's a trend emerging in the early going of the NHL season, you have to look no further than New Jersey or Tampa Bay to see it.



It's called tough love and NHL head coaches are demonstrating they're not afraid to employ it.



Veteran star Alexander Mogilny, who's pulling down $3.5 million for the New Jersey Devils, was a healthy scratch against the New York Islanders Tuesday night. The Devils are struggling, and even though Mogilny was second in team scoring with 13 points, head coach Larry Robinson decided to sit him down. It didn't work, mind you. The Devils lost 4-1 to the Isles. Defenceman Dan McGillis, who makes $2.2 million, was sitting out his second consecutive game as a healthy scratch for New Jersey.



Mogilny wasn't thrilled at being sat out, any more than Tampa Bay captain Dave Andreychuk was happy to be a healthy scratch when the Lightning lost 3-2 to Montreal on Tuesday night. But Lightning head coach John Tortorella was trying to light a fire under his inconsistent team and decided new lines, a new goalie in Brian Eklund and the absence of Andreychuk were the way to go.



 
 
Moves like this are designed to be attention grabbers, as much or more for the rest of the team as the individual who's being sat down. And there's no question they are the types of moves that can sometimes come back to haunt a head coach.



But coaches, better than anyone, know what a dog-eat-dog world the NHL is. Guys like Robinson and Tortorella would rather go down swinging, pushing some buttons, even they're hot ones, than do nothing.



It may not be a coincidence either that both the Devils and Lightning are tight against the salary cap. If these teams are in trouble on the ice, there may be precious little general managers Lou Lamoriello or Jay Feaster can do off the ice in terms of player moves.



So their coaches must play the cards they've been dealt and if things aren't going as well as expected, those cards will likely get shuffled with increasing frequency.



For SportsCentre, I'm Bob McKenzie.

Where is the tough love that Renney shows? Let's see, Prucha plays hard, so he gets sent down to the minors so that he can play Taffe and some of the other bums that Sather acquired. Hollweg gets a couple of penalties, so he gets sent down. Nienemann plays badly for two weeks taking a multitude of penalties, but he gets rewarded with more playing time. Poti makes mistake after mistake, but he plays while Kondratiev sits. Fortunately, the Rangers are playing well, but they may not be playing the tough love card.

[Canuck]

McKenzie: Two reasons to trade Fedorov

TSN.ca Staff



11/15/2005

There are two things that need to be said about the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim dumping Sergei Fedorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets, and make no mistake, it was a dump as much as a trade.



The first is that the Ducks will now free up about $4.5 million this year and another $4.5 million next season in terms of cap room. That was the primary motivation for a Ducks' team that is tight to the cap.



But the second thing you must know is that the Ducks couldn't have thought too much of Fedorov and what he can contribute at this point in time. The Ducks are having a difficult time scoring goals and Fedorov is supposed to be an offensive player. Why get rid of him for two depth players?



The answer would seem obvious. They didn't believe they were going to get their money's worth.





Fedorov has been hobbled with a groin pull most of the season, coming back on the weekend and playing a pair of games. He had no goals in five games for Anaheim this season.



As obvious as it is why the Ducks would part with Fedorov, it's just as obvious why the Blue Jackets would want him. Desperate times call for desperate measures and no team, other than the St. Louis Blues, is as desperate right now as the 5-13-0 Jackets.



Columbus has been plagued with injuries, notably to marquee player Rick Nash, and the Jackets are praying Fedorov has a lot left to give.



Columbus has enough cap room to afford Fedorov, but the payroll is higher than the Jackets' ownership would like so you can expect to see some more deals in Columbus as they try to shed some salary.

[Canuck]

McKenzie: First of many? Don't count on it

TSN.ca Staff



11/16/2005

There is a sense the Sergei Fedorov trade may be the catalyst to get the NHL swap shop working overtime, but don't count on it.



Almost half of the 30 teams already have payrolls of more than $36 million, which with the $39 million cap makes it difficult if not impossible to add a significant player making significant money unless there's a player of equal value coming off the books. And that's hard to do.



So, for now, we will probably spend as much time debunking trade rumours as fueling them.



For example, a french language report out of Montreal after Florida's ninth straight loss suggested Panther GM Mike Keenan is ready for a shakeup that could include the trading of franchise goalie Roberto Luongo. Keenan's response to the chances of that happening - "no," he said, "none."





With the St. Louis Blues in dire straits, there are a lot of Doug Weight trade rumours out there. Some things to consider on that. Weight has a no trade clause so he'll get to call his shot. His $5.7 million contract makes him virtually untradeable right now but in the second half of the season, when the majority of his salary has been paid, he will be a prime candidate to be dealt.



Washington is shopping minor league goalie Maxime Ouellet, whom some teams still consider a prospect after a poor season last year, but the Capitals are trying to get a prospect in return, not just a draft pick. That one could actually happen.



Veteran defencemen like Washington's Brendan Witt, New York Ranger Tom Poti and Islander Janne Niinimaa are all available, but salaries ranging from $1.7 million for Witt and close to $2.5 million for the other two, are putting a chill in the air on those guys.



Sure, there will be trades. There are always trades, but what we're seeing with Todd Marchant on waivers is more likely how some players will be moving.



Now that Sergei Fedorov is a Columbus Blue Jacket and Todd Marchant has been put on waivers, it seems pretty clear that Marchant was supposed to be a Mighty Duck by now.



But the chances of the 32-year-old speedster ending up in anaheim would appear to be pretty slim if not non-existent.



Sources say Marchant was originally included in the proposed package of players that Columbus was going to trade to Anaheim for Fedorov, but Marchant has a no-trade clause. He was, apparently, asked to waive that no-trade clause but was not going to be told which team he would be going to.



Not surprisingly, Marchant refused to waive it without knowing the destination and the deal with Anaheim went ahead without Marchant being included.



Since the Blue Jackets need to dump some salary in order to make room for Fedorov, Marchant was the logical choice to be put on waivers.



Now, technically, if Anaheim still wants Marchant, it could choose to put in a waiver claim, neatly circumventing Marchant's no trade deal.



But if you think the NHL players' association, or even NHL head office, would sit on their hands and allow Marchant's no-trade clause to be manipulated like that, well, let's just say it would be a grievance waiting to happen.



The chances of another team making a waiver claim on Marchant and his contract, which averages around $2.5 million for three years after this season, aren't very good at all. So if Marchant clears waivers at noon on Thursday, he will go to the minors. The Blue Jackets could then re-call him and he would be subject to re-entry waivers.



A re-entry claim would mean Columbus would have to foot half the bill for the life of Marchant's contract and have it count against the cap each year. As bad as that is for the Jackets, it's not as bad, in their eyes, as having to pay him the full amount in the minors and have it not count against the cap.



At half price, lots of teams will be interested in Marchant, although it's doubtful that list would include his old club in Edmonton.



Whatever way you slice it, though, it seems obvious Marchant was supposed to be a Duck and now it looks like a long shot that will happen.



For TSN.ca, I'm Bob McKenzie.

[Canuck]

McKenzie: Civil war not letting up


TSN.ca Staff



11/21/2005

The nasty civil war within the NHL Players' Association isn't showing any signs of letting up.



The dissident group of players led by Trent Klatt and Chris Chelios, and fueled by the resignation this weekend of NHLPA employee Steve Larmer, aren't going away any time soon. Of that you can be sure.



But NHLPA executive director Ted Saskin, maintaining he has a mandate from the majority of the NHLPA membership, doesn't seem at all inclined to bow to the pressure for him to step aside.



So for those of us not directly involved in this internal dispute, the only question worth asking is this: what's going to end this stalemate?






Related Info
McKenzie: Civil war not letting up

Well, the Klatt faction has complaints before the National Labor Relations Board and Department of Labor in the United States, but there seems to be a sense that both of those official bodies may claim not to have any jurisdiction over an internal NHLPA matter. If so, the dissidents will have to find some external pressure point to force Saskin into action. There has been speculation a lawsuit of some type may be coming, but on what basis and when, or if, remains to be seen.



In the meantime, the only internal mechanism for the dissident group to utilize would be to continue rallying more support for the cause with rank and file NHLPA membership. In other words, there's a sense that if they continue to relentlessly peck away at Saskin's eyes, they will eventually swing more support their way until such time that their minority becomes a majority and Saskin has no choice but to bow to the pressure and step down.



At this point, though, that hasn't happened. So it would appear this P.A. nastiness is likely to continue for quite some time.



For TSN.ca, I'm Bob McKenzie.

[Canuck]

McKenzie: Forward thinking for Canada

TSN.ca Staff



11/23/2005

With each passing night of the NHL season, it is becoming more difficult not to imagine Eric Staal, Sidney Crosby or Jason Spezza playing their way onto the Canadian Olympic team.



Take Tuesday night, for example.



Staal and Spezza each picked up a goal and an assist for 33 points on the season, tying them with Dany Heatley for tops amongst Canadian scorers. Sidney Crosby, meanwhile, came up with his own version of one and one, giving him nine goals in his last 10 games and 27 points overall, eighth amongst all Canadians, just two fewer than Joe Thornton and one more than Vincent Lecavalier.



You could make a case that as good as the kids' numbers have been, their play has been even more gaudy and they're showing no signs of letting up.





And yet the reality is they are in tough, if any of them are in at all, as far as the Olympics go.



In Wayne Gretzky's world, experience counts for a lot. His favourite question when evaluating players is 'what has he won?' If a player has won Olympic gold in Salt Lake and/or World Cup gold last year for Gretzky, that counts for a lot.



That counts for an awful lot.



So here's what we know.



Simon Gagne, Joe Sakic and Jarome Iginla are locks. So are Brad Richards, Lecavalier and Heatley.



Odds are the same can be said of Ryan Smyth, Kris Draper and Martin St-Louis, and for that matter, Shane Doan, Joe Thornton and, if healthy, Rick Nash.



Thornton probably deserved to be on the 1998 Olympic team but was on the wrong side of the experience ledger. Now that he's bided his time, he's on the right side.



If Nash's injury prevents him from being named, it seems Gretzky is determined to have Todd Bertuzzi on the team.


Slice it however you like, the first 12 forward positions appear to be spoken for and we haven't even mentioned Mario Lemieux or Steve Yzerman, who because of their stature in this game, especially with Gretzky, get to call their own shot. They're on the team unless they say otherwise.



If Lemieux and Yzerman do speak up and bow out gracefully, perhaps one of Staal, Spezza or Crosby gets the call.



Perhaps.

For TSN.ca, I'm Bob McKenzie.

[Canuck]

McKenzie: Is the end near for Stevie Y?


Bob McKenzie



11/28/2005

You really have to seriously wonder if the end is near for Steve Yzerman.



Now, near is a funny word. Near could mean the end of this season. But near could also mean the end of this week. And were that to be the case, no one should be too surprised.



The truth is these must be difficult days, on and off the ice, for Yzerman, a Detroit hockey icon if ever there were one.



On the ice, his ravaged knee has been a pain, forcing him to ask for a day off on Saturday and raising serious questions about his ability to get through this season. Off the ice, it can't be too much fun either, trying to wrestle with the emotional issue of precisely when is the right time to say he's had enough.





As private and proud a person as Yzerman is, this is clearly Stevie Y's call to make.

But between the pain of his knee and the limited minutes, likely to be less than 10 on most nights, he's been getting from the wings, the writing appears to be on the wall.



Yzerman has been supplanted on the Wings' power play by Mikael Samuelsson. Yzerman doesn't kill penalties. In the new NHL, that doesn't leave many minutes. Regardless of his stature in the game, and my goodness, the man has stature, it is what it is and it's not likely to change.

This can't be too much fun for the Red Wings either. For general manager Kenny Holland or new head coach Mike Babcock. But they're in the business of winning hockey games and if they thought they could do that playing Yzerman more than 10 minutes a night, they would be doing it.



But they're not.



A lot of people are wondering when, or if, Yzerman will call Wayne Gretzky to pull himself from the Canadian Olympic team roster. Hey, I would say, with all due respect, that's a foregone conclusion. What I wonder about is whether this is the week Stevie Y decides to call it a career.



For TSN.ca, I'm Bob McKenzie.

[Canuck]

McKenzie: Beantown Fallout


Bob McKenzie



12/1/2005

Now that the Joe Thornton blockbuster is in the books, all eyes will be on the fallout, especially in Boston.



For example, how is Jumbo Joe's good friend and former linemate Glen Murray going to react? Murray signed a four-year, $16.6 million deal in the summer for two reasons. One, it was more money than he would get anywhere else. Two, because he wanted to play alongside Thornton. Oops. Which way is his game going to go now? It's a critical question for the B's.



As one would expect with a team that is losing as much as Boston, morale in the room is said to be subterranean. Yes, that's a function of losing, but there is much disdain amongst the players towards ownership and management, especially after a hot free-agent commodity like Dave Scatchard was wined and dined in the summer and cast aside 20 games in, to say nothing of this Thornton move. Future free agents may be extremely wary of Beantown. Oh, did we mention Brad Stuart is unrestricted at the end of next season?



Some players are voicing concerns that if the Bruins don't start winning soon, the team may go into full salary dump mode and things could get even uglier in Beantown. Stay tuned on this one.



From the Sharks' end, it's true that Joe Thornton has a no-trade clause in years two and three of his contract, which was undoubtedly part of the motivation for Boston to have traded him now. Actually, let's make that "had" a no-trade clause. The CBA stipulates no-trade clauses don't travel from team to team with the contract. If the Sharks want to trade Thornton at any time, they may. By the way, in a perfect world, the Sharks would like to see if Thornton and Jonathan Cheechoo can develop Thornton-Murray type chemistry.



Amid speculation San Jose is looking to replace Brad Stuart through another trade, it's more likely Tom Preissing, Rob Davison, Christian Ehrhoff and Jim Fahey will get more time and responsibility. Only if they show they can't step up with Scott Hannan and Kyle McLaren will the Sharks go the trade route to bolster the blueline.



In other news, Keith Primeau of the Philadelphia Flyers is in North Carolina today seeing a doctor who specializes in balance issues as they relate to post-concussion syndrome. The doctor does a lot of work with concussed NHL and NCAA football players. Primeau is improving, but still a long ways off from skating.



Anaheim will have Petr Sykora in the lineup and on display saturday and there is interest in the underachieving scorer. Anaheim has decided it can't afford to be paying a four-goal man $3 million. But Sykora isn't the only duck could be had. For the right price, others include Keith Carney, Ruslan Salei, Sandis Ozolinsh and Andy McDonald.



On the Roberto Luongo trade rumour front, it may be that where there is smoke there is fire, but inquiring general managers have been told by Panther GM Mike Keenan that he's not moving the goalie. Luongo's agent figures if the trade talk turns serious, he will be the first to know where and when his client could be going. Gilles Lupien correctly points out that luongo is going to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season and it's difficult to imagine any new team offering a significant package to the the panthers without first securing the netminder on a long-term deal.



And finally, Saturday's game between the Los Angeles Kings and Montreal Canadiens will likely be Luc Robitaille's final game in his hometown. Unless the NHL changes its schedule format, L.A. won't play in Montreal for another three years, well beyond the shelf life of Robitaille, who turns 40 in the new year.



For TSN.ca, I'm Bob McKenzie.

[Canuck]

Good For Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky

TSN.ca Staff

2/10/2006 1:10:12 PM

Good for Gretzky.

It may not be fashionable or even prudent right now to say that, but after watching Gretzky's post-game news conference on Thursday night, when he stated in no uncertain terms that he would be going to Torino with the Canadian Olympic hockey team, I said it out loud:

Way to go, Wayne.

These are obviously tough times for Gretzky. He lost his mother and grandmother in the same month. His close friend and co-worker will be arraigned on some serious criminal charges amid allegations of a connection to organized crime. It's alleged his wife may have placed bets with an illegal bookmaking ring. And he coaches the Phoenix Coyotes, for crying out loud.

Hey, don't get the wrong idea. This is no pity party for Gretzky.





He's a big boy. No one has to tell him what it's like to be in the spotlight, to have everything he says or does magnified. It's been his lot in life since he was about 10 years old. It is what it is, and no one knows it better than him. Ultimately, Gretzky is responsible for his actions, good or bad.

And just because he's Wayne Gretzky, Canadian icon and arguably the greatest player to ever play the game, he should never get a free pass. If he looked like he was skating with a piano on his back, someone should have pointed that out. Long story. You had to be there. The point is, you can attempt to defend Gretzky here without feeling as though you're a sycophant.

And if it should turn out Gretzky is actually guilty of something serious -- you know, criminal or unbelievably immoral --, well, let's cross that bridge when we actually get to it. If we ever get to it, because thus far there's been nothing extraordinary.

Gretzky's name being mentioned amidst this mess is undoubtedly salacious stuff - a lightning rod for outrage in some quarters - but does anyone else find it odd how little attention is paid to the fact that one of the three individuals facing the most serious charges is himself a New Jersey State trooper? If you didn't know better, you would think the New Jersey State Police would like it that way.

So far, the only thing we think we know about No. 99 in all of this is that Gretzky fibbed. He said earlier this week he wasn't aware of the illegal gambling ring and sloughed off his wife's alleged involvement with a half-hearted, "You'll have to ask her." Then came the news on Thursday, leaked by the police or prosecutors in New Jersey, that Gretzky is allegedly caught on a wiretapped conversation with Rick Tocchet, supposedly discussing how he could possibly keep his wife Janet out of the mess.

Wow, a husband looking out for his wife. There's a novel concept. Lock him up. Confiscate his halo.

Was the smartest thing to do? Absolutely not. It is clearly an error in judgment. But just because Gretzky made an error in judgment doesn't necessarily mean he's guilty of more serious transgressions in an attempted cover-up to protect his spouse. If this is a slippery slope we will find out in due course and Gretzky should be judged on that not what might be in everyone's fertile imagination.

Now, Gretzky has repeatedly maintained he himself didn't have any direct business dealings with the illegal bookmaking ring. And so far, no one has presented evidence to the contrary.

And Gretzky has repeatedly maintained he didn't place a bet, on hockey or any other sport. And so far, no one has presented evidence to the contrary.

(And you get the feeling, with all these leaks emanating from the New Jersey State Police, if there was evidence of that, we would have heard about it by now.)

So, as near as we can tell, the worst he has done is be less than 100 per cent truthful in an effort to protect or look out for a loved one.

Oh, why didn't you say so? All those people in professional hockey who have been less than 100 per cent truthful at one time or another, turn in your Olympic credentials.

Hey, where did everyone go?

It's said by many, preaching from the moral high ground of Mt. Olympus apparently, that Gretzky shouldn't go because he would be staining the Olympics.

Oh, that's rich. Good thing they don't have a morals clause to get to Torino, and if they did, the media village would be empty.

Or it's said he will be a distraction to the players and coaching staff of Team Canada. One supposes that is possible, but ask the Canadian players how they feel about that. Hockey being hockey, and Gretzky being Gretzky in spite of what has happened in the last week, chances are Gretzky is more likely to become a rallying point for Team Canada than a distraction.

The truth is, for all that Gretzky has done for Canadian hockey, on and off the ice, that's a chance Team Canada should be willing to take. Gretzky has earned that kind of leeway.

The other popular theory is that it's not fair to expose all this hoopla to the other non-hockey playing Canadian Olympic athletes. To that, if it's true, all that can be said is no wonder we, as a nation, struggle to win medals.

Surely in the name of Nancy Greene, our athletes are more focused than that. Olympic athletes, while competing, could not lead more of a sheltered life. The media has only limited access to them at the best of times and if the attendant circus does come to Torino Town because Gretzky's there, here's something for the competitors, both hockey and non-hockey, to consider: Just say, No.

As in, No, we're not going to talk about that. We're talking Olympics and nothing else. Just pull a Drew Rosenhaus. Next question.

The truth is, Gretzky's presence in Torino need not be a distraction to anyone, other than the media, unless they want it to be so.

And as for the notion that the events of the last week have somehow damaged Gretzky's reputation as a great Canadian, who is suddenly not worthy of representing his country, well, let's just put this way; Haven't seen anyone meet that burden of proof. Not yet. Not even close, and, quite frankly, it would be a surprise if the majority of Canadians don't feel the same way.

Which is why he's off to Torino.

Good for Gretzky.


By Bob Mckenzie

[Canuck]

Bob McKenzie

2/6/2007 8:29:51 PM

So Sergei Samsonov has asked to be traded.
Good one. The market for underachieving perimeter players making $3.5 million a year on a two-year deal ain't what it used to be.

So what does it all mean? Probably that the Habs realize there's no trade market for Samsonov and since his agent has asked for a change of scenery, they put him on waivers to see if they can give him, and his contract, away for nothing. It's difficult to imagine any team jumping in on that but we'll find out at noon Wednesday.

Assuming Samsonov clears, what the Canadiens do next is really interesting.

They could send him to the minors in Hamilton, but they don't have to.





If they did send him down, they would still be obliged to pay him his full salary but it wouldn't count against the cap, giving them some flexibility leading up to the trade deadline.

And if they did send him down, he likely wouldn't be coming back up this season. As much as the Canadiens would like to free up cap room or get out from underneath the contract for next season, it's doubtful Montreal wants to lose him on re-entry waivers and have to count half his money against the cap next season.

Either way, Samsonov currently qualifies as this season's pre-eminent free agent bust and as for his desire to play in another city, he could get what he wants - in Hamilton.


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Don't look now, but the post-lockout NHL is getting on its game face.

Speed and skill are still obviously the watchword's in today's game, but our handy dandy NHL mood ring is indicating "ornery" right about now.

Last week, the Pittsburgh Penguins were thinking about getting some muscle to ride shotgun for Sidney Crosby. Now, by all accounts, it's become much more of a priority, especially after Montreal's Aaron Downey gave Sid a tongue-lashing on the weekend.

But the evidence is there all over the league.

Exhibit A is the New York Rangers' acquisition of Sean Avery. Say no more.

The Boston Bruins are in the market for an "edgy" player.

Zach Stortini has found a home in Edmonton.

The New Jersey Devils feel like opponents have been taking liberties lately so tough guy Cam Janssen has magically re-appeared from the minors.

Ditto for the Predators, who felt as though the Anaheim Ducks were not so nice to Nashville defenceman Kimmo Timonen in their last meeting. Big defenceman Sheldon Brookbank has been called up from Milwaukee.

All of this must amuse Anaheim GM Brian Burke, who has never made any distinction between old-school NHL and the new game. His Ducks are an elite team contending for first place but no team comes close to the Ducks' league-leading 50 fighting majors and Burke couldn't be happier on both counts.

By the way, all of this nastiness, real and imagined, it's not such a bad thing for the new game.

For TSN.ca, I'm Bob McKenzie