At a practice early this season, the Avalanche wore unadorned prototypes of the new-wave style of jerseys the NHL will roll out for 2007-08. I admit I was surprised that they didn’t look that much different than the current jerseys, and the reason I was surprised was that some of the indignant anticipatory buzz had me expecting to see Milan Hejduk looking like Tobey Maguire/Spiderman in the new jersey.
Representatives of the players’ union and manufacturer Reebok/CCM asked the players for their feedback and took notes, and I came away that day thinking this was more a redesign than a revolution. The jerseys were tighter, streamlined, lighter and more moisture-resistant, but not jarringly different in appearance, especially from a distance.
Yet as the Reebok tour continued around the league, the exaggeration of the uniform change didn’t let up. The only possibility for revolution is if next season, the traditional horizontal striping and logo patterns on the Canadiens’ sweaters, for example, will be significantly altered because they would cause problems with trunk flexibility in the tighter jerseys, which can be tucked into the pants.
The league officially will unveil the uniform style, including tighter socks, this week at the All-Star Game in Dallas, starting with a Monday news conference. Eight players are scheduled to attend, presumably as models. At last check, the plan still was to have the Islanders’ Jason Blake and the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby among the eight, which could add to the intrigue given that Blake’s attempted spear of Crosby at the end of a game last week raised the hackles of the Pittsburgh front office and drew Blake a fine from the league.
Reebok already has released a picture of Crosby in his Eastern Conference uniform, though, and that already has caused many confessions that some of the initial negative reaction to the changes was premature and overstated.
A few weeks ago, remembering the flap over the NBA’s heavy-handed and ill-fated move to a composite basketball, I checked with the NHL Players’ Association and was assured that the union – through former players and union officials Mike Gartner and Vincent Damphousse – had been consulted and was participating during the re-design and tryout period at practices. NHLPA executive director Ted Saskin and Gartner, the union’s director of hockey affairs, both are scheduled to appear at the news conference, and the union is aboard on this one.
Yes, those “old” oversize Avalanche sweaters won’t be of the same style worn on the ice, and the marketing possibilities certainly play a role in all of this. The fans’ current wardrobes can be out of date, even if the name and number on the back is tied to a current player. Tighter fashion opens up the possibility of a 311-pounder in section 311 becoming a scary sight. But adjustments can be made.
Pittsburgh update
With apologies to noted hockey fan Chevy Chase: This breaking news just in! Talks continue with politicos in the Plan C through K attempts to get an arena project moving forward to save the Penguins for Pittsburgh! But no agreement has been reached! And Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead!
Golf Channel
Yes, Golf Channel. I’m bringing this up because the PGA Tour has cast its cable television lot with the Golf Channel this year, stepping away from, among others, ESPN, which had dropped out of the rights negotiations in 2006. The Golf Channel now will carry early rounds and some tournaments, including this weekend’s Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, for all four rounds when they’re not on a broadcast network.
While in Florida for the Capital One Bowl, I was interested to see player Paul Azinger, a former ESPN analyst, tell The Orlando Sentinel that the PGA would have been better off giving away the cable rights to ESPN because, he said, “You go into any restaurant or bar in America and the TV is tuned to ESPN.” And player Steve Flesch told the paper that for six consecutive weeks, the Orlando-based Golf Channel – which even among the players often had the reputation as a boring specialty channel – hadn’t been available in his hotels during tournaments.
Any of that sound familiar, hockey fans?
After the NHL’s breakup with ESPN (disclosure: I do some writing for ESPN.com), Versus is trying and doing a good job in its NHL coverage, using solid professionals. But it still has a relatively low profile, and having NHL games has raised it only slightly. There’s no disputing that general sports fans more often stumbled on NHL telecasts on ESPN or ESPN2.
SPOTLIGHT ON …
NHL POINT INFLATION
The perception continues, and continues to be advanced, that playing at a point-per game clip and/or having the same number under the “W” and “L” columns in the standings means a team is playing “.500 hockey.” It isn’t, and it hasn’t been since the introduction of the guaranteed point for an overtime loser in 1999-2000 meant some games were worth three points.
In 1999-2000, the first season of three-point games, the 28 teams averaged 86 points in the 82-game season. Because each team got a point if the game remained tied through overtime, the average didn’t jump drastically. In 2005-06, the first season of all games tied at the end of regulation ending up being worth three points, with an overtime or shootout winner getting two, the 30 teams averaged a shade over 91. While the average point total will vary from season to season, it’s obvious that roughly 90 points should be considered the true “break-even” mark, whether you want to call it .500 or something else. And with overtime or shootout losses not even being counted under the “L” column, it means a team that doesn’t have at least a couple of more wins than losses and a couple more points than games played isn’t playing “.500 hockey.”
Example: Heading into the Saturday game against Detroit, the Avalanche’s record through 46 games – 23-20-3 for 49 points – put it on pace for 87 points. That wouldn’t be horrible underachievement, but it also wouldn’t be above the league average. You could argue that even throwing the three overtime and shootout losses under the “L” column would make Colorado 23-23, and that Colorado actually had ended up with wins in four of its seven games that went to overtime or a shootout. But because the Avalanche was on pace to be below the league point average, that shouldn’t have been considered “.500.”
Sorry for all the numbers. For the record, I have not joined SABR.
PENALTY BOX
FLYERS’ BROTHERLY LOVE IN PERIL
Miscreants: Flyers management.
Infraction: Coaching changes, even if they are made prematurely as part of the scapegoating phenomenon, sometimes light a fire under teams. That’s what has happened, at least short-term with the St. Louis Blues, for example. But it now has become obvious that Ken Hitchcock, fired in late October after a 1-6-1 start, wasn’t the problem at Philadelphia. Though we read and heard the usual junk about a “breath of fresh air” when John Stevens took over for Hitchcock, the Flyers are 10-25-4 under Stevens.
The secondary problem: The Flyers are continuing to do well at the box office, averaging 19,253 or 98.7 percent of capacity, but that’s a paper number. Thousands of tickets are going unused for every home game, and season-ticket holders can’t even give them away in line at Pat’s or Gino’s. The Flyers, long a hot ticket in Philadelphia, are headed for trouble next season if, as seems likely, many season-ticket holders ignore the renewal invoices.
Bottom line: One of the NHL’s showcase franchises is in deep trouble, and Hitchcock is fortunate to be out of there.
Top 10
Polls close Friday morning:
(Rk. Prev. Team Comment)
1. 1 Sabres Lose three straight, though
2. 2 Ducks Miss Pronger
3. 3 Red Wings Chase with Predators
4. 4 Predators Win streak ends at six
5. 5 Devils Pull away in Atlantic
6. 7 Sharks Dominate on PP
7. 10 Canucks Is that Henrik?
8. 8 Flames Iggy’s not skating yet
9. – Senators They’re waking up
10. 6 Thrashers Stop their skid
Terry Frei can be reached at 303-954-1895 or tfrei@denverpost.com
