Guelph Wins

I mentioned before that the Guelph and North Bay championship was a bit of the classic underdog going against the team that was stacked.  Guelph took the series 4 game to 1 this weekend.  It doesn't explain it all.

I already told of the players and standings that on paper kept these teams far apart.  It wouldn't have been shocking had this been a sweep.  But North Bay hung in.  Of the four loses three were by one goal.  The other proved just how good Guelph could be when they won 10-1.  In the end the team with a lot of talent ended up victorious.




Instead of getting into all the little aspects, the championship team simply gets their final stats for the season displayed.  And maybe a few notes here and there but mainly here.

REGULAR SEASON

PLAYOFFS

Robbie Fabbri won the OHL playoff MVP award.  Oddly enough he is one of the better players on the team not to be drafted.  Hard to argue when you score 13 goals in 16 games.

I'm most intrigued by Kerby Rychel.  He also happens to be the highest drafted player on the team going 19th overall to Columbus.  I love a good playoff performer which he was with a team high 32 points.  He had a strong season with 90 points and can play a physical game too. 

Captain Matt Finn could be a player to watch down the road.  On a team with such talent a lot of numbers are inflated for him and a lot of other players.  You still have to go out there and perform.  Finn showed he can score and be a solid defenseman.  He was picked 35th overall by Toronto.

Lastly I'm throwing him in there not just because of his name.  When Tyler Bertuzzi first came into the OHL all he seemed to do was fight.  Now in his third season he averaged over a point a game while still managing 49 penalty minutes in just 29 games.  His playoff stats weren't too bad either.  This is what sold me.  Bertuzzi, who is Todd's nephew, was picked by the Detroit Red Wings.  There is no team I respect more when it comes to drafting players.  Plus, they took him in the second round.  They see something.  My guess is it is the passion and energy he brings on each shift.  Hit, score, fight the kid will do what it takes.  You can never have too many of those players.

World's

In the midst of the playoffs the World Championships have kicked off today.  It's not nearly as big for some countries as it is for others.  Nonetheless it is still a highly respected tournaments overseas.  That being said it is something that should be followed especially if you have an unhealthy appreciation for hockey.

How can we not start with Canada losing on opening day to France.  France?  Really?  I looked at their line-up.  They have one guy who plays regularly in the NHL.  That is Antoine Roussel the ultimate pest for Dallas.  Outside of that most of these guys play in Europe.  The entire Canadian roster plays in the NHL.  That's a stunner of a loss.  Stephane da Costa (Binghamton - AHL) put home two goals and former Montreal goalie Cristobal Huet stopped 34 shots as France took it 3-2 in a shootout.  Brayden Schenn and Erik Gudbranson scored for Canada.

FRANCE 3
CANADA 2
Shootout


Russia had no issue with Switzerland.  Helps to have Alexander Ovechkin who scored a goal and assisted on another with Sergei Bobrovsky in net stopping all 27 shots he faced.

RUSSIA 5
SWITZERLAND 0


Czech Republic against Slovakia is always a good rivalry since the two countries split.  The Czechs edged this one out on an overtime goal by Jakub Klepis a former Hershey Bear.

CZECH REPUBLIC 3
SLOVAKIA 2
OT 


The host nation Belarus had a difficult time with the U.S. which is to be expected.  Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and two assists to lead the U.S. team.  Maybe there is more to this guy than I thought.  I've seen past Hobey Baker winners of smaller stature find less success at higher levels.  This kid scored in his only NHL game and now has the chance to do some damage on the big stage.  Jacob Trouba, who I am quickly going to start crushing on and had a very underrated rookie season, scored two goals from defense.

UNITED STATES 6
BELARUS 1



Lots of games tomorrow.  Lots of recaps to come plus whatever else I throw into here concerning juniors, minors or the NHL. 

And to think I have this tournament for another two and a half weeks, followed by what should be the final rounds of the AHL and NHL playoffs or finals.  Then I have to deal with the World Cup for a month.  By the time I get myself organized free agency will have started, lots of players will move to Europe and once I am ready for a break the junior league season (which starts a month before pros) will be up and running.  It's easy to see why the other sports have faded from my radar overtime when the two I enjoy have an international appeal. 



 

Ronald

Ron Hextall gets it.  He understands that a team needs to build through development.  Now he has his chance to change the way management has run the Flyers over the last few decades as the new general manager of the team.

I mentioned before I'd rather stay away from the big stories.  A lot has been made of this move which was clearly something coming for awhile.  The Holmgren move to president is how the Flyers still take care of former players and coaches.  In a sense he was let go without actually being fired.  Clarke received the same treatment.

For Flyers fans this can only be a good thing.  Management has constantly kept the same mentality over the years.  There are three ways I am aware of to acquire players.  You can trade, sign or draft.  With the win now approach many trades have come at the expense of younger talent.  Signings tend to be big contracts to veteran players slightly past their prime.  Flyers fans don't need a list.  That isn't how Hextall operates.

Hextall is all about building from within.  He wants to rely heavily on the draft.  He wants players to develop in the AHL first before making the step to the NHL, something that hasn't always happened in the past when the Flyers have rushed to judgement on young talent.  He isn't look to sign or acquire those same aging veterans the Flyers throw money at every season.  This is how it should be done.

I'm very interested in the moves Hextall makes during this off-season whether it is by trade, free agency or something through the draft.  The Flyers do have three picks in the first three rounds which now includes a higher first round pick then they hoped.  They should be able to land a solid talent in that position.  Hextall is the type who will value picks and try to acquire more instead of trading them away.  The Flyers are currently ranked last when it comes to prospects.  That has to change.

I'm excited.  This is exactly the type of guy that should get the opportunity to see what he can do.  It will take some time to stock up on young players.  The nice thing is that there are at least a few already with a positive upside.  An upside Hextall won't try to trade within two years.

Captain Dean

There are always a hundred different directions for me to take these posts.  I try to keep them simple with something that I find interesting or that isn't getting much attention.  I don't want the popular stories.  I wasn't sure where to take this today.  Then I saw a simple post made by the Abbotsford Heat.  Dean Arsene retired.

To many it isn't a big deal.  Another player retiring.  Certain players resonate with me.  Dean Arsene was one of those guys.  The picture above is from Elite Prospects, a great hockey website for people looking for any type of information on players or teams.  I've been with them for four hockey seasons now.  Next year will be my 5th season as the AHL update guy.  I don't update transactions, transfers or recalls.  There are a few reasons.  One is that I just don't have that kind of time.  Two, they happen so frequently I could never keep up.  Lastly, with people spread across the globe somebody almost always will have it posted within minutes of hearing the news.  I heard about this early this afternoon.  I posted and confirmed his retirement at 10:03 tonight.  According to my log sheet the last transaction I posted on the site was July 6th, 2011.  Somebody saved this one for me.

Arsene was a defenseman.  He was never drafted coming from the WHL.  He wasn't going to score you a lot of goals.  He was there to play defense and make you miserable and maybe get in a scrap or two or ten.  His career started in the ECHL in 2001.  I wasn't really following the league at the time to the extent I do now.  The next season though he played in the AHL for Hartford.  Now he was on my radar.  In 50 games he had a goal and 94 penalty minutes.  Again, nothing that stands out.  It was his next move that proved to be a game changer.

Arsene moved on the following season to join the Hershey Bears.  He ended up spending most of his time as a steady piece on the back end for the Reading Royals of the ECHL which included a deep playoff run.  By 2004-05 Arsene had earned himself a full time gig in the AHL.  Not only was he in the AHL, on one of the best teams playing in the loudest arena, but also now playing against better talents with the NHL lockout lasting all season.  Arsene ended the season with 140 penalty minutes and 14 fights.  His role increased even more the following season.  He played in a career high 68 games racking up 181 penalty minutes and helping the team win the Calder Cup.

Arsene returned to Hershey once again the next season.  It was now his third full season and fourth overall playing with Hershey.  The guy who was never drafted was named captain of arguably one of the best hockey franchises in North America.  He didn't disappoint.  He set career highs in points with 15 and penalty minutes with 187.  More importantly he was a big player in the community and quickly becoming a fan favorite.  His hard-nosed style caused frequent injuries and his next season with Hershey saw him in only 14 games.  That didn't stop him from having a dominating presence.  He often sat in with announcer John Walton as his analyst generally speaking his mind about the game and other players with very little filter.  He was back in Hershey yet again the next season now his 6th straight.  While injuries still kept his game appearances low he once again proved a valuable piece come playoff time playing in 22 games and helping Hershey win another Calder Cup. 

While prospects and players around him continued to progress to the next level or receive a call-up, Arsene had yet to reach the NHL.  Part of it had to do with the organization.  Hershey was a breeding ground for talent especially at the time that Arsene played.  Sometimes going back and looking at some of these names can even be fun for me.

Just on defense - Brett Clark was captain in Arsene's first year.  He played the next seven seasons in the NHL and three times played in all 82 games.  A guy named Johnny Boychuk played in every game that season for Hershey.  Too bad Colorado eventually traded him after continually keeping him in the AHL.  Then came along Mike Green, John Carlson and Karl Alzner.

Arsene knew the depth and talent in front of him.  He had worked his ass off to this point just to be a two-time AHL champion.  If he wanted to reach his goal he knew he had to make a change.  There is no way it came to him easily after all he had done and accomplished in Hershey, but Arsene decided his best chance to make it to the NHL was to go somewhere else.  Going for the dream he chose a team he knew would have availability in a struggling Edmonton Oilers squad.  He started the season in the AHL with Springfield as the captain in his first season.  As the season progressed and Edmonton's struggles and shaky defense continued, Arsene got the call.  And don't think people in Hershey weren't ecstatic to hear about it.  Arsene ended up playing in 13 games with Edmonton and picked up 41 penalty minutes including three fights and a misconduct.

Those would be the only NHL games he would play.  He ended up going to the St. Louis Blues organization the next year.  Again he was the captain right away.  He played in all but three games and continued his tough style.  He left again after one season this time to a struggling Phoenix organization, but played the whole season in the AHL.  He departed again after one season to the newly formed Winnipeg organization but once again found himself stuck in the AHL. 

For the 5th season in a row after leaving Hershey he changed organizations this season.  He landed in Abbotsford, his hometown, to play for the minor league affiliate for Calgary.  Once again he found himself wearing the "C" on his sweater.  He played in another 42 AHL games.

At some point the body starts to give.  Arsene was the kind of guy you really wanted on your team.  There was no lack of passion or drive.  His leadership was undeniable.  I'm not sure if I've ever seen a guy become the captain of a team in his first season three different times in five seasons.  Everything Arsene got he worked for in his career.  He deserved those NHL games and got them because others also recognized.  Even though he bounced around looking for that second chance at NHL glory I'd like to think a piece of Dean never left Hershey.  In the game today you probably won't see another guy play that many seasons in a row for one AHL team.

I'm not sure what the next chapter for Arsene holds.  Maybe hockey isn't even a part of it.  I'd like to think he would make a good coach especially on a lower level because he knows what it takes to get to the top when you aren't blessed with all the talent in the world.  Part of me thinks if his interest is to return to hockey it will be with Hershey.  Guess we will find out.  The town would be thrilled to have him back.



QUICK SIDE NOTE:  

As I blabbered on it was made official that the team from Abbotsford, who happened to be the last team Arsene captained, will indeed be relocated to Glens Falls.  Good for them.  One team leaves and another takes their place.          

A True River Trail

It's not often our area sees 4-6 inches of rain in a quick period without it being related to a tropical system.  It happened yesterday and quickly raised river and streams levels.  Even I was surprised as I started driving around.  I used the heavy rain to my advantage and went for an extended run.  My ability to avoid large puddles ended quickly when the route I was running went over a road that was now a creek crossing.  I always wonder what the people driving in the 48 degree downpour are wondering when they come across a flooded stream with a runner galloping through.  Though I should thank the drivers who all stopped before crossing the water so the spray from the tires would not hit me.  Not like I could have gotten any wetter, but it was in the first mile or so.  And yes, you shouldn't drive (or run) through moving water.  It was less than an inch high and maybe 20 feet.  We do creek crosses in runs up to my waist.  Think I can handle it.

I always love a good run in the rain.  Makes we want to stay out there even longer.  Then I started to realize later in the night just how high the water was getting in some of my not-so-local favorite spots.  You see, many trails in the area are located near water.  In fact the only ones I can think of that don't have that aspect are the ones that have a high elevation.  It's natural they follow the water.  Most trails follow railroad tracks built years ago which happened to use the same path as rivers.  That's because a river follows a path of least resistance which is also generally low in elevation and flat.  It's a perfect place for a path.  Except when you get a flash flood.

When I got up this morning I saw that the Blue Marsh Lake recreational area was closed.  That's not good.  That's just a lake.  There potentially go those plans for the weekend.  Then it was over to the news.  Believe me, I wasn't following much last night with hockey on for six hours.  I knew what was coming  once you could tell how bad the flooding was on the Schulykill.

Very first on the list was Manayunk.  Let's start by saying this isn't a place that has never seen flooding before.  It's situated close to the river, partly on an island, situated next to a canal and very low.  You almost have to expect a flood.  In fact part of the island I'm pretty sure is actually beneath the canal.  Main street isn't much higher.

Manayunk will clean up quickly.  The trails along the river might be another story.  Not only that but flooding was extensive up and down the trail.  Certain areas are higher off the water or not that close.  Other times you could throw a rock into it.  But Manayunk is different.  The trail goes from paved to crushed stone.  It weaves tightly through vegetation with little bridges over runoffs and the canal.  It even turns into a wooden bridge structure as you pass between Main St. and the canal.  It had to have taken a lot of water.




The good news is the bars and restaurants in the main part of town are open.  While this one was pretty bad they have seen and dealt with it before.  People were probably on the trails today even if they were probably at the very least muddy.  If not, they will be over the weekend.  Maybe I will too.