What a bloody joke this is. The Edmonton Oilers finish HIGHER than the Dallas Stars but have to participate in a “play-in” vs. the Chicago Blackhawks in order to get to the actual playoffs… Why would a team who was 2nd in their division when the regular season ended be required to win FIVE different playoff series in order to win the Stanley Cup? Where’s the integrity of the game there?
What’s funniest about this whole situation is that there’s a small possibility that the Oilers could win the draft lottery and have a shot at Alexis Lafreniere, Quinton Byfield, Tim Stutzle, or Jamie Drysdale should they lose the best-of-five series against the Blackhawks.
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Another thing that has me chuckling is Bill Daly saying, “If 1 or 2 players from a team tested positive for the coronavirus, it wouldn’t necessarily require a team quarantine. That continues to be the medical advice that both we and the Players Association (separately) are receiving.”
WHAT?! If two students in an elementary school in Taipei test positive, they shut the whole building down and send everyone home! To put that into perspective, an elementary school here could have at least 1000 students in it, if not hundreds more depending on the school. All sent home over TWO positive cases… One positive case cancels a class, that’s about 30 kids…
Is the NHL receiving medical advice from Trump’s advisors or what? Such an ignorant position to take… Absolutely irresponsible.
Now with that said, I will be watching the hockey games should they be televised. I’m guessing the Oilers should have a really decent chance against Chicago. Kane, Toews, and Crawford don’t scare me as much as Edmonton not really knowing how to handle the situation and blowing it does.
Mikko Koskinen and Mike Smith had some really nice momentum going just as the season stopped too and that pair builds it up at a snail’s pace plus they’re prone to some rank dips in form, something the Oilers cannot afford.
Now, what about the mindsets of players like Kris Russell, Matt Benning, and Markus Granlund? All three of these players are near guaranteed to be moved in the off-season, how will their performances go after such a long break and so much speculation?
My feeling is that the first hockey we see is going to be AWESOME though! It’ll be full of mistakes and creativity, the players will be revved up after such a long break, and the refs will be getting their games up to par as well, so the unpredictability there is going to be great!
But how long will fans in Edmonton “just be happy that hockey is back” if they lose out in three straight?…
New Jesse Puljujarvi Rumor
There’s some talk out of Sweden from one of their commentators, Teppo Laaksonen, that if Puljujarvi isn’t traded out of Edmonton that he might be better off landing in Sweden. The common belief is that the Swedish Hockey League is a bit better than the SM-Liiga and it would be an excellent stepping stone for the young Finn.
Laaksonen says there’s no shortage of teams who could use a player like Jesse. Clubs such as Leksand, Skelleftea, Farjestad, Linkoping, and possibly Frolunda are all in the market for a dynamic forward in Pulju’s mold.
To add to this, since European players cannot sign and start playing right away in the NHL, they may sign flexible deals in countries like Sweden, Finland, Germany, or Switzerland in order to be able to leave when the 2020/21 NHL season does commence.
BLH Hockey Interview Vol.3: Tyler Bouck
Now, full disclosure, Tyler and I grew up in the same town (Camrose, AB) and we played minor soccer against each other and together for many years. I even had a chance to step on the ice with him a couple of times, once when we were both trying out for out minor novice rep team (I got cut and he was too good so they moved him up a couple of levels), and the other time was during noon shinny at the old haunted Wild Rose Arena. We were on a 2v0 and I considered myself to be a pretty good skater at the time, I don’t think I’ve ever tried to move my legs that fast ever… JUST TO KEEP UP! Needless to say, Tyler gave me the easy tap-in and I, in my infinite hockey wisdom thought he was in a better position and passed it back to him but he was already behind the net by then… Personal shame ensued…
Anyways, I’ve always looked up to Tyler and he’s been so kind to me and my parents over the years. I’m glad we got the chance to chat about hockey. Here’s our short interview.
Who was your hockey hero growing up?
I was fortunate to meet Adam Graves the summer of 1990, which was right after the Oilers won the Stanley Cup and he was the centerman for the “Kid Line”. We struck up a friendship that lasts even today. Since meeting him, he was my favorite player and someone I always tried to be like. A great role model.
Which NHL team was your favorite?
I grew up an Oilers fan, and then when Graves went to the New York Rangers they became my favorite team. The 94’ Stanley Cup finals against Vancouver is still one of the best playoff series I have ever seen.
What was the best piece of advice given to you as a player?
I don’t think it was actual advice, but watching Adam Graves and how he approached the game on and off the ice and trying to pick up his traits was very valuable to learning what it took to go farther. Now that I am older, my advice to a younger player would be to just keep working hard to improve and never give up. I have become good friends with many NHL stars who were never drafted in the WHL draft, but just kept working and believing in themselves.
What is your favorite memory from your playing career?
I have many great memories from 14 years of playing pro hockey and 4 in the WHL. I made so many great friendships along the way and treasure them. I think the best memory was my last playoff run in the DEL in Germany. I hadn’t won anything and our team was a definite underdog. My last game was game 7 in the finals and our team won 2 to 0 and I got to hoist the championship trophy with my two young sons beside me.
Who was the hardest player you ever faced?
In my first year pro, I was lucky enough to play 48 games for the Dallas Stars and got to suit up against many of my childhood idols. I remember being in awe of Yzerman and Sakic the most. It was special for me to be able to play against many of these players, but over my career the one player who stood out as being extremely difficult to play against (or rather watch our checking lines play against) was Jerome Iginla. He was an all around great player and tough to play against as he could score, make plays, he played both sides of the puck, hit and he fought.
What was the World Junior experience like?
The world jr in Winnipeg is one of my fondest memories. Unfortunately, we ended up losing the final in OT. I got to play with some unreal players. Roberto Luongo stole the show the entire tournament and if it weren’t for him, I am not sure we would have even made the final.
You played for some very famous hockey coaches (Ken Hitchcock, Marc Crawford, Alain Vigneault), who was the most difficult to play for?
Hard to say who was the most difficult. I was a younger player playing for some the NHL coaches and just wanted to earn more ice time. So it was keeping my mouth shut and just working as hard as I could. My favorite coach ever was Kevin Dineen who I played 2 seasons for in Portland, Maine. He was an intense competitor and demanded a lot of his players, but he had a way to bring the best out of all of his players.
We both grew up in Camrose and back then there weren’t that many people living there, what kind of advice would you give young players who live in small communities like we did if their dream is to make it to the NHL?
I think it’s just not giving up on your dreams and working hard each day. Whether a young player makes the NHL, WHL or even a top tier team they want to try out for in the fall, there are just so many good habits and traits learned by having a goal and making sacrifices to achieve it.
I always found you were a great leader on and off the ice, do you think leaders are born that way or are they created?
I am unsure, but the best leaders that I have played with or observed have one thing in common – they always put the betterment of the team ahead of themselves. They also were some of hardest workers and inclusive of everyone on their team. The best leader I played with was Mike Keane. He won 3 Stanley Cups for a reason. He always played the game the right way and was such a great role model for me as a young player.
A massive thank you to Tyler! I’ve been nagging him for a while to see if he answer some questions for me and I’m really thankful he agreed. If you are looking to move into the Kelowna area and need a good realtor, head on over to Jane Hoffman Realty and ask for Tyler. There’s no doubt in my mind that he could set you up with something that you’d absolutely love.
