The Road to Hockeytown with Jimmy D.

 

To say that Jimmy Devellano is a sports fan would be a gross understatement. He lives and breathes sports virtually 24 hours a day. He has executive roles with the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Tigers, and he follows other sports and teams as well.

 

Jimmy grew up in Toronto, and spent his week in school as a kid, anticipating his next trip to Maple Leaf Gardens. He attended as many games as he possibly could, soaking up the atmosphere, and all the aspects of the game. Little did he know at that time that he would become the most important decision-maker in the Red Wing organization, and that he would one day possess enough sports rings to cover both hands, and then some.

 

He has seven Stanley Cup rings: three with the Islanders, and four with the Red Wings. In 1979-80, the Islanders won their first of three consecutive Cups, with Al Arbour behind the bench, and Bill Torrey as the General Manager. Devellano was the Director of Scouting.  His four championships with the Wings came when he was Senior Vice President. His other rings in the drawer come from winning the Calder Cup (Adirondack), the Adams Cup (Fort Worth and Indianapolis), and the Riley Cup (ToledoStorm). He has one baseball ring, as the VP of the Tigers when they won the American League title in 2006.

 

Remarkably, Jimmy quit school after he had completed Grade Nine in 1959. Through the early Sixties, he went to almost every TorontoMaple Leaf game. He really enjoyed the work of “Punch” Imlach, the Leaf coach. He witnessed the Leaf triumph in 1967. Some of you remember that as Canada’s Centennial year. Others remember that as the last year that the Leafs won the Cup. Jimmy also involved himself in the game by coaching and watching hockey at all levels.

 

He spent almost ten years as a civil servant in Toronto, working for the Unemployment Insurance Commission. I told him that I remembered the occasion when they moved their headquarters to Belleville. He chuckled when I told him that. “That’s when I decided to quit, and involve myself in hockey on a full time basis.” In 1967 he wrote a letter to Lynn Patrick, the G. M. of the Blues, and he offered his services to the Blues as a scout, and indicated that he did not expect any wages. He heard back from Patrick, and the rest in history.

 

In the book, he takes the reader through his times of triumph with the Islanders and with the Red Wings. He was introduced as the General Manager of the Red Wings in 1982, succeeding Jimmy Skinner. The following year, Jimmy went to the NHL draft with the fourth pick. It looked as if the Wings would miss out on the top three players: Sylvain Turgeon, Pat Lafontaine, and a kid from the Peterborough Petes. The MinnesotaNorth Stars had the first pick and they chose…….Brian Lawton, from an American High School. That left the door open for Jimmy to pick that kid from the Petes: Steve Yzerman. A wise selection for his first draft pick.

 

Yzerman stayed in Detroit 22 years, He served as captain longer than any other player in history, and is a member of the Hall of Fame. He has left Detroit to serve as the GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

 

Devellano went on to wheel and deal, adding enough pieces to put together the StanleyCup teams in Motor City.

 

In fact, his book is entitled, “The road to Hockeytown-Jimmy Devellano’s Forty Years in the NHL”. For all of you Wings fans, it is a must. One of my friends in Fort Myers, Jerry Lewis, could not put the book down. “I really enjoyed that trip once again,” he told me. “It was fun to get a different perspective on the team.” Jerry has been involved in sport all his life, and still plays competitive baseball in a seniors’ loop. In a recent tournament, he face Bill “Space Man” Lee!

 

I am going to drop off my copy of Devellano’s book at the WellingtonLibrary tomorrow. It will be there for all of you Red Wing fans until the NHL starts up again in the fall. You need something to keep your interest while others watch their favourite teams. Well, that is stretching it a bit. As the playoffs wind down, there are many of you basking in disappointment.

 

Regrets.

 

 

 

 

Tooronto Basketball 2014

 

 

The Toronto Raptors certainly captured the imagination of their die-hard fans, and a larger group of casual fans last week. They played a tight series in the first round of the National Basketball Association championships, losing 104-103 to the BrooklynNets in the seventh and deciding game. It ignited the interest in the game on a national basis. You will recall that basketball was tested on the West Coast, in the form of the VancouverGrizzlies a few years ago. That franchise now rests in Memphis, leaving the Raptors as the only game in town.

 

 

My friend and basketball insider Grant Freestone attended one of those playoff games in Toronto. He was ecstatic with the frenzy surrounding the game. “The square outside the Air Canada Centre was packed with fans. Most of the estimates were in the ten thousand range. They lived and died with every basket. The atmosphere in the Centre was electric. And incredibly noisy too, I might add.

 

 

He also noted the behaviour of two of the veterans on the Nets, a certain Mr. Kevin Garnett and a Mr. Paul Pierce. They did not shut up the entire game. They spend the time nattering away at the opposition in an attempt to break concentration. I realize that happens in all sports, at various levels. In the NBA, it has become a science, and Garnett and Pierce each have their doctorates. They work under the direction of Coach Jason Kidd, sometimes known to be argumentative.

 

 

 

 

The Raptors are a young group, and that likely influenced the final result. One of their best players, Kyle Lowry hobbled through the last few games. Lowry is an experienced player, having spent time with the Grizzlies and the Rockets. He is an accomplished point guard, always ready to assist other shooters.

 

 

He was also asked to shoot the last shot of the game for the Raps, a shot that would have moved them into the second round of the playoffs against the Miami Heat. That organization puts Dwayne Wade and LeBron James on the floor, two of the very best in the game. They also field Chris Bosh, a former Raptor who skipped out to find fame and fortune in America. There was a distinct bad taste left in the mouths of the Raptor nation when he left, with just cause. That would have been an incredible matchup. Maybe next year.

 

 I would like to tip my cap to commentator Jack Armstrong for his coverage of the game. He fills the gaps with an incredible array of basketball lingo, and educates the fan on the immediate situation with ease. When there were 25 seconds left in the game, with the season on the line, he pointed out the number of timeouts each team had remaining. That is critical information in a basketball game, as the last 25 seconds on the clock can often feel like they last forever. He told us that the Nets’ Livingston had a difficult shot especially since he was playing in “a hostile environment on the road”. He sunk it easily.

 

Jack took us through the final seconds, relating that the Nets used some taller players, for rebounding purposes: “They’ve got a lot of length on the floor”. One of the Nets hit a shot with “a good quick trigger”. The Raptors Terrance Ross got caught in the corner with the ball, with seconds remaining, but had the presence of mind to slam the ball of the leg of a Net, sending it out of bounds to give the Raps possession. “You know you will have to make a major play under duress,” he told us as the clock ticked down. He wanted the Raps to try a shot that might result in a rebound, “so you can get the put back opportunity as well”. To no avail.

 

 

Kyle Lowry got stuffed in the lane with no time remaining, and the season ended, just like that. Unfortunately, the long-established custom of players shaking hands after a game is long gone in the NBA. There is little respect in that regard as well.

 

 

At least 25 sponsors got mention during the telecast. They are paying big bucks, and television is the engine that drives the train in professional sport today. Salaries, arenas, whatever. Part of the great excitement of professional basketball today.

 

 

James Hurst

 

The Dudley-Hewitt Cup-2014

 

In 1981, Larry Mavety was behind the bench for the BellevilleBulls. In the spring of that year, they defeated the Gloucester Rangers by four games to three to win the Dudley Hewitt Cup. The Bulls travelled to Halifax to play for the Centennial Cup. They were defeated by the Prince Albert Raiders, led by tournament MVP James Patrick. Greg Paslwaski and Dave Tippet also played for the Raiders.

 

 

 Dr. Bob Vaughan was the owner of the Bulls at that time. He has fond memories of the tournaments. “Brett Kelleher was our MVP; unfortunately, he suffered a serious eye injury at the end of the season, ending his hockey career. I still keep in touch with him, and a few of the other guys. Needless to say, it was a big thrill for the players, the staff, and our fans.”

 

More than twenty years later, in 2003, the Wellington Dukes travelled to Fort Frances to play for the Cup. The Dukes defeated the North Bay Skyhawks to earn the right to play for the Canadian Championship in Prince Edward Island.

 

The Dukes also won the Dudley Hewitt in 2011, in Huntsville, Ontario. This year, the community of Wellingtonis hosting the event at their recently constructed arena, the Essroc Community Centre. There are still a few of us who simply refer to the building as “The Duke Dome”.

 

Under the present format, the trophy is awarded to the Central Canadian Junior A Champion. The winner comes from a round robin format, with a host team and the winners from the three competing leagues: the OntarioJunior Hockey League, the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, and the Superior International Junior Hockey League. The winner of the Dudley Hewitt moves on to the Canadian Championship for the Royal Bank Cup.

 

In years past, teams from Quebecand the Maritimes have competed for the Dudley Hewitt Cup. The trophy is named after two pioneers of amateur hockey in Ontario, George Dudley and W. A. Hewitt.

 

Last year, the Minnesota Wilderness of the Superior International League defeated the St. Michael’s Buzzers in North Bay to win the Cup. In 2012, the Soo Thunderbirds from the Northern Ontario League defeated the Stouffville Spirit of the Ontario League.

 

The Belleville team that won the Cup in 1981 was led by Brett Kelleher who had 85 points in 31 games. Joe McCallion had 71 points in the 42 games he played. Belleville’s John Ricketts also suited up for those junior Bulls. Other notables included: Ben Kelly, John Murphy, John Mowatt, and Ian MacInnis. Dan Burrows and Wayne Burrows shared most of the goaltending duties. Bobby Hull’s son Blake played 15 games that season for the Bulls.

 

In 2003, the Dukes were led by Ryan Woodward. “Woody” racked up 89 points in 49 league games. Brent Varty, Liam Reddox, Peter Magagna, C. J. Thompson…those players followed Woodward on the points list. Tyler Rivers led the defencemen in scoring. Tyler Lyon, Jeff Caron, Derek Smith, Preston Kivell, and Ron Cordes made up the rest of the defence corps.

 

Following their Dudley Hewitt victory, that crew headed to Prince Edward Island for the Royal Bank Cup. That began a week never to be forgotten by hundreds of faithful Duke fans who made the trek to Charlottetown.

 

In 2011, the Dukes were led by Sean Rudy. Joe Zarbo, Steve Evans, Zack Blake, Darcy Murphy, Brian Bunnett, and Darcy Greenaway also contributed to the cause. Jordan Ruby started most of the games in goal, and shared the duties with Ryan McDonald. Following their Dudley Hewitt win in Huntsville, the Dukes headed west to Alberta for the Royal Bank Cup.

 

 The Dukes open the tournament on Tuesday evening against the Kirkland Lake GoldMiners. They face Fort Frances on Wednesday, and Toronto Lakeshore on Thursday. This marks the third trip to the Dudley Hewitt Cup for Dukes’ Coach Marty Abrams. The winner of this tournament heads west to Vernon, British Columbia for the RBC. Third time the charm?

 

 

James Hurst

Sportslices.blogspot.com

April 28, 2014.

 

 

Stanley Cup Playoffs 2014

Now that the regular season has wrapped up in the National Hockey League, it is time for coaches to rally the troops for the playoffs. A team must win sixteen games in order to win the Stanley Cup; however, each team will play a minimum of 16 games, with each series the best of seven. So…..potentially, that could mean an additional 28 games to bag the trophy. Overtime is also a little different in the playoffs, with five skaters instead of four. There are no shootouts. The team that scores first in overtime wins. In the recent St. Louis Blues victory, they player their longest game in history, after more than 100 minutes of hockey.

                                         Steen scored the overtime goal in the Blues' first win 

The coach has assembled his players following the last practice before the first game. He knows what it will take to win. “Guys,” he tells his eager listeners, “I want to share the secrets of our great game, so that you will have no trouble winning the Cup. Listen up.

“First of all, this is the only professional sport played on skates. So you need to skate well, and with good balance. Don’t take any foolish penalties. Don’t retaliate, at least not immediately. We need to use our experience, and our size.”

The rookie raises his hand. “Coach, we are small, and we are young.”

“Yes,” replies the coach, “both good points. But we have young legs, and we are fast. We have great team chemistry, and we manage the puck well. We have great goaltending.

“We match up well with our opponents. We will need to block shots, and make the sacrifices when necessary. We must play with heart. Our power play needs to be effective, and we must kill all penalties to have a chance. Composure is important in these situations. Stay within yourself. Focus is important, too.”

Realizing that he is quickly losing the attention of his audience, he bangs his stick against the wall. “Boys, you will need to play with great determination. You have to give 110%. You must use everything in the tank. Take no prisoners. Finish your checks. Play all three zones of the rink effectively. Communicate with your teammates.”

As they left the dressing room, one of the players murmured, “Did he forget anything else?”

“Yes,” the coach hollered. “We need luck, and plenty of it. We need lucky bounces, and quirky deflections. We will win, with pure unmitigated luck.”

Not as easy as it looks.

James Hurst

Sportslices.blogspot.com

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.