Speculation is running ramped about which players will represent Canada. From now until early 2010, there will be numerous amounts of newspapers, articles, blogs and other forms of hockey writing from writer’s to aficionado’s across the country, speculating what the final roster of what the beloved team will be. Whomever they decide, we do know this, there’s certainly no shortage of talent. Players such as; Sidney Crosby, Vincent Lecavalier, Jarome Iginla, Dany Heatley, Dion Phaneuf, Chris Pronger & Mike Green are all locks (barring injury) to make the squad. The management crew certainly does not want to be expeditious in determining the line-up, it would be wise to be very methodical in choosing the players as last Olympics did not fair so well. That being said, there is a myriad of other choices when determining the final roster. Canada has enough talent to send 3 full teams to the 2010 Olympics. However, we do not live in a perfect world and management will have to settle for cutting some very good players that deserve to represent their country on the international stage. In the wake of the managers being named, I thought I would offer my two cents on which players have an excellent chance on being selected:

*Joe Sakic & Scott Niedermayer not listed because of career uncertainties

The biggest controversy will be on the situation of goaltenders. Canada is certainly too deep between the pipes. The main question will be; who is more deserving, Roberto Luongo or Martin Brodeur? While Brodeur has the experience, that in itself may be his downfall. There has been talk that he may be showing signs of aging, coupled with his lackluster performance at the last Olympics could prove to management that Luongo is the right man for the job.

With the NHL toying with the idea that this may be the last time they send players to compete for the Olympics, (although I doubt that will be the case) it certainly puts pressure on the players to make a push to represent their country. For all of these players, it will be the first time they will compete for Olympic glory at home in Canada, they will all want a shot to play. Of course injuries and performances of this year and the early part of next year will play a huge role in who ultimately gets to compete in Vancouver. But for now, isn’t it interesting to speculate?

Until next time,

Alex Fineberg

The Collective Bargaining Agreement was an utter nightmare for MLSE. No longer could they purchase the most expensive players in the off-season in an attempt to contend for the Stanley Cup like they had in previous years. They were forced to change their ways. In an effort to get a fresh start, they decided to part ways with long-serving GM Pat Quinn and introduced the relatively unknown John Ferguson Jr. However, MLSE was not going to let the former scout do as he pleased. Every trade, signing, waiver move and decision was to be passed to the board for review. CEO Richard Peddie was adamant that every decision go through him, in other words, it was difficult for JFJ to sneeze without Peddie feeling the mist. “Puppeteer” isn’t the right word, but it’s the first word that comes to mind. The situation certainly put the amateur GM in quite the quagmire. Perhaps if JFJ’s tenure were not so assessed, he may still be the boss. However, as we know, after three years of substandard and paltry decision making by the rookie GM, he was finally let go. The past few seasons have left Leaf supporters quite hopeless and disconsolate as John Ferguson Jr. led this team to post-lockout failure.

After the ineptitude of Ferguson was dealt with, it became abundantly clear to MLSE that a promise had to be made to the new GM. Richard Peddie and the rest of the board surely realized the error of their controlling ways, and assured that the new GM would have full autonomy over the club. This announcement came soon after the legendary Scotty Bowman was rumored to take over and demanded that this be a stipulation. Why they did not hire one of the most respected, most knowledgeable men in all of hockey is beyond me. “Mistake” isn’t the right word, but it’s the first word that comes to mind. But who am I to judge? There may have been many other factors contributing to the termination of this deal. Now that Mr. Bowman has joined his son on the revamped Chicago Blackhawks, this speculation is now over. The vacant spot was filled in by former GM Cliff Fletcher. He has taken the reigns for the remainder of the 2008-2009 season and has done an admirable job to date. He has previously stated that he is by no means a full-time replacement and is just ‘keeping it warm’. There have been numerous newspaper articles, press conferences, blogs and other forms of hockey writing that have speculated the future of the dormant General Manager position and the ambiguous state of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Watching past press releases and rifling through hockey articles, it became more and more obvious to me that Brian Burke would fulfill his contractual duties with the Anaheim Ducks and join the Maple Leafs at the inception of the 2009-2010 season. On paper, this seems like the most logical decision. He has long been rumored to want to manage the Maple Leafs, his wife is involved in the media and this hockey-crazed city would certainly bode well for her career, he would join long-time friend Ron Wilson and would undoubtedly be the highest paid figurehead in all of the NHL. Leaf fans should be excited at the prospect of this as Burke had constructed a solid foundation in Vancouver before joining the Anaheim Ducks and winning a Stanley Cup within a couple years of his appointment. Without sounding overly patriotic, my fondness for him stems from his penchant for signing and drafting hard-hitting Canadian born players. For me, this is unparalleled and it certainly doesn’t go unnoticed. His resume speaks for itself and is certainly shaping up to be the chosen one for many Leaf followers. While this very well may be case, it’s quite certain by the way MLSE has handled previous situations, that anything is possible.

However, everything in Leafland is not how it seems. This fairy tale is seemingly about to jump through some hurdles. With speculation running ramped, the idea of Burke being the knight in shining armor is slowly becoming less and less of a reality. MLSE may be beginning to explore other options should the long rumored assumption not come to fruition. Something we have all heard before. “Typical” isn’t the right word, but it’s the first word that comes to mind.

In a recent interview with co-owner Larry Tanenbaum, he ostensibly shut the door on recent speculation of long-time Detroit Red Wing Steve Yzerman taking the reigns after this season. I understand MLSE being hesitant to hire another rookie GM as the first experiment did not go as planned. They have stated in previous press releases that the new GM would have extensive experience and a proven track record. But I would not be so quick to dismiss the long time player. For sometime now, Yzerman has been working side by side with Ken Holland, Scotty Bowman and the other brilliant hockey minds that comprise the Detroit Red Wing staff. He has certainly been educated on the intricacies and the savvy of putting together a Stanley Cup squad. As a player, he has won on virtually every level he has played in. As a Peterborough Pete he was a star attraction, he won the championship in both the World Junior’s and the Olympics, if that is not enough, he captained the Detroit Red Wings to three Stanley Cups. I would concur that this Hall-of-Fame candidate unquestionably understands how to win. However, it is argued that these feats have come as a player and he has merely only begun to get his feet wet in a managerial role. Steve Yzerman is undoubtedly one of the greatest players to ever play the game, but that is by no means a reason to hand over an enormously demanding position, one that he has very little experience in.

Another option that hasn’t grabbed headlines as of yet is the idea of Joe Nieuwendyk becoming Cliff Fletcher’s successor. Considered one of the top minds in hockey today, Nieuwendyk was coveted for quite sometime. In the off-season, the Florida Panthers granted Toronto permission to talk to him and he was hired almost instantaneously. He was recently named special assistant to the GM where he will observe his surroundings and garner the aspects of running an organization. Perhaps Nieuwendyk will be given a long look as the replacement once Fletcher departs. However, much like Yzerman, he may be too inexperienced to assume the job. It’s difficult to speculate at this point what MLSE’s plans are with the former Toronto Maple Leaf, but it certainly seems as he is being groomed for the General Manager position at a later date.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have certainly benefited from the past years of Stanley Cup success dating back 40 years ago. The tradition of being an aficionado of the blue & white has been passed down from generation to generation. Will this trend of blind faith continue with a losing franchise? That question remains to be seen. As MLSE is seemingly putting the business aspect on the backburner in an effort to promote new winning ways, it seems logical that they hire someone competent and experienced enough; to usher in this new era. The new GM, whomever that may is, will be expected to make this losing team contend for a Stanley Cup almost immediately. This organization is on a downward spiral and is becoming less and less efficacious year after year. How long will it take for MLSE to realize that while they may have an extensive collection of faithful fans in the present, this may not be the case in the future if they continue their losing ways. “Panic” isn’t the right word, but it’s the first word that comes to mind. Let’s hope for Leaf fans everywhere, they make the right choice.