A new identity

It is with a lot of emotions and pride that we are announcing today that the Newmarket Cougars are no more.  Instead, taking a page from the past of this ownership group, we are announcing that team will now be known as the Newmarket Killer Bees:

The RHL used to have a franchise with that moniker from RHL0 to RHL11. Then it became simply the Bees until the franchise was disbanded after RHL14.

We are back baby....we are back.  The Killer Bees are back.  It's about time.  We missed the buzz the Bees brought to the ice every night.

A Signing With Heart?

With no one making a move to sign Claude Lemieux, today the Guelph Reapers made a signing of the heart but not the head.

The Reapers signed veteran Claude Lemieux, long time RHLer back from a four year absence. The move was definitely one to honour the idea of RHL Analysis and the legend of this players career. While it is believed Lemieux won't play more then a game or two, the Reapers wanted to give this veteran a chance as he announced his return to the game.

"It is nice to be wanted." Claude said. "I told the RHL I wanted back, but no one stepped in until I got the call from Mr. Gandour."

"It is a move with heart in mind," GM Gandour said, "but we still feel he has a role to be played. Claude is a veteran who deserves a chance if that is what he wants. With that in mind we brought him back so the record books will know he made a return. If he never played a game this year, his journey back and battle to get back to shape would be forever lost."

It is believed Claude will play a limited checking line role, his most useful attributes. It won't exactly strike fear into opposition hearts but his leadership and knowledge of the game will help. It is also believed the Reapers have a side arrangement with Claude that will see him stay on as a Reaper team member off the ice after this season.

Reporting for your Reapers,

Sal Trachan

A New Beginning

HEADLINE SPORTS (ON) - Guelph

It is a new year for the Guelph Reapers. With a new year, and new blood, and new life, there is new hope. Will there also be a new outcome?

Both fans and management alike have endured a roller coaster of emotion the past four months. This team went from an incredible run to a heartbreaking 7th game loss in the Kings Cup Finals. Shortly after that, the team went on to lose long time fan favourite and RHL Scoring Leader Shane Doan to free agency. Not long after that, another legendary Reaper and scoring champion Vincent Lecavalier was dealt away. As if the shakeup was not enough, first ever Reaper Pavel Kubina was dealt leaving the team minus all three of its captains.

"It was a tough stretch," GM Gandour said to me in an exclusive interview for RHLCentral Blogsphere. "We lost the title we wanted so bad, we lost our co-captain and scoring leader to free agency. We had to overpay to sign Vinnie, and to keep him would have left us no room to breathe or make a single move. Thus went our second co-captain. Pavel was another contract we needed to move. He was signed to big dollars years back when he was a top two. He was not going to fit in with our new revamped D at his salary. With the contracts we freed up we began to rebuild. The minimal assets we got back were only part of the moves. The players we were able to sign were the rest. To add Paul Kariya in free agency replaced Shane Doan, something we could not do had we kept Vinnie. Adding Peca, Neilsen and Connolly gave us Sakic and Vinnys replacements. Quincey replaces Kubina nicely for us and suddenly we have a few more assets then we did before in the process."

For those of you just joining us, the name in there that might have caught you off guard is Tim Connolly. Today the Reapers announced a deal sending two 2nd round picks off to the Grizzlies for skilled Centre Tim Connolly.

Connolly brings a great deal of playmaking skills and offensive flare. He is gifted at reading plays as they happen and finding his linemates in the open. Tim however does come with some question marks. He is injury proned, and that makes him more of a risk then Vinnie would have been. He also can not play the long ice time Vinnie can so that makes him less useful as a number one, a role he must fulfill this season. What Tim does bring is some nice intangibles. His versatility to play wing as well as Centre gives the Reapers their first option at Centre in over two years. Sakic, Fedorov and Vinnie last year were all Centre only options. Connolly also brings a much MUCH more reasonable contract and three more years of contract. After this season, he will be a lot healthier for the next two and under a million is unheard of for top end talent of his calibre as we saw in auction this year.

Connolly will however have support this year for his injury proneness. He has Sergei Fedorov who ate his wheaties, drank his red bull and hulked up for this season. He also has new additions Frans Nielsen and Mike Peca to support him with the ability to step into bigger roles. Ryan Johnson and Stephane Yelle bring up the rear with great defensive presence.

Connolly is tied for the second highest rated passer in the RHL... behind only one person, Paul Kariya who will patrol his left wing side this season.

Kariya is a rarity in the RHL. A 6 rated passer with great speed and awesome offensive instincts will be hard to contain by opposition defenses. The similarities with Connolly and Kariya are eerie. Both players have awesome offensive potential. Both players are incredible playmakers with an uncanny knack for finding the perfect pass to the man in the clear. Both are new acquisitions for the Reapers. Most importantly both players are stepping into huge shoes. Did we mention both players are so injury proned that they may just break a leg walking to the arena entrance?

"Yes I thought of that," GM Gandour told me in our exclusive. "Both these players have had a hard time lately, but both also want to prove to the league they can play. Both are driven, and very motivated. We feel that managing their ice time right, we can get the most out of them. Luckily, we have a great coach who the past several years has proven an amazing ability to manage lines and get the most offense out of his players. This year we will test that to the max."

It is true that Coach DeBoer has managed to make the most of everything he has gotten. He seems to drag every last ounce of offensive flare from even the lower line players, and motivates them to give their best years in Reapers Black and Red.

If he can preform the miracle again, then this top line could remain one of the most deadly in the RHL. With two dynamic creative playmaking centres, there is only one piece missing. And patrolling the other wing is that piece. Arguably the best sniper in the RHL (ok Ovechkin may be better), Hossa will light the lamp as much as any Reaper has to date. Hossa also knows his own end of the ice, and is not as vulnerable as his linemates to injury.

"It is not a perfect solution," GM Gandour admitted, "but lets face it, if the Lecavalier's and Doan's of the world were easily replaced, then they wouldn't have been the most dynamic duo in the league last year, and two of the best players the past three years in RHL history. The truth is they led the league in points because there is no equal for them. So the option left us was a gambit. Two high powered potenet offensive players very capable of over a point a game, but with the risk of fossibly getting that ratio over 20 ames played all year. A risk for sure, but the chance to replace the offense lost is not easy."

The gamble takes a lot but gives new hope to the Reapers. When they are healthy, the team will still intimidate with offense, but now the team also has two stellar goalies. Last year Garon has to play a huge role and almost MVP year to carry his team. This year, Khabibulin back as a Reaper on a stronger squad this time, and Scott Clemmensen will split duties and both have proven they can step up and single handedly win games.

The biggest difference for the Reapers is their depth. For the first time in a long time, from lines 1 to 4, the team can ice players capable at both ends of the ice. Having the likes of Radim Vrbata, Frans Nielsen, Lee Stempniak, and Sean Bergenheim all capable of 20 goal campaigns and all on third or fourth lines, is exciting and brand new for the Reapers.

"We have never had a deeper team," GM Gandour commented to me. "We have players this year that will be benched that last year would have been regular third liners for us at worse. Even on defense we have 8 very skilled dmen despite moving two veterans."

Getting serious, the Reapers season will be full of nervousness, and questions. But the truth is, how is that different from any other Reapers Season? The only answer I can come up with, it is different because ever year is different. It is a new team, new players, and a New Beginning.

Reporting for your Reapers,

Sal Trachan

He Makes HOW Much?

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

It had been heard in whispers before free agency began. With bank balances at an all-time high, team payrolls deflated with so much cheap young talent, and a scarcity of top-shelf talent available in the auction, the possibility was there for major fireworks in the bidding for the top stars available in free agency.

That said, I'm not sure anyone was ready for this.

When the dust had settled, defenseman Rob Blake signed the richest contract in RHL history with the three-time defending champions. Blake, who had previously won the Kings Cup with the Rovers in RHL13, signed a one-year contract for a total of $10.815M. The contract includes a full no-trade clause. It is the highest base and annual salary ever signed in the history of the league and only the second player to surpass $10M in salary, joining Mario Lemieux who earned $10.3M in RHL3.

"We are thrilled that Rob is re-joining the Rovers", GM Stringer said in introducing Blake. "Obviously we paid a huge price, but we had targeted him as our #1 goal in free agency and we worked at it until it finally happened today. He's going to make our power-play run smoothly, he'll kill penalties, and he'll be that stabilizing #1 Dman that will allow everyone else on the blueline just play their roles that much more effectively. It's a great day".

"When the Rovers said they were interested in bringing me back, I was pumped", Blake said. "I had a great time here the first time and obviously winning a title here gave me memories for a lifetime, and hopefully we can make even more memories this season".

The bidding was intense as Blake's former team, the Grand Prairie Stingers, made a huge effort to retain their star Dman. Pushing the envelope past $10M, Grand Prairie eventually changed course and turned their attention to other defensemen when Baffin Island showed they would not back down. While many now point at the huge price tag and say that expectations will be enormous, Stringer isn't phased. "We already had high expectations for the team. We expect to win and we think we can do it. Hopefully Rob can find his place, settle in, and do what we know he's capable of. We believe, and our fans believe, that he will".

Goodbye Pavel!

HEADLINE SPORTS (ON) - Guelph

In what was another sad day for Reapers fans nation wide, today the Reapers announced the continuation of their rebuild efforts. Gone is original Reaper Pavel Kubina. Kubina was the Reapers first ever player in their expansion year, their lone selection in the dispersal draft which came before the entry draft and before the expansion draft. The original Reaper had played in every season with the franchise, entering his 8th year as a pro when Guelph opened its doors for the first time. Despite a long career already in place, his best years were by far in Guelph. In his six years here, he set new single season marks in goals (17 in RHL 16), assists (43 last season), points (54 also last season), plus minus (plus 46 in RHL 16 and beat it again this past year with a plus 64) as well as Power play goals (6 this past year). He recorded 5 straight 30 plus point seasons as a Reaper, a new record for Reaper defensemen. Kubina had 213 career points as a Reaper, making him 1st all time for Guelph defensemen and 4th all time for all Reapers. He also had 463 PIMs as a Reaper, making him 1st all time in that category. The truth is, it is hard pressed to find a Reapers Career category that Kubina's name is not at or near the top of. From games played (360 - 1st) to GWG (10 - 3rd) to points to playoff points, Kubina was a Reaper leader through and through. For milestones, Kubina had his 300th career point this past year with Guelph, and leaves the team one goal shy of his 100 career goal milestone.



Kubina was a part of six straight playoffs in Guelph, experiencing a title run in RHL 15 and making it to the Kings Cup Finals this past year before losing a heartbreaking 7th game to the three peating champion Rovers. Kubina notched 14 playoff goals and 44 playoff points in his six playoff runs with the Reapers, placing him 2nd all time in Reaper Playoff points. Sadly both his consecutive Reaper Playoff appearances and consecutive Reaper playoff point streaks will be ended not by his decline in performance, but by a trade.

The beneficiaries of this deal, the Thundercats, look to make Kubina a PP quarterback this season. Known for his hard accurate shot, Kubina is likely to light the lamp regularly in the Cats lineup.

Coming back to Guelph in the deal was young Danish forward Frans Nielsen. Nielsen has yet to debut in the RHL, but it is believed he will make the Reapers lineup this year and showcase his slick hands. Still it does not feel the same.

"Pavs will be missed," said Radim Vrbata, long time teammate and friend of Kubina's. "In the dressing room he was a natural leader and on the ice a diligent warrior. Still this is a business and we must move on."

"It was a difficult trade to do," GM Gandour admitted, "as hard as any I have made in my career. Kubina was a part of this team since its inception, and today it feels like we are losing a piece of the franchise. That said, it was clear to upper management that rebuilding was the track to be on, and Kubina was on the last year of his contract, making close to 2.5 million. To clear that off our books, and to get a young asset like Frans back made a lot of sense. Most offers for Kubina had involved taking back salary which we were against. We looked at our roster, and tried to determine which pieces were least integral to icing a contending team. It is sad to admit for a player who has bled for this team so much, fought so hard, but Kubina was entering this season as our 5th or 6th best dman. With the highest salary of anyone aside from Hossa, that made him hard to keep. We feel confident in the depth we have on D still, and look to make one or two other moves."

Reporting for your Reapers, who I hardly recognize anymore

Sal Trachan

Marian a Match

HEADLINE SPORTS - Guelph (ON)

Today word has come out that a deal may be imminent. The Reapers are said to be close to shipping out Marian Hossa to one of two destinations. While which two destinations are the finalists is unknown, what is known is that there was a lot of interest in Hossa.

"We fielded offers from 6 different teams," GM Gandour admitted, "and had inquiries that never got to offers from 5 others."

That acknowledgement represents almost half of the league. The GM was close lipped as to whether or not their was actually a deal imminent as rumoured, but he did admit that Hossa was not untradeable.

"When you are fielding lots of calls and offers you have to give serious thought to moving any player." GM Gandour admitted. "We are comfortable with our team as it is now, and could start the year with the roster we have. However if there is a fit that makes sense it is my duty to explore it."

The GM did not say which teams had offered but heavy speculation says that most every top contender from last season had made inquiries on Hossa, and a few "wild card" entries had also chipped in. It is also believed at least one of the expansion GMs had inquired to Marian's availability.

The Reapers are keeping things tight lipped for now, but the word we have is there are two, not one, but two take it or leave it offers now for Hossa with different teams. Now begins the waiting game to hear back from the teams.

"With Lecavalier we felt it was the ideal time to move him," GM Gandour stated when asked about his last deals. "He has been superb for us but no one can expect him to continue that pace forever. He was UFA pending, asking for a raise of considerable amount, and not quite as useful as he has been the past two years. Rather then let him walk for nothing, we signed and traded him. To get back two 2nd round picks, and two young emerging stars was a great return. Now we must decide on Hossa. He also required a large raise this year as he would have left UFA. The main difference for us is Hossa is just entering his best years. We feel he is far more valueable and we are ready to keep him if the offers aren't the fit we need."

It is also rumoured that the Reapers after missing out on multiple centres in auction are trying to acquire at least one via trade. As it sits now, the team would start the year with three C's under contract (Fedorov, Yelle and R. Johnson) while Novotny decides on his RFA offer and McCormick would be eligible at C. In truth, only Fedorov and Johnson are regular NHL calibre in that entire list, and the team moving Lecavalier left a huge hole to fill down the middle.

"It's no secret," GM Gandour admits, "that a Centre is something we are aiming for. But trade is not the only option. We have our eye on a free agent or two still in that position."

The Reapers have also openly begun talks on some of their defensemen. Most noteably, long time Reaper Pavel Kubina is finally available in trade.

"He was our first pick ever," Steve said, "and thus sentimental favourite of mine and our fans. However he has been a Reaper since day 1 and now may be the right time to move him. We acquired a lot of depth on D the past few days, and now have 10 serviceable dmen entering the year."

It will be interesting to see how the next couple of days play out.

Reporting for your Reapers,

Sal Trachan

Weeping not Reaping in Guelph

A sad day has come. Today the Guelph Reapers fans were weeping as news came across the wire that the hero of the past two seasons, and three season in a row 100 point man Vincent Lecavalier has left Guelph.

Vinnie came to Guelph in a huge dispersal draft day trade where Guelph managed to trade for the first overall pick giving up a package of lesser pieces featuring Timonen, Berglund, and two draft picks. Ironically one of those picks was AVI2 which today was part of the return package.

Vincent Lecavalier came to Guelph with high expectations and instantly formed a bond with Teemu Selanne. The two combined to be dominant and end 1-2 in scoring as the team was amongst the most feared offensively. After Selanne walked in free agency demanding more money then the team would pay, Lecavalier found new Chemistry with co-captain Shane Doan.

Lecavalier had his third straight 100 point campaign helping Doan on his way to his first scoring title. With Shane Doan now also leaving via free agency, the team again unwilling to pay the huge demand, Vinny was facing a third straight year with new linemates.

Marian Hossa, who has been speculated to be dealt, was set to be Vinny's newest linemate and somehow the team still had created a fear around the league that for a third straight year, the Reapers would boast one of the most deadly 1-2 punches going.

Sadly that came to an end today. The Reapers dealt Lecavalier to the Aviators for a package of young players and picks.

Coming back to Guelph are Lee Stempniak, Kyle Quincey and two Aviator 2nd round picks, this year and next. For many fans, the question is why?

"We had no choice really," admitted GM Gandour, "we had struggled with cash the past several years. To lose all our big free agents year after year to cash issues was killing us. We got nothing for Doan, nothing for Selanne. We knew we could not afford to pay Hossa and Lecavalier, but did not want them to leave for nothing as well. The sign and trade made the most sense. Getting Lecavalier to a new deal made him more of an asset to teams, and thus we manage to get back two very affordable and ready to contribute players into our lineup, and now for the first time in a long time, we have added picks assuring us of a role in next years draft and beyond. This was not a deal about winning, we know we can not win this deal. This was a deal about getting younger, stronger and using the space we free up to remain competitive."

The team still is believed to be shopping Hossa but if no deal is made in the next couple days, it is believed they will keep Marian in the fold. Meanwhile the GM was asked how he hopes to replace Lecavalier's offense and chemistry in the lineup.

"You can't," Steve answered, "but you can't stop trying. Vinny had an explosive talent for us, and will be deadly for the Aviators. They got a steal today. However to keep that dangerous duo streak alive would have meant being at our max cash with no ability to upgrade in any other areas. The over 3 mil saved here will be spent in auction to upgrade our offense and the pieces added will offset the loss a little. We still intend to ice a competitive lineup, it will just be more focussed on toughness and team work and less on individual stardom."

Lecavalier's contributions as a Reaper won't soon be forgotten. Perhaps the biggest impact any player has made in a Reaper jersey since Luongo joined the team in their second year, Lecavalier led this team to the finals this past year. He had 111 goals and 241 points in just 132 regular season games in Guelph. He was a plus 129 and had 19 GWG. Vinny managed 32 playoff points in 20 playoff games as a Reaper. He will be sorely SORELY missed.

With the Reapers,

Sal Trachan

Falcons Courting Turco

With the departure of starting goalie Rick DiPietro in the expansion draft, the Cleveland Falcons find themselves lacking a starting netminder - a problem they've not had to deal with since joining the league 4 seasons ago.

Who will fill the void? Rumors swirling around Cleveland have the Falcons targeting Marty Turco, spotted here with Cleveland GM Doug Deutsch. Several other teams have shown interest in Turco, and the auction is far from over, but Cleveland seems to have a leg up in the Turco sweepstakes...

* Two interesting notes: first, that picture is actually me posing with Turco at the NHL All-Star fanfest in Dallas in 2007. Second, the sweet Dave Ellett replica jersey I am wearing in the photo was purchased in Toronto in 1995 -- former Snow Dogs GM John Santore was with me (he bought a Rod Brind'Amour Flyers jersey), and we were on our way home from a mini-RHL conference at Jean Duteau's house in Ottawa...

Scythe Matters

In hockey as in many Sports, you Reap what you sow. So for the Reapers of Guelph, an amazing playoff run has a price. After coming a hairs breath from their first ever Kings Cup title, the team now must face a tough and difficult decision.

What do we do now?

The answer should seem simple. This team has always been a contender, and coming off their best year yet, challenging for the title should be certain. Unfortunately that is not the case.

"We incurred a large payroll bringing in the likes of Zubov, Hossa and Sakic last year." said GM Gandour. "The truth is that this team needs an identity, not just to keep pushing with what it has. Two roads lie before us... but which one to chose? The answer is said best by Robert Frost. 'I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.' If only I could determine which road less teams are taking. It makes sense in hockey terms, more demand and less supply."

With the team up in the air what to do, the natural focus of conversation went to the teams targets in Free Agency.



"We have shifted strategies there," GM Gandour admitted. "We had targetted two big pieces in the market at a price we felt was overpaying. To our surprise, both our targets went above our cap on day one. We have regrettably decided not to pursue Shane Doan's or Rob Blake's return to the Reapers. Shane Doan is done as a Reaper. We set out with our pro scouts and operations board to determine a budget, a set of targets with backup options, and an alternative plan for proceeding in auction. Unfortunately the backup plan was to focus on a long term plan without the immediate impact. With so few studs to select on the market, plan B out of necessity has come to pass. Our backup plan is to sign a lot of good depth players, and use them to fill roster gaps created by dealing our more tradeable assets."

With this revelation it is believed that both Marian Hossa and Vincent Lecavalier may be dealt this offseason. It is also believed that the asking price would be nothing less then the foundation blocks for the future in terms of a strong young team.

The Reapers however have not totally given up on bringing back some of their free agents.

"We remain optimistic" said GM Gandour, "that we can bring back one or two guys. Currently we remain in talks with Joe Sakic, Sergei Zubov and Scott Walker. We are also considering talks for Michael Nylander's return to Guelph. We did have to bow out of the Brian Boucher sweepstakes after hitting our max, but we believe we can still sign a good quality goalie without paying 1 mil plus for him."

It is believed the Reapers shifted interest to veteran goalie Johan Hedberg when Boucher told Guelph that he was heading elsewhere. IT is also beleived that if the team did dismantle, a tougher more volatile team would take its place. The only year this team was not a contender, they had records set for fights and PIMs. They had a team of goons that made for entertaining hockey. This philosophy has only been seen in recent years in games vs their rival the Calgary Browns. GM Gandour however has a slightly different view.

"We are not after players who only fight. We have been actively pursuing versatile forwards that can be an annoyance for other teams to play against. We were after Lucic for years, we added Cooke over a year ago, and Burrows was a long time Reaper. We are after guys like Laperierre and Asham, but seeing the price we may end up bowing out. If it comes down to it we may sign one or two goons, but we prefer players who can play a role beyond 3 shifts a game."

For now the Reapers are in multiple trade discussions. It is believed the team is heatedly discussing trades involving the likes of Marian Hossa, Scott Clemmensen and Ken Klee at this time. No word on if any deals are imminent.

From a free agency side, all the Reapers RFAs with the exception of Matt Foy were offered a minimal contract to maintain their rights. It is believed that the team will not pursue any other teams RFAs.

With the team talking future, I asked the GM why they were not active in the draft that just passed.



"We were active," GM Gandour argued, "but it never showed on the draft sheets. We were in talks that could have brought us into the draft in multiple areas and in every round. However in the end we believed the return was just not enough to justify the players we would have moved. Sometimes the best deal is the one you don't make, and I have years of that lesson ingrained into me. I still look back at the Malkin Blake deal and think MY GOD, WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING! That would have been a deal best never made."

Lastly the teams cash situation is such that despite an influx of over 2 million in cash awards, they still can not afford to spend wrecklessly. It is believed of all the offers the team has out currently, only two are over the 540,000 mark and one of those less then 1 million.

Reporting for your Reapers,

Sal Trachan

The newest francophone Cougar

Jason Demers, 2nd round draft pick by the Cougars, was finally introduced to the press by GM Robitaille last night:

"Thanks for joining us.  Tonight we would like to introduce the newest Cougar, Jason Demers.  We have been scouting him for a while, and his puck-moving capabilities and competitive nature is something we really wanted on our roster.  And we felt that we had an organizational need at defense that needed to be addressed soon considering the age of some of our current defensemen.  So for these reasons we made the trade that let us acquire the 2nd round pick that we used to draft Jason.  Some would say that we paid too much, but the Browns entered the trade talks for that pick in a position of strength, and we really thought that to be able to add Demers to our roster, a player who will most probably be a regular for our team as soon as next season, was something worth paying.  And now a few words to our French media.


C'est avec plaisir que je présente Jason Demers aux média aujourd'hui.  On pense que Jason va devenir un membre important de notre corps défensif des l'an prochain.   Je sais que j'ai eu beaucoup de pression des médias dans les derniers mois pour augmenter la présence francophone dans l'équipe.  Et certains vont arriver a la conclusion facile que de repêcher Jason est notre réponse a ces pressions.  C'est totalement faux.  Jason était, selon l'opinion de nos dépisteurs, le meilleur joueur de disponible au début de la 2ieme ronde du repêchage.  Et pour ce qui du fait francophone de l'équipe, on joue a Newmarket en banlieue de Toronto. Le nombre de fans francophone dans la région est minime comparé au nombre de fans anglophone. Le nombre de joueurs francophones sur l'équpe n'est pas un gros facteur dans nos decisions.  La meilleure équipe sur la glace est notre seule justification pour toutes nos transactions.

And to conclude, with the entry draft out of the way, the next step for the team is to a sign a couple of free-agents to complete our roster before the start of the training camp.  We are targeting a few players, made a few offers already, and hope to have some signings to announce to you in the next few days.   Thank you for coming tonight."

Cowen headlines Rovers draft class

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

Throughout the team's string of recent playoff successes, one side effect has been an increased workload on the scouting staff as they have sought to find impact players later in the draft. GM Steve Stringer believes his staff have delivered again after selecting four players, led by towering defenseman Jared Cowen.

Cowen, a hulking 6'5" defenseman from the Spokane Chiefs, was the Rovers first selection of the draft at 24th overall. Originally thought to be drafted much higher, Cowen dropped into the Rovers lap amidst injury concerns. "He blew out his knee last year, but he seems to have recovered from that. We're confident that he'll be a fixture on our blueline in the coming years". Despite having an abundance of defensemen on their prospect list in John Carlson, Keaton Ellerby, and Jeff Petry, and having recently acquired Niklas Hjalmarsson, some questioned the Cowen pick based on position. Stringer, for his part, simply quoted his team's draft philosophy. "Best player available. If we could have gotten a player with a top-end offensive ceiling, we might have taken that player. But we felt Cowen's upside was better than that of any forward or goalie in that part of the draft".

The Rovers did not have a second-round pick, despite furious attempts to move back into that round. When they finally did return to the podium, they tabbed a pair of forwards at the top of the third round in Richard Panik and Zach Budish. Panik is a skilled goal-scoring forward from the Belleville Bulls, while Budish is a bruising big-bodied forward with soft hands from the University of Minnesota. Both have size and skill and were attractive to Rovers brass. "We are excited about the potential of both of these players", Stringer said. "They'll be a few years away, but we plan to be patient and think that they could both be top-6 players in the future".

Seemingly finished at that point, the Rovers eyed one more player who was still available late in the round and picked up the phone to deal with the Kitchener Mounties. Swapping a third pick next season for the current slot, the Rovers grabbed goaltender Alex Stalock from the Worcester Sharks. Entering his first pro season as a presumed backup, Stalock shot to the starters role and never let it go, posting an AHL rookie record 39 wins in the process. "We're very happy to have gotten Alex here", Stringer said. "We felt that if teams had another year to watch him, there was no way he was going to be a third round pick in RHL21. With Pekka Rinne looking to join the big club, we felt it was an opportunity to replenish our organizational depth at the position".

Rovers Acquire Experience, Youth

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

The RHL off-season is no time to rest of ones laurels, even for a defending champion. The Baffin Island Rovers have subscribed to that theory and have pulled the trigger on two trades to bolster their present and their future.

First, the Rovers hooked up with the expansion New Jersey Titans to acquire defenseman Niclas Havelid. Havelid, a 12-year RHL veteran, has played 664 games and has posted 49 goals and 165 assists for 214 points. Going the other way are two prospects in defenseman Matt Hunwick and goaltender Ben Bishop, who was recently selected in Crystals dispersal draft. Draft picks were also exchanged. Havelid is known for his strong defensive game and shot-blocking abilities and the Rovers will rely on him to strengthen their back-end. "We've got some guys going to free agency and with that uncertainty we wanted to bring in another vet to shore things up. We're excited about what he'll bring to the blueline".

Then late last night a second trade was consummated... one that sees a three-time Cup winner leave the Rovers fold. With three capable goaltenders already on the roster in Chris Mason, Dan Ellis, and Jaroslav Halak, and with prospect Pekka Rinne expected to make a big push in training camp, it was clear that Baffin Island had one too many 'tenders. The log-jam was cleared when Mason was shipped to Airdrie for young winger David Perron and prospect defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson. Mason had been the Rovers' starter for their RHL17 and 18 titles, but had been relegated to a back-up role last season. As the franchise leader in games played and wins by a goalie, Mason posted an 88-33-18 record in 155 games, with 9 shutouts. Perron made his RHL debut for the T-Men last season, scoring 7 goals and adding 10 assists for 17 points while playing all 66 games while Hjalmarsson suited up for Airdrie's minor-league affiliate. "We want to thank Chris for everything he did for this team. He helped us win our last three titles and he'll be missed. But we couldn't pass up the opportunity to trade from a strength to add two outstanding young players. We expect David to have a great sophomore season and we look forward to Niklas continuing his development at our prospects camp".

With all this activity, the Rovers say they continue to look for ways to improve the club. Talks have linked them to a number of clubs in seeking a first-line winger, but sources say no deals are imminent.

Cougars move up to get their man

In a stunning move for a franchise not known to do many transactions, on Friday night the Cougars did a last minute trade to move up in the draft order of the 1st round of RHL20 entry draft. While the Calgary Browns where on the clock, with the 7th overall pick, they indicated to the league their willingness to move down in the draft order.  The Cougars then entered into negotiations with them and a hour later both teams had switched 1st round picks:  the Browns' pick in the 7th slot, and Cougars' pick in 12th.  In addition to this swap of 1st rounder, the Cougars sent to Calgary their 3rd round pick in next year draft, and prospects Brandon Mashinter and Anssi Salmela.

The Cougars then took front stage and announced the selection of Brayden Schenn as the newest Cougar. Schenn, a centerman with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL, is known to be the complete package at center:  good offensively, good defensively,  a leader on the ice.  Some scouts have compared him to a younger Pat Verbeek or Brendan Shanahan.  He is also the younger brother of Luke Schenn, a RHL prospects who is expected to make his RHL debut this season.  Brayden is no expected in the RHL for another couple of seasons as he continues to mature in the WHL.  Sources within the Cougars organization has indicated that while they had a few prospects they wanted to draft in the 12th slot, they felt that the chance to acquire a player of the skill level of Schenn in the 7th spot was worth the price to pay to move up 5 spots in the draft order.

As for the departing prospects going to Calgary, both were highly regarded by the Cougars.  Mashinter is a sleeper prospect not really on anyone's radar.  But he continues to accumulate good offensive stats with all the teams he plays for in very robust style of play.  Once his skating improve, as area he has been working on,  he could very well become a regular fixture in the RHL as a power forward or as a checking winger role. As for Salmela, the Cougars have been following him ever since he left Europe.  With the right team the mobile defenseman could become a reliable blueliner in the league.

And with the drafting of Brayden Scheen now a done deal, the team is now expected to be done for the rest of the draft.  Without any picks left, and recent talks to acquire additional late-round picks not resulting in any actual transactions, the team is expected to fold its tent, and go home to wait for the start of the free-agent auction.

The night before...

It was the night before the expansion draft, when all through the house 

Not a creature was stirring, not even a hockey player;

The skates were hung by the chimnet with care,

In hopes that the season soon would be there;

The players were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of Kings Cups danced in their heads;

But for eight Cougars players,  tomorrow night could be different and they might be sleeping in a bed in a different town with new dreams.  All of them are exposed in the incoming expansion draft, all for different reasons, all hoping for a different RHL future.

For Peter Forsberg, Joe DiPenta, and Randy Robitaille, they all three have already announced that they will be playing in Europe next season.  Forsberg after have a successful 2-season stint with the team.  Robitaille's performance was less impressive, but he carried the family name proudly.  As for DiPenta, he never found a regular roster spot with the team, more often than not getting relegated to 8th or 9th spot on the blue line depth chart.

Tomas Plilhal's future is also toward Europe, but he has decided to give the RHL one last season.  But as a UFA, this will all likely not occur in Newmarket.

Mike Grier and Adam Foote both came to the team near the trading deadline, knowing full well that their time with the team will be of the order of  a dozen games or so until they become unrestricted free-agent.  But both still have fuel in their tank, and should easily find employment somewhere in the league this season, via the expansino draft or via the free-agent auction.

Andrew Ference is a totally story:  signed 3 years ago, he has been a regular of the team for most of that period.  But trades done by the team in the 2nd half of RHL19 pushed him to 7th on the depth chart, a spot he is expected to continue to hold next season.  For him the expansion draft is his road to regular playing time in the league as a 5th or 6th defenseman.

And finally Stephen Valiquette, our favourite Freak (tm). For former best goalie of the league, and playoff MVP during RHL8, when he singled-handed gave GM Robitaille his one and only championship ring, his return to the RHL last season was disapointing :  3 games played, 2 losses.  More was expected from him in the 3rd goalie role for the Cougars.  RHL20 is going to see him back in that 3rd goalie role, looking for rare games behind Brodeur and Price, unless the draft allows him to escape town and become a backup with one of the new expansion franchises.

All these players are sleeping soundly tonight.  But the expansion draft could change the life of any of them.

RHL readies for Expasion Fever

Tomas Sandstrom. Bryan Smolinski. Ruslan Fedotenko. Steve McCarthy. Chris Osgood. Dave Scatchard. Brendan Morrison. The list is long, but not overly impressive. When it comes to stocking a new franchise with players, such have been considered the cream of their respective crops in past expansion drafts. However, while the list of available players is usually littered with has-beens and never-weres, there can always be a hidden gem, if you are ready to scour for them.

Consider Kurt Sauer, taken 43rd overall in a four-team RHL16 expansion draft by the Cleveland Falcons. Sauer was a young unknown at the time and slowly developed, though not quickly enough for the Falcons who moved him around the league until he was re-drafted in the RHL18 expansion, 12th overall to the Calgary Browns. Sauer now is poised to be a major contributor in RHL20, having blossomed into a legitimate 44 defensive defenseman. Or Rob Scuderi, taken much later in that same RHL18 expansion draft (35th overall), who has also bloomed into a 44 shutdown D.

Or consider the case of a prospect goalie that gets squeezed out in a numbers game. Going into the RHL15 season, the Chicago Gargoyles were set in net with Garth Snow and Manny Legace. However, they had a trio of young prospects pushing for time in Ari Ahonen, Maxime Ouellet, and Ilya Bryzgalov. All warranted pro contracts and when expansion came along, one had to be sacrificed. The victim was Bryzgalov, who was snatched up by the Grand Prairie Stingers and today is the starting goalie on that powerhouse young team.

And then there is the always popular pick-and-trade method of team building. While expansion teams can sometimes have little use for established vets, established teams may pay for their services. The Baffin Island Rovers never saw Brian Leetch or Andrei Nikolishin play for their RHL11 squad, but they did turn those players into Martin Erat, Brian Gionta, and David Legwand via two separate deals.

Wednesday night the RHL will stock the shelves of its two latest franchises, the Express and the Titans. While they have each selected a marquee player in dispersal, now is the time when they'll see who will actually flesh out their RHL20 lines. It won't necessarily be pretty, but it can be productive with the right preparation and a little bit of patience.

A message from the RHL Alumni Association HAG program (hire a geezer)

[Ed. Note: this was originally sent to the RHL mailing list]

It was a sad day for the now defunct Crystals organization.

 

"What is it with sports franchises not making it in Seattle" cried the mayor whose Name I could not be bothered to look up.

 

But harder hit then the mayor, or even the fans of the Crystals are the players who now find themselves out of work, and seeking the unemployment office.

 

"It sucks" said Martin Gelinas after hearing he would not be picked up by another corporation in the industry that is hockey.  "I have given my blood, sweat and tears for this league and my teams.  Now what?  Just because I retired and won't play any games for a team next year they won't pay me?  What kind of BS is this?"

 

Sergei Brylin had a different look at his new found freedom.  "I am happy to be free." said Sergei.  "I can now explore my dreams that I never had time for... like becoming a superstar on that CBC figure skating show!  If Claude Lemieux can do it, I know I can.  I mean I have tonnes of options, I could also apply for hockey gladiators!  My friend Jeff Ware told me all about it.  Fights on ice.  You know, tonnes of options.  So I am fine, really fine.  No need to worry about me.  Can anyone spare a quarter?  I need to call my family and see if they had any luck begging the KHL to take me as a zamboni driver."

For others there is yet hope.  Bret Hedican, Aaron Ward, Olag Kolzig and Fredrik Norrena still believe they will find a home.

 

"It is the nature of the business," Ollie the goalie said, "but I know that I can still offer a team a lot.  Sub par goaltending two to three games a year with a past his prime legend is something I know I can peddle to at least a few teams out there.  Sure I may miss 60 games with injury, but hey their is always the Leafs.  They are sure to pick me up as I am really really old and they always pick us old goalies up."

 

"I figure that it was the salary that scared them away," said Aaron Ward.  "I figure they will ask me to take a SMALL pay cut and then I will have a home.  I mean c'mon, who else could damage Scott Walker's fist so bad?"

 

It is a great time to be a RHL reject, it is Free Agency and most any reject can find a home.

New Jersey Titans Add Dany Heatley

Newark, New Jersey

The New Jersey Titans franchise is just weeks old, but they have already added one of the leagues top scorers in Dany Heatley. In a random drawing, the Titans won and elected to take the first selection in the RHL20 Dispersal Draft. After deep consideration of all available options, the team decided to add a proven and gifted goal scorer. General Manager Dan Sullivan had this to say about the first and newest player of the New Jersey Titans. "We are very pleased to have a player like Dany Heatley on our team. He brings tremendous goal scoring ability to our roster and is a player we can certainly look towards for leadership. He seemed as excited as we were to be the first player in Titans history and we look forward to great things with Dany."

On a smaller note, the Titans also added forward Stephane Veilleux via the Dispersal draft with the 25th overall pick (First selection in second round) and it appears that the Titans are done with the Dispersal and will now turn their attention to the upcoming Expansion and Entry drafts.

Prospect Zac Dalpe joins the Cougars

With the 12th pick in the dispersal draft, the Cougars selected 20 year old Zac Dalpe.  A 3rd round draft pick of the Crystals last season,  the centerman left Ohio State University in the NCAA this spring to turn pro with Albany of the AHL.  "We were really impressed by his intelligence, hockey sense, and his on-ice hockey performances this spring with 6 goals in 9 games in the AHL", said GM Robitaille. "Also, he comes from a good hockey family.  His dad, Paul, even has a hockey equipment business, Tape-2-Tape, where a young Zac can be seen on some of the promotional videos.  We expect Zac to slowly improve in the minors this season, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him with the big club in a couple of years."

Scouting reports on Zac Dalpe indicate that he is a good skater and excellent puck handler, and was one of the captains on his NCAA team last season.

A Branch of the RHL Ownership Tree

Each new off-season (and sometimes mid-season) brings with it a breeze of change for our beloved league: the selection of new prospects fresh out of the junior ranks hoping to make the big club, the pick up of free agents in the competitive auction, amendments made to the governing rules and others...

But the biggest change of all involves new ownership, and the departure of former management colleagues - who've decided for their own personal reasons, to get out of the trials and tribulations of owning an RHL franchise. For some its an easy choice as life continues and the "fantasy" must give way to the reality. After all, those of us who joined this incredible collective as teenagers are now husbands, fathers and slowly but surely approaching middle age. As frightening as that sounds, some of us still persist and try to relive our youth through our participation in This Game.

A while ago through a localized email discussion among the "west side" ownership group, some bits of nostalgia were raised, looking back at how we all got into this mess in the first place. And sure enough, the blame got solely placed on yours truly, the current owner of the Vancouver Olympians (and former RHL South Calgary Spartans, and St. Albert Spartans). For it all began almost seventeen years ago, when huddled in the basement of now Edmonton Eagles owner Chris Bourdeau's parents home, that I mentioned sheepishly that I was playing in a "fantasy league" on the internet. Now back in "those days", the idea of playing over the internet was still very much in its infancy. I can recall I was using a then state-of-the-art 14400 baud modem and 386-powered computer and using a very basic email software called PINE to read up on the latest results of my then FHL-based hockey club.

And when it spurned off to the RHL and the small renegade group was looking for more teams to fill, I approached my then group of school buddies and suggested they join me. How I convinced them to play a text based, no real live game play simulation while we were all engrossed over the then-mind blowing reality of Sega Genesis's NHL93, is still a mystery to me. Some joined the ride for only a short period of time, while Dave (through RHL17) and Chris (still alive and kicking!) are the longest holdouts. I think the pact that we made that one of us had to win the whole darn thing one of these times, is the only thing that is keeping Chris and I in the game. Now if the rest of your owners would just let us capture the trophy just once, I'm sure you will then have your easy pickings of fine young talent such as Kyle Okposo, Jonathan Toews, Jeff Carter, Jordan Eberle, and Mike Richards in a bountiful dispersal draft. :)

And now, its 2010. And I see that I've created a multi-headed Hydra. I think I got the time line straight, and here it is:

The Impossible Dream?

"Expansion doesn't create parity.. if after 10 season(s).. we haven't realized that then the league is going nowhere.." -tfw, Mar. 11, 2002

Thus spake Ted Wollnik, Jr., GM of the Chicago Gargoyles during the RHL10 season during an impromptu debate on the merits of expanding in RHL11 to allow two new teams... one of which would play in Iqaluit. His point had some validity; during its early years the RHL had a prohibitively unfavourable expansion process and those teams struggled mightily in their early years. Later the process produced more available players for expansion teams to peruse, but the success of an expansion team seem to be heavily linked to whether or not there was an accompanying dispersal draft the year that they entered. The recent expandees in RHL10 seemed to be far far away from competing with the fabled Mounties, Vampyres, StrapHangers, and Capones.

Ten seasons later, how has the RHL integrated its expansion franchises? The evidence would say very well. The success of the Baffin Island Rovers has been well-documented, winning four of the past six championships, but it goes well beyond just one team. A look at the RHL19 standings reveals the Rovers (RHL11), Guelph Reapers (RHL14), and Grand Prairie Stingers (RHL15) all earning home playoff dates. The Yellowknife Dangerous Penetrators (RHL13) have built a formidable stable of talent and are solidly a playoff team year in and year out. The Cleveland Falcons and and Victoria Cougars (both RHL16) have become playoff teams, relying on the savvy veteran leadership of GMs helming their second RHL franchises, and were joined in the playoffs by the Vulcan Mind Melds (RHL17). And while none of the three RHL18 expansion teams (Calgary Browns, Banff Grizzly Bears, New Westminster Salmonbellies) made the playoffs in their second season, two of the three (Calgary and Banff) did post more points in their second season than in their first and Calgary missed out on a playoff position by 3 points.

Of course, the historical powerhouses are still holding their own, and their continued excellence is one of the strengths of the league. The Vampyres, Eagles, Sockeyes, Mounties, and Olympians (former Spartans) all posted excellent seasons and continue to be among the cream of the league. The Capones have a list of talent that make most teams drool. The Funboys and StrapHangers, both former Kings Cup winners, can never be counted out. So the established teams haven't gone anywhere, yet a number of newer teams have been able to successfully force themselves into the conversation.

So where has the RHL gone, and where is it going? By any measure, it does seem as though the expansion throughout the second RHL decade has been a success. If the aim is to introduce franchises that can eventually, through smart drafting and trading, develop into consistently competitive entities, then the goal has been met. It's anyone's guess as to how much longer the Rovers current streak can last (no team has ever won four straight championships, so the odds are against them), but there will be others who will replace them. The Penetrators and Reapers have top talent throughout their roster, and (in this writer's opinion) it seems inevitable that the Stingers will eventually hoist the Kings Cup with their eye-popping roster. And while these teams seek to reach the summit of the RHL, the Mounties and Vampyres and other long-standing teams will lurk and continue to claim their victims, just as they should.

So as the New Jersey Titans and Fredericton Express embark on their RHL expansion seasons, look to the past and study how teams have been built. They haven't all been success stories, as the Tampa Bay Celtic Rays (RHL11), Pittsburgh SnowDogs II (RHL12), and Kansas City Monarchs (RHL16) will attest. Though if one thing has been proven, it is that success is attainable. The blueprint is there, written by franchises throughout a league that continues to go anywhere but nowhere.

A growing goalie controversy in Newmarket?

For Martin Brodeur  there are a few things in his RHL life that are a given: a good pay check, an unwritten no-trade clause, taxes, and more than 60 games played per season.  Before RHL19 he didn't play at least 60 games in only two seasons:  during RHL1 when the league only played 56 games (and he managed to play 52 of those), and RHL14 when injuries limited him to 58 games.  Then RHL19 game along, and the Newmarket coaching staff decided to limit his playing time to keep him more rested for the playoffs, and he was limited to only 57 games.  Carey Priced played 10, and Stephen "the freak" Valiquette played 3 games.

Now with RHL20 just around the corner, it is likely that the days of 60+ games for a older Brodeur are over:  young Price is eager to show that he can be a regular RHLer, which could lead to a regular rotation for the starting goalie job between him and Brodeur all season long.  As for Valiquette, it is not clear where he will be playing comes the regular-season since he will be left unprotected in the incoming expansion draft.

This could be a real challenge for the Cougars franchise to keep all these goalkeepers happy over the course of RHL20 and beyond