All-Purpose Hockey Thread II

It'll be the same story with John Tavares. I wasn't for including him in the 2005 OHL draft but I have to admit, the kid is the real deal. He's got 74 points, including a league-best 39 goals, in only 37 games and he just turned 16 in the fall. What's he going to do for an encore next year when he's actually eligible for the NHL draft?

 

It was a good read. I especially liked this part:

As I've stated here before, low television ratings don't affect my NHL fan self-esteem. I don't care if the NHL never adds another fan. If they just replaced us with a new passionate fan when we die, I'd be fine. The popularity of the NHL has no bearing on my love for the sport. I'm certain the fan base's intimacy is a healthy percentage of my attraction. Case in point: As the NFL has become more popular over the last 20 years, I've liked it less.

Game, set and match. Winner, John Buccigross.

 

Double J, Tavares was born in late September which I believe it means he's not eligible for the draft until 2009.

 

Mr R,

You are correct. Tavares = 2009. Longest (and likely most unnecessary) adolescence in jr hockey since, well, since Denis Potvin's time in Ottawa. Nice arena, tho'.

YHS, etc

 

Wow. That means he'll have four years in the OHL and will likely be taking a run at its career records for goals and points. The goals record is 215 (Peter Lee of Ottawa) and the points record is 479 (Stan Drulia of Belleville, Hamilton and Niagara Falls).

Tavares already has far more goals midway through his second season (84) than Lee had after two full seasons (64). Figure on him reaching 100 for his career by March. Then he'd only have to average 58 goals over the next two seasons in order to pass Lee.

Drulia had 135 career points after two seasons and 213 after three seasons. Tavares is already at 151 and could crack 200 by the end of this year. If he does so and then averages 140 points per season in his third and fourth years, he'll also beat Drulia, who needed five years to set his record.

BTW, the OHL's single-season records for goals and points are 87 (Ernie Godden of Windsor, 1980-81) and 192 (Bobby Smith of Ottawa, 1977-78).

 

Leaving him to play Tier II would have been unfair for everybody concerned (except for maybe the Milton IceHarks and Logan Couture, I imagine).

The kid had 45 as a 15-year-old, which is nuts. Spezza only had 22. Of course, Spezza had 49 assists and played on an expansion team, but the 05-06 Generals weren't loads better than the 98-99 Battalion.

I can only imagine the carnage if Tavares were to be stuck in the OPJHL.

 

What's worse for his development -- leaving him in Tier II for one additional year or keeping him in the OHL for four years? Either way, he's going to be playing junior hockey for five years and, by the end of it, be so far ahead of the competition it won't be funny.

Unless he bolts at 17 to play pro with a team that won't abide by the existing arrangements which, of course, are geared only to the benefit of the NHL and the CHL. Give him a five-year contract, guaranteed to protect him if he gets hurt but with an out for both sides if he lasts the year and gets drafted into the NHL.

Everybody benefits. Tavares gets to play against better competition and finally make some half-decent money, Oshawa gets the three years out of him that it normally would have enjoyed, his minor-pro team gets huge exposure (and fan dollars) and the NHL gets its next superstar when he's 18.

 

By the new Hockey Canada model, Tavares was ineligible to play in the OPJHL last year- but could score 45 OHL goals starting the season as a 14-year old.

He's a fine prospect- still needs to work on his skating and acceleration a bit, but he has the uncanny knack to be in the right place all the time, especially in the offensive zone. And he has the ability to redirect shots as well as anyone. There are some pretty special prospects in the late 90 and 91 age class that I have seen (watch out for some defensemen from Tre Kronor) but it will take something huge to supplant Tavares from the top spot.

 

NHL Leading Scorers--by Nationality

http://mirtle.blogspot.com/2007/01/leading-scorers-by-nationality.html

Norway needs to work on their development programme.

(BTW, this guy's blog is pretty damn good. He's a sports editor at the Globe)

 

JR,

I would assume you've read "The Men in the Nets" by Jim Hunt at some point.

 

Evidently, prior to last night's game, Derek Boogaard said something along the lines of 'there is no one able to challenge to me in the NHL.'
Then he met Eric Godard, called up from the Ak-sar-ben Knights to the Flames roster ... and just in time, I'd say.
Boogaard is now out with a concussion and stitches underneath one of his eyes.

 

A buddy just told me he heard Forsberg is headed to the Flames.

Apparently the deal is: Lombardi, Kobesew and a 1st rounder for Peter the Great.

Anyone else heard this?