Ryan Malone, In Search of Help

I am sure that it is most disconcerting to Steve Yzerman and the other brass at the Tampa bay Lightning to deal with the situation concerning forward Ryan Malone. Last Saturday, clipped a curb making a left turn, and Tampa Bay Police Lieutenant Paul Lusczynski pulled him over. The officer smelled alcohol on his breath, and Malone refused to take a test immediately. At the jail, Malone scored alcohol blood levels of 0.116 and 0.112, above the acceptable limit of 0.08. He was charged with “Driving Under the Influence”. When Lusczynski searched Malone’s pockets, he found 1.3 grams of cocaine. Malone was also charged with possession of cocaine.

The previous Tuesday, according to the Tampa Bay Times, he was charged with driving while under suspension. In recent months, he has been cited for failing to pay tolls, running a red light, and not having proof of insurance. He began the season playing on a line with Steven Stamkos, but he has been a healthy scratch recently. When he did play, he was on the fourth line.

The NHL is keeping its cards close to the vest. Bill Daly, the league VP: “His future playing status, both in the near term and during the playoffs, will be determined in accordance with the terms of our Substance Abuse and Behavior Health Program.” With an annual salary of 4.5 million dollars, there is a lot at stake for Malone.

Understandably, this will be a distraction to the Lightning as they prepare for the playoffs against the Habs. Malone fills a lot of space on the ice at 6’ 4”, and 225 pounds. He has played more than 600 NHL games, and will be 35 this December. He missed much of last season with “lower body” and shoulder injuries. In 57 games this year, he had just 15 points. That is a far cry from his best seasons with the penguins, when he averaged more than 70 points per season. His alleged behavior in this instance reflects on the entire team, and will make things more difficult at this time.

One can only hope that Malone gets the help he needs, clears up the mess that he has made, and resumes his career. For many professional athletes, careers are indeed short. They can run into injury, and a myriad of other distractions.

James Hurst

April 15, 2014

Ending the 2013-2014 Regular Season

                                                            Drew MacIntyre-Leafs

Last Thursday night, Leafs Coach Randy Carlyle decided to start Drew MacIntyre in goal. Without a great deal of fanfare, it was an important evening for the Leafs goalie. MacIntyre was drafted by the Red Wings in 2001. Since that time, he has logged an awful lot of ice time in many hockey leagues. As it turned out, he had to wait until he was thirty years old to get his first start in the NHL.

After the game he chatted with the media. “It’s been a long time, but it was awesome playing my first game. I was hoping it would be a win. That’s how I had envisioned it. I looked up at the end of the anthem and saw the Draft 2001 flag. I smiled at myself and said, ‘It’s been a fun ride.’ I found it so funny that I was playing my first game in this rink.”

I asked him for a quick photo as he returned to the dressing room. I mentioned that I came from Wellington. “I don’t know if you remember, but I played for the Trenton Sting when I was fifteen,” he told me with a slight smile. Sure enough, the NHL Official Guide confirmed this. My other main source of players and teams did not have the same information. In fact, hockeydb.com had no record of MacIntyre’s original foray into the hockey world. The entire year of 1998-1999 is missing from their archives.

MacIntyre skated briefly at the Dukes camp that season, and was a guest of Coach Marty Abrams. Marty had already signed Rob Gherson for the season, and released MacIntyre to the Sting. Gherson informed me that he and MacIntyre faced each other several times in the hockey wars, particularly in the American League. 

MacIntyre, a native of Charlottetown, PEI, played his major junior hockey in the Quebec League with Sherbrooke.  Most of his professional career has been in the American League, with four relief appearances in the NHL. He played 56 games in the ECHL, including 10 last year in Reading. He has played 46 games this year for the Marlies, with a sparkling goals-against-average of 2.49. With Bernier injured, he was called up to the Leafs for Thursday’s game.

Carlyle was politely infuriated with his team’s effort in the game, following a 4-2 loss to the Panthers. “I thought we would have a little bit more compassion for the goaltender that was going in the net for his first NHL start. We gave up eight quality scoring chances in the first period.” It has been a rocky road for the Leafs this year.

Playoffs begin Wednesday!

April 13, 2014.

Closing out the Hockey Season In Florida

As we enter the final week of hockey in the National Hockey League, there are a few playoff spots yet to be determined. Such is not the case for the Florida Panthers, as they saw their hopes slip away some time ago. Rather than languish in agony, the powers-that-be took to the phones and orchestrated a deal that will hopefully bring results next season. Results in the NHL mean playoffs, and that will fall squarely on the shoulders of Roberto Luongo next season.

He landed in Florida, for the second time, in a trade that saw former Belleville Bull Shawn Matthias head to Vancouver. Luongo is a seasoned veteran, but, as a goaltender, he likely has several good seasons ahead of him. He is a dedicated employee, and has never been faulted for lack of effort. You may recall that, at one time, the Canucks insisted that he be named captain of the team, indeed a rarity and an honour for a goaltender. It indicated that he is a leader, and that is something that the Panthers can use at this time.

After a recent 2-1 loss to the Calgary Flames, Luongo faced the media in the Panthers’ dressing room. He stressed the positive side of things, somewhat difficult in the circumstances. He had robbed Mike Cammalleri on a breakaway in the third period, but the Panthers could not beat Flames’ starter Joey MacDonald. “You have to give their goalie credit,” he told me after the game. “A win would have been nice, but he really played well.” He went on to analyze the game in the current perspective. “At this point in the season, it’s about the process.”  The process necessitated by failing to make the playoffs.

He was returning after a brief stint on the sidelines with a mild concussion. He was bowled over by the Hurricanes’ Radek Dvorak on March 27^th. “I think it was the original contact. My head hit the post on the way down, too, but it wasn’t as hard as the initial hit,” Luongo told the Sun Sentinel.

The Panthers are loaded with young talent, and the potential is there to make them serious contenders next year. As the season comes to a close, young players from San Antonio are given a chance to show their stuff. Quinton Howden, Bobby Butler, Colby Robak, and Vincent Trocheck have played less than 20 games in the NHL, but they are the future of these young Cats.  Jimmy Hayes brings size and grit to the lineup, and has developed a ‘Phil Esposito’ touch around the net. Translation? Let the puck hit you in the arse, then bang it into the net!

Jonathan Huberdeau was the rookie of the year last year, and he will be a leader next year. Former Kingston Frontenac Eric Gudbranson will help anchor the Panthers defense. But the Panthers truly need offensive talent, as their three top point-getters have about as many points as Sidney Crosby, combined. As in 35 points each. Ouch!!

The Leafs play the Panthers in Sunrise on Thursday night, a game that could decide the fate of the Blue and White.

On the south west side of the state, the Florida Everblades are in dire straights. They have dropped a couple of close decisions in the past week, and are in danger of landing out of the playoffs for the first time in team history. The recently landed Rob Kwiet, a former Wellington Duke, to shore up the defense. Kwiet has been impressive in his first few games with the ‘Blades. The ‘Blades must win all three of their remaining games, and hope that  the Fort Wayne Komets trip and stumble at the finish line to play in the post season. In all likelihood, Nathan Moon, Chris Auger, and their teammates will finish ahead of the Everblades.

                                                                          Chris Auger

Rob Kwiet is a well-travelled soul.  The sounds of “I’ve been everywhere, man” must echo, occasionally, inside his head. In the last ten years, he has seen the ice representing fifteen different teams, in five different leagues. He had two brief stints in the American Hockey League, but most of his time has been spent in the ECHL, from coast to coast.

Golf, anyone?

James Hurst

Sportslices.blogspot.com.

Great Voices From the Past!

I had an instant last week when all of the great voices of baseball echoed in my brain. One at a time, naturally, as there just isn’t room for all of them: Vin Scully, Harry Caray, Tom Cheek, Red Barber, Ernie Harwell, Jon Miller, Jack Buck, Tony Kubek, Early  Wynn, Phil Rizutto, Bill White, Mel Allen, Dizzy Dean, Dave Van Horne, Curt Gowdy,Tim McCarver, Bob Uecker, Ken Coleman, Jerry Coleman, and Joe Garagiola. Current broadcaster Dan Shulman, a Canadian, does a fine job as well. Most were winners of the Ford Frick Award, an annual affair at Cooperstown.

                          Hall of Fame Announcers: Jack Buck, Harry Caray and Garagiola-Late 1950s

I touched on the fact last week that I had spent an afternoon beside Joe Garagiola, Junior. He is now working for Major League Baseball as a Vice President, in a role similar to that of  Brendan Shanahan in hockey.

His father spent ten seasons in the Major Leagues as a player. He signed with the Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 1942, but made his debut on May 26, 1946, when he was twenty years old. He spent his first six years with the Cards, before being traded to the Pirates. He had a stint with the Cubs, and finished his playing career with the Giants.

So that was his fourth team in the National League, when there were only eight teams in the League. He remembers squatting behind the plate when the great Stan Musial stepped up to bat. He looked back at Garagiola, surprised to see him in a Giants uniform. “What the heck are you doing there?” Musial asked.

Garagiola told him that he had been traded. Musial asked, “You did, when?” Joe replied, “This morning.” Musial then asked, somewhat surprised, “Why don’t you quit?” and Joe retorted, as only he could, “Now?”

Garagiola added wit and wisdom to the game whenever he was behind the microphone. He spent 57 years in the broadcast booth. I dare say that he knew everyone in baseball for the latter half of the 20^th century. My recollection of the titles of the games, and the networks, is always a little vague. I think the game was advertised as “The Game of the Week,” and it usually was on a Saturday afternoon. But that was the time to settle in with a couple of cold ones to enjoy the great game, and the greatest stars.

Garagiola often teamed with his childhood friend Yogi Berra on the rubber chicken circuit. They grew up together on “The Hill”, an Italian sector in St. Louis. Berra recalled watching Garagiola in the 1946 World Series. Joe hit .314 in the series, outhitting Musial and Ted Williams. After the Series was completed, they both worked together in the hardware section of Sears, Roebuck and Co. Garagiola recalls that Berra “was not much of an expert in hardware. A customer asked Yogi about a specific kind of screw. Yogi went blank. He pointed at the jars of screws and told the customer he couldn’t tell one from another. He said, ‘Pick it out yourself.’” From Yogi Berra, Eternal Yankee, by Allen Barra.

Garagiola moved into a retirement community a couple of years ago, as did Berra. He called Berra after moving in. He asked, “How’s it going, Yog?” Berra replied, “It’s all right, but geez, they’ve got a lot of old people here!”

He remembered a pitcher with a funky delivery: “He threw nothing but elbows and fingernails at you, and, pretty soon, the ball came.”

Garagiola is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame; however, he says his most cherished baseball memory came when he witnessed the Diamond Backs winning the World Series in 2001. His son had put together that team as General Manager, and Joe was justifiably proud of his boy.

Garagiola enhanced the game for all his listeners, and his friends. Always.

James Hurst

Sportslices.blogspot.com

More Spring Training-2014

                                               In Port Charlotte, with Joe Garagiola, Jr.

All the talk around the pool, along the beaches, and in the barbershops in South West Florida nowadays, deals with the teams that are trying to dance their way to the Sweet Sixteen. Those are the sixteen schools of learning that will play for the National Championship of Basketball in the United States. Millions of Americans have completed their “brackets”, hoping to select the winning teams in the newest science of “bracketology”. Yes, Mildred, they have coined such a word.

In the meantime, Major League Baseball is winding down  to prepare for the upcoming 2014 season. In their efforts to extend the boundaries of the game, the powers-that-be have decided to open the season in Australia! It is part of the ongoing mission to make the game an international affair. Remember the World Classics of baseball? You’ve forgotten? Heavens! Truth to be told, most of us can’t recall the details of those events. Thankfully.

But there are still plenty of games to play to complete the Spring Training schedules here in the Fort Myers area. I was fortunate to see the Jays for the second time, but in Port Charlotte, a half hour from Fort Myers. The Tampa Bay Rays hold their training camp in that area, and they play their games in a delightful stadium. It is always a pleasure to tie in with a couple of cronies from back home, slather on a little sun screen, settle back with a couple of cold ones, and enjoy the “Boys of Summer” in late March.

                                               A little tailgating, from the Peterborough area.

We were greeted with a fine home run from Colby Rasmus, his first of the campaign, great fielding plays, and bonehead mistakes by veterans who should really know better. I try to enhance my knowledge of the game by chatting with fans who are seated in our area. I was fortunate to discover I was seated beside a man of considerable baseball wisdom, Joe Garagiola, Junior.

At times such as these, I work hard to restrain myself from being unrestrained. That is to say, occasionally, I can be somewhat humble. For those of us over fifty, the name Garagiola is synonymous with baseball. Joe Garagiola was our friend, every week, sharing his baseball insights. He was funny, outrageous, and knowledgeable. We knew he had been a catcher, and that added to his credibility. Anyone who stands behind the plate as a career, blocking wild pitches, guarding the plate with large runners steaming in from third base, shaking off the pain from careening foul balls: that’s the stuff that men are made of. And I think you have to be a touch crazy to make a career of it.

More about Joe Senior, next week. During my conversation with his son, I learned that he was the General Manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and that he was with them when they won the World Series a few years ago. He was sporting a ring that Zsa Zsa Gabor would have admired. (That dates me, n’est-ce pas?) But he turned out to be the nicest guy: affable, and willing to chat. Most other press box cronies are embedded into their lap tops, or are on cruise control, not wishing to be disturbed.

                                    Quinte Area sports fans: John Emerson and Doug Townsend

An old hockey referee and sometime umpire, John Emerson, joined us for the last few innings. Joe is now responsible for discipline in baseball, working for Major League Baseball. Basically, he is there to take care of all of the sins in the game. “I’m the Brendan Shanahan of baseball,” he told us in a language that he knew that we would understand.  But our conversation continued in the hockey line. He told me he loves the game, and added that he believes that hockey players are the best athletes. Emerson got a chuckle out of Garagiola when he told him that hockey referees had it best: the guys in the other sports can’t skate away when they make lousy calls!

Joe  added that it is unfortunate that hockey translates the least well to television, hurting the general appeal of the game in the United States.( I have been informed that the new larger televisions, and HD make the game better to see.) He told me that one of his greatest moments in sports was when he happened to be in St. Louis when the Blues were in the Stanley Cup final against the Bruins. He was lucky enough to pick up a ticket for the game, and watched Bobby Orr sail through the air after scoring the final goal of the season. Quite a thrill.

As a kid in Scarsdale, New York, he skated on a lake in a small subdivision about half a block from his house. He explained that he had difficulty getting the puck off the ice with his shot, and he added that he respects the puck control of NHL players. Now and then, baseball entered the conversation, especially when the Rays’ second baseman threw the ball in the dirt on an easy throw to get a runner at first. I mentioned that I thought Steve Saxe had some difficulty with that at one time. “Chuck Knoblauch also had it. In golf it’s called the yips. In baseball, we call it “The Thing”. Some catchers get it, can’t throw the ball to the pitcher. We tell ‘em, ‘Just pretend you are throwing to second base.’ That usually helps”.

Take me out to the ball game. Any time!

James Hurst

March 24, 2014.

On the Road, Again!

Last Sunday, Shawn Matthias played his first game in Florida as a Vancouver Canuck. It was not his first game in Sunrise, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale, as he played 312 games for the Florida Panthers. Needless to say, it was different for the former Belleville Bull.

“It was very emotional for me,” he told me after the game. He entered the arena from a different entrance, dressed for the game in the visitors’ dressing room. “But it was fun to play here. I have always enjoyed playing in front of the crowds here.” He took some time after the game to visit with a couple of his former teammates.

The Canucks led 2-1 after the second period; however, the Panthers clawed their way back into the game and Jimmy Hayes got his second goal of the game with 1:35 remaining in the third period. The big guy from Beantown was simply doing his job on the power play, filling the space in front of the net, distracting Canucks goalie Eddie Lack. Brian Campbell’s point shot was stopped by Lack, but Hayes managed to fire the rebound into the Vancouver net.

As is so often the case this year, nothing was settled in overtime. The teams selected their players for the shootout. The Canucks: Zac Dalpe, Nicklas Jensen, and Christopher Higgins. The Panthers: Nick Bjugstad, Brad Boyes, and Brandon Pirri. My point here is that you will not find those names in the scoring leaders for the NHL. The Panthers and the Canucks are looking to the future, to put it politely. At any rate, Jensen beat Luongo with a fine deke put win the game for the Canucks.

Hayes was selected as the game’s first star, with two goals. He was traded to the Panthers after his Stanley Cup season last year with the Hawks. Once he had finished his interviews with the media types, I quietly approached him, and told him that Doug and Darlene Shaw asked me to say hello. “Do you know them?” he asked. I explained to him that we are all “County” folk. I also told him that the three Shaw boys played football in the minor league in Belleville, with Doug helping to coach. “You mean those three knucleheads were on the same team?” Hayes is a great friend of Andrew Shaw, who spends a little time stirring things up for the Blackhawks.

Matthias was traded to the Canucks with goaltender Jacob Markstrom for Luongo and Steven Anthony, at this year’s trading deadline. He made no bones about the fact that he enjoyed the win. “I am really pumped about this win,” he told me as he finished packing for the road.

Enigmatic coach John Tortorella was pleased with the win. “That’s the way it’s been,” he said, after the game. “We’ve been on the other side of these things. Good for Eddie lack, and Jensen. It’s not Picasso, that’s for sure. But it’s nice to grind away, and scratch and claw and get the two points.”

The Canucks are dangerously close to missing the playoffs this year. They are 4-12-1 in their past 17 games, and dearly miss the other Sedin. Henrik, the captain, spoke to me after the game. “It was a bit strange to see Roberto at the other end in the warmup. This is a tough time for us right now, but it is great to see the young guys coming up and playing well. If we can keep the mistakes at a minimum, we will succeed.”

On Monday night, the Canucks lost 4-3 in Tampa Bay. There is little time left for failure, for the team, for the coach.

James Hurst  

March 19, 2014  

Eagles Come Up short Against Mercer Bears

Once again last Sunday, the city of Fort Myers came out in force to show their support for the Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles. It is Spring Break time at the university; nonetheless, the students also packed the arena to cheer for the Eagles. Again on Sunday, a record number of 4 702 basketball fans filled the seats at the Alico Arena.

Throughout the game, security personnel watched the FGCU students with a jaundiced eye. The kids were loud, but never completely unruly. I have become accustomed to some of the chants they use during the game. “This is our house”. “Go Home, Mercer”. When one of the opponents violated a dribbling rule, they shouted, “You can’t do that”. These are all very effective, somewhat unnerving for the opposition.

On Sunday, unfortunately, the Eagles came up a little short against the Mercer University Bears, losing 68-60. Both teams had advanced to the Atlantic Sun Conference Final, and, due to the fact that the Eagles had the first seed, the game was played in Fort Myers. The Eagles had disposed of the Stetson University Hatters, and the East Tennessee State Buccaneers. Mercer, the second seed in the eight team tourney, eliminated Jacksonville and USC Upstate to reach the final.

Because of the loss, the Eagles failed to gain a berth in the NCAA Championships. They will play in the National Invitational Tournament, held each year in New York City. Opponents will be determined next Sunday, following the NCAA Selection Show. Last year, the Eagles were the “Cinderella” team in the Tournament. The Eagles won the “Best Upset” award for their win over Georgetown in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The selection was part of the ESPN “Espy Awards” held in Los Angeles last July.

Following the season last year, Coach Andy Enfield left the team to take the coaching position at the University of Southern California. The powers-that-be decided to hire Joe Dooley from Kansas. As an assistant coach for the Jayhawks, for ten years, Dooley was involved in the NCAA finals every year, winning the title in 2007-2008. He had also been head coach at East Carolina from 1995 to 1999. He most certainly is a student of the game, and his teams always enter the arena well prepared.

The Eagles trailed by 16 points at half time. They received few breaks at the rim, and had some questionable charging fouls, always difficult to call at this level. Bernard Thompson and Brett Comer led the Eagles with 14 points, while Chase Fielder just missed a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. The Eagles shaved the lead to one point in the second half, but lost momentum and never gained the lead.

                                                              Bernard Thompson

Anthony White and Langston Hall led the Bears with 15 points apiece, while Daniel Coursey added 13 points. Hall was selected as the Atlantic Sun “Player of the Year”, while Coursey was chosen as the “Defensive Player of the Year”. Comer and Thompson, both Juniors from the Eagles, were nominated to the First All Star Team. All in all, a tremendous experience for players and fans alike. With fine recruits, and great returning players, the future looks bright for the young Eagles.

                                                       Daniel Coursey-Mercer Bears

Congratulations to the Carleton Ravens, once again the best university basketball team in Canada. The team has won 10 National Championships, a truly incredible feat under coach Dave Smart. Well done!

James Hurst