Merry Christmas 2015

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays in 2015!

Thank you very much for reading and watching my video blogs over the past year. I've been spending a lot of time planning new and innovative ways to express my brand of hockey blogging across the internet in 2015 and hopefully you've enjoyed it.I'm going to continue a lot of more "Game of the Week" episodes as well as more cutting edge internet blogging for 2016.

Stay Tuned!!

Western Conference 2015-16 Overview

Seems like the Western Conference is always in the discussion as to who the Stanley Cup favorite resides. The CHI-ANA-LA combination seems to work well in the media. And with the recent shifting to So Cal as a "hockey hotbed", we may see another year of Western teams dominating the year. Will Chicago defend their Stanley Cup or will a new team rise up and usher in new superstar faces for a new generation?



Anaheim: With Horcoff the only significant acquisition, this team is just going to give it another shot at the Chicago dynasty machine for the best team in the league. Even

Arizona: A rebuilding franchise that needed to get tougher added John Scott and Steve Downie. They didn't add any scoring so look for them to value another lottery pick this year. Downgrade

Calgary: Frolik might be a great fit into a team that will challenge again for a playoff spot. This is what a team with a lot of grit and youngsters should be.Even

Chicago: A lot of players were shown the door in this off season. Sharp, Timonen (to retirement) Versteeg just to name a few. If Kane can't play it's all of a sudden looking very strange to see a lot of fresh faces on a team that's supposed to be defending their championship.Downgrade

Colorado: Blake Comeau thrived in Pittsburgh for cheap salary. Hopefully he can provide a goal scoring clutch that will supliment the young core players here. But they lost Ryan O'Riley.Downgrade

Dallas: A team that collected up a bunch of players from other winning systems should be a playoff contender for sure. Look for Sharp and Oduya to return winning ways back to the big D. HUGE Upgrade

Edmonton: They've got McDavid, but who's going to go? Eberle seemed to temporarily fix that with being on the IR. Their goaltending situation improved with Talbot trying for the starting job after his playoff heroics.Even

Los Angeles: They lost a few players to controversial news stories Richards and Voynov. They didn't replace them in the free agency market. Erhoff is aging and Lucic will add the grit. Enroth is a valuable back-up in case Quick needs a break. Upgrade

Minnesota: This is where the Dubnyk trade from last season will pay off if it is going to be a success. Is he the franchise goalie they need there? Downgrade

Nashville: I don't see anyone new here on this roster. Not even one possible replacement for Weber. They'll ride goaltender Rinne until his wheels fall off.Even

San Jose: Joel Ward brings his clutch playoff scoring touch to San Jose. But will they even make it to the post-season in time for him to use it? This may be the last hurrah of the Thorton-Pavelski-Marleau era. Even!

St. Louis: They adjusted their roster for more consistent role players. Brouwer is the key to rounding out the offense. Can Bortuzzo look like the blue-chip prospect he was in the Penguins system?Upgrade

Vancouver: They shipped out their young developing goalies and threw a bunch of money at unproven Brandon Sutter. Downgrade

Winnipeg: The Myers-Stafford trade that everyone was surprised by last year's trading deadline will get it's chance to shine all season long here. Look for them to continue building a playoff contending team.Upgrade

Eastern Conference 2015-16 Overview

I've decided to bring back this series in the begining of the year to encapsulate the Eastern teams and assess the progress (or lack thereof) during this off season. Will any of these teams finally dethrone the Chicago dynasty? The balance of power has shifted a little more back to the east with thanks to some of the Eastern conference teams building for the future. Youth movement seems to be the way to go with a lot of these franchises. Soon these teams collecting up high draft picks will mature and built around them.

Boston: They've traded away their core to again keep back from the cap and make room for the roster turnover. Lucic and Hamilton are gone with an aging Chara to work the blueline. Their coach is already on the hot seat even before the season begins. Downgrade
Buffalo: So many additions to this roster from new owners to coach, general manager, and to several franchise players. Eichel is definitely looking like an elite player in Buffalo. Look for him to make a splash with Ryan O'Riley. UPGRADE!
Carolina: What little they could do was attempt to shore up the blueline and make Eddie Lack challenge for Ward's starting position. Wisniewski and Versteeg are good veterans to help this new generation along. Even
Columbus: They dumped a lot of players along the way that held them back. They need to grow the game in Ohio and the only new player of note is Brandon Saad. Rebuilding continues. Even
Detroit: A team that holds on to their players longer than they should is again realizing that you shouldn't need to fix that isn't broken. New coach can show the players a fresh new perspective while Eric Cole is the old man in the "NHL's retirement center"Even
Florida: Youth movement. Marc Savard will bring his Boston luck to south beach. But the roster remains mostly the same.Even
Montreal: They've shifted a few players out and picked up some more role players in hopes to advance to the Stanley Cup finals. Semin is a streaky player often criticized for his non existent work ethic, but maybe this set of players will motivate his scoring. Upgrade
New Jersey: It's a new regime for the NJ Devils. Stempniak will keep the puck moving in a defense first system. But it's not enough to get any better than last year. downgrade.
NY Islanders: Their new home is the most interesting storyline of the year. New dashers and environmental sounds to get used to. It's another "don't fix it if it aint broke" team. Even
NY Rangers: Raanta will be the backup which brings a winning program over to the Rangers. Stoll is from the LA Kings who needed to get their centermen in order. Marty St. Louis retired and won't be replaced with his intangibles. They lost more than they replaced. downgrade
Ottawa: It's the same roster this year from last. Do we expect any better with a year of veteran seasoning? Even
Philadelphia: They are always looking for that one steady goaltender to count on in the clutch. Can Nieuvirth bring what he learned in DC? They also get Umberger back. He likes it there. Upgrade!
Pittsburgh: Having one of the elite wingers in hockey right now and giving up almost nothing for him was a real steal. Kessel will keep up with Crosby and Russian import Plotnikov will get Malkin's line. They've balanced out their team from being centerman heavy to a more balanced attack. Upgrade!
Tampa Bay: Will this be the year that Tampa wins it all again and follows history's trends? They've kept their team in tact for another deep run to the Stanley Cup finals provided everyone stays healthy. Even
Toronto: They are clearly in a rebuilding phase and going to stock their farm system until it's time to use them. Parenteau is going to be a decent replacement on the top line and the biggest acquisition is their coach Babcock. Hopefully, it will mean a better watchable product worth the price of admission while they stock up on talent. Downgrade
Washington: In the biggest steal of the NHL century, the Capitals have got themselves the "American hero" TJ Oshie and brought him to the nations' capital. He should work well as a secondary scoring threat when they need it most. I'm interested in how well Penner will do for them the whole season since coming over in the deadline. Upgrade!

Canada Day Cup 2015

As the tradition continues to grow, the long historical Canada Day Cup Tournament will now be played live on the website (via Twitch). I had originally planned to do this last year, but thanks to my previous misfortunes with my latest laptop, I wasn't able to broadcast it. This year however, I was able to get things done in a more entertaining way.

I also did some preliminary matches with Team Canada and Team USA prior to the tournament. It got out of hand right away and Team USA won that one. We'll see if maybe Team Canada gets some revenge on July 4.

If you're not too familiar with the series, the tournament works like this. Each year, I hold a simulated tournament with each of the 8 Canadian NHL franchises. From there, I go through a match-up with the Provincial rivalries like TOR-OTT and MON-QUE with VAN-WPG and EDM-CGY. Of course it's quite an exciting breakdown and I keep up to date with the way that the Free Agent Frenzy on opening day plays out so that the teams are all square.

This years results were seen on Twitch and then later uploaded to YouTube where you can watch on the video below.

Since I've been doing it for 13 years, it's also one of the longest running traditions here on the Confession of a Hockey Fanatic weblog. I'm hoping to spin this off into a "matchup of the week" type video series were I upload a bunch of games to youtube for your enjoyment.


So, Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian readers! Please party safe and responsibly.









Previous Canada Day Champions
2002: Toronto Maple Leafs
2003: Edmonton Oilers
2004: Quebec Nordiques
2005: Montreal Canadians
2006: Montreal Canadians
2007: Winnipeg Jets
2008: Calgary Flames
2009: Vancouver Canucks
2010: Toronto Maple Leafs
2011: Quebec Nordiques
2012: Edmonton Oilers
2013: Ottawa Senators
2014: Montreal Canadians
2015:

Taylor Hall Warns Incoming Teammate Via Twitter

In all the pomp and circumstance of the traditional NHL entry draft broadcast, a little bit of news got under the radar of some of the hockey writers, bloggers and other shows. It was wall-to-wall talk of Connor McDavid and just how things would play out after he was the presumptive #1 overall consensus choice.

They're no strangers to building a hall-of-fame riddled Stanley Cup winning dynasty before in the 1980s, it looks like this roster will contain a few more stars that could pan out in the same way. I bet this is what they are thinking. 

This is now the ticking clock of doom to the Oilers franchise. What I find wrong with this scenario is that the Edmonton Oilers have been stocking up on #1 overall draft picks for the past 5 years. In today's salary cap league, it has been known to give a "casualty" to teams trying to keep all of their stars on the same roster happy. A few players drafted within the top 5 for the last 5 years or more have already been traded to a new team. Once the rookie contracts expire, they are set to negotiate a higher salary commensurate to their production.

Via Twitter

Taylor Hall actually lets the cat out of the bag here in this tweet that was re-tweeted 3,000+ times and no one on the NHL Network or Rogers media affiliated stations this day. Completely glossed over.

How are we to interpret the Taylor Hall tweet. Sure, reading text on a computer is open to the reader's context, but I personally can not see any other intention as the sentence was constructed. This is a hostile and cold response to his team drafting Connor McDavid.

Questions still remain on this tweet. Is Taylor Hall expected to be pushed asside for the attention that McDavid will surely garnish? Will McDavid be quickly given the "A" or even "C" during his time in Alberta? Just whom will McDavid push out of room on the salary capped roster?

Hockey Fanatic Awards 2015

The Confessions of a Hockey Fanatic invented it's own Awards system on the hopes that it could be seen as an alternative to the NHL Awards since they always seem to get things wrong. The NHL Awards Show were on tonight with comedian Bob Riggle as the host. Critics of the show through social media suggested that it wasn't a carefully thought out show as the bigger news actually happened before the show began. So, without hacky Vegas stand-up jokes, here are who COHF wants honored this year.

Note: Despite the NHL not regarding playoff performances in their awards, the COHF blog does.

Most Valuable Rookie: Johnny Gaudreau

He was the most stand-out Rookie this year and even got the nickname "Johnny Hockey". His meteoric rise to the top of his class and seemingly a fixture into the hockey highlights on just about ANY network should have earned himself an award for becoming what the Flames needed to turn around the franchise for the future.

Most Valuable Player: Jonathan Towes

With another Stanley Cup held over his head, he was truly a force the entire year as the BlackHawks Captain. He didn't get within the top three in scoring, but his team consistently won all the way though the whole season. I think the choice is obvious here.

Most Valuable Coach: Jon Cooper

He "shocked" the world (no pun intended) with bringing the Cinderella team Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup finals. With a few unforeseen injuries, the Lightning are a young team trying to build around Stamkos.

Most Valuable Defenseman: Erik Karlsson

Despite some up and down inconsistent play as a team this year, the Ottawa Senators captain had the most points and was second in goals this season. As long as he continues to put up the scoring stats, he could have another long career as a blueliner in Canada's capital.


Most Valuable Goalie: Carey Price

This is the one instance that the NHL and COHF agree that Price was the best choice for this award. He not only dominated on the stats column, but he also scored very well in the CORSI type new age statistics. You can also look up a lot of highlights from him this year as he's made plenty of key saves that people still talk about even after the season is over.

Most Valuable NHL Slovak player: Tomas Tatar

This Slovak had the most goals in the NHL season most often paired with fellow Slovak Tomas Jurco.

Most Valuable Teammate Tandem: Kyle Okposo and Jon Tavares

These two NY Islanders were really in the grove all season long and got themselves back into the playoffs. They were a dangerous tandem to start the year, but I would have to project the stats due to Okposo getting injured.

Most Valuable General Manager: David Poile

The Nashville Predators have turned a corner and in their history went for a more balanced attack. Poile is re-designing the team away from what they've always known to be. He hired their franchise's second head coach and acquired a lot of talent through the draft an found some way to keep Weber as captain of the team.

Most Valuable Ice Girls: Colorado Avalanche Ice Girls

Mainly because they look like they worked very hard this year scraping the ice and still looking good doing it. Since the NHL no longer allowed for the Zamboni in OT, every crew hand was more valuable.

Most Valuable Fanbase: Chicago BlackHawks

This wasn't easy to pick. There were several other teams that could have been mentioned here. However, witnessing the pandemonium and the amount of fervor that is surrounding the team all through the season as well as the championship parade, the Hawks are back to being a real force driving interests to one of the biggest hockey markets in the US.

Can-Am Award (presented in recognition to a blogger or fan who have contributed positively to Canadian and American fan relations): TBA.

2015 Stanley Cup Predictions - Round 4

The only thing consistent about these playoffs for me is the unpredictability of these series. I went O-2 last round which I guess CHI/TB fans can thank me later. I don't think I have a prediction jinx like other bloggers and broadcasters do, but it's still good enough to notice that the President's Trophy curse still holds up. The New York Rangers have folded up while blogs are already talking about tearing down and trading players. NHL Radio's "Boomer" Jim Gordon is already speculating that they will have some trouble having given up a lot of draft picks in recent years to build for today.

So, Tampa Bay and Chicago are two hockey franchises that are strong and passionate about their teams. The bigger cities have already tossed around the typical stale taunt of low-ratings turnout, but I'm not concerned how this will play out nationally. The biggest ratings will be at the Cup-clinching games, but they'll still be great now that they're off basic cable and directly on NBC.


Stanley Cup Championship Final

Chicago v. Tampa Bay

I'm not going to bog people down with advance stats or "CORSI", but rather use my own intuition in my final attempt to predict something well enough this season.
The main focal point of this contest rests within the Lightning "win at all costs" offense with the Hawks "domination" of a defense. Keith and Seabrook have things locked down on defense.

Also, the other key matchup is the Corey Crawford vs Ben Bishop goalie comparison. Corey struggled in the first series but rebounded to a 9-4-1 record. Bishop was steadier with a 12-8 record, but gave up 15 goals in the last series.

Look for Brad Richards to make a story for himself on the ice and North American media to talk about him once raising the Cup over his head. He was once a member of the TB Lightning and now he's playing against them as a member of the BlackHawks.
Prediction: BlackHawks in 6

2015 Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions - Round 3

Well, at this point, my bracket is busted. I was counting on the Montreal Canadians to go to the Cup finals and finally silence the Canuckleheads who want to see the Stanley Cup be awarded to a Canadian team. It seems as if the NHL has gone unpredictable, well, at least for blog series like this one! Not sure if this is going to have a ripple effect on my credibility on future matters, but as far as predicting this year, it's not going according to [my] the script.

Could this be another year of an New York/LA-ish series were both coastal US cities will watch and reach the two biggest hockey markets? Is this the plan of the NHL to grow hockey in the United States for their NBC contract?

Put your thoughts below if your playoff bracket is busted all to heck or did you expect this conference finals round? Is this good for hockey or will the Canadians complain once again that they are also left out of rooting interest since 2011.


Western Conference


Anaheim v. Chicago

This series could go either way. It's as if the irresistible force (Ducks) are meeting up with the immovable object (BlackHawks). If you look at the league playoffs individual player standings, it's mostly all Ducks and Hawks players. I expect to see the Ducks wear down the Hawks with their defensive style attack. Perry/Getzlaf is still going strong.
Prediction: Ducks in 6



Eastern Conference


New York Rangers v. Tampa Bay

In a rematch of last year's Martin/Ryan trade drama, the Rangers aren't going to have to try as hard this year to keep the Lightning off the scoreboard. The Rangers have a playoff record for most consecutive 1 goal game wins. But if you ride the Lightning while the reverse sweep of the Montreal series, they find a way to win.
Prediction: Rangers in 6

2015 Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions - Round 1

This season the NHL has shown that the league is creeping even closer to their competitive balance goals - which can be a podcast or vlog topic for another day. There were 3 open playoff berths still available on the last day (day 82) of the regular season. I was reading on twitter that there were a little "hater" grumblings that suggested that certain teams squeaked in for ratings and popularity. But regardless of how or when they got in, hopefully each team appreciates their chance for hockey's greatest prize. Lets take a look at round one and hope that the quality of hockey continues to ramp up.




Western Conference

Anaheim v.Winnipeg
Winnipeg makes their return to the NHL playoffs for the first time since leaving. And that was 20 years ago. The keys to this matchup is weather the Jets acquired enough players with playoff experience. Dustin "Buff" and Andrew Ladd are the Jets with the most achievements, but eyes will also be on Myers and Stafford to see if their acquisitions were worth it. Anaheim, despite their goaltending lack of depth, have made it to the top spot on the Western conference. Look for Kestler, Perry, and Getzlaf to have the deeper pool of playoff experience.
Prediction: Ducks in 6

St. Louis v. Minnesota
Minnesota's struggles throughout the middle of the season may have made them a better team now. They went on a really incredible run with the trade deadline acquisition of Devan Dubnyk. But this might be the year that St. Louis gets it together and makes a deep run through the west. They are the gateway after all! Look for Tarasenko to be the big hero and supporting with Oshie.
Prediction: Blues in 5

Vancouver v. Calgary
Calgary Flames have been this anomalous team that went from being one of the worst (statistically) to one of the more respectable and competitive teams in playoff contention. They were a quiet team, but notably they have "Johnny Hockey" Gaudreau to continue on his young career. Vancouver's window from their Finals success is quickly closing as the roster is turning. Ryan Miller may not be strong enough to carry them past the first round having been injured most of the season.
Prediction: Flames in 6

Nashville vs Chicago
The Predators have the worst luck in the history of the NHL to always get ousted by stronger teams in the first round. It took them the realization to move on and find a more balanced scoring attack with an offensive minded coach. Laviolette has his name on the Cup and will know how to take the Predators over the hump. Chicago is just a juggernaut encased in a powerhouse wrapped in a barrage. But this might be the year that the core players will start to show some serious wear and tear having played so many more games than the rest of the league.
Prediction: Predators in7

Eastern Conference

Montreal v. Ottawa
The Canadians have the most to prove to their fans and the biggest disappointment to their fans if they fail. Carey Price is playing like he wants to be the first Hart and Vezina trophy winner in the same year since Jose Theodore in 02. There could be a lot of hardware handed out to other players at the end of the season. But Ottawa is the fighting chippy never say die teams that could surprise people.
Prediction: Habs in 5

Detroit v. Tampa Bay
The story here is having one of the most revered players in Detroit's recent history as the GM for the opposing team. Has Stevey Y's Tampa Bay team developed into a deep playoff contender? Ben Bishop is a giant among men in goal and may stand tall for the entire series. But as you know that the Red Wings have been built to be in the playoffs for 24 straight years.
Prediction: Bolts in 6

NY Islanders v. Washington
The Islanders are celebrating their last year on the Island with a playoff appearance that marks the first payoff for the rebuilding years. Captain John Tavares has a great crew built around him and they've played with each other and developed next to one another in the minors. Look for Isles goalie Halak to be motivated for revenge against his former teammates. The Capitals have Ovechkin and his scoring skills to carry them through the next round. They've finally figured out the balance between forwards and defensemen on their roster. Orpik and Niskanen were great pick-ups in Free Agency. And Joel Ward will somehow be a game hero once more during the playoffs.
Prediction: Capitals in 5

Pittsburgh v. NY Rangers
The New York Rangers are this year's Presidents trophy winners and carry with them that curse. Could they be too overconfident? Crosby and Malkin know how to get to the promised land but have been playing hurt the past few years. They can't get any scoring consistency or linemates. It took them several tries to get into the post season. But this year, they might go out ready to heal up for a better run in next season. Every Pens fan I talk to have no hope for them.
Prediction: Rangers in 4