Another Round

Well we start the conference finals Friday. The Ducklings host the Oil in the west. Carolina take on Buffalo back east.

Some more invites to the Captains Club have been revoked. Joe Sakic, of course, but he’s a member already.

Patrick Marleau. Hold your head up high. You are a great leader on a great young team. I suspect you are going to have several more opportunities to be invited into the club in the coming years.

Interesting the NJ Devils do not have a player who wears the ‘C.’ Had they won likely the cup would have been passed from Bettman to either Elias or Madden. Other teams have won the cup with no ‘C.’ For example, the Bruins with Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr won in ’70 and 72 with no player wearing the ‘C.’

The other player to have his invite rescinded was Daniel Alfredsson. This one creates the most buzz. For whatever reason there is a bias towards Canadians in the Captains Club. In fact if you forget those Scottish and even one Russian born players from back in the 1800’s and early 1900’s every Stanley Cup champion has been Captained by a Canadian – with one exception Derian Hatcher an American – Dallas Stars in 1999. Even this distinction has a footnote. Many believe Mike Modano was the Captain of that team – he is also American. Others say Hatcher was injured in the final series and that the ‘C’ was worn by Joe Nieuwendyk – a Canadian when the cup was passed to the winners. For my money Hatcher receives full credit for being the only modern era, non Canadian, cup winning Captain.

Alfy, of any European born Captain, plays the game, in my opinion the most like a Canadian. He’s a former Calder Trophy winner. He’s had 56 points and 58 penalty minutes in 79 playoff games. Will Alfredsson get another chance to win? Most likely he will. Will it be as a Captain? I suspect not.

Ciao,

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Tags: hockey

Sorry Burnaby Joe

Well Mister Sakic… not this year. Not in ’06. Anyway you have two rings. You've been handed the challis and lifted it over your head. But being from a ‘burb of Vancouver you understand. It is bitter but you swallow and accept it. Your mind, your teammates, your fans tell you “maybe next year.” Yes isn’t it always “maybe next year.”

Ciao,

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Tags: hockey; Vancouver+Canucks; Colorado+Avalanche

Cup Captains

Captain’s Club Members

Dave Andreychuk, Arthur Coulter, Aubrey "Dit" Clapper, Bill Cook, Bob Davidson, Bob Gainey. Bobby Clarke, Bruce Stuart, Cecil Blachford, Charles Joseph Sylvanus "Syl" Apps, Chuck Gardiner, Clarence "Happy" Day, Dan Bain, Denis Potvin, Derian Hatcher, Doug Young, Dunc Munro, Ed Litzenberger, Eddie Gerrard, Emile "Butch" Bouchard, George Armstrong. George Boucher, Guy Carbonneau, Harry Trihey, Harvey Pulford, Hector "Toe" Blake, Henri Richard, Howard McNamara, Jean Béliveau, Joe Malone, Joe Sakic, John Gottselig, Lanny McDonald, Lionel Hitchman, Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier, Maurice "Rocket" Richard, Mike Grant, Modere "Mud" Bruneteau, Pud Glass, Ralph "Cooney" Weiland, Reginald "Hooley" Smith, Scott Stevens, Sid Abel, Sprague Cleghorn, Steve Yzerman, Sylvio Mantha, Ted Lindsay, Theodore Samuel "Teeder" Kennedy, Tommy Phillips, Wayne Gretzky, Yvan Cournoyer

From the modern era of the NHL I am missing 1925 (maybe Lester Patrick), 1922 Toronto St Patricks, 1918 Toronto Arenas and 1917 Seattle Metropolitans.

Missing from the ‘challenge years’ 1915, 1914, 1912, 1908, 1903, 1902, 1899, 1896, and 1894.

New candidates for induction this year: Jason Smith, Mike Modano, Jerome Ignila, Scott Neidermayer, Greg Johnson, Patrick Marleau, Daniel Alfredson, Rod Brind´Amour, Saku Koivu, Daniel Briere/Chris Drury, and Keith Primeau.

Passed the selection committee’s first round test: Jason Smith, Partrick Marleau, Scott Neidermayer, Daniel Briere/Chris Drury, Daniel Alfredson and Rod Brind´Amour.

Exiting member with hopes to exclude new membership in 2006: Joe Sakic.

Ciao,

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Tags: hockey