The biggest obstacle in the quest to discourage dangerous hits to the head in the NHL?
Too often, the interpretation — whether by team officials, coaches, players, broadcasters, media members or fans — of the hit hinges on whether “your” guy is the “hitter” or the “hittee.”
One camp considers a hit an unconscionable, inexcusable cheap shot.
The other camp considers the same hit to be a clean one with “unfortunate” circumstances, and that view often comes with the claim that the injured player had his head down and left himself in a vulnerable position.
And then the reactions rotate 180 degrees the next time, if the roles in the hit are reversed.
Protecting superstars comes into play too, but even that concept revolves around whose ox — or superstar — got gored.
Yes, if the Canucks’ Matt Cooke had delivered an unpenalized, open-ice hit that left Peter Forsberg with a concussion and facial abrasions and knocked him out of the lineup for a few games during the 2003-04 season, my guess is that Vancouver general manager Brian Burke would have said: It’s too bad, but this isn’t an Arthur Murray Dance Studio. Meanwhile, the screams in Colorado would have ranged from “Foul!” to “Revenge!”
That was an extreme case, but extreme cases highlight the tendencies of human nature, including in and around the NHL.
Until everyone involved in this furor over NHL headhunting more consistently comes around to “color-blind” assessments of what is dirty and what is not, it’s going to be difficult for the NHL office to get the hits to the head out of the game.
I admit I was shocked when the Flyers last week didn’t protest Danny Briere’s two-game suspension for his hit on the Avalanche’s Scott Hannan. I’m not making heroes of the Flyers here, and some of the reaction obviously had to do with not having the league office in a foul mood the next time Chris Pronger does something stupid, but it was a bit of a refreshing reaction.
Super Sunday.
If some of the NHL’s Canadian players seem distracted today, this might be why: It’s Grey Cup Sunday, with the Montreal Alouettes — coached by former NFL offensive coordinator Marc Trestman — facing the Saskatchewan Roughriders for the Canadian Football League title in Calgary. The keys to the game will be second-down conversions and which team gets across the 55-yard-line most often, and it even could turn on rouges.
Naming rights.
The Nashville Predators for the second time are suing an arena naming-rights partner. They’ve played in a building that has been called the Nashville Arena, the Gaylord Entertainment Center, and, most recently, the Sommet Center.
The Gaylord deal was supposed to last until 2019, but the Predators sued that company for nonpayment of the rights fees, and the deal was terminated in 2005. The Sommet Center agreement began in 2007 and was for three years, but that company stopped paying, and the Predators went back to court last week.
Since 2000, the names of NHL teams’ home arenas have changed in Anaheim, Boston, Buffalo, Calgary, Carolina, Edmonton, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Philadelphia, St. Louis, San Jose, Tampa and Washington. Dallas, New Jersey and Phoenix have moved into new arenas.
That makes the Avalanche one of a minority of NHL teams that have played in the same arena, with the same name, for 10 years.
Another area arena.
With the Central Hockey League’s Rocky Mountain Rage not operating this season, the Broomfield Event Center doesn’t have a hockey tenant. A new firm, Peak Entertainment, has taken over operation of the City of Broomfield-owned building, and that company is a partnership between Phil Anschutz’s AEG Live and Kroenke Sports.
If the Avs hadn’t slumped so significantly at the gate, a solution could be to place a Kroenke Sports- owned, Avalanche-affiliated American Hockey League franchise in Broomfield, where it could play in the West Division with, among others, Chicago, Houston, Milwaukee and San Antonio.
Callups would be a lot easier than they are now with the Avalanche supplying players to the Lake Erie Monsters in Cleveland.
As it stands, though, Kroenke would be creating more competition for the hockey wing of the entertainment dollar, although it could target the Broomfield-Lafayette-Louisville-Boulder areas and emphasize the cheaper ticket prices.
Never say never . . .
Spotlight on …
Tampa Bay center Steven Stamkos
Last summer, when Matt Duchene, 18, attended the Avalanche development camp, I talked with him about whether he might be better off playing another season in major junior before joining Colorado. Among other things, we alluded to the 2008-09 season of Duchene’s one-time Ontario Hockey League opponent, center Steven Stamkos, who had gone to the Lightning as the No. 1 overall choice in the 2008 entry draft.
Duchene noted that Stamkos, then 18, got off to a rocky start and then finished strong, and that it was clear his development was aided, not hurt, by a season in the NHL.
When I spoke with Duchene again a couple of weeks ago about his own relatively slow start in his rookie season with Colorado, he seemed to know not just the generalities about Stamkos’ start the previous year, but the statistical, virtual game-by-game specifics.
So I’m wondering if Duchene might be comparing notes with Stamkos on Monday, when the Avs face the Lightning at Tampa, Fla.
This is kind of eerie.
After 20 games this season, or roughly the first “quarter,” Duchene had two goals and five assists. After playing 20 games last season, Stamkos had, yes, two goals and five assists.
In his first 26 games this season, or through Friday’s Avalanche loss at Minnesota, Duchene had three goals and eight assists. Through his first 26 games last season, Stamkos, yes, had three goals and eight assists.
Stamkos finished last season with 23 goals and 23 assists. He got 19 of his goals after the New Year. And this season, he is off to a terrific start as a “sophomore,” with 16 goals and 12 assists after the Lightning’s Friday night victory over the Rangers.
Terry Frei, The Denver Post
