Front Office

Pat Quinn (General Manager)

Pat Verbeek (Assistant General Manager) – Tampa Bay Lightning

Craig Patrick (Senior Advisor to the General Manager) - Columbus Blue Jackets

Pat Park (Director of Media Relations) - Toronto Maple Leafs

Patrick Burke (Scout) – Philadelphia Flyers

Pat Carmichael (Amateur Scout) – Winnipeg Jets

Pat Burns (Head Coach)

James Patrick (Assistant Coach) – Buffalo Sabres

Tim Pattyson (Video Coach) - Ottawa Senators

Agent

Pat Brisson - NHLPA certified agent

Beat Writers

Pat Hickey (Print) – Montreal Gazette

Pat Williams (Online) – NHL.com

TV Crew

Pat Foley (play by play) – voice of the Chicago Blackhawks

Pat Lalime (colour comentary) – covers the Senators for RDS

Dan Patrick (in game host) - NBC Sports Television Host

NHL Team

Current NHLers

Forwards

Pat Elias - New Jersey Devils

Pat Sharp - Chicago Blackhawks

Pat Kane - Chicago Blackhawks

Pat Marleau - San Jose Sharks

Pat Dwyer - Carolina Hurricanes

Pat Kaleta - Buffalo Sabres

Pat Hornqvist - Nashville Predators

Pat Eaves – Detroit Red Wings

Pat Berglund - St. Louis Blues

Patrick Bordeleau - Nashville Predators

Defense

Pat Wiercioch - Ottawa Senators

Patrick Daly - New Jersey Devils

NHL Alumni Team

Goalies

Pat Roy – 1985-2003 (Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche)

Pat Jablonski – 1988-2011 (St Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, Phoenix Coyotes, Carolina Huricanes 1988-2001)

Forwards

Pat Elyniuk -  1987-97 (Winnipeg Jets, Washington Capitals, Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators)

Pat Peake - 1993-1998 (Washington Capitals)

Pats Sundin – 1989-2009 (Quebec Nordiques, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks)

Pat LaFontaine - 1983-1998 (New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, New York Rangers)

Pat Thoresen – 2003- (Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers)

Pat Stefan – 1996-2007 (Atlanta Thrashers)

Pat Flatley - 1983-1997 (New York Islanders, New York Rangers)

Defense

Pat Brisebois – 1991-2009 (Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche)

Rory Fitzpatrick – 1995-2010 (Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers)

Pat Stapleton – 1959-1978 (Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks)

AHL

Pat Cormier - St. John’s IceCaps

Pat Rissmiller – Rochester Americans

Pat O’Sullivan - UFA

Finnish Team

Petteri Nummelin - HC Lugano

Petteri Nokelainen - Montreal Canadiens

Hockey Fans

Pat Sajak - Wheel of Fortune

Please post any suggested additions in the comments.

Every Wednesday night, beginning February 6, from 600 PM – 800 PM on TSN Radio 1290, and online at www.tsn1290.ca, “NHL Mid-Week with the Illegal Curve Hockey Show” will cover the NHL from top to bottom, in its entirety, and keep Winnipeg’s hockey fans informed about the hockey news emanating from the 29 other NHL cities.

Hosted by Drew Mindell, with analysts Richard Pollock and Ezra Ginsburg, “NHL Mid-Week with the Illegal Curve Hockey Show” will feature in-depth interviews with the relevant newsmakers in the NHL, and the detailed analysis that is synonymous with Illegal Curve Hockey.

With the Winnipeg Jets not playing any Wednesday games this season, “NHL Mid-Week with the Illegal Curve Hockey Show”, provides the Winnipeg listening audience with their perfect mid-week NHL fix, and is the perfect accompaniment to the regular Saturday edition of the Illegal Curve Hockey Show.

About Illegal Curve Hockey:

The brainchild of five local Winnipeggers, Illegal Curve Hockey is your home for hockey in Winnipeg. The Illegal Curve Hockey Show airs every Saturday on TSN Radio 1290, and starting February 6, NHL Mid-Week with the Illegal Curve Hockey Show will air every Wednesday night. www.illegalcurve.com is your online home for hockey news and information in Winnipeg. Follow Illegal Curve Hockey on Twitter: @illegalcurve and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/illegalcurve

While it is impossible to list all the incredible things that happened during 2012 here are some of our highlights.  Feel free to share yours as well.

Memorable Jets goal:

David:  For me I’d have to say the Tim Stapleton OT goal against the Washington Capitals in March.  It was important as it kept the Jets in the hunt for the playoffs and it was memorable as I was in Vegas and we watched it in the sports book.  While everyone was enjoying NCAA basketball we were watching the hockey game and this goal stood out as Stapleton capped the comeback for Winnipeg.

Richard:  Eric Fehr’s first goal. After a season long slump, Fehr scored with a wrist show down the right side at home and the fans showed how supportive they were with a huge salute.

Ezra:  Tim Stapleton OT winner at Washington Capitals, March 23, 2012.

Drew:  “The Flying V” (March 2, 2012 v. Florida).

Remis:  Blake Wheeler – March 5, 2012.

Memorable Jets game:

David:  Without question for me this would have been the Teemu game but since we are restricting this to 2012 I would have to say the OT loss to the Flyers on February 21.  The Jets had the lead, Wayne Simmonds tied it for the Flyers with 10 seconds to go in the 3rd and then lost the game in OT despite a great night by Ondrej Pavelec who put on a 50 save performance in the loss, including the save which garnered him play of the year from TSN.

Richard:  Beating the Leafs on February 7.  Because nothing is more fun than beating the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Ezra:  Jets at Carolina Hurricanes March 30, 2012. Jets comeback from 3-1 deficit to win 4-3 in Overtime.

Drew:  The majority of the “most memorable” Jets games of last season happened in 2011, so I will choose the final regular season of the year, eventhough it was a Jets loss to Tampa Bay (Saturday April 7, 2012.) The crowd got one last opportunity to stand and scream (which they did all game long), and demonstrated their class and knowledge of the game by standing and saluting Steven Stamkos for scoring his 50th goal of the year.

Remis:  Jets vs. Bruins – Feb 17, 2012.

Memorable Jets fight:

David:  While he wasn’t know for his pugilism, I’m gonna give the nod to Jim Slater’s fight with Brooks Laich in the Jets and Capitals game on March 23 in Washington.  With the Jets down 3-1, Slater took a shot in the back off the face off from Laich and threw down the gloves.   Perhaps this was the turning point as the Jets mounted a comeback and won with what many of us have described as our most memorable Jets goal of the year by Tim Stapleton in OT.

Richard:  Andrew Ladd beating down Victor Hedman in Tampa Bay.

Ezra:  Chris Thorburn versus Cody McLeod February 19, 2012.

Drew:  Tanner Glass v. Adam Burish (March 14, 2012 v. Dallas) Burish takes Tanner Glass’s glove and throws it into the crowd, while on his way to the penalty box–Glass goes after Burish and the fight occurs (technically neither guy got a fighting major, but those are insignificant details).

Remis:  Chris Thorburn vs. Tom Sestito – Jan 31, 2012.

Best radio show moment:

David:  While I am an infrequent radio show contributor I have been fortunate to be on for a couple of very enjoyable radio show moments on the IC Hockey Show on TSN Radio 1290.  While the Movember shave off was memorable for Ez and I, the fake Drew call to wrap up the 2012 season was simply radio gold.

Richard:  Having the opportunity to work the trade deadline show and pick the brain of former Columbus Blue Jackets coach Scott Arniel.

Ezra:  The inaugural interview with Fake Drew live from Kentucky on December 29, 2012.

Drew:  I have two memories that stand out.  1) Most informative & interesting interview was our interview with former NHLPA Executive Director Paul Kelly.  2) Most hilarious moment was when Ezzy leaned back in his chair, and the back of the chair snapped off, sending Ezzy tumbling to the ground.

Remis:  Live at the Free Press Cafe for the trade deadline.

Memorable off ice related story at MTS Centre:

David:  Without question this was the frequent chants of GST GST that reverberated across the MTS Centre throughout the season by the 15,004 fans who embraced the line of Tanner Glass, Jim Slater and Chris Thorburn.  The line was conceptualized by Ez and Jay and pushed by myself and luckily the media and fans embraced the nickname.

Richard:  Getting to spend time with my IC bretheren.

Ezra:  The always loud and passionate Jets fans including the extremely loud GST Line Chant (G-S-T! G-S-T!).

Drew:  It was a short, one year phenomenon, that blew out of our lives as quickly as it entered, but the GST line and subsequent chants were so entertaining that they get my vote.

Remis:   Tough to choose between the crowd chants and the return of the queen.

Highlight of the Season:

David:  Unfortunately I lost one of my closest friends, Richard Tapper this year but a highlight for me was that Richard, who was a massive Jets fan, had the opportunity to experience the return of the Jets (something he had predicted for years) and got to a number of Jets games at the MTS Centre.

Richard:  Seeing NHL stars in Winnipeg for the first time in 15 years.

Ezra:  My post-game interview with NYR Head Coach John Tortorella.  Editor’s Note:  For those unaware, Ez asked a question following a Rangers victory at the MTS Centre which caused New York head coach John Tortorella to pause mid post-game scrum to question Ezzy’s question.

Drew:  Keeping in mind that I’m restricted to events from 2012, I would say the 2 game/2 day stretch on Thursday February 16 & Friday February 17 when the Jets beat the Wild in St. Paul (with thousands of Jets fans in attendance, turning a road game into a home game), and the next night back in Winnipeg when the Jets finally won the 2nd half of back-to-back games, and completed the home-ice season sweep of the Boston Bruins.

Remis:  Beating the Bruins twice.

We will be back in action, bright and early though on Wednesday, December 26th with all the latest Jets news.

Some ways to follow Illegal Curve:

1. Like us on Facebook.

2. Follow us on our twitter account @illegalcurve.

You can also follow the IC crew individually: Ezra – @icezzyg, Dave – @icdave, Drew – @icdrew, Kyle – @ickylek and Michael – @mremis.

3. Subscribe by RSS.

Also don’t forget to order your IC touques for the winter.

We will be back in action, bright and early though on Tuesday, August 7th, 2012 with all the latest Jets news.

Some ways to follow Illegal Curve:

1. Like us on Facebook.

2. Subscribe by RSS.

3. Follow us on our twitter account @illegalcurve.

You can also follow the IC crew individually: Richard – @icrichyp, Ezra – @icezzyg, Dave – @icdave, Drew – @icdrew, Kyle – @ickylek and Michael – @mremis.

Also don’t forget to order your IC touques and special edition New Era 5950 hats.

And while the Jets news might be slow at the start of August, there is still plenty of Winnipeg Blue Bombers action and you can head over to our sister site, Illegal Procedure, for all the latest CFL news.

Aside from his family, friends and his work, if there was one thing that Tapper lived and breathed it was all things sports with a special emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets.  He loved attending Jets 2.0 games and got to as many as he could during the inaugural season.

I cannot possibly sum up his life or what he meant to his friends with a few snippets.  Suffice it to say he was simply an amazing person who had a positive impact on people, someone who has left us way too quickly.  He will be missed.

Tapper Eulogy:  Here is the eulogy that Jordan Farber and I read in honour of Tap.

Winnipeg Free Press:  His life made our world a better place.

Canadian Jewish News:  Young leader packed a lot into his short life.

First, some background.

Back on February 11th, due to an afternoon Jets-Penguins game, The Illegal Curve Hockey Show went on air at 7 a.m. on TSN 1290, five hours earlier than the normal start time.

Due to an unintentional cell phone alarm clock malfunction, Ezzy pulled a Tyler Seguin, slept in and missed the first 25-30 minutes of the show.

Admittedly, this was not the first time Ezzy missed an early morning Illegal Curve Hockey Show, as back on November 19th, he missed the first hour and a half of a show that also started in the early hours of the morning (8 a.m. CST).

On this past Saturday’s Illegal Curve Hockey Show, IC Host Drew Mindell was previewing our next show (February 25th), and stated that there was no way that Ezzy was going to be able to wake up on time, as the show is once again scheduled for 7:00 a.m. CST.

Drew put his money where his mouth is, by stating that he would donate $50 to a local charity if Ezra arrives on time. Conversely, Ezra matched that challenge, by agreeing to donate $50 to a local charity if he sleeps in and arrives late. Richard Pollock then joined the fun, saying that he didn’t believe Ezra would show up on time either, thus joining Team Drew, and formally establishing the battle lines.

Illegal Curve has selected Pass It Forward as our charitable organization and we will donate $50 to them, either from Team Ezzy or Team Drew/Richy, depending on who is proven to be correct.

Pass It Forward was created in 2009, to help youth in Winnipeg who wish to play hockey but require help getting the necessary equipment. Each September they undertake a hockey equipment drive to help in this cause, in addition to accepting donations throughout the entire calendar year.

If you would like to throw your support behind a specific Illegal Curve team, join in on our charitable endeavour, and help support a worthwhile Winnipeg charity, e-mail Ezra or Drew and we will provide you with all of the relevant information.

Even if you aren’t able to donate, we encourage you to participate in this fun competition and pick a side. Volunteers are needed to be Ezzy’s personal alarm clock for Saturday morning (for team Ezzy members) or by lavishing him with copious amounts of alcohol on Friday night (for team Drew/Richy members.)

Who will prove victorious? You will have to tune to The Illegal Curve Hockey Show on TSN Radio Winnipeg, Saturday at 7:00 AM to find out.

Coming in two different styles, black with a navy bill and grey with a black bill, both emblazoned with the iconic Illegal Curve logo,  this is not your standard merchandise product. When you purchase this hat, you are getting the quality and standard you have come to expect when purchasing a New Era product. This is a great synergy of two well established, well respected, and credible brands—Illegal Curve Hockey and New Era. The hat comes in multiple sizes, to guarantee the proper fit.

The new Illegal Curve hat is available exclusively in Winnipeg at City Haul (823 Corydon Avenue).

(For orders emanating from outside Winnipeg, and/or for further information, click the PayPal icon below, or please contact Illegal Curve at info@illegalcurve.com and we will take the necessary information and ship your hat out to you ASAP.)

You love your Winnipeg Jets, and you love Illegal Curve, the number one resource in Winnipeg for all Winnipeg Jets news. Wear that love proudly, with the latest and greatest offering from Illegal Curve Hockey, the Illegal Curve New Era 59fifty fitted Hat.

Click “buy now” to purchase your Illegal Curve 59 Fifty New Era hat. When filling out the order form, click the “add special instructions to the seller” button and fill in your preferred size and colour.

We had a chance to get their final thoughts in this Q & A about the game, the crowd and the people of Manitoba.

Q.  What was your day like leading up to the game?

A.  The day was insane.  Nothing like we could have imagined.  One of the HFBoards members, Brent, picked us up and took us to the Kings Head pub.  We had a radio interview with Larry Updike followed by a TV interview at the hotel.  We had a lot of fun with it, but it’s definitely not something that we’re used to.  There were snow angels involved, but that’s all I can say We got to see a bit more of Winnipeg and to enjoy some of your great beers.  Before the game, we met up with a bunch of great boys from HFBoards.com over at the Tavern at MTS Centre. We couldn’t have hand picked a nicer bunch of guys to hang out with.  That was followed up by meeting up with the news crew again to film us walking in to MTS Centre and heading to our seats.  That was a little odd for us too, but it makes for a fun story later.

Q.  What were your initial impressions of the MTS Centre?  The Crowd?  Etc.

A.  Our initial impression was that we couldn’t believe a minor league hockey team played in such a nice facility.  It’s obvious to an outsider that this place was built to host the NHL from the beginning which is great.  The crowd was great.  We were surprised to see a few other Sharks jerseys sitting around us.  It was interesting to hear how some fans had adopted other teams in the absence of the NHL locally.  Most people were great to us and I think we got our fair share of good natured ribbing.  During our last interview at the end of the second period, a Jets fan pulled my toque down over my eyes, but I’m sure he did it with love.  Due to the Jets not scoring, we didn’t get a chance to hear too much of the famous loud building.  The times when the crowd was together though, we could tell that this place was capable of some serious volume!  It’s a little smaller than the Shark Tank (17,562) and the levels look a bit steeper due to squeezing an entire venue on to one city block!

Q.  What were your thoughts on the game?

A.  First off, I have to be happy that our boys took home two points tonight.  We do wish that it was more of a harder-fought closer contest.  My dream was that the Sharks would win it 4-3 in a shootout or something.  Our Sharks looked pretty decent and I thought maybe the Jets came off a little flat.  Is it due to their road trip?  I’m not sure.  You’ve got a handful of key players out injured and I think you could have used them last night.  I do have to say when Pavelec made that diving stick save on our guys, my mouth was hanging open.  Just a beautiful clutch save.  I think in maybe 2-4 years, we’ll have a chance of playing each other in the playoffs, which would be AWESOME.

Q.   How does this experience rank against the other cities you guys have traveled to?  Difference between here and other places?

A.  This ranks near or at the top for different reasons.  Last year will always be a special memory for us because we got to see two Canadian hockey teams in two days.  Calgary and Edmonton.  It was our first time to Canada (I was in Prince Rupert, BC a few years ago as a cruise ship stop, but that didn’t count) and our first time checking some Canadian teams off of our hockey bucket list.  We also got to meet the Sharks after the game in Calgary.  So that was special because it was a sort of first for us.  This trip is tied right at the top I think with last years’ adventure.  The fans here have made the difference.  Just being welcomed like long lost family, meeting the Sharks again and all of the crazy media stuff we fell in to has made this something we’ll never forget.  The energy here is just phenomenal.  Talking to nearly anyone is great.  It was so cool that everyone here treats a hockey game like some huge event.  Everyone is excited, ticket or not.  The biggest difference for me though was the weather.  Last year I thought it was pretty cold in Edmonton.  I was wrong!  I live 30 minutes from the ocean in Hollister, CA so it was a novelty treat for me.  My Cousin loved it…although he seems to be fine with no warm clothes on while I’m bundled up like a Randy from “A Christmas Story” getting sent off to school.

Q.  How does it feel that your journey became quite the story across the city?

A.  We were really surprised.  We ran in to 3 or 4 other Sharks fans that had flown in for the game and they weren’t getting the same craziness that we were. It feels good to know that your community cares that much about a couple of fans from the states and how your local crowd interacts with them.  It just reinforces the reputation of Canadians being a genuinely warm and caring people.

Q.  What is your best Winnipeg memory?

A.  There are a lot of insanely great memories.  From making snow angels with the CBC reporter in front of the Inn at the Forks to just hanging out with the boys after the game.  These are memories that I will hold close to my heart until the day I die.  It’s impossible to pick just one.

Q.  What are your final thoughts?  Do you want to say anything to the people of Winnipeg?

A.  In just a few short days, we’ve come to love your town and your people.  I said this before, but it feels like we’ve finally come home to the place where we belong.  You all have a lot to be proud of. If I could communicate anything to someone wondering what it’s like to have hockey back in Winnipeg, it would be that the energy and enthusiasm here is intoxicating.  Even if we didn’t happen to be given game tickets, rides, food and beer, this would still be up at the top of my list of favorite NHL venues to date.  The Jets are right back where they belong at home.  I’ll be happy to get home to my wife and two baby boys, but I’ll be sad to go.  Thanks for the great trip Winnipeg!!!

————————

A big thank you should go out to Brad for exemplifying the generosity of Manitobans.

Of course knowing that tickets are a hot commodity, they took to the Winnipeg Jets section of the HF Message Boards to spread the word of their arrival and to inquire with locals as to what is the best means of procuring tickets.  Almost 200 comments and 7000+ views later, Peggers’ were offering advice on everything from hotels to whether to rent a car and where to eat.  Brad, a gracious and quite generous member of the HF Jets community even gave the cousins a pair of seats in the 105 section.  Not only that but he picked them up at the airport and dropped them off at their hotel.  If that doesn’t define ‘Friendly Manitoba’ I don’t know what does.

We had the chance to ask the cousins some questions about why they chose Winnipeg and their preliminary thoughts on our fair city.

Q.  How did you guys start this tradition?

A.  My Cousin and I had lost touch for most of our lives.  When we started talking after years had gone by, we found out that we both LOVED hockey.  This may not sound like a huge deal in Canada, but in California it may as well have been a bonafide miracle.  We started going to games together (Sharks mostly, though Mike also had Fresno Falcons/ECHL season tickets).  We began by driving to the teams closest to us (Anaheim mostly) but it wasn’t really a tradition.  We just decided one year after a “How cool would this be” conversation that it would be awesome to see the Sharks play all of the NHL venues before we died.  Instead of continuing to talk, we just decided to book the trip. So far, we’ve done Winnipeg 2011, Calgary / Edmonton / Los Angeles 2010, Phoenix 2009, Anaheim 2008 and 2005.  I’ve also been to Carolina and Washington DC, but those don’t count against our goal since the Sharks weren’t playing at the time.  It has been one of the best decisions we have ever made and a worthy life-long goal to achieve.  We get to see the world and we’ve made friends in nearly every city we’ve visited.  I’ve had two sons in the last two years and I hope that in a few years, I’ll be able to share this adventure with them.  As far as my wife is concerned, she should be granted sainthood for taking care of our little ones and being OK with me doing this.  Thank you Mary, I Love You!

Q.   Why Winnipeg?

A.  When we committed to doing at least one trip a year, Mike’s first pick this year was Winnipeg.  You only get so many chances to see a new (or reborn) team play in the NHL in their first year.  We almost booked Chicago due to the considerably smaller travel expense, but in the end we came to our senses and booked Winnipeg.  Besides, the Canadian trips are the most fun right?

Q.  What did you think when you got offered everything from free drinks to free lower bowl  tickets on HF Boards?

A.  To be honest, we thought you all were playing a joke on the gullible Americans!  I still to this very moment sitting here in our hotel room cannot believe what has been provided to us, a pair of total strangers.  From the FREE premium tickets OVERNIGHTED to us by Brad (ps241), to having Brad show up at the airport as a surprise to drive us to our hotel, it still all seems too good to be true.  I have to say that this is my fourth trip in to Canada and on every occasion, we have been welcomed with open arms by our Canadian hosts.  The hospitality and generosity of Manitobans has been unparallelled by any other experience in my 32 years.  Even at lunch today a woman gave us a hug and welcomed us to Winnipeg.  We talked with her and her friends all through lunch and they thanked us for coming here.  I have never experienced anything like this.  We couldn’t possibly be more humbled and grateful.  There is no possible way for us to ever fairly repay the favor.  I also think that if I accept all of the free drinks offered, I’m not going to be able to walk very well after the game

Q.  When you heard Winnipeg in January, did you have any idea what to expect?  What have your first impressions been like?

A.  Cold. Cold. More cold.  From the replies on my hfboards.com topic, people couldn’t believe that we would come from sunny California to the frozen tundra of Winnipeg at this time of year.  For us, the icy weather and scenery is a welcome treat.  My very first impression of Winnipeg came on the airplane as we approached YWG.  Looking out the window I could see rink after outdoor rink peppered across the land with kids skating.  That is an alien sight to those of us living in California.  Very cool.  Everything else we’ve seen in our 10 hours here so far has been beautfiul.  The Forks area is beautiful.

Q.  What was it like hanging with the Sharks at Earls Main?

A.  Earlier in the day, we were walking around the Forks area wearing our jerseys.  A group of people walked by us and yelled “Hey Sharks fans!.”  As we braced for our heckling, one of them shouted “My friend here plays for the Sharks…him…the tall one!”  We thought they were just messing with us and kept walking.  After reconsidering though, we felt like we missed a great, and possibly only, chance to meet a Shark player on this trip.  Brad told us to head to Earl’s tonight and that the Sharks might be there.  We had no idea that he would be 100% right.  We took a seat at the bar and noticed after a few double-takes that Logan Couture, Antti Niemi, James Sheppard, Colin White, Benn Ferriero, Douglas Murray were sitting right behind us!  We spent a good 40 minutes trying to find a way to approach them without annoying them too much.  Finally I called their waitress over and asked her to let us buy them a round of drinks and to tell them good luck tomorrow.  They were very cool with us and spent a considerable amount of time talking with us.  When it was time to settle our bill at the end of the night, we had found that they had bought us several rounds without saying anything.  Thanks guys!  They were appreciative that we would travel this distance to see them.  All of them treated us like regular, down-to-Earth guys.  It was an absolute pleasure.

Q.  What has made this trip unique from the other road trips you’ve taken?

A.  I think the main stand-out features of this trip have been the hospitality shown by Jets’ fans and the punch-in-the-face cold outside.  The other difference is that we get to see your Jets in their first year!  We may not get that kind of opportunity again for decades to come, if ever.  Considering many people cannot even get tickets without spending a month’s wage, we can’t believe we’ll be sitting center ice.

Q.  What are your expectations of the MTS Centre crowd?

A.  Last year in Calgary, as we were leaving the game, a lady grabbed us and snuck us back down to the ice.  She had heard that we were in from San Jose.  As it turns out, the Sharks were meeting friends and family after the game and we got to spend time talking and taking pictures with them.  Another supremely nice deed from a Canadian stranger.  Before that, a nice little old lady on the airplane drew us a paper map of how to drive from Calgary to Edmonton.  She spent a lot of time on it,  It must be in your blood!  It’s something for us to try to live up to when we see traveling fans visiting the HP Pavilion in San Jose.  It really sets an example of how to treat guests on your home ice.

I have to say again that we are eternally grateful to the Jets fans from hfboards.com and Brad in particular.  They have taken two totally foreign strangers and made us feel like we hit the hockey lottery!  We’re just two regular hockey fans from the states, but as Mike and I discussed today, we feel like we have finally come home.  The term “Friendly Manitoba” is a gross understatement.

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On Friday, we will get the guys thoughts on the game, the MTS Centre crowd and their overall impression of the trip to Winnipeg.  If you see them tonight, be sure to give Mike and Bryan a ‘Friendly Manitoba’ hello!!

Here is the 2nd part of the Q & A.

The Illegal Curve Hockey Show normally airs Saturdays from 12-3pm on TSN 1290, but it will be airing at a special time from 8-11 am this Saturday.

Subscribe to the Illegal Curve Hockey show podcast on iTunes, non iTunes users can also subscribe via RSS

Awards

The first award discussed was the topic of MVP, which is always a tricky conversation. Drew, Richard and Ezra all agreed that Evander Kane has been the best player, but Ezra thought that Pavelec has been most valuable to the team’s success.

MVP

Ezra: “not even close, it’s Pavelec”

Richard & Drew: “I think you’re out of your mind”

“You’re talking about Ondrej Pavelec who has numbers outside the top 30 in the national hockey league”

“The goalie is always going to win more games because he’s the goalie”

Richard: “Kane has 18 goals, on pace for over 35 to 40 goals, he’s the only guy who consistently drives the play towards the net” “Kane is the guy who drives this team, he’s the best player on the team, he’s been the best player this season, there’s no question about it.”

Ez: “Which one guy do you take out of the lineup and it would have the most negative impact, if you look at what one player has had an impact on this team, Kane is in the conversation, but Pavelec has stolen more games.”

Richard: “You take Kane or Pavelec out of the lineup, who’s harder to replace?.”

Ez: “Evander Kane went seven games without a goal”

Drew: “Who would be scoring for this team, if it weren’t for Evander Kane, it doesn’t matter how good Pavelec is if nobody can score.”

The other argument made for Evander Kane was that it is easier to find a replacement goalie, than a player of Kane’s scoring ability.

Best Defenseman

Drew: “This is a tough one because of so many injuries.”

Ezra: “It’s Byfuglien or Bogosian, because of Enstroms injury”

Richard: “I agree with you, it’s probably Byfuglien because of the way he started playing later on. I would have to say Byfuglien by a small hair because of how much he can provide on the offensive end. He’s not a defensive dynamo, but I think he’s the third leading scorer on the team right now. The way he adds to the power play, and can jump into the play, I’d have to say Byfuglien.”

Drew: “I’ll agree with Richard”

Richard’s argument for Bogosian: “I think Bogosian is a great skater, good hitter, he’s learned to simplify his game and Charlie Huddy’s done a great part in that, and Bogosian has taken that upon himself. He’s played in a variety of pairings, although Stuart is his main guy, and they haven’t played together recently. He’s played very well, kept it simple, I think he’s limited chances on many nights, and he’s scored a bit. The only drawback is his ability to create offense, not only in the offensive zone, but in his own zone.”

“Byfuglien has a keen sense of where the puck needs to go, he’s cut back on the risky plays that happened in the beginning of the year.”

Report Card

Coach Noel

Ezra: “I’m going to give Coach Claude Noel a C+, because I think that he’s done a pretty good job. We’re at the halfway point of the season, the Jets are three games above .500, and a couple points out of the playoffs. When you look at how Atlanta came to Winnipeg, and how their team came together. The Jets had that terrible start, I think that Claude Noel has done a good job with transitioning the team, they had a tough road schedule at the beginning. He’s done a great job dealing with injuries. On forward, I’ve had some issue with how he’s managed some of the forward lines, I have some issues specificly with Burmistrov as of late. Overall I’ll give him a C+”

Drew: “I’m going to give him a grade of a B, for a lot of the reasons you just said. I like the way he’s been willing to mix and match (lines). He’s not being stubborn and is trying different things. I’m not crazy about some of his line combinations or burial, for lack of a better word of Alex Burmistrov. I think he’s done a good job with a lot of problems on the defensive side of the game. When the defense was riddled with injuries I think he handled that pretty well. I liked the way he handled Evander Kane at the beginning of the year when there was some growing pains. I like the way he’s managed the media and expectations in the city.”

Rich: “I’ll give him a B+. I do have the same issues as you guys mentioned. I do think his line combinations, leave much to be desired at times. I think the road record isn’t great and needs to be improved. The third drawback is I think he’s overplayed Pavelec and that will be an issue later on in the season.

What I do like about him: Special teams has improved, the underlying numbers are good. I think he manages expectations well, he manages personalities well, he doesn’t get too high and doesn’t get too low. I don’t think he gives the media too much to work with. I think the players for the most part are playing hard for him. He matches up players when he needs to. He matched the Slater line up against Ovechkin, he matches up Byfuglien & Bogosian with guys that he needs to, and he’s flexible in that regard. He also gives the hard face-off’s to Slater and those guys (who are good at face offs). He runs the bench the right way. There’s room to grow, but overall if you told me they would be in a playoff spot, I think you’d be a bit optimistic, but i think the overall job he’s done has been quite good. There has been a lot of distractions, a lot of stuff could have gone wrong. I think he’s made the team his own and has done a good job.”

GM Kevin Cheveldayoff

The guys attempted to give Kevin Cheveldayoff a grade, but determined that it has been much too soon in the GM’s tenure and instead provided commentary. Chevy has been risk averse, with logical moves that will serve the team well in building for the future. He has signed a number of players to one year deals (Wellwood, Glass, Jones), effective sent players up and down from St. John’s (Cormier, Kulda, Postma, Flood, Jaffray) and addressed the teams shortcomings with some mid season moves (Miettinen). In the next year, we’ll have the the trade deadline and free agency which will be indicators on how he is able to perform as GM. For past commentary on some of his moves & signings, check out the category “Roster Analysis“.

Readers, who do you give your misdeason awards to? Who do you think is the MVP this season? What are your thoughts on Coach Claude Noel? Sound off in the comments.

For the latest updates on the Illegal Curve Hockey Show, follow Illegal Curve on twitter @IllegalCurve

Listen to the press conference here

For the post-press conference chat, tune into the Illegal Curve Hockey show which is on TSN Radio 1290 until 3 pm today.

If you recall the site had been on hiatus for a year while we focused on the radio show, which made its transition from 92.9 Kick FM to Sports Radio 1290, which is now known as TSN Radio 1290 in late 2010.  Illegalcurve.com was re-born in March of 2011 as we kicked off a new daily feature entitled Drama in the Desert.  We discussed every piece of news which dealt with the possible re-location of the Phoenix Coyotes.  From President & CEO of the Goldwater Institute Darcy Olsen to the various and very memorable members of the Glendale City Council (I’m looking at you councillor Lieberman).  Who could forget the TSN Jets meter which played with our hearts at every increase/decrease.

Of course we knew back in November 27th, 2010, following an appearance by Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly on the Illegal Curve Hockey Show, that the Atlanta Thrashers were also in the relocation conversation.  We even had a Dixie Drama daily post as the hockey world began to turn its attention to the Thrashers.

Eventually it culminated in the announcement in May and has been a whirlwind ever since.  Who would have believed that a year ago today, the Jets were a defunct team from our past, to the present where the Jets 2.0 are battling for a playoff spot and are coming off a December to Remember.

Here are some articles from the past year that we thought you might enjoy.

Most Viewed:

TSN Jets FAQ – After the announcement of TSN Jets, customers were confused regarding the distribution of the channel. Michael Remis created this handy FAQ to answer all of your questions.

Breaking News: Winnipeg Jets Reveal New Logo – There was much speculation and excitement around the new logo. After a picture of a t-shirt was leaked online, the Jets were forced to announce the logo early. Thousands of fans flocked to the Jets store at MTS Centre to purchase new merchandise.

The incredible odyssey of AllyK, the intrepid out of town fan who vowed to be at the 1st Winnipeg Jets game – Dave Minuk chronicle’s the amazing story of Ally K, who went on a journey from Ohio to Winnipeg, just to be at the home opener.

A pictorial summation of the Winnipeg Jets home opener and from the 1st home exhibition game.  If you weren’t able to enjoy the games live, here are some photos from both of these momentous days in the Jets 2.0 new history.

Behind the Music: Winnipeg Jets – When visiting MTS Centre for a game, fans aren’t just going to a game, they are getting a hockey experience. We spoke with True North’s Director of Event Production, Kyle Balharry and he explained his contributions to the incredible atmosphere that has been created at Jets home games.

Columns:

Why the Jets home opener against the Canadiens needs to be a Whiteout – With a new franchise, there was much speculation if old traditions would be carried forward. Dave Minuk gives his reasons why the home opener should be a whiteout. Despite his arguments, we have yet to see a whiteout this season, and it remains to be seen if there will be one at all.

Wither the Whiteout – Drew Mindell asks if we should continue the tradition of the whiteout.

Go Jets Go? – There was heavy speculation on what the name of the team should be. Some were in the Jets camp, others were in the “fresh start” camp. This post gave all the reasons why the team should be named the Jets, and debunked all myths why they should be given a new name. The right choice won out.

You Can’t Hold Winnipeg Jets Fans Down This Summer – Taking a look back at summer 2011, one of the greatest in the history of Winnipeg.

Blending Together Past and Present – How to keep old traditions while forming new ones.

The Science of an Intro Song – After the team was announced, there was much speculation on what song the team should skate out to, we speculate on potential (and very dated) opening tunes.

Speculating on Ticket Re-Selling – Guest Columnist (and Lawyer) Jack Tadman gives his legal advice around scalping.

Team Analysis:

We’ve Got Depth: A Look at the Updated Winnipeg Jets Depth Chart – In the middle of the summer, Ezra Ginsburg took a look at the teams depth. It looks like he was right as the team’s depth on defense has been invaluable to the team this year. Notably, Mark Flood has stepped up beyond anyone’s expectations. When this post was made, Ezzy had listed Flood as his last defenseman on the depth chart, even behind Andrey Zubarev.

Scheifele-ing Expectations – After Scheifele-mania took over Winnipeg in September, Richard Pollock took the opposite view and gave his reasons why Scheifele should be sent down.

Five Reasons why the Jets Will Not Make the Playoffs – Written before the season began, Richard gives his five reasons why the Jets will not make the playoffs. Citing travel, coaching, and lack of scoring as primary reasons. So far he looks way off. (Sorry Rich)

Five Reasons why the Jets Will Make the Playoffs – Ezra counters with his five reasons. At this point he looks to be spot on, youth, defensive depth, goaltending and home ice advantage have been major factors leading the Jets into the playoff hunt.

How Good is Ondrej Pavelec – Before the season began Ezra Ginsburg wondered how good the Jets goaltender can be. Fans have now seen that he can carry this team on his back.

Why Let Anthony Stewart Get Away For Nothing? – When the team did not make a qualifying offer to Anthony Stewart, Richard took a look at reasons why they should have.

Why Keeping Zach Bogosian is the Most Logical Option – Written amidst internet rumors of the Jets shopping defenseman Zach Bogosian in the offseason.

Analyzing Rick Dudley’s Tenure as Thrashers General Manager – He was the General Manager of the Thrashers before he was let go for current GM Kevin Cheveldayoff. Richard Pollock grades each transaction made during his tenure.

Prospect Pulse:

Read what our prospects expert said about these players before the season.

2011 NHL Entry Draft Report Card

Paul Postma

Arturs Kulda

Carl Klingberg

Jason Gregoire

Some ways to follow Illegal Curve:

1.  Like us on Facebook.

2.  Subscribe by RSS.

3.  Follow us on our twitter account @illegalcurve.

You can also follow the IC crew individually:  Richard – @icrichyp, Ezra – @icezzyg, Dave – @icdave, Drew – @icdrew, Kyle – @ickylek and Michael – @mremis.

Also don’t forget to order your IC touques for the winter.

We welcome you to use the search function and menu bar to find other articles that may be of interest.  We thank you for reading Illegalcurve.com and listening to the Illegal Curve Radio Show.  We wish everyone a happy and healthy 2012.

Please continue to tune into illegalcurve.com and the Illegal Curve Radio show for all the latest Winnipeg Jets news.

We will be back in action, bright and early though on Boxing Day Monday, December 26th, 2011 with all the latest Jets news.  We will be at Jets practice so you can expect the latest audio from the MTS Centre around noon.

As well be sure to tune into TSN 1290 from 6-9 am cst to listen to the Illegal Curve Morning Show.  We are giving Jay Richardson and Troy Westwood of the Big Show some time off and will be on the air all week long starting on Tuesday, December 27th and going until Friday, December 30th.

Some ways to follow Illegal Curve:

1.  Like us on Facebook.

2.  Subscribe by RSS.

3.  Follow us on our twitter account @illegalcurve.

You can also follow the IC crew individually:  Richard – @icrichyp, Ezra – @icezzyg, Dave – @icdave, Drew – @icdrew, Kyle – @ickylek and Michael – @mremis.

Also don’t forget to order your IC touques for the winter.

For those of you who still want some Jets fix this sunny Christmas morning, here are some highlights from the past week:

Penguins 4 Jets 1:

Jets vs. Penguins post game podcast.  Ezra and Dave break down the action live from the MTS Centre press box following the Jets 4-1 defeat at the hands of the visiting Penguins.  We also got audio following the game as Dave was in the Jets dressing room and spoke with Ondrej Pavelec, Tanner Glass and Evander Kane.  Over in the Penguins room, Ez spoke with Marc Andre-Fleury, Joe Vitale, James Neal and coach Bylsma.

Jets 4 Canadiens 0:

Unfortunately some audio difficulties in the press box cost us our post game podcast, but we still managed to get some post game reactions from the players following the Jets 4-0 dismantling of the Habs.  Dave went to the Jets room and spoke with Ondrej Pavelec, Tanner Glass and Blake Wheeler while Ez was in the Habs room and spoke with Carey Price, Tomas Plekanec and coach Randy Cunneyworth.

Islanders 3 Jets 2 in SO:

The Jets had a few days off following the excitement of the Teemu Selanne game and perhaps they got started on their holiday celebrations early as they were a bit lackadaisical throughout the 60+ minutes of hockey.  Most felt they were lucky to come away with a single point as the Islanders played an excellent road game.   Jets vs. Islanders post game podcast.  Following the game, Ezra and Dave rushed down from the press box, Ez going into the visiting dressing room and Dave heading to the home team room.  From the Islanders we have audio with St. Malo Manitoba’s Travis Haominc, former Manitoba Moose Michael Grabner and coach Jack Capuuano.  In the Jets room, audio from Andrew Ladd, Nik Antropov, Mark Stuart and Ondrej Pavelec.

Jets 5 Ducks 3 (A celebration of all things Teemu):

In what will go down as one of, if not the most, memorable game’s of the year the Finnish Flash brought his Anaheim Ducks to Winnipeg.  This finally allowed the Manitoba crowd to give him the proper ‘Friendly Manitoba’ send off they had wanted to give him 15+ years ago.  We covered every moment of Teemu’s return to Winnipeg including his 9 minute post-game press conference as well as his pre-game press conference.  Of course we shouldn’t forget that a hockey game was played, one in which the Jets won 5-3 and here are Rich and Drew discussing the game from the press box for the Illegal Curve post-game podcast.  As well Dave was in the Ducks room and spoke with Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan and Ryan Getzlaf about the game and Teemu’s return.  Ez went to the Jets side and spoke with Andrew Ladd, Chris Mason and Zach Bogosian.

There is plenty of other Jets news that you can find by using the search button.  We wish everyone a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hannukah and we will see you bright and early on Monday morning with more exciting Jets news.

When you’re visiting the MTS Centre this season for an NHL game (and arenas around the world) you aren’t just going to a game, you’re going to a hockey experience.  Not only are the players working to put out a carefully planned game, about forty employees at the MTS Centre are in charge of putting together the best possible hockey experience.

The man in charge of that is Kyle Balharry, Director of Event Production for True North.  Kyle has been working with True North since 2000, and doing event production at the Winnipeg Arena/MTS Centre since 2002.

Event production involves creating and following a script.  Everything that you see at the arena, videos on the jumbotron, the arena ring, PA announcements, off play promotions and music have all been well thought out and predetermined.

Kyle is responsible for ensuring that fans have a positive experience.  At the same time he needs to ensure that the sponsors are able to get their name out there.  He does this by finding a balance between the two.

The main goal for the production crew, is to maintain the integrity of the game, and create an awesome hockey environment.  While Kyle feels that the game itself and the crowd, are the best devices to create that hockey environment, the music and production elements play an important role as well.

I spoke with Kyle on a number of topics, but the one topic that everyone has an opinion about is the music.

Kyle on picking songs for the arena:

“It’s not about what song it is, it’s about the sound and the feeling that it gives the crowd. When it’s a powerplay, you want a song like “Welcome to the Jungle” that makes people feel like they want to go crazy.”

“When it’s a penalty kill, it will be stuff that makes you feel nervous. When the team hits the ice, it has to be something that sounds big and sounds incredible. (For the) Moose we used, (“Running Wild” by) Airbourne, and it was our signature song, it was great. Lots of that “hey hey” stuff is great for live sports.“

As for the current Winnipeg Jets intro song:

“Right now we’re using “No Money” by Kings of Leon, for the team on the ice. You can’t even hear it. That’s the interesting part (in choosing the song), we’re like ok, there’s a bunch of great songs out there, ultimately because the crowd is so loud, all we need is something that is atmosphere in the background.”

“To have a song that has a bunch of lyrics in it, nobody is going to hear it. That song is a big epic sounding song, and gives that surreal feeling. The Canucks use, “Where the Streets Have No Name” (U2), Montreal uses Coldplay’s “Fix You”. It’s all kind of just, epic, surreal sounding stuff.”

“Other teams use rock songs, or heavy metal songs. In the preseason we used Rob Zombie “Demon Speeding”, which was good too. It’s more of a “we’re going to kick your ass kind of song”. But we really liked the whole kind of “Fix You” and “Where the Streets Have No Name” just an epic, surreal feeling. You’ve got the lights moving around, the team skating around, you can barely hear it, because everyone is so loud.”

On how they selected the goal song “Hell Yeah” by Rev Theory

“The way I found it was I got a disc sent to me, from a music producer, saying “new band, new, song, have a listen, this isn’t on the charts yet, this isn’t out.” I thought, awesome song, we’ve got to use that, nobody knows who this band is but who cares, it’s about the sound of the song, not necessarily who the band is.”

“We ran with it, it worked really well, the problem was we only played two home games that playoff season, we realistically only used it for two games. We said hey, you know what, we don’t like to recycle things, but we only used it for two games. It’s tough (to hear), after goals its super loud too, so you don’t even hear it.”

On the Goal horn – the old one from the Winnipeg Arena

“That one’s now been in use for, 30 years probably. What it is; is a train horn from the old CP or CN yard. We actually increased the volume a little bit this year, we added another set of horns, but it still gets drowned out a little bit. It’s a legacy thing, it was the Moose thing, and was the Jets thing. It’s Winnipeg’s hockey staple. It’s a flashlight case, that has a button on it. I’ve blown the goal horn for every Moose goal since 2002”.

Deriving from the Jets theme that True North has emphasized this season in their marketing and branding , the song played after a Jets win is “Learn to Fly” by the Foo Fighters.  A person in the sales department suggested it to Kyle and he liked it immediately.

“There are times; powerplay, penalty kill, end of game, where you want a signature song. Learn to Fly is great, its Foo Fighters, it’s a rock song, it works. There are a lot of other songs about airplanes, or flying, that would have sounded terrible. Learn to Fly, it makes you feel good, it’s awesome.”

While Kyle is proud of his song selection, he understands that when it comes to music, you can’t please everyone. It’s important for his team to realize that everyone has different musical tastes, and continue to try to put out the best hockey experience for Winnipeg fans.

Other music selections  for the MTS Centre:

Before the videos are played:
Young the Giant – My Body

Warm up song (selected by the players):
Eminem (not sure the song name, asking for help from readers) Til When I Collapse (thanks to those who posted in the comments)

Snoop Dogg – Sweat (feat David Guetta)

Video songs:
Smashing Pumpkins – Tonight Tonight
Foo Fighters – Times Like These
(please note that the “history of the Jets” video will no longer be played before games as we are changing our focus to the 2011-2012 season rather than remembering the past and how we got here.)

Song played immediately after the anthem before puck drop:
Led Zeppelin – Immigrant Song

There you have it.  The man behind the music and how the songs were selected.  What do you think of the music choices?  What would you do differently?  Let us know your ideas/thoughts in the comments section.

Almost immediately, and completely in synch, both Ez and Jay Richardson, co-host of Jay and Westwood weekday mornings on TSN Radio 1290 wrote that the name should be the GST line.  (Glass, Slater and Thorburn).

Now, it is one thing for a couple of guys to say they are going to come up with a name for an NHL line, but for this to cut the mustard, we would need the approval of the players themselves.

Today, following practice and before the team departed to Toronto to play the Leafs, I had a chance to catch up with Glass, Slater and Thorburn and got their thoughts on the new line name.

Here is what they had to say:

Tanner Glass:

“Yeah sure, if that’s what you want to call it, I don’t see how you can give more than 100%, but if you want to say 105 I guess, that’s your call.”

Jim Slater:

“Ya that works, I was just telling Hnides (Shane Hnidy), we had a name for our line last year, it was called the “Greek God Line” with me, Thorburn and (former Thrasher Eric) Boulton. I think it works on both sides, with the Glass Slater Thorburn, I like it.”

Chris Thorburn:

“That’s pretty creative, that’s pretty cool, we’re just out there going hard all the time, we try not to take any shifts off, Glasser had a nice goal yesterday, our line seems to be contributing for us as of late, if we can keep that up we’ll give our team a chance to win.”

“Dude, I honestly love that GST line, it goes good with Canada and the whole tax thing, that’s fun, good imagination.”

So there you have it.  The GST Line.  As I suggested to the players today, they are “taxing on the opposition” although I liked what Jay Richardson tweeted to Ezzy last night as well.

I can already hear Beyak with the call… “Scores!!! And the GST line makes them pay!”

Of course even if the players adopted the nick name the media would also need to be on board.  So following practice I spoke with a number of the print and TV guys and let them know that this would be the moniker that we had hung on this line.

Less than a week later Dennis Beyak during the TSN broadcast of the Jets and Leafs games began using the GST line:

GST Line

So what do you think?  Are you happy with GST?  Does the nickname’s shelf life terminate if the GST gets eliminated?  Let us know.

A little background on Ally is that she was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and grew up a die-hard Red Wings fan.  Her formal training is as a nurse, and she eventually got a job in Phoenix, Arizona.  Being a hard core hockey fan, she signed up for Coyotes season tickets .  All went well for the first 41 home games but they happened to be squaring off against Detroit in the 1st round, and Ally reverted back to cheering for the team she grew up supporting.  Apparently this irked her season ticket holder neighbors.  These were people she has become friendly with throughout the season who turned on her and in some cases took it even further by spitting on her.

Not surprisingly this soured her on the Coyotes, although her love of hockey meant that she continued to maintain her Coyotes season tickets, but ensured that her Wings jersey stayed in the closest.

In addition to posting pictures on Jets forums, Ally also was a frequent commenter in the online chats held during the Illegal Curve Radio show.  She would join the conversation online and vowed about 18 months ago that if the NHL ever returned to Winnipeg she would be there.

Now when people make statements online, the vast majority of the time it is just that, words on a page not matched by actions.  Not Ally K.  When it was confirmed that the Jets were in fact returning, she booked her flight/hotel (from Dayton, Ohio as she had subsequently moved from Phoenix).  Think about this for a second!  She only knew people online and didn’t have a ticket but was committed to coming to Winnipeg to take part in the festivities.

So Ally K arrived in Winnipeg on Thursday, but it was not without incident.  First she was required to drive out of state to an airport in Kentucky to catch a plane to Toronto.  Her flight to Toronto was then delayed because of TSA labour issues.  She sat on the plane for awhile, eventually made it to Toronto only to miss her connecting flight to Winnipeg.  Luckily she got on a standby ticket and eventually landed in Winnipeg at 9:30 pm cst on October 7th.

She spent the next two days as a tourist, seeing the sights and getting a chance to explore the city she had read and talked so much about.  She even met up at the Tavern United Downtown with some of her former Return of the Jets forum members to share a drink with on Saturday night.

But all would be for naught if she came this far and did not get a chance to be inside the MTS Centre for the home opener.  So she awoke early on the day of the game, arrived at the MTS Centre and got in line at Ticketmaster.  This also gave her a chance to formally meet the Illegal Curve crew as we were broadcasting live from the atrium at the MTS Centre.

With the lineup at Ticketmaster not proving fruitful, Ally K joined us at Moxie’s inside the MTS Centre to share  some of her thoughts on Winnipeg with us.  She was surprised at Winnipeg’s size and loved how easy it was to get around in the city.

With it being 2 hours before game time and as the people on Portage were getting really excited we went outside to observe the partying.  As we stood around, friends would walk by, people I knew who were members of the Return of the Jets forum.  When I introduced Ally K, they were all extremely excited to meet her and take pictures with her.

The best moment however was when we were standing around and a young brother/sister duo (I incorrectly assumed they were a couple but have been subsequently corrected by the brother) were walking past our spot.  The guy stopped, looked at Ally and said “are you Ally K?”.  When she acknowledged that she was, in fact, Ally K, he told her his online username and they spent 5 minutes chatting.  He recognized her simply from pictures online and happened to notice her as he walked past.

There was even a couple who knew her from the forums who called her with their story.  They were having babysitter issues which could have necessitated the wife leaving the game early.   Therefore they offered Ally the opportunity to attend the game for a period or two.

As the game drew closer and closer, while Ally K was still enjoying the atmosphere you could tell that the lack of a ticket was clearly weighing on her mind.  She was even making alternate plans in the event that she could not get in.  She had spoken to some other forum members who were heading to the Forks.  But she was not prepared to give up so easily.  She then returned to the Ticketmaster line and waited.  And waited…..

At 4:05 pm, True North released an additional 12-14 tickets, one of which went to the girl who deserved it more than anyone else.  Her odyssey took her from Phoenix to Dayton to Winnipeg and back but the girl known as Ally K left Winnipeg having kept the vow she had made to the Illegal Curve crew over 18 months earlier.  Ally K was in the building!!

As a postscript, fans in Phoenix had best watch out as Ally K will be making her return to the Coyotes den for the team’s home opener against the Winnipeg Jets.  And she now has Winnipeg gear to wear.  But she should not be too concerned about retribution.  It sounds like there will be a sizable contingent of Winnipeg Jets fans invading the Jobing.com arena to keep her company.

One additional note to the AllyK story.  As she made the long return back to Ohio on Monday morning, check out who she was flying to Toronto with.  Nice ‘cherry’ on top to complete the ultimate hockey weekend.

With the start of the NHL season rapidly approaching, we felt it was an appropriate time to make some much needed changes to www.illegalcurve.com. While the design of the site may be new, and the look (and logo!) is sharper, the same quality and intensity of coverage of the Winnipeg Jets, and the NHL in its entirety, remains in place.

From its outset, www.illegalcurve.com has endeavoured to be your home for hockey. As the NHL has returned to Winnipeg, we will continue to be your home for hockey, with an emphasis on our home town Winnipeg Jets. We will be live at practices and games at MTS Centre, providing you the most up to date, and comprehensive coverage of everything going on with the Winnipeg Jets and, correspondingly, the NHL in its entirety.

Live Winnipeg Jets game chats facilitated by the Illegal Curve crew.  From the press box at MTS Centre, we will be providing in-depth post game analysis and player interviews, and up to the minute breaking news. This is all in addition to the staple features (Winnipeg Jets Morning Papers, original pieces of commentary) that you have come to expect from www.illegalcurve.com .

As the Winnipeg Jets get ready to begin their first season back in the NHL, we share in the excitement that has engulfed the city of Winnipeg and Jets fans the world over. We hope you enjoy the new www.illegalcurve.com, the new features we are putting in place, and as always, we welcome your feedback at info@illegalcurve.com.

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/illegalcurve

Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/illegalcurve

A number of writers for Illegal Curve have contributed to the Winnipeg Jets Annual 2011-2012. published by Maple Street Press. The magazine is available at McNally Robinson in Grant Park Shopping Centre in Winnipeg, MB or you can purchase a copy online.

We will be hosting a launch party October 12, 2011 at McNally Robinson in Grant Park Shopping Centre. RSVP by visiting the Facebook Event Page.

About the magazine:

On May 31, greater Winnipeg awoke and realized its dream was a reality: Fifteen years after bolting town, the Jets are back in Winnipeg, and the party is just beginning.

Celebrate the return of a traditional NHL market with the inaugural edition of the Maple Street Press Jets Annual 2011-12, which includes features on: the state of the Jets’ payroll, how certain two-way forwards could help the team, a recap of what was written and said about the franchise in the offseason, and in-depth, season-by-season recaps of the previous incarnation of the Jets.

Edited by Benjamin Wendorf of Arctic Ice Hockey, Maple Street Press Jets Annual 2011-12 is 112 pages of exclusive Jets analysis, commentary, and history.

112 pages, no ads, all Jets.

Shipping from Maple Street Press on August 30, and on newsstands September 13. Pre-order your copy today

Articles appearing in the magazine written by members of Illegal Curve:

The Pay Scale: See how the Jets’ payroll stands up next to the NHL
by Richard Pollock

In Spoken Words: The new Jets are just months old, but much has already been said by, and about, the franchise
by Michael Remis

The Odyssey: There may be no current NHL head coach more deserving of his job than Claude Noel
by Drew Mindell

Build-A-Jets: Statistics, scouting information, and insight on the first draft class of the Jets 2.0
by Kyle Kosior, Ezra Ginsburg, and Benjamin Wendorf

In The System: A plethora of youthful talent is waiting in the wings for its chance to play on the Winnipeg stage
by Kyle Kosior, Ezra Ginsburg, and Benjamin Wendorf

1.  RSS feeds.   For those of you who are not familiar, RSS allows you to easily stay informed by retrieving the latest content.

2. Following @illegalcurve on Twitter.  Immediately following a posting on here, the IC crew will post the news on our twitter account which is at 3220 strong and growing.  You guys have helped us become the largest entity on twitter for Jets news (aside from the Jets official twitter account of course).

In addition to following our general twitter account be sure that you are following all the contributor’s to Illegal Curve on their own individual twitter accounts:

@ICdave, @ICdrew, @ICEzra, @ICKyleK, @ICrichyp and @mremis.

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And most importantly, please continue to comment daily.  Whether it is in the comments of our articles, on a forum, with a facebook wall post or @ tweeting us as we always enjoy the interaction with our readers.

I just picked up my first Illegal Curve Sandwich from Myer’s Deli (1842 Grant Avenue) which is now available for $9.99.

I have included a few pics of the sandwich as well as a pic which clearly shows which sandwich is boss in town (Sorry Lawless!!).

If you have tried the IC Sandwich, let us know what you think, by reviewing the sandwich in the comments section below.

Shout out to good friend of IC Robby Frankel who was seen at Myer’s Deli purchasing the sandwich right before I walked in. Robby’s review of the sandwich: “It goes down easier than Pacioretty.”

As anyone who has ever listened to The Illegal Curve Hockey Show can attest to, part of the reason we so enjoy being on air is the guarantee of having something to eat post show. Numerous past editions of the program have featured lengthy discussions regarding what’s for breakfast/lunch/dinner after we get off air. (Sometimes even breakfast is what’s for lunch & dinner).

Lately though, largely due to either a severe case of heat stroke affecting all of Illegal Curve, or because Hustler & Lawless have their own sandwich, we have been pondering what The Illegal Curve Hockey Show sandwich would look like.

(To listen to that discussion & the initial process undertaken to create The Illegal Curve Hockey Show Sandwich, please check out the July 13 & July 18 episodes of the show.)

I can now report that The Illegal Curve Hockey Show has partnered up with Harrison Steek of Myer’s Deli, to bring The Illegal Curve Hockey Show Sandwich to fruition.

We need your help however, as getting the Illegal Curve team to agree on a sandwich is less likely to happen than getting Drew to pass up someone else’s leftovers.

We need suggestions from our loyal audience about what you think the Illegal Curve sandwich should consist of.

Once the sandwich is created, we will draw a name from all of the people who made a suggestion, and award them some sweet Illegal Curve shwag. If you’re really lucky, maybe we will even throw in a night on the town with Illegal Curve’s very own Ezra Ginsburg.

The first step is to check out the menu from Myer’s Deli, peruse the menu options in excruciating detail, and help create The Illegal Curve Hockey Show Sandwich!

You can send your Illegal Curve Sandwich Suggestions to us on Twitter, Facebook, Email, or leave them in the comment section of www.illegalcurve.com. Please make sure we have your contact information so we can inform the grand prize winner.

Submissions must be received by Sunday July 24, 2011.

Help create The Illegal Curve Hockey Show Sandwich and become an integral part of Illegal Curve lore!

Ed Tait of the Winnipeg Free Press has confirmed that the Winnipeg Jets have signed C/LW Ben Maxwell, to a one-year, $715,000 contract. Read Ed Tait’s article here.

Maxwell is only 23 years old and to date has only had a cup of tea at the NHL Level (32 games, 2 points). The former member of the Kootenay Ice has decent size (6’1”) and is a creative offensive player who has averaged 50 points over the last three seasons in The American Hockey playing mainly for the Hamilton Bulldogs. Maxwell is not a physically imposing player but does alright in the physical department. Maxwell has at times looked out of place at the NHL level but it should be noted that he wasn’t given a lot of playing time with the Habs and often only received minimal fourth line minutes.

As we mentioned in our Updated Winnipeg Jets Team Depth Chart Article, Maxwell is currently the team’s 6th ranked centre and will most likely be competing with Rick Rypien, Jim Slater,Tanner Glass and Jason Gregoire for third and fourth line forward duties. It should be noted that Maxwell can play left wing and is probably higher on the Jets depth chart for that reason.

I like Maxwell’s game and I think he has a good chance of playing full-time in the NHL next year. I can see him playing 30-50 games or more for the Jets next year if he has a strong training camp and shows more offensive potential than some of the other young players currently in the system.

Picture your favourite Jet skating in on a breakaway pulling the Gordon Bombay triple deke and scoring. The goal horn sounds, everybody cheers, claps and a song begins to play.

What song would be the best to accompany a goal horn? A goal horn works best when the song includes cheering, or clapping. No lyrics necessary, it has to be something uptempo that will induce the crowd to cheer and clap along.

One of the most famous goal songs, which was used by teams and appeared in many sports movies in the 90s was Gary Glitters – “Rock n’ Roll Part II”, which you may know better as the “hey” song. The build up and climax of saying “hey” invited everyone to cheer along and brought excitement to the crowd.  Surprisingly, even with Gary Glitters recent legal troubles, teams continue to use some variation of the song as a goal song. (It has been proven to be that good of a goal song)

Read more about goal songs after the jump

While visiting St. Paul, Minnesota a few years ago, I witnessed their goal horn of Joe Satriani’s “Crowd Chant”. A simple goal horn, with only a guitar, accompanied by a crowd chant (simple title, I know). There is something about the combination of the generic cheering, and clapping that gets everyone to join along.

Another classic goal horn is Blur’s song 2, again, better known to some as “woo hoo”. That tune has been rocking arenas since 1997. The Thrashers’ used this as their tune last year, as we have seen True North drop many of the Thrashers’ staff, we can expect them to drop the goal song as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKkbDYq-zSM

While doing some research for this article, I stumbled upon Puck Daddy’s list of the Eastern Conference and Western Conference goal horns.

NHL Teams Using Common Goal Horns

Gary Glitter: Avalanche, Stars, Sharks, Predators,Devils, Lightning (6)

Joe Satriani: Wild, Coyotes (2)

Blur: Penguins, Thrashers (2)

Other songs not mentioned:

Pennywise – Bro Hymn: Ducks, Flyers (2)

Zombie Nation – KernKraft 400: Bruins, Panthers, Capitals (3)

There are two ways teams can go when choosing a goal horn. They can pick a generic goal song such as one listed above (the tried and true method). Or go a different direction with a new song to associate with your team scoring. Some teams even have songs written for them as a goal song.

It is also worth noting that some teams have specific goal songs for certain players, a particular favourite listed was Sammy Hagar’s “I Can’t Drive 55” for Niklas Kronwall. (He is number 55)

Picking a goal song isn’t easy, which is why the teams above have gone to the tried and true method.

I would have no issue with the songs above being selected as a goal song, a few other choices I have considered are:

• The Lonely Island – I’m On A Boat
• Kool & The Gang – Celebration
• 2Unlimited – Get Ready For This

I’m going to leave it to the commenters of Illegal Curve to give any suggestions they may have for Winnipeg Jets goal songs, or any player specific goal songs.

Additional reading:

Songs to Accompany an Air Horn (New York Times) (hat tip to Puck Daddy)

When Ladd visited Winnipeg last month, it would be no surprise to Winnipeggers that he got the impression that True North was a first class organization.

“They made me feel welcome, and how they showed me they were going to run things, and how they were in the atmosphere, when they walked into the building, everyone who worked there was raring to go, everything was first class, for me that’s a big part of having a successful organization”

When the captain spoke with his teammates, the questions that he got weren’t about the city, but they were about the quality of the organization.

“It was more hockey wise, more about the organization, as a hockey player that end of it, you feel comfortable with how things are going to be ran and how you will be treated as a player it makes it easy to be excited about things”

Read more about Andrew Ladd’s thoughts on signing a long term deal in Winnipeg after the jump.

On playing in Winnipeg:

“I knew all along it would be exciting place to play, I played there for the World Jr.’s and, I knew the atmosphere and what fans were like, passionate people, you know, to have that in your head right away.”

On playing in Canada

“Being back in Canada is a big thing for every hockey player. To say I haven’t been thinking about that first game, it’s been on my mind a lot, something that’s really driving the excitement in my life right now, it’s going to be fun to be back in Western Canada, my family can jump on a flight and get here quick and my fiancée has family in the area, I’m excited to get going.”

On his tour of Winnipeg last month

“(I saw) different restaurants, driving around, checking out different neighborhoods, how many good communities there were throughout Winnipeg, it seemed pretty neat and a great place to live, checked out the practice rink, how quickly you could get everywhere was nice”

On purchasing a home in Winnipeg with his fiancée, they are set to be married in 2 weeks in Las Vegas.

“Another thing on the list, we did a little looking, kind of getting the feel from different areas, where we want to be, after our wedding, when everything slows down we’ll look towards finding a new place.”

On the players preconceived notions about Winnipeg

“I’m sure they do (have a misconception), I think it falls along the same lines as Buffalo, in terms of maybe gets a bad rap, but when guys play there and have the opportunity to play in Winnipeg, they’re going to grow to love it and make it home. The people that are there are a big part of it, down to earth an real friendly, especially when you have guys with families coming along”

On signing a long term deal

“Putting down roots, that was a big part about doing a long term deal, the fact that they wanted me around for that long, it’s nice to be in the same spot for a long time. It seems like every time I got comfortable with the city I was in, I was getting shipped out to a different place. To be able to settle down to meet people and get ingrained in the community with my fiancé is going to be an exciting thing”

It appears that Andrew is extremely excited to be a part of the Winnipeg Jets, having nothing but nice things to say about the organization and city. Being 25 and about to get married and start a family, having a long term deal was important to him. Winnipeg is excited to have Mr. Ladd here for the foreseeable future, and as time goes on we are sure he will love it.

Illegal Curve Hockey will be your source for the latest news emanating from what should be a busy end of the week in NHL circles. Starting tomorrow (Thursday), with the rumoured (but expected) release of the NHL schedule, which we will cover and analyze just as soon as it is released. Who will be the first opponent for the Winnipeg NHL franchise? Hopefully we will find out for certain sometime tomorrow, so we can officially begin circling dates on our calendars.

Later on Thursday night, Ezra (Twitter: ICEzra), Remis (Twitter: mremis), and Illegal Curve’s Scouting Correspondent Kyle Kosior (Twitter: ICkylek), will arrive in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area where they will be anchoring our extensive coverage of the NHL Entry Draft Weekend.  Be sure to stay with IllegalCurve.com and to follow IllegalCurve on Twitter, as the IC team in St. Paul will be covering the NHL entry draft in its entirety all weekend long.  As soon as news breaks in St. Paul, and/or interviews are recorded with draft picks, and other movers and shakers from the NHL, they will be available in their entirety on IllegalCurve.com.

A closer look at the week ahead after the jump.

Back in Winnipeg, Richard and Drew (Twitter: ICdrew), will be manning the offices of Illegal Curve Hockey, including a special edition of The Illegal Curve Hockey Show, Friday afternoon from 4PM – 630 PM on Sports Radio 1290. Stay tuned to IllegalCurve.com and @illegalcurve on Twitter for the list of guests once they are announced.

On Saturday, the regular edition of The Illegal Curve Hockey Show will air from 9-Noon on Sports Radio 1290. Joining Richard and Drew in studio for the full 3 hours will be Gabe Desjardins, the driving force behind Arctic Ice Hockey (formerly known as Behind the Net). Throughout the show on Saturday, the IC team in St. Paul will be appearing on air, providing the latest news, insights, and observational tidbits, from the media section of the Excel Energy Centre in St. Paul.

As you can see, a busy few days in store for Illegal Curve Hockey. As always, we always want to hear from you, be it via email (info@illegalcurve.com), twitter (@illegalcurve), or in the comments section below.

For whatever reason, Dudley has never really been universally accepted as your typical NHL GM.  Maybe it is his aversion to fashion, or his dated comb-over; either way, he just never really seems to play the part.  That is, of course, through no fault of his own.  You get the impression that Dudley is who he is regardless of the managerial position he is employed in.

The problem was, if Dudley came to Winnipeg, he was bringing his own fraternity.  When Dudley took over the reins in Atlanta with that came the hiring of Craig Ramsay and John Torchetti, amongst others.  It is not that the hockey people in Atlanta are not qualified to make the transition north; it is that choices had to be made.  An organization cannot have two people holding the same day-to-day responsibilities.  Truth North wants Craig Heisinger to play a role in its management team and appears to want Claude Noel to coach its hockey team.  With those qualified people already in place, the team could not retain the likes of Dudley and Ramsay.

With Dudley’s dismissal, now seems like the appropriate time to evaluate his tenure in Atlanta.

Dudley left the Blackhawks organization after the 2008/09 season, otherwise known as the season prior to the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup season.  Dudley’s first season in Atlanta saw him work under the title of Associate General Manager.  With Dudley working hand-in-hand with Don Waddell that season, for the purposes of this analysis, we are not going to analyze the 2009/10 season because it is difficult to properly classify trades and signings as either Dudley’s or Waddell’s.

As a result, we really only  have one full year of Dudley’s work to analyze—April 2010 through April 2011.

Here are the significant moves made by Dudley, with analysis alongside:

June 25, 2010: Named Craig Ramsay Head Coach.  The Ramsay hiring was not unpredictable, as Ramsay and Dudley dated back to their Sabres days together.  It is very difficult to analyze a coach after merely one season at the helm.  Especially a team that was coached the seasons prior by an offensive coach like John Anderson who was known more so for his offensive freedom than systematic teachings of the game.  Ramsay had some good moments and poor moments as coach of the Thrashers, but his overall grade can be nothing but incomplete. Grade: Incomplete

July 1, 2010: Signed Chris Mason to a two-year contract worth $1.85 million per season.  Mason struggled in his first season in Atlanta but the signing at the time looked quite reasonable.  In fact, pairing Mason with Ondrej Pavelec was a shrewd move.  Mason is experienced, a positive force in the locker room and carries career numbers that demonstrate his talent is far better than his one season in Georgia.  The commitment was not too long and the money was not too large. Grade: B

July 22, 2010: Re-signed Ondrej Pavelec to a two-year contract worth $1.15 million per season.  If you had the opportunity to read Illegal Curve’s roster analysis of the new Winnipeg franchise, you would know that I am a big fan of the Thrashers’ current goaltending tandem based both on talent and financial compensation.  Pavelec is signed at a more than reasonable contract for next season, which will allow Kevin Cheveldayoff and company to decide whether he warrants a longer term, bigger money commitment.  Of note, Cheveldayoff was GM of the Chicago Wolves while Pavelec was developing. Grade: B+

June 24, 2010: Acquired Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Eager, Brent Sopel and Akim Aliu for a 1st round pick, 2nd round pick, Marty Reasoner, Joey Crabb and Jeremy Morin.  The trade consisted of a lot of names but really boiled down to Dustin Byfuglien for a 1st round pick and a 2nd round pick.  The draft has a lottery element to it and Dudley was able to add Byfuglien to his roster without giving up his own team’s 1st round pick—remember the pick in this trade was New Jersey’s from the Kovalchuk deal (24th overall).  A lower first round selection included in a package for an up and coming winger/defenseman with unpolished skills but a ton of potential is a risk, but a calculated one at that.  Byfuglien ended up playing extremely well for Atlanta in season one.  His offense from the back-end could serve a significant asset for Winnipeg moving forward. Grade: B+

July 1, 2010: Acquired Andrew Ladd for Ivan Vishnevskiy and a second round pick in 2011.  Another positive move by Dudley.  He was familiar with Ladd from his time in Chicago, where Ladd was a valuable asset who created mismatches every night for the opposing team’s bottom four defensemen.  Ladd is now the team’s captain, led the team in goal scoring and points and is in the midst of his prime.  Moreover, Dudley signed Ladd soon after the trade to a one-year deal for $2.35 million.  Vishnevskiy has potential but the move was a clear win for an Atlanta team with lots of defensemen on the roster and a number in the system waiting to crack the top-six. Grade: B+

August 23, 2010: Re-signed Bryan Little to a three-year extension at $2.4 million per season.  Little has the potential to be a 30-goal scorer; in fact, he scored 31 goals in 2008/09 for the Thrashers.  The problem for Atlanta is that he totaled 31 goals over the next two seasons.  Even so, at $2.4 million per season for two more seasons, at age 23 and with terrific stick skills, there are far, far worse investments for $2.4 million per season. Grade: B

February 15, 2011: Signed Dustin Byfuglien to a five-year contract extension at $5.2 million per season.  The acquisition of Byfuglien was a deft one by Dudley.  This contract, however, demonstrated that Dudley might have been a little bit to eager to reward his off-season acquisition.  “Big Buff” was signed to this extension just after his impressive first-half numbers—or close to his peak value.  His talents are there to possibly make good on this contract but signing a player in the midst of his first year full year on defense in the NHL, who doesn’t play significant minutes on the penalty kill and has room to improve defensively seemed unnecessary. Grade: C

February 18, 2011: Acquired Blake Wheeler and Mark Stuart for Rich Peverley and Boris Valabik.  This was a very shrewd move by Dudley.  Wheeler has the combination of size and talent to be a very good top-six forward for the next few years.  In Boston, where Claude Julien is loathe to trust young players, Wheeler was getting regular ice-time but generally along the lines of a third line player.  After his move to Atlanta, which albeit is a very small sample size, he was afforded more of an opportunity to create offense and play on the power play. Along with Wheeler came Mark Stuart, a rugged stay-at-home defenseman.  Stuart provided a different element on the Thrashers’ back-end, although his contract extension will be mentioned later on.  In terms of what he gave up, Valabik is a big defenseman who was long compared to Zdeno Chara—more so based on his size and nationality than his talents on the ice.  Peverley provides nice offensive totals for his $1.3 million cap hit, but is a pending UFA after next season and has less upside than Wheeler. Grade: B+

February 24, 2011: Acquired Ben Maxwell and a 2011 4^th round pick for Brent Sopel and Nigel Dawes.  This was a nice move by Dudley.  Sopel was a veteran on a team with too many defenseman; but more importantly, he was a pending UFA who was not about to re-sign in Atlanta/Winnipeg.  Dawes was playing tag between Chicago of the AHL and Atlanta all season long and was deemed expendable.  In return the Thrashers received Ben Maxwell a player with some offensive talent, who is 23 years old and could return some value for the franchise moving forward. Grade: B

February 28, 2011: Signed Mark Stuart to a three-year contract extension at $1.7 million per season.  This contract was unnecessary.  With Byfuglien, Hainsey and Enstrom all signed through 2012/13, the Thrashers have a significant amount of money tied up on the back-end.  Too much, in fact.  While Dudley may have liked how difficult Stuart is to play against, with his physical style, his slot on the team appears to be as a fifth or sixth defenseman. Grade: C-

Overall, Rick Dudley’s one year on the job was certainly encouraging in many respects.  His talent acquisition was strong and some of his contracts were reasonable in terms of duration and dollars.  Unfortunately he made some aggressive signings, which did not appear to be necessary at the time.  That being said, many GMs have difficulty acquiring talent like Blake Wheeler, Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien during one year on the job.

In the end, Truth North is of the belief that an organization is best to put its own people in charge–people True North has vast experience with.  That is because with experience comes trust and with trust comes more certainty.  While TNSE may not have felt entirely comfortable with Rick Dudley in charge of its organization, Dudley should feel comfortable with the organization he is leaving in their capable hands.

We’re number 7!

Well, the good news for Winnipeg/Manitoba hockey fans is that might mean the chance to draft the next Jeff Skinner for our new NHL franchise.

Winnipeg/Manitoba will have the 7th overall pick at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Friday, June 24, 2011 and if last year’s 7th overall pick, Carolina Hurricanes forward Jeff Skinner, is any indication of the draft number’s potential, we very well could be watching the next Calder Trophy Winner (Skinner is nominated for and is expected to win The 2010’11 Calder Trophy for the league’s top rookie player) in just under four months at The MTS Centre.

The purpose of this article is to give you a little sneak peek at who the Winnipeg/Manitoba franchise might select with its First Round draft pick and what may lead True North Sports & Entertainment and its management team to make said decision.

Let’s look at The Top 20 Rated North American Prospects as ranked by NHL Central Scouting.  To read entire article, click read more.

Source: TSN NHL Draftcentre

Now, as we discussed on The Illegal Curve Hockey Show this past week, we believe that The Winnipeg/Manitoba franchise’s strength currently lies in its defence and goaltending and its biggest weakness is depth at the forward position.  Because Winnipeg/Manitoba has young, talented defensemen in abundance in Tobias Enstrom, Dustin Byfuglien and Zach Bogosian, plus prospects Arturs Kulda and Paul Postma (stay tuned to Illegal Curve as we’ll have detailed prospect reports on these players), we feel that their focus at The NHL Entry Draft and in Free Agency should be securing skilled forwards.

Based on this assertion, The Winnipeg/Manitoba franchise will almost surely target a player that may be ready to step into The NHL next season with its first round selection.

We must mention a few things before we continue. Firstly, the incoming 2011 NHL Draft class is considered to be strong by some and a little weak by others. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Gabriel Landeskog, Adam Larsson (Swedish defenseman who played for Skelleftea and was ranked 2nd overall by International Scouting Services) and Jonathan Huberdeau are considered to be top-flight prospects and are expected to go somewhere in the top four but after that this draft class is fairly unknown.

Hold on though. Don’t get too jaded.  Heading into last year’s NHL Entry Draft, Jeff Skinner (then of of The OHL’s Kitchener Rangers) was ranked 34th overall by Central Scouting and we all know how he turned out.

Of the Top 20 rated prospects, Winnipeg/Manitoba would love to get their hands on Landeskog, Nugent-Hopkins or Huberdeau but it’s expected that those three will be gone by the time Craig Heisinger/Mark Chipman/New GM step to the podium on June 24th with the 7th overall pick.

Now, with Larsson expected to go to either Edmonton or Colorado at either 1st or 2nd overall, here’s where it gets interesting. The New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators are picking fifth overall and sixth overall respectively, right ahead of the Winnipeg/Manitoba franchise.

The Islanders are rebuilding but have lots of young offensive talent in John Tavares, Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey and Michael Grabner while Ottawa is also stronger at forward than on defense. Ottawa’s top rearguards right now are Sergei Gonchar and Chris Phillips, who are not exactly youngsters (It should be noted that Erik Karlsson is an up-and-comer on the Sens blueline).

What this means is that Center Sean Couturier (Drumondville Voltigeurs), the 2010’11 QMJHL MVP and only draft eligible player to play for Canada at The 2011 World Junior Hockey Championships, may be available at the 7th overall pick.  Couturier simply oozes offensive potential, as he was the first 17 year-old since Sidney Crosby to lead the QMJHL in scoring (96 points in 2009’10). Couturier had 96 points again in 2010’11 which is fine but Couturier fell down the draft rankings (He was ranked 2nd overall by NHL Central Scouting at mid-season) as some believed his play and work ethic tailed off down the stretch this year. Regardless, Couturier has the size, speed and hands that any NHL team would want in today’s fast and furious game. Winnipeg/Manitoba will be forced to consider him at 7th overall. It should be noted that Couturier does have work to do on his defensive game and conditioning, but so do many players at this age.

Moving down the list, Center Ryan Strome may be the next best option at forward. This is no knock to Winger Sven Baertschi (Ranked 7th overall, played for WHL’s Portland Winterhawks) but Strome is pure offensive power personified. Strome skyrocketed up the draft rankings this year (Strome was ranked 19th by CSS at mid-season) playing for Niagara in The Ontario Hockey League. Strome finished 3rd in OHL scoring with 106 points and impressed many scouts with his offensive creativity and ability to find his teammates at all areas of the ice. Strome is hot right now and might not even be available at 7th overall and Ottawa/New York could be interested in him.

There are two more players that we want to look at who we consider to be good options but let’s pause for just a second.

You may have noticed that Couturier and Strome are both center prospects. Well, this sits well with IC as The Winnipeg/Manitoba franchise, in our opinion, does not have enough depth at this all-important position.  Nikolai Antropov (31 years old, 41 points in 76 games last year) centered the top line at times last year along with Bryan Little (23 years old, 48 points in 76 games)  while Alexandre Burmistrov (20 years old, 20 points in 74 games) centered the third line. Finally, Tim Stapleton, Jim Slater and Ben Maxwell took turns centering the team’s fourth line.

So back to the prospects.

Another good option for Winnipeg/Manitoba at the 7th overall slot may be Zack Phillips (Saint John Sea Dogs of The QMJHL), who is rated a little further down the list at 15th overall by CS but who could easily be ranked several slots higher. Phillips has been ranked in The Top 15 for North American prospects for quite some time now but his stock has gone way up since The Sea Dogs won the Memorial Cup. Phillips had 38 goals and 95 points for Saint John this year and another 24 points in the playoffs. The scouting report on Phillips is that he is strong on the puck, has nifty hands and is extremely intelligent in all three zones. Most importantly, however is that he is known for a very strong work ethic and for pushing his teammates. These are intangibles that True North loves.

Mika Zibanejad is an interesting wild card. Zibanejad is a offensive-minded center who played for Djurgarden in Sweden and has an all-around bang and crash type of game. Zibanejad is ranked 7th overall by International Scouting Services and there have been rumblings that a team could take him as high as fourth. Zibanejad describes himself as playing a Canadian style of game and even though scouts have disagreed on his offensive upside, he has garnered quite a bit of positive attention.

Other players that Winnipeg/Manitoba may strongly consider at the 7th overall pick are Center Mark McNeill (WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders), Center Mark Scheifele (OHL’s Barrie Colts) and RW Ty Rattie (WHL’s Portland Winterhawks).

Let us know who you think should be taken with the first ever pick by the Winnipeg/Manitoba franchise.  Sound off in the comments section.

Unrestricted free agents (UFA) are not as desirable as they were pre-lockout.  Generally, teams lockdown their best players well into their UFA years, which limits the amount of quality star players hitting the market each season.   Winnipeg fans, however, should not expect this team to dabble into signing superstar UFA players.  This year’s crop centers around Brad Richards, a player who would look good on anyone’s team but a player that will demand a ticket that is not going to be considered by the Winnipeg franchise.

Not having the funds, or at least the willingness to spend the funds on star players does not limit the team’s ability to be creative in free agency.  Of the areas the team needs to improve, top-six right wing slot is an area of need.  Here are a few players that may be of interest to Winnipeg this off-season:

Of the three above listed players, the most desirable may very well be Scottie Upshall.  He is an Alberta boy, is the youngest of the group and has produced nice point totals while playing modest ice-time throughout his career.  The Winnipeg brass may have some extra insight into his abilities, as Upshall finished last season in Columbus playing under former Moose coach Scott Arniel.  Upshall’s speed and willingness to go to the net would endear him to fans in the city.

Read more about Winnipeg’s Free Agent Forwards, Cap Situation and what the team will look like Moving Forward after the jump by clicking read more.

Radim Vrbata is more of a strictly skill player.  He has good hands and a good wrist shot but lacks in the physical department and can disappear at times.  His offensive skills would be helpful to a team in need of some pure offensive talent up front.

Joel Ward had a coming out party in the playoffs.  That may result in more money in the free agency process but a short playoff run does not a career make.  The hard working 30 year old can provide a coach with flexibility in terms of what situations to play him in, but his lack of offensive production would likely outweigh his value on a team lacking overall skill up front.

Overall Cap Situation

This is how the cap situation may very well look for Winnipeg prior to the team signing any free agents from outside the organization:

Projecting $52.87 million as a self-imposed salary cap by the franchise would leave $4.13 million in available cap funds.  That is of course assuming the above figures are fairly accurate and that the team does not offload some salary.  However, if no defensemen or goaltenders are moved, the team is likely to spend that available money at the forward position.

Moving Forward

The way they are currently constructed, Winnipeg will have a difficult time making the playoffs next season.  Even so, this team is a few successful draft picks, a couple free agent signings and some internal development away from becoming a very good franchise.  Make no mistake, the pieces are in place to take this team to the next level but as with all young teams, patience will be a virtue in Winnipeg’s first season back in the NHL since 1996.

Regardless of the team’s initial success, I think I speak for all Winnipeggers in saying, “Go Jets Go” (even if the name isn’t Jets).

**Special thanks to the tremendous websites Behind the Net and CapGeek for many of the above listed figures**

Winnipeg has two netminders signed for next season in Ondrej Pavelec and Chris Mason.  These two netminders form a nice one-two punch in terms of age, Pavelec being 23 and Mason being 35.

Here are the two netminders’ important statistics from last season:

As you can tell, Winnipeg has a total of $3.00 million locked up in their two netminders, both of whom are pending free agents after next season; Pavelec a restricted free agent and Mason an unrestricted free agent.

That type of cap flexibility is an asset for Winnipeg management moving forward, especially because it allows the organization one more season to evaluate Pavelec and to determine if his very solid numbers from the 2010/11 season are indeed an accurate reflection of his talent level.

It should not be understated, however, how much the influence of Mason’s veteran presence should help the youngster moving forward.  There were some rumblings from Atlanta that management wanted Pavelec in better condition last season and thought some issues in that respect contributed to Pavelec’s struggles at times.  Mason is a respected veteran in the room, has a solid track record with a career save percentage of .911 and can play a significant portion of games so as to not wear down the Czech youngster.

Taking into account the money tied up on defense, the amount of cap flexibility for the team in between the pipes is a refreshing reality for fans and management alike.  Pavelec and Mason should form a tandem that is likely to provide value, which is going to be optimal to the success of this franchise.

Part V of the analysis will look at Free Agent Forwards, the current Cap Situation and the team Moving Forward.

Winnipeg has a very, very impressive young base on defense.  The team’s best all-around defenseman as of today is arguably Tobias Enstrom.  The Swedish defender will remind Winnipeggers of Teppo Numminen—goes about his business the right way, smart player and perennially underrated.  Enstrom is joined by Roseau, Minnesota’s Dustin Byfuglien.  “Big Buff” is now going to be afforded the opportunity of playing within three hours driving distance of his hometown in Northern Minnesota.  The two defenders played the majority of last season as defense partners with Enstrom manning the left side and Byfuglien the right.  The combination is tremendous at moving the puck and creating offense.  Enstrom is stronger than Byfuglien when it comes to defensive play and Byfuglien is the more physical player of the two.

As much as Enstrom and Byfuglien were considered to be the top pairing in the ATL last season, it was actually 20 year old Zach Bogosian who played against the opposing team’s top competition on the most consistent basis.  Bogosian has loads of talent.  He can skate, shoot, hit and create offense.  Defenseman like Bogosian do not grow on trees; the former Peterborough Pete can be a game-changing defenseman with time and further development.  Bogosian played the majority of last season with former New Jersey Devils defender Johnny Oduya.  Oduya is a good skater who slots in as more of a fourth defenseman focused mainly on playing a solid stay-at-home style.  With Enstrom, Byfuglien and Bogosian on the squad, Oduya does not have to force offense.

Read more about Winnipeg’s defensemen after the jump by clicking read more.

Hailed as an offensive prospect when ascending through the Montréal Canadiens organization, Ron Hainsey learned to play a well-rounded game while playing under Ken Hitchcock in Columbus.  Through no fault of his own, former Thrashers GM Don Waddell opened the Atlanta Spirit Group wallets to Hainsey in the summer of 2008.  Hainsey signed for $4.5 million cap hit per season for five seasons.  Under the Thrashers’ coaching staff last season, Hainsey was essentially employed as a fifth defenseman.  In few markets can a team afford to have a fifth defenseman earning that kind of salary but in markets that do not go right up against the cap it makes maneuvering the cap even more difficult.

The sixth defenseman job will be an interesting battle, as Winnipeg has some prospects in the system, namely Artus Kulda, who could earn that spot without salaries being taken into the equation.  For now, though, Mark Stuart, who Rick Dudley signed to a two-year contract extension soon after acquiring him from Boston in the Rich Peverley trade, may be the favourite for that slot.  Stuart’s ticket is now $1.7 million cap hit per season for the next three seasons.  Again, through no fault of his own, Stuart is making a lot of money for a sixth or so defenseman.

Winnipeg has way, way, way too much money locked into their four through six defensemen for this season.

Let’s take a look at the team’s defense one through six in terms of age, contracts and ice-time:

The chart above, while fairly simple, reveals some points of interest.  First, Tobias Enstrom is very good value for his production.  Second, Dustin Byfuglien has to start playing some time on the penalty kill at a reasonable level to justify his contract moving forward.  Zach Bogosian is playing big minutes for a 20-year-old defenseman, is in for a more than reasonable payday and eventually will be the team’s best defenseman—the last portion of that statement being a point of opinion than a reflection of the above chart.

The top three defensemen on Winnipeg are young, talented and only going to get better.  The bottom three defensemen carry tickets too large to occupy those slots on the team.  Combined, the bottom three defensemen on the team make $9.7 million per season.

Earlier, we used the Nashville comparison for Winnipeg’s salary cap structure.  Well, the Predators paid their bottom three defensemen of Blum, O’Brien and Franson $3.34 million.

Before even signing Bogosian to a new contract, Winnipeg currently have $18.65 million locked up in the team’s defense corps.  Spending money on defense has been a successful strategy for teams like Detroit and Chicago, but even those teams pay their fifth and six defensemen very little in comparison (see: Salei, Ericsson, Campoli and Leddy).

With respect the Bogosian negotiations; the big American rear guard just completed the final year of his entry-level contract.  Winnipeg will automatically qualify him but he is in for a fairly significant ticket moving forward.

Let’s look a couple of defensemen who were in a similar situation to Bogosian within the last year:

By signing for a shorter period of time both the Blues (Johnson is now an Avalanche but signed this contract with St. Louis) and Johnson incurred some risk.  Johnson gave up the security of a long-term deal.  Conversely, the Blues incurred the risk that Johnson would have two breakout seasons and would be worth far more in that third season than he would have been had they signed him long-term in the summer of 2010.

On the other hand, Kris Letang took the security of a long-term contract and the risk that he could produce at a high level (which he has) and not cash in on that success earlier than four seasons down the road.

As you can probably tell, Bogosian and Winnipeg management have a number of options on their respective hands.

For interest sake, why don’t we split the difference and project that Bogosian signs a three-year contract at $3.1 million per season.

That would bring the team’s top six defense contract total to $21.75 million.  Remember, the team could conceivably have 14 forwards at approximately $24 million, so you can almost be assured that Winnipeg will look to cut some salary on the back-end if at all possible.

Next let’s identify the team’s restricted free agents.  Led by two-time Stanley Cup champion Andrew Ladd, Winnipeg will have some work to do when it comes to signing their own free agent forwards.

Obviously being a restricted free agent (RFA) means you have not yet reached your late 20s, but the quality of this group of forwards, combined with the forwards above speaks to the talented young core of Winnipeg’s squad.

Projecting contracts is not an easy task, but let’s attempt to at least estimate a range within which the above players should earn on their next deals.

Andrew Ladd

The 25-year-old captain has already hoisted two Stanley Cups, with Carolina and Chicago respectively and had his most productive offensive season in 2010/11 posting 59 points in 81 games.  Ladd led the team with 29 goals, logging just over 20 minutes per game.  His cap hit last season was a modest $2.35 million, so expect the rugged forward to look for a significant increase.  Ladd produced 1.85 points per 60 minutes of even strength ice time, which is good but not great. The season prior he posted a more efficient 2.11 rate with the Blackhawks.  The key, of course, was that Ladd played against tougher competition in Atlanta than he did in Chicago.   That, increased power play time and a slightly better shooting percentage contributed to his increased offensive production in 2010/11. With Winnipeg counting on him to maintain his role as a top-six forward, last season’s production seems more in line with his overall talent level.

Read more about Winnipeg’s Restricted Free Agents & Cap Situation after the jump by clicking read more.

Players right around Ladd in terms of points, ice-time and age this season include: Mikhail Grabovski, Dustin Brown and RJ Umberger.

Grabovski is 27 years old, signed for $2.9 million next season but is an unrestricted free agent the season after and is set for a salary increase.

Brown is 26 years old and is signed for three more seasons at $3.175 million per season.

Umberger is 29 years old, signed for $3.75 million cap hit next season and is a UFA the season after that.

The most likely comparable of the above group to Ladd is Brown.  They are both rugged players, although Brown draws more penalties, both are captains of their respective teams and both have similar offensive potential.  Let’s assume for the purposes of this article that Ladd signs a three-year deal at a rate of $3.6 million per season.

Blake Wheeler

Blake Wheeler has been an interesting player ever since the Coyotes took him as a fairly considerable surprise at fifth overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.  Wheeler is a big player, listed at 6’5, 205 pounds who has taken a while to develop into an offensive performer.  After he arrived in Atlanta, he had 17 points in 23 games and played just under 19:00 minutes per night, which consisted of over 2:00 minutes of time per game on the man advantage.  Wheeler was given more of an opportunity than he had in Boston where he was playing approximately 15:00 minutes per night with about 1:00 of power play time per contest.  Wheeler’s even strength offensive efficiency was first on the Thrashers when you take into account his time with Boston.  The 24 year old raked in $2.2 million in 2010/11, but did not really increase his offensive production in three years in Boston, so a modest increase to $2.75 million per season for two years may be a reasonable deal both sides can deal with.

Ben Maxwell and Rob Schremp

Rick Dudley acquired both Maxwell and Schremp later in the 2010/11 season.  Maxwell was part of the Brent Sopel trade and Schremp was claimed off waivers from the Islanders.  Maxwell played 12 games for Atlanta last season and Schremp played 18 games.

Maxwell carried an $850,000 cap hit last season on the final year of his entry-level contract.  That cap hit consisted of a base salary of $650,000 which means he requires a 10% increase on any qualifying offer he receives.  If Maxwell accepts that qualifying offer, that would mean he would be under contract next season for a contract of $715,000.

Schremp is in a similar situation to Maxwell except for he has already been placed on waivers and carries less weight in negotiations.  If the Winnipeg brass likes his game, as he does possess good hands, nice hockey sense and solid passing skills, he will probably find himself signing at a rate in line with his qualifying offer for next season.  Under the CBA rules, Schremp’s qualifying offer requires a 5% raise, putting his NHL contract at $788,288 for next season.  However, one catch is that the Jets can still qualify him under a two-way contract—meaning an NHL rate and AHL rate in the event he is sent to the minors.  It is likely that if Winnipeg qualify Schremp, he will accept that salary on a one-year contract.

Anthony Stewart

Stewart was a first round pick in the 2003 Entry Draft by the Florida Panthers.  The older brother of Chris Stewart of the Avalanche, Anthony came into his own last season playing 80 games, logging just under 15:00 minutes per game and even seeing some power play time.  Stewart is big, weighing in at 230 pounds and standing 6’3.  He scored 14 goals last season and may have carved himself a role on the team’s third line moving forward.  Stewart earned $632,000 last season and a qualifying offer would see him make just under $700,000.  Stewart proved he can shoulder some of the load last season and could see his contract jump to around the $825,000 mark.

So, if the five restricted free agents sign for approximately what they have been slotted in for within this series, here is the chart again:

Now the above is obviously based on a number of assumptions but for the sake of this series, let’s calculate the numbers of forwards under contract for next season under this hypothetical and the according cap hits:  14 forwards, total cap hit of approximately $24.00 million.

Cap Situation

Most fans are under the assumption that the team will not spend up to the salary cap.  With all the talk of a team coming back to Winnipeg, fans generally equated the team’s future cap situation to that of the Predators in Nashville.

The Predators sat at $50.9 million last season, which was approximately 86% of the way up to the salary cap ceiling.  Under the assumption that Winnipeg utilizes that same strategy and with the cap rumoured by Larry Brooks of the NY Post to be $62.2 million, they conceivably could have a salary load of approximately $52.87 million.

On that basis, the team has approximately 45% of its available cap money tied up in its forward corps.  Now remember that we accounted for 14 forwards, some of whom likely will not be with the team.  Additionally, later in this piece we will be looking at which players are available for Winnipeg to target in free agency.

The next stop in analysis will be a focus on the team’s Defencemen.

I)      Forwards;
II)    Restricted free agents, Cap Situation;
III)  Defensemen;
IV)   Goaltending; and
V)     Unrestricted free agents, Cap Situation and the team moving forward.

Winnipeg’s NHL team roster analysis: Part I

It is highly unlikely that anyone has come down from the incredible high that has been the return of NHL hockey to Winnipeg.  Fifteen years ago when the team left the City of Winnipeg for the desert in Phoenix, Arizona, not many people believed a team would ever return.

On that late April day in 1996 my dad told me that the NHL would be back in Winnipeg in ten years.  He said the NHL landscape would change and the cities from which teams had left would get an NHL team back eventually.  Few, if any, held the same sentiment.  While it eventually took five years longer than his prediction, I’ll call his fatherly foresight and optimism the main reason for my same optimism surrounding the team returning.

It is that optimism that should abound when looking forward to Winnipeg’s current roster.  By same optimism I mean a sense of positivism combined with a sense of patience and an awareness of reality.

The team arriving in Winnipeg to open the season this upcoming October is by no means an expansion franchise.  On the contrary, the team has a strong base with which to work, especially on defense.   A young talented netminder and some talented and potential ridden forwards augment the young and talented defensive base.

That will be music to Winnipeg fans’ collective ears for those old enough to remember back to the Jets’ move from the WHA into the NHL and the accompanying ravaging of the team’s roster.  This time around a young base, many of whom have yet to hit their prime years, awaits a ready-to-explode fan base.

Analyzing the construction of this roster requires both a micro and macro review.  Winnipeg can be competitive, much like almost every team in the NHL under a salary cap, but the key is building this team moving forward.

Read more about the Thrashers forwards after the jump by clicking read more.

In some ways, maybe it is best for the team to move a slow rebuild through the first three or so seasons building towards a dominant team after the luster of the return has slightly worn off.  Quick fixes do not work in sports anymore, if in fact they ever did and the people in charge of Winnipeg are keenly aware of that.

Winnipeg has strengths and weaknesses, and while the offensive core has some building blocks, there is much room to grow in all aspects of the roster.

Forwards

Winnipeg has nine forwards signed for next season at a combined cap hit of $15.09 million.  That means that they have an average of $1.68 million allotted per forward.  That is a minimal cap obligation; especially considering that the NY Post reports the cap may exceed $62 million.

Here are the team’s forwards under contract for the 2011/12 season:

The average age of the above players is 23.8 years old.  That is a very young core–especially amongst the potential impact players within the group.  Evander Kane at 19 years old has already played two full NHL seasons.  Alexander Burmistrov was drafted a year after Kane and played an impressive 74 games in his first NHL season.   Remember, these are the players signed for next season.

Here is a quick primer about the above listed group divided into levels:

1. Young, talented and some NHL experience: Kane, Little and Burmistrov.
2. Veteran scorers: Antropov
3. Forward prospects: Klingberg and Cormier
4. Veteran depth forwards: Slater, Thorburn and Stapleton

Part II will examine restricted free agents and their impact on the team’s cap situation.

IllegalCurve.com is thrilled to announce that we are transitioning the site to ensure that we become your one stop shop for all the latest news, game day previews, game chats/threads, post game thoughts and in-depth analysis of the Winnipeg NHL franchise. We aim to be your best source for news about the returning NHL franchise, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year. Our mission statement is to be your home for NHL hockey in Winnipeg, and this is a commitment we take very seriously.

Over the next weeks and months, stick with IllegalCurve.com for your news about the new NHL franchise in Winnipeg, but be assured that behind the scenes this site will be overhauled to ensure that when the 2011/2012 hockey season gets underway, IllegalCurve.com will be everything you want in your source for NHL news in Winnipeg.

The entire Illegal Curve team is returning to cover every aspect of NHL hockey in Winnipeg.  We will have Rich and Kyle delivering in-depth analysis, Remis, Ez and Dave covering game day previews, game chats/threads, and post game thoughts, and Drew will return with his always colourful and highly charged opinion pieces.

The site will continue to work in conjunction with the Illegal Curve Radio Show heard every Saturday from 9 am to 12 pm on Sports Radio 1290.

There will be a number of ways for you to get your information from us, namely;

#1 – The Illegal Curve.com Web site.

#2 – Facebook Group.

#3 – Twitter.

For those who have been reading a number of years, we thank you for your dedication.  For new readers, we welcome you to the fold.  This is an exciting time for the City of Winnipeg, and those that love NHL hockey and we are pleased that you’ve entrusted us to be your #1 source of news and analysis.

We know you’re as excited about the team returning to Winnipeg as we are. Feel free to sound off in the comments section and let us know your thoughts!!!

Welcome Home NHL, Welcome Home.

However, when NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly appeared on The Illegal Curve Hockey Show on November 27, 2010, his comments on our show sparked a series of rumors about the potential relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers. Daly’s comments didn’t go unnoticed, as every major media outlet picked up on his comments as the speculation on a potential move began.

Here are Mr. Daly’s comments on our show:

Listen to the full interview here:

Bill Daly Interview

It is amazing to think that 5 months later,  it appears we are about to have NHL Hockey in Winnipeg. We at Illegal Curve are extremely excited for the week to come.

The website began as a fun project between a few friends and morphed into quite a time-consuming, yet highly satisfying and fun endeavor  We needed just one look at the way IllegalCurve.com looked on September 4th, 2007–the first day of the site’s existence–to realize how far the site had come.  Hundreds of thousands of hits later, we have collectively decided that the site, while we love every minute of writing and analyzing and providing hockey information to our readers, is just too time consuming a task if it is not considered a full-time job.

The opportunities the site created for us were, and still are, endless.  Through IllegalCurve.com we have met and interviewed some of the most significant players in the hockey world.  Whether it be interviewing Mike Keenan and Vincent Lecavalier in person, or interviewing Eric Duhatschek and Scott Morrison on the radio show, we have been allowed to hear the latest and most in depth hockey information from the most informed members of the hockey world.  Further, we have been able to meet many of the other bloggers and website writers and have an enjoyable and respectful hockey dialogue with them.  Without IllegalCurve.com and your support none of that would have been possible.

While we have the utmost in gratitude for other writers, our guests and interviewees, we owe our biggest thank you to you–the readers.  Without your constant support in the way of website traffic, emails, tweets, phone calls we would not have felt worthy enough to take the chances and strides that we did.  Simply, IllegalCurve.com would not have lasted for thousands of posts and for over two years if not for your support.

While I am writing this post on behalf of the entire staff, I would be remiss if I did not thank the many writers who have contributed to the website along the way.  From the beginning writers on September 4th, 2007, such as Kyle Kosior and Ezra Ginsburg to co-creator Michael Remis, everyone contributed to IllegalCurve.com along the way.  If not for the writings of Ari-Baum Cohen, Drew Mindell, Neil Rockman, Adam Gutkin, Rusty Parra and last, but certainly not least, David Minuk, IllegalCurve.com would have merely been an idea.  A special thanks also goes out to some our new recent contributors Daniel Hogan and Eric Burton.

You see, IllegalCurve.com has been the consummate team effort over the past two years.  In reality, IllegalCurve.com has been the consummate hockey team.  We worked hard together and did it for little else than the love of the game.

Luckily for us, IllegalCurve.com will live on in some form.  The IllegalCurve.com Radio Show–now the Illegal Curve Radio Show–will continue to air every Wednesday night in Winnipeg on 92.9 KICK FM, and online, from the usual 7pm to 9pm Central time.  Additionally, we hope to have our show up in ITunes in the next little while.

With the closing of the website, I wanted to provide the contact information for all of the site’s writers should anybody out there be interested in asking any of our site’s great writers to write for their websites.  I cannot guarantee they will come on board, but I can guarantee that if they do, they will provide you with some great work.

Alas, that brings us to a close.  Again, thank you to all our readers for the tremendous support along the way.  If some readers out there do indeed miss us, I can assure you we will miss writing for you just as much.

For the IC Team.

Signing off,

Richard Pollock

We are on tonight from 5PM-8PM CST breaking down Team Canada’s Olympic Roster announcement.

Listen at 92.9 KICK FM in Winnipeg or by clicking the radio icon in the top right corner.

Call us at (204) 780-KICK(5425) or email drew@illegalcurve.com

With the Olympic roster announcement on the horizon, we at IllegalCurve.com have decided to hold a Team Canada Roster Pool.

Here are the details:

• Select the 13 forwards, 7 defencemen and 3 goalies who you think will be selected by Steve Yzerman and Company on December 30th, 2009.
• Each correct selection is worth one point–therefore, the maximum point total you can accumulate is 23.
  

• There will be prizes (which will be announced on Monday) for first, second, third, fourth and fifth place.

• Ties will be decided at random via lottery.

• Winners will be announced on the IllegalCurve.com Radio Show this upcoming Wednesday, December 30th, during our special 5pm-8pm Central time Olympic show.

Go to the Team Canada Roster Pool Page to the enter the pool.

On the show, we will breakdown Team Canada, as well as the other already announced Olympic teams.

We are currently working on securing guests.

Hope you tune in.

Sincerely,

The IC Team

Here are the details:

• Select the 13 forwards, 7 defencemen and 3 goalies who you think will be selected by Steve Yzerman and Company on December 30th, 2009.
• Each correct selection is worth one point–therefore, the maximum point total you can accumulate is 23.
  

• There will be prizes (which will be announced on Monday) for first, second, third, fourth and fifth place.

• Ties will be decided at random via lottery.

• Winners will be announced on the IllegalCurve.com Radio Show this upcoming Wednesday, December 30th, during our special 5pm-8pm Central time Olympic show.

Go to the Team Canada Roster Pool Page to the enter the pool.