TVOS and Fan-Tastic Sports: The Wins Keep Coming - Martin Brodeur Reaches 650 Wins

Every Wednesday, I share my thoughts from inside the NHL Alumni Association and from around today’s NHL at Peter Ing and Bryce Salvador’s Fan-tastic Sports XHockey blog. This week’s article - New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur reaches 650 regular season victories.

The Wins Keep Coming - Martin Brodeur Reaches 650 Wins!

New Jersey Devils Goaltender
Martin Brodeur
(Photo - Andrew Rodger TVOS)

With a 4-1 victory on Sunday versus the Philadelphia Flyers, the New Jersey Devils moved into a tie with the Flyers for 5th place in the Eastern Conference standings. While it may be difficult to catch up to the New York Rangers for first in the Atlantic Division, the win helped tighten their grasp on a playoff position this spring. Sunday’s win also marked another milestone in the marvellous career of goaltender Martin Brodeur. Stopping 18 of 19 shots for the win, the future Hall of Famer won his 650th career game.

Selected by New Jersey in the first round (20th overall) in the 1990 NHL Draft, Brodeur has played in 1,180 regular season games - all with the Devils. The 10-time All-Star and 3-time Stanley Cup champion’s career record in the NHL is an astounding 650-367-105-35 (W-L-T-OT). His Stanley Cups have plenty of company in his trophy case too, with four Vezina trophies as the league’s top goaltender, five Jennings trophies for fewest goals against, the 1994 Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year, two Olympic gold medals and numerous NHL records and accolades. You can also add another unique accomplishment to his lengthy list - his goal-scoring prowess. He is one of the two goalies to have scored a goal during the regular season and the playoffs (Ron Hextall is the other).

As the wins continue to pile up for Brodeur, the possibility that another goaltender will someday break his record for most career victories diminishes. The closest to Brodeur in the career wins category amongst active goaltenders is Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo - he is tied for 17th all-time with Gump Worsley with 335 wins (as of Monday). Luongo has had a tremendous career himself, but the longer Brodeur continues to play, the record for all-time regular season wins climbs further out of reach.

Brodeur set the record in March of 2009 when he surpassed Patrick Roy’s mark of 551 wins; he has added 99 more wins since then. As I wrote at the time in an article entitled “A Devil Reaches Sainthood” at my website, The Voice of Sport, a Hollywood scriptwriter could not have created a better story than what Brodeur wrote himself when he tied Roy’s record.

When you consider the number of games he had played, what are the chances that the Montreal native would have the opportunity to equal Patrick Roy’s record in Montreal at the Bell Centre? With the former Montreal and Colorado goalie known as “St. Patrick” in attendance, as well as 21,000 hockey fans, Brodeur backstopped the Devils to a 3-1 victory that evening for his 551st career win. It was one of the few times that I can remember a visiting player leaving the ice in Montreal to a lengthy standing ovation. The long-time Devil would break St. Patrick’s record in his next game, a home game against the Chicago Blackhawks on March 17th - St. Patrick’s Day!

While Brodeur does not carry the entire workload as he did earlier in his career, when he would regularly play in 75, 76, or 77 games each season, he is on pace to equal last year’s total and play in approximately 56 games. Sharing the net minding duties with Johan Hedberg will mean that Brodeur is refreshed and ready for the playoffs, which is not good news for his opponents in the Eastern Conference.

There will always be a debate about who is the greatest of all-time, but with 650 regular season wins and counting, there is no doubt that Martin Brodeur is at or near the top of the list with St. Patrick and the other goaltending legends and pioneers of the game.

TVOS and Fan-tastic Sports: Can We Tone Down The Trade Deadline Rumours?

Every Wednesday, I share my thoughts from inside the NHL Alumni Association and from around today’s NHL at Peter Ing and Bryce Salvador’s Fan-tastic Sports XHockey blog. This week’s article - is the rumour mill out of control leading up to the NHL trade deadline?

Can We Tone Down the Trade Deadline Rumours?

(Photo - TVOS)

There was no shortage of hype heading into the NHL’s annual trade deadline, but it came and went with few trades actually taking place. In the salary cap era, it is difficult to make a blockbuster move and with so many teams still in the hunt for a playoff position, many were not prepared to give up on their season just yet. While fans and perhaps a few GM’s ponder the moves that did not happen, the teams that did add a player or two feel that they are one step closer to Stanley Cup contention. As exciting as the day is though, is it time to tone down the trade deadline rumours?

Don’t get me wrong, the trade deadline is a good thing - it keeps the competitive balance in place. A team cannot acquire a star player days before the playoffs begin; teams must decide whether they are “buyers” or “sellers” before the final push to the playoffs begin. My issue with the deadline lies in the coverage and the lead up to the big day.

What used to be an afternoon of trade coverage has become an all-day televised event, with coverage starting at 8am and continuing right through until that night’s games begin. This year though, it seemed that the trade talk took on a new trend - the “trade tracker” segments began six weeks before the deadline on the major sports television networks, in print and on the radio. During intermissions, pre-game shows and in daily columns, hockey analysts would introduce us to a player, explain why he should be moved (usually because he was a pending unrestricted free agent), and provide a list of teams that needed to trade for him.

For six weeks, night after night, the same names were on the lists without any thought for the players involved or their families. Now that the Internet provides “experts” and “insiders” the ability to throw names around for weeks leading up to the deadline, the rumour mill is spiralling out of control. If you toss enough trade possibilities up in the air, chances are one might happen, but that does not make you an expert.

(Photo - TVOS)

Fans often associate players with their salaries and while their professional life is tied to the team that they are under contract with, let’s not forget that we are talking about real people with real families. The names being tossed around leading up to the trade deadline are not commodities and contracts; that should be acknowledged and respected.

A few years ago, listening to a former player discuss the realities of trades in the NHL on television, I heard a story that opened my eyes to the reality of these situations. During the conversation, he spoke about finding out late in the evening that he had been traded. His children were already asleep in bed and his new team needed him in the lineup right away. Travel plans were made for him and before his kids woke up in the morning, he was heading for the airport. He kissed his sleeping children goodbye and did not see his family again for six weeks. That is the reality of professional sports and we do not see this side of the game making headlines or appearing as the top story on a television broadcast.

As I wrote earlier, don’t get me wrong - trades are an exciting part of the game and necessary too. They are good for the teams involved and fans love to see them happen. What I ask you to consider in the days leading up to the deadline is to keep in mind that your favourite player is a real person. The first line star, the backup goaltender and the fourth line depth guy on your team are real people. While it is easy to think of them as a “piece to the puzzle” or a contract that needs to be moved to clear future cap space, keep in mind these guys are husbands and fathers too. Perhaps it is time to tone down the speculation and shut down the rumour mill.

St. Louis Blues Goaltending Coach Corey Hirsch Shares His Thoughts On The Newest Senators Goaltender - Ben Bishop

Ben Bishop in action - making his debut
for the Binghamton Senators
Photo - Bob Howard
Power Play Post Show

One of the surprise teams in the Eastern Conference this season, the Ottawa Senators and their fans expected things to be relatively quiet in the days leading up to the NHL’s annual trade deadline on February 27th. Things can change quickly in the world of professional sports though, as an injury to goaltender Craig Anderson forced the organization to examine their depth at the position.

With Alex Auld, Robin Lehner and Mike McKenna the only goaltenders available to the NHL club while Anderson recovers, Senators GM Bryan Murray looked to acquire a net minder in case of further injuries, while keeping to his plan of not sacrificing short-term gain for future pain. Sending a second round draft pick in the 2013 NHL Draft to the St. Louis Blues, Murray added Ben Bishop to the Sens roster and solidified the position for the final 20 games of the season. A potential unrestricted free agent in the summer, Bishop and the Senators agreed on a one-year, one-way contract extension when he arrived in the nation’s capital.

Knowing that Bishop could play a significant role with the team as they make their push for the playoffs during the remainder of the current season and into next season with his new contract, I reached out to NHL Alumni member Corey Hirsch. As the goaltending coach for the St. Louis Blues and a former NHL goaltender himself, Corey knows the new Senators net minder well and generously took some time from a busy schedule with the Blues to shed some light on Bishop for Senators fans.

What can Senators fans expect to see from their new goaltender when he gets the opportunity to play in Ottawa?

“What’s going to be interesting for them is that they are going to see a big goalie in the net and that’s going to be intimidating for a lot of the teams that they play,” Corey said on the phone from St. Louis. “The shooters are going to be a little intimidated by Ben because he is a big man and you don’t see a lot of net. You are also going to see a fire out of him too and I think Ottawa liked that - we liked that. His puck handling ability is very good too.”

Heading into the season, Bishop was expected to battle former Senator Brian Elliott for the backup role in St. Louis, but ultimately, the organization went with the veteran duo of Elliott and Jaroslav Halak. All things considered, it was a wise move as the pair are near the top of every goaltending category this season. Even though he hoped to break into the NHL lineup on a regular basis, by all accounts Bishop had a great attitude when he arrived in Peoria to play for the Blues AHL affiliate. While he may not have been happy about another season in the minors, he worked hard and excelled with the Rivermen - that says a lot about the kind of person and competitor the Senators acquired.

“The one thing you learn as a player is that things are going to happen that you don’t like,” Corey explained. “That’s part of the game and it doesn’t ever help you to play poorly or have a bad attitude. Regardless of what happens to you - you have to play well because that’s your only way out at the end of the day.”

“With Ben, that’s the approach that he took. He didn’t want to go down to the minors, he didn’t like going down to the minors, but the only way out of the minors is to play your way out. That’s been his attitude and that is what he did. He’s a good success story and long term it’s going to be what helps him become an NHL goalie.”

In our recent NHL Alumni interview, Corey discussed his work at the NHL level with Halak and Elliott, but his duties as the St. Louis goaltending coach includes working with all the goaltenders in the organization, whether they are in Peoria or they are the draft picks still in junior. In our conversation yesterday, he explained that he tries to get to Peoria for at least seven days each month to check in with his goaltenders, but that can be difficult during a busy NHL season. Even when he is not there in person though, he stays in regular contact on the phone to see how the guys are doing and the American Hockey League games are online, which provides Corey with another opportunity to watch for trends and offer insights and advice.

A third round selection (85th overall) in the 2005 NHL Draft, Bishop’s numbers in the AHL have been impressive this season. He has a 25-14-4 win/loss record, 2.23 goals against average and a .930 save percentage in 38 games with Peoria and 1 with the Binghamton Senators. He made his Binghamton debut on Tuesday evening against the St. John's IceCaps - a 41 save performance in a 5-1 victory for the Senators. With Robin Lehner’s impressive play of late in Ottawa as he fills in for the injured Anderson, it is still unclear when or if Bishop will take to the ice in the nation’s capital this season, but hockey observers believe that he is one of the young goalies ready to make the jump to the NHL and Corey agrees with that assessment.

“For sure! He can play at that level,” Corey said. “There’s no question that he can play anywhere in the NHL. It just happened that the guys up here in St. Louis played so well, that he just didn’t get the opportunity this year. He just needs an opportunity; he just needs a chance and he will easily prove that he can play in the NHL.”

Ben Bishop
Photo - Bob Howard
Power Play Post Show

When I asked about some of Bishop’s strengths as a goaltender, it is difficult to avoid the fact that the newest Ottawa Senator is 6’7 - that is certainly an asset. As Corey explained though, his height is not his only strength.

“His size is a strength,” he acknowledged. “That’s the biggest thing that sticks out - he’s a big man! The other thing that I am impressed with is his mental strength; how he deals with things and how he handles situations. He has a very strong mind and things don’t bother him too much. He can shrug things off pretty quickly. You also have to be athletic to be successful at this position and for a big man, he is very athletic.”

As previously mentioned, when we will see Ben Bishop in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators remains to be seen, but we know thanks to Corey’s insights, that when he does arrive, Ben has the abilities and attributes needed to be successful. While Sens fans did not expect a new goaltender to be added at the trade deadline, Anderson’s injury forced the organization to make a move. They now have some much-needed depth at the position should further injuries occur and they have set up a healthy competition for training camp next season, as Bishop and Lehner compete for a place on the NHL roster.

You can follow Corey on Twitter: @CoreyHirsch

*On a personal note, thanks Corey for taking the time to chat - the NHL Alumni truly is “Hockey’s Greatest Family”!

And thank you to Bob Howard from the Power Play Post Show for answering the call on Twitter and sending along the pictures of Ben Bishop in his debut with the Binghamton Senators.

Make sure to visit the Power Play Post Show website and follow Bob on Twitter: @PPPSHOW

TVOS and Fan-tastic Sports: Having A Special Place In Ottawa's Hockey History

Every Wednesday, I share my thoughts from inside the NHL Alumni Association and from around today’s NHL at Peter Ing and Bryce Salvador’s Fan-tastic Sports XHockey blog. This week’s article - Laurie Boschman’s special place in Ottawa hockey history.

Laurie Boschman's Special Place In Ottawa's Hockey History

NHL Alumni member and former Ottawa Senators captain
Laurie Boschman at the 2012 NHL All-Star Fan-Fair
(Photo - Andrew Rodger TVOS)

On the eve of the NHL All-Star festivities in the nation’s capital, the city of Ottawa and the Sens Foundation officially unveiled their “Rink of Dreams” - a refrigerated outdoor skating rink that is located next to Ottawa City Hall. As Mayor Jim Watson and the city councillors welcomed the skaters onto the ice, several guests of honour were in attendance. Ottawa Senators General Manager Bryan Murray and Head Coach Paul MacLean were on hand, as were two of this year’s All-Stars, Erik Karlsson and Milan Michalek. Also in attendance as an honoured guest was a man with a special place in Ottawa’s hockey history as the first captain of the modern-day Ottawa Senators, NHL Alumni member Laurie Boschman.

Laurie played in 1,009 regular season games during his NHL career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, New Jersey Devils and the Ottawa Senators. Perhaps best remembered as a member of the Jets during the 1980’s, Laurie arrived in Ottawa via the expansion draft for the franchise’s inaugural 1992-93 season after two years in New Jersey.

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, as the eager skaters ventured out onto the ice for their first skate on the new rink, Laurie and I chatted about the All-Star game being held in Ottawa for the first time. We also discussed the Senators and the inroads the team has made in the community as they celebrate their 20th anniversary this season.

Our conversation led to the many “firsts” in a hockey player’s career. There are the obvious ones that every hockey player hopes to enjoy - putting on a jersey for their first NHL game and scoring their first goal. If all goes well, there may be a trip to the playoffs for the first time and a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup. There is one event though that only a select few get to enjoy - being named the first captain of a new franchise.

I have had the chance to get to know Laurie since I began working with the NHL Alumni Association and I am proud to call him a friend. It’s a great feeling as a writer to have someone as respected in the hockey community as Laurie say, “Call me anytime” and he always makes sure to introduce me to his friends and former teammates when we meet at Alumni events. Last September, we spoke about the return of the Winnipeg Jets, his work with Hockey Ministries International and being part of the expansion Senators for an article at the NHL Alumni website and he reminisced about his time in Ottawa.

“It was a challenging first year and it was challenging to be a part of an expansion team, but it was also an interesting experience because I had never done that in my career.” Laurie said in our interview. “Living in Ottawa since then, it is interesting to see the growth of the team because my wife and I brought up three sons that played hockey and grew up as Sens fans. It is really neat to see that younger generation now that totally embraces this team.”

“It was a very unique experience for sure and there was a ton of excitement here at that time,” he continued. “I think what we noticed back then, was that while we had tremendous fan support right from day one, we also recognized that there were lots of Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadians fans, which still exist in Ottawa today. There was a lot of allegiance to those two brands and so it has taken twenty years to establish a fan base and a brand here in Ottawa. I think the Senators are solidly entrenched in the community now.”

While the Senators struggled on the ice in their inaugural season, finishing the year with a 10-70-4 record and only one road victory, the organization has grown in the community. Thanks to a lot of hard work by the players that have worn the uniform and the many people behind the scenes, the franchise has a solid reputation throughout the hockey world. Just as Jack Laviolette will always be the first captain of the Montreal Canadiens (1909-1910 season), when the Senators celebrate their centennial anniversary in 80 years, my friend Laurie will still have an honoured place in Ottawa’s hockey history as the first captain of the Ottawa Senators - that’s pretty special!

Thanks Dirk!!

(Photo - The Voice of Sport)

In early December, baseball pitcher and best-selling author Dirk Hayhurst (@TheGarfoose) announced that he would be holding a contest. The mission - bake a Garfoose shaped cookie... a Garfookie. The prize - an advanced copy of his soon to be released second book Out Of My League.

The contest provided a perfect opportunity for "Business Garfoose" to return to The Voice of Sport. While the Garfookie did not turn out as planned (it was delicious though!!), the effort did not go unnoticed...

"Also @ARodgerTVOS is an honorary winner for his costume party Garfookie baking. Awesome costume, hideous Garfookie."

A copy of Out Of My League arrived today, but unfortunately, it looks like I will have to wait my turn before I get a chance to read it!

(Photo - The Voice of Sport)

(Photo - The Voice of Sport)

Thanks Dirk!!

A special thank you to Michaela Hamilton at Kensington Publishing too.

You can pre-order a copy of Out Of My League or drop by your local bookstore on February 28th.