Sports Then and Now

Every season, some poor GM breaks down and gambles on a player that they think will completely change the direction of their club by trading away a huge amount of assets to acquire him. Sometimes it works, sometimes it is utter disaster. Let’s take a look at some of these trainwrecks and how they affected the league:

5) The Francis/Samuelsson Trade

In 1991, the Pittsburgh Penguins were a few good pieces away from being a playoff contender. Guys like Brian Trottier, Kevin Stevens, young Jaromir Jagr and Mario Lemieux were the start of a great core, but success had yet to come to the team. In a shocking move, meant to revitalize the slumping Penguins, GM Craig Patrick swapped John Cullen, Zarley Zalapski and Jeff Parker for Grant Jennings, Ulf Samuelsson and Ron Francis. Samuelsson would bring a vicious net-front presence to the Pens D, and Francis would complement Lemieux up front to lead the Penguins to not one, but two Stanley Cup wins back to back in 1991 and 1992. The Whalers, on the other hand, would never recover from the trade, and their fanbase was (and still is) very bitter about it. The Whalers would eventually move to Carolina in 1997, and Ron Francis would be traded there in 1998.

4) The Luongo/Jokinen Trade

Former Islanders GM Mike Milbury could have his own Top 5 bad trades, but this is one of the worst. After criticizing Luongo for some off-ice attitude, and signing rookie Rick DiPietro to the biggest rookie contract ever made, Milbury dished Luongo and forward Olli Jokinen to the Florida Panthers for Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha. Luongo would go on to be one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL, and Jokinen would spend much of his career as a top line scoring forward. DiPietro was an utter failure, and Parrish and Kvasha didn’t compensate for the loss of Jokinen. This deal was a total laugher, but not quite as bad as….

3) The Yashin Trade

Mike Milbury Strikes Again! It’s a wonder he didn’t end up in a drug rehab center after the disappointment of his awful trades. This time, grabbing forward Alexi Yashin, who was starting to decline, and dishing out young 6’9” Slovakian defenseman Zdeno Chara , Bill Muckalt, and a second overall pick in the draft (which would become current Sens captain Jason Spezza). Not only did Milbury trade away two future stars, but he then gave Yashin an enormous 10 year, $87.5 million dollar deal. Yashin muddled around Long Island until they finally bought out his contract, forcing New York to pay out the remainder of his $17.63 Million dollars owed. Yashin then high-tailed it to Europe, and played pretty well, making this dark saga in Islander fans’ history just a shade darker.

2) The Lindros Trade

Young Eric Lindros of the OHL’s Oshawa Generals was drafted 1^st round by the lowly Quebec Nordiques in 1991, but the cocky rookie refused to play in Quebec because he didn’t like the team, the city, or the fact that he’d have to learn French, and held out without signing his contract. The Nordiques played hardball too, saying they would not trade him, and in essence, would ruin his potential career. Finally, after almost a year and several back-room meetings, The Philadelphia Flyers acquired Eric Lindros for one of the steepest prices in NHL history; 6 roster players, 2 picks, and $15,000,000 cash. The real kicker is who those 6 players and draft pick turned out to be. They were Peter Forsberg, Ron Hextall, Chris Simon, Mike Ricci, Kerry Huffman and Steve Duchense, but you may know most of them better as members of the Stanley Cup winning Colorado Avalanche. The Nordiques were doomed to leave Quebec, but before they did, they assembled one of the best teams in the NHL. The first draft pick turned out to be Jocelyn Thibault, who was traded to Montreal for disgruntled superstar Patrick Roy. This became the winning combination for the Nords once they moved to Colorado and promptly won 8 division titles and two Stanley Cups. Lindros was still a great player, but not anywhere near worth the value he was traded for.

1) The Gretzky Trade

25 years ago, the Hockey world was shaken to its core when GM Glen Sather allowed the unthinkable; Trading Gretzky. Slather wanted no part of it, but his hands were tied. The greatest player in the world was on the greatest dynasty in hockey, and there just wasn’t enough money to go around. It’s the price you pay for winning, but the fee was steep, and the Oilers are still trying to recover. In exchange for The Great One and his bodyguard (Marty McSorley), The Kings only had to part with Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, 3 first round picks, and $15 million ($18.5mil Canadian at the time). It was a steal. The Kings immediately sold out every game, and Gretzky got into the American spotlight. The Oilers would have to continue to trade away important pieces from their Cup teams like Kurri and Messier, eventually becoming a punching bag for the Western Conference. While the trade HAD to happen, and it’s hard to fault those involved, it set a precedent that NO player is above being traded, not even The Great One.

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Scott Huntington is a writer, reporter, blogger, and long-time hockey fan. He’co-creator and admin of the hockey group Soft Dump. Follow Scott at @SMHuntington

Last November I was working at a poorly managed tractor dealership that was running out of work. Instead of laying me off, they put me “On Call,” with no intention to call me back. So, after a game at the local rink, I was hanging out with the rink manager and asked “you guys hiring?” fully expecting him to say no. Instead, he replied, “Sure, you wanna drive the Zamboni?”

DO I WANT TO DRIVE THE ZAMBONI???? I could barely stutter out a “yes,” hardly believing my good luck. It was like being handed the keys to my dad’s classic Mustang. Every kid wants to ride/drive the Zamboni when they grow up. There’s something inherently cool about that machine. It is completely unique to hockey, and has an aura of hockey legacy that surrounds it. The mythical Zam driver (those of us in the business call it a “Zam…”) is like the wise old sage of the rink, like Hans in the Mighty Ducks (I know he sharpened skates, but no ones dreams of doing that.). Excited kids press their noses to the glass to watch as the Zamboni lays that smooth sheet of glass like a calm shimmering pond. Fans fill out little lottery cards for their chance to ride the Zam at a pro hockey game. And recently, I’ve found that lots of people have driving or riding one on their “bucket list.”

But in reality, its a thankless job. You’re always the killjoy who has to kick people off the ice earlier than they want. You’re also the jerk who takes too long to cut the ice, taking away precious minutes of ice time. Basically, I end up being a glorified lifeguard/janitor making just above minimum wage. Read the rest of this entry →

Goaltending through the years has been an ever-evolving science and trade, combining modern anatomical science with old fashioned grit. Goaltending we see today looks nothing like its bare-faced predecessor. The first goalies weren’t even allowed to go down on both knees to make a save, much less try the groin-busting splits of the Hybrid Butterfly. Pads have changed dramatically in the last several decades, almost too dramatically, as so the NHL has once again implemented new rules in the 2013-14 season to limit the size/shape of netminders’ equipment. Before we go on a walk down memory lane to the yesteryears of Jaques Plante and Gump Worsley, let’s have a look at the anatomy of goalie pads.

Goalie Pad 101:

It’s hard to think of something that hasn’t been improved by technology. Heck, these days you can even repel rats electronically thanks to modern science. The modern goalie leg pad has been modified from the old strap-on pillows to a technological masterpiece of puck-stopping engineering. Mainly, the Knee Stacks, or “Landing Gear,” that allow a goalie to go down on their knees without injuring them, and also allow the rectangular block of the pad to lie flush to the ice, preventing anything from sliding under it (unless you’re Marc-Andre Fleury…) are the biggest improvement.

As the “Butterfly” style improved, the desire to close off the area between the legs (the Five Hole) was remedied by what pad manufacturers call the “Thigh Rise.” Thigh Rise describes how many extra inches above the top of the knee that are added for extra closure when a goalie goes down in the butterfly. Pads are measured from floor to knee, so let’s say you wear a 34” pad, and then want an extra 3 inches of thigh rise, your pads would be labeled 34+3. Thigh Rise offers no extra protection, and removing it does not add any extra risk of injury, but we’ll touch on that later. Adding the thigh rise isn’t enough for most goalies, so to get it to curve inward and create a seal with the other pad a “Break” is added. Some pads have a Break under the knee as well, for added flexibility.

In the olden days of flat wooden sticks, most shots rarely rose above the waist level, and goalies could generally get away with not wearing a mask and having limited chest protection. The modern player is a genetically amped athlete, armed with carbon-fiber curved-blade sticks capable of placing a 100mph shot anywhere they want. Naturally, as shooters got stronger and more accurate, the goalie had to compensate. In 1928, Bruins Goalie Tiny Thompson (below) doesn’t even have a blocker, wears a modified baseball mitt, and looks to only have the most minimal of padding on his chest. Read the rest of this entry →

The Stanley Cup

Every year athletes across the globe compete for iconic championships and the trophies that come with them. Here is a look at some of the best known trophies in sports.

Stanley Cup
This coveted trophy is awarded each year to the National Hockey League’s winner of the Stanley Cup Finals. It is so iconic that the men presenting the trophy wear white gloves. Unlike many trophies that are made specifically for a championship team each year, this trophy is passed onto the next winner from year to year. Named after Lord Stanley of Preston, then Governor General of Canada in 1893, the Stanley Cup has been held high above the heads of hockey champions for many generations.

The five bands forming the trophy’s base have special significance. Each player’s name for the winning team is inscribed on the lowest band. Once the band becomes full, the oldest band, located at the top of the base, is removed and placed on display in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

NBA Championship Trophy
Many may not know that the NBA Trophy is actually called the Larry O”Brien NBA Championship Trophy. Don’t recognize the name? Many don’t. A number of years ago, professional basketball was struggling to make a name for itself. If it weren’t for the efforts of then commissioner of basketball Larry O’Brien, the NBA may not ever have become the widely known professional sport it is today. During the mid 1970’s and into the 80’s, Larry O’Brien made a number of gutsy decisions that have ultimately led to the NBA we cherish today.

The trophy stands two feet tall and weighs in at nearly 15 pounds. It is designed to look like a basketball about to enter the net. It is made of sterling silver and overlaid with 24 carat gold. Each year the winning team receives its own trophy to permanently display. Read the rest of this entry →

There is nothing in sports like the NHL playoffs.  And there is NO trophy in sports like the Stanley Cup.

Lord Stanley’s Cup has been around since 1892, so it’s steeped in history and mystery. Like how are the names engraved on the holy chalice of hockey.

Find out how your favorite player has his name emblazoned on the world’s most famous sports trophy.

Pretty awesome eh?

Which team’s goal song will carry them to victory in the 2013 GSC?

The NHL playoffs kick off in a few hours and I really don’t think that there is a better playoff series in sports. There is nothing like playoff hockey. The tempo of the game, the physicality and the effort shown by all of the guys on the ice blows every other sport out of the water.

If you have ever been to a hockey game you know all about the goal horns that go off when a team scores. Personally, I think the horns are awesome but what I like even more are the songs that follow. Every team has their own goal song and every song, if played enough, can start to drive a visiting goalie insane.

Goal songs come in all forms. There are chants, there are up tempo songs, classic songs and songs that straight up make you want to dance. But it’s playoff time, so for 16 other teams their goal scoring days are over (at least for this season). It’s time for me to reveal my playoff bracket based on which songs are the best. I also welcome any of you to leave your comments and let me know who your Goal Song Cup winner would be.

Read the rest of this entry →